First Snow Run of the Year!

Working from home today and had to get out for a quick 5 miles in the wintry goodness :-). Lots of fun marathon training to come prior to the big event in January.

Hartford Half Marathon

With memories of a 30 degree day in Disney a few years back, Lorraine and I both ran, and completed, the Hartford Half Marathon this morning. Yes my friends, it was darn cold out there prior to the start!
Our goals were simple. For Lorraine, it was a sub-2hr finish, and sub1:40 for me. When all was said and done, we were both very satisfied and held new PR's.
I wasn't sure how much the cold was going to affect my lungs as I hadn't had a opportunity to test them out this year. I was definitely breathing tightly for the first couple miles, but opened up through mile 10. At that point though, I tightened up again and was a bit in pain breathing-wise. I nearly stopped and took a couple hits of the inhaler, but was able to keep it in check by slowing down. At least I thought I was slowing down, but apparently the last couple mile splits were faster than the previous 4-5 miles... At the finish, as I heard my name announced by the MC, I looked up at the clock to see 1:38:xx, sweet victory. :-)
Lorraine struggled toward the end as well and it didn't look like it was going to be her day, but as she contemplated stopping to walk for a stretch...the 2hr pace group slowly passed by. With an "Aw, crap" she took the invite from the pace leader to join in. Rejuvenated by the groups energy, she pressed on to complete under 2hrs @ 1:58:25. A mental and physical victory that she will surely tell the tale about for years to come.
With the new PR and Hartford past me, the focus is now turned to Disney and the full Marathon. Will it be another PR? I had a good run in Hartford last year which culminated in a 3:45, and nothing is guaranteed where a marathon is involved.....stay tuned and we'll find out!

Happy Labor Day!

Not much new, got a good 10k in today. It was surprisingly hot today. Probably a combo of high humidity and the sun following me all 49 minutes of it. Felt like was moving more at a 7:45 pace, but apparently it was just the heat messing with me. Still, felt good to get the miles in and add to a decent weekend of workouts. Put in 21.5 on the bike yesterday.

My daughters 8th b-day party tomorrow, so the workout might be a tad bit lighter, we'll see what we have time for. Lorraine's got a Tri in a week, so her workout takes priority :-).

I don't have the August numbers in front of me, but think I ended close to 115 run miles and 70 or so on the bike. Will post them once I fire up the laptop.

Hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable labor day. Let's take summer out the right way and cheer on some better running weather! (hopefully)

July Recap

Another month has come and gone, and with it, the 2012 mileage totals are continuing to rise. 

 

Total Run Miles – 101.9

Total Bike Miles – 115

Total Swim Minutes – 334

 

As compared to last July, I’m off on the running miles (133.6 last year), but higher on the bike miles and much higher with the swimming minutes.  Swimming due to having to ramp up for the Triathlon mid-month.

 

Totals for 2012 thus far:

Run – 815.37

Bike – 747.5

Swim – 334

 

Disney is all booked at this point, just need to train and get ready for it.  Hartford Half-Marathon is a waypoint in October, hopefully more of a speed fine tuning for the marathon training this fall.

Tri-ing It Again

I ended up signing up for the Amica Ocean Beach triathlon (held this morning). Weather was perfect, albeit a little humid for the lungs but bearable,and apparently it was a record turnout as well. Not sure how many people exactly, but there was just shy of 400 last year I believe. The event is a half mile swim ocean swim (pretty calm today), 16.1 mile bike ride, and a 5k to finish it off. Fairly typical sprint format.

Last year the anxiety and lungs killed me on the swim and I had to breast stroke it for 24+ minutes, not fun. Felt like I had a good bike ride (50:xx) and a really good run (~23:22). This year? Well, I don't know yet on the splits, but know I knocked 4 minutes off the time based on my approximate finish of 1:36:xx. I really wanted a top 100 finish after finishing in the 170's last year, but we'll see.

For the swim this time I had a full wetsuit which makes a HUGE difference over, well, just a swimsuit last time. The buoyancy of those things is amazing and helped me to keep a fairly consistent swim even though I did get a little tight in the lungs again. Still, I was able to keep it together and freestyle the whole time. I gotta start swimming in traffic for practice....oy vey with the swimming over each other, LOL.

Bike was okay...not sure if I improved here or not. My calf started to lock up on me halfway through so I had to ease up a bit....but again, pulled it together to get to the run.

