Ran a 10k in June (24 Viewers)

[wraith5]

Darrin - great job on your run! When I graduated college, I came " " this close to moving to Jacksonville. I spent 2 summer weeks there, and hightailed it back to Chicago. Florida = winter destination for Wraith.

Tri-man - that workout is totally you. Very Zen-like. I'm glad it went well.

I ran 13.1 this morning, and it wasn't fun. I was solid (sub 8:40's) through 8, then had to slow down. At 10.5 I had to make a porta-john stop and took the opportunity to refill my water at a water fountain, then went back on my way. In total, I drank close to 60 oz on the run, which was a little too much for my stomach, and I STILL lost 3.5 lbs of sweat.

Tomorrow we're meeting friends at Navy Pier for the day, then I'm catching a train to meet up with other friends to see Iron Maiden. Should be a great day.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

 

[2Young2BBald]

Since I have nothing to report I'll report that my daughter continued her Kid's Tri success this morning with another AG 2nd! Cool part, Ms. Intensity (who typically races with a scowl) was smiling the entire way. Maybe my freer and easier attitude lately has rubbed off (or, maybe she was just having fun). Next stop for her is the sprint distance as she'll age out of the kids events this year. I can't wait until were racing the same events (other than the relays shes done).

Wraith, having gone from cheering at the kid's tri, right to cheering at a little league. it was miserable just being outside. Running had to be exponentially more miserable.

Tri-Man, that workout sounded fun. I am not sure I'll be doing anything but swimming without shoes on anytime soon, but I could see the benefit and really want to try a pair of 5-finger, barefoot runners, some time soon.

 

[Darrinll40]

Well I was feeling a bit bored and decided that running 6 miles just wasn't enough for the day. I just finished an 8+ mile ride, and man was it hot out. I think the course I rode may be just right for my 8 mile runs in August, though it will be almost completely different from what I have been running the past year.

After dinner I am going to do laps in my bath tub so I can finish off my first tri.

I feel for you guys and the heat up north, but I am secretly glad I am not alone.

Tri-man I wish I was there to see those skip steps and butt kicks.

 

[SFBayDuck]

When life gives you lemons ...Great run workout today. Stayed with my plan to walk to the nearby university track and do a barefoot workout on the football field. What a great feeling of running barefoot on the (artificial) grass! Did about 3 miles by looping the perimeter of the field, then about 30 minutes of 'drills' - skip steps, knee lifts, butt kicks, long strides - before another 2 miles, focusing on a good lean forward and smooth rotation. Being barefoot, I was purposefully landing on the balls of the feet and staying very focused on the stride. Good stuff; I'll have to do this more often (and not just by necessity). Needless to say, my calves were screaming at me by the end, but that just tells me I was working 'em good.

That's pretty much what I'm slowly working myself up to. Have gone out 4-5 times the past 2 weeks and just run a bit here and there on grass barefoot, getting in a few 1/8-1/4 mile little runs in each time, trying to ease into it and get my feet and legs used to it all, and making sure I don't re-injure my achilles or PF before ramping it up. Had a nice 12 mile trail run today, running two laps each around 2 lakes nearby. Avoided hills this time, just some steady rolling up and down (720' elevation gain total), but no real climbs - my little mini-taper for next week's race. Was kind of nice, without the long climbs I ran much more and walked much less than my past 2 long runs, ended up over a minute/mile less than last weekend's 19 miler. Was pretty tired the last 2 miles or so, but all in all another good day out on the trails. Two sub-5 mile runs on the agenda for the week, should have fresh legs for what will be plenty of climbing next weekend!

 

[Darrinll40]

I got in 3.5 today. The temp was 74, but the humidity was 97% at 6 this morning. There was a nice cool feel to the the morning and I felt great for just about a mile before the humidity got to me. I averaged about 10:30 miles and felt great at the end.

I don't know about everyone else, but I am planning on sitting in a chair the rest of the day.

 

[Sand]

Dateline July 17: 200,000yds completed on the year. <_<

 

[IvanKaramazov]

Good, pleasant 8 miler before church today. A huge storm blew through last night and dramatically lowered our temps.

 

[bentley]

Good, pleasant 8 miler before church today. A huge storm blew through last night and dramatically lowered our temps.

Pretty much the opposite experience for my 4 miler before church this morning. It was obscenely warm and sticky, I was feeling the effects of Miller High Life and being in the sun all day yesterday at a pool party, and for whatever reason I took out WAY TOO FAST in the first two miles. I guess it was a character builder of some sort.

 

[Dexter]

Saturday morning mountain biking session CANCELED because the wife wants me to go to the zoo with her.

This is pretty awesome if "going to the zoo" is a euphemism. If you're literally going to a zoo, then I guess not so much.2Y -- Sorry to hear about the lingering injuries from the crash. I hope everything gets straightened out.

