So, Kelly and I thought we'd take the relaxed approach to the Turkey Trot in Troy.
We trained for our distance races, ran them, and now it's time for a little fun.
Driving to the race site on Thanksgiving morning ended up being a little more of an adventure than I was hoping. The start of the race was moved to a new location and the streets that were closed ended up changing as well.
Kelly and I arrived a little later than we wanted, but we made it in time to see the 5K race before our race. There were a lot of people we know running in that race. It was great to see them having fun on Thanksgiving day.
The Turkey Trot is something that Kelly and I strive to make every year. It means a lot to us and Thanksgiving just isn't the same without a trot.
The 5K finishes and Kelly and I are lining up for the 10K. I wish Kelly luck and we head to our separate starting areas: me in front and Kelly in the middle of the crowd (I don't know how she does it).
The horn sounds and we're off. THe crowd is very supportive and the weather is slightly brisk. I immediately feel not quite right. I continue to press the pace just a little bit, but I am, in no way, racing this thing.
The miles feel like miles. That's not a good sign. I'm not racing and I feel every roll in the road and bump that I run over. Yuck. I'm starting to get a tickle in my nose and throat. CRAP!
I pass by the 5 mile marker without knowing it but I recognize the block that I'm on and know that the finish is coming up. I see an athlete I used to coach with Kelly, and he wishes me a "Happy Thanksgiving, Coach!" He ran in the 5K and finished about 9th or so. He's fast. I just hope I don't look as bad as I feel. I look at the people lining the streets and see that nobody is hiding their children from the hideous man running down the road. That's a good sign. I don't look as bad as I feel, evidently.
I finish and everything starts to set in, immediately. I sneeze uncontrollably. I can't find enough tissue to blow my nose with. My thraot hurts and I'm extremely tired.
I grab an extra orange for Kelly when she finishes and stand by the finish line. I lean on the barrier that is keeping the crowd back and here comes a woman that has just finished. She walks over in front of me and puts her hands on her knees. A woman that is cutting the timing chips from finishers' shoes grabs her shoe and the runner tells her to look out. She proceeds to vomit. The chi woman doesn't even blink. She lets the runner finish puking and calmly cuts the chip off of her shoe. What a volunteer!!!!
Kelly finishes and she looks good. I hold up my orange but she doesn't seem to want it. She ends up grabbing her own, and it's a good thing. Her orange was apparently AWESOME! I ate my orange and it was dry and tart. YUCK!
We walked back to the car, which had to be at the highest point in Troy. After we got to the car, Kelly and went home, showered, and headed off to visit family. I always get bummed out after the race because I love it so much. I remember, however, that the best of the day is yet to come. Family...
Next up, Holiday Lights in the Park. We run from downtown Albany, through Washington Park and all of the holiday lights, and finish back at the starting point. This will be another relaxed run as I wish to enjoy the lights.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Monday, November 24, 2008
San Antonio Rock and Roll 1/2 Marathon
This will be a quick one.
Kelly and I travelled to San Antonio, TX to run in another Rock and Roll event.
We arrived on Thursday and the race was on Sunday. This gave us more than enough time to get used to the weather and eat some AWESOME tex-mex. We did just that.
San Antonio is a beautiful city. The Riverwalk is fantastic. We walked up and down the river and looked at the menus of the places that offered an option for Kelly (friggin' vegetarians!). We came across several.
Everything was in walking distance from our hotel: The Alamo, The Tower of Americas, The Alamodome, The Market Place (exceptional mexican food). It's a good thing that everything is in walking distance as there is no free parking anywhere.
So cut to race morning. I was feeling good after borrowing toilet paper from Kelly so that I could use the port-a-potty. All of the toilets were out except for Kelly's potty!! So I wished Kelly and her cousin, Kate, and Kate's bf, Jeff luck (it was Kate and Jeff's fistrace... EVER!). I stripped down to my t-shirt and shorts and ran around trying to find warmth before the starting gun.
As I made my way to the first corral, I was jogging along and missed a curb. I rolled my ankle but kept running to aviod humiliation. As it turns out, I was ok (phew).
The gun sounded and off we went. I reeled off impressive splits for the first 9 miles. At mile 10 I got a little dizzy and had to stop for 15 seconds. I got my senses back and off I went. I continued to hit nice splits and finished in a 1:24:59. What was my goal...? 1:24:59. I could not believe it!!! Right on the nose! It was meant to be, I guess.
Overall, a GREAT time.
Next up... the Troy Turkey Trot 10K. Goal time of 38:59.
Kelly and I travelled to San Antonio, TX to run in another Rock and Roll event.
We arrived on Thursday and the race was on Sunday. This gave us more than enough time to get used to the weather and eat some AWESOME tex-mex. We did just that.
San Antonio is a beautiful city. The Riverwalk is fantastic. We walked up and down the river and looked at the menus of the places that offered an option for Kelly (friggin' vegetarians!). We came across several.
Everything was in walking distance from our hotel: The Alamo, The Tower of Americas, The Alamodome, The Market Place (exceptional mexican food). It's a good thing that everything is in walking distance as there is no free parking anywhere.
So cut to race morning. I was feeling good after borrowing toilet paper from Kelly so that I could use the port-a-potty. All of the toilets were out except for Kelly's potty!! So I wished Kelly and her cousin, Kate, and Kate's bf, Jeff luck (it was Kate and Jeff's fistrace... EVER!). I stripped down to my t-shirt and shorts and ran around trying to find warmth before the starting gun.
As I made my way to the first corral, I was jogging along and missed a curb. I rolled my ankle but kept running to aviod humiliation. As it turns out, I was ok (phew).
The gun sounded and off we went. I reeled off impressive splits for the first 9 miles. At mile 10 I got a little dizzy and had to stop for 15 seconds. I got my senses back and off I went. I continued to hit nice splits and finished in a 1:24:59. What was my goal...? 1:24:59. I could not believe it!!! Right on the nose! It was meant to be, I guess.
Overall, a GREAT time.
Next up... the Troy Turkey Trot 10K. Goal time of 38:59.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Schenectady Stockade-athon
The Stockade-athon is one of my favorite races. It is very close to home and it is a 15K race. This distance seems to be a good distance to showcase speed and endurance.
So going into this race I had a bet going with a friend, Diane. Diane and I work together at The College of Saint Rose. The bet was that if I won, she would make me bread pudding and if I won, I would make her apple crisp. I am all for friendly wagers, especially when they up the competetive level of the race. This bet seems to have brought out the best in both of us.
The goal was to run in the 58 minute range. 57 minutes would be a bonus.
I had the early lead on Diane and set out with a 6:03 first mile. A bit fast but feeling good.
Mile 2 was a 6:04. Again, feeling good with my competetor in sight.
Mile 3 was 6:06. This was up a slight hill for part of it. Not too bad.
Mile 4 was a 5:58. This was a fast mile because it was downhill.
Mile 5 was 6:15. This was right where I wanted to be. At this point, I had a slight lead on Diane but I knew she wasn't going to give in. Diane had a shot at prize money for coming in top 5 females. I could see the top 5 females grouped together at this point so I knew she was watching, as well.
Mile 6 was 6:41. This was up State street. This is the biggest hill on the course. It's around a half of a mile long. Not too bad. I wanted a 6:45 for this mile so I was happy with this mile.
Mile 7 was 6:30. A bit slow. This was where Diane moved past me. As she went by I told her not to slow down. If she did, I was going to catch her and beat her.
Mile 8 was 6:35. This is the mile that really hurt my chances of winning the bet. Diane moved a good 15 seconds ahead. I could see her but couldn't gain any ground. I could see the bread pudding slipping away! NOOOOO!!
Mile 9 was 6:30. This time was not going to do the job. I needed a 6 minute finish and could not put it together.
THe last .3 miles was 1:51.
Total time: 58:39. Average mmile: 6:18. This was in the range I was looking for but not good enough for the pudding prize. Diane ran 16 seconds faster than I did (58:23). I lost and graciously admitted defeat.
Oh, one more thing. The loser has to present the winner with the dessert during the coaches and athletes meeting; stating why they are presenting the dessert. Ouch.
Next up: Rock and Roll Half Marathon San Antonio, Texas. I can't wait. The goal is 1:24:59.
So going into this race I had a bet going with a friend, Diane. Diane and I work together at The College of Saint Rose. The bet was that if I won, she would make me bread pudding and if I won, I would make her apple crisp. I am all for friendly wagers, especially when they up the competetive level of the race. This bet seems to have brought out the best in both of us.
The goal was to run in the 58 minute range. 57 minutes would be a bonus.
I had the early lead on Diane and set out with a 6:03 first mile. A bit fast but feeling good.
Mile 2 was a 6:04. Again, feeling good with my competetor in sight.
Mile 3 was 6:06. This was up a slight hill for part of it. Not too bad.
Mile 4 was a 5:58. This was a fast mile because it was downhill.
Mile 5 was 6:15. This was right where I wanted to be. At this point, I had a slight lead on Diane but I knew she wasn't going to give in. Diane had a shot at prize money for coming in top 5 females. I could see the top 5 females grouped together at this point so I knew she was watching, as well.
Mile 6 was 6:41. This was up State street. This is the biggest hill on the course. It's around a half of a mile long. Not too bad. I wanted a 6:45 for this mile so I was happy with this mile.
Mile 7 was 6:30. A bit slow. This was where Diane moved past me. As she went by I told her not to slow down. If she did, I was going to catch her and beat her.
Mile 8 was 6:35. This is the mile that really hurt my chances of winning the bet. Diane moved a good 15 seconds ahead. I could see her but couldn't gain any ground. I could see the bread pudding slipping away! NOOOOO!!
Mile 9 was 6:30. This time was not going to do the job. I needed a 6 minute finish and could not put it together.
THe last .3 miles was 1:51.
Total time: 58:39. Average mmile: 6:18. This was in the range I was looking for but not good enough for the pudding prize. Diane ran 16 seconds faster than I did (58:23). I lost and graciously admitted defeat.
Oh, one more thing. The loser has to present the winner with the dessert during the coaches and athletes meeting; stating why they are presenting the dessert. Ouch.
Next up: Rock and Roll Half Marathon San Antonio, Texas. I can't wait. The goal is 1:24:59.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Hairy Gorilla Half Marathon
This race is very unique.
First of all, I am a fan of trail running. Second of all, I am a fan of the half marathon distance. Put them together and I am happier than a pig in mud. Speaking of mud, OH BABY!
