IMCHOO Build 8 recap

So this was taper. Mostly it still felt like work, but thankfully not like my real job since I wasn't smart anymore and couldn't hold a thought in my head.

I worried a little that I wasn't feeling bad enough, after listening to friends complain, but if my body wants to combat fatigue with stupidity instead of with failing to meet exercise goals, I guess that's what I'm stuck with.

Mini-goal assessment

• Focus on nutrition, really this time - At least the eating was more controlled than the previous 3 weeks, but it was not easy to control food-wants when tired, so I know I caved in to some unnecessary eating.
• Do at least 2 2.4 mile straight swims - Un-success. I had good yardage at the 90 minute swim practices, but only did 1 long straight swim, and that probably came in around 2 miles (forgot Garmin, see stupid taper brain above)
• Finish packing checklists - Success! Thank goodness I worked on this. I am packing bags and car tonight and tomorrow and am so thankful for these lists that I have been putting together.

Review of last three weeks

• 1 Monday bootcamp
• 1 Weds bootcamp
• Swam
• at 6 90 minute swim practices
• 1 time at the outdoor 50m pool
• 1 time at a warm lake, in full wetsuit. Great practice in staying steady to avoid overheating.
• Ran
• 3 Monday night run lead
• 3 track practices
• 6 mi at long run - should have been 16
• 12 mi long run on "light weekend"
• 6 mi long run on last weekend
• Biked
• 3 flat workouts
• 1 hills workout - got the 5x hill
• 44 Skyline miles
• 50 mi on "light weekend" - complete with bike "fall down"
• 30 mi on the trainer on last weekend
• 14 assorted commute miles

Goals for race

• Swim relaxed
• Stay in Z2 for the bike
• Stay focused on the run
• Cheer for others
• Experience the day

Race day is next Sunday. I'll be printing out the athlete guide, the TeamZ Cheer Guide, my race plan, and stashing them together in a binder, and hopefully, that plus all this training, will get me through the day!

Taper continues

I'm getting things checked off my to-do list during taper, including some things I wasn't expecting to do

Biking to-do's

1. Get bike tune-up - Check! My store looked it over and we replaced my tires, chain and cassette. I knew the chain would be due soon, so I'm glad to get that done now
2. 50 mile taper ride - Check! Took my freshly tuned up bike out into fall drizzle and had my lowest-energy ride of recent history. It's ok, I don't have to feel good for practice.
3. Bike crash - Check! Got that out of the way. It was super minor, and more like a bike-fall-down, but some rail tracks grabbed my front wheel and I fell down. My elbow is a little scraped and my hip is trying to bruise, but it's ok. Good reminder to really be cautious on rail tracks.

   

   Showing off the scrape

   

   Amazing bandage

   
   
4. Get bike checked again - in process. After the crash, there were some slightly bad noises coming from the bike, so I want to make sure the derailleur isn't going to suicide itself into my rear wheel or something terrible like that.
5. Re-pack saddle bag - Check! Since I had to take it off to leave my bike at the store, I decided to figure out how to fit two tubes, two CO2 cartridges, levers and multitool into my saddle bag. Pleased to report success, though if I have to unpack it, it may never all fit again.

Running to-do's

1. Get new shoes - Check! They are a different color than usual, but I think they fit the same as my regular ones.
2. Break in new shoes - In process. They carried me around for a nice 12 miler with no new blisters.
3. Recalibrate footpod - Check! Oh, the responsibilities of being a data-junky are never ending.

Swimming to-do's

1. Pack OWS stuff together - Check! Wetsuit, gloves, and two pair of new goggles are bundled together in the wetsuit bag and ready for pre-race brick.
2. 90 minute swims - In process. I've made it to 4 of 6, with 2 more this week. Getting it done.

Other things that remain to do include buying many sizes of ziploc bags for all of my ziploc needs, buying unscented trashbags to make throw-away warmups to leave in T1/T2 & special needs bags in case of a rainy/cold day, and buying more bars for my bike nutrition since I ate my last one this weekend!

It's coming together well and except for being tired and stupid, I am super proud of how I am holding up to the taper crazies.

Goodbye boom-er-ang hill, see you next year!

At the beginning of this season, I faced down the trippple hill with a little fear, and came away with a PR result that I haven't beaten since.

However, I have improved in a lot of ways on that hill.

1. The repeats have gone up - Last night, I rode 5 strong repeats, which is the most I have ever done ever. 
2. My consistency has gone up - The first time I did 4 repeats, the times sort of got faster (which is a good thing), but the time between slowest and fastest was ~45 seconds. Yesterday, for 5 repeats, I was able to keep the gap to ~10 seconds.
3. My pacing has gotten better - I have been trying to descend across the repeats. It's nowhere near as good as my swim-pacing, but, if I exclude the third loop, I descended super steadily for the other 4.

Next year, when we come back to the hills, I think I want to focus on being less scared of how bad it feels to really work hard. I know I am stronger than I was when I set my PR in April, but that repeat hurt! I probably won't be facing down 4 or 5 repeats in my training plan next year, so I should work on making them each hurt a little more.

I also want to continue to get more confident in my bike handling. Over this season, I think I have improved in my descending but I should be able to U-turn in a wide street or in a cul-de-sac without unclipping my inside foot, so I'll work on that next year.

IMCHOO Build 7 recap

Time moves forward, so I have known all summer that eventually, I'd be checking off the longest long-workouts of this training season, but it's pretty amazing to be on the other side of them.

The mental reprieve that came from my camping vacation has continued. I'm not nearly as peaceful as I was while taking a week off, but I am also not nearly as cranky as I was before the vacation.

The left hip aches have continued, but continue to disappear within a few days. I have a massage scheduled tonight, so hopefully that will help reset my muscles for the last push of training.

Mini-goal assessment

• Focus on nutrition - Absolutely an un-success. While not lashing out at the world with a cranky brain, I have been giving into every eating desire I have had. This includes lowlights of a Slurpee and 3 Musketeers for dinner one night and Panda Express + Haagen Daaz another.
• Leave the cranky-pants at home for 20 mile peak run - Success! There were a lot of ways I could have complained about the 20 mile run, but I tried really hard not to focus on them, and ended up having a lovely run where I met my goals.

Review of last three weeks

• 2 Monday bootcamp
• 2 Weds bootcamp
• 2 Yoga
• Swam
• at 6 swim practices
• 2 times at the outdoor 50m pool
• 1 time at 20m outdoor pool. Tiny pool means super fast!
• Ran
• 3 Monday night run lead
• 2 track practices
• 6 mi at long brick
• 14 mi long run on "light weekend"
• 20 mi peak run
• Biked
• 1 flat workouts - skipped one with tummy ache
• 1 hills workout - thunder canceled the week where I was going to go for 5x hill
• 58 mi at long brick
• 80 mi on "light weekend" - wonderful to repeat Monocacy 80
• 118 mi peak bike
• 14 assorted commute miles

Mini-goals for next build cycle

• Focus on nutrition, really this time 
• Do at least 2 2.4 mile straight swims
• Finish packing checklists