Whew…Big Weekend

Dang it; I hate getting behind because then there is just tooooo much to write about.

First, I’ll get some numbers out of the way:

Week 19: IM Training Totals

swim     2:48
bike       9:02
run        2:30 (low, as we missed our QW due to lightning…wah)
————-
total     14:20

first 2.4 mile swim=1:26

The hubby’s birthday was Friday, so we went out to dinner with some friends; I ate a lot and drank moderately and fretted silently about my big morning, the AT Open Water Swim followed by a 2-hour bike ride.  

Open Water Swim Event at Lake Travis

The day was simply beautiful Saturday and I loved swimming in the lake, though I did want to claw the wetsuit from my body…73 degrees is just too warm for a full wetsuit. My former swimmer daughter was telling me that optimal temperature for an Olympic competition pool is considered 72 degrees, so no wonder. But the water was simply lovely and I could see bubbles, which meant I did lots of drafting. It was like glass–very little wind or waves. And I simply felt wonderful at the end, knowing that I can do that part of my Ironman day. I’ve filed away a mental picture to draw upon if I start to weird out thinking about the swim at Coeur d’Alene.

After the swim, an assorted lot of us hit 620 and Bee Caves for some ride time. I really can’t say enough how stoked I was at the end of that morning. I know  Cathy and I shared similar emotions. It is priceless to have a friend who knows just what you’re feeling.

Long Ride

Sunday was the long bike ride. I was riding with my hubby and some guys I didn’t know.  It went fine, and we saw a new area east of San Marcos (I loved riding around Randolph AFB, which was nice and flat and fast , but hated the gravel road portion….hello! I don’t ride my road bike on GRAVEL!). I felt like I could give myself a big pat on the back for doing my 20-minute run in the 95-degree afternoon heat on the shoulder of a damn highway.

This week had felt a bit insurmountable at the beginning; I’m not sure exactly why, but I had some down moments. Yet when I look back on the individual workouts, they were all good. And next week doesn’t seem so bad.