Nope we went to the actual zoo. In truth it was for my son who has a rare metabolic dysfunction. Detroit childrens hospital hosted a picnic for children with MCADD. She really wanted to go and I asked her a number of time if she wanted me there and she said no she would go with her mom. Well last night she changed her mind. Oh well it isn't a big deal.I did take my new road bike to stony creek and put in 24 miles which was nice. Road biking is a little different than mountain biking. One good thing I've learned is I'm a climber not a sprinter. So bring on those hills.

 

[Darrinll40]

ok, no new threads for me.

First I am bad because I don't like the can stalker, now they somewhat obscurely dislike my hometown because it is in the middle of nowhere..

I run, so I guess I am just a glutton for punishment.

I am going to stick to boring you guys with run updates and bad swimming jokes.

 

[gruecd]

What up, guys. My 15 yesterday sucked ###. It was hot and humid, so I stopped and rested for like 10 minutes after about 9.5 miles and again at about 12.5. Took a bunch of walk breaks, too. Averaged 8:32 pace when I was actually moving, but it was an awful experience.

Did an easy 4 recovery today, and my legs actually felt pretty good after yesterday's debacle. Go figure. Tomorrow starts the 68-mile week. I'm supposed to do 10/5T, but I doubt that's gonna happen in the humidity. I think I might just do 10 with 5-6 x 1600M cruise intervals at 6:14-6:22 with short (1 minute) rests instead.

Hope you all had a great weekend.

 

[prosopis]

Just checking in. I am still going on. I have not been in here for a while. I finally did the face book thing and I think I sent an invite to someone from here. I am John if any one got that invite? I am really confused as to how face book knows who I may want to add. Maybe from e mails?

I am going to the Grand Canyon this week and I hope to get a nice solid run in up there. It is so hot here. Over 100 daily and now with the monsoons we have humidity to. :X :

 

[2Young2BBald]

Obeyed Doctor's orders for a whole day Saturday before I "had" to run yesterday. Taking a lead from Tri-Man, I ran on the local HS track and synthetic football field. Both offer a good soft surface, so I figured it would be less taxing. Without any plan, I did 4 miles doing some running, some walking and even some forward and backward sprint repeats on the field. I think this'll be the run of choice for a while if the ankle feels good, which it does after yesterday (still sore, but no worse).

I tried to get in with the hand specialist and the earliest appointment they could find for me is in ####### September I have a call in to the Doc to see about a referral to another Doc. All I want is a green light that I can't make it any worse. If so, I'll deal with the pain until September. I love the cost of the HMO compared to any type of group policy for the family, but man can it be a PITA when in comes to referrals.

 

[The_Man]

Darrin, you are having some great runs. Keep it up.

Really good weekend for me. Did 5 miles on Saturday aiming for my 7:40 goal Marathon pace and ended up doing it at 7:33 pace with a lot left in the tank. Yesterday, my "long" run was only 6 miles because it's a stepback week. Did it nice and easy but best of all I resisted the temptation to go further/faster. I feel like I'm still on the mend a little and I'm really trying to focus on staying healthy.

So, 1 3-week training cycle down, 5 more to go. These next 3 weeks are pretty easy (29, 30 and 26 miles) so I hope to really be healthy by the end of that stretch when I then start getting close to 40-mile weeks for the first time.

 

[benson_will_lead_the_way]

Got another 30 mile bike ride in yest. It went much better b/c I: wasn't lost, knew when the climbs would happen, was more hydrated, brought one of those "GU" with me, and was in better shape.

I was pretty happy with never stopping and walking during one of the climbs...some pretty big hills...they drained me, but I made them this time.

 

[pigskinliquors]

Hey All! It's odd being in here on a Monday not reading race reports. Can somebody at least make one up?

2Young: Sorry about the lingering effects, but glad it's all paid for (= more money for tri-stuff!). Best of luck with the referral

Darrin: You are kicking some major booty! Great triathlon!

Tri-Man: Great that you are back to running, and in Tri-Man style.

Sand: 200,000

Ivan: :finger: for running in the cool. Nice 8 miler!

Bentley and Grue: Yes the weather does bite/suck.

The_Man: Great that you are feeling healthy, and got 5 in!

Bentley: For Gu's on the bike, a great tip is to duct tape them (at the place you tear them) onto your handlebars (near the stem) = much easier to open, and to access. Will you have your bike in WI in two weeks?!

____________________________________________

My update:

I did a really nice brick yesterday. It was 95 degrees, but the humidity seemed to be a bit lower. I planned on doing a 28 mile bike, followed by a 4 mile run. The wind was in single digits for the first time in a long time (8 mph!), so my legs really wanted to push it early and often. Through mile 6 I was resisting burning some matches (what I tell myself when I over exert). Unfortunately, the left hand turn that I needed to take there, had a police officer directing traffic away from the road I had planned on looping twice. I then spent quite a bit of time trying to compute different loops to end up at 28. My new course was very technical, with a ton of tight turns, and a lot of accelerations mixed in with small hills. I loved the course I ended up doing. In all I did exactly 28 miles in 117:32 (2:46 per mile or 21.7 MPH), and did a good job keeping my legs from burning out. During the first mile of the run my left calf started to hurt, so I decided to make it a flat 4 instead of including 2 fairly large hills, to help avoid injury. My legs had plenty in them as I finished. My four splits were: 8:28, 8:29, 8:21, 8:00 (= 8:20 pace!).

