Vacation

While taking a week off from training 2 months before Ironman probably isn't a good idea, I have to admit that I was really looking forward to it. After 4 months of increased training, my body and mind were ready for a rest. I labored through a 3 hour bike ride on Friday and then woke up at 3 am on Saturday to drive our family to Colorado – where my wife's family shares a cabin.

Of course because I pushed myself in the last few days (at work as well) before vacation, I was so exhausted that I could barely pull off some runs during the first days in Colorado. However, by Tuesday I was able to get in an hour and a half run (a day later and half hour shorter than I was supposed to).

The cabin is at about 9,000 feet and my favorite run starts at the cabin and descends into the little town about 10 miles away. It's a beautiful run and I always enjoy the mountain air. I also enjoy the decent. At first, because the air is thin, I struggle to simply run even though I'm going downhill. Then, as the air gets thicker, my pace quickens and I end up flying (for me) down the road. It's always a great run.

Running in altitude, it seems to me, is great mental training for the bike/run transition. Because when you start a run at 9,000 feet, you're gasping for air and your legs feel weird and heavy. After a while, you learn to cope but you have to talk yourself out of panicking that you can't finish the run – kind of like your first few miles in a triathlon.