Ran a 10k in June (8 Viewers)

[GStrot]

Another good 6-mile tempo run this afternoon with four fast miles at 6:51, 6:57, 6:40, and 6:36 plus warm-up and cool-down miles at 7:28 and 7:31, respectively. Those last couple of miles were too fast; I'll probably pay for those on my 10-miler tomorrow.

Guess not. Just finished my 10 miles in 1:13:50. That's 7:23 per mile, just a little slower than marathon pace. Fastest mile (mile #10) was 7:10, and slowest mile was 7:33. I really hadn't wanted to run that fast, but it felt good, so I went with it. An easy 5 miles tomorrow, then off on Friday (my first rest day in quite a while) before a long 18-miler on Saturday.I officially switched today from the half marathon to the full marathon at GB. 26 days to go. It's on!

wow. nice job and glllll.

 

[pigskinliquors]

Another good 6-mile tempo run this afternoon with four fast miles at 6:51, 6:57, 6:40, and 6:36 plus warm-up and cool-down miles at 7:28 and 7:31, respectively. Those last couple of miles were too fast; I'll probably pay for those on my 10-miler tomorrow.

Guess not. Just finished my 10 miles in 1:13:50. That's 7:23 per mile, just a little slower than marathon pace. Fastest mile (mile #10) was 7:10, and slowest mile was 7:33. I really hadn't wanted to run that fast, but it felt good, so I went with it. An easy 5 miles tomorrow, then off on Friday (my first rest day in quite a while) before a long 18-miler on Saturday.I officially switched today from the half marathon to the full marathon at GB. 26 days to go. It's on!

Giddyup!

 

[RoarinSonoran]

Weather was similar to what's being forecast for Nashville on race day. Low 50's, overcast, damp from overnight sprinkles, perfect! 76/54 and t-storms is the forecast, so I'm hoping for a little rain and a lotta clouds.

The difference a day makes. Forecast now is 77/52 and sunny. Guess I'll have to work on my rain dance over the next few days.

Now the forecast is 71/51 with "isolated t-storms", and 30% chance of precip. Make up your freakin' minds! At this rate, there will be six inches of snow on the ground as the gun goes off.

Five hours later, and now it's 73/52 and "few showers".

"few showers" is now "party cloudy". wtf!

And now we're back to "showers", and 75/53. Since I'll be offline tomorrow and onplane, I'll forecast that it'll say "sunny" in tomorrow's forecast, and then there will actually be "showers" on Saturday. That temp increase is disconcerting tho.

 

[tri-man 47]

Weather was similar to what's being forecast for Nashville on race day. Low 50's, overcast, damp from overnight sprinkles, perfect! 76/54 and t-storms is the forecast, so I'm hoping for a little rain and a lotta clouds.

The difference a day makes. Forecast now is 77/52 and sunny. Guess I'll have to work on my rain dance over the next few days.

Now the forecast is 71/51 with "isolated t-storms", and 30% chance of precip. Make up your freakin' minds! At this rate, there will be six inches of snow on the ground as the gun goes off.

Five hours later, and now it's 73/52 and "few showers".

"few showers" is now "party cloudy". wtf!

And now we're back to "showers", and 75/53. Since I'll be offline tomorrow and onplane, I'll forecast that it'll say "sunny" in tomorrow's forecast, and then there will actually be "showers" on Saturday. That temp increase is disconcerting tho.

Godspeed! Don't bonk.

 

[El Floppo]

Weather was similar to what's being forecast for Nashville on race day. Low 50's, overcast, damp from overnight sprinkles, perfect! 76/54 and t-storms is the forecast, so I'm hoping for a little rain and a lotta clouds.

The difference a day makes. Forecast now is 77/52 and sunny. Guess I'll have to work on my rain dance over the next few days.

Now the forecast is 71/51 with "isolated t-storms", and 30% chance of precip. Make up your freakin' minds! At this rate, there will be six inches of snow on the ground as the gun goes off.

Five hours later, and now it's 73/52 and "few showers".

"few showers" is now "party cloudy". wtf!