The temps/humidity at race time next week will likely be mid-80's with 90% humidity. That combined with not knowing how much the swim will take out of me, and being a very hilly run, my goal times are going to be adjusted a bit. While I'd love to hit 22.0 MPH on the bike for next weekend's race, I think I'm going to target 21.5, as I'd really like to stay sub 8:30 for my run. My guess is that I'll be able to sustain that for the first 4 miles, and will then have to get into survival mode to finish, as the temps warm up, and I climb the last of the big hills.

A couple other notes:

* I forgot to hit reset on my Garmin after the bike ride = all run and bike were combined for totals

*Wore a "tri-suit" for the first time during the brick. I liked it, but felt a bit odd running in my neighborhood with it on

* Went for a short swim immediately after the workout to see how the tri-suit felt (= couldn't tell if it helped or hurt).

Edited to add, I might as well put all my goals in for next weekend:

Swim: 35:00 (slow but steady = just don't drown!)

T1: 2:30 (Focus on the tasks to be done; I'm putting socks on which will eat some time)

Bike: 70:00 (don't burn too many matches, no miles slower than 3:00/20 MPH)

T2: 1:30 (keep moving to avoid cramping)

Run: 52:00 (concentrate on breathing on the hills)

Total: 2:41:00 (this would have placed 4th in my AG last year).

 

[2Young2BBald]

Hey All! It's odd being in here on a Monday not reading race reports. Can somebody at least make one up?

2Young: Sorry about the lingering effects, but glad it's all paid for (= more money for tri-stuff!). Best of luck with the referral

Darrin: You are kicking some major booty! Great triathlon!

Tri-Man: Great that you are back to running, and in Tri-Man style.

Sand: 200,000

Ivan: :finger: for running in the cool. Nice 8 miler!

Bentley and Grue: Yes the weather does bite/suck.

The_Man: Great that you are feeling healthy, and got 5 in!

Bentley: For Gu's on the bike, a great tip is to duct tape them (at the place you tear them) onto your handlebars (near the stem) = much easier to open, and to access. Will you have your bike in WI in two weeks?!

____________________________________________

My update:

I did a really nice brick yesterday. It was 95 degrees, but the humidity seemed to be a bit lower. I planned on doing a 28 mile bike, followed by a 4 mile run. The wind was in single digits for the first time in a long time (8 mph!), so my legs really wanted to push it early and often. Through mile 6 I was resisting burning some matches (what I tell myself when I over exert). Unfortunately, the left hand turn that I needed to take there, had a police officer directing traffic away from the road I had planned on looping twice. I then spent quite a bit of time trying to compute different loops to end up at 28. My new course was very technical, with a ton of tight turns, and a lot of accelerations mixed in with small hills. I loved the course I ended up doing. In all I did exactly 28 miles in 117:32 (2:46 per mile or 21.7 MPH), and did a good job keeping my legs from burning out. During the first mile of the run my left calf started to hurt, so I decided to make it a flat 4 instead of including 2 fairly large hills, to help avoid injury. My legs had plenty in them as I finished. My four splits were: 8:28, 8:29, 8:21, 8:00 (= 8:20 pace!).

The temps/humidity at race time next week will likely be mid-80's with 90% humidity. That combined with not knowing how much the swim will take out of me, and being a very hilly run, my goal times are going to be adjusted a bit. While I'd love to hit 22.0 MPH on the bike for next weekend's race, I think I'm going to target 21.5, as I'd really like to stay sub 8:30 for my run. My guess is that I'll be able to sustain that for the first 4 miles, and will then have to get into survival mode to finish, as the temps warm up, and I climb the last of the big hills.

A couple other notes:

* I forgot to hit reset on my Garmin after the bike ride = all run and bike were combined for totals

*Wore a "tri-suit" for the first time during the brick. I liked it, but felt a bit odd running in my neighborhood with it on

* Went for a short swim immediately after the workout to see how the tri-suit felt (= couldn't tell if it helped or hurt).

Its a bit late for your next event, but you gotta at least try the Pink Sea Salt & Lemon drink (and think about switching from regular salt to the sea salt full time). I had ZERO calf issue or any cramping at all during the HIM or during any of the big training days. This, coupled with the 2XUs have worked miracles. Also, be sure to carefully rinse and wash the tri suit after pool swims. The chlorine will quickly degrade the suit if you don't. Way to crush it on the bike!!!

 

[BassNBrew]

Not much time to post. Successful day yesterday with a first place finish in category despite dropping my chain. New pr on the 5k run. I think I'm up to 3rd overall on the series standings. More details later.

 

[pigskinliquors]

Not much time to post. Successful day yesterday with a first place finish in category despite dropping my chain. New pr on the 5k run. I think I'm up to 3rd overall on the series standings. More details later.

Sweet! You Schleck'ed the chain huh?! Did it drop all the way, or were you able to recover without stopping?

