Tell me your thoughts for the race this weekend then I'll pass on mine!
This was the innocent request in my inbox on Thursday. After a few minutes, I decided to give it a little thought. I may act flippant at times, ok most of the time, but I take this triathlon stuff serious. My usual race strategy for a sprint of this distance is "Damn the torpedos, heart attack pace until I finish or drop!" Somehow, I don't think coach would appreciate both the humor and the seriousness of that strategy. (OK. Maybe she would, but she is wiser than me and would probably counsel against such a bull headed approach.)
I wrote her back that I would like to do better than last year. I was going to try some stuff to cut my transition time in half (6 minutes last year, in total), and I was hoping my swim/bike/running skills would help me shave another couple of minutes off my time. I realize its not a good idea to focus soley on time. There are far too many conditions over which we have no control that affect the passage of time in a race.
True to form, the response to my race plan came back with a mixed bag of advice. There were a few atta boys. There were a few don't do this, and why don't we try that, but most importantly, I have been told to focus on process goals and let time take care of itself.
Being that this is a fun oriented "B" type race, that fits the bill perfectly. It's really important to properly set expectations. Incorrect expectations is a mistake made before the race even starts. While I may have visions of a podium placing performance, something more reasonable like a 5-10% improvement over last year is much more realistic.
Dee Dee and I are heading out to La Grange, GA. It's about fourteen miles from Callaway. We are staying at the same hotel we did least year, minus the boyz, who are vacationing in Panama City this weekend. Of course, I've been told I have to get there before the Euro 2008 quarter finals game comes on at 2 PM :-)
I hope everyone has a great weekend. To all my peeps racing, especially those doing Ironman, God speed, have fun, and for my sake, stay safe out there, will ya? :-)
Wes
BTW: Dee Dee has reached her goals for raising funds for Iron Girl! Woot! If you still want to help out and donate a buck or two, this is the URL for her donation page. Thanks to ALL who helped her reach her goal. Bless you!!!!
Showing posts with label pre-race. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pre-race. Show all posts
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Nothing Left but the Doing
All my race gear is laid out on the dining room table. As I pack my transition bag, I will go over everything again. Matthew's tournament schedule worked out perfectly. Jimmy will be able to take him to all his games and meet his obligations for the weekend. I like that.
Friends are already in Orlando, and more friends will be arriving tomorrow. Right now, the plan is to shuttle the boyz off to school tomorrow, then get out on the road between 9 AM and 10 AM. That should put me in Orlando by 5. We'll see.
Friday night, I'll probably just take it easy. Saturday, I have a very short brick to do. Then its registration, bike check-in, then the expo. After that, I would really like to put my feet on the beach. We'll see how that works out.
Sunday, the race is scheduled to start at 6:30 AM. My wave goes off at either 6:47 or 6:50, depending on which one I am in. The weather forcast is seventy-one to ninety-one, slightly over cast. That should work out OK.
I'll be thinking of all my homies racing this weekend. As they say, the hard part is over now. Nothing left but the doing...
See ya on the flip side of half-iron,
Wes
Friends are already in Orlando, and more friends will be arriving tomorrow. Right now, the plan is to shuttle the boyz off to school tomorrow, then get out on the road between 9 AM and 10 AM. That should put me in Orlando by 5. We'll see.
Friday night, I'll probably just take it easy. Saturday, I have a very short brick to do. Then its registration, bike check-in, then the expo. After that, I would really like to put my feet on the beach. We'll see how that works out.
Sunday, the race is scheduled to start at 6:30 AM. My wave goes off at either 6:47 or 6:50, depending on which one I am in. The weather forcast is seventy-one to ninety-one, slightly over cast. That should work out OK.
I'll be thinking of all my homies racing this weekend. As they say, the hard part is over now. Nothing left but the doing...
See ya on the flip side of half-iron,
Wes
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Ta Ta (for now)
Why, yes! Lisa! I do believe I have been losing some weight. It would seem that my current belt is purely ornamental in nature. Me thinks it's time to go back to Walmart for a wardrobe make over :-) LOL!! No coffee and very little alcohol for three weeks, plus the spring temperature change, has returned me to my fighting weight.
First, I must give credit where credit is due. My darling wife, Dee Dee, coined the term, "Jackhole". Her family is Irish, and as you all know, Irish folks just have a way with words!
Well, its a couple a days before Langley Pond, and I'm just about ready to go. Ideally, I would of liked to have a two week taper, but one week is just going to have to do. This is not an A race for me. That sounds funny, ya know? In the past, I've only raced and trained all out, and now, I need to rein myself in for something other than an A race... We'll see how it goes.
Taper is going fine. Tuesday, I ran for thirty minutes with three one minute intervals thrown in. It felt good to cruise along at a 10 minute pace and not even be out of breath. I hit the intervals at a sub-8 minute pace, and that too was good. Last night, I had a thirty minute bike ride. I chose to ride Bags (my hybrid) and quite frankly, didn't give a damn about "just above race pace".
Today... I get to walk... Can you tell? I am soooooo excited ;-)
My goals for this race are pretty simple. I want to do better than a 2 minute per 100 meters on the swim. I want to feel like I'm actually racing in the water. I want to hit my half ironman race pace (or a little faster) on both the bike (19 mph) and the run (10 mmp). If I can do those things, I will be happy, no matter what the time.
