Time to Taper

We're a little less than two weeks out from the Eagleman 70.3 race in Cambridge, MD. Originally scheduled as my 'A' race, it's now serving as a stepping stone to Ironman Louisville on August 29th. The allure of Ironman sucked me back in! I'll be training with my friend Ryan, who will be competing at the full distance for his first time. Ryan's a good bit stronger than me, so repeatedly trying to hold his tire on long rides will surely have me ready to go on race day.

On Sunday I completed a race rehearsal for Eagleman. The goal of the rehearsal was to ride at target wattages for the full distance of the bike leg, then hop off and practice the discipline of running slowly for the first three miles before ramping up to target pace for another three. While not an easy workout by any stretch, it is more of an exercise in holding back than a suffer fest. The rehearsals also provide an ideal opportunity to practice the race day nutrition plan.



I did well on this rehearsal and feel pretty confident heading into race day. The attached graph of wattage over time indicates a fairly steady output of power, with the strongest hour being in the back half of the ride (black shaded section). That's good and, admittedly, a little more disciplined than usual for me.

I have a good bit of accumulated fatigue and am looking forward to regaining the skip in my step as I taper over the next two weeks. My goal is to break the five hour mark. My training metrics indicate the goal is within my abilities, but I'll need good weather and nearly perfect execution to pull it off. My previous best at this distance is a little over 5:05.

Training in Blackwater

During our recent heat wave I snuck away from work for two days to do Eagleman 70.3 on course training. I enjoy riding on Maryland's eastern shore. The roads have huge shoulders and the natives are generally bike friendly. I get a sense of escape while riding through the Blackwater Wildlife Refuge. The flat, windy marsh land, with its unique and plentiful wildlife, feels like another world.

Day 1 featured a 91 miler, during which I snapped some photos. Day 2 was a race rehearsal consisting of a 56 mile course ride followed by a one hour run. It was good to get on course training in that heat. I was pretty wilted after day 2.

Race day is Sunday, June 13. I'm planning on setting a new PR for the 70.3 distance. My training metrics are on target. To hit my goal I'll have to stay consistent & healthy over these final four weeks, and then execute like a champ on race day.