The Big Push

Hard to believe I am in my last build month before Ironman Canada on August 30th. I went up to Osoyoos and Penticton (IM country) for a week with my parents and Hannah. I was able to ride the course almost twice and go for a long run in the heat, and swim a little in Lake Okanagan.

The biggest thing I learned was that I need to eat (on the bike) about twice as much as I thought I would need. After my first ride, I was exhausted and couldn’t imagine running a marathon. However, I rode 130km of the course again a few days later, and ate more than the first time and I actually felt pretty good afterwards, capping it off with a 40 minute run.

I’m trying to swim more for the next month, because I still feel a little weak on the swim. I’m also trying to ‘manage’ my heel injury which is looming but isn’t slowing me down too much. I’m trying a bunch of therapies including using the Strassburg sock (to help with Plantar Fasciitis), using orthotics, stretching, icing and massage. Just need to get through one more month....

Meanwhile, Hannah is cuter than ever (the photo is from a few days before her first birthday), making it super hard to leave her for the 7 or 8 hour workouts once a week (the long ride) and for shorter periods in between. But, I think in an unexpected way, training is getting both Hannah and I used to gradually increasing separations...so that hopefully the transition back to work will be easier.