Good luck to all my peeps racing this weekend, especially those doing St. Anthony's! I will keep you guys in my thoughts...
I've been giving it a lot of thought, and I've got a special picture in mind that I want to send from my camera phone Saturday morning, before the race. I'll follow that up with a quick race report in the afternoon, then the full race report either Sunday or Monday.
Till then... Have a great weekend, y'all!
Wes
ORN: 2.9 miles, 30 minutes, 10:15 mmp
OCN: 7.3 miles, 30 minutes, 14.6 mph
First, I must give credit where credit is due. My darling wife, Dee Dee, coined the term, "Jackhole". Her family is Irish, and as you all know, Irish folks just have a way with words!
Well, its a couple a days before Langley Pond, and I'm just about ready to go. Ideally, I would of liked to have a two week taper, but one week is just going to have to do. This is not an A race for me. That sounds funny, ya know? In the past, I've only raced and trained all out, and now, I need to rein myself in for something other than an A race... We'll see how it goes.
Taper is going fine. Tuesday, I ran for thirty minutes with three one minute intervals thrown in. It felt good to cruise along at a 10 minute pace and not even be out of breath. I hit the intervals at a sub-8 minute pace, and that too was good. Last night, I had a thirty minute bike ride. I chose to ride Bags (my hybrid) and quite frankly, didn't give a damn about "just above race pace".
Today... I get to walk... Can you tell? I am soooooo excited ;-)
My goals for this race are pretty simple. I want to do better than a 2 minute per 100 meters on the swim. I want to feel like I'm actually racing in the water. I want to hit my half ironman race pace (or a little faster) on both the bike (19 mph) and the run (10 mmp). If I can do those things, I will be happy, no matter what the time.
Good luck to all my peeps racing this weekend, especially those doing St. Anthony's! I will keep you guys in my thoughts...
I've been giving it a lot of thought, and I've got a special picture in mind that I want to send from my camera phone Saturday morning, before the race. I'll follow that up with a quick race report in the afternoon, then the full race report either Sunday or Monday.
Till then... Have a great weekend, y'all!
Wes
ORN: 2.9 miles, 30 minutes, 10:15 mmp
OCN: 7.3 miles, 30 minutes, 14.6 mph
Friday, March 14, 2008
Ready to Toe the Line
I am definitely getting better. This whole working out at lunch thing presents its own set of logistical challenges. It helps to pack the bike in the SUV at night, along with all the other cycling stuff. Being organized is a good thing. It also helps to pre-pump the tires too. Just sayin... I do NOT like feeling rushed when I work out, but exercising during my "lunch hour" requires some expediency.
Yesterday's ride was just as good, if not better than the previous ride. I thought it might be tougher, due to being sore, but it wasn't. I made a conscious effort to warm up properly and hit my twenty minutes at race pace in stride. Unfortunately, I am not very good at tracking time, as I went over, again, by six minutes :-)
The run off went OK. I am having no problems hitting my stride now, getting off the bike. I just hit the hills on the Bob Calhan Trail at the end of the out portion of my run, and I was SO unmotivated to tackle them.
Today, I slept in until 6:30 AM, and it felt.so.good! LOL... I decided to do my workouts backwards today. I am going to strength train at lunch and swim on the way home.
Last, but not least, Dee Dee and I will be toe-ing the line at the Shamrock n Roll 10K and 5K on Sunday at Atlantic Station. Just so happens that a 10K fits into my training schedule perfectly, although not at race pace :-) Dee Dee is doing the 5K , and I am doing the 10K.
I've been giving this race quite a bit of thought this week. I definitely want to PR. The question is how much? I'm NOT ready to run a sub-50. That level of effort would require specific training. McMillan says I should run 8:24 miles and come in around 52 minutes. That sounds good, but that may be more of an effort than I want to give. Seeing as my "coach" says I should run the first mile in zone 2-3, the second and third miles in zone 3, and the last three miles all out, I'm shooting for a sub-55. If I'm feeling good, then I'll go for more. I just got to remember that Monday is a new training week!
Have a great weekend, everyone!
Wes
OCN: 17.8 miles, 1:02:45, ~17 mph
ORN: 1.4 miles, 15 minutes, ~10:40 mmp
Yesterday's ride was just as good, if not better than the previous ride. I thought it might be tougher, due to being sore, but it wasn't. I made a conscious effort to warm up properly and hit my twenty minutes at race pace in stride. Unfortunately, I am not very good at tracking time, as I went over, again, by six minutes :-)
The run off went OK. I am having no problems hitting my stride now, getting off the bike. I just hit the hills on the Bob Calhan Trail at the end of the out portion of my run, and I was SO unmotivated to tackle them.
Today, I slept in until 6:30 AM, and it felt.so.good! LOL... I decided to do my workouts backwards today. I am going to strength train at lunch and swim on the way home.
Last, but not least, Dee Dee and I will be toe-ing the line at the Shamrock n Roll 10K and 5K on Sunday at Atlantic Station. Just so happens that a 10K fits into my training schedule perfectly, although not at race pace :-) Dee Dee is doing the 5K , and I am doing the 10K.
I've been giving this race quite a bit of thought this week. I definitely want to PR. The question is how much? I'm NOT ready to run a sub-50. That level of effort would require specific training. McMillan says I should run 8:24 miles and come in around 52 minutes. That sounds good, but that may be more of an effort than I want to give. Seeing as my "coach" says I should run the first mile in zone 2-3, the second and third miles in zone 3, and the last three miles all out, I'm shooting for a sub-55. If I'm feeling good, then I'll go for more. I just got to remember that Monday is a new training week!
