Halfway There

8 weeks down, 8 to go.

Training so far has been great. I haven't missed a run so far, covering 255 miles the first 8 weeks. My legs are holding up fine. I have my longest week this week, 44 miles, with an 18 mile run Sunday. Then, I have 2 20 milers, with rest weeks in between, before I start my taper.

I haven't trained this consistently since high school CC. I'm feeling good about my fitness and I'm excited to see what I can do in Des Moines.

In other news, who wants to go back to Leadville next summer?

14 Miles - Feeling Fine

Yesterday was a 14 mile run, and it went really well (except forgetting sunblock). I ran 8:30 pace on the way out, and 8:10 pace on the way back for 1:56 total time. I felt very strong, while also relaxed and comfortable for the whole run. Today, my legs are feeling pretty fresh, only a little sore. I think that may be due to making the COMMITMENT to running as scheduled and not skipping workouts. My body is getting used to the mileage and consistency of training. It feels good.

Commuting

There is simple pleasure in riding my bike to work. Moving swiftly through the fresh morning air, the stiffness in my legs from the yesterday's run melts with each turn on the pedals. The fixed-gear bike provides a direct connection to the pavement rushing beneath my feet. The first beads of sweat appear as I hop off and walk into work. I hope it doesn't rain on the way home.

81 Days to Des Moines

The Des Moines marathon is only 81 days away. That seems like a long time, unless you are running it, like I plan to.

Training started about a month ago. I’ve worked up to 36 miles for this week, and I’m feeling pretty good. I’m following a training plan, and actually sticking to it well.

I’m excited for this race for a few main reasons. First, I’m finally excited and motivated to train for something after a long break after the half-ironman last summer. Second, I’ll get to hang out with E & A in Des Moines before the race. Third, part a lap around the historic track at Drake University is part of the marathon course. Finally, it gives me a reason to resurrect this blog!

Until next time, run fast.

First Day/ Back on the Bike

Hey all-
I have been taking it easy since the half-ironman. I have had pretty much no motivation to train at all since the race, except a few days this past week. I rode my bike a for an hour both Wednesday and Thursday, and did a quick, hard half hour on the trainer today before going to work.

Oh, work. Today was my first day at Dewey's Pizza, a pizza and salad place in Clayton where I'll be waiting tables. Today I filled out a bunch of paper work and then stood in the kitchen and watched everything. Yep, that was all I did. For three hours. It got boring, but it was a good way to see how everything worked.

I was thinking about doing a sprint race at the beginning of October, but I'm thinking I won't do it for 2 reasons: 1) I don't really want to train for it, and 2) Its not really a sprint. I did it last year in 1:51 - that's a pretty long sprint. I'm thinking about volunteering instead.
Hope all is well with the readers of this blog.
GC

Pigman Race Report

70.3! Completed my first half-iron distance race yesterday at the Pigman Triathlon in Palo, Iowa. All in all it was a good race for me. See the video here (8/17/08).

Race Report:

The Swim: A triangular 1.2 mile loop. I am a new swimmer and very slow, so my plan was to take my time and just get through the swim in good shape. I managed to do just that. Navigation was challenging, and there was occasionally a small chop, but I kept it steady and relaxed and finished in 46 minutes.

The Bike: A corn-filled 56 mile course through rolling Iowa countryside. My legs felt really good on the bike, but I planned to keep my effort moderate for a stronger run. I had no problem on the hills throughout the course as I had trained on steeper and longer hills - I actually thought the bike course was quite pleasant (many other athletes disagreed). I ended up averaging 19.2 mph for a 2:55 bike split.

The Run: The run course was an out and back on a shadeless, sun-soaked country highway. The first 3-4 miles I felt pretty strong except a minor stomachache that made me not want to eat at all. Things started going downhill around mile 4-5. I overheated and just felt awful, and mentally went into survival mode. I took a long walk after the next aid station where I took a gel and water, and a lot of ice. I started to pack myself in ice (shorts, jersey) as well as carrying a cup of ice water to dump on my head between stops. After 3 miles or so of extended walking breaks at aid stations and ice packing, I started to feel much better. I got into a good rhythm for the last 5 miles and finished well, with a 2:01 run split, despite a couple 11-12 minute miles in the middle of the run.

