Today was a rough day training for me.  It’s amazing how quickly things can change over the course of a workout,…similar to that which can change during Ironman races.  I had flashbacks from my race at Ironman Coeur d’Alene last year, where I blew up 2/3rds into the bike.  The nostagia wasn’t pleasant this time.

I attempted to descend a 4 loop bike course again (Sardis to the end of Columbia Valley Hwy loop).  I started out at a good clip, knowing full well if I was going to build speed, that things ultimately were going to become challenging.  Let’s bring it – I felt!

1st lap: 1hr35min

2nd lap: 1hr30min  …Starting this lap, I witnessed a black labrador dog with a cone around it’s neck bolt across the road to chase me; he came oh-so-close to getting hit by an on-coming car.  I thought that dog was a goner,…he was a lucky bugger – that cone certainly didn’t help him see the car coming from his side.  It reminded me of a time when I was biking with my brother, Brent to Point Clarke – a dog who came out to chase us ended up getting pummeled by an on-coming car.

3rd lap: 1hr31min …I started losing it somewhere during lap 3,…a couple indicators were telling me I was in trouble – the first being, I felt like I was cycling outside my body, and didn’t have a clear focus on anything.  The second indicator was that I had to get off my bike and go into a convenience store for a quick fix of food,..anything with calories,…when it came to paying for my food, I handed the clerk my spare inner-tube and driver’s licence.  It took me a moment with an apparently confused clerk for me to understand that an inner-tube isn’t a fair trade for Snickers bar; “man, get a grip” I had to tell myself.

4th lap: 1hr40min,…tongue sticking out the whole way…

…the 40min transition run was ugly.

I ran 21miles today,…10.5miles out in 1hr30 (8.5min/mile pace), then 10.5miles back in 1hr24min (8min/mile pace).

I ran during a hot period of the day,…good thing I’m built for the heat.  As you can see by this photo of me taken just moments ago, I’m in good spirits.

I’m training pretty heavy at the moment – and happy to report that I’m working hard and enjoying it.  Yesterday was 4 looped long ride – using laps to gauge effort and dial-in pacing.  I rode from Sardis (just south of Chilliwack) through Cultus Lake to the end of Columbia Valley Hwy, looping around back to Sardis.

lap one = 1hr42min

lap two = 1hr38min

lap three = 1hr36min

lap four = 1hr24min

I like the build throughout long rides,…using the first half as an aerobic ‘primer’ – upregulating all the fat burning enzymes, then punch it stronger during the second half.  I drank only water for the first half, then started taking in calories starting loop 3.

50min Transition run,…ran to Chilliwack community track, continuing to run 3km negative split (1st km 3:41, 2nd km 3:38, 3rd km 3:36) — I thought I was moving decently given the delirious state I was in.  😛

1hour swim, with a 1500m negative split (20:35)

Scott