2Young2BBald
Footbaldguy
Darrin, I cannot recall which seat you are talking about, but I put a Cloud 9 on the old Schwinn I had restored. I wish my desk chair was as comfortable as this thing!
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Ran a 10k in June (3 Viewers)
- Thread starter GStrot
- Start date
Darrinll40
Footballguy
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wraith5
Footballguy
Interesting bike day today:
At 9am I met the bike fitter (Bob) at his shop in Crystal Lake. He was otherwise closed for the day (to go for a long ride as it turns out), so it was just him & me in the shop for about 90 minutes.
He hooked up some monitors to my bike and had me pedal on the trainer for about 10 minutes while he asked me questions and used a laser pointer to look at my form (not exactly sure what he was looking at). Then he measured my leg at various pedal positions and had me get off the bike while he changed my seat position (lower and further forward) and my handlebars (flipped my stem so the set-up was higher & rotated the handles forward +/- 20%). Rinse and repeat 2 more times and my wattage numbers were significantly improved, along with my comfort.
When I got home, I had lunch with my sons then went out for a ride (forgetting my helmet - had to double back and grab it). When Bob worked on my bike he moved my cadence sensor, so I have no idea how fast I was pedaling, but I honestly wasn't working too hard. Did my normal 2.8 mile loops, and managed 19.5mph on the first and 19.8 on the second. Each of those are faster than anything I've done before, let alone back-to-back. Then 1/2 mile into my 3rd loop my front tire blew out. The force was strong enough to knock part of the tire off the rim - I'm very lucky I didn't bite it. Since I didn't have a spare with me, I had to walk about 1.5 miles home (and the front wheel wouldn't rotate because the tire hit the brake, so I had to carry it and/or walk it on just the back wheel).
I took the bike to my LBS and had them examine the wheel and tire for damage - they replaced the wheel tape to better cover the spokes, but everything else was OK. I also finally invested in a couple of CO2 cartridges and a delivery system, which are all now stowed in my seat bag with a spare tube.
I'll have to make a point of riding outside a couple of times before next Sunday's tri, just to make sure it doesn't happen again. But outside of that concern I am very encouraged with the first ride of my new set-up and I can't wait to see the difference on a longer ride.
At 9am I met the bike fitter (Bob) at his shop in Crystal Lake. He was otherwise closed for the day (to go for a long ride as it turns out), so it was just him & me in the shop for about 90 minutes.
He hooked up some monitors to my bike and had me pedal on the trainer for about 10 minutes while he asked me questions and used a laser pointer to look at my form (not exactly sure what he was looking at). Then he measured my leg at various pedal positions and had me get off the bike while he changed my seat position (lower and further forward) and my handlebars (flipped my stem so the set-up was higher & rotated the handles forward +/- 20%). Rinse and repeat 2 more times and my wattage numbers were significantly improved, along with my comfort.
When I got home, I had lunch with my sons then went out for a ride (forgetting my helmet - had to double back and grab it). When Bob worked on my bike he moved my cadence sensor, so I have no idea how fast I was pedaling, but I honestly wasn't working too hard. Did my normal 2.8 mile loops, and managed 19.5mph on the first and 19.8 on the second. Each of those are faster than anything I've done before, let alone back-to-back. Then 1/2 mile into my 3rd loop my front tire blew out. The force was strong enough to knock part of the tire off the rim - I'm very lucky I didn't bite it. Since I didn't have a spare with me, I had to walk about 1.5 miles home (and the front wheel wouldn't rotate because the tire hit the brake, so I had to carry it and/or walk it on just the back wheel).
I took the bike to my LBS and had them examine the wheel and tire for damage - they replaced the wheel tape to better cover the spokes, but everything else was OK. I also finally invested in a couple of CO2 cartridges and a delivery system, which are all now stowed in my seat bag with a spare tube.
I'll have to make a point of riding outside a couple of times before next Sunday's tri, just to make sure it doesn't happen again. But outside of that concern I am very encouraged with the first ride of my new set-up and I can't wait to see the difference on a longer ride.
Darrinll40
Footballguy
No run today after all. My AC unit went out at home and I have been up most of the night. Hopefully Sunday will be better.
Darrinll40
Footballguy
I went out this morning for a run not knowing if I was going short or long. It was 78 with 97% humidity when I left.
I got to the deciding point and turned right to go 6, when I hit 3 miles I decided to change the way I had been training.
Before I ran as far as I could then walked most of the way home. Today at 3 miles I tried walking one minute then running 4 minutes, like Galloway's plan. That worked for a mile, then I went 2 run and 1 walk, then 1 run and 1 walk.
At the 5 mile mark I was able to increase to 2 run and 1 walk, and I did that the last mile. When I got home I was exhausted.
The temp after the run was 87 though the humidity was under 90%. I was planning to try for 8 miles next week, but I think I am going to stick with 6 then try 8 in September. I hope to do 10 the first 3 2 weeks of October.
I can't wait for cooler weather.
I got to the deciding point and turned right to go 6, when I hit 3 miles I decided to change the way I had been training.
Before I ran as far as I could then walked most of the way home. Today at 3 miles I tried walking one minute then running 4 minutes, like Galloway's plan. That worked for a mile, then I went 2 run and 1 walk, then 1 run and 1 walk.
At the 5 mile mark I was able to increase to 2 run and 1 walk, and I did that the last mile. When I got home I was exhausted.
The temp after the run was 87 though the humidity was under 90%. I was planning to try for 8 miles next week, but I think I am going to stick with 6 then try 8 in September. I hope to do 10 the first 3 2 weeks of October.
I can't wait for cooler weather.