This race is put on by the Albany Running Exchange. They put a whole bunch of fun into the racing scene.
This race is held at Thatcher Park in Voorheesville, NY. It is a beautiful state park with many miles of scenic trails. The race winds through the park on the trails, making it a very breathtaking event.
The thing is, it rained all day, the day before the race. THe ground can only hold so much water and it reached the limit before the rain stopped. This created an insanely muddy mess. There was standing water all over the course. Where there wasn't standing water, the course was suction cup mud.
After the race director sang the introduction song about the fact that someone was going to die on the course (it was so funny that I almost didn't hear the gun go off because I was laughing so hard) the race started.
The race was halloween themed with tombstones, pumpkins, haunted houses, chainsaw murderers, gorillas, etc. on the course. It was almost enough to take my mind off of the actual course conditions.
My goal was to beat the previous year's time (1:34). When I started the race, that went out of the window. I would be happy with a 1:40.
I came through at the 6.2 mile mark feeling good mentally, but physically tired. My goal was to pass at least two people before the end of the race without anyone passing me.
I passed my second person at about mile 10. I continued increasing my pace until I couldn't any longer and just held for as long as possible. I ended up passing a third person but he passed me back at mile 12. He stayed on my heels for about 1/2 a mile and then took off for the finish. I just couldn't keep up.
With about 1/2 a mile left before the finish, runners head through an open field. Bananas were placed all over the field. There is a contest within the race to see who can pick up and carry the most bananas across the finish line. I picked up 4 bananas and hoped it would be enough to win the prize. I was wrong. It would take more than 10! Oh well.
So I came across the line (muddy as all heck) in 1:35. VERY HAPPY!!
A picture of the finish is included. Notice the muddy shorts. It looks like I messed myself. Also notice the bananas in hand.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Mohawk Hudson Half Marathon
So the day starts with me feeling MUCH better than I have in 3 weeks.
The thing I had to remember coming into this race is that I have not done ANY training in the past 3 weeks.
The morning was PERFECT for a half marathon and marathon. It was a bit foggy, but nice and cool. With 5 minutes left before race time, I exit the bathrooms and start to lose the layers of clothing that are keeping me semi-warm. Perfect timing...
I throw my belongings on the baggage bus that will transport it to the finish line and move to the starting line.
I end up meeting up with Ryan Kircher and he also has the same game plan: go out in a 7 minute first mile. Ryan and I find a nice little hole to plant ourselve for the 2 minute wait until the start.
The race begins and these are my following splits and thoughts:
Mile 1- 6:55 (nice smooth start, right on target)
Mile 2- 6:16 (Oops, a bit faster than planned)
Mile 3- 6:27 (better)
Mile 4- 6:37 (perfect)
Mile 5- 6:15 (a tad fast, but feeling ok)
(at about 5 1/2, I tell Ryan my legs are feeling it and he can go)
Mile 6- 6:29 (nice, but done with this pace)
Mile 7- 6:57 (ugh)
Mile 8- 6:57 (double ugh)
Mile 9- 7:20 (ok, feeling tired but not fatigued)
Mile 10- 7:21 (starting to tire)
Mile 11- 7:35 (just make it without stopping, Joe)
Mile 12- 8:07 (just make it without crawling, Joe)
Mile 13- 8:21 (ok, I think I can make it without walking)
The last .1 miles- 41 seconds (had a bit of a kick left to hold off a charging dude)
Total time: 1:32.25
So, all-in-all, not too bad. This is the first race that I flet like I didn't need to curl up and take a nap in the middle of it. The last 3 races felt that way for me.
So, positives:
Not fatigued
Didn't walk
Not incredibly ill
Things to work on:
Endurance (gone)
Speed (missing a little)
Drinking out of a cup while running (apparently, I lost that ability as well)
Next up: Hairy Gorilla Half Marathon at Thacher State Park. 10/26/08
Goal: 1:30.00
The thing I had to remember coming into this race is that I have not done ANY training in the past 3 weeks.
The morning was PERFECT for a half marathon and marathon. It was a bit foggy, but nice and cool. With 5 minutes left before race time, I exit the bathrooms and start to lose the layers of clothing that are keeping me semi-warm. Perfect timing...
I throw my belongings on the baggage bus that will transport it to the finish line and move to the starting line.
I end up meeting up with Ryan Kircher and he also has the same game plan: go out in a 7 minute first mile. Ryan and I find a nice little hole to plant ourselve for the 2 minute wait until the start.
The race begins and these are my following splits and thoughts:
Mile 1- 6:55 (nice smooth start, right on target)
Mile 2- 6:16 (Oops, a bit faster than planned)
Mile 3- 6:27 (better)
Mile 4- 6:37 (perfect)
Mile 5- 6:15 (a tad fast, but feeling ok)
(at about 5 1/2, I tell Ryan my legs are feeling it and he can go)
Mile 6- 6:29 (nice, but done with this pace)
Mile 7- 6:57 (ugh)
Mile 8- 6:57 (double ugh)
Mile 9- 7:20 (ok, feeling tired but not fatigued)
Mile 10- 7:21 (starting to tire)
Mile 11- 7:35 (just make it without stopping, Joe)
Mile 12- 8:07 (just make it without crawling, Joe)
Mile 13- 8:21 (ok, I think I can make it without walking)
The last .1 miles- 41 seconds (had a bit of a kick left to hold off a charging dude)
Total time: 1:32.25
So, all-in-all, not too bad. This is the first race that I flet like I didn't need to curl up and take a nap in the middle of it. The last 3 races felt that way for me.
So, positives:
Not fatigued
Didn't walk
Not incredibly ill
Things to work on:
Endurance (gone)
Speed (missing a little)
Drinking out of a cup while running (apparently, I lost that ability as well)
Next up: Hairy Gorilla Half Marathon at Thacher State Park. 10/26/08
Goal: 1:30.00
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Men's Health Urbanathlon
So what's an urbanathlon, you ask?
Good question. I'm still not sure... and I DID IT!
Kelly and I went down to NYC for the weekend to visit with friends we haven't seen in a while and so that I could participate in the race.
The weekend started off in a great way. Friday night, Kelly and I met up with our good friends, Erich and Leo. Erich stayed with us in the hotel becuase he was doing the race, as well. Kelly came with me for race support and to catch up with some old friends.
We all went to dinner together on Friday night at a place that was very close to the hotel. We had a nice pre-race meal and shot back to the hotel to get some much-needed shut-eye.
The next day, Saturday, was race day. Erich and I got up at 5:15 to shoot down on the subway to Central Park for the start. Kelly wished us luck and stayed in her nice warm bed for a little while longer (It turns out that Kelly got up and ran on the tredmill soon after Erich and I left).
Erich and I arrived at Central Park with plenty of time for a quick but important porta-potty stop, baggage check, and a warm-up. The temperature was on the cool side but with much humidity. It had also rained during the night so the course was wet.
Erich and I lined up together and listened to Rocco Dispirito wish us luck. He said he would've run with us but he's on the show, Dancing With The Stars, and can't risk injury. Very understandable (wussy boy).
The siren went off and the race started. I got out to a good spot and dropped into a comfortable pace. The race shot out of Central Park and made it's way down the bike path on the west side of Manhatten. After 3 miles, we found ourselves on a pier involved with the first obastacles. We had to jump over jersey barriers and climb through 6 foot long tubes. We then ran off of the pier and continued down the bike path toward Battery Park.
After another 2 miles, we came to our second set of obstacles. We had to crawl under a truck and then under a cargo net. We then had to climb through monkey bars and military hurdles. OH MY GOD! I was spent after this.
We, then, ran 2 more miles to a building with 52 flights of stairs. That's right! We ran up all 52 flights and then back down. Ok, so I thought I was done after the second obstacles, now I'm REALLY done.
On to the finish. Another mile and then we reach 2 taxicabs nose-to-nose. We had to slide over these and then scale a 9 foot wall. After the wall was the finish and my lovely supportive wife. What's better than that, I ask you?
What an awesome day and we had an awesome time. Next year, I will race with more knowledge about what to expect.
I came in 28th overall and Erich came in 44th.
You can view the results at: http://www.menshealthurbanathlon.com/downloads/individual%20splits_ny_08.pdf
Good question. I'm still not sure... and I DID IT!
Kelly and I went down to NYC for the weekend to visit with friends we haven't seen in a while and so that I could participate in the race.
The weekend started off in a great way. Friday night, Kelly and I met up with our good friends, Erich and Leo. Erich stayed with us in the hotel becuase he was doing the race, as well. Kelly came with me for race support and to catch up with some old friends.
We all went to dinner together on Friday night at a place that was very close to the hotel. We had a nice pre-race meal and shot back to the hotel to get some much-needed shut-eye.
The next day, Saturday, was race day. Erich and I got up at 5:15 to shoot down on the subway to Central Park for the start. Kelly wished us luck and stayed in her nice warm bed for a little while longer (It turns out that Kelly got up and ran on the tredmill soon after Erich and I left).
Erich and I arrived at Central Park with plenty of time for a quick but important porta-potty stop, baggage check, and a warm-up. The temperature was on the cool side but with much humidity. It had also rained during the night so the course was wet.
Erich and I lined up together and listened to Rocco Dispirito wish us luck. He said he would've run with us but he's on the show, Dancing With The Stars, and can't risk injury. Very understandable (wussy boy).
The siren went off and the race started. I got out to a good spot and dropped into a comfortable pace. The race shot out of Central Park and made it's way down the bike path on the west side of Manhatten. After 3 miles, we found ourselves on a pier involved with the first obastacles. We had to jump over jersey barriers and climb through 6 foot long tubes. We then ran off of the pier and continued down the bike path toward Battery Park.
After another 2 miles, we came to our second set of obstacles. We had to crawl under a truck and then under a cargo net. We then had to climb through monkey bars and military hurdles. OH MY GOD! I was spent after this.
We, then, ran 2 more miles to a building with 52 flights of stairs. That's right! We ran up all 52 flights and then back down. Ok, so I thought I was done after the second obstacles, now I'm REALLY done.
On to the finish. Another mile and then we reach 2 taxicabs nose-to-nose. We had to slide over these and then scale a 9 foot wall. After the wall was the finish and my lovely supportive wife. What's better than that, I ask you?
What an awesome day and we had an awesome time. Next year, I will race with more knowledge about what to expect.
I came in 28th overall and Erich came in 44th.
