Duathlon Training, Week One

In 4 weeks it will be time for THAT race again.
The race that opened up this blog.
The race the provided our first race report.
This race.

I feel like I have been waiting for this race pretty much all year, yet I experienced some trepidation when it was time to sign up.  To my dismay, they made the bike 30 miles (as opposed to 20 miles).  To a non-cyclist, or perhaps a good cyclist, 10 extra miles may seem like no big deal.  But its an extra 30-35 minutes in the saddle - on hills, no less.
For an intermediate cyclist, it IS a big deal
But I have come far on my bike in the last year and I need to be confident in my abilities.
I can bike 30 miles.

Now - I can't remember the last time I did bike 30 miles - but I came close during last week's training.  I used my comments derived my from last race report when deciding what to do (I am not using a schedule of any kind):


I tried to do 2 hour workouts but damn, that is a long time to work out.  I just really dont have the attention span.  I managed to get 2 hours in exactly on Tuesday.  Friday came close (1 hour 50 minutes).
But I did do the reverse brick.  I feel pretty good biking after running, and running after biking.

Monday = 8.1 mile trail run (hills and wind)

Tuesday = 70 min on trainer, bricked w/ 50 minute run:  7.4 miles w / 1 mile x 2 (6:02 / 5:54)..I had a tail wind on the second one...400 x 4 (1:23 [tailwind], 1:29 [headwind], 1:24 [tailwind], 1:32 [headwind]


Wednesday = 1 hour 32 min bike ride (29.5 miles)...I was hoping to reach 30 miles here but it was just too windy.  Bricked with 15 minute/2 mile run.

Thursday = 7.4 miles with the jogging stroller

Friday = Parked at trails and ran 3.4 miles home, bricked w/ 30 minutes on trainer (last 3 minutes of every 10 minutes was a sprint) and 33 minute bike ride back to car (10 miles, MORE WIND) bricked with 3 mile mile trail run.

Saturday = Rest Day (took an easy yoga class)

Sunday = 13.5 miles at 7:26 pace. I did the first 12 with the Banditos and then went to my car to cool down. I started at a 7:45 pace and some how wound up finishing at a 6 pace.  My last mile was 6:45 and I felt my best.  Maybe one day I can feel like that at the end of a half marathon.

I had a lot of fun all week, even at yoga class.  But, it wasn't as much fun as my previous classes because it was my first non-hot yoga class.  It just felt like something was missing.
I definitely enjoy hot yoga more.

But hot yoga is not offered at my gym and that makes it hard to attend classes.  Plus, I think the kids missed the gym daycare.
OK.............they missed the cafe.





Also, hot yoga is expensive!
I am not sure I can justify the cost when I pay a monthly membership to a gym that offers plenty of yoga classes.

Anyway, for the next week I will be glued to my bike.