Sorry this write up is a little delayed, but it has been a long world tour and I have finally landed back in my resting place...Dallas (not a grave!).
So following the Aquathlon and open water swim, I was flying high. pulled out the double win super hungover. I was playing golf with my parents later that day after the race and told them that hurt way too much to keep putting myself through that, so this week for Clark Lake I decided I was going to be a little more under control Saturday leading up to the race.
Race morning came and it was pouring rain. I hadn't raced in the rain in quite some time, but I was actually looking forward to it! Got to the race site, jumped out and quickly ran over to the Alpha list of all the competitors, picked out my bib #, and scoped out the competition. There were a couple of locals that I knew that would give me a run for my money, so I had to get my game face on.
I let the rain settle a little bit before getting my equipment out and setup in transition. Got in a nice little 10 min warm up jog, and headed down to the water to start the swim. After getting rained on and sweating in the warm up jog, it was difficult to put on my wetsuit. I nearly missed the race start because of rookie mistakes in putting it on, put the damn thing on backwards!
With less than a minute to spare I got it on and made it to the front of the first wave. The gun was off and the race was on. First up was a half mile swim. My plan was to get out hard and get into the lead pack and hold that position, jet through transition, and get out on the bike alone.
Around the first buoy I had already gaped the rest of the field and had a nice cushion, so I maintained my pace, and ran through what I was going to do in transition so that it was crisp and flawless.
Coming out of the water I saw my buddy Kev and the rest of my family and they were heckling me like crazy. While I was looking for them I was also peeling my wetsuit down as I ran. I have found this to be the best strategy for me to quickly and efficiently get into transition while actively peeling the wetsuit off. I unzipped and un-velcroed quickly all in one swoop, then peeled the wetsuit off my shoulders and rolled it down to my hips. This allows me to keep running and making progress toward the transition area, but saving myself a few free seconds. Once in transition, I quickly locate my bike, and get to that area. Then i roll down the wetsuit as far as it will go, and then try to aggressively pull my legs up and slip them out of the last part of the legs (usually i can do this in one swoop with each leg). After that I quickly put on my helmet, buckle it up, and head out to the mount line. Again I secured the fastest T1 by 10 seconds! :)
Out on the bike I tried to push the pace early. Knowing that there were some faster old guys going in the later waves I needed to race the clock and hammer the entire race. I was 5 miles into the 13 mile bike and I was feeling pretty good, and had a good cushion on the rest of the wave behind me, but I kept hammering.
Coming in off the bike I was licking my chops going into the run. I knew my swim and bike were pretty strong and that my best event was up last. Running has been my passion the past 6 months and i haven't been as consistent as id like to be, but i know that's been my strongest event the past couple seasons.
I had a quick transition, and was off. The final leg was a 4.2 mile run along the lakeside road, but it wasn't scenic because the houses blocked the view. The run kinda sucked, I was alone the whole time. There was a lead biker, but he rode so far in front of me it was more demoralizing than helpful. Coming down the final dirt road, approaching the last turn, I could see my family and buddy Kev, but knew I didn't have it locked up yet. I finished hard through the line, and the waiting game was on...did I lay down the hammer enough to deserve to win?
A young guy came in about 2 minutes after me and was flying. You could tell he was a stellar runner, he put down a great race and a well deserved second. 7 or so minutes passed before an "old" guy crossed the finish line and at that point I knew I had locked it up! My time was about 2 minutes slower than when I last won in 2009, but I was happy with it. Racing alone is tough to stay focused, so like I said I was pleased with my performance.
Still waiting on the pics from my mom...
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
Tuesday, July 15, 2014
Howell Aquathlon & Open Water Swim
Let me start this post off by saying this is one of the most fun and low key races I have ever been apart of! I have never seen an event like this one, and will do everything I can to fit this in my schedule every year!
This race consists of 2 races, first a 1 mile open water swim. Then 30 minutes after that is a 1.25 mile run .5 mile swim 1.25 mile run Aquathlon. You can choose to do either of the two races, or both! Naturally, being the competitor that I am, I entered in both :)
This may sound repetitive and you are probably asking yourself why I would put myself through this kind of torture, and all I can say is...I dont like to miss out on any fun ;)
My race prep for this race was very similar to what I did for the ITU Chicago race. I wont dive into as deep of detail as I did previously, but lets just say 4th of July weekend at its finest...54 holes of golf, cases on top of cases of beer, and lots of beer pong :)
The races were on Sunday morning and I had an early wake up call as the race site was an hour and a half away, and needless to say I wasnt feeling the freshest. Beer pong with the fam till nearly 1am was looming heavy on my stomach and head. But that wasnt stopping me from attempting to defend my double title from last year!
After the long painful drive I got to the race site and got myself setup in the little transition area. This wasnt your typical transition area. With only about 70 participants, and no bikes, there wasnt the need for a big transition spot. I picked up a little bucket they provide, put all my essentials in there, and was ready to kick off the first race, the 1 mile open water swim.
Last year in the swim there was a 52 year old young man, Mike Schuldinger, who was an absolute torpedo in the water! He and I battled it out last year nearly the whole way, and I squeaked out the W. This year things were a little bit different, the swim was wetsuit legal (water temp was 75 degs) and I took full advantage of of that! I ran into Mike on the beach before the race and we chatted a bit, and I had to break the news that I was going to be "cheating" and wearing my wetsuit to make things easier on myself. He is an unbelievable guy, and a great sport and just chuckled and said he was still going to hang with me :)
The race was pretty uneventful, I got out really hard to create a gap, and then just maintained that throughout the rest of the course. I was hurting pretty bad, and as the HR rose, so did the discomfort in my stomach...but like I mentioned, I got through it and defended my title :)
Next up was the Aquathlon, the Main Event! Aquathlons are one of my favorite endurance events and I was really looking forward to this! Last year I also had a close showdown with another good friend of mine from Michigan State, Chris Matulis. Last year it came down to the final mile, and similar to the open water swim, I squeaked out the W.
When the race began I got out to the front pack and ran with another longtime racing friend, the man with the best hair in the sport...Roman Krzyzanowski. He is also an unbelievable guy to know, very genuine and all about having a great time with every racer out there! He and I got out hard on the first leg and opened up a little gap on the rest of the field.
Roman came into T1 just ahead of me, we kicked off our shoes quick and were into the water...Chris was right on our heels! One thing I learned in last years race was to run with your goggles and cap in your hand so that you can have a speedy transition. I slipped my goggles on just before running into transition, flipped my shoes off, put the cap off, and dove into the water for the swim. I slipped around roman just before the first buoy, and before I knew it, Chris had shot around me on the inside. I had to hammer hard to get on his feet, and was able to hang for the rest of the first lap, but the second lap he really kicked it into gear and started to create a little gap. At that time the rest of the field was starting to get into the water so it was hard to keep track of him with the other athletes, and my goal was just to hammer it into shore and focus on a quick T2 and catch back up to him.
Chris left transition with a 5-10 second lead and i really had to hammer to reel him in. I was really hurting bad at this point and knew that it was do or die time to make a pass. I caught up to him about 1/3 of a mile into the last run and without hesitation tried to create a gap rather than run with him. We came up on a tough uphill spike and I tried to hammer as best I could up it because the rest of the race from there was flat and downhill, and being a strong downhill runner I knew it would be tough to reel me in.
I never looked back because I was too scared to see where Chris was, and I just kept hammering all the way to the finish line, again eeking out another close W, and defending my double title.
It was a great day of racing, and it was great to see all of my old teammates and friends! Great racing to all who came out, and I look forward to another great rematch next year in both races!
I also found this short article in the local paper (http://www.livingstondaily.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2014307070002)
Next up is the Clark Lake Triathlon Sunday!
