And then there was hell week..

This does not look as hard as it was last week:

Mon 5/25
B: 16.00 Miles
R: 1.80 Miles

Tue 5/26
S: 2000.00 Yd
(with Coach)

Wed 5/27
B: 32.25 Miles
R: 3.40 Miles

Thu 5/28
B: 14.00 Miles (hill work with Coach)
S: 2800.00 Yd

Fri 5/29
R: 3.00 Miles
(Speed work on the track w/Coach)

Sat 5/30
B: 40.50 Miles

Sun. 5/31
B: 15 miles
Run: 7.5 miles

I call it "triathlon boot camp, with Coach in town". The three sessions we had with Coach Eric were after we returned from Denver to see Hadley et. all..

Lessons I learned:

My left hand does not cooperate in swimming with my right. 

On the bike: I get to AT much quicker than I thought..

Run: Well, I suck..that is all there is to it!

We took off to Chama after our track workout on Friday. Feedback from Coach on the run: I run "cute" but that does not cut it when racing..Need to pump arms more aggressively, lean forward, longer strides.  Wow alot to remember!..We biked on Saturday to north of the town of Chama, up the pass a bit, high altitude cycling. We wanted to bike 4 hours but alas, Mother nature had other plans! It looked like we were going to get caught in a flash storm, which you do not want to be stuck in out in the middle of nowhere in the mountains so we cut it short. Only 40 miles instead of planned 60+. I sure hope next weekend when we are trying to do a century around Lake Tahoe (America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride supposedly-don't think they have biked around Chama though), I can make it! I feel very under trained for this ride and almost wish we hadn't signed up. It is smack dab in the middle of peak training for Buffalo Springs Lake half IM, which according to the "Beginner Triathlete" training program, we are already under trained by hours and hours, especially in the swim, for this race..I am trusting that the 3 races we did made up for this because it certainly cut out alot of workouts!

We had every intention to swim in a lake near the cabin, either Heron or El Vado. Water temperature hovered around 50 degrees and I am sorry but after IMCDA last year I swore I would never purposely swim in that cold of water again! So another swim workout missed-damn! We did an unusual brick yesterday. I have always done the long ride/short run brick..This one was one hour easy bike, 1 hr, 45 minute run (at 8000 feet). Was a challenging couple of hours. All in all I feel like I am light years stronger on the bike this year and  a little faster on the run. The swim? Yet to be determined..

This is our 12th day of training today. We met with Eric again to do hills on the bike and gosh darn if my Garmin was not dead, AGAIN because I did not charge it all night. I wish I had the profile for this ride-holy shit! There were some kick ass hills, at the end of which I did yell out Uncle!! I think we were suppose to go up that last 15% grade hill but H and I just stopped!  Hey I have my limits! No cursing the young agile athlete though-he is trying to help us and we are paying him for this torture!

I am pooped and we still have a 2600 yd swim today. Then tomorrow-a day off!! I am going to a workshop on ethics just to keep my brain alive and my counseling license current, just in case I need to counsel someone for money I guess. No real logic to it..I just like feeling all professional and all, even if I do not work in the field at all..