Jackie D - Week 43

Week 43 - starting Monday 9 July 2007

Original Scheduled hours: 5hrs 45 mins
Actual hours: 5hrs 40 mins

Week 2 of taper and finally towards the end of the week it actually started to feel easier. After the hard time I found it last weekend, coach changed my schedule and gave me a surprise day off on Monday. Other than that I had 2 shortish race simulation bricks, 2 open water swims and a short aerobic bike.

The first brick was hard. Partly I think because I did it in the heat of day (said 90F when I got back) and partly because I was skimping on nutrition a bit - trying not to overeat in these last weeks. Anyway, the bike felt good and I you don’t really feel the heat when you are pedalling along but it really hits when you stop. I had a 30 min transition run afterwards with last 15 minutes supposed to be harder. Well wow, my HR started way up and I don’t think ever went down (I didn’t actually wear my HRM but my breathing told the story). At about 25 minutes, going up a hill I just couldn’t catch my breath anymore and I had to stop and walk for a few minutes. After that I just jogged slowly for the remaining 5 minutes. Of course lots of doubts then start cropping up - if I can’t even run for 30minutes how on earth am I going to complete 26.2 miles?!

Luckily, later in the week the second brick went well. The run was again 30 minutes and at last a run where it felt I could have gone further. Phew!

Both swims this week were in quite wavy waters which is fun although not so good for practicing long smooth strokes. There were even white caps on some of the waves on Friday. Once when I rolled to the side to breathe the side the waves were coming in, they nearly flipped me onto my back. Ooh what fun! I do miss the ocean where I grew up.

I had my bike checked over one last time at my local bike shop. I am glad I did because I did have a bend in part of the rear gear mechanism.
Most people I know doing this event are changing over to race wheels but my bike is what it is and has one set of wheels! I had decided to buy new tyres in the hope of minimising flat tyres and I have become just that little bit more knowledgeable now. I now have a slightly smaller width tyre on (23 rather than my 25s) and I am going to call them my race tyres! They are bound to make me go fasterJ

I am still deliberating and changing my mind to and fro on what to take on the bike. My current debate (with myself of course) is whether to use the aero bottle or not. It’s not so much the weight (or the annoying rattle!) but whether I can refill it whilst moving or more to the point, since water and Gatorade are available at aid stations whether I really need to as I have 2 bottle cages. I have used the aero bottle on training rides because I have needed to take as much nutrition and hydration with me as possible. Decisions decisions. I am also coming closer to deciding what I will wear as well, although not set in stone yet and probably won’t be ‘til next week.

Next report will be race report. Yikes or Yippee! I’ll also try and write for a couple of weeks afterwards because I want to be able to remember what it feels like afterwards and how long my body takes to recover.

1 WEEK TO GO