Oh what a Recovery Week can do!

Let me just start by saying I have THE best coaches an Ironbaby could ask for. They have provided us with the most detailed, efficient, well-planned and organized training schedule this season (complete with not only the physical training, but mental training exercises, weaning us into wetsuit/open water experiences that would otherwise be terrifying, and timely 'marker sets' to help us see our progress and how we are improving every few weeks). What's more, they spend hours behind-the-scenes, meeting with our mentors, captains and staff to ensure we, as aspiring Iron athletes, have the best experience possible. And so I'd like to give proper acknowledgment and say HATS OFF! to them! I appreciate every bit of energy, encouragement, enthusiasm, support and guidance they give us along the way. And that goes for every last mentor and captain who sweeps the bike and run courses for our safety. You know who you are! :) Each one of you is an integral part of this experience and I can't say thank you enough.

This week was designated as a Recovery Week from our infamous Boot Camp Weekend. We took the opportunity to take our workouts down a notch, soak in hot tubs, stretch and foam roll out, and even get some much-needed massages. I had a 50-minute trigger-point session that made three hours of sleep seem like 8. Note to self: Will be booking same therapist after Wildflower Weekend.

Waking up on Saturday morning was tough. We had a smaller anticipated turnout for the coached workout in Novato (a trek for most of us who live in the East Bay), and the rain was stop and go for awhile. But I managed to peel myself off the bed for what would be a day I wouldn't regret...

We had two marker sets scheduled: A Swim & a Run. And here are my results:

Swim: 1500 yds (60 laps in the pool, the same distance I swam for the first time at the Louie Tri) in 0:33:58, a five-minute improvement in my time since January, and with a 20-second negative split (the last 30 laps were 20 seconds faster than the first 30).

Run: 5k on the track in 0:29:00 ~ I never knew I could run like that!

And on Sunday, our bike marker:

Bike: 4-mile ride along a slight incline along Bollinger Canyon Road in San Ramon, improving my speed by 1.6 mph, which according to Coach Mike, is a 20% increase in my speed! This piece of news especially blew me away.

After our bike ride on Sunday, we combined it with a run to make it a brick workout, where I felt good, ready and smooth. It's truly amazing to see the real progress we've all made, and particularly, how much of a difference a little downtime and recovery can do for the bod! I am truly in awe!

Coaches' Feedback:

"Holy moly!!! What improvement!!!! You took 14 minutes off your extrapolated 2.4 mi time and you shaved 20 seconds off your average 100 yard pace! This is HUGE Maria!!! Furthermore, you negative split perfectly!! This shows what a solid base you created and is a testament to all your hard work! You are an inspiration to the entire team and your spirit is infectious!" -Coach Sedonia, Swim

"Wow, you improved your average speed by over 1.6 mph. That may not seem like a big number, but for this bike marker, we are not expecting change like that. You decreased your time and increased your average speed by ~ 20%. That's HUGE! Keep up the great work." -Coach Mike, Bike

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Week #16 Workout Summary: [Recovery Week]

Swim: 1 hour and 30 minutes
Bike: 3 hours and 0 minutes
Run: 3 hours and 0 minutes
Core/Strength: 0 hours and 30 minutes
Total Workout: 8 hours and 0 minutes