Good morning.
As marathon day approaches the mileage gets reduced but the quality of the run stays. Fresh legs produce good quality. Yesterday when I went for my 6 miler my main goal was to see how easy it would be to run at certain marathon paces.
One marathon goal I have is to break 3:30:00 and to do this I have to average approx 8 minute miles throughout the run.
It did not take long to hit 8 pace yesterday. But, my legs said, "we have so much more to give you." My lungs and heart said, " let's get moving."
So, I sped up and soon found that 7:45 pace felt so comfortable. Breathing was easy and I was very relaxed. Really it was more like gliding than running. The feet did not spend too much time on the ground with a smooth easy cadence.
Soon I was under 7:40 pace and still was comfortable. Interesting.
What does all this mean? What is my marathon pace? What pace can I maintain for 26.2? Not sure yet.
But, I will find out on marathon day. I will listen to my body and revise as I go along.
Split Time Moving Time Distance Elevation Gain Elevation Loss Avg Pace Avg Moving Pace Best Pace Avg HR Max HR Steps Calories
1 0:08:57 0:08:31 1 8 6 8:58 8:31 5:53 119 138 0 56
2 0:08:07 0:07:56 1 4 0 8:07 7:56 5:47 127 136 0 58
3 0:07:53 0:07:50 1 2 0 7:53 7:50 6:08 130 135 0 56
4 0:07:42 0:07:37 1 0 4 7:42 7:37 6:13 135 143 0 61
5 0:07:39 0:07:33 1 0 4 7:39 7:33 6:11 139 145 0 61
6 0:07:37 0:07:32 1 6 8 7:37 7:32 6:08 143 148 0 65
7 0:00:35 0:00:34 0.08 0 0 7:18 7:03 7:03 144 145 0 5
Summary 0:48:32 0:47:33 6.08 20 22 7:59 7:49 5:47 131 148 0 362
-----
" 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, September 29, 2010
Monday, September 27, 2010
Taper Time...Chicago Marathon
Good morning.
Wow, it's the final week of September and October is staring us in the face. You can just feel a change in the air. It's almost time to start using the heat to warm our home.
I almost feel like it's time to hibernate.
A couple years ago while walking my dog Barclay on a frigid cold evening a thought came to me. I thought, "how much of your life has been spent freezing in the winter?"
Well, if I was 48 years old the answer was almost 24 years. That's 1/2 my lifetime. Twenty four years of almost hibernating inside and avoiding the rotten cold weather. Just think if you could be in a warmer climate. It would be like enjoying another lifetime of running, golf, etc.
Last year I decided to embrace the winter months and run outside. Well, I did do that. I ran in temperatures 20 below zero with wind chill. Doesn't that sound fun.
It's almost time to embrace winter again, but I do look forward to when I can spend my winter months in a warmer climate. "Living" is so much easier when it's nice and warm outside.
The main bulk of Chicago Marathon training is over and it's time to taper towards the actual event, 10/10/10. This weekend were my final major runs. I had an excellent 6 mile speed session on Saturday and a nice slow 13.1 miler yesterday. My speed is great and my cardiovascular fitness is outstanding.
When I saw that my average heart rate yesterday was 116 beats per minute during the 13.1 miler I was happily surprised. My runs looked like this:
SATURDAY
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 0:08:49 1 0 6 9:06 8:49 7:40 107 121 0 50
2 0:07:39 0:07:37 1 11 0 7:39 7:37 6:05 129 141 0 60
3 0:07:14 0:07:12 1 3 0 7:14 7:12 6:22 137 147 0 58
4 0:07:15 0:07:06 1 0 4 7:15 7:06 5:58 142 159 0 54
5 0:06:57 0:06:56 1 0 4 6:57 6:56 6:06 141 152 0 57
6 0:06:38 0:06:38 1 0 7 6:38 6:38 6:07 155 164 0 62
7 0:00:03 0:00:03 0.01 9 0 5:31 5:05 6:18 160 160 0 0
Summary 0:44:55 0:44:21 6.01 23 21 7:28 7:22 5:58 133 164 0 341
SUNDAY
Split Time Moving Time Distance Elevation Gain Elevation Loss Avg Pace Avg Moving Pace Best Pace Avg HR Max HR Steps Calories
1 0:09:25 0:08:43 1 0 5 9:25 8:43 7:01 124 152 0 37
2 0:08:59 0:08:56 1 9 0 8:59 8:56 6:35 115 120 0 54
3 0:08:44 0:08:38 1 3 0 8:44 8:38 7:02 115 121 0 51
4 0:08:47 0:08:32 1 0 19 8:47 8:32 3:56 116 124 0 52
5 0:08:59 0:08:53 1 9 0 8:59 8:53 8:11 113 119 0 46
6 0:08:55 0:08:46 1 0 9 8:55 8:46 8:00 113 120 0 43
7 0:08:59 0:08:50 1 13 0 8:59 8:50 4:26 113 125 0 44
8 0:08:52 0:08:46 1 6 0 8:52 8:46 7:42 118 126 0 48
9 0:08:43 0:08:39 1 0 5 8:43 8:39 6:49 120 129 0 49
10 0:08:55 0:08:50 1 4 0 8:55 8:50 7:02 117 121 0 44
11 0:09:00 0:08:56 1 0 0 9:00 8:56 7:29 117 122 0 43
12 0:08:59 0:08:57 1 0 6 8:59 8:57 7:08 117 123 0 43
13 0:08:56 0:08:55 1 6 8 8:56 8:55 7:55 120 123 0 46
14 0:01:03 0:01:03 0.12 0 0 8:54 8:51 8:15 120 121 0 5
Summary 1:57:22 1:55:24 13.12 49 52 8:56 8:47 3:56 116 152 0 605
Edited by Silentrunner 9/27/2010 6:45 AM
-----
" 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
Wow, it's the final week of September and October is staring us in the face. You can just feel a change in the air. It's almost time to start using the heat to warm our home.
I almost feel like it's time to hibernate.
A couple years ago while walking my dog Barclay on a frigid cold evening a thought came to me. I thought, "how much of your life has been spent freezing in the winter?"
Well, if I was 48 years old the answer was almost 24 years. That's 1/2 my lifetime. Twenty four years of almost hibernating inside and avoiding the rotten cold weather. Just think if you could be in a warmer climate. It would be like enjoying another lifetime of running, golf, etc.
Last year I decided to embrace the winter months and run outside. Well, I did do that. I ran in temperatures 20 below zero with wind chill. Doesn't that sound fun.
It's almost time to embrace winter again, but I do look forward to when I can spend my winter months in a warmer climate. "Living" is so much easier when it's nice and warm outside.
The main bulk of Chicago Marathon training is over and it's time to taper towards the actual event, 10/10/10. This weekend were my final major runs. I had an excellent 6 mile speed session on Saturday and a nice slow 13.1 miler yesterday. My speed is great and my cardiovascular fitness is outstanding.
When I saw that my average heart rate yesterday was 116 beats per minute during the 13.1 miler I was happily surprised. My runs looked like this:
SATURDAY
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 0:08:49 1 0 6 9:06 8:49 7:40 107 121 0 50
2 0:07:39 0:07:37 1 11 0 7:39 7:37 6:05 129 141 0 60
3 0:07:14 0:07:12 1 3 0 7:14 7:12 6:22 137 147 0 58
4 0:07:15 0:07:06 1 0 4 7:15 7:06 5:58 142 159 0 54
5 0:06:57 0:06:56 1 0 4 6:57 6:56 6:06 141 152 0 57
6 0:06:38 0:06:38 1 0 7 6:38 6:38 6:07 155 164 0 62
7 0:00:03 0:00:03 0.01 9 0 5:31 5:05 6:18 160 160 0 0
Summary 0:44:55 0:44:21 6.01 23 21 7:28 7:22 5:58 133 164 0 341
SUNDAY
Split Time Moving Time Distance Elevation Gain Elevation Loss Avg Pace Avg Moving Pace Best Pace Avg HR Max HR Steps Calories
1 0:09:25 0:08:43 1 0 5 9:25 8:43 7:01 124 152 0 37
2 0:08:59 0:08:56 1 9 0 8:59 8:56 6:35 115 120 0 54
3 0:08:44 0:08:38 1 3 0 8:44 8:38 7:02 115 121 0 51
4 0:08:47 0:08:32 1 0 19 8:47 8:32 3:56 116 124 0 52
5 0:08:59 0:08:53 1 9 0 8:59 8:53 8:11 113 119 0 46
6 0:08:55 0:08:46 1 0 9 8:55 8:46 8:00 113 120 0 43
7 0:08:59 0:08:50 1 13 0 8:59 8:50 4:26 113 125 0 44
8 0:08:52 0:08:46 1 6 0 8:52 8:46 7:42 118 126 0 48
9 0:08:43 0:08:39 1 0 5 8:43 8:39 6:49 120 129 0 49
10 0:08:55 0:08:50 1 4 0 8:55 8:50 7:02 117 121 0 44
11 0:09:00 0:08:56 1 0 0 9:00 8:56 7:29 117 122 0 43
12 0:08:59 0:08:57 1 0 6 8:59 8:57 7:08 117 123 0 43
13 0:08:56 0:08:55 1 6 8 8:56 8:55 7:55 120 123 0 46
14 0:01:03 0:01:03 0.12 0 0 8:54 8:51 8:15 120 121 0 5
Summary 1:57:22 1:55:24 13.12 49 52 8:56 8:47 3:56 116 152 0 605
Edited by Silentrunner 9/27/2010 6:45 AM
-----
" 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, September 24, 2010
Active Recovery
Good morning.
Recovery from last weekends 1/2 Ironman has gone well. I am one of those who believes in "active" recovery. I don't just sit around waiting for the body to feel good. I get up and move around. This helps get the blood moving and promotes healing.
I started my week with a 6 mile slow run on Monday. I was happy with the heart rate data. I thought it would be more elevated.
Split Time Moving Time Distance Elevation Gain Elevation Loss Avg Pace Avg Moving Pace Best Pace Avg HR Max HR Steps Calories
1 0:09:37 0:04:23 1 0 7 9:37 4:23 5:52 114 128 0 58
2 0:09:14 0:04:08 1 10 0 9:14 4:08 7:05 118 124 0 60
3 0:08:57 0:04:13 1 3 0 8:57 4:13 5:45 120 126 0 54
4 0:09:18 0:03:11 1 0 2 9:18 3:11 6:12 119 126 0 53
5 0:09:16 0:03:45 1 0 6 9:16 3:45 7:11 121 130 0 48
6 0:09:05 0:04:45 1 6 8 9:05 4:45 7:47 124 129 0 55
7 0:00:48 0:00:28 0.09 0 0 8:57 5:09 8:18 123 125 0 4
Summary 0:56:18 0:24:53 6.09 19 23 9:14 4:05 5:45 119 130 0 332
Tuesday was an actual day off. Sometimes taking a full day off is a major accomplishment. It is so so hard to do.
