Road to Ironman Arizona (10/26-11/01/09)

Monday 2 hour tempo bike (2x20 minutes at threshold w/ 10 min active recovery)

Tuesday 52 minute tempo run (32 minutes at threshold)

Wednesday 2 hour brick workout (1:30 bike/30 min run at threshold)

Thursday 2 hour steady state bike (1:40 at high aerobic)

Friday Rest Day

Saturday 5:30 hours long bike (on the trainer)

Sunday 3 hour long run; 4300 yard (2.44 mile) swim

This week provided me a lot of confidence as I go into the three week race taper. I had some strong sessions during the week and this weekend’s long sessions may have been my best of the year. Thanks to great running weather, I kept my average heart rate at 143 for the entire three hours long run and I negative-split for the day. The bike session on Saturday was done entirely on the bike trainer and consisted of two loops of the IM Wisconsin race course. Sunday’s swim was a little over race distance and I finished it in 1:25, one of my best swims of the year. I feel optimistic that my training is peaking right on schedule. 

The next two weeks are my final full training weeks of the year prior to a very light race week schedule. I look forward to beginning the taper and can already feel a few pre-race day butterflies when I think we are so close to race day. We received our athlete’s update from Ironman and it was thrilling to hear that we’ll be notified of our race numbers soon. I’m watching the temperatures for Tempe on a weekly/daily basis and as of this week, high temps are still averaging in the low 90’s with low temps averaging in the low 60’s. If this stays true for three more weeks, race day promises to be sunny and hot. Hydration will be key…as I’ve started to get a little comfortable with the cool temps of late.

On Wednesday I take my bike in for one last check up and new tires and my new running shoes will arrive this week, just in time to get them broken in with a few runs over the next two weeks.

I send my congrats to Samantha Bacon for successfully completing her first 5k running race. I know all my Team Topper Tri mates join me in sending her our kudos. Now, if she can just get a better coach than Claude, she just may have a future in racing.

Kia Kaha!