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.
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Monday, January 16, 2012
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
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Happy New Year!
Here's to wishing all of you fine people out there a great and prosperous New Year! May it be filled with rock solid training, PR's, and increased health and longevity for you and your family.
Me personally, well, I'm finally going to get off the fence and commit to a Half Ironman for 2012. It's either going to be the Rev3 half at Quassy (Middlebury CT) which boasts many superstar pro entrants and a difficult and hilly course, or one I've heard about in Narragansett RI September. Either way, I'm pretty psyched and hope I come out with the desire to "TRI" a full in 2013 (if I could get into one...). So that's my big news for the new year.
As for 2011, it's been a great year of training for me. Just under 1600 miles of running with 600 or so on the bike and feel much stronger of a runner than when I entered the year. I think I have the Goofy to thank for that as I felt like my body responded after that race and demanded more miles as well as more quality mileage (interval and hill workouts, etc.). I also dabbled in the TRI training and race which was very interesting. Love the mental aspect that TRI brings to the table. So much so that I've purchased my first wetsuit and looking forward to putting it to good use in 2012.
As far as Disney goes, Marathon Weekend might be our only trip there this year as we are trying to save for a Disney cruise in 2013, but we shall see if I can get one more trip out of my annual pass before it expires in August. :-)
On the Team Voice front, I feel a little empty. By that I mean that I think that we all got so wrapped up in our personal lives and work lives that we had little left to come together as a team and do the things that helped bring the group together in the first place. I'm hoping that we can do something about that in the new year and resurrect the dream of sending a child to Disney! I know I'd like to dedicate some of my time to this if the rest of the team feels the same. :-).
Random Thoughts - Finally saw the Muppets yesterday, loved it! Just watched our Lion King Blu Ray, very cool as well. Nothing better than Lion King, in BluRay, on a 60" HD screen ;-).
Me personally, well, I'm finally going to get off the fence and commit to a Half Ironman for 2012. It's either going to be the Rev3 half at Quassy (Middlebury CT) which boasts many superstar pro entrants and a difficult and hilly course, or one I've heard about in Narragansett RI September. Either way, I'm pretty psyched and hope I come out with the desire to "TRI" a full in 2013 (if I could get into one...). So that's my big news for the new year.
As for 2011, it's been a great year of training for me. Just under 1600 miles of running with 600 or so on the bike and feel much stronger of a runner than when I entered the year. I think I have the Goofy to thank for that as I felt like my body responded after that race and demanded more miles as well as more quality mileage (interval and hill workouts, etc.). I also dabbled in the TRI training and race which was very interesting. Love the mental aspect that TRI brings to the table. So much so that I've purchased my first wetsuit and looking forward to putting it to good use in 2012.
As far as Disney goes, Marathon Weekend might be our only trip there this year as we are trying to save for a Disney cruise in 2013, but we shall see if I can get one more trip out of my annual pass before it expires in August. :-)
On the Team Voice front, I feel a little empty. By that I mean that I think that we all got so wrapped up in our personal lives and work lives that we had little left to come together as a team and do the things that helped bring the group together in the first place. I'm hoping that we can do something about that in the new year and resurrect the dream of sending a child to Disney! I know I'd like to dedicate some of my time to this if the rest of the team feels the same. :-).
Random Thoughts - Finally saw the Muppets yesterday, loved it! Just watched our Lion King Blu Ray, very cool as well. Nothing better than Lion King, in BluRay, on a 60" HD screen ;-).
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Checking In...
Yes, I’m a blog neglector…. It’s been far too long since my last post, so here’s my attempt at getting back up to speed.
I think I last left this blog in October after a pretty darn good month, and to tell you the truth, it’s been more of the same since. I’ve had a good November, posting 138.6 running and a single 13 mile bike. December has been sort of an anomaly as I haven’t felt like I’ve trained a whole lot, but currently sitting on 84.02 running and 78 miles on the bike. Going for a light 4 miler in an hour or so and then have a 20 miler planned for tomorrow as my last long run prior to Disney. All in all, my speed is good, mileage is on….have been fairly healthy (knock wood) and the weather here has held out very nicely (with the exception of a 9 miler the other day in 24 degree temps).
So, in other words, I’m pretty much ready to roll in January!
Monday, November 7, 2011
October Recap
Simply put, best mileage month of the year, and a Marathon PR (I still owe a Marathon recap…soon, I promise)
Total Run Miles – 150.25
Total Bike Miles – 30
Total Run Miles YTD – 1264.93
Total Bike Miles YTD – 498.57
Some perspective:
October 2010 Run Miles – 95.55
October 2010 Bike/Xtrain Miles – 25.1
2010 YTD (Jan-Oct) Run Miles – 776.01
2010 YTD (Jan-Oct) Bike/Xtrain Miles – 205.71
Sunday, October 30, 2011
I'm dreaming of a White....Halloween?
Kids are trading in the costumes for Yeti or various snow monster outfits....
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Hartford Marathon - Done
I'll try to get a detailed report out soon, but the short story is that I finished, and clobbered my sub-4 hour goal. I don't have an official time yet, but it was right around 3:45:xx I'm pretty sure. My half marathon split I think was faster than my PR (1:48:56?) that i put in at Disney January 2010. Some cramping issues, but was able to overcome and not cost me my goal.
