Surviving Part 2

A couple of follow-up thoughts on my last post regarding increased training volume...

1. No injuries or illnesses in '08. Last year I had to nurse a bruised foot and recover from a post half-ironman cold.
2. No "B" races in '08. Even lower priority races require an interruption to consistent training.

That said, my little experiment to find that perfect blend of training, sleeping, parenting, working, etc. has produced a data point... 14-weeks at an average 14-hours of training per week is too freakin' much! I'm whipped. Got no race day mojo. Luckily I have two weeks of taper to go!

Yesterday I completed my final race rehearsal - 112-miles of mind numbing, windy flatness followed by a 4-mile run. The wind was tough. Despite losing my feed bottle somewhere between miles 80 and 85... and then getting bit on the thigh by some vicious little black bug at mile 99, I had a strong, consistent ride.

Time: 5:25:20
TSS: 242.9
IF: 0.669
HRave: 139 BPM
1st Half Time = 2:45:00
2nd Half Time = 2:40:20
PNorm for ride and both halves = 174.

I'm looking forward to frequent aid stations on race day. I just can't carry enough water on these rides to prevent dehydration.

Note for race day: Use the inhaler before starting... Don't wait for problems.