The Final Preparations Begin

The last couple of days have been good and I am starting to feel comfortable with easing back on my workout schedule.
Monday I did a high cadence spin on the bike. It felt good to just spin out the legs and the workout I was following “Have Mercy 15.0 – The Sequel”, is excellent. Tough, but excellent!
Tuesday I did a 1,500 metre swim, which felt really short. Knowing that, I did some intervals and worked on holding form while trying to push it a little harder. My goal in the swim is to come out of the water with strong legs. Last year in Couer d’Alene the swim was extremely tough due to strong winds which whipped up some big waves. I came out of the water a little wobbly, but managed to pull it together in transition. I am definitely hoping for a better swim time, but in the big scheme of things it will not be that significant. Perhaps 10 minutes if things go well.
Last night I did a 10 mile run on the treadmill. Because of the Achilles problems lately I was sticking close to home. But I put my orthodics into my new shoes and it seemed to have made a difference. I was able to walk normally when I got out of bed this morning so that is a good sign.
This year I will pay more attention to my pacing during the run portion. I was really just focused on getting to the end last year and didn’t watch my splits. The other thing is because there is an aid station every mile I need to plan better to make sure I only hit the ones I need, and to try and get through them quickly.
Friday I will be bringing my bike into Edmonton for a pre-race tune up and some new tires. I am hoping to get some rubber on it that will be virtually indestructible. Avoiding flats would be nice! I will also go through the rest of my gear to make sure everything is in race condition. I have to be disciplined when I go into the tri shop in the city as there are so many gadgets that catch your eye and before you know it you come out of the store a few hundred bucks poorer. I kind of feel like Lloyd Christmas in the movie Dumb and Dumber when his buddy Harry tells him to watch what he spends their final few dollars on and he comes back with a foam cowboy hat, beer and a paddle ball set! I will be disciplined!!
Have a great day!