This race consists of 2 races, first a 1 mile open water swim. Then 30 minutes after that is a 1.25 mile run .5 mile swim 1.25 mile run Aquathlon. You can choose to do either of the two races, or both! Naturally, being the competitor that I am, I entered in both :)
This may sound repetitive and you are probably asking yourself why I would put myself through this kind of torture, and all I can say is...I dont like to miss out on any fun ;)
My race prep for this race was very similar to what I did for the ITU Chicago race. I wont dive into as deep of detail as I did previously, but lets just say 4th of July weekend at its finest...54 holes of golf, cases on top of cases of beer, and lots of beer pong :)
The races were on Sunday morning and I had an early wake up call as the race site was an hour and a half away, and needless to say I wasnt feeling the freshest. Beer pong with the fam till nearly 1am was looming heavy on my stomach and head. But that wasnt stopping me from attempting to defend my double title from last year!
After the long painful drive I got to the race site and got myself setup in the little transition area. This wasnt your typical transition area. With only about 70 participants, and no bikes, there wasnt the need for a big transition spot. I picked up a little bucket they provide, put all my essentials in there, and was ready to kick off the first race, the 1 mile open water swim.
Last year in the swim there was a 52 year old young man, Mike Schuldinger, who was an absolute torpedo in the water! He and I battled it out last year nearly the whole way, and I squeaked out the W. This year things were a little bit different, the swim was wetsuit legal (water temp was 75 degs) and I took full advantage of of that! I ran into Mike on the beach before the race and we chatted a bit, and I had to break the news that I was going to be "cheating" and wearing my wetsuit to make things easier on myself. He is an unbelievable guy, and a great sport and just chuckled and said he was still going to hang with me :)
The race was pretty uneventful, I got out really hard to create a gap, and then just maintained that throughout the rest of the course. I was hurting pretty bad, and as the HR rose, so did the discomfort in my stomach...but like I mentioned, I got through it and defended my title :)
Next up was the Aquathlon, the Main Event! Aquathlons are one of my favorite endurance events and I was really looking forward to this! Last year I also had a close showdown with another good friend of mine from Michigan State, Chris Matulis. Last year it came down to the final mile, and similar to the open water swim, I squeaked out the W.
When the race began I got out to the front pack and ran with another longtime racing friend, the man with the best hair in the sport...Roman Krzyzanowski. He is also an unbelievable guy to know, very genuine and all about having a great time with every racer out there! He and I got out hard on the first leg and opened up a little gap on the rest of the field.
Roman came into T1 just ahead of me, we kicked off our shoes quick and were into the water...Chris was right on our heels! One thing I learned in last years race was to run with your goggles and cap in your hand so that you can have a speedy transition. I slipped my goggles on just before running into transition, flipped my shoes off, put the cap off, and dove into the water for the swim. I slipped around roman just before the first buoy, and before I knew it, Chris had shot around me on the inside. I had to hammer hard to get on his feet, and was able to hang for the rest of the first lap, but the second lap he really kicked it into gear and started to create a little gap. At that time the rest of the field was starting to get into the water so it was hard to keep track of him with the other athletes, and my goal was just to hammer it into shore and focus on a quick T2 and catch back up to him.
Chris left transition with a 5-10 second lead and i really had to hammer to reel him in. I was really hurting bad at this point and knew that it was do or die time to make a pass. I caught up to him about 1/3 of a mile into the last run and without hesitation tried to create a gap rather than run with him. We came up on a tough uphill spike and I tried to hammer as best I could up it because the rest of the race from there was flat and downhill, and being a strong downhill runner I knew it would be tough to reel me in.
I never looked back because I was too scared to see where Chris was, and I just kept hammering all the way to the finish line, again eeking out another close W, and defending my double title.
It was a great day of racing, and it was great to see all of my old teammates and friends! Great racing to all who came out, and I look forward to another great rematch next year in both races!
I also found this short article in the local paper (http://www.livingstondaily.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2014307070002)
Next up is the Clark Lake Triathlon Sunday!
Tuesday, July 8, 2014
ITU Chicago Recap
So I am going to try to start writing race recaps again, 1) because its fun and I like looking back at races and seeing what went well and what didnt, and 2) because i just got this cool new iPad keyboard and wanted to use it ;)
To preface my race recap, I just finished my first year as a high school teacher down in Texas, and am thoroughly enjoying my first real summer off as a post college grad! At times it sucks because you get so bored and want to call your friends up, but realize its 10:30 am on a Wednesday and they are all working! But the majority of the time its great, I can workout whenever I want to, can sleep in if i want to...the list goes on.
Being able to enjoy almost 3 months off, I planned a trip to head back to Michigan to see all my family and some close friends. I decided to drive because I wanted to have all the essentials like my bike, golf clubs, and of course my bowling ball :) I drove up with a buddy from down in Dallas, Zach, and we decided to take the trip in 2 days, stopping in a town called Clarksville, TN (about an hour west of Nashville). We had this awesome idea planned to go watch funny car racing at this little dirt track, but unfortunately we hit too much traffic along the way and didnt make it in time :( Anyway we got to Chicago on Thursday June 26th and hooked up with zachs relatives (it was his little nephews 2nd birthday).
I would say that this weekend was not the most ideal race prep weekend you may have ever hear of, but I think I ended up doing alright considering the pre-race activities I found myself in. Thursday night was a night we spent in, but up in his sister and brother in laws high rise baller pad overlooking Lake Michigan. We drank copious amounts of beer and whisky before calling it a night and walking back to the hotel (about a mile down the street). Friday we slept in, then hit the beach for infinite amounts of beers and sand volleyball games. We shut the beach down, then headed back to get changed and ready for dinner and to hit Lincoln Park hard. And that we did! Had dinner at a delicious Mexican joint before walking a couple blocks down to this low key irish pub. Had a couple pitchers, and wanted to try to get into something crazier so we found this other place with a younger crowd called trinity, and posted up. Right when we walk in zach and I see they have beer pong and immediately get next game. We ran the show the rest of the night and forever cemented in those young little college kids heads that Dallas TX can represent!
Saturday morning was rough and again we slept in, but not too late because we had tickets to the first game of a cubbies double header! The game was a blast, and cubbies got the win! After the game we came back to his sisters pad and celebrated his nephews 2nd birthday. Fun was had and by the time all the festivities were over zach and i notice its already midnight and i havent gotten my bike from my car, and dont have anything ready for the race! We quickly get all that stuff taken care of and by the time we get to the hotel it was already 1.
The race started at 6am, but had over 4000 participants so there were many a waves. My wave (unfortunately) didnt start till 8:30! I hadnt picked up my packet or anything ahead of time, obviously i had my priorities in line, so i had to wake up at 4 to be able to ride my bike there (5 miles) find my packet and then get my stuff to transition. I walk out of the hotel with all my gear and sure enough...its pouring rain! Im super hungover, and now its raining...i almost turned around and went back to bed, but decided against it and flagged down a taxi, jammed my bike in the back seat and took shotty.
After getting everything setup in transition i made my way back to the water, and since i didnt start for nearly 3 hrs i decided to take a little power nap :) After 2 hrs of a nap i still woke up feeling like i had been hit by a truck! I want the most optimistic about the race, but I was going to give it all i had.
The swim started and I got out hard. Water temps were mid 60s in Lake Michigan and were perfect for a wetsuit. The swim was very sluggish and not to kick around the bush...it sucked! It hurt bad, my stomach, my head, my arms felt heavy and weak...this is going to be a long day!
Coming out of the water, I had my transition plan all figured out. I wanted to be efficient and make up as much ground as i could on the field, and that I did...having the 2nd fastest T1 in the whole field
of 4k! It was a super long run from the water to transition not to mention there being 4000 bikes in transition...my transition was 3:10 right on the money, and the fastest was 3:08, so I was doing something right!
Out on the bike I wanted to get into a rhythm early, and slowly build it up. The bike consisted of 4 laps through the city and was actually really cool! But there were far too many people on the course...things got a little crammed. I actually rode very well for not having much bike fitness rolling in and averaged 24.5.
