Long Rides, Kettlebells and a 10k

That felt like one of the longest weekends in quite some time. And there is NO doubt, this is the sorest I have been probably since my first Ironman. And I fear it will get a bit worse before it gets better. However, vacation is a few days away so I think the beach should provide ample opportunity for recovery.

The pain began on Thursday with a lactate threshold test. Warmup hard for 10 minutes then all out for 8 more. I managed to hold a 6:40 pace for the duration of the test. And for the first time in nearly three years, my LT actually went up about 5 bpm. My only regret was that I conducted the test in the morning and then had a conference the rest of the day. I was wiped out by dinner.

I headed to Nashville on Friday. I have asked Dan to make a number of changes to my training plan. One of the first changes was to incorporate more pace based training instead of isolated heart rate training. This was one of my first opportunities as I set out on an easy 5 mile run.

Saturday was 2:15 in the saddle, simulating race pace. I hit the road early and rode hard. The downside of riding in Nashville is the terrain. I haven't trained on hills in quite some time so I find it really difficult to have good rides up there. I feel like I never get into a solid groove. This one was a bit different. I was able to hold my watts and find the energy to get through the ride.

I was a bit beat on Sunday from the hard ride. The plan was to drive up to Clarksville to participate in the Clarksville Rotary Annual Metric (62 miles). The course is billed as the nation's fastest due to the flat terrain. My plan called for 3 hours so I was looking forward to the fast, flats. Well Jess and I arrived shortly after 7 am and were the only people in the parking lot. Apparently the ride was yesterday. Oops. My bad.

I was still determined to ride so I looked at the cue sheet to see if I thought I could still pull off the 62 miles. It had a few too many turns for my comfort. So we looked at the map and routed our way back to Hendersonville via country roads. And wouldn't you know that it started raining the minute I put on my helmet.

My plan of attack was to hammer the flats to gain time and distance while I could. Needless to say, riding east put me in the direction of the ridge in the middle of the state. The flats weren't there after a few miles. Jess was gracious enough to sag the ride. Due to many of the unmarked turns, she was there pointing me in the right direction.

Well the rain didn't stop for the entire first hour. I did what I could and was still managing to have a good ride. The funniest part was the rural, farm road that was littered with cattle. Jess comes roaring down in here SUV and it doesn't disturb a sole. I come by on my 17 pound bicycle and the cattle scramble. I can only laugh at the situation.

I kept pushing the pace despite the weather and terrain. I was begining to wear thin. My pace and power were beginning to slip from the fatigue. I made the decision to get off the bike at the 2 hour mark. I just wanted to lie down and dry off.

That afternoon, Jess and I went to the gym to workout. I knew I would regret the decision but I went through the kettlebell routine with her. About an hour and nearly 100 squats, swings and lifts later I was wiped out. I was sore in leg muscles that I didn't know existed. And I knew I was hurt the next day.

Though reluctant, I allowed Jess to talk me into doing a 10k on Monday morning. I hate running 10ks because it is nothing more than a 6 mile threshold run. Dan gave me a prescribed workout so that I could work on pace so I knew I wouldn't be setting a PR. I went through a brief warmup and couldn't believe how sore my core was when I tried to run...glutes, groin, lower back.

I did what I could in the run. I went out a bit hard during the first mile and that set the tone for the day. I just tried to maintain the pace. At the four mile mark, I tried to push. My lower body was too sore. Usually it is my head that won't let me push. I felt fine there. Heartrate was up but not through the roof. My legs just hurt. I kept digging for more effort and I got a little more out of the body. I crossed the finish line around 50:25....easily 4 minutes off my pr but good enough for 3rd place in my age group, lol. The best part is that I turned back and went to find Jess and pushed her as she finished an awesome 5k and achieved her goal.

Needless to say, my body is beat. I soaked in a long hot bath for a while and took a nap. I need to get through tomorrow's workout and I can look forward to recovery on the beach.

Ironman Burnout

In thinking through my motivation issues this year, I have developed what I would like to call the Ironman Burnout syndrome. Before you stop reading, it isn't quite what you think. There are two ways this can play out. Certainly, one can burn out from training long all the time and focusing only on Ironman. The other way, as I see it, is to complete an Ironman TOO early in your triathlon career.

