Good morning.
I completed my third triathlon yesterday. It was the Chicago Triathlon an Olympic/International distance event. The 3 legs consist of a .93 mile swim, 25 mile bike and 6.2 mile run.
This is my first year competing in triathlons and I have really come to enjoy all of the training and competitions. It's all kind of fun. I have to say I have truly come to love the water. And, as I've said before, when I see water now I have an urge to just jump in. I really do! It's like a water appetite.
One of my triathlon competition goals is to place in the top 10 of my 50-54 age group. I have a ways to go to meet this goal. Yesterday I placed 21st out of about 148 other 50-54 age groupers.
Perhaps, my expectations are too high with this being only the third triathlon of my life. I mean, who am I, coming from a running background expecting to light my age group on fire.
Looking at race results and separating the various tri-disciplines into their respective singularities one can assume that, "hey, I can do that." But, in reality, when competing in the event with the disciplines back to back to back, it is a different story. Believe me.
I have news for my age groupers though. I am willing to train harder and PAY MY DUES! I will continue to learn how to excell at this wonderful sport.
THE RACE: INTRODUCTION
Yesterday was a hot and humid day with temps in the 90's, all sun and high humidity levels. The effects of this weather would take it's toll on me and others during the run. This would have been another marathon cancellation day. They don't cancel tri's as far as I know. Interestingly there were not any serious health related problems yesterday which is great.
SWIM:
Standing in the wave group was very hot. You have your wetsuit 1/2 way on with your upper body still exposed to the air. As you get closer to the start you must finish doning the suit. Then the swim cap. You stand there waiting for your wave to move up. Sweet is literally pouring down your face soaking your wetsuit.
I wanted in that cool water, badly. Finally we were allowed to jump in. The water felt so cooling and good after being beaten up by the early morning sun.
I positioned myself in the front of our wave to the far left of the swim lanes. This was a treading water start. I wanted to be away from the wall to the right because that is where the weaker swimmers will be in case they have trouble. There is a rope there in case they need to grab it.
The gun went off and I swam like hell going quickly from a vertical treading body to a horizontal swimmer. I swam hard the whole way. There was some contact during the swim because of how narrow the course was. My breathing was good. I was surprised at how easily some people pulled away from me.
I sighted well during the whole .93 mile swim. It helps to slightly look up under water so you can see the feet of other swimmers. Then you can make course adjustments. Even though I was not the fastest swimmer I did pass a lot of people from other waves that started before us. It was like a race. Just cruising and passing. At times I would have to block a leg with my arm so it would not hit my face and other time I'd have to just swim around others or swim through a narrow shoot between two swimmers.
When I got out of the water at the swim exit I checked my Garmin, 30 minutes. Not what I expected. Note to self:
MEASURE THE DISTANCES AT OHIO ST BEACH!
As I said, I swam hard and thought for sure I'd have a 27 minute swim. So, I will measure my swim distances at Ohio St Beach to see what the actual distances are.
After leaving the water the run to the timing mat and T1 was about 450 yards. That is a long run to go to transition. A decent par 4 distance. This also adds a lot of time to your swim time since your swim time will consist of swimming time and running time to T1.
Swim Time: 32:32
BIKE:
The bike went pretty well. My average pace is slightly over 20 mph and I need to work on increasing my pace. When I look up other triathlete's bike times the one's who do well average 23-25 mph. I need to reach this level. I'm told it takes some time and I will put in the time neccessary to get there.
The ride went smoothly along Lakeshore Drive. I passed a lot of people but also got passed a lot as well. It's kind of amazing how one can think they are really pusing the bike pace and then someone goes by you like you are standing still. We all kind of look the same but they have that extra biking muscle strength.
Lakeshore Drive has it's bumpy areas and because of this there were water bottles all over the road that needed to be avoided. We also shared Lakeshore Drive with auto traffic. There were orange cones separating the bike lanes and car lanes.
One of my favorite moments came when I looked at the car next to me and saw a young boy looking at me with huge wide eyes. I looked at him and smiled and stuck my toungue out and shook my head up and down. He just stared at me. Then a while later I looked over again and there he was. I smiled again and he gave me a smile and a little tiny hand wave. I can still picture his face.
Bike Time: 1:14:58
THE RUN:
HOT!!
Most of you know that I love heat. I do most of my runs during the hottest time of the day. Maybe all of my run training in the heat got me through this run. It was brutal.
At times I wondered if I'd finish. There were many many walkers, shoulders slumped, heads down.
I just kept "chugging" along. I felt faint at times and slightly dizzy at other times. Just kept chugging. This had to be the longest 6 mile run of my life.
Finally the finish line neared and as I crossed I was so grateful. The ice cold towel that was place on my back by a volunteer was so appreciated. God that felt good. It took me a long long time to cool down. I sweated for hours. My run cap just kept dripping and dripping and dripping.
Run Time: 50:45, 8:11 pace
TOTALS:
RANDY J EGGE #5712
CHICAGO, IL
Age: 50 Gender: M
DistanceIntermediate
Clock Time02:44:21
...Overall Place467 / 3863
Gender Place414 / 2693
Division Place21 / 148
Swim00:32:32
Trans100:03:21
Bike01:14:58
Trans200:02:42
Run00:50:45
Swimrank1036
Bikerank1222
Mph20.2
Runrank261
Pace00:08:11
Another triathlon, another learning experience. All fun though. I have to say that I felt a certain level of achievement after completing the olympic distance event. It's not the longest event but still takes some effort and guts to complete. I will never take an olympic distance tri for granted. Respect, yes!!
I have to say I felt sorry for some of the competitors yesterday. Their day was done in the first few minutes of the swim. As I watched the waves go off before me you could see the struggle and distress on their faces. They would turn over and float on their backs. God bless them. I hope they don't give up.
My next event is another 1/2 Ironman. It is the Ironman Branson 70.3 on Sept 19. Once again my goal is the same......????
Thanks for reading.
-----
" Beyond the very extreme of fatigue and distress, we may find amounts of ease and power we never dreamed ourselves to own, sources of strength never taxed at all because we never push through the obstruction."
* It takes courage to push yourself to places that you have never been before... to test your limits... to break through barriers. And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” - Anais Nin
Monday, August 30, 2010
Chicago Triathlon Report
Good morning.
I completed my third triathlon yesterday. It was the Chicago Triathlon an Olympic/International distance event. The 3 legs consist of a .93 mile swim, 25 mile bike and 6.2 mile run.
This is my first year competing in triathlons and I have really come to enjoy all of the training and competitions. It's all kind of fun. I have to say I have truly come to love the water. And, as I've said before, when I see water now I have an urge to just jump in. I really do! It's like a water appetite.
One of my triathlon competition goals is to place in the top 10 of my 50-54 age group. I have a ways to go to meet this goal. Yesterday I placed 21st out of about 148 other 50-54 age groupers.
Perhaps, my expectations are too high with this being only the third triathlon of my life. I mean, who am I, coming from a running background expecting to light my age group on fire.
Looking at race results and separating the various tri-disciplines into their respective singularities one can assume that, "hey, I can do that." But, in reality, when competing in the event with the disciplines back to back to back, it is a different story. Believe me.
I have news for my age groupers though. I am willing to train harder and PAY MY DUES! I will continue to learn how to excell at this wonderful sport.
THE RACE: INTRODUCTION
Yesterday was a hot and humid day with temps in the 90's, all sun and high humidity levels. The effects of this weather would take it's toll on me and others during the run. This would have been another marathon cancellation day. They don't cancel tri's as far as I know. Interestingly there were not any serious health related problems yesterday which is great.
SWIM:
Standing in the wave group was very hot. You have your wetsuit 1/2 way on with your upper body still exposed to the air. As you get closer to the start you must finish doning the suit. Then the swim cap. You stand there waiting for your wave to move up. Sweet is literally pouring down your face soaking your wetsuit.
I wanted in that cool water, badly. Finally we were allowed to jump in. The water felt so cooling and good after being beaten up by the early morning sun.
I positioned myself in the front of our wave to the far left of the swim lanes. This was a treading water start. I wanted to be away from the wall to the right because that is where the weaker swimmers will be in case they have trouble. There is a rope there in case they need to grab it.
The gun went off and I swam like hell going quickly from a vertical treading body to a horizontal swimmer. I swam hard the whole way. There was some contact during the swim because of how narrow the course was. My breathing was good. I was surprised at how easily some people pulled away from me.
I sighted well during the whole .93 mile swim. It helps to slightly look up under water so you can see the feet of other swimmers. Then you can make course adjustments. Even though I was not the fastest swimmer I did pass a lot of people from other waves that started before us. It was like a race. Just cruising and passing. At times I would have to block a leg with my arm so it would not hit my face and other time I'd have to just swim around others or swim through a narrow shoot between two swimmers.
When I got out of the water at the swim exit I checked my Garmin, 30 minutes. Not what I expected. Note to self:
MEASURE THE DISTANCES AT OHIO ST BEACH!
As I said, I swam hard and thought for sure I'd have a 27 minute swim. So, I will measure my swim distances at Ohio St Beach to see what the actual distances are.
After leaving the water the run to the timing mat and T1 was about 450 yards. That is a long run to go to transition. A decent par 4 distance. This also adds a lot of time to your swim time since your swim time will consist of swimming time and running time to T1.
Swim Time: 32:32
BIKE:
The bike went pretty well. My average pace is slightly over 20 mph and I need to work on increasing my pace. When I look up other triathlete's bike times the one's who do well average 23-25 mph. I need to reach this level. I'm told it takes some time and I will put in the time neccessary to get there.
The ride went smoothly along Lakeshore Drive. I passed a lot of people but also got passed a lot as well. It's kind of amazing how one can think they are really pusing the bike pace and then someone goes by you like you are standing still. We all kind of look the same but they have that extra biking muscle strength.
Lakeshore Drive has it's bumpy areas and because of this there were water bottles all over the road that needed to be avoided. We also shared Lakeshore Drive with auto traffic. There were orange cones separating the bike lanes and car lanes.
One of my favorite moments came when I looked at the car next to me and saw a young boy looking at me with huge wide eyes. I looked at him and smiled and stuck my toungue out and shook my head up and down. He just stared at me. Then a while later I looked over again and there he was. I smiled again and he gave me a smile and a little tiny hand wave. I can still picture his face.
Bike Time: 1:14:58
THE RUN:
HOT!!
Most of you know that I love heat. I do most of my runs during the hottest time of the day. Maybe all of my run training in the heat got me through this run. It was brutal.
At times I wondered if I'd finish. There were many many walkers, shoulders slumped, heads down.
I just kept "chugging" along. I felt faint at times and slightly dizzy at other times. Just kept chugging. This had to be the longest 6 mile run of my life.
Finally the finish line neared and as I crossed I was so grateful. The ice cold towel that was place on my back by a volunteer was so appreciated. God that felt good. It took me a long long time to cool down. I sweated for hours. My run cap just kept dripping and dripping and dripping.
Run Time: 50:45, 8:11 pace
TOTALS:
RANDY J EGGE #5712
CHICAGO, IL
Age: 50 Gender: M
DistanceIntermediate
Clock Time02:44:21
...Overall Place467 / 3863
Gender Place414 / 2693
Division Place21 / 148
Swim00:32:32
Trans100:03:21
Bike01:14:58
Trans200:02:42
Run00:50:45
Swimrank1036
Bikerank1222
Mph20.2
Runrank261
Pace00:08:11
Another triathlon, another learning experience. All fun though. I have to say that I felt a certain level of achievement after completing the olympic distance event. It's not the longest event but still takes some effort and guts to complete. I will never take an olympic distance tri for granted. Respect, yes!!
I have to say I felt sorry for some of the competitors yesterday. Their day was done in the first few minutes of the swim. As I watched the waves go off before me you could see the struggle and distress on their faces. They would turn over and float on their backs. God bless them. I hope they don't give up.
My next event is another 1/2 Ironman. It is the Ironman Branson 70.3 on Sept 19. Once again my goal is the same......????
Thanks for reading.
-----
" Beyond the very extreme of fatigue and distress, we may find amounts of ease and power we never dreamed ourselves to own, sources of strength never taxed at all because we never push through the obstruction."
* It takes courage to push yourself to places that you have never been before... to test your limits... to break through barriers. And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” - Anais Nin
I completed my third triathlon yesterday. It was the Chicago Triathlon an Olympic/International distance event. The 3 legs consist of a .93 mile swim, 25 mile bike and 6.2 mile run.
This is my first year competing in triathlons and I have really come to enjoy all of the training and competitions. It's all kind of fun. I have to say I have truly come to love the water. And, as I've said before, when I see water now I have an urge to just jump in. I really do! It's like a water appetite.
