Tag: week 28

Bring on the Taper!

2021 IRONMAN CHATTANOOGA TRAINING

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WEEK 28 – September 12, 2021 

The taper is here! I’m finally winding down the training and enjoying the feeling of accomplishing what I needed to do to get myself ready for my fifth Ironman. I’ve trained on cold days, hot days, windy days, rainy days, and beautiful days as well. I think that it’s okay to start celebrating the work that I have done even if I haven’t got to the starting line yet. So, after 27 weeks of building up to long bike rides and long runs, it’s time to start pulling back.

The band Boston certainly played a huge part in the soundtrack of my youth, and I still enjoy their music today. Of course, the first two albums were what made them, but their third album Third Stage was a big hit as well.

I’ve been hearing the song We’re Ready quite a bit lately on SiriusXM’s Classic Rewind and I find one verse of the lyrics very fitting for this third stage of Ironman training.  I certainly feel like I’m ready.

We’re ready now
Catchin’ a wave to ride on
Steady now
Headin’ where we decide on
And I know that there’s something that’s just out of sight
And I feel like we’re trying to do something right
Come on make it if we hold on tight
Hold on tight
We’re Ready! C’mon we’re ready
We’re ready

There’s another song on that album called Cool The Engines, which is also very appropriate for the taper. I took advantage of the cooler weather this week and the lighter training load to push my pace a little bit. Maybe I just wanted to rev the engine somewhat. But in the back of my mind, I could hear my brain reminding me to not overdo it.

Take me for a ride
Take me all the way
Take me where I’ve never been
Someplace I can stay
Don’t get yourself too hot
Don’t get yourself too high
If we don’t take it easy now
We can kiss it all goodbye

Cool the engines
Red line’s gettin’ near
Cool the engines
Better take it out of gear

I’m no fool
Gonna keep it cool
Take it day by day
We won’t know where we might go
‘Til we make it all the way

So, it’s time for me to cool the engines and bring on the taper!  We’re ready!

~~~

I took the time on Friday to fix my rear brakes and to put on new tires and throw on Conti 5000’s for the first time.  The brakes are working well again, and the new tires were like floating on air on Saturday’s ride.

I rode with a group on Saturday and by the time we spread out I found myself riding mostly with Julie, whom I had never met before at these rides, but her pace and mine got us through Elwood and I enjoyed getting to meet another local rider.  Julie is an Ironman, and said she was training for Ironman Waco in October.  Good luck, Julie!

I have to take a moment and brag on my son Ben a little.  He ran a local half-marathon called the Hidden Gem and nailed a PR for himself – 1:16:34, a 5:51 pace!  My kid is smoking fast!  Great job, Ben!

I’m also excited to hear that another Gunner fence-sitter may have committed to joining Jeff, Jan, and I on this dumb idea.  YESSSSSSSS!

On Sunday I wrapped up my week with a 2-hour long run on mine and my wife Kari’s 29th wedding annniversary.  I’m so lucky to have shared 29 wedded years with this woman, and I look forward to many more!  I’m also very lucky she tolerates these adventures I go on.

SWIMS: 1 – 1500 yards

BIKES: 3 – 105.5 miles

RUNS: 5 –  32.5miles

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Not Fun Anymore

IRONMAN CHATTANOOGA 2019 TRAINING

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WEEK 28 – Monday 9/9/2019 – Sunday 9/15/2019

I was having a great week, I really was.  Then Sunday came along and I’m not sure that I am wanting to do this anymore.

I’m going to cut to the point.  I pissed off an asshole driver for the simple reason of riding my bike.  Not once, but twice – by the same fucking driver 3.5-hours apart.  It seems that this driver doesn’t want to share the road with a cyclist, which was me.  Pulled up behind me both times, blasted her fucking horn and then passed by so close that I could touch her damn Nissan Juke.  The second time she pulled in front of me and slammed on her brakes.  Nice.  Whatever the fuck she needed to do – what could it be?  Go to the grocery store? Go get gas? whatever – it was more important to her than my fucking life.  I have some video of her doing this, but not of the slam on the brakes part because my camera battery on the front of my bike had died.  Oh well.

 

You can see in the video that I’m blocking a little because there are a curb and a median right after crossing the tracks and if I even hint that there might be enough room to pass me, my experience is that they will try to do it.  She must have been really pissed to have to deal with my old ass not once, but twice.

I could quit riding roads and stick to the trails, but guess what?  That’s even worse.  The people on the trail are ten times riskier than car drivers and no one polices the trail.

Most of the time I feel pretty safe, but it only takes one time, one instance to make me question doing this at all.

I will take the video to the local police tomorrow and show them, but it probably won’t do any good.  I’m guessing they probably hate old dumb ass guys on bikes too.

 

WEEK 28 TRAINING TOTALS:

Swims: 1 total, 2800 total yards

Rides: 3 total, 100 total miles

Runs: 5 total, 32 total miles

 

Gunners-2-1
There’s no future in dying according to my buddy Carl.