As I posted last Friday, I had big plans for this past weekend and wanted to set the tone for Ironman training weekends to come.  With a 40-mile bike ride and 13+ miles/4000’+ on the trail in sight, a good night’s sleep was a priority on Friday night.  Taylor and I both decided to avoid drinking on Friday and Saturday in favor of sleep and good workouts, and our decision paid off handsomely when we felt fresh for the sunrise on Saturday.

I met up with my friend Cole bright and early on Saturday for a cold, foggy bike ride through the Presidio and Golden Gate Park.  We hit the Escape from Alcatraz bike course hard, logging the full 18 mile course along with a loop in Golden Gate Park – good for 25 hilly miles.  When we refueled halfway through the loop, we both agreed that the weather wasn’t ideal for another two loops of the park, so we opted to cut our ride short and conclude our workout with a 5K run instead.

Cole has always been a rabbit to me to chase – he ran cross country in college, topped out around a 17-minute 5K on the trail, and almost always runs a faster pace regardless of the terrain.  Much to my surprise,  I kept pace with him for the 5K, logging splits of 6:19, 6:20, and 6:21.  Logging 3 sub-6:30 miles is a big effort for me on a regular training day, and I was ecstatic to log a speed workout after hitting the hills hard.

After refueling, relaxing and gathering some courage, I was inspired to email the Wildflower Race Director to find out if it’s too late to register for W2 – Wildflower Squared, which consists of completing the Long Course and Olympic triathlons in consecutive days. Taylor and I are registered for the Olympic distance and I’m not positive that I’ll attempt to redefine the Dirty Double, but either way, starting my Ironman training cycle with a workout that made me question the feasibility of W2 set the tone for the season ahead.