Geez! Where did the last month go? It seems like I was just sitting down to write about my progress with five months to go until Ironman. Now here it is, the first week of April already. So here is a recap for the month of March.
Swim: I managed 10 swim workouts in March. Two of those were longer swims over Spring Break including a 4000 yard swim that I did as part of a brick. In total I managed a bit over 5 hours of swimming and about 15,000 yards. My average pace for these workouts was usually somewhere between 1:50 and 2:00 per 100 (except when I was doing speedier sets). I seem to be maintaining the swim which is about all I can do right now given my schedule. I will have a few more options after Memorial Day when the pool at the club is open, and once summer starts, I'll be able to increase those workouts a bit.
Bike: It was a good month for riding as I got just under 400 miles for the month, which is by far the most I've done in a long time. A good portion of my riding was done outdoors thanks to some great weather during the month. I even finished off with a 68 mile ride where I managed a +19 mph pace overall. Last weekend, I did an FTP test using Trainer Road and my "virtual power" came in at 207 watts, which was an improvement from January when I was at 196 watts. Back in December, I'd started at about 182 watts, so I feel good about the improvement I'm making. During the week I'll continue to push the intensity a bit using the Trainer Road workouts. There is a wide variety but I'm going to utilize more of the interval sets that have me pushing longer amounts of time close to my FTP (e.g.- 3x10' sets at 95-99% FTP over the course of an hour). On Saturdays and Sundays I will start to do some longer outdoor rides on the weekends (weather permitting) and work up to a 75 mile ride before enjoying a recovery week at the end of the month. I "splurged" and upgraded my helmet as well. I'm now the proud owner of a bright yellow Giro Air Attack Shield Helmet. It's a very versatile aero helmet (can be used for daily riding) and it has a visor that attaches magnetically to the front of the helmet. While I've only managed a couple of rides with it so far, it has been wonderful to have. My glasses would always slip down my face, and I'd never really get the benefit of the lenses because the angle of my head had me peering over the top of the rims. The visor provides a full uninterrupted view which makes it much easier to ride in the aero position.
Run: I ran a bit less than 30 miles during the entire month of March. While less mileage was part of my overall plan, I fought a bit of illness returning from NYC in the middle of the month and cut one or two runs a bit shorter. That said, I don't feel too bad about where my run fitness is. Even with the limited amount of running, my performance on the run has gotten better, not worse. I've gone back to a 5:1 approach on my last two runs and discovered that I'm feeling excellent with little to no fatigue. Even taking it a bit easier than before, I'm still well below my goal paces for IM Boulder. In April, I'll be introducing some more long runs into my training as well as a mid-week run that's a bit longer than before. Some of this running will include some tempo and interval work just to keep it interesting, but I also hope to be sure that my easier days are well, easier.
Nutrition: This wasn't too great during the month of March. I haven't gone back to doughnuts or passkey, but I could definitely do a better job with the food that I'm taking in. I'm maintaining a decent weight so there isn't concern there, but I could probably cut back on some of the junk and overindulgence. Most of these issues revolve around extra helpings at dinner, too much dessert, and of course, putting back maybe 1-2 more beers than is necessary! The last one is particularly difficult given all of the delicious choices out there!
The coming month will be an interesting mix as I start to increase the volume of several individual workouts (longer rides and swims). This month and next are a bit of a transition as I work into steadily longer distance workouts. As the race draws closer, I'm getting more and more excited. If the next four months are anything like the last one, it will be here before I know it!
