Running, running, running...

With the triathlon season over and done with (recap might be in the works...), I've had a lot of extra time to dedicate to the discipline I see as needing the most work (and could show the most improvement) in 2014: my run...

I've never been a "runner". I don't really know why. I enjoy running. It's relatively safe, you can literally do it anywhere you want, and it's something that's engrained in us early in life. But for some reason, I just can't seem to break through to faster times. That, and I can't increase my run volume without my glass legs breaking. Injuries suck...

I know a lot of it has to do with my weight and running mechanics, both of which I am working on! Not that I'm overweight or have terrible mechanics, but I see room for improvement in both.

Back to my high fat low carb meals... Still good!

I'm also a lot more deliberate with increasing my weekly mileage. I've looked back at my training logs and evaluated when I was getting hurt. Naturally, most of the injuries occurred after a massive increase in run volume in a week's time (usually increased by 25%, not smart). I'm learning that there is a science behind running fast and efficiently, but also staying away from the injury bug.

I've been deliberately conservative this fall approaching my next and final race for 2013, the Gobbler Grind Half Marathon.  After a 2 week complete break from training, I started back running short distances at a low intensity. I'm following one of Hal Higdon's free plans, and I've really liked the slow, but methodical increase in mileage and intensity. My long runs will soon be 10+ miles, but the progression there has taken 6 weeks.

Previously, I've done my long runs at half marathon pace, which makes sense, but completely tears up my legs week after week. This plan calls for long and  mostly slow runs, with speed work and tempo stuff done sparingly. We'll see if I meet my goal at the race (I'm thinking <1:38), but overall, I'm liking the plan and feel like my aerobic system is adapting nicely. I've been fitting in 4 runs each week, and now feel ready to add a 5th day.

Start of a trail run at a local Arboretum

I'm really trying to be proactive on the injury front. I've been foam rolling weekly (should do it more), keeping up with the strength training, and have kept the slow runs at a comfortably easy pace. So far so good. Hopefully it stays this way! (literally just knocked on my wood coffee table)

At least the decreased training volume leaves me more time hanging out with this creepy guy...

I hope everyone is ready for fall and the perfect running weather to come! Let's hope it lasts more than a couple weeks!

Thanks for reading!

mark

Midwest Meltdown Long Course Race Report 2013

On Sunday August 25, 2013, I raced my last triathlon of the year (wahhh wuhhh) at the Midwest Meltdown in Paola, KS. I did the short course race last year, and enjoyed the flat course and small registration numbers. I up'd the distance and was in for the long course to end my triathlon season.

The week leading up to the race was very light in terms of training following Jackson County the previous weekend. Plus, Rach and I made a quick and fun trip to San Diego for a wedding. The place and wedding were beautiful, I had a few too many beers, and danced like no one was watching into the wee hours. We returned home 36 hours later, and arrived home around 11:30pm the night before the race, and still had to pack my stuff up.

When I woke up race morning, I knew I wasn't about to have my best race of the year. I was wrecked from traveling, the beers, the dancing, no decent meal the day before, and lack of sleep. I immediately decided to just have some fun in my last race of the year, and be content with that.

Pre Race
Rach and I got to the race site around 6:30am, which provided enough time to get set up, go on a short ride, and get a 5 minute warm up swim in before my wave started at 7:30am. The race itself was very small, but there was a lot of "talent" in the long course race. There were 2 men's waves for the long course. Mine was the first to start, with about 25 people in the wave. I saw Pete, my training buddy, in the wave and decided to try and stick with him like I did for Jackson County.

ME with the BEST sherpa ever!

Swim
Our little wave started at 7:30 without any contact. The group began to spread out quickly, but I had to navigate my way around a few people in front of me because I didn't have enough time to get positioned in front before starting.  I quickly saw Pete to my right, and began to try and pull onto the group in front of me to draft. I never really caught the group, but kept them within striking distance much of the first lap, although there were a few guys off the front.

