Sunday, March 25, 2012

Traditions Training - Update #2

Second round of training. Much better than the first. Of course I didn't have four pints of beer clinging to my lungs, unlike last week. And I made sure to hydrate ahead of time, while taking on less water during the event.

So the swim went well. More comfortable. Paced myself. Focused on my breathing. Paid more attention to my location. Keeping closer to the course. And finished stronger than last week. Should have put in an additional lap. Had the energy. But didn't want to over do it. And I ended the swim on a positive note.

The ride was great. I was the only one who knew the actual course, so I lead most of the way. Had plenty of strength. No trouble keeping my pace. Timed my fuel well. Felt strong tackling the long hill as well as the final two hills as we returned to the course. And I think I finished it right at 50 minutes. (Which would be  record for me!) I had to stop twice to give directions, so I didn't time it perfectly. Much like the swim, I was very happy and glad to end on a positive note.

Did two a two mile run afterwards. Not my best run. Not my worst, either. Twice the distance of last week. And I only slowed briefly. Once I had my rhythm and my breathing set, I was able to find a reasonable gear and focus on positive self-reinforcement. Took it 100 meters at a time and finished well enough, by my standards. Had one more mile in me, for sure.

All in all, very happy with my overall performance. Had plenty of energy. High spirits. Good mood. I'll do it again once (maybe twice?) this week and dial in my game a little better for Saturday. I'll certainly keep off the beer until AFTER the race!

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