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prosopis
Arizona Chupacabra
I did some of the same yesterday in the heat/humidity. Storms have hit us hard here and I feel like I am breathing/running through soup.
FUBAR
Footballguy
It's dropped about 20 degrees here this week 
Still humid, but much better.Still exploring this area, looking for new routes and such. Yesterday had a good 9 mile run. If I head out through my neighborhood, at the 2 mile mark I hit the end of the road which runs into a dirt path which goes into a small network of trails with pretty decent hills and I'll be doing this often. If you go straight, at about the 3/4 mark I hit a country road which is harrowing to bike on but decent to run on. I head left at a decent downhill slope, then 1/2 mile later I hit a mile climb which varies from a 5-15% slope. It's AWESOME! At the top is a great view of the Blue Ridge Mountains, which gives a brief reward for the climb. Turn around and the way back is fast. This morning, biked past the airport (2.5 miles from our house) and went north, I had been going south the previous 5 times. Decent route although it hits a dirt road 3.5 miles up, if I take a left before the dirt road I hit a lake recreational area, the beach doesn't open until noon but I'll have to bike or run to it in the future and swim open water with lifeguards. Rode around the rec area a bit then rode the 3.5 mile stretch back and forth twice, I don't usually like repeating the same route but I'll make an exception as this provides a good route with more lanes, a decent bike lane, fair hills, good visibility around curves, and doesn't seem to be traveled as much as the southern portion is. Could be different during the week, we'll see. 23 total miles, a slower pace than I'd like but not bad with the # of U-turns. Only problem is my pedal popped off again. I should just have to tighten it but will have to inspect it closer before my next ride.
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Workhorse
Footballguy
What a difference a week makes!
Last Sunday, I went out for a 13 miler in the midday Atlanta heat/humidity. Not smart. I bonked hard around 9 miles in and pretty much walked the last mile and a half, my heart pounding out of my chest. The combination of lack of salt/electrolytes, extremely brutal weather and a hangover was just too much to overcome.
This morning, I went out for a 14 miler at 6:30AM, on a shaded greenway, armed with two bottles of cold G2 and after having a great night's sleep. Finished up the 14 in 8:50 pace and felt fantastic and back on track for my marathon training.
Whew!
Nothing like one great training run to restore your confidence.
Last Sunday, I went out for a 13 miler in the midday Atlanta heat/humidity. Not smart. I bonked hard around 9 miles in and pretty much walked the last mile and a half, my heart pounding out of my chest. The combination of lack of salt/electrolytes, extremely brutal weather and a hangover was just too much to overcome.
This morning, I went out for a 14 miler at 6:30AM, on a shaded greenway, armed with two bottles of cold G2 and after having a great night's sleep. Finished up the 14 in 8:50 pace and felt fantastic and back on track for my marathon training.
Whew!
Nothing like one great training run to restore your confidence.
Dexter
Footballguy
Craig Greenfield Sprint Triathlon.
So Tired.
800m Swim: I got some good advice from 2Y2B "follow the bubbles" and that's what I did. I lached on to this guy for half the corse when someone faster came along and I parked right behind him the rest of the way.
T1: The transition area was 600m from the beach. So we had a long run. Pretty quick transition in spit of the run up.
16mi Bike: I liked this course because I'm a climber and while it didn't have any monster climbs there were a couple of hills that allowed me to pass a ton of people.
4.4 mile Run: Ugak had a real problem with my stomach. I felt like I had to throw up so I did a lot more walking than I wanted to.
Still finished in the top 3rd I'm waiting for them to the post the results so I can see how well I did.
So Tired.
800m Swim: I got some good advice from 2Y2B "follow the bubbles" and that's what I did. I lached on to this guy for half the corse when someone faster came along and I parked right behind him the rest of the way.
T1: The transition area was 600m from the beach. So we had a long run. Pretty quick transition in spit of the run up.
16mi Bike: I liked this course because I'm a climber and while it didn't have any monster climbs there were a couple of hills that allowed me to pass a ton of people.
4.4 mile Run: Ugak had a real problem with my stomach. I felt like I had to throw up so I did a lot more walking than I wanted to.
Still finished in the top 3rd I'm waiting for them to the post the results so I can see how well I did.
Darrinll40
Footballguy
Excellent race. Following bubbles works well on the run portion also.
Do you do any special workouts to become a climber, or do you just ride a lot of hills?
2Young2BBald
Footbaldguy
Dexter
Footballguy
Excellent race. Following bubbles works well on the run portion also.Do you do any special workouts to become a climber, or do you just ride a lot of hills?
It's something nice I brought over from mountain biking. After going up a side of the mountain taking a paved hill on a road bike is cake.
2Young2BBald
Footbaldguy
Watched RNR Chicago footage on the live feed this morning & conditions must have been miserable. I saw a bunch of runners hunched over at the finish and a few getting medical attention. Also saw GrueZilla finish (hard to miss)!
Got back after it the last two days. Did a double yesterday, riding 20 in the morning & running 3 in the afternoon. Didn't plan on the run, but was bored and wanted to see how my legs would respond, prepping for DWD. Got in the pool for the first time in two weeks this morning. I am doing a short sprint next weekend with a 500 yard swim. I decided to push it on my first 500 to see what I could do. Ended up doing the 500 yards in 8:24, faster than any 500 I can remember doing. Followed it up with 2 more 500s at 9:04 & 9:18. My hand was getting sore, so I shut it down after the 1,500 yards. Doubt I could go this fast next Saturday as everything I've read says it is an out and back mosh pit.
Great job Dexter & for Chicago race reports.