You can view the results at: http://www.menshealthurbanathlon.com/downloads/individual%20splits_ny_08.pdf
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Monday nigh Mini Triathlon
So another PR (Personal Record)! On my watch, it's a 1:02:03. On their watch, it's a 1:01:03!
I'll take their time.
I ran a much better running portion which is what made the race a success.
I have been trying to break the hour mark and it is incredibly difficult to do.
No prizes afterwards, however. It seems that I always come in fourth in my age group every week. I came in fourth in my age group when I came in fifth overall! How frustrating!
Any way...
Next week is the last week, so I'll be going for broke.
I'll take their time.
I ran a much better running portion which is what made the race a success.
I have been trying to break the hour mark and it is incredibly difficult to do.
No prizes afterwards, however. It seems that I always come in fourth in my age group every week. I came in fourth in my age group when I came in fifth overall! How frustrating!
Any way...
Next week is the last week, so I'll be going for broke.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Monday Night Mini Tri (Lake Placid)
I'M BACK!
My previous best time on this course was 1:04:00.
THe course is a 400 Meter swim in Mirror Lake, a 12.5 mile bike, and a 3.0 mile run.
The bike and run is pretty hilly. It's a pretty challenging course. The nice thing about this triathlon is that it is laid back. It is also offered every Monday night during the summer.
I attempted the triathlon 2 weeks ago and probably shouldn't have. I got off of the bike and started to run with immediate cramping in my stomach. The rest of the night (at home) was a living nightmare.
So compared to that experience, let's call it "night," this one was "day."
I was feeling really good at the start. My swim ended up being acceptable. I was shooting for a low 7 minute swim and ended up doing a high 7. I got on my bike and really went for it. I ended up biking my best time ever on this course, 34:30.
I got off of my bike and threw caution to the wind. I had a guy right in front of me to chip away at for the first half mile. I caught him and looked for more. At the 1.5 mile turn around, I could see my next target. He was far enough ahead to give me a really good challenge to pass him before the finish line. I also noticed that I was in 5th place at the turn around. As I turned, I saw (to my horror) a youngster with his sights set on me. This gave me a new goal, catch the guy in front of me and do not get passed by the spritely looking kid coming up on me. I found another gear and started moving. I could hear footsteps and breathing for the next mile. I also noticed that I was reeling in the next guy. The youngster pulled up next to me and said, "Let's go get him," reffering to the guy with my target on his back. My response was something incredibly unintelligible that sounded like it needed a highly skilled translator. I think I tried to say, "I'm trying."
The kid that probably still can't grow facial hair cruised by and passed the guy in front of me. At this point, Kelly was coming towards me going out on her run and the finish line was probably about 400 meters away. She told me that I was in 6th place. Maybe Kelly knew that I like the number 5 better than 6 and her intention was to get me fired up and motivated. If that was the intention, it worked. I pushed with everything I had to pass this guy and I got him with about 200 meters left. After passing him, I thought, "Great. Now I have to hold this pace until the end." I did hold it and came in 5th overall.
Now for the funny part. I came in 5th overall, and the awards are given to the top three in each age group. I have never received an award and I figured I would be a shoe-in. Not so. The top three finishers were all in my age group so 1st, 2nd, and 3rd all received an award for the 18-29 age group. The 4th place kid was 17. I was left with no award. How frustrating is that?!
I received a great raffle prize, however. A watch that you can plug your ipod into and it can control your ipod. It was the featured prize of the night and I won it.
I guess I can't complain.
So as for my time, I completed the course in 1:02:18. My best time by almost 2 minutes! I am so happy! This, on the day that I signed up for Ironman Lake Placid 2009. What a way to celebrate.
Next up, Mini Tri next Monday and Race the Train on August 2nd.
Until next time...
My previous best time on this course was 1:04:00.
THe course is a 400 Meter swim in Mirror Lake, a 12.5 mile bike, and a 3.0 mile run.
The bike and run is pretty hilly. It's a pretty challenging course. The nice thing about this triathlon is that it is laid back. It is also offered every Monday night during the summer.
I attempted the triathlon 2 weeks ago and probably shouldn't have. I got off of the bike and started to run with immediate cramping in my stomach. The rest of the night (at home) was a living nightmare.
So compared to that experience, let's call it "night," this one was "day."
I was feeling really good at the start. My swim ended up being acceptable. I was shooting for a low 7 minute swim and ended up doing a high 7. I got on my bike and really went for it. I ended up biking my best time ever on this course, 34:30.
I got off of my bike and threw caution to the wind. I had a guy right in front of me to chip away at for the first half mile. I caught him and looked for more. At the 1.5 mile turn around, I could see my next target. He was far enough ahead to give me a really good challenge to pass him before the finish line. I also noticed that I was in 5th place at the turn around. As I turned, I saw (to my horror) a youngster with his sights set on me. This gave me a new goal, catch the guy in front of me and do not get passed by the spritely looking kid coming up on me. I found another gear and started moving. I could hear footsteps and breathing for the next mile. I also noticed that I was reeling in the next guy. The youngster pulled up next to me and said, "Let's go get him," reffering to the guy with my target on his back. My response was something incredibly unintelligible that sounded like it needed a highly skilled translator. I think I tried to say, "I'm trying."
The kid that probably still can't grow facial hair cruised by and passed the guy in front of me. At this point, Kelly was coming towards me going out on her run and the finish line was probably about 400 meters away. She told me that I was in 6th place. Maybe Kelly knew that I like the number 5 better than 6 and her intention was to get me fired up and motivated. If that was the intention, it worked. I pushed with everything I had to pass this guy and I got him with about 200 meters left. After passing him, I thought, "Great. Now I have to hold this pace until the end." I did hold it and came in 5th overall.
Now for the funny part. I came in 5th overall, and the awards are given to the top three in each age group. I have never received an award and I figured I would be a shoe-in. Not so. The top three finishers were all in my age group so 1st, 2nd, and 3rd all received an award for the 18-29 age group. The 4th place kid was 17. I was left with no award. How frustrating is that?!
I received a great raffle prize, however. A watch that you can plug your ipod into and it can control your ipod. It was the featured prize of the night and I won it.
I guess I can't complain.
So as for my time, I completed the course in 1:02:18. My best time by almost 2 minutes! I am so happy! This, on the day that I signed up for Ironman Lake Placid 2009. What a way to celebrate.
Next up, Mini Tri next Monday and Race the Train on August 2nd.
Until next time...
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Utica Boilermaker
This will be a quick one
I went to the Boilermaker in hopes of running. It didn't happen. I stayed in the hotel room that morning and Kelly ran it. She did and awesome job. The day was good for running.
After the race, Kelly and I went to an urgent care where I was given two IV's of electrolytes and had some tests done. The conclusion... they believe I have a viral gastro intestinal issue and that I was severely dehydrated.
Now, the next day, I feel SO much better. I'm on a diet of bland foods for the next few days (toast, soup, water). I'll do anything it takes just so I don't have to go through that anymore. This was the worst illness I've had. I must admit, I made some silly mistakes during the duration of the illness (eating fried foods, drinking wine, completing a triathlon, taking the wrong medication) that probably made it worse and prolonged it.
Next on the agenda... volunteering at the Ironman Lake Placid and signing up for next year's Ironman. I'm looking forward to signing up so that it makes it official and I can start planning and working toward that goal.
Next race, maybe the mini-triathlon in Lake Placid on Monday the 21'st. If not, then it's Race the Train in Northville. This is a fun one as well.
Until next time...
I went to the Boilermaker in hopes of running. It didn't happen. I stayed in the hotel room that morning and Kelly ran it. She did and awesome job. The day was good for running.
After the race, Kelly and I went to an urgent care where I was given two IV's of electrolytes and had some tests done. The conclusion... they believe I have a viral gastro intestinal issue and that I was severely dehydrated.
Now, the next day, I feel SO much better. I'm on a diet of bland foods for the next few days (toast, soup, water). I'll do anything it takes just so I don't have to go through that anymore. This was the worst illness I've had. I must admit, I made some silly mistakes during the duration of the illness (eating fried foods, drinking wine, completing a triathlon, taking the wrong medication) that probably made it worse and prolonged it.
Next on the agenda... volunteering at the Ironman Lake Placid and signing up for next year's Ironman. I'm looking forward to signing up so that it makes it official and I can start planning and working toward that goal.
Next race, maybe the mini-triathlon in Lake Placid on Monday the 21'st. If not, then it's Race the Train in Northville. This is a fun one as well.
Until next time...
Friday, July 11, 2008
Mirror Lake Mini-Tri (Lake Placid, NY)
Big mistake.
I had a serious stomach/intestinal issue the day before and was feeling, at best, ok for the race.
Kelly and I drove up to Lake Placid for the race which was to begin at 6:30. We arrived at 5:30 and I immediately had to use the facilities. I got back to the transition area to set up my bike and such and I had to go again. Not a good sign. I probably should have bowed out of the race, but I paid $15 and I thought I could grit it out. Oops.
I swam really well, but I could feel my stomach cramping up during the 400 meter endeavor. I got out of the water and when I stood up, my stomach made a very liquid sound. Oh boy...
I got on my bike and pushed a tiny bit. I actually did really well for my condition.
I got off of the bike and took my time getting my sneakers and hat on. I stood, ready to run, and I felt horrible.
The thing is, I DNF'ed (did not finish) this race my very first triathlon effort several years ago, and I vowed that it would never happen again. Now that the stage is set, beack to the race...
I , very gingerly, started trotting down the road for the run portion. Squish, splash, squish, splash, bloop... not the sound of my wet sneakers, but of my stomach slushing around. I thought about walking, but for reasons I cannot now recall, I talked myself out of it and continued to run... man, it just pains me to remameber this...
I have never felt such internal cramping in my life. If I had to try and describe it, I might liken it to what I would imagine several knives stabbing me in my stomach and twisting and turning them. Yes, that sounds about right.
I finished the race, consolation prize. I immediately went ot the pub and brewery across the street (not for a pint) and used their bathroom.
I remained in a fetal position through-out the raffles and awards and asked Kelly to drive me home. As soon as I was back at the camp, I went straight to the powder room. Worst night of my life at the camp. NIght of hell. Thoughts of death weren't too far off.
Now I sit here, several days later, still feeling off, and I have the Utica Boilermaker in 2 days. Please, if there is a compassionate intestine god, be nice to me...
Until next time
I had a serious stomach/intestinal issue the day before and was feeling, at best, ok for the race.
