Time for some Vacation!

I have a pretty short upcoming week at my clinical! I usually get Thursdays off because I work 4 10 hour days, but this week I get Friday off too!!! AND I don't 'actually' work that weekend, either (my paid position). Thankfully, I will have time to do some packing because I will be heading away for the next week!

Next Saturday, I will be boarding a plane VERY early and flying to South Carolina!  Our flight takes off around 5:30am, so no morning workout that day...  I am going to be meeting up with Rach's family for the week, and just "take it easy" in Hilton Head.  Rach and I went there last summer around this time, and had a blast!  Got some beach time in, played a little tennis, and tried to find the alligator at our resort!  Never saw him, but the "beware of alligator" signs were everywhere...

The Fam is renting one house for the week, and everyone is going to be staying under one roof. Luckily I know everyone in Rach's family already, or else it might be a little weird.  I am anticipating sleeping on a couch of some sort for the entire week, or maybe an inflatable mattress.  Not sure how my back will be feeling. The house has a great location, too.  It's right on the beach, but still has a pool.  I can't wait to be lounging in the pool, just staring at the ocean...

One thing I am excited about is the beach!  I am planning on running most of my runs along the shoreline in the morning.  I am hoping to get a slight breeze to cool me off, because it's going to be a little warm...

Which brings me to my second point:  Apparently it's impossible for me to escape the heat.  When Rach and I went last year, it was mid 80s the entire time.  The humidity is pretty brutal, even when compared to Kansas.  At a quick glance, it doesn't look too bad:

The 10 Day forecast for KC (Tuesday looks brutal)

That rain doesn't look good...

Anyway, the humidity in KC seems to add 6-8 degrees for the Heat Index, BUT the higher humidity in Hilton Head adds 12-16 degrees.  So yeah, going to be hot.  

Whatever, though. Its going to be a blast, I get 11 days off of my work/clinical, even though I'm sure I will be doing a good amount of reading for my fall classes already... 

One last thing:  If anyone in the KC area would like to volunteer for the Extreme Home Makeover project this week, you should definitely try.  Rach's dad was selected as a project manager, so we will be there throughout the week, helping when we can!  Please come help because you DO NOT want me helping with homebuilding projects... Seriously... If you are interested, or would like to make a donation, go HERE!!!

Have a great week, and thanks for reading!

Finding and Evaluating your "Race Pace"

Tomorrow starts my "speed" work in my Half Marathon training plan.  Thank God.  I like the endurance aspect of exercising (duh), but I am ready to break up some of the monotony of "going long" with some speed. Today, I had a 10 mile run to finish up my "build" phase for my race in October.  The warmup was 4 miles, then I had 3 miles at my "race pace" and finished with 3 easy miles.  As I went through the workout, I got to thinking about re-evaluating what my "race pace" should be. 

I started thinking about this mainly because I was DYING on the run today and was trying to distract myself from the pain in my feet, but the past few workouts at race pace were pretty easy.  I'm guessing the tough run today was attributed to poor hydration yesterday... bad Mark!  

Post run... very facebooky.  At least my shirts on, though.

When I got home, I realized why one of my feetz was painful... Apparently I had a dagger for a toenail and shredded the middle toe.

Pssh whatever. I didn't even cry.  Cuz I'm super tough, ya know?!

Knowing your race pace for longer races is really, really important. Basically, you are setting yourself up for failure if you think you can go out and run as hard as possible for 13.1, 26.2, 50K, etc.  5Ks and 10Ks are doable, but there is a good amount of preparation and research involved with what you should shoot for.

Okay, so now that I got you interested in figuring out YOUR pace, let's get into some brief explanations on how you can do it.

To find out your race pace, for any race, the best thing to do first would be race in a 5K!  This will give you a good mile time comparison, with you running at your best.  Plus, the extra adrenaline from the race day excitement should help your times.  To break down your 5K results into mile times is really easy!  Take the total time of your run (TT), and divide by the distance in miles you ran (3.1 miles for a 5K), and you get your average mile time! Or just check your race printout, if you got one.

What if you are training for a 5K? One easier/shorter way that happens to be less expensive would be a 2 mile time trial on a track.  Even though you would be running a shorter distance, this will probably be slightly slower than your 5K time because you aren't running with adrenaline or a bunch of people.  But it is still effective.  Your 2 mile time trial time and your 5K time should be pretty close!  To do, warm up for 15 minutes at a track, then run for 2 miles (8 laps) as fast as you possibly can.  Again, divide your time by 2 (for the miles) and you have your average mile time.  If all else fails, run 1 mile as fast as you can, and boom! You have your 1 mile pace.