I did my first Ironman 18 months after I purchased my first bike. I did my second nearly 18 months after the first. The gained me a number of accolades, popularity and notoriety among friends. But what does all that mean now? This is why I STRONGLY encourage beginners and other athletes to take their time to reach the Ironman status. Getting there too early sets you up for a rocky road the rest of the way.

For me, it has helped to create a condescending attitude. I don't look at a half-iron race with the same fear as I view the 140.6 miles. I don't have the same excitement. It is just half of what I have completed twice. I mean, I have done an Ironman...what is half of one to me. That attitude is evident.

The thing about rushing the Ironman process is that your return down the ladder isn't near as rewarding. When you are climbing the ladder you fear each new distance. You tackle training with a different mindset as the prospect of a new goal or challenge awaits you. The payoff of crossing the finish line provides a whole new physical and emotional reward system. I remember this feeling. I remember bonking in Chattanooga during my first olympic. I remember struggling at SC Half on my quest to cover 70.3 miles. I recall the euphoria the accomplishments brought me.

But once you achieve success at the top of the ladder, what do you have to look forward to? How pumped up do you get about doing a sprint? How do you carry the motivation and intensity forward when you don't fear the distance? I said the other day that I should just sign up for another Ironman. That way I would be more motivated to train. (must....not....sign...up)

It stands to reason that one should perfect their racing at a particular distance before progressing to the next. I give this advice all the time. Want to do a full-iron? How is your half? Do you race that well or do you break down? Do you think doubling the distance will yield different results? Unfortunately, no one listens. I didn't so I can't blame them. So now I am stuck going back to perfect the shorter distances. That isn't exactly glorifying.

All this boils down to changing my mindset. I am shifting from racing to complete to racing to compete. The things that motivated me in the past no longer work. I need to search within and around me to find motivating stimuli. I need to change the way I train on a weekly basis to stress both my body and mind. I need to remain focused on the bigger picture of what I am trying to accomplish instead of shirking the responsibility.

All of this because I did an Ironman too early in my triathlon career. I reached the pinnacle of the sport and found success. The achievement makes success at the lower levels even more difficult to see. It requires a change in mindset. It forces me to alter my philosophy and way I approach the sport. Once I alter that mindset, hopefully, I can re-enter the path of progression in the sport.

Georgia Cup Time Trial #5

Saturday definitely marked a good to great day. I was given an option to go on an easy 1.5 hour training ride or follow my race schedule and give a time trial another go. Despite the foul weather, I left town around noon and headed up to Gainesville to take part in the Georgia Cup #5 time trial. I really like racing with this group. It is really a testament to how races were back in a day. There is a guy with some numbers, a table and a computer. That is about it.

I was still struggling a bit with recovering from Gulf Coast but I thought this would be the better workout for the weekend. And despite my fatigue, I warmed to the idea of taking out some frustration on the bike. I arrived shortly after one. The weather wasn't cooperating. It would rain then the sun would make it hot. Humidity was though the roof.

I reluctantly brought my trainer with me. All the cyclist set up shop under the elementary school's awning. The downside of course was that no breeze came through. I hopped on the trainer for about 15 minutes before I reached my threshold point. I focused on just getting warmed up enough. I was warm enough, I was drenched in sweat. I then hopped off and went for a quick spin on the open roads.

The course was a simple out and back on country roads. The terrain was gently rolling with no major sustained climbs. I had an idea of how long it would take me so I mentally divided the race into quadrants. Looking at my power, it worked out pretty well.




As usual, I started out a bit hard. I knew when I hit the two mile marker, I was flying. By four miles, I was feeling good. I can tell that I backed off during the second part of the race. I was pushing it but not quite as hard as I was.

When I hit the turn around I was a bit winded. Plus, I could see how many people were close to me. At this point I had been passed once but others were gaining. I picked it back up a bit on the return. When passed, I tried to pace off him. This seemed to work for a few minutes but in the end, my legs simply didn't have the power in them.

