DO WORK

A couple notes before I go into the weekly details.

My gallery section has been updated with race photos from the Longhorn Half Ironman.

An even bigger surprise to me was the Red Bull Art of Can exhibit photos I received yesterday. I threw a couple of them up in the gallery section as well. One of the photos is taken from outside the Gallery on opening night. On the left side of the building...you can see an extremely large hanging poster of my little guy "Newton's Bull". That was soo cool to see...totally humbled!

Monday:

(Swim) This was a tough day mentally for me. I just wasn't there in the head. It was cold outside and raining. Just wasn't my day physically either. Knowing how close the race is...I feel my body starting to relax and prep. Let put it this way...the race is definitely in my head now and that's a VERY GOOD THING!

I struggled with whether or not to workout at all. Tired this morning, I just wanted to crawl back into bed. I also wanted to take Friday off....which means today down would have been one too many!

I decided to drink some coffee and a Red Bull and head off to the pool. Maybe I would pep up by the time I got there.

Not going to happen as I pushed the pace a little too hard and went out with an ambitious workout. While the would be workout would have been good....it just shouldn't have been implemented today. Stopped in the middle of my first main set!

(scy) Southlake

• 2 x 400 on 6:00 (5:38, 5:33)
• 3 x 200 on 2:50 (2:38, 2:35, 2:33)
• 25 free, 25 stroke

Total Swim Time: 0:20:00 / 1450 yards

Tuesday: (Bike - Run Brick)

Bike: Felt a bit better today. Forced myself to sleep about 12 hours last night. Little groggy this morning but plenty of Diet Coke and my all trusty Red Bull...I was ready to head out and tackle the 60 degree weather and kick some ass in the wind! Love that wind....Actually...I really don't!

The weather would have been perfect if the wind was down...but the North Western gust made it pretty chilly!

Today's was a paced ride. Looking to pep things up a bit...I opted to have a little fun... Not too much fun...just enough to get the legs moving!

Total Ride Time: 2:35:00 / 54.6 miles

Run: Transition was made at Campion Trail once again. Took off feeling great. Focus was a strong 3 mile run and then turn things completely off. I wanted to run out strong and settle into a nice and steady effort. When I left the truck...I knew things were clicking...maybe a little too well... Rolling through mile 1...I checked my split and decided to just role with it.

Going through mile 3 felt even better and turned things down just like I planed. Dropped the pace a bit and relaxed for the remainder of the run. Took it up to 25 minutes and called it a day!

Tomorrow will be a focused swim and relaxed run!

• Mile 1 - 6:55
• Mile 2 - 6:39
• Mile 3 - 6:37

Total Run Time: 0:25:00 / 3.65 miles

Wednesday:

Swim: Key today was to nail a solid swim. Nothing that would blow the doors off of most swimmers...but for me...it was a move in the right direction with Florida so close.

Will be doing majority of all my swims at 24 Hour Fitness from here on out. With the water so cold...as well as choppy...I think this sets up a much better simulation! The pool in Southlake is great to set up baselines and work on stroke mechanics...but does nothing to simulate the ocean chop. While the pool at 24 hour fitness is NO OCEAN...it is extremely choppy and forces me to focus on being a more efficient swimmer.

So far...tempo seems to be good and body is adapting to race day efforts... Good session today!

(scy) 24 Hour Fitness

• 2500 in 34:35 (clearing 500's in 6:58, 6:59, 6:55, 6:51, 6:49)
• 500 pull in 6:57
• 200 pull w/bands in 2:55
• 4 x 100 strong on 1:30 (1:19, 1:17, 1:15, 1:14)
• 100 stroke easy
• 100 free easy

Total Swim Time: 0:55:00 / 3800 yards

Run: Very easy run today after lunch. Smooth and relaxed...

• Mile 1 - 7:56
• Mile 2 - 7:51
• Mile 3 - 7:48
• Mile 4 - 7:50
• Mile 5 - 7:56
• Mile 6 - 7:54

Total Run Time: 0:47:30 / 6 miles

Thursday:

Zero: Rest... Peace and Serenity are the things I need around me right now...

Friday: (Swim Focus as well as a little bike-run brick later in the day...)

Yeah Buddy... I felt pretty good this morning when I woke up at 6:00 a.m. Solid 8 hours and I felt super good....but what the heck was I going to do at 6 in the morning. So, I went back to bed until 9:30. Yep...that's more like it...HA!

Swim: Ok...back to working out. Swim focus was a long smooth 3000 yard set in the bathtub that is 24 Hour Fitness. Oh how I bet they love my endorsement of their pool. Well...they should learn how to set up pools if they want positive praise! It's ridiculous...but serving it's purpose currently :-)...