Wednesday I decided to exercise on the elliptical and got in a smooth non-impact, blood pumping 4 miles. The elliptical is a terrific machine.
Thursday I ventured back to the pool and decided to begin working on bilateral breathing and other techniques. It went pretty well. It will be nice to work on drills for a while and not worry about speed so much. I also did a few lengths of breast stroke to work other swim muscles.
Since I am still preparing for the Chicago Marathon I decided to run an 8 miler late Thursday afternoon. It was another hot day with the temps around 90 degrees. We also had very windy conditions. Heading west was a real test. I decided not to fight the wind and just ran easily. Nevertheless it was a good run. I got in two miles at marathon pace and then relaxed as I headed home into the strong winds:
Split Time Moving Time Distance Elevation Gain Elevation Loss Avg Pace Avg Moving Pace Best Pace Avg HR Max HR Steps Calories
1 0:09:09 0:08:51 1 0 6 9:09 8:51 7:11 121 134 0 64
2 0:08:30 0:08:22 1 13 0 8:30 8:22 6:30 131 139 0 65
3 0:07:57 0:07:53 1 0 0 7:57 7:53 6:46 141 145 0 67
4 0:07:56 0:07:55 1 0 19 7:56 7:55 6:02 143 148 0 65
5 0:08:13 0:08:09 1 20 0 8:13 8:09 6:06 143 151 0 67
6 0:08:18 0:08:13 1 0 3 8:18 8:13 6:21 147 154 0 70
7 0:08:28 0:08:20 1 0 4 8:28 8:20 6:54 145 151 0 63
8 0:08:25 0:08:16 1 6 8 8:25 8:16 7:37 146 153 0 65
9 0:00:37 0:00:36 0.08 0 0 8:10 7:49 7:25 150 151 0 6
Summary 1:07:37 1:06:35 8.08 39 41 8:22 8:14 6:02 139 154 0 532
Today was another non-impact 4 mile elliptical workout.
Just a little over 2 weeks before the marathon. One more sorta long run this weekend then its all downhill. Two more weeks to taper and refresh. I'll be ready.
-----
" 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
Recovery from last weekends 1/2 Ironman has gone well. I am one of those who believes in "active" recovery. I don't just sit around waiting for the body to feel good. I get up and move around. This helps get the blood moving and promotes healing.
I started my week with a 6 mile slow run on Monday. I was happy with the heart rate data. I thought it would be more elevated.
Split Time Moving Time Distance Elevation Gain Elevation Loss Avg Pace Avg Moving Pace Best Pace Avg HR Max HR Steps Calories
1 0:09:37 0:04:23 1 0 7 9:37 4:23 5:52 114 128 0 58
2 0:09:14 0:04:08 1 10 0 9:14 4:08 7:05 118 124 0 60
3 0:08:57 0:04:13 1 3 0 8:57 4:13 5:45 120 126 0 54
4 0:09:18 0:03:11 1 0 2 9:18 3:11 6:12 119 126 0 53
5 0:09:16 0:03:45 1 0 6 9:16 3:45 7:11 121 130 0 48
6 0:09:05 0:04:45 1 6 8 9:05 4:45 7:47 124 129 0 55
7 0:00:48 0:00:28 0.09 0 0 8:57 5:09 8:18 123 125 0 4
Summary 0:56:18 0:24:53 6.09 19 23 9:14 4:05 5:45 119 130 0 332
Tuesday was an actual day off. Sometimes taking a full day off is a major accomplishment. It is so so hard to do.
Wednesday I decided to exercise on the elliptical and got in a smooth non-impact, blood pumping 4 miles. The elliptical is a terrific machine.
Thursday I ventured back to the pool and decided to begin working on bilateral breathing and other techniques. It went pretty well. It will be nice to work on drills for a while and not worry about speed so much. I also did a few lengths of breast stroke to work other swim muscles.
Since I am still preparing for the Chicago Marathon I decided to run an 8 miler late Thursday afternoon. It was another hot day with the temps around 90 degrees. We also had very windy conditions. Heading west was a real test. I decided not to fight the wind and just ran easily. Nevertheless it was a good run. I got in two miles at marathon pace and then relaxed as I headed home into the strong winds:
Split Time Moving Time Distance Elevation Gain Elevation Loss Avg Pace Avg Moving Pace Best Pace Avg HR Max HR Steps Calories
1 0:09:09 0:08:51 1 0 6 9:09 8:51 7:11 121 134 0 64
2 0:08:30 0:08:22 1 13 0 8:30 8:22 6:30 131 139 0 65
3 0:07:57 0:07:53 1 0 0 7:57 7:53 6:46 141 145 0 67
4 0:07:56 0:07:55 1 0 19 7:56 7:55 6:02 143 148 0 65
5 0:08:13 0:08:09 1 20 0 8:13 8:09 6:06 143 151 0 67
6 0:08:18 0:08:13 1 0 3 8:18 8:13 6:21 147 154 0 70
7 0:08:28 0:08:20 1 0 4 8:28 8:20 6:54 145 151 0 63
8 0:08:25 0:08:16 1 6 8 8:25 8:16 7:37 146 153 0 65
9 0:00:37 0:00:36 0.08 0 0 8:10 7:49 7:25 150 151 0 6
Summary 1:07:37 1:06:35 8.08 39 41 8:22 8:14 6:02 139 154 0 532
Today was another non-impact 4 mile elliptical workout.
Just a little over 2 weeks before the marathon. One more sorta long run this weekend then its all downhill. Two more weeks to taper and refresh. I'll be ready.
-----
" 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, September 21, 2010
Branson 1/2 Ironman Race Report
Tuesday, September 21
Good morning.
Branson 1/2 Ironman Report:
Boy oh boy. How does one describe this event? How does a participant convey the difficulty of the Ozark Mountain bike leg of the race?
One way is to hear it from a couple professionals who competed in the race.
Michael Lovato is a professional triathlete and an Ironman winner. Michael said:
"Reflecting on the race yesterday: this Branson course really should be a world championship event. Fair, tough, and fun."
Kelly Williamson, the female winner said:
“This bike course is the probably the toughest bike course I have ever done,” said an exuberant Williamson after the race. “It was just one huge hill after another, they just never stopped.” At the awards ceremony Kelly also said that any age grouper, "me," that completed the bike section should be very proud.
The inaugural K-Swiss Ironman 70.3 Branson proved to be a worthy addition to the Ironman 70.3 series. The race began in the crystal clear waters off of Moonshine Beach on Table Rock Lake, then featured one of the toughest bike courses on the Ironman 70.3 circuit and ended with a scenic run course through Branson. It is already being hailed as a "must do" for those seeking the challenge and a course that breaks up the race on the bike.
My Experience:
I was really looking forward to this event. For some reason I really was attracted to going down to Branson. Was it the hills? Was it the fact that it was an inaugural event? I am not sure. I always look forward to a good road trip and this would qualify as one.
The drive to Branson took approximately 8 1/2 hours. No biggie. The scenery in Illinois was boring. I did notice that most of the corn had been harvested and that there were many wind farms. Ah, the greening of America.
Once through St. Louis the topography started to get more interesting with rolling hills. Once I got closer to Branson the hills became bigger and bigger and were big enough to be exciting in a car. I almost thought I was driving in the foothills of the Rockies.
The thought occured to me, "are we going to be actually doing the bike section of the event on these types of hills?" My question would be answered on Sunday.
I arrived at the host hotel, Chataeu On The Lake. It was pearched on top of a big hill overlooking the whole Branson area. A very nice view of Table Rock Lake could be had as well.
You could feel the excitement as triathletes arrived and checked in. Also, the expo and all that we would need would be in the Chataeu. This was very convenient for all of us.
I checked into the hotel and went to athlete registration asap. What a smooth process this was. It only took 10 minutes to get through the whole registration and goody bag pickup.
Friday night there was a welcome party at the Branson Landing with a band that specialized in music from the band, Journey. They would play Journey songs all night. This was a big happening in Branson as many locals came to watch. Branson Landing is on a river and is a mall-like outdoor shopping area. Very nice. I stayed for a little while and decided to head back to the hotel.
Saturday was the day to set up your bike in transition area one. This is always interesting because you get to see your competitors and also their machinery. This is a fit group of people to say the least.
Befor setting my bike in T1 I went for an easy 7 mile ride to see how the new riding position would be. The past several weeks I was having slight knee pain on the bike. I went to my bike fitter Adam at Get A Grip Cycles and discussed my problem with him. He took some measurements as I sat on the bike and raised my seat a bit. So, I wanted to see how this felt on the road. So far so good.
After the ride and setting the bike in T1 I went for a little swim in Table Rock Lake, the swim venue. All systems go.
Saturday evening the host hotel had a pasta dinner party which I attended. After that I went to my room and organized my tri-bag and got ready for the next days event. The clock was ticking.
Event Day
The Apple I Phone alarm went off at 3 am. But, I had already awakened on my own at 2:55 am. I got up and turned on "my" coffee maker. Yes, I always bring my own coffee maker. I would consume just about a pot of the black, body juicing beverage. Coffee gets all systems moving if you catch my drift. It's so important to me to be able to compete in an event with no bathroom stops.
I then got in my car and drove to transition area 2. Yes, this is a two transition race. We would start the swim and bike at T1 and the bike ended near Branson Landing and that's where the run leg started. I wanted my car at T2 so it would be more convenient after the event. After parking the car a shuttle bus transported us back to T1 and I went back to the room. It was 5:00 am.
Time to gather my stuff and have some breakfast downstairs then walk to T1.
It was still dark outside. This is an interesting thing to witness. You have triathletes walking to T1, gear in hand, in the dark. It's very sort of peaceful and quiet. Once you near T1 you begin to hear loud rock music and the hiss of air pumps being pulled from tire valves. You also stop to have your bib number inked onto your arms and legs.
Then you walk into transition and get organized for your race. This involves pumping up you tires and positioning your gear in the order to be used for maximum efficiency.
The clock was ticking.
The announcement:
It's 6:45 am and transition is closed please leave transition. The race was fast approaching and the excitement was palpable. Athletes were everywhere wearing their respective swimcaps. Each age group has it's own color. Mine, ages 50-54, was navy blue.
The music near the beach was blaring. This is a very exciting time. You get to watch the athletes and see the various expressions on their faces. Each of them has a particular way to deal with their emotions. Some are nervous, others just focused.
Me....a little of both but mostly focused. I think the swim leg of a tri is very interesting and you really never know what to expect. You are kind of at the mercy of those around you. There will be mass chaos in the beginning, that is for sure. There will be contact with other athletes and that is guaranteed.
It was our turn, ages 45-54 were called to the waters edge. This was it, this was the start, this is what we trained for.
