Brick & Swim

Sunday: Feeling pretty good after yesterday's tri. This morning I did a 33.5 mile bike ride with Don T and Derek. We averaged around 14 MPH with a few stops along the way. Not a blistering pace, but still a solid ride. Afterwards, we ran 2 miles to get more bricks in.

Bike Route: http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/tx/roanoke/141933372

Monday: After fighting an emerging cold last night and this morning (achy, dizzy, and weakness - Theraflu, sleeping in and a mid-morning nap did wonders), I did my third "Ironman" swim this afternoon. After a slightly disappointing tri on Saturday and brick on Sunday, I was pleased that my time was my fastest yet for this distance - I completed the 80 laps (4,000 yds) in 1:24:22 - more than 3 minutes faster than my Ironman swim back in November. Here are my 500 yd splits - the times in parentheses are from the Nov 11 swim:

• 1st 500 yds: 10:01 (10:13)
• 2nd 500 yds: 10:20.5 (10:19)
• 3rd 500 yds: 10:23 (10:28.5)
• 4th 500 yds: 10:29 (10:48.5)
• Water break: 0:29.5 (0:54)
• 5th 500 yds: 10:25.5 (11:04)
• 6th 500 yds: 10:39 (11:18)
• 7th 500 yds: 10:47 (11:13)
• 8th 500 yds: 10:47.5 (11:19)

So, although my speed still slowed over the course of the swim, it stayed more consistent than prior outings - with only about a 45 second difference between the first/fastest set and the last/slowest one. I'm definitely getting better at this discipline. I don't think a sub-40-minute swim time for the half-Ironman tri is unrealistic - especially since I'll be wearing a wetsuit (with its added buoyancy). Hopefully, it won't be too choppy when I swim in the Gulf of Mexico!