Run is surreal as your mind is there, but e body is doing funky things since it spent the past 50 or so minutes n a bike. Still, I think I managed a good pace, past a couple of people, and was happy to see my parents (first race they came out to see), and Lorraine and the kids at the finish. Kiley apparently volunteered to hand out water bottles, so I gave her a kiss on the head and she continued to help out. Nice how they get the kids involved.

We spent a couple hours hanging out at the beach after so the kids could play, and then headed home to relax as much as one can with the kids!

I'll post the results as soon as they post them.
Update
Overall time - 1:35:03
Overall place - 83 out of 321
35-39 age group place - 9 out of 25
Swim (.5 mile) - 18:36
Transition 1 - 1:52
Bike (16.1 miles) - 49:36
Transition 2 - 1:20
Run (3.1 miles) - 23:41

As compared to last year.....

Overall time - 1:42:03
Overall place - 172 out of 355
35-39 age group - 24 out of 34
Swim (.5 mile) - 24:36
Transition 1 - 2:29
Bike (16.1 miles) - 50:19
Transition 2 - 1:20
Run (3.1 miles) - 23:22

Marathon Musings

So, I was perusing my Disney Marathon results from 2012 for some unknown reason….  I think I told the story of how I was boarding along the line of asthma attack the night prior…yada yada…woe is me… Anyhow, the point is around the results and when I checked them after the race, they were all funkified.  My finish time was correct, but I was more interested in the splits as I wasn’t sure as to what they were.  Anyhow, checking them now and they seem to have been corrected.  Given the whole breathing thing I actually impressed myself…for the first 13 miles anyhow…

5 mile split – 39:20

10 mile split – 1:18:22

Half split – 1:43:54 (my Half Marathon PR 1:48:50)

20 mile split – 2:47:04

Finish – 3:53:36

Fell way off at the end there due to a number of things, probably things well within my control (pre-race nutrition, hydration, fueling duing, etc.).  Was I dissapointed though? Not at all.  I really was having major lung issues and honestly wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to run or finish the race prior to the start.  Not to get all religious, but I said many the prayer for the ability to run and finish the race, and it wasn’t looking good until I actually started to run.  Probably the closest thing to a miracle that I’ve had. 

So what did I take out of all of this.  First, nothing like training for a marathon to make a half marathon seem like a fun run…  Second, I should be able to run a sub 1:40 half marathon this fall when I run it in Hartford.  Third, I really need to watch my marathon week prep and also concentrate on the fueling strategy.  While this wasn’t a PR for me, it was a darn miracle that I finished let alone put in sub-4hrs.   It’s true, the races are really decided during your training and not so much on race day.

Mid Year Report

I know I've been pretty quiet on the blog front, but knew it was one of those items that had to fall off a bit due to other obligations. 

Anyhoo, things are going as well as can be expected.  Over 115 running this month and around 80 on the bike.  The running is on pace with last years output, but the biking is all new, so I suppose it's helping me become a bit more well rounded.  I'm still planning on a sprint tri in late July (same one I did last year, Amica Tri series - New London).  However, I haven't signed up yet, and need to get my rear in the pool/ocean.  Probalby need to try out the wetsuit before the race....the tough part is figuring out when...yes, like every day/weekend is packed through July for some reason.  I'll find a way and will better the swim from last year.  Not hard considering that I bombed it last year. On the bright side, the bike and run should be a piece of cake.

Finally signed up for the Disney Marathon.  Was thinking Goofy, but I wanted to be realistic about my ability to fit in the right amount of training to do it the way I want to....  The training regiment I'm doing now lends iteself well to the marathon, but I'm not sure I'd have the time for the doubles.  I also decided that I'm not going to run the full marathon in Hartford this October,  just going to run the half along with Lorraine.

Looking forward to the increase in communication that comes with the Marathon Weekend planning, which happens around this time of year. :-)  Hoping we can do the "Mama's pre-Half Carb Load Meet" for the 4th year in a row!

5k Fun

As mentioned previously, Lorraine and I competed in a local 5k today. One of the few shorter events that we make it to annually. Just a nice course, great raffle, etc. while I didn't place in my age group this year, I was able to set another PR and Lorraine did as well. The field was about 100 more than last year (390 or so) and apparently a lot more men in the 30-39 group, to my dismay ;-). So, last year was 21:58 and I placed 16 overall....this year I was 21:00 and placed 17 overall. Yet, I was 6th in my age group, guess it was the rain last year that kept them home. Lol.

