1st big week of '08

Thank goodness for recovery weeks. I'm coming off an 8 hour 24 minute training week that included a 2 hour bike ride and a 20 mile run! This week will be a recovery week, where I'll drop the duration of all disciplines to allow my body to recover and prepare for the next 3 week build.

Had a weird rough spot in that 20 mile run. I'm thinking that I didn't hydrate and eat properly after my 2 hour bike on Saturday, leaving me in a depleted state Sunday morning. At about mile 14, I began to feel absolutely horrible, lightheaded and generally out of it. Must have been "the wall", but that usually doesn't get me until about mile 21. I took a large gulp of Hammer Gel and pushed through, even though I just wanted to quit, ending up back on pace. Finished the run averaging 8:24 miles, so not bad. These tough, gut-check runs will test me and mold me into the future Ironman I want to become.

I have a phrase on my RoadID that I think about when my training gets tough - "Ironman, Do You Really Want It?" That phrase got me to the pool late Sunday afternoon, as I did not want to swim at all. I was tired from the run, but I knew had to get a swim in. I did feel better knowing that I made myself swim.