The Start:
An interesting observation with 30 seconds to go before we were off. I looked in the water and noticed a SNAKE!!!! It was 8 feet in front of us in the water. It looked like a baby snake about 8-10 inches long. I pointed it out to the guy next to me and he said, "why did you have to show me that?" I am sure if some of the woman had seen this they would have been scared to death. Some men as well.
Nevertheless, we had to swim. I wonder what the little guy thought when the gun went off and we stampeded into the lake.
BANG, we were off.
I positioned myself to the left and got a great start. Not a whole lot of contact but there was some. You just have to deal with it and not panic. I just swam and kept sighting so I would go in the right direction. More contact on the legs and arms. I don't mind this. I just don't want a heel in the mouth.
I make contact once in a while as well. If I am approaching another swimmer and their leg or foot looks like it could hit me in the face I kind of brush their leg to the side. This is more self preservation than trying to pass someone.
You must always keep looking ahead underwater to make sure where you stand compared to others. After a few minutes things loosen up a bit and you can really focus on swimming. That is until you start catching the swim waves ahead of your's or the waves behind you catch up. Every once in a while one might have to stop and check their position.
The part that made this swim tough was the fog that rolled in during the middle of our swim. It was hard to sight the orange bouy's. I would just have to rely on watching the swimmers in front of me for direction. It worked and I exited the water, somewhat tired.
I climbed the beach and headed to T1, found my bike, ripped off the wetsuit, put on socks and the bike shoes, put on my helmet, glasses and number and ran towards the bike exit.
The Bike:
I got on the bike and headed out. Little did I know how difficult this would be. But, I was ready for anything. I trained hard. When I was on my trainer I would practice pedaling the biggest gears ever so slowly to simulate going uphill.
Within 1/4 mile we started our first huge climb. We went up a hill that I had come down in my car when first getting to the hotel.
This is a hell of a way to start the race. My pace was 6-8 mph and I think this hill lasted for 5-7 miles.
Once we finished this section we got on highway 465, the "high road."
We would do this section 3 times. This was a doozy. We are talking huge hills. The hills I saw driving to the event. Boy oh boy, what a ride this would be.
As signifigant as the climbs were so were the descents. I would hit 45 mph going down. But, before you would know it it was time for another 2, 3, 4 mile slow laborious climb.
What added to the toughness of the climbing was the hot temperature. It was sunny and approaching the mid 80's to low 90's.
Even though this was really tough I honestly took it in stride. You can only do so much and only go so fast up these hills. I settled in and stayed in the lowest gears and paced myself. After the first pass we turned around and headed back to the start of Hwy 465 and did it again and again and again. We would do this section of road 5 times including all the back and forth on HWY 465.
I noticed that I was riding with a lot of the same athletes during the bike leg. I would talk to some of the athletes on the ascents. I said to one guy, "you know how many people can't do this?" He looked at me and understood, shaking his head in agreement.
This was a massive undertaking. I will never be afraid of another hill climb.
On the final return back there were more and more people walking up the hills with their bikes. They were exhausted. I felt sorry for them.
The final turnaround approached and I felt energized. I knew there were more ups and downs to contend with but I was on the home stretch. I pedaled hard and really started to feel strong for some reason. I was also excited that my knee never hurt at all. Thank you Adam. It's amazing what impact a minor adjustment in bike fit can make.
After the final huge climb people on the side of the road kept yelling out, "your almost there, the last 6 miles are downhill." At this time that sounded sooo good. I rounded the corner and started my approach to the bike finish. We would be passing cars the closer we got to Branson Landing.
I kept wondering how my legs would feel after I got off the bike. Would they cramp up??? I would stand up on the pedals and do some stretching and simulate running on the pedals. This felt good.
We were hauling butt to the finish. There's the final turn and I could see T2. Swoosh past the cars and a fast left turn. The crowd was cheering as we approached the dismount zone. I got off the bike and was surprised that I could actually walk without cramping, So, I started running in my bike shoes to my spot.
I quickly changed into my running shoes, put on my hat and took off.
The Run:
It was a nice fast transition but I made a mistake. I forgot my fuel belt which had some nutrition in it for the run. I just had to take that in stride.
Our run was three loops through Branson Landing in between the shops. The crowd lined each side. I was looking for shade and found a sliver. It was very very hot and humid out, no breeze.
After that 3 hour+ biking effort this was going to be a difficult 13.1 miles. We would meander through the Landing and then around the neighborhood. The heat was intense. I wondered if I would make it.
Those of you that know me know that I like the heat and I do most of my runs in the hottest part of the day. I'm starting to realize that that may not prepare me for today. My body was hot. Everyone's body was hot.
Perhaps my training gets me to the finish line. I passed so many runners who were really moving slowly or just plain walking. Athletes were exhausted.
I never have poured more water on my head. It felt so go but only lasted a minute. At times I actually wondered if I would pass out. I would not let that happen. I would take walking breaks at the various water and Gatorade stations. People who lived on our run route would spray us down with their hoses. Thank you!!
So, this was a very difficult 1/2 marathon run after an extremely difficult hilly 56 mile bike ride. I was not impressed with my run time at all. But, it was a matter of survival and finishing.
As I approached the last 1/2 mile I was getting more and more excited that I had made it, without fainting, and I wondered how I did in my age group.
I was now in the final 100 yards and the crowd was yelling encouraging words. The announcer was saying the names of the finishers as they approached the finish line. I finally heard my name and crossed the line.
Damn, I made it. Someone came up to me immediately and asked if I needed medical attention. I said no. Then a volunteer offered me a bottle of water or Gatorade. I took both. Then a medal was hung around my neck.
I looked around at those that finished before me. We all looked tired and relieved. I walked around in a daze for a little bit. Then I spoke with some of the athletes about how challenging the event was. We all were in agreement on that.
Then a wonderful thing! I noticed athletes soaking in the fountain adjacent to the finish area. I asked if it was cold and they said yes. I took my shoes off and got in. The water was so cool and it felt sooo damn good. It was a terrific way to end the event. A little ice bath.
What an event!!
In my humble opinion, if ever someone should feel proud to complete a 1/2 Ironman event, this would be it. It could not get much harder. My finishing time was not what I wanted but it's all relative. I can't really compare this 1/2 Ironman to my first at Steelhead. This was much harder.
My results: 15th in my age group.
SWIM: 1.2 Miles, 39:13
BIKE: 56 Miles, 3:23:44
RUN: 13.1 Miles, 1:59:33
OVERALL: 6:09:05
RANK OVERALL: 345
RANK AGE GROUP: 15th
Well, what a triathlon season it has been. What an amazing journey to be on. It is just starting. I look forward to continuing this journey again next year and will train to be even more competitive.
Next year I will also be competing in my first full Ironman event.
IRONMAN WISCONSIN.
Can't wait.
Thanks for reading.
LEG DISTANCE PACE RANK DIV.POS.
TOTAL SWIM 1.2 mi. (39:13) 2:03/100m 460 21
BIKE SPLIT 1 - 11 mi 11 mi. (42:41) 15.46 mph
BIKE SPLIT 2 - 28.9 mi 17.9 mi. (1:07:50) 15.83 mph
BIKE SPLIT 3 - 46.8 mi 17.9 mi. (1:11:51) 14.95 mph
FINAL BIKE SPLIT 7.2 mi. (21:22) 20.22 mph
TOTAL BIKE 56 mi. (3:23:44) 16.49 mph 546 26
RUN SPLIT 1 - 4.63 mi 4.63 mi. (38:38) 8:20/mile
RUN SPLIT 2 - 9.26 mi 4.63 mi. (41:55) 9:03/mile
FINAL RUN SPLIT 3.84 mi. (39:00) 10:09/mile
TOTAL RUN 13.1 mi. (1:59:33) 9:07/mile 345 15
TRANSITION TIME
T1: SWIM-TO-BIKE 4:29
T2: BIKE-TO-RUN 2:06
-----
" 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.
Branson 1/2 Ironman Report:
Boy oh boy. How does one describe this event? How does a participant convey the difficulty of the Ozark Mountain bike leg of the race?
One way is to hear it from a couple professionals who competed in the race.
Michael Lovato is a professional triathlete and an Ironman winner. Michael said:
"Reflecting on the race yesterday: this Branson course really should be a world championship event. Fair, tough, and fun."
Kelly Williamson, the female winner said:
“This bike course is the probably the toughest bike course I have ever done,” said an exuberant Williamson after the race. “It was just one huge hill after another, they just never stopped.” At the awards ceremony Kelly also said that any age grouper, "me," that completed the bike section should be very proud.
The inaugural K-Swiss Ironman 70.3 Branson proved to be a worthy addition to the Ironman 70.3 series. The race began in the crystal clear waters off of Moonshine Beach on Table Rock Lake, then featured one of the toughest bike courses on the Ironman 70.3 circuit and ended with a scenic run course through Branson. It is already being hailed as a "must do" for those seeking the challenge and a course that breaks up the race on the bike.
My Experience:
I was really looking forward to this event. For some reason I really was attracted to going down to Branson. Was it the hills? Was it the fact that it was an inaugural event? I am not sure. I always look forward to a good road trip and this would qualify as one.
The drive to Branson took approximately 8 1/2 hours. No biggie. The scenery in Illinois was boring. I did notice that most of the corn had been harvested and that there were many wind farms. Ah, the greening of America.
Once through St. Louis the topography started to get more interesting with rolling hills. Once I got closer to Branson the hills became bigger and bigger and were big enough to be exciting in a car. I almost thought I was driving in the foothills of the Rockies.
The thought occured to me, "are we going to be actually doing the bike section of the event on these types of hills?" My question would be answered on Sunday.
I arrived at the host hotel, Chataeu On The Lake. It was pearched on top of a big hill overlooking the whole Branson area. A very nice view of Table Rock Lake could be had as well.
You could feel the excitement as triathletes arrived and checked in. Also, the expo and all that we would need would be in the Chataeu. This was very convenient for all of us.
I checked into the hotel and went to athlete registration asap. What a smooth process this was. It only took 10 minutes to get through the whole registration and goody bag pickup.
Friday night there was a welcome party at the Branson Landing with a band that specialized in music from the band, Journey. They would play Journey songs all night. This was a big happening in Branson as many locals came to watch. Branson Landing is on a river and is a mall-like outdoor shopping area. Very nice. I stayed for a little while and decided to head back to the hotel.
Saturday was the day to set up your bike in transition area one. This is always interesting because you get to see your competitors and also their machinery. This is a fit group of people to say the least.
Befor setting my bike in T1 I went for an easy 7 mile ride to see how the new riding position would be. The past several weeks I was having slight knee pain on the bike. I went to my bike fitter Adam at Get A Grip Cycles and discussed my problem with him. He took some measurements as I sat on the bike and raised my seat a bit. So, I wanted to see how this felt on the road. So far so good.
After the ride and setting the bike in T1 I went for a little swim in Table Rock Lake, the swim venue. All systems go.
