Lactate Threshold Run

Yep. That time again. I nearly forgot about it this time around.

WU: 10:01, 1.18mi, 8:29 pace, HR 143
LT: 19:59, 2.71mi, 7:23 pace, HR 164
CD: 10:00, 1.03mi, 9:43 pace, HR 153

11/21 20:01, 2.50 miles, 8:02 pace
12/20 20:01, 2.71 miles, 7:23 pace
1/16 20:00, 2.74 miles, 7:19 pace
2/17 20:00, 2.74 miles, 7:19 pace
3/19 19:59, 2.71 miles, 7:23 pace

Hmmph! That isn't what I wanted to see. I really do seem to be hitting the wall on these. But the variables in the equation are always changing.

Yesterday's run was not good. I felt like crap the whole time. My HR was jacked up (presumably to my LT level as it should) and I was suffering from some GI distress. I did all I could to just hang on until the end.

I feel like I focused more on speedwork during the past month. I know I am capable of much more. At the 10k I did a few weeks ago, I held a 7:27 pace for 6.2 miles. I should be able to get my LT time down close to 2.9 for 20:00. Ok..time to shut up and train (SUAT).

40 Days and counting

Until what you may ask? Not until. Instead, I have trained every single day for 40 straight days. That is 40 straight days that I either swam, ran or biked. Not an off day to be found. My last off day was Feb. 8. That day I drove from Augusta to Atlanta and Atlanta to Birmingham. The only reason that became a rest day was because I didn't bring my wetsuit home to swim.

I was a bit shocked to see this be the case. Of course, it is misleading a bit....but not by much. I am sure there are a few days where I sandbagged a workout. Or days that were strictly recovery where I only ran 2-3 miles (I love those).

I am a bit surprised that my body is holding up. There are definitely days that kill me. It is usually Thursday. But in general, I am structuring my weeks in such a way that my legs get momentary reprieve and bounce back for the weekend.

I am just ready to jump 100% into tri-training. This last half marathon is killing me mentally and physically. I learned a valuable lesson and will never schedule a half mary this late into the season (who knew March was late). It just becomes too difficult to juggle training at that level with the biking. In 10 days I get to switch full time to tri-training. Of course that means 2-3 more hours a week...but I will be able to cut back the run and focus more on the bike.

Mar 17-23

M: 3150y swim (3000y swim)
T: Morning weights/6x800 at 10k pace (5 mi LT run)
W: 30' run / Riding 60' hills (3 mile run, 2500y swim)
T: 60' tempo run (24 mile ride, 1.25 mile run)
F: 30' run / 2500y swim (6 mile run )
S: 4h bike w/ 20' T-run (43mile ride)
S: 2h run (final long run!) (9.5 mile run)

Total training for the week: 9.5h training. Overall it was a good week. My body is extremely tired at this point and I am ready for ING to come and go. I think I deserve a much needed recovery week!

If it ain't broke...don't go fixin it

The superstitious side of me contends that if something is working in training then stick with it. It took me nearly two years to find a pair of running shoes that I love....not to mention a store that I love....Big Peach.

In 2006, I was introduced to the Asics Gel-Kayano XII. I initally balked at their $130 price tag but once I slipped them on, I knew they were an instant fit. I have now had two pairs of 12s, two pairs of 13s and I have an unused 14.

Say hello to my other family....the Kayano's....



They have treated me well. However, Asics had to go change something in the 14s and they don't wear like a glove. I haven't spent enough time in them to make any final conclusions. However, I can't help but to feel that there is a breakup on the horizon. To date, I have logged nearly 1400 miles in these shoes. When all is done, that number will be closer to 1800+. I certainly hope the Kayano's take it well.

When spandex attacks downtown

Tuesday I took part in the annual Georgia Rides to the Capitol. I have always been interested in this event but due to job obligations and logistics, I found it difficult to participate. This year I decided to take the day off and join friends in riding to and from Roswell.

The event is sponsored by a few local cycling associations and shops. In short, it is an effort to raise cycling awareness. There are a number of starting points but we all arrive downtown a few blocks short of the Capitol before descending to the steps. This year organizers estimated that about 1500 cyclists participated. This number was low due to poor weather conditions.

Nonetheless it was a great event. I decided to start in Roswell and ride the 46 mile roundtrip route. With dozens of police escorting us, we cruised down Roswell Road to Piedmont Road and through Georgia State. All the intersections were blocked off as we made our slow parade down there. At the Capitol we heard from Roswell Mayor Jere Wood and Lt. Governor Casey Cagle. We were served chick-fil-a lunch before heading back north.

