Only six weeks until my first event of 2009

I have my first event of 2009 on April 25. I can't wait. I feel pretty good about where I stand. I need to do a few bricks to really judge myself. The International distance is 1500m swim, 24 mile bike, and a 6.25 mile run. My biggest fear between the three events is my bike. I just don't get to spend enough time on it. Hopefully with the time change, my time on the bike will change too. I have had a really good week of training. I got in my longest ride to date yesterday. I made it 38 miles. I averaged around 18 mph. My legs were extremely fatigued following, but overall was very happy with the workout. This ride was different because I rode a Specialized Transition tri bike. The main advantage of having a tri bike vs rode bike is it's geometry. The downtube of the frame is a more aggressive 74-78 degrees vs a road bike of 60-65. Although this may not sound like much, I have found that just even a few rides on the road bike, it makes a huge difference. The more upright tube makes the rider use their quads vs. the hamstrings. This is important because the main muscles used for running are the hamstrings. Therefore, when the rider is off the bike and on to the run, their running muscles are not a tired. Although my legs were tired, it was all quads, not hamstrings.

My runs have been going pretty well. I am trying to get my mileage up slowly. My legs have felt pretty good. I did my long run last week of 6.5 miles. It's kind of strange saying that is my long run considering I have done 11 miles in the past. I am trying to follow orders by taking it slow and keeping my distances short and build up.

My swims have been pretty solid lately. I did just under 2500m on Sunday. These were mostly drills with a few longer intervals thrown in. I should be ready come race time. As race season approaches I get more and more excited. I can't wait to see if my training is truly paying off. For me, my race season is me against the clock, not any other competitor. Again, it's all about seeing what I can do.