Running in a fog

This weekend brought me to Annapolis for a half marathon. I signed up for this race a while ago, but recently got an email from ObiJen about the timing of the race and my upcoming season. The big concern was the mileage buildup required for the race and running too hard this time of year. The priority is the downtime to rest myself for next season. So I agreed to just run 13.1 miles and not race it.

Race morning arrived and the Wingman and I walked to the race start. Our hotel was close to the start/finish so we didn't have to mess with driving/parking. It was pretty cold in the morning, but I knew  once I got running I would warm up. The great debate is what do I wear. I have to say I nailed my clothing perfectly for this race.  The only change I thought about during the race was maybe a short sleeves and arm warmers so I can make adjustments on the fly.

I waited until the last minute to strip down to my race clothing. Right after that we made our way to the starting line so I can be in the crowd to keep warm. The race started very unceremoniously. I didn't even realize the horn went off. I saw the crowd start moving so I wished the Wingman good luck and was on my way. It's an odd start to the race as you run through the parking lot of the Navy-Marine Memorial Football Stadium. After that they turn you out onto the streets of Annapolis. It was pretty overcast and foggy so I left my sunglasses on top of my hat as I ran. I figured as the sun was coming up I would put them on, but that morning, the sun never came out. The entire race was run in a fog.......

Within the 1st two miles there were a few short inclines in the road. I remember looking at the elevation profile and thinking the hills didn't come into play until much later, but here I was less than 1 mile in and there was a small hill. I took it easy going up knowing that if I spent too much energy too soon, I would blow up later. This was going to be a long run and I had to pace myself carefully. But being true to my jackass nature, I bolted down the hill. I would repeat this pattern all race long: easy up, jackass down.

By mile 3 we were in downtown Annapolis running towards the waterfront. I would love to tell you the view was nice, but as I mentioned before, it was foggy and I couldn't see far in front. We circled around the dock and then over past the Naval Academy. Over the 1st 4 miles the course was rolling. I had my Garmin watch on, but kept it under my sleeve and did not look at it. Since I was just supposed to 'run', I wasn't worried about what my mile splits were. What also helped was there were no clocks on the course at the mile markers to distract me. I just kept it comfortable........well, as comfortable as I could on the rollers.

I kept cruising along and around mile 5 1/2 is the bridge that runs over the Severn River. It seemed like it went up forever. The fog kept the top hidden, which I guess is a blessing so I couldn't see how far I had to go. For all I knew, Brigadoon would appear when I got to the top.

After a long haul up, I crested the hill and 'jackassed' my way down. With the dense fog, I had no idea how long it was until I reached the bottom. But as soon as I reached the bottom, there was another small hill to run up. This begins a long out/back section that I knew at some point I would see the Wingman on the course. At the far end of this section is a turnaround with an aid station. I grabbed a cup of water and sipped a little and prepared myself mentally for the final few miles of the race. I knew I had to get back up the hill to Brigadoon. I did see the Wingman and we high-fived as we passed. He was looking good so far. I wished him luck and made my way towards the bridge.

The fog was still thick so once again, I had no idea how high up I had to run. I kept my head down and feet moving. It was tough, but I made it up the hill and, you guessed it, 'jackassed' my way down. I felt in control at this point, but the fatigue of the hills was getting to me. I only had ~2 miles to go now.

The last two miles were clear as day to me. The first thought I had was that I was glad my foot was holding up so far. I avoided any rough sections of pavement to spare me from any pain. The second thought was how well I was doing by only drinking to thirst. My water consumption has been cut down a bit and I can feel it in the longer runs. I don't feel quite so bloated in my hands and legs. I'm no longer worried about any formula for how much I need to drink and when. It's just a matter of I grab a cup if I need it and drink as much/little as I feel is needed. For the Army 10 Miler, my training runs, and now this race it is working well for me.