Have a great weekend, everyone!
Wes
OCN: 17.8 miles, 1:02:45, ~17 mph
ORN: 1.4 miles, 15 minutes, ~10:40 mmp
Friday, December 07, 2007
High (No) Expectations
Tuesday wasn't a good day. I got really nervous.
I'm better today. Confident. Strong.
Ran twenty-two minutes last night. One last reminder from the bursa (heel) to listen and be strong. Rock on...
Two hours until I leave work early and begin the two to three hour commute to Huntsville, Alabama. The race sold out on Tuesday for the first time since 1981. Doesn't that make me feel special. It just does.
Since Joe is on the road and probably won't read my blog before tomorrow, I'll give him the good news in person! LOL!! My race strategy is "Run with Joe" until I decide not to any more. That officially makes my A goal for the race 4:15 (9:45 pace). This could last for one, two, or all twenty six point two miles. Don't worry, I'll have no problems waving good bye Joe if it is the right thing at the right time.
My B goal is to fall back on the old comfort goal and come in around 4:30. Imminently doable.
My C goal is to just finish. Don't be surprised if around mile 18, 19, 20, etc, I just say screw it and decide to walk the rest of the way (or hail a taxi :-).
See you guys on Monday. We managed a kidless trip to Huntsville. Dee Dee will be taking pictures, and no Marcy... There won't be any pre-race kanoodling.
Wes
ORN: 2 miles, 22 minutes, easy pace, R4/W1, 11 mmp
I'm better today. Confident. Strong.
Ran twenty-two minutes last night. One last reminder from the bursa (heel) to listen and be strong. Rock on...
Two hours until I leave work early and begin the two to three hour commute to Huntsville, Alabama. The race sold out on Tuesday for the first time since 1981. Doesn't that make me feel special. It just does.
Since Joe is on the road and probably won't read my blog before tomorrow, I'll give him the good news in person! LOL!! My race strategy is "Run with Joe" until I decide not to any more. That officially makes my A goal for the race 4:15 (9:45 pace). This could last for one, two, or all twenty six point two miles. Don't worry, I'll have no problems waving good bye Joe if it is the right thing at the right time.
My B goal is to fall back on the old comfort goal and come in around 4:30. Imminently doable.
My C goal is to just finish. Don't be surprised if around mile 18, 19, 20, etc, I just say screw it and decide to walk the rest of the way (or hail a taxi :-).
See you guys on Monday. We managed a kidless trip to Huntsville. Dee Dee will be taking pictures, and no Marcy... There won't be any pre-race kanoodling.
Wes
ORN: 2 miles, 22 minutes, easy pace, R4/W1, 11 mmp
Friday, November 09, 2007
Chickamauga or Bust
I shoulda mentioned yesterday that I am running the 10 mile version of the Chickamauga Marathon. Yup. No practice marathon for me :-)
The knee felt OK last night, although I hesitate to call it "the knee". After looking at my pace and last weeks pace, I'm not really sure I took it all that easy either :-) Important thing is that I focused on the area that was bothering me, and I made sure that I didn't stress it in any way shape or form. I know exactly what I am doing in my form to stress the tendon/cartilage there, so it should be fairly simple to avoid further unpleasantness. (Basically what that means is I need to keep my knee bent when I run.)
Now that that is out of the way, on to Chickamauga. Got registered last night. Mmmmm. About ten minutes before the online cut off. After practice, Matthew had to have buffalo chicken fingers from the restaurant. So, just reminding myself, that this is a training race. I will be running it at marathon pace.
Here's the plan. I will start out at around an 11 minute per mile pace. At mile two, I will pick it up to 10:30. Ideally, I will target 10:30 for the rest of the run. I may pick it up a bit so my average pace drops below 10:30, depending on how I feel.
Have a great weekend everyone! Brian, Nat, I will see you at the starting line!
Wes
ORN: 4.3 miles, 48 minutes, easy pace, R5/W1, 11:10 mmp
The knee felt OK last night, although I hesitate to call it "the knee". After looking at my pace and last weeks pace, I'm not really sure I took it all that easy either :-) Important thing is that I focused on the area that was bothering me, and I made sure that I didn't stress it in any way shape or form. I know exactly what I am doing in my form to stress the tendon/cartilage there, so it should be fairly simple to avoid further unpleasantness. (Basically what that means is I need to keep my knee bent when I run.)
Now that that is out of the way, on to Chickamauga. Got registered last night. Mmmmm. About ten minutes before the online cut off. After practice, Matthew had to have buffalo chicken fingers from the restaurant. So, just reminding myself, that this is a training race. I will be running it at marathon pace.
Here's the plan. I will start out at around an 11 minute per mile pace. At mile two, I will pick it up to 10:30. Ideally, I will target 10:30 for the rest of the run. I may pick it up a bit so my average pace drops below 10:30, depending on how I feel.
Have a great weekend everyone! Brian, Nat, I will see you at the starting line!
Wes
ORN: 4.3 miles, 48 minutes, easy pace, R5/W1, 11:10 mmp
Friday, September 14, 2007
Pre Race Mental Exercises
I'm psyching myself up for the race tomorrow.
How much pain can you take?
