Be Training Like a Pro....Kinda.

*Caveat: I am not, nor do I think I will ever be an actual professional athlete. That being said, it’s kind of fun to get to train like one.

I love Arizona. Granted, I’m usually only here when I’m not working and on “vacation” but that’s beside the point. It’s gorgeous out there. And due to my love for this area, I signed up for my second Ironman triathlon almost one year ago. Fast forward to today and I’m less than 28 days away from the gun going off.

Many many months ago I planned to take my highest training volume week and come out here to train in the elements that I would encounter on race day. This meant saving lots of vacation days and I was happy to do it. Training in Ohio during this high volume week would have been challenging. Not impossible, but challenging. Plus, for me mentally I do better when I’m able to experience the course ahead of schedule. Riding the bike course in Louisville the year I did IMKY in 2012 was really helpful.

I arrived here on Saturday and met my Dad at the airport. I’ve never been more nervous to see my luggage rolling off the carousel. I anxiously awaited that big black bike box to appear and after lots of nail biting, it came! I immediately knew it had been opened: the straps were a bit loose. Just like I suspected after getting it home to my parent’s place, there was a lovely note from TSA inside saying they had inspected my box. I opened it immediately and everything looked safe and sound. Putting Killer (my bike) back together made me nervous. I had rehearsed it but now was the time to see what I could do. I was literally shaking while piecing her back together again, so much so that my Dad had to remind me to “calm down.” It worked! I was so relieved. Even went out to ride that later afternoon and everything seemed to be working well. Phew! Day 1 was complete with a bike/run brick. The beauty of the desert continually inspires me. Still adjusting to heat!

All together again!

Happy girl! Love the weather!

The desert is gorgeous!

Day 2 came early. I was meeting Jozsef Major at 6am to get some riding in before the triathlon group I was riding with began at 7am. Jozsef is a professional athlete and an all around awesome guy. Ever want to know how you can tell you’re riding with a professional triathlete?  It’s when he can talk without gasping and you’re gasping for air and trying to crack jokes to avoid the reality that you feel super nervous training with someone who consistently places in Ironman races and has sponsors! Wow! I soon realized that my riding pace meant he was spinning in his small chain ring and barely breaking a sweat. I was chugging along just trying not to look like an idiot. We met the rest of the group at 7am and I rode with them for another 2 hours then headed out for my last solo hour. One Multisport is a local tri group with about 300 members! I’m grateful they allowed me to join them for this week of training. Awesome folks! 4 hours of riding was done! Then onto the 30 min run after! Long morning. Riding in Arizona means spinning…..a LOT. There are a ton of “false flats” here and you can’t feel them unless you’re on a bike. Spinning non-stop is no joke. This race won’t be a piece of cake and will have it’s own challenges, that’s for sure!

One Multisport group at Cyclologic

Day 3 was another early one. I slept a bit later than I wanted to but began my 20 mile run at about 8am down on the IMAZ run course in Tempe. There was a triathlon going on during this time, the Soma Lifetime Tri, which many IMAZ racers do. Being that it was 4 weeks out from IMAZ, my coach and I decided it was better to train for IMAZ right now than do another race and risk injury, etc. I ran on the IMAZ course for most of the 20 miles and it was nice to have lots of other folks out there. I finished about 15 miles before the course got crowded with “actual” racers.  Ended up meeting a guy from California who was running while his son did the Soma race. Was nice to have come company for a few miles. A few hours later I had a 2100 yard swim. Having obtained a 7 day free pass at the DC Village Ranch in Scottsdale means outdoor swimming for the week! After those long workouts I joined up with the One Multisport triathlon group that I rode with yesterday for a little gathering at a local distillery. Met some great people...hopefully I can stay connected with them. They have a HUGE cheer station on the IMAZ run course….can’t wait!

20 miles: DONE!

Outdoor heated pool!

Today, Day 4, has consisted of a 2 hour bike/run brick and a 4100 yard swim. I’m learning here that riding earlier is better and even riding early means dealing with warm temps. When I started out this morning the temps were in the 70’s and into the 80’s when I was done. Again, I'm working hard to pace myself on these roads….the false flats and headwinds can make riding more challenging. So overall it’s good mental training too...I’m trying to focus on the process of my riding/running/swimming than the overall times. Sometimes spinning can reduce speed, which if I focus solely on that, it gets ugly for me mentally. So I’m enjoying the scenery and loving the fact that I get to do this in such amazing weather. Tonight I joined a group of folks at a local tri store, Destination Kona, for Yoga for Triathletes, led by Mark Williamson. Since everyone was mostly in recovery mode, it was perfect for me and a great way to stretch out after a challenging few days.

So far, training like a professional athlete is pretty cool. I’m glad I saved those vacation days and made this work. IMAZ will be a challenge, despite the fact that it’s moderately “flat.”  In the days ahead I have a few more bikes and swims, and my largest training day is Thursday, when I’ll ride the IMAZ bike course for about 6 hours and then run an hour after. Yikes!

One thing I’m working on this week: emailing friends to send me inspirational messages I can read each mile on the IMAZ run course. That’s where I need the most mental strength and the most encouragement. Hoping to put them together into some sort of order that I can read an inspiring message at each mile marker. Get out of my head and into my heart!

 

Be Training Like a Pro. Be Brave.