Got back after it the last two days. Did a double yesterday, riding 20 in the morning & running 3 in the afternoon. Didn't plan on the run, but was bored and wanted to see how my legs would respond, prepping for DWD. Got in the pool for the first time in two weeks this morning. I am doing a short sprint next weekend with a 500 yard swim. I decided to push it on my first 500 to see what I could do. Ended up doing the 500 yards in 8:24, faster than any 500 I can remember doing. Followed it up with 2 more 500s at 9:04 & 9:18. My hand was getting sore, so I shut it down after the 1,500 yards. Doubt I could go this fast next Saturday as everything I've read says it is an out and back mosh pit.
Great job Dexter &
for Chicago race reports.
tri-man 47
Footballguy
Congrats Dexter and our Chicago racers ...nice training reports from a few, too! (You're good in our books, Dex!)
Race day report:
I didn't race because of concerns over my right calf muscles. Enjoyed the expo and dinner yesterday with Gruecd and Wraith. I had the chance at the expo to get reacquainted with Greg Meyer, former Boston winner, who is from my home town. I also talked to a rep from the Big Sur marathon. They have a special division for those that do Boston and Big Sur in the same year. This year, they're 13 days apart (most years, it's 6 days). I'm toying with that thought, since I have an itch to do Big Sur as a destination race. Do both, then probably stop the marathon distance. And (take note, 2Young!), I bought some recovery compression socks with the hope that they'll help me heal faster..
Got up early, as did boarder gruecd, and when wraith arrived, we got downtown with plenty of time to spare for the RnR half-marathon. While they prepped for the race, I parked the car then started on my two tasks for the morning: 1) race stalking (with pen and paper in hand), and 2) a walk/run routine that's recommended to also help speed the healing of the injured calf. I felt like am a dirty old man ...watching each wave of runners take off as I casually jotted down a number or two. With the runners on the course, I followed a pattern of walk 15 minutes, then a light jog for 3 minutes. I got in about five sequences, and my compression-socked leg felt fine! The calf currently just feels a bit tender - not injured. But I'll play it cautious, still, through the days ahead. On to the real race reports ...
Race day report:
I didn't race because of concerns over my right calf muscles. Enjoyed the expo and dinner yesterday with Gruecd and Wraith. I had the chance at the expo to get reacquainted with Greg Meyer, former Boston winner, who is from my home town. I also talked to a rep from the Big Sur marathon. They have a special division for those that do Boston and Big Sur in the same year. This year, they're 13 days apart (most years, it's 6 days). I'm toying with that thought, since I have an itch to do Big Sur as a destination race. Do both, then probably stop the marathon distance. And (take note, 2Young!), I bought some recovery compression socks with the hope that they'll help me heal faster..
Got up early, as did boarder gruecd, and when wraith arrived, we got downtown with plenty of time to spare for the RnR half-marathon. While they prepped for the race, I parked the car then started on my two tasks for the morning: 1) race stalking (with pen and paper in hand), and 2) a walk/run routine that's recommended to also help speed the healing of the injured calf. I felt like am a dirty old man ...watching each wave of runners take off as I casually jotted down a number or two. With the runners on the course, I followed a pattern of walk 15 minutes, then a light jog for 3 minutes. I got in about five sequences, and my compression-socked leg felt fine! The calf currently just feels a bit tender - not injured. But I'll play it cautious, still, through the days ahead. On to the real race reports ...
FUBAR
Footballguy
Excellent race. Following bubbles works well on the run portion also.It's something nice I brought over from mountain biking. After going up a side of the mountain taking a paved hill on a road bike is cake.
Great race! Although I'm realizing I'm not a "racer", I'm a guy who enjoys the event / experience. Just curious, what makes one a climber? I find I usually catch people or leave people behind biking uphill but by no means do I consider myself a climber. My buddy I trained with the last couple years and I are pretty much equal on the bike but when it comes to hills, he slows waaaaay down, I slow down a fair amount but how do you tell if you're still doing well?As stated elsewhere, I love running trails which tends to include hills, so that probably helps, but I haven't put a whole lot of thought into whether or not I'm a "climber".
Ned
Footballguy
Firing up the laptop while kids are napping and we wait out a t-storm (on vacation this week).
I saw a local 5k here at the beach and decided to run it yesterday. 8am start and it was a gorgeous 70 degrees out. The course was super flat and a nice ocean breeze as we ran around the outskirts of the bay. I didn't feel that great (legs felt very wobbly or a sea legs type feeling) and my iphone app didn't start for some reason so I was just pressing as much as I could while not knowing what sort of pace I was on. Getting to the 2mi marker there was a guy there shouting out times. 15:37 at the 2mi marker. Hmmmm did he really say 15 or 16? Oh yeah, its on....... I finished in 24:10. My fastest 5k since getting back into this by far. This just reinforces that I need to do a ton of hill work when comparing this to the hilly 5k I ran on Tuesday.
Couldn't be any happier with this run.
I saw a local 5k here at the beach and decided to run it yesterday. 8am start and it was a gorgeous 70 degrees out. The course was super flat and a nice ocean breeze as we ran around the outskirts of the bay. I didn't feel that great (legs felt very wobbly or a sea legs type feeling) and my iphone app didn't start for some reason so I was just pressing as much as I could while not knowing what sort of pace I was on. Getting to the 2mi marker there was a guy there shouting out times. 15:37 at the 2mi marker. Hmmmm did he really say 15 or 16? Oh yeah, its on....... I finished in 24:10. My fastest 5k since getting back into this by far. This just reinforces that I need to do a ton of hill work when comparing this to the hilly 5k I ran on Tuesday.
