That's My Girl!!

So after deciding to compete at the Grand Rapids Marathon this year, one of my training partners (we shall call her 'Trixie') encouraged me to go for a long run.  16 miles was my farthest single run to date.  I did it, we ran a planned pace of 8:22, but after 3 planned breaks our overall pace was 8:30.   Good stuff, not too much pain.  I should have been doing these regularly.  It was fun, a bit painful, but a great marker of where I could be at for pacing during the marathon.

So Friday we ran the 16 miles at Kensington Metro Park.  Then Saturday I entered a 10 mile run - the Mint City 10 Miler.  I was told... again by Trixie, that this would be great for my marathon training.  I failed to see the real significance at first.  The 'plan' was to run at a 8:15-8:30 pace and see how it feels to run on 'dead' legs (named due to the previous days' run).

Before the race, I did some lite stretching.  I was very happy to see my chiropractor at the race site - he was offering free ART treatment to the runners.  Since he already knew where I needed the most help, he hooked my up!  I felt great... as soon as I was off the table.  I toe'd the line and the gun went off - I started out as planned, but simply felt great running.  I jumped up my pace and held 7:30's for most of the run.  The last 2 miles were mostly a slow grade uphill.  This caused me to slow down... funny thing: I slowed to my pre-race planned pace.  Near the finish the grade leveled off and I finished very strong with my last .25 mile at about a 6:11 pace.  Post race, everything felt good.

Then I took an afternoon nap on the sofa couch.  I may have felt a bit of discomfort in my legs at that point.  All is good, did some easy stretching and walked around outside with my family, and I'm good again. 

All in all the race was very well organized and there were plenty of volunteers across the course.  I was very pleased with event as a whole.  They offered a 5k run, a 1 mile kids runs and a 200 yd dash for the littlest runners.  Becky didn't have to do very encouraging to get Anna signed up for the run.  But at the last minute the RD changed the little kids run from 200 yards to a 300 meter dash.  Becky describes that Anna was a little gun shy at first, but once she rounded the last turn on the track, she was off like a bullet!  That's my girl!!  It won't be long and my little Sophia will be out running me as well.

Congratulations to Anna for a race well run!

Ironman Racine 70.3

Ironman Racine 70.3
2010-07-18
Racine,Wisconsin Temps - 95F / 35C and Overcast
Total Time = 5h 35m16s
Overall Rank =502/~2000
Age Group Rank =68/384 (?)

Event warmup:
Early morning stretching and breathing exercises. A very brief swim just to get the cold water in my wetsuit.

Swim: 00:45:26 | 2112 yards | 02m 09s / 100yards
I liked that this was a straight swim vs a triangle course or other odd shapes. I started out great, my wave didn't seem too aggressive. I stayed outside so that I wouldn't get all screwed up fighting for a position at the first red buoy. I did veer out a bit too far after the first buoy but got back on track quickly. Tried to draft off a few different people, but I'm just not that good of a swimmer yet, better, but not good.

I counted the buoys before the swim start. So I knew that at about 5 yellow buoys I would be half way done and then the buoys turned to orange, so it was a countdown from there!  By far, my best swim - since I've only done that distance OWS in calm/clear ponds. But I feel like I could be much better with more specific practice!!

What would you do differently?:
I was happy with how I felt coming out of the water, but I wish my time was at least 5 minutes less. I was hoping to be a lot more close to a 35 minute swim. The wind/waves picked up toward the end of my swim and the swells were noticeably larger at the last red buoy.

T1: 03:37
I got my cap/goggles off and pulled them into my suit sleeve planned. The run to T1 was a long haul up the beach to the sidewalk. I stopped to wash off my feet in the pools, got in to T1 and got my suit off. I took my time purposely. Everything else went smooth. Out of T1 and eased on to my bike so that I didn't get stuck while going up the hill.

My bike seat wouldn't fit under the bike rack bar, so I had to place my bike with the handle bars on the rack (reverse).  I've never had to do that before.

What would you do differently?:
I probably should have gone a bit more quickly and saved a minute, but I'm satisfied.