I miscalculated my pace. It should be 8:08 instead of 8:13 per mile.
For how long?
My five miler went well last night. Let there be no doubt. Running at a 10:40 pace on soccer fields does not equal running a 10:40 pace in my hilly neighborhood. I've got this pace thing figured out with the run/walk method.
That which does not kill us, makes us stronger.
I failed The Test, but I hit my overall pace and am still undefeated versus the Virtual Partner.
Pain is fleeting...
The Hot Lips Hustle 5K is a race benefiting The Smile Train, an organization providing much needed services to children all over the world with cleft palettes. The young lady who organized this race is a student at my son's school. What's up with young women dreaming of lips and kissing? eh? LOL.
The memories are forever...
It is an honor to serve. K. I'm ready now. Bring it on....
Wes
ORN: 5 miles, 52:46, easy pace, R5/W1, 10:39 mmp
How much pain can you take?
I miscalculated my pace. It should be 8:08 instead of 8:13 per mile.
For how long?
My five miler went well last night. Let there be no doubt. Running at a 10:40 pace on soccer fields does not equal running a 10:40 pace in my hilly neighborhood. I've got this pace thing figured out with the run/walk method.
That which does not kill us, makes us stronger.
I failed The Test, but I hit my overall pace and am still undefeated versus the Virtual Partner.
Pain is fleeting...
The Hot Lips Hustle 5K is a race benefiting The Smile Train, an organization providing much needed services to children all over the world with cleft palettes. The young lady who organized this race is a student at my son's school. What's up with young women dreaming of lips and kissing? eh? LOL.
The memories are forever...
It is an honor to serve. K. I'm ready now. Bring it on....
Wes
ORN: 5 miles, 52:46, easy pace, R5/W1, 10:39 mmp
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Hello, Pool
Yeeeaus! I've been missing all of my extracarricular (read non-running) activities. I have one last tri coming up on September 30th, and I don't want to sink when I hit the water :-) I stopped off at the gym last night to see how much swimming endurance I had lost. Well... Don't really know. I felt strong. I decided to do 100 meter laps, and to be safe, I thought 100 meters every 2:15 would be about right. Maybe it was a little too conservative. I had forty seconds of rest between each interval, meaning I was doing each lap in 1:35. Sure kicked my butt though! I was beat at the end of the night...
I have a special event this weekend. The Hot Lips Hustle 5K was the first race I ever did on this journey, and as such, it has the distinct honor of being the first repeat performance. On that day, my humble goal was to come in sub-30. I did that, and it was an experience I'll never forget. I am so looking forward to the race on Saturday.
According to Galloway (god of all things running), I need to add 33 seconds to my magic mile to get my 5K pace. That would mean an 8:13 pace for me. *gulp* :-) To me, that is very aggressive, but you know what? You'll never know until you try, and I'm game!
Race report to follow!
Wes
OSN: 1250 meters, 1x300 w/u, 8x100@2:15, 1x150 cool down
I have a special event this weekend. The Hot Lips Hustle 5K was the first race I ever did on this journey, and as such, it has the distinct honor of being the first repeat performance. On that day, my humble goal was to come in sub-30. I did that, and it was an experience I'll never forget. I am so looking forward to the race on Saturday.
According to Galloway (god of all things running), I need to add 33 seconds to my magic mile to get my 5K pace. That would mean an 8:13 pace for me. *gulp* :-) To me, that is very aggressive, but you know what? You'll never know until you try, and I'm game!
Race report to follow!
Wes
OSN: 1250 meters, 1x300 w/u, 8x100@2:15, 1x150 cool down
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Got Sizzle?
Gather around my friends. No! Closer!! That's right. It's group hug time :-) LOL. Okay. Good. Grab the endie's hand next to you and let's all assume your best spiritual/enlightened pose. K? Good! Now, repeat after me in your best mono-tone:
Wes, this is a training race!
Once again, with feeling!
Wes, this is a training race!
And in one final great crescendo!!
Wes, this is a training race!
Phew!! Thank you all so much for coming. I think I got it now :-)
I, for one, seem to have lost my sizzle this week. Maybe I should say, my sizzle has fizzled! LOL. Entirely on purpose though. It would seem that I put a lot of effort into my physical test this past weekend. My quads have been super sore. I didn't really feel them on our mock tri Sunday, but the rest of the week has been downright ouchy.
Soooooo.... Technically speaking, this week isn't on my plan. So it doesn't exist. I am tapering Wes style. I did 2000 meters in the pool yesterday. Today, I am doing a measley thirty minute run. Then its off to the races Saturday, The Hiawassee Summer Sizzler.
I've checked out the route on GMaps, and the bike doesn't look too hilly. There is some good climbs and some good downhills, but I don't think it is anything I can't handle. Since this is "just a training race", I'm keeping my goals humble. Here they are:
0.8 mile swim - Anything under 30 minutes will be fine. I would like to come closer to 25.
23 miles bike - Anything around an hour will be fine. Looking at last years times, the best was 1:05, so I'm thinking 1:10 to 1:20 here.
4 mile run - I'm praying that this is somewhat flat. OK. There! I've jynxed me and I know it is going to be the run from hell. I'll just ask for my 10 minute miles here, but 9 minute miles would be rockin :-)
Transitions - Continued improvement, especially now that I have a tri-suit.
