So good to finish one inside the time limit. Had a similar training year to last year. Last year, the weather was perfect. This year, not so much. The first two or three miles was a cold downpour. I'm so glad that the new fabrics they have dry out. After about mile 10, I was running pretty dry.
The miles clipped by pretty well. I did a run/walk combo similar to my training efforts and was able to sustain the last half that way.
Many years, the sense of accomplishment doesn't really sink in at the finish line for me. The feelings I have are more around relief from the pain or satisfaction. This year was very different. I think that last year taught me that one of the reasons I do marathons is that they are hard and that your race in some degree does depend on the events of the day and your God-given gifts. Last year - perfect weather, lousy finish. This year, lousy (start) weather and good finish. I was very thankful to have this one.
I finished this year in much better spirits than last year and signed up for some online training.
Showing posts with label Race. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Race. Show all posts
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Monday, January 31, 2011
Houston Marathon in 5:29:05
I haven't blogged in a while for a couple of reasons. First - I've been busy at a new job. Second - I really didn't feel like there was anything overly exciting to report. Third - (and I think this is the real reason) I just didn't feel as if my training and my times represented anything anyone would want to read about.
One of the reasons I run the Houston Marathon every year is that I have a streak of consecutive finishes. Ever since my ACL tear and subsequent replacement last year, it's been doubtful I would keep the streak alive. I didn't really feel like I wanted the world to have a front seat to a long rehab followed by a huge disappointment (well - a huge disappointment for me).
Over the season as I built my workout time up and my pace per mile down, my stride changed every week, sometimes twice a week or even run to run. Sometimes I could feel the knee shift, or my hip or my quad. I had hope, but every workout was its own challenge. This year I emptied the buckets of injury-avoidance knowledge and put it all into practice, because one (more) injury would mean the end of the marathon hopes this year.
Although continually improving over the training season, my times were awful. Some days were really awful - the kind that just suck the life out of you. Two examples happened in the last month alone. I went out to run and I did not make it past my neighbor's driveway. The cold and stride mechanics combined to make it painfully clear I was not going to run that night. I also had a marathon barometer run - a 21 miler. I had a great 12 mile run that day followed by nine miles of misery, walking and self doubt. That "run" came in at 5:30 - and Houston has a six hour cutoff. I knew that wasn't my best possible effort, but what knee and stride were going to show up on race day?
About two weeks before race day I had a true answer to prayer. My ten mile run came in at two hours flat. "Marathon math" is not an exact science, but the pace calculators put me finishing the marathon in 5:36. It was the first endurance run since February of last year that had me projecting a finish faster than six hours.
All that work, effort and massage led me to the start line - where it was a balmy 68 degrees with rain. Of course, this was unlike nearly all the distance runs I had done this year for training. I stuck to a plan of running comfortably for as long as possible and then just finishing - similar to my "fly and die" strategies of previous years. I didn't wear a watch because I didn't want to drive myself crazy analyzing my times. I was very evenly paced to a 2:30 half marathon when it occurred to me that I needed a salt tab. These can be rough on me - in the worst case I need about an hour of slowing down to make them work for me. I decided that with 3:30 to go I had enough of a cushion and would be thankful later. Sure enough, miles 14 through 18 were pretty rough and dark. I concentrated on walking fast and running for short stretches. All those training "run/walks" really came in handy as my body was used to cycling back and forth between running and walking. Starting about mile 20, I started passing people back as I felt better.
The last 5 miles of the Houston marathon are slightly downhill. One of the crazy things I found out about my stride is that I can really let it fly downhill, so I used that every time there was a downhill grade. More passing... At that point, I was still being pretty conservative because I know that cramps can come for you any time. I was pretty happy because I was pretty sure I was going to finish. I saw a runner bundled up in mylar on the roadside - she looked done and was just over a mile and half from the finish.
With a half mile to go, I felt like I could relax. One of my concerns throughout the race was that the race officials would detect lightning and close the course. With most of the faster runners in, they could close the course and not reopen it. My thinking at that point was that they would probably have all runners proceed to the shelter of the convention center, which would mean an official finish for me. I saw a friend who finished a couple of hours earlier.
As I rounded the last corner with about 200 yards to go, I saw the race clock reading 5:31. Throwing my conservatism and concern about cramps to the wind, I finished as fast as I could. Sure enough, my chip time was 5:29:05.
The only food items that were 100% certain gluten free at the post race party were the bananas and the chocolate milk. I might want to do something about that next year...
One of the reasons I run the Houston Marathon every year is that I have a streak of consecutive finishes. Ever since my ACL tear and subsequent replacement last year, it's been doubtful I would keep the streak alive. I didn't really feel like I wanted the world to have a front seat to a long rehab followed by a huge disappointment (well - a huge disappointment for me).
Over the season as I built my workout time up and my pace per mile down, my stride changed every week, sometimes twice a week or even run to run. Sometimes I could feel the knee shift, or my hip or my quad. I had hope, but every workout was its own challenge. This year I emptied the buckets of injury-avoidance knowledge and put it all into practice, because one (more) injury would mean the end of the marathon hopes this year.
Although continually improving over the training season, my times were awful. Some days were really awful - the kind that just suck the life out of you. Two examples happened in the last month alone. I went out to run and I did not make it past my neighbor's driveway. The cold and stride mechanics combined to make it painfully clear I was not going to run that night. I also had a marathon barometer run - a 21 miler. I had a great 12 mile run that day followed by nine miles of misery, walking and self doubt. That "run" came in at 5:30 - and Houston has a six hour cutoff. I knew that wasn't my best possible effort, but what knee and stride were going to show up on race day?