The final stretch was uphill. I ran out of gas at the 45 minute mark. You can actually see where my power dipped as I let out a huge sigh and tried to refocus. I pushed hard up the hill but I was pretty spent at that point. Fortunately, I didn't have to run after this ride.

I really enjoy these events because it breaks up the monotony of training. However, they are VERY humbling. It kills me to know that I had a 2-3 minute headstart on someone only to have them blow by me as if I was standing still. What I try to keep in mind is that a lot of these guys are pure cyclists. They don't train for the swim or run. I am sure if I was able to devote 4-6 more hours to the bike, I would be up there too.

Results:
Time-50:20
Distance: 19.6 miles
Speed: 23.4 mph
Watts: 235
AG Rank: 3/4
Overall: 13/32

Going from Good to Great

We all have different perspectives on this sport. Those perspectives drive us to different opinions of what fast, front of the pack or great might be. If you recall, a few weeks back I blogged about Training With Perspective. I have spent a great deal of time thinking through perspective and how to use it to help define my season. I would also like to thank the numerous people with whom I have discussed this exact topic.

I have struggled with defining exactly what I want to accomplish this season. I thought it was sub-5. I thought it was securing a Clearwater spot. I thought it was simply getting faster. All of those goals still remain with me. However, at the core is a more demanding goal....going from good to great.

We all have different perspectives of what great is. For some it is winning Kona. For others, it is qualifying for Kona. And some it is finishing an Ironman faster. All are drastically different outcomes but they all share the desire to perform at a higher level.

Some time back I wrote a unpublished blog about Craig Alexander, the 2008 Kona Champion. In his 2007 Kona debut, he pulled off an amazing 2nd place finish in 8:19:04. While I have no doubt his excitement lasted, I imagine there is no worse feeling than falling second in a championship race. You are the first loser. He returned in 2008 with one goal and one goal only...to win.

What amazes me is not that Crowie won the race. Instead it is how he approached it. I can't even begin to put into perspective the depths of his training the next year. The hundreds of hours sweating and bleeding. He shows up to Kona, races and puts up a time 80 seconds faster than last year. ALL that work over the season just to shave 80 seconds off your time. But that 80 seconds guided him to victory. He went from good to great (maybe immortal) with just 80 seconds.

I think most of us all agree Crowie is already at that great stage. I am sure he often thinks of himself there too. However, I have no doubt that when he made the leap from 70.3 to 140.6 he asked himself what will it take to go from good to great at this distance?

I find myself in the same boat, albeit a paddle boat to his speed boat. This season I am spending my time and energy trying to reach the next level. I know I have talent. And this is the problem. I know I can go out and race a HIM at a 5:30 level. To some that is great. And I am appreciative to many for their kinds words over the past few weeks. But to me...great only begins with busting my ass for 100% of the race. I understand that I might only improve my time by 80 seconds. I would rather go back to Gulf Coast, give it 100% and race a 5:24 than coast to a 5:25 finish

Going from good to great means changing my mindset completely. It means staying mentally and physically engaged the entire race. I remember how hard I worked in Hawaii to draft off faster swimmers. I recall when I had that ah-ha moment. I remember how I swam when I stayed mentally engaged to the buoy. I also remember looking up and being dropped when I let my mind wander. When the gun goes off I need to enter and stay in that zone.

Mentally I need to strengthen my skill set more. Next time I am passed at mile 40, I need to go with him. I can't settle for the I don't wanna attitude. I must remind myself that I will be on the bike for only 150 minutes. Each one of those matter. Physically, I need to stop relying on my natural talent. A 2:10 needs to be completely unacceptable for ME. That is a training run...not a race. I need to continue to hone and sharpen my skill set with every workout.

I am not exactly sure what great looks like. I don't know if I race a 4:59.59 if I would regard it as great. I don't know if qualifying for Clearwater would give me that feeling. I am not certain standing on the awards stage Saturday would give me that satisfaction. What I do know is that Saturday's effort did not bring great out in me. It was a good race.