I have to admit that training this final month is proving hard. I'm really REALLY ready to do my race now. I have my longest training week (repeated) next week, then its two weeks of taper. Must.stay.focused!!
Up bright and early Saturday morning for my trip into the North Georgia mountains. I may pop in tomorrow. I may not. If I don't, y'all be good and have a great weekend. Race report to follow Sunday...
Wes
OSN: 2000 meters, 1x300 w/u, 3x500, 1x200 c/d
Wes, this is a training race!
Once again, with feeling!
Wes, this is a training race!
And in one final great crescendo!!
Wes, this is a training race!
Phew!! Thank you all so much for coming. I think I got it now :-)
I, for one, seem to have lost my sizzle this week. Maybe I should say, my sizzle has fizzled! LOL. Entirely on purpose though. It would seem that I put a lot of effort into my physical test this past weekend. My quads have been super sore. I didn't really feel them on our mock tri Sunday, but the rest of the week has been downright ouchy.
Soooooo.... Technically speaking, this week isn't on my plan. So it doesn't exist. I am tapering Wes style. I did 2000 meters in the pool yesterday. Today, I am doing a measley thirty minute run. Then its off to the races Saturday, The Hiawassee Summer Sizzler.
I've checked out the route on GMaps, and the bike doesn't look too hilly. There is some good climbs and some good downhills, but I don't think it is anything I can't handle. Since this is "just a training race", I'm keeping my goals humble. Here they are:
0.8 mile swim - Anything under 30 minutes will be fine. I would like to come closer to 25.
23 miles bike - Anything around an hour will be fine. Looking at last years times, the best was 1:05, so I'm thinking 1:10 to 1:20 here.
4 mile run - I'm praying that this is somewhat flat. OK. There! I've jynxed me and I know it is going to be the run from hell. I'll just ask for my 10 minute miles here, but 9 minute miles would be rockin :-)
Transitions - Continued improvement, especially now that I have a tri-suit.
I have to admit that training this final month is proving hard. I'm really REALLY ready to do my race now. I have my longest training week (repeated) next week, then its two weeks of taper. Must.stay.focused!!
Up bright and early Saturday morning for my trip into the North Georgia mountains. I may pop in tomorrow. I may not. If I don't, y'all be good and have a great weekend. Race report to follow Sunday...
Wes
OSN: 2000 meters, 1x300 w/u, 3x500, 1x200 c/d
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Got Goal?
It's that time of the race season. Time to share my goals for the upcoming triathlon. Let it be written. Let it be done.
To wrap it up in a nutshell, my A goal of the race is one (1) hour. Before we get into the break down, let's recap the distances of this mini-sprint:
400 meter swim
9 mile bike
2 mile run
Curious George pulled up the lake on GMaps yesterday to take a survey. From stem to stern the lake is 700 meters. This gives me great hope that they may actually get the distance right!! Given that the lake is only 5-6 feet deep in most places, it will be fairly warm. This should allow me to avoid the apoplectic shock I experienced at my first tri. Estimated swim time 7 - 8 minutes.
The nine mile bike course is described as gently rolling and scenic. Just my kind of ride. Based on past performance and current training levels, I really want to average 18 MPH over this bike course, which will bring me in around 30 minutes. Hopefully, I will buy myself some more time here.
Finally, on the run, I am giving myself ten minute miles. If I have to push harder, then I will. The run is supposed to be entirely flat around Robin Lake.
As you can see, in order to accomplish this goal, I'm going to have to hit transition on all cylinders. There won't be any extra time for gufaws or paling around with the kids :-) Every second I save on the swim and the bike means more time in transition.
Going from there, my B and C goals will be 01:05:00 and 01:10:00. Sounds like a plan!!
Dee Dee and I hit the pool early yesterday morning. I did my long intervals while Dee Dee was doing short intervals. I think I managed like 2000 meters in my allotted 42 minutes. Yesterday was Dee Dee's first two-a-day. She went home after work and rode her bike for thirty minutes. (ssssh! I think she's getting excited ;-) After working at the restaurant last night, I went home and went straight to bed. I was feeling mentally drained. I'm happy to report that I'm feeling a bit recharged this morning. Now, I'm trying to decide whether to do my 25 minute run today or tomorrow.
Special shout out to all my friends who are racing this weekend, especially Eric, who is doing the Western States 100, and Jodi, who is becoming Iron this weekend. God bless.
Wes
OCN: 2000 meters, 42 minutes, 3x100 w/u, 3x500, 2x100 c/d
To wrap it up in a nutshell, my A goal of the race is one (1) hour. Before we get into the break down, let's recap the distances of this mini-sprint:
400 meter swim
9 mile bike
2 mile run
Curious George pulled up the lake on GMaps yesterday to take a survey. From stem to stern the lake is 700 meters. This gives me great hope that they may actually get the distance right!! Given that the lake is only 5-6 feet deep in most places, it will be fairly warm. This should allow me to avoid the apoplectic shock I experienced at my first tri. Estimated swim time 7 - 8 minutes.
The nine mile bike course is described as gently rolling and scenic. Just my kind of ride. Based on past performance and current training levels, I really want to average 18 MPH over this bike course, which will bring me in around 30 minutes. Hopefully, I will buy myself some more time here.
Finally, on the run, I am giving myself ten minute miles. If I have to push harder, then I will. The run is supposed to be entirely flat around Robin Lake.