Overall it was a great ride. The pace going down was a nice and casual 12 mph. On the way back, it quickly became a race as egos and vanity took over. I held my own but the hills of north Atlanta took it out of me. But we all arrived safely and it made for a fun event.

Here are a few pictures...

Approaching downtown....



the final approach...



Who is that lurking in the back?



Such a media whore....



blah, blah, blah, blah....

Weekend thoughts and musings

I had an opportunity to stop by the Concourse Triathlon Expo (CTEP) this weekend when I was in the suburbs. I always forget how easy it is to network in this community. The result? Well I might have just picked up my first sponsorship....and potentially a second.

I was talking with a guy that develops hydration and nutrition products. He is looking for athletes to test out his products. I wasn't overly impressed with what I tested at the expo but I used his product after my long run on Sunday and felt great all day. While the sponsorship doesn't mean much, it could potentially mean free nutritional products.

Second, I heard back from a sponsor I wrote a while back. Again, nothing big...just socks. He is interested in talking on the phone sometime in the next month when he gets back from overseas travel.

These two sponsorships may only result in about $100 a year but that is more than I have right now. But more importantly, sponsors bring more sponsors. Athletes wearing shirts stir up questions from other athletes and organizations. My goal this year is to perform at a level where I am capable of contacting a few sponsors next year and receive favorable outcomes. I will never score anything big...but a few race fees here and there can go a long way.

So for now, I will be an advertising whore for free gear.

Mar 10-16

Bike, bike, bike, bike.....

Mon: Yoga/2900y swim (2300y swim)
Tues: Georgia rides to the Capitol, 45 miles/ 3 mile run (46 mile ride)
Wed: weights / 4x1600 repeats (4x1600 repeats)
Thurs: 3 mile run/2000y swim (2000y swim, 15 mile ride, 2 mile run)
Fri: 55' tempo run (4 mile run)
Sat: 3-4 hour bike (5.5 mile run)
Sun: 2 hour run (40 mile ride)

Not the best week of training but I did get on the bike and logged nearly 100 miles. That left me pretty beat. My legs were really drained on Thursday and I think I pushed it a bit. By Saturday morning, I was dead and my long run was not going to happen. I was surprised how fresh I felt on Sunday's ride. It almost served as a recovery for me.

Body Transformation Challenge

1/14 164 lbs 8.0% bf
1/28 163.4lbs 8.0% bf
2/13 164 lbs 7.3% bf
2/26 162.6 7.6% bf
3/10 162 7.6% bf

Well I really thought I would see some improvement here. But honestly, I am not all that shocked. My diet is in the dumps again. But as workouts continue to increase in distance and intensity, the weight will begin to shed ever so slightly.

One of my favorite things to do is weigh myself before and immediately after a workout where I know that water/fluid loss will drive the results. One day last week I was 158 with 5.9% bf. Doubtful. That is called dehydration.

Despite cold weather, the training must go on...

Can I not catch a break on the weekend? I think I have had one good weekend for training this year. It either rains or is miserably cold. I can't ride in the snow or 30 degree temps. This weekend proved to be no different.

The plan was to run on Saturday morning, knock out my long run and bike up a few hours on the bike Sunday morning. Well Saturday morning it was snowing. I still wanted to run and not waste a day. I embarked upon a brief 4 miler to maintain my fitness. It was miserable. The winds were kicking 20+ mph and it was pushing me around. I didn't see the point of running any further. I told myself that I would still ride in the morning and try to make up my run Monday evening.

Well with day lights savings, Sunday morning didn't quite warm up as quick as possible. I had plans in the afternoon despite calls for upper 50s. Imagine my disdain when Sunday afternoon turned out mid-60 temperatures and I was stuck in a car.

Since I felt it was still too cold to ride Sunday morning, I went for a run. The wings, burger and beer were still sitting heavy in the stomach. I told myself that if I could manage 8-10 miles at a slow pace I would be thrilled. It would suffice for the long run.

Well wouldn't you know that I had the greatest run of the year...and I might be able to make an argument for the best long run of my life. I turned around at the 5 mile mark and knew that I was moving. In fact, I negative split the next 5 miles by nearly 2 minutes. When I got back to my apartment I still felt fresh so I kept moving. I will say that the final mile took it out of me.

