My Last Big Day

Jul 29, 2014 | My Iron Year, Training Daze

Blog Categories

Blog Archive

About Me

Lynne Tapper

I am a lifelong endurance athlete with the dual goal of training and racing until my bones turn to dust and sharing that passion with as many people as possible.

Today was a long, long day. I woke up at 6:00 am to swim for 30 minutes and then met a few friends to embark on a 100-mile ride. Later in the day, I ran for 1 hour and finished my day at 7:00 p.m.

It was perfect weather to do this stretched-out triathlon and I was grateful that I postponed this long day a full 24 hours.  Yesterday was quite humid and rain was threatening all day.  After a long drive home from New Hampshire on Sunday, I needed the extra rest day. Honestly, it wasn’t a rest day. I swam 3200 yard at my local pool.  But to me, just driving a mile and swimming a bit over an hour was the mental break I needed.

I won’t go into the specific details of the ride, as it took nearly 7 hours, but other than feeling a bit nauseated with ingesting so many gels, and climbing nearly 5000 feet, I felt pretty good. I also learned a few things:

I learned that I don’t want to ride without socks. My feet really hurt and I think I’d like to have a bit more cushion.

I learned that I can pee on the bike (but I do still think it’s really disgusting and hate that my bike and now my garage smells like a urinal!)

I learned that 5 miles can go by really slowly when all of your riding buddies don’t do the final 30 miles with you!

I learned about chamois butter which has been a lifesaver ever since. I’ve had two large tubes in my closet for years and never used them until now!

I learned that you can think about so many things while you’re riding and then remember none of it when you get home!

After finishing this long day, I drank 4 glasses of chocolate milk. 96 grams of carbohydrates and plenty of protein.  600+ calories. Later in the evening, I forced myself to eat some pasta, stretched, and finally went to sleep.

The next day, I “GOT” to run for 90 minutes. I truly thought I’d be physically exhausted.

To my surprise, I felt much better than I had expected.  I had enough water and fuel to get me through the run. I knew my taper was right around the corner.

Taking it one day at a time has really made a difference. I just focus on one workout at a time and don’t let myself get overwhelmed.

I know it’s easier said than done and trust me, there are many times that I just don’t want to do it anymore.  But, I give myself the time I need to rest and recover and just start new each morning.  I’m so close…can’t give up now!

My next big day is Sunday, August 17 in Canada.  One hour at a time and I should be able to finish…

i

Related Posts

Cold…Shmold

2021 has turned out to be the "year of physical challenges" for me. As each year goes by, I try to come up with another challenge to celebrate the passing of time. Maybe this is to prove that while...

read more

Running on Pause

Something's not right. In early spring 2021, during a 7-mile run, I noticed some slight pain in my left ankle. Of course, I didn't stop running, I just took note. After a few doctors and physical...

read more