Ironman Week 18

4/30-5/6

Wildflower week came and went, and what a week it was! Seriously, if you have the chance to experience this event, DO IT! It lived up to it's reputation and then some. It was hands down the hardest triathlon I've ever done, but also one of the most memorable. The whole weekend was really just a blast, from hanging out with my One10 teammates, racing on Saturday, and then spectating and cheering at Sunday's Olympic race. So many great things happened this weekend, and I'm currently trying to sort through all my photos and put together some recaps. My training this week was all about taper so I'd feel fresh on race day, and it was nice to have the extra rest. I definitely needed it over the weekend!

Monday
am: run / 4.3 mi / 0:40 / avg 9:18
Easy morning run before work with my pup. It was already pretty warm out and I felt a little sluggish, but didn't worry too much about it.

pm: swim / 1,500 yds / 0:35

• warm-up:
• 200 easy
• 200 drill weakness
• main:
• 6x50 sprint, RI = 45"
• 600 steady swim
• cool-down: 4x50

Pretty simple workout. My sprints averaged 45" which I was happy with. The 600 set was the first long, steady one I've done and it was actually kind of nice to just swim. Although it did make it a bit harder to keep track of laps ; )

Tuesday
pm: run / 4 mi / 0:36 / avg 9:00
MTC track workout! Those of us doing Wildflower we're cut some slack and given a pretty easy workout: 4x200 sprint w/ 600 recovery. I ran them with a friend and pushed each other on the sprints. After the first couple they got pretty tough, but looking at my data after I was surprised to see that we averaged a 5:22 pace for the sprints! I didn't really think I could hit those kind of speeds, and I know I couldn't keep them up for very long. Funny to think that I know people who run full marathons at that pace!

Wednesday
am: bike / 13.3 mi / 0:45 / avg 17.7 mph
I was finally able to get in for a massage with Todd and boy was I due! When I went in he asked me what I wanted him to work on, and I told him my quads and calves had been feeling tight and sore, so he started there. As he worked on them he said they actually weren't that bad, but when he moved on to my hamstrings, he discovered that was where I really needed some work! Apparently the muscles were sticking together, but he was able to loosen them up a bit. He finished up by working on my hips and holy sh*t that was the money spot! He said I really needed to work on these areas on my own with Trigger Point and to come back after Wildflower to work on them again.

I had an hour ride with pick-ups to do that morning but I was only able to squeeze in 45 minutes at a steady pace. My legs felt a little noodley but actually much better, too. I was faster than usual, which may or may not be attributed to the massage : )

Thursday
rest
I took advantage of my free evening after work and installed my new Speedfil hydration system. I used it for the first time at Saturday's race and loved it. Will post a more thorough review soon!

all set up and ready to go!

Friday
rest
I had a short pre-race brick on the schedule but opted to skip it and sleep in a bit after a late night of packing and getting ready for the weekend. I've always rested the day before a longer race, and for me that just works. It ended up being a long day of driving and hitting up the expo before getting my gear ready for the race, so I was glad to have had the extra zzzz's.

Saturday
[Wildflower Long Course! So much to say, working on a full race report!]

am: swim / 2,112 yds (1.2 mi) / 0:37

Definitely my favorite part of the race! I was able to stay relaxed and focused, the water felt great (temp was just right!), and I improved my half Ironman swim time by 4 minutes!

am: bike / 56 mi / 3:34 / avg 15.7 mph
This bike course is no joke. It lived up to it's reputation and was easily the hardest ride I've ever done. It's actually a really beautiful course, despite all the ups and downs : ) I survived the infamous Nasty Grade, but my legs felt it in the run. While it was my slowest half Ironman bike split, I'm proud to have just finished it!

pm: run / 13.1 mi / 2:18 / avg 10:32
Honestly, this was a pretty miserable run. It was mostly on trails and had some pretty nasty little climbs that were just killer on already tired legs. I hiked most of the hills and just tried to keep moving forward on the flats and descents. I had a hard time staying focused mentally, and was just so happy to reach that last mile and see the finish line!

Sunday
rest
With my race behind me I spent the day spectating the Olympic distance race and cheering on my One10 teammates. I played race sherpa and photographer for the day and had a blast. Everyone did really well, some PRing, others racing their first Oly, and a few qualifying for Nationals (top 33% of AG), so it was a great day all around.

Totals

swim: 3,612 yards

bike: 69.3 miles

run: 21.4 miles

other: 0 hours

total time: 9.0 hours