Going to rest a bit and then back to training for Disney in January where you know I'll be looking to take this PR down. :-)
Going to rest a bit and then back to training for Disney in January where you know I'll be looking to take this PR down. :-)
Friday, October 14, 2011
Kummerspec....
Yeah, that one had me running to google as well. :-) One of our funny guy vendors logged into a web meeting with this as his name today and after I figured out what the heck it meant, I sort of instantly related. It's the weight gained as a result of emotional overeating. So, no, I haven't gained a ton of weight or anything, but did gain 2 lbs due to my incessant evening snacking these past couple of weeks. Running around 190 where I was averaging 188 the past couple of months. Something about getting the loooong runs in that make me think I can eat "see-food" (as in, I see food and eat it).
Anyhoo, the marathon is actually this weekend and not last, as some of you fine folks thought. 17 hours away to be exact. I'll have my iPhone with Mapmyrun on if you want to track me there (just need to send a friend request if you have it).
Goal is a sub 4hr marathon with the intended purpose of moving myself up a corral for Disney in January. I was C corral last year and want to at least get up to B and think sub-4hrs will do it (or so they told me last year). Yes, my name is Chris and I'm a corral snob....*hi Chris* ...... ;-)
Nerves? Well, yes and no. I think they are caffeine fueled at the moment, but honestly, I feel like I could run sub 4hr without too much effort. It's the ITB issue I had two years ago that go through my head.... Much has changed since then though. I have added around 50% more miles in training for this one, I have added in a number of IT band stretches, and I'm around 5 lbs lighter than I was then..... Still, I feel like I've got alot invested in doing well and all I have to reflect on is the issue I had during that last marathon (not counting Goofy...a whole different animal that I was pretty happy with).
Anyhoo, I'm ready. Packet pick-up tonight, then bed, then run...See y'all on the flip side!
Anyhoo, the marathon is actually this weekend and not last, as some of you fine folks thought. 17 hours away to be exact. I'll have my iPhone with Mapmyrun on if you want to track me there (just need to send a friend request if you have it).
Goal is a sub 4hr marathon with the intended purpose of moving myself up a corral for Disney in January. I was C corral last year and want to at least get up to B and think sub-4hrs will do it (or so they told me last year). Yes, my name is Chris and I'm a corral snob....*hi Chris* ...... ;-)
Nerves? Well, yes and no. I think they are caffeine fueled at the moment, but honestly, I feel like I could run sub 4hr without too much effort. It's the ITB issue I had two years ago that go through my head.... Much has changed since then though. I have added around 50% more miles in training for this one, I have added in a number of IT band stretches, and I'm around 5 lbs lighter than I was then..... Still, I feel like I've got alot invested in doing well and all I have to reflect on is the issue I had during that last marathon (not counting Goofy...a whole different animal that I was pretty happy with).
Anyhoo, I'm ready. Packet pick-up tonight, then bed, then run...See y'all on the flip side!
Friday, October 7, 2011
Where's Waldo?
I'm still here... Just haven't been a great blogger or buddy as of late. Just one of those things that ebb and flow with my work life. Anyhoo, I'm good and ready for the Hartford marathon. Got a 21 miler in last weekend at race pace and feel pretty good about the 15th. Just trying to keep from getting sick at this point....
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Doubt?
I always say that there is nothing like getting close to a race to make you doubt everything you think you know about your conditioning.
So I completed a 20 mile training run this past Saturday, and overall it was what I was looking for at this point. A little warmer out than I would have liked, but it is what it is. Sunday and Monday go by and I'm still feeling pretty good about the run and my body fared pretty well with no aches and pains. Until Tuesday... For some reason I'm feeling like I've got a tweaked nerve or something in my right leg (typically my problem leg when I do have problems...). It could be ITB syndrome again, but kinda weird as I had felt any issues there during my training runs in the past. Doesn't seem right that it would just crop up 3 days later. I did get a good bike training in on Sunday and 6.5 mile tempo run on Monday, so maybe that did it? I dunno, but I toned it down to 3.2 miles yesterday and think I'm resting completely today. Sitting here with an ice bag on my leg now for good measure.
Anyhow, this whole thing is affecting my mental state and putting doubts in my head about completing my training prior to the marathon 10/15....like, what if I get out there for my next long run of 22+ and end up hurting it worse, etc. I know better than to give in to such foolish mortal-like thoughts, yet, it still sits in my mind. Of course, that's all part of it right? dealing with the insanity that is our own minds.... No worries though, I'm still going to push and complete my training. If I end up with some pain after the last long run, then I'll just have to suck it up and deal with it. No way I give up on my goals for October, come too far and worked too hard....
So I completed a 20 mile training run this past Saturday, and overall it was what I was looking for at this point. A little warmer out than I would have liked, but it is what it is. Sunday and Monday go by and I'm still feeling pretty good about the run and my body fared pretty well with no aches and pains. Until Tuesday... For some reason I'm feeling like I've got a tweaked nerve or something in my right leg (typically my problem leg when I do have problems...). It could be ITB syndrome again, but kinda weird as I had felt any issues there during my training runs in the past. Doesn't seem right that it would just crop up 3 days later. I did get a good bike training in on Sunday and 6.5 mile tempo run on Monday, so maybe that did it? I dunno, but I toned it down to 3.2 miles yesterday and think I'm resting completely today. Sitting here with an ice bag on my leg now for good measure.