Bike: 02:40:54 | 56 miles | 20.88 mile/hr
Avg HR 153. Tried to stay about 155-160.
I pushed hard. I felt it. I wanted to be a touch faster, but this pace seemed right at the time. I had a high speed of 32.  There were more hills than I expected, so they slowed me down; while they weren't hard hills, they were very frequent compared to the 3 or 4 hills that I typically train on.  Took Fluid and water and nutrition at every aid station. Ate 2 bananas. That was the first time I'd every hit an aid station rolling through on my bike - AWESOME!

What would you do differently?:
Include more hill repeats in training.

T2: 01:54
Given the overall size of the transition area and where I was racked, I think my T2 time was good.

What would you do differently?:
Did pretty well. Didn't miss my rack or bike, in and out quick.
 
Run: 02:03:07 | 13.1 miles | 09m 24s min/mile
Avg HR 156. Fastest pace 6:51 with my first mile at 7:48.
Just after I got out on the run course - before the first hill - the downpour of rain started! I'm thinking "Perfect, I'll stay cool and I enjoy the rain" But the rain was very short lived and as soon as it quit, the sun came out and made things terribly HOT and humid. Heat index over 100F.  My first 3 miles were right on track for pacing. but then I dropped to almost a 9min/mi pace.

I slowed and walked through the nutrition stations. My second loop I slowed to 9:30's. I walked through every aid station. At the turn around I noticed that I was no longer sweating - my arms and forehead were dry and the only reason my chest was wet was because I had been pouring water on myself. I knew that could mean disaster. I was so hot that I started dumped ice down my tri suit. I ran through every sprinkler
and dumped water on myself at every opportunity (Thank you residents of Racine!!) At mile 10 my quads were so cramped up I couldn't help but slow down significantly. At mile 11 I had to take a few 30 second walk breaks. Just past mile 12 I could hear the loud speaker at the finish, I could hear the people yelling and cheering. I told myself that I wouldn't stop running for anything short of passing out. I finished some where near a 9:40 pace.

What would you do differently?:
I'm thinking that I should have had more solid nutrition on the bike. I think that I could have taken it in and maybe the extra little bit of sodium would have helped my water retention during the run.

What limited your ability to perform faster:
Heat!

Event comments:
Carnage everywhere on the run course! People were passing out and puking due to the heat. I saw 3 ambulances transporting people out.

I had a great first half! I truly feel like I left everything on the course, I finished empty - nothing left. I gave this race everything I had at every opportunity. I've never been so painfully sore during or after a race as I was/am post this race. I love it! I'll take this experience with me for life and I cannot wait to race another half!

I'm now into my 3rd year of triathlon. A full Ironman was part of my 5 year goal; I'm halfway there.

On a final note: 

A huge THANK YOU to my wife and family for their support over the last 26 weeks that I trained for this event.  Becky was absolutely the best - she made a sign for me at the race and endured some crazy weather while waiting for me to finish - I love you!  A few others have helped in some significant ways to make sure that my race experience was everything I wanted and needed - You know who you are, Thank you!!

To those who I've had the honor to train with: Thank you!  Craig , Lisa and Tom - you've both helped push me beyond where I imagined that I could go.  I look forward to these next few weeks to see where we go next!  Craig - Coming with me to Rev3 Cedar Point?  Lisa - going to the World Duathlon Championships!  Tom - time to try this triathlon thing out now that you've got a bike!

To my Wrenches:  Al and Ray - thank you for picking up the dirty pieces and cleaning them.  Lola loves you and I wouldn't have had the experience that I did this weekend without your help!

FLUID Nutrition - Thank you for making a saweet recovery drink and for sponsoring me while I trained and raced this race!

And Finally - The one big reason that I chose Racine as my first half was due to the race being on my mother's birthday.  She passed away from brain cancer two and a half years ago.  She never got to see me race a tri, but knew that I would be doing my first sprint tri that same year. I miss her so very much! I thought about her a lot during this race; and a big part of me knew that the pain I felt while racing was nothing compared to what she went through.

I love you, Mom - Happy Birthday!!

The Last Couple of Months

Wow, time has flown by since my last post!  Ironman Racine 70.3 is less than a month away and next week I reach the Critical Volume stage of training.  This will be the test of mental and physical endurance as this plan calls for "9/3 of the event distance per week"  That means swimming 3.6 miles, biking 168 miles and running 40 miles each week for 2 consecutive weeks. 

So over the past 2 months I've ramped up my running and biking, though my swimming has been lingering.  I've chosen to do a little better than 'just finish' my swim, but I hope to rock the bike/run at Racine.