And now we're back to "showers", and 75/53. Since I'll be offline tomorrow and onplane, I'll forecast that it'll say "sunny" in tomorrow's forecast, and then there will actually be "showers" on Saturday. That temp increase is disconcerting tho.

Godspeed! Don't bonk.

Break a leg!.... wait... Best of luck RS!

 

[wraith5]

Weather was similar to what's being forecast for Nashville on race day. Low 50's, overcast, damp from overnight sprinkles, perfect! 76/54 and t-storms is the forecast, so I'm hoping for a little rain and a lotta clouds.

The difference a day makes. Forecast now is 77/52 and sunny. Guess I'll have to work on my rain dance over the next few days.

Now the forecast is 71/51 with "isolated t-storms", and 30% chance of precip. Make up your freakin' minds! At this rate, there will be six inches of snow on the ground as the gun goes off.

Five hours later, and now it's 73/52 and "few showers".

"few showers" is now "party cloudy". wtf!

And now we're back to "showers", and 75/53. Since I'll be offline tomorrow and onplane, I'll forecast that it'll say "sunny" in tomorrow's forecast, and then there will actually be "showers" on Saturday. That temp increase is disconcerting tho.

[waterboy] YOU CAN DO IT!!!!! [/waterboy] Good luck! A GB of mine just left from Chicago today to head down for the race. I hope for both of you that the showers hold off and the clouds keep it cool.

 

[wraith5]

The rain woke up the kids and kept me in bed longer this morning than I wanted. I managed to get in 2 miles on the treadmill (it was still raining this morning). The more I run outside, the more I loathe the treadmill. I was supposed to do 2.5 today and 2 on Friday so I will switch them and Hal Higdon will never know.

At least you got up & ran!! That of course is the key.Luckily for me the rain seemed to keep the kids asleep longer, so I was able to get 3.8 miles in on the treadmill (variable speed & hill program). First run since my bomb on Saturday so it's good to get back on the horse.

Way to get back out there and run. Wait. What horse?

Rode that pony again today - 3.4 on the treadmill. I did a program that is more "speed" than variable and it kicked my ### to do one 7:30 mile on an incline. I think I might do that program on Thursdays from now on so I can start working on getting faster. 5 weeks until the SoldierField10...

 

[tri-man 47]

5 weeks until the SoldierField10...

So you'd better get your butt outside and start pounding those miles!!! You've really got three weeks of training left.

 

[wraith5]

5 weeks until the SoldierField10...

So you'd better get your butt outside and start pounding those miles!!! You've really got three weeks of training left.

Thanx coach!! - planning to do 6 & 13 +/- each weekend until May 19th, and I'll probably only do one run that last weekend. Two treadmill runs during the week, including one for "speed" work. Should get me to the starting line OK.

 

[RoarinSonoran]

Good luck! A GB of mine just left from Chicago today to head down for the race. I hope for both of you that the showers hold off and the clouds keep it cool.

Actually, I'd rather have a bit of rain, to cool it even further. Not a downpour, where we get soaked (well, perhaps it would be ok if the hot chicks got soaked ) and then have to lug 10lbs of water for 26miles, just an occasional sprinkle. Kinda like running through the yard sprinklers every so often. Thanks for the well wishes folks, I feel good and hope I can surprise myself (meaning, I'm going out easy and not chasing a PR, so perhaps reverse psych will kick in and I'll get the PR anyhow ). I ptts'd away last night's 3miler, so I'll have to get off my butt tonight for an easy 2miler to freshen up before sitting on a plane for several hours tomorrow.[eddiemurphy]IT'S SHOWTIME!!![/eddie]

 

[gruecd]

Good luck! A GB of mine just left from Chicago today to head down for the race. I hope for both of you that the showers hold off and the clouds keep it cool.

