Week 40: Hot hot hot in the Bay!

This week = heat + soreness.

I was walking around like an old lady because my quads, hamstrings, and lower back were pretty sore from the week. I really wanted one of those Hoveround things, George Castanza-style. My body was still getting used to the regular training schedule so the soreness was definitely expected. But luckily as I write this on Sunday all of the aches are gone! 🙂

It was also about 85-95 degrees and sunny in the Bay Area this week which is unusually hot for us. I embraced the heat and used it as a great chance to prep for Cozumel’s temperatures.

No Wetsuit Required

Saturday morning I did my first open water swim in the Bay without a wetsuit! The water was about 63 degrees which is actually very warm for the Bay, so it wasn’t unbearable.

I mentioned last week that I wanted to see what it felt like to swim continuously without the buoyancy and support of a wetsuit (good Cozumel prep). I’m happy that it actually felt great out there! I was with other people and stayed very close to the beach, so I felt safe for the whole 42 minutes. And my arms felt so free and unrestricted! It was a very nice swim and I highly encourage anyone else to give it a try.

Sweaty Tourist Dodging

After the swim I dried off, put on my running shoes and started my run. It was at least 85 degrees so I did my best to stay hydrated and in the shade.

The hardest part of the run wasn’t the heat or the run itself, it was the constant need to dodge dogs, Blazing Saddles, walkers, runners, and the million other people on the Marina green path. I’m definitely not complaining because it was great to see so many people outside, but it just made for a tough and frustrating run. I think I’m done with that route for now.

Team Cozumel + Friends

The great thing about being part of such a large and amazing triathlon club is that even for seemingly obscure races like Ironman Cozumel it’s likely that at least someone is registered. GGTC has 8 people going down to Cozumel! Wow!

On Sunday part of Team Cozumel and some other GGTC friends got together for an out-and-back bike ride in sunny Marin starting in San Rafael and continuing to Nicasio and back. I ended up doing 40 miles and focused on intervals of speed + recovery instead of a continuous ride. That helps build strength and focus.

After the ride most of us did a transition run in the dry and hot fields nearby. I was sweating up a storm and ran 2.5 miles.

The best part of the group training day was lunch at Smith Ranch Deli. It was great to get to know each other better and enjoy massive sandwiches in air conditioning!

Inspired

I draw a lot of inspiration from other people and thought I’d share a few stories of people who inspired me this week. Maybe they’ll also inspire you:

• Beast: I finally sat down and watched Jens Voigt break the world record for most distance covered in 1 hour on a bike (51.1km). His cadence, strength, focus, and form are all truly inspiring. Definitely watch part of this video, especially if you’re a cyclist.
• Instagramming the Pros: We’re less than 1 week from the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii and I’m unbelievably inspired by all of the athletes who are competing. I’ve been following Siri Lindley (elite coach to pro women) on Instagram (@sirilindley) and she posts several photos and videos every day of her athletes in training. I’m particularly inspired by Mirinda Carfrae’s flawless running form, by Mary Ellis’ willingness to give local kids swim tips, and everyone’s sculpted muscles! These are some strong, fierce women! Go girls!!!
• GGTC Goes to Kona: Speaking of which, three Golden Gate Triathlon Club members are going to be competing in Kona! And they’re all women!! One of them, Brenda, was even featured in a recent article on Triathlete.com. Awesome!!
• IMLT Round 2: On Saturday, eight courageous, dedicated, and determined athletes went back to Kings Beach to try their hand at “Mulligan Man”, an unsupported triathlon on the Ironman Lake Tahoe course. As one athlete said: “I got my closure and it was sweet. I will now proudly wear my IMLT shirt.” I can’t imagine going through 140.6 miles without fully-stocked aid stations, cheering squads, traffic control, or hundreds of people cheering you into the finisher’s chute. Major kudos to the 8 of you!
• Tinker & Explore: I’m inspired to tap into my creative side after watching this awesome documentary about 3D printing called Print the Legend and also after listening to the TED Radio Hour episode called “From Curiosity to Discovery“. I’m so focused on Finance in my day job, and Ironman training in my non-work life, that sometimes I forget to tap into my creative side. That’s partly what this blog is about but I’d like to do a better job. I think I’ll start by experimenting more with creative and fun recipes, or maybe I’ll start an art project. Follow me on Instagram to see what I come up with!
• World Vegetarian Day: October 1st is World Vegetarian Day and I was inspired by the posts, articles, and enthusiasm around going meat-free. Loved the Daily Show’s opening about ebola/ISIS vs. heart disease. There has been so much progress made in the last few years and I hope this momentum continues.

8 Weeks To Go

With about 2 months until Ironman (for real this time), I’d like to focus on a few things:

• Flat tire practice! It’s ridiculous how slow I am at changing a flat tire. The last thing I want is to be frazzled and stressed over a flat during Ironman.
• Experiment with UCAN superstarch. I used it for my bike ride and liked it OK. If only the taste were better… But I do like the idea that it’s a ‘slow release’ that doesn’t cause my blood sugar to spike like other gels/gus.
• Heat, aero, wind, flat terrain. And repeat. You’ll find me in Napa a lot over the next few weeks.
• Crush the Nike Women’s half marathon (I keep forgetting I’m doing that race…)

This Week’s Training Log

• 5th. Run. Quick transition run. 2.5 miles. Very hot. 9:30/mi
• 5th. Bike. 41 miles in Marin. Nicasio.
• 4th. Run. 7.2 miles post-swim. So hot + touristy. 9:09/mi
• 4th. Swim. Open water swim sans wetsuit. 42 minutes.
• 3rd. Run. Evening 4.1 mile run. Hot outside. 9:15/mi.
• 3rd. Swim. Morning 2,000 yard swim. 53 minutes.
• 2nd. Bike. Indoor spin intervals + core. 1 hour 15 mins.
• 1st. Swim. Quick 30 minute swim in the evening.
• 1st.  Run. 6.2 mile morning run. 8:00/mi.
• 30th. Bike. Indoor Spin Intervals + core + Strength training. 1 hour 40 minutes.

Thanks Everyone. Swim. Bike. Run. Eat Plants.