I raced the sprint distance Hawk Island Triathlon and finished 3rd in my AG with an OA time of 1h01m and some change.  My swim felt good, but I averaged over 2min/100yds.  My bike avg speed was 21mph and my run avg pace was 7:11.  I expected to be a bit faster on the swim and definitely hoped to be much faster on the bike, based on previous trials of the bike course.  My legs were very tight on the bike and my calves were sore on the run, but loosened up after the first mile or so.  I had been a little sleep deprived at work for my previous 2 shifts worked the night before the race.  Perhaps that contributed to the tight legs, maybe not.  Nutrition was good and water intake was good.

The following week I went to Motor City Triathlon and competed with the RACING GREYHOUNDS on a relay team.  We raced the Oly distance and I completed the swim leg... yippers - you read that right.  I even did well.  I finished up the 1.5k swim in just under 30 minutes, pacing me at sub 2 min per 100 meters... in the past I've been at or just over 2 min per 100 yds.  I felt strong and didn't give up placement to those who chose to hit and kick me, I may have shoved back.  So that was a huge boost to my swim ego!  It was a good thing I didn't bring my bike along or I would have seriously been tempted to ride and run the Oly course.

All in all, training has been going well.  I have been shy on my volume for the last 3 consecutive weeks, but I'll concede that time for my family time.  These next two weeks will be brutal and recovery plans will need to be tailored specifically to each day's workout.  Then I'll be taking 2 weeks easy as a Taper for Racine.  I'm pretty excited!

I have been very blessed with my family for supporting me in these plans.  This past weekend was Father's Day.  I took some much needed time to spend with my beautiful girls (all 3 of them) and just relax.

I have also been honored to be part of the Fluid team as a sponsored athlete.  They provide a great tasting recovery drink that provides electrolyte replacement with added protein and l-glutamine - EVERYTHING you need after a long training session!

May Totals:
Bike - 10 hours - 172 miles
Run -13.5 hours - 83 miles
Swim - 4 hours - 11260 yds

June Totals (to date - I'll have 1 week of CV to add to these):
Bike - 10 hours - 171 miles
Run - 12 hours - 78 miles
Swim - 1.5 hours - 4k yds

November 2009 'The Off Season'

November of 2009 has now passed us by. It's time for Christmas and the New Year!

This past month I focused on swimming. I spent more time in the water than I did on my bike (never thought I'd say that). Since I did plan for November to be a month of recovery, I didn't run very much at all. So what did I do?

November's totals:
Bike: 4h 30m 17s - 72.43 Mi
Run: 2h 28m 11s - 14.6 Mi
Swim: 4h 35m 40s - 12650 Yd
Strength: 4h 20m

Next I have my basic plan set up for training to race Ironman 70.3 Racine in July. I'll be doing 9 Weeks Prep, 15 Weeks Base, 6 Weeks Build, 3 Weeks Peak/Race/Taper for Racine. The Prep phase is underway as of this past Sunday. Racine is less than 230 days away. While I want to do really well at this race, my ideal goal will be to qualify for the Foster Grant Ironman World Championship 70.3 - November 13, 2010 in Clearwater, Florida.

Finding the Life/Work/Training balance will be tough, especially heading into June where I will be reaching the Critical Volume stage of training. There are 2 weeks of training will be huge, nearing 14,000km swimming, 475 miles biking and 60 miles of running. As always, family first then work followed by training. I've already started to plan my specific day to day training for each Phase of this process. So now I just need to sit back and do it :)

I will be a RACING GREYHOUND again in 2010! A few other Greyhounds will be going long in tri's as well, completing Half Iron distance events and even Ironman Florida (Trish).

I've been blessed to have a few specific people to train with this year. Next year I hope Craig will continue to kick my butt in the water and that Trixie will keep pushing my limits in biking and running (and now strength training too).

I'm lucky to have several people to train with. So a big 'Thank You' to those who choose to put up with me. Also to the great friends at BeginnerTriathlete.com and especially those the in SWBKRUN MG. You guys rock, thanks for continuing to encourage and inspire me.

Lastly, to my family: Thank you for supporting me. Specifically to Becky, Anna and Sophia - I Love you! This year will be highly rewarding for me on a very personal level and I won't be able to do it without you. I am truly blessed.

