Sooner than Expected

Don't know if it was just this weekend but I had two great days of training over the weekend and I can't believe how my fitness level has improved over the last two weeks. It's been now ten weeks since Ironman South Africa and of those ten I had three weeks of almost no training and then four weeks of very light training, basically just keeping the muscles moving. Then I got sick and had no training for a week, but the last two weeks I am back on schedule and last week was a 11 hour training week and this week a 17 hour week. My resting heart is also done to 45 bpm this morning and only the week before last it was at 54.

Yesterday's gym session felt much better than the one Thursday and I am getting used to the two sets of each exercise after doing one sets since IM.

After the gym session I went to work and the mist was really bad, much worst than Friday. The highway was again closed for traffic and the alternative route was not much better. At some stage I was doing 10km/h and could see nothing in front of me. It is really dangerous going too work in the winter with all the mist. When I finished work there was a 4 hour bike session waiting for me.

I wanted to go outside and do it on the open road as the sun was shining after a week of raining.
The only problem was that I would finish in the dark so I got onto the Computrainer. With these long sessions on the Computrainer I think it is more demanding on the mind than on the legs. When I started I didn't think or feel that I will stick to 4 hours but doing the Real DVD course of Hawaii made it a bit easier by watching a "movie" while cycling.

This mornings swim session also felt good and I think I am getting the hang of the Total Immersion way of swimming. I am much more relaxed in the pool and I did the 2.5km and wasn't as tired as in the past. The speed is not there yet but I am only concentrating on my technique for the moment. This afternoon was my long run and I really enjoyed it.

It's a good thing I didn't test drive the Newton shoes before I bought them, as I wouldn't have if I had one run in them. After the first run I wasn't impressed and with the second run they felt better but still nothing special. I wasn't sure today if I should use them for my 2 hr long run but I'm glad I did. They were so comfortable and my legs weren't as tired as in the past and I am only now in the beginning of my training block. I think the laces were a bit loose on the first three runs and I tightened them a bit before I went out and the shoes felt much more stable.

Jakkals( www.trijackal.blogspot.com ) send me a message after I finished my run to say that when he went for a run this afternoon and he ran into a shootout at the shopping mall. He had to hide as bullets were flying all over the place. I am so glad he is OK. I ran past the same shopping mall less than two hours before this incident and it makes one really scared at what can happen to you even if you are just minding your own thing and do what you love, training for IM's.

Yesterday's Workouts:
Gym: 54 min, 515 kcal.
Bike: 4h01, 122 km, 133 bpm, 3391 kcal, 30.4 km/h

Today's Workouts:
Swim: 50:06, 2.5km.
Run: 2h01, 23 km, 140 bpm, 1834 kcal, 5:13 min/km, 87 rpm(cadence).