Swim Week and Race#2 [Week 8; 12 To Go]
Run Week [Week 9; 11 To Go]
Bike Week [Week 10; 10 To Go]
Recovery Week [Week 11; 9 To Go] (just started, but figured I'd get ahead of myself :)
And here we are again. Welcome to my catch-up blog :)
I know all you veteran Mom's understand - I just cannot find time each week to post my progress. So I'm promising one post a month - Then if I get to it more often it will feel like an extra bonus for my two readers out there.
I completed Race #2. It was another sprint distance, 1/2 mile swim, 15 mile bike, 3.1 mile run. It's a race I've done twice before, and a great 'family' race for us. Nonna came to help us out so both Mom and Dad could race. I ceremoniously nursed at a picnic table before pulling on the top of my wetsuit, and I was off. I have always struggled with my run on both long and short course races over the years. Short courses seem to mess with my tummy as I try to gear it up to run faster. Long courses start to mess with my tummy because I start the run too hard and end up running out of steam or have to stop because of cramping.
Last race season (2011) I ended the season with an Ironman and MANY lessons learned. One of those lessons learned was my body and caffeine don't like each other on race day - specifically on the run. This training season I have been very aware to skip the coffee on mornings that I have a run scheduled, and it seems to have worked well. I haven't had one 'episode' yet of tummy troubles - which used to bring me to my knees - needless to say I'm pleased.
Another plus is that my races have seen less tummy trouble as well. In fact, runs in both my races this year were at a blistering pace, (for me) and race #2, I was 3 minutes faster overall than I was two years ago!! Woo-Hoo!! At the start of both race runs I kept on telling myself to slow down.....not to get ahead of myself.....start out gradual.....and I just felt great so I kept on running at a fast pace. Race #2 during the run, I kept thinking back to T's birth, and the joy....and the pain...and I started pushing it thinking "slow down when you get to that level of pain", and of course, I never did :) So it seems that mama's found a brand new gear when it comes to her run and racing - somebody get me a cookie! :)
On the training side of things, I went through a month of my training plan where each week has a focus on either the swim, bike, or the run. I've done this training plan before and really enjoy it (Try Mom, Tri! Week 1 Post). The first week is a focus on the swim, so most of the training is in the pool, and the bike and run workouts are limited. The second week is a focus on the bike, and less time in the pool and on the run. And...you guessed it...The third week is a focus on the run, with less time in the pool and on the seat. It's nice to have a bit of a change each week. Even though I do periodization training (more on that to come in a following post), it can get pretty boring at times and it's nice to feel a big change during those three weeks because of the changed focus. I have to admit the bike week is a bit tough as you ride 5 days that week and a very long ride on Sunday...so the seat gets a bit sore...but it's all in a days work on building up that pain tolerance for more training and eventually race day. It's good for the mental toughness too :)
Now I'm on to a good old recovery week - Ah I love recovery weeks. So well deserved. So in need of a break. And it's nice to have an actual reward when you are working so hard. [If you consider more working out as a reward:) ] It's also a bit of a reality check that a rest week is a week where you only have 5 hours of working out. How cool is that?
OK, kiddo is sleeping, so I might just get in a chapter of an actual book!!!
Keep Tri-ing Mamas!
