I'm getting more confused about what I should do for Detroit.
Plan was to show up with the 3:55 (9 min pace) group, run for half the race with them, and then cut lose around the half marathon mark. Run seven at a moderately hard pace, and blow out the last 6.2 with whatever I have left- hopefully more than the previous seven.
I imagined doing 3:46, cutting an hour off last year- my current marathon PR. But after running the 20 miler yesterday at an 8:11 pace, and realizing that it would give me a 3:34 marathon if I were able to keep it up for another six miles... it makes me wonder.
What could I do if I blew it out? If I followed my plan, but signed up with the 3:42 (8:30 pace) rather than the nine?
It's a risk.
But most things are.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Saturday, September 29, 2007
20 Mile Training run
I like the 20 mile training run.
It's a warm up, a test, and an affirmation all in one. Though I like and respect the Galloway method of run-walking, and it was useful for me to have done a 26 mile training run prior to running my first full, I think I'm best off if I limit myself to 20s as my long. It just feels easier on the body.
Today was the last of those prior to running Detroit. I've done three prior this training season- one just before jaunting off to California, as well as in the two weeks preceding this one. I think my average paces for them were 9:15, 11, and 10:30- the second two slower because I was running with my marathon training class.
Anyway, this time I ran with my friend K~, who's significantly faster than I am- though she's not actually signed up for a marathon this year. Running with her, I was pretty sure that I wouldn't follow the plan I so carefully devised, but I figured as long as I didn't get injured, I'd be okay.
Anyway, here's the breakdown-
Miles: 20
Time: 2:43:21
Pace: 8:10
Avg HR: 154
We pretty much talked about everything, from politics to family to death, and the miles flew by. On the one hand, it makes it harder to get into that "zone" where everything fades and it's just you, your stride, and the burning in your lungs. On the other hand, it's so much more rewarding to build lasting friendships while out on the run- it's part of what makes running running to me. I'll save my best efforts for the races.
Of course, I came close to following the plan in that I did the first mile in 8:51, the second in 8:27, and pretty much all the rest hanging out around 8:00- some a little faster, most a bit slower.
I also worked on the running while drinking from a cup technique. Still something to practice, but I'm getting better- I only spilled water on myself a couple of times!
Lastly, because I felt I had earned it, I purchased the stick to ease my poor, battered muscles. I swear I had a knot in my left calf muscle about the size of a golf ball!
'Twas a beautiful day for a run. An excellent time running. And I think I learned that I could run a pretty good time in Detroit if I stay uninjured and keep my focus.
It's a warm up, a test, and an affirmation all in one. Though I like and respect the Galloway method of run-walking, and it was useful for me to have done a 26 mile training run prior to running my first full, I think I'm best off if I limit myself to 20s as my long. It just feels easier on the body.
Today was the last of those prior to running Detroit. I've done three prior this training season- one just before jaunting off to California, as well as in the two weeks preceding this one. I think my average paces for them were 9:15, 11, and 10:30- the second two slower because I was running with my marathon training class.
Anyway, this time I ran with my friend K~, who's significantly faster than I am- though she's not actually signed up for a marathon this year. Running with her, I was pretty sure that I wouldn't follow the plan I so carefully devised, but I figured as long as I didn't get injured, I'd be okay.
Anyway, here's the breakdown-
Miles: 20
Time: 2:43:21
Pace: 8:10
Avg HR: 154
We pretty much talked about everything, from politics to family to death, and the miles flew by. On the one hand, it makes it harder to get into that "zone" where everything fades and it's just you, your stride, and the burning in your lungs. On the other hand, it's so much more rewarding to build lasting friendships while out on the run- it's part of what makes running running to me. I'll save my best efforts for the races.
Of course, I came close to following the plan in that I did the first mile in 8:51, the second in 8:27, and pretty much all the rest hanging out around 8:00- some a little faster, most a bit slower.
I also worked on the running while drinking from a cup technique. Still something to practice, but I'm getting better- I only spilled water on myself a couple of times!
Lastly, because I felt I had earned it, I purchased the stick to ease my poor, battered muscles. I swear I had a knot in my left calf muscle about the size of a golf ball!
'Twas a beautiful day for a run. An excellent time running. And I think I learned that I could run a pretty good time in Detroit if I stay uninjured and keep my focus.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Plateaus
So, I've hit a plateau with respect to my running speed. Even though (according to Garmin) I managed to run a 6:09 mile earlier this year on the track, during speed work yesterday I managed 93-105 second quarter mile intervals, meaning a 6:12 to 7:00 min pace.
Probably due to a number of issues- nutrition, humidity, the fact I was on asphalt and not on a track- these all probably play a role. But I really should face the fact that I won't be getting faster this season. I shouldn't even want to- the stress on the body is big, and since the big race is three and a half weeks away, I should play it careful and not tempt fate.
And the strange thing is, I probably won't tempt fate this way. It's not like I actually really like speed work. I like the results. I like the camaraderie of everyone feeling like they've been steamrolled together. I like the fact that what was normal has become easy, and what was fast has become normal. But I'm not hugely fond of redlining my body in anything other than a race.... it's uncomfortable, and the chance of injury is high.
This summer has, however, been very useful in teaching me what I can do. So to extend the plateau metaphor for a bit, I think I'll stop, take a rest, and admire the view. I'm in this for the long haul. Getting faster is nice, but it isn't why I'm in this, any more than losing weight or getting medals. They are only a happy side effects. :)
Probably due to a number of issues- nutrition, humidity, the fact I was on asphalt and not on a track- these all probably play a role. But I really should face the fact that I won't be getting faster this season. I shouldn't even want to- the stress on the body is big, and since the big race is three and a half weeks away, I should play it careful and not tempt fate.
