Tough weekend!

My weekend started with a 5K in Pearland, put on by the high school cross country team booster club. That should have been my clue: small and lots of high school kids. The race went ok as far as races go. My strategy was simple: start out faster than on a 10k, and do negative splits. It was 2+ loops around the high school. My first loop was ~11 minutes and the second was ~10, so far so good. I had no idea where the finish line was, nor did the guy in front of me. We just kept running and hoped we would get some indication somewhere. There were some people pointing, but it wasn't all that clear, and I certainly had no idea until I was on the lap around the track where/when the finish line was. I was pretty upset with my finish time, just about half of my 10k time when I had been sick, and I finished 33 overall. I should say that before the race I stood with some of the old folks, and we commented on how it looked like a high school cross country meet. I ended up 33/72 overall (I told you it was small), but no age group breakdown is available. There was some rumblings about the course being long. I didn't have a GPS or anything to make an official judgment, but I too thought it was long. If I ran that fast on my usual run I know I would finish 3 miles much quicker than this race. Whatever...

With my race a bust, I was really looking forward to getting out on my new bike for just the second time. I packed it all up Sunday morning to head to Magnolia for some rolling hills. During the 30 minute drive I watched the temperature constantly drop to 33 at the starting point. Bundling up with all that I had brought I set out for a 2.5 hour ride. Eight minutes later I was back at my car packing up again. 33 is just too cold for my blood.

Once back home I quickly set up the trainer for a 90 minute ride in front of the TV, maybe time for a movie! Just five minutes into the ride I gave up. My heart wasn't into a trainer ride, I wanted to be out on the road. After a couple of hours it was finally warm enough that I thought I could do my ride locally. There is a loop not far from the house that I can do in about 15 minutes. I figure 9 laps would be ok for the day. I think my bike does much better in the aero postion, so I spent most of my time hunkered down and going after it. At lap 6 my neck was getting pretty stiff. I convinced myself I could do 2 more laps and then head home. I was able to stretch my neck out at the end of that lap, so I decided to do all 9 laps.

Heading into the 9th lap I was tired, not just my neck and legs, but mentally. I was ready to finish up and head home. Then it happened. I lost my focus for a split second and found myself going off the edge of the road. The road itself was about 4 inches above ground, and the ground quickly went down into a ditch filled with water. The next thing I knew the wheels were out from under me, I was sliding on the road, and then bounced my helmet off the road. I've never been so grateful for my helmet before as the outcome would have been very different. Picking up my bike and stumbling to a parking lot I mumbled something to passerbys about being ok. I was ok, at least ok enough to ride myself home. I was mostly concerned about my bike, but it was minimally scuffed. I, on the other hand, didn't fare quite so well. I would have sworn that I'd broken my wrist. The ER said yes, but today's doctor said no. I'm not sure whom I believe, but the one who told me to "take two asprin and call me in the morning" is basically full of crap! He didn't really say that, but I feel like that is how he treated me.

I've been cleared to do whatever I feel like, and today I want to go for a short run. I'm not sure how it will go, but it will definately be better than had I cracked my head on the ground or a trailing car run me over!

Tough weekend, but I'm still in the game!

My first two-a-day

First, let me give a shout out to my coach Kelly Williamson. She took me in several months back when my first triathlon was but a wish, and is slowly but surely getting me ready for my first 1/2 Ironman in April. Kelly and her husband are coaches at http://www.duratatraining.com/. I don't know much about Derrick, but Kelly has been just what I needed. There is no doubt that come April I will be readier and healthier than I could ever hope to be on my own.

That said, this week Kelly gave me my first two-a-day. I'd actually done some earlier this year on my own, either a brick or a run/swim or bike/swim. This was a run/bike on Tuesday, followed by a run on Wednesday. Still a bit sore from my race on Saturday I was a bit anxious, but determined to complete the full workout this week. I'm not done with the week, with three hard days left, but I'm confident I can get through the next three days without a problem.

But I digress - back to the two-a-day. The first event, a run, was easy and not that big of a deal. I ran easily, just to wake my legs up from the race. Hours later, the bike wasn't that easy. My legs were now tired and sore, and this workout included some interval work. I was definately tired after that workout, and didn't sleep all that well. Perhaps a subject for a different post, but I don't sleep all that well after a really hard workout.

