After Week 18

Work this week started getting busy, and unfortunately the first thing to be sacrificed are swim sessions.  Since runs and rides are usually in the morning, I can get those out of the way before the workday starts.  But swims are usually scheduled for the evenings, and if I can't get out of work in time, I end up skipping them.

I'm still nursing a hurt left shoulder, and it prevents me from using proper form during the swim.  I feel some dull pain in the shoulder as I rotate for each stroke, but approximately 1200 meters or so into a swim session, I really start feeling the pain and also start noticing my left/right differences.  I asked a few friends for a sports doctor recommendation (after my coach suggested it) and will be making an appointment with on to check out the shoulder soon.  The hope, though, is that the pain will disappear before I even have a chance to meet with the doctor.

In general, the swim does not worry me.  I know I'm not a fast swimmer but I can get through it just fine without being too exhausted to jump on the bike.  The bike potion I'm fairly confident on but running a marathon after swimming and cycling... well, that still has me worried.

The weekend was another travel weekend to Palm Desert, where I had to attend a work retreat. The good news is it was free, included a massage and plenty of down time to enjoy the resort. The bad news is it cut into training time and that's another weekend without an open water swim.

Though as we get closer to Ironman, the focus has been on endurance rather than intensity, we did a hillclimb on Saturday instead of the usual massive mileage ride, in part because of work-related scheduling conflicts (ok, that and a massage appointment), and in part because my boss wanted to climb Highway 74, just south of the resort we were staying at.  We climbed up to a vista point, for a total uphill riding time of just over one hour and nearly 2,500 ft elevation change.  The views were spectacular though.  All in all, a great weekend of a mix of training and relaxation.

Bike: 41.75 miles + 45 minutes on trainer

Run: 11.7 miles

Swim: 1700 meters (1.05 miles)

Total Time: 9:30 hours