My final time was 5:47. My main goal was just to finish, but I thought if I had a good day I could go about 5:45m so I'm really happy with my time. I felt strong most of the day, except those middle miles on the run. Overall, it was a very good race for me.

Guess my finish time.

Use the poll at right to guess my finishing time. Winner gets a prize (prize TBA). Claim your time slot in the comments section of this post. One person to a time slot, first come first served.

COLORADO

Just got back from a fantastic week with the whole family in Leadville, CO. It was a great trip, including a couple beautiful runs, a swim in the warm Leadville pool, a couple bike rides (the following pictures from from a 65-70 mile ride to Independence Pass), cross training via canoe paddling, and climbing Mt. Massive - all of which were fueled by tons of good pizza, ribs, salads, and subs courtesy High Mountain Pies,

The view after a short section of a long climb. I came up along the road you can see.

Same spot as the first shot, but looking to the left. You can see where the road turns and heads uphill.

Me.

The old highway 24 coming out of Leadville. It was pretty much abandoned, and great to ride on for 5 miles or so.

A reservoir viewed through my spokes.

Same reservoir, sans spokes.

Twin Lakes.

Uphill, to where I took the first couple pictures.

Wetsuitsuits are fast

I did a half hour swim yesterday in the campus pool before it closed for the rest of the summer today. I wore my wetsuit, just to make sure it would still work for me, especially over a longer period of time then 10 minutes. Wetsuits make you fast. I am ~10 seconds faster over 50 yards wearing the suit, going from ~65 seconds to ~55 seconds with the same effort. I like that.

Race Rehersal Weekend

Hey all-

I had my longest and best training weekend so far this past weekend.

Friday was an off day, but I ended up doing an inaugural race - the Macklind Mile. It is a mile run on one straight road with a lot of downhill and no uphill. The race was well run, the course was so fast, and it even had the quarter miles marked. I went 1:15 through 1/4 mile, 2:35 through 1/2 mile, then didn't see my 3/4 mile before finishing (downhill) in 5:02. I really didn't run too hard, either - the course was just way faster than I was expecting. Anyway, it was a fun race and a good way to kick off the 4th of July, especially since we went to Denny's afterward.

I decided Friday to do a "race rehearsal" weekend of sorts - I wanted to do the full bike leg on Saturday and the full run leg on Sunday. So I did.

I went slightly over-distance on the bike, logging about 61 miles, which I later realized was really close to 100 kilometers - I wish I would have gone an extra 1.2 miles or so. The ride was really, really hilly. It probably would not have qualified as a "horribly hilly" 100k, but there were probably at least 20 significant climbs. I think my training course is probably (hopefully) more challenging than the Pigman course. Anyway, I got through the ride feeling pretty good, except one near the end of a ~15 minute consistent climb about 2.5 hours in. Its hard to really keep relevant statistics - I hit lots and lots of stoplights - but I think I was probably doing 18-19 mph most of the ride.

Sunday was my half-marathon day. I tried to get up early and failed, eventually waking up at about 11. So I started my run after a light breakfast at about 11:45. A bank sign told me it was 92 degrees. It was really hot, but my legs felt A-OK after my long bike Saturday. I went through Forest Park, down Wydown, and into Clayton. It was a pretty nice run, a few rollers but no major hills. The best part about the course is that there are water fountains about every mile and a half, so I didn't have to worry about carrying any water. I did stop for about 30 seconds at each fountain though, as I was sweating a ton. I had a Gu at 35 minutes and at about 1:10. I think I did OK staying hydrated, but I might have been a bit light on the calories. The last mile and a half or so I got really hot and pretty sluggish, I think I could have used another snack at about 1:30. I will definitely carry a couple extra gels than I plan on using during the race. Anyway, I finished the half-marathon in 1:43 or so, about 7:50 miles, which I was pretty happy with.

