Oceanside Training Week #6...and am I really training enough?

I've taken all of my swim out of my training to add in my private weight
training.  I will add some back in before the day, but last year, I only swam
13 miles... all year... including races... and I continue to be at the front. 
Because of my weight training. 
I have not been in the waves since I was a teenager...
but there I am... in the blue cap. ;-)

5 weeks down and 11 to go...

Training has been going well... strong at first, tough to fit in during the holidays but made it work... 8 consecutive days of no cardio due to being sick... and back to training with Week #6 going to be the strongest yet!  I must admit that I am still trying to wrap my head around the training that I am doing and that it will prepare me to complete my first half Ironman.  I've been thinking... I am training (6) days a week, but only (2) days a week are long distance.  How (2) long distance trainings per week such as running (10) miles one day and cycling (40) miles the next will get me ready to do a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile (HILLY) bike and 13 mile run... my head keeps telling me that I need to do more... more distance... more bricks... what I am trying to accomplish is HUGE... it should require MORE!


 

1st run more than 7 miles in
15 YEARS!  Felt GREAT!

(Insert deep sigh...)  I was reminded yesterday that I have done crazy things like this before.  I have completed several half marathons and (2) full marathons (15+ years ago.)  I trained with a running group and thinking back on our training, we did smaller runs during the week, and only (1) long distance run each weekend... each weekend building in distance and I believe our longest distance, a few weeks before the actual marathon, was 21 miles.  My coach told me that I was preparing to complete a marathon, which after several months of training I would be able to do.  But that the magic of "race day" was THAT was the day you would reach 26.2 miles and cross the line.  Training is not about crossing the 26.2 mile line several times before the actual day, but preparing your body and brain to be ready to do it on "the day."

I have also completed a century (100 mile bike ride) and several metric centuries.  Again, training was not riding 70, 90, 100 miles leading up to the rides, but smaller rides leading up to the big day.

This past weekend (training week #5), I rode 35 miles (with 2,100 feet of climbing) at a pretty comfortable pace and was already at race day pace.  I also ran 9 miles in the rain (the longest run I have done in 15 years) and did it 1.5 minutes per mile faster than my planned race day pace...

... my brain is confused...

... my heart knows the training is working and that I'm KICKING MY OWN BUTT!

Time to trust the program!

And, can I just say that as much as it sucked to be doing a weight loss challenge during the holidays, I am happy to report that instead of gaining my usual 10 pounds from Halloween - New Years, I have LOST 6.6 POUNDS!  I am only 2 pounds away from "One-derland" and right now at a 16 pound advantage to where I would have been had I not done this challenge.

208.6

202.0

It is always amazing to see where and how your body loses weight.  Honestly, I don't care where it comes from as long as it goes away!  :-)  Can't wait to see what next week holds! ;-)