Total run 12.5 miles in 1:45 (8:23 mile pace)

The key here is that I had 6 minutes to cover .6 of a mile and I would have equaled my Mercedes Half PR (1.51). That means I essentially set a new PR on a half mary training run....while staying in zone2. My HR never rose above 3.5. This gives me plenty of confidence to meet my PR at ING.

If I could sell my triathlon soul for long training runs at this pace, I gladly would. I can't express how happy I am to see my times improving like this. IMFL is still too far away but I can only hope I stay on this path for the next 6-7 months!!!!

Now, I MUST get on the BIKE!!!!!

Running Improvements

I am almost afraid to write this blog in fear that I will jinx myself but right now I couldn't be happier with my running. I still don't have a great feeling about ING and my ability to once again PR, but I know that I have a huge running base underneath me right now (4 months of solid running).

This week is evidence of how much I have improved. Tuesday, I went to the local track for a few half mile repetitions. I haven't been on a track in nearly six months. I would be remiss if I didn't take you back to my mindset for the day. Walking onto a track still gives me chills to this day. It was such a large part of my childhood and the memories of spending every afternoon running are innumerable. So anytime I step onto a track, I am flooded with emotions. I am also flooded with the desire to try to run 60s quarter miles only to find myself struggling to do it in 90s.

Tuesday's workout called for 5x800 at a 10k pace. I did the first two repetitions on the road en route to the track. Then I hopped on the track for the final three. My body was extremely fatigued from Saturday's 10k and Sunday's ride (it still is). I initially questioned my ability to hold a competitive pace for the duration of the workout only to be surprised at how effortless the first 4 repetitions were. The final rep drained me. However, I held slightly better than a 7:30 pace the entire workout.

Then yesterday, I had NO motivation to run. My body is seriously zapped of energy right now. I knew I didn't have the drive to do a 50' tempo run so I reluctantly decided to tackle a hilly route that takes me just over 50'. The legs were dead. There was NO power or torque to get up the hills. I decided to keep it at a casual pace instead of attacking. Imagine my surprise when I logged my workout and realized it was the 2nd fastest time I have ever run on that route. In fact, the fastest time was 3 weeks before Ironman when I was peaking. Compared to the last time I ran the route, I did it about 20s quicker and my average heartrate was 3 beats lower. That is a sign of significant improvement....especially considering it was warm yesterday and I thought my HR was high.

All in all, I am thrilled with my running success thus far. I need to be really smart over the next 6 months as I attempt to maintain my current level of fitness while increasing my speed and efficiency. If feels good to see positive gains and begin to feel competitive again.

4000y? They call me flipper

I think my shoulders, neck and upper back are in need of repair this morning. 4000y? Are you kidding me. I am making this week a swim focus. I feel the need to step it up and mentally this will prepare me for masters swim classes (next week, next week).

The Ironman swim is 4224 yards long. I guess there is something to said for the fact that I could probably complete that right now. However, I think 6 months is still plenty of time to work out the kinks. I believe that last season, I did one 4000y workout...it was brutal. Well this was no different.

I am still struggling to find a slower pace in the water. I tend to have two speeds. Fast and faster (comparatively speaking). So when workouts tell me to swim at 75% of pace, that is extremely difficult for me. But tonight I think I managed to do just that...and have enough in the tank for a final, strong push.

4000
WU: 300 (5.17, ) &
8x50 on 10" rest.
MS: All are done on a 1' recovery. 1x each:
- 1000 at 70% effort (18.31, 1.51 pace).
- 800 75% effort (14.54, 1.51 pace).
- 600 80% effort (10.52, 1.48 pace).
- 400 85% effort (7.03, 1.45 pace).
- 200 85% effort (3.17, 1.38 pace).
- 100 100% effort (1.25).
CD: 200

For those not counting, that is 80 laps. 1h 25m in the pool...ugh. It wasn't until I looked at this a bit further that I realized I did actually push it a bit more as time went on. The final 100 was definitely shocking.

I am more than happy that the body held up nicely. The shoulders are definitely sore and there is quite a bit of stroke correction that needs to occur. I know that I am physically strong enough to endure these swims. It would be nice, however, to learn how to swim with the water and not constantly fight myself with poor form. Next week I tell myself...next week.

For now I need to detox from all the chlorine!!!!