Now that you have your mile time, you can "guess" what your times would be for longer distances.  Since I am training for a 13.1 race, that's what I have usually been looking at.  You can find this information in a number of places.  All you have to do is Google search "race pace calculator" and you will get a whole slew of them! On a personal note, I have tried using the one from Runner's World Magazine, and think the times are a little tough for longer races.  It has my 5k time and 10k time exactly the same time per mile.  Yeah Runner's World, that's not happening...

The one I use is the McMillian Running Calculator.  I like this one better because the times aren't conservative, but also possible.  It also gives you a better printout of different paces per race distance, suggested paces for different workouts (recovery, tempo, long runs, easy runs), and suggested paces for interval and speed workouts.  Basically, it takes the guesswork out of your pacing! I highly suggest the site!

I plan on re-evaluating my race pace soon. Honestly, I have been using a 5K time from one of my triathlons, so I'm guessing my pace should be a little faster.  I have heard from other runners that you should continually re-evaluate your mile times every 4-6 weeks, because it fluctuates as your fitness changes.  I'm excited to see if my pace has changed now that I am running much more than previously!  I will let you know which way it goes!

This may be some pretty basic information for the "seasoned veterans", but I learned about it this year, so it is still new to me.  I always thought people just went out and ran, just doing what they could and pushing themselves for a good total time.  Today, I now see the strategy and planning involved in not only the races, but also the hours of training that goes in. Pretty awesome.

Video Friday 7-29-11

It has been a BUSY week!  Still going to the clinical, enrolling for classes this fall, and am in my final week for my online classes! I am about done with my online classes this summer, just trying to finish up one last project, which will be done today!  Wahoo!  And add to that 3 more weeks at my clinical, 1 of which I will be on vacation, and I'm ready to go for the fall semester!  My clinical and fall semester classes overlap by 3 days, which is going to make for a tough week, too, but I can do 3 days...

Anyway, I saw this video on Base Performance's Facebook page, and thought it was cool.  I'm a big Chris Lieto fan, and thought him racing the helicopter was pretty sweet.  And I think there was a shot of Kansas 70.3 from 2010...

Getting a long run in tomorrow morning, doing some shopping at Costco, and working Sunday!  Getting ready for my vacation next weekend!  Hello Hilton Head!

The importance of planning your race season

I first got the notion of trying a triathlon around Christmas time this last year. The notion blossomed into an interest, an interest into a need, and finally an obsession.  It's practically all I think about now.  Almost every athlete plans their day around Multisport, varying between getting workouts in, eating the right things at the right times, recovery, research, racing, and trying to fit in the "secondary" things like work, family, sanity, etc.

With this post, I originally was going to explain my early transition to my "running" season, which I will, but I also wanted to touch on the importance of planning for your year during the early winter months.

Since I started training on a whim, I really never planned on a "season" of sorts this year.  I really never followed a training plan till March, and never thought I'd be doing anymore races after my first "real" triathlon in May (the Indoor Tri in Feb. didn't count...). I had zero knowledge of the racing season, building base over the winter, or any formal "sequence of the year" for racers.  As I mentioned a WAY long time ago, I got Joe Friel's Triathlete's Training Bible, and have been SLOWLY working my way through it (again, thanks clinical!).  I purchased the book to fill in the blanks of information I felt I was missing, like planning for a complete racing season, scheduling a taper for a specific race, and basically being a "smart" athlete.  It has been very helpful, and would fully recommend it to any new Triathlete.  If you are interested in doing your first race, don't worry about planning a season.  Just do it!  Then plan ahead when you want to do another!

Unfortunately now, due to my lack of foresight and planning, I get to sort through races that have higher race fees than the temperature outside (aka not cheap).  Thanks to the limited budget of student loans, I can't afford anymore race fees, let alone some needed tires for the ol' bike (tires+shifters+aero bars+group set+ TT bike).  I also have a vacation scheduled in August, which I know is going to hinder my training for the 10 days I'm out of town.

As of today (or 2 weeks ago), my last triathlon of 2011 was the Shawnee Mission Triathlon.  This is pretty disappointing, since it is mid July, the heart of the triathlon season.  Although it is pretty cool ending on a AG placement at the race, I thought my overall performance could have been better. On the other hand, I had a good bike, but left some room for improvement on the run.  The need and want for improvement has led to a BIG surge of motivation for running now.

I have 3 races lined up till my first half marathon in October, and am now in the midst of my Half- Marathon training plan, courtesy of the Runner's Edge here in KC.  I am setting the bar pretty high for my half mary goal, which I may unveil at a later date.  I am running further and more often than I ever have before. It's pretty crazy how each week I have my farthest run ever.  Last week it was 10 miles, this week it was 12!

I really can't wait for this fall and winter, mainly because I am already figuring out my racing and training schedule for next year.  I have a lot to build and improve on, and am just excited to get the work going.  I will also have a bit more time to train, once my clinical ends (or so I think).

If anyone has any races they'd recommend, around KC or abroad, let me know so I can check it out or add it to my wish list!