Couldn't be any happier with this run.
D_House
Footballguy
Today was my long distance run for the Hal Higdon novice marathon training plan. I did a 12 miler, and I pretty much hit a wall around mile 9. I think the issue may have been pace as I had to stop to walk a few times but I ended up finishing at a slightly faster pace (9:48/mile) then I did last weekend for my 10 miler.
I didn't experience cramping or breathing issues, it was basically just tremendous muscle fatigue all over - back, shoulders, arms, feet, and legs. Walking definitely helped. What's weird is I feel wiped now but I didn't feel bad at all after the 10 miler last week, and it was really muggy out that day.
Anyways, to prevent this from happening again - should I be bringing along gatorade or something to eat for these longer runs?
I didn't experience cramping or breathing issues, it was basically just tremendous muscle fatigue all over - back, shoulders, arms, feet, and legs. Walking definitely helped. What's weird is I feel wiped now but I didn't feel bad at all after the 10 miler last week, and it was really muggy out that day.
Anyways, to prevent this from happening again - should I be bringing along gatorade or something to eat for these longer runs?
tri-man 47
Footballguy
Ned - great race! I really enjoy looking for local races when I travel out of town. It's a great way to see that location and to maybe meet a few folks from the area. Were you using the iphone for race timing? It'd seem like it'd be hard to carry an iphone along for a 5K. Of course, we saw a guy after this morning's RnR who looked like he had a small microwave strapped on his upper arm!
D-House - welcome, BTW!!! Yeah, as you get to those longer runs (longer than 60 minutes; certainly longer than 90), you should bring fluids and possibly some nutrition (e.g. a gel or two) with you.
D-House - welcome, BTW!!! Yeah, as you get to those longer runs (longer than 60 minutes; certainly longer than 90), you should bring fluids and possibly some nutrition (e.g. a gel or two) with you.
IvanKaramazov
Footballguy
wraith, gruecd -- Surely you guys can't have anything better to do than to get race reports up? Tri did his job with race stalking . . .
Ned -- Nice job. Sounds like a cool race.
D_House -- What sort of mileage base were you starting with? I did Higdon's Novice program for my first marathon. For that one, the longest distance I had ever run as of October was 4 miles, and that next May I was lining up for 26.2. I found that pretty much every 14+ mile run was extraordinarily difficult. No matter what happens with this training cycle, don't give up. My long runs now (19 last week) are easy-peasy now that I have a better endurance base to build from. Definitely go ahead and start experimenting with sports drinks or gels or whatever. You'll want to find some combination that your GI system can tolerate, and you'll want to do that ASAP so you can incorporate it into your long runs.
Ned -- Nice job. Sounds like a cool race.
D_House -- What sort of mileage base were you starting with? I did Higdon's Novice program for my first marathon. For that one, the longest distance I had ever run as of October was 4 miles, and that next May I was lining up for 26.2. I found that pretty much every 14+ mile run was extraordinarily difficult. No matter what happens with this training cycle, don't give up. My long runs now (19 last week) are easy-peasy now that I have a better endurance base to build from. Definitely go ahead and start experimenting with sports drinks or gels or whatever. You'll want to find some combination that your GI system can tolerate, and you'll want to do that ASAP so you can incorporate it into your long runs.
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gruecd
Footballguy
Despite 90% humidity, I ran 1:30:07, a new PR by 3 seconds. Ran too conservatively the first half, and definitely left the sub-1:30 on the course. Had a decent-sized negative split. Probably would've run 1:28
x if it would've been less humid and 15-20 degrees cooler, but definitely an encouraging race under those conditions. Starting to think that sub-3 might actually be do-able this fall if the weather cooperates.Hoping to be back later with more details....
D_House
Footballguy
Thanks for the encouragement and suggestions guys.
I had a very informal training base prior to starting the Higdon plan. No set schedule, very sporadic and based on weather, time, and whether I thought maybe I was starting to gain some weight. Some weeks I'd run 3-4 times, others none at all, although I'd manage at least an hour of pickup soccer most weeks.
Mostly I'd run a 5K loop in the neighborhood, but I'd also occasionally run a 4.5 miler. My longest run immediately before starting the plan was a 6 mile run. I do at least one 5K road race a year and usually have a more consistent schedule in the weeks before the event. And I ran a 10K in fall 2008, my longest ever race. In all this time I never quite felt the total body fatigue (I mean my shoulders and upper back were aching) that I did on this 12 miler.
Anyways, I'm definitely going to keep at it since this is more about setting a goal and achieving it rather than becoming a marathoner. I'll just make sure I'm well rested/fed before my next long run and I'll bring some gatorade along.
I had a very informal training base prior to starting the Higdon plan. No set schedule, very sporadic and based on weather, time, and whether I thought maybe I was starting to gain some weight. Some weeks I'd run 3-4 times, others none at all, although I'd manage at least an hour of pickup soccer most weeks.
Mostly I'd run a 5K loop in the neighborhood, but I'd also occasionally run a 4.5 miler. My longest run immediately before starting the plan was a 6 mile run. I do at least one 5K road race a year and usually have a more consistent schedule in the weeks before the event. And I ran a 10K in fall 2008, my longest ever race. In all this time I never quite felt the total body fatigue (I mean my shoulders and upper back were aching) that I did on this 12 miler.
Anyways, I'm definitely going to keep at it since this is more about setting a goal and achieving it rather than becoming a marathoner. I'll just make sure I'm well rested/fed before my next long run and I'll bring some gatorade along.