So how can you help? Give me a call anytime.

Loving Las Vegas and the End of the 2009 Race Season

Well, we are back home from our Vegas vacation. Becky and I had a great time and loved our time spent with friends. We were able to see many sights and eat some great food. This was our first real vacation since our honeymoon, almost 5 years ago.

For the first couple of nights we stayed with a good friend who lives in Henderson. She cooked for us and drove us everywhere!

On Friday we went to Lake Mead and Boulder City to get an overview of Saturday's triathlon. We visited the health expo at the race finish and did our packet pick up. Later we ate at Milo's - This is a great place to eat and I'll be attempting to remake my sandwich sometime in the near future! But our appetizer consisted of breads and fruits with baked Brie that had Pecans and dried cranberries over it. So very tasty. Friday night we went to Lake Las Vegas for an outdoor concert. This place is an amazing village inside the big city.

Saturday morning came quick and we were out the door for the race. The weather was great and Lake Mead water temp was 72 degrees F. I opted out of my wetsuit for the race for a few reasons, but one main reason was that this was a point to point race with 2 different transition setups. Anything that you'd leave in T1 had to be in a specific bag with your race # on it; it would then be brought to T2/Race finish after the race. Swimming was awesome! The sun popped up just before the race started and the nearly instant heat felt great while I was in the water. The race was very challenging physically and mentally. It was tough to comprehend the elevation for the bike ride. It was hard to maintain speed when there were no breaks in the climb during the bike. The run went well, but my legs were spent. Andrea placed #2 in her category so we stuck around for awards. Way to be!!

Saturday afternoon we got all things reorganized and packed up to head down to the Las Vegas strip. We stayed at the Rio hotel thanks to Andrea's parents. We ate a fabulous dinner at the Rio's Village Seafood Buffett. So many choices of seafood. I ate way too much, but between the 4 variations of crab legs, fish, sushi and desserts... it was so very yummy!

Saturday night we walked the Vegas strip and played some slot machines. We had VIP tickets to the VooDoo Lounge and spent a few hours hanging out and dancing. This bar is on the 51st floor of the Rio, it's outside and you can see the whole Vegas strip. Absolutely amazing view. We finished up our evening by playing a few more slots. Then off to bed for a couple of hours rest before heading back to the airport to return home.

We had an amazing time! Thanks to our friends for hosting and taking us around the city. Becky's mother was able to take some time off work to stay with the girls at our home, Saturday Becky's father came and my father was able to visit too. We are so greatful for our families to have helped out, which gave us the opportunity to take this vacation and make this final triathlon of the season possible.

With that all said, the Recovery stage of my triathlon training has fallen. I now plan to take a few weeks of easy workouts. I may join the US Masters Swimming and compete in one or 2 swim competitions over the next few months. When I get back into serious training, my main focus for the rest of the year will be swimming. Late this year or early next year I'll start training for next years race season.

I have been honored to be part of the 2009 RACING GREYHOUNDS Team. This team and sponsors are amazing! We have had several opportunities to race together and play together. I have made several new friends that I plan to bother for the rest of my life. Thank you GREYHOUNDS!! Next year I will have a different plan than I had this year, and I hope to be in contact with businesses and people over the next few months to secure opportunities for next year.

In 2010 I will have a different focus. I will not be racing as many events as this year. I'll be stepping up to the Olympic distance races (I plan to still run the Hawk Island Tri and maybe another sprint later). I hope to culminate next year's season by competing in a Half Ironman Triathlon (1.2 Mile Swim, 56 Mile Bike and a 13.1 Mile Run). I will consider an earlier HIM if my swim training goes well over the off season. I must also consider running a full marathon (26.2 miles). If I am able to race the Olympic distance, complete the HIM this year and race them the following year then in 2012 I may be able to consider a full Ironman (as that will complete my 5 year goal to run an IM) Late this year and early next year I will work on increasing my strength training, maintaining a bike/run base and general recovery. Then in February or March start a training program that will last for about 25 weeks until the HIM. But my main goal now is to recover from a long 13 race season.