Mar 3-9

Mon: AM yoga/swim 4000 (yoga/4000y swim)
Tues: AM light spin /track workout (spin class/6 miles with speed work)
Wed: 3000y am swim / 3 mile run with strength (3mile run/3000y swim)
Th: 50 minute tempo/ 2500y swim (weights/6 mile hills)
Fri: 90' bike (if weather cooperates) (2100y swim)
Sat: 2 hr run (30' run)
Sun: 3 hr bike (focus on nutrition) (1:45 run)

Great workouts this week. My swim and run are solid right now. I failed to get on the bike....AGAIN....arghh! The weekend was yet again too cold to ride

February Training Totals

New month! February totals are ok. Nothing stellar. I was sick for about 5 days. All the totals except strength were an increase over January. Compared to last year, I am ahead of schedule on the run and swim....but well behind on the bike. March is a month of riding.

February's totals:
Bike:	8h 43m 57s - 136.4 Mi
Run:	12h 35m 32s - 85.77 Mi
Swim:	8h 03m 03s - 21700 Yd
Strength:	1h 40m
Yoga:	2h 10m

2008 totals
Bike:	18h 05m 41s - 247.6 Mi
Run:	25h 34m 41s - 166.91 Mi
Swim:	14h 22m 14s - 39200 Yd
Strength:	6h 10m
Yoga:	3h 50m

Great Weekend

Sunny and 70 all weekend. Could you ask for better weather. That being said, I wasn't about to miss out on the opportunity to spend nearly ALL weekend outdoors. Saturday morning CRR went well. I spent the rest of the afternoon driving around town look at potential condos and townhomes. That evening I managed to get my act together at run another 2.5 miles as a bit of a recovery plus additional mileage for the weekend.

Sunday was even better than Saturday. My legs felt like lead from the day before but there wasn't any notice soreness. I met Jonathan, Chris, Lisa and Greg in Roswell to embark upon the Mile High 55 route. I have ridden Roswell a number of times but I guess I forgot exactly how hilly it was. All of us minus Lisa did the CRR the day before and knew this route would challenge us.

The problem with taking on this route so early in the season is that none of us are in bike shape yet. 40-50 miles of flat training, working on our aerobic engines is what we really needed. Instead, we took on hills and focused on strength. Individually we paid the price. We kept the pace slow and conversational with stops about every 20-30 minutes to regroup.

I definitely felt tired but strong at the same time. I feel like I am much more of a climber than a sprinter. I hit most of the hills hard. Sure it took some out of me, but I like to work through that pain. As the day wore on so did we. I called it a day when we made it back to the cars right at 40 miles. I didn't see the need to do more. It was time to gorge on some Moe's...and maybe a milkshake :)

The funniest part of the day was when I got back and took my ice bath. After drying off, I looked in the mirror and my arms were completely sunburned. As in red. Even have a nice Garmin watch tan. As I sit here at work the next day, I can still feel the heat on my arms. Sweet!!!!

So overall it was a great weekend. I need to focus more on nutrition. I let this lapse a bit both days and it added to my fatigued, run down feeling. I knew I was low on calories yesterday and it made the ride that much painful. Looks like I will be ordering some Infinte sooner rather than later.

Chattahoochee River Run 10K

Well this season is off to a great start so far. I can't express how rewarding it is to physically and mentally experience a progression in training. I really think that if I play it smart, this could be a great season for me.

On a bit of a whim, I registered for the CRR 10k. I have said repeatedly that my focus between Mercedes and ING half needs to be speed. (though I can't help but to think I am shirking the long runs right now). Racing a 10k fit right into the training plan.

I personally think a 10k race is the hardest. Most people can run a 10k; but few can race it. For most the 6.2 miles is just outside the realm of pushing yourself 100% for 40-50 minutes. I am learning, quickly, more and more about what my body can really handle. I have only raced 2 10k's in my life. About 2 years ago I raced on and finished at 49:32. Back in December I raced one in Chattanooga and put up a 52:21 (I did this as an LT test, not a race)

The CRR 10k is one of the fastest 10ks in the south. It is flat and has two nice downhill moments that allow runners to hit unusual speeds. The winner typically runs sub-30 which averages to about 4:45 per mile...unbelievable. But what makes this race tough and misleading to most is that running downhill is a bit of a science. It is a quad pounding science at that. Can you let yourself go, increasing your cadence and foot strike or do you put the brakes on and slow yourself down? Most average runners can't differentiate between the two. Fortunately for me, I live in a hilly section of Atlanta and can practice.

I felt pretty confident that I would PR in this race. The 49:32 wasn't all that impressive (8:00 mile pace) and I would like to think that I have trained a bit over the past two years since then. Ideally, I thought I would finish around 48:00.