So anyway, that long training weekend definitely gave me a confidence boost about the race. I feel like the distance is definitely manageable for me. My swim is coming along - I'm still really slow, but I have been doing some long continuous swims, and can get through 1.2 miles breathing easily, with pretty low effort.

May totals

I know it has been a long time since the last post. If you care, I'm sorry. I'm still doing better than that 'Summer Rains' guy.

Training has been going fairly well. I actually improved my mileage a bit in May, ending up with:
292 miles biking
85 miles running
7500 yards swimming.

I actually managed that despite having some mechanical problems and not having a bike for two weeks, as well as the pool being closed for a two weeks as well. While that did put a damper on training, I managed to make up the bike mileage later in the month (I didn't do so well with the swim mileage), as well as adding about 25 miles running over the month. So, all things considered, it was a good month.

The last two weeks have not been so good. I started my primary lab job during the day (8:30 AM to 4 PM) as well as picking up three 9 hour shifts at the restaurant, which start at 5 PM. That means sneaking in a short swim over lunch, and maybe a quick run before work, at best. Not very good for the training volume. However, I've managed to get in two tough 2.5+ hour rides, as well as a 12 mile run yesterday, which felt strong and pretty easy.

So I am 9 week out from the race. I feel like I could probably maybe finish the race if it were this weekend. My run is really strong, and fine. My swim is slow, but I am pretty sure I can manage. I swam 1500 yards today continuously, at about 2:10 min/100 yards. The bike is probably the most shaky for me. I really need to get some good, long training done in the next couple weeks, especially to build some confidence for the race.

Run

Today I did an 8 miler with some hills at about 7:40 pace. More notably, I saved a baby mouse/shrew from drowning in flooding street in Forest Park. All in all, a good day.

April Totals

April Weekly Mileage Totals
Swim Bike Run
2.24 64.14 14.30

April Total Mileage
Swim Bike Run
9.57 274.50 61.20

Official Results

I dropped to 21st overall, 3rd in my AG.
http://www.ridgerunnersports.com/race/2008STEAMBOATTRIATHLON.htm

Pictures

Getting ready to swim.


The first length. I like this picture because you can make out the wave next to my head, whose trough I breath in.


Coming into T2


Justin, coming out of the swim, just minutes before his flat.


Finishing up the run.


My trophy. We didn't wait the extra hour for the awards ceremony.

Cape Girardeau Race Report

We woke up early to hit the road for Cape Girardeau. After fitting 2 bikes, gear, and 4 people into one (1!) car, Justin and I picked up Julie and Garrett and drove the two hours south to Cape Girardeau. Once there, Justin and I got set up with Julie and Garrett got doughnuts. Lucky.

After getting registered and numbered, I warmed up with a quick run and strech, a quick spin on the bike to make sure everything was working, and then headed into the pool. The swim start was staggered so one person started every 20 seconds. I was feeling pretty good about the swim, as I had had a couple great pool workouts in the past couple weeks. I mingled with the 10-minute-expected-finish group and got started about 35 minutes after the first swimmer. I settled into a good rhythm right away, and felt pretty strong. My breathing was good, and I only 'missed' (i.e., got a mouthful of water) once the whole swim. I passed one person and got passed by one person (who was cruising!). My swim time was great for me: 9:08! My best time in practicing was ~9:30, and my time last year was... 12:34. Great improvement for me. I felt good exiting the water.

T1 was good for me as well, I stripped my googles and cap, and threw on my number belt, helmet, and shoes. I did drop my sunglasses, which cost me a few seconds. I think I was ~56 seconds for T1. Last year I was 1:46.

