IMAZ Training - Week 42 (Race week!!!!!)

It is finally here!  Ironman Arizona is this Sunday.  This certainly felt like a long slow process, but looking back on it now, it seems to actually have gone quite quickly.  This week is going to be the last simple week, making sure to work out, but still trying to get enough rest to hopefully achieve peak performance this weekend.  Here's my plan:

Monday - Bike :45.

Tuesday - Bike 2:00 with easy BRICK Run 4-5 miles.

Wednesday - Swim :45.

Thursday - Bike 1:00 with easy BRICK Run 3 miles.

Friday - Rest

Saturday - Swim :20

Sunday - Complete Ironman Arizona in under 12 hours!

IMAZ Training - Week 41

Week 40 was awesome.  I took some much needed rest, hopefully working toward full recovery so I am in tip-top shape for the big day.  Week 40 was also very exciting because I received my new bike!  And as I got caught up in all of the excitement of getting my new bike exactly 2 weeks before race day, I completely forgot to post my training plan for week 41...oops!  It's another pretty easy week, since it's the last week of tapering before I get into race week training.  So, here's week 41:

Monday - Run 5 miles.  Bike :45.
Tuesday - Bike :45.
Wednesday - Bike 45 miles.  Swim 1:30.
Thursday - Run :45.
Friday - Bike :45.
Saturday - Bike 45 miles.  Swim 1:00.
Sunday - Run 1:15.

Again, this is a taper week, so everything is pretty low intensity, and pretty relaxed.  It's almost time...aaaaaahhhhhhh!

IMAZ Training - Week 40

The big four-oh!  I tell you what, I am sure ready for some tapering!  Week 39 was pretty epic.  There was a lot of biking, including a 112-mile ride on the IMAZ course, as well as a lot of running, including 8.5 miles on the IMAZ course, and lastly a lot of swimming.  Well, not really a lot of swimming, but there was a solid 90-lap swim, so that counts for something, right?

Week 40 is going to be a step down from week 39, but it will still be pretty good.  And since it's Tuesday (sorry!), you may be able to tell that I'm pretty busy and was unable to get my schedule typed up and posted.  Or maybe I'm lazy.  I'll let you decide.  Anyway, I had my training all worked out for the week, and then some things changed at work and pretty much put a big, fat, red X on that plan.  So, I'm going to have to adjust!  Since I haven't quite figured out that adjustment yet, I'll just post what I had originally planned.  So here it is:

Monday - Bike 1:00.

Tuesday - Run :45.  Swim 1:15 (open water!).

Wednesday - Bike :45.

Thursday - Bike 3:00 with BRICK Run 1:00.

Friday - Swim 1:30.

Saturday - Bike :45.

Sunday - Run 2:00.  Bike 1:30.

IMAZ Training - Week 39

Week 38 was pretty successful.  I had the chance to head to to Tempe to ride on the IMAZ bike course, and also raced in the Mount Lemmon half marathon (race recap coming Wednesday!).  This coming week is going to be, I think, my last century ride and last 20+ mile run...it's almost time to taper!  So, here's the plan:

Monday - Run :45.

Tuesday - Swim 1:00.  Bike 1:30.

Wednesday - Swim 1:00.

Thursday - Swim 1:00.

Friday - Bike 112 miles with 8 mile BRICK run on IMAZ bike and run courses.

Saturday - Rest, or easy swim.

Sunday - Bike :45.  Run 20 miles.

IMAZ Training - Week 38

Whew!  Last week was a crazy week.  I ended up getting in a little over 15 hours of training, including a 100-mile bike ride (by myself!) and a 20-mile run.  Needless to say, this week will be a little less on the distances, but it will be a little higher on the intensity side.  Oh, and I have an uphill half marathon this weekend.  Here's the plan:

Monday - Run :45.

Tuesday - Swim 1:00.

Wednesday - Bike 3:00 (on the IMAZ course!).

