I am happy I decided to complete a 140.6 this year though- it's been on my bucket list for a very long time. It is just a lot of work and time. I know it will be worth it, but training has definitely impacted my life a lot, sometimes not for the better.
This week I should have been closer to 19 hours, but I felt crappy so I cut back on a few longer workouts. I still surpassed the "intermediate" and "just finish" plan hours by a lot, but I still feel bad I cut back a bit. Since this is my first IM, I have no idea what to expect and I feel overly critical of my training- that I'm not doing enough.
If there's any positive take away from this training cycle, it's that I enjoy swimming, cycling and running tremendously. I just don't enjoy training at this volume for all of them at the same time.
I swam with co workers on Monday who are doing IM Wisconsin and Florida. It was my first time swimming with a group and I enjoyed the camaraderie. The lake was a choppy washing machine, and it took me a while to feel comfortable in the water, but I eventually settled down and felt good.
Sunday morning CB, Tom, Vinicius and I watched the Women's Olympic marathon while I was on the trainer. It was awesome seeing the American women finish in the top 10! I hope the men do awesome as well!
Looking Forward
•Continue to analyze and tweak nutrition for the bike portion
•Take each day one at a time
•Work on pre swim nutrition
•Ride the IM Wisconsin Course
•Bring my bike in for an adjustment
•Start making a list of everything I need for the big day!
3 days until my first open water swim race
25 days until IM Wisconsin
30 days until I register for Boston!
So a group swim and a group ride (with CB and friends, of course)! It definitely helps to train with a group! :)
ReplyDeleteYou're definitely nearing the home stretch here, and it must feel good to know you're getting your life back soon :) What's the taper like in your training plan?
Love the pic of the lake. I might take up swimming in October post-marathon. I'll need a break from running by then! I would say it's better to be a bit under-trained than to be over-trained, so I wouldn't worry about your "intermediate" hours this week. You're almost there!!
ReplyDeleteYes to the under-trained vs over-trained statement! Before my first I remember reading this quote "It is better to show up on race day 10% under-trained than 1% over-trained." And I had to remind myself of that often when I felt like I wasn't doing enough. Plus all of that life stress and work stress is adding to that training stress bucket!
DeleteYou are not alone in the "I feel like I am not doing enough" thoughts. Even though this is my second and I am doing roughly the same training, it still feels like not enough. I think the race is just a lot to take in and it is hard to imagine doing it all in one day, but you just take it one stroke, pedal and step at a time to get to the finish! I hope you get a little mental break during taper!
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