Professional Triathlete Training Log - Weekly Swim, Bike, and Run Miles For Jun 18 - Jun 24

Injury Healing - Onset => 14 hours later

This week I got my butt kicked on all accounts.  On Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday I kicked my own butt with two solid days of 4x8 on the bike and then a solid 10K sub-threshold run.  I also got in two great masters swims where my coaches kicked my butt. On Thursday I would get in a bike crash, but quickly followed it up with mile repeats before the pain and swelling set in.  Laying idle in pain is something I just can't do in the summer months.  As a result I decided to throw in a last minute race at the Copper Creek Triathlon in Des Moines, Iowa.

Copper Creek didn't exactly go as planned.   I had no interest in getting in dog fight in this race and unfortunately the race was filled with midwest pros who had also picked this cherry picking gem of a race.  I should have known something was up when the race organization politely ignored my request for the start list even.  I'm not going to write this race up so here is a quick summary.

Swim: The race was magically 77.8 degrees so it was wetsuit legal.  Out of the swim start I swam in Devon Palmer's bow wave, and then I transitioned to his feet before I started overheating. For the 2nd time in two races I was forced to abandon the pace, not to do fitness, but because I was worried about cooking myself in this sprint swim.  Unfortunately, I lead the 2nd pack into transition - this is never where I want to be.  

Bike: I knew I would have to work hard on the bike but the legs were dead.  I'm not sure if it was the combination of the mile repeats on Thursday, the bike crash, or the hot water, but there was no power. I struggled to hold watts that I could hold three years ago in a sprint - I have come a long ways in three years.   After making up *some* ground on the bike I looked back to see a charging Patrick Davis.  I opted to let him dictate the pace, hoping he would move us up on the field and that he would sink his legs in the process.  Unfortunately we didn't make up enough time to catch up to Daniel Bretscher, Colin Riley, and Palmer and I rolled into transition in 5th place.  

Run: I contemplated pulling the plug at that point, but the possibility for someone to receive a penalty, to take a wrong turn, or to fall apart was too high.  I opted to see what happened and set my sites on following Davis.  I did so for about a mile, sitting 5 seconds back or so.  We caught Devon Palmer who was clearing having an off day as well.  At that point I sensed some weakness in Davis, but his form still looked pretty strong, and I had no interest in getting in a sprint finish that could do more harm than good to my Achilles.  I shut down the legs and conceded that I would have to go home empty handed.  I slowed up for Palmer and chatted with him as we trotted it for 4th and 5th.   It was a bitter pill to swallow knowing that I didn't give it my all, but I knew that was a possibility going into the race and I gambled.  I look forward to the day that I can get back to seeing how deep I can dig in a race run, but for now I stay focused on what my Achilles will allow.

For those who are going to scold me for racing directly after a crash, keep in mind that I wore one layer of Duoderm with a layer of Tegaderm over it.  With that being said, I do not in any way recommend racing in open water following a crash.  Please do no emulate what I do and always consult with your medical team regarding any injuries you may have.

Here are my weekly swim, bike, and run totals:

Total: 143 Miles / 14 hours 38 minutes

Swim: 14,763 yards / ~8 miles / 5 hours 03 minutes
Bike: 117 miles / 7 hours 23 minutes
Run:  18 miles /  2 hours 12 minutes
Core:  0 sessions / 0 hours 0 minutes

Weight: N/A
Body Fat: N/A

Calories Consumed: N/A
Calories Burned: N/A