Oddly enough, I think I could have been faster, just wasn't feeling really strong today, but happy with the result...room to improve. Lorraine kicked some butt and knocked around 1:20 off of here last years time. She finished in 25:42 or close to it. She did great! Her teenage niece came out as well and did just fine for her first run of the distance.

And yes, I noticed the new marathon course for January, sounds cool, just wish they would somehow nix the backstretch to Animal Kingdom, but what can ya do. I'm starting to think about going Goofy this year....will have to think about it more. Noticed they are at 61% full though, so I probably can't wait too long ;-)

Missing in Action!

Nearly forgot that I had a blog....well, what can ya do. Only so much time n the day and sometimes I gotta pick and choose what gets dropped.

Anyhoo, not much has changed since February, still averaging over 110 miles running a month and have added 100 plus bike miles as well. Running a 5k tomorrow that I have perennially PR'd at. Last year was a 21:58, this year I'd like to bring it under 21. The 21:58 was good enough for 2nd in my age group last year, perhaps I'll get lucky again :-).

Was planning on the Rev3 half iron in June but I'm just not ready for it. There is one in RI at the end of the summer but will see if I have enough time to train with the work demands. A little disappointed but have to be realistic.

Good Luck Princesses!

For all of those folks partaking in the Princess Half Marathon festivities this weekend, enjoy and have a great run! Wish we were down there to cheer for ya, but what can ya do.

Even though it's only been a month since we were at the world, it feels like an eternity. Probably won't make it down this year either since we are trying to save for a Disney cruise in 2013. Having said that, I still plan on making it down next January to run the marathon at the minimum (perhaps a Goofy...we'll see). It's all dependent on the job situation, of course.

Training has been okay this month, tough work schedule has limited the miles and forced more evening workouts than I have wanted. Just south of 90 miles running and have around 100 on the bike. The biking has been a great add even though it's been on the trainer, but the videos and visualizing myself on course have helped.

Stay Thirsty, My Friends!

It's Mike-Speeds Fault!

Ha! Well, actually, it is his fault that I'm actually posting. I read his post and realized how delinquent I have been on my blog.

Anyhoo, just a quick post to say things are going well. Busy at work, busy on the road (120 run miles and 40 or so bike miles in Jan thus far). I'm involved in a Regional Leadership Forum (RLF) for IT professionals and have our first session next week. Looking forward to it. It's a two day per month deal where you read 32 books, interact with other IT leaders, so on and so forth. Those I know who've done it, rave about the program. Sounds like the real goal is to help you be a more balanced person where work and home are concerned. Should be interesting.

Saving some money for my half-iron registration for June....stay tuned.

Disney Marathon Weekend 2012

While it wasn’t my most spectacular finish, I finished.  Actually, I’m pretty thankful to have even started this one as I was having asthmatic issues for the 3 days leading up to this event and had no idea what my lungs were going to allow me to do.  Kiley and I did jog/walk the 5k on the Friday prior, but it was extremely light and probably was for the best.  Giving my lungs more time to relax and heal was the main priority.  In terms of the 5k, Kiley and I had a great time.  We met up with Amanda, Jeff, Trace and Lisa to chat prior to the event.  One of the things I think Kiley learned is that you probably spend the same or more amount of time standing around at these things than you actually do running in them. J  She did get a little grumpy with me for trying to push her to jog more of it, so I laid off of that as I don’t want her to dislike running on account of her pushy father….  Can’t seem to shut her up now though in terms of her telling everyone that she completed a 5k event in Disney.  So I think I’m good on that front.

The Goofy wasn’t in the cards for me this year with the kids and in-laws coming down…just too chaotic…but it did provide me with the opportunity to become a spectator for once and follow Lorraine as she looked for a PR in the half.  Off topic, but I think the toughest thing about doing a Goofy/Dopey is probably waking up that early for 3 mornings in a row! LOL  I did the Dopey morning schedule even if I didn’t run the half (although, I did run around from spot to spot chasing Lorraine).  I was able to catch Lorraine prior to the TTC, give her a cheer, then move on outside of Grand Floridian, cheer, cheer, then back to Epcot to catch her outside of the park entrance and then on to the finish.  She looked great the first couple of times, but then in some pain on the way into Epcot.  She held it together and PR’d by 2 minutes or so!  I think she’s extremely close to a sub 2hr half now and being the competitor she is….I’m sure it won’t be long before she obtains it.  ;-).

