I did part one of my hard weekend today. Took the afternoon off work and used a half-day PTO so I could make sure to spend Saturday with my family. I started my ride around 1 and went up toward Auburn and did some good climbing. I did my normal loop in reverse and went up Auburn-Folsom and back down Indian Hill and back through Newcastle. Covered about 37 miles in 2 hours prior to my long run.
Then I made it back to the car, locked up my bike, changed my shoes and was off on my 22 miler. I decided to do 2 out-and-backs so I could come back to the car halfway through and switch my 2nd bottle from Gatorade to Coke. So I went off on the North side of Lake Natoma first all the way down to Hazel (almost). First 30 minutes were supposed to be easy and the next 30 were supposed to be slightly harder effort. My HR was particularly high because of the heat I think so on my pickup pace, it was in the low 160s which is really high for this kind of run. I managed OK though. But boy was it hot! When I started I think it was about 90 degrees. Plus the North side does not have a lot of water options and by the time I got all the way back to the drinking fountain, I was already dehydrated. After the 30 minute pickup I slowed down for 10 minutes and started another one. I made it back to the car before the 20 minute pickup was over though so I switched out my Gatorade for Coke and kept on going, trying not to take too long. My first out and back was about 1:24 or so because of the tempo pacing. Unfortunately, I did not have enough ice and the car was really hot so everything in the cooler was melted. I drank some of the cold water out of the cooler (I know, kind of gross, but it tasted good) and went out on my way.
The 2nd out and back was on the South side of the lake. I started at the slightly higher pace to finish off the 20 min pickup and then recovered for another 10 minutes after that. Finally, had one more 10 minute pickup. I was still feeling OK, but the heat was getting to me since I had no ice and was only able to drink warm water and luke-warm coke. I still hung tough though and chugged along. Got to the 2nd turnaround at about 2:08 and that was about 16.5 miles. On the way back I filled up my water at Nimbus flat so that was nice. It was still warm, but I could at least keep drinking. The coke works well although this time since I didn't have any ice, it went a little faster and was kind of fizzy in my bottle. I stuck to my gels every hour and did my final one at 2:30. With about 3 miles to go I was still motoring along. Pretty slow, but a decent, steady effort. My legs were doing OK, but my energy level was a tad low. I think the gel helped a little and the last 25 minutes were not horrible. It was a really, really, long run, but I finished. I was really dehydrated at the end and was dying of thirst, so I went to the Circle K and bought 2 32 oz Gatorades and a chocolate milk with my bags of ice for the ice bath. And boy did that Gatorade taste good!!! It was a solid workout and I seem to be able to hold about 8 minute miles or better on these long, tough runs after 40 mile rides. I am thinking I may shoot for about a 3:30 marathon split if I am feeling good off the bike in L'ville. Who knows what the day will bring, though...
Tomorrow is off - spending time with the family. And Sunday is a 110 miler with a ton of climbing - should be about 10k feet or so. I am feeling fairly confident at this point, but I may feel differently 6 hours into that ride.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Let the Games Begin!
This week hasn't been too bad. I bounced back on Tuesday night for the track workout and although I was still a tad sore, I did fine and covered the 800s (10 of them) in reasonable times. My splits were, of course, nowhere close to my "new" target based on my last 3K TT, but it was still a solid effort. Then I had a good riding day on Wednesday with 3x10 at max effort (~300 watts or so) and 10 minutes in between I felt pretty good about my riding that day and the legs were getting better. Yesterday was fairly easy, but today, the real work starts!!
I have a 2 hour ride followed by a 22 mile run with tempo. And then on Sunday, I'm doing a double lake loop, which will be about 110 miles with ~10K feet of climbing. Should be fun. Actually, I am quite looking forward to it. I guess that's the weird thing about triathlon. We're all gluttons for punishment!!
I have a 2 hour ride followed by a 22 mile run with tempo. And then on Sunday, I'm doing a double lake loop, which will be about 110 miles with ~10K feet of climbing. Should be fun. Actually, I am quite looking forward to it. I guess that's the weird thing about triathlon. We're all gluttons for punishment!!
Monday, July 27, 2009
Proud
So my wife ran the San Francisco marathon on Sunday and did awesome!!! She has been training very hard and it paid off. She has a bit of an issue with her leg today, but felt great throughout the race and ran the last 6 miles very strong.
Here's here line from the results:
Her previous PR was 4:14 and that was on a mostly flat course, but San Francisco is not flat. Very nice work.
Me on the other hand did not do so well at my video duties. I was hoping to catch her at the finish and I saw her fine, but for some reason I didn't get the record button pressed on our little Vado video camera and so here's the video I ended up with:
Oh well... we got some other good videos of the kids recently. Won't post them here because the other one I posted is rather large and took a while.
