Hello Runner,
Well, week 4 is close to being over, and as an update, I am still sick, although recovering.
Wednesday I finally went to the doctor (after 11 days of sickness) and begged for something. My doc prescribed some decongestants, and an antibiotic o be taken only if I wasn’t getting better. To which I answered “I am not getting better, that’s why I am here. I am on day 3 of a strong 5 day antibiotic series, and I am feeling much better, although not yet at 100%.
So, today, it’s back to the pool, and finally getting back to training.
This brings up a fear of mine… The Worst Case Scenario…
Let’s be honest, my 2 week on, 2 week off training plan already sounds like a “What not to do when getting ready for a Triathlon” book, but there are still a lot of other worse things that could happen.
I touched on it a bit in my first or second post… what about worst case scenarios. What if I get a flat tire during my bike ride, or get kicked in the head during the swim, etc… some of those problems I can prepare for, but others, which likely happen more frequently, are difficult, if not impossible to train and prepare to avoid.
Knowing how to change a tire on a bike is a start, and I know how to do that. I need a small kit to carry on my bike to do so. Getting kicked in the head during the swim is another story. I’ll have to ask Sarah about some things that may happen… she really helped me out on my transition questions in her last post here.
Only 8 weeks left… YIKES…
I’ve only been at this thing for two weeks, and then effectively sick for week 3 and 4, so in looking at the training schedule, I am way behind. My focus now is to get the most out of my training time. No wandering or waiting, no taking extra time at the pool to get training aids, or wait for the interval clock to point straight up (although that helps).
Starting week 5 in the training plan, we are switching from a time based training to a distance based. This is great, as it will be a better preparation for the actual race. The distances (600M swim, 12 Mi. Bike, 3 Mi run) are what I am training for, no more, no less. I don’t think there is any reason to train for a longer run, or bike.
It would, however be nice to know that I could swim 1000-1200 meters in one session, being that I will have to get right into the bike after the swim. It would be a good psychological advantage to know that I can handle 1000-1200 meters on race day when I only need to go 600. I’m not worried about the swim, but I know I’ll need energy left over afterward.
To maximize my training time, I am going to push, while focussing on technique. For me this means no music (there’s none on race day), and a mental switch to being conscious of what my body is doing. I can’t “check out” for 10 miles on the bike. I really need to focus on my technique and maximizing my time… I still may sneak some music in… But no more text messaging in the pool…j/k.
Let’s Get Moving…
I’ve been pretty dormant for 2 weeks, as whatever I have/had has forced me to rest a lot. It’s time to get moving. Although I know that I may not be tops come race day, even in my age group, I still want to put on a good showing… Then I can share all my accolades… just like the video below:
Until next week…
Just Keep Running