HIM TX Training Week 16
Swim: 2400 yds
Run: 14.4 miles (9.4 mile, 3 miles and 2 miles)
Cycle: 90 miles (35 miles, 15 miles, and 40 miles)
6 workouts scheduled – 6 completed
Time – 8:55 – 105 miles
SWIM – Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get in an OWS (open water swim) this week. I am not sure if I will have a chance to swim in the lake prior to the race. This is not ideal. I did only one swim work out this week and my shoulder was bothering me. I passed on the second swim work out for the week and let my shoulder heal.
BIKE – I was able to ride 3 times this week! One on the trainer, one as a part of a brick and the last was just a fun ride outside. I love cycling! When I get on my bike, a sense of calm just comes over me, even if cars are whizzing past me at 70mph. I am working on eating and drinking on the bike and I am getting better and remembering to fuel, even if I feel like I do not need to.
RUN – Running is still hard. On Thursday I ran for the first time this week after my bike ride and it was tough. The pounding did hurt my lower back (SI joint area) but not as bad as it had in the past. I tried again for a short run on the treadmill on Friday and my back was very sore. So going into my 15K on Sunday, I was very worried. I had not run (without walking) for more than 6 miles since the wreck, so 9.3 seem a little out of reach. It was a hilly course and I knew that walking was inevitable, and I was OK with that.
HOT CHOCOLATE 15K – San Diego
Sunday I woke up at 3:45, which is SUPER early for me! Laura and I drove down to San Diego, which is about an 1:15 – 1:30 min drive from my house. The race promoter had team meet-up signs with letters of the alphabet, so Team Tough Chik met at the “T”.
Team Tough Chik
Toni, Laura, April, me (Shannon), Suzanne, Ivette, Judy
Some of us were running the 5K and some the 15K, the 5K went off first at 6:45. We met at 6 and Laura and I did start until 7:45, so we had some time to stand around and chat and chatter, our teeth that is…we were freezing! It was probably in the 50’s and we both admit we are weather wennies!
Pre-race, we look excited, and we are, but we are also freezing!
Laura and I started together, but that didn’t last long! She is a very strong runner. Around mile one the course had us going through a parking lot. There was one speed bump that wasn’t marked and I found it. Honestly, after 15 yrs of dance, I have no idea how I can be so clumsy! I started to trip forward and really thought I was going to be able to control it, but alas, I feel. My palms were throbbing and a nice scratch on my knee!
Always proving that I am TOUGH
My hands hurt for about the next mile and then I was OK, and I just kept trucking along. Besides that, I felt good. I drank at every water stop (something I never do) practicing for IMTX. I kept telling myself, just run as far as you can and then walk breaks are fine. I started watching people around me walking up the hills, but I didn’t need to. Around the 10K mark, there was about .25 miles of steeper down hill and that pounding did hurt a bit. I felt so good, I really couldn’t believe it. I just waited for the “other shoe to drop” and something make me walk, but it never happened. I finished in 1:27 with a 9:22 avg min/mile. That is HUGE for me. I was flying high!
Post-race/chocolate high
I really needed this confidence boost. I know that running a 15K with fresh legs is WAY different than running 13.1 miles after a 56 mile bike ride. I am under no illusion that I will run the half-marathon portion at a 9:22 pace or even a 10 min/mile pace, but I feel better about my run abilities.
It was fun to have a great team presence at this race and worth waking up early! My Toughies are amazing! Team Tough Chik ROCKS!
Next week is my last week of training before taper and I am SO READY. I am burnt out, done, cooked! My last race last year was the last week of October and I started training for this race the last week in Nov, so I had about 3 weeks off last year! I am looking forward to some rest!
Cool, and if you were worried about the run, you know know the training wont fail you. You are tough!
YEAH!!!! congrats to you and everyone else!! I keep telling you that you’re going to surprise yourself out there…Some taper time to rest and absorb then the right fuel on the course….YOU WILL be nailing those 9:22 min/mi or better off the bike!! 🙂 Strong work!
Hey Shannon. Let me first say, I’ve been enjoying reading your HIM blog. Very inspiring, as I too am looking to complete one. It’s on my bucket list.. very soon. Question: How do you carry your “fuel” on your long bike rides? Do you have a fuel box on your bike? And lastly, would u be willing to share what “fuel” you use and how often you “fuel”? Like, every 15 mins you drink, etc. I am still trying to figure it out.
Thank you!
^i^
deirdre