Swim felt pretty good today. Effort and Tempo are about where I want them. Went a little mental swimming in such a confined area. Not much to look at.

Hmmm...I do complain a lot when I swim in the 24 hr fitness pool. Oh well, maybe it's making me tougher.... For now...that's the way I'll look at it.

(scy) 24 Hour Fitness

• 3000 cruise in 41:46 (clearing 500's in 7:01, 7:02, 6:57, 6:55, 6:54, 6:54)
• 200 pull on 2:55 (2:45)
• 200 stroke on 3:45 (3:38)
• 500 pull on 7:15 (7:01)
• 200 stroke on 3:45 (3:31)
• 200 pull on 2:55 (2:46)
• 2 x 100 free relax on 1:30 (1:21)
• 2 x 50 free relax on :45 (:40)

Total Swim Time: 1:07:40 / 4600 yards

Bike: Wow...what a beautiful day! 70 degrees and sunny...with zero wind. But for some reason I felt a little chilly....wore a beanie for the head...a long sleeve base layer shirt with a windbreaker vest for the body....which was a good call because it felt GREAT!

Today's ride and run were almost effortless (I don't remember when I've felt this good!)...which means things are coming together... Just need to keep focused...

Total Bike Time: 1:31:00 / 32 miles

Run: Smooth run off the bike. Took only a second to transition and I was gone. Wouldn't be a long run today...just a controlled effort...something similar to what I will see come race day...

• Mile 1 - 7:10
• Mile 2 - 7:08
• Mile 3 - 7:02

Total Run Time: 0:22:00 / 3.1 miles

Saturday: (Bike - Run Brick....) (Easy swim later in the day)

Bike: I really have no feelings about today's ride or run. As we get closer to race day...the workouts become routine and very standard. The ride today was very relaxed...just enough to loosen the muscles up for a steady paced run.

For the most part...everything needs to stay sharp (body as well as the mind)

Total Bike Time: 1:20:00 / 26 miles

Run: Transition was again made at Campion Trail. Felt pretty good.... Focus was on a smooth relaxed effort for 40 minutes. Nailed each mile the way I wanted... Things seem to be setting up well....

• Mile 1 - 7:11
• Mile 2 - 7:01
• Mile 3 - 7:03
• Mile 4 - 7:01
• Mile 5 - 6:58
• Mile 5.7 - 4:45

Total Run Time: 0:40:00 / 5.7 miles

Swim: Easy swim after lunch. Just wanted to keep thing open and relaxed. Felt really good and relaxed. Didn't want to over-do things so I kept the swim pretty simple and short.

• 1500 to open in 20:41 (clearing 500's in 6:56, 6:54, 6:50)
• 200 stroke on 3:45 (3:31)
• 300 pull on 4:20 (4:08)
• 2 x 100 easy on 1:30 (1:20)

Total Swim Time: 0:32:00 / 2200 yards

Sunday: (Bike - Run Brick...all at paced effort)

Bike: Was a nice day. Very little wind...just a nice little breeze. Temp was awesome at around 68 and the sun was a shining! Focus today would be another brick...effort's on pacing, nutrition and perceived exertion.

Right out of the gates...my tempo was just fine and knew that thing would open up after about :45 min to the hour mark. Just as I had planned...during each :20 minute block...my body seemed to find it's own rhythm and settle in nicely.

I'm not a big fan riding out of control...("a.k.a."-faster than your supposed to!) During the first hour or so of any one of my rides...(when there's not a swim preceding the session)...I always like to warm-up the legs up. If you don't your looking for issues. During a race...it's a different story...as the :30 minute swim in a half or the :60 min swim in an Ironman will most likely suffice as an appropriate warm-up to anything you do afterwards....

Total Ride Time: 2:15:20 / 50 miles

Run: Another transition at Campion Trail and another well paced effort. Nothing really special to talk about. Just settled in and tried to relax.

That makes 3 "bike-run" bricks over the coarse of 3 days....4 in the last 6 days. I feel pretty good about the efforts and even better with how my body is responding.

• Mile 1 - 7:01
• Mile 2 - 6:56
• Mile 3 - 6:54
• Mile 4 - 6:53

Total Run Time: 0:28:22 / 4.1 miles

Totals for the Week:

• Total Swim Time: 2 hrs 55 min / 12,050 yards
• Total Bike Time: 7 hrs 41 min / 162.6 miles
• Total Run Time: 2 hrs 42 min / 22.6 miles
• Total Strength Time: 0 hrs 10 min / 2 sessions

Total Hours Trained During The Week: 13 hrs 28 min

Notes for the week:

Nothing to say...

Can't really talk about much right now...

I suppose after Saturday...I'll have a little more to say...

Mg