Swim start. Chaos.

The first loop of the 750 meter course was really uneventful. I was able to get into a groove immediately, and focused on bilateral breathing. At the start of the second loop, I could feel myself slowing down, and was immediately passed by Pete and another swimmer. I made up my mind to stay with them and hopefully draft, but they quickly got out of reach. I stayed within 10 yards of them the remainder of the swim, but didn't get any benefit from drafting.

I really began fatiguing the back half of the second loop and could consciously feel my legs sinking, really wishing the swim was wetsuit legal. My feet began to cramp about 100 yards from shore. I tried to focus on a good body position and strong pull till I got to shore, again a few second behind Pete.

This is what the pros call "exiting the water".

Time:  26:27
Distance: 1500 meters
Pace: 1:37/100 yards
Age Group: 2/3
Overall: 22/73

T1
Once on shore, I just ran to my bike, threw on my aero helmet, and took off. I already had my shoes clipped in, and had an excellent transition spot! Always helpful!

Time: 0:40
AG: 1/3 (tie)
OA: 2/73 (tie)

Bike
The bike course consisted of four 5.2 mile loops around Lake Miola.  The course itself has been compared to riding on a running track. It's flat, but has quite a few little turns. There was also a minor wind out of the South that was more annoying than problematic.

Out of transition, I was immediately passed by Pete and a short course racer. I tried to keep up with them, but I just couldn't.  My legs were not feeling like riding hard, and my heart rate was really low, despite just getting done with a hard swim. I started drinking some water, wondering if I was dehydrated (probably from the weekend). After a half lap, Pete and the short course racer were out of sight. I actually couldn't see anyone, either in front of me or behind me.

Getting da party started... Terrible position.

After the first lap, I started taking in some fuel, hoping my legs would start pushing hard. That didn't really help. I kept trying to push, hoping to see the heart rate rise, but it just stayed in low zone 3. At the start of the 3rd lap, I took a gel with caffeine that seemed to bring my legs to life and I started making up some ground.

Better position, but not liking the pointed toe...

By the time I started the 4th and final lap, I was ready to be off the bike.  I was having a ton of pain in my butt, but it wasn't from sitting on the bike saddle. My guess is it was from all the sitting while traveling and I hadn't stretched out. Regardless, I just pushed and hoped to salvage a decent run. I eventually caughtf Pete in front of me (who obviously slowed down for me) right before T2, and we were going to start the run together for the second week in a row.

Ready to be done...

Time:  54:07
Distance: 20.84 miles
Pace: 23.1 mph
AG: 2/3
OA: 16/74

T2
I did a rolling dismount and kept my shoes clipped into my bike. I just hopped off, ran to my transition spot, took off the helmet and put on my shoes. GONE!

Time: 0:28
AG: 1/3
OA: 2/73

Run
This run started out exactly like last week's awesome run: with Pete setting the pace. Unlike last week, I was unable to hold it for more than a half mile. I quickly began to slow down to something I could maintain for 5 miles, and let Pete go. I soon realized the run wasn't going to be fun, as I began heating up and my legs just didn't have much left.

The run was the same loop as the bike course, so it was nice and flat, but had absolutely no shade.  I was hot. I was able to catch a few people in front of me, but I would have caught them if I was jogging. I kept running, and only walked to take in water at each aid station.

As the miles went on, my pace continued to drop. By the middle of mile 4, I was in full-on damage control mode, feeling like I was about to have some serious cramping in my quads and hamstrings. The sun was brutal, the humidity was worse, and the only thing that prevented me from walking the last mile was the final aid station on the course. Volunteers could tell I was struggling with the heat and they drenched me with ice water. My spirits quickly improved, and I was able to finish the race without walking (or dying).

Black was a bad choice...

Time: 38:27
Distance: 5.2 miles
Pace: 7:24/mile
AG: 2/3
OA: 15/73

Upon finishing, I quickly found Rach and went and sat in the water for a few minutes to get my body temperature down to a more realistic level. I found Pete, who beat me for the second week in a row (getting you next year...), had a few (more) beers, and watched the finishers.