I also accept the fact that I may never reach this level. I think it requires a higher level of commitment to training than I may be willing to deliver. The sport will change from a hobby to a true lifestyle. It will take a re-prioritization of a number of things. There won't be a race season, it becomes bigger than one season. It is dedication to a long term plan. It is a trust factor between the coach and the athlete that every workout prescribed is a means to that end. It is a mentality and attitude that I need to carry with in every workout. It is not settling for mediocrity because I am having a bad day.

Maybe I just found what great actually is. Maybe great is a dedication to all of these ideals. While it may appear I am there on the surface, I certainly know the commitment doesn't run that deep. I know I am not there. I guess that is the goal of the season...to strive for great and ask of myself, do you want it enough to make the commitment to these higher ideals.

Post Gulf Coast Thoughts

As many of your know, I am extremely hard on myself when it comes to many things in life. Triathlon is no different. Thus, I have mixed feelings about my Gulf Coast performance. Overall, my time was pretty competitive but by my standards I thought I raced poorly. I always like to give a race 48-72 hours to set in before I begin obsessing over the data.

Typically, I comb through the results looking for the fastest and average stats. I like to know where I ranked against the fields in each discipline. I like to take it one step further and look at cumlative times to see where I gained and lost positions. Yes...I am OCD.

More recently, I have began bench marking myself against the top 10 in my age group. I feel that this is a good barometer. And on a day where the heat destroys the field, it is critical that I remember that its not always about a time goal. On Saturday, a sub-5 race was a level that I am not capable of achieving. A mediocre (by my standards) 5:25 ends up competitive against much of the field.

Rankings:

	Overall	Swim	T1	Bike	T2	Run
Fastest	4:06	25:08:00	1:35	2:10	0:40	1;22
My Time	5:25	37:05:00	2:52	2:33	1:39	2:10
Overall Rank	164/1045	236	97	129	101	282
Men Rank	127/739	208	74	125	57	213
Age Group	23/92	31	12	19	9	38

Looking at the numbers, it actually appears to be a solid race against the field. Of course, I am not happy with my performance unless you look at it from the 100 foot view.


Benchmarks:

	Overall	Swim	T1	Bike	T2	Run
Top 10 30-34	4:49	33:33:00	2:57	2:24	1:49	1:46
My Time	5:25	37:05:00	2:52	2:33	1:39	2:10

Looking at the benchmarks gives me something to strive for. None of those results are way out of my grasp. Instead, they are pretty close to where I am. The bigger question becomes what does it take to get there?

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Grading my performance:

Overall: C
I certainly didn't push it in this race. I think I just needed to mentally get through it. I know I left a lot on the course and that is ok for this race but it leaves a ton of room for improvement.

Swim: C
I failed here. I followed feet out but I dropped off at the first sign of struggling. I really need to figure out how to stay focused for 30 minutes. Hopefully I have some opportunities in training over the next few weekends.

Bike: B+
It wasn't a bad bike by any measure. My watts were down and that was slightly problematic. But I didn't push it. I got passed around the 40 mile mark and tried to go with him. Then a backed off. I need to push harder on the bike

Run: C-
I totally sandbagged it If I got hot, I slowed down. I was ok running a dreadful pace. Hell, my pace was exactly the same at IMFL for twice the distance. I know I am capable of much more. And I know I was capable of much more on Saturday.

Mental Strength: C-
I finished and hung in there. That is the positive. I let myself settle too much in the race because I didn't want to hurt.

Physical Strength: B-
I was fatigued going into the race and that is likely where I lost my power. Looking at how I compare to the rest of the field, it looks better than a B-. But i will never be happy with my effort from a race where I walked that much.

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Overall I am very much at peace with the race. I think after NOLA, I just needed to mentally prove to myself that I am strong enough. I think GCT did its job. I feel a bit renewed whereas I was feeling burned out. I am actually looking forward to Cardinal Harbour in July (minus the heat). Hopefully this race will propel me mentally and physically to where I need to be for the rest of the season.

