Soaking up the down time

Did I mention that I had been looking forward to this rest week? Because I definitely was. So far, it is not disappointing. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure I'll be super-psyched to dive into 29 hours of training next week, including something like 8 hours of running (run focus week) but I'm pretty sure I would've found it impossible to face had it not been for this wonderfully low-volume week.

Day 1 started out pretty normal as far as any week goes. A nice recovery swim, luckily still able to be done in open water. I love open water recovery swims so much more than pool recovery swims. There is no counting of laps, I just set a countdown timer on my watch and swim through the non-chlorinated water until it beeps at me - hopefully timed in such a way that I end up back at the dock instead of somewhere in the middle of the lake! After that a nice, easy 90-minute bike ride that didn't have to be spoiled by having to run after. In fact, I got two days in a row off from running, and it was definitely needed. Not only that, but Tuesday was a complete day off! I haven't had one of those in a month. I guess I may have spoiled it a bit by taking the kayak out for two hours or so, maybe it wasn't complete rest, but at least I was resting my legs. It is becoming far too apparent to me that summer is slipping away, so I figure I need to take advantage of those kinds of things while I can.

Yesterday was a bit less restful with a good, hard swim workout in the morning followed up with an easy bike ride and a 45-minute Z1/Z2 run. I was proud of myself for feeling like I was running hard the entire time, but still frustrated that that level of effort still results in pretty slow run paces. I mean, for me it is an improvement, but if anyone else saw it, they'd be like, you were tired after that?

Other big news on the week, I have signed up for a USAT Level I Coaching Clinic to be held in Las Vegas in December. Luckily, the registration opened on my rest day, because I quickly learned that signing up for one of these clinics is more intense than signing up online for an ironman (or at least how it used to be to sign up online for an ironman, since lately they seem to take several hours and in some cases days - even Ironman Canada) I think it was full in 5 minutes. So apparently I am going to Vegas. I am definitely not the kind of person who ever thought Vegas would be my kind of vacation destination. I don't drink. I go to bed at like 8:30 so I'm not really into "nightlife". I have zero interest in gambling because I'm not that kind of lucky and it seems like a total waste of money that I don't have. But then again, none of those things are why I'm going, right? My only experience with Vegas is being in the airport for an hour or two on my way back from California this spring. It will be interesting to venture beyond the airport. And if anyone has any ideas on what I might want to do when not in the clinic, let me know. And of course if anyone wants to let me know what the clinic is like, you can let me know that too!

Not much else going on, I guess. A little bike ride and run today, then two more days off running to get ready for the insane amount of running next week. The weather has been incredibly gorgeous, sunny, high 70's to just about 80, and dry. Oh, next week I will start my third season as assistant coach of the Main Dunstable cross country team in Nashua, a team of 4th and 5th graders. It's a short season, but it's also a lot of fun and so far some good kids. And luckily I will return home from Hawaii in time for the big meet on October 17th!