Just before the mile 12 marker was the last water station. I wanted to grab a cup, but was slowed to a walk in order to get a cup. It was a small station that was undermanned so I had to wait a split second for a cup. I looked up a noticed that the station was right at the bottom of a small incline. I opted to walk the 50 feet up and then start running. When I saw the mile 12 marker, I decided to look at my watch. I was incredibly surprised at the time I was making. I knew that unless I completely walked the last mile, I would break a soft time goal I had set since I wasn't 'racing'.

I knew I wanted a strong finish so I picked up my pace a little over the last mile. And then, the foot haunted me. There was a short out/back on  College Road and the turn around was over cobble stones. It was the most nerve-wracking 6 feet on the entire course for me. I slowed down so I can place each foot strike directly on a stone, not the edge. It's like walking through a mine field. And of course I missed the last stone and caught an edge of a stone. It sent shockwaves up my leg for a moment. I made it 12 3/4 mile and to almost get stopped in my tracks by a stupid stone.

I shook it off and wanted to find the finish line. The course winds back through the parking lot of the stadium to the finish line. After crossing the line, I stopped my watch and hurried to find the people with the mylar. Now I was freezing. The post race swag was nice - a running hat and finisher's medal. I grabbed them and then made a bee-line to the baggage drop off to get my clothes. Once I got dressed I had to find some food. I was getting hungry.

After I ate, I waited for the Wingman to finish. After he came across, we repeated the clothing and food pickup, then began the walk back to the hotel. Once we were safe in the room, I took the longest hot shower of my life. If I could have taken a nap in there, I would have.

Later in the day I checked the final results. I knew I set a PR, but wanted the official race time. It's been 6 years since I've run my fastest half marathon, and in this race I crushed that time. Looking back, this was the easiest I have ever run 13.1 miles before. By no means was this an easy race, but I never had that feeling that I went out too hard and paid for it dearly on the back end. It wasn't a perfect run, but I felt like it was a solid day out there.

I feel good about where I am at with my fitness. The next few weeks will be easy for me. No crazy training, just some work to keep my fitness. The real work begins soon enough, but for now I will enjoy this coming month. Bring on the offseason!!

Turkey Day

Yesterday was Thanksgiving, or Turkey day. I think it should be called "Stuffed Fat Pig" day since that's what I wind up feeling like by the time dessert rolls around. To prepare for an afternoon of non-stop eating, the Wingman and I had a full morning planned.

We started out in Mattituck for their annual 5k Turkey Trot. We haven't done this race in years, but were looking forward to racing a little closer to home. My goal for this race was to just run it 'at a trot pace'. The "PR or ER" machine was turned off for the day. It's a nice course that's relatively flat. Only near the end do you have one short hill to get over before the finish. After I finished, I waited for the Wingman. We went into the gym and grabbed some fruit and water, then bolted home to get some more activity in before the eating began.

Since Wingman's been working crazy hours, we haven't had a chance to ride together so we grabbed the road bikes and went for a ride. The temps were a little cool at the start, but within 10 minutes I was nice and warm. There was a little wind to contend with, but nothing too strong. We pedaled along for close to 2 hours, working up an appetite.

Once we got home, it was time to shower and get dressed up for dinner. We drove to Dolores' house where the main guest Mr. Louie was waiting. As usual, I ate way too much food. But I had a great time and that trumps everything.

So I sit here today, like a bloated fat pig, trying to think of how to get my fat ass off the couch. I have a half marathon in one week so I need to work off the turkey bloat in a hurry!!

7 seconds

"To keep from decaying, to be a winner, the athlete must accept pain--

not only accept it, but look for it, live with it, learn not to fear it."

Yesterday I made the trek into Lynbrook for the "Fly with the Owls 4 Miler". It's a long ride, but it gives me the opportunity to meet up after the race with some friends to catch up. I did this race 2 years ago but was sick last year. So this year I was going to do everything in my power to stay healthy and get out there.