Thursday - Swim 1:00.  Run 1:00.

Friday - Bike :45.

Saturday - Bike 1:30.

Sunday - Mount Lemmon Half Marathon

IMAZ Training - Week 37

Let me apologize for slacking over the last couple of weeks.  No, not with my training, but with my posting.  I've been pretty busy, and my training has increased quite a bit, so I've been sort of neglecting my little blog here.  I know, you missed it oh so much, right?  Well, at any rate, I'm getting back on track!  And I'm doing that by doing two posts in one night!  Hopefully you already read the breaking news that I talked about in my previous post.  I now continue my rapid blogging with my training schedule for Week 37:

Monday - Swim 1:00

Tuesday - Bike 100 miles

Wednesday - Bike 1:00.  Run 1:00.

Thursday - Bike 3:00 and BRICK Run :30-1:00.

Friday - Bike 1:00.

Saturday - Run 20 miles.

Sunday - Bike 1:00.  Swim 1:00.

It's getting close!

IMAZ Training - Week 36

Due to an untimely sinus infection, the long workouts from week 35 didn't happen.  The good news is that I feel much better and I'm hoping to make up my missed long run on Monday!  We'll see how that goes.  Aside from that, this week won't have the super long workouts planned, but will still have some decent workouts.  It's a slight rest week before it bumps back up for 3 more weeks.  Here are the deets:

Monday - Bike 1:00.  Run 20 miles.

Tuesday - Run 1:00.  Bike 2:00.

Wednesday - Swim 1:00 with BRICK Bike :30.

Thursday - Bike 1:00.  Run 1:30.

Friday - Bike 2:30.

Saturday - Swim 1:00.

Sunday - Run 15 miles.

IMAZ Training - Week 35

Last week was a big week.  It contained two training milestones for this season.  First was the first century bike ride, which ended up at 106 miles.  Then, the very next morning, was an 18 mile run.  Both workouts were completed with The Captain, so it was a great week for the both of us.  This week won't have quite as long of a bike ride, only because I couldn't find time to sneak away for another century ride (otherwise it would totally be in there!), but it does contain another long run.  This time, it's 20 miles!  Anywho, here's the plan for week 35:

Monday - Swim 1:00.

Tuesday - Run :45.  Bike 1:00.

Wednesday - Bike 1:30.

Thursday - Bike 1:00 with BRICK Run 1:00.

Friday - Swim 1:00.  Run 20 miles.

Saturday - Bike 4:30.

Sunday - Swim 1:00.

That's it!

IMAZ Training - Week 34

Sorry about my tardiness with this one.  My life has been consumed by this whole Boston Marathon registration process, even though it doesn't really matter because it seems the cutoff will be a bit faster than my qualifying time.  Anywho, here's what week 34 is looking like at this moment in time:

Monday - Bike 1:00.

Tuesday - Swim 1:20.  Run 1:00.

Wednesday - Bike 1:00 easy.

Thursday - Bike 6:00.

Friday - Run 3:00.

Saturday - Bike 1:00

Sunday - Run 1:30.  Swim 1:00.

IMAZ Training - Week 33

Short and sweet...here's week 33's schedule:

Monday - Bike 1:15.
Tuesday - Run :45.  Bike 1:00.
Wednesday - Bike 4:00.  Swim 1:00.
Thursday - Bike 1:00 plus BRICK Run 1:00.
Friday - Bike 1:00.
Saturday - Swim 1:00.
Sunday - Bike 1:00.  Run 1:45.

IMAZ Training - Week 32

By now (depending on when you're reading this) I've finished the Disneyland Half Marathon!  I'll be posting a race recap in a few days...