Anyhow, this whole thing is affecting my mental state and putting doubts in my head about completing my training prior to the marathon 10/15....like, what if I get out there for my next long run of 22+ and end up hurting it worse, etc. I know better than to give in to such foolish mortal-like thoughts, yet, it still sits in my mind. Of course, that's all part of it right? dealing with the insanity that is our own minds.... No worries though, I'm still going to push and complete my training. If I end up with some pain after the last long run, then I'll just have to suck it up and deal with it. No way I give up on my goals for October, come too far and worked too hard....
Friday, September 2, 2011
August Recap
Good month, probably a soild "B" overall. I came into the month thinking I was going to come out knowing exactly where I stood for distance and speed for the upcoming marathon. While I didn't get the two very long runs in, I did get a good idea of how my body would react after the 1 16+ miler. I'm planning on 20 tomorrow and a 23+ in a week or two which should solidify my training for mid-October.
Mileage-wise, I ended up with 124.65 running and added 45.2 on the bike. Not a bad month considering I had a week long work trip and vacation in the World for an additional week. :-) I've kept my weight down as well, hovering around 189-190, which is down 5 lbs from where I have been the past 2-3 years. With that, I'll be right at the weight I'd like to be for mid-October if not a couple of lbs lighter....just need to watch that evening snack-fest that I love.
I was pleasantly surprised at my annual running total and where it positions me for my annual total in comparison to the past 3 years. I'm at 990.75 for this year (added on 5.1 yesterday) with 4 months left. I haven't had a month under 100 miles this year, so I'm looking at 1400+ miles running for 2011. The past 3 years looked like this:
2010 - 982.46 (348.21 cross training miles)
2009 - 719.04 (1085 cross training miles...more due to injury and surgery)
2008 - 703.69 (*started running in February of 2008)
Feel like I've come a long way with my running since I decided I would start running for the 2009 Disney Half-Marathon.... You could say about my running.... "remember, this was all started by a mouse..." I sometimes joke about writing a book titled "How Disney Saved My Life". Honestly, it may not be far from the truth as I haven't been in this good of health and fitness since my first year of college...in certain aspects, I'm in better shape now than I was even then! Had it not been for the challenge of running a half marathon in Disney, I may have never picked up running and who knows what would have happened.
Mileage-wise, I ended up with 124.65 running and added 45.2 on the bike. Not a bad month considering I had a week long work trip and vacation in the World for an additional week. :-) I've kept my weight down as well, hovering around 189-190, which is down 5 lbs from where I have been the past 2-3 years. With that, I'll be right at the weight I'd like to be for mid-October if not a couple of lbs lighter....just need to watch that evening snack-fest that I love.
I was pleasantly surprised at my annual running total and where it positions me for my annual total in comparison to the past 3 years. I'm at 990.75 for this year (added on 5.1 yesterday) with 4 months left. I haven't had a month under 100 miles this year, so I'm looking at 1400+ miles running for 2011. The past 3 years looked like this:
2010 - 982.46 (348.21 cross training miles)
2009 - 719.04 (1085 cross training miles...more due to injury and surgery)
2008 - 703.69 (*started running in February of 2008)
Feel like I've come a long way with my running since I decided I would start running for the 2009 Disney Half-Marathon.... You could say about my running.... "remember, this was all started by a mouse..." I sometimes joke about writing a book titled "How Disney Saved My Life". Honestly, it may not be far from the truth as I haven't been in this good of health and fitness since my first year of college...in certain aspects, I'm in better shape now than I was even then! Had it not been for the challenge of running a half marathon in Disney, I may have never picked up running and who knows what would have happened.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Rain, nor sleet, nor snow...
Or hurricane Irene was going to stop me from today's run! Well, a power outage would have....so thankfully, we were one of the lucky ones and our power remains intact! Got 9 miles in at a pretty slow pace. Wasn't feeling all that motivated as we stayed up fairly late watching non-stop hurricane coverage. The primary track of the storm was about 40 or so miles west of us (CT and NY border). However, the whole CT coastline is pretty well flooded. Seeing as how I work on the coast, I might be remote for the next couple of days while they clean up the area. We were going to take tomorrow off anyhow and go to Six Flags in MA, but thinking we'll find something else to do as I'm sure they won't be in full operation.
In any event, today's run puts me a bit over 110 run miles for the month and I've got 45 bike miles in addition. I'm planning on another medium run like today's for tomorrow if we've got the time and the roads aren't too bad (don't think I could do it again on the mill...God Bless Amanda for the gigunda # of miles she's racked up on the mill!!!! I could do it on the work treadmills, but not my home one.. too squishy).
In any event, today's run puts me a bit over 110 run miles for the month and I've got 45 bike miles in addition. I'm planning on another medium run like today's for tomorrow if we've got the time and the roads aren't too bad (don't think I could do it again on the mill...God Bless Amanda for the gigunda # of miles she's racked up on the mill!!!! I could do it on the work treadmills, but not my home one.. too squishy).