Results: 46:35, 7:27 mile pace. 34/100 in my Age Group and 387/1621 overall

Spilts:
mile 1: 7:37 HR 154
mile 2: 7:45 HR 163
mile 3: 7:41 HR 163
mile 4: 7:30 HR 165
mile 5: 7:26 HR 167
mile 6: 6:53 HR 167
.2(5) mile: 1.43 HR 173

I am very pleased with my time. I felt like I gave it 90% the whole time. I was hurting a bit but my breathing wasn't labored and I knew physically I could maintain my stride. I started out quicker than anticipated and spent too much energy in that first mile. I forced myself to back off during mile two in hopes to have a bit left in the reserve for the end. I still need to work on this during my LT runs. I have trouble holding back. I am strong enough to fight through it and hold on, but I need to work on getting strong as the race goes on.

So to PR by 3 minutes is exciting. My long term goal is to get my 10k time down to sub-45. After this, I think it is a bit more achieveable

Forecast says GO!!!

This is the first weekend in quite some time that the forecast looks perfect for training. Partly sunny with a high of 63 tomorrow and sunny with a high of 67 on Sunday. I am not sure if there is better triathlete training weather. So it is off to training and training and training.

I have mixed feelings about things right now. As expected, trying to balance tri training and a training for a half marathon has proved a bit more difficult as expected. My biking fitness has significantly suffered. To my credit, we have had crummy weather compared to last year. I am more than happy with my run volume. That is through the roof and a solid 80-100 miles a month will hopefully go a long way in November. I am relatively pleased with my swimming. It appears to be stagnate but the first break in the work schedule and I think I will take care of that via Masters class.

So the goal for the weekend is to ride, ride, ride and ride. At this point last year, I had already accumulated over 400 road miles. This year I am under 250. In part, an early season Ironman race will strike enough fear into you to keep you motivated and moving. I am not all that concerned about this year's early races. Powerman Alabama is about 34 miles. That gives me about a month to get there competitively. I will probably limp into that race a bike on the bike but hopefully my run is stronger than in years past for that is where I clearly got beat.

As after tomorrow's 10k, the plan is to do an easy 45-60 minute recovery ride back on my end of town. Then on Sunday, I need a solid 3-4 hours in the saddle. It is going to suck and hurt bad...but it is needed.

Plus....next week is going to bring me a new little toy :)

Body Transformation Challenge

1/14 164 lbs 8.0% bf
1/28 163.4lbs 8.0% bf
2/13 164 lbs 7.3% bf
2/26 162.6 7.6% bf

Something odd happened the other day. After my long run on 2/9, I had a bit of a spell. I am not sure if I was just overheated, dehydrated or malnourished. We ran a 10 mile route and spent some time cooling down in Piedmont Park. Then, we decided to go to the Varsity for lunch....mmm. Well it was PACKED. It literally took 45 minutes to get our food. While waiting, I began to feel a bit warm and faint. The feeling subsided when we received our food.

Now, I am no stranger to food....especially after a workout. I gorged on 2 cheeseburgers, cheese fries and a chocolate shake. I easily put back the calories and then some. I didn't feel good the rest of the day. I wasn't sure if it was a stomach ache, fatigue or from the faint feeling. The next morning I weighed myself and I was 159.4 pounds. Wow. Despite eating a massive lunch and moderate dinner, I dropped nearly 5 pounds in less than 24 hours.

I carefully monitored the weight over the next few days to see if it was an anomaly. Nope. I knew it wasn't really possible for me to shed that much weight due to a 90 minute run so something was clearly wrong. It actually took my body 3-4 days to put the weight back on.

I don't really know what happened. I wonder if it was a sign to cut back on training...though I don't feel like I am over training. Was the weight saying that I wasn't recovered so my body was rejecting things? Not sure. Just something to note for the future.

-------------

Also, I have let my diet go to crap again. I need to get this back on track.

Feb 25-Mar 2

Focus on the bike this week!

M: 90' bike (96 minutes, 25 mile ride)
T: 60' spin; 3x1 mile repeats at 10K pace (60' spin class, 5 mile run with repeats)
W: 30' run, 2600y swim (26' run, 2200y swim)
T: 50' tempo run; core weights (35' run with strides)
F: 30' run, 3600y swim (3400y swim)
S: CRR 10K; 60' bike (10k, 2.5 mile recovery run)
S: 2-3 hour bike (2:45, 40 mile ride)

Overall this was a great training week. Weather and work threw the schedule a bit but I feel like it was successful.