Kelly and I drove up to Lake Placid for the race which was to begin at 6:30. We arrived at 5:30 and I immediately had to use the facilities. I got back to the transition area to set up my bike and such and I had to go again. Not a good sign. I probably should have bowed out of the race, but I paid $15 and I thought I could grit it out. Oops.
I swam really well, but I could feel my stomach cramping up during the 400 meter endeavor. I got out of the water and when I stood up, my stomach made a very liquid sound. Oh boy...
I got on my bike and pushed a tiny bit. I actually did really well for my condition.
I got off of the bike and took my time getting my sneakers and hat on. I stood, ready to run, and I felt horrible.
The thing is, I DNF'ed (did not finish) this race my very first triathlon effort several years ago, and I vowed that it would never happen again. Now that the stage is set, beack to the race...
I , very gingerly, started trotting down the road for the run portion. Squish, splash, squish, splash, bloop... not the sound of my wet sneakers, but of my stomach slushing around. I thought about walking, but for reasons I cannot now recall, I talked myself out of it and continued to run... man, it just pains me to remameber this...
I have never felt such internal cramping in my life. If I had to try and describe it, I might liken it to what I would imagine several knives stabbing me in my stomach and twisting and turning them. Yes, that sounds about right.
I finished the race, consolation prize. I immediately went ot the pub and brewery across the street (not for a pint) and used their bathroom.
I remained in a fetal position through-out the raffles and awards and asked Kelly to drive me home. As soon as I was back at the camp, I went straight to the powder room. Worst night of my life at the camp. NIght of hell. Thoughts of death weren't too far off.
Now I sit here, several days later, still feeling off, and I have the Utica Boilermaker in 2 days. Please, if there is a compassionate intestine god, be nice to me...
Until next time
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Tupper Lake Tinman
I am a TINMAN!!!
Morning of:
Weather center shows showers in the morning with thunderstorms in the afternoon.
We arrived at Tupper Lake under cloudy conditions.
Swim:
I put my wetsuit on about 25 minutes before my wave was to go off. I was the second wave, right after the sprint triathletes. As I approached the water with the sprinters underway, I started telling myself that I have trained enough and I can do it. There were very few athletes in my wave (roughly 75?). I started in the center back position. The horn sounded from the ambulance to start our wave. I hit the lake feeling pretty good, but about 00 meters in, I get raked in the face by a hand. My right goggle lense flips down off of my eye and I start to fix it. As I am tredding water, I swallowing what feels like 2 gallons of the lake thanks to the waves ramming me in the face (needless to say, I am not experienced in this area of the race; fixing my goggles in the middle of the swim, that is). I get my goggles on but am having a hard time getting my breath back. I call over a kayak to hang on to while burping for a good 2 minutes. I can't burp while my chest is under water. Something about the pressure the water puts on that area... but once I hoist myself up on the kayak and get my chest out of the water, I start to belch like Homer Simpson. Even the kayaker was impressed, saying, "There you go!" and "Nice one!" He was great. I soon recovered and was able to continue. One funny thing while I was on the kayak, Kelly swam right up on the kayak (we got in her way) and she picked her head up and said hello to me and asked what was going on. How random is that? Out of all of the people in our wave, Kelly is the one that runs into the kayak while I'm burping up water.
I finish the 1.2 mile swim in a respectable but personally disappointing 41 minutes.
Bike:
I get my wetsuit off and get my bike shoes, helmet, and sunglasses on. The weather is now partly cloudy with some breaks of sun. Not too bad, considering we were looking at some storms coming. I walk my bike over to the mounting area and am told to stop and wait. I ask what I am waiting for and the volunteer tells me he is letting some traffic go first. WHAT??!! He lets a minute's worth of traffic go by before he tells me I can go. I tell him it's a good thing I am not worried about my transition time or I'd be upset. He just rolls his eyes at me and tells me to get out of there. I sprint across the street before he decides to let any more traffic go. I get on my bike and I am out! I start off smoothly, letting my legs get into the swing of things. The first portion of the bike (20 miles) is rolling hills. The last 8 miles is pretty flat. Then you get to turn around and go backwards for another 28 miles. The rolling hills did not flatten out while I was turning around to come back to them. This ride was a tough one. At the turn around, I noticed that I had not hydrated enough, so I grabbbed a gatorade from a volunteer and had one of my peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. YUMMY!! My body responded very well to that. I got an instant jolt of energy and amped the pace. I passed several people over the last 10 miles (they were bonking, big time) and had great confidence coming into the transition for the run.
Bike time: 2:47.47 for 56 miles. Avg- 20 mph. I was VERY pleased with this effort.
Run:
Oh boy...
I got off of my bike and the weather was down right opressive. The sun was fully out and it was HUMID! I had not hydrated enough on the bike and was in trouble for the run. I took my time in transition and took in about a half bottle of water. I grabbed 3 gu energy gels, talked to Kelly's dad about how I was not looking forward to the run (normally my strong point). I quickly found out that my legs were ready but the rest of my body didn't have it. I stopped at EVERY SINGLE aid station and took in water and fruit. It was the only way I survived that run. The run, itself, was rolling hills and absolutely no shade. I noticed that most athletes were in rough shape as well. The volunteers out on the course were simply fantastic. They made sure that athletes were getting what they needed, sometimes running back to the supply table and getting what the athletes wanted and then running with them to make sure they got what they needed. Outstanding. I ran in between each aid station, about a mile apart, and then refueled. I did this until the end.
I finish feeling very good about my effort, knowing that this is all to get ready for the ultimate goal, the Lake Placid Ironman- 2009.
Run: 13.1 miles in 2:01.25 avg- 9:17 per mile. Eh... ok. I did it.
Here is the link to the results. I came in 175th overall.
http://www.sportstats.ca/display-results.php?lang=eng&racecode=43481
Next up, Mini triathlon in Lake Placid (sprint distance) on Monday and the the Utica Boilermaker on July 13th.
Until next time...
Morning of:
Weather center shows showers in the morning with thunderstorms in the afternoon.
We arrived at Tupper Lake under cloudy conditions.
Swim:
I put my wetsuit on about 25 minutes before my wave was to go off. I was the second wave, right after the sprint triathletes. As I approached the water with the sprinters underway, I started telling myself that I have trained enough and I can do it. There were very few athletes in my wave (roughly 75?). I started in the center back position. The horn sounded from the ambulance to start our wave. I hit the lake feeling pretty good, but about 00 meters in, I get raked in the face by a hand. My right goggle lense flips down off of my eye and I start to fix it. As I am tredding water, I swallowing what feels like 2 gallons of the lake thanks to the waves ramming me in the face (needless to say, I am not experienced in this area of the race; fixing my goggles in the middle of the swim, that is). I get my goggles on but am having a hard time getting my breath back. I call over a kayak to hang on to while burping for a good 2 minutes. I can't burp while my chest is under water. Something about the pressure the water puts on that area... but once I hoist myself up on the kayak and get my chest out of the water, I start to belch like Homer Simpson. Even the kayaker was impressed, saying, "There you go!" and "Nice one!" He was great. I soon recovered and was able to continue. One funny thing while I was on the kayak, Kelly swam right up on the kayak (we got in her way) and she picked her head up and said hello to me and asked what was going on. How random is that? Out of all of the people in our wave, Kelly is the one that runs into the kayak while I'm burping up water.
I finish the 1.2 mile swim in a respectable but personally disappointing 41 minutes.
Bike:
I get my wetsuit off and get my bike shoes, helmet, and sunglasses on. The weather is now partly cloudy with some breaks of sun. Not too bad, considering we were looking at some storms coming. I walk my bike over to the mounting area and am told to stop and wait. I ask what I am waiting for and the volunteer tells me he is letting some traffic go first. WHAT??!! He lets a minute's worth of traffic go by before he tells me I can go. I tell him it's a good thing I am not worried about my transition time or I'd be upset. He just rolls his eyes at me and tells me to get out of there. I sprint across the street before he decides to let any more traffic go. I get on my bike and I am out! I start off smoothly, letting my legs get into the swing of things. The first portion of the bike (20 miles) is rolling hills. The last 8 miles is pretty flat. Then you get to turn around and go backwards for another 28 miles. The rolling hills did not flatten out while I was turning around to come back to them. This ride was a tough one. At the turn around, I noticed that I had not hydrated enough, so I grabbbed a gatorade from a volunteer and had one of my peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. YUMMY!! My body responded very well to that. I got an instant jolt of energy and amped the pace. I passed several people over the last 10 miles (they were bonking, big time) and had great confidence coming into the transition for the run.
Bike time: 2:47.47 for 56 miles. Avg- 20 mph. I was VERY pleased with this effort.
Run:
Oh boy...
I got off of my bike and the weather was down right opressive. The sun was fully out and it was HUMID! I had not hydrated enough on the bike and was in trouble for the run. I took my time in transition and took in about a half bottle of water. I grabbed 3 gu energy gels, talked to Kelly's dad about how I was not looking forward to the run (normally my strong point). I quickly found out that my legs were ready but the rest of my body didn't have it. I stopped at EVERY SINGLE aid station and took in water and fruit. It was the only way I survived that run. The run, itself, was rolling hills and absolutely no shade. I noticed that most athletes were in rough shape as well. The volunteers out on the course were simply fantastic. They made sure that athletes were getting what they needed, sometimes running back to the supply table and getting what the athletes wanted and then running with them to make sure they got what they needed. Outstanding. I ran in between each aid station, about a mile apart, and then refueled. I did this until the end.
I finish feeling very good about my effort, knowing that this is all to get ready for the ultimate goal, the Lake Placid Ironman- 2009.
Run: 13.1 miles in 2:01.25 avg- 9:17 per mile. Eh... ok. I did it.
Here is the link to the results. I came in 175th overall.
http://www.sportstats.ca/display-results.php?lang=eng&racecode=43481
Next up, Mini triathlon in Lake Placid (sprint distance) on Monday and the the Utica Boilermaker on July 13th.
Until next time...
Monday, June 23, 2008
Baxter Mountain Race (3.5M)
I love this race!
This year, I decided to run the shorter distance of the two that are offered. The short race is 3.5 miles. The longer distance is 11.5 miles. I did the long distance last year and it kicked my butt. Since the Tupper Lake Tinman is the following weekend, I decided to go the shorter route.
The weather was almost ideal as we arrived at the Mountaineer store. This is where the runners were to meet to take a yellow school bus to the start. There were two buses leaving at two different times. The first bus left at 9:40 and the second at 10:10. The short race started at 10am so, obviously, the second bus would carry the runners who didn't want to start up front.
