My First 9 Hour Training Day: IM Boulder Training Week #14

Now THAT was a training day.

Yesterday was the longest workout of my entire life (if you don’t count labor and delivery, but even that didn’t take this long and there were pain killing drugs involved).  Yesterday’s training was 9 + hours.

This was also my highest volume training week so far this training season coming in at about 18 hours.

I’m sorry if you get tired of my Ironman training details. I have to say, this training is consuming and monopolizes my brain, so that’s what comes out on the blog. I find it fascinating how the body can adapt over time. Only 6 years ago, I could barely run 2-3 miles. I’m not bragging, but I am proud of my accomplishments! Hard work + discipline + potty humor + being slightly crazy = results.

Yesterday's mega-brick:

2,900 yard swim
100 mile bike
6 mile run

Honestly, while conditions were brutal (strong face wind and 95 degrees), there could not have been a better day to mimic what conditions will probably be like for Ironman Boulder in 5 weeks. I stuck to my nutrition/hydration/sodium plan and I think that is why I did not die or cry. Although I did sigh and say, “oh my” and pass a guy and say “hi.”

What I ingested (okay, I didn’t eat my iPod):

Pre-Swim:

• Big ass cup of coffee
• Bottle of X2 Performance (pre-workout supplement. You can get a free sample HERE). I swear by the stuff.
• Jumbo bagel
• 2 Salt Stick tabs (I new it was going to be a freaking HOT one, so I wanted to be prepared).

Post swim/pre bike:

• 1 package mini muffins (200 calories); 1 bottle Nuun

(I have to tape my Salt Stick tabs to the bike or I will forget to take them).

On the bike:

• 2 cinnamon sugar pop tarts (400 calories)
• 1 Stinger waffle with almond butter (200 calories)
• 1 sweet/salty Zone bar (200 calories)
• 2 Roctane gels (220 calories)
• 1/2 package Combos (pretzel/cheese – 200 calories)
• 4 scoops Powerbar Peform – 380 calories
• 10 Salt Stick tabs
• So many ounces of water I could not tell you, but it still wasn’t enough (maybe 200 ounces total? And, I only peed once. Yikes. It was not blood, however).

On the Run:

• More water
• Honey stinger gel

I didn’t take any pictures because I was too busy trying to survive, but here is one of a jack knifed truck blocking the course. He almost crushed my Pop Tarts.

And, one of the lovely IM course (actually there are some pretty parts, but when you get out east it is all fracking ((hydraulic fracturing – extracting natural gas)), cows, and big ass trucks):

This workout was quite the topper to a long training week:

Monday: rest
Tuesday: Bike 23 miles
Wednesday: Swim 3,000 yards, run 15 miles
Thursday:  Bike 15 miles
Friday: Swim 3,200 yards, bike 21 miles
Saturday: 6.5 mile run/intervals
Sunday: Swim 2,900 yards, bike 100 miles, run 6 miles

Total hours: 17 hours, 53 minutes
Total workouts: 8
Total miles: Swim 5.1 + bike  158.6 + run 27.3 = 191 miles

Okay enough about me already.

Tell me what race you did this weekend.

What’s the longest workout (non race) that you’ve ever done?

 

SUAR