Friday, August 26, 2011
Still kickin'
Haven't posted in a while, just lazy I guess.... The week in the World was nice and I was still able to get 30 miles in while away even though I took a couple of days off due to vacation schedule. The 1BR at Boardwalk Villas was okay. Just okay as I think we were spoiled this past February when we stayed in a 2BR at Old Key West. OKW 2BR's are HUGE! Those rooms have tons of space and just worked for us from a layout perspective. Differences between the two (aside from the extra BR) are full size fridge, full size washer/dryer, realistically seating for 4 people at the dining table, second bathroom (although, that might be normal for 1BR's to only have 1....however, AKV 1BR had two large bathrooms...). I'm sure this is the same stuff other people gripe about as well. The one very large thing BWV has going for it is location....and if you have ever been in real estate, it's "location, location, location"! Many food options on the boardwalk, a quick walk to Epcot or the Studios...and the coup de gras (or something like that) the surrey bike! Nothing like a surrey bike workout with a kid in the basket ringing the bell madly at innocent boardwalk strollers. We used the pool a bit more than we normally do as well, but it was just okay. The big hit at the pool was the water slide. It is a pretty nice one and both kids were able to ride it.
This is turning into a BWV review which was not my intent....but basically, we had a good time. The one thing I didn't like though was with the purchase of the refillable mugs. At BWV there are a number of places to refill them, but they don't "refill" them...they just note that you have it and then fill a vending cup and hand it to you...i like the self-serve approach that seems to be employed at all of the other resorts (unless this was a change that I missed somewhere).
Anyhoo, I'm still sort of on track for my marathon training. Put in a total of 16.75 miles last Sunday. Averaged an 8:39/mile, but I wasn't going for speed here. The intent was to ramp back up on the longer runs as I wasn't going over 13 previously. This weekend is going to be challenging as I might have to do it on the treadmill since Irene is going to hit us on Sunday. I know there are people out there that can put in 20+ on the mill, but I'm typically not one of them! We'll see....I think I really need to gear myself up for that one....
Speaking of the Hartford Marathon...they release the course info the other day and it changed from last year (and the previous year when I ran it last). They took out a couple of hills I think, although, it appears to just be a reconfiguration of the same route I ran in the past....but it does put a couple of largish hills in the first couple of miles versus mile 20...that'll help for sure.
Will try to post more with the marathon a comin'!
This is turning into a BWV review which was not my intent....but basically, we had a good time. The one thing I didn't like though was with the purchase of the refillable mugs. At BWV there are a number of places to refill them, but they don't "refill" them...they just note that you have it and then fill a vending cup and hand it to you...i like the self-serve approach that seems to be employed at all of the other resorts (unless this was a change that I missed somewhere).
Anyhoo, I'm still sort of on track for my marathon training. Put in a total of 16.75 miles last Sunday. Averaged an 8:39/mile, but I wasn't going for speed here. The intent was to ramp back up on the longer runs as I wasn't going over 13 previously. This weekend is going to be challenging as I might have to do it on the treadmill since Irene is going to hit us on Sunday. I know there are people out there that can put in 20+ on the mill, but I'm typically not one of them! We'll see....I think I really need to gear myself up for that one....
Speaking of the Hartford Marathon...they release the course info the other day and it changed from last year (and the previous year when I ran it last). They took out a couple of hills I think, although, it appears to just be a reconfiguration of the same route I ran in the past....but it does put a couple of largish hills in the first couple of miles versus mile 20...that'll help for sure.
Will try to post more with the marathon a comin'!
Monday, July 25, 2011
Triathlon Recap (Long Post)
Race day stats - Sunday July 24th, 7:00a
* Weather - mid 70's, fairly humid with a fast moving thunder/lightning storm heading through 30 minutes prior to race start (slightly unnerving). Expected to get into the 80's and mostly sunny.
* Water conditions - 70 degrees, no reported jellyfish sightings (although, I get in the water to warm up and there is a jellyfish....), small waves mostly from passing boats (New London sits on long island sound...half sheltered by Long Island, but half open to the ocean)
Now that I've got the weather report out of the way.... :-)
Mindset - Coming into this race I was way more calm than normal, which is weird since I never have done this and did little in terms of transition practice and just started to really swim (in the pool) 25 days prior. Lorraine was able to answer questions and give some tips based on her experience, which definitely helped. I also did a bit of research online about rules and such, so I felt comfortable there. Having a very low expectation and just wanting to experience this also made it more comfortable.
Pre-race - We made the trek down to the shoreline the evening prior for packet pick-up. I picked up a spare inner tube for the bike after packet pick-up thinning I really want to finish this thing and couldn't if I had a blowout. Had dinner with the kids overlooking Niantic bay. Nice, but the kids were antsy as usual so we made it a quick dinner and got home. Collected all my gear when I got home and loaded it in the car for the morning. Lorraine got a tip about using a bucket to bring your stuff as well as having something to sit on during transition, really helped putting on socks and shoes :-). Applied race tats, number on the bike/helmet, ready to roll.