For this week, which is now week 32, I have nothing left to focus on except for Ironman Arizona.  Technically, I am registered to do the Mount Lemmon Half Marathon, but that race is sort of up in the air (a lot of confusion on Muscle Milks part...I'll explain in tomorrows post).  So for now, I'm just going to not worry about that half marathon and if I end up racing it, it will be 100% a training run.  As for week 32, here's what I have planned:

Monday - Rest (I think I earned a day of rest, since I just raced yesterday!)
Tuesday - Run :45.
Wednesday - Rest (travel day, unfortunately)
Thursday - Bike 2:30 with BRICK Run 1:00.
Friday - Bike 1:15.
Saturday - Bike 1:30.  Swim 1:00.
Sunday - Run 2:30.

Week 33 is going to be another big week, so this week is just getting ready for next week.

IMAZ Training - Week 31

Race week again!  There's nothing like having back to back race weeks.  Last weekend was Barn Burner 104, and this weekend it's the Disneyland Half Marathon.  Last year I was able to smash my previous PR for the half marathon distance at this same race.  This year, that's not really my goal.  The main reason that I'm doing the Disneyland Half Marathon this year is because of the Coast-to-Coast challenge.  To explain it simply, there's a special medal that you get if you do a Disney race in Florida and California in the same calendar year.  On that note, this week is somewhat taper again, and somewhat not.  Whatever you want to call it, here's week 31:

Monday - Swim :45.
Tuesday - Run :45.  Swim 1:00.
Wednesday - Bike 1:30.
Thursday - Run 1:00.  Bike 1:30.
Friday - Rest
Saturday - Run 3 miles easy.
Sunday - Race day!  Run 13.1 miles!

IMAZ Training - Week 30

Race week!  That's right, this week is now a race week.  I agreed to ride a mountain bike for a little over 26 miles as part of a relay race this coming weekend.  I've only been training on a mountain bike for about a week and a half, so it should be interesting!

Since this is a race week, I'm going to do a semi taper, and yet still try to get some solid training in, as my ultimate goal is Ironman Arizona.  I have a rough schedule set, but I'm not going to be too concerned if I am not able to get everything in, since I do have a race at the end of the week, which will most definitely be a harder effort than most of my training days.

Monday - Bike 1:30.  Run 1:00.

Tuesday - Bike 1:00.

Wednesday - Swim 1:00. Run 1:00.

Thursday - Bike 1:30.

Friday - Bike 1:00.

Saturday - RACE DAY - 26 mile mountain bike ride.

Sunday - Run 2:30.

IMAZ Training - Week 29

I made up for some lost time this week and got a ton of workouts in.  And it was perfect timing, because it was the last week of the current BUILD phase!  Now, it's time for two weeks of PEAK phase and a race week leading up to the Disneyland Half Marathon.  For now though, I'm just going to focus on week 29.  So here it is:

Monday - Swim 1:00.

Tuesday - Bike 1:30.  Run 1:00.

Wednesday - Mountain bike 1:30.  Swim 1:00.

Thursday - Bike 5:00.

Friday - Bike 1:00.  Run 1:30.

Saturday - Mountain Bike 1:30.  Swim 1:00.

Sunday - Run 2:30.

IMAZ Training - Week 28

Due to a little trip planned to South Dakota, week 27 was more of a recovery week than I would have liked, but I was still able to get a couple of really good workouts in.  Week 28 is going to be back on track, and there's really no time to rest now.  I'm going to go pretty hard for the next 4 weeks until I have the Disneyland Half Marathon.  So, here is the plan for week 28:

Monday: Bike 1:30.  Swim 1:00.

Tuesday: Run 1:00.  Possible 5:00 bike ride, if I can adjust my schedule.

Wednesday: Bike 2:15.

Thursday: Run 1:30.  Bike 1:30.

Friday: Mountain Bike 1:30.  Swim 1:15.

Saturday: Bike 2:15.

Sunday: Run 2:00.  Bike 1:30.  Swim 1:00.

