Kona or Bust –
Week 19
“Fire in Your
Hole!”
Got your
attention didn’t I? I thought I might.
Week 20
wrapped up with an unusually long run/hike…a Tough Mudder! I know, I know I’ve
got the world’s most important Ironman in a few months why the HELL am I doing
a Tough Mudder? I asked myself the same question, but when it comes to
obligations and promises you have to follow through. PERIOD!
 |
| Top left. Debating whether or not to go down! |
I’ll be honest
I wasn’t excited to make the trek up to Mount Snow to splash around in the mud
and crawl up and over obstacles. I was worried that I’d hurt myself and ruin
everything, but in typical fashion once I started my excitement grew and I end
up having a blast. I did however charge up with mountain with an imaginary
protective bubble around me read to throw a stiff arm if someone got a little
to out of control careening down the mountain. My bubble started small but as my fatigue and everyone
else’s rose, the obstacles got a little more crazy, and the mud became deeper
and deeper my protective bubble grew. I skipped a few obstacles fearing life, limb, and
Kona. I also didn’t feel like waiting 45mins. Just as I’m ready to be done there was the last and final obstacle…FIRE IN YOUR HOLE. I saw it walking
in and was dreading it every since. Picture a waterslide with a vertical drop
that propels you through FIRE only to land in a pit of muddy water. I did it. I
had no choice. I wasn’t going through the electroshock obstacle. As I climbed
to the top I just kept telling myself it would be over in seconds. It was and as
much as I hate to say it, it was pretty AWESOME!
The rest of
the week I spent trying to stay on a set training schedule despite the weather,
lack of energy, and life.
Monday –
Memorial Day and the Annual Vanilla Bean Ride. 75 mile bike, 4 mile Run. Great
friends! Good food! Cold beer! J
Tuesday morning
- I did speed work with my friend Danielle Meunier. I’m pretty sure she hated
my idea to keep the workout on the East Longmeadow bike path rather than the
track or shoot off to one of the quieter roads. Regardless, we did it and we’re
better for it. Thanks for sticking with me Danielle!
Tuesday Speed Workout
Warm up 10min 60-70% HRmax
20 x 2:00 @75% HRmax with a 30s recovery.
This sucked!
Cool Down 5-10min
Wednesday morning
– I was not feeling the cold temps and 60% chance of rain. So, I dragged the spin
bike down to the varsity weight room at WNE (while I still can) planned out a
TRX/Body Weight (suspension trainer & RIP trainer) workout. My lifting
partner for the last 8 months, Megan Barry decided to join me, not knowing I’d
thrown in the spin bikes. HAHAHA! She now knows why padded bike shorts are
essential to cycling.
Wednesday Spin/TRX Combo Workout
30 min warm up – build to 70%
6 Rounds, no rest, just go!
3:30min spin @75%
6 Toes to bar
6 TRX Pistol Squats (each leg)
6 TRX Squat to Y Flys
6 RIP Punch (each side)
6 RIP Flag Raise (each side)
6 Rotational Push Ups (total)
Cool Down = Face plant on floor.
Thursday
Evening – I joined the guys for the A Ride out of St. Mary’s with Kevin &
Crew! 50+ miles in 2.5 hours says it all. Thanks for the ass kicking gentlemen.
Friday – This
is my scheduled day off….but I like to take the group class Fusion at CPC. The class is a TRX
Suspension trainer based class with a mix of everything else. It’s challenging
but it focuses on ALL planes of movement not just the straight ahead (sagital)
that triathletes spend most of their time moving within.
Friday I also reconnected
with Krystal Say Owner of Bia Fitness.
She is a Certified Health Coach, all around awesome fitness professional and
person, and is helping me understand the ins and outs of fueling my body
leading up to Kona. I’ve always
been mindful of what I eat but now that my training volume will be going up and
life as I know it will be drastically different I need to find better ways to
fuel. I’ve met with Krystal twice. The first time a few weeks ago to chat about
my training schedule, likes and dislikes, and what I’m not willing to let go
off…peanut butter, beer, some bread, and coffee. This week we reviewed food
combining rules, free radicals, gastric emptying, and the list goes on. While
Krystal was in her glory explaining away the whys and how’s I spent that time trying
to wrap my head around the fact that turkey sandwiches will be a thing of the
past. Good think I can still eat my peanut butter sandwiches. This topic
deserves so much more time and a blog entry or two all to it’s self. To be continued…
Week 20 totaled
around 19-20hrs of training. More than planned for, but when you get an
opportunity to ride and train with friends or do something completely insane
like the Tough Mudder you have to go for it.
The week
ahead, is a RECOVERY WEEK! Despite the long week I just had I’m feeling pretty
good and not like I need a recovery week. Recovery is just as important
as speed work and long rides so I’ll take the lower volume week. I’ll be
wishing they came more frequently soon enough. Let’s just hope I can stick to
the plan. ;)
Last but not
least, I’d like to send out a HUGE thank you to everyone that has donated to
the fundraising page my two college teammates, Liz (deSimas) Schuellein and
Andrea Perkins Nerlich, set up for me. Liz informed me this morning that we
broke the $2000 mark yesterday! You have no idea how help this is and how
grateful I am to have such amazing friends. THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
If you're
interested in donating the link is below. Please DO NOT FEEL obligated, but if
you do donate, know that I will be forever grateful!
-SK
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