Left the house at 5 since it takes an hour to get there (down near where I work, fun drive...). Plent of time for me to setup my transition area and just walk around for a bit. They kept us ou of transition during the lightning storm, so my shoes got pretty wet...what can ya do as this storm wasn't expected and came out of nowhere. I did bring an extra pair of socks, so I figured I'd just made due.
Swim - made my way down on the beach and into the water for a quick warmup. With 70 degree water though, nothing was warm, lol. Still, I felt okay in the water. I wasn't sure what to expect with the swim, total wildcard, as I haven't done an open water swim in some time, not to mention one with a 100 or so dudes swimming around me! I was in the first wave and decided to move toward the back of the wave as I didn't want to have one of those "I got dunked on the swim" moments. The couple of guys around me in the back made eye contact with me and seemed to share that same sentiment. :-).
So here's the thing, I get into the water and start swimming and just couldn't catch my breath. It felt like a cross between an asthmatic reaction and anxiety rolled into one. I went from freestyle to breast stroke a number of times to try and get a groove going, but just couldn't. So I stayed outside of the groove and did what I could to muddle through the swim. I knew I wasn't going to drown or anything, but was extremely frustrated that my body was ready to go, but my lungs wouldn't let me.... :-(. Again, total wildcard. I finally made it to shore and almost couldn't believe that I finally made it....snapped out of it and ran up the beach to transition.
T1 - they had little pools with water in them for the sandy feet just outside of transition, awesome! I dipped in and didn't have a spec of and on my feet going to transition. I was wearing a swim shirt (will probably get a Tri top for the next one) that I got off quickly and threw on my Team Voice shirt (had some trouble with the shirt since I was wet...). Slipped on my socks/bike shoes and shuffled out. We were on a wet boardwalk so you couldn' really run on it... Made it to the parking lot unscathed and was ready for the bike.
Bike - after being so disappointed with the swim, I wanted to make it up on the bike/run best I could. I did a lot of passing early on and was keeping a good pace. There were several moderat hills and one very large/long hill which brought me to the lowest gear. The 45 year old Tri studs caught me by mid ride. You could hear the wheels on the Tri bikes come up behind you, so you know just to keep right and let them whiz by! I did get tonpass a couple of them back here and there, which was a good feeling, but these guys ride hard and often so it's difficult to even think about keeping their pace.
Ride was pretty uneventful overall. The course was curvy and slick from the rain, so I played it a little conservative, but did go at it as hard as it allowed me too. I took some cliff blocks toward the end for the run and loaded up on water as I didn't want that full feeling on the run. Made it back but was log jammed outside of transition....
T2 - bunch of people at dismount that I had to work around, but was able to okay. Felt a little more comfortable in transition this time as I dropped my helmet, shoes, threw on my run shoes and, well, RAN!
Run - legs felt a little solid/tight (calf mostly), but no pain or anything so I knew I'd be okay for the short run. Took me a minute to regulate the breathing, but it felt constrained like with the swim, just didn't have the capacity today...probably should have took a hit from the inhaler prior to transition...oh well... Mentally I was ready and felt like the run was my turf. Proved to be right given the runners on course as I started passing early and often. I only had one girl in her 20's pass me toward the end, but she must have been running 7's at that point...no hurt feelings on my end! I grabbed water at the two stops just to dump it on my head which felt good, but on the second one I dumped it too much in the front and soaked my shirt....it felt heavy and I started to get that "rubbing effect". I think y'all know what I mean by that! Only had 1 mile left though so I sucked it up and hit the gas. Finished with a sprint down the boardwalk.
Didn't know what my splits were for any part of the race as I didn't wear my watch or set the bike computer. Probably for the best as I like racing by feel. Being the philosopher that I am, I've been thinking about the race and have a growing fondness for the experience. I know I can do tons better on the swim and still improve on the bike/run as well...although, when I saw my run time my immediate reaction was "I smoked that run!" :-).
Great experience with more to come for sure, but my focus is on a PR for Hartford Marathon this October. I really want to have the same feeling about that run as I did for the Tri run and smoke that thing!
* Weather - mid 70's, fairly humid with a fast moving thunder/lightning storm heading through 30 minutes prior to race start (slightly unnerving). Expected to get into the 80's and mostly sunny.
* Water conditions - 70 degrees, no reported jellyfish sightings (although, I get in the water to warm up and there is a jellyfish....), small waves mostly from passing boats (New London sits on long island sound...half sheltered by Long Island, but half open to the ocean)
Now that I've got the weather report out of the way.... :-)
Mindset - Coming into this race I was way more calm than normal, which is weird since I never have done this and did little in terms of transition practice and just started to really swim (in the pool) 25 days prior. Lorraine was able to answer questions and give some tips based on her experience, which definitely helped. I also did a bit of research online about rules and such, so I felt comfortable there. Having a very low expectation and just wanting to experience this also made it more comfortable.
Pre-race - We made the trek down to the shoreline the evening prior for packet pick-up. I picked up a spare inner tube for the bike after packet pick-up thinning I really want to finish this thing and couldn't if I had a blowout. Had dinner with the kids overlooking Niantic bay. Nice, but the kids were antsy as usual so we made it a quick dinner and got home. Collected all my gear when I got home and loaded it in the car for the morning. Lorraine got a tip about using a bucket to bring your stuff as well as having something to sit on during transition, really helped putting on socks and shoes :-). Applied race tats, number on the bike/helmet, ready to roll.
