Monday: 2 mile run

I am not sure exactly of the stats. I'll fill them when I upload them from my Garmin. But it was around 2 miles at 9:20ish min/mi pace. Legs felt fine. I ran around around the hotel for 20 minutes or so at 5:00am this morning. Was getting some weird looks. Morning was great. Weather is much cooler and more pleasant than home. Then worked all day.

Sunday: 100 mile bike; 2 mile run; 1.5 mile swim; abs

Went for quick 1.5 mile swim -- quick as in 45 minutes. Yeah, not that quick.

Then ate breakfast and hopped on the bike about half an hour later. I was running short on time today as I needed to work and also catch a flight later this evening so I wasn't going to be able to do two rides. It's probably about time that I start doing the long rides now, now that the race is 18 weeks away--though I had really only planned on getting the long ride in starting 13 weeks out.

As soon as I got on the bike, I knew I was going to have a good ride. My heart rate started out a little high because I had just eaten, but my legs were feeling very strong. I never hit any rough patches physically during the ride, but mentally, it got pretty tough around the 80 mile marker -- the reason why I don't like riding much more than that in doors. I have a lot of work to do. 100 miles--and 112--is a lot different than 56 which I have been getting used to. I was starting to go a little crazy, but at least I had Wimbledon and the Eurocup Soccer final to keep my mind occupied. Switched off between Gatorade and water every ten minutes. At 80 miles I ate half a Cadbury milk chocolate bar with caramel -- those things are frickin good. And then after that, I just wanted more, but didn't have any more by the bike. I couldn't wait to get off. 100 miles. 4:24; 251w. 143bpm. 81rpm. 22.6mph.



Followed the ride with a 2 mile brick run. 7:32 min/mi. Legs felt good but was feeling hot and after the first mile, I felt like I need some more calories which I didn't have with me. Again, while it is fun to run faster, I need to slow it down for another 10 weeks and work on the volume. The race isn't today but 18-19 week from today.

I have to go catch a flight now, but will try to get an easy 4 mile recovery run tonight. I will be away until Wednesday night so my biking volume is going to be off. I plan to make it up on the 4th and hopefully will be able to get on the stationary bike for a couple rides while out. Not ideal especially considering that my volume overall for swim, bike, and run is lower than where I want it to be at this point, but better than nothing.

Week summary: 322 mile bike; 30 mile run; 5.5 mile swim. Need to bring it up.

Got in at midnight and was debating whether it would be better recovery to get a quick 15 minutes in or just go to sleep. I am opting for the sleep as I have to up in five and half hours. My run volume is way too low though to run a good marathon.

Saturday: 56 mile bike; 8 mile run; 3 mile swim; abs

Started out with a 3 mile swim. It took about 90 minutes which would be close to a 1:12 Ironman swim at the same pace. So this is where I am. I have 18 weeks to take off almost 10 minutes. It will be tough. But I think it is doable.

Then hopped on the bike. I felt pretty good but didn't want to go too hard as my heart rate was a bit high. 215w. 133bpm. 21.3 mph. 82rpm.

Followed the ride with an 8 mile brick run. 9:06 min/mi with 1 mile at 8:00 min/mi. It feels great to run faster but I need to continue being patient as the race is still too far to start running that fast. So despite feeling great running the 8 min mile and wanting to run more miles at that pace, I forced myself to slow down. Right now I am concerned about volume and preventing injury and my run volume has been low.

Friday: 24 mile bike; 8 mile run; abs

I actually felt great today. Unfortunately, my tire shredded and blew up 24 miles into my ride. It wasn't fun, especially since I was on the computrainer. So it first scared the crap out of me because there was this sudden very loud bang. (This wasn't no ordinary flat. The tire--not the tube--literally blew up.) And then I had to take the bike off and switch the tire out. I have actually never changed a flat before. :-). Normally I just take it to the bike store. So it took me 40 minutes to figure it out. At least I now know how to do it. By the time I got the bike set up again on the computrainer, I had run out of time.

Run 8 miles. 9:13min/mi. Bike 24 miles. 223w. 128bpm.

Thursday: 56 mile bike; 2 mile run

Felt great today. Bike 56 miles. FL: 2:29:36; 246w; 136bpm; 22.5mph. Followed by a brick 2 mile run. 15:19; 7:33min/mi; 152bpm. The rest of my runs this week will be very slow as my last two have been faster than normal. I'm always afraid of getting injured.

Wednesday: 10 mile bike; 5 mile run; abs

Had to work late. Didn't have much time to train today and for the first time in a long time I overslept this morning's training session.

30 minute bike. 10 miles. Run 5 miles. 41:15; 8:15min/mi.