Actually, I'd rather have a bit of rain, to cool it even further. Not a downpour, where we get soaked (well, perhaps it would be ok if the hot chicks got soaked :( ) and then have to lug 10lbs of water for 26miles, just an occasional sprinkle. Kinda like running through the yard sprinklers every so often. Thanks for the well wishes folks, I feel good and hope I can surprise myself (meaning, I'm going out easy and not chasing a PR, so perhaps reverse psych will kick in and I'll get the PR anyhow ). I ptts'd away last night's 3miler, so I'll have to get off my butt tonight for an easy 2miler to freshen up before sitting on a plane for several hours tomorrow.[eddiemurphy]IT'S SHOWTIME!!![/eddie]

Good luck! I'm sure you'll do great!

 

[GStrot]

2.5 uneventful miles this morning. Although it was a bit wet from the rain yesterday so I was a little more focused on my running than staring at neighbor's houses. Nothing really exciting to report. I think I am doing 4 miles on Sunday or Monday. Should be fun.

 

[gruecd]

2.5 uneventful miles this morning. Although it was a bit wet from the rain yesterday so I was a little more focused on my running than staring at neighbor's houses. Nothing really exciting to report. I think I am doing 4 miles on Sunday or Monday. Should be fun.

Pretty uneventful for me, too. Got tied up yesterday with a house we might want to buy, so I flip-flopped my schedule and did my easy 5-miler this morning instead. My legs felt a little heavy because I'd just gotten done playing an hour of pick-up basketball, but otherwise it went well.Meeting a buddy tomorrow morning at 6:30 to run 18. Forecast looks almost perfect for a run, with temps in the upper 40s/lower 50s and relatively modest 8-9 mph winds.

 

[pigskinliquors]

I screwed up a bit this morning/yesterday. My plan was to have a short & easy bike ride yesterday, as my last workout prior to the event this weekend. I got stuck at work, and didn't get my ride in yesterday, so I did it this morning instead. Like an idiot, all felt great (duh, that's what happens during taper), and what should have been a relaxing ride, turned into a quest for speed . In my mind I kept telling myself how stupid it was, but my legs would have nothing to do with it. Fortunately, I still kept the ride short, and my legs still feel really good. I've got to learn how to better control workouts.

 

[gruecd]

I've got to learn how to better control workouts.

Amen to that. I can't count the number of times my "easy" 4- to 8-mile runs have turned into race pace or something very close.I also can't seem to control my tendency to go out way too fast on my longer races. I guess that's why I'm glad there's a pace group for 3:10 at the Green Bay Marathon next month. He'll make sure that we're never too fast or too slow, and all I've got to worry about is running.

 

[GStrot]

I've got to learn how to better control workouts.

Amen to that. I can't count the number of times my "easy" 4- to 8-mile runs have turned into race pace or something very close.I also can't seem to control my tendency to go out way too fast on my longer races. I guess that's why I'm glad there's a pace group for 3:10 at the Green Bay Marathon next month. He'll make sure that we're never too fast or too slow, and all I've got to worry about is running.

GB only having one speed. And I use the term "speed" very loosely.

 

[wraith5]

I've got to learn how to better control workouts.

Amen to that. I can't count the number of times my "easy" 4- to 8-mile runs have turned into race pace or something very close.I also can't seem to control my tendency to go out way too fast on my longer races. I guess that's why I'm glad there's a pace group for 3:10 at the Green Bay Marathon next month. He'll make sure that we're never too fast or too slow, and all I've got to worry about is running.

This is great on paper, but you have to get a good pacer to make it happen. In Chicago a few years ago I was shooting for a 4:20 (I think) and we got a little behind - very common in that race because there are so many freakin' runners. Anyway the guy suddenly decides to start making up time 1 minute / mile!! There were spots where he was weaving in/out of traffic and it was very tough to stay with him (eventually I crashed and walked alot, anyway). I imagine in GB at that pace you won't have those issues, but keep an eye on your own watch once you get settled in.

 

[Schmegma]

Just under 20 hours until my first race of the season and I'm FIRED UP!

The starting gun goes off for the 8K Crazylegs Classic here in Madison at 10 AM tomorrow. The best part - they give all the runners BEER at the finish line, which is the 50 year line at Camp Randall - home of the Badgers.

I'm heading out to get my packet sometime in the next hour or so.

