Jackie D - Week 35

Week 35 - starting Monday 14 May 2007

Scheduled hours: 6hrs 35mins
Actual hours: 6hrs 44mins

Most “normal” people would think a recovery week was a nice break and an enjoyable experience. But, I have had so many highs and lows this week I am quite glad to be going back into another proper week of training next week.

The major factor influencing my mood this week has been my eating (again!). I think I may be the only person who trains for an Ironman and actually gains weight. I am unlikely to lose any which is a shame. Ha ha ha and I was worried at the beginning of this that my wetsuit would be too big for me this year!
The other thing was that I didn’t feel too well for a couple of days (not related to eating!). I think when I relax from the training a bit, any bugs or things out there just jump on me - a bit like how people find that they are healthy at work and relax on a vacation week and they get some virus. This doesn’t bode well for taper now does it?! However, I reckon I am so fit and healthy I can fight stuff off with minimal time - that’s what I am going to tell myself.

Anyway this week workouts have been about one a day with nothing over an hour. Two of them this week were “spoilt” by my bad eating. An easy bike was turned into an uncomfortable tummy ache on the bike after eating too much at lunchtime (good stuff just too much of it). Then during one of my swims I got cramp in my toes after 35 minutes and I just couldn’t get rid of it. I haven’t had cramp like that for years and years and I can only put it down to bingeing all afternoon. Anyway I was so cross with myself and so determined to complete my hour workout time that I used a pull buoy and just did mostly pull with a few other things mixed in when the cramp eased. Aaaaarrggh. Hopefully lesson learned.

There were some good bits though. I did a z2-3 bike ride and got my highest average training pace of 18.0mph on a rolling course. OK I did go above z3 a bit on the hills but the instructions were “mostly z2-3”.

I felt a bit sore (good sore) the day after a run for the first time in months. The run was an easy run with some pick ups in the middle. My last workout of the week is a an easy run with some uphill and downhill strides - that was today so I am expecting to feel some more good soreness tomorrow. I like that - it shows that I am progressing.

Also another brick this week (a short, easy one) but the run felt harder than I expected. A few more of these will hopefully ease that feeling.

Next week is Lake Placid weekend. Yippee - I am so excited. I got a newsletter from North American Sports this week which mentioned a camp for the kids during Ironman week and race day. That sounds like a really good idea to me. When I mentioned it to Fred he agreed and then figured I wouldn’t be there much so wondered if there was a fun camp for lonely spouses too! That’s called a pub/bar isn’t it?

9 WEEKS TO GO (single figures YIKES)