5 Weeks Remaining - Week Of 5/10 - 5/16

Total Time - 21:16:31

 

Workouts Missed - None

 

I am so glad this week is over.  By the end of the week I was so tired, but I have to tell you I am writing this after Tempe International and I feel pretty decent.  I am really looking forward to recovery week.  Only one more hard week and it's taper time. Yeah, I love taper. 

 

Sunday - This run sucked, I sucked.  I know you said that I had to "nail this", well I didn't it nailed me. It kicked me in the ass. Now I know that yesterday was a very long day for me in the sun and heat, so it makes sense that this run was so hard. I could feel myself getting slower and slower. I started to bonk badly at about 10.5 miles and had to run home, I downed some cold Gatorade and a coke, took in a Gu and felt better, so I finished the run.  I could not get out of zone 1 to save my life, I couldn't even try to get out of zone 1.

 

Distance - 20.0 miles, Time - 3:59:50, Pace - 12:00 (my dream IM pace), HR - 129

Miles 1 - 5: Pace - 11:14, HR - 136

Miles 6 - 10: Pace - 11:41, HR - 124

Miles 11 - 15: Pace - 12:35, HR - 124

Miles 15 - 20: Pace - 12:28, HR - 136

 

Ok, so writing this out I didn't do nearly as bad as I thought I did or as bad as I felt.  But I sure hope I feel better on Ironman, because I felt like hell today.  After this I enjoyed the rest of my Mother's Day with my kids. It was awesome.

 

Total Time - 3:59:50

Monday - I moved my swim to tomorrow.

Spin - Ok 90 minutes on the trainer.  It actually felt good, it was an easy spin though, I won't lie.

Total Time 1:30:00

Tuesday - Swim - This swim sucked. I was on call and I hate swimming while I am on call. It takes forever.  Then I accidentally hit the wrong button on my watch so my laps weren't counting.  Ugh, but I know I did 3000 and my time was about 1:15:00 (because of checking my stupid on call pager)

Run - 7 easy miles at lunch, damn it's getting hot out.  But I sure do love the easy slow miles. I really do, I think some people are speed junkies other's re endurance junkies. You just happen to be both.  For some reason these runs a few days after my long weekends I ALWAYS feel much better, my heart rate is higher, my legs feel better, I feel better.

Distance - 7.0 miles, Time - 1:13:25, Pace - 10:29, HR - 146 (upper zone 2, yeah!)

Spin Class - trying to control it. I was so so so happy that it was a high easy cadence night. Whew, I did not have gear pushing in me.

Total Time - 3:43:25

Wednesday - Swim - my swim was great. I can't tell you how nice it was to ONLY have that on my schedule.  I don't know how I am going to be able to have the same speed in open water that I have in the pool.  Keep in mind these times include kicking, paddles and buoy.  I made sure to check myself at 3800 meters, which was 1:27:14.

4000 meters -  1:31:44, Pace - 2:17

Total Time - 1:31:44

Thursday - Spin - only 70 minutes, this was nice.  I can' figure out why I sweat so badly on the trainer in the morning, but I do.

Run - This was a kick ass run. A friend actually came down to run it with me, which is nice.  So, I really tried to keep my heart rate in zone 3.

Distance - 8.31, Time - 1:22:24, Pace - 9:55, HR - 161 (the last beat of zone 3)

Total Time - 2:32:24

Friday - This was a very hard ride, but probably not as hard as CDA is going to be.  I was totally bonking at mile 70 (as you know).  I felt much better on the last 40 miles then I did the first 70. 

Distance - 110 miles, Time - 7:03:57, Pace - 15.6mph, HR - 121 (yes, still in zone 1 . . . .this is crazy)

 

My run - I actually felt pretty decent on my run, which is amazing to me.

 

Distance - 5.07 miles, Time - 55:11, Pace - 10:53, HR - 141 (zone 2 at last)

 

Total Time - 7:59:08

Saturday - What an awesome rest day. Cruising around the lazy river at the Marriot.  Fun!