2Young2BBald
Footbaldguy
Yes they are. North of 20 MPH on the bike in a hilly & twisty course is awesome for the first race on the new bike and that was a real good swim! Are you doing Autumn Colors with me up in Holly in late August? It is a true climbers race that you should kill on the bike and the super sprint has a 2.8 mile trail run. Icing on the cake is that it is a time trial swim start!
Dexter
Footballguy
Thanks for the encouragement, but I'm still a little disappointed.Which distance are you doing? If I'm going I'll probably do the 1000m swim.
Sand
Footballguy
What makes one a climber? Pretty simple - Watts per kilogram. That's why the 120lb bikers are the ones that rule the mountains in pro cycling. On the other hand, watts per frontal area controls speed on the flats. Frontal area doesn't change all that much between riders, so it comes down to pure watts for the most part. Cancellara is 185lbs and puts out about 21 jigawatts - this is why he rules in time trials.Best way to get faster on hills? Lose weight.FUBAR said:Great race! Although I'm realizing I'm not a "racer", I'm a guy who enjoys the event / experience.
Just curious, what makes one a climber? I find I usually catch people or leave people behind biking uphill but by no means do I consider myself a climber. My buddy I trained with the last couple years and I are pretty much equal on the bike but when it comes to hills, he slows waaaaay down, I slow down a fair amount but how do you tell if you're still doing well?
As stated elsewhere, I love running trails which tends to include hills, so that probably helps, but I haven't put a whole lot of thought into whether or not I'm a "climber".
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Sand
Footballguy
Details, man!
Anything north of 20 is a great ride on anything with hills. Your swim sounded good too.
2Young2BBald
Footbaldguy
I'm currently signed up for the shorty. I ended up 3rd in my AG last year & 9th overall last year a week after doing my first Oly. We'll be down at Disney for 10 days prior eating & drinking way too much, so I want an "easy" event! The long course includes, I think, a 5 mile trail run, but as I recall, its flatter than the bike.
I can't argue with a thing you said, but I think there's another component. I rode my benchmark climb today just under 33 minutes. Last year I was 30 1/2 minutes. I'm pushing the same watts and 10 pounds light this year, however I'm 1500 miles behind last year. I done very little climbing this year. I think there's some adaptation to maintaining watts at a low cadence and also while occasionally getting out of the saddle.What makes one a climber? Pretty simple - Watts per kilogram. That's why the 120lb bikers are the ones that rule the mountains in pro cycling. On the other hand, watts per frontal area controls speed on the flats. Frontal area doesn't change all that much between riders, so it comes down to pure watts for the most part. Cancellara is 185lbs and puts out about 21 jigawatts - this is why he rules in time trials.Best way to get faster on hills? Lose weight.FUBAR said:Great race! Although I'm realizing I'm not a "racer", I'm a guy who enjoys the event / experience.
Just curious, what makes one a climber? I find I usually catch people or leave people behind biking uphill but by no means do I consider myself a climber. My buddy I trained with the last couple years and I are pretty much equal on the bike but when it comes to hills, he slows waaaaay down, I slow down a fair amount but how do you tell if you're still doing well?
As stated elsewhere, I love running trails which tends to include hills, so that probably helps, but I haven't put a whole lot of thought into whether or not I'm a "climber".
Congrats on the PR.Sounds like it's time to introduce some positive split training into the routine.Despite 90% humidity, I ran 1:30:07, a new PR by 3 seconds. Ran too conservatively the first half, and definitely left the sub-1:30 on the course. Had a decent-sized negative split. Probably would've run 1:28
gruecd
Footballguy
OK, so yeah, I was in Boston on Thursday and Friday, and both nights involved moderately heavy drinking. Got a decent amount of sleep on Thursday night but only about four hours on Friday night because I had to catch a 7 AM flight back to Milwaukee. Drove down to Chicago, met up with Wraith and tri-man, and headed to the expo. I got my packet, the all-important wristband for the beer tent, and a Power Balance bracelet. Grabbed dinner at Pompei before retiring back to tri-man's house, where he and I had a couple of beers and watched some of the Cubs' game before calling it a night around 9:30.Woke up around 4:30 to temps in the upper 60's and 90%+ humidity.Despite 90% humidity, I ran 1:30:07, a new PR by 3 seconds. Ran too conservatively the first half, and definitely left the sub-1:30 on the course. Had a decent-sized negative split. Probably would've run 1:28
Since I typically suck at running when it's humid like that, I figured I'd start slow, run the first 9-10 miles at 7:00 pace, and just go from there. Splits for the first seven miles were as follows:1: 6:55
2: 6:55
3-4: 13:59 (6:55 average, forgot to hit the "lap" button at mile 3)
5: 6:57
6: 6:56
7: 6:52
At this point, I was feeling good. It was a little early for me to pick up the pace, but if I was going to have any shot at going sub-1:30, I knew I had to start shaving some time.
8: 6:50
9: 6:50
10: 6:44 (really getting in a groove here, passing people left and right)
11: 6:42
12: 6:44
Must have done some bad math at this point, because I distinctly remember thinking that sub-1:30 was in the bag. Still, I pushed it pretty hard, but with about 0.3 miles to go, I hit the little incline going up to the finish on Columbus. The thing felt like a #######' mountain, but I pushed through it. I kicked through to the finish line, but that last incline slowed me enough that it took me 7:48 to run the last 1.1 miles (7:05 average), and I finished in 1:30:07, a new PR by a whopping four seconds.
