Training 8/4 - 8/10 . . . and Preparing in the Homestretch

I've always considered myself to be just average talent and what I have is a ridiculous insane obsessiveness for practice and preparation. -- Will Smith

OK, so I'm a below average talent athletically and my obsessiveness for practice and preparation is not likely "ridiculously insane," but it is a little bit over the top.  And I'm OK with that.  The training plan I'm following is going to enable some of that over the next couple weeks, as many of the workouts are race specific - same terrain, testing out nutrition and hydration for the last few times, simulating transitions - those awkward minutes where you switch from swimming to biking or biking to running.  I'm actually really looking forward to these workouts.  Also, I'm planning to ride the HIM bike course this week with a friend of mine who is also doing the race - talk about race prep.  (It's an hour away and not terribly convenient this week, but it is so important I want to make it work.

The other thing I need to focus on these last few weeks is better eating.  I know I've mentioned it before, but it hit home again after my latest travel to NYC this last week - I'm miserable at keeping up my clean eating when I am travelling.  My willpower is just too small when I'm with my work colleagues (or worse yet, stressing through complicated air travel).  I'm not going to worry about if or how much weight I lose between now and the race - that's this fall's project as I'm trying to cut time off my HMs in October and November.  But I want to be feeling my best race day and that means I need to stop eating like I have been.

Anyway, the next few weeks are Prep, Prep, Prep.  Kind of makes me a Preppie, no?  I might just turn up the collar of my polo shirt - oh, wait, I'm wearing a race t-shirt.  Not so preppie and very hard to turn up the collar.

Here's last week's training - not super pleased with it...travel plus my tweaky knee kinda threw me for a loop.


Sunday 8/4 - 65 minute swim (Masters), 30 minute bike (intervals on Freyja/trainer)
Monday 8/5 - 75 minute swim (Masters), 39.64 mile bike (2:33)
Tuesday 8/6 - run-bike-run brick (2.24 mile run, 13.27 mile bike (45 minutes), 2.11 mile run)
Wednesday 8/7 - 75 minute swim (Masters)
Thursday 8/8 - REST (on work trip)
Friday 8/9 - 2.4 mile run
Saturday 8/10 - REST (tweaky knee)