And the strange thing is, I probably won't tempt fate this way. It's not like I actually really like speed work. I like the results. I like the camaraderie of everyone feeling like they've been steamrolled together. I like the fact that what was normal has become easy, and what was fast has become normal. But I'm not hugely fond of redlining my body in anything other than a race.... it's uncomfortable, and the chance of injury is high.
This summer has, however, been very useful in teaching me what I can do. So to extend the plateau metaphor for a bit, I think I'll stop, take a rest, and admire the view. I'm in this for the long haul. Getting faster is nice, but it isn't why I'm in this, any more than losing weight or getting medals. They are only a happy side effects. :)
Monday, September 24, 2007
Things upcoming...
On Wednesday, I'll get my bike from it's one month tune up, and decide whether to spend money on aerobars, and aero waterbottle, and the clips that will hold it all together. I'll also get to go to a swim practice in the morning- first three times are free, then it's $100 for 20 practices. Not a terrible price, to be sure. But I'll have to weigh my financial situation.
On Saturday, I get to do the Running Fit 20 mile training run in preparation for the Detroit marathon. I hope to get it done in three hours or so- my first of the season was 3:05 and was unsupported, in hotter weather, and a more difficult course. But it was the first one of the season, and I was really excited about getting it done.
A week after that is the Great Pumpkin Duathlon a 5K run/40K bike/10K run to which I've been really looking forward. I'd need to practice a lot at Kensington in my Aerobars if I go through with that, but it should be a great event. My hope is to finish in under 2:40, but really I'd be pretty happy with under three.
Then it's two weeks of tapering till Detroit. I plan to take the week prior to the Duathlon light as well... it doesn't really count as a taper, but I'm not racing the duathlon like I raced Heart of the Hills or Angela Hospice or how I plan to race Detroit. I'm just running it for fun.
*blink*
translation: I guess that means I'll give 97% of my all rather than 100%
*blink*
Thankfully the fall marathon season doesn't last much beyond fall, ya'know? :)
On Saturday, I get to do the Running Fit 20 mile training run
A week after that is the Great Pumpkin Duathlon
Then it's two weeks of tapering till Detroit. I plan to take the week prior to the Duathlon light as well... it doesn't really count as a taper, but I'm not racing the duathlon like I raced Heart of the Hills or Angela Hospice or how I plan to race Detroit. I'm just running it for fun.
*blink*
translation: I guess that means I'll give 97% of my all rather than 100%
*blink*
Thankfully the fall marathon season doesn't last much beyond fall, ya'know? :)
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Running Tip #35
How you can tell you may be an obsessed runner-
Did a ~20 mile training run today.
Saw others out running on my drive home.
Was jealous.
I've done two other 20 milers in the past few weeks- each time, it happened. Weird, eh?
*edit*
Speaking of weird, my quads have been hurting every since Tuesday because of speed work an plyometrics. After doing the long run today, my quads don't hurt anymore. Strange stuff...
Did a ~20 mile training run today.
Saw others out running on my drive home.
Was jealous.
I've done two other 20 milers in the past few weeks- each time, it happened. Weird, eh?
*edit*
Speaking of weird, my quads have been hurting every since Tuesday because of speed work an plyometrics. After doing the long run today, my quads don't hurt anymore. Strange stuff...
Friday, September 21, 2007
Wrapping the brain
26.2 miles is a pretty good distance, not matter what you're doing. For a decent mileage car, it's a gallon of gas. On a bike, it's an 60-90 minutes, depending on your speed. It's also the distance of a marathon, and it's sometimes hard to wrap the brain around.
I'm planning to do my next one as two half marathons- the first at a decent, relaxed pace- perhaps a bit faster than my first 20 mile training run pace this season. After that I'll try to cut loose a bit, hopefully dropping 30 seconds to a minute per mile off the average of my first half. But I'm breaking it down into manageable bites, and that's how it has to be.
Some look at the marathon this way- half the work is done in the first 20 miles. The rest is done in the last 6.2. That's a little harder to wrap my brain around, but I understand the concept. I ran my first marathon that way- the first twenty I did for fun, but it wasn't till after Belle Isle that I figured out that this was actually going to be work. So I changed my iPod from podcasts and audiobooks to music, put my game face on, and buckled down.
It went well, but I don't remember that much of it. Races can be like that.
But as I was biking with a friend yesterday, I mentioned that I wanted to drop an hour of my marathon PR- from 4:46 to 3:46 as my dream goal. I'm sure I can do it, barring accident, illness or injury. It's just a little hard to wrap my brain around. Like the course.
It's a lot like the course from last year, though without the finish at Ford Field, which was both a blessing and a curse from last year. It'll be nice, and interesting, and difficult, and wonderful, like most big accomplishments.
In one month, I'll have been a marathoner for a little less than a year. Everything going well I'll have finished my third in that time, and in less time than I would have thought possible just a few months ago. And the more I think of it, the less able I am to wrap my brain around it.
I'm planning to do my next one as two half marathons- the first at a decent, relaxed pace- perhaps a bit faster than my first 20 mile training run pace this season. After that I'll try to cut loose a bit, hopefully dropping 30 seconds to a minute per mile off the average of my first half. But I'm breaking it down into manageable bites, and that's how it has to be.
Some look at the marathon this way- half the work is done in the first 20 miles. The rest is done in the last 6.2. That's a little harder to wrap my brain around, but I understand the concept. I ran my first marathon that way- the first twenty I did for fun, but it wasn't till after Belle Isle that I figured out that this was actually going to be work. So I changed my iPod from podcasts and audiobooks to music, put my game face on, and buckled down.