Then came Wednesday. I had to run early so I could take off to pick up my bike (see the picture to the right). Six total miles, with the middle four at a quicker pace. I knew I was in trouble from the start. My legs were immediately tired, and mentally I didn't feel that strong. The cold wind didn't help that much either! Regardless, I finished the run, well within the parameters Kelly set for me. With the next run set for tomorrow, I'll have had 3 days of rest from running to recover. Good thing, tomorrow is my longest run to date.

There are no times or expectations on tomorrow's run. I get to just get out there and run to how I feel. The best part of that is that if I'm feeling strong I can run faster and get finished faster! Not too fast though as Sunday is my first road outing on the new TT bike. I want to be strong so I don't get passed by some kid on a tricycle!

Have a nice weekend guys!

Things I learned this weekend.

This past weekend I flew to San Francisco for a 10K race. Crazy, I know! I needed one more flight for my frequent flier miles, and one more race, so the two just fit together perfectly. I didn’t think about it when I signed up, but I guess that area is fairly hilly. It was a trail run. I really prefer to run off road as it is easier on the knees and ankles, so I’ve been excited about this race. Driving through the hills on race morning I wondered what I had gotten myself into. I knew there was one big hill, 2.5 miles long with 1100 feet of elevation gain, but have no frame of reference for hills as I live in the flatlands. I do now, it was LONG! But I get ahead of myself.
It was really a low key race: no chips for timing, no support on the run, and no one on the trail to help with directions. That part had me the most worried. In addition to concentrating on the run, I had to watch for yellow ribbons on the trail for markers. Stripped ribbons indicated an upcoming turn, and the direction of the turn. Their instructions were: if you have run for 3-4 minutes after a turn and haven’t seen a yellow ribbon, then you went the wrong way! I did take a wrong turn, actually I turned too early after seeing the stripped ribbon. Fortunately another runner quickly pointed out my mistake and I lost minimal time.

It was an interesting run, with a mass start down a hill quickly into a single file trail. As everyone came to a screeching halt waiting for their turn I thought of an hour glass. I didn’t think about it at the time, but now I wonder how much time I lost waiting my turn. After about a mile the trail widened, and people began to pass and drop back to where they should have been. I was passed by a few people, but mostly it was me doing the passing. Again I wonder if I started too far back.

After a bit the uphill started. I was amazed at how many people were walking within the first hundred feet! I really expected the locals to crush me on the hills, but it was me that was still passing. As I indicated before, it was a long uphill. In my experience, three things can fail you on a run: legs, lungs/heart, and mind. My legs were tired, but hanging in there. I was also ok mentally. I wanted to walk, but forced myself to keep running. Unfortunately, my heart and lungs were not up to the load I placed on them. My heart was beating half out of my chest and my breathing was maxed out. Not knowing where I was relative to the top, I gave in and walked. I kept it brisk, and actually wasn’t loosing much ground to the runners. After a short break I started running again, and found myself much quicker, and passing other runners. I remembered reading a strategy of run/walk, and I used it a couple more times on this never ending hill.

I was running when I reached the summit, and the three people who had passed me on the hill were in sight. I quickly recovered my breath, and was able to stretch my legs a bit. One by one I caught the people in front of me. They tried to hang on as I passed, so I accelerated a bit and dropped them. I finished the last mile and a half alone on the trail, hoping I didn’t make a wrong turn. The downhill was much easier than the uphill, but it still wasn’t easy. I was fighting to keep my pace under control, and the switchbacks were hard to make at that speed. I was pretty relieved when I exited the trail for the sidewalk to the finish line.

I finished 30 out of 101, and 2nd in my age group. The frustrating part is that the guy who beat me finished 29th, and by 37 seconds! There were a number of things that could have gone differently and made up that time gap.

What did I learn from this race? Hills are hard, I need to work on my cardio, and I need to stop under estimating myself. I’ve been in the top 1/3 for most of my recent races, so I need to start closer to the front. If I’m passing a quarter of the racers, then I’m starting too far back. Mostly what I’ve learned is that I like to run. I like the mental toughness it takes to keep running when you body wants to stop, and I like testing my limits. Mostly I like that it is just me and the road.

Best run to date!

I'm not sure that my coach had this in mind when she schedule today's run, but I decided I wanted to see what I could do. I didn't want to push too hard knowing I have another race in just a few days, but I felt I was faster than the pace she suggested.

