Got My A$$ Handed to Me, and It Was A Good Thing.

I had my first real "failed" workout this year. I call it failed because compared to every workout or race I have done so far this year, I have never ever had to stop because my legs would go no further. I had the energy; I wasn't overly thirsty. My legs were just DONE. How done? Well the areas of my legs circled in green below is where they were DONE.

I am kinda torn right now. Did my legs stop because A) They were shot? or B) Did they cramp up? The only muscle "cramp" that I have ever experienced has been in my calves. It has happened once in the pool, a few times on the trainer, and a few times in the middle of the night. Don't you hate it when that happens? I don't know what a quad cramp feels like. I for sure know what spent quads muscles feel like.

So let's play "solve this crime."

Here is the evidence:

• I rode for 4 hours.
• Then I ran for 2 hours.
• On the bike I had 100 oz of liquid, 80 of which was Infit with approximately the same amount of electrolytes as gatorade.
• On the bike I consumed 7 Gus + 300 calories from the infinit = 1,000 calories total
• Wasn't ever hungry on bike and had to force down a Gu a few times because I just wasn't hungry
• It was 85 degrees and bright and sunny on the run. Large sections had no shade.
• was never hungry on the run
• I felt like an ant under a microscope due to the sun
• After 1 hour I got back to my car and considered quitting
• the 2nd hour was prolly the most painful hour of my life

So which is it? From my experience, it felt like my legs were just taxed and done. But can a muscle cramp feel the same as shot legs? Ooooorrrr, did the heat just zap my entire body? I ran a 1:47:37 down in the Galveston HIM in April in similar conditions (85 + 100% humidity and sun) and went a LOT harder on the bike. So the heat will zap me, but has never brought me to a complete halt.

When I finally got back to my car, I didn't feel right....I didn't feel human. A little humor always helps! So I tweeted:

Droopy eyelid, anyone?

I looked like shit and felt like shit. So I tweeted again.

So instead of dwelling on this forever and letting it eat away at my soul, I am going to look at the positive of this instead. IT PUT ME BACK IN MY PLACE!

I texted my coach about what happened, and he responded with:
"It was humid and u have been hittin it hard - chalk it up as an off day Jon and don't weight it too heavy."

See, last weekend I felt like Superman. My confidence was WAY too high and I was starting to think this whole Ironman training thing was a walk in the park. Boy did I go negative in the Karma points department! I lost respect for this distance and it came back and smashed me in the face with an aluminum baseball bat.

It made me scared again, which I think is a good thing. It will make me hold back and respect the Marathon.

Speaking of Lake Placid, I will be up there for 5 days starting Wednesday! This is my coach's annual training camp. Rule #1: CHECK THAT EGO AT THE DOOR!!!

So stay tuned for some Lake Placid reports. Word on the street is that we are climbing Whiteface (on the bike). Bring it! (and I expect to have my A$$ handed to me again)

Afterall, I AM training for a FUCKING IRONMAN!