I know most of you want to see a race report, but it’s going to take time to write so I’m just going to post my week re-cap in the meantime!
This week was all about taper and was supposed to be about relaxation but unfortunately it was a lot more stressful and busy than it should have been. Regardless, my workout volume was way down which was the most important thing. Stress at work was high and I had other obligations to get to so I didn’t get as much sleep as I would have liked. However, I was very happy with my race performance at the 70.3 so I don’t think it really mattered that I didn’t rest as much as I had wanted!
The coaches at No Limits Endurance announced on Facebook that they would answer a question on their blog about triathlon training from a follower so I asked how I should taper for a Half IM while training for a full. After getting a little more info from me, they responded with a great blog post that included a taper week workout schedule. I have been following Maria, one of the coaches at No Limits Endurance, for a while via her blog and Twitter and I trust her advice, so I followed it, pretty much to a T.
Monday: Started the morning with a easy 1,800 yard swim. I focused on technique and form and started thinking about the race. Overall, I didn’t feel fantastic during this workout but I think that is typical for taper workouts. I skipped maria’s recommended 30 minute run for that evening due to work commitments as well as the fact that I had just run 6 miles on Sunday night.
Tuesday: In the morning I did 45 minutes of spinning on the trainer followed by a 15 minute run with five short pick-ups. Putting some very short intervals into pre-race workouts is good for engaging the lungs and reminding them that they have some work to do soon.
Wednesday: In the morning I spent 40 minutes spinning on the trainer with 5 30-second pick-ups. That evening I headed to the gym for a 1,500 yard swim. When I first got in the water, I was sharing my lane with a guy who was swimming in a wet suit. I asked him if he was doing Oceanside this weekend, thinking the reason he was swimming in a wet suit was because it is recommended to swim in it the week before the race. He said he was doing it and we got to talking. Eventually he mentioned that he was racing in the challenged athletes division due to the fact that he paralyzed. I didn’t even realize it but then saw his wheel chair next to the pool. He mentioned that he would be racing with a hand bike. I was really impressed with his dedication to the sport despite the odds being stacked against him. When he got out we wished each other good luck at the race and I was really hoping I’d see him out there!
Thursday: Complete day of rest.
Friday: After a half day at work, Asia and I meet up for a 20 minute bike ride and 10 minute run. Although NO Limits Endurance suggested that I do a swim in my wetsuit on Friday, I knew it would be sub 50 degrees at the race start and that the water temp was going to be sub 60 and I didn’t want to risk freezing in my wet wetsuit on race morning.
PS I also found out on Friday that my P90X before and after pictures officially made it on the P90X infomercial! My co-worker was watching the infomercial on Thursday night and saw me on it!
Saturday: Oceanside Half Ironman! After the race we did plenty of walking from place to place but I didn’t get a post-race massage or anything like that.
Sunday: Lots of walking and 3 rounds of bowling (we went to a birthday party). I know that I should have done an easy swim or something but I just wanted to enjoy my day off and sleep in and go out to breakfast.
Weekly Totals:
- Yards Swam: 5,400
- Hours Biked: 5
- Miles Run: 15.6
- Minutes Corework: 0
- Total Time: 9.25 hours
I must say that although I usually say I probably won’t be doing a 2nd Ironman, I will definitely be doing more 70.3s! I loved this race and found it challenging but not overwhelming. Race report to come soon!!!
How was your week? How do you usually taper for a triathlon?
great question on tapering for a “training race” and a very helpful response! looks like you tapered well though and had a great race! so glad we ran into each other, too, it was great to meet you : ) looking forward to reading your recap!
Glad the advice was useful, Nicole! It’s been great watching you grow in your training. Cannot wait to watch (at least virtually) when you go kill the course at CdA!