One of my triathlon competition goals is to place in the top 10 of my 50-54 age group. I have a ways to go to meet this goal. Yesterday I placed 21st out of about 148 other 50-54 age groupers.
Perhaps, my expectations are too high with this being only the third triathlon of my life. I mean, who am I, coming from a running background expecting to light my age group on fire.
Looking at race results and separating the various tri-disciplines into their respective singularities one can assume that, "hey, I can do that." But, in reality, when competing in the event with the disciplines back to back to back, it is a different story. Believe me.
I have news for my age groupers though. I am willing to train harder and PAY MY DUES! I will continue to learn how to excell at this wonderful sport.
THE RACE: INTRODUCTION
Yesterday was a hot and humid day with temps in the 90's, all sun and high humidity levels. The effects of this weather would take it's toll on me and others during the run. This would have been another marathon cancellation day. They don't cancel tri's as far as I know. Interestingly there were not any serious health related problems yesterday which is great.
SWIM:
Standing in the wave group was very hot. You have your wetsuit 1/2 way on with your upper body still exposed to the air. As you get closer to the start you must finish doning the suit. Then the swim cap. You stand there waiting for your wave to move up. Sweet is literally pouring down your face soaking your wetsuit.
I wanted in that cool water, badly. Finally we were allowed to jump in. The water felt so cooling and good after being beaten up by the early morning sun.
I positioned myself in the front of our wave to the far left of the swim lanes. This was a treading water start. I wanted to be away from the wall to the right because that is where the weaker swimmers will be in case they have trouble. There is a rope there in case they need to grab it.
The gun went off and I swam like hell going quickly from a vertical treading body to a horizontal swimmer. I swam hard the whole way. There was some contact during the swim because of how narrow the course was. My breathing was good. I was surprised at how easily some people pulled away from me.
I sighted well during the whole .93 mile swim. It helps to slightly look up under water so you can see the feet of other swimmers. Then you can make course adjustments. Even though I was not the fastest swimmer I did pass a lot of people from other waves that started before us. It was like a race. Just cruising and passing. At times I would have to block a leg with my arm so it would not hit my face and other time I'd have to just swim around others or swim through a narrow shoot between two swimmers.
When I got out of the water at the swim exit I checked my Garmin, 30 minutes. Not what I expected. Note to self:
MEASURE THE DISTANCES AT OHIO ST BEACH!
As I said, I swam hard and thought for sure I'd have a 27 minute swim. So, I will measure my swim distances at Ohio St Beach to see what the actual distances are.
After leaving the water the run to the timing mat and T1 was about 450 yards. That is a long run to go to transition. A decent par 4 distance. This also adds a lot of time to your swim time since your swim time will consist of swimming time and running time to T1.
Swim Time: 32:32
BIKE:
The bike went pretty well. My average pace is slightly over 20 mph and I need to work on increasing my pace. When I look up other triathlete's bike times the one's who do well average 23-25 mph. I need to reach this level. I'm told it takes some time and I will put in the time neccessary to get there.
The ride went smoothly along Lakeshore Drive. I passed a lot of people but also got passed a lot as well. It's kind of amazing how one can think they are really pusing the bike pace and then someone goes by you like you are standing still. We all kind of look the same but they have that extra biking muscle strength.
Lakeshore Drive has it's bumpy areas and because of this there were water bottles all over the road that needed to be avoided. We also shared Lakeshore Drive with auto traffic. There were orange cones separating the bike lanes and car lanes.
One of my favorite moments came when I looked at the car next to me and saw a young boy looking at me with huge wide eyes. I looked at him and smiled and stuck my toungue out and shook my head up and down. He just stared at me. Then a while later I looked over again and there he was. I smiled again and he gave me a smile and a little tiny hand wave. I can still picture his face.
Bike Time: 1:14:58
THE RUN:
HOT!!
Most of you know that I love heat. I do most of my runs during the hottest time of the day. Maybe all of my run training in the heat got me through this run. It was brutal.
At times I wondered if I'd finish. There were many many walkers, shoulders slumped, heads down.
I just kept "chugging" along. I felt faint at times and slightly dizzy at other times. Just kept chugging. This had to be the longest 6 mile run of my life.
Finally the finish line neared and as I crossed I was so grateful. The ice cold towel that was place on my back by a volunteer was so appreciated. God that felt good. It took me a long long time to cool down. I sweated for hours. My run cap just kept dripping and dripping and dripping.
Run Time: 50:45, 8:11 pace
TOTALS:
RANDY J EGGE #5712
CHICAGO, IL
Age: 50 Gender: M
DistanceIntermediate
Clock Time02:44:21
...Overall Place467 / 3863
Gender Place414 / 2693
Division Place21 / 148
Swim00:32:32
Trans100:03:21
Bike01:14:58
Trans200:02:42
Run00:50:45
Swimrank1036
Bikerank1222
Mph20.2
Runrank261
Pace00:08:11
Another triathlon, another learning experience. All fun though. I have to say that I felt a certain level of achievement after completing the olympic distance event. It's not the longest event but still takes some effort and guts to complete. I will never take an olympic distance tri for granted. Respect, yes!!
I have to say I felt sorry for some of the competitors yesterday. Their day was done in the first few minutes of the swim. As I watched the waves go off before me you could see the struggle and distress on their faces. They would turn over and float on their backs. God bless them. I hope they don't give up.
My next event is another 1/2 Ironman. It is the Ironman Branson 70.3 on Sept 19. Once again my goal is the same......????
Thanks for reading.
-----
" Beyond the very extreme of fatigue and distress, we may find amounts of ease and power we never dreamed ourselves to own, sources of strength never taxed at all because we never push through the obstruction."
* It takes courage to push yourself to places that you have never been before... to test your limits... to break through barriers. And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” - Anais Nin
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Excitement For Tomorrow
Good morning.
I write/type as usual from my favorite worn brown leather chair, hot coffee in hand. The morning view is the same as it's been for many a day this summer. The sky is clear as the sun makes it's appearance, casting yellow hues all around. Another solid day of sunshine and 80 degree temps awaits.
The weather for tomorrow's Chicago Triathlon looks just as good. It will be nice to set up my transition area with no worries or planning for rain. It will surely simplify the whole process. I will go minimalist with gear.
Yesterday was the opening day for the Chicago Tri Expo. I went and picked up my athlete package and goody bag. I also went for another reason.
Running Away Multisport has the only Guru Dynamic Fitting Unit, a bike fitting computerized machine. They invited me to get a free bike fit on the machine at the expo. As I was going through the process people were walking by and checking out the system. I would guess I pedaled for one hour as Brian made minute adjustments Many viewers were interested. It will be interesting to receive the results.
My training leading up to the event has gone well.
Thursday was a 6 mile easy pace run in 50 minutes and yesterday an open water 1.4 mile swim at Ohio St Beach.
My swim times are really coming down. I do the same course so the distance remains mostly the same. The Garmin times do vary. Yesterday when I hit 1 mile I stopped to check the time. I have to say, this had to be some error. The Garmin showed, 20:18. No way! I was bummed because I really wanted an accurate result.
I pressed the start again and finished the swim. End result, 33:40. So, this was a 1.4 mile swim in 33 minutes. That is a PR. I still have a lot of energy when done. I am interested to see how fast I can get in the water.
When I swim tomorrow at the Chicago Tri I will swim as hard as possible but within reason. I will start at the front of my wave and take off at the start. I am not concerned with breathing or anxiety. My one concern is catching swimmers from previous waves. I hope I can just haul ass.
Hopefully the bike and run go well also. We will see.
I am heading back to the expo today and also checking out transition and start areas.
Until tomorrow......
-----
" Beyond the very extreme of fatigue and distress, we may find amounts of ease and power we never dreamed ourselves to own, sources of strength never taxed at all because we never push through the obstruction."
* It takes courage to push yourself to places that you have never been before... to test your limits... to break through barriers. And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” - Anais Nin
I write/type as usual from my favorite worn brown leather chair, hot coffee in hand. The morning view is the same as it's been for many a day this summer. The sky is clear as the sun makes it's appearance, casting yellow hues all around. Another solid day of sunshine and 80 degree temps awaits.
The weather for tomorrow's Chicago Triathlon looks just as good. It will be nice to set up my transition area with no worries or planning for rain. It will surely simplify the whole process. I will go minimalist with gear.
Yesterday was the opening day for the Chicago Tri Expo. I went and picked up my athlete package and goody bag. I also went for another reason.
Running Away Multisport has the only Guru Dynamic Fitting Unit, a bike fitting computerized machine. They invited me to get a free bike fit on the machine at the expo. As I was going through the process people were walking by and checking out the system. I would guess I pedaled for one hour as Brian made minute adjustments Many viewers were interested. It will be interesting to receive the results.
My training leading up to the event has gone well.
Thursday was a 6 mile easy pace run in 50 minutes and yesterday an open water 1.4 mile swim at Ohio St Beach.
My swim times are really coming down. I do the same course so the distance remains mostly the same. The Garmin times do vary. Yesterday when I hit 1 mile I stopped to check the time. I have to say, this had to be some error. The Garmin showed, 20:18. No way! I was bummed because I really wanted an accurate result.
I pressed the start again and finished the swim. End result, 33:40. So, this was a 1.4 mile swim in 33 minutes. That is a PR. I still have a lot of energy when done. I am interested to see how fast I can get in the water.
When I swim tomorrow at the Chicago Tri I will swim as hard as possible but within reason. I will start at the front of my wave and take off at the start. I am not concerned with breathing or anxiety. My one concern is catching swimmers from previous waves. I hope I can just haul ass.
Hopefully the bike and run go well also. We will see.
I am heading back to the expo today and also checking out transition and start areas.
Until tomorrow......
-----
" Beyond the very extreme of fatigue and distress, we may find amounts of ease and power we never dreamed ourselves to own, sources of strength never taxed at all because we never push through the obstruction."
* It takes courage to push yourself to places that you have never been before... to test your limits... to break through barriers. And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” - Anais Nin
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Race Simulation
Good morning.
Another beautiful day in Chicago. In fact, this whole week looks awesome. Solid sun with temps averaging around 80. The weather for this Sunday's Chicago Tri looks great as well. It may be a little warmer and more humid. Cool!
I am tapering this week but also fine tuning my swimming, biking and running.
Yesterday I went to Ohio St Beach for a race simulation workout. I want to position myself near the front of my swim wave and start fast so I can swim without congestion.
After donning the wetsuit I wadded into the greenish blue water. I placed my Garmin on top of my head and covered it with the swim cap. I do this so the Garmin does not lose satalite reception.
When everything was in order I pressed start and took off as fast as I could for a few hundred yards. After the torrid start I settled into a good solid pace. Not all out though. My breathing was excellent. I have come to realize that breathing while swimming is an acquired art.
I breathe "almost" like I do while running. I take a fast, small breath and when my head is under water I breathe out as I turn my head for the next breath. It is a smooth non-stop process. There is no holding the breath. Air in air out.
Also, I make sure that the middle of my head stays in contact with the water. No looking up to breathe, only a small left head turn. There is only a small window of opportunity to get that important breath. Sometimes, if I look left and see water the breath I so desire will have to wait for the next attempt.
I have also come to realize that my lungs and body do not need gobs of oxygen. The body has acclimated to less air.
I swam hard using good catch and solid pulls. The goal was to round my usual 1/2 mile bouy and head back. When the Garmin signals one mile with it's strong vibration I would stop to check the time. Why? Because one mile is slightly farther that the swim distance in the Chicago Tri and I wanted to see what to expect while competing.
Vibration....I stop, pull off the swim cap and check the time. I was so happily surprised when I saw 24:29. I just swam a mile in 24:29, wow. And, I could have gone faster. How awesome.
I placed the Garmin and swim cap back in place and swam hard to the finish. End result: 1.41 miles in 34:17. Love it. I felt good but a little fatigued. No problem.
Later in the day I went for a moderate fast twitch run to reinforce speed to my legs. All in all a great day.
Split Time Moving Time Distance Elevation Gain Elevation Loss Avg Pace Avg Moving Pace Best Pace Avg HR Max HR Steps Calories
1 0:09:04 0:08:55 1 0 5 9:04 8:55 7:05 124 133 0 67
2 0:08:13 0:08:08 1 10 0 8:13 8:08 5:12 135 145 0 69
3 0:07:16 0:07:17 1 3 0 7:16 7:17 5:48 150 155 0 67
4 0:07:07 0:07:07 1 0 3 7:07 7:07 5:16 153 160 0 66
5 0:07:21 0:07:22 1 0 4 7:21 7:22 5:22 155 161 0 68
6 0:07:37 0:07:35 1 0 8 7:37 7:35 6:03 157 163 0 72
7 0:00:35 0:00:36 0.07 8 0 8:25 8:33 6:53 162 163 0 6
Summary 0:47:17 0:47:00 6.07 21 21 7:47 7:44 5:12 144 163 0 415
-----
" Beyond the very extreme of fatigue and distress, we may find amounts of ease and power we never dreamed ourselves to own, sources of strength never taxed at all because we never push through the obstruction."
