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
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
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.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
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!
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!
Sunday, May 20, 2012
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 ;-)
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 ;-)
Saturday, May 19, 2012
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.
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.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
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!
Saturday, January 28, 2012
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.
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.
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!
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