 

 

 

6 weeks till CDA week of 5/3 - 5/9

Coach Tim's comments are in blue. :-)

Total Training Hours - 19:24:11
Workouts Missed - None Holy Sh&^!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


At the end of this week, I am really tired. I will be so happy when the training is done and I find my self counting down the days until my next recovery week. I am trying so hard to be able to fit everything in and I am really struggling. Thanks for being so supportive all the time. This is so hard sometimes and this week I trained 4 hours less then last week. Only one more hard week until recovery, just one more Tim.

I know, keep it up Alison. Don't sell yourself short. What you do this week does affect your IM race. This is it, the last big week. You are one of the toughest, strongest and most determined athletes I have ever had the privilege to know. This week will be hard, but you will be harder! You have a goal, you have the will, you have the determination. You will succeed Alison. Now go get it!


Sunday - I still have not fully recovered from yesterday's swim. I felt ill all night last night and was still feeling pretty tired today. I thought the dog was going to die all day, she's been in a terrible state all weekend. Not eating, throwing up what little she does eat (being hand fed), laying on the floor eyes open clearly in pain. I opted not to do my spin later in the afternoon, I just didn't have it in me. I don't know why I'm suddenly so wiped out, and only after my first week of build in this session.

Okay, you just PR'ed a 102 mile ride by like an hour! You should be tired. Then you faced a really hard swim when you were already tired. Shake it off and keep your beautiful gorgeous head in the game!

I think maybe because I had the 4000 meter lake swim and no recovery day at all. That swim was not recovery and kicked the shit out of me, both literally and figuratively. I could not get into zone 2 on this run to save my life. This entire workout was zone 1. I tried on the first 10 miles to get there and stay there, but I was just getting more and more tired and my legs were getting more and more tight. The first beat on zone 2 is 138, so you can see where I was relative to where I wanted to be.

Run - Distance - 18 miles, Time - 3:35:03, Pace - 11:57 (My IM Pace, not my 1/2 IM pace), HR - 131

Totally good with this after the load you just had. In reality, think of how much more your legs will have in them when you control that bike on race day. I pushed you hard Alison!

Miles 1 - 5: Pace - 11:23, HR - 135
Miles 5 - 10: Pace - 11:24, HR - 132
Miles 11 - 15: Pace - 12:31, HR - 126
Miles 16 - 18: Pace - 12:51, HR - 132

Total Time 3:35:03

Monday - I'm sitting at my desk, dreading heading out for this 6 mile run. I'm having a hard time keeping my eyes open. I'm dressed in my running clothes, maybe I'll feel better once I start. Just me, my ipod, garmin and water bottle. Maybe I'll be surprised, maybe it'll wake me up. Maybe . . . . .I guess you'll know in the next paragraph.

Ok, this is how my run should have felt yesterday. I felt so terrible and worn out this morning, and before my run, but now after my run I feel invigorated. Instead of trying to push myself to get into zone 2 I had to slow myself down to stay in zone 2. I like that so much better. It certainly makes me feel better for CDA. YEAH!!!!! I honestly think that swim knocked my on my butt. I swallowed and inhaled so much water. It really was just really really bad and just knocked me out. Weird the way a run can suddenly bring you back to life. Absolutely!

Distance - 6.0 miles, Time - 1:02:50, Pace - 10:28, HR - 147 (high zone 2 baby) SWEET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, I felt so good after my run that I made up the 25 mile bike from yesterday. Just a nice recovery spin. I never even went into big chain, I just spun out my legs for 90 minutes.

Total Time 2:32:50

Tuesday - Swim - Ok, I don't know what's with my swim, I don't know if I just feel badly about Saturday or if I'm just tired but I don't feel great about my swim. This was the one area I felt great about, now my confidence is just very low. So, I know you had me do 10 x 100's but I suck and only did 5 of them. But the 5 I did were all at 1:59, which made me feel pretty good, but I just didn't have another 5 in me, so I just swam with the buoy. I wanted to rest my legs.

