4+ hour weekend

I was aided by some nice weather this weekend and had my first real long ride of the year (and it was outside!). I got out for 2:40 (~48 miles) on Saturday afternoon. This is my longest ride of the year by an hour and the first time I've been out on the roads in Philly since who knows when... My legs actually didn't feel too bad. It felt GREAT to be outside. I have no idea how fast I was going bc I think the battery in my speedometer is broken. It probably wasn't too fast, but I sure felt like I was flying. The first 2 loops I did my heart rate was jacked (165ish average). I couldn't hold back the excitement of being outside and not being freezing cold. Toward the end of the ride I was absolutely cooked. My legs were ok, but I only packed 2 gu's and a 32 oz water bottle so I was running very low on fuel. I also only had half a pb&j for lunch right before I ran out the door. By the time I headed in I was feeling pretty woozy. Note to self: nutrition is important in long workouts.

I followed it up with an 11 mile run yesterday morning. I was again surprised at how fresh my legs felt. I probably went out a little harder than I should have for a "long and slow" run. I finished in 1:22 (7:30ish pace). With the nice weather and fresh legs it's tough to hold back. My foot feels ok. I don't think the PF has completely healed, but it doesn't hurt as badly as it did last week. I will be stretching and rolling it out a lot this week.

I ended the week with a little over 10 hours training. Not bad considering I had to cancel all my swims last week due to a wardrobe malfunction... ie I lost my swim suit. I probably could have gone in my tri shorts, but I only have a couple pairs and didn't want the chlorine to eat them. Hopefully the suit I ordered will arrive today and I can make up for it this week. I'm going to reschedule my 2000yd TT for this weekend.

2 pictures I'll leave you with...things that have been getting me through it.

I've been packing big salads and fruit for lunch to increase my good-food intake and cut back on my grains and anything processed. This bad boy is loaded with spinach, cuc's, tomatoes, stuffed olives, peppers, carrots, hummus, shrooms, avocado, broccoli, and tuna. I top it with an olive oil, balsamic vinegar, pepper, and mustard combo. It also takes just as long to make a sandwich as it does to whip up a salad.

And thanks to my wonderful girlfriend, Maddy, I've made the switch to french press coffee. It is delicious and tastes 10x better than drip coffee. If you don't believe me, try it yourself. All the delicious oils from the beans get trapped in the paper filter of drip coffee. The french press gives you a much less bitter flavor. I drink my coffee black, so the less bitter, the better. I also bought some "Kona Blend" coffee. It's corny, but it reminds me of what the eventual goal is. Sometimes before/after morning workouts I even use my m-dot coffee mug. I won't bring it in public (yet), but I like feeling like an ironman.

Ok. Busy week ahead.
Do great work.