About two weeks before race day I had a true answer to prayer. My ten mile run came in at two hours flat. "Marathon math" is not an exact science, but the pace calculators put me finishing the marathon in 5:36. It was the first endurance run since February of last year that had me projecting a finish faster than six hours.
All that work, effort and massage led me to the start line - where it was a balmy 68 degrees with rain. Of course, this was unlike nearly all the distance runs I had done this year for training. I stuck to a plan of running comfortably for as long as possible and then just finishing - similar to my "fly and die" strategies of previous years. I didn't wear a watch because I didn't want to drive myself crazy analyzing my times. I was very evenly paced to a 2:30 half marathon when it occurred to me that I needed a salt tab. These can be rough on me - in the worst case I need about an hour of slowing down to make them work for me. I decided that with 3:30 to go I had enough of a cushion and would be thankful later. Sure enough, miles 14 through 18 were pretty rough and dark. I concentrated on walking fast and running for short stretches. All those training "run/walks" really came in handy as my body was used to cycling back and forth between running and walking. Starting about mile 20, I started passing people back as I felt better.
The last 5 miles of the Houston marathon are slightly downhill. One of the crazy things I found out about my stride is that I can really let it fly downhill, so I used that every time there was a downhill grade. More passing... At that point, I was still being pretty conservative because I know that cramps can come for you any time. I was pretty happy because I was pretty sure I was going to finish. I saw a runner bundled up in mylar on the roadside - she looked done and was just over a mile and half from the finish.
With a half mile to go, I felt like I could relax. One of my concerns throughout the race was that the race officials would detect lightning and close the course. With most of the faster runners in, they could close the course and not reopen it. My thinking at that point was that they would probably have all runners proceed to the shelter of the convention center, which would mean an official finish for me. I saw a friend who finished a couple of hours earlier.
As I rounded the last corner with about 200 yards to go, I saw the race clock reading 5:31. Throwing my conservatism and concern about cramps to the wind, I finished as fast as I could. Sure enough, my chip time was 5:29:05.
The only food items that were 100% certain gluten free at the post race party were the bananas and the chocolate milk. I might want to do something about that next year...
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
21st consecutive Houston Marathon 5:16
Short news: I was physically ready to run a 4:15 or so, but it just wasn't my day. This year, I am happy to have made the marathon program for running 20 consecutive Houston Marathons.
Race Recap:
I'd been having trouble staying hydrated all week. Felt great at the start (maybe a bit warm?). I started feeling "weird" at mile 9. I stopped to put some more vaseline on my feet at mile 10 (I had some hotspots, but I was still bang on pace after accounting for stops and visits), and then absolutely spectacularly exploded at mile 11, with nausea, lightheadedness (which just got worse and worse until mile 19) and minor stiffness. I attribute the mess to a combination of electrolyte imbalance and lack of water/something I ate the night before (not gluten)/or a bug I picked up. It was absolutely the fastest "collapse" I had ever experienced in any long race. (Usually, I just see the misery coming for about a 10K or so...) I had medical cut off my pace band as irrelevant just past the half marathon. I ran/walked until mile 17 and then walked until mile 22, when everything suddenly lifted. I ran in the rest of the way, just walking up the hills on Allen Parkway. I probably passed 100 people in the last mile alone. I file this one in the "just not my day" category. (I was already planning my next marathon at mile 16 of this one...) and I may have to do another marathon somewhere else this year just for time and just because.
Couldn't get to sleep the night after... Sore but fine this morning. Handling stairs with relative ease compared to other years. At the end of the day, I'm glad I traded time for a sure finish, and I'm definitely wearing my 20 year veteran shirt every day ;-). Is three days in a row too much?
Race Recap:
I'd been having trouble staying hydrated all week. Felt great at the start (maybe a bit warm?). I started feeling "weird" at mile 9. I stopped to put some more vaseline on my feet at mile 10 (I had some hotspots, but I was still bang on pace after accounting for stops and visits), and then absolutely spectacularly exploded at mile 11, with nausea, lightheadedness (which just got worse and worse until mile 19) and minor stiffness. I attribute the mess to a combination of electrolyte imbalance and lack of water/something I ate the night before (not gluten)/or a bug I picked up. It was absolutely the fastest "collapse" I had ever experienced in any long race. (Usually, I just see the misery coming for about a 10K or so...) I had medical cut off my pace band as irrelevant just past the half marathon. I ran/walked until mile 17 and then walked until mile 22, when everything suddenly lifted. I ran in the rest of the way, just walking up the hills on Allen Parkway. I probably passed 100 people in the last mile alone. I file this one in the "just not my day" category. (I was already planning my next marathon at mile 16 of this one...) and I may have to do another marathon somewhere else this year just for time and just because.
Couldn't get to sleep the night after... Sore but fine this morning. Handling stairs with relative ease compared to other years. At the end of the day, I'm glad I traded time for a sure finish, and I'm definitely wearing my 20 year veteran shirt every day ;-). Is three days in a row too much?
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Resolution Run 5K in 24:23
My wife spotted a midnight 5k on the news that had fireworks, so of course I had to go run in it. Never mind that my legs were not recovered from the 21 miler and I have a marathon coming up. Did I mention fireworks?
A front came through right before 2010 and made its appearance by slightly chilling temps to 52 degrees and then boosting a 25 mph wind out of the North. It was a dark and stormy night... Seriously.
The run was brisk and cold, and I pushed very hard at the end. (Ask me about a funny story there sometime...)
Anyway, the result was 24:23 - not my best time, but there was some speculation that the course was measured to the curb and not to the middle of the road -- some GPS watches had us running 5.5k - a full 10% farther.
Weirdly, there were some really fast runners in the crowd. I eventually figured out they were running to set a time. So I guess that for a few hours at least, I had one of the top ten fastest times in my age group for the state of Texas in 2010. Well - it was good Christmas present while it lasted.
