CLANK CLANK -- the sound of a double brick

With just under one month before IM AZ (28 days), I had one of my more targeted training weekends this year. Since 2006, I tried putting the bulk of my IM preparation towards producing a killer bike split only to have my run implode. So once fully recovered from IM Canada, I opted to get my running legs back and put in the appropriate and adequate miles to go the distance in non-walking fashion.



Saturday was a spectacular day in the CO Foothills, warm and sunny, so Em & I rode together out to Carter Lake. We saw so many others out too; Jodee & Barry Siff, Amanda & Michael Lovato and we rolled up to Kau before the Carter Lake turn. Em turned towards Carter with Kau - who is also training for AZ - and I continued to roll out towards Big Thompson Canyon. I kept the pace mellow until the Dam Store then put in some longer efforts on the climbing portion up to Glenhaven. It was the first time in over a year riding this solo as Griffo, Savloy, Joe and Chuggy were my crime partners this past summer.



I kept a nice aerobic pace on the way back down Hwy 34 until the turn back towards Carter Lake at which time I picked up the pace again. I pushed until the Hygiene Store before stopping for a quick Gatorade then back on the Elite Joule (named Sherpa - after the famous Nepalese Mountain Men and also my favorite restaurant in Boulder) and another sustained effort back into town. Altogether it was just under 100 miles with the best still to come.

Off went the cycling shoes and kit, on went the running shoes and Camelbak fanny pack, and off I went for a 10k transition run to Flatirons to meet Em for a swim. The swim could better be described as a flounder and I thought it's a good thing they kick tris off with swims or there would be many more drownings (when i lived in Belgium, i raced a triathlon in Rutger Beke's hometown of Leuven that consisted of multiple short-short races that mixed up the discipline order and finished with a swim in the canal -- it was brutal).

Sunday was another big test and a new workout for me compliments of Em. She asked me why I always opted to complete my long run in one fell swoop and why I didn't ever try breaking it up into two separate smaller runs. So, yesterday I set the Isaac Joule Aerotic TT bike on the Computrainer and rode 2.5 hours, followed by a 1.5 hour run, followed by a 1 hr bike, and topped off with a 35 minute run. The hardest leg of all was that second bike which I thought was a realistic "feeling" of miles 80-100 of an Ironman bike ride where cramped calves are always an erred pedal stroke away.

This workout was mentally refreshing breaking the mold of my usual Magnolia long runs and if I can get myself out the door before the NFL games start next Sunday, I might just have to do this double brick up on the Peak-to-Peak and Mags.



In other news, check out my recent interviews with US Navy SEAL David Goggins and the soon-to-be-posted Wolfgang Dittrich and Joe Gambles on Slowtwitch.com.