It went well, but I don't remember that much of it. Races can be like that.
But as I was biking with a friend yesterday, I mentioned that I wanted to drop an hour of my marathon PR- from 4:46 to 3:46 as my dream goal. I'm sure I can do it, barring accident, illness or injury. It's just a little hard to wrap my brain around. Like the course.
It's a lot like the course from last year, though without the finish at Ford Field, which was both a blessing and a curse from last year. It'll be nice, and interesting, and difficult, and wonderful, like most big accomplishments. In one month, I'll have been a marathoner for a little less than a year. Everything going well I'll have finished my third in that time, and in less time than I would have thought possible just a few months ago. And the more I think of it, the less able I am to wrap my brain around it.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Wet Suit!
First swim with a "real" wet suit (one designed for triathlons). It amazing! I can't believe the buoyancy that it provides the legs, which flattened me out and made me a lot more efficient. Also, it kept me nice and toasty in 65-67 degree water, and I didn't even put on the neoprene cap that I bought to help keep me warmer as the temps fall.
The first few laps were tough though- I haven't swum much in the past couple of weeks, and it's not like I had a lot of muscle memory developed. But after a while my arms got used to the motion again, even while being encased in neoprene. My hips got in on the action, and I felt my rhythm- at least, a little bit.
I have a lot of work to do, though. :)
my splits for ~0.1 mile laps...
4:13, 4:16, 4:17, 4:04, 4:15, 4:30, 3:50, 4:00, 3:50, 3:39
My heart rate for the first five laps was significantly higher (30 bpm) than the second five, and I felt very short of breath after them. But it got better... kind of like running that way. :)
I think I'll try to swim twice a week until it gets too cold, though I could just be fooling myself. With both a duathlon and marathon coming up, I might not have time, ya'know?
The first few laps were tough though- I haven't swum much in the past couple of weeks, and it's not like I had a lot of muscle memory developed. But after a while my arms got used to the motion again, even while being encased in neoprene. My hips got in on the action, and I felt my rhythm- at least, a little bit.
I have a lot of work to do, though. :)
my splits for ~0.1 mile laps...
4:13, 4:16, 4:17, 4:04, 4:15, 4:30, 3:50, 4:00, 3:50, 3:39
My heart rate for the first five laps was significantly higher (30 bpm) than the second five, and I felt very short of breath after them. But it got better... kind of like running that way. :)
I think I'll try to swim twice a week until it gets too cold, though I could just be fooling myself. With both a duathlon and marathon coming up, I might not have time, ya'know?
Saturday, September 15, 2007
DWD
Dances with Dirt (DWD) was about a week ago.
And it may have been one of the coolest running experiences I've ever had. The possibility of death is mentioned three times in the waiver, and the line is quoted on the back of the shirt... though, so far as I can tell no one has actually died during the race.
It's a 100K relay, split up among 5 people. Most do between 10-15 miles. Some get lost, some fall, twist ankles, and get poison ivy. About everyone gets scratched, muddy, and sore. There are lots of hills, trip hazards, and that sort of thing.
The truth is, it's very hard to put into words... the support of running with a team is really, really cool. It's even cooler when we had another group of close friends on another team- we cheered each other when one team or the other hit the relay stop first.
The pics I took are a lot more expressive than I am; if you've any interest, check them out here. Some pics taken by my team mates...
Monday, September 10, 2007
Utah run
I only had a couple of runs while out west; a good one went through the streets of salt lake city into the foothills of the mountains. With the magic of Google Earth, here's the course. The mountains look more mountainy than they should, but (according to Garmin) I started off at about 4000 feet and ran up to about 5000. Tough stuff for a lowlander like myself.
I mostly had to run on Concrete. Ugh. I was a bike friendly town, though- I even saw a few triathlon bikes. *sigh* I long to live in a place where I could safely ride my bike to work. Michigan didn't have that as a priority during urban (or suburban) planning.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Bike
I bought another bike today. It's called the Roubaix, named after the destination city of the Paris-Roubaix race in France.
It has character. It has style. And riding a bike like this is better than chocolate, as well as 99% of the coffee I've ever drunk in my time. It's a weird thing to discover that a bike can fit like a glove; it's a measure of my reaction when, when asked how my trial ride was, I had to spend a minute to come up with "it was perfect."
Don't get me wrong: I still love running. But this biking this... I think it may open up whole new worlds. Centuries. Iron Men. Cool stuff like that. :)
Cold showers: It's not just a cure for concupiscence
Like I just said, speedwork is tough.
Right now, my right thigh is hurting like I overused it; thankfully, it feels only like a muscle issue, which heals with the proper doses of rest, massage, and occasionally anti-inflammatory type drugs.
But the best thing I've found to keep this from happening is the first cousin to the ice bath- the cold shower. Aimed directly at the right place for a long enough time, it really keeps inflammation from becoming a problem, even hours after the workout.
Not days, though. Not doing it after speedwork on Tuesday was a mistake; enjoying a long, hot shower compounded the issue.
*sigh* after all I've been though, you'd like I'd have learned by now, ya'know? :P
Right now, my right thigh is hurting like I overused it; thankfully, it feels only like a muscle issue, which heals with the proper doses of rest, massage, and occasionally anti-inflammatory type drugs.
But the best thing I've found to keep this from happening is the first cousin to the ice bath- the cold shower. Aimed directly at the right place for a long enough time, it really keeps inflammation from becoming a problem, even hours after the workout.
