count down

I haven't had much time to sit down and write these past couple of weeks. I have been busy with cross country and trying to keep myself busy during this taper period. I have 7 days to the big race and looking at the clock right now, 7 days from this minute I will be 22 minutes into the swim. What a ride its bee this time training. I had changed and tweeked a few things during training and I feel extremetly confident and strong.

The weather here in Central Illinois has been a bit on the cool side. Last week on a cool 40 miler I noticed I wasn't dripping with sweat even though I was pushing fairly hard. I have gotten used to gauging how much I replace fluids by how much I loose. So I have done three heat simulated rides this past week and 1/2. This consist of riding on the trainer, high cadence with extra clothes on. These sweat sesions felt really good. Time wise the first was two hour ride and the next two just one hour rides. This to was a perfect time to practice my transitions right into the run.

The second count down is cross country count down to State. Today 10-25-08 is Regionals over in Monticello. Bus time 1045 hours. The kids are ready for a fast day even though its a bit on the cool side and it has rained for the past two days. On Thursday we took the kids over and ran the course. Tihs was actually my first time on the course as well. Its located in Allerton Park, a beautiful setting thats going to give the kids serverl terrain changes. There will be some extremely tricky areas that the pace will slow but this is regionals there will be fast times. The kids enjoyed running easy and getting used to the course or at least there are good fakers becuase the main reason for going was stopping and scarfing down a ton of Pizza at Monical's on the way home.

Next week Sectionals on the same day as Ironman Florida. 11-01-08 My day will be a bit longer than the kids but I will survive off the positive energy the kids bring. The state meet 11-08-09. That is the day the kids have been training for. The kids have put in the time, effort and the peak of training is here. Three hard races left, go the the well races, run like an animal races, make it hurt races. I tell the kids its lasts only so long, then its over you can't go back and put more into it now so leave IT out there.

Train hard, train smart