not quite done yet...

So post Steelhead.. I decided I would make a quick switch from the long, endurance training that I was doing for the 1/2IM and change to short, fast speedwork and interval training to get ready for my sprint race (500m swim, 10mi bike, 3mi run) at Eagle Creek on 8/21. This is the same race I did in June..they do 3 races in a series in the summer and it's a nice way to track improvements through the season. SO. I took on the speed work head on.. fartlek (speed play) run, pace loops on the bike, FAST intervals (3mi bike in a pace line going about 25mph, then transition to a 1mi run, which I approach as 1mi repeats...do this 4x through), speed work in the pool, bike hill repeats, run hill repeats, mini sprint tri repeats (200m swim, 3mi bike, 1mi run..FAST!..now go again)...oh, my! I did work a long saturday training in there, which was fun.. I met up with my Y Tri coach, Todd, for a 45mi ride in the wee early hrs of the morning (5am...which seems earlier now, since it's not getting light out until about 7a these days), then did a speed work swim for about an hr, then met up with the group to bike hill repeats for about another hr or so... Good stuff! By this time, I had already started to realize the damage I was doing to my already ailing achilles (hurting since last Oct in my last long training run before the marathon). I did truck on over to the walk-in clinic at orthoindy..mostly just to make sure it wasn't fractured..which it wasn't! I thought that was a good thing, but the doc was still so grim.. He said the pain in my heel was indicating that I have degenerative (chronic) achilles tendonosis (used to be called tendonitis, but they now don't consider it inflamatory? or something... thank you, google search!) and that if I don't rest it, I'm risking rupture.. Well, I certainly don't want that! But...I still have these races... Doc recommends 4mo with NO running! So after much debate, I decided I would lay off the running in training & I'd just do my best (& hope for the best!) in the races. So race #1 (AMA..against medical advise) comes... Eagle Creek. I felt good. Even though my time didn't reflect much improvement in the swim, I felt great and DID manage to shave a few precious seconds from that time. Then off to ride and I was De. ter. mined to finally average over 20mph..no more of this 19.something... I did it! I pushed hard and averaged around 20.3mph (ish? I don't memorize these things..you can check tuxbro.com if you want exact details..)...finally! Then off to try the ol' achilles out on the run... I felt good! Not great, but good! I think I averaged somewhere in the 7:40min/mi range. And then...wait for it... finally, mu 1st place (age group) finish! I came in at 1:06:something, which was about 3min faster than my June race. 3min doesn't sound like much...but in a sprint race where you go ALL OUT and every little second counts, a 3min improvement ain't bad! I'll take it for sure. Extra fun for this race was that Tom & Sue (Matt's parents...aka 'grandma and grandpa Blunck') were in town and got to come along for the festivities! Thanks so much to them and my usual 'team Blunck' crew, Matt & Mason, for coming out to cheer me on. I didn't see much of ya (I was looking, but just going too darn fast, I guess!..yeah, right..), but I knew you were there and it always gives me that extra boost to know my support crew is out there. So, Yay! Sprint Tri down... Now on to the next...