Not days, though. Not doing it after speedwork on Tuesday was a mistake; enjoying a long, hot shower compounded the issue.
*sigh* after all I've been though, you'd like I'd have learned by now, ya'know? :P
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Tuesday Speedwork
I'm getting fast. Not speed demon fast, mind you; I have friends who can run my mile PR and still hold a conversation. But a combo of speed work, months of hill training, cross training, and a great group of friends all work to help me get my time down.
How much? Well... I'll get to that in a minute.
Strangely enough, I took yesterday off- with rain, triathlon recovery, and a general feeling of malaise being the leading reasons why. Oh, and I think I forgot to drink coffee till afternoon.
Today I went in to work early, did the work thing, and had 2.5 hours to kill before speed work. After an hour of pouring over the tri results, I went to warm up. About Seven and a quarter miles of warm up. :) Every so often I had to tell myself to hold back; run at about 40%, relax, and enjoy the scenery. Kept me at a 9:15 average, with occasional forays into the 8 min/mile land.
Got to the track and heard todays workout: Mile sprint, quarter rest; 2 mile run (clockwise; interesting twist), 800M rest interval, then two 800s with a 400 rest between them.
Tough stuff. But I did well! My first mile was at a nice 6:09, knocking 25 seconds off my previous mile PR set at the Angela Hospice Run a week ago. If I keep up at this rate, I might see sub-6 in October. Um... yeah. wow.
The two mile pace was 6:42; not that far off my mile PR before today. The quarters were 3:14 and 3:02 respectively. The home stretch of my last half- maybe 50-100 meters, was definitely sub-5, perhaps even hitting sub-4 for a few feet.
Let me be honest: I never, every thought I'd be fast. Less than a year ago I was pretty happy running at a 10-11 min/mile pace, and would do my long runs at 12:30 and feel well satisfied. Running at 9 min/mile was fast for me, and averaging 8 min pace for anything over a half mile was something other people did.
But I'm getting faster. And ya'know- it feels kind of nice. :)
/brag
How much? Well... I'll get to that in a minute.
Strangely enough, I took yesterday off- with rain, triathlon recovery, and a general feeling of malaise being the leading reasons why. Oh, and I think I forgot to drink coffee till afternoon.
Today I went in to work early, did the work thing, and had 2.5 hours to kill before speed work. After an hour of pouring over the tri results, I went to warm up. About Seven and a quarter miles of warm up. :) Every so often I had to tell myself to hold back; run at about 40%, relax, and enjoy the scenery. Kept me at a 9:15 average, with occasional forays into the 8 min/mile land.
Got to the track and heard todays workout: Mile sprint, quarter rest; 2 mile run (clockwise; interesting twist), 800M rest interval, then two 800s with a 400 rest between them.
Tough stuff. But I did well! My first mile was at a nice 6:09, knocking 25 seconds off my previous mile PR set at the Angela Hospice Run a week ago. If I keep up at this rate, I might see sub-6 in October. Um... yeah. wow.
The two mile pace was 6:42; not that far off my mile PR before today. The quarters were 3:14 and 3:02 respectively. The home stretch of my last half- maybe 50-100 meters, was definitely sub-5, perhaps even hitting sub-4 for a few feet.
Let me be honest: I never, every thought I'd be fast. Less than a year ago I was pretty happy running at a 10-11 min/mile pace, and would do my long runs at 12:30 and feel well satisfied. Running at 9 min/mile was fast for me, and averaging 8 min pace for anything over a half mile was something other people did.
But I'm getting faster. And ya'know- it feels kind of nice. :)
/brag
Sunday, August 19, 2007
First Tri!
The Swim
'Twas a tad cold, air temperature-wise. Most of us stood shivering as the race announcer did the announcing thing; I borrowed a page from marathon racing and wore a disposable sweat shirt.
Thankfully, water temperature-wise things were much better. The water was significantly more comfortable then standing about in the air, but this led to something even more scary... wisps of fog making it hard to see much of anything. Buoys, kayaks, other swimmers... everything (at least, from my myopic vision) was pretty well obscured. I found myself swimming off in kind of random directions, as much as 90 degrees from where I should have.
Of course, this happened to me in practice, too, so I shouldn't have been taken too off guard. :P
I did have a scary moment when I caught a lung full of water, and as I coughed, gasped, and tried to suppress my gag reflex, I felt long tendrils of seaweed grasping at my feet. Gross! But worse, it also messed with my kick. Scary! And then, I realized, it was a really shallow part of the lake, and I could stand up, cough to my heart's content without fear of drowning, and even take a bit of a rest. Whew!
I don't know if it saved my life, but it was like that unexpectedly awesome meal when your starving, or a cup of amazing coffee when going through withdrawal. It'd be wonderful under normal conditions; in extremis I makes me wonder if there really might be a benevolent God watching out for me through no fault of my own.
Anyway, I finished in pretty good time (for me) and without swallowing too much water. And my first words when hitting the transition area to the other people around me were: "Whew. I'm glad that's over!"
The Bike
The second leg had us zooming around a subdivision, going through two loops of tight corners, puddles, and the occasional resident who I'm sure will never vote for a triathlon to happen near their place again. Rain pelted us pretty constantly through the whole ride, and the intersection between those starting, those halfway done, and those who were finishing left about a single bike width for each of the above, and an awful lot of congestion.
It was especially scary because it was coming down a hill, and braking was a bit nerve wracking...
But other than that, the bike was nice, relatively flat, well marked and the race volunteers were troopers! The definitely had it harder than we did, standing out in the cold, dreary weather rather than riding through it.
