Brick day

Today I did another brick workout. I upped the distance on this one and I could tell the difference. I really enjoy the crossfit endurance workouts more than these long steady rides and runs but I believe the are very important to doing well in half ironman and ironman events.

I went out early this morning just after sunrise to try and bet the heat. I didn't really have much luck with that since it was 70 degrees at 7:30 this morning. I did a 40 mile ride starting from my hotel and heading down to the beach road I used last week. I took a different route getting there since I needed to add about 4 miles to get 40 miles round trip. The route out was very nice, I was fresh, with light winds. I made it to the turn around point in just under 1 hour and didn't stop to rest or relax. I immediately turned around and headed back toward the hotel. Of course when I turned around I realized that I had a tail wind for the last 16 miles. Not to be discouraged I just stayed in my aero position and kept hammering away. I didn't allow myself to look at the mileage as I rode because it didn't matter. I just had to ride until I got back to the hotel. My time for the 40 miles was 2:05:00 with a average speed of 19.2 mph. That is just a little short of my 20 mph goal. But hey I'm working on it. I ate two Larabar's and one e-gel on my ride. Total calories where 590 calories of intake for the 2 hours. I think that might still be a little short of were I should be.

I then put the bike away, got some water and drove down to the beach to run. I did a 8 mile out and back run along the same rode I had just been on. The time between bike ending and run starting was about 30 minutes. When I started it was hot!! I would say it was around 80 degrees when I started my run. I felt pretty good but had to stop several times for water along the way. Thankfully they have water fountains along the sidewalk. I also had one e-gel during my run. Around the 5 mile mark I started getting a cramp in my left thigh just like I had at the marathon. I immediately stopped and stretched it out for about 15 seconds, got some more water and it never bothered me again. I need to put a stop to that!! So my run time was 1:04:30 which was an 8:04 pace. That is a little slower than I want to be running for that distance but it was my first time going 40 miles on the bike this year. I'm looking forward to more of these brick workouts. They will only help to train my body for the long haul ahead.

Have a good weekend!