Feelin' It...

Okay, as I sit at my house watching PTI on ESPN, getting ready to head to the pool for the PM Masters practice, I can't keep thinking about how bad I feel. I'm in a complete funk. I'm hoping it's just the taper (it's common to feel like crap during the middle of the taper), but it could very well be the onset of sickness. Of course, I definitely get a little melodramatic as I approach a big race. It's probably all in my head. But, I keep hearing about people getting the flu....Oh well, nothing to do but get rest (easier said than done), drink fluids, eat right and take emergenC!

Bring on the HEAT

How does one get ready for a full day of heat in the lava fields of the Big Island? Well, you can't! But, you can do your best to prepare. My coach is a scientist for the Army, and she does a lot of testing with soldiers in extreme conditions, like altitude and heat. She gave a good heat acclimization protocol...but you need access to a sauna. Unfortunately, I have neither the time nor the desire to go a health club to access a sauna. So, I'm doing the next best thing....cranking up the heat in my garage! Seriously! Today was the first day....although it really should start about 10 days out from the race. Since it's pretty crappy outside in the northeast, I decided to stick to the indoor trainer. My plan called for a 3 hour ride outside. I reduced that to 2 hours since I was on the trainer...w/4x 10 minutes at race pace. It wasn't too bad. I had 2 heaters and a fan going. I also wore a ski cap to keep the heat in. I had the garage up to about 90+ degrees. Although I don't have access to a sauna, I do have access to a treadmill in the garage. So, this week I'll get both bike and run workouts done in the heat. Will this help? Who the heck knows? But hey, at least I can drop a few more pounds before I toe the start line!!!

Realty Sets In!

Okay, so the bib numbers for the race are posted. Yours truly is number 1176. As I began to peruse the start list, something dawned on me....the creme de la creme will be at this race. Now, how do I put this so as not to sound arrogant...I'm used to finishing pretty close to the front of the race. I usually place very high in my age group. But, there's a good chance (make that a very good chance) that I'm not going to be anywhere near the front of my age group. Hawaii will be a combination of all of the top age groupers from all of the qualifying races around the world. I hadn't really thought about this before. Even with a great race, I may not crack the top 25 of my age group, let alone the amateur race. Very humbling!

That got me to further thinking....although I want to have a great day out there (and a great race), I'm going to enjoy it, no matter what the day throws at me.

Taper Time!

Well, I got my last "long" weekend of training under my belt this past weekend. This is going to be my 5th ironman race, and it always seems that the last long bike ride is always the worst. It always seems to be cold, windy, raining, or some combination. Saturday was pretty chilly (40-50 degrees) and somewhat windy. It didn't help that I rode solo...which is how I did the majority of my long rides this year. I wound up with a 5:45 ride and followed that up with a 30 minute run. Sunday was the last long run...or I should say runs. My coach decided that it would be good to split up the long run. So, I ran 1:45 w/my friend Tim at 8am. Tim's a fast runner, so I knew the run would be quality. Although I can't say what the pace was exactly, it was probably between 6:45-50 pace. Following the first run, I went home, ate and tried to rest a little. Then I went out for an additional 45 minutes at 2pm. The first mile was tough, but then I got back into a rythm and ran very well. Now it's time to taper. What that means is the workouts begin to shorten and some quality workouts are thrown in. It's also a time to rest and heal up all of the little injuries. My focus over the next couple of weeks is to get into the water. I need to focus on my swimming which has been a little suspect this year. Less than 3 weeks to race day. Less than 2 weeks until we leave.

Typical New England Summer!!!

Okay, there's a day or two left until the Summer officially ends. In typical New England fashion, it was in the 50's today. Although, it didn't really feel that cold. I left work a little early to get in an open water swim w/a couple of friends. Since I can't wear a wetsuit in Hawaii, I don't train with one. My friends wore theirs. We swam 2x 1 mile loops. The first loop wasn't that bad...but it was a little chilly. I definitely got colder on the second loop. However, the cold didn't really hit me until I got out of the water. I definitely had some mild hypothermia. I drove home with the hood of my sweatshirt over my head and the heat blaring. I couldn't feel the tips of my fingers and my right heel was numb. Fortunately a 20 minute hot shower brings back the feeling to all the extremities! Ahhh....one of the many perks of ironman training. Can't wait for that 5-6 hour bike ride tomorrow;)

Hanging by a thread....

