Talking about Time

Time . . . it's something we triathletes focus on, well, all the time: training time, split time, transition time, recovery time. You get the picture.



I'm luckier than most triathletes when it comes to finding training time (usually). I'm a stay at home dad to two kids both of whom are in elementary school. As long as I keep the laundry flowing (only fair since I create most of it), the fridge stocked and the meals coming, I pretty much have from 9-3 to get my training done.



Until summer, also known as triathlon season, that is. Once the kids are out of school I'm in the same boat as most of you other triathletes. Trying to arrange my workouts around a work schedule (in this case, my wife's). Most mornings I can sneak out for a swim or a run as long as it's of the shorter variety. Sometimes she's out the door before 6:30 (like today) and I can't fit in the workout I was planning.



In preparing for the Rockman 1/2 Ironman, I was getting in 9 workouts a week (3 in each discipline) plus yoga once or twice a week. In my heaviest weeks I put in around 12 hours of training. Typically I'd only have 1 workout to do over the weekend so I could spend some time with the fam.



This summer I've already planned to drop to 6 workouts a week (2 in each) and hopefully hit yoga once a week. So far that's not happening; in part due to recovery needs from Rockman and Grandma's and the related travel, but also from lack of time.



I'm currently treating the Turtleman Olympic distance (August 9) as my next "A" race. For those of you who don't know, an A race is one that you train to a full peak including resting immediately prior to the race. If you attempt to achieve this peak too often it can lead to injury and/or under performance. I want to win back THE Turtle (more on that to follow).



I'm not sure how I'll prepare for the Square Lake 1/2 the following month, but I've got some time to figure that out (in keeping with the theme of this post).



Anyhow, I won't waste any more of your time waxing on about my time trials (so to speak - pun explanation for non-bike/triathlon fans - a time trial is an individual bike race against the clock - similar to a triathlon since drafting is not allowed). Like most jokes, it loses something if you have to explain it - assuming it had anything in the first place.

Oh My Lord, I've Done It Now!

It's official. I have now volunteered, no make that paid a small fortune, for the privilege of hauling my carcass 140.6 miles in under 17 hours on June 21, 2009 in and around the apparently lovely burg of Coeur D'Alene, Idaho.

If you've done it before I'd appreciate your input as I go through this process. Either way I hope you enjoy following my journey. And I encourage you to click through on some of these triathlon ads - it's the only way I'll be able to pay my entry. Although for my married friends I recommend sticking to the training websites and not the "triathlon singles" sites.

Why I Do What I Do

People often ask me why do you do these events?



This weekend, that's why! We had a blast. I don't know any other way to get 4 couples together to hang out without their kids for a weekend on the North Shore. I mean, sure you might talk about getting together, maybe even check everyone's calendars, but without an EVENT, you'll never get it put together. And hardly any one will travel hundreds of miles for 5k.



This was our 5th straight Grandma's Weekend. Some of the names and faces have changed but we haven't had a bad time yet.



Our friends from Dallas elected not to come up this year. Both of them have been fighting injuries and OB said he couldn't bear watching from the sidelines 2 years in a row. Hopefully Angie will stay healthy for San Antonio and OB will be running by then (just not 1/2 marathons yet).



Stomper Rob (who I'm not sure really likes his nickname, particularly since he's taken most of the stomp out of his stride after the stress fracture) ran his first full this year and finished upright (although I don't think he was smiling). Jim ran his second and set a PR by a minute and and half. Rob T set a PR in the 1/2 by something like 8 minutes. I suprisingly ran my second best 1/2 ever from a time perspective. From an accomplishment standpoint I think it may have been my best race ever.



We all had a charmed day. It only stormed when we were at Lil Angie's for lunch or under the tent dancing to GB Leighton. Hanging out at Grand Superior that night was awesome. Next time we'll have stake out a fire ring early.


Race Report



As I reported earlier, I was approaching this race with some trepidation. I wasn't sure I'd be fully recovered from Rockman. I really wasn't looking forward to the possible slog on the second half. I came up with a plan. Try and run the first half of the race in 9:30 to 10:00 minute miles. Some of you are probably thinking that sounds a lot like jogging and not running. But for a guy who's deep into the clydesdale division that's running. I was hoping to prevent the 11:00 minute miles (or longer) that happened last year. Then I thought I would try and pick it up for the second half if I had anything in the tank.



Turns out I didn't quite follow the plan. I felt strong all morning. I kept telling myself to slow down in the first half but I was still running 9:14s. My quads didn't start complaining until mile 7 or 8. What a nice change from Rockman. It's amazing how much easier it is to run a 1/2 marathon without having first biked 56 miles.



