Fall Training: 2 weeks in...

For the week of 2012-07-23 (70.3 training week 12/20 & DM base)

3:00 hours of swimming, all in 60 minutes workouts with DAM, all pretty much a beat-down :-)
5:13 hours of cycling for 98.5 miles
3:50 hours of running for 24 miles
0:25 hours of weights.

Of Note:

Swimming is a constant reminder of 2 things: first, that my shoulder / arm muscles are still building back up after have clavicle surgery; and second, that I am just really weak! :-)

Long ride with the TriShop group was great.  They killed the pace on the way out, but I still had the energy make a good solo effort back home after I turned around at mile 30.  My solo rides / trainer spins during the week were mostly uneventful.

Most of the running was at a 9ish pace with some runs ending with alternating walk 0.25 miles and run 0.25 miles for last mile or so.  I didn't want to push my ankle / heel, and boy was it hot.  My Sunday morning solo 8 miler was a particular beat-down (that's my new favorite hyphenated work combo!).

For the week of 2012-07-30 (70.3 training week 13/20 & DM week 1/19)

3:00 hours of swimming, all in 60 minutes workouts with DAM
5:10 hours of cycling for 94 miles
4:58 hours of running for 33.3 miles
1:20 hours of weights.

Of note:

My Thursday Swim with DAM felt like a little less of beat-down...probably because it was stroke day, we had a hard set, and everyone was worn out.

My long cycling set was a solo ride on Sunday: I wanted to start early and wanted to work on pacing myself.  3:10 in the saddle at a 18.8mph average...not too bad considering I wasn't killing it.  Although I wasn't planning on making the workout a brick, I felt so good I ran 3 miles after and finished the last miles strong running the last 0.5 at sub race-pace.

I feel like I ran with the Zen master on Saturday.  I started the WRRC 10 miler towards the front and got into a good conversation.  I looked down and we were averaging <8:20 at mile 4/10 with sun still rising and the temperature > 90 and climbing.  At the second water-stop I started running with Chris and we averaged an 8:40ish pace for a bit.

We chatted and he talked about taking time to build a base during the heat of the Summer and wanting to finish the long runs strong.  As we neared the final water stop and the 2 miles to go mark I commented that he had dropped our pace down to sub 8:30 and he smiled saying "all by design."  At the water stop most of the group had re-collected and when we started again Chris went to the front and started hauling it back to Fuzzy's.  I chased after him and averaged about 7:40/mile but still didn't catch up.

Chris spends a lot of time being a good running coach, encouraging everyone, and trying to make WRRC a welcoming group, so I forget that he's a sub 3:20 marathoner.  Much respect!