Ironman Boulder Training: Week 2
2 weeks ago I started to get in shape to get in shape for the Boulder Ironman. Here’s how it’s shaking out:
Swim: I love swimming and am so happy to be back in the pool. Masters swimming is daunting, particularly since I can’t swim butterfly (and don’t trust myself to swim backstroke when sharing a lane), but my coach is supportive and people are really friendly. One thing that I didn’t consider was that I will be training outside unless the high for the day is 35 or below. That means that last week I swam outside at 0600 when it was 22 degrees (the forecasted high was in the 40s). It wasn’t as terrible as I expected, but I also underestimated how chapped my hands/arms would get.
Bike: So far I hate the bike the most, but I’ve only been doing spin classes. On Sundays there is an hour and a half spin class coached by someone who you can tell is a very experienced cyclist and I like the camaraderie when grinding it out. I ordered a set of of rollers to improve my handling skills, but I’m scared of them and they’re still in a box upstairs (hey, I’m all about honesty). I might go to Home Depot and get some foam to pad the doorway of our guest bedroom when I decide to give the rollers a shot (still being honest).
Run: I have a love/hate relationship with running right now. I love that I’m getting back out there, and The Boy and I have had some quality time going on runs in the beautiful park near where we live, but I hate how hard it is to not compare myself to the runner I was before I hurt my back. I keep wishing I was faster and had more endurance, but I know that those will come back slowly and with time. Right now I’m taking a no-watch (literally not wearing a watch) approach so that I don’t get discouraged by my pace.
Ski: Ok, so skiing isn’t part of triathlon and I’m not sure how I’m going to navigate that this winter. Yesterday we spent the day at Keystone with friends and had a blast- then I came home and ground it out on the bike trainer for an hour. Skiing=fun. Training after a day on the mountain=not fun.
Sleep: I have been asleep at 2030 and up at 0530. Right now the best thing that you can do is let me sleep in. I love sleep and could do it all day long.
Eat: Holy cow I have been hungry. Weird hungry. I have probably doubled the amount I’ve been eating recently and am still hungry. I’m trying to keep things healthy and have been making lots of big batches of make-ahead meals (think chili and overnight oatmeal) but I know I’m going to need to figure out a healthy snack strategy ASAP.
Other: I watched Kona yesterday and cried like a baby thinking that 20+ years ago I watched that broadcast and now I’m trying to make Ironman a reality. Also, I love Hines Ward and think it’s amazing that he raced Kona and want to be just like him when I grow up, including the Steelers bike helmet.