Around mile 8 I tried to drop it down to see if I could get under the magical 9:07s to break 2 hours. That wasn't happening. Once it became clear I wasn't going to manage that I started to fade a bit (especially in the last mile). Final chip time of 2:03:05. I'll take it!



Here are my splits compared to last year. (Thanks for the graphical presentation OB):

Registration for CDA today at 2:00 CDT. I'll let you know how it goes.

Preparing for Grandma's 1/2

When I signed up for Rockman, I knew it was only 2 weeks before the Bjorklund 1/2 Marathon at Grandma's. I figured I would recover the first week, get a long run in on the weekend and then rest up until the race on Saturday. I wasn't planning on shooting for a PR, just having a nice run with a (for me) decent time.

Things haven't exactly gone according to plan. Two days after Rockman I went for a 2 mile recovery run hoping to bust loose some of the soreness in my legs. Didn't work. On the third day I went for a swim. Cut it short after a warm up and 4x100s. Left me just exhausted. Took a day completely off. Went for a 45 minute ride on day 5. Finally started feeling better. Sunday I decided to run 6 miles. 5 miles later I was walking home. Hmmm, this could be interesting.

I finally started to get some life on Monday. Did a 20 minute open water swim in the morning and the rode 25 miles in the afternoon. Yesterday I ran 4 miles with 3 miles under race pace. Today I'm going for a swim.

I just hope I'm able to get the running over with on Saturday so that I can start the post race party feeling good.

This is my 5th straight year at Grandma's. It's going to seem wierd next year not being there (assuming I get into IM CDA on Monday).

Rockman 1/2 IM Race Report

Conventional wisdom dictates that in the last 10 miles of the bike in a 1/2 Iron distance race it is crucial to spin easy to loosen up your legs for the half marathon yet to come. When you're out in middle of farm country and the lightning starts flashing all around conventional wisdom goes right out the window.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. First the swim. 1.2 miles, 2 loops of a triangle course. I'm a decent swimmer; typically have a split in the top 1/4. With nearly 300 of us starting together it's the largest mass start I've been a part of. Until we rounded the first buoy there was a lot more contact than I'm used to. Once we rounded the first buoy I went pretty wide. I always prefer to swim a little farther in order to get my own space. Usually this works great. This time it led me into the weeds.

The second loop was uneventful. Out of the water in 36:20.

Took my time in T1. It's going to be a long day so a few seconds gained in transition aren't going to matter. A small hill immediately after the mounting line. Fortunately the race director was announcing that it's faster to run up the hill and mount at the top. I took him at his word. A couple other racers didn't and have the bruises to prove it.

The Bike
56 miles. Out and back. 20 to 30 mph winds - generally crosswinds. My goal was to complete the bike in under 3 hours keeping my average heart rate under 140. Based upon my longest brick, 50 mile bike, 5 mile run, this would leave enough in the tank for the run. Well that was the plan.

Note to self: always take your bike out for a short spin race morning. It will keep you from riding for 3 hours with a completely loose right aerobar.

The first 45 miles were pretty uneventful - probably pushing a little too hard. Getting passed by a lot of disc wheels, deep rims and aero helmets. The sky to the west starts looking really nasty.

Lightning starts flashing. The rain starts coming down horizontally. Ouch is that hail? No, sure feels like it. I weigh 215 pounds and I feel like I'm going to get blown in a ditch. Speaking of ditches, if that lightning gets any closer or it starts looking any nastier, I may have to think about hunkering down in one and waiting it out.

In an effort to get out of the storm I'm redlining.

Finally about 1 mile out it stops raining and the wind dies down. I drop to my easiest gear and spin, but the damage has been done. Time 2:58 avg heartrate 148.

T2
I had the forethought to put my running shoes and a fresh pair of socks in a plastic bag. I took the time to change socks. I'm on the road.

The Walk (I mean run).
Less than a mile into the run the skies opened up again. So much for the dry socks. It's a hilly course and I'm already walking uphills in mile 2. I keep hoping that my legs will start to feel better but it was not to be.

Duck under the tree that nearly fell on the first place woman and keep moving. Now I'm getting passed by old guys and fat chicks. Shuffle on in in 2:37.

Total time 6:16:54. So much for my goal of 5:47:06 or secondary goal of 6 hours. Why 5:47:06 you might ask? That's the time my friend MJ finished at Prairieman last fall in 100 degree heat. It would kill him (a 2:54 marathoner) if my PR was faster than his. Someday maybe.