In roughly six months I compete in my first 70.3 Ironman!! My training is going well since I am gradually exposing my body to more heat and carefully monitoring my heart rate. In Southern Arizona, the weather is pretty warm (think mid-90s and up) in October, and any physical activity will only escalate the heart rate. I plan to develop a higher tolerance for the heat prior to race day. It’s funny, running in weather below 30 degrees is easier for me than anything above 70 degrees.
While I’ve been doing brick workouts since January, I only recently started doing outdoor brick workouts where both disciplines were completed outdoors. For two weeks in a row I’ve done outdoor brick workouts: 7.6mi run in Sabino Canyon (think lots of hills and great climbing) followed by a 0.5mi outdoor swim when I get home. The first time I ran Sabino Canyon wasn’t with full-force so I could see where I could access water and shade. The second time around went significantly better with the hills anticipation.
Unfortunately I need to get fitted for my bike for the new year and as a result I haven’t been riding too much. I did one 55mi ride last month, which is a medium distance for me, and my knee was in a lot of pain afterwards. Getting fitted will help with the pain and is a must for any cyclist or triathlete. In the meantime, I’ve just been doing the light 25mi rides before work. Cycling I have the endurance for but I need to pick up my speed. I look forward to pushing myself to new limits for the Ironman 70.3 Arizona!!