These days I feel like I'm hanging by a thread. What I mean is I'm doing a lot of training and am consistently tired and fatigued. Training for an ironman is a battle of attrition. It just keeps going. The fatigue usually gets worse as the weeks progress. For obvious reasons, this week has been the worst yet. I don't get a lot of sleep as it is, but I was also up late on Monday watching the game (nothing gets between me and an Eagles game). Also, today my foot started acting up. I just hope it's not a stress fracture. That wouldn't be good. My saving grace is that this is my last big week of training....off to bed.

It was a training run

Okay, so I kept up my bargain on Sunday. I ran the Nahant 30k like a training run. It was raining pretty hard off and on before the race and it was very humid. I quickly got into a comfortable 6:40 pace (although I probably peppered a couple faster miles in there). I had originally planned to go out easier and then progressively get faster. I scrapped that plan and just decided to keep the pace at 6:40ish pace. This race was much hillier than I expected...it was a tough course. I had to keep my ego in check a few times as people passed me. I made the decision to push the last 5 miles. So, at mile 13 I pulled off my rain/sweat soaked shirt (that felt like 2 pounds) and pushed. I felt pretty good. Although I probably pushed a little too hard, a little too soon. The last couple of miles I was feeling it. I caught a few people in front of me and finished 16th at 2:03:39 (6:38 pace). Solid training day.

Nahant 30K....It's only a training run.

I writing this as I get ready to head to Nahant, Massachusetts for a 30K road race (approx. 18.5 miles). After putting my body through the meat grinder a couple of weeks ago during a 25k race, I've decided to just use this as a training run...no racing flats, no racing clothes, no racing mentality. The last one is the hardest to shake. I like to race...and can definitely get caught up in the moment. However, I'm tired and it's showing. I'm having some trouble sleeping (definite sign of overtraining). And, yesterday was a 114 mile ride....so the legs are already fatigued. So, today's gameplan is to break the run into blocks of 4-5 miles....and progressively get faster. I hope to run about 6:30 pace by the end. Hopefully I can execute this plan. I have to keep reminding myself...."it's only a training run"!

Timberman and beyond....

Okay, so it's been a while since I last posted. But, I've been busy! First, I did my last triathlon leading up to Kona. It was the Timberman 70.3 up in New Hampshire in the middle of August. I've done this race a number of times, and can say it's really one of the best races out there....even though I really haven't had a great day there yet (the course kicks my ass). This year was no different. I had an unremarkable swim (about 1-2 minutes slower than I should have been). The bike was okay. I kept it steady throughout the ride, but really should have been a little faster. I did have a good run, although it was a complete grind. Overall, I finished with a PR for the course in 4:28:44. I was 12 Amateur and 24th overall (http://www.lin-mark.com/tm70308.txt). Definitely not my best effort. But, hopefully that will come in October.

I followed up Timberman with a big block of training over Labor Day weekend. First up was a 6 hour solo effort on Saturday (5.5 bike and 30 minute run). Sunday was a swim and 2 hour bike. Then, Monday was the Cape Ann 25K road race. With warmup and cooldown, my plan was to get 18-19 miles in. I do a lot of these long races as training runs (I did this at this race last year). But, I had planned to race this...albeit on tired legs. This race is the equivalent of a roller coaster....16 major hills. About 2 miles in I realized that my goal of 6 minute pace was out the door. I was in 9th place and all by myself. So, I just ran my own race. I didn't see another runner until about 14 miles. I wound up 8th overall w/a 6:13 per mile avg. This race beat the hell out of me. I'm planning on doing a 30K road race in a week....but will be wearing training shoes and treating it as a workout. Too much beating on the legs to be racing these things.

One month to go.....