Kona or Bust Week 7: Tailwinds & Tan Lines

Tailwinds & Tan Lines

Sounds like a Kenny Chesney song, right? At least I think so and I had A LOT of time to think this weekend. I just completed my largest volume week of training to-do-date.

Total volume for training week 8: 18 hours and 7 minutes.

Total volume for this past weekend: 8 hours and 42 minutes

The weekend’s break down looked like this:

Saturday – Long Ride (needed 5:15)	Sunday – Run/Bike/Run (needed 3:30hrs)
5 hours 28 minutes	Run #1:
102.54 miles	1 hour 44 minutes
4,423 ft of elevation gain	12.47 miles; 8:22 min/mile avg
18.7 mph avg	122bpm heart rate avg
120bpm heart rate avg	Bike:
152bpm heart rate max	54 minutes
If you want more data…just ask	15.78 miles
	17.5 mph avg
	109bpm hr avg, 127bpm hr max
	Run #2
	45 mins
	5.70 miles; 7:54 min/mile avg
	130bpm heart rate avg

Some of you may gasp and think, "OMG how is she still standing?"

Some of you may also gasp and say, “Oh no, that’s not enough at all”. 

Regardless of what anybody thinks I’m feeling pretty good about what I’m doing and where I’m at. My body feels great considering the pounding I’ve been putting it through over the last 12 weeks. Mentally, I feel fresh and ready for another long grueling week. I can’t say that the typical endurance athlete, Type A, overcompensate for everything personality that I possess hasn’t reared it’s ugly head. It has and I’ve been talked off the ledge, told to stick to the program, hit the Trigger Point equipment and stop whining about what I should or shouldn’t be doing.

I’m sharing this information largely because I wasn’t sure I’d ever be able to get to this point. Physically, I knew I’d be able to do it. Mentally, though, that was another question. Completing the distances that make up an Ironman is daunting enough. Putting them together, in ONE day…CRAAAAAZY TOWN. Oh, and while were at it let’s just make your first Ironman, the mother of them all, the World Championships.

This week and weekend was a huge confidence boost for me and I’m pretty proud of what I was able to do. I got through the week and completed every workout feeling strong. I raced to the Quabbin Tower, and finished 4^th, overall. Not to shabby. I completed my first long solo ride hitting the NH border and kept my nutrition on point. I followed all that up with a grueling18 miles bike sandwich on Sunday. Which, by the way, isn’t very fun when you have to sit on the saddle the day after a century!

I had company this week during some of my workouts but this weekend it was just me and the road. Just like it will be on race day. The once terrifying thought of doing an Ironman has now turned into one of confidence. I WILL finish, that much I know. Sprint, jogging, walking, crawling…I will cross the finish line. And if you ask me what my projected finish time is I WON’T tell you! That is one mental hurdle that I have to cross alone.

SK

PS: 

If you’re wondering what went through my head on my 100 mile bike ride?               Read on…

Live Free or Die

• A headwind! WTF! Deal with it, Kona is super windy.
• If I sing the same damn line from Dierks Bentely’s Drunk on a Plane 1 more time!
• Sunderland – corn for days…
• Miller’s Falls – Peoples Bakery. I buy their bread!
• There’s the porta-potty Bill Lodi conned me into stopping at last week so he could take a break…I mean a pee. I guess I’ll stop. I have to go.
• Cadence. Cadence. Cadence. Keep it steady!
• Cracks in the road…I hate cracks in the road.
• Northfield Creamies – I bet my brother Kieran could put down a few of those babies.
• Why do these bike short seams have to be so uncomfortable!?
• Ah, the New Hampshire border. Take a picture. Mark the milestone. Post to Facebook. Done and Done.
• NH’s finest, Cha’s Discount Cigarette’s, has welcomed me to my home state and on that note I think I’ll turn around. 
• TAILWIND BABY!!!!
• Tailwinds & Tan lines. That would be a great blog title, considering I have both right now.
• Will there ever be a day that I can actually stop at a Saturday afternoon Farmer’s Market? Not until after October 11^th.
• Old dude wearing the 70’s biking garb and NO helmet. Shame on you!
• Holy Shit! River Road is sooooooo much longer than I remember it.
• Sunderland. Mile 75. Quick pit stop to Refuel.
• Heart Rate. Heart Rate. Heart Rate. Keep it steady.
• Why the HELL do there have to be some many bumps!?
• Oooooh, Oreo Cows! Cute! I’m taking a picture. 

  

  Oreo Cows! They're there. Look close.

• Bay Road. I hate you!
• Tomato Festival. Really!? There are cars for days! You’re slowing me down people!
• Almost home.
• Just a few more miles.
• Man, this saddle sucks right now.
• HOME! Done for today.
• FOOD!