The Run
Strangely enough, the run was my favorite part of the tri. :) The course was about 2/3rds asphalt roads, 1/3 trail. The trail was a wood chip forest thing. There was just something so cool about running through it in the rain- a sort of rain forest type feel that was absolutely flipping awesome!
It was also nice to be able to encourage my friends as I saw them pass by during the run- it's a lot easier to tell if someone is a friend or not at a run speed then at bike speed, especially with rain-fogged glasses.
General thoughts:
I love my friends! They are the coolest people evar! They also all got AG prizes, so they are cool and awesome athletes!
I'm extra, extra glad that I put everything into my car the night before.
I'm also happy that I was smart enough to put my keys and wallet into my jacket; I just wish I had also done so with my camera.
Rain isn't so bad, so long as you're a paranoid person like myself and have the garbage bags, extra set of dry clothes, and the courage to change in front of everyone. :) I did have to use the race t-shirt as a towel, tho...
Need to do more early morning swim practices, as well as more swim practices in general.
I just might be addicted to triathons, now... *sigh* Like I need another addiction. :)
Results:
Half mile Swim: 25:54
T1: 3:54 min
12 mile Bike: 35:23 min (Garmin- 11 miles)
T2: 1:18
3 mile Run: 21:06 (Garmin- 2.9 miles)
Anyway, Yay! :) And I feel even better after a nap! :)
Still was in the cellar of my AG; 14/14. Though I was last in swimming by a good five minutes, I was eighth in biking and second in running! Cool, eh? And I'm pretty sure I can only improve on the other two events- and transitions, especially!
'Twas a tad cold, air temperature-wise. Most of us stood shivering as the race announcer did the announcing thing; I borrowed a page from marathon racing and wore a disposable sweat shirt.
Thankfully, water temperature-wise things were much better. The water was significantly more comfortable then standing about in the air, but this led to something even more scary... wisps of fog making it hard to see much of anything. Buoys, kayaks, other swimmers... everything (at least, from my myopic vision) was pretty well obscured. I found myself swimming off in kind of random directions, as much as 90 degrees from where I should have.
Of course, this happened to me in practice, too, so I shouldn't have been taken too off guard. :P
I did have a scary moment when I caught a lung full of water, and as I coughed, gasped, and tried to suppress my gag reflex, I felt long tendrils of seaweed grasping at my feet. Gross! But worse, it also messed with my kick. Scary! And then, I realized, it was a really shallow part of the lake, and I could stand up, cough to my heart's content without fear of drowning, and even take a bit of a rest. Whew!
I don't know if it saved my life, but it was like that unexpectedly awesome meal when your starving, or a cup of amazing coffee when going through withdrawal. It'd be wonderful under normal conditions; in extremis I makes me wonder if there really might be a benevolent God watching out for me through no fault of my own.
Anyway, I finished in pretty good time (for me) and without swallowing too much water. And my first words when hitting the transition area to the other people around me were: "Whew. I'm glad that's over!"
The Bike
The second leg had us zooming around a subdivision, going through two loops of tight corners, puddles, and the occasional resident who I'm sure will never vote for a triathlon to happen near their place again. Rain pelted us pretty constantly through the whole ride, and the intersection between those starting, those halfway done, and those who were finishing left about a single bike width for each of the above, and an awful lot of congestion.
It was especially scary because it was coming down a hill, and braking was a bit nerve wracking...
But other than that, the bike was nice, relatively flat, well marked and the race volunteers were troopers! The definitely had it harder than we did, standing out in the cold, dreary weather rather than riding through it.
The Run
Strangely enough, the run was my favorite part of the tri. :) The course was about 2/3rds asphalt roads, 1/3 trail. The trail was a wood chip forest thing. There was just something so cool about running through it in the rain- a sort of rain forest type feel that was absolutely flipping awesome!
It was also nice to be able to encourage my friends as I saw them pass by during the run- it's a lot easier to tell if someone is a friend or not at a run speed then at bike speed, especially with rain-fogged glasses.
General thoughts:
I love my friends! They are the coolest people evar! They also all got AG prizes, so they are cool and awesome athletes!
I'm extra, extra glad that I put everything into my car the night before.
I'm also happy that I was smart enough to put my keys and wallet into my jacket; I just wish I had also done so with my camera.
Rain isn't so bad, so long as you're a paranoid person like myself and have the garbage bags, extra set of dry clothes, and the courage to change in front of everyone. :) I did have to use the race t-shirt as a towel, tho...
Need to do more early morning swim practices, as well as more swim practices in general.
I just might be addicted to triathons, now... *sigh* Like I need another addiction. :)
Results:
Half mile Swim: 25:54
T1: 3:54 min
12 mile Bike: 35:23 min (Garmin- 11 miles)
T2: 1:18
3 mile Run: 21:06 (Garmin- 2.9 miles)
Anyway, Yay! :) And I feel even better after a nap! :)
Still was in the cellar of my AG; 14/14. Though I was last in swimming by a good five minutes, I was eighth in biking and second in running! Cool, eh? And I'm pretty sure I can only improve on the other two events- and transitions, especially!
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Training update
#1 "It's a little spooky, actually..."
I have a Garmin which, in theory, tells me almost exactly how far I've run. I note it all down in an excel spreadsheet which keeps track of me, and I'm pretty relaxed about trying to get exactly ten miles or whatever. If I hit 9.1, I'm happy with 9.1, and I don't feel any need to run an extra .4 miles or whatever. If I hit 9.96, I may run an extra .04, but that's less than an extra minute.