Anyhoo, there was this other little event that weekend…oh yeah, the Marathon..the what?  The Marathon…the what?  (a little The League humor for anyone familiar with the program).  Met up with Amanda and Justin for the second straight year.  I like this “tradition” and hope to continue it…  We chat and laugh quite a bit which always helps to take the edge off.  Remembering the year prior, all three of us were hurting from something or other.  I had calf and ITB issues, Amanda with the knees (if I remember correctly), and Justin had a bad back.  The mood was a little less jovial for 2011 as none of us were certain of how/if we’d finish.  All 3 of us triumphed though and were hoping for the same result in 2012.  I think Just was in the best shape of us 3 as he found his muse during the half and was ready for the full (not to mention he looked lighter and healthier this year, way to go Justin!).  Amanda and I were not as optimistic as I had my breathing issues and Amanda had developed a sickness as well that hampered her in the half.  I was worried for her as the Dopey puts a strain on your body when you’re healthy, let alone trying to fight a cold.  Struggling for breath was on both our minds and we were just going to give it our best shot. 

Trying to cut this down from being a “marathon” length post…sooo, I entered A corral and walked up front.  I love being up there for the start of the race…need to feel the heat from the flames or something, I dunno…  but it kicked off and I closed my eyes, said a quick prayer, and began to run.   Not sure if it was divine intervention or what, but I could run…and I could breathe….so I just told myself to do it as long as I could.  Splits from RunKeeper below, but it was one of the best starts I’ve had at a race, probably adrenaline based.  As you can see, issues came around mile 16.  Actually, it was much sooner than that as I developed severe bloating of my stomach at around mile 9 and it was sloshing like I had just drank a gallon of water.  It made me slightly nauseous, but all other systems felt fine, so I pushed on.  I wasn’t able to fuel at that point which is what I think led to my severe drop off in time and I choked down water/powerade cause I didn’t want to dehydrate on top of everything else.  Seemed to work.   Nausea wore off about mile 20, thankfully, but I was dreadfully out of energy.  I submitted to jogging to a point and then walking as fast as I could.  Just outside of the Studios an older gentleman tapped me on the shoulder and said “c’mon, lets jog for a bit…”  and I did…  we chatted and jogged for about ¾ of a mile till I had to stop and walk again, but it really did help me get through a rough stretch as once you get into the studios, there is a huge amount of support all the way through to the finish.  My breathing was still okay, but the bloat pushing on my mid-section for the last half of the race and it was definitely wearing on me.  Still, I found the energy to jog through the finish, smiling, soooo happy that this was done….high 5’d Minnie, raised my arms and smiled for the cameras.  I was beat-up, but not defeated.  All of that, and I was still able to finish in under 4hrs (3:53:25).  A true testament to my training to help carry me through what was NOT my best day and learning that ever race can’t be a PR, but you can still feel good about it, learn from it and move on.

Learning’s – 1) Need to get a watch to better pace, runkeeper didn’t do it for me this time.  I paced well during training runs, but didn’t have luck here and think getting back to the watch will help me work on finishing races better.  2) Not sure that it was the best idea to break in new shoes 4 days prior to the race…although, my feet were fine after. 3) Sunglasses won’t stay hooked on the fuel belt..lost them at mile 1… 4) Pre-race dinner should be consistent…I ate some sandwich that I think caused my bloating (as it did two days earlier when I had the same thing…ugh).  5) Forcing the smile for the cameras and character stops pay dividends!  I love the one pic I took (with Dug and Russell) and my other pics came out nice as well.  Best I’ve taken at a race yet.

Unofficial Splits (RunKeeper):

Mile 1 - 8:26

Mile 2 - 7:43

Mile 3 – 7:39

Mile 4 – 7:37

Mile 5 – 7:50

Mile 6 – 7:37

Mile 7 – 7:44

Mile 8 – 7:45

Mile 9 – 7:56

Mile 10 – 7:56

Mile 11 – 8:14

Mile 12 – 8:17

Mile 13 – 8:15

Mile 14 – 8:13

Mile 15 – 8:14

Mile 16 – 8:58

Mile 17 – 9:00

Mile 18 – 9:35

Mile 19 – 9:44

Mile 20 – 10:14

Mile 21 – 10:38

Mile 22 – 11:05

Mile 23 – 10:19

Mile 24 – 10:15

Mile 25 – 11:19

Mile 26 – 10:41