Next step for Em is to do CIM and qualify for Boston!
Here's here line from the results:
| Runner Details | Race Results | Split Times | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
Her previous PR was 4:14 and that was on a mostly flat course, but San Francisco is not flat. Very nice work.
Me on the other hand did not do so well at my video duties. I was hoping to catch her at the finish and I saw her fine, but for some reason I didn't get the record button pressed on our little Vado video camera and so here's the video I ended up with:
Oh well... we got some other good videos of the kids recently. Won't post them here because the other one I posted is rather large and took a while.
Next step for Em is to do CIM and qualify for Boston!
Friday, July 24, 2009
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
The Good:
I had a GREAT workout today. 40 miles of biking (about 1000' of climbing) in just about 2 hours, followed by a 20 mile run. My first 5 miles were in about 39', then ~38.5, then about 38.5 again, and then 37:15 for the last 5. I felt great the whole time. Energy was good, legs were tired, but not unbearable. I could've easily done a 3:20-3:25 marathon today after that 40 mile hard ride. My nutrition was good, too. I did ~250 calories of Perpetuem + 2 gels on the ride, then Gatorade (not much) on the first half of the run, and after stopping back at the car real quick, I switched to Coke for the 2nd half of the run and that seemed to work really well. It was a really good race simulation day... just the minor detail that I have a 2.4 mile swim and 72 more miles to bike before getting to that point. That brings me to:
The Bad:
Because of these stupid shingles around my eye, I can't swim for 2 WEEKS!!!! They say there is just too much risk of infection in/around my eye to put on goggles and go into a pool. UGGHHH!!! Right in crunch time getting ready for L'ville. Talk about a sure-fire way to freak out a type-A triathlete. I'm seeing if coach has any ideas - I may do some exercise bands or I may just (carefully) add a little more riding/running in the extra 3 hours that I would've been in the pool. I'll have to rethink my L'ville swim expectations a bit. After a brief pity-party, I got over it and today's workout definitely helped.
The Ugly:
Here's a nice shot of the lesion that was infected on my eye, now healing...
I had a GREAT workout today. 40 miles of biking (about 1000' of climbing) in just about 2 hours, followed by a 20 mile run. My first 5 miles were in about 39', then ~38.5, then about 38.5 again, and then 37:15 for the last 5. I felt great the whole time. Energy was good, legs were tired, but not unbearable. I could've easily done a 3:20-3:25 marathon today after that 40 mile hard ride. My nutrition was good, too. I did ~250 calories of Perpetuem + 2 gels on the ride, then Gatorade (not much) on the first half of the run, and after stopping back at the car real quick, I switched to Coke for the 2nd half of the run and that seemed to work really well. It was a really good race simulation day... just the minor detail that I have a 2.4 mile swim and 72 more miles to bike before getting to that point. That brings me to:
The Bad:
Because of these stupid shingles around my eye, I can't swim for 2 WEEKS!!!! They say there is just too much risk of infection in/around my eye to put on goggles and go into a pool. UGGHHH!!! Right in crunch time getting ready for L'ville. Talk about a sure-fire way to freak out a type-A triathlete. I'm seeing if coach has any ideas - I may do some exercise bands or I may just (carefully) add a little more riding/running in the extra 3 hours that I would've been in the pool. I'll have to rethink my L'ville swim expectations a bit. After a brief pity-party, I got over it and today's workout definitely helped.
The Ugly:
Here's a nice shot of the lesion that was infected on my eye, now healing...
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Race Report - Vineman 70.3
The day before the race we drove over to Santa Rosa and traffic just plain sucked. It was slow on route 80 the whole way so we got off in Napa and went over on route 12. Vineman Half is a point-to-point race so you have to go to Windsor HS and set up your T2 stuff the day before, so we headed to the HS, I made it through registration and set up my shoes, hat, and gels. Then we went to the hotel in Santa Rosa and had dinner. Nothing fancy before the race - trying to stick to the same routine.
Race morning I wanted to get there fairly early so we could get a parking spot and I could get a spot in transition. You take your bike in the morning and there are ~2000 athletes, so the transition area can get pretty crowded. We got there around 6 and I was in transition by like 6:20 and was setting up when the pro wave started. Lots of big-time pros in this race, especially in the women's field this year. So I got things set up and went down to meet the family so we could watch the pros come out of the water. Pretty cool to see because they do the swim in like 23 minutes. So we saw them come out and then I went to get in line at the port-a-potty. I made it through the line in about 15 minutes and then went back down to the family. One little side note is that I had developed a strange rash around my eye and wasn't sure how my goggles would feel. Well, when I put them on, it didn't feel that bad... and sorry to be on the gross side, but it did pop one of the little blisters of the rash. I knew this wasn't a good sign (more on that later)
About 20 minutes before my wave (at 7:58), I put on my wetsuit. Here are a couple of pre-race pix:
Then I made my way down to the water and they ushered us in for my wave. My AG has a ton of people, so they split us up into like 3-4 waves. I was in the first one. Here's a shot right before the start. I'm the one with my arms up (duh).