Coming into T2 I was feeling pretty good, but felt dehydrated. I ran out of water the start of the last lap of the bike and after 3 long days of drinking my body was dying for some hydration! Again I tried to focus on my transitions and zipped through T2 with the 7th fastest T2.
Out on the run I wanted to get into a good tempo pace early and try to get some fluids in me before I tried to go nuts and run in the red zone. Got through the first lap of 3.5 feeling pretty good, second lap again got through feeling pretty good, but midway through the 3rd lap the wheels started to fall off. I felt cramping coming on so i walked through the aid stations quickly and got as many fluids as i could get down! Managed to hold it together for a 40 min run split, and not too upset with it.
Overall I finished 5th in my age group, and 28th overall. Finished in a time of 2:04 and change and am happy with how well I held it together considering the absolute pain i was in 95% of the race! No race photos are up yet, but once I find some I will post them up!
Next up for me is a super fun small race in Howell Michigan. Its 2 races in 1, first is a 1 mile open water swim, then 30 mins after that is an aquathlon (2k run, .5 mile swim, 2k run). Last year I was able to win both races, so I have to defend the double title!
Next up for me is a super fun small race in Howell Michigan. Its 2 races in 1, first is a 1 mile open water swim, then 30 mins after that is an aquathlon (2k run, .5 mile swim, 2k run). Last year I was able to win both races, so I have to defend the double title!
Sunday, February 2, 2014
2014 - Back to Work
So 2013 was filled with many ups and downs, and certainly was worthy of reflecting upon from both an athletic side as well as a personal side. But I wont delve into that reflection here. This first post of 2014 is meant to set the tone for the year ahead, hopefully a very successful and joyful year!
It all started 2 weeks ago with my first race of the year, the Resolution Run 10K in McKinney, TX, where I went out and set my new best 10K split on an honest and hilly course. All while snatching the first W of the year in the process. Very optimistic start to the season.
But the real story was my second race of the year, the Hypnotic Donut Dask 5k in downtown Dallas. This race was the weekend following the 10k, and i was still pretty sore from that race. Calves were shredded, legs were heavy from starting up tri training again. Along with all that, I started coaching Track at the high school I teach at, and have been running with the kids every day. I have really been hitting training well early this year to say the least!
So, the race...I met a bunch of friends at the race, and it was meant to be a fun 5K we all met up at, and best of all, at the end they had free beer provided by the locals! Race morning was pretty chilly (by Texas standards) hovering around 20-25 degrees, but it was beautiful clear skies and sunshine.
With it being cold, I decided to go get in a little warm up, and ended up getting lost on the course because I didnt know where I was going, so turned around doubled back and cut the warm up short. Went through my stretching routine, put on my flats, stripped into the short shorts, and was off to the start line!
There were close to 1500 people at the race, and the line was jam packed, but I was able to find a spot right on the front line, and shortly after that the race was on.
My plan for the race was to get out strong but comfortable the first mile, assess my position, and then turn the screws and try to get rid of people in the back half of the race. I got out quick in the first 100 to take the lead, and settled into a nice steady pace. I felt another runner right on my heels but he was reluctant to run on my shoulder, or even take the lead, so I continued on with my race plan.
We came through the mile at 5:15, and I was feeling really good. I still had this other guy right on my heels but still wasn't trying to make a move on me. I heard him breathing somewhat heavy, so I knew the pace was not easy for him, and I decided to ratchet it up slightly over the next mile to see how he would respond. I would say 4 minutes at this pace or so I started to notice I was creating a gap, and went for the jugular! I opened it up into a near sprint for 45 seconds and created a nice 5-10 second spread on him. When I couldnt hear his footsteps or breathing anymore, I settled back into my race pace from earlier.
I never saw a 2 mile marker, and was starting to get nervous as to how much of the race was left. I knew I still had some more in the tank, but by no means was comfortable. Just as things started to look bleak I hit the spot where I had warmed up to and got lost, so I knew I only had 2/3 mile left to go and at that point realized I was really putting together a great race! I knew I had the race locked up, but wanted to race the clock and possibly put together my best 5K race a week after doing the same for the 10K.
After hammering it home, I crossed the line in 15:44 and had held off 2nd place by 10 seconds to claim the top spot. I was in shock at how well I had raced. I got out exactly the way I wanted to, pushed the pace to separate myself from the field, and then grit my teeth and finished with everything I had left. I wore my garmin and clocked it at 2.98 miles (unfortunately not a true 5K), but absolutely shredded my old PR based on avg pace. 5:17/mile is not too shabby in late January, and Im really excited for the coming season!
Motto for 2014 "Whatever It Takes"
Below are the rest of the race pics I was able to find, some are of my buddies as well.
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Marble Falls Half IM
First of all, Sorry for the delay in getting this blog out, i had a busy week last week subbing for 1st graders and was very limited on time and energy as you can imagine...babysitting for 2-3 kids is fun and not too bad, but once you have a class of 20 of them, things get interesting, and you are on the move non-stop!
So I decided to sign up for the HITS Marble Falls Half Ironman in December because it was perfect timing leading up to TTT which is my only major focus race of this season. The other reason I was swayed to sign up for this race is because it was $75!!! A half ironman for $75...you cant beat that.
Let me just start off by saying HITS races are one of a kind! First and foremost, their staff is hand selected and they are some of the nicest most friendly people alive. Starting from at the top with the big dawg, Mr. Mark Wilson. I met him the evening before the race at the athlete meeting, and I was blown away with his kindness and patience. After the meeting all the athletes were huddling around wanting to talk to Mark, whether to tell a story, ask a question or just to introduce themselves...Mark gave each and every one of them his full attention and seemed more than excited to share those few moments with each athlete. What a guy!
Secondly, the HITS races are hand selected in some of the most beautiful, remote locations throughout the US. I had never heard of Marble Falls before, but am sure glad I do now because it is a beautiful little quaint town, but once you get a few miles outside you get very rolly open roads perfect for a triathlon!
So back to the race now, Iris and I got to our hotel Friday night (the eve before the race), added all of my last minute touches to my equipment and was off for a chilly ice bath! The ice bath is one of those "Ancient Rituals" that I always partake in the nights before big races. It calms me down, and always makes my legs feel like magic!
I didn't get much sleep that night, seemed to be up every hour or so tossing and turning, and decided to get up even before my alarm went off. It didn't take me long to get down my breakfast and load up the car, and after dragging iris out of bed we were off to the race site.
This race was going to be my first triathlon since racing Ironman Austin 70.3 last October, so I was chomping at the bit to get things under way! I got out on my bike for a quick little tune up to make sure everything was shifting properly and that I was in the right gear to start the race off. Then I laced up the flats for a quick 5-10 min jog with some pick ups. I usually like to run on a park trail or somewhere with trees, because this is the last time I will empty the bladder before I start the race! After all those things were checked off the pre-race list, I was on my way down to the water with wetsuit in hand!
I got in the water and did another 5-10 minute warm up loosening up the arms, getting my breathing ready, and before I knew it the race was already under way!
I like to take the swim out hard and give myself some clean open water. After about 200 yards, I did a couple breaths to both sides, and realized that I had jumped out to an early lead, and I had one guy in pursuit on my feet, but that was it. I settled into my stroke and pushed on through the rest of the swim.
As we were exiting the water, the guy who was on my heels had pulled up shoulder to shoulder with me and we exited the water together. There was a big steep incline to climb heading up to transition and the swim timing mat was at the top...I crossed that first and posted the fastest swim of the day (25:16), a pleasantly surprising split to start my day!
Over the last 100 yards of the swim I pictured in my head how transition was going to go and executed it to perfection. I was in and out of T1 super quick and had the fastest transition on the day by almost 15 seconds. I was out on the bike in 1st and all alone!