 

[The_Man]

Not much time to post. Successful day yesterday with a first place finish in category despite dropping my chain. New pr on the 5k run. I think I'm up to 3rd overall on the series standings. More details later.

Great job.I have a Heart Rate question -- upper 150s seems to be where I go anaerobic. It's hard work at that level of effort, but I can sustain it for a while. But it seems like as soon as I inch past 160, my HR goes soaring straight up to 170 (pretty much my max) and I bonk in short order. It's like a tipping point, and once I'm past it, I can't get my HR back down.Should I just start walking when it gets past 160 to keep that from happening? Walking during a run feels lame, but I'm starting to think it would be less lame than continuing to run until I come to a dead stop well short of finishing my workout.

 

[tri-man 47]

I might as well put all my goals in for next weekend:Total: 2:41:00 (beat tri-man's PR by a minute).

Fixed. Now go do it!!! Great training, BTW. I'm starting to itch for a bike upgrade, but not sure when I'll free up some money. Need to sink funds soon into chimney work, new roof, and probably new gutters while we're at it. Also - something that'll interest you, professor - I'm planning to start a DBA program this fall. I'll spend three years getting a poor man's doctorate (not all research driven like an Ph.D.), with the goal (and Dean's support) to then switch over to faculty status. The DBA counts for accreditation purposes, which is critical to the decision and school's support. I've been adjuncting regularly for 24 years, and I'd rather finish my career on the academic side. [Yes, that would free up tons more time during summer training/racing season. ] ---The_Man - instead of walking, try slowing down and consciously working on your breathing pattern - big exhales (yeah, that again), and slow, deep breaths (they'll be deep, because of the focused exhale). See if that helps while still maintaining a modest pace.

 

[Darrinll40]

I think I am going to go back and reread Chi Running. It really helped me with technigue the first time around.

I also have one about strength training and running I plan to re-peruse.

 

[2Young2BBald]

Edited to add, I might as well put all my goals in for next weekend:Swim: 35:00 (slow but steady = just don't drown!)T1: 2:30 (Focus on the tasks to be done; I'm putting socks on which will eat some time)Bike: 70:00 (don't burn too many matches, no miles slower than 3:00/20 MPH)T2: 1:30 (keep moving to avoid cramping)Run: 52:00 (concentrate on breathing on the hills)Total: 2:41:00 (this would have placed 4th in my AG last year).

IMO, burn some more matches on the bike than you are currently planning, you are MUCH too good and have too much bike experience to leave that much time on the bike course (if a noob like me can average 21.9 in an Oly, you should smash it, just my ). I used single walled socks for my 2nd Oly this year & the HIM and had zero issues, compared to the doubles I tried early in the year. I went with a higher ankle that made them much easier to put on than a lower sock. T2 is to toooooooo long. If you are going to keep moving, no reason you can't go under a minute. Put your race belt on backwards for the bike leg to help with the keep moving plan and flip it for the run. For the swim, draft your ### off if you can, this will help with your slow & steady.

 

[Darrinll40]

Got a little scare today. I found out that the Athletic Director of the high school I work at had a heart attack and died on Friday. He was 45, 4 months older than I am. One of the original reasons I lost weight was that I knew a woman who died in her sleep at 47. Things like these make me want to work harder to stay in shape. I have to live at least another 29 years to pay off my house.

 

[tri-man 47]

Got a little scare today. I found out that the Athletic Director of the high school I work at had a heart attack and died on Friday. He was 45, 4 months older than I am. One of the original reasons I lost weight was that I knew a woman who died in her sleep at 47. Things like these make me want to work harder to stay in shape. I have to live at least another 29 years to pay off my house.

Sorry to hear about the A.D. Keep doing what you're doing - keep running, and stay focused. Adding some regular strength training would be wise.Oh, and BnB - another great job!!! You're having a real solid season.---Just saw the thread about our guy Floppo and his family losing their NYC apartment in a fire.

 

[pmbrown_22]

Quick update for me. It has been a crazy last couple of days and I have been out and about almost completely. On Saturday I was not able to get in 5 recovery miles before heading to T-Ball so I did those in the hot afternoon sun. On Sunday I woke up and did 18 in the heat and humidity of the morning. Similar to one of Wraith's posts, this is the results of my fluid intake/loss. I drank about 40 ounces of water, 110 plus ounces of Gatorade, had a bowl of cereal when I came back after the run, and I still lost about 5 pounds while I was running. It took everything that I had to get through it. I walked a bunch and hit a wall at mile 15. I got through it, but only with a lot of walking. Up to the 15 mile point, I was having a pretty enjoyable run too.

Monday was an off day. My wife's grandmother passed away so I have been running around with that all weekend and yesterday. It is just emotionally draining and a lot of standing around. Thankfully, I have a lighter week this week and will be able to rest up a bit more.

 

[The_Man]

I'm normally a pretty brutal heel-striking plodder. So today I tried to modify my stride just a little and carry that hill-climbing approach through my entire run.

