In Hindsight, It's Not So Bad At All

Saturday Morning/Afternoon Workout
BIKE...
118 miles
Heart Rate Zone: I averaged in the aerobic (Zone 1) area but was really all over the place, especially climbing the 7 mile hill in 105 degree weather.

...RUN
1.4 miles
Heart Rate Zone: Aerobic (Zone 1)

Sunday Morning/Afternoon Workout
SWIM
2.4 miles in the open water

RUN
18 miles, give or take
Heart Rate Zone: Aerobic (Zone 1) + Lactate Threshold (Zone 2) (plus in and out of Aerobic Conditioning (Zone 3) throughout the miles where there was no shade and a 95 degree sun with a chokehold on my lungs)

Random Comments: As I sit here on the couch and assume my position as Monday Morning Quaterback (I may have thrown y'all with that football reference on a triathlon blog, but please try to do your best to keep up with me), I realize that the past weekend was probably the most challenging two days of training that I've ever had. I'm not saying it was the most challenging workouts - I've run further, I've swum harder and I've biked more guelling-er in my past. But put them all together and, by golly, you've got some tired legs.

That said, the distances were done within a 48 hour time period so it's not as if it were overly overwhelming. Like, say, if I had to complete it all in 17 hours, as a fer instance. Secondly.... oh wait... I was going to say for secondly that the distances weren't even Ironman length. But, yumpin' yiminy, I just realized that the Bike and Swim were, in fact, IM length. It was just the run that was 7 or 8 miles short of a marathon. Well, zip dang, that shur is good to know. If that's not a boost in confidence, I don't know what is.

So this week is now a rest and recovery week, which bleeds right into the two week pre-race taper that starts next Monday, which is most often the time when my back completely gives out, or I fall down and break a wrist or twist my ankle or some sort of other subconscious physical mishap that is a clear reaction to the stress of an upcoming race. Perhaps its time to start up that meditation practice again. Or live in a bubble. I always liked that movie anyway... Johnny-boy in his most challenging role.