So much of Ironman, and all racing for that matter, is mental. Visualization is a key tool to use. Today, I wasn't sure how far I was going to run. Yesterday's bike (and the previous four days for that matter) had completely fatigued my legs and body. In fact, my heart rate had trouble going down all day and night, but finally did when I slept (albeit quite fitfully). With that said, my resting heart rate was at a relative high of 44-45 this morning, I was definitely fatigued, but I was still motivated. Today was supposed to be a relatively long run. I chose my flat back and forth route that allows me to stop every 1 1/2 miles to get a drink from my car. I started out, focused on breathing every 6th step (my MAF effort), and my heart rate ultimately came up to ~130 after 3 miles. For the first mile or so, I kept thinking that maybe I should cut today's run short, I was really tired, and my pace was right around 9:30/mile.
I had started today's run visualizing the start of the Ironman run. That was my mistake. I'll always remember how I felt at the beginning of the run at Chattanooga, where I had my PR. I felt great! If I felt like this at the beginning of the run at Ironman California, it would be a sign to slow down, eat and drink and try to feel better before pushing it (as I actually did in Chattanooga in 2016). No, how I was feeling today was how I expected to feel at Mile 16 of Ironman California, and that's when my new visualization began.
From the second mile of today's run, I was at Mile 18 of Ironman, breathing every 6th step and the third mile went by in 9:17. Since Mile 4-6 now represented Miles 19-22, I increased my breathing to every 5th step (and my heart rate gradually came up to ~135), and my pace held, completing those miles in 9:21, 9:22 and 8:50 (when my heart rate actually went up to 135). Now I just had four miles to go to finish the Ironman! With that visualization, I let my breathing increase to every fourth step for the next two miles, the first mile what I call comfortable Zone 2, which I did in 8:43, and the next mile done breathing harder, but still every 4th step, which I call "purposeful" Zone 2. That mile clicked away in 8:40.
Two miles to the finish. What do I do? I naturally increased my breathing to every 3rd step, which would be Tempo effort, although my heart rate didn't want to move much higher than 145. Still, I pushed, not sure as to what would happen during or after this mile. This was mile 9 of today's run, and theoretically Mile 25 of the Ironman marathon. When I hit the end of the mile, I was pleasantly surprised to find that I was now running at 8:08 pace.
That left me with 1.2 miles to go. What do I do? Keep up the Tempo pace? Slow down? Go harder? I chose to start breathing every 2nd step, which is essentially Lactic Threshold effort. I stopped looking at heart rate, but did look at my pace, it was holding at 8:10. I focused solely on keeping it at that pace. Nothing else mattered. Push, push, push. I completed the 10th mile (Mile 26 for my visualization) and had 0.2 miles left. My heart rate had come up to 152 at the end of the last mile, though I wasn't looking at it, all I could do was suffer, just like I had at the end of the Santa Barbara Triathlon a few weeks ago.
The last 0.2 miles were completed at 7:46 pace and my heart rate was 154. I was done. But, more importantly, this was just the beginning. Five weeks to Ironman California. Another important and useful workout in the bank. If I start the run feeling good, I should be feeling quite fatigued by Mile 16. At that point I'll draw on today's workout to bring me to the finish.
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