Week 1 summary and race report

Week 1 summary: 11hr.

Had to take today off for the silliest of reasons. Yesterday was a perfect day in every particular but one. I guess I haven't worn my wetsuit for several years (warm races, not a ton of triathlons). Struggling into it was as horrible as I imagined it would be. L.'s boyfriend C. very kindly helped wrangle me into it (JMD: "Do you feel like a nineteenth-century ladies' maid?" CL: "Stays might be easier to manage!"). By this point it was about ten minutes before my wave left, and it probably had taken ten minutes or more to squeeze in the arms and legs, etc. I was pondering what to do with the long cord attached to the zipper when a pair of spectators gave me a pitying look and said, "The zipper goes at the back!"

I HAD PUT MY WETSUIT ON BACKWARDS...

They suggested that I should take it off and put it back on again the right way - "40 minutes is a long swim. It's going to chafe" - but I truly couldn't face it, and time was running out anyway. Shoulder mobility seemed fine, or at least as fine as it ever is in a wetsuit, and I figured I'd just have to live with the neck chafing.

WHICH TURNED OUT TO BE THE WORST NECK CHAFING IN THE HISTORY OF TRIATHLON!

Even running seems contraindicated today (better just to let it heal up a bit more first), and swimming would be a grotesque affront to the hygiene of other swimmers (I don't care if it stings, but I don't want to be the pariah in the pool!). Will run and spin tomorrow as I have now had today as a very nice rest day (caught up on some bits and bobs of work stuff that I've rather been putting off).

Noticeable in yesterday's race: I felt very strong on the bike, which is not surprising as it's what I've made a priority in my training! I always enjoy swimming, and I always find a triathlon run rather hot and tiring compared to normal running; really all three legs were joyful. Great atmosphere on the course, with a lot of very pleasant and positive minor exchanges with other athletes on the run.

Two weeks of high volume coming up. Very much looking forward to it! I am sorry that I haven't been training consistently over the last two months, but travel obligations and that week of respiratory ailment really made it unavoidable, and I suppose it is much better to begin formal Ironman training feeling hungry for hours rather than feeling already overloaded. Last week's Montauk ride really made me confident that I can do this thing.