The start of the race is at a trailhead for Baxter Mountain. There is a person with a watch and a clipboard starting people at 1 minute intervals. I chose to go on the first bus because I didn't want to have to pass too many people during the race. You'll see why in a moment.
We get off of the bus and get our race numbers "sharpied" on our arms. We then make our way to the trailhead for the start. It looked as though there were about 40 people on that first bus. When I reached the trailhead, the woman with the watch and board gave us quick instructions and let us know that the quicker people should go first since most of the trail is a single person trail which makes it difficult to pass.
I know this from first-hand experience. I've done this race twice before, and each time there were people who wouldn't let me pass. I would be right breathing on their backs and saying, "PASS!! ON YOUR LEFT," but they would not let me pass!
This time I said I would go first, and I did. Everyone else would have to pass me if they felt the need.
And off I went into the woods and up the mountain. Once I made it to the peak of the uphill portion, it started to go steadily down. THe fun part of this race is the downhill. I tend to be on the verge of out of control. One must keep there eyes and thoughts at least 5 steps ahead. There are roots and rocks that could end your race (and many future races) with one lazy step.
So upon crossing the finish line, I was happy with the fact that nobody passed me during the race and nobody seemed to cross the finish line immediately after me.
The frustrating part is that you have to wait until everyone is done running to see how you did in the rankings. Since the last person to go can cover the distance in a quicker time than you, it makes it very suspensful.
As it turns out, I ended up winning the race. I ran a 24:26. This is a good time seeing as how they changed the course from the last time I ran it. They give great prizes (two hiking poles, a great water bottle, and subscription to trail runner mag). I will include the link to the results of this years race and the previous years' results are viewable as well. I ran the 11.5 last year and the 3.5 in 06 and 05.
http://www.mountaineer.com/trail_run/08results.htm
Next up... Tupper Lake Tinman!! This is it!! It's here! The race I've been training for has arrived.
Until next time!
This year, I decided to run the shorter distance of the two that are offered. The short race is 3.5 miles. The longer distance is 11.5 miles. I did the long distance last year and it kicked my butt. Since the Tupper Lake Tinman is the following weekend, I decided to go the shorter route.
The weather was almost ideal as we arrived at the Mountaineer store. This is where the runners were to meet to take a yellow school bus to the start. There were two buses leaving at two different times. The first bus left at 9:40 and the second at 10:10. The short race started at 10am so, obviously, the second bus would carry the runners who didn't want to start up front.
The start of the race is at a trailhead for Baxter Mountain. There is a person with a watch and a clipboard starting people at 1 minute intervals. I chose to go on the first bus because I didn't want to have to pass too many people during the race. You'll see why in a moment.
We get off of the bus and get our race numbers "sharpied" on our arms. We then make our way to the trailhead for the start. It looked as though there were about 40 people on that first bus. When I reached the trailhead, the woman with the watch and board gave us quick instructions and let us know that the quicker people should go first since most of the trail is a single person trail which makes it difficult to pass.
I know this from first-hand experience. I've done this race twice before, and each time there were people who wouldn't let me pass. I would be right breathing on their backs and saying, "PASS!! ON YOUR LEFT," but they would not let me pass!
This time I said I would go first, and I did. Everyone else would have to pass me if they felt the need.
And off I went into the woods and up the mountain. Once I made it to the peak of the uphill portion, it started to go steadily down. THe fun part of this race is the downhill. I tend to be on the verge of out of control. One must keep there eyes and thoughts at least 5 steps ahead. There are roots and rocks that could end your race (and many future races) with one lazy step.
So upon crossing the finish line, I was happy with the fact that nobody passed me during the race and nobody seemed to cross the finish line immediately after me.
The frustrating part is that you have to wait until everyone is done running to see how you did in the rankings. Since the last person to go can cover the distance in a quicker time than you, it makes it very suspensful.
As it turns out, I ended up winning the race. I ran a 24:26. This is a good time seeing as how they changed the course from the last time I ran it. They give great prizes (two hiking poles, a great water bottle, and subscription to trail runner mag). I will include the link to the results of this years race and the previous years' results are viewable as well. I ran the 11.5 last year and the 3.5 in 06 and 05.
http://www.mountaineer.com/trail_run/08results.htm
Next up... Tupper Lake Tinman!! This is it!! It's here! The race I've been training for has arrived.
Until next time!
Monday, June 16, 2008
Lake Placid Half Marathon
So the goal for this race was to see where I was in my condition for Tupper Lake Tinman(which is in 2 weeks).
The morning of the race looked good. The sun was just rising when we left the camp for the trip to The Olympic Oval for the start. The day before brought humid conditions and I was hoping the rain that broke through that night would have broke the humidity. That's all that it was, a false hope.
The horn sounded and the race was off. The sun was shining down on the runners and there were only a few clouds in the sky.
After rounding Mirror Lake for the first 2.5 miles, one could really feel things starting to heat up. I was feeling good at the 4 mile marker which is the beginning of River Road. River Road is an out and back stretch of the race. The road is full of gently rolling hills, nothing too major. I made the turn around mile 8 and headed back down the road. I was feeling really good and I was in 7th place for the half marathon. I finished 14th the previous year and was hoping I could hold this pace for the rest of the race.
As I passed the 9 mile marker, I was around my 15K Personal Best time of 57 minutes. I was still feeling ok.
And then I hit mile 10. Uh-oh. I can't hold this pace. I dropped off and people started to slowly pass me.
I shuffled in about 4 seconds under my best time on this course and 13th overall. My time was 1:29:27.
I came in 2nd in my age group.
Next up, Baxter Mountain 3.5 mile Mountain Run.
The morning of the race looked good. The sun was just rising when we left the camp for the trip to The Olympic Oval for the start. The day before brought humid conditions and I was hoping the rain that broke through that night would have broke the humidity. That's all that it was, a false hope.
The horn sounded and the race was off. The sun was shining down on the runners and there were only a few clouds in the sky.
After rounding Mirror Lake for the first 2.5 miles, one could really feel things starting to heat up. I was feeling good at the 4 mile marker which is the beginning of River Road. River Road is an out and back stretch of the race. The road is full of gently rolling hills, nothing too major. I made the turn around mile 8 and headed back down the road. I was feeling really good and I was in 7th place for the half marathon. I finished 14th the previous year and was hoping I could hold this pace for the rest of the race.
As I passed the 9 mile marker, I was around my 15K Personal Best time of 57 minutes. I was still feeling ok.
And then I hit mile 10. Uh-oh. I can't hold this pace. I dropped off and people started to slowly pass me.
I shuffled in about 4 seconds under my best time on this course and 13th overall. My time was 1:29:27.
I came in 2nd in my age group.
Next up, Baxter Mountain 3.5 mile Mountain Run.
Friday, June 6, 2008
Vale Park 5K
This is probably one of my favorite 5K races to do.
Reason being, it is around the corner from where I live and the course goes through the Union College campus and finishes in a very nice park.
The weather for this Thursday night race was good. The sky was partly cloudy and the temp. was low 70's. There was a tad on the humid side but it is a short race so it didn't factor in too much.
The thing that did factor in was the pain in my shin. I have been having shin splint pain above my ankle on the inside of my left leg. It hurt this morning as I walked on it. That is the first time it hurt when not running. It has since gotten less painful. Anyway, I chose to where my trainers instead of my racing shoes; going for comfort over speed.
When the gun for the start sounded (Not an actual gun, gun. This could be confused with the everyday sounds of Schenectady) I went out behind 3 other people to feel out the pace. I did not recognize any of the racers in front of me so I had no idea about their pace or abilities. As I reached the first turn, about 400 meters into the race, a middle school aged kid raced by me and in front of the leaders. I love watching these youngsters think it is easy at the start. THe pace always catches up to them after a half mile and they drop back. This, of course, was the case this time as well.
I ran through the Union College campus and settled into 3rd position overall. I could see 1 and 2 just ahead of me. This was fine with me. What wasn't fine was the mile 1 split: 5:35. Oh boy, 10 seconds faster than I wanted... not a good sign for me.
I kept pushing, however, and came through mile 2 in 5:53. I didn't choose to slow down to this pace. My body did it automatically. I was pretty spent at this point. One thing I do enjoy is beating myself up and seeing how far I can push my body. I was going to test it during mile 3.
I could hear faint footsteps behind me as I made the turn into the park for the finish. I knew there were hills coming up and I wanted to hang onto my 3rd place. 1 and 2 were out of the question as I would have to make up about 30 seconds within the last mile. Not going to happen. So my new goal was to push and hold.
I ended up finding out a lot about myself in that last mile. My body wanted to give up and coast... maybe let the 4th place runner come up on me and then try to outkick him at the end. My mind stuck with the new goal and wouldn't let my body settle. I drove myself up the hills and opened up my stride on the downs. I'm glad, because that was the difference. I broke the guy behind me, his footsteps gradually disappearing, and I finished a very strong third mile and race in third position overall.
I improved on my best finish at this race by one spot and by 11 seconds. I am proud of myself today and the new ceramic mug/trophy will be a constant reminder of who I am and what I can do.
Finish Time- 18:24
Avg mile pace- 5:55
Finished- 3rd overall
Results - http://www.hmrrc.com/View/PDFs/Results/08vale.htm
Next race- Lake Placid Half Marathon
Date- Next Sunday Father's Day (June 15th)
Goal Time- Sub 1:30:00 Hopefully top 3 in age-group.
Misc- This year's goal is coming up. The Tupper Lake Tinman. June 29th!!!!
A nice 1st anniversary gift to myself (June 30th)
Until Next time!
Reason being, it is around the corner from where I live and the course goes through the Union College campus and finishes in a very nice park.
The weather for this Thursday night race was good. The sky was partly cloudy and the temp. was low 70's. There was a tad on the humid side but it is a short race so it didn't factor in too much.
The thing that did factor in was the pain in my shin. I have been having shin splint pain above my ankle on the inside of my left leg. It hurt this morning as I walked on it. That is the first time it hurt when not running. It has since gotten less painful. Anyway, I chose to where my trainers instead of my racing shoes; going for comfort over speed.
When the gun for the start sounded (Not an actual gun, gun. This could be confused with the everyday sounds of Schenectady) I went out behind 3 other people to feel out the pace. I did not recognize any of the racers in front of me so I had no idea about their pace or abilities. As I reached the first turn, about 400 meters into the race, a middle school aged kid raced by me and in front of the leaders. I love watching these youngsters think it is easy at the start. THe pace always catches up to them after a half mile and they drop back. This, of course, was the case this time as well.
