Training for an Ironman? Yes, I still am...

So ya, I haven't posted much about IM Lake Tahoe training numbers.

As life transforms and moves on, I have had to automate a few posts and focus on reviews of gear and fulfill commitments to certain groups to make life, work and IM training happen.  So, less of me, more of generality and gear reviews.  But, life and IM training goes on, right?

What you may have been missing on the blog, I've made up for hitting the pavement and the pool.

I've been relatively happy with the workouts that I have achieved.  Maybe not feeling that I nailed them per say, but the fact that I have made them happen and tried to balance my life to get them in.  Some balances have been successful, some have blown up in my face, but that's life.  I don't have the magical plan that works at all times for my family, life and work.  You get curve balls like kids needing tonsil surgery and kids with fingers getting smashed in doors at home while playing.  You thank your lucky stars that surgeries are avoided and lament that sometimes your kiddos have to suffer through slow recoveries.

But, I'm still hanging in there training and trying to make it work without losing focus on the really important stuff, like the wife and kids - who?  Yep...

Lets take a look at last week.

It was a mid-monster week with about 15 to 16 hours of training on tap.  Granted that some of that time is warm up, stretching, cool down, etc.  Not ALL training time is swim, bike, run or weights.

I hit the 15 hour mark, and it also marked the most miles in a week ever.  Now, some of those were miles on the spin bike since Mother Nature FINALLY decided to grace Kansas City with rain.  I just didn't need it on the morning of a long planned workout, but the gym substitute worked in a pinch.

BIKING - 141 miles
RUNNING - 24.71 miles
SWIMMING - 6.68 miles
TOTAL TIME - 15:18:31
TOTAL MILES - 173 miles

Keep in mind, these are a mixture of drills and various workout setups.  It's not just plodding along for 24 miles or mindlessly riding for 141 miles.  It's very specific workouts for each day that culminate in target improvements.  I'm not going to win, but I want to be upright at the end and trotting to the finish line as opposed to dead and dehydrated.

Speaking of dehydrated...

Lesson learned from a long ride last week.

As I set out after a morning storm in between storms, I was in such a hurry to get out and get on the road I lapsed in several key planning items.

1. I didn't apply sunscreen.  It was heavy clouds when I left and I just didn't think about it.  Bad move.  After 2 hours, the sun broke and cooked me for the last 3 hours.  Hello sunburn and farmer's tan, along with some more skin discoloration on my face.  Brilliant.
2. Didn't bring enough to drink.  Kansas City is humid in the summer.  Even on an overcast high 70's day, the humidity can suck the fluids out of you.  I went through 2-24 oz bottles of drink and 16 oz of water in 4 hours and had to make a pit stop for more before reaching home.  It was too late as the damage was done and cramping took over the last hour.  Ride for 15, cramp, stretch, walk, ride another 15 minutes.  It was the worst ending to a bike ride I have experienced.

I felt like the recent cyclist that got trucked by a motorcycle, but without a good reason.

So, hopefully I learned my lessons.  Regardless if you have been Triathloning for 9 years or 4 months, you are always learning something new or getting lessons reinforced.

National Triathlon news.

Congrats to those that raced IM 70.3 Boulder this weekend.  I raced it in 2011 and it's a good venue and a beautiful swim!
Men's top 10 HERE
Women's top 10 HERE