Saturday evening the host hotel had a pasta dinner party which I attended. After that I went to my room and organized my tri-bag and got ready for the next days event. The clock was ticking.
Event Day
The Apple I Phone alarm went off at 3 am. But, I had already awakened on my own at 2:55 am. I got up and turned on "my" coffee maker. Yes, I always bring my own coffee maker. I would consume just about a pot of the black, body juicing beverage. Coffee gets all systems moving if you catch my drift. It's so important to me to be able to compete in an event with no bathroom stops.
I then got in my car and drove to transition area 2. Yes, this is a two transition race. We would start the swim and bike at T1 and the bike ended near Branson Landing and that's where the run leg started. I wanted my car at T2 so it would be more convenient after the event. After parking the car a shuttle bus transported us back to T1 and I went back to the room. It was 5:00 am.
Time to gather my stuff and have some breakfast downstairs then walk to T1.
It was still dark outside. This is an interesting thing to witness. You have triathletes walking to T1, gear in hand, in the dark. It's very sort of peaceful and quiet. Once you near T1 you begin to hear loud rock music and the hiss of air pumps being pulled from tire valves. You also stop to have your bib number inked onto your arms and legs.
Then you walk into transition and get organized for your race. This involves pumping up you tires and positioning your gear in the order to be used for maximum efficiency.
The clock was ticking.
The announcement:
It's 6:45 am and transition is closed please leave transition. The race was fast approaching and the excitement was palpable. Athletes were everywhere wearing their respective swimcaps. Each age group has it's own color. Mine, ages 50-54, was navy blue.
The music near the beach was blaring. This is a very exciting time. You get to watch the athletes and see the various expressions on their faces. Each of them has a particular way to deal with their emotions. Some are nervous, others just focused.
Me....a little of both but mostly focused. I think the swim leg of a tri is very interesting and you really never know what to expect. You are kind of at the mercy of those around you. There will be mass chaos in the beginning, that is for sure. There will be contact with other athletes and that is guaranteed.
It was our turn, ages 45-54 were called to the waters edge. This was it, this was the start, this is what we trained for.
The Start:
An interesting observation with 30 seconds to go before we were off. I looked in the water and noticed a SNAKE!!!! It was 8 feet in front of us in the water. It looked like a baby snake about 8-10 inches long. I pointed it out to the guy next to me and he said, "why did you have to show me that?" I am sure if some of the woman had seen this they would have been scared to death. Some men as well.
Nevertheless, we had to swim. I wonder what the little guy thought when the gun went off and we stampeded into the lake.
BANG, we were off.
I positioned myself to the left and got a great start. Not a whole lot of contact but there was some. You just have to deal with it and not panic. I just swam and kept sighting so I would go in the right direction. More contact on the legs and arms. I don't mind this. I just don't want a heel in the mouth.
I make contact once in a while as well. If I am approaching another swimmer and their leg or foot looks like it could hit me in the face I kind of brush their leg to the side. This is more self preservation than trying to pass someone.
You must always keep looking ahead underwater to make sure where you stand compared to others. After a few minutes things loosen up a bit and you can really focus on swimming. That is until you start catching the swim waves ahead of your's or the waves behind you catch up. Every once in a while one might have to stop and check their position.
The part that made this swim tough was the fog that rolled in during the middle of our swim. It was hard to sight the orange bouy's. I would just have to rely on watching the swimmers in front of me for direction. It worked and I exited the water, somewhat tired.
I climbed the beach and headed to T1, found my bike, ripped off the wetsuit, put on socks and the bike shoes, put on my helmet, glasses and number and ran towards the bike exit.
The Bike:
I got on the bike and headed out. Little did I know how difficult this would be. But, I was ready for anything. I trained hard. When I was on my trainer I would practice pedaling the biggest gears ever so slowly to simulate going uphill.
Within 1/4 mile we started our first huge climb. We went up a hill that I had come down in my car when first getting to the hotel.
This is a hell of a way to start the race. My pace was 6-8 mph and I think this hill lasted for 5-7 miles.
Once we finished this section we got on highway 465, the "high road."
We would do this section 3 times. This was a doozy. We are talking huge hills. The hills I saw driving to the event. Boy oh boy, what a ride this would be.
As signifigant as the climbs were so were the descents. I would hit 45 mph going down. But, before you would know it it was time for another 2, 3, 4 mile slow laborious climb.
What added to the toughness of the climbing was the hot temperature. It was sunny and approaching the mid 80's to low 90's.
Even though this was really tough I honestly took it in stride. You can only do so much and only go so fast up these hills. I settled in and stayed in the lowest gears and paced myself. After the first pass we turned around and headed back to the start of Hwy 465 and did it again and again and again. We would do this section of road 5 times including all the back and forth on HWY 465.
I noticed that I was riding with a lot of the same athletes during the bike leg. I would talk to some of the athletes on the ascents. I said to one guy, "you know how many people can't do this?" He looked at me and understood, shaking his head in agreement.
This was a massive undertaking. I will never be afraid of another hill climb.
On the final return back there were more and more people walking up the hills with their bikes. They were exhausted. I felt sorry for them.
The final turnaround approached and I felt energized. I knew there were more ups and downs to contend with but I was on the home stretch. I pedaled hard and really started to feel strong for some reason. I was also excited that my knee never hurt at all. Thank you Adam. It's amazing what impact a minor adjustment in bike fit can make.
After the final huge climb people on the side of the road kept yelling out, "your almost there, the last 6 miles are downhill." At this time that sounded sooo good. I rounded the corner and started my approach to the bike finish. We would be passing cars the closer we got to Branson Landing.
I kept wondering how my legs would feel after I got off the bike. Would they cramp up??? I would stand up on the pedals and do some stretching and simulate running on the pedals. This felt good.
We were hauling butt to the finish. There's the final turn and I could see T2. Swoosh past the cars and a fast left turn. The crowd was cheering as we approached the dismount zone. I got off the bike and was surprised that I could actually walk without cramping, So, I started running in my bike shoes to my spot.
I quickly changed into my running shoes, put on my hat and took off.
The Run:
It was a nice fast transition but I made a mistake. I forgot my fuel belt which had some nutrition in it for the run. I just had to take that in stride.
Our run was three loops through Branson Landing in between the shops. The crowd lined each side. I was looking for shade and found a sliver. It was very very hot and humid out, no breeze.
After that 3 hour+ biking effort this was going to be a difficult 13.1 miles. We would meander through the Landing and then around the neighborhood. The heat was intense. I wondered if I would make it.
Those of you that know me know that I like the heat and I do most of my runs in the hottest part of the day. I'm starting to realize that that may not prepare me for today. My body was hot. Everyone's body was hot.
Perhaps my training gets me to the finish line. I passed so many runners who were really moving slowly or just plain walking. Athletes were exhausted.
I never have poured more water on my head. It felt so go but only lasted a minute. At times I actually wondered if I would pass out. I would not let that happen. I would take walking breaks at the various water and Gatorade stations. People who lived on our run route would spray us down with their hoses. Thank you!!
So, this was a very difficult 1/2 marathon run after an extremely difficult hilly 56 mile bike ride. I was not impressed with my run time at all. But, it was a matter of survival and finishing.
As I approached the last 1/2 mile I was getting more and more excited that I had made it, without fainting, and I wondered how I did in my age group.
I was now in the final 100 yards and the crowd was yelling encouraging words. The announcer was saying the names of the finishers as they approached the finish line. I finally heard my name and crossed the line.
Damn, I made it. Someone came up to me immediately and asked if I needed medical attention. I said no. Then a volunteer offered me a bottle of water or Gatorade. I took both. Then a medal was hung around my neck.
I looked around at those that finished before me. We all looked tired and relieved. I walked around in a daze for a little bit. Then I spoke with some of the athletes about how challenging the event was. We all were in agreement on that.
Then a wonderful thing! I noticed athletes soaking in the fountain adjacent to the finish area. I asked if it was cold and they said yes. I took my shoes off and got in. The water was so cool and it felt sooo damn good. It was a terrific way to end the event. A little ice bath.
What an event!!
In my humble opinion, if ever someone should feel proud to complete a 1/2 Ironman event, this would be it. It could not get much harder. My finishing time was not what I wanted but it's all relative. I can't really compare this 1/2 Ironman to my first at Steelhead. This was much harder.
My results: 15th in my age group.
SWIM: 1.2 Miles, 39:13
BIKE: 56 Miles, 3:23:44
RUN: 13.1 Miles, 1:59:33
OVERALL: 6:09:05
RANK OVERALL: 345
RANK AGE GROUP: 15th
Well, what a triathlon season it has been. What an amazing journey to be on. It is just starting. I look forward to continuing this journey again next year and will train to be even more competitive.
Next year I will also be competing in my first full Ironman event.
IRONMAN WISCONSIN.
Can't wait.
Thanks for reading.
LEG DISTANCE PACE RANK DIV.POS.
TOTAL SWIM 1.2 mi. (39:13) 2:03/100m 460 21
BIKE SPLIT 1 - 11 mi 11 mi. (42:41) 15.46 mph
BIKE SPLIT 2 - 28.9 mi 17.9 mi. (1:07:50) 15.83 mph
BIKE SPLIT 3 - 46.8 mi 17.9 mi. (1:11:51) 14.95 mph
FINAL BIKE SPLIT 7.2 mi. (21:22) 20.22 mph
TOTAL BIKE 56 mi. (3:23:44) 16.49 mph 546 26
RUN SPLIT 1 - 4.63 mi 4.63 mi. (38:38) 8:20/mile
RUN SPLIT 2 - 9.26 mi 4.63 mi. (41:55) 9:03/mile
FINAL RUN SPLIT 3.84 mi. (39:00) 10:09/mile
TOTAL RUN 13.1 mi. (1:59:33) 9:07/mile 345 15
TRANSITION TIME
T1: SWIM-TO-BIKE 4:29
T2: BIKE-TO-RUN 2:06
-----
" 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, September 17, 2010
Road Trip Destination Branson
Good morning.
Well I ended my taper for the Branson 1/2 Ironman with a speed run of 6 miles.
I will travel today and give the body a day off. I may swim a little tomorrow in Table Rock Lake where the triathlon swim will be held.
This 1/2 IM swim of 1.2 miles may be without a wetsuit because the water temp may be 76 degrees or higher. Any temps 76 degrees and higher are not wetsuit legal if you want to participate in rewards, etc.
I have not competed without the wetsuit. My goal will be to focus on technique and stay calm while many around me panic.
I am looking forward to the drive and checking out a new part of our Country. I will be staying at the host hotel right at the swim start.
Tonight there is a welcome concert and the band is the front band for Journey. Speaking of Journey, what a journey this has been. The best part is that it just started.
If you feel like checking out the 1/2 IM web-site:
www.ironmanbranson.com
The run yesterday went very well. Even though I pushed the pace and the heart rate was elevated my body took the effort easily. This cooler air really allows me to run harder and longer without tiring.