And if you are starting out, have some questions, or want to give me some pointers, let me know!

The New Addition...

I was PLANNING on going for a wonderful 12 miler on the treadmill after work today, BUT instead decided to go check out some little doggies about 2 hours from KC.  Rach and I have been researching and looking for the past few weeks, and ultimately think we found some good candidates! We have been stocking up on puppy supplies the last week, eagerly anticipating the new guy.

And yes, our 5lb dog WILL have a tire to chew on...

Searching for things at Petsmart and Walmart eventually led to us discovering some pretty interesting items.  People might be a little too attached to their pets...

Ridiculous...

Seems to be a ripoff of "Kitten Mittens". See Always Sunny in Philadelphia
if you have no idea...Maybe a future Friday Video post

As soon as I got off work, Rach and I hopped in "White Lightening" and headed to BFN, Missouri. We got there a little before 6, and eventually walked out with a "little pup".  To reference a critical scene in "the Lion King", BEHOLD:

SIMBAAAAAA!

Okay, for real...

His name is Max, and is a great little guy (posting this before his first night...).  We actually were picking between 2 dogs, and chose him because he was the runt of the litter.  

Going for the first walk. And to give you a reference point, Rach is 4'11"-5'6" depending on who you ask...

He is pretty energetic, but stayed fairly under control during the car ride home. Best of all, no accidents in the car!

We had a pretty enjoyable drive, with some great views of some rolling cornfields in Missouri.

Max was pretty tired or "maxed out" about 30 minutes into the drive home, and quickly fell asleep.  Rach probably took 400 pictures of him on the way, so I can understand why he was so tired. 

We stopped at Chick-Fil-A for some quick dinner on the way home, and got the attention of the drive thru staff.  We actually never received our drinks, nor noticed we forgot them until we were about 10 miles away. Thanks Max!  

(As of writing this, I have found our first "present." Such a giving animal...)

We are about to start some serious crate training!  Wish us luck!

Friday Video Post!

Going along with the treadmill theme, here is a very "Tosh.0" video.  I would like to apologize for the last 5 seconds of erotica (kidding....).

Man, there are some "interesting" people out there... be safe.  Hope everyone has a great weekend!  Temps in the low 90s here in Kansas City!  Winter must be on the way!

A little treadmill love...

If you are in the middle of this insane heat wave hitting the midwest, than the title may be applicable to you, as well as me.  If you aren't, I would really appreciate a plane ticket to wherever you are...

The last week here in Kansas has been brutal, about as bad as any summer stretch that I can remember.  What's worse is that there is no end in sight.  This is probably great weather for those training for Kona, but that does not include me.  I have been waiting till the evening to run outside because of air quality warnings in KC, but the heat index is still high.  On Tuesday, I was heading home from my clinical at 9:30pm, and the temperature (NOT HEAT INDEX) was 95.

Instead of dying in the heat, I have really been getting to know the treadmill at my new apartment complex.  If you haven't noticed on my BT training log, I have been transitioning into the running season a little early (I will be explaining that in a later post). Surprisingly, I think runs have been going pretty well.  I normally despise the treadmill.  It's just so boring, running with nothing to look at.  Saturday, I was on there for 90 minutes, and I wasn't too bored.  I definitely wished I was outside running, but didn't think it would be safe when the heat index was 110.

A few things I have begun to appreciate about the "dreadmill":

• Steady and controlled pace.  
• A/C while running.  Hell yeah!
• Able to "simulate" hills, although not the downhills.
• Able to concentrate on form more
• Easily accessible hydration

And a few things I hate:

• Have fun looking at a wall for the next hour...
• The simulated hills are not exactly 'real world' applicable
• You usually don't run at a constant pace.  You speed up and slow in a race depending on terrain.
• My treadmill limits runs to 30 minutes.  So every 30 minutes I have to reset the speed, remember the distance, and continue to add times and distance in my head for the remainder of the run.
• My sweet Garmin watch is basically useless.  I haven't got the footpod yet, so I just use the watch for HR.  But if I forget to turn off the GPS, I get freaky maps...

Overall:  At least here in KC, I would say it is much safer to run on the treadmill with a heat index above 100.  What bothers me the most is the air quality warnings outside.  Inside = safer air to breath.  Well, hopefully.  I still plan on doing my recovery runs outside, regardless of the temps because they are short and less intense.

Random note:  Rach and I are puppy shopping.  We won't be getting a "little guy" until the first part of August, but here is a pic from us "researching" potential candidates.

Nice shot of my inflamed Patellar tendon

Since we live in an apartment, we are going with a smaller breed.  This little guy is a "Morkie."  We were thinking he looked like a "Dwight." Any suggestions for breeds?  Names?