Tuesday: 76 mile bike; 1 mile swim; abs

I finally felt better today. I am definitely nervous about my taper. Every time I take an easy week, it takes me awhile to get going again. So I will have to think hard about how best to go about tapering come October. I've also decided that now is the time to start swimming more as my swim is way off from where I need it to be and my goal. I think I have figured out a way to get a couple more swims in during the week.

a.m. Bike 60 minutes; 20 miles; 199w; 119bpm. Followed by a 1 mile swim which took about 30 minutes.

p.m. Bike 56 miles. FL: 2:25:57; 264w; 145bpm; 80rpm; 23.0mph.

Monday: 6 mile run

Taking another easy day. 6.41 mile run. 9:22 min/mi. There is a thunderstorm going on so can't ride.

Sunday: 8 mile run; 1.5 mile swim; abs

I felt pretty good today, but thought I should take an easy day (and day off the bike) nonetheless so as not to compromise my training next week.

1.5 mile swim in about 45 minutes.

75min run. 8.18 miles. 9:10min/mi.

Weekly Summary. My weekly volume was lower than I wanted it it to be, and especially lower than I had expected heading into the weekend, but I think the easy weekend will be be beneficial in the long run.

Bike: 300 miles; Run: 32.32 miles; Swim: 4.5 miles.

Saturday: 56 mile bike; 5 mile run; 3 mile swim

Heart rate was still very high today though my legs felt ok, though far from normal. I started out with a 3 mile swim. I didn't time it but it took me around 1:30. So needless to say, I have a lot of work to do in the water.

Then biked 56 miles. Heart rate is still sky high. I've looked back at my training log and this tends to happen when I take an easy week, like I did last week. On the other hand, I don't want to push it if it is something else, which is more likely as my legs do not feel great. So I don't mind training easy. While I want my volume to be high at this point, the real training is still to come. 189w; 128bpm.

I followed the bike with a 5.29 mile easy brick run. Ran 9 minutes and walked 1 minute for 50 minutes. 9:27min/mi.

I decided to skip the second bike and rest instead.

Friday: 56 mile bike; 2 mile run; abs

Today's ride was a struggle, particularly beginning at the 2 hour mark, though I never felt good throughout. Despite taking in more calories than normal--at these low heart rates, I now, as I have become fitter, only usually need water and maybe a little gatorade at the end of a 56 mile ride--I lost all power for the last 40 minutes of the ride or so and was just hanging on.

Yesterday my heart rate was high but my legs felt great; today my heart rate was high and my legs were flat out tired. I should have done a true recovery ride, but thought I could press my luck until it was too late. I may ride recovery for one if not both of the rides tomorrow.

a.m. 2 mile run. 9:22min/mi

p.m. 56 mile bike. FL: 2:41:58; 207w; 134bpm; 82rpm; 20.7mph

Thursday: 56 mile bike; 11 mile run

a.m. 6 mile run. 9:22 min/mi.

p.m. run home from work. 3.59 miles. 8:44 min/mi;

Bike 56 miles. FL: 2:42:16; 213w; 139bpm; 81rpm; 20.7mph.

Followed by a 1.62 mile brick run. 8:57 min/mi.

Heart rate was somewhat high for power output, but legs felt great.

Wednesday: 112 mile bike; abs

Now I know why I was struggling so much yesterday. I didn't calibrate my computrainer correctly, which I only figured out 2 hours into my first ride this morning. Again today, it was unusually tough just to hit 180-190 watts. But I wasn't wearing a heart monitor to get more feedback and just assumed that it was normal as it would take a couple rides to get going again. 2 hours in, I decided to recalibrate, and once I did, everything felt much better.

a.m. FL: 2:49:35; 188w; ###bpm; 82rpm; 19.8mph (was probably closer to 220w based on effort)

p.m. FL: 2:42:20; 213w; 131bpm; 81rpm; 20.7mph

Tuesday: 20 mile bike; 5 mile run

Just trying to get back into the swing of things and get the legs spinning again. That was the longest I have gone without riding in way over a year and I could definitely feel it.

The break was good mentally and physically but now it is time to step it up. 20 weeks until the race.

20 mile bike. 189w. 5.64 mile run. 8:51 min/mi.

Monday: Day Off

Travel back home. First day off in a while.

Sunday: 8 mile run

8 mile run with Gigs. 8:38min/mi. 140bpm.

46 miles running for the week. Recovery and rest week on the bike.

Saturday: 12 mile run; abs

Tough 12 mile run with Gigs. 2054 feet of elevation. 8:58min/mi. 140bpm.

Friday: 8 mile run

a.m. 4 miles. 8:59min/mi. 138bpm.

p.m. 4 miles. 9:07min/mi. 137bpm.