As you can see, in order to accomplish this goal, I'm going to have to hit transition on all cylinders. There won't be any extra time for gufaws or paling around with the kids :-) Every second I save on the swim and the bike means more time in transition.
Going from there, my B and C goals will be 01:05:00 and 01:10:00. Sounds like a plan!!
Dee Dee and I hit the pool early yesterday morning. I did my long intervals while Dee Dee was doing short intervals. I think I managed like 2000 meters in my allotted 42 minutes. Yesterday was Dee Dee's first two-a-day. She went home after work and rode her bike for thirty minutes. (ssssh! I think she's getting excited ;-) After working at the restaurant last night, I went home and went straight to bed. I was feeling mentally drained. I'm happy to report that I'm feeling a bit recharged this morning. Now, I'm trying to decide whether to do my 25 minute run today or tomorrow.
Special shout out to all my friends who are racing this weekend, especially Eric, who is doing the Western States 100, and Jodi, who is becoming Iron this weekend. God bless.
Wes
OCN: 2000 meters, 42 minutes, 3x100 w/u, 3x500, 2x100 c/d
Thursday, May 03, 2007
Race Goals: My First Tri
Yup. I've been holding back a bit on these. It seems with all the stuff going on lately, I've had lots to write about and keep me busy. I let the OCD side of me take over and everything has to be in its proper place and in its proper order. But I have been thinking about it. A lot. Surprised? If you know me, then you know NOT :-)
Here we go:
The Swim
I think I will be disappointed if I don't come in under 10 minutes here. I'm doing 100 meter intervals in sub-2 minutes at an easy pace in the pool. If I can't string four of those bad boys together in under 10 minutes, in a wet suit, I will be pissed. Period.
T1
I'm not sure how T1 is going to work out. Me being the inquisitive little tri-wanna-be that I am, I already gmap-ed the course, and it is almost a quarter of a mile from the exit point of the beach to the transition area. WTH? I'm sure the run will help warm my legs up, but a quarter of a mile???? I'm thinking this one will be like 3-5 minutes. In truth, I care less.
The Bike
BAGS and I are going to give this one our best shot. I'm not expecting great things, but I would like to average at least 16 MPH over the 12 miles of the bike. That would bring me in at 45 minutes. The course is supposed to be absolutely pancake flat. If that holds true, then this should be doable. If I don't, then I don't think I will mind that much.
I will rehydrate myself before and after the bike.
T2
I can't imagine this one taking very long. Since I don't have bike shoes, nor clips, transitioning from bike to run should be very fast. I'm thinking like less than a minute. All I have to do is strip off the bike shorts (I'll have my jammers on underneath), rack the bike, and waddle on out of there. Anything is acceptable here, much like T1.
The Run
All I am asking for here is a sub-30 three miles. No PR :-) No dying in the middle of the road. Just a consistent effort, giving my best, and leaving it all out on the course.
In total, I am looking at coming in under sub-1:30:00 for the entire thing. Hopefully, I will do better than that, because that time only leaves me 45 minutes to get Matthew to his soccer game after the race! LOL.
Alrighty boyz and girlz, wish me luck. This is the culmination of a long journey, and the start of something new and wonderful. Come Saturday afternoon, I will be a triathlete. I'm excited, and that's a wonderful feeling to have.
Wes
Here we go:
The Swim
I think I will be disappointed if I don't come in under 10 minutes here. I'm doing 100 meter intervals in sub-2 minutes at an easy pace in the pool. If I can't string four of those bad boys together in under 10 minutes, in a wet suit, I will be pissed. Period.
T1
I'm not sure how T1 is going to work out. Me being the inquisitive little tri-wanna-be that I am, I already gmap-ed the course, and it is almost a quarter of a mile from the exit point of the beach to the transition area. WTH? I'm sure the run will help warm my legs up, but a quarter of a mile???? I'm thinking this one will be like 3-5 minutes. In truth, I care less.
The Bike
BAGS and I are going to give this one our best shot. I'm not expecting great things, but I would like to average at least 16 MPH over the 12 miles of the bike. That would bring me in at 45 minutes. The course is supposed to be absolutely pancake flat. If that holds true, then this should be doable. If I don't, then I don't think I will mind that much.
I will rehydrate myself before and after the bike.
T2
I can't imagine this one taking very long. Since I don't have bike shoes, nor clips, transitioning from bike to run should be very fast. I'm thinking like less than a minute. All I have to do is strip off the bike shorts (I'll have my jammers on underneath), rack the bike, and waddle on out of there. Anything is acceptable here, much like T1.
The Run
All I am asking for here is a sub-30 three miles. No PR :-) No dying in the middle of the road. Just a consistent effort, giving my best, and leaving it all out on the course.
In total, I am looking at coming in under sub-1:30:00 for the entire thing. Hopefully, I will do better than that, because that time only leaves me 45 minutes to get Matthew to his soccer game after the race! LOL.
Alrighty boyz and girlz, wish me luck. This is the culmination of a long journey, and the start of something new and wonderful. Come Saturday afternoon, I will be a triathlete. I'm excited, and that's a wonderful feeling to have.
Wes
Monday, March 12, 2007
ING Georgia Half Marathon Route Report
The Tail of the Absent Minded Professor
Another big day for me. Almost, but not quite equivalent to a race day. For the first time, I was going to run with a group of people, and not just any group of people, but the local running club. I was excited, and I prepared that way. I laid all my clothes out. I got Dee Dee's Camelbak and the technological wonders ready to go the night before. I even laid out a turn by turn directions on a piece of paper and laid it by the Camelbak on the kitchen table.