Again, all of this is fatigue. It's truly okay. In two weeks your swims will be incredible!

Distance - 3,000, Time - 1:05:58, Pace - 2:11 (hmmm, that's actually pretty good for me).

Spin - OMG that was hard. I kept watching my watch wanting it to be 7:30 and then at 7:29 you yelled "5 more to go". WTF? Killing me. I worked pretty hard though and felt good. My legs were tired on the run after and I did not run 2 miles (my bad) but going over like that, I really wanted to get home. Time 1:30:00 Awesome job Alison.

Total Time 2:35:58

Wednesday - It's hot outside, I'm not sure how hot but it is hot. First off I would like to say that my heart rate monitor was not picking up, you can see where no heart rate picked up and I'm not sure of the accuracy of the others as well. So when I started my legs felt like lead. But once I started my first set I actually felt better, but by the last 2 I was pretty tired and I could tell that spin class was catching up to me. Yep, but still great work, determination and true grit! Way to go after it, even when you're tired.

Distance - 7.0 miles, Time - 1:13:06, Pace - 10:27, HR - 150
Warm up - Pace - 10:25, HR - 144
Set 1 - Pace - 8:17, HR - 158 (rest pace 11:27, HR - NA)
Set 2 - Pace 8:33, HR - NA (rest 11:55, HR - NA)
Set 3 - Pace 8:45, HR - NA (rest 13:20, HR - NA)
Set 4 - Pace 9:08, HR - 137
Cool Down - Pace - 11:19, HR - 153

Swim - I like these workouts, no speed work. I felt pretty good, nice and relaxed. I swam in the afternoon outside instead of the early morning, which was really nice.
Distance 3,000, Time - 1:06:48, Pace - 2:12

Total Time 2:19:34

Thursday - I did 90 minutes on the trainer, high cadence. High cadence for 90 minutes is hard. I was sweating like a pig, I mean glistening like the princess that I am.

Total Time 1:30:00

Friday - Optional run - yep, I opted not do to it. I think I need rest. Great decision.

Saturday - Bike warm up. I got to Tempe early to ride.

Pre-race distance 25.41 miles, Time - 1:29:57, Pace - 16.9mph, HR - 55 (umm, I don't think that's correct)

SheRox Sprint
Swim - 17:51 (pace - 2:22 ) T1 - 1:57 Bike - 44:11 (pace - 18.33mph) T2 - 1:02 Run - 27:04 (pace - 8:43) Total Time - 1:32:08

Swim thoughts - I'm feeling weird about my swim suddenly. I am faster in the pool but I guess we all are. I felt like I was going a little harder then I would at IM, but really if I want a 1:30:00 swim this is the pace I need to keep.

Bike thoughts - I did push it on the bike and it shows. The way Red Rock paced out the swimmers was awesome and really allowed space on the course. I couldn't be more pleased with that pace.

Run thoughts - Damn, I held back because it was hot and I knew I had a long ass day ahead of me. I can't believe I ran under a 9:00 minute pace. I thought for sure I was running like a 9:15. I never felt bad on this run, I didn't push it at all, I chatted with people along the way, I felt awesome. Hmmmm, those are all good things. I even told the women in my age group that I passed that if she could speed up and catch me I would promise not to run her down and she could finish ahead of me. I told her I was holding my pace and I would not go faster. She never caught me. :-(

After the race bike, 1 loop of the Beeline . . when I finished my car said it was 106 outside (ouch). Although I felt good, I could feel myself getting dehydrated even though I was drinking alot and spitting water on myself to stay cool.

Post Race Distance - 37.22 miles, Time - 2:18:41, Pace - 16.1mph, HR - 133 (zone 2 baby)

Oh my gosh, after a race, in the heat and on loaded legs. Incredible. I have never been so proud. You go girl.