Swim:
Then we were off. I wasn't sure where to seed myself this time around. I know I am significantly faster this year than last year, so I went with the outside, just after the first row. I had a few people behind me bump into me and I bumped into a few guys, but overall it wasn't horrible. It thinned out a bit on the way down to the turn-around and for the most part, I was able to find a decent rhythym and just concentrated on my form - mainly not creating drag with my left hand/arm and being smooth with good body position. I have only been breathing on what was my weak side for the last 3 weeks or so, so I a decided to stick with that since it has made me (I think) more efficient. I was sighting about every 6 strokes just to make sure I stayed as straight as possible. This is a very shallow swim and there are times when you can see the bottom, even in the brownish-green river water, so every year when I get to the turnaround, I walk around the bouys. Everyone else pretty much does too. It gave me a chance to look at my watch, which said 17:48. Last year, I made it to the turnaround in 20:xx (can't remember exactly, but I know it was over 20. The swim back is shorter and also faster because of the current, so I knew I'd have a much better swim than the prior years. In '07, it was about 38 minutes and in '08, it was 37 minutes. My return trip was also quite easy. I meandered over towards the center to take as much advantage of the current as I could and just tried to be smooth, long, and steady. About 200 or so yards from the end, I did bump into somebody from a prior wave and knocked my goggles loose. It wasn't a big deal. I fixed them and then headed for the finish. When I stepped up onto the shore, I had 32:11 on my watch. That is about 5 minutes faster than last year! Excellent progress!! I ran down toward my bike and stopped at the entrance to my row to take my wetsuit off. It took a little longer than usual, but I got it off and then I want to get my bike stuff. I put my socks/shoes on, race belt, helmet, stashed my gels and salt tabs in my pocket and took off. They didn't have a separate swim/T1 time, but based on what they had for my combined time (35:49), I guess my T1 was 3:38. About 30 seconds slower than last year, but I was out on my bike about 4.5 minutes ahead.
Swim split: 32:11 (~51/261 in AG)
T1: 3:38
Bike:
The start of the bike course is up the hill away from the river. Some people run up and clip in at the top. I haven't had a problem in years' past, and I knew my gearing on my bike was set up right, so I clipped one foot in at the bottom and headed up the hill without a problem. The first part of this course (about 5 miles) is on a flat and fast road so I got off to a good start. My goal was to average between 210 and 240 watts and push about 260-270 when cruising on flat roads, so I did that for the first few miles and then made the turn out onto Westside. This road is rolling and technical with little hills and curves, but I kept a decent pace and started passing people. Since my wave was a little late, I was passing a ton of people. In fact, on the whole ride, I think I only got passed 3 times by people I didn't see again. And since the other guys in my AG were starting at least 8 minutes behind me, I knew I didn't want to see them. So on I went, passed the tree that had fallen on the course; not good for the folks there when it happened; I believe somebody crashed and broke a collarbone. For me, since my wave was later, I didn't have a problem getting around it. Next was Dry Creek, which is a bigger road and less technical. A few little rollers, but not very hilly. Then you make a right turn and climb up over the ridge. It is not a steep climb so I stayed in my aero bars and was going like 18-19 most of the way up. Got to the top at like 1:14 into my ride and this is close to the halfway point, so I knew I was doing well so far. Legs were feeling good and I kept pushing. Then down the other side and turned south for the 2nd half of the loop. Through Geyserville and got some water at the aid station. I had been doing my perpetuem and water throughout the bike with 2 gels and that seemed to be working out well, so I grabbed some water, filled my aero bottle and ditched the bottle before leaving the aid station. Seemed to go well and I'll probably use a similar strategy in Louisville. After the aid station, there are relatively flat roads for a while and then a few more rollers. My goal was to get to the top of chalk hill at mile 45 in less than 2 hours and so far I was on pace to do that. I got to chalk hill road and kept motoring. I started that climb at like 1:57 or so and finished it in just about 2 minutes. In that two minutes, I think I passed about 20-30 people. It's not that tough of a climb compared to what I'm used to, but it does come at mile 45. I got to the top in like 1:59 I think. Then it's mostly downhill for 11 miles to the end, so I kept my effort up and cruised in for a 2:28 or so. I was very happy with that since last year was a 2:40 and the year before that was a 2:57! Hopped off my bike and started running down the carpet to the transition area. It's kind of a lengthy run and a bit of a log jam, so I tried to get around people as best I could. I made it in and out of transition in about 2.5 minutes. I think it would've been a lot faster if I hadn't got stuck in traffic (see below - that's me with the red circle on my back and #1721).