Time:  2:00:09
AG: 2/3
OA: 12/73

All in all, I thought the race went about as well as I expected.  I wasn't expecting an amazing race, and I didn't have one. But that's okay. I still had a great time at a really great local race. I was pumped about the AG podium, but I really didn't care too much about that. I would have podium'd by walking the entire run... But I am happy about placing in my Age Group in every race I did this year!

Well, my triathlon season is officially over. I definitely want to keep racing and training, but I feel like I need a mental and physical break. I also started my fall semester the next day (no coincidence), so my time will be put towards that. I'm going to take a few weeks off of anything structured, and will then begin half marathon training for a fall 13.1.

Be back for a season recap! I progressed A LOT!!!

Thanks for reading!

mark

Jackson County Triathlon- Long Course Race Report

Sunday August 18th, 2013 marked the 31st running of the Jackson County Triathlon at Longview Lake, Missouri.  I was in for the Long Course race, my longest triathlon of the year.  The Kansas 5150 race would have surpassed the run distance, but unfortunately I didn't start the race.  Despite the somewhat longer distances, I was prepared and ready for a great day!

The Long Course encompassed a 1500 meter swim, a (supposedly) 40 kilometer bike segment, and ended with a 5 mile run along the shaded trails around Longview Lake.

Pre-Race
With my last race almost 6 weeks ago, I was targeting this race as an "A" race, or focus for my periodization of training.  AKA I was "peaking" for the race, meaning I knew I would be in the best shape possible for a solid outcome.

Race week went really well. Normally, I try and do as many workouts as possible, and was able to get 4 swims, 4 bike rides, and 5 runs in before the race.  Most were really short and easy, focused on frequency.  Despite the short and easy workouts, I was feeling very fatigued and stiff, which is common.  But by Saturday, the day before the race, I was feeling AMAZING! Maybe that's because of the carb loading... Thanks, Chipotle!

My goal for this race (and the year) was to average over 21mph for the 40 kilometer bike segment, just under 25 miles.  I was feeling very confident in accomplishing this, and was hoping to still have a good run afterwards.

I woke up race morning around 4:55am and headed to Longview with Rach. She was racing the short course herself! We arrived around 6:00am and found a transition rack where we both would fit.  We then began unpacking our stuff.  After a quick warm up ride, I realized I was running short on time and needed to head down to the swim start. After cramming myself into my wetsuit and listened to the pre-race instructions, I ran into a training buddy who was in my swim wave.  We were the first to go on the day.  We both positioned ourselves at the front of the wave, and were off once the horn sounded!

Chillin' before the start. Well, maybe freezing.

Swim
My wave probably only had 25-30 people, which is still relatively small considering every guy under 40 years old was starting. Having a smaller wave made for a pretty uneventful start.  Instead of going out really hard and fast to separate myself, I just settled into a nice and smooth stroke from the start and found someone to draft off of.  There was a group of 5 people at the front of the first of two swim laps, with myself taking up the rear of the group.  I stuck right on the feet of some guy in a BlueSeventy wetsuit, and tried not to get dropped off the back.

Swim Start! I'm the guy in the front...

Heading back for the second lap included a brief stretch swimming parallel to the beach area.  I was really happy with this, as I thought we had to exit the water and run along the beach to the start again.  I just stayed in my zone and kept right behind the other swimmer, who seemed to be going right at the pace I was comfortable with.

As soon as we got going on the second lap, I could tell we were hitting a lot of other traffic in the water, likely from other swimmers in the short course race that had just started.  The second lap wasn't much fun, as it was 750 meters of constant zigzagging around slower swimmers, who were spread out randomly throughout the swim course.  I had no contact, but it was still a ton of navigating that slowed me quite a bit.