Thursday: 4 mile run; abs

Travel to Los Angeles. Felt tired and didn't have much time to train. Managed a 4 mile run. Shins hurt a little. I think I may be running too fast--despite keeping my heart rate down--with all the biking miles so I am going to slow my pace down and bring the volume up. I firmly believe that at this stage the pace does not matter as much as the volume for training for Ironman. 9:16 min/mi.

Wednesday: 22 mile bike

22 mile recovery ride. Legs still feel heavy. I'm not sure if it's because they are really tired or because I know that it is a recovery week and know I am supposed to be going easy. 197w; 118bpm.

Tuesday: 10 mile run

a.m. 7.10 mile run. 8:27min/mi

p.m. 3 mile run. 8:34min/mi

Big thunderstorm knocked out my power. No ride.

Monday: 22 mile bike; 4 mile run

Welcome Asher! My first nephew and my oldest brother's first born. At 8lbs 2oz, he was born to be an Ironman World Champion!


Despite an easy recovery day, I had no legs today.

a.m. 4 miles. 8:58min/mi.

p.m. 22 mile bike; 198w; 118bpm,

Sunday: 76 mile bike; 10 mile run; 1.5 mile swim; abs

Tried to start with a 56 mile bike, but my computrainer shut off an hour into the ride. So did 20 miles and then had to reset it and started over. Landed up doing 76 miles. 237w; 137bpm; 82rpm; 22.2mph.

Followed with a brick run. 7 miles. 8:35 min/mi. No heart rate monitor.

Then swam 1.5 miles. My arms hurt starting out but then once I warmed up I felt okay. I think I may have miscounted my laps, or otherwise I am really sloow. I didn't time it but I was in the pool for a loooong time. About an hour.

Finished off with a 3 mile run. 8:29 min/mi. 141bpm

Week total: 312 mile bike; 34 mile run; 3 mile swim.

I just put this on my itunes for some more motivation when training.

Saturday: 64 mile bike; 6 mile run; 1.5 mile swim; abs

Started off with a 56 mile bike. Felt great throughout; much better than yesterday. FL: 2:29:46; 245w; 139bpm; 83rpm. Followed up the ride with a 6 mile brick run. 8:33 min/mi on the treadmill. Way too hot to run outside. It was record temperatures here with 100% humidity. The good news is that my shins are feeling better so I'll pick up the run volume again.

Followed up the morning workout with a 1.5 mile swim. Didn't time it, but it was slow. Had to split the lane with this girl and as she went by me halfway through my swim, she clocked me in the face. F*cking hurt.

Wanted to ride another 56; however, 8 miles into it, the perfect thunderstorm hit and though I have tried to wait it, it hasn't let up. I can ride when feeling like crap and at any hour of the day including 1, 2, 3 in the morning. But won't ride when there is a thunderstorm. So no second ride today unfortunately.

Friday: 24 mile bike

24 mile bike. Felt like crap. 194w. 121bpm

Thursday: 89 mile bike; 4 mile run

4.42 mile run. 8:44 min/mi. No heart rate monitor

Bike 4 hours: 89 miles; 223w; 140bpm; 82rpm; 22.1mph. Averaged 220 watts for first 2 hours and 225 watts for second 2 hours. Felt good except my back has been hurting for the last couple of weeks.

Wednesday: 4 mile run

Ran home from work--at 1 a.m. 8:42min/mi. I'm kicking myself for taking yesterday off.

Tuesday: Day Off

Feeling tired. Decided to rest.

Monday: 56 mile bike; 8 mile run; abs

Today was a recovery day...sort of. My first run was harder than a typical recovery run. The run was all uphill and so I had a tough time keeping my heart rate down. 6 miles. 8:35min/mi; 148bpm. It was also my longest run in two weeks and I ran faster than I should have.

56 mile recovery ride. FL: 2:49:19; 184w; 123bpm; 79rpm; 19.8mph.

Followed by a 20 minute brick run at recovery pace. 2.25 miles; 8:54min/mi; 133bpm.

Sunday: 56 mile bike; 3 mile run; 1.5 mile swim; abs

Started out by swimming 1.5 miles. My swim is terrible and am now upset that I didn't do any swimming during the winter. While I don't believe in spending too much focus on the swim, as it takes away from training the bike and the run, and 5-10 minutes time savings isn't going make a race, I still need my swim to be better than it is.

The pool close to where I work closed down. I have found another pool which is about 4-5 miles from where I live. So I'm going to start running there and back (once my shins are better) to save some time. I think the swim took me 45 minutes which is somewhat disheartening. I don't think I'll time my swims anymore but will just get the distance in. And I'll need to start swimming some more.

I then biked 56 miles. Felt good throughout and didn't have any lingering fatigue from yesterday's ride, which tells me my fitness is good. Total ride: 263w; 149bpm; 82rpm.


Followed the bike with a 3 mile brick run. 7:36min/mi; 160bpm.