Capture of the week – naptime!
Activities – Strava Logs
(not linked as URLS on purpose, please copy and paste if you are strava stalking me ? )
Monday
Activity 1 – https://www.strava.com/activities/549557752
Activity 2 – https://www.strava.com/activities/549693197
Tuesday
Activity 1 – https://www.strava.com/activities/550852424
Activity 2 – https://www.strava.com/activities/550922890
Wednesday
Activity 1 https://www.strava.com/activities/551861852-
Thursday
Activity 1 – https://www.strava.com/activities/552958130
Activity 2 – https://www.strava.com/activities/552968399
Friday
Activity 1 – https://www.strava.com/activities/553568295
Activity 2 – https://www.strava.com/activities/553880634
Saturday
Activity 1 – https://www.strava.com/activities/555343044
Sunday
Activity 1 -https://www.strava.com/activities/555997195
Weigh – in Stats
Monday morning pre-activity weigh in 188
Saturday post activity weigh in 188.9
Sunday Morning weigh in 189
Targeted Activity and Focus Points
Nutrition
This week i was not a saint. I feel like I have entered the ‘See-Food’ = I must eat it all phase of training. I have to be vigilant and disciplined now for the last 12 days so that I am properly fueled. I have been having plenty of hummus and Pitas, 4-5 egg and vegetable omelette mashes most mornings. Dinner – well let’s not go there, but have been out to HuHot with Dennis, reasonable and BWW as a family and was reasonable too on my meat based protein intake (12 wings – boneless). I have had my share of salads and vegan based protein shakes. I have started back in with BCAA’s as I am noticing recovery being tougher as I go two-a-days and bricking. Trying to keep my water intake to at least 3 28 oz bottles of water while not active and a healthy supply of water while riding bike. Again, not a saint and my plateau at around 188 is evidence of that.
SWIM
I am right where I want to be with swimming. My swim this week I toned it back a bit and wanted to stop 200 yards in. Well I didn’t stop and kept going. My two attempts to get OWS in were not well received by life, and I hope to get at least one wet suit OWS in this upcoming week. I need new swim goggles too. I am perplexed, but will re-order what I currently have to be safe – TYR Nest Pro Googles.
BIKE
Volume is coming and about where I need it. I need to have a good hill day so I am not shocked the day of the event. I am not a mountain goat, but resistance training in wind has become the norm around the greater Cache Valley. My rides have been adventurous in the wind this week, with a few normal I wish they understood that less than 3 feet is just too close encounters. I am getting into aero and locking it in fairly well. i am hoping that i don’t feel I need arm warmers on May 7, as I slip in my aero grips that way, but skin to grips is just fine. moron me though, I cut my straw on my water bottle and it’s about 3 inches short, almost exactly what I cut off. Note to others, cutting based on standing and not real riding measurements is short-sighted. listen to your wife’s advice and don’t make my mistake. Don’t cut before testing it on a real ride. dumb, Shane, dumb!
RUN
The elevation in running and hiking is getting to me a bit. Although on Sunday with Juniper on my back for the hike I killed it. It is interesting to look back at my Strava history at this time going into the IM event. I was running between a 10 min/mile and 13 min/mile pace. I am now at less than 9 min/mile and consistently in the 8:40 min/mile area. I imagine as my wife gets me to focus more on running, she thinks I will run a 100 miler, that it will keep coming down. I am running strong but this week was not good for me. I have good posture, good turnover, great breathing and head control, but running just wasn’t feeling it this week. I am glad it happened this week and hope it doesn’t persist next week. I need to get a good 10 miler in next week before taper.
Weights and Strength
Been doing more of my knee exercises and rolling out my back with a foam roller. The days I don’t do anything my body is screaming, go do something. So, Sunday we hiked the canyon as a family and enjoyed our Sabbath.
