Tri Training Weeks 11 and 12: Bust Your Ass

Bi-weekly mileage: 55.9 (44.3 Biking, 8.8 running, 2.8 swimming)

Training was going really well.  I had figured out how to work out on my vacations all summer long.  I had missed a few workouts here and there, but was really sticking to the schedule.  I felt my endurance increasing, and could tell I was getting stronger.  I got compliments on my leg muscles.  And then...

 It's all fun and games until someone flies down a concrete slide at top speed (having significant mass affected by the pull of gravity) and lands, ass first, on a concrete slab.  Don't let that sand fool out...it's just a light dusting at the bottom of the slide.  There's video of the event, but I'll spare you.  Anyway, a hike through Golden Gate Park, and a 6-hour flight did not make the situation any better, and I went to the doctor the next day to find out that it was not broken, and that it would still be painful for a month.  F.

So.  I took five days off of training.  Monday I laid in bed with ice on my butt taking massive amounts of ibuprofen and worrying about a stomach ulcer.  Tuesday was much of the same, with a half a day of work thrown in.  Wednesday I was able to put in a full day of work sitting on the donut pillow, with frequent breaks to waddle around the office like a pregnant senior citizen (paradox!).

Finally on Thursday I was able to make it into the pool thanks to the encouragement of my big sister, and Saturday I hit the bike.  Oh man that hurt.  I only made it 60 of the 100-minute workout before I wussed out and laid in the grass in the fetal position while waiting for my carpool buddy to finish.  I still haven't tried running since the incident, but I've got no choice but to buck up and give it a shot tomorrow.

But today was the highlight of the training so far.  I squeezed into my wetsuit and completed my first open water swim!  This was the first time I have worn a wetsuit since the glory days of SCUBA diving in college, and it was not a pretty sight.  But once I got into the water, it was beautiful!  The buoyancy of the wetsuit made the swim quite easy, and the clarity of the water coupled with the total flat calm made for a perfect workout.  We swam a mile in 40 minutes, and practiced staying in a straight line with no black line at the bottom of the pool to follow!

Though conditions in the Potomac will be extra disgusting, especially when compared with today's location, I feel more confident that I will be able to finish the swim and hop on my bike with energy to spare.  I guess it's time to get back to running...