The North Face Endurance Challenge- Kansas City

As most of the Kansas City area runners already know, The North Face is sponsoring a series of races late this August (I'm already envisioning the race tee...drool....).  Although the races are in their first year here, they are sure to fill up fast!  Earlier this month, ultramarathoner Dean Karnazes was in town for a run with some peeps and to pump up the race for The North Face.

courtesy of Proteinpower.com

If you are unaware of who Dean is, the guy is a freak, a legend, and an inspiration to any endurance athlete.  This guy has done it all, 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days, ran from San Francisco to New York City, and has gone 6.8 seconds in a 1/4 mile drag race ( I will be adding the last one to his Wikipedia page after I get done with this, but seriously the first 2 are true...).  Although I was unable to meet up with Dean and a crew of runners when he was in town (thanks again, clinical!), it definitely got me pumped for the race!

Since my longest running event to date has been a 5k after a swim and a bike (triathlon duh), I signed up for the 10k race on August 28th.  I am starting to train for the KC Half Marathon in October, and figured this would be a great lead up race with quite the crowd.  As my training advances, I may end up switching to the Half-Mary.

The Details:  


Race:  August 27, 2011:  50K, Marathon, Marathon Relay
           August 28, 2011:  Half Marathon, 10K, 5K


                                     Price:
Distances:                   Before 7/26        7/27-8/21         Packet Pickup            
    5K:                            $30                      $35                      $55
   10K:                           $40                      $55                      $75
   Half Marathon:             $65                      $80                      $100
   Marathon Relay:          $200                    $225                     $250
   Marathon:                    $75                      $90                      $110
   50K:                            $75                      $90                      $110

The #Swag (hashtag not included):  

• Finisher's Medal
• Finisher GORE-TEX Water Bottle
• Snacks
• Great Experience!

www.endurance-challenge.com

http://twitter.com/#!/thenorthfaceECS

Anyone racing the 5K or longer will also receive a North Face Technical Shirt.  If these rival their fleeces I was SO into during my Undergrad years in Lawrence, I am sure to love these too! 

If you are interested in registering, you should go HERE!  It's going to be a great race, and hopefully KC gives the North Face a great turn out!  Registration is currently still open, but will be getting close to filling up right before the race, so don't wait!

Let me know if you are racing via comments or Twitter, I would love to say hello!

Friday Video Post

One of my favorite shows at the moment is Parks and Rec, and mainly due to one character in particular: Ron Swanson.  He reminds me of my Dad in so many ways.  Here is a mix-tape of some of his "greater" moments on the show.

I skipped the morning ride this morning, but will probably just ride after work, anyway.  I didn't get to bed at a decent hour last night after changing my bike tubes for the first time.  Took a little longer than I anticipated.  

Hope every stays out of the heat this weekend.  I have a long run tomorrow after work that will probably take place on a treadmill :(.  Best of luck to everyone racing in the Midwest Mayhem Triathlon on Sunday.  It's going to be a hot one!

Training/Racing in the Summer Heat

With the summer already here and the temps skyrocketing, making it feel like you are running from Satan, I thought it would be appropriate to discuss training in the heat.  Today, I went for a run at 10:00am, with the temperature at 82 degrees.  The warm-up was easy, but by the time I got home, the Heat Index said 94.  That's a pretty big difference in only an hour (granted, I’m not sure what the Heat Index was when I started).  I snapped a photo after the run:

I am Terminator. I'm from da Futcha....

Training in excessive temperatures can be dangerous.  While some athletes early in the year may train at the warmest part of the day, especially in the spring to get accustomed to the increasing temperatures, doing so in the summer should be done with caution.  Training in the heat brings about 3 problems:  Dehydration, hyponatremia, and overheating (not overeating). 

Dehydration:  As your core body temperature begins to rise, our natural physiological response is to perspire to reduce the temperature.  If fluid is not replaced, your body has less volume to circulate throughout your body.  Less water volume leads to increasing core temperatures, increased usage of glycogen for activity from stores in the liver and muscles, and decreased performance.  The amount of fluid people lose when they sweat varies drastically, ranging from .5 liters to 4 liters per hour (Sindballe, 2011). The maximum amount of fluid an athlete can absorb in an hour is 30 ounces.  So, math problem:  If an athlete sweats an average of 2 liters per hour (67.6 ounces) and can only absorb 30 ounces, how many ounces does the athlete lose overall?

.

.

.

.

.

That is correct! 37.6 ounces! And that’s just one hour.  If someone was racing in an Ironman event, like in Kona, there would be some serious issues of the body shutting down.  Basically the only way to solve this is slow down and try to keep your core temperature lower.

Hyponatremia:  When you sweat, you lose electrolytes.  This is why Gatorade is so popular.  This is also why the Dannon water commercial is kinda crap. YOU LOSE MORE THAN WATER! DUH!  Hyponatremia is the medical term for imbalances in your sodium, potassium, magnesium levels in your body.  It is very serious, can lead to a hospitalization, and is why athletes exercising over 45 minutes should consider replacing electrolytes with a sports drink.  At the very least you will be replacing some energy stores in your body.

