Week Twenty-Seven: 7.1-7.7
In which recovery goes well until it doesn't. In which I learn that being my own coach means I sometimes make well-intentioned, but stupid decisions. Read on ...
7.1
Just the daily today ... and a decent amount of time in the car. My original hope was for some easy cardio, but I got enough of that walking two miles back to the hotel post-race the day before.
(Okay, let's be honest: I am super regretting not getting one last swim in Lake Coeur d'Alene, but I'm also not sad I didn't have to drive home dealing with a wet, gross wetsuit, too.)
7.2
Got home in plenty of time to get in a short little run. A simple two miles that went a lot better than I was expecting.
7.3
Got in 2300 in the pool (thought it was going to be 2500; clearly I didn't do my math right planning the workout). It was nice doing a drills workout as it felt like I hadn't done one in a while. Also popped on the bike for an easy 20 minute recovery spin.
7.4
Soooo we kind of considered doing a 4th of July 5K, but also didn't want to wake up for one. Instead, we just did a really slow and easy 3 miles from the house. I also popped on the bike for just shy of 22 miles to try and get back into things. Outside would have been ideal, but as Brandon's bike was in the shop due to his broken spoke, I got on the trainer and we caught up on one episode of "American Ninja Warrior."
7.5
Well, today was the day - 10k (10,100) swim of doooooooom. The reason why I'm at such a ridiculous swim mileage (for me) this year. The reason why I've been upping my long swim distance consistently all year and ramping up seriously since April.
I want to say that it was one of the hardest things I've ever done, but I DID IT. I FUCKING DID IT. The 8k I did two weeks prior seemed okay, but this 10k was so much harder. I had to use a lot of self talk to get me through the final 1550 (and really the final 1050), but I did it. I made the goal, I set out a plan to accomplish it, and I fucking smashed it.
Swim Details:
The Workout: 50m, 100m, 200m, 300m, 400m, 500m, 600m, 700m, 800m, 900m, 1000m, 900m, 800m, 700m, 600m, 500m, 400m, 300m, 200m, 100m, 50m
People Outlasted: I think 7. But I'm not sure.
Total Time in Pool: 4:24:08
Total Swim Time: 3:57:19
Nutrition Consumed: almost two full bottles of lemon lime Skratch, 8 Chick-fil-a nuggets
Pool Toys Used: virtually none. Had ideas of using a pull buoy for the 800-800 section ... used it for 150 before I realized it would make me cramp like whoa, so I ditched it.
Cramps Gotten: thankfully, only one! Although I felt possible cramps coming on from like the 400 on, the only thing that actually cramped was my left foot during the final 200. (and when I mention the numbers, I mean the set of 400 or 200, not, say, 400 total accumulated in.)
Witnesses to the Feat: technically zero. Brandon was there for part of it - dropped me off at the gym and then went bowling. He came back right as I started the first 900 (brought me foooooood) and hung out with me on the pool deck until the start of the second 700, maybe? He then hopped in the pool with intentions of staying with me until just about the end (I thought I might need help getting out of the pool given the post-swim cramps I had been dealing with on my super long swims) ... but time, it was running short, and we had dinner reservations ... so he left to go home, change, and bring me clothes and shower stuff. As a result, I finished all alone.
Tears Shed: a few. I definitely cried at the end and a bit in the locker room afterward.
7.6
... while I am super, SUPER proud of myself for that swim ... I realized that it was not a smart idea to do it a mere five days after a 70.3. I went out to run my 7 miles ... and made it 2.5. My mental strength reserves were fairly depleted after Coeur d'Alene and whatever I had left/built back were completely annihilated by the swim of death. Oops.
7.7
A mere 2k on the schedule. I should be able to manage that, right?
WRONG.
I made it 1000. A very, very slow 1000. My shoulders didn't hurt, per se, but they were definitely super fatigued. I fought through it for a little while, thought they worked themselves out ... nope. Came back. Felt it was better to throw in the towel to fight another day. Also decided to scrap my bike as a result.
*****
While I'm happy I did that swim ... it was not a smart idea to have it so close to the race. I mean, I can't change the calendar - CdA fell right before my birthday - but maybe in the future, if I want to do something ridiculous like that, I need to NOT schedule a race around it, because I set back my race recovery something fierce. I'm trying not to mentally freak out about it too much - especially since I'm just about two months out from IMoo - but it's a little hard right now. I just keep telling myself that it's smarter to make sure I'm properly recovered before getting back to high mileage instead of forcing it and either injuring myself or getting into an overtraining situation.
Weekly Numbers:
Swim: 13400m, 5:13:55
Bike: 28.31 mi, 1:35:01
Run: 7.59 mi, 1:29:41
Strength: :58
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