I will have to put this to use for the Chicago Marathon where it may be cooler. This weekend in Branson the highs will be near 90 degrees.
Split Time Moving Time Distance Elevation Gain Elevation Loss Avg Pace Avg Moving Pace Best Pace Avg HR Max HR Steps Calories
1 0:08:39 0:08:26 1 0 6 8:39 8:26 7:13 121 135 0 59
2 0:07:50 0:07:39 1 12 0 7:50 7:39 6:21 134 143 0 61
3 0:07:04 0:06:57 1 0 0 7:04 6:57 5:20 145 154 0 61
4 0:07:27 0:07:20 1 2 4 7:27 7:20 5:09 146 156 0 60
5 0:06:55 0:06:48 1 0 4 6:55 6:48 3:36 148 157 0 58
6 0:07:04 0:06:54 1 0 7 7:04 6:54 6:16 153 164 0 64
7 0:00:37 0:00:33 0.09 8 0 6:42 5:54 6:21 158 158 0 5
Summary 0:45:37 0:44:37 6.09 22 21 7:29 7:19 3:36 140 164 0 368
-----
" 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
Well I ended my taper for the Branson 1/2 Ironman with a speed run of 6 miles.
I will travel today and give the body a day off. I may swim a little tomorrow in Table Rock Lake where the triathlon swim will be held.
This 1/2 IM swim of 1.2 miles may be without a wetsuit because the water temp may be 76 degrees or higher. Any temps 76 degrees and higher are not wetsuit legal if you want to participate in rewards, etc.
I have not competed without the wetsuit. My goal will be to focus on technique and stay calm while many around me panic.
I am looking forward to the drive and checking out a new part of our Country. I will be staying at the host hotel right at the swim start.
Tonight there is a welcome concert and the band is the front band for Journey. Speaking of Journey, what a journey this has been. The best part is that it just started.
If you feel like checking out the 1/2 IM web-site:
www.ironmanbranson.com
The run yesterday went very well. Even though I pushed the pace and the heart rate was elevated my body took the effort easily. This cooler air really allows me to run harder and longer without tiring.
I will have to put this to use for the Chicago Marathon where it may be cooler. This weekend in Branson the highs will be near 90 degrees.
Split Time Moving Time Distance Elevation Gain Elevation Loss Avg Pace Avg Moving Pace Best Pace Avg HR Max HR Steps Calories
1 0:08:39 0:08:26 1 0 6 8:39 8:26 7:13 121 135 0 59
2 0:07:50 0:07:39 1 12 0 7:50 7:39 6:21 134 143 0 61
3 0:07:04 0:06:57 1 0 0 7:04 6:57 5:20 145 154 0 61
4 0:07:27 0:07:20 1 2 4 7:27 7:20 5:09 146 156 0 60
5 0:06:55 0:06:48 1 0 4 6:55 6:48 3:36 148 157 0 58
6 0:07:04 0:06:54 1 0 7 7:04 6:54 6:16 153 164 0 64
7 0:00:37 0:00:33 0.09 8 0 6:42 5:54 6:21 158 158 0 5
Summary 0:45:37 0:44:37 6.09 22 21 7:29 7:19 3:36 140 164 0 368
-----
" 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, September 16, 2010
My Dream Life...Reality
Good morning.
It's been a long meandering journey. I think I am a late bloomer. Most of my major life and athletic achievements have come in the last 5-7 years.
Before then I was still enjoying life and had dreams and goals. The problem was that they stayed dreams and goals, year after year after year.
My life changed when, after being an observer of the Chicago Marathon for many years, I finally decided to ACT on a life dream. I finally signed up. The simple act of signing up is such a catalyst. It gets the ball rolling. It creates commitment, hopefully.
After that first Chicago Marathon training cycle my perception of running distance changed forever. Whereas I used to do daily 3 mile runs, now going 6 or more is just a matter of choice. I love that! What a gift.
Then late in 2009 I finally acted again to realize a dream. I signed up for a lottery spot for the Ironman World Championships in Kona Hawaii. That again got the ball rolling and created commitment.
That simple act got me thinking, "what if I get in, I need to prepare." Hence, the bike and trainer purchase and also the membership at XSport to swim.
Last December I started my triathlon journey: swimming, biking and running in case I got that lottery spot. Then, as I trained hard, I thought, "what if you don't get that lottery spot? Why waste all this training?"
Right there and then I decided to enter some triathlons and put this training to work. The events, Bigfoot, Steelhead 1/2 Ironman and Chicago Triathlon are in the books. I have the Ironman Branson 70.3 this weekend.
YOU KNOW WHAT? I LOVE THIS STUFF.
I can also still run. The Chicago Marathon is only 24 days away. More fun!!
Yesterday I was able to start a new journey, by choice! I acted!
I was fortunate to get a spot via online sign up for the 2011 Ironman Wisconsin. This will be a full Ironman: 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike and a marathon, 26.2 miles.
This is another dream I always had. Do an Ironman. I've watched so many times on TV the World Championships in Kona. Always mesmerized by the swim start and the athletes.
Every time that cannon explodes and that smoke ring heads out and the swim starts I "always" got chills down my spine and tears in my eyes. I felt it.
Next 9/11/11 I will feel it.
WHY DID I WAIT SO LONG TO PURSUE MY DREAMS?
I don't know really. Things happen when they are supposed to I guess.
I do know one thing, better late than never.
Remember, it all starts with a DREAM or GOAL. The next step is to ACT.
DREAM+ACT+-COMMITMENT=ATTAINMENT, ACHIEVEMENT, HAPPINESS
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yesterday I discovered a faster way to swim by watching another swimmer. I usually breathe on my left side only. I get more oxygen this way. But, as I swam with more level shoulders and fewer breaths my body seemed to move through the water faster. I think I need to work on this and I will do a little of that today.
I also did my last major bike workout on the trainer. The 20 miles will get me to Branson.
-----
" 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
It's been a long meandering journey. I think I am a late bloomer. Most of my major life and athletic achievements have come in the last 5-7 years.
Before then I was still enjoying life and had dreams and goals. The problem was that they stayed dreams and goals, year after year after year.
My life changed when, after being an observer of the Chicago Marathon for many years, I finally decided to ACT on a life dream. I finally signed up. The simple act of signing up is such a catalyst. It gets the ball rolling. It creates commitment, hopefully.
After that first Chicago Marathon training cycle my perception of running distance changed forever. Whereas I used to do daily 3 mile runs, now going 6 or more is just a matter of choice. I love that! What a gift.
Then late in 2009 I finally acted again to realize a dream. I signed up for a lottery spot for the Ironman World Championships in Kona Hawaii. That again got the ball rolling and created commitment.
That simple act got me thinking, "what if I get in, I need to prepare." Hence, the bike and trainer purchase and also the membership at XSport to swim.
Last December I started my triathlon journey: swimming, biking and running in case I got that lottery spot. Then, as I trained hard, I thought, "what if you don't get that lottery spot? Why waste all this training?"
Right there and then I decided to enter some triathlons and put this training to work. The events, Bigfoot, Steelhead 1/2 Ironman and Chicago Triathlon are in the books. I have the Ironman Branson 70.3 this weekend.
YOU KNOW WHAT? I LOVE THIS STUFF.
I can also still run. The Chicago Marathon is only 24 days away. More fun!!
Yesterday I was able to start a new journey, by choice! I acted!
I was fortunate to get a spot via online sign up for the 2011 Ironman Wisconsin. This will be a full Ironman: 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike and a marathon, 26.2 miles.
This is another dream I always had. Do an Ironman. I've watched so many times on TV the World Championships in Kona. Always mesmerized by the swim start and the athletes.
Every time that cannon explodes and that smoke ring heads out and the swim starts I "always" got chills down my spine and tears in my eyes. I felt it.
Next 9/11/11 I will feel it.
WHY DID I WAIT SO LONG TO PURSUE MY DREAMS?
I don't know really. Things happen when they are supposed to I guess.
I do know one thing, better late than never.
Remember, it all starts with a DREAM or GOAL. The next step is to ACT.
DREAM+ACT+-COMMITMENT=ATTAINMENT, ACHIEVEMENT, HAPPINESS
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yesterday I discovered a faster way to swim by watching another swimmer. I usually breathe on my left side only. I get more oxygen this way. But, as I swam with more level shoulders and fewer breaths my body seemed to move through the water faster. I think I need to work on this and I will do a little of that today.
I also did my last major bike workout on the trainer. The 20 miles will get me to Branson.
-----
" 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, September 14, 2010
Feeling Free
Good morning.
We saw a terrific play last weekend, namely, Billy Elliot.
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it. It's a story of a boy that is different from most boys. He is a young lad growing up in a tough mining town.
Can you imagine how you would feel if you were growing up in this small tough mining town as a boy and realized, as you were, "finding yourself," that you enjoyed dancing and ballet? What a dramatic dispairity.
Well, I will not tell you so much because I would rather you see it with fresh eyes.
But, it's a story of a boy that realizes his talents and pursues his dreams as a ballet dancer through all the towns pressures.. A very touching story.
There was one part of the play that had a signifigant impact on me. It was when Billy was auditioning for something important. He did not have all the answers to the judges questions. All he wanted to do was show them how well he danced. He wanted to express himself through movement.
The panel did not ask him to dance. Dejected, he slowly walked away when one final question sounded from the judges. The lady asked, "Billy, how do you feel when you dance?"
For some reason this choked me up. I thought that was an awesome question. This was the question Billy was waiting for. He would show them how he felt through movement and dance.
I also put myself in Billy's shoes and thought about, "how do I feel when I run?" How do I feel when I swim, bike and run?" How do I feel when I train and compete?"
It was an emotional introspection. I did not have a great answer as I pondered the question. But, as Billy fluidly danced around the stage and let his talents shine he answered that question for me.
FREE. I FEEL FREE HE SHOUTED!
I thought about that. Yes, that's how I feel too.
As I swim, bike or run, as I train and compete, I too feel free.
Thanks Billy.
I also will continue to persue my dreams. One of those is to do a full Ironman. My goal is to sign up for Ironman Wisconsin 2011. There was a glitch in registration yesterday so Ironman will reschedule the registration. I have booked my hotel room though.
I felt free yesterday as I swam and ran. The morning swim was in the pool and consisted of a 500 yard warm up then 5X100 sprint and then 500 yard moderate pace. My times look good.
Later in the day I ran 8 miles. This will be my long run for the week leading up to the 1/2 Ironman on Sunday.