After a successful flying mount, I spent the first half mile of the bike spinning my legs and strapping on my shoes. After that, I went to work. This course was much harder than I remembered - lots of short, steep climbs and a few significant climbs. Much of the first 6 miles or so was uphill. I didn't feel great on the bike, my stomach was cramping up a bit (not sure why) as well as my hip flexors. I just had to stand up a couple times for a couple seconds to release that though, no problem there. I passed a bunch of people, and didn't get passed at all during the bike leg. I pushed hard but still stayed a bit conservative on the climbs, generally just sitting and spinning up the hills. The official times are not up yet, but I think I came through in about 46 minutes, just over 20 mph, for the bike leg. Last year I went 52:20.

T2 was great. I got my shoes off on the bike, had a running dismount straight to my rack, and pulled my running shoes on. I did have a piece of tape in my left shoe, but it settled to a nice part of my foot and didn't cause any problems. I'd guess my time was about 30-40 seconds.

The first part of the run was brutal. My stomach was not feeling good at all, and cramping a bit. My legs were extremely heavy. After about a half-mile, everything started to loosen up and I picked up the pace as I picked people off. After about 1.5 miles I was feeling great (well, not great, but no cramps) and kept pushing the pace as much as I could. The run course was very nice with a few hills, but nothing major.
I ended up at about 34 minutes for the 5 mile run, so right about 6:45-6:50 pace.

My finish time was 1:30:50. That is a drop of 16 minutes (!) from my time last year. Loyal readers will also take note that my goal time was 1:30:45. I wish I didn't drop my sunglasses.

Last I saw, I was 18th overall, and 2nd on my age group (the winner went 1:25:xx).

Overall, I felt great about the race. If I had to do it over, I would have taken water on the bike instead of gatorade. That is about it, though. This race felt much, much different than past triathlons. I was extremely confident, calm, and in control the whole race. I never felt like stopping or cutting back on the pace. I really was able to trust my training and do my best. I think this was the first race I was really fit for, well prepared for, and knowing that through the planning and execution of the race made a huge difference in the overall experience.

Julie is responsible for sending me some pictures, I will post them ASAP, hopefully with the official results.

First Race

My first race of the season is a week from tomorrow. I will be returning to Cape Girardeau, where I did my first tri ever one year ago. I convinced my buddy Justin to come down and race as well. It will be his first tri, after completing a couple marathons the past few years.
The distances are: 450 meter swim (pool), 15.5 mile bike, and 5 mile run.

My goal times:
------------
Swim: 10:00 (Last year- 12:37)
T1: 1:00 (1:46)
Bike: 45:00 (52:20)
T2: 0:45 (l:28)
Run: 34:00 (38:42)
------------
Total: 1:30:45 (1:46:50)

I think this time might be a bit ambitious - I remember the bike course being a bit hilly. However, if the stars align and I put together a perfect race, I think I could finish around 1:30. Last year's age group winner was 1:26, followed by a 1:27 (third place was 1:40 or so), so I could be in there for top 3 in the age group. I need to make some time this week to practice my transitions - its been a while!

Training for the half is going well. I started the training program a few weeks ago and have been able to stick to it pretty well, only missing one workout so far (in order to play basketball) which I made up later in the week. Swimming and running have gone really well, but biking had been a little tough. My legs felt pretty tired on the bike until today's workout. I did 34 miles in 2 hours. My legs started to feel really good after an hour or so of riding. Maybe these shorter rides I've done haven't given me a chance to get good and warm on the bike, I don't know. Anyway, I did 2 hours in the saddle followed by a quick 1.2 mile run (minibrick) to get used to the bike to run transition. My legs felt great off the bike, I felt good settling into a 7:00 minute/mile pace right away.

April training totals thus far:
Swim: 10850 yards (6.16 miles)
Bike: 175 miles
Run: 40 miles

Marathon Pictures

A friend sent me a couple pictures from the marathon in January, and I am looking spectacular.

Around mile 20. Check out that smooth stride.

Probably mile 22 or so? I'm either smiling or just puked a little in my mouth. Your call.


At the finish. Lookin' good.

Breakfast

German Pancakes!