28th week of training

Another good one.  14.5hrs of work (including tomorrow):

Swim - 3x3500m (one will be tomorrows Hampton Court Palace swim, 3600m)
Bike - 6 and 3/4hrs (4hr ride today)
Run - 4 and 3/4hrs (2hr session tomorrow after the swim)

Even with slightly less training this week, I've needed more rest than the last.  Talking with Alan today, we likened it to the 'holiday effect'.  You know, when you're putting in long hours at work, week after week, looking forward to that holiday, and when it comes, you get sick on the first day or two.  Work keeps your mind and body occupied, and when that rest comes along the body breaks down a bit before it recovers.  Hopefully lots of sleep this weekend and next week will get me fully recharged for the 31st.

Hampton Court Swim - 2.25mi (3.6km) Thames river swim from Hampton Court Palace to Kingston.  I'm targeting a time of 57mins, better than last year's 59.55, and a pace that puts me on 1hr for the IM UK swim.

Aches
- calf, yes it's still bothering me.  The pain is slowly dissipating, but it's still there, and I don't think it will go away until I take at least a full week away from running (which won't come until after Ironman).  That said, I don't think it's affecting my ability to run, mostly an annoyance.
- wrists, taking longer than I thought to get used to the aero bars, but again, it doesn't impact performance, not a major issue.
- trap fully recovered, no IT band issues

Nutrition
Final meeting with Freddy last Monday, official weigh-in at 62.9kg (138.7lb) and 7.1% body fat.  He says the weight I've put on over the last 4wks is a combo of adding lean muscle (YAY!), better hydration and larger carb stores in the muscles, all good signs for the 31st.  We also went through race nutrition, but I'm still fine-tuning a bit, so will spell this out closer to race day.

Cravings
- dried fruit, pineapple and peels, sugar infused and I'm putting it in everything!  Salads, porridge, yogurt, on it's own, you name it.
- guacamole, high in fat and big on taste, a great addition after a long session (but not until after the carb loading window is over, b/c we all know fats inhibit carb absorption)
- Off the Sprite/ 7up and not as much baked beans as previous