Long Training Day

Coeur d’Alene IM is only 4 weeks away!!!  Time to start watching the Rocky movies again.

My training the past few weeks has been a mix of easy days with one hard/long day.  Last week the long day included a swim, bike and run all based from Hyalite. 

7:15 AM – Left house, drove to Hyalite.

8:15 AM – Acclimating in the water, then swimming at 8:30 AM.  The swim was 2.4 miles (IM swim distance) in the Hyalite Reservoir.  It was my first time swimming up there this year.  The wind was blowing which made the water choppy.  I have not had much experience swimming in choppy water and I found it difficult and a bit unsettling for about the first 20 minutes.  A few times I would turn my head to breathe and would get a mouth full of water instead of air because of the choppy waves.  I think it was good experience for me though because the CDA Lake is likely to be choppy.  I finished the swim in 1:45!  WOW!!  I will be ecstatic if I can do that kind of swim in CDA. 

Pretty morning for a swim

 11:00 AM – Changed into dry clothes and then I was off on the bike – 82 miles.  Bike down Hyalite, over to Gallatin Gateway, back to Bozeman via Gooch Hill Rd, then out Bridger Canyon to Kelly Canyon (will come back to my thoughts on biking up Kelly Canyon), then work my way back to Hyalite via Bear Canyon and Tayebeshockup.  It was a hot and windy day (probably also good practice for CDA IM), with lots of hill climbing.  Ok… Kelly Canyon… UGH!  Kelly Canyon is a decent climb on both sides however, one side is a more gradual climb than the other.  I have done the ‘gradual’ side many times in the past couple years but, I have never done the ‘steep’ side.  Matt had planned my route for this day and when I saw that he had me going up Kelly Canyon from the ‘steep’ side, I initially thought it was a mistake.  Here’s the conversation:

Me: The route has me climbing Kelly Canyon from the Bridger side, that’s STEEP!  Is it even possible for a bike to get up that side?  :)  Is that what you intended? 

Matt:  See what you got, you may have to walk  

One thing about Matt, he never lets me quit or have an excuse to not do something (unless I am injured).  When I doubt myself/ability he always encourages me to just try it and see how it goes.  And it always goes just fine or even better than fine!  :)  And guess what, I did bike up Kelly Canyon – no walking!  PHEW, it was tough and when I got to the steepest part and I did have to zig zag in order to finish it without walking.

Sister Jen, bringing me my restocking supplies.  Drinks and food!

5:30 PM – Back at Hyalite, stowed bike, switched into dry running clothes.  Run for 1:15 on the trails at the Reservoir.  Oh boy, my legs did not want to run uphill so for the first few uphills I power hiked.  After that initial period though I was able to run for the next 35 minutes or so, but, then my legs were really feeling tired and I ended this run with power hiking all uphills and running all flats/downhills.  It was a good workout but, I wouldn’t call it a ‘run’ since it was probably an even split of running and power hiking. 

8:15 PM – 13 hours later and I’m finally home!  Long day done!  Now I just need to eat, shower, stretch and go to bed!  I slept well that night. :)