ICEC Day #3

1.2 mile group swim, 64-mile ride.

Man it's hot! 40-degrees 2 days ago... 90-degrees today.

Twelve of us showed up at Mirror Lake this morning to do one loop of the swim course (1.2 miles). The water is cool but feels really good once you get moving. I finished in just over 30-minutes without pushing very hard. Feel really good about that.

After a quick transition back at the condo, I was off for one loop of the bike course. We started as a group but splintered pretty quickly. All told I did another 64-miles. After consulting with Patrick, my goal was to push the final climb past Whiteface all in the big ring. This week will probably be the last time I get a chance to gain any appreciable power before race day, so my motivation was high as I reeled in a bunch of riders who had gone out too hard.

It's amazing how strong I felt today. That's the whole point of this week, to go beyond my preconceived physical and mental limitations to find a new plateau.

This camp is loaded with strong athletes - especially cyclists. There's one large contingent from Boston and another from New York City. There are a few long distance travelers, too. One camper's from Ecuador. Another from Aruba. Coach Rich Strauss rode his motorcycle here from Los Angeles, conducting another Ironman clinic in Louisville, Kentucky last week.

Tomorrow I have a 7-hour ride in the planner. Thankfully the weather's supposed to cool down a bit. Even Coach P claims to be a little apprehensive about the ride tomorrow. Stay tuned for more updates...