I have mixed emotions on the race. To PR in those conditions is something that I never thought I could do, and I really believe that I would've easily gone 1:28-1:29 if it had been less humid and a little cooler. I'm definitely set up well for Chicago in 10 weeks. On the other hand, I'm kinda pissed that I took the "safe" approach and didn't go for it sooner. I definitely didn't leave it all on the course. Like I was telling Wraith this afternoon, maybe today wasn't the right day with the weather and everything, but one of these days I'm gonna have to just say "eff it," risk the total blow-up, and just go for it from the gun.
Had a couple beers afterwards, checked out the ridiculous number of scantily-clad, athletic hotties running around, and then hit the road back to Wisconsin. I've got 7 recovery miles with strides on tap for tomorrow morning. 20 long ones next weekend.
Thanks for reading, and I hope you all have a great week!!!
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gruecd
Footballguy
Whattaya mean?
Went out on what was going to be a 6-10 miler depending on how I felt. Ran a mile down to a trail and started off on it. After a mile I am feeling good and keep going. Then the bugs decided I was far enough in to ambush me. Wow. Turned around. Really bad humidity tonight but who knew mosquitoes come out at dusk in Minnesota? So I got what I am calling 5 in but am bit up.
Third
Footballguy
Mini race report from my 5K last night:
It was HOT. Highest temp so far this year in Arkansas - about 97F at race time at 8:00 pm. Despite the heat I was hoping to run a good time based on recent training. Some guys from my church have started running road races together, so we had 5 of us there last night. One of the guys has been finishing ahead of me by about :45 to 1:00, so my goal was simply to run with him...entire race...stay on his hip. Last 5K I ran I left some time on the course because I started too slow.
This race was run around a lake, so the 2-lane highway wove through the woods. Half a mile in I hear someone yell,"deer!" A baby deer runs onto the road, hits a runner, deer hits the ground and scrambles back into the woods. The runner didn't miss a beat! This was no more than 6-feet in front of me....bizarre turn of events to say the least.
We hit mile 1 in 6:43...
. Little too fast for me, but I was feeling okay. Stayed on my friends's hip and hit mile 2 at 14 even, so we fell off a bit but not too bad. We ran side-by-side through 3 miles, and with 200 meters to go I open it up and start to pull away. He just wouldn't let it happen, though. He passed me with about 25 meters and beat me by 2 seconds.
Very satisfied with my 22:07 PR on the single hottest day of the year. I've been running seriously for 10 months and have dropped 2:30 off my 5K time in that time span.
I am going to run a 5K end of September that is the same race I ran a year ago as my first race. Cooler weather, flat course...I have 21:00 on the brain.
It was HOT. Highest temp so far this year in Arkansas - about 97F at race time at 8:00 pm. Despite the heat I was hoping to run a good time based on recent training. Some guys from my church have started running road races together, so we had 5 of us there last night. One of the guys has been finishing ahead of me by about :45 to 1:00, so my goal was simply to run with him...entire race...stay on his hip. Last 5K I ran I left some time on the course because I started too slow.
This race was run around a lake, so the 2-lane highway wove through the woods. Half a mile in I hear someone yell,"deer!" A baby deer runs onto the road, hits a runner, deer hits the ground and scrambles back into the woods.
The runner didn't miss a beat! This was no more than 6-feet in front of me....bizarre turn of events to say the least.We hit mile 1 in 6:43...
. Little too fast for me, but I was feeling okay. Stayed on my friends's hip and hit mile 2 at 14 even, so we fell off a bit but not too bad. We ran side-by-side through 3 miles, and with 200 meters to go I open it up and start to pull away. He just wouldn't let it happen, though. He passed me with about 25 meters and beat me by 2 seconds. Very satisfied with my 22:07 PR on the single hottest day of the year. I've been running seriously for 10 months and have dropped 2:30 off my 5K time in that time span.
I am going to run a 5K end of September that is the same race I ran a year ago as my first race. Cooler weather, flat course...I have 21:00 on the brain.
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wraith5
Footballguy
Well, I avoided coming in here today after the race, but I'll have to do it sooner or later.
RnR Chicago 1/2 Marathon Race Report:
Worst
Race
Ever
(literally)
As gruecd and Tri-man already pointed out, we met up yesterday for the race expo and dinner, which was great. Outside of being terrific athletes, they are both great guys and it's always good to hang out with them. I got home and got my stuff put together and crashed out around 10pm or so.
Got up at 4, out the door at 4:25 to meet the guys at tri-man's place. It was actually kind of cool out in the dark, but the air was absolutely thick. Tri-man dropped us off, grue and I got situated and checked gear and parted ways at about 6:15. It was about 70 degrees and 90% humidity, so I decided to pull a grue and run without a shirt, hoping it would help keep me more comfortable during the sauna run.
I've posted before - probably many times - that I don't do well with high humidity. My body sweats earlier and more than most people. So it was no real surprise that after only a few miles (at 8:30s, slower than hoped but about what I expected to run comfortably) I was sweating freely. I drank at every water stop and dumped water over my head in an attempt to keep cool. Since my Garmin chest strap is still non-functional, I have no idea why my heart was doing, but I was working hard. After 7 miles (just over half-way!!) I couldn't even keep my pace below 9s (and I got passed by a guy running barefoot). From there, it was a slog-fest. By mile 10, I was hurting. At mile 12 I actually thought about not finishing at all for a moment. I walked twice for a solid 12:51 final 1.1 miles.
Final time - 2:02:54, the slowest of my 8 recorded 1/2 marathons. I was still in the top 50% of my age group, amazingly. I saw people walking starting at about mile 6, and continued to see more and more throughout the race. As I slowed my pace, I was being passed, but it wasn't until the last 2 miles that I really lost a lot of ground to those around me. The one saving grace was that the sun never really made a strong appearance during the 2 hrs I was out there.