IMAZ Training - Week 27

Another week is completed on this quest for Ironman Arizona. Unfortunately, this next week is pretty busy for me, so it has basically turned into a recovery week. Here's my plan:

Monday - Run :45.
Tuesday - rest
Wednesday - Run 1:00.
Thursday - rest
Friday - Bike 1:30. Swim 1:00.
Saturday - Bike 1:30. Swim 1:00.
Sunday - Bike 2:15. Run 2:00.

So, rest during the beginning of the week and then I get to do some good workouts towards the end.

IMAZ Training - Week 26

These weeks seem to be flying by at this point.  I can't believe that I only have 17 weeks left until Ironman Arizona!  I guess I better start taking this training seriously!  Another exciting week is planned for week 26.  I had a hard time making room for a super long bike ride, so I have a couple mid distance rides planned instead.  Here's what it all looks like:

Monday - Swim 1:00.

Tuesday - Bike 2:15.  Run 3x1 mile max efforts.

Wednesday - Bike 1:30.

Thursday - Run 6 miles.  Swim 1:00.

Friday - Bike 2:15.

Saturday - Bike 1:30.  Run 13 miles.

Sunday - REST! (Because Sunday is the day of rest, right?)

IMAZ Training - Week 25

Ok, as I alluded to in yesterday's post, I'm beginning the "3 Plus 2" running program this week.  I have it figured out so that I peak for Ironman Arizona.  This particular running plan is nice, because they have specific goals for every single workout that is done.  There's not really a whole lot of thought that needs to go into it.  There's only three runs per week, but I'll also be doing some running with The Wife, as she is training for her first half marathon (and doesn't really like running by herself).  So here is the plan for week 25:

Monday - I had some stuff planned for Monday, but had a rough day at work, so this turned into a rest day.
Tuesday - Run (3 x 1 mile repeats, with 1:00 rest interval).  Swim 1:00.
Wednesday - Bike 2:15.
Thursday - Bike 1:30.  Run (2 easy miles, 2 miles at faster than planned race pace, 2 easy miles).
Friday - Swim 1:00.
Saturday - Bike 1:30.
Sunday - Run 13 miles at race pace, plus :30/mile.  Bike 1:30.

IMAZ Training - Week 24

Oh boy.  Week 23 was basically a bust.  I knew it was going to be a tough one as I had a pretty tight schedule and actually hard a very hard time trying to figure out when I was going to get in the training.  Add to that the onset of a sore throat and things got pretty ugly.  Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday went well, but Thursday morning brought a sore throat, so I canceled the day's training in hopes to prevent the sore throat from progressing to anything worse.  By Friday, I felt alright, but the end of the week was when I didn't really have much time to train.  So, I'm erasing week 23 from my mind and moving on to the wonderful plans of week 24!  Here they are:

Monday - Rest day (mainly because I have no time to train...boooo!)

Tuesday - Run :40.

Wednesday - Swim 1:00.  Bike 3:15.

Thursday - Bike 2:00.  Run :30.

Friday - Run 1:00.  Bike 1:30.  Swim 1:00.

Saturday - Swim 1:00.

Sunday - Bike 2:00.  Run 1:15.

IMAZ Training - Week 23

Week 22 wasn't so hot.  I mean, it was hot, temperature-wise with almost every day being over 100 degrees, but not so hot on the training front.  I got all my workouts in, I just didn't have time for a long bike ride.  On the positive side, I ran 8 miles with The Wife, which was her longest yet to date!

Moving forward, week 23 is a little tough too.  I have a few scheduling issues that have caused me to have a pretty bad training week, with no long bike ride again...crap!  I'm just going to up the intensity for this week and get back on track with the distances next week.  So here's the plan for week 23:

Monday - Swim 1:00.  Bike 1:30.

Tuesday - Run :55.  Swim 1:00.

Wednesday - Bike 1:00.

Thursday - Run :30.  Bike 1:00.

Friday - Bike 1:00 and BRICK RUN 1:00.

Saturday - unfortunately, no training will take place this day.

Sunday - Run 15 miles.