The first 8-10 miles on the bike include some serious climbs and rollers, and so my goal was to get through here with as little wasted energy as I could. I tried to stay within my goal power ranges. Right around mile 10 a car pulled up next to me and sure enough it was IRIS :) She told me that I had close to a 5 minute lead on the 2nd place guy. I couldn't believe it, I had put 5 minutes into the guy in the first 10 miles! I was ecstatic!
Iris continued to drive up the road and give me updates and to keep me company, which was a major morale booster! Close to halfway through the ride, she pulled up and asked how I was doing and to give me another update. She said I had over 10 minutes now and that I was doing awesome! I still felt very strong and that I could keep up the pace I had been setting but I told her I was starting to get bored! We were approaching the 2 hour mark in the race and I had been all alone the entire bike ride...she laughed and drove off. I thought to myself after telling her that "I have gone 25-30 miles and put a 10 minute lead into the rest of the group! I have never been one to run away with the fastest bike split, so for all my hard work on the bike to be paying off really kept me mentally with it. I kept dialing it into my goal power, and pressed on.
Approaching T2 I had continued to add to my big lead. I also was in tune with the fact that I had just posted my new fastest half ironman bike split. I had outbiked my Austin time by over a minute on a much more difficult course! I had swam great and now put together a very solid bike...all that was left to do was PR in the run...or so i thought.
Coming out of T2 I was feeling pretty good, and thought the race was locked up and all I wanted to do was hammer the run to give myself a new 70.3 overall PR. I had gone 4:25 at Austin, and ran a 1:26 to bring it home...if I were to run a 1:30 i would be right in that ball park. My run training had been going very very well though, so I was expecting an even better run that what i put up at Austin!
Through the first 2 miles I had climbed this big hill and made it to the relatively easy rollers that were left before the turn around for home. I was feeling good, and decided to try to stretch the pace a little bit. I started to hit sub 6:30s and my body was responding nicely. I thought for sure I could run a new run PR ultimately leading to a new 70.3 best. That quickly turned south. After passing through the aid station at mile 3 the wheels fell off. I was feeling sick to my stomach, my hammies started to cramp...and i still had 10 miles left!
After suffering big time for the next mile and a half, I ran into iris again and she was trying to cheer me up...but i was in DEEP! I felt horrible. After getting to the next aid station I started on my customary helpings of Cola. Whenever i start to go south on the run in a full or half ironman, coke has been my savior.
It seemed that it would indeed again be my savior. I was starting to settle into a good pace again, and over the next 2 miles I was clicking off sub 7:30s and finally making progress again. Iris told me when i was at mile 7 that i had nearly a 20 minute lead and to just keep taking my time. Within minutes of hearing that it seemed like the lights had been completely turned off for me. The hammy cramps came back with vengeance. I was screaming in pain, unable to move forward, I tried to stretch things out, but that only led to other areas cramping and I was miserable. I had just under 6 miles left, and I was locking up!
With 5 miles to go i started to get the feeling that I was so bloated from taking a bunch of coke and water, which was causing my stomach to be upset again...before I knew it i was hurling on the side of the road. After a few quick evacuations I was back on the course trying to shuffle home.
My hamstrings and calves were in such pain and each stride i could feel them wanting to lock up on me and shut me down for good, but I wasn't going to let that happen. I knew my lead was dwindling, but I focused on what I had in front of me. The final 3 miles.
Nothing changed much over those last 3 miles, I was miserable, wincing in pain, hoping that each stride was followed by another one and not a debilitating cramp!
Making the final turn for home and seeing the finish line was a huge relief for me. I had fought so hard out on that run course to stay upright and keep moving forward, and to get to the end victorious was quite a feat for me. Without Iris's support I may still be out on the course!
Overall I finished in a time of 4:52:37, with a 25:16 Swim, a 2:27:20 Bike, and a 1:57:24 Run. I had a stellar race going up until the run, and it was tough to see how it ended on paper, but I learned a lot about myself and my nutrition plan. I need to make sure I dont make the same mistake in 2 weeks at TTT!
Thanks again to HITS and Mark Wilson for such a wonderful race, to Iris for supporting me and being there through the highs and lows, and to Evotri and all our kick A$$ sponsors and for all you do for us, Q-Roo, Hub Endurance, Zipp, Sram, Cycleops. All my hard work and results are to show my appreciation for what you guys have done for me and will continue to do for me in the future! Thank you so much
So I decided to sign up for the HITS Marble Falls Half Ironman in December because it was perfect timing leading up to TTT which is my only major focus race of this season. The other reason I was swayed to sign up for this race is because it was $75!!! A half ironman for $75...you cant beat that.
Let me just start off by saying HITS races are one of a kind! First and foremost, their staff is hand selected and they are some of the nicest most friendly people alive. Starting from at the top with the big dawg, Mr. Mark Wilson. I met him the evening before the race at the athlete meeting, and I was blown away with his kindness and patience. After the meeting all the athletes were huddling around wanting to talk to Mark, whether to tell a story, ask a question or just to introduce themselves...Mark gave each and every one of them his full attention and seemed more than excited to share those few moments with each athlete. What a guy!
Secondly, the HITS races are hand selected in some of the most beautiful, remote locations throughout the US. I had never heard of Marble Falls before, but am sure glad I do now because it is a beautiful little quaint town, but once you get a few miles outside you get very rolly open roads perfect for a triathlon!
So back to the race now, Iris and I got to our hotel Friday night (the eve before the race), added all of my last minute touches to my equipment and was off for a chilly ice bath! The ice bath is one of those "Ancient Rituals" that I always partake in the nights before big races. It calms me down, and always makes my legs feel like magic!
I didn't get much sleep that night, seemed to be up every hour or so tossing and turning, and decided to get up even before my alarm went off. It didn't take me long to get down my breakfast and load up the car, and after dragging iris out of bed we were off to the race site.
This race was going to be my first triathlon since racing Ironman Austin 70.3 last October, so I was chomping at the bit to get things under way! I got out on my bike for a quick little tune up to make sure everything was shifting properly and that I was in the right gear to start the race off. Then I laced up the flats for a quick 5-10 min jog with some pick ups. I usually like to run on a park trail or somewhere with trees, because this is the last time I will empty the bladder before I start the race! After all those things were checked off the pre-race list, I was on my way down to the water with wetsuit in hand!
I got in the water and did another 5-10 minute warm up loosening up the arms, getting my breathing ready, and before I knew it the race was already under way!
I like to take the swim out hard and give myself some clean open water. After about 200 yards, I did a couple breaths to both sides, and realized that I had jumped out to an early lead, and I had one guy in pursuit on my feet, but that was it. I settled into my stroke and pushed on through the rest of the swim.
As we were exiting the water, the guy who was on my heels had pulled up shoulder to shoulder with me and we exited the water together. There was a big steep incline to climb heading up to transition and the swim timing mat was at the top...I crossed that first and posted the fastest swim of the day (25:16), a pleasantly surprising split to start my day!
Over the last 100 yards of the swim I pictured in my head how transition was going to go and executed it to perfection. I was in and out of T1 super quick and had the fastest transition on the day by almost 15 seconds. I was out on the bike in 1st and all alone!
The first 8-10 miles on the bike include some serious climbs and rollers, and so my goal was to get through here with as little wasted energy as I could. I tried to stay within my goal power ranges. Right around mile 10 a car pulled up next to me and sure enough it was IRIS :) She told me that I had close to a 5 minute lead on the 2nd place guy. I couldn't believe it, I had put 5 minutes into the guy in the first 10 miles! I was ecstatic!
Iris continued to drive up the road and give me updates and to keep me company, which was a major morale booster! Close to halfway through the ride, she pulled up and asked how I was doing and to give me another update. She said I had over 10 minutes now and that I was doing awesome! I still felt very strong and that I could keep up the pace I had been setting but I told her I was starting to get bored! We were approaching the 2 hour mark in the race and I had been all alone the entire bike ride...she laughed and drove off. I thought to myself after telling her that "I have gone 25-30 miles and put a 10 minute lead into the rest of the group! I have never been one to run away with the fastest bike split, so for all my hard work on the bike to be paying off really kept me mentally with it. I kept dialing it into my goal power, and pressed on.
