Ironman training...when it gets real

5 weeks to Ironman Lake Tahoe.  For those of you who race Ironman you know what this looks like... 20+ hours of training a week - includes long days in the saddle and runs off that bike that seem somehow impossible. The goal is to be in bed before it is dark as the alarm goes off at 4:45 for AM swims and runs.  

But we do it and some of us do it over and over....either we were idiots or we somehow find this challenge an addicting "habit" 

Lake Tahoe will be Ironman #10 for me.   Saturday was a 7:45 hour day.... 108 miles on the bike with 7700 feet of climbing at a average temperate of 91 degrees and 3 hours of that ride with temps over 105.  Topped off by a run that was about getting it done in 90 degrees. When it is 90 in Encinitas you know it is really hot. Global warming... right that is just a left wing theory.  It was a run that you simply  know not to look at your pace on the Garmin - you just run. When your HR is over 170, your head is tingling you know the pace is not pretty. 
 I finished the run, dove in the pool and floated for long enough that Roo was on her feet ready to rescue.  Fueling on a day like this is a mission.  I drank 336 oz on the bike- 72 oz of Gatorade endurance, 144 oz water, 24 oz shameless rockstar recovery, 96 oz with NUUN.  18 salt tablets, 1 V8.  The plan was all liquid calories- 1680 calories of lovely Gatorade endurance, but when the Gatorade gets to be 100 degrees it does not go down well and when Julie gets hot and tired my gut says not thanks.  I knew I had to keep the calories up so I went off the rails and added ice cream sandwich and a jumbo bag of fritos.  Calories in - so run was "successful" This was not really a race sim as likely it will be snowing in Tahoe but well it was sill training.

Thanks to Jen for starting the ride with me and the brave Rachel, Kyle, Liz and Maureen for riding to H and back. (who are not Ironman training and merely did this for support and fun) Well beyond required friendship. Although I am fairly sure they will not do it again.  Ironman training is so much better with friends :)    

Sunday was supposed to be 18 miles and I came up short- I called it a day at 16, that feeling of dying, dragging my butt up the hill home, buzzards circling. when if you force it something may go sideways. Been there and done that- so I wimped out made the smart choice and called it a day.  I am totally beating myself up for quitting  ok with my smart decision to stop early I really did think for about 30 seconds  of  finishing the run in the evening.  I did not.  I was too busy making and eating out of the Vitamix, Chocolate Avocado Pudding ( recipe from http://www.foodsensenow.com/)  

·       2 Large Ripe Avocados

·       ¼ Cup Coconut Oil

·       ¼ Cup Organic Cocoa Powder (raw if possible)

·       2/3   Cup Raw Agave Nectar

·       1/8 tsp (pinch) of Sea Salt

·       2 tsp Vanilla Extract

Blend in Vitamix and eat!  It's really good chilled  -but well could not wait that long.

We are having a (real) heat wave in San Diego, we do get them on occasion (if you are FB friends with SDiegans you will see the Armageddon of heat that has settled on our fine city ) But the oddity of SD is that when you go to our mountains or big hills  it gets warmer.  Inland and higher and the temps go up.  Lake Tahoe  is a hilly race, as in over 7k of climbing, hilly so training on the hills is necessary, while I am fairly sure and praying to the weather God's daily,  it will not be hot, it cannot hurt to be tortured in the heat.