Post Post Race Ride - I still had 22.37 miles to go, so I jumped on my trainer when I got home for 90 minutes. I'm counting that as 24.3 miles at a 16.1mph pace.

Total distance for the day 101.41 all in 4 different rides. What a weird and wonderful training day.

YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You got er done. AWESOME. You will thank me for this later.

Total Time - 6:50:46

Even though my total workout time was only 6:50:46 for the day I got on my bike at 5:20am in the morning and dismounted my bike at 5:50pm that night. It was a very long hot day outside and that made a difference on the run I did the following Sunday. That kind of heat and sun will really take it out of you. Yes indeed. Awesome job just getting it done. Incredible again. You rocked this week.

7 weeks until Race Day 4/26 - 5/2

Total Training hours this week 23:33:17.

Welcome back to the build. I think last week and actually taking it a little bit easier then the schedule you gave me was a very good thing. I was exhausted.

Sunday - I woke up and ate until I was pretty full. A large bowl of cheerios with an entire banana sliced on top. I wanted to start this run on a full stomach. Honestly, I should have had a PB&Honey sandwich and a Gu for breakfast. Maybe I'll try that next week. So, my run went well. I had wanted to negative split it but that didn't happen. I started cramping in my calves around mile 13 and by mile 14 my back was really bothering me.

Distance - 17 miles, Time - 3:08:06, Pace - 11:04, HR - 140
1st 3rd - Pace - 10:54, HR - 139 (low zone 2)
2nd 3rd - Pace - 10:54, HR - 141 (low zone 2)
3rd 3rd - Pace 11:23, HR - 142 (low zone 2)

Later in the afternoon I did an easy 90 minute spin on my bike. It actually felt good and I kept the gears super easy.

Total Time - 4:38:06

Monday - I moved my swim until Tuesday, because I have more time in the morning. I did strength training at the gym and worked my legs pretty hard. Plus some core work. I still can't get into weights, but I just keep hoping. I spent 45 minutes working out at the gym.

Spin I did the 90 minutes on the trainer, watching TV, talking to my daughter. Well, until her boyfriend came over about 50 minutes into my ride, so the last 40 I was watching TV. Again, it hurts to spin after strength.

Total Time - 2:15:00

Tuesday - I felt like shit in the pool. First off, I did Wednesday's swim today because I have more time, and it is a longer work out. You know how some days you just don't have it? Today was one of those days. I ate an apple on my way to the pool in the morning (along with my coffee) but I felt like a piece of lead in the water. I just couldn't move. My 100's started at a 2:08 pace and I was swimming a 2:22 pace by the end of the set. Over all I swam 3,000 in 1:08:30, for an average pace of 2:17/100. I swear I was tired at the 1600 mark and had to force myself to keep going.

Run - nice and easy 6 miles. My heart rate started in zone 5, then it would jump to 1, then I was pretty steady in high zone 2 for a long time until the last mile or so. I never felt bad, but my HR monitor kept slipping off me.

Distance - 6.0 miles, Time - 1:05:09, Pace - 10:52, HR - 153 (3 beats into zone 3)

Spin - Umm, yeah I really didn't have the "brick" class in me. I worked hard on the bike, but I didn't push the run. Knowing I have 1 mile repeats tomorrow . . well I guess you could say I punked it, or you could say I was being prudent. You pick.

Total Time 3:13:39

Wednesday - There's nothing like getting up at 4:00am to go swimming, nope nothing like it. I also got new goggles, the same aqua sphere mask-like goggles that you have. I like them a lot. At first they kind of block some of my vision but what am I staring at? The line at the bottom of the pool. Also, I think it will help protect my face more from the cold water at CDA. Anyway, onto my swim. It's funny I actually felt much better on my swim today yet my 100 pace average was only 1 second faster then yesterday and my distance was shorter by 500 meters.