The excel spreadsheet is crude; everything is broken up into four week segments, which any regard to actual months. I just concluded a four week segment and came up with a total mileage of 173.93. I looked at last periods total mileage. It was 173.96.
I find that a little weird.
#2 "miles per week"
Hit 60 miles this week; the most miles I've ever run in a week. How do I feel? Hm... I feel like I could really use a nap. :)
#3 "unintentional PRs"
Did it again today: for a race which I wanted to do "easy", I ran a PR. Not by much, mind you: 46:13 rather than 46:57. But my first mile was also a PR of 6:36, which qualifies at way too bloody fast. My pace did almost drop to 8:00 during mile five, but I picked it up for the last bit to my race average of 7:30. All this after doing an 18 miles yesterday. *sigh*
#4 "Age group"
Last week I won my age group by virtue of being the only one in it. This time, I came in second of six, so I got a silver colored medal and got to stand to the accolades of my dear friends. One, with whom I was honored enough to run the first mile and half, went on to win over all the other females running. And many of the others did well in their age groups, also.
It was a good week, and a great race. Hopefully, I didn't do anything for which I'll be in too much pain this week....
I have a Garmin which, in theory, tells me almost exactly how far I've run. I note it all down in an excel spreadsheet which keeps track of me, and I'm pretty relaxed about trying to get exactly ten miles or whatever. If I hit 9.1, I'm happy with 9.1, and I don't feel any need to run an extra .4 miles or whatever. If I hit 9.96, I may run an extra .04, but that's less than an extra minute.
The excel spreadsheet is crude; everything is broken up into four week segments, which any regard to actual months. I just concluded a four week segment and came up with a total mileage of 173.93. I looked at last periods total mileage. It was 173.96.
I find that a little weird.
#2 "miles per week"
Hit 60 miles this week; the most miles I've ever run in a week. How do I feel? Hm... I feel like I could really use a nap. :)
#3 "unintentional PRs"
Did it again today: for a race which I wanted to do "easy", I ran a PR. Not by much, mind you: 46:13 rather than 46:57. But my first mile was also a PR of 6:36, which qualifies at way too bloody fast. My pace did almost drop to 8:00 during mile five, but I picked it up for the last bit to my race average of 7:30. All this after doing an 18 miles yesterday. *sigh*
#4 "Age group"
Last week I won my age group by virtue of being the only one in it. This time, I came in second of six, so I got a silver colored medal and got to stand to the accolades of my dear friends. One, with whom I was honored enough to run the first mile and half, went on to win over all the other females running. And many of the others did well in their age groups, also.
It was a good week, and a great race. Hopefully, I didn't do anything for which I'll be in too much pain this week....
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Training tip #2
What not to do on a 93 degree day, especially during the hottest part of it...
run a 6 mile warm up
do 6 sets of 800 meters at mile PR pace with a 200 meter jog interval
then finally, to wrap it all up, plyometrics
My legs did a 17 mile long run last week without complaining half so much. :P
run a 6 mile warm up
do 6 sets of 800 meters at mile PR pace with a 200 meter jog interval
then finally, to wrap it all up, plyometrics
My legs did a 17 mile long run last week without complaining half so much. :P
Sunday, August 5, 2007
Store 5K competition
New thing number one: Cross Country running.
It means grass, rolling hills, and the odd root and rock that the typical road runner seldom comes across. Add a dash of rain to make things slippery and interesting.
New thing number two: a small field.
Twelve runners came together from the three different Running Fits in the Northville area; well actually there were thirteen of us, and one was the owner-boss-guy, so I'm not sure I should count him.
Many were college runners- meaning after the first minute I didn't see them again. Most of the race I was completely alone, which suits me okay; it was a lot like a training run that way.
New thing number three: a steamy finish.
... and no, not in as fun a way as it sounds. But I had wisps of steam coming from off my body after the run, like my skin was smoking or something.
Last new thing: 5K PR.
Last February I ran my first (and up till today, only) 5K in a respectable 25:16, which was my first foray into a race pace of 8-9 min/mile. I haven't run one since, concentrating on longer distances, trail running, and speed work. Yet all that training has seemed to have helped a bit! :) I knocked almost three minutes off my time, coming it at 22:27.
And my first mile (6:50) was only about nine seconds off my mile PR set Tuesday! I was pretty amazed, really. :)
It means grass, rolling hills, and the odd root and rock that the typical road runner seldom comes across. Add a dash of rain to make things slippery and interesting.
New thing number two: a small field.
Twelve runners came together from the three different Running Fits in the Northville area; well actually there were thirteen of us, and one was the owner-boss-guy, so I'm not sure I should count him.
Many were college runners- meaning after the first minute I didn't see them again. Most of the race I was completely alone, which suits me okay; it was a lot like a training run that way.
New thing number three: a steamy finish.
... and no, not in as fun a way as it sounds. But I had wisps of steam coming from off my body after the run, like my skin was smoking or something.
Last new thing: 5K PR.
Last February I ran my first (and up till today, only) 5K in a respectable 25:16, which was my first foray into a race pace of 8-9 min/mile. I haven't run one since, concentrating on longer distances, trail running, and speed work. Yet all that training has seemed to have helped a bit! :) I knocked almost three minutes off my time, coming it at 22:27.
And my first mile (6:50) was only about nine seconds off my mile PR set Tuesday! I was pretty amazed, really. :)
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Mark Mellon Memorial Duathlon
The Mark Mellon Memorial Triathlon/Duathlon/Relay takes place in the greater Gaylord/Otsego Lake area, home to D~ my second eldest brother. He and I have run a number of races together, though neither of us have done a Duathlon.