Gulf Roast 2009

What a whirlwind 72 hours. There was good, bad and plenty of ugly to go around. But it is over and that is what truly matters. There is a reason I never want to Gulf Coast...the heat. It always seems to fall on one of the first HOTTT (3 T's) weekends of the year. The fact that no one has acclimated to the heat contributes to the carnage that unfolds during the day. 2009 would prove no differently.

As previously mentioned, I was extremely loose before the race. I was so loose that I didn't follow any routine, I just went with it. Jess took the kids out of the school on Thursday, swung down to pick me up and we rolled down to PCB arriving shortly before midnight. Friday, I finally decided to register for the race and then hit the beach for some sun and fun. I tried to prepare for the race but I really just wanted to enjoy myself down there. For dinner, we grabbed a pizza and just chilled at the condo. Then I performed the annual shaving of the head...making sure to leave a nice mohawk in place.

I woke up at 4:45 and began putzing around the condo. I had my traditional PB bagel and a banana. My stomach was a bit distressed in the morning which rarely ever happens. It is likely attributable to all the junk food I ate on the way down there. I was out the door by 5:30 and took the short stroll down to transition. My focus for the morning was positive re-inforcement...reminding myself that I was going to have a good race. I did my thing in transition and got out of there.

The wind was kicking in the morning and the water was choppy. It wasn't horrible conditions but the swells were certainly going to push us around. I got suited up and hit the water for a few minutes of swimming. I tried to keep myself mentally dialed into the race. Finally it was time to enter to the corral and start the day.

Swim:
I lined up to the right with the plan to move to the left throughout the swim. I watched the waves prior to me and it seemed that the undertow was pushing left. When the gun went off, I went dolphining through the first group of waves. For the first 200m I felt good. I remembered what it was like to race. And then I decided to swim to Destin. I was following the feet in front of me but it seemed like I was out to sea and no where near the course. I made a few adjustments and moved more to the left. Suddenly I was inside the buoys.

I made it out to the first turn buoy feeling ok but not exceptionally strong. I could tell that I wasn't with the fast group anymore. I made my way to the second turn buoy and it felt like that....I was making my way over. No hurry in mind. I set my sites on the Boardwalk condos and cruised. I could tell I wasn't having a good swim. I was off in my own little world just trying to get through the 1.2 miles. It seemed that the last buoy was always just a little bit further.

Swim time: 37:05

Transition was the same as IMFL as you made you way up the beach, through the sprinklers and into the parking lot. I grabbed my stuff and was off. I did feel particularly fast but it seems like I got through it at a very reasonable rate.

T1: 2:52

Bike:
I didn't really know what to expect from my body today. Going into the race, my body was not peaking. Instead it was very fatigued. I had a mental plan that I wanted to execute but I kept in mind that I need to just adapt to what my body would give me. I could tell on the short out and back that it wasn't there. I had trouble getting my power up to speed and maintaining the wattage. I kept trying to relax and remind myself that I had 50 miles and the body would react.

We came zipping back through town and you could feel the northern breeze off the ocean. And you felt it between each condo where the dead space acted as wind tunnel. I struggled a great deal in the first 30 minutes to settle into aero position. It was difficult for me to find both a comfortable spot as well as the right gearing. More importantly, my stomach was really bloated and my nutrition tasted like crap. I think I drank the whole Gulf of Mexico.

As we turned up 79, I began to give it a bit more power but the numbers were still a bit low. I found a good position and gear and just focused on executing MY race. Just before the bridge, a cyclist came flying past me as if I was standing still. I sat up wondering WTF. Then I realized the nice tailwind we had. I found a few more gears and took off. I went up and over the bridge and was feeling pretty good on the bike. I reminded myself that the headwind may be my demise on the return.

The stretch on 388 was a bit lonely. The condition of the road was miserable at time. Plus it was so desolate out there. It was also at this time that I started to realize how hot it was. I knew that the key to this race for me was to not get over heated. I took a water bottle from the next aid station and dumped the entire bottle on me. I squirted it into the helmet, back of the neck and chest.