Approaching T2 I had continued to add to my big lead. I also was in tune with the fact that I had just posted my new fastest half ironman bike split. I had outbiked my Austin time by over a minute on a much more difficult course! I had swam great and now put together a very solid bike...all that was left to do was PR in the run...or so i thought.
Coming out of T2 I was feeling pretty good, and thought the race was locked up and all I wanted to do was hammer the run to give myself a new 70.3 overall PR. I had gone 4:25 at Austin, and ran a 1:26 to bring it home...if I were to run a 1:30 i would be right in that ball park. My run training had been going very very well though, so I was expecting an even better run that what i put up at Austin!
Through the first 2 miles I had climbed this big hill and made it to the relatively easy rollers that were left before the turn around for home. I was feeling good, and decided to try to stretch the pace a little bit. I started to hit sub 6:30s and my body was responding nicely. I thought for sure I could run a new run PR ultimately leading to a new 70.3 best. That quickly turned south. After passing through the aid station at mile 3 the wheels fell off. I was feeling sick to my stomach, my hammies started to cramp...and i still had 10 miles left!
After suffering big time for the next mile and a half, I ran into iris again and she was trying to cheer me up...but i was in DEEP! I felt horrible. After getting to the next aid station I started on my customary helpings of Cola. Whenever i start to go south on the run in a full or half ironman, coke has been my savior.
It seemed that it would indeed again be my savior. I was starting to settle into a good pace again, and over the next 2 miles I was clicking off sub 7:30s and finally making progress again. Iris told me when i was at mile 7 that i had nearly a 20 minute lead and to just keep taking my time. Within minutes of hearing that it seemed like the lights had been completely turned off for me. The hammy cramps came back with vengeance. I was screaming in pain, unable to move forward, I tried to stretch things out, but that only led to other areas cramping and I was miserable. I had just under 6 miles left, and I was locking up!
With 5 miles to go i started to get the feeling that I was so bloated from taking a bunch of coke and water, which was causing my stomach to be upset again...before I knew it i was hurling on the side of the road. After a few quick evacuations I was back on the course trying to shuffle home.
My hamstrings and calves were in such pain and each stride i could feel them wanting to lock up on me and shut me down for good, but I wasn't going to let that happen. I knew my lead was dwindling, but I focused on what I had in front of me. The final 3 miles.
Nothing changed much over those last 3 miles, I was miserable, wincing in pain, hoping that each stride was followed by another one and not a debilitating cramp!
Making the final turn for home and seeing the finish line was a huge relief for me. I had fought so hard out on that run course to stay upright and keep moving forward, and to get to the end victorious was quite a feat for me. Without Iris's support I may still be out on the course!
Overall I finished in a time of 4:52:37, with a 25:16 Swim, a 2:27:20 Bike, and a 1:57:24 Run. I had a stellar race going up until the run, and it was tough to see how it ended on paper, but I learned a lot about myself and my nutrition plan. I need to make sure I dont make the same mistake in 2 weeks at TTT!
Thanks again to HITS and Mark Wilson for such a wonderful race, to Iris for supporting me and being there through the highs and lows, and to Evotri and all our kick A$$ sponsors and for all you do for us, Q-Roo, Hub Endurance, Zipp, Sram, Cycleops. All my hard work and results are to show my appreciation for what you guys have done for me and will continue to do for me in the future! Thank you so much
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Viking Fun Run 5K: Growing Up Even Before My Own Eyes
So I decided to sign up for a 5k when i got back from Chattanooga with the Evotri gang, and chose the Viking Fun Run because I figured it there was going to be awards for the overall winners, they had to be sweet viking trophies or goblets or something! Usually I am lured into these types of races for prize money or cool awards, its the little things :)
So Chattanooga was a huge training week for me, and the following week again was also another massive week. I was shutting it down at work because it was my last week with Terex, and was going to be transitioning into teaching. So having completed most of my finishing tasks with Terex, I had a lot of time to train...and that I did. Piling 2 huge weeks with solid intensity I figured I would be in for a rough week the following, but surprisingly my body was responding well and wanted more punishment. I had gone nearly 18 days without a full day off, and surprised I was still firing on nearly all cylinders. I wanted to try to get in one last big week, and then roll into a recovery week before my half ironman coming up on April 27th. Well, midway through the week the wheels fell off. Its amazing how well you can feel one workout, and then wake up the next day and be flatter than a pancake! I talked to Andy and strategized the plan leading up to the half, which clearly included a couple days off!
So I took the day off leading into the 5k, and went in with the mentality that I would run with the leaders for the first 2 miles, then pull away in the last mile, finishing 15-20 seconds clear of the field. Sounds easy on paper.
I woke up feeling good race morning after the day off, and thought if im going to run pretty comfortable in the race I might as well rack up some miles before the race...so i went for a nice easy 5 mile warm up, ran the course and checked out some of the local area before getting back to the start line, stretching and toeing the line. There was a 1 mile kids fun run, and a 5k that were starting at the same time, and sure enough, every 7 year old kid wanted to be starting right on the front line haha, which was fine with me because I was going in just to have fun with it and hopefully win a cool trophy! They shot the gun and the kids and I were off.
after about 200 meters of little kids screaming and sprinting, I weeded my way through them and noticed another kid, bigger than the elementary kids, but still a "child" way out in front and looking very fluent. I figured he had to be about 13-14 years old, and definitely in the 5k, so I opened it up a bit and closed the gap. Took me about 3/4 mile, but I comfortably closed the gap and greeted the kid. We ran together shoulder to shoulder up until the mile then he started to drop back...we hit the mile in 5:39. At this point Im thinking ok this kid got out hard and is clearly talented for his age, lets do a little coaching and see how tough he is...so I started to give him some words of encouragement, telling him to stay right on my tail and ill block the wind etc.
When we hit the turn around I could tell the kid was hurting, but a true fighter. He was not letting go of me without giving it everything he had, and I respected that big time! The fact that he didnt quit and say that guy is way older and coming second to him is good, ill just run comfort zone the rest of the way really stood out to me. He was gritting his teeth, breathing heavily...he was All In!
There was a short steep incline for about a minute after the turn around, and I let the kid know that if we are going to really push the pace up the slope here, then its all flat/downhill the rest of the way. I started to turn it over and with each stride he was hanging tough not letting me get out of reach.
Once we crested the hill I settled back into our early pace and kept yelling at the kid to hang tough, 1 mile left, anything to encourage him for a great race up to this point, but to make sure he finished it and wasnt satisfied with 2/3 of a great race.
His pace started to slip after cresting the hill and I was gaping him. At this point I thought to myself, what would I rather do, really lay the hammer down and go get my sweet trophy? Or do I continue to pace this kid to probably the greatest run he has ever had? I have always enjoyed coaching that age group of kids, and it was a no brainer at that point. I pulled back on the reins a little bit and let the kid close the gap and get within reach again...at this point in the race we were probably averaging just over 5:40s through 2 miles and change, and the last bit of the race was gradual downhill. I again gave the kid some encouraging words, and he was back into the stellar pace he started out at, he came around quick and was really moving now.
As we turned on the very last road and headed home we were just over a half mile to go in the race...and I thought to myself "What do i do? Do I kick it in and drop him here? Is this race really worth anything? If I do kick it in and finish with a 17:25, do I or anyone else really benefit from this? What about my trophy?
Meanwhile I am filling this kid with everything verbally I could to keep him on pace and to finish strong. I was so stoked at how he was fighting out there, and when I looked back to see his face, the pure grit and determination to hang on, to not let the race go, to take a huge risk and stand by it...at that point I knew what I was going to do...the kid had earned the race and he absolutely deserved the glory!