* It takes courage to push yourself to places that you have never been before... to test your limits... to break through barriers. And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” - Anais Nin
Another beautiful day in Chicago. In fact, this whole week looks awesome. Solid sun with temps averaging around 80. The weather for this Sunday's Chicago Tri looks great as well. It may be a little warmer and more humid. Cool!
I am tapering this week but also fine tuning my swimming, biking and running.
Yesterday I went to Ohio St Beach for a race simulation workout. I want to position myself near the front of my swim wave and start fast so I can swim without congestion.
After donning the wetsuit I wadded into the greenish blue water. I placed my Garmin on top of my head and covered it with the swim cap. I do this so the Garmin does not lose satalite reception.
When everything was in order I pressed start and took off as fast as I could for a few hundred yards. After the torrid start I settled into a good solid pace. Not all out though. My breathing was excellent. I have come to realize that breathing while swimming is an acquired art.
I breathe "almost" like I do while running. I take a fast, small breath and when my head is under water I breathe out as I turn my head for the next breath. It is a smooth non-stop process. There is no holding the breath. Air in air out.
Also, I make sure that the middle of my head stays in contact with the water. No looking up to breathe, only a small left head turn. There is only a small window of opportunity to get that important breath. Sometimes, if I look left and see water the breath I so desire will have to wait for the next attempt.
I have also come to realize that my lungs and body do not need gobs of oxygen. The body has acclimated to less air.
I swam hard using good catch and solid pulls. The goal was to round my usual 1/2 mile bouy and head back. When the Garmin signals one mile with it's strong vibration I would stop to check the time. Why? Because one mile is slightly farther that the swim distance in the Chicago Tri and I wanted to see what to expect while competing.
Vibration....I stop, pull off the swim cap and check the time. I was so happily surprised when I saw 24:29. I just swam a mile in 24:29, wow. And, I could have gone faster. How awesome.
I placed the Garmin and swim cap back in place and swam hard to the finish. End result: 1.41 miles in 34:17. Love it. I felt good but a little fatigued. No problem.
Later in the day I went for a moderate fast twitch run to reinforce speed to my legs. All in all a great day.
Split Time Moving Time Distance Elevation Gain Elevation Loss Avg Pace Avg Moving Pace Best Pace Avg HR Max HR Steps Calories
1 0:09:04 0:08:55 1 0 5 9:04 8:55 7:05 124 133 0 67
2 0:08:13 0:08:08 1 10 0 8:13 8:08 5:12 135 145 0 69
3 0:07:16 0:07:17 1 3 0 7:16 7:17 5:48 150 155 0 67
4 0:07:07 0:07:07 1 0 3 7:07 7:07 5:16 153 160 0 66
5 0:07:21 0:07:22 1 0 4 7:21 7:22 5:22 155 161 0 68
6 0:07:37 0:07:35 1 0 8 7:37 7:35 6:03 157 163 0 72
7 0:00:35 0:00:36 0.07 8 0 8:25 8:33 6:53 162 163 0 6
Summary 0:47:17 0:47:00 6.07 21 21 7:47 7:44 5:12 144 163 0 415
-----
" Beyond the very extreme of fatigue and distress, we may find amounts of ease and power we never dreamed ourselves to own, sources of strength never taxed at all because we never push through the obstruction."
* It takes courage to push yourself to places that you have never been before... to test your limits... to break through barriers. And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” - Anais Nin
Monday, August 23, 2010
Chicago Tri Week
Good morning.
This is, Chicago Triathlon Week.
The International/Olympic event is Sunday and it is the largest triathlon in the world. So, I expect the city will be flooded with guests as the week progresses.
I am looking forward to putting forth a good solid effort for this event. The more you compete the more you learn about your abilities and limits. I feel like I can push myself much harder than in past triathlons without bonking. You really only learn this through trial and error.
So, on Sunday it will be, BALLS OUT!!
My goal for this event, like all triathlons I compete in will be a top 10 finish. I have not done this yet but when I look up previous racing results I know I am totally capable of doing this. I would be happy with a finish time of 2:20:00.
Time will tell.
This weekend was full of activity.
I skipped the swim Saturday morning because of the weather and decided to do a sort of long run instead.
I travelled 11 miles on a very humid morning. The heat/humidity really did not affect me. I threw in a few faster, sub 8 miles in the middle of the run. The 7:18 mile was quite easy as I did not even feel like I was trying to get there. Then I slowed for the last couple miles.
When I was done I actually had the thought, "11 miles should not seem that easy."
I also really enjoyed seeing my running friends on the lakefront path.
Split Time Moving Time Distance Elevation Gain Elevation Loss Avg Pace Avg Moving Pace Best Pace Avg HR Max HR Steps Calories
1 0:09:06 0:08:43 1 0 5 9:06 8:43 6:58 113 126 0 58
2 0:08:25 0:08:17 1 10 0 8:25 8:17 6:53 126 130 0 61
3 0:07:52 0:07:41 1 3 7 7:52 7:41 5:53 133 138 0 62
4 0:07:25 0:07:16 1 0 13 7:25 7:16 3:09 141 147 0 63
5 0:07:18 0:07:14 1 11 7 7:18 7:14 6:40 150 154 0 66
6 0:07:45 0:07:34 1 7 5 7:45 7:34 7:01 145 151 0 61
7 0:07:39 0:07:21 1 5 9 7:39 7:21 6:01 150 154 0 67
8 0:08:16 0:08:04 1 16 0 8:16 8:04 6:52 147 151 0 69
9 0:08:14 0:08:02 1 0 4 8:14 8:02 6:19 145 148 0 64
10 0:08:18 0:08:15 1 0 12 8:18 8:15 7:13 145 151 0 62
11 0:08:15 0:08:10 1 8 0 8:15 8:10 6:41 147 150 0 65
12 0:00:03 -- 0.01 0 0 9:43 -- 8:12 148 148 0 0
Summary 1:28:42 1:26:37 11.01 60 60 8:03 7:52 3:09 139 154 0 698
Sunday morning was the Buffalo Grove bike ride with the Chicago Tri Club. We went our customary 38 miles. This ride is always interspersed with fast and slow sections. There are some good hills to climb but the ride is becomming easy for me. I need to either go longer, harder or both.
Later in the day I went for a 6 mile run. I wanted to do this run so I could finally run 40+ miles for the week. It has been a little while since I've done that. In the past I had been running 40+ almost every week. But, with tri training one must make some adjustments. The run looked like this:
Split Time Moving Time Distance Elevation Gain Elevation Loss Avg Pace Avg Moving Pace Best Pace Avg HR Max HR Steps Calories
1 0:09:46 0:09:42 1 0 4 9:46 9:42 4:02 119 127 0 65
2 0:08:31 0:08:26 1 10 0 8:31 8:26 6:37 125 133 0 60
3 0:08:12 0:07:53 1 2 0 8:12 7:53 7:04 131 134 0 62
4 0:08:22 0:08:23 1 0 4 8:22 8:23 6:27 132 136 0 62
5 0:08:55 0:08:52 1 0 4 8:55 8:52 5:47 129 135 0 56
6 0:08:24 0:08:13 1 6 8 8:24 8:13 6:07 132 149 0 48
7 0:00:02 -- 0 0 0 9:34 -- 8:03 132 132 0 0
Summary 0:52:15 0:51:29 6 19 20 8:42 8:34 4:02 127 149 0 353
Have a great week.
I almost hit 140 combined miles for the week and I feel great. This week will be a taper easier week leading up to the Chicago Triathlon.
-----
" Beyond the very extreme of fatigue and distress, we may find amounts of ease and power we never dreamed ourselves to own, sources of strength never taxed at all because we never push through the obstruction."
* It takes courage to push yourself to places that you have never been before... to test your limits... to break through barriers. And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” - Anais Nin
This is, Chicago Triathlon Week.
The International/Olympic event is Sunday and it is the largest triathlon in the world. So, I expect the city will be flooded with guests as the week progresses.
I am looking forward to putting forth a good solid effort for this event. The more you compete the more you learn about your abilities and limits. I feel like I can push myself much harder than in past triathlons without bonking. You really only learn this through trial and error.
So, on Sunday it will be, BALLS OUT!!
My goal for this event, like all triathlons I compete in will be a top 10 finish. I have not done this yet but when I look up previous racing results I know I am totally capable of doing this. I would be happy with a finish time of 2:20:00.
Time will tell.
This weekend was full of activity.
I skipped the swim Saturday morning because of the weather and decided to do a sort of long run instead.
I travelled 11 miles on a very humid morning. The heat/humidity really did not affect me. I threw in a few faster, sub 8 miles in the middle of the run. The 7:18 mile was quite easy as I did not even feel like I was trying to get there. Then I slowed for the last couple miles.
When I was done I actually had the thought, "11 miles should not seem that easy."
I also really enjoyed seeing my running friends on the lakefront path.
Split Time Moving Time Distance Elevation Gain Elevation Loss Avg Pace Avg Moving Pace Best Pace Avg HR Max HR Steps Calories
1 0:09:06 0:08:43 1 0 5 9:06 8:43 6:58 113 126 0 58
2 0:08:25 0:08:17 1 10 0 8:25 8:17 6:53 126 130 0 61
3 0:07:52 0:07:41 1 3 7 7:52 7:41 5:53 133 138 0 62
4 0:07:25 0:07:16 1 0 13 7:25 7:16 3:09 141 147 0 63
5 0:07:18 0:07:14 1 11 7 7:18 7:14 6:40 150 154 0 66
6 0:07:45 0:07:34 1 7 5 7:45 7:34 7:01 145 151 0 61
7 0:07:39 0:07:21 1 5 9 7:39 7:21 6:01 150 154 0 67
8 0:08:16 0:08:04 1 16 0 8:16 8:04 6:52 147 151 0 69
9 0:08:14 0:08:02 1 0 4 8:14 8:02 6:19 145 148 0 64
10 0:08:18 0:08:15 1 0 12 8:18 8:15 7:13 145 151 0 62
11 0:08:15 0:08:10 1 8 0 8:15 8:10 6:41 147 150 0 65
12 0:00:03 -- 0.01 0 0 9:43 -- 8:12 148 148 0 0
Summary 1:28:42 1:26:37 11.01 60 60 8:03 7:52 3:09 139 154 0 698
Sunday morning was the Buffalo Grove bike ride with the Chicago Tri Club. We went our customary 38 miles. This ride is always interspersed with fast and slow sections. There are some good hills to climb but the ride is becomming easy for me. I need to either go longer, harder or both.
Later in the day I went for a 6 mile run. I wanted to do this run so I could finally run 40+ miles for the week. It has been a little while since I've done that. In the past I had been running 40+ almost every week. But, with tri training one must make some adjustments. The run looked like this:
Split Time Moving Time Distance Elevation Gain Elevation Loss Avg Pace Avg Moving Pace Best Pace Avg HR Max HR Steps Calories
1 0:09:46 0:09:42 1 0 4 9:46 9:42 4:02 119 127 0 65
2 0:08:31 0:08:26 1 10 0 8:31 8:26 6:37 125 133 0 60
3 0:08:12 0:07:53 1 2 0 8:12 7:53 7:04 131 134 0 62
4 0:08:22 0:08:23 1 0 4 8:22 8:23 6:27 132 136 0 62
5 0:08:55 0:08:52 1 0 4 8:55 8:52 5:47 129 135 0 56
6 0:08:24 0:08:13 1 6 8 8:24 8:13 6:07 132 149 0 48
7 0:00:02 -- 0 0 0 9:34 -- 8:03 132 132 0 0
Summary 0:52:15 0:51:29 6 19 20 8:42 8:34 4:02 127 149 0 353
Have a great week.
I almost hit 140 combined miles for the week and I feel great. This week will be a taper easier week leading up to the Chicago Triathlon.
-----
" Beyond the very extreme of fatigue and distress, we may find amounts of ease and power we never dreamed ourselves to own, sources of strength never taxed at all because we never push through the obstruction."
* It takes courage to push yourself to places that you have never been before... to test your limits... to break through barriers. And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” - Anais Nin
Friday, August 20, 2010
Swimmin Bikin and Runnin oh my!
The last couple days I have stayed busy with training.
Wednesday was a 15 mile bike interval workout on the trainer. My speed bursts followed the P90X workout my wife was doing. Thirty seconds here a minute there. It was fun. Took out some monotony.
Thursday was another 1.4 mile open water swim in Lake Michigan. This swim was a training PR with a time of 35:30. The catch and pull felt very strong and I was not even tired when finished. I will go hard in the Chicago Tri next weekend and especially at Branson 1/2 IM.