But nonetheless, I racked my bike, put my shoes and hat on, swapped gels and was off. Here I am leaving on the run. Still feeling pretty darn good about my bike split and ready to tackle the run!
Bike Split: 2:28:49 (avg 230 watts, 22.6 mph, ~22/261 AG)
T2: 2:27
Run:
You can tell from the picture just how sunny it was and it was already getting hot when I started the run. Last year was much cooler, so I knew I'd have to pay more attention to water. My plan was to do water at every aid station with Gatorade at every 3rd. I also had 2 gels with me and was planning on those at like 5-10 minutes into the run and about 50-55 minutes into the run. And finally, I had some endurolytes, too. Last year, I didn't take any until the run and did have some cramps. This year, I did them during the bike, too, and also on the run and so was hoping to avoid the same fate. I think I lost 2-3 minutes last year just to stretch out the cramps.
I started the run pretty strong and was trying to do the same pace that I normally do on my long tempo runs, which seems to be about 6:45-7:00. I had hopes of breaking 1:30 for this half-marathon, but wasn't sure how I could hang on after the hard effort on the bike. I wasn't doing splits per mile, but was watching to see how far under 7:00 I was overall. In the first few miles, I was right around 15 seconds under (total) and was starting to feel pretty good. Passing people left and right. I could tell, I was much better off for this run this time around compared to last year and miles 3-5 came and went relatively quickly. I was sticking to my plan and not having any issues with cramps. As I neared the turnaround at La Crema winery, I noticed a guy who was 37 ahead. I caught him and ran behind him for just a bit. Then I passed him. However, at the next aid station I stopped to grab a drink real quick for just a few seconds and so was forced to pass him again. However, I knew he had already gained 8 minutes on my because he started in the wave behind me. Nonetheless, he was only one of very few guys I saw out there in my age group. I did see one other 35 year old and flew past him on the run with a little surge to make sure he wouldn't try to stay with me. The middle miles felt really good and I think running with these guys gave me a little extra. So I got to mile 10 at 1:09:30 and was 30 seconds under 7 minute pace. I knew I'd have to pick it up to see if I could break 1:30. That meant I needed to do the last 5K in 20:30. I knew it was possible, but when I started going harder I definitely felt the effort of the day. I didn't think I had it in my but tried to keep pushing up the little hills. Miles 11 and 12 were really hard, but I hung on and then gave it most of what I had to finish off the last mile and a tenth. Once I got close, the adrenalin kicked in and I was cruising... feeling those endorphins, I guess. I didn't make 1:30, but I did break 4:40 for the race!!! I was super-happy with that!!! I knew it was possible when I started the day, but you never know how things will unfold. I crossed the line in 4:38:42.8 according to the official time. I didn't get it on my watch because it conveniently wigged out right when I pushed stop at the end.
Run Split: 1:31:36 (~5/261 AG)
Time: 4:38:42
AG - 12/261 finishers
Overall - 54/~1900 finishers
I felt really good about my race. After getting across the line, I doused myself with water and drank a whole other bottle of water. Then I went to find the fam. Seeing your "support crew" after a race is always the best. After all, none of this self-indulgent, crazy addiction would be possible without their support. My wife is a saint when it comes to this.
In summary, my race was about 24 minutes faster than last year, which was about 24 minutes faster than the year before that, so I am making HUGE progress. This year, I really do feel like one of those faster guys that I used to be amazed with from years past and to finish 12th in this very competetive field, I think is a great result. I was just hoping for top 20-25 or so. A few more minutes faster, and I'm looking at top 7-8 in my AG in that race. If I can translate these gains to Lousville, I think I can have a decent day. And remember the mention about my eye, well it turns out it is shingles with a little side dish of staph infection. I am on serious meds right now and no pool for a while. I can still ride and run, though, so I am NOT going to let this mess up my 3-4 week bout of hardcore training for L'ville!! I'm really looking forward to that race!!!