A friend posted this in her blog recently, and I liked it so I'm re-posting it for you: Your bib number is your LUCKY number. Say it out loud, announce it to the volunteer: “Hey, I got my lucky number.” This is, of course, regardless of the number you got. It is, for that moment, your lucky number.

 

[gruecd]

Just under 20 hours until my first race of the season and I'm FIRED UP!

The starting gun goes off for the 8K Crazylegs Classic here in Madison at 10 AM tomorrow. The best part - they give all the runners BEER at the finish line, which is the 50 year line at Camp Randall - home of the Badgers.

I'm heading out to get my packet sometime in the next hour or so.

A friend posted this in her blog recently, and I liked it so I'm re-posting it for you: Your bib number is your LUCKY number. Say it out loud, announce it to the volunteer: “Hey, I got my lucky number.” This is, of course, regardless of the number you got. It is, for that moment, your lucky number.

Good luck! I ran Crazylegs a couple of years ago, and I vowed that I'd never go back. I lined up at the sign for 7-minute pace, but a TON of slower runners ignored the signs and lined up near the front, and I literally spent the first 3 miles of the race jogging through the crowd trying to break free. It was fine for the last couple of miles, but my overall time was miserable (through no fault of my own). Have things gotten any better with the starting "corrals?"

 

[El Floppo]

Just under 20 hours until my first race of the season and I'm FIRED UP!

The starting gun goes off for the 8K Crazylegs Classic here in Madison at 10 AM tomorrow. The best part - they give all the runners BEER at the finish line, which is the 50 year line at Camp Randall - home of the Badgers.

I'm heading out to get my packet sometime in the next hour or so.

A friend posted this in her blog recently, and I liked it so I'm re-posting it for you: Your bib number is your LUCKY number. Say it out loud, announce it to the volunteer: “Hey, I got my lucky number.” This is, of course, regardless of the number you got. It is, for that moment, your lucky number.

Good luck! I ran Crazylegs a couple of years ago, and I vowed that I'd never go back. I lined up at the sign for 7-minute pace, but a TON of slower runners ignored the signs and lined up near the front, and I literally spent the first 3 miles of the race jogging through the crowd trying to break free. It was fine for the last couple of miles, but my overall time was miserable (through no fault of my own). Have things gotten any better with the starting "corrals?"

Good luck Shmegma! Have a blast, and don't run drunk.Gruecd- the Nike Run Hit Wonder in NYC was like that for me. I was two weeks removed from PRing my 10k as part of the NYC Tri, so I figured I was going to blaze in just a straight running 10k. Same as you, I lined up between the 6:30 and 7:00 signs and had to fight for 2 miles to get open running. It was brutally humid though, so I know I wouldn't have PRed there regardless- but I was 2 mins off. I just kept looking around wondering wtf these people thought they were doing...

 

[El Floppo]

I screwed up a bit this morning/yesterday. My plan was to have a short & easy bike ride yesterday, as my last workout prior to the event this weekend. I got stuck at work, and didn't get my ride in yesterday, so I did it this morning instead. Like an idiot, all felt great (duh, that's what happens during taper), and what should have been a relaxing ride, turned into a quest for speed . In my mind I kept telling myself how stupid it was, but my legs would have nothing to do with it. Fortunately, I still kept the ride short, and my legs still feel really good. I've got to learn how to better control workouts.

This is something that I actually got pretty good at- keeping the hounds in check when I needed to... at least during my taper. But I was taught, and learned to agree, that short bouts of speed work during the taper are really helpful. The get the muscles firing just enough to remember how to go fast without tiring them out... I'm talking pickups of less than a minute on the bike or running.Anybody else do that?

 

[El Floppo]

Oh! I officially signed up for NYC marathon (defered last year)... so I finally have a goal in place.

Now I just have to stop eating for two with my pregnant wife...