It worked amazingly well. I concentrated on keeping my HR nice and low, but I ran so much more efficiently. Did the 3 miles at an 8:14 pace with an average HR of 139. That's so much faster than past runs I've had at that HR that it almost seems like an error.

WOW! A little cooler and less humid today - went out there with my "new and improved" stride and did 3 miles at 8:01 pace with a 139 average HR. This is more than a minute per mile faster than runs I did a month ago at the same HR. I'm a little Could changing my stride really make that much difference?

Tri-Man, the breathing definitely helped - in the last mile my HR was nearing 150, especially as I went up a hill, so I really focused on the big exhales and that dropped it back down. Thanks!

Definitely starting to get impatient to run some longer distances but am sticking with the letter of the Higdon Intermediate I plan to help avoid injury. Looking forward to 6 tomorrow.

Also, to those of you struggling with the heat and humidity, hang in there. It was still warm, but even the slightly better conditions made a big difference. All the hard work we're doing now will really pay off when it turns cool again (someday)

 

[bostonfred]

I'm normally a pretty brutal heel-striking plodder. So today I tried to modify my stride just a little and carry that hill-climbing approach through my entire run.

It worked amazingly well. I concentrated on keeping my HR nice and low, but I ran so much more efficiently. Did the 3 miles at an 8:14 pace with an average HR of 139. That's so much faster than past runs I've had at that HR that it almost seems like an error.

WOW! A little cooler and less humid today - went out there with my "new and improved" stride and did 3 miles at 8:01 pace with a 139 average HR. This is more than a minute per mile faster than runs I did a month ago at the same HR. I'm a little Could changing my stride really make that much difference?

Tri-Man, the breathing definitely helped - in the last mile my HR was nearing 150, especially as I went up a hill, so I really focused on the big exhales and that dropped it back down. Thanks!

Definitely starting to get impatient to run some longer distances but am sticking with the letter of the Higdon Intermediate I plan to help avoid injury. Looking forward to 6 tomorrow.

Also, to those of you struggling with the heat and humidity, hang in there. It was still warm, but even the slightly better conditions made a big difference. All the hard work we're doing now will really pay off when it turns cool again (someday)

It sounds like you and I are at similar places. Very interesting about the new stride and exhale changes. Keep up the good work!

 

[gruecd]

BNB - Great race! 3rd place in the overall standings is pretty impressive!!

pmb - Sorry about your GIL. I think the weather made for a lot of bad long runs this past weekend. Shake it off.

Darrin - I attended a Chi Running clinic last fall. For me, the biggest takeaway was remembering to engage your core. Helps with keeping your feet underneath you and having a mid-foot (full foot) strike. Easy to get away from this when you get fatigued. Keep up the good work!!!!

tri-man - Let me know if you decide to pursue the new bike. I know people.

2Young - Sorry about the medical crap. It sucks not being able to do the things you love. Hang in there!

Sand - 200,000 is a lot of anything!

prosopis - Good to hear from you. Have fun at the Grand Canyon. I've never been there, but it's someplace I'd eventually like to get. Regarding FB, my page is www.facebook.com/cgruett. Go to my page, add me as a friend, and I can suggest you to the others.

 

[bostonfred]

ok, no new threads for me. First I am bad because I don't like the can stalker, now they somewhat obscurely dislike my hometown because it is in the middle of nowhere..I run, so I guess I am just a glutton for punishment. I am going to stick to boring you guys with run updates and bad swimming jokes.

Don't take it the wrong way. The goal of the FFA is to pass time, and for a lot of people that means making jokes first, sharing information second. If something's legitimately serious - like El Floppo's apartment burning down - they'll be appropriately somber, but otherwise, expect about 90% jokes, many of which will be inside jokes, and many of which will assume that you have posted here under another name for years and only changed your name recently.

 

[bostonfred]

Is it really that imporant to use a heart rate monitor?

 

[pmbrown_22]

BNB - Great race! 3rd place in the overall standings is pretty impressive!!

pmb - Sorry about your GIL. I think the weather made for a lot of bad long runs this past weekend. Shake it off.

Darrin - I attended a Chi Running clinic last fall. For me, the biggest takeaway was remembering to engage your core. Helps with keeping your feet underneath you and having a mid-foot (full foot) strike. Easy to get away from this when you get fatigued. Keep up the good work!!!!

tri-man - Let me know if you decide to pursue the new bike. I know people.

2Young - Sorry about the medical crap. It sucks not being able to do the things you love. Hang in there!

Sand - 200,000 is a lot of anything!

prosopis - Good to hear from you. Have fun at the Grand Canyon. I've never been there, but it's someplace I'd eventually like to get. Regarding FB, my page is www.facebook.com/cgruett. Go to my page, add me as a friend, and I can suggest you to the others.

Oh, I am not worried about it anymore. I am just taking it in stride. It was supposed to be an 18 with 10 at MP, but I knew that was not going to happen at all. I even started out slow to try and compensate.It is what it is.