T-Pace part 2

It is quite comforting when you see results in your training. On 1/15 I conducted my first swim time trial. 1000y all out. I knew I wasn't in swim shape so it was a bit of a struggle. Today I retested. I shaved 1m 17s off that time!!! Sweet. My new t-pace is 1.40 per 100. Now the only questions is how much will it take for me to get that down to 1.35.

1/15 TT 1000y 18.01 1.48 pace
2/24 TT 1000y 16.44 1.40 pace

Maybe one of these days I will make myself join the masters class and actually learn how to swim.

Lactate Threshold Run

LT test time. Yippee. Well over the past three months I haven't really seen any tangible improvement. Hmmm. I will say that each of the past three LT runs have been different. On my 1/16 run my HRM wasn't cooperating so I didn't record accurate HR data. My HR on 12/20 was 162 for the LT portion. Today was 153. That is sooper low comparatively. And it was into a sharp head wind for nearly 2/3 of the run.

What does that mean? Well I don't really know. The way I look at it is that I am running the same distance at the same pace at a lower heartrate. That is improvement. However, it may also indicate that I am leaving some gas in the tank and should be capable of picking it up more.

Since I am hitting a bit of a wall, I am going to mix up my runs a bit. I am going to head back to the track for some 400 & 800 intervals. This will allow me to focus on speed over shorter distances.

WU: 10' 1.15 miles (8.44 pace), Avg HR 146
Main: 20:01 2.74 miles (7.19 pace) Avg HR 153
CD: 7:52 .87 miles (9.12 pace) Avg HR 148

11/21 20:01, 2.50 miles, 8:02 pace
12/20 20:01, 2.71 miles, 7:23 pace
1/16 20:00, 2.74 miles, 7:19 pace
2/17 20:00, 2.74 miles, 7:19 pace

Race Fees

If you ever need a great case study in supply-demand economics, look no further than the triathlon or race community. Ironman has capitalized on this concept for years. In general, there are only about half a dozen Ironman branded races in the United States. Over the past few years demand has soared. From a liability perspective, a race can only have so many people involved...generally around 2500 for Ironman. As it stands the demand greatly exceeds the availability. It is not an exaggeration to say that often these events sell out within hours....if not minutes when online registration opens. It is now almost routine that one must travel to an event just to get first crack at registering for next years race. Yes, thats right, one must register a year in advance. I remember at Ironman Wisconsin, I met 2 guys that drove from Oklahoma just to register. At Ironman Florida, we stood in line for nearly 1.5 hours just to register. There were probably close to 8-900 people in line that day. After all the on-site registrants were taken from the 2500 slots, the event sold out within an hour.

So as a business model, Ironman is clearly doing something right. They have a product that people want. This also allows NA Sports (company) to jack up prices because people are willing to pay $500 just to race (aside: to their credit NA Sports does put on phenomenal, class-A events that truly are costly). Because of the high costs to operate such an event, I don't take too much issue with Ironman charging this amount. After all it is an 17 hour race with 2500 participants. Sure it is a hit to the wallet nearly a year out with no guarantees except a race number with your name on it.

In fact, I don't mind paying a bit more for a classy triathlon. I tend to believe the costs should hover around $40-60 for a sprint and about $75-90 for an Olympic. Paying $150-200 doesn't really bother me for a Half-Ironman (of course, I shudder as I say that). And on the bright side we are experiencing a proliferation of 140.6 races across the nation. Same distance. Same challenge. They just don't carry the Ironman brand. These races are relatively cheap because demand is low.

All this brings me to the fact that I registered for the ING half marathon this morning. It cost me $80. $80 for a 13.1 mile run. Nothing else. That is over $6 a mile. That's a trip to subway or moes for each mile I run. That is a beer per mile. MMmmm...beer. Ideally, I think a half marathon should fall around $50 with the full being close to $75.

Now I can apply the same economic principles because ING DID sell out last year when it hit the 15,000 mark, albeit only a few weeks prior. However, this is the second year in existence. And reports from last year were NOT positive. I think $80 is a bit steep for a Sunday morning stroll through Atlanta.

