Countdown To Steelhead Ironman 70.3

 

My first half-ironman event a week from Sunday.  Nothing I can do in my training now to improve my performance.  All I can do is taper properly and trust my training. 

Over the past week or so I’ve really focused on my open water swimming in my full wetsuit.  Swimming in the pool doesn’t prepare one for the conditions in open water.  The full wetsuit also puts a little more strain on the shoulder muscles, so I need to get use to that.  I use an Xterra wetsuit that is very flexible, however it does take a bit longer for my shoulders to loosen up. 

I’ve also been really focusing on my run.  I haven’t hit the 13.1 mile marker yet in training, so race day will be my first attempt at that distance.  My training has ranged from 8-10 miles, which should be enough to get me through the run.  There is no doubt that the run will be my biggest challenge. 

I’m paying close attention to my performance management chart.  As you can see, I’m –19 as of today and I’m hoping to continue to push that lower (thus putting more stress on my body) until Sunday.  After that, I’ll let the number start to creep up to the –10 to –5 area.  I have NO idea what impact this will have on my performance, I’m just going off past race experience.  In races I’ve performed well, I’ve been in the –10 to –5 area.  This is my first time actually managing that number to where I want it to be.