Thank you to everyone who has encouraged and supported me over this last year of training and racing. I am blessed to have many friends to train with, many of whom have also given me invaluable advice and coaching; you know who you are and I would not be where I am today without you. Becky, Anna and Sophia - you make me who I am. Thank you for putting up with my love of racing and for going with me to the races, cheering me on and giving me hugs and 'high fives' along the course. You bring a smile to face. I love hearing "Daddy, you're all sweaty" and "Don't run too fast, you could fall down and get hurt" I am truly blessed for the support system that I have. Thank you all.

Baby Sophia

Just when I think I am settling into a routine, something changes. Sometimes not so good things like being sick or having a few busy shifts in a row at work will cause my training to fall short of my goals.

Sometimes good things happen and once in a while something great will happen. This past few days I have lost more sleep and not even thought about trying to workout for the simple reason that we welcomed our new baby girl, Sophia, into our family on Friday January 23. She weighed in at 8.5 pounds and 20.25 inches. Becky delivered Sophia naturally and non medicated, what a woman huh?

Sophia is a little bundle of joy, and every time she squints her face into what appears to be a smile, I lighten up inside. Sophia makes us a family of 4. Anna is now a proud big sister, Becky is a very proud mother of two and I am more content with life than I have been in a year. Sure we are lacking a little sleep... ok, lacking lots of sleep. But I wouldn't trade this for anything, especially a few hours running in the cold and snow.

My family is my support system. Not only do they help encourage me to run faster or bike farther, they also remind me of the importance of staying fit. I'm not saying that you have to be an endurance athlete, but do what you can to make sure you will maximize the time you have with the people you love more than anything.

I chose to compete in the world of triathlon over a year ago. I'm just beginning to see the results of good training. I will now need to learn how to better balance family and training. I will seek out advice from people I have met over this last year and find ways to better myself for the sport and most of all, for my family.

Thank you all for your words of encouragement over these last few days. Thank you for the phone calls and gifts. We look forward to introducing you to Sophia.

2008

2008 has come and now gone. As many of you know, this year has proved to have moments of extreme joy and a few moments of sadness. It's hard to believe that my mother passed away almost a year ago. A friend once told me that the days never get easier; however, each day you find a new way to get by. I have found the joy of life displayed through laughter, hugs and kisses of my daughter; love of my wife; the never ending love from my family and the support of my friends.

This past year I accomplished fitness goals that I set for myself over a year ago. A few goals I even exceeded. My first goal for this year was to complete a triathlon, and that meant that I had to learn how to swim. I also planned to train harder than I ever have before by increasing my endurance and speed in running and biking. I hoped to be in the best shape of my life by my 30th birthday.

I completed 2 sprint distance triathlons in 2008. I finished just above mid-pack in both of those races. I also ran a half marathon and set a new personal best for the 5k distance run. I placed first in a 10k race and also took medals in two 5k races.

My annual goal for running in 2008 was to complete an overall average of 1 mile per day, totaling 366 miles: My final total was just over 400 miles running.

2009 brings new challenges and while I haven't set any specific goals for training, I do plan to complete with the RACING GREYHOUNDS. I was accepted onto the team this past week. I'll compete in 5 races / events that include cycling as per my contract. Ideally I will race in the same 2 triathlons that I completed this year and then I will also add another tri and enter into a couple of cycling events.

This month my family will grow with the birth of our second child. I will need to learn to balance my family with work and training. This may be my single most difficult goal of this year. I am excited to see what the future holds for my family.

As always, thank you all for your support. I look forward to this coming race season, meeting new people and learning more about the sport of triathlon.

What's Next?

The Beginner Triathlete October Run Challenge! The most miles I've ever logged for a month is 47 (August of this year). So my goal for October is 50 miles. This should also push me way ahead for my annual goal of a mile per day for the year.

Currently I'm at mile 288 and we are at the 277th day of the year.

Today I ran 6 miles. This was my first run since the half marathon on Sunday. I felt good, but I had to stretch out twice. I still got in my miles in less than an hour.

Other good news: Today is Anna's first day at pre-school! Becky and I dropped her off this morning and she took off playing with the other girls (she was looking for the boys when we walked in - none were there yet... uh-ohh). She said goodbye to Becky and I was we left and ran back to playing without even thinking about waving 'bye-bye' I'll be heading back to pick her up soon.

What a day!

(For those considering the triathlon thing - Sign up on the website NOW! BeginnerTriathlete.com Join the October Run Challenge, set and complete a goal it this month! You'll make new friends and find new motivation - stop slacking!)