 

[gruecd]

Had a rollercoaster sort of run last night. Schedule called for 10 miles with 5 tempo, but considering the weather, I knew there was a snowball's chance in hell of that happening. Still, did the 2+ miles warmup, and gave it a shot. Made it a little over a mile at 6:30-something pace before deciding to bail on the fast stuff. Just wasn't going to happen. Settled back into my long run pace and figured I'd have to be content with just getting the miles done.

So here I am, 4-5 miles into the run, thinking about how it sucks not being able to do any decent "quality" workouts because of the weather, reconsidering goal times for Chicago, etc., when it starts to rain. And then it starts to really rain. And I get invigorated. It's thundering and lightning, and it's kinda scary, but exhilirating at the same time. I'm soaked, and yet I'm running faster, rejuvenated by the rain and LOVING the looks I'm getting from the passing drivers. I consciously remember at least two occasions where I smiled and laughed out loud at the absurdity of me being out there.

Total 10.26 miles at 7:42 average pace. Not the "quality" it was supposed to be, but still a quality run.

Hope you all have a great day!!

 

[The_Man]

Is it really that imporant to use a heart rate monitor?

I'm not really sure. I started wearing it because it came with my Garmin, but until very recently I didn't really pay much attention to it. After my run, I would look at my HR and note it down, just to see how hard I was working compared to previous runs. Now I'll check it from time to time during my runs and if my HR is climbing into my red zone, I'll definitely make a concerted effort to slow it down and get my self back under control.But I'm not yet doing HR-based training, setting out with an approach like "I'm going to do this run at 75% of my max HR," or whatever. I might eventually get there, though. From everything I've read, if you're disciplined enough to do that, it probably maximizes the effectiveness of your training. But for now I still just like going out with a plan and then modifying it during the run based on how I feel.

 

[gruecd]

Oh, yeah. Weighed myself this morning, and I'm down to 205. I was 210-212 as recently as last week. Probably a combination of dehydration along with the fact that my mileage has been up and I've been watching my diet more lately.

Didn't really anticipate dropping weight this quickly, but I'm getting close to where I'd like to be for Chicago.

 

[bostonfred]

I really don't understand what a max HR is or how I should calculate it.

 

[tri-man 47]

Is it really that important to use a heart rate monitor?

I'd say: Helpful, yes. Important? No. It works well enough to use perceived exertion ...to know when you're pushing yourself. For longer endurance training and racing, it becomes useful since it's more important to 'stay aerobic' ...to not exceed your ability to conserve energy.

 

[pigskinliquors]

El Floppo: Tri-Man: Hard to believe you haven't gone sub 2:40 in an Oly. My PR is 2:36 (2 years ago), on a race that I really held back on the bike (and killed the run bc of it = maybe my best strategy). With a better bike (Dr. Tri-Man sounds great, and would help you get there!), I'm certain you could kill an Oly. Darrin: I might also go back and re-read Chi running. There's a lot of good stuff in it! The_Man: You are killing it! It might be a combination of acclimating to the weather (which I'm struggling with), fresh legs, better form, and better breathing. Whatever it is, keep it up! Grue: way to HTFU through the weather, and congrat's on the weight loss.

IMO, burn some more matches on the bike than you are currently planning, you are MUCH too good and have too much bike experience to leave that much time on the bike course (if a noob like me can average 21.9 in an Oly, you should smash it, just my ). I used single walled socks for my 2nd Oly this year & the HIM and had zero issues, compared to the doubles I tried early in the year. I went with a higher ankle that made them much easier to put on than a lower sock. T2 is to toooooooo long. If you are going to keep moving, no reason you can't go under a minute. Put your race belt on backwards for the bike leg to help with the keep moving plan and flip it for the run. For the swim, draft your ### off if you can, this will help with your slow & steady.

Great advice 2Young. I'm almost certain I'm going to blow up on the run which is why I don't want to gun the run. Using last year's times, 70 minutes on the bike would be the best in AG = the course might be slow. Also, for T2, I agree that 1:00 is usually possible, but NOBODY in AG was near that last year = there might be a distance between the entrance and exit of T2. Man I hope I can draft my ### off! My desired pace for the run was put further in jeopardy today. I ran during the same time I'll be running in the race with the same expected temps (approx. 84 degrees and 90% humidity), and have learned that it's the humidity not the heat that's killing my runs. I ran only 4 slow miles (8:45 pace) and my HR was at 178 coming in. During a 35 minute run, and cool down, I lost 5 pounds of sweat (pre/post weigh-in). I'm likely going to be put into survival mode in the run well before I wanted to on Sunday. Crap.

 

[BassNBrew]

Race Report

400m pool swim - 9:31 (62nd of 102 men). Probably 9:10 in the water. Although this was a slow time, my comfort level on the swim is going up. Felt steady and in control the entire way. The best time was 4:45

T1 - 44 sec (16th). Nailing these transitions and I still haven't advanced to leaving the shoes on the bike. Probably finished in the top 5 of the guys who put their shoes on at the rack.