As we approached the final 300 meters, his family was in the distance and they were going ballistic! They were so happy for him, and that's when I told the kid you have less than one minute left in the race...Finish It! And that he did...he took off, I countered him stride for stride, and I looked down at my garmin...we were ticking off 4:40s over that last 300 meters...unbelievable!
Over the last 40 meters I took my foot off the gas and let him enjoy the moment. I could still hear his family going berserk behind me. I came in a few strides behind him, and its a good thing I shut it down when I did because the overall results showed him with a 17:41.2, and me at 17:41.7! And if that time isnt impressive enough, the Garmin clocked it at 3.19 for an avg pace of 5:32s!
The kid came up to me after the race and thanked me for pacing him, which showed a lot about his character. An appreciative kid who laid it all out on the line...I hope my kids are like him because that is picture perfect!
So Chattanooga was a huge training week for me, and the following week again was also another massive week. I was shutting it down at work because it was my last week with Terex, and was going to be transitioning into teaching. So having completed most of my finishing tasks with Terex, I had a lot of time to train...and that I did. Piling 2 huge weeks with solid intensity I figured I would be in for a rough week the following, but surprisingly my body was responding well and wanted more punishment. I had gone nearly 18 days without a full day off, and surprised I was still firing on nearly all cylinders. I wanted to try to get in one last big week, and then roll into a recovery week before my half ironman coming up on April 27th. Well, midway through the week the wheels fell off. Its amazing how well you can feel one workout, and then wake up the next day and be flatter than a pancake! I talked to Andy and strategized the plan leading up to the half, which clearly included a couple days off!
So I took the day off leading into the 5k, and went in with the mentality that I would run with the leaders for the first 2 miles, then pull away in the last mile, finishing 15-20 seconds clear of the field. Sounds easy on paper.
I woke up feeling good race morning after the day off, and thought if im going to run pretty comfortable in the race I might as well rack up some miles before the race...so i went for a nice easy 5 mile warm up, ran the course and checked out some of the local area before getting back to the start line, stretching and toeing the line. There was a 1 mile kids fun run, and a 5k that were starting at the same time, and sure enough, every 7 year old kid wanted to be starting right on the front line haha, which was fine with me because I was going in just to have fun with it and hopefully win a cool trophy! They shot the gun and the kids and I were off.
after about 200 meters of little kids screaming and sprinting, I weeded my way through them and noticed another kid, bigger than the elementary kids, but still a "child" way out in front and looking very fluent. I figured he had to be about 13-14 years old, and definitely in the 5k, so I opened it up a bit and closed the gap. Took me about 3/4 mile, but I comfortably closed the gap and greeted the kid. We ran together shoulder to shoulder up until the mile then he started to drop back...we hit the mile in 5:39. At this point Im thinking ok this kid got out hard and is clearly talented for his age, lets do a little coaching and see how tough he is...so I started to give him some words of encouragement, telling him to stay right on my tail and ill block the wind etc.
When we hit the turn around I could tell the kid was hurting, but a true fighter. He was not letting go of me without giving it everything he had, and I respected that big time! The fact that he didnt quit and say that guy is way older and coming second to him is good, ill just run comfort zone the rest of the way really stood out to me. He was gritting his teeth, breathing heavily...he was All In!
There was a short steep incline for about a minute after the turn around, and I let the kid know that if we are going to really push the pace up the slope here, then its all flat/downhill the rest of the way. I started to turn it over and with each stride he was hanging tough not letting me get out of reach.
Once we crested the hill I settled back into our early pace and kept yelling at the kid to hang tough, 1 mile left, anything to encourage him for a great race up to this point, but to make sure he finished it and wasnt satisfied with 2/3 of a great race.
His pace started to slip after cresting the hill and I was gaping him. At this point I thought to myself, what would I rather do, really lay the hammer down and go get my sweet trophy? Or do I continue to pace this kid to probably the greatest run he has ever had? I have always enjoyed coaching that age group of kids, and it was a no brainer at that point. I pulled back on the reins a little bit and let the kid close the gap and get within reach again...at this point in the race we were probably averaging just over 5:40s through 2 miles and change, and the last bit of the race was gradual downhill. I again gave the kid some encouraging words, and he was back into the stellar pace he started out at, he came around quick and was really moving now.
As we turned on the very last road and headed home we were just over a half mile to go in the race...and I thought to myself "What do i do? Do I kick it in and drop him here? Is this race really worth anything? If I do kick it in and finish with a 17:25, do I or anyone else really benefit from this? What about my trophy?
Meanwhile I am filling this kid with everything verbally I could to keep him on pace and to finish strong. I was so stoked at how he was fighting out there, and when I looked back to see his face, the pure grit and determination to hang on, to not let the race go, to take a huge risk and stand by it...at that point I knew what I was going to do...the kid had earned the race and he absolutely deserved the glory!
As we approached the final 300 meters, his family was in the distance and they were going ballistic! They were so happy for him, and that's when I told the kid you have less than one minute left in the race...Finish It! And that he did...he took off, I countered him stride for stride, and I looked down at my garmin...we were ticking off 4:40s over that last 300 meters...unbelievable!
Over the last 40 meters I took my foot off the gas and let him enjoy the moment. I could still hear his family going berserk behind me. I came in a few strides behind him, and its a good thing I shut it down when I did because the overall results showed him with a 17:41.2, and me at 17:41.7! And if that time isnt impressive enough, the Garmin clocked it at 3.19 for an avg pace of 5:32s!
The kid came up to me after the race and thanked me for pacing him, which showed a lot about his character. An appreciative kid who laid it all out on the line...I hope my kids are like him because that is picture perfect!
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Favorite Workouts by Discipline
Over the years I have accumulated many miles swimming,
cycling, and running. Below are my
favorite workouts from each discipline.
SWIM: For me,
picking my favorite swim workout was pretty easy. Growing up as a swimmer I have had the luxury
of having many coaches with many different training philosophies which in turn
provides many different workouts. My
favorite of all time is 10 x 200 on a given sendoff. Back in my prime in high school I could hold
a 2:20 interval, coming in between 2:05-2:10 for each 200, but as I aged and
picked up 2 other sports to train for, my interval has gone up a little bit,
but could probably still hold 2:40-2:45.
Maybe it’s time to give this workout a go!
BIKE: Biking
is a hard discipline to pick a favorite workout because there are so many
varieties of sets. If I had to pick one
it would have to be my frequent freshman year in college workout. Get back from class, jump on the trainer,
turn on the PlayStation and spin and play Madden. It sounds tacky, but playing video games
while biking on the trainer helped big time for me. It kept me on the trainer longer than if I
was just watching TV or listening to music.
Playing 2 games would have had me on the trainer for 90 minutes, which
would feel like an ironman bike to me without the distraction of the game. As funny as it sounds too, playing sports
video games really has indirect intervals built into it! Whenever the ball was snapped I would find
myself with a higher cadence and power because I felt like I was in the game
actually running the ball. It seems
outrageous, but these trainer video game sessions back in the day really kick
started my cycling career!
RUN: Similar
to biking (minus the video games) I have had a lot of coaches with lots of
workouts to choose from, but there is nothing better in my mind than repeat
miles at the track. Anywhere from 3-7 of
them with an 800 easy recovery jog between. Repeat miles are grueling but so rewarding in
my eyes. Especially because I am
constantly converting all my runs into my min/mile pace. So what’s better than to see your true
min/mile pace than run hard miles on the track.
Bring it on!
Enjoy, and let me know how these workouts rank on your
all-time favorites!
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Rooster Run 5K: FINALLY CA$$$HING IN
This post will be shorter than most race recaps because I don't have any cool pictures from the race :( However please don't be discouraged to read because the ending is a real tear jerker!! Just Playing...
Ok, so the morning started off with a mildly early wake up call, and i popped right up out of bed (usually a rare occurrence). It was a chilly 29 degrees, but I relished the conditions because they were frigid for the locals in Dallas, but more than comfortable for a northern boy from the mitten with thick blood. I felt right in my element.