The night before I looked up my 4 mile PR to see if a new PR would be a possibility. It wasn't a completely far fetched time for me, but I knew I would have to run pedal to the metal or live up to my new motto "PR or ER". 

With fall races, judging how to dress can be tricky. What made the decision difficult yesterday was the dreaded windchill effect. It was supposed to be a little windy with temps feeling like it would be close to 10 deg cooler than it really was. Then you have to do the running math and add 20 deg to that since that's what it would feel like when you are actually running. I decided to wear a compression top and a lightweight long sleeve shirt with my running shorts. I felt cold before the start of the race, but once I was in the middle of the crowd waiting at the starting line, I warmed up. 

Once the horn went off, I bolted down the road. I wanted to get out of the crowd a little bit so I could settle in. The first mile is pretty straight-forward. After that it gets a little crazy, like an ADHD dream, lot's of turns.

arrows highlight the first mile

I wore my garmin GPS watch, but I knew the event would have timers at each mile on the course. When I rolled through mile 1, I was on a good pace. Not too fast, not too slow. But I could tell I was getting very warm. The two shirts were causing me to overheat. Since my race number with timing chip was attached to the top shirt, there was no way I could easily remove a shirt while running. I just figured "how bad can 3 miles be?" The answer is: pretty bad.

All I kept thinking was how long that 2nd mile felt. I didn't want to slow down much so I found someone to stay with. I also used this person as a shield when the winds picked up a bit. I tried to match  them stride for stride so I could keep pace. When I finally got through the 2nd mile I did some race math. I was still on track to PR. But I also felt like it would be a hard 2 miles to go. I felt like I was out there much longer than the race clock showed. I was in agony and the only way to make it stop was to get to the finish as quickly as possible.

I now began the craziness of the turns on the course. This organization does an outstanding job of marking the course and controlling traffic. There are volunteers at every turn with signs and pointing which way to go. I would have said 'thank you' but speaking was just not an option. I was deep inside the hurt box. My pacer was now long gone and I was on my own. I tried to latch on to various runners, but I kept yoyo-ing back and forth. A big mental game went on in my head. I was thinking about just slowing down and taking it easy, but when I passed the 3 mile clock I knew that if I could just hang on a PR was mine. All I had to do was hold it together.

This last mile was one of the hardest miles I've ever run. The turns were disorienting and my fatigue was making it worse. My legs and arms were getting heavier. I kept thinking "this must be the last turn....no, this must be the last turn..... no wait, THIS must be the last turn." 

Finally I did make it to the last turn. It was now a straightaway. The strangest sensation came over me. I looked to the side of the road and thought "that looks like a nice place to lay down." What a bizarre urge. Needless to say I fought it and did the best I could to pick it up to the finish. I saw my friends just before the finish. I looked at the clock as I crossed the line. I managed to just hang on and PR by 7 seconds. Holy crap. I worked that hard and suffered that much for 7 seconds. Clearly I have accepted the pain and learned to run through it. It wasn't easy at all, but I know what it feels like and survived it.

Photo courtesy J. Cordello  

After the race my friends and I went to a diner for breakfast. I just remember inhaling by breakfast and chatting away. Our time together ended too quickly and I was back in the car heading home. I passed out on the couch and took a serious nap. 

When I got up my legs and arms felt like jelly. It took my quite some time to get over that race effort. Who knew that 4 little miles could hurt so much.

Putting the puzzle together

A year ago I sat down to plan out my 2012 racing season with the goal of an Ironman race in 2013. I completed Ironman Lake Placid in 2006 and then my life was too busy to be able to dedicate the time to training. It takes a commitment in time and effort to get yourself to the starting line. I knew I would not be able to give it the proper effort until now.

I originally had a different Iron distance race in mind, but as the year went on, I decided to return to Lake Placid to improve on my last performance there. Looking back, I didn't have the right pieces in place to make it really successful for me. I was still relatively new to the sport and didn't have a lot of distance fitness in the bank. I was able to complete the race, but I don't think it was a success. This time around I am starting to put the small pieces in place to lay the foundation for the bigger pieces.