11.7 mile bike - 33:08 (8th) / 21.2 mph. I screwed the pooch here and left some time on the table. Took me 10 secconds to clip in. At mile 3 my aero bar arm rest snapped. I passed a guy in the first 1/2 a mile who passed me back around mile 3.5. I started pacing him 10 yards back and he would have pushed me to a great bike time. Hung with him up the first big hill. This was a quasi mountain course so I had dropped into the small ring. On the first big descent I Schlecked my chain right over the big ring onto the pedal. Had to stop from 25 mph on the descent and took some rubber off the rear wheel. It's just maddening putting the chain back on in that situation. My right hand was covered in grease so I decided to paint my face with horizontal stripes under the eyes and vertical stripes on the forehead to get my mojo back.

T2 - 37 sec (17th). Not much to say here.

5 k run - 25:40 (58th). New 5k pr for me by 13 seconds. Splits (paces) were 8'45", 8'37", and 7'36" for the final 1.1 mile. The run was flat except for a short steep hill right out of t2 that was a #### kicker that pegged the hr.

Award for winning master clysdale was a bathroom ceramic tile with the event logo and "CHAMPION" printed on it. Pretty lame.

Kicking around another event this weekend.

 

[The_Man]

Race Report400m pool swim - 9:31 (62nd of 102 men). Probably 9:10 in the water. Although this was a slow time, my comfort level on the swim is going up. Felt steady and in control the entire way. The best time was 4:45 T1 - 44 sec (16th). Nailing these transitions and I still haven't advanced to leaving the shoes on the bike. Probably finished in the top 5 of the guys who put their shoes on at the rack.11.7 mile bike - 33:08 (8th) / 21.2 mph. I screwed the pooch here and left some time on the table. Took me 10 secconds to clip in. At mile 3 my aero bar arm rest snapped. I passed a guy in the first 1/2 a mile who passed me back around mile 3.5. I started pacing him 10 yards back and he would have pushed me to a great bike time. Hung with him up the first big hill. This was a quasi mountain course so I had dropped into the small ring. On the first big descent I Schlecked my chain right over the big ring onto the pedal. Had to stop from 25 mph on the descent and took some rubber off the rear wheel. It's just maddening putting the chain back on in that situation. My right hand was covered in grease so I decided to paint my face with horizontal stripes under the eyes and vertical stripes on the forehead to get my mojo back.T2 - 37 sec (17th). Not much to say here.5 k run - 25:40 (58th). New 5k pr for me by 13 seconds. Splits (paces) were 8'45", 8'37", and 7'36" for the final 1.1 mile. The run was flat except for a short steep hill right out of t2 that was a #### kicker that pegged the hr.Award for winning master clysdale was a bathroom ceramic tile with the event logo and "CHAMPION" printed on it. Pretty lame.Kicking around another event this weekend.

Nice job, BnB! Sounds like you had an excellent race, even with the bike chain. Love the warpaint. And you obviously had something left in the tank with that last 1.1 miles. Excellent on the PR. I think staying in your comfort zone for the swim got you off to a good start and set the stage for the great work that followed.

 

[BassNBrew]

Hit it hard yesterday with a 10 miler. Thankfully it was only 90 degrees so I had a better result. Paces as follows on an out and back with significant elevation gains between miles 3-5.

1. 9'00"

2. 8'59"

3. 9'18"

4. 10'48" 5-7% grade

5. 10'29" 5-7% grade

6. 8'34"

7. 8'09"

8. 8'33"

9. 8'50"

10. 8'53"

Total was 9'09" pace. I think I'm ready for an attempt at a sub 2 hour half based on this run on the right course.

 

[gruecd]

Got the bike a few minutes ago, but she sent me the 64cm. Not worth agonizing over, right??

 

[bostonfred]

My right hand was covered in grease so I decided to paint my face with horizontal stripes under the eyes and vertical stripes on the forehead to get my mojo back.

 

[BassNBrew]

Got the bike a few minutes ago, but she sent me the 64cm. Not worth agonizing over, right??

Is it worth agonizing over a pair of running shoes that's a size to big?Please for your sake get this fixed.

 

[tri-man 47]

My right hand was covered in grease so I decided to paint my face with horizontal stripes under the eyes and vertical stripes on the forehead to get my mojo back.

 

[gruecd]

Got the bike a few minutes ago, but she sent me the 64cm. Not worth agonizing over, right??

Is it worth agonizing over a pair of running shoes that's a size to big?Please for your sake get this fixed.

I already had to contact her to change the shipping address when I realized that the delivery required a signature. She's gonna ####### hate me if I tell her that I want to exchange it now for the other size and that I want her to pay the $40 return shipping because it was her mistake.She recommended 64cm in the first place. Doesn't it at least make sense to spend 30 minutes putting it together and seeing how it feels first??

 

[IvanKaramazov]

BostonFred -- I've never used a HR monitor and I have no plans of changing that any time soon since my Garmin doesn't support it, but I can see where it would be useful for endurance training, where you want to make sure you're keeping your HR down.

gruecd -- Sounds like a memorable run in the rain/lightning/thunder.