Afterwards, I was not in good shape. I couldn't stand for very long without getting light headed and wanting to puke (which, thankfully, I never did). I laid down in the beer garden for a while, then near the stage while we waited for the awards presentation. Despite some well deserved ribbing, grue and tri-man were kind enough to put up with me while I regained my bearings. It wasn't until I got into the air-conditioned car that I really started to feel normal.
As I type this, it's 11:15pm, and I've still only pissed twice since 6:30am when the race started. So I think it's safe to say I was somewhat dehydrated.
All that being said, it really highlights how impressive grue's PR is. I can't wait to see what he'll do at the Chicago Marathon.
RnR Chicago 1/2 Marathon Race Report:
Worst
Race
Ever
(literally)
As gruecd and Tri-man already pointed out, we met up yesterday for the race expo and dinner, which was great. Outside of being terrific athletes, they are both great guys and it's always good to hang out with them. I got home and got my stuff put together and crashed out around 10pm or so.
Got up at 4, out the door at 4:25 to meet the guys at tri-man's place. It was actually kind of cool out in the dark, but the air was absolutely thick. Tri-man dropped us off, grue and I got situated and checked gear and parted ways at about 6:15. It was about 70 degrees and 90% humidity, so I decided to pull a grue and run without a shirt, hoping it would help keep me more comfortable during the sauna run.
I've posted before - probably many times - that I don't do well with high humidity. My body sweats earlier and more than most people. So it was no real surprise that after only a few miles (at 8:30s, slower than hoped but about what I expected to run comfortably) I was sweating freely. I drank at every water stop and dumped water over my head in an attempt to keep cool. Since my Garmin chest strap is still non-functional, I have no idea why my heart was doing, but I was working hard. After 7 miles (just over half-way!!) I couldn't even keep my pace below 9s (and I got passed by a guy running barefoot). From there, it was a slog-fest. By mile 10, I was hurting. At mile 12 I actually thought about not finishing at all for a moment. I walked twice for a solid 12:51 final 1.1 miles.
Final time - 2:02:54, the slowest of my 8 recorded 1/2 marathons. I was still in the top 50% of my age group, amazingly. I saw people walking starting at about mile 6, and continued to see more and more throughout the race. As I slowed my pace, I was being passed, but it wasn't until the last 2 miles that I really lost a lot of ground to those around me. The one saving grace was that the sun never really made a strong appearance during the 2 hrs I was out there.
Afterwards, I was not in good shape. I couldn't stand for very long without getting light headed and wanting to puke (which, thankfully, I never did). I laid down in the beer garden for a while, then near the stage while we waited for the awards presentation. Despite some well deserved ribbing, grue and tri-man were kind enough to put up with me while I regained my bearings. It wasn't until I got into the air-conditioned car that I really started to feel normal.
As I type this, it's 11:15pm, and I've still only pissed twice since 6:30am when the race started. So I think it's safe to say I was somewhat dehydrated.
All that being said, it really highlights how impressive grue's PR is. I can't wait to see what he'll do at the Chicago Marathon.
Darrinll40
Footballguy
You should remember this race forever, because you now know that even in adverse conditions you can get the job done.
By the way , in my last half I got passed after mile 12 by a guy using crutches, so being passed by a barefoot guy is no big deal.
FUBAR
Footballguy
yikes, still a good time considering everything, but drink something!
FUBAR
Footballguy
I'm not going to lose much weight at this point, so I guess I'll have to try to practice hills or just deal with not being a climber?What makes one a climber? Pretty simple - Watts per kilogram. That's why the 120lb bikers are the ones that rule the mountains in pro cycling. On the other hand, watts per frontal area controls speed on the flats. Frontal area doesn't change all that much between riders, so it comes down to pure watts for the most part. Cancellara is 185lbs and puts out about 21 jigawatts - this is why he rules in time trials.Best way to get faster on hills? Lose weight.FUBAR said:Great race! Although I'm realizing I'm not a "racer", I'm a guy who enjoys the event / experience.
Just curious, what makes one a climber? I find I usually catch people or leave people behind biking uphill but by no means do I consider myself a climber. My buddy I trained with the last couple years and I are pretty much equal on the bike but when it comes to hills, he slows waaaaay down, I slow down a fair amount but how do you tell if you're still doing well?
As stated elsewhere, I love running trails which tends to include hills, so that probably helps, but I haven't put a whole lot of thought into whether or not I'm a "climber".
IvanKaramazov
Footballguy
RnR sounds like it was absolutely brutal. Good reports, guys.
pmbrown_22
Footballguy
Great racing all.
Dexter - Seems you were pretty strong to me, but I don't know much about tri's to save my life.
The_Third - Good race. Funny stuff about the deer. I ran with some deer this last week. One just ran back and forth in a yard and did not know what to do. Had to keep my eye on her as I did not want her to charge.
Grue - Great race. You played it safe and knowing you could have done more is the important thing. No need to push it too much in the humidity, it could dry you out in a hurry and then you are in real trouble.
Wraith - You made it through. Sometimes that is what we learn. Just cover the miles and get through it. I am not a great runner in humidity either and probably would have done the same thing as you. Keep logging the miles they will pay off.
Tri-man - great job on the race stalking. Can't wait to see what you came up with.
Good work put in by everyone this weekend.
---------------------
I had a pretty good weekend as well. On Saturday, i did 7 miles with 10x100m strides. Not a bad workout, I did it kind of slow, but the weather was nice and I just enjoyed the run.