Later Thursday afternoon I went for a Garmin free 8 miler. That was kind of interesting. Just running by feel and grooving to the tunes. Sweat was flying from the hat.
Today was a 40 mile recovery bike ride with a neighbor friend.
Tomorrow I am looking forward to joining the other triathletes at Ohio St Beach for my Saturday morning open water swim. I may do a 6 mile speed run later in the day.
Sunday will be a 40 mile bike with the Chicago Tri Club and maybe a run later. If I run 10??? I will have my first 40 mile running week in a long time.
Next week is the Chicago Triathlon and I will have a very mini taper.
Have a great weekend all.
-----
" Beyond the very extreme of fatigue and distress, we may find amounts of ease and power we never dreamed ourselves to own, sources of strength never taxed at all because we never push through the obstruction."
* It takes courage to push yourself to places that you have never been before... to test your limits... to break through barriers. And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” - Anais Nin
Wednesday was a 15 mile bike interval workout on the trainer. My speed bursts followed the P90X workout my wife was doing. Thirty seconds here a minute there. It was fun. Took out some monotony.
Thursday was another 1.4 mile open water swim in Lake Michigan. This swim was a training PR with a time of 35:30. The catch and pull felt very strong and I was not even tired when finished. I will go hard in the Chicago Tri next weekend and especially at Branson 1/2 IM.
Later Thursday afternoon I went for a Garmin free 8 miler. That was kind of interesting. Just running by feel and grooving to the tunes. Sweat was flying from the hat.
Today was a 40 mile recovery bike ride with a neighbor friend.
Tomorrow I am looking forward to joining the other triathletes at Ohio St Beach for my Saturday morning open water swim. I may do a 6 mile speed run later in the day.
Sunday will be a 40 mile bike with the Chicago Tri Club and maybe a run later. If I run 10??? I will have my first 40 mile running week in a long time.
Next week is the Chicago Triathlon and I will have a very mini taper.
Have a great weekend all.
-----
" Beyond the very extreme of fatigue and distress, we may find amounts of ease and power we never dreamed ourselves to own, sources of strength never taxed at all because we never push through the obstruction."
* It takes courage to push yourself to places that you have never been before... to test your limits... to break through barriers. And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” - Anais Nin
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Flying Through The Water
Good morning.
Had an interesting open water swim yesterday in Lake MI.
Had a regular start and just worked on a smooth stroke. As I swam I would watch the still sand on the lake bottom go by. The lake was very clear.
Soon I passed the bobbing red 1/4 mile bouy. I new it would not be long until I would be rounding the 1/2 mile bouy and heading back.
That's where I was wrong!
A couple hundred yards from the 1/2 mile marker I notice that my progress was slowing. I thought it may be my imagination. Nope.
All of a sudden I ran into a current. It was like swimming into one of those endless pools where you go nowhere. I would watch the sand bottom to gage my forward progress. There wasn't much.
At times I wondered if I would make it to the bouy. At times I would actually laugh at what was happening. I was grateful for the wetsuit. Conditions like this could make some people panic and cause them to tire themselves out and who knows what could happen then. I would sight the bouy and decided to swim until I made it.
After a while I saw the underwater ropes attached to the bouy. They were stretched to the max. Good thing I could see them because I would not want to get tangled in them. As I rounded the bouy I noticed a couple largemouth bass several feet down enjoying the current.
The swim back was just the opposite. I was cruising. The sand bottom was flying by. It seemed like each pull stroke would move me 5 feet at a time. It was like flying through the water. This was fun. There were no waves but I still felt like I was body surfing.
A fun 1.4 mile roundtrip swim in 36 minutes.
-----
" Beyond the very extreme of fatigue and distress, we may find amounts of ease and power we never dreamed ourselves to own, sources of strength never taxed at all because we never push through the obstruction."
* It takes courage to push yourself to places that you have never been before... to test your limits... to break through barriers. And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” - Anais Nin
Had an interesting open water swim yesterday in Lake MI.
Had a regular start and just worked on a smooth stroke. As I swam I would watch the still sand on the lake bottom go by. The lake was very clear.
Soon I passed the bobbing red 1/4 mile bouy. I new it would not be long until I would be rounding the 1/2 mile bouy and heading back.
That's where I was wrong!
A couple hundred yards from the 1/2 mile marker I notice that my progress was slowing. I thought it may be my imagination. Nope.
All of a sudden I ran into a current. It was like swimming into one of those endless pools where you go nowhere. I would watch the sand bottom to gage my forward progress. There wasn't much.
At times I wondered if I would make it to the bouy. At times I would actually laugh at what was happening. I was grateful for the wetsuit. Conditions like this could make some people panic and cause them to tire themselves out and who knows what could happen then. I would sight the bouy and decided to swim until I made it.
After a while I saw the underwater ropes attached to the bouy. They were stretched to the max. Good thing I could see them because I would not want to get tangled in them. As I rounded the bouy I noticed a couple largemouth bass several feet down enjoying the current.
The swim back was just the opposite. I was cruising. The sand bottom was flying by. It seemed like each pull stroke would move me 5 feet at a time. It was like flying through the water. This was fun. There were no waves but I still felt like I was body surfing.
A fun 1.4 mile roundtrip swim in 36 minutes.
-----
" Beyond the very extreme of fatigue and distress, we may find amounts of ease and power we never dreamed ourselves to own, sources of strength never taxed at all because we never push through the obstruction."
* It takes courage to push yourself to places that you have never been before... to test your limits... to break through barriers. And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” - Anais Nin
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Am I There Yet?
Good morning.
I am happy to report that I got in my first LSD, long slow distance run yesterday.
It was such a perfect day to run along the lake. The lakefront path was busy, even for a Monday.
I thought about my triathlon schedule and decided to fit in a long run yesterday. That way, I have plenty of time to let my running legs recover before the Chicago Triathlon.
My next long run will be a few days after the Chicago Tri which will allow me to recover before the Branson 1/2 Ironman, Sept 19.
So, as of now, it looks like only two long runs before the Chicago Marathon. Cardiovascular wise I should be fine. It's the endurance of the legs for 26.2 that I am concerned about.
I may or may not have a PR in Chicago. Only time will tell.
The 17 mile run along the lake was spectacular. It was so good to do a long run again. It's been a while since I've run over 13.1 miles. The sights and sounds helped get me through it. I have total respect for these long slow runs. They are hard. Sometimes as I am running them I wonder how it's possible to actually run a marathon at marathon pace. But the LSD run works to prepare you.
Today is a leg recovery day. An open water swim may be in the cards.
Split Time Moving Time Distance Elevation Gain Elevation Loss Avg Pace Avg Moving Pace Best Pace Avg HR Max HR Steps Calories
1 0:09:16 0:09:00 1 0 6 9:16 9:00 3:29 113 124 0 82
2 0:08:57 0:08:38 1 13 0 8:57 8:38 6:12 114 121 0 74
3 0:08:51 0:08:37 1 0 0 8:51 8:37 6:02 119 124 0 77
4 0:08:54 0:08:46 1 0 10 8:54 8:46 4:14 120 126 0 77
5 0:09:06 0:09:07 1 0 9 9:06 9:07 5:13 123 134 0 83
6 0:09:06 0:09:06 1 4 0 9:06 9:06 8:29 125 130 0 83
7 0:09:08 0:09:03 1 0 5 9:08 9:03 8:30 123 137 0 70
8 0:09:07 0:09:07 1 5 0 9:07 9:07 2:41 123 132 0 67
9 0:09:06 0:09:06 1 0 6 9:06 9:06 7:54 124 137 0 68
10 0:09:11 0:09:03 1 3 0 9:11 9:03 8:16 124 130 0 71
11 0:09:08 0:09:09 1 0 0 9:08 9:09 8:17 126 129 0 77
12 0:09:09 0:09:09 1 0 2 9:09 9:09 8:36 127 131 0 72
13 0:09:08 0:09:09 1 5 0 9:08 9:09 8:28 131 134 0 87
14 0:09:19 0:09:11 1 15 0 9:19 9:11 4:07 126 145 0 74
15 0:09:17 0:09:15 1 0 0 9:17 9:15 7:23 132 136 0 88
16 0:09:16 0:09:16 1 0 7 9:16 9:16 7:32 135 140 0 95
17 0:09:13 0:09:13 1 7 6 9:13 9:13 8:00 139 142 0 101
Summary 2:35:18 2:33:55 17 52 51 9:08 9:03 2:41 124 145 0 1,346
-----
" Beyond the very extreme of fatigue and distress, we may find amounts of ease and power we never dreamed ourselves to own, sources of strength never taxed at all because we never push through the obstruction."
* It takes courage to push yourself to places that you have never been before... to test your limits... to break through barriers. And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” - Anais Nin
I am happy to report that I got in my first LSD, long slow distance run yesterday.
It was such a perfect day to run along the lake. The lakefront path was busy, even for a Monday.
I thought about my triathlon schedule and decided to fit in a long run yesterday. That way, I have plenty of time to let my running legs recover before the Chicago Triathlon.
My next long run will be a few days after the Chicago Tri which will allow me to recover before the Branson 1/2 Ironman, Sept 19.
So, as of now, it looks like only two long runs before the Chicago Marathon. Cardiovascular wise I should be fine. It's the endurance of the legs for 26.2 that I am concerned about.
I may or may not have a PR in Chicago. Only time will tell.
The 17 mile run along the lake was spectacular. It was so good to do a long run again. It's been a while since I've run over 13.1 miles. The sights and sounds helped get me through it. I have total respect for these long slow runs. They are hard. Sometimes as I am running them I wonder how it's possible to actually run a marathon at marathon pace. But the LSD run works to prepare you.
Today is a leg recovery day. An open water swim may be in the cards.
Split Time Moving Time Distance Elevation Gain Elevation Loss Avg Pace Avg Moving Pace Best Pace Avg HR Max HR Steps Calories
1 0:09:16 0:09:00 1 0 6 9:16 9:00 3:29 113 124 0 82
2 0:08:57 0:08:38 1 13 0 8:57 8:38 6:12 114 121 0 74
3 0:08:51 0:08:37 1 0 0 8:51 8:37 6:02 119 124 0 77
4 0:08:54 0:08:46 1 0 10 8:54 8:46 4:14 120 126 0 77
5 0:09:06 0:09:07 1 0 9 9:06 9:07 5:13 123 134 0 83
6 0:09:06 0:09:06 1 4 0 9:06 9:06 8:29 125 130 0 83
7 0:09:08 0:09:03 1 0 5 9:08 9:03 8:30 123 137 0 70
8 0:09:07 0:09:07 1 5 0 9:07 9:07 2:41 123 132 0 67
9 0:09:06 0:09:06 1 0 6 9:06 9:06 7:54 124 137 0 68
10 0:09:11 0:09:03 1 3 0 9:11 9:03 8:16 124 130 0 71
11 0:09:08 0:09:09 1 0 0 9:08 9:09 8:17 126 129 0 77
12 0:09:09 0:09:09 1 0 2 9:09 9:09 8:36 127 131 0 72
13 0:09:08 0:09:09 1 5 0 9:08 9:09 8:28 131 134 0 87
14 0:09:19 0:09:11 1 15 0 9:19 9:11 4:07 126 145 0 74
15 0:09:17 0:09:15 1 0 0 9:17 9:15 7:23 132 136 0 88
16 0:09:16 0:09:16 1 0 7 9:16 9:16 7:32 135 140 0 95
17 0:09:13 0:09:13 1 7 6 9:13 9:13 8:00 139 142 0 101
Summary 2:35:18 2:33:55 17 52 51 9:08 9:03 2:41 124 145 0 1,346
-----
" Beyond the very extreme of fatigue and distress, we may find amounts of ease and power we never dreamed ourselves to own, sources of strength never taxed at all because we never push through the obstruction."
* It takes courage to push yourself to places that you have never been before... to test your limits... to break through barriers. And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” - Anais Nin
Monday, August 16, 2010
El Quandry
Good morning.
What a great summer, weatherwise.
As I traveled in my car this weekend I noticed, ever so slightly, the leaves starting to change hues. Slowly they are going from dark healthy green to a lighter green which is a sign of seasons changing.
Before we know it we will be into the cooler fall months. I mean, it's only 8 weeks until the Chicago Marathon. The weather can change sooo much in those 8 weeks.
My advice: Really enjoy the wonderful days that summer has left for you. Before you know it the Holidays will be here. Almost time to go Christmas shopping.
This wonderful weather has allowed me to train in ideal conditions, "for me." I qualify that statement because I know it as not been ideal for all.
I have been busy as usual with training. Lots of thoughts going on in my head on how best to approach training.