The first thing is to look at yourself and really think about what it is you want from this process. Every one has a reason as to what motivates them to accept the challenge. This is important because as the training gets harder and things get put on the back burner for your training, you need to remember why you are doing this. I saw a great quote earlier today that sums it up for me:

"Our biggest challenge isn’t someone else. It’s the ache in your lungs. The burning in your legs. And that voice in your head that yells “CAN’T,” but you don’t listen. You just push harder. And then you hear that voice whisper, “can” and you discover that the person you thought you were is no match for the person you really are."

Just remembering this makes the journey to the starting line a little bit easier...........

Getting The Work Done

This past weekend I made my way back to Arlington, VA for the Army 10 Miler. (ATM) This is the 5th year in a row that I've done this race. Each year I get a little bit faster on the course. I was hoping that I would be able to break even this year. I've been hovering around the same time the last two years and wasn't sure I would be able to break through this barrier. I've been running well this year keeping the injury bug away so far. Aside from a small hiccup that required two injections in my foot recently, I've been able to string together a good year of running.

The flight down was supposed to be 40 minutes in the air. I was half asleep on the flight down so I wasn't paying attention to the time. But at one point I could tell we were doing a lot of turning and ascending/descending/ascending/descending. I could feel my stomach turn and I got very sweating which is a precursor to full blown motion sickness for me. I made sure there was a bag in the seat pocket in front of me as I expected my lunch to make an appearance on this flight. But I was fortunate the we landed just before trouble reared it's ugly head. Then the pilot came on and said "we had to make a landing at Dulles due to weather at Baltimore and we need to refuel." Obviously what were we doing for over an hour was circling the airport waiting for clearance to land. Once the plane ran low on fuel, we had to be diverted to another airport. We were on the ground for over an hour before we could take off again. So far this trip was not starting well.

We finally made it to Baltimore and then drove to our hotel in Virginia. We grabbed a quick bite to eat and then we went to sleep. Saturday morning was Expo time. This is a highlight for me. I get to walk around and get as many freebies as I can fit into my bag and then go outside and play with all the Army Special Forces weapons I want. This year I had my eye on a grenade launcher that would look AWESOME on my front lawn. I hope Santa will bring it to me..........

We took it easy Saturday afternoon in an effort to save some energy for Sunday. Friends and family were asking if I would be setting a PR and I told them it was highly doubtful. My 10 mile PR is on an extremely flat course. The ATM course has a few rollers on it and the last ~2 miles are killer on the highway - constant up/down/up/down. You will be punished if you push too hard too early. I figured a course PR was possible if I played my cards right. Pacing is important on this course.

First thing I noticed race morning was that it was very cool. I had quite a chill and was afraid to ditch my warmup shirt until the last possible moment. When they announced 1 minute to my wave start I threw my extra shirt to the side of the road and got ready. Each wave is started with a large cannon and a ton of smoke!! I was able to find some clear space and get moving. Within a quarter mile I noticed that I wasn't breathless or having any difficulty running. Usually it takes me at least a half mile to settle in to my pace, but I found my rhythm early. Hopefully it would be a good omen.

I decided to keep my Garmin covered and just run by feel. Since I was comfortable early in the race, I knew my pace was OK. I had studied the course over and over again to make sure that I would run the tangents and cut all the turns tight so I wouldn't tack on extra mileage by running wide. As soon as I made a turn, I was planning where I needed to be on the road for the next turn. I wouldn't know if my strategy would pay off until late in the run when I finally looked down at my watch.

The miles ticked by easily. I was waiting for the wheels to fall off and for the real suffering to begin. I got to mile 5 and noticed on the race clock that it was starting to go in my favor. I still had no idea how I was doing on time, but I knew I wasn't losing anything yet. I kept my foot on the gas and decided to not let up.