Overheating:  During exercise, 25% of our energy stores is used to keep us moving.  The remaining 75% of the energy we have is turned into body heat (Sindballe, 2011).  When your body is unable to release the body heat you have, your core temperature rises and sets off a chain of events (increasing sweat rate, decreasing electrolytes, decreasing performance).  Eventually, if someone was pushing to the limits, your brain will go into a “shutdown” mode, activating less gross motor muscles and saving the available energy to keep your organs or brain “cool”.  It is similar to neurological reflexes (pulling your hand off a hot stove before you feel it.) 

Tips for a safe summer

GET ACCLIMATED!  In late spring, try to work out during the hottest parts of the day.  This will eventually get you acclimated to the warmer temperatures coming soon.  This is something that I regrettably did not do this spring, as most of my workouts were indoors.  Try to get outside, or work out in more clothing than normal to get your core temp up! The human body can get acclimated to different climates in as little as 9 days, with maximal improvements seen at 30 days (Sindballe, 2011). Getting outside and hot earlier in the year may lead to better race performance and training in the summer months.

HYDRATE LIKE CRAZY!  Get in at least 16 ounces of fluid at least 1 hour prior to exercising.  It is also recommended to consume 6-10 ounces of fluid during every 20 minutes of training or racing (Ley, 2006). And remember: Sports drinks beat water because they contain glucose and sodium (sugar and salt), which increase your water-absorption rate, replace the electrolytes you lose in sweat, and taste good, encouraging you to drink

KNOW YOUR SWEAT RATE!  This is something that I have not done yet, but definitely plan on doing soon.  Knowing your fluid loss during specific temperatures will give you a better idea of how much hydrating you should be intaking while training or racing.  To find out your sweat rate (unscientifically…) is to weigh yourself before a run (Naked.  Weigh yourself naked.  Don’t run naked. Trust me…), go for an hour run, then weigh yourself immediately after (again, in the nude).  The difference in weight will be how many pounds you lost during the run.  Multiply that number by 0.472, and that’s your sweat rate in liters per hour (Ricci, 2008).  One rule of thumb to follow is replacing every pound lost with at least 16 ounces of sports drinks following a workout. 

BE SMART!  You know yourself better than anyone, so listen!  If you are pushing yourself to the point of overheating, don’t be afraid to slow your pace.  In the big scheme of things, training to the point of exhaustion is counterintuitive.  It sets you back further than where you were starting from.  Being able to back off a bit will allow you to conserve your energy stores, decrease your core temperature, and allow the sweat to evaporate (you don’t cool until it evaporates from your skin).  Also make sure to rehydrate immediately after the workout, consuming 16-24 ounces of a sports drink for every pound you lost.  This will decrease the amount of time you will need to recover from the workout.

I hope these help.  Many are common sense, but still very important.  One thing that I personally am about to start trying are electrolyte tablets and salt licks.  I am a heavy, heavy sweater, and tend to cramp like you wouldn’t believe.  This isn’t necessarily due to the loss of fluid, but more along the lines of electrolytes.  I am hypothesizing that when I lose the fluid, which is VERY concentrated with electrolytes, I cannot consume and absorb enough Gatorade to balance out the levels (aka leads to cramping 45 minutes in).  Someday, I plan on having my sweat rate and electrolyte loss scientifically evaluated, so I know exactly what I need to do.  Until then, I will continue experimenting until I find something that works!

References:

Ley, A. (2006). Tips for training and racing in the heat and humidity. USA Triathlon, Retrieved July 14, 2011, from http://www.trifuel.com/triathlon/triathlon-training/tips-for-racing-and-training-in-the-heat-and-humidity-001443.php.

Ricci, M. (2008). Racing a Triathlon in the heat. D3Multisport. Retrieved July 14, 2011, from http://www.d3multisport.com/blog/index.php/racing-in-the-heat.

Sindballe, T. (2011). Heat Training. Inside Triathlon: Archives. Retrieved July 14, 2011, from http://triathlon.competitor.com/2011/05/training/inside-triathlon-archives-heat-training_29149. 

Shawnee Mission Triathlon Race Report

Sunday was the hottest day I have ever raced on (of the four days I have raced... big pool to choose from).  I was geared up for racing the Shawnee Mission Triathlon, though!  It is definitely one of the tougher courses around, equipped with a very steep graded hill that you get to hit on the bike (at least twice) and once on the run AKA "the Dam Hill".

