Adventures in Tri - iTRYathlon training, week 6

Week 1 HERE
Week 2 HERE
Week 3 HERE
Week 4 HERE
Week 5 HERE

We've reached my most favorite part of training - TAPER WEEK. iTRYathlon is this weekend! There's still plenty of time to register (and you can use discount code RC2013 for 10% off!). Click HERE to register.

I'm as trained as I'm gonna get, considering I was a last-minute triathlon decider, thanks to Coach Martha and Tri La Vie. I plan to enjoy the hell out of my taper week.

Last week....

Monday: rest

Tuesday: Bike, XT
In the am, I did a 14.6 mile ride, with hill repeats. Routed from my house, to the iTRY course, two hill loops, and ride back. What's that look like, you ask?

 Looks like devil horns, if you ask me.

Yep. Anyway. I also planned to swim, but had to rescue The H after his bike mishap, so cross trained (Tank Top Arms, Core, stretching) at home instead.

Wednesday: Swim
This one was kind of fun! We were given a prescribed workout from Coach Martha at Tri La Vie - 200m warmup, 2x200 with 2 min RI, 200m cool down. It's like she's speaking my language - I understood this! The 2x200 were good, significantly faster than my previous time trial from less than 2 weeks ago, so I suppose this training is making a difference!

Thursday: Run
1.25 warm up, 5x800 with 400 RI, 1 mi cool down. Goal 4:30-4:22, Actual 4:29, 4:25, 4:25, 4:23, 4:18. 6 miles total.

Friday: Swim, XT
Cross Training in the am (Tank Top Arms, Core, Yoga). Swim workout was 45 min timed swim, and I managed 1200m in the 47 min (I couldn't very well stop at a weird number...).

Oh, summer finally arrived!

Saturday: Group Brick
Repeat of last week, but with MORE. 3 mile run (with a shockingly-for-me-fast pace of 9:20 ON THOSE HILLS), followed by 3 loops on the bike course, and then finished with a 1 mile run. That was less than fun.

Sunday: LONG RUN!!
Maaaaan, I've missed long runs. Like, for real long runs - not that 10 mile nonsense I've been playing with the last few months. 14 miles, with some strides at *hopeful* race pace the last 3 miles. It hurts so great.

Long live treadmill love.

Totals:
Running: 24 miles
Swim: 2000m
Bike: 23 miles

8:22 training time

Running:
I had to cut one of my weekly runs this week, due to time constraints. I 100% feel like that's a complete lazy ass cop out, but it is what it is. The H's new work schedule, plus his injury, plus 2 doctor visits for Gab, plus 2 interviews made for a chaotic week, even without a pesky job interfering. Overall, I feel like I'm running much stronger than I have in a long time - faster paces are coming easier, I'm able to perform better on hills, and my endurance is coming back. I feel like 14-16 miles is my "happy long run" distance, so it's nice to see it back there.

Swimming:
Dare I say..... I am starting to see the appeal of this sport?? It helps that there is some progress being made, I'm sure, but I can definitely see how it can be relaxing. I am not struggling to keep a mental check-list of all the things to remember - kick, but not too much; breathe, 1, 2, 3; use this arm, now that arm. All those things were playing in my brain while I tried to swim, and it was really confusing for me. The more I practice, the easier it becomes, and the more efficiently I move. I like that. PLUS, I swear it helps with muscle recovery. I SWEAR.

Bike:
Ohhhh, the bike. I have to admit, I am just not really a fan. It's all fine and dandy until there's a hill, and then it's the HARDEST. I am doing.... okay here, I'm getting better every time I train on those stupid hills, but it's so so so so so hard. And going downhill fast freaks me out. Lose, lose. I just really don't love it. Yet?


Notes:

• I have a terrible habit of backloading my week with all the hard stuff.
• I'm so, SO happy to have long runs back in my calendar. 
• I'm not currently registered for anything, however, so I guess they're meaningless. Except that they make me SO HAPPY.
• I used salted caramel GU to bribe myself into finishing that long run. No regrets.
• Consistency is so important. 
• I must FINALLY be swimming "right", because I'm sore in all the right places (arms/chest/shoulders).

This week.... TAPER!
Monday: Easy swim (30 min)/rest
Tuesday: 45 min bike, easy; 5-6 mi easy run, XT
Wednesday: 600m swim, easy
Thursday: 4-5 mi easy run (strides), XT
Friday: REST!
Saturday: iTRY
Sunday: Long run, maybe.