I ran through the Union College campus and settled into 3rd position overall. I could see 1 and 2 just ahead of me. This was fine with me. What wasn't fine was the mile 1 split: 5:35. Oh boy, 10 seconds faster than I wanted... not a good sign for me.
I kept pushing, however, and came through mile 2 in 5:53. I didn't choose to slow down to this pace. My body did it automatically. I was pretty spent at this point. One thing I do enjoy is beating myself up and seeing how far I can push my body. I was going to test it during mile 3.
I could hear faint footsteps behind me as I made the turn into the park for the finish. I knew there were hills coming up and I wanted to hang onto my 3rd place. 1 and 2 were out of the question as I would have to make up about 30 seconds within the last mile. Not going to happen. So my new goal was to push and hold.
I ended up finding out a lot about myself in that last mile. My body wanted to give up and coast... maybe let the 4th place runner come up on me and then try to outkick him at the end. My mind stuck with the new goal and wouldn't let my body settle. I drove myself up the hills and opened up my stride on the downs. I'm glad, because that was the difference. I broke the guy behind me, his footsteps gradually disappearing, and I finished a very strong third mile and race in third position overall.
I improved on my best finish at this race by one spot and by 11 seconds. I am proud of myself today and the new ceramic mug/trophy will be a constant reminder of who I am and what I can do.
Finish Time- 18:24
Avg mile pace- 5:55
Finished- 3rd overall
Results - http://www.hmrrc.com/View/PDFs/Results/08vale.htm
Next race- Lake Placid Half Marathon
Date- Next Sunday Father's Day (June 15th)
Goal Time- Sub 1:30:00 Hopefully top 3 in age-group.
Misc- This year's goal is coming up. The Tupper Lake Tinman. June 29th!!!!
A nice 1st anniversary gift to myself (June 30th)
Until Next time!
Sunday, May 18, 2008
GHI Workforce Team Challenge
So according to my last post, I was looking to go under 22:00 for this 3.5 mile challenge.
I decided to run with my Saint Rose team this year. We ended up putting together a pretty good effort.
The race started underneath the bridge at the NYS Museum in Albany,NY. This year saw a record 7200 runners line-up at the starting line. I (not by choice) ended up right at the front of the race for the start. I did a couple of stride outs before the gun and when I did my last one (8 minutes before the race was to go off) I was hurriedly herded back in by the volunteer worker. I was only able to stuff myself in with the crowd right at the very start.
So there we stood for 8 minutes, as cozy as sardines, mmmmmm.... sardines.....
THere was some pre-race strategy. A teammate of mine wanted to go for the win on the women's side. She had a very good shot at winning the whole women's race. I told her I would be going out at roughly 6 - 6:05 for the first mile and then hopefully negative splitting (under 6 minutes) the rest of the race. She said that she was going to stay with me and try to use that pace for the race... Big mistake on her part.
The gun goes off and I get out very well. That goes without saying, however, because I was at the front.
I look around and see the usual people at the front. THe only difference is that I am right next to them instead of behind them. Uh-oh! I start thinking to myself, "Are they going slowly today?" "Am I doing well?" I continue with my pace because I don't feel like I'm pushing at all.
I make it up the hill and enter Washington Park. I'm still hanging with some of the people that beat me on a regular basis. What the Funky Chicken!! I look up to see if there is a full moon visible at 6:30. Why am I with these people? I keep on plugging.
I hit the first mile marker and look at the clock... 5:40!!!!!!! Oh Shitake mushroom!
My teammate! I hope she's not on my back at this pace! She's going to kill me! Did I just ruin, not only my race, but her race as well? I keep plugging along.
I take inventory at the bottom of the hill after the mile marker. Legs feel good. Lungs feel good. I look around and still see some of those elite type runners.
I decide to pull back the pace, just slightly.
As I make my way through the park on my second mile, I pull up on a guy that always beats me. I run on his shoulder and next to him for about 1/2 a mile. He looks over his shoulder to see who this guy that is breathing on his shoulder blade is. I smile, he sneers (jerk). He then starts to move over to the side of the road to attempt to cut me off. I put my hand on his back andpush him while saying, "watch the cut!!" I should have said, "move your hairy ass over you....hairy...uh....ASS!!!"
But, alas, my mother didn't raise a foul-mouthed sore runner. She did raise a son that likes to get even, however. I ran by him and got infront of him and then slowed my pace to annoy him. It worked, as he had to change his pace to get around me. We don't always have to be friends with everyone!
I cam through the second mile in 5:50. That was a little better. My third mile would not hold up. I could feel it.
I came through in 6:00 and held pace to the end.
My final time was 20:26.
I finished 31 out 7200.
The College of Saint Rose finished its best finish ever. 3 out of 172 male teams.
THe female teammate that tried to win came in 2nd. She yelled at me, I bought her a beer afterwards. There is, once again, peace in the world.
Next up, Lake Placid Half Marathon.
Goal time: 1:28:30
Until next time...
I decided to run with my Saint Rose team this year. We ended up putting together a pretty good effort.
The race started underneath the bridge at the NYS Museum in Albany,NY. This year saw a record 7200 runners line-up at the starting line. I (not by choice) ended up right at the front of the race for the start. I did a couple of stride outs before the gun and when I did my last one (8 minutes before the race was to go off) I was hurriedly herded back in by the volunteer worker. I was only able to stuff myself in with the crowd right at the very start.
So there we stood for 8 minutes, as cozy as sardines, mmmmmm.... sardines.....
THere was some pre-race strategy. A teammate of mine wanted to go for the win on the women's side. She had a very good shot at winning the whole women's race. I told her I would be going out at roughly 6 - 6:05 for the first mile and then hopefully negative splitting (under 6 minutes) the rest of the race. She said that she was going to stay with me and try to use that pace for the race... Big mistake on her part.
The gun goes off and I get out very well. That goes without saying, however, because I was at the front.
I look around and see the usual people at the front. THe only difference is that I am right next to them instead of behind them. Uh-oh! I start thinking to myself, "Are they going slowly today?" "Am I doing well?" I continue with my pace because I don't feel like I'm pushing at all.
I make it up the hill and enter Washington Park. I'm still hanging with some of the people that beat me on a regular basis. What the Funky Chicken!! I look up to see if there is a full moon visible at 6:30. Why am I with these people? I keep on plugging.
I hit the first mile marker and look at the clock... 5:40!!!!!!! Oh Shitake mushroom!
My teammate! I hope she's not on my back at this pace! She's going to kill me! Did I just ruin, not only my race, but her race as well? I keep plugging along.
I take inventory at the bottom of the hill after the mile marker. Legs feel good. Lungs feel good. I look around and still see some of those elite type runners.
I decide to pull back the pace, just slightly.
As I make my way through the park on my second mile, I pull up on a guy that always beats me. I run on his shoulder and next to him for about 1/2 a mile. He looks over his shoulder to see who this guy that is breathing on his shoulder blade is. I smile, he sneers (jerk). He then starts to move over to the side of the road to attempt to cut me off. I put my hand on his back andpush him while saying, "watch the cut!!" I should have said, "move your hairy ass over you....hairy...uh....ASS!!!"
But, alas, my mother didn't raise a foul-mouthed sore runner. She did raise a son that likes to get even, however. I ran by him and got infront of him and then slowed my pace to annoy him. It worked, as he had to change his pace to get around me. We don't always have to be friends with everyone!
I cam through the second mile in 5:50. That was a little better. My third mile would not hold up. I could feel it.
I came through in 6:00 and held pace to the end.
My final time was 20:26.
I finished 31 out 7200.
The College of Saint Rose finished its best finish ever. 3 out of 172 male teams.
THe female teammate that tried to win came in 2nd. She yelled at me, I bought her a beer afterwards. There is, once again, peace in the world.
Next up, Lake Placid Half Marathon.
Goal time: 1:28:30
Until next time...
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Anyone Can Tri - Triathlon
This was the first triathlon of the season.
Sunday, May 4th at the Southern Saratoga YMCA. Goal time: under and hour
The distance is what is considered a sprint distance. 350 yard swim, 11 mile bike, 3.1 mile run.
I was worried about the swim because it was a snake swim. This means that we start in the first lane of the pool and swim down to the end of the lane. When we hit the wall, we turn and swim under the lane line into the next lane. We then do a full lap in that lane (down and back) and then swim under the next lane line and do it again. We do this until we reach the last lane. We then exit the pool and exit the building to the transition area.
My swim time that I predicted was 6:15. I needed to put a time dwon for registration. They put us in a line for the swim start according to our predicted swim time. I was in the 3rd group about 30 people from the start. I ended up swiming a 5:58 which included the time it took me to exit the pool and the building. I was very pleased with my swim. I had the 15th quickest swim. This is usually my weakest area.
I got to the transition area and started to put on a long sleeve form fitting shirt. This is tough to do when you are wet. It took me a solid minute and a half just to get that shirt on. Then came the bike shoes, helmet, and sunglasses (for bugs more than anything). I got out on my bike and immediately started to pass people. That was encouraging. I was one of the few that had a tri-specific bike so I had a bit of an advantage. Since the bike leg was only 11 miles and I had been training on much more mileage coming into the race, I felt great and kept the cadence up for most of the bike. I came in averaging roughly 22 mph. My bike time (including transition) was 32 minutes. That was good enough for 6th fastest bike time.
I came into the transition area worried about the run. I've been nursing some tendon issues in my knee recently so I was concerned about racing on it. I've been able to build up to 4.1 miles, but that was more of a jog pace. I went out in race pace and felt REALLY good. My legs were responding well to what I was asking of them so I went with it. I started passing people immediately. The good thing about starting in the middle of all of the heats is that by the time you get to the bike and run you have people to shoot for. When I passed one person I would set my sights on the next.
My run got stronger as the race continued and I came in with an 18:58 split. I know I am capable of a faster time, but I'll take it this early in the season.
I ended up third overall with a time of 58:10.Next up... GHI Workforce Challenge. I'll be running for The College of Saint Rose in downtown Albany.
Goal time: 22's.
Sunday, May 4th at the Southern Saratoga YMCA. Goal time: under and hour
The distance is what is considered a sprint distance. 350 yard swim, 11 mile bike, 3.1 mile run.