Mile 5-7 takes you up and down Independence Ave. I knew this would be my last stretch before I hit the rollers on the highway. I didn't make a conscious effort to pick up my pace, but inadvertently I did. I was still feeling fresh and didn't have that feeling that I could not maintain my pace any longer. My legs just kept going and going. When I saw the 8 mile marker I knew this was where the hard work would begin. It was here that some words came to mind. I remember reading Ian's race report for the Pumpkinman Triathlon and one line he wrote about starting his run stuck in my head:

"I told myself 'here was my chance to be great'"

These words were true at this moment. I looked at my Garmin and saw that, unless I literally collapsed on the course, I would set a course PR. A ten mile PR was going to take some serious effort over the next two miles. I could not let up for a minute. It was going to take everything I had to hang on. This was going to be my chance to be great..........

I seemed to float over the next mile. Normally I am suffering at this point, but I still seemed to be moving well. My pace certainly dropped down a little, but I was still running well. I knew I could afford to slow up a little on the uphill as long as I gunned it going downhill. Before I knew it I was heading up towards the exit ramp for the Pentagon. Only 1 mile to go!! At this point I could feel the fatigue starting to creep in. The last mile on the highway was taking it's toll on me. But at the same time I knew I wanted that PR badly. It's funny how it wasn't even a thought earlier that morning, but at this time it consumed me. I kept the intensity up. I didn't want to get to the finish line with any regrets. This was like a poker game and I was all in on the final hand........

The way the road winds near the end, it's hard to know exactly where the finish line is. When I was ~1/10th from it I could see the black and gold balloons. The finish was near. I saw my watch and knew that unless I stopped to take a nap, the PR was mine. I crossed the line and stopped my watch. I knew it was a course PR, but was fuzzy about my 10 mile PR. When I checked my times later I knew I had the 10 mile PR by ~2 minutes and a course PR by 5:30. BOOM!!

Once I made my way through the finish line corral and food line, I went back to get my clothes. I was getting chilly in my wet clothes.  I can honestly say I had no idea that performance was in me. When I looked at my splits later, I was very consistent. 8 of my 10 miles were less than 10 seconds apart in pacing.  The two 'slower' miles (mile 1 at the start and mile 8 on the highway) were at most 20 seconds off my fastest pace. 

Looking back, I can't complain about my performance. For the first time in a loooooonnnnnngggg time I am happy with how the race unfolded. I feel that this was a complete race from start to finish. I really can't see where I would make any changes. My course strategy paid off as my Garmin measured 10.12 miles so I didn't stray as badly as I did last year.  I really surprised myself with how the race unfolded. I have a half marathon in December and I have already changed my goals for that race. So between now and then, it's time to Get The Work Done!!

It Don't Come Easy

"It don't come easy

You know it don't come easy"

The lyrics to the Ringo Starr song were very appropriate today. It was my 'A' race of the season, the Rev3 Half Iron race in Maine. The Wingman and I arrived on Wednesday to settle in before the race. I picked up my race packet on Friday and got my bike ready for drop off Saturday. There was the mandatory athlete meeting in the early afternoon. Once that was done, we went back to the hotel to relax and rest up.

I had trouble sleeping the night before, which is not unusual. I went to bed around 8p, then was up from 9-10:30p, then asleep until 2:30a. From there I tossed and turned until 3:30a when my alarm went off. It was an early morning because the race started a little earlier than usual. They explained it at the race meeting. When you exit the swim, you have to run up the main street and cross the railroad tracks. There was an Amtrak train scheduled to roll through at 8:20a so they had to make sure all athletes were out of the water by then and not slowed down for a passing train.