Left the house at 5 since it takes an hour to get there (down near where I work, fun drive...). Plent of time for me to setup my transition area and just walk around for a bit. They kept us ou of transition during the lightning storm, so my shoes got pretty wet...what can ya do as this storm wasn't expected and came out of nowhere. I did bring an extra pair of socks, so I figured I'd just made due.
Swim - made my way down on the beach and into the water for a quick warmup. With 70 degree water though, nothing was warm, lol. Still, I felt okay in the water. I wasn't sure what to expect with the swim, total wildcard, as I haven't done an open water swim in some time, not to mention one with a 100 or so dudes swimming around me! I was in the first wave and decided to move toward the back of the wave as I didn't want to have one of those "I got dunked on the swim" moments. The couple of guys around me in the back made eye contact with me and seemed to share that same sentiment. :-).
So here's the thing, I get into the water and start swimming and just couldn't catch my breath. It felt like a cross between an asthmatic reaction and anxiety rolled into one. I went from freestyle to breast stroke a number of times to try and get a groove going, but just couldn't. So I stayed outside of the groove and did what I could to muddle through the swim. I knew I wasn't going to drown or anything, but was extremely frustrated that my body was ready to go, but my lungs wouldn't let me.... :-(. Again, total wildcard. I finally made it to shore and almost couldn't believe that I finally made it....snapped out of it and ran up the beach to transition.
T1 - they had little pools with water in them for the sandy feet just outside of transition, awesome! I dipped in and didn't have a spec of and on my feet going to transition. I was wearing a swim shirt (will probably get a Tri top for the next one) that I got off quickly and threw on my Team Voice shirt (had some trouble with the shirt since I was wet...). Slipped on my socks/bike shoes and shuffled out. We were on a wet boardwalk so you couldn' really run on it... Made it to the parking lot unscathed and was ready for the bike.
Bike - after being so disappointed with the swim, I wanted to make it up on the bike/run best I could. I did a lot of passing early on and was keeping a good pace. There were several moderat hills and one very large/long hill which brought me to the lowest gear. The 45 year old Tri studs caught me by mid ride. You could hear the wheels on the Tri bikes come up behind you, so you know just to keep right and let them whiz by! I did get tonpass a couple of them back here and there, which was a good feeling, but these guys ride hard and often so it's difficult to even think about keeping their pace.
Ride was pretty uneventful overall. The course was curvy and slick from the rain, so I played it a little conservative, but did go at it as hard as it allowed me too. I took some cliff blocks toward the end for the run and loaded up on water as I didn't want that full feeling on the run. Made it back but was log jammed outside of transition....
T2 - bunch of people at dismount that I had to work around, but was able to okay. Felt a little more comfortable in transition this time as I dropped my helmet, shoes, threw on my run shoes and, well, RAN!
Run - legs felt a little solid/tight (calf mostly), but no pain or anything so I knew I'd be okay for the short run. Took me a minute to regulate the breathing, but it felt constrained like with the swim, just didn't have the capacity today...probably should have took a hit from the inhaler prior to transition...oh well... Mentally I was ready and felt like the run was my turf. Proved to be right given the runners on course as I started passing early and often. I only had one girl in her 20's pass me toward the end, but she must have been running 7's at that point...no hurt feelings on my end! I grabbed water at the two stops just to dump it on my head which felt good, but on the second one I dumped it too much in the front and soaked my shirt....it felt heavy and I started to get that "rubbing effect". I think y'all know what I mean by that! Only had 1 mile left though so I sucked it up and hit the gas. Finished with a sprint down the boardwalk.
Didn't know what my splits were for any part of the race as I didn't wear my watch or set the bike computer. Probably for the best as I like racing by feel. Being the philosopher that I am, I've been thinking about the race and have a growing fondness for the experience. I know I can do tons better on the swim and still improve on the bike/run as well...although, when I saw my run time my immediate reaction was "I smoked that run!" :-).
Great experience with more to come for sure, but my focus is on a PR for Hartford Marathon this October. I really want to have the same feeling about that run as I did for the Tri run and smoke that thing!
Sunday, July 24, 2011
First Tri Report...Coming Soon
Results are in, still need time to write up my recap, but as I figured...the swim killed me, more on that later.
Total Time - 1:42:03
Swim (.5 mi) - 24:36
T1 - 2:29
Bike (16.1 mi) - 50:19
T2 - 1:20
Run (3.1 mi) - 23:22
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Something Different
Race day tomorrow, packet pick-up today. I've got pretty low expectations for this race, so there isn't too much pre race jittering going on. Still debating what to do for transition 1. I didnt purchase a Tri top to wear throughout, figured I'll do that if I like it and plan to do more. Anyhow, I think I'm going to wear my swim top and switch to a tech shirt for the bike and run. Figure I can do that pretty quickly. Other than that, I should be good.