Soon enough, I was out of the water, probably a few seconds behind the BlueSeventy guy, who I silently thanked for pulling me 95% of the swim. The swim itself was likely a bit longer, probably 100-150 yards more than the stated 1500 meters. I don't think anyone swam faster than a 1:35/100m average, which is unlikely. Not to mention my average is slower than my warmup pace...

PHOTOGENIC!

Losing some clothing

Time: 27:56
Distance: 1500m
Pace: 1:45/100y
Age Group: 2/10
Overall: 11/148

T1
This transition didn't go smoothly.  As soon as I stood up in the water, I worked on getting my wetsuit off, and had to take my Garmin strap off my wrist to remove my wetsuit sleeve. I then ran by my bike rack, and had to do a bit of backtracking to find it.  I also forgot to remove my swim cap running to my bike, which probably cost a few seconds.  I struggled getting my aero helmet on, and eventually took off to the mount line, where I made an ass of myself trying to mount my bike.  I went for a flying mount, but missed my right foot on my pre-clipped shoes.  I had to stop and mount my bike, probably causing a mini traffic jam. I was a bit disoriented following the longer swim...

Time: 1:08
AG: 3/10
Overall: 13/148

Bike
After finally mounting my bike and getting my feet slipped into my shoes, I began riding along Longview Lake, and enjoyed a nice downhill out of transition to get the bike ride going.  My plan was to take it easier the first 20 minutes of the bike, and then up the intensity the remainder of the ride. AND I ACTUALLY STUCK TO THE PLAN! It was probably the first time I've ever done what I planned on doing in a race! Normally, I'm all jacked up at the start of the bike and I'm like, "Eff the plan, let's hammer!!!" only to run out of steam 30 minutes later.

Midway through each lap, you cross a somewhat rickety bridge that is covered in wooden planks.  It's fine to ride across, but there is a bit of a bump as you get onto it. I neglected to remember this on the first lap, and forgot to slow down.  I rocketed over the bridge, and heard a loud THUMP. I began freaking out, thinking my Garmin had gone flying.  Nope, still there. The water bottle between my aero bars apparently ejected. I turned to make sure everyone behind me was okay, and kept on flying, hoping that I had hydrated enough from the lake water I drank on the swim...

Probably staring at a dog...

After the first 20 minutes, I glanced back and noticed my training buddy right behind me, and we started pushing the pace a bit.  We picked up two other riders in front of us, who also picked up the pace and stayed with us.  We had a group of 4 all together, with no one really pushing ahead of the others.  We stayed this way for most of the second lap. At the last climb, I pushed the pace and was able to break away from the group heading back into T2.

All in all, it was a fantastic ride and I was felt like I pushed hard, yet had a lot left in my legs for a solid run! The distance on the bike is DEFINITELY short, probably by at least a mile.  SOOO take my splits for what they're worth. But they are impressive... (humble brag).

Time: 1:03:37
Distance: 24.6 (likely not 40k)
Pace: 23.5mph (haha yeah no)
AG: 2/10
OA: 15/148

T2
I had slipped out of my shoes while riding, so I just dismounted my bike, ran to my rack, threw on my shoes and took off. There was a longer run out of transition, but all in all, pretty solid.

Time: 1:08
AG: 1/10
OA: 12/148

Run
Let me start out by saying I have NO IDEA where this run came from, but I'm definitely okay with it...

I started out the run on the paved trail right behind my buddy and a guy in my AG, who I likely thought was in 1st place in our AG. I was about 15 seconds behind them, and was content with this starting out on the run.  I kept checking my watch initially, and saw the 6:55/mi pace and thought "WTF MARK?!" But I was feeling really good coming off the bike, and the pace seemed comfortable so I just went with it.  The plan was for a 7:30/mi average, maybe 7:20 at best. But nothing in training led me to think I'd be doing anything faster than a 7:20 for the 5 miles.

Working. Upside-down "13" for better luck! It worked!