Last year, I saved my money. I ran the course two days prior as a training run. Of course, I don't get the luxary of police at major intersections or the atmosphere that is only rivaled on race day. However, the irony is that I don't think I would have raced it all that much quicker...5-6 minutes at most. It made me really think about actually registering this year. At $80 a pop, I think I do without ING and downtown Atlanta. Next time, I will run the Alpharetta Half Mary three weeks earlier and for only $40 ($30 in advance)

Feb 18-24

Time to get crackin'

Mon--3 mile easy run/ 2500y swim (20' run/2300y swim)
Tues--60' spin class/ 40' LT test (60' spin/LT test)
Wed--Weights-stretching/ 3 mile run/ 2800y (weights/4 mile run)
Thurs--60' spin/ 45' tempo run (85' spin/2500y swim)
Fri--yoga / 2200y swim (yoga)
Sat--2.5-3.0 bike (1:45' run)
Sun--1:45 run; 60' recovery bike. (1800y swim)

Overall it was a good week of training. The weather wasn't all that cooperative so a few workouts suffered. I really need to get on the bike!!!

Clean Bill of Health & Next steps

After some of the bad karma from last week, I am hoping I turned the corner. Friday afternoon, my chiropractor gave me the green light on resuming intense workouts. He said my body looked like a different animal than it was a few weeks ago. Well it should be. I felt really good after Mercedes. I did the right thing and went in for a massage on Tuesday to flush out the legs. I think my massage therapist loves me. She worked me for nearly 2 hours.

I also ordered a foam roller so that I can work on my myofascial release (link). This things is awesome. I roll on it twice a day and it takes care of the tension in my back. Now I just need to focus on my glutes and it-bands.

This next week also starts the next chapter in training. I feel good about my swimming progress but I need to step it up. I hope to visit a Master's swim class and learn more about technique. My goal is to attend Master's once or twice a week. I am thinking Monday evenings and Wednesday mornings will be prime time for me to swim. This week also marks a shift in my run training. In an effort to PR at the ING (which I still need to register for...ugh) I am jumping on a different training plan to see what kind of results I can get. But most importantly, I need to get on the bike more. March needs to be a BIG biking month so I have two weeks to set that base. While it isn't panic time....it is GO time.

Body Transformation Challenge

1/14 164 lbs 8.0% bf
1/28 163.4lbs 8.0% bf
2/13 164 lbs 7.3% bf

The weight number really isn't budging. After Mercedes the body fat dropped significantly so I waited a few days to let my body equalize. I expect that number to come back up over the next week or so.

Feb 11-17

This week is more of a recovery. Not that I need it so much from the race but with the illness and injuries I thought it might be best to take it down a notch. I scheduled a massage and chiropractor appointment already.

That being said, I will likely swim, bike and run some during the week.

I don't know if this really constitutes a recovery week but here is what I did:

Mon: Yoga/2000y swim
Tues: 30m weights/30m run/1.5h massage :)
Wed: rest
Thurs: 45m bike/ 7.5 mile run (not a good day!)
Fri: 3000y swim
Sat: 10 mile run
Sun: 60m ride

Mercedes Half Marathon, Results

Well that went better than expected. Never in my greatest prediction would I have thought that a 1.51.38 half mary was possible. That is an 8:32 per mile pace. My negative thoughts and minor obstacles are well chronicled.

I woke Sunday morning with little excitement. I knew I had to get through the next few hours and I would feel better. I arrived downtown around 6:15. Fortunately the sun was up and it was a warm 40 degrees. I opted to run in my compression shorts and a light under armor long sleeved shirt. This was the right call. I proceeded to the bathroom line around 6:30 then stretched and did some gentle strides to get the heartrate up and kicking. I finally entered the corral with less than 10 minutes to go. I positioned myself ahead of the 4:00 marathon pace group.

The gun went off and so did we. My HR took a quick spike and I slowed down a bit. I have a knack for going out too hard and the first mile is always indicative of this. I was amazed at the number of people who began walking within the first mile of the race. Seriously?

I was struggling to get my HR down into zone 2 as it seemed to stick in mid z-3. I decided at this point to just run by pace and rate of perceived exertion (RPE). This seemed to work. My pace for the first three miles was smooth. Somewhere during mile 4, I stopped to empty an otherwise full bladder which provided much needed relief.

Half way through mile 4 and all mile 5 was an climb up Greensprings. It also amazes me the people who clearly never train on hills. I was surging up the hill past people. I also let my HR climb into z4 for a bit. Once I reached the summit of the hill and mile 6, I knew I was in good shape. I could tell that I was a few minutes ahead of schedule.

Mile 6-9 were small rollers through the neighborhoods. My heartrate was stuck in zone 3 but my pace was comfortable and I didn't feel labored. I hit the final hill around mile 10 and it definitely took some out of me. The final 3 miles were nearly all downhill and flat. At this juncture I knew that unless I blew up, I would be on pace for a PR.

