This public pool was 50 m. in length, which made a longer distance swim easier than the 25 m. length I'm used to with my gym pool. I completed just over 19 out and backs, which equaled out to 1930 m.- or 1.2 miles. I completed the swim in 58 minutes, including the time I had to mess with my goggles and talk to a lifeguard.
Aunt Flow gave me a nice gift during T1 (transition between pool and bike) that made me thankful to be a woman. It was as much fun as it sounds.
Anyway, I eventually got on my bike and headed out. My training partner (who is far too fast to actually do any of the training with me) had hand written directions for a great 56 mi. ride. At first it was fun waiting for the next turn, but somehow I got mixed up and ended up lost. I carved my own route on the side of busy country roads.
My cramps made the ride more about survival than speed. I managed to finish the 56 mi. ride in 3 hours 20 minutes.
I was sweaty, dirty, tired and crampy getting ready for the run in T2. Running was the last thing I wanted to do at the moment (especially all alone). I dug deep and remembered I can do whatever I put my mind to and that completing this workout would feel amazing. I put on running gear, turned on the Garmin and I was off.
Aaaand that didn't last too long. By this time it was in the middle of a hot Florida summer day. My route had no shade, a perfect setup for me to bake in the sun. I pushed through 3.1 miles with lots of walking. I went through my options: drive to a gym and run for two hours on the treadmill, try to find a shaded route, suck it up and take forever to complete this run.
Then I realized another option: I could just call it a day at 3.1 miles and save myself the agony of the last 10 miles. I love running, and I love completing the task I set out to do, but running those last 10 miles was more trouble than they were worth.
And so the 60.3 workout was born.
I quit my run, snacked, showered, napped and then headed out for an awesome linner.
Nothing beats Mellow Mushroom for fuel before or after a tough workout. This local pizza and beer joint has a fun, college feel that can't be beat. Their hummus and pita were necessary to start off with.
For my meal I ordered a plump 10-in. Mega Veggie pizza veganized (no cheese or butter). I ate every last bite... two pieces at the restaurant and two pieces later that night :)
Of course post-linner treat of Jeremiah's Italian Ice was a necessity. I ordered my my favorite- mango and coconut with mostly coconut. Perfection :)
I couldn't believe how great I felt after the 60.3. I literally feel like I didn't work out at all and could do it all again today. My body continues to surprise me. Now if we could just be the same way with speed... :)Starting the workout with a big and specific goal (a half Ironman) definitely motivated the workout and made it more fun. I'm going to apply this thought to future workouts- and I'll definitely complete another 70.3 on my own soon!
How do you set goals for your workouts?
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