Pre-Race:  Alarm went off at 4:55am.  Surprisingly, I slept okay the night before.  Usually I don't, so definitely a plus!  I hopped right out of bed, made some oatmeal with blueberries and had some OJ.  After I finished eating, I started the Gatorade drip, packed my bag and bike, and hit the road by 5:45am.  We wound up getting to the park at 6:05am, mainly due to construction and having to back-track a bit.  Once we parked, Rach and I started our long journey to transition.  It had to be over a mile away, and took at least 20 minutes to get there from where we parked.  I quickly got in line for my chip, racked my bike, and set up my transition.  As soon as I was done, I got in line for the porta-johns which had grown to quite the length.

After the 15 minute wait, I rushed back to my bike to grab my swim gear because I was concerned that they were going to close the transition area.  Usually, they close the area a few minutes prior to the race starting, mainly so there aren't any people in the way when the first waves get done with their swim.  This was not the case, thankfully, because my wave started exactly an hour after the first wave.  I walked the Ins and Outs of transition, and made sure I knew where my rack was.  Once comfortable, I headed down to the beach to watch the early waves and eventually swam to the beach for my own.

Swim:  The swim was a 500 yard "J" course, although it was rectangular.  Yeah, doesn't make sense, I know...  The start was at 8:00am, and was a wade entry for me, and a beach entry for others.  I positioned myself in the front, dead center.  It was actually pretty easy getting to the front.  Normally, I struggle to position myself NEAR the front.  It was weird/awesome, just being able to look out in front of you and see the last wave that started, and thinking "I'm about to catch those people."  The gun went off, and so did we.  There was quite a bit of thrashing around.  I definitely kicked the guy behind me right in the face a couple times (sorry...).  I actually kept getting ran into by people not keeping a straight line. The "battle" stopped a little before we got to the dock (about 1/3 way through the swim).  

The swim was a lot tougher than I thought it would be.  I knew I wasn't going to be able to get in my best time, considering I swam 10,000 yards the last month (aka not much).  I was in good position, though, about the 4th person out.  I started passing several people from the previous wave, and had to start weaving in and around the slower groups.  

At the turn, I made the mistake of following a guy from the group ahead of me.  I ended up making a good turn around the first buoy, but missed the second, due to poor sighting.  It was my own fault for not knowing the course, but the long course buoys were still out on the water and made it difficult to see where I needed to turn.  Turning back around and going around the buoy probably only tacked on 15-20 seconds, but it definitely threw my rhythm off.  Oh well, no penalty.  

I ended up being the 10th out of the water in my wave (according to Rach).  As I exited, I looked at my watch and immediately was disappointed.  It was much MUCH slower than I expected.  Come to find out there was a pretty strong current that day, and judging my time with the entire race field, it was still pretty good.

Time: 10:23

AG: 2/15

Overall: 28/298

Transition 1:  The run out of the water to my bike was long.  My guess it was close to 300 yards, up hill.  I wasn't expecting this, but checked it out when I got there.  After finding my bike, I quickly got my shirt on(not so quickly), sunglasses, helmet, Garmin, and shoes on and was out!

Cracking a smile as I struggle with the shirt :)

Time:  2:27

Bike:  The bike course was a 9 mile, 2 loop course around Shawnee Mission Lake.  It is notorious for having a tough climb (Dam Hill). The short course athletes (me) only had to go up twice, as opposed to the long course athletes completing 4 total laps.  Don't know how that can be possible...

First lap on the bike

I was really pretty happy with my bike splits. I completed the 9 miles under my race goal, and felt like I still had more in the tank for the run.  The course itself wasn't as crowded as I would have thought.  All the racers rode the same course, regardless of distance.  That means that all 700 athletes would have been close to being on the bike course at the same time.  I was concerned about the traffic caused by slower bikers before the start, but never had any issues.  Everyone seemed to be staying on the right, and passing on the left.  I commend the race director for educating all the racers on etiquette!

End of 2nd lap and unclipping for my flying dismount!

I was especially pleased with how I rode the hills.  My road bike doesn't have any aerobars, or anything aero related, really.  This makes me push a little harder on the flats, just to keep pace with those in more of an aerodynamic position.  BUT on the hills, I was passing people like crazy!  And I'm not talking about only mountain bikes and cruisers.  I mean everyone!  I didn't get passed once on the bike course.  Can't say that's happened before.  This can be due to my late start time, as most of the "elite" racers would have been close to finished by the time I started...

Time: 30:04/ 18.0 mph

AG: 4/15

Overall: 58/298

Transition 2:  I really have got my T2 time down pretty well.  Going sockless for the runs have helped cut my time, and also just grabbing my bib number to finish putting it on during the run.  What seems to take the longest is unfastening my bike shoes.  I may start practicing slipping my feet out on the bike, but I need to install some new cleats on my shoes first because my shoes come unclipped pretty easy.  Overall, I thought my time was great, and I made up A LOT of time on the other racers in my AG.

Time: 0:55

Run:  The run course is where I started noticing a few things:  The course terrain was MUCH hillier than I anticipated, or at least I was noticing it more; and it was getting HOT...