I awoke that morning to absolute quiet. Everyone in the house was fast asleep, and the noise of rain on the roof was delightedly absent. I got dressed and went downstairs to have breakfast and let the pack of hounds out. I noticed a slight dampness on the deck. I thought for sure I'd miss the rain and it was going to be a good day. I downed a bowl of cereal and some water, grabbed the Camelbak and headed out. Shortly after leaving my neighborhood the rain began to come down in torrents. Inside I cringed a bit, but outwardly I was happy at the thought of playing in the rain.
The North Springs Marta station was the anointed meeting spot, and I got there just a little early. Within fifteen minutes of my arrival, Donna and another lady (sorry I'm bad with names, Paulie??) showed up. We hopped on the train to Underground Atlanta and had a pleasant if uneventful ride downtown. It was at this point that I realized I had left my route on the kitchen table, and none of the other runners had brought one either. Oh, I was furious with myself, but the other gals took it all in stride. Donna said, good naturedly, that it would all work out, and we could remember as much of the route as we could from memory. Back in grade school the nuns used to call me the absent minded professor. This is why...
After departing the train at the Underground, we made our way up to the intersection of Peachtree Street and Alabama Street. This was the starting point of the Half Marathon, and we were meeting John, the running club president there. One of the first things we noticed upon reaching street level is that they are doing construction there, and the start of the race will have to be moved. The rain was just a slight drizzle at this point and a cold wind was blowing down the Atlanta streets. We were ready to run and get warm! After getting organized, we took off. John was going to wait for another runner who was running a shorter route with him. He would meet us at the half way point of the race.
The Half Marathon leaves the Underground heading north on Peachtree Street. It starts off with a quick downhill followed by short uphill then a rather lengthy downhill to the first turn at Ralph McGill Blvd. As a matter of fact, it is pretty much all downhill from there through Baker Street, Piedmont, and Jackson Street to The Martin Luther King Jr. Park. Once you reach the park, it flattens out with a few gentle rolling hills. Here, we made a mistake and instead of heading right to Edgewood Avenue, we ended up making a left and ended up on Freedom Parkway. The rain had stopped at this point, and the sun was trying to come out.
Originally, we had planned to skip Freedom Parkway, but in a way, I'm glad we didn't. They have a bike/running trail next to the parkway and it was a very pleasant run. Coming down freedom parkway will be a quick downhill into a valley then back up a slight uphill to a flat run to the end. There, you turn around and run back the same way to the end of Freedom Parkway where you enter the neighborhoods before Piedmont Park.
Running through the neighborhoods was nice as well. There were a few gentle ups and downs, but mostly I remember flat and a few long nice downhills. When you make a right on Park Street to head to Piedmont Park, you go up a nice little steep hill, but its not a major deal. The run through the park and around the lake is nice and flat. Once you reach the end of the park, you will begin the long climb back to the start/finish of the race.
Exiting the park on 14th street is a rather steep uphill climb of about two city blocks to Peachtree Street. Once you hit Peachtree Street, you are about 2.25 miles away from start of the race, and its almost all up hill. Its not a hard uphill, but its up hill, kind of in a stair step fashion. This will be the hardest part of the race. As you get to the end, there's the nice little downhill to finish strong.
Based on my training run, my race strategy is going to be to take advantage of all that territory between the start and Piedmont Park, then hang on for dear life at the end. I'm a bit disappointed that I left the directions behind. I really wanted to run the entire route, and I went through a lot of effort to do just that. I guess running seventy percent of the route from memory ain't that bad, and it will have to do.
I said goodbye to my new friends at the Underground. They were finished. The Garmin registered 9.3 miles at this point. The sun was shining, and I had six more miles to do. I took off down Peachtree Street and enjoyed the long downhill run to Piedmont Park. There, I did two more laps around the lake before heading to the Arts Center train station for the ride back to the car.
When I got home, I plugged my Garmin into the computer. As sometimes happens, it corrected my mileage and reported that I did 16 miles instead of the fifteen I had planned. This happens sometimes when the Garmin loses its cookies on the route. 16 miles! Whoa! No wonder I was so sore and tired. Now its taper time, leading up to the biggest race of my life.
Wes
ORN: 16 miles, 3:03:33, endurance pace, 11:25 avg mmp, Walk as needed
Another big day for me. Almost, but not quite equivalent to a race day. For the first time, I was going to run with a group of people, and not just any group of people, but the local running club. I was excited, and I prepared that way. I laid all my clothes out. I got Dee Dee's Camelbak and the technological wonders ready to go the night before. I even laid out a turn by turn directions on a piece of paper and laid it by the Camelbak on the kitchen table.
I awoke that morning to absolute quiet. Everyone in the house was fast asleep, and the noise of rain on the roof was delightedly absent. I got dressed and went downstairs to have breakfast and let the pack of hounds out. I noticed a slight dampness on the deck. I thought for sure I'd miss the rain and it was going to be a good day. I downed a bowl of cereal and some water, grabbed the Camelbak and headed out. Shortly after leaving my neighborhood the rain began to come down in torrents. Inside I cringed a bit, but outwardly I was happy at the thought of playing in the rain.
