Gulf Coast Training Week 3 Summary -- Pizza, Pizza and Beer, Oh My!

Whew what a week. 

Confession -- I ate like shit this week.  Large pizza (entire pizza) sun night, pizza (mom's slice) beer mon night, wings wed lunch, 5 guys thurs lunch, shitload of baked spaghetti thurs night, chicken pad thai fri lunch, chicken pad thai sat lunch, wings and fries sat night, kfc bbq sandwich and fries sun lunch.  At least one beer every night but tonight (ny-quil instead).  Tomorrow is a new week though, enough of this shit.

Monday night was the monthly Gulf Winds Triathletes Meeting.  Club members were able to sign up for the Red Hills Triathlon before it was opened up to general public (120 members signed up, leaving 180 spots for general public -- the public spots were filled by noon).  I signed up, and this will be there third year I will have competed in RHT.  In fact, RHT was my very first triathlon.  I still vividly remember it.  The water was 64 or so, my heart was racing on the bike, I used my calves too much while pedaling and my calves cramped the entire run.  I could barely walk for three days afterward.  I questioned if this was what triathlons were like, why the heck were they so popular.  I quickly realized I was just out of shape, and I got better/stronger with each race.  Looking forward to this year to see how I compare.  Last year, I took 8 minutes off my time -- I really want to knock a chunk of time off this year as well.  I think I will be able to, but it will be interesting to see how the run does. 

Speaking of run, I haven't run all week.  My achilles tendon has just been too tender.  I tried to run Saturday as a brick after the bike ride, but didn't make it 100 yards.  Too cold and tendon too stiff.  I am a little concerned about not running, especially b/c I am supposed to do a VO2 Max test this coming Saturday.  I may have to switch it from run to bike.  I really want to run, but am afraid that I will mess up my leg and ruin my plans for Gulf Coast 70.3 in May, maybe even IMFL in Nov -- and that can't happen.  So I am taking it easy in the running department.  Am doing some ellipse during lunch at work.  Stretching, night splint, etc.  It really is driving me crazy though.  I can remember what it feels like to run on the trails here in town and... man oh man.

Swim-wise, it was a pretty good week. I made every workout (4 workouts).  My left shoulder was a little tender, and my right shoulder was a little tender after the wed workout -- so I slowed down some Friday and Sunday.  Although my 600 yd pull (with paddles) today, I ended up using paddles for 500 only b/c I tweaked my left shoulder.  I still feel pretty good though, form is improving, getting stronger.

Biking -- I have been spinning this week.  No specific exerciset, just sit on the stationary bike (or spinner) and spin for 90 minutes while watching tv.  Sat was a small chain-ring 2 hour bike ride with Sandy and Charlie, et al.  I tried to keep my hr low (it averaged 135) and cadence high (averaged 90), so I was about spot on.  The cold wasn't so bad, it was the wind.  I have got to get some lobster-claw gloves or the like.  Something with insulation.

On a side note, I went hunting this morning.  It was clear and cold.  Ice was on the ground, dirt was even frozen.  In fact, when I got out of the stand at 9AM, it was still 28 degrees.  I loved it.  Didn't see a thing (dang dirty bears); however, dad and I put up a feeder and stand in a new location so we will see how it turns out in a week or so.  Looks promising.  Hunting season ends Feb 20, so plenty of time to try it out.

So Saturday night I had my first nightmare about IMFL.  I can't quite remember what happened, but somehow I ended up doing/forgetting something and it cost me 8 minutes of extra time in T2 (but somehow the 8 min meant everybody -- and I mean everybody was at least 8 min ahead of me).  For some reason I was so upset that I wasn't going to finish the race.  I actually sat down and was done, and then someone told me to at least try one lap.  So I sucked it up and ran.  I don't remember the lap (and the lap wasn't on the real course, but in my dream it was the real race... go figure...), but got done and was worried about my achilles tendon so I quit again.  I kept telling myselt to get back in it -- that this was IMFL, and I didn't pay $600 to quit like a little biop.  Anyway, I woke up before it ended.  I can't believe tri season hasn't even started and I have already had my first IMFL nightmare.  Chalkig it up to anxiety about not being able to run like I would like.

But, I am gonna say this -- if I start, I will finish that freaking race.  I don't care if I mess my leg, achilles tendon, whatever, up so bad that medics have to chop my leg off afterward, I am not going to stop until I cross that finish line.  Nighmares, injury, etc., be damned, I WILL NOT QUIT!

Week 4 is a recovery week.  I am looking forward to it. 

Oh yeah, I shot the breeze with Roger at Higher Ground Sat, and think I will rent some race wheels from him for Gulf Coast.  If I end up liking that, I may buy some (and maybe rent them out when I'm not racing in them to pro-rate the cost -- thinking about SRAM S80, Zipp 808/1080, HED???). 

Oh yeah, oh yeah, Sandy told me that her TYR Cat 5 wetsuit is awesome -- so now I want one of those too.  I found them for about $480 online, and am seriously thinking about ordering one (thanks to selling my single speed and getting my verizon rebate cards in--I would only be out $60 in "actual" dollars) -- it probably wouldn't fit at my weight now, but by April/May should be perfect.

Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah, I bought a cyclo-cross on ebay -- new-in-box (09) felt f35x, 105 equipped, and got it for over half off.  I feel bad about not buying it locally from Higher Ground, but the only cx they have in stock is like $2400 -- they don't have any late-model new-in-box cx bikes on sale, and I didn't want to spend that much on it.  Plus, I just can't refuse a deal that good -- and I have bought 2 of the 4 bikes I own from Higher Ground and spend enough dough in the shop anyway.  Still feel guilty though, but I will get over it.