I hit the 28 mile mark and was feeling good despite my power numbers being about 10-20 watts lower than where I wanted them to be. At the turnaround, it was much of the same. I took another water bottle to stay cool. At this point, I was growing aware of how I was slipping behind on nutrition. My stomach was having trouble processing it. I found myself very gassy. I decided to alter my plans given the problem. When I began feeling bad, I had to force some nutrition into the body, then I chased it with some fresh water and doused myself to cool off.

A couple of cyclist began catching me on 388 and I tried to go with them. I just didn't have it. The power still wasnt' there. I tried to remain calm because I was still on par for a solid ride...I took what the body gave me. When we turned back onto 79 we found a nice little headwind. It wasn't brutal like NOLA. But it was enough to slow you down a bit. I took this opportunity to try to relieve my bladder only to fail a number of times.

Though I know not to try anything new on race day, I planned on altering my nutrition plan during the last 20 minutes of the race. I had frozen a bottle of nuun so that I could up my electrolytes. And given the heat, I think it was the right call. I probably got half that bottle down during the last 20 minutes. Too bad Nuun doesn't have calories because my 1.5 bottles of infinit left me well short of where I needed to be.

Bike: 2:33.40 21.9 mph

I felt pretty good coming off the bike. While I fought off plenty of negative thoughts while on the bike, the prospect of not running wasn't there. I felt like a totally different athlete compared to NOLA. I found my rack and slipped on my running shoes. I realized that I had forgotten to put out my salt tabs. Damnit!!!! Oh well...got to roll with what I have.

T2: 1:39

Run:
I immediately found a decent pace and started pushing. My goals for the run were to stay cool and make sure that I put some calories in the body so that I didn't bonk. Jess was waiting about half a mile down the road. She gave me the race time. At that point I had to run a 1:45 to break 5 hours. Doable? Certainly. Just not today. And I was totally fine with that. The bigger key was finishing.

I pushed for the first two miles. I was on fire. I grabbed sponges at the aid stations. I doused myself when I could. At the third aid station I decided to stop. I made the choice to take in tons of fluid and try to cool down. I literally stopped in the middle of the road and drank two cups of ice water. Cold water was the nectar from the gods. All throughout the run, it was the best thing I had ever tasted. One of these days I will learn to develop a calorie rich nutrition plan that only include cold water. :)

The stop certainly cost me time put it probably saved just as much since I felt like I was overheating. I then switched to walking the aid stations. The next few were rough. I would drink anything I could get my hands on. I also began eating oranges for a few extra calories. I worried that my pace was putting me on a destructive path time wise...but I was ok with that. Mentally, I just needed to get through it.

Entering St. Andrews was brutal. There is about a 3 mile stretch with nothing but sand and asphalt adding to the miserable conditions. I continued to walk the aid stations. I also allowed myself to walk past them until I felt like my HR was down enough to start running again. At one point around mile 7, I realized that I was totally sandbagging the run. I decided to pick it up a bit and make sure that I negative split the run. I couldn't believe how easy it was for me to push the pace a bit. However, I didn't find the pace as pacifying or cooler as before so I easily slid back to the slower pace (lesson to learn here).

When I came back out of the park, I had about 4.5 miles to go. While the run time was absymmal, I knew I was still on par for a good race. And athletes weren't catching at a quick rate. I asked for a little from the body and surprisingly....it responded. My times began coming down. I had a different attitude about the race. I hit the aid stations and switched to cola to keep me pepped up. I splashed myself with more cold water and kept chugging.

In retrospect, I realize how close to bonking I was. In my mind, I was calculating my time/pace/etc. I was so far off. I couldn't do simple math. Fortunately the body and mind held up as I pushed the final three miles getting my pace well back down to sub-9. And I was shocked how easy it was (kicking myself). Of course, it helped that the race was almost over.

Run: 2:10

Total time 5:25

I hit the finishing chute feeling ok. I walked over to medical tent and asked for some ice. They gave me a freezing cold towel and an ice pack. Once I felt like my core temp had stabilized I got moving. All I wanted to do was put on dry clothes and sit down.