Just leaving transition!

The run was only a 2.4 mile course, but we had to tackle the Dam Hill one more time, and finish the last mile with several hills.  To add more pain, the finishing shoot was on a nice steady climb up!  Sucked...

In the back, on the finishing hill.  I barely got by everyone right at the finish!

As usual, I felt like my calves were about to cramp up immediately starting the run, but that had stopped about 5 minutes into the run.  I felt good with my effort on the run, but my pace was awful.  I just couldn't keep a manageable temperature, despite dousing myself with water at every aid station (there were 3! and only for a 2.4 mile course!).  I was never passed, but knew the heat and humidity was really slowing my pace.  I could have also used a bit more hillwork in my training.  All in all, I was a bit disappointed in my run, but still managed to have a strong finish!

Making my move...

Finished!

Time: 19:53/ 8:16 pace

AG: 6/15

Overall: 41/298

Overall:  I thought the race itself was great.  There were plenty of volunteers, the race was very organized, and there were plenty of post-race festivities (although I did not stick around).  As far as my performance, I was initially somewhat disappointed.  Despite the decreased training load, tough course, and weather, I thought I was going to do better.  I wasn't bummed for long.  I quickly went from disappointed to humbled.  That course was challenging, and with the heat and humidity, I was okay with my finishing time.  I know if the race had been in different conditions, I would have performed better.  That's the best thing about races:  Despite how you train, who you race against, where you race, it doesn't really matter.  You just go out there and give it your all.  I fell short on several of my goals, and was 3 minutes off of my total time goal.  I did, however, accomplish my bike goal. I have been working hard on the bike after the Tinman race, and was glad to improve.  If I hadn't met that goal in particular, I would have been disappointed in my effort because I have been putting some extra time in to get better on the bike. 

Post race, admiring bikes other than mine...

After flying through the finish, I immediately thought I was about to pass out from the heat.  I found some shade, grabbed some cold drinks and tried to cool down.  Once I got my composure, I got my finisher's medal and found my family. We ended up leaving before the results were posted and the awards ceremony.  I didn't think I was even close to placing in my age group, so we went to breakfast and showed the parents our new place.  

Found my family!

Photographer: How'd it go?
Me: HOT!!!!!!!!

After breakfast, I checked the results when I got home and got quite the surprise:  I placed 2nd in the 25-29 men's short course age group, my first time ever placing ( Other than my first tri, an indoor race.  I was first out of 2 people. BOOM!).  I was shocked.  I actually checked a couple times because I thought there might have been an error. There wasn't.  Apparently the conditions affected every racer, and I actually did much better than I originally thought.  Now, this comes as some sort of a bitter sweet award. I know many of the "more seasoned" racers in my AG were racing the longer course.  I also didn't get the times I know I'm capable of.  However, it was still freakin' sweet! My secret to placing?  TRANSITIONS AKA the 4th Discipline.  Look at my splits.  The only one that stands out is my swim.  I made up the extra time during transitions.  Keep them simple, and PRACTICE!

Total Time: 1:03:40

Age Group: 2/15

Overall: 37/298

Shawnee Mission Triathlon Race Report Teaser!

HUMBLING.  That's all that comes to mind when I think about that course.  I will be writing up a full report early this week, but wanted to post some quick things on the race itself soon after.

1.  I finished.  Proof.

2.  It was HOT and HILLY.  I knew the bike was going to be tough, but luckily I rode the course beforehand so I knew what to expect.  What surprised me the most was the run.  It was up and down, and then up.  Way up.  I thought the finish was on a downhill. It was not.  I managed quite a strong sprint at the end, just to make it up the hill. Sucked, but very gratifying.  

3.  I got quite the suprise when I got home after breakfast with my family.  I will mention it in my race report, but if you want to know now, follow me on Twitter.  If you already do, don't ruin the surprise...

4. It was a great race, had great volunteers, and great post-race festivities!

I'm going to enjoy the rest of my Sunday out by the pool with some beezo's (beer).  I would just like to thank Rach for helping haul my gear, taking pics (see below for a SOLID angle), and cheering!  I would also like to thank Mom, Dad, Hayley (sis), Neal and Nancy (Rach's Parentals!) for showing up, standing in the heat, and cheering me on.  It really does make a huge impact.  Hope everyone had a great weekend, and if you raced, I hope it went well!!!

Thanks Everybody!!!!

Twas the night before racing...

Race tomorrow!  About time, and as of now, my last Triathlon of this summer.  I doubt it ends up being my last one, I just need to find one that fits with my school and vacation schedule!!! Surprisingly, I'm really not nervous.  I was actually only nervous before the Heritage Park race back in May, mainly because of the weather.  Swimming in a 60 degree lake with a wind chill of 35 degrees was TOUGH!  However, I still just can't get to sleep the night before racing, probably just from the shear excitement.  Time for the worst sleep ever!!!