A front came through right before 2010 and made its appearance by slightly chilling temps to 52 degrees and then boosting a 25 mph wind out of the North. It was a dark and stormy night... Seriously.
The run was brisk and cold, and I pushed very hard at the end. (Ask me about a funny story there sometime...)
Anyway, the result was 24:23 - not my best time, but there was some speculation that the course was measured to the curb and not to the middle of the road -- some GPS watches had us running 5.5k - a full 10% farther.
Weirdly, there were some really fast runners in the crowd. I eventually figured out they were running to set a time. So I guess that for a few hours at least, I had one of the top ten fastest times in my age group for the state of Texas in 2010. Well - it was good Christmas present while it lasted.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
5k in 22:06 - Another post-diagnosis PR
This morning I ran in the local Heights 5k. It wasn't even in my calendar for a race, but I added it at the last minute because a friend invited me down there. I didn't do much in the way of a taper - I only swam yesterday (including a time trial 100 freestyle in 1:14) and did not run, and I altered the Thursday workout. I was especially pleased that I took 44 seconds off my best time in years. Houston is starting to get hot and humid.
Two months ago, I ran a 22:50, but this race was bigger with a competitive masters division, and I came in 40th or so in my age group today. So it just goes to show you. You can run much faster, and winning just depends on who shows up that day. I think its far better to have the attitude to improve against your own times than to tie success to place.
And a little fun, there was a camera crew doing "indie movie stuff" there, so maybe I'll be in a feature film someday.
Two months ago, I ran a 22:50, but this race was bigger with a competitive masters division, and I came in 40th or so in my age group today. So it just goes to show you. You can run much faster, and winning just depends on who shows up that day. I think its far better to have the attitude to improve against your own times than to tie success to place.
And a little fun, there was a camera crew doing "indie movie stuff" there, so maybe I'll be in a feature film someday.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
5k in 22:50 - Post Celiac diagnosis PR!
When I divide up my running times, I have two buckets divided by Celiac. There are my pre-diagnosis times and then my post-diagnosis times. Today I ran in a 5k, set a post-diagnosis PR of 22:50 (7:22 pace), and won my age group!
And I didn't taper all that much, either. The only change I did was an easy 30 minutes on the Nordic Trak on Thursday (It was raining, and I still did a hard swim on Friday.) We hadn't decided if we were doing the race as a family until last night.
Houston is in the middle of a cold snap, and it was 45 degrees this morning when we pulled out at 7am. That's very early for us. One of the challenges for this race was that they kept moving the start times around to accommodate the family walk and logistics, so staying warm while minimally dressed presented a challenge. What worked was taking my wind stopper mitts and hat to the start line and tucking them in to my waistband right before the start.
I ran hard, but I tried to focus on keeping my own pace, and I did. I went through the first mile in 7:20, and then eased of a hair for the second mile. A group of three passed me, but one of them came back to me at 2 1/2. Running down the last quarter was tough, but someone shouted out my name for encouragement and that helped. It was nice to run a small enough race to where I could count the people in front of me.
Now this afternoon, it's my wife's pick. We're off to the Texas Hill Country in search of the blue bonnets. If you're from up north, it's like going to the country to see the fall colors, except it's flowers in the spring.
And I didn't taper all that much, either. The only change I did was an easy 30 minutes on the Nordic Trak on Thursday (It was raining, and I still did a hard swim on Friday.) We hadn't decided if we were doing the race as a family until last night.
Houston is in the middle of a cold snap, and it was 45 degrees this morning when we pulled out at 7am. That's very early for us. One of the challenges for this race was that they kept moving the start times around to accommodate the family walk and logistics, so staying warm while minimally dressed presented a challenge. What worked was taking my wind stopper mitts and hat to the start line and tucking them in to my waistband right before the start.
I ran hard, but I tried to focus on keeping my own pace, and I did. I went through the first mile in 7:20, and then eased of a hair for the second mile. A group of three passed me, but one of them came back to me at 2 1/2. Running down the last quarter was tough, but someone shouted out my name for encouragement and that helped. It was nice to run a small enough race to where I could count the people in front of me.
Now this afternoon, it's my wife's pick. We're off to the Texas Hill Country in search of the blue bonnets. If you're from up north, it's like going to the country to see the fall colors, except it's flowers in the spring.
Monday, January 26, 2009
20th Houston Marathon - 5:15
Well - let me start by saying that this year's highlight was that a local radio station called and interviewed me about running and celiac. I managed the 20 second plug about celiac being an underdiagnosed condition that people should look into. They also asked me about my 20 year streak and the problems I've run into - training in a cast, breaking a rib one year and so on... Hopefully, they'll send the tape, but it's been a week since the marathon and I'm starting to have doubts.
I was fit and ready, but I think I psyched myself out on this one and went out too fast. I just could not slow down for the first 14 miles, and then I cratered and the next four miles were a misery of walking. Then the nausea lifted and I held pace into the convention center. People tell me that it is unusual to "come back" after a bad spell, and I have to say I'd agree.
I think I've "noted" a few things:
I was fit and ready, but I think I psyched myself out on this one and went out too fast. I just could not slow down for the first 14 miles, and then I cratered and the next four miles were a misery of walking. Then the nausea lifted and I held pace into the convention center. People tell me that it is unusual to "come back" after a bad spell, and I have to say I'd agree.
I think I've "noted" a few things:
- Must - Lose - Weight -- My Wii Fit even mocked me this morning by telling me my ideal weight for my height was less than my college weight when I was not absorbing food.
- Must - Follow - Pace - Band -- I was wearing it - just didn't follow it.
- Must - Not - Drink - Endurance - Didn't train with it, so why did I go stupid on race day?