At mile 11, I picked it up a bit more to see if the pack would come with me...and they did. Mile 12 was a beautiful site. I picked it up a bit more over the last half mile but realized that I needed to hold back and not kill myself today. I crossed the finish line only to run into my high school track coaches.

1.51.38 is the official chip time. That is 63/158 (39th percentile) within my Age Group and 566/2667 (21st percentile) of all competitors. Not a bad day. (8.39, 8.36, 8.28, 8.35, 9.26, 9.07, 8.25, 8.48, 8.30, 8.32, 7.58, 8.05, 7.54) Avg HR 155


What is more important is that I felt great afterwards. I wasn't drained like my previous long runs. I was upbeat and energetic....like I should be.

Now I have my work cut out for me at ING in 6 weeks. I need to shave 6 minutes. That is roughly 30 seconds per mile or an 8:00 mile pace. That is the goal at least.

Lessons Learned:
--Base fitness is the MOST important aspect
--Trust your training
--Kick ass at ING

Mercedes Half Marathon, Part Deux

So I arrived in Birmingham yesterday afternoon despite my concerted thoughts of pulling out of the race. This week was a total wash. I was struck by the flu bug and found myself bed ridden most of Tuesday and Wednesday. I mustered together enough energy for a run on Thursday but an hour later I was beat. This didn't bode well with me.

I visited the chiropractor on Friday in an attempt to unlodge my jammed back. Ouch. That hurt. Maybe I really should ice it at night because it is irritating today. Over the past 10-14 days I have developed the oddest problem in my left quad. It honestly feels like I have a dead muscle. It almost feels numb from time to time. It didn't bother me on last week's run but I constantly feel it when I am walking around. As if I didn't have enough issues right now....

I am so unthrilled and unmotivated about tomorrow. Obviously, this isn't how I wanted to approach my first race. Common sense tells me to completely pullout of the race but I am too stubborn for that. For whatever reason, I find comfort inflicting pain. Fortunately, between the illness and injury, I should have enough to slow me down and force me to hold back in the race.

So my plan is to run SLOW. My goal is to run a 2:05. That puts me at a 9:30 pace. That should be plenty slow and safe. THEN, I will come back for ING and try to shave a lot of time off.

Feb 4-10

RACE WEEK!!!
(doesn't help that I am out of town)

Monday: Core yoga/ 2000y swim (2000y swim)
Tuesday: Strength training/35' run/ core exercises (sick)
Wednesday: Upper body weights (?) (light weight)
Thursday: 85' run (60' run)
Friday: Off
Saturday: 20' run, possible lake swim (2 mile run)
Sunday: Mercedes Half Marathon (13.1 mile run)


Bad workouts due to sickness and travel

Mercedes Half Marathon

Needless to say, my expectations are not being met. The Mercedes half mary was essentially a consolation prize when I pulled out of the Mardi Gras marathon. Then I made Mercedes a warmup race to the ING half. Now, it seems I am limping into the race really wondering if I should even risk it. I can't seem to catch a break right now. My lower body is not responding like I need it to at this juncture.

I feel like I have put in the work. I have scaled back my training at times when I felt injuries. I am stretching more than I ever have before. I am focusing on my diet and refueling after long runs. I cut out spin class after wondering if that was the problem. Bottomline...I am not being dumb about training, I am making the right decisions....just not getting desired results.

A month ago I was peaking in training. I was knocking off mile repeats at new personal bests. I was running times that I haven't seen since high school. Now I am cautious on each run. And it is infuriating me. Granted it is the beginning of the season but I want to be injury free all season. No room for error!.

So Mercedes is less than 10 days away and I am shifting my focus to mentally prepare. I only have a few more runs and then it is race day. Again, my goal is to go out easy and try to have fun in preparation for a long season.

I will discuss race strategy later but right now, I am setting my goal as a sub 2 hours half. I know I can easily do that on training runs but I need to treat the run like a training day...plus I have always heard this course was much more challenging than it looks.

Here is the course profile:

January Training

Well this wasn't the greatest month for training. I had a number of nagging injuries that seemed to cut my long runs short. Ideally, I needed to be up around 110 miles. I also was a bit lethargic. I didn't get on the bike when I should have. Overall, I am pleased just need to start ramping it up. After Mercedes half, training really begins.

January's totals:
Bike:	6h 34m 32s - 111 Mi
Run:	11h 50m 34s - 80.44 Mi
Swim:	6h 19m 11s - 17500 Yd
Strength:	4h 30m
Yoga:	1h 20m