Split Time Moving Time Distance Elevation Gain Elevation Loss Avg Pace Avg Moving Pace Best Pace Avg HR Max HR Steps Calories
1 0:09:44 0:09:27 1 0 6 9:44 9:27 7:01 122 135 0 69
2 0:08:26 0:08:19 1 10 0 8:26 8:19 5:46 130 139 0 64
3 0:08:10 0:08:10 1 3 7 8:10 8:10 4:55 136 140 0 66
4 0:08:15 0:08:11 1 0 11 8:15 8:11 5:09 135 139 0 62
5 0:08:02 0:07:59 1 21 3 8:02 7:59 5:52 136 146 0 59
6 0:08:21 0:08:04 1 0 2 8:21 8:04 7:01 138 154 0 56
7 0:08:04 0:07:59 1 0 6 8:05 7:59 6:15 142 152 0 59
8 0:07:49 0:07:41 1 6 8 7:49 7:41 6:44 148 161 0 60
9 0:00:17 0:00:15 0.03 0 0 8:19 7:13 7:07 149 152 0 2
Summary 1:07:11 1:06:05 8.03 39 43 8:21 8:13 4:55 135 161 0 497
-----
" 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
We saw a terrific play last weekend, namely, Billy Elliot.
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it. It's a story of a boy that is different from most boys. He is a young lad growing up in a tough mining town.
Can you imagine how you would feel if you were growing up in this small tough mining town as a boy and realized, as you were, "finding yourself," that you enjoyed dancing and ballet? What a dramatic dispairity.
Well, I will not tell you so much because I would rather you see it with fresh eyes.
But, it's a story of a boy that realizes his talents and pursues his dreams as a ballet dancer through all the towns pressures.. A very touching story.
There was one part of the play that had a signifigant impact on me. It was when Billy was auditioning for something important. He did not have all the answers to the judges questions. All he wanted to do was show them how well he danced. He wanted to express himself through movement.
The panel did not ask him to dance. Dejected, he slowly walked away when one final question sounded from the judges. The lady asked, "Billy, how do you feel when you dance?"
For some reason this choked me up. I thought that was an awesome question. This was the question Billy was waiting for. He would show them how he felt through movement and dance.
I also put myself in Billy's shoes and thought about, "how do I feel when I run?" How do I feel when I swim, bike and run?" How do I feel when I train and compete?"
It was an emotional introspection. I did not have a great answer as I pondered the question. But, as Billy fluidly danced around the stage and let his talents shine he answered that question for me.
FREE. I FEEL FREE HE SHOUTED!
I thought about that. Yes, that's how I feel too.
As I swim, bike or run, as I train and compete, I too feel free.
Thanks Billy.
I also will continue to persue my dreams. One of those is to do a full Ironman. My goal is to sign up for Ironman Wisconsin 2011. There was a glitch in registration yesterday so Ironman will reschedule the registration. I have booked my hotel room though.
I felt free yesterday as I swam and ran. The morning swim was in the pool and consisted of a 500 yard warm up then 5X100 sprint and then 500 yard moderate pace. My times look good.
Later in the day I ran 8 miles. This will be my long run for the week leading up to the 1/2 Ironman on Sunday.
Split Time Moving Time Distance Elevation Gain Elevation Loss Avg Pace Avg Moving Pace Best Pace Avg HR Max HR Steps Calories
1 0:09:44 0:09:27 1 0 6 9:44 9:27 7:01 122 135 0 69
2 0:08:26 0:08:19 1 10 0 8:26 8:19 5:46 130 139 0 64
3 0:08:10 0:08:10 1 3 7 8:10 8:10 4:55 136 140 0 66
4 0:08:15 0:08:11 1 0 11 8:15 8:11 5:09 135 139 0 62
5 0:08:02 0:07:59 1 21 3 8:02 7:59 5:52 136 146 0 59
6 0:08:21 0:08:04 1 0 2 8:21 8:04 7:01 138 154 0 56
7 0:08:04 0:07:59 1 0 6 8:05 7:59 6:15 142 152 0 59
8 0:07:49 0:07:41 1 6 8 7:49 7:41 6:44 148 161 0 60
9 0:00:17 0:00:15 0.03 0 0 8:19 7:13 7:07 149 152 0 2
Summary 1:07:11 1:06:05 8.03 39 43 8:21 8:13 4:55 135 161 0 497
-----
" 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, September 11, 2010
Remembering
Good morning.
Here we are, 9/11.
I can think back to that life changing day so clearly. In Chicago it was a beautiful clear sunny day as I headed to the office in Oak Brook when I received a call from my brother. He told me a plane had flown into one of the twin towers in New York.
I was like, "how could that happen?" Well we all know how events unfolded. Then he said that the building fell down. I was like, "you mean the area that was hit?" "No, the whole building." "What!"
Then I was mezmerized at the scenes on the TV. At the time I worked on the 7th floor of an office building. I actually felt like getting out of the office so I left. I decided to head to Cog Hill and play golf. I needed to get some air.
Cog Hill is under the O'hare flight path. Usually you would have planes coming and going. Not on that day. The air was clear of all traffic. There was no rumble of planes passing by. It was surreal.
I will never forget that day. And today I will keep those families affected by this terrible tragedy close to my heart.
____________________________________________________________
Training is going well. I'm in a mini taper for next weeks 1/2 Ironman, Branson 70.3. I've been reading up on the bike course because that is the greatest variable.
There will be some great climbs but also some very fast downhill sections as well. People talk of hitting 40-50 mph on the descents. Wow. Maybe I should wear my motorcycle jacket.
Yesterday I went for a 1 mile open water swim in Lake Michigan. The conditions were some of the toughest yet. It was the kind of swim where you don't try to go fast but just try to keep moving forward with good form. Breaths must come quickly. As I would turn my head left for needed oxygen, many times I was aware of water about to cover me again. Just a sip of air is all I needed. Sometimes water would get in my mouth but from experience I would stop inhaling and breathe it out under water and wait for the next attempt.
It was interesting to say the least. The swim took 38:29 and I was pleasantly surprised. I was expecting a time over 40 minutes because of the conditions and the fact that I was not pushing the pace.
The I came home and did my speed session for the week. It was an 8 mile effort that went very well. The fresh cool air makes a huge difference in running performance. I did not struggle at all at the 7:40-7:50 paces. It just felt fluid and easy. I finished strong and got a little queezy near the end as my lactate threshold reached it's limit.
Split Time Moving Time Distance Elevation Gain Elevation Loss Avg Pace Avg Moving Pace Best Pace Avg HR Max HR Steps Calories
1 0:08:49 0:03:55 1 0 5 8:49 3:55 6:37 124 136 0 64
2 0:07:56 0:03:49 1 10 0 7:56 3:49 6:30 136 145 0 66
3 0:07:48 0:04:19 1 2 0 7:48 4:19 6:18 137 144 0 64
4 0:07:28 0:04:02 1 0 15 7:28 4:02 6:01 141 145 0 63
5 0:07:20 0:03:31 1 16 0 7:20 3:31 4:46 145 154 0 65
6 0:07:20 0:03:40 1 0 2 7:20 3:40 5:14 152 161 0 67
7 0:07:24 0:03:11 1 0 4 7:24 3:11 6:16 155 160 0 67
8 0:07:01 0:03:26 1 0 10 7:01 3:26 6:17 158 165 0 67
9 0:00:08 0:00:03 0.02 0 0 7:24 2:43 6:27 164 165 0 1
Summary 1:01:19 0:29:56 8.02 28 36 7:38 3:43 4:46 142 165 0 524
-----
" 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
Here we are, 9/11.
I can think back to that life changing day so clearly. In Chicago it was a beautiful clear sunny day as I headed to the office in Oak Brook when I received a call from my brother. He told me a plane had flown into one of the twin towers in New York.
I was like, "how could that happen?" Well we all know how events unfolded. Then he said that the building fell down. I was like, "you mean the area that was hit?" "No, the whole building." "What!"
Then I was mezmerized at the scenes on the TV. At the time I worked on the 7th floor of an office building. I actually felt like getting out of the office so I left. I decided to head to Cog Hill and play golf. I needed to get some air.
Cog Hill is under the O'hare flight path. Usually you would have planes coming and going. Not on that day. The air was clear of all traffic. There was no rumble of planes passing by. It was surreal.
I will never forget that day. And today I will keep those families affected by this terrible tragedy close to my heart.
____________________________________________________________
Training is going well. I'm in a mini taper for next weeks 1/2 Ironman, Branson 70.3. I've been reading up on the bike course because that is the greatest variable.
There will be some great climbs but also some very fast downhill sections as well. People talk of hitting 40-50 mph on the descents. Wow. Maybe I should wear my motorcycle jacket.
Yesterday I went for a 1 mile open water swim in Lake Michigan. The conditions were some of the toughest yet. It was the kind of swim where you don't try to go fast but just try to keep moving forward with good form. Breaths must come quickly. As I would turn my head left for needed oxygen, many times I was aware of water about to cover me again. Just a sip of air is all I needed. Sometimes water would get in my mouth but from experience I would stop inhaling and breathe it out under water and wait for the next attempt.
It was interesting to say the least. The swim took 38:29 and I was pleasantly surprised. I was expecting a time over 40 minutes because of the conditions and the fact that I was not pushing the pace.
The I came home and did my speed session for the week. It was an 8 mile effort that went very well. The fresh cool air makes a huge difference in running performance. I did not struggle at all at the 7:40-7:50 paces. It just felt fluid and easy. I finished strong and got a little queezy near the end as my lactate threshold reached it's limit.
Split Time Moving Time Distance Elevation Gain Elevation Loss Avg Pace Avg Moving Pace Best Pace Avg HR Max HR Steps Calories
1 0:08:49 0:03:55 1 0 5 8:49 3:55 6:37 124 136 0 64
2 0:07:56 0:03:49 1 10 0 7:56 3:49 6:30 136 145 0 66
3 0:07:48 0:04:19 1 2 0 7:48 4:19 6:18 137 144 0 64
4 0:07:28 0:04:02 1 0 15 7:28 4:02 6:01 141 145 0 63
5 0:07:20 0:03:31 1 16 0 7:20 3:31 4:46 145 154 0 65
6 0:07:20 0:03:40 1 0 2 7:20 3:40 5:14 152 161 0 67
7 0:07:24 0:03:11 1 0 4 7:24 3:11 6:16 155 160 0 67
8 0:07:01 0:03:26 1 0 10 7:01 3:26 6:17 158 165 0 67
9 0:00:08 0:00:03 0.02 0 0 7:24 2:43 6:27 164 165 0 1
Summary 1:01:19 0:29:56 8.02 28 36 7:38 3:43 4:46 142 165 0 524
-----
" 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, September 9, 2010
The Flury
Good morning.
Whew!
I got one major and important thing to check off my "want to do list."
I had been working diligently recently to make my wife's 40th birthday very special. It all came together yesterday and went without a hitch.
I got Beth the day off from work. That was her first surprise. Then we spent the day together in Chicago. It was a beautiful day to be outside. We ended up doing the Archetectural Tour on the Chicago River. Then a nice lunch.