Something I love about doing a new event- no matter how you do, it'll be a PR. No pressure to meet expectations. :)
A few images I'll take from the event:
Getting marked with the euphoria-inducing marker on each calf, thigh and upper arm. It made me wonder: am I going to be able to wear shorts to work next week?
Setting up my transition area, thinking: Thank God I don't have to swim. Air temp is like 50 degrees!
Looking at the tires of my brother's road bike and thinking: I knew I should have asked him if they were inflated enough! They weren't. Made for a difficult run for him at the end- his quads kept on cramping...
Being asked by that same brother to be best man at his wedding, just as we were passing by his house where is fiancee and kids were waiting to cheer us on. Of course, I said "yes!"
Starting the run thinking- I don't think there's anyone behind us...
Run walking through the last four miles. Like I mentioned earlier, constant quad cramping makes makes for a difficult run. On the plus side it was a absolutely beautiful day, sunny and in the 70s- significantly cooler than earlier in the week, and I was able to enjoy it much more than any part of Heart of the Hills.
Finishing last. I've met people who are deathly afraid of this- they'll go so far as to not go to races for fear of... what? I'm not exactly sure. But I can now honestly say that I've done it, and it isn't that bad. Runners are (for the most part) a kindly bunch, and will cheer on anyone working through the same sort of difficulties they too have fought through. For something that can be so competitive, it's awfully supportive.
Winning a pair of tri shorts. It's something I'd been thinking about buying for a little while now, but put it off because I'd have to order it online, they're too expensive, and I'm not sure I'm committed enough. *sigh* Now I don't have an excuse!
Winning my age group. Even if you come in dead last, you can still win your age group if no one else is in it, and I guess none of the other 22 duathlon participants were in the 30-34 male age bracket. Color me so surprised I almost thought they were joking!
Perhaps sooner or later I'll go on at length about the virtues and vices of a "fun run" vs "race" mentality, and how I try to do both. But for now, I'll relate that I found quite a bit of joy in the race today, in the rewards of sticking with friends and family, and enjoying the whole process of a race, rather than just achieving somewhat arbitrary goals.
Though I gotta tell you, I enjoy that, too. :)
Something I love about doing a new event- no matter how you do, it'll be a PR. No pressure to meet expectations. :)
A few images I'll take from the event:
Getting marked with the euphoria-inducing marker on each calf, thigh and upper arm. It made me wonder: am I going to be able to wear shorts to work next week?
Setting up my transition area, thinking: Thank God I don't have to swim. Air temp is like 50 degrees!
Looking at the tires of my brother's road bike and thinking: I knew I should have asked him if they were inflated enough! They weren't. Made for a difficult run for him at the end- his quads kept on cramping...
Being asked by that same brother to be best man at his wedding, just as we were passing by his house where is fiancee and kids were waiting to cheer us on. Of course, I said "yes!"
Starting the run thinking- I don't think there's anyone behind us...
Run walking through the last four miles. Like I mentioned earlier, constant quad cramping makes makes for a difficult run. On the plus side it was a absolutely beautiful day, sunny and in the 70s- significantly cooler than earlier in the week, and I was able to enjoy it much more than any part of Heart of the Hills.
Finishing last. I've met people who are deathly afraid of this- they'll go so far as to not go to races for fear of... what? I'm not exactly sure. But I can now honestly say that I've done it, and it isn't that bad. Runners are (for the most part) a kindly bunch, and will cheer on anyone working through the same sort of difficulties they too have fought through. For something that can be so competitive, it's awfully supportive.
Winning a pair of tri shorts. It's something I'd been thinking about buying for a little while now, but put it off because I'd have to order it online, they're too expensive, and I'm not sure I'm committed enough. *sigh* Now I don't have an excuse!
Winning my age group. Even if you come in dead last, you can still win your age group if no one else is in it, and I guess none of the other 22 duathlon participants were in the 30-34 male age bracket. Color me so surprised I almost thought they were joking!
Perhaps sooner or later I'll go on at length about the virtues and vices of a "fun run" vs "race" mentality, and how I try to do both. But for now, I'll relate that I found quite a bit of joy in the race today, in the rewards of sticking with friends and family, and enjoying the whole process of a race, rather than just achieving somewhat arbitrary goals.
Though I gotta tell you, I enjoy that, too. :)
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Training Tip #1
... when doing speed work, don't forget which lap your on. The consequences can be sort of... interesting.
Tuesday is speedwork day, where I and many of my running friends run around in circles as a grand metaphor of life. Faster and faster without getting anywhere, but improving by leaps and bounds- at least, that's how I try to rationalize it when it feels like people have been beating me with sticks.
Oh, and the sun was pretty intense today, too. :)
So anyway, the plan was to do two 1200 meter runs with 400 rest intervals, and then four 800 meter runs with a 200 meter rest interval. tough stuff.
Except I can't seem to count. My first 1200 was fine- 3 laps around and a few minutes rest to have my heart rate come down to something sane. The second... for some reason I thought my second lap was my first, and so I went on to do four. If I had been smart enough to check my GPS, I would've known better. If my brain hadn't been baked out of my head, I might've been able to count to three properly.
But as it was, I set a new mile PR of 6:41, down from 6:52 set at the Huntington Woods race. Oops. :)
So, let this be a lesson to you; Sometimes being absent minded can have some rather pleasant consequences!
Tuesday is speedwork day, where I and many of my running friends run around in circles as a grand metaphor of life. Faster and faster without getting anywhere, but improving by leaps and bounds- at least, that's how I try to rationalize it when it feels like people have been beating me with sticks.