The quandry: I have the Chicago Tri next week, Branson 1/2 Ironman 3 weeks after Chicago and then the Chicago Marathon not long after that. How the heck am I supposed to be ready for the marathon and also staying fresh for the triathlons???
I feel the need to get in some long marathon training runs of 17-20 miles so I will be prepared for the 26.2 miles in October.
One thing I wonder is if triathlon training adds to or enhances training for a marathon? Time will tell as I figure this out. My major thought is to stay healthy during the whole process.
The recent training:
Friday:
34 mile bike along Lake MI.
Saturday:
Awesome open water 1.4 mile swim in Lake MI. I really pshed it a bit but my Garmin was not timing me. I forgot to delete the training history. The Garmin could not fit in any more data. My bad. But, it was a strong swimming effort that made my lats a little sore.
Later in the day I decided to go for an aerobic run:
Split Time Moving Time Distance Elevation Gain Elevation Loss Avg Pace Avg Moving Pace Best Pace Avg HR Max HR Steps Calories
1 0:08:51 0:08:39 1 6 0 8:51 8:39 7:38 121 130 0 89
2 0:08:45 0:08:43 1 7 0 8:45 8:43 7:37 127 133 0 93
3 0:08:42 0:08:43 1 0 7 8:42 8:43 6:25 132 137 0 98
4 0:08:35 0:08:22 1 0 13 8:35 8:22 3:33 135 140 0 94
5 0:08:43 0:08:35 1 14 0 8:43 8:35 6:19 135 141 0 95
6 0:08:31 0:08:32 1 5 0 8:31 8:32 6:48 139 140 0 97
7 0:08:38 0:08:38 1 0 5 8:38 8:38 6:44 136 140 0 92
8 0:08:34 0:08:32 1 0 8 8:34 8:32 7:38 137 142 0 93
9 0:01:50 0:01:51 0.22 0 0 8:30 8:32 7:18 140 141 0 21
Summary 1:11:13 1:10:35 8.22 32 33 8:40 8:35 3:33 132 142 0 772
Sunday:
Sunday morning was the 38 mile bike ride with the Chicago Tri Club. The ride was pretty easy. I would like to push the pace a bit more. One thing I've noticed is that my hill climbing is much stronger.
Later in the day another easy run. I was surprised how low my heart rate stayed.
Split Time Moving Time Distance Elevation Gain Elevation Loss Avg Pace Avg Moving Pace Best Pace Avg HR Max HR Steps Calories
1 0:09:30 0:09:14 1 0 8 9:30 9:14 7:42 119 128 0 95
2 0:09:21 0:09:15 1 14 0 9:21 9:15 4:27 121 127 0 94
3 0:08:50 0:08:51 1 0 0 8:50 8:51 6:01 125 128 0 91
4 0:09:16 0:09:10 1 0 0 9:16 9:10 7:39 119 125 0 74
5 0:09:00 0:08:55 1 0 6 9:00 8:55 6:43 123 130 0 81
6 0:08:49 0:08:48 1 0 8 8:49 8:48 7:35 124 132 0 79
7 0:00:49 0:00:48 0.09 0 0 8:53 8:38 8:11 125 127 0 8
Summary 0:55:38 0:55:01 6.09 14 22 9:07 9:01 4:27 121 132 0 522
Now, it's onward and upward.
-----
" Beyond the very extreme of fatigue and distress, we may find amounts of ease and power we never dreamed ourselves to own, sources of strength never taxed at all because we never push through the obstruction."
* It takes courage to push yourself to places that you have never been before... to test your limits... to break through barriers. And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” - Anais Nin
What a great summer, weatherwise.
As I traveled in my car this weekend I noticed, ever so slightly, the leaves starting to change hues. Slowly they are going from dark healthy green to a lighter green which is a sign of seasons changing.
Before we know it we will be into the cooler fall months. I mean, it's only 8 weeks until the Chicago Marathon. The weather can change sooo much in those 8 weeks.
My advice: Really enjoy the wonderful days that summer has left for you. Before you know it the Holidays will be here. Almost time to go Christmas shopping.
This wonderful weather has allowed me to train in ideal conditions, "for me." I qualify that statement because I know it as not been ideal for all.
I have been busy as usual with training. Lots of thoughts going on in my head on how best to approach training.
The quandry: I have the Chicago Tri next week, Branson 1/2 Ironman 3 weeks after Chicago and then the Chicago Marathon not long after that. How the heck am I supposed to be ready for the marathon and also staying fresh for the triathlons???
I feel the need to get in some long marathon training runs of 17-20 miles so I will be prepared for the 26.2 miles in October.
One thing I wonder is if triathlon training adds to or enhances training for a marathon? Time will tell as I figure this out. My major thought is to stay healthy during the whole process.
The recent training:
Friday:
34 mile bike along Lake MI.
Saturday:
Awesome open water 1.4 mile swim in Lake MI. I really pshed it a bit but my Garmin was not timing me. I forgot to delete the training history. The Garmin could not fit in any more data. My bad. But, it was a strong swimming effort that made my lats a little sore.
Later in the day I decided to go for an aerobic run:
Split Time Moving Time Distance Elevation Gain Elevation Loss Avg Pace Avg Moving Pace Best Pace Avg HR Max HR Steps Calories
1 0:08:51 0:08:39 1 6 0 8:51 8:39 7:38 121 130 0 89
2 0:08:45 0:08:43 1 7 0 8:45 8:43 7:37 127 133 0 93
3 0:08:42 0:08:43 1 0 7 8:42 8:43 6:25 132 137 0 98
4 0:08:35 0:08:22 1 0 13 8:35 8:22 3:33 135 140 0 94
5 0:08:43 0:08:35 1 14 0 8:43 8:35 6:19 135 141 0 95
6 0:08:31 0:08:32 1 5 0 8:31 8:32 6:48 139 140 0 97
7 0:08:38 0:08:38 1 0 5 8:38 8:38 6:44 136 140 0 92
8 0:08:34 0:08:32 1 0 8 8:34 8:32 7:38 137 142 0 93
9 0:01:50 0:01:51 0.22 0 0 8:30 8:32 7:18 140 141 0 21
Summary 1:11:13 1:10:35 8.22 32 33 8:40 8:35 3:33 132 142 0 772
Sunday:
Sunday morning was the 38 mile bike ride with the Chicago Tri Club. The ride was pretty easy. I would like to push the pace a bit more. One thing I've noticed is that my hill climbing is much stronger.
Later in the day another easy run. I was surprised how low my heart rate stayed.
Split Time Moving Time Distance Elevation Gain Elevation Loss Avg Pace Avg Moving Pace Best Pace Avg HR Max HR Steps Calories
1 0:09:30 0:09:14 1 0 8 9:30 9:14 7:42 119 128 0 95
2 0:09:21 0:09:15 1 14 0 9:21 9:15 4:27 121 127 0 94
3 0:08:50 0:08:51 1 0 0 8:50 8:51 6:01 125 128 0 91
4 0:09:16 0:09:10 1 0 0 9:16 9:10 7:39 119 125 0 74
5 0:09:00 0:08:55 1 0 6 9:00 8:55 6:43 123 130 0 81
6 0:08:49 0:08:48 1 0 8 8:49 8:48 7:35 124 132 0 79
7 0:00:49 0:00:48 0.09 0 0 8:53 8:38 8:11 125 127 0 8
Summary 0:55:38 0:55:01 6.09 14 22 9:07 9:01 4:27 121 132 0 522
Now, it's onward and upward.
-----
" Beyond the very extreme of fatigue and distress, we may find amounts of ease and power we never dreamed ourselves to own, sources of strength never taxed at all because we never push through the obstruction."
* It takes courage to push yourself to places that you have never been before... to test your limits... to break through barriers. And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” - Anais Nin
Thursday, August 12, 2010
LSD...Not The Drug...Long Slow Distance
Good morning.
Another sunny and warm summer day on track for today. Gotta love it.
I need to swim and the thought of heading to Ohio Street Beach instead of the X Sport pool is on my mind. Either way, I'll be in some water somewhere.
I enjoyed the heat yesterday with a nice 11 mile slow run along Lake Michigan. The water was so calm and flat that I wanted to jump in. Since I started triathlon training something has happened to me. Sometimes when I am near water I have an urge to jump in like a Lab.
My average pace was over 9 minutes per mile. It has been a long time since I've had the discipline to keep the pace slow like this. But, I know the slow twitch muscle fibers need some wakening up.
One thought that kept me slow was thinking of burning fat instead of glycogen. Also, it has been a while since I've run on two consecutive days and I wanted my legs to adjust.
Split Time Moving Time Distance Elevation Gain Elevation Loss Avg Pace Avg Moving Pace Best Pace Avg HR Max HR Steps Calories
1 0:09:35 0:09:28 1 0 7 9:35 9:28 7:07 110 123 0 83
2 0:09:10 0:09:02 1 14 0 9:10 9:02 6:53 117 123 0 85
3 0:09:14 0:09:16 1 0 0 9:14 9:16 6:45 123 129 0 91
4 0:09:21 0:09:20 1 0 16 9:21 9:20 4:11 124 129 0 91
5 0:09:28 0:09:28 1 6 3 9:28 9:28 8:37 131 137 0 100
6 0:09:09 0:09:01 1 17 6 9:09 9:01 7:58 135 140 0 99
7 0:09:28 0:09:23 1 5 4 9:28 9:23 6:58 135 141 0 94
8 0:09:28 0:09:29 1 0 0 9:29 9:29 5:45 133 140 0 93
9 0:09:28 0:09:24 1 0 0 9:28 9:24 7:19 137 146 0 100
10 0:09:19 0:09:13 1 0 5 9:19 9:13 7:15 138 145 0 99
11 0:09:26 0:09:18 1 9 9 9:26 9:18 6:12 143 148 0 109
12 0:00:01 0:00:01 0 0 0 8:10 5:48 7:56 144 144 0 1
Summary 1:43:13 1:42:23 11 51 49 9:22 9:18 4:11 129 148 0 1,045
-----
" Beyond the very extreme of fatigue and distress, we may find amounts of ease and power we never dreamed ourselves to own, sources of strength never taxed at all because we never push through the obstruction."
* It takes courage to push yourself to places that you have never been before... to test your limits... to break through barriers. And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” - Anais Nin
Another sunny and warm summer day on track for today. Gotta love it.
I need to swim and the thought of heading to Ohio Street Beach instead of the X Sport pool is on my mind. Either way, I'll be in some water somewhere.
I enjoyed the heat yesterday with a nice 11 mile slow run along Lake Michigan. The water was so calm and flat that I wanted to jump in. Since I started triathlon training something has happened to me. Sometimes when I am near water I have an urge to jump in like a Lab.
My average pace was over 9 minutes per mile. It has been a long time since I've had the discipline to keep the pace slow like this. But, I know the slow twitch muscle fibers need some wakening up.
One thought that kept me slow was thinking of burning fat instead of glycogen. Also, it has been a while since I've run on two consecutive days and I wanted my legs to adjust.
Split Time Moving Time Distance Elevation Gain Elevation Loss Avg Pace Avg Moving Pace Best Pace Avg HR Max HR Steps Calories
1 0:09:35 0:09:28 1 0 7 9:35 9:28 7:07 110 123 0 83
2 0:09:10 0:09:02 1 14 0 9:10 9:02 6:53 117 123 0 85
3 0:09:14 0:09:16 1 0 0 9:14 9:16 6:45 123 129 0 91
4 0:09:21 0:09:20 1 0 16 9:21 9:20 4:11 124 129 0 91
5 0:09:28 0:09:28 1 6 3 9:28 9:28 8:37 131 137 0 100
6 0:09:09 0:09:01 1 17 6 9:09 9:01 7:58 135 140 0 99
7 0:09:28 0:09:23 1 5 4 9:28 9:23 6:58 135 141 0 94
8 0:09:28 0:09:29 1 0 0 9:29 9:29 5:45 133 140 0 93
9 0:09:28 0:09:24 1 0 0 9:28 9:24 7:19 137 146 0 100
10 0:09:19 0:09:13 1 0 5 9:19 9:13 7:15 138 145 0 99
11 0:09:26 0:09:18 1 9 9 9:26 9:18 6:12 143 148 0 109
12 0:00:01 0:00:01 0 0 0 8:10 5:48 7:56 144 144 0 1
Summary 1:43:13 1:42:23 11 51 49 9:22 9:18 4:11 129 148 0 1,045
-----
" Beyond the very extreme of fatigue and distress, we may find amounts of ease and power we never dreamed ourselves to own, sources of strength never taxed at all because we never push through the obstruction."
* It takes courage to push yourself to places that you have never been before... to test your limits... to break through barriers. And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” - Anais Nin
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
One Sweaty Dude
Good morning.
