It’s Go Time

It’s that time I’ve been looking forward to/dreading/anticipating since June – it’s just about go time.  The last key workout is behind me with a race pace brick this morning, and a few really short workouts to keep the legs loose, a wee road trip, packet pickup, and then… time to see what this ol’ bod has in it.

Training for a back to back sprint tri and half marathon has been a challenge, but a fun one.  I can even say it’s been pretty much super!

First of all, I’ve trained up for this half running about twice a week.  Who trains twice a week?  Someone who also is doing a bunch of biking and swimming, that’s who.  Either this will be awesome, or a horrible mistake.  I know I’ll get through it – I did just about 13 miles two weeks ago, but I certainly want to do it faster than 2.5 hours. Now I know I *have* to eat something on a double digit run, and it will certainly be cooler running then, but it will be interesting to see HOW much faster…

Also, who does double digit runs training for a sprint tri?  Actually… that was pretty smart.  I made sure that each long run had a “5k kick” at the end.  Whether or not it was actually fast timewise, I made sure it was at hard effort (some days when it was pushing 90 degrees by then, it was a hard effort to just maintain pace).  I was worried about doing more of these type of workouts and less outdoor bricks, but my faith was restored with last Monday’s race pace brick where a 9:20 pace 5k run right off the bike felt good.  I ran a 9:31 pace 2 miler today (without music even) and it was hoooooooooot.  I could potentially KILL this tri’s run portion if my head is in the game and I leave myself just a little bit in reserve off the bike.  I just need one of these on my head to control my thoughts…

But now, it’s time to taper.  It’s coincided well, I usually taper 2 weeks for a half and 1 for a sprint (insert sprint tri in place of 8 mile long run over the last weekend before, but it works).  I peaked the run mileage 3 weeks before instead of 2 but I had a much better run last week even if it was 3 miles shorter, so I’m good with that.  Time to do really short speedy workouts the next two weeks, stay hydrated, stay loose and make sure to stretch, ice the back if it even hurts just a weeee bit, practice transitions, check over every inch of my bike, pack up stuff for race day like 3 times and make insane checklists of what to bring… ya know, the usual.

It’s go time.  I haven’t raced in months.  IT. IS. SO. ON.

Other things…

-We went to Six Flags Fiesta Texas on Sunday.  We had a good friend who’s company rented out the park, and she was able to get us tickets.  I am not a big fan of lines, so I don’t generally frequent theme parks, but I AM a HUGE fan of roller coasters, so it was just about the best day ever.  The park was so empty, we got to ride everything we wanted to and our favorite coaster twice!!!  We passed a gift shop hawking cheap capes, and three of us emerged as Wonder Woman, Bat-fabulous (gold lame batman cape), and Bizarro Superman.  We flew around the park all day being awesome!  My friend D and I agreed that the more responsibility we have to take on in our jobs, the more juvenile we had to act in our personal lives.  Hi, my name is Quix, I’m 3 years old today.  Zoooooom, zoom!

-The day before, we did a out of order almost tri – rode 10 miles at a easy but decent pace, swam 500m open water at Lake Pf, and then a nice and easy 5k around the lake.  No land speed records, but a nice way to spend the morning.  Then, we hit up our second REI in 2 days to do some garage sale action (we had spent time looking through the tri and biking clearance stuff the day before).  I really should just have them auto deduct about 10% of my paycheck, it would just be easier.  Along with the juvenile-ness I talked about earlier, I had to bring home a jacket because “it was so fluffy, I was going to die!!!”.  At least I’m ready for winter!

-I kinda ate like crap this weekend.  Too much out food, and my energy levels and digestive system is definitely letting me know.  Things are settling back to normal, but its amazing how a little bit of bloat visually erased all the work I’ve done and I feel just as rotund as I did when I begun this process.  At least I know a few more days of good food and I’ll be back to normal. And honestly, bad for me is a bunch of meals out, but they were not all horrid.  Chicken pho, Panera, Whole Foods bar, homemade chili, Six Flags park food, and then taco salad/chips/queso (Sunday was the killer – there may have been a few bites of a funnel cake sundae in there…).  Not reprehensible but it definitely has made a difference in how I feel.  We’ve been eating in all week and it’s been nice.

-Weight is not pretty due to the bloat.  Hopefully it will calm itself in the next day or 2.

-Our anniversary is next Tuesday (2 years, how crazy is that?) and we have balcony seats to see Mc Chris screen Starship Troopers at the Alamo Drafthouse!  Sure, you could do fancy dinners and candy and flowers and crap, but why when you can nerd out together! 🙂

-Last week, Zliten brought me flowers just because.  I think I need to paint a sunflower picture for that part of the bedroom.  With all my free time and all…

-And, note to self – habanero spicy fish w/a big plate of spicy beans w/chili lime and garlic hot sauces 9 hours before alarm time before a 10 mile run in the morning?  NOT SMART.  I got it done, but there may have been a few pit stops and…err.. I may have been rocket propelled part of the 4 loops I did.  And I may have been cursing the culinary gods the entire run.  LESSON LEARNED.

Speaking of workouts, here was last week…

Monday: 15 mile bike in 57 mins (15.9), 5k run in 29 (9:27) (outside)
Tuesday: 1600 yd swim in 25 mins (27:30 pace)
Wednesday: 9.36 mile bike in 30 mins (18.7 mph)
Thursday: 10 mile run in 1:46 (10:35)
Friday: off
Saturday: 10 mile ride in 43 (14.3 mph), 500m swim in 18 (guess? seems way slow to me), 5k run pacing Zliten in 38:25 (12:23 pace)
Sunday: 5 miles walking around 6 flags

And here is this week.  Note a lot of rest here like a good tapering triathlete should!

Monday: 900 yd swim sprints – 15 mins (29:19 pace), crunchtime
Tuesday: 6.33 mile ride in 23 mins (16.5 mph), 1.68 mile run in 16 mins flat (9:31 pace)
Wednesday: off, practice transitions, maybe hot tub
Thursday: 2 mile race pace run (9:30)
Friday: off (driving)
Saturday: RACE!!!
Sunday: off, recovering from CHAMPAGNE and pizza feast (nutritionist be damned, race day = splurge)!

Tri goals:
Easy swim, come out feeling warmed up
Fast transitions
Bike at about 85-90%, try to keep an even pace up and down hills unless they’re super steep
Kill it on the run and leave it on the course, run the 5k I know I can run if my head lets me

A goal: 1:40.  That would be adding 2 miles on the bike and beating my time from Pf.

B goal: Beat all my paces from Rookie. 38 min mile swimming (about 11.5 mins for the 500m), 15.8 mph bike (57 mins for the 15 miles), 9:40 min/mile run (30 mins for the 5k).

C goal: Finish a hard race and have fun with my last tri of the year.  I’ve never even been to Kerrville let alone cased the course, so I have no idea what to expect.  If it’s hilly as crap, I’ll adjust my expectations.

Placement: I’d like to be in the top half of my age group, top third would be uber cool!

I think that’s about it.  Resting, relaxing, hydrating, and getting psyched for the next two weekends!  What are you looking forward to?  Like my theory on “age balancing”? 🙂  Have a great week, and next time I check in, I’ll have one race down and one to go!  Think speedy thoughts for me!