After Week 13

This past week was a heavy week, even with two skipped work-outs (one trainer ride and one functional strength session).  The idea behind this week's training schedule was to do, in the aggregate, full Ironman lengths of each discipline. 

Although that was the goal, the training schedule has had me swimming farther than a full Ironman length swim (2.4 miles) for some time now.  For the cycling portion, time spent on the trainer would be estimated as 15 mph. That means this week, I rode an estimated 100 miles.  The shortage is due to the skipped session and the actual ride that was scheduled for 80 miles but ended up at 76.67 miles instead.


I like this style of location posters/postcards

There are two items to note for this week in training.  First, little/no knee pains during the runs.  After the long 14 mile run session in week 12, knee pain was an issue I wanted to keep an eye on.  This week saw increased mileage, in the aggregate, and increased frequency, but none of the pain.  Tightness and soreness in the legs which I believe are quite normal, but nothing to worry about.  This was certainly good news.  Maybe my body isn't falling apart from old age just quite yet!

The second item to note was a nice weekend away in beautiful and very hot Palm Springs, a bit of a get-away with my Iron Sherpa.  With weekend temperatures breaking into the triple digits, I knew that all of my training would need to be done early in the morning.  An 80 mile bike ride with a 2 mile run was scheduled for Saturday, and a 10 mile run was scheduled for Sunday.  In each case, I'd be outside for hours, so to mitigate the effect of the heat, the training sessions started as the sun came up.  By the end of each training session, the sun was high and the heat was turned all the way up. 

I think Saturday's course will be similar to the IMAZ bike course - slight uphill on the way out, and then downhill on the way back in.  IMAZ is three loops, on Saturday I did two loops, northbound out of the city, then loop back into the city.  It was nearly noon by the time I finished the ride and jumped into running shoes.  Within a half mile, it was clear that it was just simply too hot to run, but I pushed ahead anyway.  Then a mile in, my feet were burning up from the heat.  No swelling or pain from running - just too much heat!  Figuring that I had a few tenths of a mile pocketed from runs earlier in the week, I called it quits a little early to get out of my shoes and into the shower.

Sunday's run was much better, being able to start when the sun came up and the weather was still bearable.  Just in case I brought along one of my water bottles, which I normally do not do.  Thank goodness I did so this time though - although annoying to carry a sloshing bottle around, I was very happy I did so by the end of the first mile.

I'll be back in Palm Springs in late October for a work retreat, and the bike will be coming along again.

To top off the weekend, I indulged in a nice Chinese foot massage.

Week Thirteen totals:

Bike: 76.67 miles + 95 minutes on trainer
Run: 26.2 miles
Swim: 5200 meters (3.23 miles)

Total Time: 12:20