Race morning I wanted to get there fairly early so we could get a parking spot and I could get a spot in transition. You take your bike in the morning and there are ~2000 athletes, so the transition area can get pretty crowded. We got there around 6 and I was in transition by like 6:20 and was setting up when the pro wave started. Lots of big-time pros in this race, especially in the women's field this year. So I got things set up and went down to meet the family so we could watch the pros come out of the water. Pretty cool to see because they do the swim in like 23 minutes. So we saw them come out and then I went to get in line at the port-a-potty. I made it through the line in about 15 minutes and then went back down to the family. One little side note is that I had developed a strange rash around my eye and wasn't sure how my goggles would feel. Well, when I put them on, it didn't feel that bad... and sorry to be on the gross side, but it did pop one of the little blisters of the rash. I knew this wasn't a good sign (more on that later)
About 20 minutes before my wave (at 7:58), I put on my wetsuit. Here are a couple of pre-race pix:
Then I made my way down to the water and they ushered us in for my wave. My AG has a ton of people, so they split us up into like 3-4 waves. I was in the first one. Here's a shot right before the start. I'm the one with my arms up (duh).
Swim:
Then we were off. I wasn't sure where to seed myself this time around. I know I am significantly faster this year than last year, so I went with the outside, just after the first row. I had a few people behind me bump into me and I bumped into a few guys, but overall it wasn't horrible. It thinned out a bit on the way down to the turn-around and for the most part, I was able to find a decent rhythym and just concentrated on my form - mainly not creating drag with my left hand/arm and being smooth with good body position. I have only been breathing on what was my weak side for the last 3 weeks or so, so I a decided to stick with that since it has made me (I think) more efficient. I was sighting about every 6 strokes just to make sure I stayed as straight as possible. This is a very shallow swim and there are times when you can see the bottom, even in the brownish-green river water, so every year when I get to the turnaround, I walk around the bouys. Everyone else pretty much does too. It gave me a chance to look at my watch, which said 17:48. Last year, I made it to the turnaround in 20:xx (can't remember exactly, but I know it was over 20. The swim back is shorter and also faster because of the current, so I knew I'd have a much better swim than the prior years. In '07, it was about 38 minutes and in '08, it was 37 minutes. My return trip was also quite easy. I meandered over towards the center to take as much advantage of the current as I could and just tried to be smooth, long, and steady. About 200 or so yards from the end, I did bump into somebody from a prior wave and knocked my goggles loose. It wasn't a big deal. I fixed them and then headed for the finish. When I stepped up onto the shore, I had 32:11 on my watch. That is about 5 minutes faster than last year! Excellent progress!! I ran down toward my bike and stopped at the entrance to my row to take my wetsuit off. It took a little longer than usual, but I got it off and then I want to get my bike stuff. I put my socks/shoes on, race belt, helmet, stashed my gels and salt tabs in my pocket and took off. They didn't have a separate swim/T1 time, but based on what they had for my combined time (35:49), I guess my T1 was 3:38. About 30 seconds slower than last year, but I was out on my bike about 4.5 minutes ahead.
Swim split: 32:11 (~51/261 in AG)
T1: 3:38
Bike:
The start of the bike course is up the hill away from the river. Some people run up and clip in at the top. I haven't had a problem in years' past, and I knew my gearing on my bike was set up right, so I clipped one foot in at the bottom and headed up the hill without a problem. The first part of this course (about 5 miles) is on a flat and fast road so I got off to a good start. My goal was to average between 210 and 240 watts and push about 260-270 when cruising on flat roads, so I did that for the first few miles and then made the turn out onto Westside. This road is rolling and technical with little hills and curves, but I kept a decent pace and started passing people. Since my wave was a little late, I was passing a ton of people. In fact, on the whole ride, I think I only got passed 3 times by people I didn't see again. And since the other guys in my AG were starting at least 8 minutes behind me, I knew I didn't want to see them. So on I went, passed the tree that had fallen on the course; not good for the folks there when it happened; I believe somebody crashed and broke a collarbone. For me, since my wave was later, I didn't have a problem getting around it. Next was Dry Creek, which is a bigger road and less technical. A few little rollers, but not very hilly. Then you make a right turn and climb up over the ridge. It is not a steep climb so I stayed in my aero bars and was going like 18-19 most of the way up. Got to the top at like 1:14 into my ride and this is close to the halfway point, so I knew I was doing well so far. Legs were feeling good and I kept pushing. Then down the other side and turned south for the 2nd half of the loop. Through Geyserville and got some water at the aid station. I had been doing my perpetuem and water throughout the bike with 2 gels and that seemed to be working out well, so I grabbed some water, filled my aero bottle and ditched the bottle before leaving the aid station. Seemed to go well and I'll probably use a similar strategy in Louisville. After the aid station, there are relatively flat roads for a while and then a few more rollers. My goal was to get to the top of chalk hill at mile 45 in less than 2 hours and so far I was on pace to do that. I got to chalk hill road and kept motoring. I started that climb at like 1:57 or so and finished it in just about 2 minutes. In that two minutes, I think I passed about 20-30 people. It's not that tough of a climb compared to what I'm used to, but it does come at mile 45. I got to the top in like 1:59 I think. Then it's mostly downhill for 11 miles to the end, so I kept my effort up and cruised in for a 2:28 or so. I was very happy with that since last year was a 2:40 and the year before that was a 2:57! Hopped off my bike and started running down the carpet to the transition area. It's kind of a lengthy run and a bit of a log jam, so I tried to get around people as best I could. I made it in and out of transition in about 2.5 minutes. I think it would've been a lot faster if I hadn't got stuck in traffic (see below - that's me with the red circle on my back and #1721).