- Must - Do - More - Base - Miles - I've become a master of the "just finish" and this year it really irritated me
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
25K in 2:26:11
Well, I have to say I was pretty pleased with how my Houston Masters 25K run over the weekend turned out. I think I learned a little bit about my Celiac body during race conditions. I actually pushed this one to race speeds (for the distance), carried water in my 32 oz. water bottle so I could drink when I wanted, and gutted out the last three miles, running.
True story - I think 15.5 miles is farther than I've run consecutively in a long time (if you don't count me stopping for a few seconds to refill my water bottle at mile 11). If you'll recall, my 13.1 mile time trial ended in disaster a few weeks ago. I was determined not to repeat the under- hydration mistake. But I've also made the over-hydration mistake as well.
I carpooled to the start with some of my Katy Fit running club. I set up well - even got a pre-race massage -- and only took about 30 seconds to cross the start line. I started with a cramp in my side, one of those annoying little things - not enough to make you care but enough to make you notice. It stuck with me the whole way. By mile 12 or so, I had taken two electrolytes and had drunk enough to "slosh" -- that is, my stomach wasn't keeping up with the fluid I was putting in... It's an odd thought, because I think I drank about 48 oz. I'd eaten half an Access bar.
The last few miles were interesting. I had to talk myself into keeping running, but I knew I was slowing down a bit and starting to hurt. I struggled up the last hill about half a mile from the finish when two of my (much) faster friends said "Hi" as they blasted by me on a cool down run.
Now, that annoyed me a bit (they looked pretty fresh for all that distance), but it also lifted my spirits and I found I could keep pace, albeit about 25 yards back. So that pickup became my "kick" to the finish line. I did not feel great when I finished, but after a few moments, the nausea passed and I felt pretty good. I got a post-race massage and went home. I would have gone out to Denny's for something afterward, but I just didn't have the energy to explain gluten this time. Afterwards, I wondered if using Celiac as an excuse to skip a social meal was a good or bad thing.
So - what could I do better for next time? My next scheme will be to try electrolytes tabs and bananas -- It's pretty likely I'm not getting enough carbs. Gatorade seems to be unreliable because of the different strengths it is mixed on the course, and my body does not like "gu-ish" things. Maybe Shot Blox?
Then there's the post-race food problem. Everything looks good. I've noticed from using my Wii fit that I overeat after a hard workout or race, so I need to be really health conscious afterwards. So better preparation (stocking the cupboard with good food and not soda) would be smart.
Anyway - good day, good run.
True story - I think 15.5 miles is farther than I've run consecutively in a long time (if you don't count me stopping for a few seconds to refill my water bottle at mile 11). If you'll recall, my 13.1 mile time trial ended in disaster a few weeks ago. I was determined not to repeat the under- hydration mistake. But I've also made the over-hydration mistake as well.
I carpooled to the start with some of my Katy Fit running club. I set up well - even got a pre-race massage -- and only took about 30 seconds to cross the start line. I started with a cramp in my side, one of those annoying little things - not enough to make you care but enough to make you notice. It stuck with me the whole way. By mile 12 or so, I had taken two electrolytes and had drunk enough to "slosh" -- that is, my stomach wasn't keeping up with the fluid I was putting in... It's an odd thought, because I think I drank about 48 oz. I'd eaten half an Access bar.
The last few miles were interesting. I had to talk myself into keeping running, but I knew I was slowing down a bit and starting to hurt. I struggled up the last hill about half a mile from the finish when two of my (much) faster friends said "Hi" as they blasted by me on a cool down run.
Now, that annoyed me a bit (they looked pretty fresh for all that distance), but it also lifted my spirits and I found I could keep pace, albeit about 25 yards back. So that pickup became my "kick" to the finish line. I did not feel great when I finished, but after a few moments, the nausea passed and I felt pretty good. I got a post-race massage and went home. I would have gone out to Denny's for something afterward, but I just didn't have the energy to explain gluten this time. Afterwards, I wondered if using Celiac as an excuse to skip a social meal was a good or bad thing.
So - what could I do better for next time? My next scheme will be to try electrolytes tabs and bananas -- It's pretty likely I'm not getting enough carbs. Gatorade seems to be unreliable because of the different strengths it is mixed on the course, and my body does not like "gu-ish" things. Maybe Shot Blox?
Then there's the post-race food problem. Everything looks good. I've noticed from using my Wii fit that I overeat after a hard workout or race, so I need to be really health conscious afterwards. So better preparation (stocking the cupboard with good food and not soda) would be smart.
Anyway - good day, good run.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Finished 5K in 24:21
I did the Komen Race for the Cure 5K over the weekend. Wow, was it crowded -- Some 30K people, they said. I was in the competitive race, and I finished before some of the noncompetitive 5k participants crossed the start line. Anyway - I ran it evenly but not too hard, and I'm pretty pleased with the results. The weather has really improved around Houston, with lower temperatures and humidity. It's the best time of year to be in Houston.
Oh - and I spent about 5 hours around the outside of the house, cleaning up debris, cutting back damaged limbs and so on. I'm glad I did. The city debris crew have been working my street all morning - and mine is in a dump truck now.
Oh - and I spent about 5 hours around the outside of the house, cleaning up debris, cutting back damaged limbs and so on. I'm glad I did. The city debris crew have been working my street all morning - and mine is in a dump truck now.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Race last weekend
I did the Jeff and Brede's triathlon last weekend. It was short (for me) 300 meter swim, 12 mile bike and 3 mile run. I was pleased with the results - 116 out of 400 and right in the middle of my age group.