So, I felt better but I swam about the same. I swam 2500 meters, time - 56:42, pace - 2:16/100
Speed work running - Let me start by saying I was not in the mood to do this, I kept procrasting at my desk to avoid going out there. I started my warm up and like most days when you feel like crap, you have an awesome workout. The last mile was tough, not just because I was getting tired but it also had more uphill then the rest of the miles. When I strated this I decided I would be happy if I could hold a 9:00 - 9:30 pace, so needless to say, I'm pretty happy with how I did.

Distance 6.0 miles, Time - 58:17, Pace -9:43, HR - 152 (2 beats into zone 3)

Warm Up - Pace 11:50, HR - 124 (zone 1)
Mile 1 - Pace - 8:48, HR - 159 (zone 3) (rest pace - 11:44, HR - 140 (zone 2))
Mile 2 - Pace 8:39, HR - 162 (first beat of zone 4) (rest pace 12:51, HR - 145 (zone 2))
Mile 3 - Pace - 8:14, HR - 165 (zone 4) (rest pace - 13:17, HR - 143)
Mile 4 - Pace - 8:54, HR - 164 (zone 4)
Cool Down - Pace 11:02, HR - 144 (zone 2)

Strength Training - I did upper body focusing on swim muscles; lats, lower lats, triceps. I also did some core work.

Total Time 2:34:59

Thursday - My morning spin, I did not make it through the entire 90 minutes but I went a respectable 70 minutes. My legs are pretty tired and big chain on the trainer, well it just hurt.

My run - a 4 mile easy zone 2 run has never sounded as good as it did today. The distance is short, the pace is easy, it's all good. I felt really good on the run too. I did a lot of finish line visualization - all finishing in the daylight - all a PR. :-) I crack myself up when I get so into I find myself crying on my run, but that's exactly what happened to day, several times. Oh and Lance Armstrong was there putting on my finisher's medal. Funny the way the mind works.

Distance - 4.72 miles (yeah, I went a little over), Time - 51:03, Pace - 10:49, HR - 146 (zone 2)

Total Time 2:01:03

Friday - OK, so I guess you know how this day went. It was my fastest 100 mile ride ever. Thank you so much for riding with me, all day. When you said you were going to ride 6 hours with me I laughed thinking there is no way I can ride 100 miles in 6 hours. Who knew?

Distance - 102.0, Time - 6:07:29, Pace - 16.6, HR - 127 (holy shit . . that is still zone 1)
What do I have to do to get my ass in zone 2 and if I averaged zone 1 why did I feel so crappy?

1st 50 - Time - 3:01:02, Pace - 16.6, HR - 125 (zone 1)
2nd 50 - Time - 2:58:37, Pace - 16.8, HR - 129 (last beat of zone 1)
Last 2 miles - Time - 7:49, Pace - 14.9, HR - 139 (zone 2 at last wow, slowest speed highest heart rate)

My run sucked, I felt like crap, light headed. But I did it.

Run - 3.94 miles, Time - 47:37, Pace - 12:04 (My IM pace), HR - 139 (zone2)

Total Time 6:55:06

Saturday - This was by far the worst swim I have ever had. It was very choppy and lots of waves, I was being thrown all over the place. I really wanted to bail after the fist 2,000 the thought of doing another lap was not all appealing. Then I thought well, race day I can't control the water. But here's the thing, my swim was the one thing I felt good about, the area I've been improving in and now this. FUCK!

Distance - 4,000 , Time - 1:55:24, Pace - 2:52 (seriously, WTF???)

Not even on my worse days have I been swimming like that. Now I know open water is different and I drank a lot of water, my goggles leaked and my right eye is burning on fire, very red and painful. Now I don't feel well, I feel sick to my stomach, I have a head ache and I'm not at Kim's party. Kyle's in a mood and I just didn't want to go down there alone. I suck as a friend and athlete. This is just a bad bad day.

Total Time 1:55:24