BnB -- at the warpaint.

_____________________________________

I did my long run of 18 miles today. One drawback of having both spouses training for the same event is that it gets a little awkward coordinating running schedules, especially if you have kids who are still a little too young to be left at home alone for a while. She'll be out of town for a few days later this week, so I needed to my long run kind of early in the week -- and today's weather looked pretty promising -- but I still couldn't get out the door as early as I would have liked because I had to wait for her to finish up an 8-miler first. Oh well. It was a nice, uneventful run even if the second half was a little warmer than I would have liked.

The last time I did an 18 mile training run was when I was training for a marathon a couple of years ago. My mileage base was terrible and even though I was following Higdon's Novice program religiously, I just wasn't prepared for long distances. That run in particular was one that I could barely walk to my truck afterward, literally. This run was so much easier, and I'm really glad I've maintained a good year-round base. It's a night-and-day difference now that I'm getting back up to this sort of distance.

What do you guys do for fuel during a marathon? I'm going to be using Shot Bloks because I find them easier to tolerate than gels. My plan is to take 100 calories worth of Bloks (half a pack) at miles 7, 11, 15, 19, and 23, chasing them with water each time. At every other aid station, I'll take PowerAde instead. This seems pretty reasonable to me, but I thought I'd run it past the collective wisdom of the forum to make sure I'm actually going to be taking in enough calories with this plan. Whatever I settle on, I want to start doing it during my long runs. (Edit: If it matters, I'm going to be running 9:09 miles, so that's 100 calories plus a PowerAde stop every 37 minutes or so).

 

[pigskinliquors]

BnB: GREAT race! and

IvanK: One rule of thumb is to take in approx. 50 grams sodium and potassium and 25 grams carbs every 45 minutes minimum. Those numbers are pretty much 1 Gu. Shot blocks have more sodium per serving than most = typically argued to help reduce cramping. Your plan looks like it would be close to most recommendations, but possibly falling a tad bit behind. If you are pretty confident you won't have stomach issues I'd up it a tad.

Grue: I agree with BnB; send it back.

I forgot to report my swim workout from yesterday afternoon. I did a nice 200, 400, 1000, 400, 200 = 2,200. I tried to time all sets, but in the middle of my 1,000 some dude jumped into my lane to ask if he could share my lane. I swam right around him the first lap, knowing that other lanes had singles in them, but he was still there, and actually tapped my back when I returned. I was pretty pissed, but let him in, and got back on my way as quickly as I could (didn't shut off watch). That 1,000 was in 20:32 = close to my :50 per 100 due to the dude time waste. My two 4:00's were both under 7:50 = I'm getting a little speed, but still feel pretty worthless in the water.

 

[gruecd]

Grue: I agree with BnB; send it back.

I think I need to at least put it together first and see how it feels. What if I send it back, she sends me the 62, and it feels too small? I talked to my buddy who looked at me on that other bike that I was considering, and he said that the 64 will probably be a bit more comfortable for me for positioning. So who knows.

 

[2Young2BBald]

Race Report400m pool swim - 9:31 (62nd of 102 men). Probably 9:10 in the water. Although this was a slow time, my comfort level on the swim is going up. Felt steady and in control the entire way. The best time was 4:45 T1 - 44 sec (16th). Nailing these transitions and I still haven't advanced to leaving the shoes on the bike. Probably finished in the top 5 of the guys who put their shoes on at the rack.11.7 mile bike - 33:08 (8th) / 21.2 mph. I screwed the pooch here and left some time on the table. Took me 10 secconds to clip in. At mile 3 my aero bar arm rest snapped. I passed a guy in the first 1/2 a mile who passed me back around mile 3.5. I started pacing him 10 yards back and he would have pushed me to a great bike time. Hung with him up the first big hill. This was a quasi mountain course so I had dropped into the small ring. On the first big descent I Schlecked my chain right over the big ring onto the pedal. Had to stop from 25 mph on the descent and took some rubber off the rear wheel. It's just maddening putting the chain back on in that situation. My right hand was covered in grease so I decided to paint my face with horizontal stripes under the eyes and vertical stripes on the forehead to get my mojo back.T2 - 37 sec (17th). Not much to say here.5 k run - 25:40 (58th). New 5k pr for me by 13 seconds. Splits (paces) were 8'45", 8'37", and 7'36" for the final 1.1 mile. The run was flat except for a short steep hill right out of t2 that was a #### kicker that pegged the hr.Award for winning master clysdale was a bathroom ceramic tile with the event logo and "CHAMPION" printed on it. Pretty lame.Kicking around another event this weekend.

You need to make the warpaint your thing for all future tris! Next year is going to be the year of the sprint for me and I am going to get and learn to use tri shoes on the bike with rubber bands. I wasn't buying that it gives that much advantage, but am coming around to that it does. I am volunteering at a big sprint tomorrow and am working transition and am going to watch and study this. If I am sold, I am going to do a bunch of practice on the trainer before I do it "live". DO the event this weekend. I am a firm believer in racing your way in to race shape.