Swim. Bike. Fun.

The last few days have been a much-needed summer vacation. I’ve been able to get good training in while also catching up on sleep and having some fun. My volume was pretty low due to the lack of biking this week, but it gave me a chance to do some good long swims and a couple long runs.

Here’s what I’ve been up to:

Friday

Friday was a long swim and semi-long run. I went to a local pool with my sister and had the choice between indoor and outdoor. I really wanted to swim in the outdoor pool but didn’t bring sunscreen and feared what would happen to my back after an hour spent face down in the water so I had to swim inside. The doors were open and the wall was glass blocks so at least it was bright, unlike my basement pool in NYC. I did 500 anaerobic followed by 1,000 x 3 at Ironman race pace. It definitely got a little boring, but I was feeling pretty good.

After a lunch break I headed out for a 10-mile run in Rock Creek park. I had a little company early on. This was a really nice run. The scenery is unbeatable and it was a beautiful day. This was the first time my legs have felt fresh since the big training week in Wisconsin.

Swimming
Distance – 3,500 yards
Time – 1:08:12

Running
Distance – 10 miles
Time – 1:25:20

Saturday

I had a short bike interval session followed by another long swim. This time I decided to swim outside and came armed with waterproof SPF. I have never swam in an outdoor pool before and what a difference it makes. Just being able to see the sun and feel the wind made it so much more enjoyable. I did the same workout as Friday, but it felt completely different. As much as I was enjoying it I was feeling the tension in my shoulders from the previous swim. I don’t think I’ve done back to back long swims before. It was a reminder that my shoulder is still recovering.

The July 4th celebration was a good time indeed. We ate incredibly good food and drank way too much, but that’s what holidays are for. It was a hefty dose of fun at a time I really needed it. I also realized it’s really the last chance for celebration of that sort. I have a half Ironman next weekend, a week of recovery and my biggest build phase yet. After that I’ll be in taper and focused on nothing more than the race.

Biking
Distance – 18.67 miles
Time – 1:00:00

Swimming
Distance – 3,600 yards
Time – 1:12:10

Sunday

Today was my long run, actually the longest I’ve done yet this year. I ran 15 miles from Silver Spring, to the White House, around the White House and back again. I kept the pace rather conservative, on the easier end of my aerobic range. The final five miles were scheduled to be a bit slower, which worked well since it was mostly uphill. I was hurting by the end, but felt the pace was manageable. I’m hoping I can hit a similar pace next week at the race.

I’ve been working on my race day strategy with my coach and thinking about what I really want to accomplish. This race kind of snuck up on me and since I’m not tapering, it doesn’t really feel like it’s happening sometimes. But I’m excited and I’m looking forward to another race experience and the chance to see a few friends. There is nothing better than race weekends.

Running
Distance – 15 miles
Time – 2:14:29