Later in the day we went out for a nice dinner with her parents at MK. I had arranged to have her table decorated and for a personalized menu. Also, I delivered the cake the day before.
It all went without a hitch. Thank God.
When you love someone so much you want a special occassion to go perfectly. I would say this did. Beth loved the gift and the entire day. So, whew.
Yesterday was a swim and bike day. I decided to swim at the XSport Pool instead of open water. Sometimes one can rely too much on the bouyancy of a wetsuit. It's good to go back to your roots once in a while. Also, since it has been so warm in Branson, MO I was thinking that the 1.2 mile swim might be without wetsuit. Remember, no wetsuits with water temps 78 degrees or higher.
The continuous 2000 yard swim wet well and I felt really good and strong. The only problem was my time of 41 minutes. Not sure how it could have taken that long. I may have miscounted my laps. I say this because my usual 500 yard warm up takes about 9:45. I thought I was swimming harder than warm up. What ever! It was still a good workout.
I did find out from a "Power that Be" that the water temp in Table Rock Lake in Branson is 74 degrees. So, wetsuit legal. Better go do an open water swim.
Later in the day I got on the bike on the trainer and pedaled 20 miles in 1:10:00. I was happy with this because it is 2 mph faster than my usual pace. I am getting stronger on the bike and can maintain a rigorous pace longer and longer. So, maybe this bodes well for Branson 70.3 next week.
I do know there are signifigant hills in Branson. Hopefully my various hill training has prepared me.
Have a great day.
-----
" 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
Whew!
I got one major and important thing to check off my "want to do list."
I had been working diligently recently to make my wife's 40th birthday very special. It all came together yesterday and went without a hitch.
I got Beth the day off from work. That was her first surprise. Then we spent the day together in Chicago. It was a beautiful day to be outside. We ended up doing the Archetectural Tour on the Chicago River. Then a nice lunch.
Later in the day we went out for a nice dinner with her parents at MK. I had arranged to have her table decorated and for a personalized menu. Also, I delivered the cake the day before.
It all went without a hitch. Thank God.
When you love someone so much you want a special occassion to go perfectly. I would say this did. Beth loved the gift and the entire day. So, whew.
Yesterday was a swim and bike day. I decided to swim at the XSport Pool instead of open water. Sometimes one can rely too much on the bouyancy of a wetsuit. It's good to go back to your roots once in a while. Also, since it has been so warm in Branson, MO I was thinking that the 1.2 mile swim might be without wetsuit. Remember, no wetsuits with water temps 78 degrees or higher.
The continuous 2000 yard swim wet well and I felt really good and strong. The only problem was my time of 41 minutes. Not sure how it could have taken that long. I may have miscounted my laps. I say this because my usual 500 yard warm up takes about 9:45. I thought I was swimming harder than warm up. What ever! It was still a good workout.
I did find out from a "Power that Be" that the water temp in Table Rock Lake in Branson is 74 degrees. So, wetsuit legal. Better go do an open water swim.
Later in the day I got on the bike on the trainer and pedaled 20 miles in 1:10:00. I was happy with this because it is 2 mph faster than my usual pace. I am getting stronger on the bike and can maintain a rigorous pace longer and longer. So, maybe this bodes well for Branson 70.3 next week.
I do know there are signifigant hills in Branson. Hopefully my various hill training has prepared me.
Have a great day.
-----
" 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, September 6, 2010
Change Is In The Air
Happy Labor Day.
Sometimes as I run I see many people going about their lives and doing what ever it is they do. One thought comes to me once in a while:
Have you ever wondered about all the great people that you will never meet?
You know that there must be so many others in which you would really enjoy their company and have so much in common with. It's sort of a shame but also reality.
Enough for "thoughts."
Man, the season is winding down. I noticed the other day when I did an open water swim at Ohio St Beach that there were far fewer swimmers. Must be because the Chicago Triathlon is over. The only ones left are triathletes who still have an event.
One major one is next weekend: Ironman Wisconsin, Madison.
I have finally decided that I want to do my first full Ironman next year. We had a Chicag Tri Club meeting last Wednesday and the topic was choosing an Ironman event. One of the speakers was a guy who did 20 full Ironman events in 2009. He described the various characteristics of the events he completed.
One thought comes to mind: All Ironman events are hard. He mentioned one particularly difficult Ironman: Ironman Lanzarote. Supposed to be rediculously difficult. He said, "do it just once." Perhaps some day.
So, next Monday around noon I will be anxiously waiting at my computer fully signed up and ready to push the button.
The event I have chosen to participate in is: Ironman Wisconsin.
The speaker at our Tri Club meeting said this is one of the harder IM events. The bike course is particularly difficult. Hopefully I will get in.
Training for Branson 70.3 continues to go well. There is less that two weeks til the event so it's time to think about a mini taper. I'll have to look up how I handled taper for my first 1/2 IM.
Most of you know that along with triathlon training I am also getting ready for the Chicago Marathon. In that vein I went for an 8 miler on Saturday and decided that it would me a fast continuous run (FCR) or marathon pace run.
The weather was cool and crisp. What a difference this made. I was cruising along at a decent clip and felt great the whole way. It felt like, "I could breathe again." Taking in deep full cool breaths of fresh air really helps. I never got tired and my heart rate stayed exceptionally low for the effort with an average 136 beats per minute. Cool, in more ways than one.
Split Time Moving Time Distance Elevation Gain Elevation Loss Avg Pace Avg Moving Pace Best Pace Avg HR Max HR Steps Calories
1 0:08:41 0:08:22 1 0 6 8:41 8:22 5:31 136 174 0 42
2 0:07:58 0:07:54 1 11 0 7:58 7:54 5:10 127 132 0 59
3 0:07:23 0:07:17 1 3 0 7:23 7:17 5:26 133 141 0 55
4 0:07:18 0:07:15 1 0 14 7:18 7:15 5:39 135 142 0 58
5 0:07:46 0:07:46 1 14 0 7:46 7:46 5:23 137 141 0 61
6 0:07:32 0:07:33 1 0 2 7:32 7:33 6:09 139 144 0 60
7 0:07:25 0:07:20 1 0 4 7:25 7:20 5:49 140 145 0 59
8 0:07:14 0:07:14 1 0 10 7:14 7:14 6:17 146 149 0 62
9 0:01:08 0:01:07 0.17 8 0 6:47 6:39 6:27 150 151 0 11
Summary 1:02:29 1:01:48 8.17 35 35 7:39 7:33 5:10 136 174 0 467
Yesterday I went all by my lonesome to Buffalo Grove to train on the hills on my bike. Hopefully this has prepared me for the Branson 70.3 bike leg which is in the Ozarks. I watched a video of the Ozark bike course and there were some serious long hill climbs. There also are some faster than crap downhill parts.
Hopefully with my Michigan and Buffalo Grove training I'll be able to do well.
The ride yesterday was 47 miles and it went well. The ride took 2:38:00. The major achievement was not getting lost. So, now perhaps I can lead a Chicago Tri Club group in that area.
At one point a deer, "buck" jumped out in front of me. Luckily I was not going fast. His antlers were only about 10 inches high. The funny part was he could not find his way off the road. He was running along side me. You could hear his hooves clapping the pavement. His traction was poor and he was sliding around. Finally he found an exit and I had a smile on my face.
-----
" 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
Sometimes as I run I see many people going about their lives and doing what ever it is they do. One thought comes to me once in a while:
Have you ever wondered about all the great people that you will never meet?
You know that there must be so many others in which you would really enjoy their company and have so much in common with. It's sort of a shame but also reality.
Enough for "thoughts."
Man, the season is winding down. I noticed the other day when I did an open water swim at Ohio St Beach that there were far fewer swimmers. Must be because the Chicago Triathlon is over. The only ones left are triathletes who still have an event.
One major one is next weekend: Ironman Wisconsin, Madison.
I have finally decided that I want to do my first full Ironman next year. We had a Chicag Tri Club meeting last Wednesday and the topic was choosing an Ironman event. One of the speakers was a guy who did 20 full Ironman events in 2009. He described the various characteristics of the events he completed.
One thought comes to mind: All Ironman events are hard. He mentioned one particularly difficult Ironman: Ironman Lanzarote. Supposed to be rediculously difficult. He said, "do it just once." Perhaps some day.
So, next Monday around noon I will be anxiously waiting at my computer fully signed up and ready to push the button.
The event I have chosen to participate in is: Ironman Wisconsin.
The speaker at our Tri Club meeting said this is one of the harder IM events. The bike course is particularly difficult. Hopefully I will get in.
Training for Branson 70.3 continues to go well. There is less that two weeks til the event so it's time to think about a mini taper. I'll have to look up how I handled taper for my first 1/2 IM.
Most of you know that along with triathlon training I am also getting ready for the Chicago Marathon. In that vein I went for an 8 miler on Saturday and decided that it would me a fast continuous run (FCR) or marathon pace run.
The weather was cool and crisp. What a difference this made. I was cruising along at a decent clip and felt great the whole way. It felt like, "I could breathe again." Taking in deep full cool breaths of fresh air really helps. I never got tired and my heart rate stayed exceptionally low for the effort with an average 136 beats per minute. Cool, in more ways than one.
Split Time Moving Time Distance Elevation Gain Elevation Loss Avg Pace Avg Moving Pace Best Pace Avg HR Max HR Steps Calories
1 0:08:41 0:08:22 1 0 6 8:41 8:22 5:31 136 174 0 42
2 0:07:58 0:07:54 1 11 0 7:58 7:54 5:10 127 132 0 59
3 0:07:23 0:07:17 1 3 0 7:23 7:17 5:26 133 141 0 55
4 0:07:18 0:07:15 1 0 14 7:18 7:15 5:39 135 142 0 58
5 0:07:46 0:07:46 1 14 0 7:46 7:46 5:23 137 141 0 61
6 0:07:32 0:07:33 1 0 2 7:32 7:33 6:09 139 144 0 60
7 0:07:25 0:07:20 1 0 4 7:25 7:20 5:49 140 145 0 59
8 0:07:14 0:07:14 1 0 10 7:14 7:14 6:17 146 149 0 62
9 0:01:08 0:01:07 0.17 8 0 6:47 6:39 6:27 150 151 0 11
Summary 1:02:29 1:01:48 8.17 35 35 7:39 7:33 5:10 136 174 0 467
Yesterday I went all by my lonesome to Buffalo Grove to train on the hills on my bike. Hopefully this has prepared me for the Branson 70.3 bike leg which is in the Ozarks. I watched a video of the Ozark bike course and there were some serious long hill climbs. There also are some faster than crap downhill parts.
Hopefully with my Michigan and Buffalo Grove training I'll be able to do well.
The ride yesterday was 47 miles and it went well. The ride took 2:38:00. The major achievement was not getting lost. So, now perhaps I can lead a Chicago Tri Club group in that area.
