Countdown to Ironman, Week 8: Goin' Long

It's get-down-to-business time here in Ironman training world and the open road beckons. Which explains why, despite the fact that I have a million great blog posts running around in my mind (including one on kicking in the swim and some other stuff), I haven't written a thing since last week. That, my friends, is what an 18 hour training week will do to you. Coupled with eight or more hours of sleep a night (mandatory) and more time with eating and food prep (can't avoid that!), means that I hardly see my good friend the computer anymore. Facebook, what's that? Tweeting, is that what the birds are doing outside my bedroom window when I'm trying to sleep in? Posts, aren't those what holds your bike seat up?

But for anyone who is keeping score at home, the training is going well. I got a nice four hour ride on Pinkalicious on a sunny day this weekend, and today I knocked off a two-hour long run where I worked solely on pacing for the Ironman run. You know what? It feels REALLY stupid to go jogging along at my s-l-o-w Ironman pace here on Eugene's running trails, meanwhile world class athletes getting ready for the Olympic trials are blowing past me right and left. Where's a good "I'M TRAINING FOR AN IRONMAN" shirt when you need it? At least they'd know I was purposefully shuffling along for a good reason.

This weekend we will be heading off to Spokane and Coeur d'Alene to visit my step-sons and on Sunday I will get a chance to ride at least some of the Ironman course. Then I'll really know what I've signed up for.