My wave went off at 6:36a. It's a beach start and you have to run into the water, through the waves and start swimming. I made it out past the waves OK and was on my way. The course is a rectangle shape, swimming out .35 miles, then across .5 miles, then back .35 miles. When I got to my turn buoy, I had trouble finding the next set of buoys to sight off of. They were small yellow buoys, and with the rising sun in the background it was hard to see. The other odd thing I noticed was it didn't seem to be straight line across. It seemed to veer out to the right, making the course possibly longer. But since we all swim the same course, I just kept going. I kept my thoughts on the final leg of the swim. With the waves coming in, it should hopefully make for an easier effort. When I made that final turn, the easy factor I was looking for was not there. You had to deal with the current coming in, and then pulling out. So for your forward progress, you were pulled back a little. I had trouble seeing the beach due to the swells, so I used the ferris wheel for sighting. When I finally hit the beach, everything went wrong. I had trouble focusing my eyes on anything. It looked like the people on the beach were tilting left and right. I thought for sure I was going to stumble and go down. I managed to make it up the beach and down the road to transition. It was along the way that I gave my first thoughts to dropping out of the race. 

I sat down in transition to put my socks on. What I really wanted to do was lay down and take a nap, calling it a day. But then I thought I should get on the bike and start riding, that my stomach and head would settle down after a few miles. 

I grabbed my bike and exited transition. The bike course is rolling, but the bigger elevation gains are early in the ride. I knew I had to just relax and wait for my body to reset. I did the short climb out of town to begin the ride. I knew ~3-4 miles in is the first big climb. Honestly, it's not that big of a climb, but for this course, it is. It seemed a little steep so i just relaxed and pedaled. I kept looking at my bike computer to see when I should start eating/drinking. usually it takes me 15 minutes to settle down, but today took a little longer. I started sipping water, then adding in my regular nutrition every 15 minutes. The first hour was going to be a hard ride so I knew I needed to be patient. I could gain some speed after the first 20 miles or so. Or at least that was my plan. I could see that my power targets were not happening .I just couldn't hit my numbers today. I felt like I had no snap in my legs. Now I started getting nervous about how I was going to run if I couldn't ride. I decided to not think about that right now. I just kept focusing on 5 miles at a time. 

Finally around mile 30 I started feeling a little better. My speed picked up, but the power still wasn't there. I cruised along for the next 15 miles, then my stomach just completely shut down. I started getting a cramp on my right side and couldn't stay in the aero position. I rode the last 10 miles sitting up, and belching like a truck driver in an effort to relieve my stomach. 

I made it back to transition to begin the run. I poured water over me to cool off, changed my shoes, grabbed my hat and number and started to run. I figured the sooner I got running, and faster, the sooner I could end this race. I was getting quite hot out there. But I could feel my stomach getting harder. When I got to the 1 mile aide station, I grabbed some ice for my hat and a little water. Then I kept moving along, slowly, but I was moving. By the time I got to mile 2, they said they had soda as well as water and gatorade. Perfect, I knew that some flat soda would hopefully settle my stomach down. It did wake me up a little, but didn't really help me. I burped a few more times to try and relieve some of my stomach bloat, but it didn't help. I thought at one point I was going to vomit. Just before mile 3 they have you on a packed trail out to the 6.55 mile mark and then turn around and come back. There was an aide station every mile and I grabbed soda at each one. I had my gels for some extra calories. I ran as best as I could, but by mile 5, my stomach told my brain "you are walking now". I just couldn't run anymore. Every running step was murder on my gut. But the bright side was my methods of keeping cool were working. I tend to overheat in warmer temps, so at each aide station I grabbed a cup of ice and carried it in my hand with the open end of the cup in the palm of my hand. It seemed to be doing the trick to keep me comfortable in the heat. I also read that cooling your pudendal nerve is also a good way to keep you core temperature down. So I dumped some ice down my shorts. Let me tell you, it WOKE ME UP!!! Holy cow, that will get your attention every time!! 