I wasn't pleased with the safety, though. Just after the mount line for the bicycle, I pushed off to get going and looked up to see A CAR coming toward me in my lane (it was in the LEFT lane, and it had whipped around the corner on the wrong side of the street). That was a bit of a surprise, to say the least. I jammed on brakes full and unclipped -- not exactly an auspicious start. The other safety concern was all the athletes who rode their bikes back to their cars WITHOUT HELMETS. That is an automatic DQ and with good reason - but the USAT official was long gone. Some of those people were podium material and ought to know better. If the officials won't enforce it (and stay until the transition area is empty) - USAT shouldn't have the rule. Who is USAT kidding? I have NEVER seen this rule enforced, but I've seen plenty of helmet-less idiots both before and after races.
I wasn't pleased with the safety, though. Just after the mount line for the bicycle, I pushed off to get going and looked up to see A CAR coming toward me in my lane (it was in the LEFT lane, and it had whipped around the corner on the wrong side of the street). That was a bit of a surprise, to say the least. I jammed on brakes full and unclipped -- not exactly an auspicious start. The other safety concern was all the athletes who rode their bikes back to their cars WITHOUT HELMETS. That is an automatic DQ and with good reason - but the USAT official was long gone. Some of those people were podium material and ought to know better. If the officials won't enforce it (and stay until the transition area is empty) - USAT shouldn't have the rule. Who is USAT kidding? I have NEVER seen this rule enforced, but I've seen plenty of helmet-less idiots both before and after races.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
2 mile time trial - 14:04
I did my TT over lunch -- 2 miles in 14:04. It might have been short.
Lost 2 lbs water - did I mention I've been weighing myself to determine my rate of sweat loss?
96 degrees
49% humidity
I'm pretty encouraged - I didn't run negative splits, but the second half effort was much harder. I did go through 1 mile in 6:52 and 1.5 miles in 10:27. The 10:27 is significant, because even if the path is short, I went through the same 6 loops in 10:48 before I started "Beat the Heat." -- so on the same course I've improved perhaps 15 secs/mile (and this run was definitely hotter).
Oh - now this is interesting. I just pulled out my post-Celiac-diagnosis PR/goal list. And right under the 2 miles is a 14:20 I ran in May of 2006. I think that was a treadmill run, so I'm not sure it's a fair compare. Still, I'm running near my best times - whoo hoo!
Lost 2 lbs water - did I mention I've been weighing myself to determine my rate of sweat loss?
96 degrees
49% humidity
I'm pretty encouraged - I didn't run negative splits, but the second half effort was much harder. I did go through 1 mile in 6:52 and 1.5 miles in 10:27. The 10:27 is significant, because even if the path is short, I went through the same 6 loops in 10:48 before I started "Beat the Heat." -- so on the same course I've improved perhaps 15 secs/mile (and this run was definitely hotter).
Oh - now this is interesting. I just pulled out my post-Celiac-diagnosis PR/goal list. And right under the 2 miles is a 14:20 I ran in May of 2006. I think that was a treadmill run, so I'm not sure it's a fair compare. Still, I'm running near my best times - whoo hoo!
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Won my age group!
I didn't peak for it and I didn't plan it, and I can't remember my time, but I won my age group at a fun run this weekend! We just came back from a cub scout campout and I realized I had enough time to make it over to the high school for the run. So I did. This year, I made it with enough time to chat and warm up. My big strategy was to line up behind the cross country team and run an even pace. The first part went well. Aside for some jostling at the too-narrow start, the cross country team dusted me so fast that there was a good amount of room to run. The second part was more confusing... The mile splits they called out were 7 min, 15:23 and then I finished in 23:22 (I think), for an overall 7:30 pace. Something wasn't quite right on the mile splits. But never mind - I knew I'd done well given my 31 mile bike ride up by Lake Livingston.
The kids wanted to come, too, so they came later with my wife. The weather was rainy in spurts, so they decided to start the kids race early. I didn't have my cell phone, so I had to run back to the truck, only to run to my wife caught in traffic, to turn around to run to the registration table and then to run to the mile start. (Did I mention the earlier 5K?) Then the kids said, "Dad - will you run with us?" "Um, sure"
Wouldn't you know it that both of them outran the pack for first place in boys and girls? It was a small race, but that was sure fun. And the best part wasn't the winning, it was that we all did our best and we did it as a family.
The kids wanted to come, too, so they came later with my wife. The weather was rainy in spurts, so they decided to start the kids race early. I didn't have my cell phone, so I had to run back to the truck, only to run to my wife caught in traffic, to turn around to run to the registration table and then to run to the mile start. (Did I mention the earlier 5K?) Then the kids said, "Dad - will you run with us?" "Um, sure"
Wouldn't you know it that both of them outran the pack for first place in boys and girls? It was a small race, but that was sure fun. And the best part wasn't the winning, it was that we all did our best and we did it as a family.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Ironstar Recap 1/2 Iron 6:40
What? You thought my recovery wasn't going well? Well - I'd been sick and out of it, barely hanging in at work and not doing workouts. Then I realized that I've only done 2 triathlons this year, and I felt like I really wanted three so I could see how I was doing compared to last year in the USAT rankings. I looked for a shorter race, but there were none to be had close to Houston this late in the season.
So Wednesday night I thought - I can do this, and I signed up for the race at packet pickup.
We went camping in the cold with the cub scouts for the weekend and then I was off to Conroe for the race. It was cold. The swim was not short as in previous years, but I only missed my swim PR by 10 secs or so. Then the bike ride - another PR averaging 16.1 mph (including a stop to get a bee out of my hair!). And then the run - another PR for the race. My time of 6:40 lopped about 40 minutes off of my previous best effort and it was a great way to end the 2008 triathlon season.