But nonetheless, I racked my bike, put my shoes and hat on, swapped gels and was off. Here I am leaving on the run. Still feeling pretty darn good about my bike split and ready to tackle the run!
Bike Split: 2:28:49 (avg 230 watts, 22.6 mph, ~22/261 AG)
T2: 2:27
Run:
You can tell from the picture just how sunny it was and it was already getting hot when I started the run. Last year was much cooler, so I knew I'd have to pay more attention to water. My plan was to do water at every aid station with Gatorade at every 3rd. I also had 2 gels with me and was planning on those at like 5-10 minutes into the run and about 50-55 minutes into the run. And finally, I had some endurolytes, too. Last year, I didn't take any until the run and did have some cramps. This year, I did them during the bike, too, and also on the run and so was hoping to avoid the same fate. I think I lost 2-3 minutes last year just to stretch out the cramps.
I started the run pretty strong and was trying to do the same pace that I normally do on my long tempo runs, which seems to be about 6:45-7:00. I had hopes of breaking 1:30 for this half-marathon, but wasn't sure how I could hang on after the hard effort on the bike. I wasn't doing splits per mile, but was watching to see how far under 7:00 I was overall. In the first few miles, I was right around 15 seconds under (total) and was starting to feel pretty good. Passing people left and right. I could tell, I was much better off for this run this time around compared to last year and miles 3-5 came and went relatively quickly. I was sticking to my plan and not having any issues with cramps. As I neared the turnaround at La Crema winery, I noticed a guy who was 37 ahead. I caught him and ran behind him for just a bit. Then I passed him. However, at the next aid station I stopped to grab a drink real quick for just a few seconds and so was forced to pass him again. However, I knew he had already gained 8 minutes on my because he started in the wave behind me. Nonetheless, he was only one of very few guys I saw out there in my age group. I did see one other 35 year old and flew past him on the run with a little surge to make sure he wouldn't try to stay with me. The middle miles felt really good and I think running with these guys gave me a little extra. So I got to mile 10 at 1:09:30 and was 30 seconds under 7 minute pace. I knew I'd have to pick it up to see if I could break 1:30. That meant I needed to do the last 5K in 20:30. I knew it was possible, but when I started going harder I definitely felt the effort of the day. I didn't think I had it in my but tried to keep pushing up the little hills. Miles 11 and 12 were really hard, but I hung on and then gave it most of what I had to finish off the last mile and a tenth. Once I got close, the adrenalin kicked in and I was cruising... feeling those endorphins, I guess. I didn't make 1:30, but I did break 4:40 for the race!!! I was super-happy with that!!! I knew it was possible when I started the day, but you never know how things will unfold. I crossed the line in 4:38:42.8 according to the official time. I didn't get it on my watch because it conveniently wigged out right when I pushed stop at the end.
Run Split: 1:31:36 (~5/261 AG)
Time: 4:38:42
AG - 12/261 finishers
Overall - 54/~1900 finishers
I felt really good about my race. After getting across the line, I doused myself with water and drank a whole other bottle of water. Then I went to find the fam. Seeing your "support crew" after a race is always the best. After all, none of this self-indulgent, crazy addiction would be possible without their support. My wife is a saint when it comes to this.
In summary, my race was about 24 minutes faster than last year, which was about 24 minutes faster than the year before that, so I am making HUGE progress. This year, I really do feel like one of those faster guys that I used to be amazed with from years past and to finish 12th in this very competetive field, I think is a great result. I was just hoping for top 20-25 or so. A few more minutes faster, and I'm looking at top 7-8 in my AG in that race. If I can translate these gains to Lousville, I think I can have a decent day. And remember the mention about my eye, well it turns out it is shingles with a little side dish of staph infection. I am on serious meds right now and no pool for a while. I can still ride and run, though, so I am NOT going to let this mess up my 3-4 week bout of hardcore training for L'ville!! I'm really looking forward to that race!!!