Still debating one thing. Should I start with my age group, they have all men 44 and under going first at 7:00a, or wait till 7:12a and go out with the newbie group? If I go with the age group I'm thinking it's going to be a mish-mosh talent levels of which I'm probably somewhere in the middle of... If I go with the newbies, I'd try to get towards the front to try and keep ahead of the crowds....of course there is an assumption that the newbies are not speed demons.... :-).
I'm figuring that I can do the swim in 16-19 minutes, but kind of a wildcard at this point. The bike (16.1 mi), somewhere in the 48-52 range, and the run...ahh the run... Conservatively under 25 minutes, but thinking I could put in a 23-24 or so as this course is the definition of flat. So that puts me in the 1:30'ish range depending on transition times. Again, first one of these, so just going to take it easy and have fun. Maybe one of these days I can be an Ironman like Richard :-)
Still debating one thing. Should I start with my age group, they have all men 44 and under going first at 7:00a, or wait till 7:12a and go out with the newbie group? If I go with the age group I'm thinking it's going to be a mish-mosh talent levels of which I'm probably somewhere in the middle of... If I go with the newbies, I'd try to get towards the front to try and keep ahead of the crowds....of course there is an assumption that the newbies are not speed demons.... :-).
I'm figuring that I can do the swim in 16-19 minutes, but kind of a wildcard at this point. The bike (16.1 mi), somewhere in the 48-52 range, and the run...ahh the run... Conservatively under 25 minutes, but thinking I could put in a 23-24 or so as this course is the definition of flat. So that puts me in the 1:30'ish range depending on transition times. Again, first one of these, so just going to take it easy and have fun. Maybe one of these days I can be an Ironman like Richard :-)
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Mid July Update
Going well in my camp. Up to 74.xx miles running, just under 50 miles on the bike, and 110 minutes swimming. Last night I was able to get a mini Tri in (20min in the pool, 20min on the bike followed up by a 5k on the treadmill..thank god the kids didn't wake up and bother me! lol.).
Hoping to have time for two quality runs this weekend, kid schedule depending. Maybe some more pool time as well since I've only got a week to my Tri on the 24th.
Hoping to have time for two quality runs this weekend, kid schedule depending. Maybe some more pool time as well since I've only got a week to my Tri on the 24th.
Friday, July 8, 2011
Strong July Start...
I was wondering if I was going to fall into a July slump after 6 strong months of training. Alas, I think I'm on track for one of my best months yet! I'm currently at 37.8 total run miles (23 bike miles and 45 minutes of swimming), and ALL of them have been high quality miles. No doggin' it to get through or anything like that, which is rare as I usually have a few of those (especially at the beginning of a month). My speed is still improving, my weight is down a couple of lbs (hanging around 190.x, down from 193-195), and I've added in much more biking, and now, swimming. What's not to like about July thus far? :-)
With that all said, I've finally registered for my first triathalon. A sprint tri, this one measuring out to 19.7 miles total. .5 mi swim, 16 mile bike, and 3.1 run. Weird as that's only 19.6...but advertised as 19.7...maybe the bike is actually 16.1? Details, details.. LOL I'm really excited to see what I can do at this event, just looks like so much fun and I'm sure I'll be hooked after this.
Looks like some DVC properties are finally coming available for the January timeframe through RCI. Nothing for that weekend yet, but I'm stepping up my search as we'd like to stay on property without having to book 2 hotel rooms for us and the in-laws. We'll take what we can get though and sort it out come January. The other option is to stay off-site via timeshare, but I honestly don't want to rent 2 cars as I think we'll need it. Now that I'm thinking aobut it, it's really not a bad problem to have....stay in DVC if it comes available or a huge 2 BR condo off-site to be in WDW for Marathon Weekend...how stressful... ha!
I haven't talked about goals in a while, but I'm still aiming for a sub 4hr marathon for the Hartford Marathon this October. The pace that I've been running at lately will get me there easily and might even get me into the 3:40's, but I won't know till I start ramping up the longer runs which I hope to start doing this weekend (if the weather cooperates). No goal for time in the Tri, just to not drown and have a strong bike/run as I know I can do that. I'm more comfortable with the swim now that I've gotten a few sessions in and will continue to get at least 3 a week till the tri.
With that all said, I've finally registered for my first triathalon. A sprint tri, this one measuring out to 19.7 miles total. .5 mi swim, 16 mile bike, and 3.1 run. Weird as that's only 19.6...but advertised as 19.7...maybe the bike is actually 16.1? Details, details.. LOL I'm really excited to see what I can do at this event, just looks like so much fun and I'm sure I'll be hooked after this.
Looks like some DVC properties are finally coming available for the January timeframe through RCI. Nothing for that weekend yet, but I'm stepping up my search as we'd like to stay on property without having to book 2 hotel rooms for us and the in-laws. We'll take what we can get though and sort it out come January. The other option is to stay off-site via timeshare, but I honestly don't want to rent 2 cars as I think we'll need it. Now that I'm thinking aobut it, it's really not a bad problem to have....stay in DVC if it comes available or a huge 2 BR condo off-site to be in WDW for Marathon Weekend...how stressful... ha!