In "Celiac retrospect," the best part was that after waking up at 4:30 am, I went by myself, recovered well after the race, loaded up all the equipment, drove home and unloaded it. I came home and went straight into watching the kids, making dinner, etc and didn't go to bed until 10:30. I'm not saying I wasn't dog-tired, but it's such a far cry from efforts in prior years, where I've had significant support from my wife, slept on site, slept after the race, etc. And it's even farther away from the days before I was diagnosed when I used to sleep for hours after my Saturday long runs.
What a blessing it has been to me and my family to know and eat right. Eating gluten was such a physical boundary for me before my diagnosis, and I think some of those boundaries crept into how I thought about the world. Not anymore. Not anymore.
So Wednesday night I thought - I can do this, and I signed up for the race at packet pickup.
We went camping in the cold with the cub scouts for the weekend and then I was off to Conroe for the race. It was cold. The swim was not short as in previous years, but I only missed my swim PR by 10 secs or so. Then the bike ride - another PR averaging 16.1 mph (including a stop to get a bee out of my hair!). And then the run - another PR for the race. My time of 6:40 lopped about 40 minutes off of my previous best effort and it was a great way to end the 2008 triathlon season.
In "Celiac retrospect," the best part was that after waking up at 4:30 am, I went by myself, recovered well after the race, loaded up all the equipment, drove home and unloaded it. I came home and went straight into watching the kids, making dinner, etc and didn't go to bed until 10:30. I'm not saying I wasn't dog-tired, but it's such a far cry from efforts in prior years, where I've had significant support from my wife, slept on site, slept after the race, etc. And it's even farther away from the days before I was diagnosed when I used to sleep for hours after my Saturday long runs.
What a blessing it has been to me and my family to know and eat right. Eating gluten was such a physical boundary for me before my diagnosis, and I think some of those boundaries crept into how I thought about the world. Not anymore. Not anymore.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Redman Triathlon recap
I was ecstatic with my time of
There’s a saying that you “pack your fears.” Well, I packed a bunch. If I had been smart, I would have packed my Pre-race, T1, T2, special needs (bike and run) and post race bags AT HOME. I think it would have helped me pack less. I didn’t pack that way, and then I basically had to pack again, which was a total waste of time (and honestly, it made me anxious).
There were a couple of Celiac-related things. I had called Hammer to ask about their gels. They have natural grain dextrins in them – and the ingredients are proprietary. They asked me for my email so they could send me a note. I’m still waiting, so no Hammer gel for me. I also hadn’t really figured out what I was going to do for a pre-race dinner and breakfast. Next time, I’m going to identify a meal and/or restaurant in advance. We asked the hotel for a refrigerator and they sent up a mini-fridge.
My parents and I reserved adjoining rooms, which was good. My mother brought a cold with her, which was bad. I kept waking up at odd hours. I’m not sure if it was the newness of the hotel or pre-race jitters, but it was kind of weird. There was a pre-race swim on Friday morning, but you get your sleep when you can. I put in earplugs and put on eye shades to sleep in and skipped it. Later I found out that was a good idea, as the waves were quite choppy.
I spent most of Friday futzing with my bike. I had noticed some holes in the front tire on the way up. I thought, “Well, I’m either going to be worried about a flat because of the holes or I’m going to be worried about a flat from a new tire, so I might as well change it.” So I did. It wasn’t until I rode it around the parking lot that I really felt my fitness. “Good timing there.” I thought.
We went to the pre-race meeting to drop off the bike and transition bags. Then it was off to dinner.
Pre-race
I woke up before the alarm. In terms of sleep, I don’t need to sleep well at all on race night, but it’s nice. If I wake up more than an hour before the (two) alarms I set, then I try to go back to sleep. Transition opened at
The parking was a long way from the transition area, so I walked in, and walked my pump back to the car. I should have left it in my post race bag, because it made the time tight. I brought my LED headlamp like the ones they wear on the “Amazing Race.” That was a good idea – it was easier to see in the pre-dawn light. I had planned to put the socks I was wearing in my bike shoes, but didn’t. That became important later, as did my inattention to my bike gloves. Someone else had brought an extra bicycle – and I thought that was a pretty good idea, although he should have brought an extra helmet, too.
One neat thing was that I was racked two bikes away from the only other guy from
The invocation and national anthem were great and put me in the right mood. I still wasn’t nervous. The race is just too far for that. I quickly grabbed my goggles and helmet and headed to the swim start. I put my goggles under my swim cap and put in my ear plugs and we got into the water. I had a little trouble with my wetsuit. I lined up back and away so I could avoid the “cuisinart start” – Swimming is probably my slowest leg, relatively. I sent up my prayers and we were off.
Swim
I swam clear and smooth, thanks to training the “Total Immersion” way. I was wearing goggles that were practically new and I had put them on dry. Navigation on the leg going out was easy because there were distinctly shaped buildings on the north side of the dam. Somewhere short of the first turn, there was a short patch of warm water followed by a patch of colder, rougher water and what seemed to be a bit of a current. I went around the first and second buoys without a fight. Coming back through the cold patch, I was kicked on the side of the head hard enough to knock loose an earplug. That was a surprise, to put it mildly. Up to that point it had just been the occasional arm brush. I had been concerned because I’m a slower swimmer and the half iron and aquabike was starting after us. I think the guy who kicked me was wearing a white cap, which would mean he was doing the full, too.
Navigation coming back was more difficult. I couldn’t see the end, and the shoreline was indistinct. so I had to swim buoy to buoy. The rest of the swim went without incident, although I noticed myself getting tired in the shoulders, sort of hungry and a bit of rubbing on my neck. The wind and waves picked up a bit, and I noticed it was easier to breathe on the left away from the waves. It was the farthest I’d ever swum without “touching” a wall, and I felt pretty good knowing I was setting a “race distance PR” with every stroke.
