T-Minus 1 Month

...and it all comes down to this. Really, it's something less than a month because of the taper, but here we are.

Biggest Challenge This Month:

Peak miles! There have been some really long workouts this month - multiple century rides, including one to 115 miles. Some long runs, some swims beyond IM distance, and one giant bike-run brick last weekend. It's taken some work to fit them all in, especially with Meredith's photo booth business booming and spending time helping with that. Somehow, I managed to get nearly all my workouts in, though a few got shaved down here and there when I just couldn't fit them in.

There was one run in there where I absolutely blew up. It was only a 50 minute run, but I crashed and burned pretty hard. Zone 3 was more like zone 1, and recovery was a slow walk. That was a pretty tough day mentally, but because it was sandwiched in between some pretty successful days, I have laid it aside as an anomaly. There have certainly been other days where I wasn't at my "best", but that one took the cake.

Biggest Success This Month:

It would definitely have to be time management and dedication to get in all those hours. It helped to know that I was in the last full build cycle of training. This week is race week (yay!), and after one more tough week, it'll be time to taper down for the big day!

How I Feel About Training:

Like it's all paying off. Minus a few bad days, I've felt consistently stronger as the month has gone along. I've gone over the full IM distance in both the bike and swim, which has given me some mental confidence in my ability to do a long race.

And on the other hand, I'm SO glad to see the light at the end of the tunnel. It's been tough to keep this intensity up, and I'm looking forward to some other activities once the race is through.

How I Feel About The Race:

Ready. I know it'll be tough, and there will be struggles, but I really think I can do this thing.

What's Next?

Racing this weekend at the Buffalo Trails Triathlon! It's just a sprint, since there aren't really any longer races in the area around this time of year. I wanted to get in at least one race where I could work out the pre-race jitters and do a practice run of transitions and such. (Like I'm not going to be nervous on June 21. Hah!)

1 Month Out Theme Song(s):

U2 seemed a little cliche. I can't decide.

The amount of time until the taper?



Some upbeat classical?



Or some more...serious...classical?