Thought I’d share a little bit about my training this weekend. Despite the Olympics being on TV and my infatuation with watching every second of it… I still managed to get out and train. Friday I knew I needed to be home by 6:30 so I could catch the start of the opening ceremony coverage. Obviously, I left work an hour early to make sure I made my deadline. A quick 6 mile hill run at Lapham peak (sorry, no map due to my gps watch being dead) was on my schedule for the day, so that’s what I did. It was around 90 degrees but a downpour just as I was starting knocked the temps down to about 85. The humidity was very high but by now I am quite used to hot and humid. On a side note, I’ve trained a good 20+ days now in weather over 90 degrees. Biking in that kind of heat hasn’t seemed to be a big problem for me, but running can really be tough in hot weather. I’ve made a point of getting out no matter the weather, including all these 95+ up to one day of 100 degrees. A year ago I definitely would have said forget it and just wait for cooler weather. But this year I haven’t accepted heat as an excuse. Just the opposite. The most difficult workout I have had was a 100 degree day at the Pewaukee track, running a 7 by 800 meter workout at a 2:52 average on the black asphalt. Point being, I’ve changed my mentality to change my results. It’s working.

Back on topic. I put in my hill run last night at a hard pace to make it home for the Olympics. Mission accomplished. Love, love, love the Olympics. Then I woke up Saturday morning to watch the men’s Olympic road race. After that, I headed out to the Pewaukee beach for a swim workout in my wetsuit. I did a quick 6 by 150 meter swim, then as I was getting my gear together at my truck an older biker came riding up to check out my bike in the back of my truck. We got to talking and I told him I was just getting into triathlon this year and wanted to do Ironman Wisconsin next year. He proceeded to explain to me how I really need to do some half Ironmans first, and that I really shouldn’t be using Wisconsin for my first Ironman, and that I should really just focus a couple years on shorter races. I hadn’t even told him my real goal–qualifying for Kona as a result of IM Wisconsin. Nothing gets me more worked up than a pessimist. He continued his spiel by suggesting the IM Wisconsin bike course shouldn’t even be a triathlon course because it is too hilly and technical. He told me my bike won’t work–that I need a hill course bike. Also that I need full carbon race wheels or the hills will take their toll on me. I asked if he’d ever done the race and he said no. I wasn’t surprised. I’ve never met a successful triathlete that had a negative attitude. A healthy body is wasted on a pessimist, in my opinion.

Following this, I drove to Oconomowoc to go for a 30 mile bike ride. It was 85 degrees already by 11 am. I had no intention of riding hard or fast on a 30 mile ride. But it turned out that I averaged 21.2 mph, which is the best I’ve done on a training ride. I wished I had my heart rate monitor on so I could see my level of exertion–I felt good, no fatigue. Let’s see if I can get the course to show up here…



And… After the bike ride I came back to the house and got some more gear to bring to the track for a brick workout. I took my bike trainer to the Pewaukee high school track and set up with my Kestrel. Spin for 5 minutes or so, then quick hop off the bike, change shoes, and sprint out to the track for an 800 meter run. I did 4 sets. Afterward, I took a couple photos, which I’ll share below. I was breaking in my new triathlon outfit from Tri Wisconsin–the triathlon club I am a member of.

And that, folks… took me through 4 pm Saturday. Home in time for a night of Olympics!

Followed it on Sunday with a 3 by 300 swim at the pool, then 4 hill repeats on the bike at Lapham peak. I was on record pace to beat my 8 lap marks, but I needed to take it easy. Good weekend?