Did you hear that? That was the sound of summer flying by. And, way too fast for me.
Weather wise, this has been a terrific summer for me. I really do enjoy the heat and we've had plenty of it. It won't be long before we are reminded how crappy the Chicago weather can be.
My thought, enjoy the heat and humidity while it's here.
On one hand I continue to juggle my workout schedule so I can incorporate one long run per week in preparation for the Chicago Marathon. On the other, I need to stay healthy and fit for the Chicago Tri and the Ironman Branson 70.3.
The schedule:
Chicago Triathlon: August 29
Ironman Branson: September 19
Chicago Marathon: October 10
I may have a surprise event in November if things work out.
If not the surprise event I must partake in the Hot Chocolate 15K so I can hoard pounds of Hershy's candy.
Yesterday I waited until 4:45 pm before heading outside for a 6 miler. The heat, humidity and dew point were way up there. As I went along I realized that my body has adjusted nicely to these conditions and this really helps on race day as it gives me an advantage. It's only an advantage because I like these conditions and I train in them.
I know, some of you think I'm crazy. You are correct!!
The run was one of those with no set in stone goal. At first I thought it would be an easy run. Then as a couple miles clicked away it became a run in which each mile was faster than the last. The fastest mile was number six.
At the end I was one sweaty dude.
Split Time Moving Time Distance Elevation Gain Elevation Loss Avg Pace Avg Moving Pace Best Pace Avg HR Max HR Steps Calories
1 0:09:03 0:08:58 1 0 7 9:03 8:58 4:34 126 138 0 98
2 0:08:17 0:08:18 1 14 0 8:17 8:18 5:58 137 147 0 95
3 0:08:05 0:07:55 1 0 0 8:05 7:55 5:53 143 150 0 97
4 0:07:55 0:07:55 1 0 0 7:55 7:55 5:54 148 157 0 97
5 0:07:28 0:07:27 1 0 5 7:28 7:27 6:10 153 160 0 97
6 0:07:06 0:07:07 1 0 8 7:06 7:07 5:44 161 165 0 100
7 0:00:01 -- 0 0 0 --:-- 7:29 --:-- -- -- 0 0
Summary 0:47:58 0:47:40 6 14 20 7:59 7:56 4:34 143 165 0 584
-----
" Beyond the very extreme of fatigue and distress, we may find amounts of ease and power we never dreamed ourselves to own, sources of strength never taxed at all because we never push through the obstruction."
* It takes courage to push yourself to places that you have never been before... to test your limits... to break through barriers. And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” - Anais Nin
Did you hear that? That was the sound of summer flying by. And, way too fast for me.
Weather wise, this has been a terrific summer for me. I really do enjoy the heat and we've had plenty of it. It won't be long before we are reminded how crappy the Chicago weather can be.
My thought, enjoy the heat and humidity while it's here.
On one hand I continue to juggle my workout schedule so I can incorporate one long run per week in preparation for the Chicago Marathon. On the other, I need to stay healthy and fit for the Chicago Tri and the Ironman Branson 70.3.
The schedule:
Chicago Triathlon: August 29
Ironman Branson: September 19
Chicago Marathon: October 10
I may have a surprise event in November if things work out.
If not the surprise event I must partake in the Hot Chocolate 15K so I can hoard pounds of Hershy's candy.
Yesterday I waited until 4:45 pm before heading outside for a 6 miler. The heat, humidity and dew point were way up there. As I went along I realized that my body has adjusted nicely to these conditions and this really helps on race day as it gives me an advantage. It's only an advantage because I like these conditions and I train in them.
I know, some of you think I'm crazy. You are correct!!
The run was one of those with no set in stone goal. At first I thought it would be an easy run. Then as a couple miles clicked away it became a run in which each mile was faster than the last. The fastest mile was number six.
At the end I was one sweaty dude.
Split Time Moving Time Distance Elevation Gain Elevation Loss Avg Pace Avg Moving Pace Best Pace Avg HR Max HR Steps Calories
1 0:09:03 0:08:58 1 0 7 9:03 8:58 4:34 126 138 0 98
2 0:08:17 0:08:18 1 14 0 8:17 8:18 5:58 137 147 0 95
3 0:08:05 0:07:55 1 0 0 8:05 7:55 5:53 143 150 0 97
4 0:07:55 0:07:55 1 0 0 7:55 7:55 5:54 148 157 0 97
5 0:07:28 0:07:27 1 0 5 7:28 7:27 6:10 153 160 0 97
6 0:07:06 0:07:07 1 0 8 7:06 7:07 5:44 161 165 0 100
7 0:00:01 -- 0 0 0 --:-- 7:29 --:-- -- -- 0 0
Summary 0:47:58 0:47:40 6 14 20 7:59 7:56 4:34 143 165 0 584
-----
" Beyond the very extreme of fatigue and distress, we may find amounts of ease and power we never dreamed ourselves to own, sources of strength never taxed at all because we never push through the obstruction."
* It takes courage to push yourself to places that you have never been before... to test your limits... to break through barriers. And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” - Anais Nin
Monday, August 9, 2010
This That and the Other
Good morning.
I have not blogged since Thursday. But, that does not mean I have not been busy. This week has been a recovery and step back week after the recent half Ironman.
I have been contemplating my training approach considering I have the Chicago Tri, (Olympic distance) Aug 29, Ironman Branson 70.3, Sept 19 and then the Chicago Marathon Oct. 10.
In a way I feel like I am behind the marathon training schedule regarding miles run. But, something needs to give in order to stay healthy. My speed is still with me but I need to maintain my running endurance base.
These are nice problems to have.
Over the last several days I've been busy swimming, biking and running. Most of this took place in Glen Arbor, MI. One thing I took advantage of here is bike training with the hills. This will help prepare me for the 1/2 Ironman Branson coming up in 6 weeks. I have heard that there are some serious hills on that course.
I'm not sure how those hills compare to the ones I've been on here. Some people say to train on 2-5% inclines to prepare. As I laid in bed last night I was visualizing the percentage inclines of the hills I've trained on. They have to be greater than 5%. I was thinking at least 10% inclines that can go for a mile at a time. So, perhaps I will be able to capitalize on the Branson hills and be very competitive in my age group, 50-54.
The last few days looked like this:
Thursday:
15 miles on trainer.
Friday:
1.46 mile swim in Glen Lake and 13.77 mile hilly bike ride.
Saturday:
20.5 mile bike around the Glen Lakes. Run speed session in afternoon:
Split Time Moving Time Distance Elevation Gain Elevation Loss Avg Pace Avg Moving Pace Best Pace Steps Calories
1 0:08:34 0:08:34 1 77 55 8:34 8:34 6:48 0 135
2 0:07:28 0:07:28 1 0 10 7:28 7:28 6:25 0 135
3 0:06:28 0:06:29 1 11 0 6:28 6:29 5:19 0 133
4 0:07:03 0:07:02 1 0 18 7:03 7:02 5:55 0 133
5 0:00:05 0:00:07 0.01 0 0 9:05 12:43 6:22 0 1
Summary 0:29:39 0:29:40 4.01 88 83 7:23 7:23 5:19 0 537
Sunday:
1.48 mile morning swim in Glen Lake
Medium long slow 9 mile distance run in afternoon
Split Time Moving Time Distance Elevation Gain Elevation Loss Avg Pace Avg Moving Pace Best Pace Avg HR Max HR Steps Calories
1 0:09:03 0:08:57 1 7 15 9:03 8:57 7:02 121 130 0 94
2 0:09:07 0:09:07 1 101 41 9:07 9:07 7:40 128 137 0 99
3 0:08:45 0:08:46 1 0 72 8:45 8:46 7:49 126 131 0 89
4 0:08:49 0:08:49 1 16 0 8:49 8:49 8:04 137 174 0 94
5 0:08:36 0:08:37 1 13 38 8:36 8:37 7:56 135 151 0 94
6 0:08:43 0:08:42 1 10 0 8:44 8:42 8:06 138 141 0 99
7 0:09:00 0:09:00 1 58 0 9:00 9:00 7:28 140 146 0 103
8 0:08:49 0:08:50 1 59 95 8:49 8:50 7:22 139 151 0 98
9 0:08:38 0:08:38 1 17 10 8:38 8:38 6:29 140 143 0 96
10 0:00:01 0:00:02 0 0 0 7:10 8:01 8:42 139 139 0 0
Summary 1:19:36 1:19:28 9 281 271 8:50 8:49 6:29 133 174 0 866
That's it. Now I feel I can resume more vigorous training since I feel fully recovered.
-----
" Beyond the very extreme of fatigue and distress, we may find amounts of ease and power we never dreamed ourselves to own, sources of strength never taxed at all because we never push through the obstruction."
* It takes courage to push yourself to places that you have never been before... to test your limits... to break through barriers. And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” - Anais Nin
I have not blogged since Thursday. But, that does not mean I have not been busy. This week has been a recovery and step back week after the recent half Ironman.
I have been contemplating my training approach considering I have the Chicago Tri, (Olympic distance) Aug 29, Ironman Branson 70.3, Sept 19 and then the Chicago Marathon Oct. 10.
In a way I feel like I am behind the marathon training schedule regarding miles run. But, something needs to give in order to stay healthy. My speed is still with me but I need to maintain my running endurance base.
These are nice problems to have.
Over the last several days I've been busy swimming, biking and running. Most of this took place in Glen Arbor, MI. One thing I took advantage of here is bike training with the hills. This will help prepare me for the 1/2 Ironman Branson coming up in 6 weeks. I have heard that there are some serious hills on that course.
I'm not sure how those hills compare to the ones I've been on here. Some people say to train on 2-5% inclines to prepare. As I laid in bed last night I was visualizing the percentage inclines of the hills I've trained on. They have to be greater than 5%. I was thinking at least 10% inclines that can go for a mile at a time. So, perhaps I will be able to capitalize on the Branson hills and be very competitive in my age group, 50-54.
The last few days looked like this:
Thursday:
15 miles on trainer.
Friday:
1.46 mile swim in Glen Lake and 13.77 mile hilly bike ride.
Saturday:
20.5 mile bike around the Glen Lakes. Run speed session in afternoon:
Split Time Moving Time Distance Elevation Gain Elevation Loss Avg Pace Avg Moving Pace Best Pace Steps Calories
1 0:08:34 0:08:34 1 77 55 8:34 8:34 6:48 0 135
2 0:07:28 0:07:28 1 0 10 7:28 7:28 6:25 0 135
3 0:06:28 0:06:29 1 11 0 6:28 6:29 5:19 0 133
4 0:07:03 0:07:02 1 0 18 7:03 7:02 5:55 0 133
5 0:00:05 0:00:07 0.01 0 0 9:05 12:43 6:22 0 1
Summary 0:29:39 0:29:40 4.01 88 83 7:23 7:23 5:19 0 537
Sunday:
1.48 mile morning swim in Glen Lake
Medium long slow 9 mile distance run in afternoon
Split Time Moving Time Distance Elevation Gain Elevation Loss Avg Pace Avg Moving Pace Best Pace Avg HR Max HR Steps Calories
1 0:09:03 0:08:57 1 7 15 9:03 8:57 7:02 121 130 0 94
2 0:09:07 0:09:07 1 101 41 9:07 9:07 7:40 128 137 0 99
3 0:08:45 0:08:46 1 0 72 8:45 8:46 7:49 126 131 0 89
4 0:08:49 0:08:49 1 16 0 8:49 8:49 8:04 137 174 0 94
5 0:08:36 0:08:37 1 13 38 8:36 8:37 7:56 135 151 0 94
6 0:08:43 0:08:42 1 10 0 8:44 8:42 8:06 138 141 0 99
7 0:09:00 0:09:00 1 58 0 9:00 9:00 7:28 140 146 0 103
8 0:08:49 0:08:50 1 59 95 8:49 8:50 7:22 139 151 0 98
9 0:08:38 0:08:38 1 17 10 8:38 8:38 6:29 140 143 0 96
10 0:00:01 0:00:02 0 0 0 7:10 8:01 8:42 139 139 0 0
Summary 1:19:36 1:19:28 9 281 271 8:50 8:49 6:29 133 174 0 866
That's it. Now I feel I can resume more vigorous training since I feel fully recovered.
-----
" Beyond the very extreme of fatigue and distress, we may find amounts of ease and power we never dreamed ourselves to own, sources of strength never taxed at all because we never push through the obstruction."
* It takes courage to push yourself to places that you have never been before... to test your limits... to break through barriers. And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” - Anais Nin
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
And The Beat Goes On
Good morning.
First of all, I thank all of you who left congratulatory remarks after the 1/2 Ironman. I really appreciate what you say and it does spur me on to bigger and greater things. So, thanks so much.
The past few days have been pretty much devoted to recovery from the 70.3 miles covered on Saturday's 1/2 IM.