After a quick bite to eat I jumped in my car and headed to the race site. The race was about 30 minutes north of me in McKinney. I had run multiple races in the area before and knew the terrain and more or less each block very well. Ehh, maybe I take that back, maybe I didnt know every block very well, I got lost on the way to the race and ended up in some 1700s half broken down shed, with no other athletes around...I couldnt be in the right spot!
After a quick GPS adjustment I realized I was only a couple blocks away. I pulled up to the race site about 40 minutes before the start of the race, and for a little local 5k, that usually gives me plenty of time to get in a little warm up, stretch, and put on the racing flats.
I haven't run a 5k in quite some time, probably close to a year, so i was excited to see what I could bust out purely on Base Ironman Training. I have been throwing in some solid intensity, but it is nothing that prepared me for a 5k, more like hour long tempo runs. But regardless of my preparation, I was still excited.
As the race director lined us up on the starting line and wished us good luck, she gave a quick schpeil about the first annual Rooster Run 5K. The race benefited The Texoma Emmaus Community which is a community that has sponsored an annual Walk. This walk is a movement intended to strenghten local church members for Christian action in their homes, churches, and daily lives. I have never been big into devoting myself to a religion, but have always enjoyed doing races that benefit a cause, and try to schedule my races based on that.
After the briefing about the cause we were off. My goal in the race had been to get out strong, and just keep pushing the pace as long as i could until I dropped. I wanted to see what I was capable of in a 5k, and thought there was no sense in going through the motions out there. So I stuck to the plan.
Coming through the first mile in 5:26 I was a bit disappointing because i had thought that a sub 5:10 first mile was reasonable and more or less expected. I felt like i was giving a good strong effort, but the time wasn't there. Sometimes the race doesn't go as planned, even from the beginning, so i had to adjust and keep focused, keeping the pedal to the metal until i crossed the finish line.
The next mile was pretty windy and through a very nice neighborhood/golf course. I found myself peeking at the course and staring at the nice houses that lined the course, but before long I realized I was there to run, not sight see! So I kept my eyes on the road, focusing on my turnover, keeping the pain of the race as high as I could. Came through the second mile just over 11 minutes, and realized hey, not too bad for consistency! 5:26, 5:35, and with the bulk of the course coming home a false flat downhill, Im setting myself up for a solid race!
Once I got out of the neighborhood, and came around the big swooping bend before repeating the last 3/4 of a mile home, I realized that there was nobody in sight. Knowing that I had the race locked up, I convinced myself to take it deeper and deeper.
As I rounded the final curve and closed the last 200 meters on the finish line I realized that my hope of running sub 17 was all but a hope at that point. I pressed hard down the final straight and finished in a time of 17:10. After looking at my garmin to see how far it clocked the race at (3.15 miles) i realized that i really ran a strong last mile! I closed the last mile equally as fast as I had taken out the first mile, if not slightly faster! Even though I didnt break 17 minutes, I was very pleased with the consistency of my splits, and can tell that all the long miles I am putting in for Ironman are really paying off. They are allowing me to hold on late in races even when the wheels feel like they are falling off.
Shortly after finishing I see Iris coming around the final curve and heading home down the straight away...She is in first overall for the women!! I didnt quite know her time, but was super excited for her to be first woman overall!
After we caught our breath, recovered, and put on some warmer clothes, the award ceremony was about to begin. The race director called up the male and female overall winners, and presented us with our big gold (olympic sized) medals, and then told us we had a second award for winning overall...A CASH PRIZE of $50!!!! I had raced countless races in my days, and almost every time found myself the first runner up to the cash! I thought I was never going to crack the code! But I had finally done it! I was so pumped to finally hold a cash prize in my hand, but knew that I didnt truly "NEED" the money, so I decided to donate it back to the Texoma Emmaus Community. It wasn't easy giving away my first Cash Prize, but before the race I knew that the overall winner got a $50 cash prize, and said to myself "If I win the race today, Im going to donate it back" and that I did :)
Ok, so the morning started off with a mildly early wake up call, and i popped right up out of bed (usually a rare occurrence). It was a chilly 29 degrees, but I relished the conditions because they were frigid for the locals in Dallas, but more than comfortable for a northern boy from the mitten with thick blood. I felt right in my element.
After a quick bite to eat I jumped in my car and headed to the race site. The race was about 30 minutes north of me in McKinney. I had run multiple races in the area before and knew the terrain and more or less each block very well. Ehh, maybe I take that back, maybe I didnt know every block very well, I got lost on the way to the race and ended up in some 1700s half broken down shed, with no other athletes around...I couldnt be in the right spot!
After a quick GPS adjustment I realized I was only a couple blocks away. I pulled up to the race site about 40 minutes before the start of the race, and for a little local 5k, that usually gives me plenty of time to get in a little warm up, stretch, and put on the racing flats.
I haven't run a 5k in quite some time, probably close to a year, so i was excited to see what I could bust out purely on Base Ironman Training. I have been throwing in some solid intensity, but it is nothing that prepared me for a 5k, more like hour long tempo runs. But regardless of my preparation, I was still excited.
As the race director lined us up on the starting line and wished us good luck, she gave a quick schpeil about the first annual Rooster Run 5K. The race benefited The Texoma Emmaus Community which is a community that has sponsored an annual Walk. This walk is a movement intended to strenghten local church members for Christian action in their homes, churches, and daily lives. I have never been big into devoting myself to a religion, but have always enjoyed doing races that benefit a cause, and try to schedule my races based on that.
After the briefing about the cause we were off. My goal in the race had been to get out strong, and just keep pushing the pace as long as i could until I dropped. I wanted to see what I was capable of in a 5k, and thought there was no sense in going through the motions out there. So I stuck to the plan.
Coming through the first mile in 5:26 I was a bit disappointing because i had thought that a sub 5:10 first mile was reasonable and more or less expected. I felt like i was giving a good strong effort, but the time wasn't there. Sometimes the race doesn't go as planned, even from the beginning, so i had to adjust and keep focused, keeping the pedal to the metal until i crossed the finish line.
The next mile was pretty windy and through a very nice neighborhood/golf course. I found myself peeking at the course and staring at the nice houses that lined the course, but before long I realized I was there to run, not sight see! So I kept my eyes on the road, focusing on my turnover, keeping the pain of the race as high as I could. Came through the second mile just over 11 minutes, and realized hey, not too bad for consistency! 5:26, 5:35, and with the bulk of the course coming home a false flat downhill, Im setting myself up for a solid race!
Once I got out of the neighborhood, and came around the big swooping bend before repeating the last 3/4 of a mile home, I realized that there was nobody in sight. Knowing that I had the race locked up, I convinced myself to take it deeper and deeper.
As I rounded the final curve and closed the last 200 meters on the finish line I realized that my hope of running sub 17 was all but a hope at that point. I pressed hard down the final straight and finished in a time of 17:10. After looking at my garmin to see how far it clocked the race at (3.15 miles) i realized that i really ran a strong last mile! I closed the last mile equally as fast as I had taken out the first mile, if not slightly faster! Even though I didnt break 17 minutes, I was very pleased with the consistency of my splits, and can tell that all the long miles I am putting in for Ironman are really paying off. They are allowing me to hold on late in races even when the wheels feel like they are falling off.
Shortly after finishing I see Iris coming around the final curve and heading home down the straight away...She is in first overall for the women!! I didnt quite know her time, but was super excited for her to be first woman overall!
