Lindsey Heim

My new race nutrition plan... well maybe not, but it would be really cool to show up with a box taped to my aerobars.

It goes without saying what I have been up to the past few weeks. Always training makes me a DULL GIRL! Instead of a boring recap of what my peak volume weeks have consisted of, I present to you:

Ten reasons I know that I know that I am ready to start my Ironman taper...

1. My car is really starting to look like a locker room.

2. My dishwasher looks like this:


3. My refigerator is looking like this a lot of the time:


4. The flavor combination of 'sweet and salty' is really starting to loose its allure to the palate. I'm pretty sure I have grown some cavities over the past few weeks from this 'nutrition.' Yeah, only a triathlete would call a bottle of sugar water 'nutrition.'

5. I am loading up on every sort of medicament to not get sick. Vit C, Vit E, Eccinacea, Zinc, Multivit. It may all be smoke and mirrors, but I really don't care at this point. I even have been carrying purell around on my keychain. I have been eating a lot of curries and vegetables. All in all, there will be no repeats of getting sick right before an Ironman this year!

6. My freezer always has fresh ice since I have been using it by the tub load

7. The irony finally hit me while riding today: In Nebraska, I needed to search down hills and hilly routes to train on in the multitudes of flatland riding- at this time of my life, I chose to train for hilly races. In Wisconsisn, I need to search down flats to train on in the multitudes of hills- at this time of my life, I chose to train for flat races. Don't ask me why this took so long to figure out- yeah, I didn't plan things out well.

8. Lots and lots and lots of Laundry. Not to mention, my bike hasn't been cleaned in weeks. I am usually immaculate about the cleanliness of my drivetrain. Right now, my bike looks like a disaster hit it: bugs, mud, grime and grass around the derailleur pulleys, the cassette is black, the chain is grimy, and my white bartape is a combination of grey and goo. Needless to say, my buddy with be getting a nice scrub down tomorrow, and will be shiny once again! :)

9. I seem to have this look on my face a lot. This disaster was taken right after some hard intervals on a cold, windy evening. :)


10. Last but not least, I feel very ready for this race!!!

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OK, now is the boring recap:
All in all, I am very happy with where my fitness is right now. I am absolutely exhausted all the time. I have been sleeping more than ever, but I know that this is exactly what my body needs right now. I have gotten myself as close to the 'edge' as I safely want to be in my training for IMFL. I know it that the fatigue will improve over the next few weeks.

I am happy with where my weight is, and am the lightest I have been for an IM, possibly any race, ever. I am not teeny or anything, but to the point where I feel good but not weak. This is the hardest part for me to achieve when getting in quality training depends upon feeling good going into and during a workout. Focussing on proper nutrition before, during, and after has definitely helped out with this- it is am amazing how good you feel if If things go according to plan. I fought a little cold last weekend, which took my Sunday and Monday training away from me, but I am not worried about it (4 weeks out). I have been more consistent than I ever have been this past year + that I have been training for this race. I need to remind myself of what I have done to get myself here and everything that I have 'in the bank' from that.

Swim:
Training wise, my last race distance swim in training was 1:16 a couple weeks ago, which I will gladly take. Nothing earth shattering my any means, but I am satisfied. Although I took a bit off from swimming this spring, I feel great with the time that I put in this winter working on my form, this summer swimming open water, and now late summer/ fall getting in some good distance/ intensity work in the pool.

Bike:
On the bike, I have put my investments mostly into the 3-5 hour ride. Albeit, the very, very, very intense 3-5 hour ride. I have done so many of these I can't even begin to count. I have become at one with my SRM, and intervals at FTP have become my friend. When it hurts is when it feels good, right? I have only done two 100+ mile days, but many, many 100+ mile weekends with brick runs on both days. This is very different than my past training, but I feel very good with what I have done, and the progress that I have made. Lately I have been very fatigued on the bike. I have been hitting my numbers beautifully and progressively stronger, but I just feel like I want to pull over and take a nap in the ditch instead of ride- even with taking in caffeine on my rides. I am dismissing this to the fact that this is what these peak weeks feel like. If it weren't for the few hours of warmth and daylight that I need to fit my riding into, I swear would be napping in the middle of rides. A concern for the bike is my neck- I jacked it up in a bike crash mid Sept (rainy day + water covered pothole/manhole cover/ sidewalk paint = me + bike skidding across an intersection in the middle of rush hour traffic). I have been slowly getting used to my TT postition again after that day. You see, it has taken me about 2 years to get adapted to where I am on my bike (about 15 cm drop on a 48 cm frame). It is a delicate balance to achieve and it took nothing short of hard work to get there ( and very small changes, one at a time). My neck does not think that 15 cm drop a good idea anymore, but it is hanging in there, and things are feeling like they once did day by day. Thinks are looking good and tolerable at this time, and I am confident that some reduced volume on the bike will achieve perfection. Worst case scenario- I put a spacers under my stem (reason not to cut your steerer tube...).

Run:
I have never felt this good with my running at this point in my training. Have had some great long runs the past few weeks. I have never felt so strong at the end of a 2+ hr run. Did my last long run this past week- it was my best to date- what a great way to finish my long runs! My ITB has been great, and has luckily tolerated the increase in frequency and duration placed on it over the past months. I have been able to hold some good runoff paces, and have had some great runs after some long, intense sessions.

So, there you have it. What I have been doing for the past year and a half. Now all I need to do is not screw anything up over the next few weeks. :)