The 2.5 miles out were awesome.  I was feeling great, concentrating on a high cadence and good arm swing, and keeping my other AGer within 15-20 seconds.  At the turn around, I verified that I was in 2nd place in my AG, and about 6th out on the course.

I definitely slowed a bit on the back half, but overall my heart rate and lungs were feeling comfortably uncomfortable.  My legs just couldn't muster anything faster than the already fast pace they were maintaining.  The AGer eventually pulled away, about 40 seconds in front of me and I couldn't catch him.  I eventually crossed the finish line, 20 seconds behind the winner.

Time: 34:55
Distance: 5 miles
Pace: 6:55/mi
AG: 3/10
OA: 24/148

Overall
I had a really great race that far exceeded my expectations.  I was happy with another Age Group podium this year (4/4 so far), and was really happy with the top 15 placement overall while racing the Long Course (usually the better competition does longer events, but not always). The weather definitely contributed to the fast times, as the fairly low humidity and high 60s were conducive to speedy racing.  But I usually stay pretty cool in my Sugoi race gear anyway. But I still can't exactly explain the run. The average was probably faster than many of the intervals I do in training, despite those being significantly shorter. Again, I can't explain it, but I'm thrilled with the results! And I got my 21mph average on the bike, even with a more correct race distance!

Time: 2:08:41
AG: 2/10
OA: 14/148

Rach finished her second triathlon this year, and also took 2nd in her AG. She's going to be kicking my ass in no time... All in all, a great race, fun course on a beautiful day!

mark

Peaking

My first of two final triathlons of the year is just about a week away. I've had a solid block of training following my age group win at the Lawrence Triathlon in late July. My achilles is almost fully back to normal, about 90% now. I've been able to slowly add in some intensity again on my runs, which has been lacking since the Topeka Tinman. 

High noon track session in Kansas. Bad idea.

The Jackson County Triathlon is the next race (a faux Olympic distance, with a 1500 meter swim, 25 mile bike and 5 mile run), and I'm fully tapering for the race now.  I'm in what Joe Friel calls the "Peak" period.  I follow a pretty simple periodization program from Friel's books, and just finished my final "build" month, which was brutal.  Peak is all about lowering the total training volume in each discipline. Along with the smaller training volume, the intensity of every workout is either at Race Pace, or Recovery pace.  So either fairly hard or crazy easy... By following this plan, I should be in perfect condition to race.

This is the second time this season I have tapered for a specific race. The first time was Kansas 5150  back in May that didn't end up happening. Wah wuh...  

I'm feeling really good about my swim and bike right now.  I've gotten so much faster in each discipline this year, and am feeling really good about my final two races and what I could throw down in terms of pacing.

Prior to some hill repeats at Shawnee Mission Park

The run, however, isn't exactly close to where I wanted it at the beginning of the year.  I had to decrease my run training because of the Achilles issues, but never had to completely stop training.  

I guess I was hoping for more improvement in all three disciplines, although I will take the swim and bike fitness, as both have improved greatly! Consistency pays off! As does a carbon bike with a wheel cover...

Outdoor pool all summer!

The extra free time I have available now that I'm tapering has opened up some time to do some non-triathlon activities, like Royals games or road trips.  We've also been able to get some wedding planning done! 

Rach figuring out how she wants my hair for the wedding

Royals game prior to some lady jumping in the fountains

Oh and eating. Lots of eating...

A week after the Jackson County race, I'm doing the Midwest Meltdown, another faux Olympic distance race on a COMPLETELY flat course in Paola, KS. There have been some jokes going around that if you want to ride the course, just find a running track and ride for 25 miles... I did the short course race last year and totally agree, pancake flat.

I'm hoping my body can hold up for 2 Olympic distance races on back to back weekends.  Regardless, I'm taking a few weeks off before starting Hal Higdon's 12 week training program for the Gobbler Grind Half Marathon in November.

Hope everyone has been enjoying summer! It's winding down....

Geneseo, IL. Drink it in...

thanks for reading

mark