Lazy and Rain

It's been pouring all day after a really nice spring weekend.  I bagged my swim workout this morning because I just didn't feel it.  I put in enough calories Sunday afternoon to really need a workout in the pool. My legs are thrashed from the weekend workouts.  I thought about running on the treadmill but figured what's a day of rest gonna hurt as it still hurts just walking right now.

I was in shambles after last week's Wednesday's tempo run.  I figured I had no chance of going fast on the half and was worried that I might be slower than last year's 1:33 split.  Everything mentally changed for me on Friday.  It was 70 degrees so I went for a mild 25 mile ride just to spin the legs.  I got off the bike and immediately hit the road for a brick run of 6.3 miles.  I just wanted to cruise at a nice pace.  I clipped off the first mile in 6:40.  I thought that didn't seem fast more like a pedestrian 7:15 something to me.  I decided to keep cruising and see how it would go.  I got to the same part of the run where I had run the tempo on Wednesday.  I had averaged basically 6:10s for the 3 miles of tempo.  During this run, I was able to rattle off a 5:57, 6:05, 6:07 during that section.  I about lost it on the 5:57.  I haven't seen a middle mile during a workout since 2002.  I'm still shocked.  I finished the roughly 10k course in 39:30 and that's with a 1/2 mile cool down.  I immediately thought maybe I should sign up for a Olympic triathlon.  I suck at the swim but maybe I could drop a sub 36 on the run.  I might have to give one a go this summer.

On Saturday, I pushed my first 4 hour ride of the season.  The weather was great and even got a slight forearm sunburn from being aero for most of the ride.  The arms hadn't seen so much sun all year.  I got home with the thoughts of my Costco lasagna.  I ate 2/3rds of the entire tray.  I probably could've finished but I wouldn't have been able to hit the pavement the following day for my run.

I woke up Sunday for the longest run since doing the PT stuff.  10 miles loomed and my legs were already tired.  The first mile felt like 21 of a marathon.  The legs were just dead.  I guess it will make me mentally tough running 80 minutes with dead legs.  I was glad when the run was over.

I can feel I'm getting stronger on the bike and run.  I actually may have things timed right for a good peak at Florida.  My stretch goal is to qualify for the half ironman championship in Clearwater, FL.  I'd have to have a perfect race and hope it was hot enough to decimate the field.  I would need to make the top 10 for a shot in my age group.  The key is getting my swim at 35 and then being able to finish with a 1:25 half.  Of course it wouldn't be an easy task to drop a 2:30 bike in the middle of that.  I was close on the bike last year while just cruising at an Ironman feel.  The run will be the hard but if things go well I could do it.  The real problem with the run is dodging other participants due to the course being 3 loops.  This is toughest part of that course navigating everyone as you overtake them on the uneven surface of grass/dirt.  I just want to see 6:30s on the watch at as many miles splits as possible.

The swim isn't improving but it isn't getting worse.  I haven't been swimming as much as last year but that's okay.  3 quality workouts each week seems to letting me hold some shape.  I'm not sure it's going to translate to a 35.  I think my experience from last year will help cut some time from last year's 42.  I definitely spent a little too much dodging swimmers and sighting.  I think based on my experience from Canada I will sight a lot less.  In Canada, I think I sighted maybe 3 or 4 times total.  I just used the crowd to guide me around the course.

I can't believe it's almost May though as April has just flown by.  I probably need to change the layout of this blog and change it's title.  If I do qualify for Clearwater, I'll have some purpose for training this summer.  If not I can see a lot of lounging by the pool.  I've also just given myself a new goal for 2012.  I want to run Boston when I'm 40 and possibly do another Ironman at age 40 as well.  Instead of buying a sports car, coloring my hair and buying a bunch of fancy clothes, I'll train for a qualifying marathon and maybe even another Ironman.