I have done a few workouts. Sunday I went to the lake and swam 1.4 miles and later in the day a 10 mile recovery bike session on the trainer. Yesterday consisted of a 1000 yard swim. That's about it.
The legs, body and spirit are feeling really good. Today I will start to do some light running or ellipting. Looking forward to that.
It's time to move forward.
I think I am truely addicted to triathlons. The training is very enjoyable and it's fun to work on the three disciplines. The races are a blast and they last awhile. I also enjoy meeting other triathletes. There is an unspoken respect for each other that you just sense. There also is a lot of support from the athletes as you compete. Words of encouragement hit you from all sides.
One thing I've learned so far is that my running is really an asset during the tri's. I will maintain and hopefully improve my running. But, what I really need to work on is my bike. I will work on becomming stronger and faster. Also, equipment plays a major role. I spoke with Adam at Get A Grip Cycles about tri bikes and he said a properly fitted tri bike might improve your times by 5-10%. During a 2:45:00 bike that could shave off 10-20 minutes with equipment alone.
So, hard work and better equipment will make a huge improvement.
I also will work on speed and endurance in the water.
I want to be breaking the 5 hour mark on a regular basis in a 1/2 Ironman.
My next event is the Chicago Triathlon on August 29. It is an Olympic/International distance event. Did you know that the Chicago Tri is the largest triathlon in the world? It is.
I have also decided to participate in another 1/2 Ironman this year. The event is, Ironman Branson 70.3 on September 19. The web-sight: www.ironmanbranson.com.
My goal here will be to be fast enough to potentially get a spot in the Foster Grant 70.3 World Championships in Clearwater Florida in November.
I want one more 1/2 IM for 2010.
-----
" Beyond the very extreme of fatigue and distress, we may find amounts of ease and power we never dreamed ourselves to own, sources of strength never taxed at all because we never push through the obstruction."
* It takes courage to push yourself to places that you have never been before... to test your limits... to break through barriers. And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” - Anais Nin
First of all, I thank all of you who left congratulatory remarks after the 1/2 Ironman. I really appreciate what you say and it does spur me on to bigger and greater things. So, thanks so much.
The past few days have been pretty much devoted to recovery from the 70.3 miles covered on Saturday's 1/2 IM.
I have done a few workouts. Sunday I went to the lake and swam 1.4 miles and later in the day a 10 mile recovery bike session on the trainer. Yesterday consisted of a 1000 yard swim. That's about it.
The legs, body and spirit are feeling really good. Today I will start to do some light running or ellipting. Looking forward to that.
It's time to move forward.
I think I am truely addicted to triathlons. The training is very enjoyable and it's fun to work on the three disciplines. The races are a blast and they last awhile. I also enjoy meeting other triathletes. There is an unspoken respect for each other that you just sense. There also is a lot of support from the athletes as you compete. Words of encouragement hit you from all sides.
One thing I've learned so far is that my running is really an asset during the tri's. I will maintain and hopefully improve my running. But, what I really need to work on is my bike. I will work on becomming stronger and faster. Also, equipment plays a major role. I spoke with Adam at Get A Grip Cycles about tri bikes and he said a properly fitted tri bike might improve your times by 5-10%. During a 2:45:00 bike that could shave off 10-20 minutes with equipment alone.
So, hard work and better equipment will make a huge improvement.
I also will work on speed and endurance in the water.
I want to be breaking the 5 hour mark on a regular basis in a 1/2 Ironman.
My next event is the Chicago Triathlon on August 29. It is an Olympic/International distance event. Did you know that the Chicago Tri is the largest triathlon in the world? It is.
I have also decided to participate in another 1/2 Ironman this year. The event is, Ironman Branson 70.3 on September 19. The web-sight: www.ironmanbranson.com.
My goal here will be to be fast enough to potentially get a spot in the Foster Grant 70.3 World Championships in Clearwater Florida in November.
I want one more 1/2 IM for 2010.
-----
" Beyond the very extreme of fatigue and distress, we may find amounts of ease and power we never dreamed ourselves to own, sources of strength never taxed at all because we never push through the obstruction."
* It takes courage to push yourself to places that you have never been before... to test your limits... to break through barriers. And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” - Anais Nin
Monday, August 2, 2010
Steelhead 1/2 Ironman Race Report
Monday, August 2
Good morning.
STEELHEAD 1/2 IRONMAN RACE REPORT
How on Earth did I get here?
INTRODUCTION:
It all started after I watched the 2009 Ford Ironman World Championship in Kona Hawaii. That is when I decided to enter the lottery for a spot in the World Championships.
After I entered the lottery I decided to start training last December. My thought was, what if I find out on April 15 that I got that spot. I would not have enough time to train for a full Ironman. Therefore, I went and bought a decent road bike and a Cycleops indoor trainer. I also joined XSport Fitness to use their pool. My triathlon life started December 2009.
Another thought occured to me. What, if after all this training, you find out you do not get that Kona spot. Why waste all this training? So, I decided to enter some triathlon events. Namely, Bigfoot, Steelhead 1/2 Ironman and Chicago Triathlon.
A TRIATHLETE IS BORN!
STEELHEAD 1/2 IRONMAN
How did I get here? Lots of hard work. Also, I thank all those individuals who gave me advice to get me to this point. You all know who you are and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. THANK YOU!
Lets get to the event.
I drove to Benton Harbor, MI Friday morning. My first stop was athlete check in. There was a long line to check in and go through the whole process. This is where you get your wrist band.
The wrist band allows you access to the event venue, etc. You also get your goody bag which actually is a nice sturdy useful bag. I like it. After meandering your way around the various lines to pick up your timing chip, etc. it's time to do a little shopping at the expo.
The expo was small and I only bought a Steelhead 1/2 IM Hat and some stickers.
After the expo it was time to make the drive to the event venue.
The venue was on the beach at Jean Kloch park. This is where you bring your bike to the transition area.
There are sooo many bikes that will be stationed here. Mine is the white one. The newbie. This is just the beginning. There will be rows and rows of beautiful high end triathlon bikes.
As I stood there I could hear the other tri bikes whispering about my little road bike. "Who is that?" "Not sure, looks fast though." They were intimidated.
As I walk along and rack my bike I have to say that the importance of the event is starting to hit me. Chills race down my spine. This race has a big time event feel to it. The athletes I see are in amazing shape. They are a happy and healthy bunch. Talk about bike shopping. My God, if you ever wanted to see awesome tri bikes just go to an Ironman event. Simply amazing.
After the bike is racked I walked around a bit and then headed to my hotel in New Buffalo, MI. I stayed at the Four Winds Casino. It was 25 miles from the event and one of the few hotels that would allow a one night stay.
I checked in and went to the room. After freshening up a little I went and walked through the casino to the Timbers Restaurant and had a pizza. I am always amazed watching all the casino patrons sitting in front of their slot machines like they are in a trance. I don't even know how 95% of the slot machines work any more. There are so many different games. I did not play. After dinner it was off to the room to get organized for the 1/2 Ironman.
Participating in a triathlon requires organization. You have various things you need and you will use them in a certain order, etc. You must be prepared for any contingency. I'm not going to cover all of that. Just know that there is a lot of thinking about this.
After getting organized I went to bed. My alarm was set for 3 am.
Good morning. Lets get that coffee brewing. Yes, I brought my own coffee machine again. I'm just sitting on the bed with my coffee and computer, killing time. The weather doesn't look good. Hopefully we will get this in. I shower and put on my Chicago Tri Club triathlon suit and pack the car and head for the event.
At this point I am really getting excited.
The rain was coming down as we all prepared in the very dim lighting in the transition area. This is the time when you pump your tires full of air, lay out your bike shoes, socks, running shoes, fill water bottles with Ironman Perform Energy Drink, position your helmet on the aero bars, make sure you have all your nutrition to consume on the bike, etc. You want this to be as organized as possible so you can be as swift as possible in transitioning from swim to bike and bike to run.
For this event I decided to position my stuff in a plastic bag so they would not get soaked in the rain. When I was organized it was time to don the wet suit. Once I had the suit on it was time to walk the 1.2 mile to the swim start.
I ended up walking with another guy in my age group. He had a lot more experience than me and I learned a lot on that walk. After the event I saw him. I could not find his name on the results page. Was he an Angel?
I asked him about the swim start. This has always been my biggest question. Where should I position myself within my group? I told him my swim goal time and he said, be in the 1st or 2nd row. So, that is what I did. Once we arrived at the swim start we talked a bit. My heart was beating just a bit faster. But, for the most part I was calm.
There were all different swim cap colors on heads all over the place. Grey, yellow, ours were white. Each age group has it's own color. The rain was still coming down.
Wave 1 was male pros. Wave 2 was female pros. Wave 3 was 55-59 age group men and women.
Finally, we were called. WAVE 4 PLEASE ENTER THE SWIM START. THREE MINUTES TIL THE HORN.
I position myself and look around at the other men in my age group. The look on their faces said it all.
THIRTY SECONDS...HOLY CRAP!....5 4 3 2 1...HORN
THE SWIM
I was in the first row and took off. When the water was crotch high I dove in and started swimming. The water was 76 degrees. Two degrees below the wet suit legal limit. I swam hard at first to get a good start. This was very anaerobic and after a couple minutes I could feel my lungs saying, "slow down." The water deepened the further I went and soon the lake bottom was gone.
After slowing down a bit I finally got my wind back. I was a little concerned at first. But, I just relaxed and was fine. There was no contact with me on this swim start. None. I was wondering if I was on course. I was. Just no contact. I guess that Angel I met was right.
It was an enjoyable swim and I sighted frequently to stay on course. Every time I would look ahead all I would see are the arms of other swimmers in the air getting ready for another plunge into the dark water. I just focused on the orange bouy's and stayed on course.
It was not long before I saw feet kicking in front of me. Must avoid and swim around, which I did. I'm not sure how many people I passed. But, I focused on my technique and breathing and staying relaxed. Finally I see the green bouy's which meant the finish was coming up. I slowly veared to the right and saw, SWIM EXIT. I swam harder and passed more athletes. Once My finger tips touched the sand I stood up and began my exit.
As I did this I was also slowly taking my wet suit off. I went under the swim exit sign and realized I had a 150 yard climb up the loose, deep sand beach. This was like running in deep snow. It was also a workout. Finally at the top I crossed the timing mat and made my 100 yard trek to my transition spot.
My swim time, actual swimming, was faster than my results suggest because your swim time includes that beach climb.
SWIM TIME: 38:18:00
Now I am running on the pavement to my bike. When I get there I move as fast as I can to remove my wet suit and put on my bike helmet, glasses, bib number and shoes. Then I run through transition to the bike mount area. Then, I am off.
TRANSITION 1 TIME: 3:59
THE BIKE
The bike went well. Basically, you just keep pedaling. I constantly am watching my cadence and speed. The legs felt fresh. I was soaking wet because of the rain. The roads were wet and there was no way to avoid water. So what!
After a while the sky started to clear which was nice.
You must be careful when biking to avoid any penalties. That's right, you can receive time penalties in triathlon for illegal drafting on the bike. You must stay 4 bike lengths behind the rider in front of you unless you are passing. Then when you decide to pass you better get that done in a certain amount of time or else you could be charged with drafting time penalty. Three penalties in the event and you are done.
Up and down the rolling hills we went. I have a lot of respect for the female athletes that passed me on the bike. They are really strong. I got "chicked" often.
My bike strategy was to go as fast as possible while allowing me a good bike to run transition. I was not sure what that effort level was because this was my first race at this distance. I just remember my first Bigfoot Olympic tri and how my upper hamstring areas felt after the bike. I did not want that to happen again.
Every now and then I would stand up on the pedals and do a little stretch.
The crowd support was nice.
The miles clicked away and finally I was pulling into the bike finish shute. I dismount and my hammys and legs allowed me to run with no pain or problems. I run to my transition spot and quickly change into my running shoes and hat and take off.
BIKE TIME: 2:46:52
TRANSITION 2 TIME: 2:57
THE RUN
Hey, I can run. Good. Time to suck it up. Churn those legs and let them adjust from the bike. Thank you Mr. Brick workout.
I passed people from the get go. As I passed other athletes they would say, "nice job." Every one is so supportive. We all share the same sport and we all appreciate the hard work it took us all to get here. You could say it's respect for each other.
By now the sun was out and it felt hot and humid. This was to my advantage because I do well in those conditions. I just kept chugging along. As I passed one older gentleman he said, "hey Chicago." I slow a bit and I say, "me?" He says, "how old are you?" I say, "50." He says, "good, you are not in my age group." He was 60 years old. I kept moving. A lot of spectators would call me Chicago because of my Chicago Triathlon Club tri suit. "Keep it up Chicago, looking good."
