After Whiskey Dick, 67 days till Kona

Here's a question for you: what is worse than a 12 mile climb and heavy head winds on the descent? How about 12 mile climb and 25 to 35 mph head winds uphill and downhill. I envisioned a 3:30 Olympic distance triathlon based on previous performance at different events and past training. I expected some wind but that was not my anticipated concern. After a 100 mile ride to Leavenworth last week I was more concerned with my ability to make the 4% average climb from Vantage. Well, the climb was long but the wind kept me in the lowest gear range able to barely get 5 or 6 mph. The first 6 miles were the hardest, I only managed gear changes for the briefest moments. The second 6 was much more manageable even though I was tired from the first half. I fueled and drank like crazy, 4 gels and 3.5 bottles for the ride and was glad to finish with some energy. Also the downhill in higher gears allowed a couple of 20 mph portions but mostly I was around 15 downhill or flat. The swim was within my estimated finish and my run was fine given the conditions of the bike. But the 12 mile climb took 2 hours and the last 16 took another hour. This totally destroyed any chance at a reasonable finish. Before I give you the stats let me say that my time was disappointing but I really believe that my overall performance made this even a very good training day for me. And happily today, after a recovery day I feel like I'm ready to train again tomorrow.

Here are the stats:

Swim 1 mile 0:45:51; Bike 28 miles 3:13:38; Run 6.2 miles 1:25:52

Including the transitions my total time 5:36:16.

Last comment for Whiskey Dick tri: it slowed me down but no way did it take me down.

With only 67 days left until the IM Kona race here is my training plan for the next week:

Monday- rest

Tuesday- swim 2600; run 1:15 with interval sets for speed

Wednesday- brick bike 0:45, run 0:30

Thursday- swim 3500; bike 1:30 with speed intervals

Friday- swim 3500; run 1:00 with 0:10 speed interval

Saturday- brick bike 4:00 and run 0:45

Sunday- bike 1:00 spin set, run 1:45 easy pace

For awhile I'll be checking on my mother who has been ill so I won't have my regular training resources available and I won't likely complete the entire plan for the week. Hopefully I will be able to adjust as I go and get the majority finished. If you're out there where I'll be, a hui hou, see you on the road and thanks for your continued interest.

Whiskey Dick Triathlon tomorrow, 69 days until Kona

I'm relaxing at home today after a moderate week of training, both as a recovery from the Leavenworth century ride last Sunday and in anticipation of Whiskey Dick tomorrow. A little easy workout run and bike today and then just get everything lined up for race day tomorrow. I'll be attending a wedding this evening so I'll have to drive over to Ellensburg and Vantage in the early morning. Not looking forward to that. So let's get to the summary for this week and then some final thoughts about the long ride last week.

Summary: swim, two open water swims, 1 mile each at :45 and :40 minutes; bike 62 miles 4:05; run 4.5 miles 1:05. Total miles 68.5, total time 6:35. All in all it was a productive week considering I had to give some time for recovery.

Recovery. There is a term that means so much more to me since the long ride last weekend. I was so tired, most likely suffering from heat cramps, and the physical difficulty of the ride itself that I am still feeling somewhat achy. My upper back, shoulders, and in particular my arms are still sore. I was really surprised at how tight my triceps were from hanging on to the bike. Normally I don't sit up as much and since the ride was a continuous climb I really didn't take note of the toll on my body. I am anxious about tomorrow's ride because the first half is uphill. Another difficulty that I noticed was my left arm is tight and not as strong as usual for gripping. Hopefully this will self-correct in time. Finally my hamstrings are also tighter than normal. Although they have responded to stretching.

Well that's it for now. I am hoping to be steady tomorrow in the ride. I feel confident about the distance. The weather on the east side will probably be in the 80s and that along with the bike climb may cause some difficulty, just have to wait and see. I hope to be done in under 3:30 but I'm going for the finish. I am treating this like a long training day. Looking forward to having some good news to report next time from the race.

A hui hou, see you on the road.