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Confidence Builder
Yesterday I did a hard ride followed by my long run. I covered 43 miles in just a hare under 2 hours (avg 21.6) and proceeded to run 19.2 miles in 2:25 with tempo. It was 30 minutes "warm-up" although it's hardly a warmup when you've been riding for 2 hours, then 30 minutes E3 (perceived exertion on a scale of E1-E7 where E1 is incredibly easy and E7 is all out), then 10 minutes recovery, then another set of 20 minutes and 10 minutes E3. My pace was a little slower than last weekend, but I did this run in the heat of the day and when I got back to my car it said it was 94 outside.
Then today, I did my first century - 103.2 miles in 5:28 or so of ride time. After that, I did a 6.2 mile run in around 47 and a half minutes. I got an early start and was on the road at like 10 after 6. My plan was to do 2 loops of a 51 mile route and try to get about the same amount of climbing as the L'ville course (~4500-5000). I did a loop around Lake Natoma first and then headed up towards Newcastle. However, when I was about 25 miles in, I got a flat. I was actually kind of glad because it forced me to change a flat on my race wheels, which I hadn't done on a ride yet. I had a little trouble with the CO2, but eventually got it to work and got enough air in my tire to finish the first lap. I had my pump in the car, so I just had to make it back there. I was trying to simulate the IM ride, so I did the first loop pretty conservatively and tried to keep my power around 200-220 when crusing and under 300 on the hills. I finished the first lap in about 2:45 of ride time. I got my 2nd bottle of perpetuem and was off on the 2nd lap after pumping up my back tire. No trouble on the 2nd lap and I went a little harder to see how I did. On the first lap, I averaged 180 watts and 18.6 mph and on the 2nd lap, I averaged 183 watts and 19.2 mph. Overall, I had the route at about 4600 feet of vertical and my average speed was 18.75 and my average power was ~180.
I also tweaked my nutrition plan a bit and did ~500 calories of Perpetuem in the first half with 4 gels (360 calories), but then for the 2nd half, I did about 400 calores of Perpetuem and 2 Gels and dialing down the calories seemed to work because when I got to the run, I didn't have a repeat of last week's nutrition problems. All-in-all, I was very pleased with the ride and am gaining confidence for the L'ville race.
I'm done for the week and did 20 hours (20:13 to be exact), covering 9200 yards in the pool, 203 miles on my bike and 48 miles running. This coming week is a recovery week to lead into Vineman 70.3 next weekend. If I don't have any bike problems (flats, etc.), I will have a really good race!!
Then today, I did my first century - 103.2 miles in 5:28 or so of ride time. After that, I did a 6.2 mile run in around 47 and a half minutes. I got an early start and was on the road at like 10 after 6. My plan was to do 2 loops of a 51 mile route and try to get about the same amount of climbing as the L'ville course (~4500-5000). I did a loop around Lake Natoma first and then headed up towards Newcastle. However, when I was about 25 miles in, I got a flat. I was actually kind of glad because it forced me to change a flat on my race wheels, which I hadn't done on a ride yet. I had a little trouble with the CO2, but eventually got it to work and got enough air in my tire to finish the first lap. I had my pump in the car, so I just had to make it back there. I was trying to simulate the IM ride, so I did the first loop pretty conservatively and tried to keep my power around 200-220 when crusing and under 300 on the hills. I finished the first lap in about 2:45 of ride time. I got my 2nd bottle of perpetuem and was off on the 2nd lap after pumping up my back tire. No trouble on the 2nd lap and I went a little harder to see how I did. On the first lap, I averaged 180 watts and 18.6 mph and on the 2nd lap, I averaged 183 watts and 19.2 mph. Overall, I had the route at about 4600 feet of vertical and my average speed was 18.75 and my average power was ~180.
I also tweaked my nutrition plan a bit and did ~500 calories of Perpetuem in the first half with 4 gels (360 calories), but then for the 2nd half, I did about 400 calores of Perpetuem and 2 Gels and dialing down the calories seemed to work because when I got to the run, I didn't have a repeat of last week's nutrition problems. All-in-all, I was very pleased with the ride and am gaining confidence for the L'ville race.
I'm done for the week and did 20 hours (20:13 to be exact), covering 9200 yards in the pool, 203 miles on my bike and 48 miles running. This coming week is a recovery week to lead into Vineman 70.3 next weekend. If I don't have any bike problems (flats, etc.), I will have a really good race!!
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Intensity
Tuesday and Wednesday were good, hard intensity days. Tuesday was a hard swim and I did the fastest 250 I've ever done - I'm down to 3:51 now. I held on to 3:54 for the set, then did a hard set of 50s and then went back to 250s. I did them all under 4:00. Felt good.