I haven't talked about goals in a while, but I'm still aiming for a sub 4hr marathon for the Hartford Marathon this October. The pace that I've been running at lately will get me there easily and might even get me into the 3:40's, but I won't know till I start ramping up the longer runs which I hope to start doing this weekend (if the weather cooperates). No goal for time in the Tri, just to not drown and have a strong bike/run as I know I can do that. I'm more comfortable with the swim now that I've gotten a few sessions in and will continue to get at least 3 a week till the tri.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Mini-Tri
So, last Friday (I think..) I was trying to decide what type of workout I was going to get after the kids went to bed. Maybe a swim...or a short run...maybe both....or perhaps a bike ride.... Or all 3. Yep, that's what I ended up doing, all 3. Started out with 20 minutes in the pool, followed by a 5k on the treadmill (Lorraine was still on the bike trainer), and then popped my bike on the trainner for another 20 minutes. It was an interesting experience as you truely do use all kinds of different muscles in the body. It was good though, and I felt pretty good about being able to compete in a Tri come July 24.
Of course, I do realize that these events are a bit different in execution than what I did at home, but it's more about mechanics than anything, and mechanically speaking, I'm confident that I can compete and do fairly well. This is all based on being able to get 3 pool sessions a week in between now and then to build up the swimming muscles. I'm pretty darnded excited about it, actually. :-) I set this goal 2 years ago, and I'm going to meet it right on time, nothing better than that. Now, if I could just get Lorraine to buy into my hairbrained "climbing Everest" dreams! LOL
This month has started off pretty well, got that "mini-Tri" in and surrounded it with some quality running. 27.3 miles thus far in July to complement the minutes in the pool and 13 miles on the bike.
Vacation coming soon, woohoo! Looking forward to the blazing sun down in Florida and the 80 degree morning runs. No, seriously, I'm looking forward to it. :-)
Of course, I do realize that these events are a bit different in execution than what I did at home, but it's more about mechanics than anything, and mechanically speaking, I'm confident that I can compete and do fairly well. This is all based on being able to get 3 pool sessions a week in between now and then to build up the swimming muscles. I'm pretty darnded excited about it, actually. :-) I set this goal 2 years ago, and I'm going to meet it right on time, nothing better than that. Now, if I could just get Lorraine to buy into my hairbrained "climbing Everest" dreams! LOL
This month has started off pretty well, got that "mini-Tri" in and surrounded it with some quality running. 27.3 miles thus far in July to complement the minutes in the pool and 13 miles on the bike.
Vacation coming soon, woohoo! Looking forward to the blazing sun down in Florida and the 80 degree morning runs. No, seriously, I'm looking forward to it. :-)
Friday, July 1, 2011
"...I said, but I'm TIRED...I've been walkin' all day!"
"that don't confront me none, as long as I get the rent money by next Friday...."
yeah, I'm weird....a little Thorogood for y'all.
Feels like I've been running all month though, so yeah, maybe I am a little tired... Still, nothing like the mileage that Amanda has been doing! WOOT!
I'm proud of the 126.65 run miles I put in during June (second best monthly total for me), and even adding in 107.22 bike miles (and one 20 minute swim last night ;-)) for a total of 233.87. Not my highest run total, but I wanted to add in more bike and did that, so it's all good. The swim last night was good, definitely showed that I haven't swam in a year, but I know that will change as soon as I start getting more reps in over the next month.
Annual total - 732.5 run miles; 265.72 cross-train miles.
I think I found the Tri that I'm going to compete in to meet my goal of at least 1 for 2011... http://www.hartfordmarathon.com/Events/Amica_19_7_Triathlon_Ocean_Beach.htm The issue....it's in 24 days. I know I'm fine with the bike and run part, but want to make sure I don't drown prior to getting to those parts! LOL Having said that, I'm confident that I'm in good enough shape to quickly ramp up on the swimming to muddle my way through it and then make up some ground on the bike, but more likely on the run. Still need to talk with Lorraine to make the final decision, but I think I'm doing this one. Wish I could do the one that my company puts on, but we'll be in the World when they hold this in August. What can ya do.
yeah, I'm weird....a little Thorogood for y'all.
Feels like I've been running all month though, so yeah, maybe I am a little tired... Still, nothing like the mileage that Amanda has been doing! WOOT!
I'm proud of the 126.65 run miles I put in during June (second best monthly total for me), and even adding in 107.22 bike miles (and one 20 minute swim last night ;-)) for a total of 233.87. Not my highest run total, but I wanted to add in more bike and did that, so it's all good. The swim last night was good, definitely showed that I haven't swam in a year, but I know that will change as soon as I start getting more reps in over the next month.
Annual total - 732.5 run miles; 265.72 cross-train miles.
I think I found the Tri that I'm going to compete in to meet my goal of at least 1 for 2011... http://www.hartfordmarathon.com/Events/Amica_19_7_Triathlon_Ocean_Beach.htm The issue....it's in 24 days. I know I'm fine with the bike and run part, but want to make sure I don't drown prior to getting to those parts! LOL Having said that, I'm confident that I'm in good enough shape to quickly ramp up on the swimming to muddle my way through it and then make up some ground on the bike, but more likely on the run. Still need to talk with Lorraine to make the final decision, but I think I'm doing this one. Wish I could do the one that my company puts on, but we'll be in the World when they hold this in August. What can ya do.
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