I was worried about the swim because it was a snake swim. This means that we start in the first lane of the pool and swim down to the end of the lane. When we hit the wall, we turn and swim under the lane line into the next lane. We then do a full lap in that lane (down and back) and then swim under the next lane line and do it again. We do this until we reach the last lane. We then exit the pool and exit the building to the transition area.
My swim time that I predicted was 6:15. I needed to put a time dwon for registration. They put us in a line for the swim start according to our predicted swim time. I was in the 3rd group about 30 people from the start. I ended up swiming a 5:58 which included the time it took me to exit the pool and the building. I was very pleased with my swim. I had the 15th quickest swim. This is usually my weakest area.
I got to the transition area and started to put on a long sleeve form fitting shirt. This is tough to do when you are wet. It took me a solid minute and a half just to get that shirt on. Then came the bike shoes, helmet, and sunglasses (for bugs more than anything). I got out on my bike and immediately started to pass people. That was encouraging. I was one of the few that had a tri-specific bike so I had a bit of an advantage. Since the bike leg was only 11 miles and I had been training on much more mileage coming into the race, I felt great and kept the cadence up for most of the bike. I came in averaging roughly 22 mph. My bike time (including transition) was 32 minutes. That was good enough for 6th fastest bike time.
I came into the transition area worried about the run. I've been nursing some tendon issues in my knee recently so I was concerned about racing on it. I've been able to build up to 4.1 miles, but that was more of a jog pace. I went out in race pace and felt REALLY good. My legs were responding well to what I was asking of them so I went with it. I started passing people immediately. The good thing about starting in the middle of all of the heats is that by the time you get to the bike and run you have people to shoot for. When I passed one person I would set my sights on the next.
My run got stronger as the race continued and I came in with an 18:58 split. I know I am capable of a faster time, but I'll take it this early in the season.
I ended up third overall with a time of 58:10.Next up... GHI Workforce Challenge. I'll be running for The College of Saint Rose in downtown Albany.
Goal time: 22's.
Monday, April 7, 2008
The Cherry Blossom 10 Miler
I went to Washington D.C. for the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler. Not only do I love this distance but I love this city! I also have 2 great friends that live there. This makes for a magical trip... and indeed it was.
The morning of the race ended up being less than desirable. There were showers and the temperature was 45 degrees.
When I arrived at the starting line, I was glad to see that the rain had stopped and the line at the port-a-potties was very short. I got a gander at the starting corral that I was to be herded into and it was directly across from the Washington Monument. What a view and a memorable start. I was also in the same corral as my friend who was running the race. We seperated right at the gun.
Going into the race, I have been battling a tendon issue in my knee. I was a little nervous at the start, but I figured a little pain will be ok as long as I'm not doing any significant damage.
Mile 1 found me dodging and darting through the slower starters. I ended up at the marker in a 6:28.
Mile 2 was quicker since I found some room (6:01). A little too quick!
Mile 3-10 were more of what I was looking for (6:21-6:48).
I finished in 1:05:06. Good for 288 out of over 12,000 finishers.
I finished last year's race in 1:04 so a bit on the slower side but I'll take it.
My knee now hurts a lot but I have some down time to rest and ice.
Next up, Anyone Can Tri sprint triathlon.
Until then
The morning of the race ended up being less than desirable. There were showers and the temperature was 45 degrees.
When I arrived at the starting line, I was glad to see that the rain had stopped and the line at the port-a-potties was very short. I got a gander at the starting corral that I was to be herded into and it was directly across from the Washington Monument. What a view and a memorable start. I was also in the same corral as my friend who was running the race. We seperated right at the gun.
Going into the race, I have been battling a tendon issue in my knee. I was a little nervous at the start, but I figured a little pain will be ok as long as I'm not doing any significant damage.
Mile 1 found me dodging and darting through the slower starters. I ended up at the marker in a 6:28.
Mile 2 was quicker since I found some room (6:01). A little too quick!
Mile 3-10 were more of what I was looking for (6:21-6:48).
I finished in 1:05:06. Good for 288 out of over 12,000 finishers.
I finished last year's race in 1:04 so a bit on the slower side but I'll take it.
My knee now hurts a lot but I have some down time to rest and ice.
Next up, Anyone Can Tri sprint triathlon.
Until then
Sunday, March 9, 2008
The Running of the Green 4 Mile Race
I ran the Runnin' of the Green 4 Miler this past Saturday.
I ran a very stupid race. I toed the line thinking I will shoot for 24 minutes. That 6 minutes per mile. I haven't done any speed work leading up to this race because of the winter weather and my injury. I went out for the first mile in 5:48 and hit mile 2 in 11:45. This was about 15 or so seconds quicker than I wanted. This dumb decision caused me to have nothing in the tank from mile 2 through the finish.
I came through mile 3 in 18:10 and finished the race in 24:48. As you can see from my times, I steadily got slower as the race continued.
The good news in all of this mess is, my foot/ankle felt great the whole race through. Maybe the pain of my aching legs shifted my focus. Here I am, however, the morning after with very little ankle/foot pain. Hold on, I have to go find some wood to knock on.
I also played in a very aggressive basketball game the night before the race, which might have effected my race. But I digress...
Next up, the Cerry Blossom 10 Miler in Washington D.C.
Until next time...
I ran a very stupid race. I toed the line thinking I will shoot for 24 minutes. That 6 minutes per mile. I haven't done any speed work leading up to this race because of the winter weather and my injury. I went out for the first mile in 5:48 and hit mile 2 in 11:45. This was about 15 or so seconds quicker than I wanted. This dumb decision caused me to have nothing in the tank from mile 2 through the finish.
I came through mile 3 in 18:10 and finished the race in 24:48. As you can see from my times, I steadily got slower as the race continued.
The good news in all of this mess is, my foot/ankle felt great the whole race through. Maybe the pain of my aching legs shifted my focus. Here I am, however, the morning after with very little ankle/foot pain. Hold on, I have to go find some wood to knock on.
I also played in a very aggressive basketball game the night before the race, which might have effected my race. But I digress...
Next up, the Cerry Blossom 10 Miler in Washington D.C.
Until next time...
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Running in Schenectady
Schenectady, NY is NOT a runner's haven.
The looks I get from passers-by are, quite often, very humorous.
The reason I get good looks at the people in cars as I run is because of the closeness of the road shoulder.
If I had to guess, I would say that less than 2% of the city of Schenectady citizens run. This sets up a very quizzical reaction from the non-runners when they see these people doing that weird thing where they put one foot in front of the other in a quick manner and repeat this process several times. You have to wonder if they think you did something wrong that caused you to run.
I've been called crazy, whack, stupid, crazy, weird, crazy, Forest Gump... did I mention crazy? I've received a very gracious finger too many times to count. I've been the recipient of a purposeful hit and run attempt.
I'm at the point, now, where I know I need to let a car pull out instead of continuing my run because I know the person hasn't looked both ways.
Schenectady is not a runner friendly place (I'm talking about the heart of the city). If you want to bring your car to an auto mechanic, Schenectady is your place.
Maybe I'll make it my goal to change that while I'm here.
Running of the Green on Saturday. Until then...
The looks I get from passers-by are, quite often, very humorous.
The reason I get good looks at the people in cars as I run is because of the closeness of the road shoulder.
If I had to guess, I would say that less than 2% of the city of Schenectady citizens run. This sets up a very quizzical reaction from the non-runners when they see these people doing that weird thing where they put one foot in front of the other in a quick manner and repeat this process several times. You have to wonder if they think you did something wrong that caused you to run.
I've been called crazy, whack, stupid, crazy, weird, crazy, Forest Gump... did I mention crazy? I've received a very gracious finger too many times to count. I've been the recipient of a purposeful hit and run attempt.
I'm at the point, now, where I know I need to let a car pull out instead of continuing my run because I know the person hasn't looked both ways.
Schenectady is not a runner friendly place (I'm talking about the heart of the city). If you want to bring your car to an auto mechanic, Schenectady is your place.
Maybe I'll make it my goal to change that while I'm here.
Running of the Green on Saturday. Until then...
Sunday, February 24, 2008
HMRRC Winter Marathon Relay
I was (sort of) a part of a three person marathon relay today.
I ran with the person that was running the first leg of the marathon. The leg was 9.3 miles. The next leg was 5.7 and the final was 11.2 miles.
I ran along side of a very good athlete. I also coach with her. We ended up running our 9.3 mile leg in 63 minutes. We were shooting for 70 minutes, so it was a good day. I think, no offense to her, that if I continued to push through the finish line, I would have been around 61 minutes.
We are both coming off of an injury so we are still on the comeback trail.
I felt good after 40 minutes so I picked up the pace a little bit. At about 58 minutes, I slowed it down and hung back to wait for my running partner. We finished together and "handed-off" to the next relay leg.
As a team, the ladies finished as the third all female team overall. Not too shabby.
As far as the ankle is concerned, it felt pretty good. It's still painful to run on it, but I think it will continue to be painful until it's not painful (do you like that Yogi-ism?).
Next up, The Running of the Green in 2 weeks. It is a 4 mile race. My goal, about 24 minutes or so.
As far as feeling good about the Tupper Lake Tinman (half of an ironman) coming up in June, I'm still VERY optimistic about a good showing.
Until next time...
I ran with the person that was running the first leg of the marathon. The leg was 9.3 miles. The next leg was 5.7 and the final was 11.2 miles.
I ran along side of a very good athlete. I also coach with her. We ended up running our 9.3 mile leg in 63 minutes. We were shooting for 70 minutes, so it was a good day. I think, no offense to her, that if I continued to push through the finish line, I would have been around 61 minutes.
We are both coming off of an injury so we are still on the comeback trail.
I felt good after 40 minutes so I picked up the pace a little bit. At about 58 minutes, I slowed it down and hung back to wait for my running partner. We finished together and "handed-off" to the next relay leg.
As a team, the ladies finished as the third all female team overall. Not too shabby.
As far as the ankle is concerned, it felt pretty good. It's still painful to run on it, but I think it will continue to be painful until it's not painful (do you like that Yogi-ism?).
Next up, The Running of the Green in 2 weeks. It is a 4 mile race. My goal, about 24 minutes or so.
As far as feeling good about the Tupper Lake Tinman (half of an ironman) coming up in June, I'm still VERY optimistic about a good showing.
Until next time...
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
I Love To Tri - Indoor Triathlon
I participated in an indoor triathlon on Sunday and things went very well.