At one point a deer, "buck" jumped out in front of me. Luckily I was not going fast. His antlers were only about 10 inches high. The funny part was he could not find his way off the road. He was running along side me. You could hear his hooves clapping the pavement. His traction was poor and he was sliding around. Finally he found an exit and I had a smile on my face.
-----
" 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, September 3, 2010
Measurements Matter
Good morning.
I'm looking forward to the long holiday weekend. Aren't you?
Training continues to go well as I juggle various event preparations.
My next event in Ironman 70.3 Branson. The swim is held in Table Rock Lake and the water temp is 78-83 degrees. In Ironman, a water temp of 78 or higher means NO WETSUIT.
This does make a difference. In a wetsuit you are very bouyant. All you need to do is lay down in the water face first and start moving your arms. No worries about sinking.
Without a wetsuit one needs to focus much more and work much harder. Especially in open water with many other athletes around you.
In order to prepare for this I did an open water swim in Lake Michigan on Wednesday. I decided to swim my regular route. But first I would measure the route as best I could. I think my Garmin has been tricking me in thing I was swimming longer and faster than I had.
I wanted to swim 1 mile. I walked with my Garmin along the swim route. Guess what. The Garmin had measured my swim as 1.41 miles or approx 2642 yards and I would swim this distance in 34 minutes.
The distance is acually 1760 yards or one mile. What a big difference. This is why I had high expectations heading to the Chicago Tri. Well, I'm not as fast as I thought I was. That's ok at least I know where I stand now.
So, I swam the 1 mile sans wetsuit and it was challenging. Especially in Lake MI. The swim took 39:30 which is 5-6 minutes slower than when wearing a wetsuit. Something new to work on.
Another ball I'm juggling is the LSD runs in prep for the Chicago Marathon. I want to fit these in but also stay fresh for Branson 70.3.
In that vein I did a long run yesterday. I decided to run 17 miles in the pouring rain. Running in the rain can be very enjoyable. The only negative is heavy shoes.
The run went well. The first 10 miles were on the slower side and then I wanted to test the legs by speeding up miles 11-16. Mile 16 I got it under 8 pace which was nice. Mile 17 was a cool down.
The legs felt very good and responsive. I could have easily gone 20 but thought to save it. 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 0:09:24 0:04:03 1 0 5 9:24 4:03 7:03 113 126 0 59
2 0:08:43 0:04:57 1 10 0 8:43 4:57 7:07 131 160 0 58
3 0:08:39 0:03:46 1 3 7 8:39 3:46 7:11 126 130 0 60
4 0:09:06 0:03:47 1 0 3 9:06 3:47 5:28 120 128 0 51
5 0:09:18 0:04:32 1 0 11 9:18 4:32 6:52 118 127 0 46
6 0:09:08 0:04:56 1 9 9 9:08 4:56 7:59 118 125 0 48
7 0:09:24 0:05:04 1 0 0 9:24 5:04 8:47 116 123 0 44
8 0:09:21 0:04:41 1 8 8 9:22 4:41 8:51 118 128 0 45
9 0:09:28 0:03:33 1 88 73 9:28 3:33 4:57 115 124 0 44
10 0:09:02 0:04:02 1 0 0 9:02 4:02 6:36 120 127 0 45
11 0:08:31 0:04:05 1 7 7 8:31 4:05 7:04 126 134 0 50
12 0:08:46 0:03:47 1 4 0 8:46 3:47 6:58 127 132 0 52
13 0:08:50 0:03:59 1 0 0 8:50 3:59 6:44 130 135 0 56
14 0:08:34 0:03:27 1 0 4 8:34 3:27 6:21 135 138 0 60
15 0:08:14 0:03:58 1 0 10 8:14 3:58 7:18 141 147 0 64
16 0:07:52 0:04:43 1 8 0 7:52 4:43 6:57 148 153 0 69
17 0:08:44 0:04:32 1 0 5 8:44 4:32 7:35 144 153 0 70
18 0:00:02 0:00:03 0 0 0 11:21 12:59 8:54 144 144 0 0
Summary 2:31:14 1:11:55 17 137 142 8:53 4:13 4:57 125 160 0 921
-----
" 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'm looking forward to the long holiday weekend. Aren't you?
Training continues to go well as I juggle various event preparations.
My next event in Ironman 70.3 Branson. The swim is held in Table Rock Lake and the water temp is 78-83 degrees. In Ironman, a water temp of 78 or higher means NO WETSUIT.
This does make a difference. In a wetsuit you are very bouyant. All you need to do is lay down in the water face first and start moving your arms. No worries about sinking.
Without a wetsuit one needs to focus much more and work much harder. Especially in open water with many other athletes around you.
In order to prepare for this I did an open water swim in Lake Michigan on Wednesday. I decided to swim my regular route. But first I would measure the route as best I could. I think my Garmin has been tricking me in thing I was swimming longer and faster than I had.
I wanted to swim 1 mile. I walked with my Garmin along the swim route. Guess what. The Garmin had measured my swim as 1.41 miles or approx 2642 yards and I would swim this distance in 34 minutes.
The distance is acually 1760 yards or one mile. What a big difference. This is why I had high expectations heading to the Chicago Tri. Well, I'm not as fast as I thought I was. That's ok at least I know where I stand now.
So, I swam the 1 mile sans wetsuit and it was challenging. Especially in Lake MI. The swim took 39:30 which is 5-6 minutes slower than when wearing a wetsuit. Something new to work on.
Another ball I'm juggling is the LSD runs in prep for the Chicago Marathon. I want to fit these in but also stay fresh for Branson 70.3.
In that vein I did a long run yesterday. I decided to run 17 miles in the pouring rain. Running in the rain can be very enjoyable. The only negative is heavy shoes.
The run went well. The first 10 miles were on the slower side and then I wanted to test the legs by speeding up miles 11-16. Mile 16 I got it under 8 pace which was nice. Mile 17 was a cool down.
The legs felt very good and responsive. I could have easily gone 20 but thought to save it. 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 0:09:24 0:04:03 1 0 5 9:24 4:03 7:03 113 126 0 59
2 0:08:43 0:04:57 1 10 0 8:43 4:57 7:07 131 160 0 58
3 0:08:39 0:03:46 1 3 7 8:39 3:46 7:11 126 130 0 60
4 0:09:06 0:03:47 1 0 3 9:06 3:47 5:28 120 128 0 51
5 0:09:18 0:04:32 1 0 11 9:18 4:32 6:52 118 127 0 46
6 0:09:08 0:04:56 1 9 9 9:08 4:56 7:59 118 125 0 48
7 0:09:24 0:05:04 1 0 0 9:24 5:04 8:47 116 123 0 44
8 0:09:21 0:04:41 1 8 8 9:22 4:41 8:51 118 128 0 45
9 0:09:28 0:03:33 1 88 73 9:28 3:33 4:57 115 124 0 44
10 0:09:02 0:04:02 1 0 0 9:02 4:02 6:36 120 127 0 45
11 0:08:31 0:04:05 1 7 7 8:31 4:05 7:04 126 134 0 50
12 0:08:46 0:03:47 1 4 0 8:46 3:47 6:58 127 132 0 52
13 0:08:50 0:03:59 1 0 0 8:50 3:59 6:44 130 135 0 56
14 0:08:34 0:03:27 1 0 4 8:34 3:27 6:21 135 138 0 60
15 0:08:14 0:03:58 1 0 10 8:14 3:58 7:18 141 147 0 64
16 0:07:52 0:04:43 1 8 0 7:52 4:43 6:57 148 153 0 69
17 0:08:44 0:04:32 1 0 5 8:44 4:32 7:35 144 153 0 70
18 0:00:02 0:00:03 0 0 0 11:21 12:59 8:54 144 144 0 0
Summary 2:31:14 1:11:55 17 137 142 8:53 4:13 4:57 125 160 0 921
-----
" 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, September 1, 2010
The Sensation Of Heat
Good morning.
After the day off Monday I was ready to roll. My legs felt terrific and I decided, after I began to run, to make this a faster effort. It was extreamly hot out so I first thought this would be a tempo run.
I also thought that this summer, with all it's heat, has been a tough summer for fast continuos runs. But, as this run progressed I was able to hold some really good mile splits despite the heat.
I actually felt strong and my heart rate seemed under control. So, I just kept going.
No aches or pains when I run. That is nice.
The active event year is slowly winding down. All I have left is the 1/2 Ironman Branson on Sept. 19, Chicago Marathon Oct 10 and the Hot Chocolate 15K in November.
I would love to make a special trip to Florida in Novemer and will know more about that after the Branson 70.3.
My 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 0:08:49 0:08:38 1 0 5 8:49 8:38 7:05 124 137 0 64
2 0:07:38 0:07:36 1 11 0 7:38 7:36 4:46 139 149 0 65
3 0:07:26 0:07:19 1 2 0 7:26 7:19 6:20 149 153 0 68
4 0:07:15 0:07:13 1 0 3 7:15 7:13 2:04 154 159 0 67
5 0:07:32 0:07:33 1 0 4 7:32 7:33 5:54 157 162 0 72
6 0:07:21 0:07:16 1 0 8 7:21 7:16 5:32 161 166 0 71
7 0:00:28 0:00:28 0.07 8 0 7:06 7:00 6:32 165 166 0 5
Summary 0:46:32 0:46:03 6.07 21 21 7:40 7:35 2:04 146 166 0 412
-----
" 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
After the day off Monday I was ready to roll. My legs felt terrific and I decided, after I began to run, to make this a faster effort. It was extreamly hot out so I first thought this would be a tempo run.
I also thought that this summer, with all it's heat, has been a tough summer for fast continuos runs. But, as this run progressed I was able to hold some really good mile splits despite the heat.
I actually felt strong and my heart rate seemed under control. So, I just kept going.
No aches or pains when I run. That is nice.
The active event year is slowly winding down. All I have left is the 1/2 Ironman Branson on Sept. 19, Chicago Marathon Oct 10 and the Hot Chocolate 15K in November.
I would love to make a special trip to Florida in Novemer and will know more about that after the Branson 70.3.
My 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 0:08:49 0:08:38 1 0 5 8:49 8:38 7:05 124 137 0 64
2 0:07:38 0:07:36 1 11 0 7:38 7:36 4:46 139 149 0 65
3 0:07:26 0:07:19 1 2 0 7:26 7:19 6:20 149 153 0 68
4 0:07:15 0:07:13 1 0 3 7:15 7:13 2:04 154 159 0 67
5 0:07:32 0:07:33 1 0 4 7:32 7:33 5:54 157 162 0 72
6 0:07:21 0:07:16 1 0 8 7:21 7:16 5:32 161 166 0 71
7 0:00:28 0:00:28 0.07 8 0 7:06 7:00 6:32 165 166 0 5
Summary 0:46:32 0:46:03 6.07 21 21 7:40 7:35 2:04 146 166 0 412
-----
" 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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