Overall, it was a good day...just HOT. It wasn't a pr. I consider my performance poor by my standards. But given the conditions, I put up a competitive time. I also adapted and adjusted throughout the day. That was something I didn't do in NOLA. Sure it slowed me down, but mentally, I just needed to prove to myself that 70.3 miles was achievable.

I also give major props to the race. This might have been my favorite race experience. The aid stations had everything you need. I didn't have any problems on the course. I was more than impressed with Gulf Coast.

Gulf Coast Mindset

All is calm in the world of Dollar. I am putting together final preparations to head down to Panama City and race Gulf Coast (despite not being registered yet). I have spent the last 5 weeks thinking a lot about what happened in New Orleans and trying to ensure that it won't happen again.

I am very loose right now. If anything, I am too loose. I haven't even began thinking or stressing about the race. I am more anxious about getting down there than anything. The good thing is that I know this course. I was there in November. I remember the feeling very vividly. So this puts a very positive connotation in my head.

Also, I am trying really hard to not put any pressure on myself to perform. And this is a double edge sword. On one hand, I know I am not peaking for the race so I need to focus on going out and just executing what I can. However, I still have the same time goal...sub-5. I have no clue if I am able to achieve this. I know I am capable of it but it might not be on Saturday. I was there for New Orleans just not certain now.

The bigger conundrum is will I be able to push myself at all on Saturday. I am so relaxed about the race that I am concerned that I won't push through the pain. This time I am fine if I go 5:05 or 5:30 or 6:00. I am going to let the cards fall as they may. Moving past the New Orleans incident is probably the more important lesson here. But will that satisfy me? Have I become complacent again?

I don't know what will happen on Saturday. Generally, I feel good going in. I like that I still have expectations but I am not obsessing about things. I don't feel any pressure. We will see if that is the right mindset or if it only produces a mediocre race.

Knee Issues, Big Peach 5k and Gulf Coast

There is a lot going on right now in my world. Training has been average over the last few weeks. I haven't really pushed the pace but instead held the status quo. On Thursday I set out on my typical running intervals workout and had a nasty wakeup call. On my second of three intervals, I could tell that my right knee was getting a bit stiff. I hoped it was just because I was pushing it up the hills and hadn't fully recovered from the weekend's race. On the third interval it stopped my dead in my tracks. My IT band was killing me.

I tucked my tail between my legs and walked home. I sat around most of the night concerned that I am slowly going back down the injury route. I hopped on the foam roller a few times, I popped a few too many advil and I went to bed hoping the next day would bring me some relief.

It was up to me to try out the knee on Saturday mornng. My schedule called for a 10 mile run. I also scored a free entry into the Big Peach 5k which was held less than a mile from my house. The plan was to head out around 7 am on a six mile run. I would know within the first 20 minutes if the knee was going to play ball. I routed myself in a way that I would end my 6 mile run at that start line of the 5k and then race the 3.1 miles followed by a slow run back home.

Luckily, the knee held up. I head down and through Brookhaven while covering 5.7 miles prior to joining up with all the 5k participants. I thought this was just a small, local 5k but the 3-400 people indicated otherwise. The course was simple because it is the same route that I run nearly everyday. I didn't really have any expectations, I wanted to run hard but keep myself from going all out.

I hit the first mile at about 6:50. I felt really good but I knew the pain was coming in the form of a few hills. The second mile slowed to about 7:20. I backed off the pace going up the hill as that has been the irriation stimulant in my knee. When I hit Peachtree, I opened it up a bit more. Most people were gassed by that point so I just cruised to the finish line. Overall time 22:19 or 7:11 pace.

I am pleased with this. I haven't run an open 5k in nearly three years and I think I went 24:01 at that race. I also know that had I not run for 50 minutes prior to the race then I would have broken 22 minutes. That is the goal. I then grabbed some water and cruised back to the house. 10.2 miles in the bank.

While I have been mum on the subject, I made the decision to race Gulf Coast next weekend. When the knee flared up on Thursday it caused me to re-evalute things. But today's run gives me the validation that I need. Sadly, I learned that online registration closed last night. Just my luck. Fortunately, there is on-site registration so I emailed the race director to ensure that slots are available. Guess I will find out what I have in me next weekend.