So, that's my other motto these days. If I can't do the long runs now, at least I can swim and bike.
And honestly, I think that's ok. I think that most triathletes have one of the three sports as their "weakest link". I just never guessed that running would be mine! But it is now. I ran one measly hour this morning whereas my training comrades ran 16 miles.
But I have a different take on it now. Even Todd, our resident IM guru, agrees with me on this one (he actually planted the seed in my head). Most people only run 10 - 12 miles of the marathon anyway before walk/running the rest of the way. So, he said I should just train up to 2 hrs of running and call it good. With a strong swim/bike base and the ability to run 2 hrs without too much pain, I should be able to have a good race.
Todd also said something that I should be saying: that the race is all about nutrition! It was nice to hear that from a non-RD, experienced IM'er. And he's right. So that's good news for me because I'm a sports dietitian and I have a clear picture of what I need to do nutritionally to get through the race. I did it in Florida (although I still need to eat more than I did then) and I'm having awesome "second winds" in my long rides, so I must be doing something right. More on nutrition later.
We swam at the new lake yesterday. I was worried about the water being too cold, even though I knew it would be good practice for AZ. It was colder than before but not too cold to swim. In fact, it felt really good.
I swam 1 hr and 15 mins, most of it by myself. Brenda and Todd were ahead of me and Sarah and Kevin were behind me. Sarah eventually passed me but that was good because she wasn't too far ahead of me and it was comforting having someone relatively close to me. Sarah is swimming really well and I have no doubt she will do great in the Ironman.
I swam a steady pace. I didn't feel like hammering it nor did I feel sluggish. I was relaxed and steady. It gave me time to think about some things. Funny how swimming is almost like running has always been for me - a time to relax, unwind, process, or just veg out.
Today Marshall came over to my house and we ran exactly one hour. We ran pretty slow and although my hip was hurting at the end, it was bearable. And later, at the kids' soccer games when I had to run back to the car to get their water bottles and then way over to the restroom and back to the field, my hip felt fine. I was very relieved.
Tomorrow I'm going to try biking 100 miles! Scott Taylor wants to do 100 and since Kurt is home with the kids, the weather looks to be perfect, and I have someone to ride with, I decided to go for it. Might as well. I just don't want what happened last year to happen again this year: missing the opportunity to ride that far. So, I'm going for it. I feel ready for that distance - I've done five 70+ milers with no trouble so going 100 shouldn't be too bad. We'll see!
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