..until my first Ironman-distance event! I can’t wait until Cozumel but before I go, I got another 45 days to give it my best and to reach my prime… 

cue inspirational montage song

…That’s when you need to put yourself to the test, 
And show us a passage of time,
We’re gonna need a montage! (montage)
Oh it takes a montage (montage)….

Training logs
September was a crucial month in getting back into triathlon specific training. The focus was on slow LONG-distance so that my body could get used to handling hours of physical exercise. Mission accomplished! I’ve trained more in September than June~August combined. Here are my September stats from my dailymile logs: 

Week1 (8/29~9/5)
swim: 2.5km
bike: 25km (trainer), 20km (trainer), 115km (Arakawa)
run: 37km (Mt. Ontake race)

Week2 (9/6~9/12)
swim: 2.5km, 1.5km
bike: 25km (trainer), 150km (Arakawa)
run: 5km (recovery), 4.8km (intervals), 25km (Hasetsune practice)

Week3 (9/13~9/19)
swim: 3km, 1.5km
bike: 25km (trainer), 125km (Arakawa), 175km (Yabitsu)
run: 5km (recovery), 5.6km (intervals)

Week4 (9/19~9/26)
swim: 1.5km, 1.5km (Murakami)
bike: 25km (trainer), 40km (Murakami)
run: 40km (Hasetsune practice), 6.4km (intervals), 10km (Murakami)

Week5 (9/27~10/1)
swim: 3km, 1km
bike: 40km (trainer), 20km (trainer)
run: -

Events
Last week, I completed an olympic-distance triathlon in Murakami:
2:37:12 (overall)
0:34:20 (swim)
1:15:06 (bike)
0:47:46 (run)

I’m too lazy to repost the race report I had written up in the forums but will summarize. It was an excellent opportunity to assess my training and although I got killed on the swim (along with everyone else) and was off my 2:30 target time, I felt good after the race (I even went for a 3km indoor swim the next day)

October
The focus will be more towards intervals and shorter sessions with more intensity.

swim:
I’ll scale back emphasis on swimming with 2 sessions a week. I’ll do one slowish endurance-specific swim (3km/65~70mins) and a short 30-40mins session focusing on bilateral breathing.

bike:
For me, cycling is the key to everything. I’ll aim for 2-3 sessions on the trainer during the week. For my long-ish ride, it’ll be laps along Arakawa every Saturday morning with a focus on short sprints. If the weather is good, I may also ride on Sunday.

run:
If I decide to go through with Hasetsune on October 10, it’ll be my last trail run this year. After that, I need to start properly running again. The focus will be on intervals at the track and 1-2 morning runs during the week. I really need to practice running after cycling so anytime I cycle on the weekend from now on, I’ll add in a 1.5-2hr brick run.

nutrition:
My weight seems to hover at around 62-64kg. It’s crazy how much I’ll sweat on the trainer (there’s always a lake forming on the ground). I may try to fatten up to 65kg+ if I go through with Hasetsune. Starting October, I’ll make an effort to eliminate certain junk food that I seem to eat regularly (唐揚げ, 肉まん, etc..). I’ll probably still eat like a beast but I guess my body will appreciate it all that fuel. For longer training sessions, I’ve been experimenting with various sports drinks, gels, etc.. and will continue to do so in October. Those VAAM gels at the local conbini are becoming a favorite of mine.