Before I knew it I was at the turn around and heading back. I was still walking, but I was more than halfway there. I almost missed the turn to come off the trail. The traffic cop stationed there directed me to exit the trail. Thank goodness, I would have kept going. Now I had ~2.5 miles to go. By the time I got to the 11 mile marker, I was running/walking. I had to end this misery quickly. When I started the run, I told the Wingman to wait for me before the finishing shoot. Rev3 gives you your finishers photo for free. Plus, you are allowed to bring someone with you across the finish line, but you just have to be mindful of the other racers. About half a mile from the finish I saw Wingman, in his proper Wingman shirt. 

I told him what I wanted from him and he ran along side me all the way to the final shoot. I grabbed his hand and we made our way to the finish line. The race announcer made quite a deal about him running with me. He even announced that "the Wingman is coming through the finish."  Me, all I got was a mention of my race number. Where's the love?!?!? What's up with that?!?!? 

The thought of crossing the line with the Wingman was what helped drive me to finish. I dragged him all the way up to Maine, and he got up really really early on his day off to accompany me to the race so there was no way I could not finish. I wasn't feeling well, but it wasn't anything very serious required me to stop. I knew I had to keep going. It's the tough races like this where you find out just how deep you can dig to pull out a finish. This was by far my worst half ironman finish by a lot, but it was the best that I could do today. 

We have a couple more days up here before heading back home. Tomorrow we will be battling for the "Putt-Putt Championship of Maine." It's going to be an epic battle. I will also post some photos later from the race. I have to put them together first.

Calm before the storm

We drove up to Maine on Wednesday for a little R&R before my race on Sunday. It's been a busy summer and I wanted a little peace and quiet from the insanity/BS of the Hamptons. We were on the 11a ferry out of Orient and on our way. We made it to the hotel before dinner time. We managed to get everything up to the room in two trips.

Thursday morning we packed the bikes into the Element and drove most of the bike course to check it out. We parked at a local supermarket and decided to ride part of the course. It seems very manageable, but you have to be patient early on. While it is a relatively flat course, most of the elevation gain is in the first 18-19 miles. If you pace yourself well there, you can be rewarded with a great 2nd half. So far the weather forecast looks like the winds will be low and if I get lucky with the weather, the humidity will come way down when I start the run. Bonus!!

Today was packet pickup at the race expo. This is the first year at the venue for Rev3. So far, they have done well at other locations so I anticipate them doing well here. The turnout will be around ~1000 athletes between the olympic and half Rev. Hopefully that won't mean I will be DFL........

Tomorrow the Wingman and I will do an early swim to get a feel for the water temperature. I was torn between a full sleeve and sleeveless wetsuit.  The water temperature is 65 degrees. Everyone I emailed said they would go full sleeve for this one. Ian even went so far as to say "Don't be a jackass, wear the full sleeve, it will be faster." So full sleeve it will be. There is also an athlete meeting and mandatory bike check in. I will get all of that done early and then just try to relax in the afternoon.

The race is Sunday morning and hopefully I have a great race in me. I know my pacing for the bike so I don't ruin my run. I just have to GTWD Sunday..............

Swim start, heading towards the pier

 No messy racks to deal with, just grab your bike and go

 Rev3 has some big trucks to haul their gear

Some day I will get my coveted race number '666'

 So much junk food down at the Pier, but it looks so good

And the mother of all snacks - Nutella Crepes

Taper Time

My one big race is coming up in just under two weeks. A lot has been going on since I last posted. I've been using this year as a springboard for racing longer next season. I had on particular race in mind, but decided to return to Ironman Lake Placid and improve on my original race performance. I hesitated about financially committing a year in advance to this race, plus it's over crowded, but the idea of getting my big race done in July instead of September was a bonus. This year I struggled with the heat in my training and had to resort to indoor training for my long runs. If I race in July, most of my training would be in cooler temps.

