T minus 13
4th of July (and the three day weekend) has come and gone. It was a nice long weekend with some good training, tons of great sports on TV, a lot of walking around the City and a wedding.
The training highlight of the weekend was my return to Brighton Beach for an ocean swim. I went out Friday morning and met up with a guy I know from the Brooklyn Tri Club and some of his friends. I wanted to get some more open water swim practice as well as some more time in my wetsuit before Lake Placid, but wasn’t totally sure if it was worth the time and effort to take the train out there (I probably would spend about three times as much time traveling and getting ready to swim as I would actually spend in the water!) In the end, I had a great confidence-building swim and I’m certain it was worth it. Supposedly the water was in the high 60’s and it felt great in the wetsuit. I swam pretty easily and relaxed, starting at Cibbows’ traditional place at Grimaldo’s Chair (Brighton 4th Street and the beach), first swimming east to the “white building” about a half mile away, then coming back and going a little more than a quarter mile past Grimaldo’s Chair before turning around and finally finishing up back at the Chair. I didn’t swim nearly as fast as I hope to swim at Lake Placid, but I also didn’t push myself very hard. I was pleased that the longer distance/no walls to push off swimming came pretty easily. I feel like I know about where I stand for the bike and the run coming into this year’s race (more on both of those in the coming weeks), but I’m not sure about the swim. Compared to 2007, I haven’t spent very much time in the pool. I’m not sure how much effect that is going to have on my IM swim this year.
It’s been a blast watching the swim and track and field Olympic Trials on TV. I am so so excited for the Olympics next month. The swimming has been more fun to watch because of all the dominating and world record performances. I loved watching the Steeplechase. I’d never seen The men’s Wimbledon final yesterday was incredible. Even though I like watching both Nadal and Federer, I was pulling for Roger yesterday – especially after he lost the first two sets! The Tour de France is also on, I guess. I’m having a hard time getting too excited for the Tour this year – it’s tough to trust any of those guys at this point and the lack of big names (especially American big names) isn’t helping either.
Swim – July 4
Distance: ~2,800 yards
Time: 48 minutes
Course: Brighton Beach
Bike – July 5
Distance: 50.6 miles
Time: 3:00
Average heart rate: 124
Course: 9W, hill repeats on Alpine Hill
Conditions: Overcast, humid, low 70’s, some rain
Indoor Bike – July 6
Time: 45 minutes
Average heart rate: 133
Run – July 6
Distance: 5.75 miles
Time: 47 minutes
Average heart rate: 142
Course: West Side Highway
Conditions: Sun and clouds, humid, mid-70’s
Strength – July 7