There were a couple steep hills to deal with. I drank gatorade every chance I could. I would think, "this is harder than I thought."
SHUT UP LEGS!
I was still passing a lot of runners. I was monitoring my pace with my Garmin. The pace was decent considering I just biked 56 miles. I had several sub 8 minute miles.
I only had two hamstring cramps to deal with on my right leg. I had to stop twice and stretch for about 20 seconds each time.
Finally, there is a 1/2 mile to go and I realize I am really gonna do this. I'm really gonna make it! I run thru the crowd lining the last 200 yards and hear my name. "Here comes Randy Egge." I run over the timing mat and stop. A volunteer hands me a Gatorade and I say, not yet. I bend over to catch my breath and stretch the hamstrings again. I stand up and take the Gatorade and start walking.
I DID IT! I AM 1/2 OF AN IRONMAN.
Got the finishers shirt and medal.
What an experience.
RUN TIME: 1:45:54, PACE 8:06 AVERAGE
I basically came in 18th place in my age group.
After the race I just walked around to keep the legs moving. They were sore and tired. Still are today. Not marathon sore but still a very respectable sore. Enough to let you know that you just had one hell of a time.
TOTAL FINISHING TIME: 5:18:00
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
How did I get here?
I took a chance. I took a chance to believe in myself. It all starts with the thought/idea to do something. Then, action. I had always watched the Ironman World Championships on TV. I always thought it would be cool to do a triathlon.
I finally had the confidence in myself to take that leap of faith. After I registered for the Kona lottery the wheels were turning. The engine had started. I was off on another life dream and journey.
My goodnes, please. Whoever you are that is reading this, never be afraid to take that chance, That leap of faith to accomplish one of your life dreams. Just do it. You won't believe what you may become. Just open that door, walk inside and see who you really are.
You are a star!
Next up for me is the Chicago Triathlon, Aug. 29. Can't wait.
-----
" Beyond the very extreme of fatigue and distress, we may find amounts of ease and power we never dreamed ourselves to own, sources of strength never taxed at all because we never push through the obstruction."
* It takes courage to push yourself to places that you have never been before... to test your limits... to break through barriers. And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” - Anais Nin
Good morning.
STEELHEAD 1/2 IRONMAN RACE REPORT
How on Earth did I get here?
INTRODUCTION:
It all started after I watched the 2009 Ford Ironman World Championship in Kona Hawaii. That is when I decided to enter the lottery for a spot in the World Championships.
After I entered the lottery I decided to start training last December. My thought was, what if I find out on April 15 that I got that spot. I would not have enough time to train for a full Ironman. Therefore, I went and bought a decent road bike and a Cycleops indoor trainer. I also joined XSport Fitness to use their pool. My triathlon life started December 2009.
Another thought occured to me. What, if after all this training, you find out you do not get that Kona spot. Why waste all this training? So, I decided to enter some triathlon events. Namely, Bigfoot, Steelhead 1/2 Ironman and Chicago Triathlon.
A TRIATHLETE IS BORN!
STEELHEAD 1/2 IRONMAN
How did I get here? Lots of hard work. Also, I thank all those individuals who gave me advice to get me to this point. You all know who you are and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. THANK YOU!
Lets get to the event.
I drove to Benton Harbor, MI Friday morning. My first stop was athlete check in. There was a long line to check in and go through the whole process. This is where you get your wrist band.
The wrist band allows you access to the event venue, etc. You also get your goody bag which actually is a nice sturdy useful bag. I like it. After meandering your way around the various lines to pick up your timing chip, etc. it's time to do a little shopping at the expo.
The expo was small and I only bought a Steelhead 1/2 IM Hat and some stickers.
After the expo it was time to make the drive to the event venue.
The venue was on the beach at Jean Kloch park. This is where you bring your bike to the transition area.
There are sooo many bikes that will be stationed here. Mine is the white one. The newbie. This is just the beginning. There will be rows and rows of beautiful high end triathlon bikes.
As I stood there I could hear the other tri bikes whispering about my little road bike. "Who is that?" "Not sure, looks fast though." They were intimidated.
As I walk along and rack my bike I have to say that the importance of the event is starting to hit me. Chills race down my spine. This race has a big time event feel to it. The athletes I see are in amazing shape. They are a happy and healthy bunch. Talk about bike shopping. My God, if you ever wanted to see awesome tri bikes just go to an Ironman event. Simply amazing.
After the bike is racked I walked around a bit and then headed to my hotel in New Buffalo, MI. I stayed at the Four Winds Casino. It was 25 miles from the event and one of the few hotels that would allow a one night stay.
I checked in and went to the room. After freshening up a little I went and walked through the casino to the Timbers Restaurant and had a pizza. I am always amazed watching all the casino patrons sitting in front of their slot machines like they are in a trance. I don't even know how 95% of the slot machines work any more. There are so many different games. I did not play. After dinner it was off to the room to get organized for the 1/2 Ironman.
Participating in a triathlon requires organization. You have various things you need and you will use them in a certain order, etc. You must be prepared for any contingency. I'm not going to cover all of that. Just know that there is a lot of thinking about this.
After getting organized I went to bed. My alarm was set for 3 am.
Good morning. Lets get that coffee brewing. Yes, I brought my own coffee machine again. I'm just sitting on the bed with my coffee and computer, killing time. The weather doesn't look good. Hopefully we will get this in. I shower and put on my Chicago Tri Club triathlon suit and pack the car and head for the event.
At this point I am really getting excited.
The rain was coming down as we all prepared in the very dim lighting in the transition area. This is the time when you pump your tires full of air, lay out your bike shoes, socks, running shoes, fill water bottles with Ironman Perform Energy Drink, position your helmet on the aero bars, make sure you have all your nutrition to consume on the bike, etc. You want this to be as organized as possible so you can be as swift as possible in transitioning from swim to bike and bike to run.
For this event I decided to position my stuff in a plastic bag so they would not get soaked in the rain. When I was organized it was time to don the wet suit. Once I had the suit on it was time to walk the 1.2 mile to the swim start.
I ended up walking with another guy in my age group. He had a lot more experience than me and I learned a lot on that walk. After the event I saw him. I could not find his name on the results page. Was he an Angel?
I asked him about the swim start. This has always been my biggest question. Where should I position myself within my group? I told him my swim goal time and he said, be in the 1st or 2nd row. So, that is what I did. Once we arrived at the swim start we talked a bit. My heart was beating just a bit faster. But, for the most part I was calm.
There were all different swim cap colors on heads all over the place. Grey, yellow, ours were white. Each age group has it's own color. The rain was still coming down.
Wave 1 was male pros. Wave 2 was female pros. Wave 3 was 55-59 age group men and women.
Finally, we were called. WAVE 4 PLEASE ENTER THE SWIM START. THREE MINUTES TIL THE HORN.
I position myself and look around at the other men in my age group. The look on their faces said it all.
THIRTY SECONDS...HOLY CRAP!....5 4 3 2 1...HORN
THE SWIM
I was in the first row and took off. When the water was crotch high I dove in and started swimming. The water was 76 degrees. Two degrees below the wet suit legal limit. I swam hard at first to get a good start. This was very anaerobic and after a couple minutes I could feel my lungs saying, "slow down." The water deepened the further I went and soon the lake bottom was gone.
After slowing down a bit I finally got my wind back. I was a little concerned at first. But, I just relaxed and was fine. There was no contact with me on this swim start. None. I was wondering if I was on course. I was. Just no contact. I guess that Angel I met was right.
It was an enjoyable swim and I sighted frequently to stay on course. Every time I would look ahead all I would see are the arms of other swimmers in the air getting ready for another plunge into the dark water. I just focused on the orange bouy's and stayed on course.
It was not long before I saw feet kicking in front of me. Must avoid and swim around, which I did. I'm not sure how many people I passed. But, I focused on my technique and breathing and staying relaxed. Finally I see the green bouy's which meant the finish was coming up. I slowly veared to the right and saw, SWIM EXIT. I swam harder and passed more athletes. Once My finger tips touched the sand I stood up and began my exit.
As I did this I was also slowly taking my wet suit off. I went under the swim exit sign and realized I had a 150 yard climb up the loose, deep sand beach. This was like running in deep snow. It was also a workout. Finally at the top I crossed the timing mat and made my 100 yard trek to my transition spot.
My swim time, actual swimming, was faster than my results suggest because your swim time includes that beach climb.
SWIM TIME: 38:18:00
Now I am running on the pavement to my bike. When I get there I move as fast as I can to remove my wet suit and put on my bike helmet, glasses, bib number and shoes. Then I run through transition to the bike mount area. Then, I am off.
TRANSITION 1 TIME: 3:59
THE BIKE
The bike went well. Basically, you just keep pedaling. I constantly am watching my cadence and speed. The legs felt fresh. I was soaking wet because of the rain. The roads were wet and there was no way to avoid water. So what!
After a while the sky started to clear which was nice.
You must be careful when biking to avoid any penalties. That's right, you can receive time penalties in triathlon for illegal drafting on the bike. You must stay 4 bike lengths behind the rider in front of you unless you are passing. Then when you decide to pass you better get that done in a certain amount of time or else you could be charged with drafting time penalty. Three penalties in the event and you are done.
Up and down the rolling hills we went. I have a lot of respect for the female athletes that passed me on the bike. They are really strong. I got "chicked" often.
My bike strategy was to go as fast as possible while allowing me a good bike to run transition. I was not sure what that effort level was because this was my first race at this distance. I just remember my first Bigfoot Olympic tri and how my upper hamstring areas felt after the bike. I did not want that to happen again.
Every now and then I would stand up on the pedals and do a little stretch.
The crowd support was nice.
The miles clicked away and finally I was pulling into the bike finish shute. I dismount and my hammys and legs allowed me to run with no pain or problems. I run to my transition spot and quickly change into my running shoes and hat and take off.
BIKE TIME: 2:46:52
TRANSITION 2 TIME: 2:57
THE RUN
Hey, I can run. Good. Time to suck it up. Churn those legs and let them adjust from the bike. Thank you Mr. Brick workout.
I passed people from the get go. As I passed other athletes they would say, "nice job." Every one is so supportive. We all share the same sport and we all appreciate the hard work it took us all to get here. You could say it's respect for each other.
By now the sun was out and it felt hot and humid. This was to my advantage because I do well in those conditions. I just kept chugging along. As I passed one older gentleman he said, "hey Chicago." I slow a bit and I say, "me?" He says, "how old are you?" I say, "50." He says, "good, you are not in my age group." He was 60 years old. I kept moving. A lot of spectators would call me Chicago because of my Chicago Triathlon Club tri suit. "Keep it up Chicago, looking good."
There were a couple steep hills to deal with. I drank gatorade every chance I could. I would think, "this is harder than I thought."
SHUT UP LEGS!
I was still passing a lot of runners. I was monitoring my pace with my Garmin. The pace was decent considering I just biked 56 miles. I had several sub 8 minute miles.
I only had two hamstring cramps to deal with on my right leg. I had to stop twice and stretch for about 20 seconds each time.
Finally, there is a 1/2 mile to go and I realize I am really gonna do this. I'm really gonna make it! I run thru the crowd lining the last 200 yards and hear my name. "Here comes Randy Egge." I run over the timing mat and stop. A volunteer hands me a Gatorade and I say, not yet. I bend over to catch my breath and stretch the hamstrings again. I stand up and take the Gatorade and start walking.
I DID IT! I AM 1/2 OF AN IRONMAN.
Got the finishers shirt and medal.
What an experience.
RUN TIME: 1:45:54, PACE 8:06 AVERAGE
I basically came in 18th place in my age group.
After the race I just walked around to keep the legs moving. They were sore and tired. Still are today. Not marathon sore but still a very respectable sore. Enough to let you know that you just had one hell of a time.
TOTAL FINISHING TIME: 5:18:00
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
How did I get here?
I took a chance. I took a chance to believe in myself. It all starts with the thought/idea to do something. Then, action. I had always watched the Ironman World Championships on TV. I always thought it would be cool to do a triathlon.
I finally had the confidence in myself to take that leap of faith. After I registered for the Kona lottery the wheels were turning. The engine had started. I was off on another life dream and journey.
My goodnes, please. Whoever you are that is reading this, never be afraid to take that chance, That leap of faith to accomplish one of your life dreams. Just do it. You won't believe what you may become. Just open that door, walk inside and see who you really are.
You are a star!
Next up for me is the Chicago Triathlon, Aug. 29. Can't wait.
-----
" Beyond the very extreme of fatigue and distress, we may find amounts of ease and power we never dreamed ourselves to own, sources of strength never taxed at all because we never push through the obstruction."
* It takes courage to push yourself to places that you have never been before... to test your limits... to break through barriers. And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” - Anais Nin
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