My aching ankle was a serious worry heading into this event. I hadn't run more than a mile on it since I injured it during my last 15K race.
The format of the indoor triathlon is 15 minutes for each part of the race.
We started with 15 minutes in the pool. I made it 1800 yards. The pool was 25 yards long (you do the math for laps).
I hopped out feeling pretty good, but still worrying about the run leg coming up at the end.
I jumped on my pre-set spin bike and started pedaling. I really didn't understand the bike that I was using because the power reading only went to 120 RPMs. No matter how fast I spun, it went to 120. I figured that all of us would have the same bike reading so I slowed a little bit to save my legs. Why work harder than I have to? It turns out that the mileage was still being effected by the quicker spin even though the power output wasn't going higher than 120. Oops. According to my bike, I went 8.37 miles in 15 minutes. I better have a good run.
I got off of the bike at the end of 15 minutes and darted to the indoor track upstairs. I cleared my watch and stood on the starting line. I was hoping my ankle was feeling cooperative. If not, a little pain never hurt anybody, right? Don't answer that... I know pain, technically, hurts everyone. I'm just saying... nevermind.
So the run started at the whistle and I darted out to the front. My goal was to lap everybody at least once. I know, I'm cocky, but mind games are what work for me. So I was following my plan perfectly, but there was this guy that was making it hard to accomplish my goal, darn him!! Doesn't he know that I must lap him??!! I pick up the pace ever-so-slightly and my ankle yells at me. "Hey! Joe! Remember me?" I reply, "Shut up! You're just a stupid ankle, you stupid ankle!"
I ended up lapping the last remaining unlapped person with about 4 minutes left and continued to pull away as time ran out. My official distance in 15 minutes, 2.32 miles. I'm happy with that.
The official results can be found on www.cdymca.org. You can click on branches and then southern saratoga. It's there, trust me.
I cam in second place overall. I was 5th in the swim and 5th on the bike. My run was good enough for fastest of the day, but I still came up short for the race for first overall. THe bike issue killed me, but hey, I did it. My ankle felt ok afterwards.
An update on the ankle. I ran today for 30 minutes and it felt good. A slight twinge but nothing to worry about. I recently put inserts into my sneakers and it seems to be helping. I'm looking forward to my next race, the HMRRC marathon relay. The leg of the relay I will be running is 11 miles. This is on Sunday, February 24th. I'll be slowly up-ing my mileage this week.
Until next time...
My aching ankle was a serious worry heading into this event. I hadn't run more than a mile on it since I injured it during my last 15K race.
The format of the indoor triathlon is 15 minutes for each part of the race.
We started with 15 minutes in the pool. I made it 1800 yards. The pool was 25 yards long (you do the math for laps).
I hopped out feeling pretty good, but still worrying about the run leg coming up at the end.
I jumped on my pre-set spin bike and started pedaling. I really didn't understand the bike that I was using because the power reading only went to 120 RPMs. No matter how fast I spun, it went to 120. I figured that all of us would have the same bike reading so I slowed a little bit to save my legs. Why work harder than I have to? It turns out that the mileage was still being effected by the quicker spin even though the power output wasn't going higher than 120. Oops. According to my bike, I went 8.37 miles in 15 minutes. I better have a good run.
I got off of the bike at the end of 15 minutes and darted to the indoor track upstairs. I cleared my watch and stood on the starting line. I was hoping my ankle was feeling cooperative. If not, a little pain never hurt anybody, right? Don't answer that... I know pain, technically, hurts everyone. I'm just saying... nevermind.
So the run started at the whistle and I darted out to the front. My goal was to lap everybody at least once. I know, I'm cocky, but mind games are what work for me. So I was following my plan perfectly, but there was this guy that was making it hard to accomplish my goal, darn him!! Doesn't he know that I must lap him??!! I pick up the pace ever-so-slightly and my ankle yells at me. "Hey! Joe! Remember me?" I reply, "Shut up! You're just a stupid ankle, you stupid ankle!"
I ended up lapping the last remaining unlapped person with about 4 minutes left and continued to pull away as time ran out. My official distance in 15 minutes, 2.32 miles. I'm happy with that.
The official results can be found on www.cdymca.org. You can click on branches and then southern saratoga. It's there, trust me.
I cam in second place overall. I was 5th in the swim and 5th on the bike. My run was good enough for fastest of the day, but I still came up short for the race for first overall. THe bike issue killed me, but hey, I did it. My ankle felt ok afterwards.
An update on the ankle. I ran today for 30 minutes and it felt good. A slight twinge but nothing to worry about. I recently put inserts into my sneakers and it seems to be helping. I'm looking forward to my next race, the HMRRC marathon relay. The leg of the relay I will be running is 11 miles. This is on Sunday, February 24th. I'll be slowly up-ing my mileage this week.
Until next time...
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Winter Series Race #4 (15K)
So it didn't go as well as hoped.
After getting up at 5:15AM, coaching a track meet, and getting back at 8:30PM; to attempt to run in top form would be a lot to ask for.
So, with as much confidence that I could muster, I ran the 9.3 miles.
My legs were DEAD and, for some reason, my left inside ankle/foot hurt(s).
I ran it in 63 minutes. That is a 6:50/mile pace. I was on pace for about a 60 minute race but started to slow down around the 5 mile mark.
Tomorrow, I get off the road and into the pool to start getting ready for that 1.2 mile Tinman swim. Some non-impact training should feel and do me good. Tuesday will see me back on the road.
I hope to update with some information soon.
After getting up at 5:15AM, coaching a track meet, and getting back at 8:30PM; to attempt to run in top form would be a lot to ask for.
So, with as much confidence that I could muster, I ran the 9.3 miles.
My legs were DEAD and, for some reason, my left inside ankle/foot hurt(s).
I ran it in 63 minutes. That is a 6:50/mile pace. I was on pace for about a 60 minute race but started to slow down around the 5 mile mark.
Tomorrow, I get off the road and into the pool to start getting ready for that 1.2 mile Tinman swim. Some non-impact training should feel and do me good. Tuesday will see me back on the road.
I hope to update with some information soon.
Friday, January 25, 2008
What's next???
It's time to focus on the Tinman.
There are several local races coming up and these will serve as the first prepation races for what will be my culminating race... The Tupper Lake Tinman.
On Sunday, January 27th, there is a 15K (9.3 mile) race at SUNY Albany campus. Although this is purely for training purposes, I will attempt to be as close to or under 60 minutes as possible.
I tend to be the kind of person that says they will take it easy before the race and then once the race starts, there I am, racing the darn thing!!!
We'll see how it goes.
There are several local races coming up and these will serve as the first prepation races for what will be my culminating race... The Tupper Lake Tinman.
On Sunday, January 27th, there is a 15K (9.3 mile) race at SUNY Albany campus. Although this is purely for training purposes, I will attempt to be as close to or under 60 minutes as possible.
I tend to be the kind of person that says they will take it easy before the race and then once the race starts, there I am, racing the darn thing!!!
We'll see how it goes.
Monday, January 14, 2008
PF Chang's Rock and Roll Half Marathon
So I set out to do this half marathon (13.1 miles) and possibly run a 1 hour 23 minute race or maybe quicker. It didn't help that I was sick for the 3 weeks prior.
I was feeling great up until this illness took control. My workouts were very promising and the weather was looking good. The race is held in Arizona.
So with a mystery illness in effect until the day before the race, I thought: "What is there to lose?"
I got to the starting line with the help of Kelly's cousin and her boyfriend. They are from Phoenix so that helped A LOT!! We got to the starting line for Kelly's marathon and we saw her off at 7:40 am.
I got to my starting corral (#1... I know... I'm special) and did some stretching and warm-up running. I listened to Mr. Legat (amazing athlete) motivate me with his pre-race speech and then the horn sounded.
My plan was to go out in a 6:20 mile... not to be. I went out in 5:55! Uh-oh!
I went through the 5K plit in 19:33, not bad. THe 10K split was 39:50, ok. My 10 mile split was a 1:07. This is when my 5:55 first mile started to show. My legs were done and I had 3.1 miles left. The good news is, my lungs felt great.
I ended up making my way into Tempe for the finish feeling pretty good. I crossed the line in 1:26:04. About 1 minute off of my goal time. I came in 140th out of over 20,000 runners. I can't complain knowing what I went through the 3 weeks before this race.
My eventual goal is to run a 1:21:00 half marathon. That's 6:15 per mile. I am running about 6:30 per mile right now. I can do it. I know I can.
Next up... The Cherry Blossom 10 Miler in Washington D.C. My goal... 1:03
I was feeling great up until this illness took control. My workouts were very promising and the weather was looking good. The race is held in Arizona.
So with a mystery illness in effect until the day before the race, I thought: "What is there to lose?"
I got to the starting line with the help of Kelly's cousin and her boyfriend. They are from Phoenix so that helped A LOT!! We got to the starting line for Kelly's marathon and we saw her off at 7:40 am.
I got to my starting corral (#1... I know... I'm special) and did some stretching and warm-up running. I listened to Mr. Legat (amazing athlete) motivate me with his pre-race speech and then the horn sounded.
My plan was to go out in a 6:20 mile... not to be. I went out in 5:55! Uh-oh!
I went through the 5K plit in 19:33, not bad. THe 10K split was 39:50, ok. My 10 mile split was a 1:07. This is when my 5:55 first mile started to show. My legs were done and I had 3.1 miles left. The good news is, my lungs felt great.
I ended up making my way into Tempe for the finish feeling pretty good. I crossed the line in 1:26:04. About 1 minute off of my goal time. I came in 140th out of over 20,000 runners. I can't complain knowing what I went through the 3 weeks before this race.
My eventual goal is to run a 1:21:00 half marathon. That's 6:15 per mile. I am running about 6:30 per mile right now. I can do it. I know I can.
Next up... The Cherry Blossom 10 Miler in Washington D.C. My goal... 1:03
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Back From Sickness
I have recently been sick with a very bad illness. I have no idea what is was (is) but I feel as if I might be coming out of it. Today, I ran for the first time since a week earlier.
My run was for 40 minutes and it felt ok. I'm looking to bump up to 60 minutes on Wednesday.
This post will be short and optimistic. I know we have to battle through things that make us want to quit or rest. I will continue to fight and stay positive.
Until next time...
My run was for 40 minutes and it felt ok. I'm looking to bump up to 60 minutes on Wednesday.
This post will be short and optimistic. I know we have to battle through things that make us want to quit or rest. I will continue to fight and stay positive.
Until next time...
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