Skip to main content

LAST Interval Tuesday!

Well..I guess it is tuesday but something is different about my interval tuesday. I'm TAPERING!!!!
I was super excited to get up this morning so when my alarm went off at 4:43am I jumped out of bed. Coffee was brewing and on goes my swim suit. I said bye to smudla and headed to the Y. Although I always look forward to going to my swim practice with around 20 other triathletes, the jump into the pool is so hard. Being so nice and warm and then being wet and cold. Usually the cover is on the outdoor pool but I guess the warm Florida weather has caused the pool cover to be removed at night. BURRR!! I never got warmed up. It was so cold so Matt kept us moving. A lot of mini sets like 50's and 100's and even with the 16 x 75's for warm-up (10 sec. rest) I was cold the whole swim. Oh well. I kept a smile on my face and the guys around me kept me laughing the whole time. I was kinda slacking in the pool so they were making fun of me. Nothing new :)
I ran into the locker room to get my towel and I felt like it was IMFL all over again. Yes, my 7 minute transition at IMFL was because it was around 40-degrees outside and I was soaking wet ready to get on my bike. I said no way am I getting on my bike until I am warm and ready. I think I got warm around mile 40 of the 112 mile ride at IMFL when the 30-mph wind slowed down. Oh the memories.

I dressed for the treadmill and Barb and Tony joined me. Oh, I am going to miss my running buddies so much. We have so much fun. We chat during warm-up and barb and I exchange wedding planning stories (she is getting married next year) and we all talk about racing. I give the main set and when we are all ready (usually 10 min. warm-up, 5 min. pick-ups) we increase the speed.
I had to change my mind a couple times before the set. Because I am so use to pushing hard and not getting much rest, my planned taper set was more like a normal interval tuesday set. Well, in spite of tapering, I needed more rest as I kept with the intensity. Here is what we did:
10 min. warm-up at 7.3 mph
5 min pick-ups (45 sec. at 8mph, 15 sec. straddle treadmill)
Main set 3x's:
3 min. pace at 8.6mph (6:58 min/mile)
2 min recovery run at 7.5mph
3 x 45 sec. at 9mph w/ 15 sec. straddle treadmill
-then right into the next set.
Total: 5.6 miles - 40 min.

I felt really good and although I needed the first 10 min. to really warm me up, I am thinking I'll hold back on the first mile (like usual) because my body takes around 8 min to release the endorphins and increase the pace. I have spent many long runs looking at my watch for the beginning of a run. Especially a brick run. We all have a certain time that we are concerned about heavy legs and then it goes away. For me it is around 8 min but it isn't until around 20 min (or about 3 miles) that I really start feeling good. This is a problem for a lot of people because it is really easy to psych yourself out at the beginning of the run during a triathlon (especially a long one). Just keep your pace steady and hopefully you will get your rhythm if you take your time for the first few miles. Also for the distance athletes, hold back on fluids and gels in a 70.3 and IM for the first 1-2 miles. Water is fine if you need to splash yourself at the first aid station but try to get your rhythm and pace before slowing down or trying to take in some fluids.
Well, looks like I am almost ready to go. Just a few more days and I'll be off to Orlando. I'm super excited to see Kate W.J. and all my other tri-buddies. This is one of my favorite races and for the 3rd year in a row, I hope to have another enjoyable experience.
I'm a little sad cause tomorrow morning is my last spin class. I am going to miss my spin class so much. After 2 years of teaching I have seen some of the same faces week after week. I have only missed 4 classes in the last two years and they excused me for 3 weeks of being gone because of kona (and injury) and before then, IMFL (1 class after the race for recovery). Well, I guess since I won't be teaching them after tomorrow I will have to give them just what they come for....a super fun and hard spin class where they get to listen to me yell (encourage) at them for 45 min. at 5:30 in the morning.