2016 IMLP Training June 13-19
it's camp week for me (heading up to LP Thurs-Sun), and unfortunately it is off to a rough start. I had a bike wreck on Saturday...it was rainy and there was an unmarked speedbump right at the edge of a wet/dry interface next to a tree that made it completely invisible. 
Fortunately I wasn't going fast but hitting it still made me lose control and I skidded out. HUGE road rash and some deeper gouges out of my left lower leg, some big bruises on my knees, and I'm missing the skin off most of my knuckles. Upside it the bike is fine and I didn't hit my head. But... that means I can't swim for at least several days (I'm not sure how many...) and it means I now have the psychological hurdle of getting back on my bike for the whole IMLP bike course on Friday (that huge descent...) plus another 60-70 miles on Saturday. Also, I had already dialed back the plan a little bit before and after the Quassy 1/2 on June 5, so I was really looking forward to coming back and hitting it hard this week. Now, I'm missing two swims, had to skip one run and cut another short... Arrgh!!!
Hopefully the wound will be re-epithelialized by Friday so i can do the full IM swim for camp week without worrying about infection, or worse case maybe Saturday? I have Tegaderm on it now and am just crossing my fingers. Then I will probably ride the course really conservatively to build confidence back up. Just really sucks to be plateauing and/or losing fitness at 6 weeks out when, as you all know, this is the really critical time. I can do a little bit of dryland swim cables, but it just doesn't feel the same.
Anyone else have experience re: swimming and road rash or advice/talking me off the ledge for these workouts I'm missing?? 
Comments
First- RE the swim. Don't sweat it. You can put a boat load of last minute swim stuff leading almost right up to race day with very little impact to a taper/rest before the big day. I'd say stay out of the water until you are sure those wounds are healed- risking infection now is just NOT worth one or two swims.
Second- Just get back on the horse and get through the bike workouts (and if you gotta skip that second one- because your body is still too beat up- don't sweat it). We tend to all put a lot of emphasis on this "Camp" week. But remember that 1- it's optional (really- read the coaches notes), and 2- it's just another workout. Also- next week will be a "Run focus" week, so any run stuff you missed this week you'll get to make up then.
Step away from the ledge- you are gonna be fine.
when in LP, if you can, get someone to drive you to the descent. Drop off at top, ride to bottom, have car meet you at bottom (in keane) and drive you back up to top, do this 3-4x... you will own the descent after that!
you have great training under your belt and and will get lots more in. A week off to heal will also give you great recovery to address the final leg of training at full strength.
I was doing great on swimming, then went to CO w the Truscott camp. Got lots of fitness, but drove myself into the ground last week, but missed a swim... Had great intentions for this week with a planned recovery day Monday. Monday morning I was physically attacked my ex-wife's BF (you can't make this shizz up) in this attack, I ended up with a long but not deep cut to my lat behind my scapula, a sprained thump & had hit my head.
so, after 2 days of rest, I just went out and did an impromptu FTP test, new lifetime high, beating the one week ago lifetime high by 3 watts... Good things are a comin'
So, i took yesterday off also. I am supposed to do an OLY with friends this weekend, and worry that I need the six hour ride more than i need an OLY, but I am doing a tri the following week with a 95 mile bike and then a big RR weekend.