Six total miles: 1.5 warm up and cool down, leaving 3x1 miles in the middle with a 2 minute cool down. I thought I could do them in about 8 minutes each. Ha! 7:53, 7:37 and 7:19. I can't remember the last time I ran anything close to 7:19. Shh, don't tell anyone, but I could have run it faster, and/or for longer.

I've got a couple of short bike rides and one swim day, then I'm off to San Francisco for a trail run. It looks fairly hilly, and I living in Houston I have minimal experience on hills, but I'm going to run as hard as I can, and have fun! I'll tell you next week how it went.

A good Turkey Day!

Yesterday was my first ever Turkey Trot. I assume that is the un-official name given to any race on Thanksgiving morning. There were a lot of people there for the run. I haven't seen the official tally, but I think it was more people that I'd run with before. I really liked how they had signs at the start for expected pace. I lined up at the front of the 9 minute/mile mark, exactly what I ran for the first mile. That first mile was crazy: With all those people running together, and so many of them having lined up in the wrong spot, it was mayhem while everyone sorted themselves into the proper position in the pack. However, it seemed to settle down after that, and I certainly got into a groove. I got my splits at each mile, but didn't think to look at them, only my overall time. I did a lot of math during my run: how fast was that mile, where am I now, will I beat my target time of 52 minutes, and most importantly how long will it take me to run that last tenth of a mile. That's right, I calculated the last tenth of a mile, forgetting that it was actually 6.2 miles. At the 6 mile marker, I thought if I kept up the pace I might actually beat my super goal time of 50 minutes. 50 minutes came and went, and I still couldn't see the finish line. I was livid with the race organizers and totally lost focus when I probably needed it most, and it shows in my final split (although I still think the finish line was off!)

This morning i'm sitting at my computer, drinking coffee, remembering the race. I had a blast, and if nothing else got in a good hard workout to make up for my two plates of Thanksgiving lunch. When I strategize for a race, I always base it on a 10 minute/mile pace. I think it is time to adjust my strategy!

Ready for Thanksgiving

Two days until Thanksgiving, and the annual Turkey Trot. I haven't run in a 10K in over 20 years, and just getting over a cold I'm a little nervous. I'm not so nervous about how I will do compared to others, I'm actually worried that I might not be able to perform up to the expectations of my trainer. As we discussed race strategies yesterday she mentioned an initial pace of 7:15 as perhaps being a bit too quick. I seriously doubt I can get that quick early on, maybe for the last mile if I'm feeling great. Right now I'm doing these races for run, so I don't really care about the time. At some point I will want to change that approach, and be more competitive.

If I hadn't gotten sick, I'd be aiming for a sub-50 time. I think a more realistic time for me for this race is 52-53. Then again, when the race starts and the blood is pumping hard, the body does things you don't expect. Let's aim for 52 and see how things work out...

Cold and Flu Season

Has it really been two weeks since I got this cold, and one week since my last real workout? Yes, and it is very depressing. I was working so hard, and making such good progress, now I'm afraid all of that will be lost and I have to start all over again. I signed up for a race Thanksgiving day. I still plan to run, but perhaps will have to adjust my expectations. In two and a half weeks I travel to San Francisco for an uphill 10K race, goodness knows how my lungs will survive after what they have been through this past week!

The best news is that I'm not 25 anymore. I wish I still had the energy and stamina of a 25 year old, but with age I've learned to accept the limitations of my body. I will do the best I can, and that is all that I can do and expect. I'm going running tomorrow. It may not be long or far, and it may not be fast, but I'm going running. And when I'm done, I'll be one day closer to my first half Ironman!

Now, let me to take my cough medicine, inhaler, and get to bed!

No time to get sick!

I can't believe it, Tuesday afternoon I started feeling not so well. I finished my workday with a fever, and foolishly decided to try and do my swim workout, when I really wanted to sit in the hot tub and get warm. I abandoned the effort after 20 minutes. I couldn't keep track of my laps, and didn't have the energy to post the required effort. I planned a sick day yesterday but work wouldn't leave me alone. They even called me at 10 pm, knowing I'd been sick all day.

I don't have time to be sick! I have a long scheduled bike ride in 10 days, a 10K on Thanksgiving day, and another one a week after that. This is all to get me ready for my next real race, the HIM in April.

