HI-14 (14 weeks until my first half-iron)

I’m on a 16 week training plan by Matt Fitzgerald that I took out of Triathlete magazine last year, and held onto until now.  Here’s a sample week:

Monday

rest day!

Tuesday

AM:  alarm @ 4:30.  Had to get up extra early so I could get to the gym for weights before a dentist appointment.

PM: bike 40 minutes w/ 8 x 30 second sprints… in the rain.  I have a total love of pitting myself against the elements, and this was a great night for it.  I could barely see at one point because there was so much water on my glasses.  And then when I stopped at lights they’d fog up until I started moving again.  Whee!

Wednesday

AM: alarm @ 5:30.  swim 900m total, main set: 12 x 25m sprints, rest interval (RI) 20 secs.

PM: run 4 miles moderate + 6 x 20 second hill sprints (supposed to be 10 sec hill sprints but the hill I like happens to be twice that).  Wanted to die by the end of the 4th sprint, but felt like a god for finishing the 6th.  Woo!

Thursday

AM: alarm @ 5:30.  supposed to do weights but my run the night before was delayed by a haircut, which meant I got to bed later than usual, so I only got 7 hours of sleep, which is NOT ENOUGH.  The weights are not actually part of the official training plan, I just like the effect they have on me.  Not today, though.  Back to bed for two hours of much needed healing.

PM: bike 40 minutes moderate + 8 minutes comfortably hard.  Brr!  It’s cold out there!  Lovely bright moon, though.

Friday

AM: alarm @ 5:30. swim 900m total, main set: 3 x 200m race pace, RI 15 sec.

PM: run 4.5 miles moderate.  I’m really enjoying my Friday evening runs.  They let me burn off any frustrations from work and start the weekend clear and happy.

Saturday

bike 30 miles moderate.  Gorgeous, sunny day, but with startlingly strong winds.  I also unintentionally picked a route that was 5 miles of downhill at the start, which meant the reverse on the way home.  Yeouch!

Sunday

AM: alarm @ 7:00.  run 9 miles moderate.  This was a fun group run with some friends, and we all made a big brunch afterwards.  It was also unintentionally hilly (I even had to walk up one monster).

PM: swim 1200m moderate.  After the big brunch and an afternoon sitting around recovering from the run, I was not looking forward to this swim, and really had to force myself to go.  After the first couple laps I started feeling better, though, and by the end I felt great!  Go endorphins!