Race Week Countdown: 2

Aside from the compression sock dilemma, I’m in another over whether to bother with the HR monitor on the bike.
The last few times that I have been out doing intervals, ie noticed that my HR is rising quickly and staying about 5 beats higher for less perceived effort. I’m not using the power tap so have no absolute comparison, which is a shame. My heart’s willingness to beat faster could be down to a few factors, ruling out a medical condition, the most obvious/relevant being the heat, or the fact that I’m well rested. Though I do have HR data from my race at Lanzarote to refer to, I’m not really experienced enough to know how much to compensate for the environmental conditions, fatigue or hydration – especially on such a different type of course. So it would be folly to race by following figures that I’d expect from training in a race, this one in particular.

Scott was certainly not advising that I do so, unless I felt I needed the feedback to keep my efforts levels up. Which is certainly true of my training. However, as he said, there’ll be plenty of people out there to chase on the bike course and frankly if I need more than that for motivation out here, Ironman World Championships, Hawaii then what am I doing here in the first place?
So, I’lI race with have faith in my training, fire in my belly and joy in my heart!

After my test ride on the QR ( lovely ride, real feeling off direct response to power through the cranks, though the very much more forward position did feel a bit twitchy at first) I had a wander around the expo again to see what freebies I could pick up. Saw Chrissy Wellington signing pics of herself on a Cannondale, with that face cracking smile. Wanted a chance to say Hi and wish her luck…so went and asked for one. Felt really embarrassed doing so. Don’t know why. Guess it just all seemed a bit fake and impersonal. I bumped into Marie Repec, who I raced at Wisconsin last year. After spending the first half, or more, of the run vying with her for first place, I beat her in the end – making her the second woman in our age group to qualify for this race! She looked well and has taken on coaching by Mark Allen online this year in preparation for this race, as I have with Scott Molina. Turns out that also the girl who came 3rd in our age group at that race also now coached by him. So its gonna be Molina against Allen again! My money’s on team Carritt-Molina, of course, but the virtual Allen does have a good record of podium places here, so they’re doing something right. It was a bit weird to be making light conversation with my direct competition 2 days out from the race. Makes it all seem very serious…but in a way a boost. I’m sure she’s more trepidation than I, having been beaten by me before. I need to keep reminding myself that I’m in shape and good for it. I’ve beaten many of these girls before – and as jenny said to me in an email today, as long as I’m prepared to push myself at least as hard as they’ll be pushing I’ve nothing to fear.