My Wingman has been riding with me and that makes my rides more enjoyable. We pick a route based on my scheduled ride time (and wind direction) and head out. Getting him into cycling was a great decision. He enjoys the riding and we get to spend time together. My last few long runs have been on the treadmill. With all the heat/humidity, I've had to stay indoors. I managed to pull off (2) two hour runs on the treadmill. It wasn't easy, but for the first run I watched the women's marathon in the Olympics. I was ready to stop around 1:40 into the run when the announcer talked about Alberto Salazar. Alberto said what separates the greats are their ability to embrace the suffering when things get hard. Upon hearing that, how could I possibly quit running. So I kept going and finally finished my run when the winner crossed the finish line. My run lasted 2 hours and 13 minutes. That's a lot of running.......

Working the plan

This morning was the 17th annual Montauk Sprint Triathlon. I've competed in this race just about every year since 2005. I missed it in 2006 when preparing for Ironman Lake Placid. This is a great local race that I love coming back to every year. My last race this year was June 24th, the Philly olympic distance.  Since that race, my workouts were built around not repeating my lackluster performance in Philly. Today was the day that I would put my feet to the fire and execute the plan.

Last year I had a great swim. I put in a lot of work in the pool and then more in the open water prior to the race. This year, not so much. We had a favorable sweep current last year to push me along a bit. This year we swam into a slight current. The last few open water swims  sessions I had, I put some work into changing my stroke. I found some serious deficiencies and worked to remedy them. And it paid off. I felt much more balance and powerful with each stroke. My stroke cadence didn't improve, but more importantly, my distance per stroke improved. I felt great for the 1st half of the swim today. About halfway through, there were a few swells to deal with. Once I got a feel for the timing, I was motoring along. I also was a little more aggressive on the swim. Normally when I come upon some feet or a bottleneck I'd wait it out and then pass. Not today. As soon as I swam up on some people I immediately swam around them. I didn't want to lose any time on the swim if I didn't have to. I just moved as swiftly and smoothly as I could through the swim. When I got to the end of the swim, I did have a little 'hiccup' trying to get out of the water. I stood and tried to get out of the water, but I quickly noticed that the ground below me was not level and I fell over. I got up again and lost my footing a second time, but did not fall. I made it up to the transition area and prepared for the bike.

Once on the bike, there would be no holding back today. I tried to move quickly through the bike course. It's relatively flat, one hill. You can really open it up out there, but with so many other racers, you have to be careful. This is where I failed in my last race. I was too careful and held back too much. I had specific instructions to rip it up today. My workouts were even designed around it. I felt very fluid on the bike. I've been battling shoulder pain in the aero position, but today I didn't notice a thing. I seemed to be firing on all cylinders on The Beast. I was passing many people and passed by only a few. I didn't even hesitate when I came behind someone. I just looked over my shoulder to make sure my path was clear and then pulled around the rider in front of me. I repeated this process over and over.  I finished the bike course and all I had left in front of me was a 3.1 mile run.

In my last race, I had some serious burning foot pain. I took it easy to start the run today so I wouldn't irritate things. The run starts with an uphill run out of transition. Once on solid ground, I wanted to get into a rhythm. The hardest part of a run is the first 5-10 minutes. After that, it gets a little easier. I feel I get stronger as the run goes on. Now I am waiting for this moment, for it to get easy. With each stride, I could feel a little more zip in my step. I made my way through the park, grabbing water at each aid station to pour over my head or down my back. I wore arm coolers for my last race, but didn't bring them today. Rookie mistake. I was overheating quickly out on the course. Even though there was a lot of shade, it was still pretty hot out. I ran as fast as my legs would carry me. I hit the turn around and knew that the end was getting closer. The hardest part was yet to come. The last little stretch on the course is uphill to the lighthouse. I was so hot and tired at this point, but there is no way you can walk up this hill. There are too many spectators and there would be too much shame if I walked. I did make it up there, but not sure if you would call what I did running. 

Once I crossed the finish line, I looked back and was satisfied with what I did out there today. I ran the best race I could with what I had in my body today.