The North Springs Marta station was the anointed meeting spot, and I got there just a little early. Within fifteen minutes of my arrival, Donna and another lady (sorry I'm bad with names, Paulie??) showed up. We hopped on the train to Underground Atlanta and had a pleasant if uneventful ride downtown. It was at this point that I realized I had left my route on the kitchen table, and none of the other runners had brought one either. Oh, I was furious with myself, but the other gals took it all in stride. Donna said, good naturedly, that it would all work out, and we could remember as much of the route as we could from memory. Back in grade school the nuns used to call me the absent minded professor. This is why...
After departing the train at the Underground, we made our way up to the intersection of Peachtree Street and Alabama Street. This was the starting point of the Half Marathon, and we were meeting John, the running club president there. One of the first things we noticed upon reaching street level is that they are doing construction there, and the start of the race will have to be moved. The rain was just a slight drizzle at this point and a cold wind was blowing down the Atlanta streets. We were ready to run and get warm! After getting organized, we took off. John was going to wait for another runner who was running a shorter route with him. He would meet us at the half way point of the race.
The Half Marathon leaves the Underground heading north on Peachtree Street. It starts off with a quick downhill followed by short uphill then a rather lengthy downhill to the first turn at Ralph McGill Blvd. As a matter of fact, it is pretty much all downhill from there through Baker Street, Piedmont, and Jackson Street to The Martin Luther King Jr. Park. Once you reach the park, it flattens out with a few gentle rolling hills. Here, we made a mistake and instead of heading right to Edgewood Avenue, we ended up making a left and ended up on Freedom Parkway. The rain had stopped at this point, and the sun was trying to come out.
Originally, we had planned to skip Freedom Parkway, but in a way, I'm glad we didn't. They have a bike/running trail next to the parkway and it was a very pleasant run. Coming down freedom parkway will be a quick downhill into a valley then back up a slight uphill to a flat run to the end. There, you turn around and run back the same way to the end of Freedom Parkway where you enter the neighborhoods before Piedmont Park.
Running through the neighborhoods was nice as well. There were a few gentle ups and downs, but mostly I remember flat and a few long nice downhills. When you make a right on Park Street to head to Piedmont Park, you go up a nice little steep hill, but its not a major deal. The run through the park and around the lake is nice and flat. Once you reach the end of the park, you will begin the long climb back to the start/finish of the race.
Exiting the park on 14th street is a rather steep uphill climb of about two city blocks to Peachtree Street. Once you hit Peachtree Street, you are about 2.25 miles away from start of the race, and its almost all up hill. Its not a hard uphill, but its up hill, kind of in a stair step fashion. This will be the hardest part of the race. As you get to the end, there's the nice little downhill to finish strong.
Based on my training run, my race strategy is going to be to take advantage of all that territory between the start and Piedmont Park, then hang on for dear life at the end. I'm a bit disappointed that I left the directions behind. I really wanted to run the entire route, and I went through a lot of effort to do just that. I guess running seventy percent of the route from memory ain't that bad, and it will have to do.
I said goodbye to my new friends at the Underground. They were finished. The Garmin registered 9.3 miles at this point. The sun was shining, and I had six more miles to do. I took off down Peachtree Street and enjoyed the long downhill run to Piedmont Park. There, I did two more laps around the lake before heading to the Arts Center train station for the ride back to the car.
When I got home, I plugged my Garmin into the computer. As sometimes happens, it corrected my mileage and reported that I did 16 miles instead of the fifteen I had planned. This happens sometimes when the Garmin loses its cookies on the route. 16 miles! Whoa! No wonder I was so sore and tired. Now its taper time, leading up to the biggest race of my life.
Wes
ORN: 16 miles, 3:03:33, endurance pace, 11:25 avg mmp, Walk as needed
Friday, January 12, 2007
Tapering with Bags
I'm not sure I'm really taking this race tomorrow too seriously. I got home from work tonight at a good time, so I hauled Bags out of the dining room (can you tell she's special?) and went for an 8.24 mile bike ride. I kept my level of effort to something reasonable, as I didn't want to be sore tomorrow for my run. Somewhere in the back of my head, I have this image of me PRing tomorrow, and my heart is saying no, nO, NO!! My goal for this race is to run the entire thing from start to finish. I'm not at all concerned about my time. The goal is FAR more important than the time. But who knows? I may find that "groove" I'm so fond of. I may feel the cool temps, the strength in my legs. I may feel alive, and I might PR.
One more glass of this red wine should ensure that whole non-PR thing :-) I've had this unopened bottle sitting on my kitchen counter all week, and I've gotten into the habit of having a glass of red wine every night. It's supposed to be really healthy for you. Now, as I finish cooking dinner for my kids, sipping on my wine, I'm wondering what tomorrow may bring. I just know, for me personally, whatever happens, it will be good.
Finish strong!
Wes
OCN: 8.23 miles, 46 minutes, 11 MPH avg.
One more glass of this red wine should ensure that whole non-PR thing :-) I've had this unopened bottle sitting on my kitchen counter all week, and I've gotten into the habit of having a glass of red wine every night. It's supposed to be really healthy for you. Now, as I finish cooking dinner for my kids, sipping on my wine, I'm wondering what tomorrow may bring. I just know, for me personally, whatever happens, it will be good.
Finish strong!
Wes
OCN: 8.23 miles, 46 minutes, 11 MPH avg.
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