Triathlon Week Prep

Good morning.

Back to reality for just a little while before we return to Glen Lake for our summer vacation.

The weather was great, as was the training and golf.

Golf was better than expected: 71, 80, 76. Not bad for not playing. To date, I have played 4 times this season.

I said that Friday was an off day. After 27 holes of golf at Crystal Downs we came home and there was still plenty of time for a longer bike ride so I decided to scrap the day off idea.

This ride would be around both Big and Little Glen Lakes. This route has some awesome hills and was really a big test. These are the kind of hills that you are in your easiest gear and pedaling as hard as you can and only going 8 mph for an extended period of time. Sometimes you wonder if you will make it all the way to the top as your heart is beating through your chest. Then comes the downhill sections where you go to your big gear and reach 35 mph.

Well, this ride was 20.6 miles and my one thought was, "can you imagine if you had to do that three more times in a 1/2 Ironman?" You'de be fried. But, I am sure there are many tri courses that tough and it will be good to have this training under my belt.

Saturday ended up being the day off from training.

Sunday I was able to get in another open water swim before we drove home. Basically the same 1.2 miles that I swam a couple days ago. This swim took 34 minutes which was 3 1/2 minutes slower than my previous Glen Lake swim. Not sure why. I thought the effort was definitely there as my lats were sore after. Whatever. Thirty four minutes is still a decent time.

When we got home yesterday I decided to get back on the bike on the trainer and spin 20 miles while watching the US Open.

Interestingly, I have not run since Wednesday's 8 miles. So, my running legs should be nice and recovered from the 1/2 marathon race 8 days ago.

Today I will run and I am looking forward to it.

This is the week leading up to my first Olympic triathlon, Bigfoot. The race is next Sunday and I will be preparing and getting organized. I will get my tri bag organized with all sorts of tri thingy's that one may need on tri day.

I need to buy more bike wheel tubes and change each tire. The valves on each bike tire are in need of repair and I don't want the valves to break on race day. Changing these tubes will also be excellent practice for changing a flat tire, if that should ever happen during the race.

So, in a way, this week will be a tiny taper week. I am still going to be swimming, biking and running to stay fresh but will focus more on quality and not quantity.


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" Beyond the very extreme of fatigue and distress, we may find amounts of ease and power we never dreamed ourselves to own, sources of strength never taxed at all because we never push through the obstruction."

* It takes courage to push yourself to places that you have never been before... to test your limits... to break through barriers. And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” - Anais Nin