Then, Tuesday night, we hit the track. My workout was alternating 800/400 with no recovery. My target pace has been readjusted because of my new 3K PR of 10:23, so I was supposed to be hitting 2:40 on the 800 and 1:42 on the 400 in between and I did 9 sets!! As you can see from my splits, I didn't come close to that:
Then, Tuesday night, we hit the track. My workout was alternating 800/400 with no recovery. My target pace has been readjusted because of my new 3K PR of 10:23, so I was supposed to be hitting 2:40 on the 800 and 1:42 on the 400 in between and I did 9 sets!! As you can see from my splits, I didn't come close to that:
2:45 1:46
2:46 1:48
2:48 1:49
2:50 1:53
2:52 1:56
2:53 1:56
2:56 2:00
2:56 1:57
2:55 2:21
Overall, though, I am very satisfied with that workout because all of them were sub-6 minute pace and on the evening, I did 12.5 miles with over 40 minutes of intensity. It was a really good workout.
The next day, I rode to work. On the way there, I took it easy and really needed to. Then, on the way home, my ride was supposed to be a hard interval set of ALL-OUT effort of 10, 8, 6, and 4 minutes with half the interval recovery time. I warmed up by heading to the other side of the canal and then turned around to do the first 10 minute interval with no interruption. As you can see by the power trace below, I stayed pretty steady around 300 watts for each interval.
For the day, I did 3:17 of riding and covered 57 miles with intensity and hills. I was pretty fatigued that night, but seem to be recovering today, which was an easier day with a swim, a 30 minute run and some weights.
Tomorrow, I do a 40 mile ride followed by a 19 mile run with tempo. Fortunately, I am taking the day off work so I don't have to do this in the middle of the night!!!
Monday, July 6, 2009
Slosh, slosh, slosh...
Still dialing in my nutrition plan on these long workouts. I have been sticking with Hammer Perpetuem at ~200 calories/hour and supplementing with Hammer Gel at 1 every 45 minutes. However, on my long ride this past weekend, I gave into temptation and bought a Gatorade in Auburn about 4 hours into my ride. I downed it because it tasted good. I should've known not too because I think it put me over the top on calories. I stuck with the regular rate after that and by the time I got to my run, I think my body was not liking so many calories. When I finished my run, I could feel the contents of my gut sloshing around and not getting digested!
Nonetheless, the weekend was a good training weekend. I took Friday off and spent the day with my Family - we went to my daughter's tumble time class and then to the Zoo. Then Saturday, we enlisted Grandma's help and both my wife and I had our long runs. I did a 90 minute ride and then a 17 mile run with tempo (20, 15, and 10 minutes with 10 minute "recovery"). Overall, the run was 17.1 miles in 2:05, so it was about a 7:18 pace. The next day, I did 90 miles on the bike with 7100 feet of vertical, followed by a 6 mile run that took me about 48 minutes due to the aforementioned nutrition problems.
This week is another hard week and I'll probably get up over 20 hours for the week. Then, it's an easier week leading into Vineman half. I am really excited for that race to see how fast I can go!
Nonetheless, the weekend was a good training weekend. I took Friday off and spent the day with my Family - we went to my daughter's tumble time class and then to the Zoo. Then Saturday, we enlisted Grandma's help and both my wife and I had our long runs. I did a 90 minute ride and then a 17 mile run with tempo (20, 15, and 10 minutes with 10 minute "recovery"). Overall, the run was 17.1 miles in 2:05, so it was about a 7:18 pace. The next day, I did 90 miles on the bike with 7100 feet of vertical, followed by a 6 mile run that took me about 48 minutes due to the aforementioned nutrition problems.
This week is another hard week and I'll probably get up over 20 hours for the week. Then, it's an easier week leading into Vineman half. I am really excited for that race to see how fast I can go!
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
300
I did my intervals on the way to work today instead of on the way home. It was a lot easier to do a controlled workout instead of trying to play the stop lights on the way home. I did a lengthy warmup (~50 minutes) and when I got to the canal, I did the set. Here's the workout on the way to work, notice how consistent the power output is compared to the rest of the ride.
I averaged over 300 watts (well, one was 299) for each interval and averaged ~240 for the set with the recovery included. It was a good workout and made for a morning ride of 30 miles and an evening ride of ~21.6 miles for the commute home. So it was 51.6 miles and roughly 3 hours for the day. Legs are tired tonight, but tomorrow morning I'll be back in the pool and on the treadmill for a 45 minute run. I may throw in an easy spin over lunch!
I averaged over 300 watts (well, one was 299) for each interval and averaged ~240 for the set with the recovery included. It was a good workout and made for a morning ride of 30 miles and an evening ride of ~21.6 miles for the commute home. So it was 51.6 miles and roughly 3 hours for the day. Legs are tired tonight, but tomorrow morning I'll be back in the pool and on the treadmill for a 45 minute run. I may throw in an easy spin over lunch!
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