T1
I came up the ramp and tried to relax on my back while volunteers stripped my wetsuit. I jogged into T1 and dumped my bag out on the floor. I ate and drank a little. I put on my heart rate monitor, changed into my cycling bibs, put on my cycling jersey and looked for my gloves and socks. Uh oh. Even though I’d put on sunscreen before the race, I asked the volunteer to hit me with the spray. THAT woke me up – my wetsuit had given me a few hickies by chafing my neck, and the alcohol in the spray stung. I jogged out to the bike and saw my shoes without my socks. I decided I’d just have to go without – and I’d never gone without socks on the bike, even for a short tri. I had gone without gloves, but oh well. I walked my bike out to the mount line and was off.
Bike
It was pretty nice out on the 56 mile, two-loop course to start. I settled into a comfortable heart rate and started in on my nutrition plan. In a little early drama, one section of rock bound with asphalt had a soft shoulder, but the trick was it looked the same. I had to wrestle with my bike a bit at that point to stay on the road. The course had few turns out of town and was then out and back on a country road. I would have actually enjoyed something a little more technically challenging. I skipped all the aid stations on the first loop, as I worked off my four bottles of calories and electrolytes and bars. I had a great first half of the bicycle leg, but I was worried about a hot spot developing on my left toe.
I saw my family around mile 55 and said I would be stopping at the nearby aid station on the turnaround. It was great to see them all cheering and supporting me. I secured a pair of socks, topped off my bottles with cold liquids and was on my way. Only later did I find out that they had waved to me at the start of the bike from the car, and I had waved back. Of course, I waved at everybody who cheered and I didn’t realize it was them.
I headed out for the second loop and the wind picked up. It was deceiving, because it was a tailwind. The heat started to rise and it reminded me of all those hot training days in
After the turnaround, the hot wind was in my face and I had 28 miles to go. I had to be smart and patient, because my food still wasn’t settling, and without water I risked overheating. Nothing worked like it did on the training rides, but I just kept going, if slower. I started in on the headaches and knew I was riding the fine line with heat exhaustion. Despite the cautionary notes in my race, I was still passing the stragglers from the half iron race at this point.
If Kona looks like the moon because of the lava fields, then the Redman looks like Mars. The dirt in the plowed fields is
I remembered the cool breeze off of the lake that had energized me on the first leg of the bicycle course, and that gave me hope that things would get better when the sun went down and temperatures fell, and I kept pedaling. Suddenly, I was at the turn into town and the scenery changed more rapidly, with more houses and businesses. I churned up the dam hill in my lowest gear and crested the hill. My heart rate was still under 160 and I was going to finish the bike portion. Later I would find out 16% in my age group did not.
T2
I came to the dismount line and eased off the bike. I had learned earlier that running right away after a 112 mile bike ride made my hamstrings complain, so I eased into transition and racked my bike. I took off my cycling shoes and walked to the tent. A volunteer offered to massage my legs. I took a long time in that tent, trying to get food down or even see what looked good, but nausea was setting in. I was keeping count of my heat exhaustion symptoms, and I always bag a workout if I get to three. So it was decision time. I decided that the aid stations were close enough together that if I went slowly, I could manage. I’d start the marathon. My race number ripped off my tri-belt and I had to do safety pins on shorts. “So much for high tech tri gear,” I said. Thank God for the volunteers who massaged my legs and helped me get on my way. Later I would find out that another 16% of my age group abandoned in transition after they racked their bikes.
Run
My family was waiting for me just outside T2. It was good to see them again. I was determined to walk, but my Dad said I had to jog by the bleachers so I could “look good.” I gave it a try and figured I felt like I’d bonked at mile 20 in a hot
The heat seemed unrelenting for the first 10K. But it finally started to drop a little after the turnaround. The shade was rapidly getting longer and the wind died down. My body spent less time trying to keep cool, and more energy went into the run. My pace improved, but I was still nursing my calorie situation. It was twilight. About mile 11, I realized I needed to run significantly faster to beat the 17 hour cutoff. Panic set in – a year’s worth of training had come down to this. It was now or never. I started running. My family saw me going into turnaround, I said “Hi” – at my limit. The turnaround mat was way past the finish line. Earlier the Redman instructions had said to put a long sleeve t-shirt into the special needs bag and tie it around your waist. I carried it along with my bars and electrolytes. I could feel my pace improving. On the way out I said, “Can’t stop, this is going to be close.” But miles started ticking by at 12 minute pace, which started to provide a cushion. 14 – I stopped at the aid station to try some water and and electrolyte tab. I gave them my shirt. I had my hat and couldn’t possibly see how I could get cold enough to need it. 15 and then 16. At that point, another challenge cropped up. Both calves locked up simultaneously in cramps, nearly pitching me forward into a face plant. I knew I’d be walking for a while. 20 minute pace - 3mph – 10 miles. Again I ran the math. This time it worked! If I could keep that pace, I would beat the time limit, just barely. I started walking faster. Around that time, a golf cart with volunteers showed up with ice cold Endurance. It was just the thing for cramps, if I could drink it. And suddenly I could. I was 130 miles and 14 hours into the race and I could finally tolerate the stuff. I had a cup of ice and just drank the whole bottle as I walked fast, swinging my arms to improve my pace. Four mph would be 15 minute pace. I timed the next mile at 16 minutes. I decided not to test my calves for a while, just in case they really locked up instead of just complaining.
It was a little dark on the lake path, even with the ¾ moon shone in the cloudless sky. Outright darkness made things interesting. At one point, I saw a glow stick a good distance that wasn’t moving, and I worried for another athlete’s safety. I had been calling out to people all day, asking if they needed help and so on. I called out, “Are you okay?” No movement. I was really worried, until I saw that the volunteers had ringed a post in the intersection so I would see it and not hit it. Then I called out, “Am I okay?” laughing at myself for imagining things.
