Camp wrap-up

Friday was race simulation day. I rode a loop of the course as 90-minutes steady, and then a 90-minute build to the finish. It was a tough ride as the heat arrived with winds whipping the second half of the loop. I hopped off the bike and ran a steady 5 miles before shutting it down. After a good lunch and some R&R, I walked to Mirror Lake and got in an easy recovery swim.

The Ironman athletes felt more pressure to ride long. Most of them, if not too shelled from earlier rides, worked in another 112-mile ride and a short run.

This morning I woke up, threw on the running shoes, and trotted an easy seven miles. We grabbed a quick breakfast, packed the car, and hit the road. We were in Lancaster by 4 pm.

I achieved some key objectives this week. I got in a VERY solid training block without having any heart arrhythmia. While my volume numbers weren't quite as impressive as my Ironman lead-up last year, the intensity of my training was far higher. In all I trained just under 20 hours, with 280 miles of hilly riding, around 20-miles of running, and some light swimming. I was smart in not digging myself into a hole. My body was ready for the training dose that it received, but not much more. Now I need to have a few easy days as my body "absorbs" its new fitness.

I checked out Patrick's blog on EN... His photos are way better than mine. Check them out under my links in the righthand margin.

I think tomorrow's actually Monday? That means back to the routine...