After we caught our breath, recovered, and put on some warmer clothes, the award ceremony was about to begin. The race director called up the male and female overall winners, and presented us with our big gold (olympic sized) medals, and then told us we had a second award for winning overall...A CASH PRIZE of $50!!!! I had raced countless races in my days, and almost every time found myself the first runner up to the cash! I thought I was never going to crack the code! But I had finally done it! I was so pumped to finally hold a cash prize in my hand, but knew that I didnt truly "NEED" the money, so I decided to donate it back to the Texoma Emmaus Community. It wasn't easy giving away my first Cash Prize, but before the race I knew that the overall winner got a $50 cash prize, and said to myself "If I win the race today, Im going to donate it back" and that I did :)
(Dolla Bills)
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Half Ironman on top of Half Ironman Part 3: Ironman Glory
Coming into transition I was very relieved to know I was
getting off the bike (2:28:19 new PR).
Over the last 10 miles I had lost about 5-10 watts on my average, but
that was the past and next up was the run.
I sat down on the pavement to change my socks and put on my flats, and
also to piss on myself again (cant believe how many times I had to pee!). I was pretty high up overall in the amateur
race, and so the fans were cheering for me pretty loud, and they all
congregated around as I was changing my shoes.
I was wincing pretty hard when I was changing and one spectator asked if
I had a cramp…I just smiled as I got up and ran for the run start. Nothing needed to be said because the puddle
on the ground when I got up told it all haha.
Now the moment I had been looking forward to all season, to
prove I can lay down a solid run split.
I had put in some serious miles, hard miles, easy miles, pace miles, the
run had been my passion all season. I
loved running and being able to run injury free for the first time in 3 seasons
was absolutely the most fun thing for me.
Now was my time to reap the benefit from my hard work.
I got out of transition (2nd in my age group) and
you would never guess who I was running 10 yards behind…effin Chris McCormack
and Jeff Symonds running shoulder to shoulder.
The run course was a 3 lap course, and these guys were heading out on
lap 2 as I was starting. To run behind
these legends and watch them ever so slowly pull away from me…you can’t put
words it. It is a moment I will never
forget.
(The Legend, Macca!)
Aside from the legends, I was running shoulder to shoulder
with a couple of the women pros, and had 2 more 100 yards ahead of me that I
was quickly reeling in. DAMN! I was moving my way up through the women’s
pro field, and feeling great! I figured
that these gals were going to run between 1:24-1:28 so for me to stay with
them, let alone drop them was huge for my confidence. And to do it feeling so light on my feet…o
baby bring it on!
(Eerily Similar Form as Macca)
Slightly before hitting the turnaround about 2 miles into
the race I saw Bill Vann again, and he was running really strong and we “low
5ed” each other as we crossed paths. I
had pegged him to swim just about what he did into me (30-40 seconds), and to
bike about 4 minutes into me, giving him nearly a 5 min advantage going into
the run. After I hit the turn around and
hit about the same spot where I saw Bill, I estimated he had somewhere in the
range of 8-10 min lead…at that point I was like WHOA!!
(Bill representing MSU)
Bill had really worked his bike into a weapon the past 2
years and his splits all summer had absolutely shown that. He had rode within a minute of some serious
pro riders at multiple big scale Olympics that summer and was really on
form. He rode a monstrous 2:21 and
change and was the first amateur off the bike.
Coming around for the end of my first lap I was still
running strong with one of the pro women I came out of transition with, and we
had run a first lap in 6:24/mile pace. I
saw iris and she gave me splits to a former sparty great Aaron Scheidies, as
well as to bill. She said I was 3 mins
down to aaron and 7 mins to bill. I knew
that If I could maintain this pace throughout I would have laid down by far the
most impressive run in my triathlon career across any distance. Regardless of where I finishes against my friends,
I knew I was having the race of my life and needed to keep focused and stick to
the plan.
I was still feeling very strong and looking forward to
another lap. Nothing too eventful
happened, one pro woman with what seemed like Heely’s on slingshot past me and
the other woman I was running with like we were standing still…unbelievable,
that lady can run! Still I stuck to the
plan and kept the strong pace. I hit the
turnaround for lap 2 and now was halfway through the run. I was starting to feel the fatigue now, and
knew I needed to start hitting the coke.
Coke is one of those magical things when you are completely zonked and
need a quick pick-me-up, the caffeine brings you to life quickly. The only drawback is once you start drinking
it you can’t stop.
As I was coming to the turnaround by the finish line to
start my third and final lap I saw Bill again, and he was not looking as good
as he did when I saw him on the first lap.
I also noticed that I had cut some serious time into him. I started the final lap (by this time I had
dropped the pro woman I was running with.
The second lap I had averaged 6:37/mile), and saw iris one last
time. She told me that I was down 4
minutes to bill and only 1 minute to Aaron.
“Man I must be really running well” I thought to myself. She also told me that I was still in 2nd
in my age group…which really ignited a flame inside me. I had fought far too hard to settle for
second place. Unfortunately not knowing
what the dude looked like I wasn’t able to spot him and keep tabs on him. I just had to take a chance and give it
everything I had for the final 4.5 miles if I was going to have any shot.
Hitting the turn around and knowing I only had 2 and a quarter
miles to go was a huge relief, but I knew that it wasn’t going to be easy. I needed a miracle if I wanted that
trophy! I shuffled through the aid
station with 2 miles to go and downed 3 cokes and a water. At that point I hoped that would be enough
coke to get me to the finish line and I needed to dig deeper than I ever had
before. Regardless of any outcome I was
still running against the clock for a great overall time and an even better run
split for myself.
Every person I passed I checked their calves to see if they
were 18-24, and each one I saw I knew they weren’t the one because they were
moving far too slow and didn’t look worn out enough. Then I spotted him! At 1 mile to go there he was, he had a glow
around him that made me immediately know he was the one. He had just crested the top of a slight hill
and I was at the base about to climb. I
must have been 20 seconds down and only a mile to go. I knew that the only way I was going to pull
this off was to take a chance and to sprint with all my might up this
hill. I figured with the way he looked
at the top that I could cut that lead in half with a surge up the hill, so I
did. And cut the lead in half I absolutely
did. I smelt blood, and the best part
was he didn’t even see it coming! I was
in so much pain, but so jacked up on adrenaline that all I could see in my mind
was the finishing chute and finish line!
There was an aid station with ¾ mile to go, and at this point I was
flailing every body part I had to get all momentum moving forward as fast as I
could. I snatched a coke from the aid
station hoping that it would help me hold this pace till the end.
I caught the glowing man shortly after the coke, but I
wasn’t satisfied. Unlike Andreas Raelert
in Kona in 2010 when he caught Macca and eased his pace to just run alongside
him, my goal was to completely shred him, break all his spirits and give him
zero chance to hang on. There were 3
turns left on the course and just under a half mile to go one 90 degree left
turn, one 90 degree right turn, and then a big swooping 180 loop turn into the
finish line. I didn’t want to look back,
I didn’t want to show any fear or weakness I just kept driving forward, by far
the ugliest form you can picture, with the sole purpose to cross that line first!
After taking the left turn to head home I spotted Bill, and
couldn’t believe it. Bill looked like he
had given it everything he had and as I passed him just before the final big
swooping turn to the finish line, cheered him on to finish strong. I sprinted to the finish giving it every last
bit of strength I had to polish off my greatest run leg in my triathlon career
(1:26:06 6:34/mile avg). Bill held on
strong to hold off the guy I had passed in my age group, finishing 2nd
in the collegiate division. Mad props
to bill for putting together one of the gutsiest races by a half ironman rookie
I have ever seen. You really have a
future in this distance buddy, and I look forward to facing off again in the
near future! VERY IMPRESSIVE RACE MAN
(They Still had the pro race time on the clock...i was 4:25:37)
Hitting the finish line was a relief above all reliefs. I was so drained mentally and
physically. I had left it all out on the
course and had a smashing new PR to show for it. Not to mention my first ever First Place finish in an Ironman event!
I can’t wait to recover, take some time off,
and then build on this performance looking forward to next year. In store for next year I have a few 70.3s,
ultimately building the volume for another Full Ironman in the near future…Below are some other random pics iris shot throughout the day!
(Andy Potts Overall Winner)
(Iris Lost the car so i was waiting for her)
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