Today, I hit up the usual pre-race lunch at Chipotle during my lunch break at work.  Following Ryan's nutritional plan for racing...

#1 of 2 fajitas.... kidding...

After work, I just headed home, hung some stuff on the bare walls with Rach and tried to get the place tidied up.  Both of our parents are stopping by after the race to see the place (that rhymed...).  After that, I did a short brick workout.  I started doing this particular one the day before the Topeka Tinman, just to get some extra transition practice.  I go for a very short bike ride, transition to the run, run, transition to the bike, short ride, continue for awhile.  Nothing too strenuous, just getting the kinks out tonight.  Also, I finally figured out the Multisport mode on my watch. Sweet!

Once I showered and ate some dinner, I started gathering all my shhhhtuff for tomorrow.  Here is just about everything, minus the bike.

Did I forget anything?

After a lot of shoving and finagling, I got it all in a bag. 

From straight on, it doesn't look that big... that's what she said...

Well, all I have to do now is put on some fake tats, watch some of "the Office" on DVD, and dream about that freakin' hill tomorrow!!!  Can't wait!!! If anyone is racing too, best of luck!

ps... I hope everyone appreciated my "finagle" word drop.  Wasn't sure if that was a word, but no spell check suggestion!

Shawnee Mission Triathlon Preview and Prep

Had a good day at my clinical!  My supervisor is awesome, she is an avid cyclist and MTBer, and brought me some replacement cleats for my shoes and a couple of new tubes she got from her friends at BikeSource!  I love free stuff, thanks Laurie for the hookup! It definitely got my weekend off to a great start!  I work tomorrow, which is a downer, but on the upside, RACING SUNDAY!

Although not an "A" race, I'm actually getting really excited for the race.  Word on the street is that it is sold out, around 700 crazy people expecting to race!  I know the organizers are probably ready to get the race in, especially after the weather interrupted the completion of the race the last 2 years.  As of today, Sunday is going to be clear with a high of 98!  HOT!  I'm getting excited to tackle the Dam Hill some more. My legs are fully recovered from Scott and I's bike re-con a few weeks ago!  

Packet Pickup-  I went to the Friday pickup at BikeSource, mainly because I work tomorrow and would have missed the pickup at the Park.  I normally like to go to the pre-race meeting with the race director, but just won't be able to swing it.  Packet pick-up was pretty uneventful, other than the guy haggling about the $10 race insurance because he didn't have a USAT membership. They were having a drawing for some things there that racers were able to sign up for.  I entered and am hoping for some ZIPP Race Wheels!  Walked around briefly, Rach checked out some expensive bikes, and I daydreamed about my future Cervelo P4 WHICH they didn't have. Only 3 Tri bikes in the entire place, and all were Specialized...

Packet was standard, except for the sweet tattoos to be worn for the race!  No more waiting to get marked up on race morning!!!  The shirt was TECH, color was bluh, but better than the Heritage Park one from this year.  Also appreciated the Jar Opener (Purple thing below). Random, but thanks Coventry Health!

Race packet, minus the small bag of popcorn... I feasted...

Gettin' some ink Saturday night!

Race Goals:  This may be the first race where I am planning somewhat conservatively, as far as my anticipated goals and pace goals for the race.  It's hard to go off of the Tinman race, especially for the swim (definitely shorter than a 400), and the bike (just read my race report...)  Add decreased training, and I am on my way to an average race.  My biggest goal is to use the Garmin at the race without completely ruining it.  Okay, not my biggest goal, but still important.

Swim:  500 yards, and judging from the race course, it's going to be a 'J' course.  I would like to get the swim done in 8:00, and I think is pretty doable.  My heat is second to last to go, starting at 8:00am, which is an hour after the first heat starts.  Warming up might be an issue...  I will also have to plan on dodging some slower swimmers from the groups in front of me.  Just hoping to get into a groove early and not have too high of a heart rate heading into the bike.

Bike: The plan on the bike should go as follows:  Lap 1:  Get up the dam hill, leave some in the tank, and hammer the downhills.  Scotty and I hit 41mph at one point, and I will be trying to hit that mark again.  Lap 2:  Hammer down, all the way.  I am planning on getting out of the saddle for the second go around with the HILL, although there is still quite the incline for the next mile.  I'm guessing the bike course is going to be PACKED, just hoping not to get hit or be hit.  Time: 31:30.

Run:  I haven't ran the course, but know I have to get up the Hill one more time.  I am guessing it's going to be a tough run.  I am going to push for a 7:30 min/mile average.  And a strong finish! Time: 18:00. 

Transitions:  3:00, some extra time putting on the watch at T1!

Total Time: 1:00:30

Screw that. Under an hour!  Let's do this!!!!