I got a good night's sleep last night and feel much better. I'm going running this afternoon!

Hardest weekend to date

This past weekend was a good/tough weekend of training, at least for where I am today. I'll probably look back in a month and laugh at that statement. I swam 2000M worth of drills Friday, rode 45 miles in Magnolia Saturday, and then ran 6 miles Sunday. Stupid me went to Aerofest yesterday, a 10 hour concert featuring 7-8 bands. I am so glad that today is my day off because my legs are pretty tired!

A belated thanks

I keep forgetting to thank my employer: Xcis Software, for allowing me the flexibility in my schedule that allows me to train as much as this sport requires! You can find their web site at www.xcis-software.com. They are a great group of people, each with their own athletic agenda.

Antsy in recovery

Different week/race, same results: I should be enjoying the easy week after but instead find myself antsy to get back into the thick of the training. It was hard for me to get motivated to start any training and I'm afraid that these slow weeks will allow me to slip back into couch-potato ville. I swam yesterday, 1.2 miles, and today I get to ride the bike for about an hour. I guess what I'm waiting for is the run. Not a recovery run where I'm just plodding along at 10 minute/mile pace, but a real run. I want to run hard enough that I'm breathing hard, maybe even feel like throwing up at the end. Now that's a run! This Sunday might be my first change to get the old ticker going.

The next step

Now that I've finished my first season, far exceeding my goal of just getting out of the water, it is time to get ready for the next step. I want to do a 1/2 Iroman next year, in April. Actually I'd like to do three of those. I'd also like to try one of these smaller races again to see if I can break into the top 20%. Those may be mutually exclusive, so the long races definately come first. Lonestar in Galveston April 24, 2010. There, I've said it, now I have to do it!

Triathlon #3 - Katy Tx

Car trouble started me in a foul mood. It was cold and I was underprepared to stand around for hours in shorts, sandals and a windbreaker. I was irritated at myself for allowing my diet to slip, knowing that those few Pringles had added extra pounds I would now have to carry. We stood in the water for 8 minutes before our wave started and I couldn't stop my teeth from chattering. That all goes away when the gun sounds. It really was cold to me and I was never able to warm up on the swim. During the swim I felt like I was being battered around like a sparring partner. No wonder, I was in the front of the wave! Who would have thought that a non-swimmer like me could crawl out of the water in 6th place. Finally out of the water, I approached the female wetsuit stripper and wondered if I'd remembered to tie my shorts after my last bathroom break. Fortunately for both of us there were no surprises here!

The bike leg was flat and windy. The wave behind me was young women, and they proceeded to fly by me in droves. I tried to watch as they passed, and I believe they were all on TT (time trial) bikes which made me feel a bit better. Rounding one corner the bikes in front of me all slowed down. Foolishly I thought I could take a better line and make up a second or two. Wrong! There was a pothole in the middle of the road I had to swerve around, which then sent me off the shoulder into gravel. Fortunately I was able to keep going and made it back on the road without a flat. I especially appreciated the rider who came up and told me to watch the road. Angrily I picked up the pace and left him behind.

I don't know why my head felt so muddy, but it did, and I almost left T2 without my race number. Many thanks to the volunteer who pointed it out to me before I got far down the road. The run was short, but by now I really needed to pee. I kept looking for a spot on the side of the road where I could stop for a quick break, but there were too many racers and the woods were too far. One leg of the race was off-road; I love running off-road. It was an out and back, and probably too narrow for the number of runners. At times we were three wide as we passed, having to speed up so we didn't run into the runners coming the other way. There were lots of spectators as we approached the finish line. Two little girls were particularly loud and full of energy. They really made the last little bit fun!

I finished strong and felt good. Thinking back I would do a few things differently, but I doubt it would have made a significant difference. I finished in the top third of my age group, and only one minute off my target time (where did I come up with that number?)

Tri season is over for me this year - it is too cold!

When to start

I wish I had started this months ago, when the idea of running in a triathlon for my 50th birthday first entered my mind. The problem is I don't know when I got started. I think it was August before I first entered the pool. In September I emailed a prospective trainer that my goal was to get out of the water unassisted. Finishing the race was a distant second thought. I was really afraid I'd have to be pulled out of the water by one of the safety boats. I can't believe that was just 6 weeks ago!