Oh, and the sun was pretty intense today, too. :)
So anyway, the plan was to do two 1200 meter runs with 400 rest intervals, and then four 800 meter runs with a 200 meter rest interval. tough stuff.
Except I can't seem to count. My first 1200 was fine- 3 laps around and a few minutes rest to have my heart rate come down to something sane. The second... for some reason I thought my second lap was my first, and so I went on to do four. If I had been smart enough to check my GPS, I would've known better. If my brain hadn't been baked out of my head, I might've been able to count to three properly.
But as it was, I set a new mile PR of 6:41, down from 6:52 set at the Huntington Woods race. Oops. :)
So, let this be a lesson to you; Sometimes being absent minded can have some rather pleasant consequences!
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Racing. It's a learning process.
So... the grand strategy I laid out a few days ago went bye-bye in the first 30 seconds of Heart of the Hills. Oops. Yes, I did the complete newbie mistake of going out too fast. Yes, I paid for it a little. And though I'm not a race newbie, I am really new to the ins and outs of racing races, rather than running them.
If that makes sense.
Anyway, let's talk about goals. I usually have three: A manageable one if I have a mediocre race; a achievable with a good effort and circumstance, and "pie-in-the-sky" if things go really really well through no fault of my own. My Huntington Woods 3M experience was of the latter variety. If you had asked me two minutes before the race if I thought I could average a 7:07 pace, when my mile PR was 7:30, I would have probably laughed and said "Not a chance." So it can happen. Hopefully more than once. :)
My goals for this race were simple- Primary goal of 10K PR at sub 53. Secondary goal of sub 50. And "OMG" goal of sub 46. I wanted negative splits. I wanted no shin splints. Oh, and to not get passed by a girl. (just kidding!)
Of the three time goals, I beat two, and was 58 seconds off for the third, coming in at a very happy 46:57, or a 7:34 pace. Saying I'm pleased is a nice understatement, and I'll leave it at that for now.
As for the details of the race:
My pacing (after the first mile) was good. Even though the course was quite hilly, (and to be fair to me, the first mile is the flattest of the six) I maintained pretty even splits. How even? Well... you be the judge... 7:09, 7:39, 7:34, 7:35, 7:31, 7:26 and my last .2 was at a 6:13 pace or so. I confess I sped up when I could hear the announcer calling out names and the crowd cheering.
Take off the first mile, and I did have negative splits. I didn't feel even a twinge of shin splints. And I remember being passed by two women; one I lost sight of around mile three, the other I passed about a mile and change from the end. I think it does my ego good to both catch up and to be blown away. Weird, eh?
I placed fifth in my age group, but there was less than a minute and a half between me and number two, while there was six minutes between number two and number one. If I was in the 25-29 AG I would have been first place by over a minute; if I were in the 35-39 I'd have been 10th.
So I'd better get faster before I get older. :)
And yes, I barely remember a thing about the scenery. That's one of the sad casualties of racing rather than running races- everything sort of passes as a blur.
Heart of the Hills was a splendid race, and for a race I'd been looking forward to for quite some time, it lived up to my expectations!
If that makes sense.
Anyway, let's talk about goals. I usually have three: A manageable one if I have a mediocre race; a achievable with a good effort and circumstance, and "pie-in-the-sky" if things go really really well through no fault of my own. My Huntington Woods 3M experience was of the latter variety. If you had asked me two minutes before the race if I thought I could average a 7:07 pace, when my mile PR was 7:30, I would have probably laughed and said "Not a chance." So it can happen. Hopefully more than once. :)
My goals for this race were simple- Primary goal of 10K PR at sub 53. Secondary goal of sub 50. And "OMG" goal of sub 46. I wanted negative splits. I wanted no shin splints. Oh, and to not get passed by a girl. (just kidding!)
Of the three time goals, I beat two, and was 58 seconds off for the third, coming in at a very happy 46:57, or a 7:34 pace. Saying I'm pleased is a nice understatement, and I'll leave it at that for now.
As for the details of the race:
My pacing (after the first mile) was good. Even though the course was quite hilly, (and to be fair to me, the first mile is the flattest of the six) I maintained pretty even splits. How even? Well... you be the judge... 7:09, 7:39, 7:34, 7:35, 7:31, 7:26 and my last .2 was at a 6:13 pace or so. I confess I sped up when I could hear the announcer calling out names and the crowd cheering.
Take off the first mile, and I did have negative splits. I didn't feel even a twinge of shin splints. And I remember being passed by two women; one I lost sight of around mile three, the other I passed about a mile and change from the end. I think it does my ego good to both catch up and to be blown away. Weird, eh?
I placed fifth in my age group, but there was less than a minute and a half between me and number two, while there was six minutes between number two and number one. If I was in the 25-29 AG I would have been first place by over a minute; if I were in the 35-39 I'd have been 10th.
So I'd better get faster before I get older. :)
And yes, I barely remember a thing about the scenery. That's one of the sad casualties of racing rather than running races- everything sort of passes as a blur.
Heart of the Hills was a splendid race, and for a race I'd been looking forward to for quite some time, it lived up to my expectations!
Friday, July 27, 2007
(pre) Raceday Strategies 2
So, I've got a 10K I'd really like to do well in tomorrow.
Is it counter intuitive that I'm drinking Riesling and eating cheese poofs tonight? One of my best training runs was done hung over... and I'm a big believer in never do on race day what you haven't done in training!
Is it counter intuitive that I'm drinking Riesling and eating cheese poofs tonight? One of my best training runs was done hung over... and I'm a big believer in never do on race day what you haven't done in training!
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