I dropped off my bag of useless bars at an aid station and worked bananas, endurance and water as the mood struck. I decided I could run the downhills, such as they were on the mostly flat course. Now that my risk for hyponatremia had passed, I was looking for labeled ibuprofen, but there was none to be had. As I pulled out of the last aid station, I met
This was
Post Race
The most confusing thing was that they wanted to hand me things I hadn’t asked for – A finisher’s shirt and medal. Then they were asking me how I felt. At that point, I remembered I had hurt my shoulder reaching into my cycling jersey, and now for some reason I couldn’t lift my right hand above my shoulder. I went to the first aid tent for ice. But I was fine. I sat there with ice on my shoulder sipping my recovery drink. I went to the massage tent and they worked my muscles. I didn’t feel too bad. Adrienne and Dad were awesome, getting my bag and helping me navigate around the finish area. We collected ourselves and went back to transition to bail out my bike and bags. At this late hour, it was easy to pull the car up and put everything away – except I couldn’t put my bike on the roof rack (shoulder, again). We tried to leave without one of my bags, but I spotted it before we took off. After that it was back to the hotel, shower and bed.
Post Nap
About
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Be careful what you wish for...
Back in an earlier posting, I'd mentioned that you don't want to feel too fresh going into race, because you peak early. Well - I'm three days out, and I still feel sluggish. Some of the workouts have been brilliant, but overall I still feel tired, so it's pretty good. I just want to keep remembering Mark Allen, who started out the Nice triathlon feeling bad, but then rallied for a come from behind victory.
Speaking of coming from behind, that's how work went today. I think someone's bugged my office so they know when I'm planning vacation. Of course, today of all days I had about four/five hours of work dropped on me at the last minute. It's all done, but I still have other work that needs to be finished...
Anyway - it's probably time to start sending out emails to my friends who want to know I'm doing on Saturday. One possible wrinkle -- one computer model has remnants of a tropical storm going through OKC Saturday/Sunday.
Speaking of coming from behind, that's how work went today. I think someone's bugged my office so they know when I'm planning vacation. Of course, today of all days I had about four/five hours of work dropped on me at the last minute. It's all done, but I still have other work that needs to be finished...
Anyway - it's probably time to start sending out emails to my friends who want to know I'm doing on Saturday. One possible wrinkle -- one computer model has remnants of a tropical storm going through OKC Saturday/Sunday.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Back on Track
I did the Tejas Triathlon on Sunday, and I had pretty low expectations coming up to the event because of lack of sleep and missed training. It just goes to show you that you should make the most you have on the day of the race. For the first time in "I can't remember how long" I had a tri race where I didn't "screw up, blow up or throw up." Despite the heat, I put in 1:10:32, which was good for 49th place in my age group - the top half! (It's been almost two decades since that's happened).
I felt good and managed to a 173 average heart rate with a max recorded HR of 187. So what does that mean? I was at 92% of my max HR for over an hour. No wonder I'm happy. The actual data from a race also puts the lie on MaxHR = 220- your age, because that would make me 33. My recovery still took 5 minutes or so to drop below 130.
The moment that made the difference for me was my "smart swim." Let's just say it involved cutting the tangents to the buoys and a clever application of rule 4.2 and leave it at that. So I raced smart and hard and had a great day.
I felt good and managed to a 173 average heart rate with a max recorded HR of 187. So what does that mean? I was at 92% of my max HR for over an hour. No wonder I'm happy. The actual data from a race also puts the lie on MaxHR = 220- your age, because that would make me 33. My recovery still took 5 minutes or so to drop below 130.
The moment that made the difference for me was my "smart swim." Let's just say it involved cutting the tangents to the buoys and a clever application of rule 4.2 and leave it at that. So I raced smart and hard and had a great day.
Monday, March 12, 2007
Two off days in a row...
Last week, I was at church and one of friends said, "That race is today." She'd mentioned it before, and I hadn't committed. I felt pretty strong and figured, "Well - a hard 5k could substitute for 45 minutes easy..." Let me just say that they do not.
It was quite possibly the latest I had ever signed up for a fun run. I got caught in the typical I-10 traffic and made it to the registration table with barely a moment to spare. I quickly filled in a blank or two, signed the waiver and ran to the start line. I was so late the national anthem caught me between the table and the start line. After a hard 23.22 5K, I collected my shirt and was off (on vacation). Only just now did I find out I was second in my age group - had I put my age down on the form! Whoops!
I was pretty happy with the time. Even though it was slower than last year's - it came pretty close to the marathon in January (they had moved the race earlier in the year) and more important, it was my sixth relatively hard workout of the week. This last Sunday, it all caught up with me so I took the day off. Today too.
It was quite possibly the latest I had ever signed up for a fun run. I got caught in the typical I-10 traffic and made it to the registration table with barely a moment to spare. I quickly filled in a blank or two, signed the waiver and ran to the start line. I was so late the national anthem caught me between the table and the start line. After a hard 23.22 5K, I collected my shirt and was off (on vacation). Only just now did I find out I was second in my age group - had I put my age down on the form! Whoops!
I was pretty happy with the time. Even though it was slower than last year's - it came pretty close to the marathon in January (they had moved the race earlier in the year) and more important, it was my sixth relatively hard workout of the week. This last Sunday, it all caught up with me so I took the day off. Today too.
Monday, February 26, 2007
Vacation coming up...
Last weekend was a bit of a blur. I made all my workouts no problem, but I was pretty darn worn out Sunday. I feel much better tonight. Thank goodness I have a vacation coming up. I can't wait.
No real big news to report. I'm working on putting together a race to raise Celiac awareness, so I'm short tonight.
No real big news to report. I'm working on putting together a race to raise Celiac awareness, so I'm short tonight.
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