August 5-11: Let Me RACE Already

One more week of taper, and I finally get to race that Ironman. I literally CANNOT wait to run those 26.2 miles up in Mont Tremblant and redeem my power-walking 5:48 marathon at Ironman Louisville 2012. If I could do it tomorrow, I would. However, since race day is still 6 days from now, taper leaves me sitting around doing nothing, fantasizing about my favorite workouts and begging for more, just like a cat trying to get your breakfast scraps.

I'm pretty sure that's what I look like when I hear others talk about hard bike trainer workouts and weightlifting sessions. WANT.

Taper does terrible things to your brain. Beware.

Monday: A 5.33 mile recovery run in the morning (9:29 pace). Low humidity and cool temperatures left my heart rate low and legs happy, even on the steepest hills in the neighborhood. Is it fall yet?

Tuesday: In the morning, 3200 yards of swimming, including a continuous 2200 yard effort, building to race pace. Total time was 30:46 (1:23/100y), wrapped up the last 200 at 2:44 (1:22/100y).

Wednesday: An evening track workout of 5.79 miles, with the humidity back in full force, including 5x1200 at threshold effort (5:55-5:54-5:52-5:49-5:55).

Thursday: 75 minutes of steady state spinning on the bike trainer in the morning.

Friday: Total rest day.

Saturday: The last weekend brick of the training cycle. 32 miles of easy biking on Beach Drive (16.1 mph, which is really, really easy on that elevation profile), followed by 3.17 miles of easy (9:27/mile) running on Connecticut Avenue.

Sunday: A humid and stiff morning run of 6.25 miles (9:36/mile).