2 Weeks Johnny!

Can't believe it, but I'm in the home stretch of 2 weeks to go before the Plymouth Iron Distance Race. The next two weeks will be tough for me to taper as much as I should. I've required so much of myself these 17-18 weeks that it's going to feel so odd to just sit and rest. Nonetheless, I will do my best.
There are so many things to think about and plan over the next two weeks. First of all, I've never flown with my bike so there's that. I do have a bike box so no worries there, but getting it there and putting it back together in tip top form will be worrisome. Second, flying with all the stuff I need to race. I use an aero helmet so I've decided just to carry it on with me on the plan. Should get plenty of odd looks. There's the nutrition side once I get there. Oi, I'm going to have to stay away from all that wonderful seafood prior to the race. I'll make up for it in the days after I assure you. I have started doing my research on restaurants so we won't have to decide on a restaurant based on what we stumble upon.
Lastly, there's the race itself. What's it going to feel like? How will by body take being out there that long? Will I get enough calories in?
So, there's my head right now. The training is done, and in that I will trust. All of the work has been completed. The race is just the celebration. Let's dance.

Why Triathletes Are Amazing

Alright, so you know that the World Championships are going on right now in Berlin right? Well you should. As someone who loves individual sports, I love seeing the specialists come out and do their thang. My mouth dropped open in awe at the power and the grace, yes grace, of the men in the hammer throw competition. The combination of speed, power, and footwork were amazing to watch. I'd love to give it a go.
The event of the night was the men's 10K where Ethiopia's Kenenisa Bekele was going for his 4th consecutive gold medal in the World Championships. If you didn't watch the race, Bekele made it look easy. He stayed on the pace setter's heel the entire race matching his stride and answering every surge made. With one lap to go Bekele turned on the gas and walked away from the rest of the field. With 100 yards to go he had a big enough lead to start pumping his fist and enjoy the moment. His time was a smoking 26:46 just 15 seconds or so off the world record. Not a bad run.
Now, rewind to Sunday's ITU race in Great Britain. The winner of the race and currently undefeated champion for 4 straight ITU races was Alistair Brownlee. Brownlee, a triathlete, finished the race with a strong, strong 28:43 10K run. Just 2 minutes behind 4 time world champion Bekele's 26:46 time. Not too bad for a non-specialists. Oh, and did I mention that prior to running the 28:43 10K that Brownlee had swam 1500 meters and biked 40K? I'd like to see what Bekele could do after doing all of that. There'd be no comparison. Triathletes are amazing. Be proud of what you do. What a great sport.

Three Weeks to Go!

As of today we're officially in the 3 week countdown to Ironman. These past two weeks have been killer long and hard. Last weekend featured a 6 hour ride of 120 miles which as luck would have it was done on one of the hotter days we've had all year. It's days like that where I'm thanking God that I'm heading north for this race. This ride definitely taught me to respect the distance of the race and to make sure to pace myself.
Yesterday was my last longish ride at 80 miles followed by an easy 50 minute run. Today was my last 20 miler on the run. The temps were on my side for both events and my legs showed it. Great leg strength with plenty of kick to pull it in and finish strong. I've had some doubts over the last couple of weeks, but it seems like everything is coming together and I'll be ready to go.
Funny thing though, the only injury I have right now still is that nagging sore ankle that only seems to bother me when I swim. It feels absolutely fine while running and riding. I'm going to forgo my Monday long swim and keep the yardage low. No since in messing it up more. I'm confident in my swim (wow, did I just say that? That's never happened)
All in all, can't be happier with where my training is and where my head is. Looking forward to having a blast and crossing the line. I'll definitely miss all the training and the time spent getting to push myself and see what I'm made of. Hopefully, there will be more of these in the future. If not, I'm so thankful to have this opportunity.
Tailwinds...

I'M GLAD MY WIFE DOESN'T LOVE ME FOR MY FEET

I found myself saying that to a friend at the gym this morning as I looked at my messed up feet. They’re quite ugly right now. They’re not gross in the “let’s get a culture and find out what’s growing on them” gross. Their issue more lies in the “this is the 16th week of IM training and they’re ready for a break.”
They’re problems started the weekend of the Heart O’ Dixie Oly distance tri. I typically race this distance and shorter races without socks, and this one was no exception. I did the whole leave the shoes on the bike thing for T1, so starting out on the bike portion I guess I failed to get my shoes tight enough on my feet. The result was a series of spots on the top side of each foot that was rubbed raw. I had spots on 3 of 5 toes, one spot just above them on my foot, and one spot closer to my ankle. Both feet were almost identical in their maladies. I didn’t feel them on the run, but once I stopped, Oi! Hurt city. So, three weeks later I still sport some really nice scars from the event.
Let’s continue: During my last few swim sessions I’ve started feeling a little soreness in my right ankle. It’s never bothered my while running so it could only be from the flexing of my foot with my kick. Am I kicking more than normal now? Dunno. I guess I am swimming more than ever. But the result starting last night was a slightly swollen ankle. Can’t explain it. It’s sore, but doesn’t really hurt.
Last thing to mention, and this is probably the worst. Did I mention that I have poison Ivy on both ankles now? Ughh! I can pick this stuff up just thinking about it (pause to scratch back of ear). I guess I picked this round up cutting grass on Saturday. It’s totally owning me right now.
So needless to say, my feet are pretty ugly right now. Scarred, swollen, with red itchy bumps. No foot modeling for me for a while I guess.