Weekly Reflections and Focus
It’s been a good week being home and able to concentrate on a few things. Family time was a bit more of a concentration than training and that is ok. I still got the volume I needed in, but critical time with my 10 year old son and wife. I was trying to get an OWS swim in the wet suit out at Porcupine reservoir approx 43 degrees or Hyrum Lake approx 60 degrees. I wasn’t able to make either work, but there is always next week for a sex change swim.
I had good focused rides this week. i haven’t had a good time finding time to ride this year. But I was able to get the kestrel Talon 105 tuned up while travelling and got out this week. Focused and mindful riding was quite good. i am finding my general cadence to be approx 20 mph. I know it isn’t the fastest out there but for me where I am normally around 18 mph, I will attribute it all the running I have been doing. The rides are not belabored int he wind either. they are strong, mindful and with good strength and cadence.
With more focus on family and real needs there, I have a few great moments with my wife, son and daughter. We snuck up on a Sunday family hike where Dennis got to bring a friend and not once did we here how much farther. I was able to get out with Dennis for Daddy and Dennis time at HuHot and got to catch up a bit. Dennis is a great 10 year old, he is not perfect and with dad traveling and training and with a nearing 10 month old daughter, he has been dealing with change a bit negatively. Liz and I are doing our best, recognize it for what it is, and making sure standards and expectations are known, but also that he hears and knows how much we care for him and love him. Being a parent and and IronMan participant is tough stuff. not to mention being a husband for a wonderful wife that is coming out of her funk to wanna run run run too. We will see if she ponies up to do St George with me next year. I think she might, but time will tell. She still has to learn that OWS is not about not being eaten by the fish :). Anyway. 12 days and counting down. one last week of heavy training and taper starts next Sunday.
I still need to dial in my nutrition for May 7. Liz and I were chatting about it a bit today while hiking. I burned about 500 calories last year and I need to think about how to accomplish things. I still have some UCan left for my drinks in transition (Super starch will help eliminate high caloric in take needs). I want to get a majority of my nutrition in on the bike. I think a protein drink in T1, then shot blocks on the bike for glycogen and carb replacement. I had a bar last year on the bike but I think I want something for every hour so may I will do Rx Bars – 3-4 on the bike. Water and Skratch will be my electrolyte in drink and salt stick tabs for on bike too, still in between on skratch or just water b/c of the salts and electrolytes. Note to self, skip the Gatorade (sorry G, no links for you). I am trying to decide if I will redbull or not on the run. I am thinking for T2 a tub of frozen fruit left in the morning if I have access to my run stuff, leave it and it will be ready for T2. I have been pounding fresh fruit pre runs in New York after a day of flying and lots of Rx bars also (Chocolate sea salt).
So as you can see, still dialing it in and I have to think through my T1 and T2 gear and setup. I am not that over concerned with my transitions but striving for less than 7 minutes at each. Anyway, Liz asked if I am nervous and I am not. I wont get the butterflies until the Thursday we drive down. Slow and steady and a lot of work this go around. I am looking at the following for my goals for the event:
SWIM – Less than 60 mins
T1 – less than 7 minutes
BIKE – approx 3 hour 45 mins (15 mph or less than 4 min/mile) – was 13.7 mph overall last year.
T2 – Less than 7 minutes
Run – Less than 2 hours 15 mins (Under 10:18 min/mile)
So, I am shooting for an approx 7 hours finishing time +- 15 mins either side of 7 hours. I think this is a reasonable and achievable target given last years DNF but overall finishing time of just over 9 hours and 23 minutes. Here we go!
A good blog article to read:
Article – free speed most age group triathletes dont take advantage of
Some weekly pix:
Tunnel on Highline Trail – Logan Canyon
Liz caught my calf muscles
Logan River Trail – adjcent to Logan river Golf Course
Glimpse at the goal weight pre or post Ironman
Omelettes – veggies and greens and I eats its
Celebrate the Sabbath – Right hand fork, Logan Canyon Utah
#triathlonlifestyle #swimbikerun #trilife #triathlon #Checkin #roadtoimca2021 #triathlonlife #ironmantraining #familybalancetri #triathlontraining #2016 #triathlete #triathlonmotivation
