I should be out riding my bike right now but I'm sitting with a bag of ice on my knee. Not for any glamorous reason, like an over use injury, or crash on the bike.... Jogging in a parking lot, I tripped over
I guess its not the worst timing, a week should be more than enough time to heal up, I know I've put in good training leading up to it, so missing a bike ride, and possibly a run wont derail my race.
Its more just the mental side, I enjoy being out there, and my last few bike rides where I should be dialling in specific race watts have not gone to plan. Between power meter issues, a cold, a car crash (minor I'm ok car is ok) and now this I dont know that I have a feel for that race effort. I was shocked at the difference going from riding on the trainer to riding on the road. In Texas it was easy to choose a gear and stick with it, and you would have even effort, here its constantly changing and applying constant power over changing elevation its something I still need to work on.
I have mixed feelings about the bike. I've been looking forward to each ride, enjoying my time outside and the workouts. However my legs have been feeling heavy, watts getting harder, I know I'm not getting less fit, the fatigue is building as it should. I've been doing some decent time on the bike, but I feel like my muscles have been the limiter lately, they tire before my HR becomes a factor. I know some rest will freshen them up, I just feel like I have no top end lately.
On the other side, my run has been going amazingly well. I just feel bullet proof lately! I had a 22 mile run last week that went incredible. Motivation was just average last Sunday, not my usual excitement to get out there but threw on my running shoes, loaded up with gooey gels and head out. The goal was to find MAF effort pace and then hold onto that pace while effort built. It could not have gone better, I kept it comfortable to start and felt better and better as I went, got an hour in and it was time to keep the pace going while effort built. I loved it, and felt strong, gone is the breakdown that I used to experience on these long runs. The last 6 miles were definitely effort, but finished feeling remarkably good for 22 miles, it was so hard not to say screw it and run the last 4.2 to a new marathon PR!
Pace on Sunday 7:40
Marathon PR Pace 8:10
Post run consisted of beers on the back lawn while getting to know our neighbours. It was a great Sunday. I also realised any ability to tan that took 2 years to build up to in Texas...is completely gone... Last thing I expected in Scotland, a sunburn...looks like I'm back to my pasty red head ways :p
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