ironman canada // week 24

So, here we are, six weeks out from Ironman Canada! I’m not quite sure how that happened because it seems like yesterday it was cold and snowy and I was just starting this journey. This little 140.6-mile race is fast approaching, and I couldn’t be more excited!

My top two takeaways this week:

1. It’s all in your head. Yes, you need to train your body, but training your mind is just as important. I’ve been doing some visualization during the 7.9 seconds between my head hitting the pillow and falling asleep, and I can see that start line on the shore of Alta Lake, the thousands of swim cap clad triathletes ready to race, and I can see that magical finish line and almost feel the emotion that comes with it (I’m not kidding, I’ve welled up several times this week just thinking about it). Keeping your head in the game, during each training session, during the race – stay present and positive – it’s so important to getting through. Because when you start to compare or when the self doubt creeps in, nasty things manifest. Thank you, Johnny, for helping me get and keep my head in the game!
2. It always seems impossible until it is done (thank you, Nelson Mandela). This was my mantra during much of my training this week – the hilly 2.5-mile intervals, the 19-mile long run, the solo century – and it powered me through the last little push of each session. Because, really, not much seems more daunting that seeing all zeros on your Garmin right before you start that three-hour run or 5.5-hours in the saddle. But, then… suddenly… you’re done, and it wasn’t as tough as you first anticipated.

So, my week…

Monday

Another Monday, another open water swim at Camp Gunther. The water was perfect today, as recent rain cooled it down just a bit so I wasn’t nearly as boiling as last week. A bit of anxiety swimming across, but I calmed down on the way back, swam a bit crooked and before I knew it was done with about 2,500 yards. Forgot to bring my 910XT, so can’t see just how crooked I swam 🙂

Tuesday

The plan was to ride + run this morning to beat the heat. I was up at 5a, ready to meet Johnny at 6a for lock and dam hill repeats and watergate sprints, but when I went to pump my tires, the rear was flat. I pumped it up, only to have it go flat again within minutes. Changing it would have taken far too long and made me late(r) for work, so I opted to embrace the heat + humidity and ride after work. (Nick was awesome and changed it for me… turns out there was a small piece of metal stuck in the tire causing a slow leak.)

Wednesday

A glorious, much needed rest day.

Thursday

There was near puking during intervals this morning. After a two-mile warm-up at 9:00 pace down Hamline, I was ready for two 2.5-mile back nine loops. I knew it was going to hurt, but not that much! Uphills, downhills, flats and one wicked long uphill at the end. Thrilled with my ~7:12 average! A two-mile cool down at 9:00 pace rounded out a solid nine miles before work.

Friday

Lead bike legs this morning. Despite what felt like some serious dragging on Shepard Road race pace work, I still managed to snag some Strava QOMs 🙂

Saturday

What a day! What a run! I got going a bit later than I wanted for this week’s long run, but the weather turned out to be perfect. I left from the Ford bridge in Saint Paul and felt great from the get-go. About two miles in, I met a fellow runner running about the same pace, so we passed a few miles together chatting marathons and triathlons. We split near Lyndale and I continued down Minnehaha – one of the most beautiful places to run in MSP! – around Harriet and Calhoun and then back down Minnehaha. My legs were a bit tired the last mile, but overall, a fantastic and fun run. My treat for finishing: Mexican Coke. SO.GOOD.

Nutrition: One bottle Skratch, one strawberry Honey Stinger gel and one chocolate outrage GU. Yeah, not enough, again.

We spent much of Saturday afternoon napping on the sofa in compression (LOVE my CEP run 2.0 socks!). Ah, life in a two triathlete household!

Sunday

What a Sunday: My first-ever solo century! Rain delayed my start a couple hours, but like Saturday, the day turned out perfect with sunshine, a light breeze and temps around 80. I zipped around MSP and through Minnetonka and Wayzata to the Dakota Rail Trail. If you haven’t biked out here yet, GO. It’s fast, flat, not as busy at the Greenway and there are no cars to deal with – i.e. settle into aero and ride fast! Plus, it’s gorgeous with lots of shade. I felt awesome the entire ride and numerous times looked down at my garmin, surprised to see I’d been biking for three hours, for five hours. So much #bikelove! A four-mile run at 8:45 pace capped off the ride.

Nutrition: Two bottles of Skratch (each had 1.5 servings), three bottles water, some gross Gatorade around mile 60 (so fake and it doesn’t sit well in my stomach), lemon pound cake ALT larabar, peanut butter cookie ALT larabar (forgot to stock up on Bonk Breakers… ALT bars are ok, but aren’t my favorite), two chocolate outrage GUs (love these), medium lemon ginger pom sparkler at Caribou. Again, work in progress.

In non-training news…

Date night at Hello Pizza… delicious pizza, fun photo booth!

Aquatennial fireworks!

Weekly stats 

14 hours, 13 minutes. Gah! If I’d have know I was 0.02 miles short of 150 miles on the bike this week, I would have pedaled another block! 🙂

Swim: 2,500 yards, 42:00
Bike: 149.98 miles, 8:23:10
Run: 36.13 miles, 5:08:33

This week: My longest run since 2008 – 21 miles! – is Saturday!

Happy swimbikerunning, friends!