On Sunday, I was really tired when I got up. It was cooler (69 and low humidity) so I decide to get out there and get it over with. I was going 21 for the days. I am so glad that I got myself out there. I had a pretty good run. I averaged 8:37 for the entire time and finished the last couple of miles really strong. I was pushing myself pretty good the last couple of mile just to make sure I get used to finishing strong under race conditions. Even though I have been running for a bit of time, I am still learning about myself and how to push myself through certain things and figuring out how I work as a runner.
Overall for this week, I got in 68 miles. That for me is a PR. I can kind of notice it on my long runs as I feel like I am holding up better and can just last longer when conditions are good.
Dexter - Seems you were pretty strong to me, but I don't know much about tri's to save my life.
The_Third - Good race. Funny stuff about the deer. I ran with some deer this last week. One just ran back and forth in a yard and did not know what to do. Had to keep my eye on her as I did not want her to charge.
Grue - Great race. You played it safe and knowing you could have done more is the important thing. No need to push it too much in the humidity, it could dry you out in a hurry and then you are in real trouble.
Wraith - You made it through. Sometimes that is what we learn. Just cover the miles and get through it. I am not a great runner in humidity either and probably would have done the same thing as you. Keep logging the miles they will pay off.
Tri-man - great job on the race stalking. Can't wait to see what you came up with.
Good work put in by everyone this weekend.
---------------------
I had a pretty good weekend as well. On Saturday, i did 7 miles with 10x100m strides. Not a bad workout, I did it kind of slow, but the weather was nice and I just enjoyed the run.
On Sunday, I was really tired when I got up. It was cooler (69 and low humidity) so I decide to get out there and get it over with. I was going 21 for the days. I am so glad that I got myself out there. I had a pretty good run. I averaged 8:37 for the entire time and finished the last couple of miles really strong. I was pushing myself pretty good the last couple of mile just to make sure I get used to finishing strong under race conditions. Even though I have been running for a bit of time, I am still learning about myself and how to push myself through certain things and figuring out how I work as a runner.
Overall for this week, I got in 68 miles. That for me is a PR. I can kind of notice it on my long runs as I feel like I am holding up better and can just last longer when conditions are good.
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Dexter
Footballguy
Huh let me think about it and I'll let you know
gruecd
Footballguy
pmb - Nice job on the 21. That's a strong week. First time in a long time (if ever) I remember anyone on here running more weekly mileage than me. Congrats. I was just telling Wraith on Saturday that I think you're a shoe-in for Boston. Just a matter of when. Keep up the good work.
pmbrown_22
Footballguy
Definitely a goal, but I am jsut trying to do the best I can with what is presented now. I think the biggest thing for me is it is all mental. I feel I am pretty mentally tough, but something about this just makes me melt a bit. The training program is helping though as it is giving me great confidence.Thanks for the support.
Freaking awesome dude, especially in that heat. Way to go for broke.Mini race report from my 5K last night:
It was HOT. Highest temp so far this year in Arkansas - about 97F at race time at 8:00 pm. Despite the heat I was hoping to run a good time based on recent training. Some guys from my church have started running road races together, so we had 5 of us there last night. One of the guys has been finising ahead of me by about :45 to 1:00, so my goal was simply to run with him...entire race...stay on his hip. Last 5K I ran I left some time on the course because I started too slow.
This race was run around a lake, so the 2-lane highway wove through the woods. Half a mile in Ihear someone yell,"deer!" A baby deer runs onto the road, hits a runner, deer hits the ground and scrambles back into the woods.
We hit mile 1 in 6:43...
Very satisfied with my 22:07 PR on the single hottest day of the year. I've been running seriously for 10 months and have dropped 2:30 off my 5K time in that time span.
I am going to run a 5K end of September that is the same race I ran a year ago as my first race. Cooler weather, flat course...I have 21:00 on the brain.
Personally I would want to incorporate this into my training. No reason not to hit the start hard in practice and find out where the blow up pace is. The perfect race would be one where you basically have a postive split by a handful of seconds, meaning that you went out as hard a possible but kept just enough in the tank to run the second half at the same pace. Seems like most people here focus on positive splits in training, even on their tempo and recovery runs. I don't see how your body could possibly adapt to running an entire event at optimum pace if it's being taught to go easy and finsih hard in every single training session. I think a few training sessions pushing the limits early will give you the confidence to go for it at an event and will teach you exactly where that limit is so the likelihood of a blow up during an event is reduced.
Sand
Footballguy
4% body fat already?I'm not going to lose much weight at this point, so I guess I'll have to try to practice hills or just deal with not being a climber?What makes one a climber? Pretty simple - Watts per kilogram. That's why the 120lb bikers are the ones that rule the mountains in pro cycling. On the other hand, watts per frontal area controls speed on the flats. Frontal area doesn't change all that much between riders, so it comes down to pure watts for the most part. Cancellara is 185lbs and puts out about 21 jigawatts - this is why he rules in time trials.Best way to get faster on hills? Lose weight.FUBAR said:Great race! Although I'm realizing I'm not a "racer", I'm a guy who enjoys the event / experience.
Just curious, what makes one a climber? I find I usually catch people or leave people behind biking uphill but by no means do I consider myself a climber. My buddy I trained with the last couple years and I are pretty much equal on the bike but when it comes to hills, he slows waaaaay down, I slow down a fair amount but how do you tell if you're still doing well?
As stated elsewhere, I love running trails which tends to include hills, so that probably helps, but I haven't put a whole lot of thought into whether or not I'm a "climber".
The other option is to increase conditioning, obviously. For most this just means more volume. With hills. (This is where I am at, anyway - I'm just riding as much as I can).Great weekend, guys - some nice reports in here in typically brutal heat.
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