Yesterday marked my last long bike ride leading up to Ironman. With just 4 weeks to go, my workouts will now be more of the high-intensity, low-volume nature. Wheels started turning at sunrise and I rode longer and further than I ever have. I completed the exact 112 mile course that I will ride in 28 days. I did my best to ride as I plan to on race day, keeping my heart rate in aerobic zone as much as possible and not letting my legs suffer too much on the climbs.
While my legs felt good the whole time, my backside was definitely tired of sitting in the saddle after almost six hours! Here are my stats for the ride:
Distance - 112.21 miles
Total Time - 5:55:20
Elevation gain - 4755'
Average HR - 132 bpm
Average Speed - 18.9 mpg
Top Speed - 43.0 mph
Calories burned - 7,580
I also made it a point to practice my fueling exactly as I plan to during the race. I drank from my Hammer Perpetuem mix every 15 minutes, I took two electrolyte capsules at 20 and 40 past every hour, I took a gel at 50 past every hour. I also constantly drank clear water from my aero bottle. I stopped four times during the ride to buy more water. I added it up and I drank a total of 208 ounces of water, which equals around 34 ounces per hour. I peed three times during the first 4 hours of the ride, but didn't have the urge at ll during the last two hours, which meant that I was dehydrated. Bottom line - I'll have to drink more on race day!
My IT band didn't bother me at all on this long ride, but I've made the decision to take this next week off of running and cycling in order to try and let it heal. Just swimming, aqua jogging and strength training for the next 6 days...and of course all my rehab and therapy!!
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