 

[tri-man 47]

short bouts of speed work during the taper are really helpful. They get the muscles firing just enough to remember how to go fast without tiring them out... I'm talking pickups of less than a minute on the bike or running.Anybody else do that?

yeah, I like to give the runs a little pop during those easy distances before a race ...loosens up the hips and such.Can't wait to hear the news after the weekend!This is an easier weekend for me. I swam this morning and will probably bike a couple hours tomorrow and skip the 6 mile run that's on the schedule. I've had some occasional stiffness in my right heel - I'm hoping it's just some soreness in that area, but I need to be very careful of achilles tendonitis. It's not much of a problem, and loosens up after I get running. I mainly notice it when I wake up or after being stationary for a while (but that's still an indication of possible tendonitis due to the heavier volume of recent months). I only have one more hard week left before the marathon next month, so no need to push it at this point ...I can afford to take it easy, as needed. With the cross-training, it's not like I'm going to fall out of shape.

 

[Schmegma]

Just under 20 hours until my first race of the season and I'm FIRED UP!

The starting gun goes off for the 8K Crazylegs Classic here in Madison at 10 AM tomorrow. The best part - they give all the runners BEER at the finish line, which is the 50 year line at Camp Randall - home of the Badgers.

I'm heading out to get my packet sometime in the next hour or so.

A friend posted this in her blog recently, and I liked it so I'm re-posting it for you: Your bib number is your LUCKY number. Say it out loud, announce it to the volunteer: “Hey, I got my lucky number.” This is, of course, regardless of the number you got. It is, for that moment, your lucky number.

Good luck! I ran Crazylegs a couple of years ago, and I vowed that I'd never go back. I lined up at the sign for 7-minute pace, but a TON of slower runners ignored the signs and lined up near the front, and I literally spent the first 3 miles of the race jogging through the crowd trying to break free. It was fine for the last couple of miles, but my overall time was miserable (through no fault of my own). Have things gotten any better with the starting "corrals?"

They are doing a "wave" start, so that should help. Good thing my time isn't important, though. I'm just running for the beer because there will be over 10,000 entrants in this "race".

 

[gruecd]

They are doing a "wave" start, so that should help. Good thing my time isn't important, though. I'm just running for the beer because there will be over 10,000 entrants in this "race".

I actually saw that on the Crazylegs website yesterday. This morning I talked to a guy who ran it last year, and he said that the volunteers did a great job of keeping people in the right waves.My 18-miler this morning went very well. Averaged 8:04 pace, but we mixed in a couple of fast miles at 7:30 or so. I'm feeling pretty confident right now, which is good, because my longest runs between now and the marathon will probably only be 10-12 miles.

 

[tri-man 47]

They are doing a "wave" start, so that should help. Good thing my time isn't important, though. I'm just running for the beer because there will be over 10,000 entrants in this "race".

I actually saw that on the Crazylegs website yesterday. This morning I talked to a guy who ran it last year, and he said that the volunteers did a great job of keeping people in the right waves.My 18-miler this morning went very well. Averaged 8:04 pace, but we mixed in a couple of fast miles at 7:30 or so. I'm feeling pretty confident right now, which is good, because my longest runs between now and the marathon will probably only be 10-12 miles.

Nice run! Nice confidence builder!

 

[gruecd]

They are doing a "wave" start, so that should help. Good thing my time isn't important, though. I'm just running for the beer because there will be over 10,000 entrants in this "race".

I actually saw that on the Crazylegs website yesterday. This morning I talked to a guy who ran it last year, and he said that the volunteers did a great job of keeping people in the right waves.My 18-miler this morning went very well. Averaged 8:04 pace, but we mixed in a couple of fast miles at 7:30 or so. I'm feeling pretty confident right now, which is good, because my longest runs between now and the marathon will probably only be 10-12 miles.

Nice run! Nice confidence builder!

Thanks. Although I must admit that the thought of running 7:15 pace for 26.2 miles is still a bit daunting.

 

[RoarinSonoran]

LongDrawnOutFourLetter WordIndicatingAnguishAnd ExhaustionBeginningWithF!!!!!

I want to find the course designer and beat the ever-lovin' crap out of him. :( Boston has "Heartbreak Hill"...picture that every couple hundred yards or so. And THEN...the bastage made us run an extra 1/4mile! My Garmin and a couple other people I talked to ended up in the 26.44-26.48 range. The miles in the first half were off by 1/10, and eventually turned into 2/10, and finally 1/4. Measuring tape down, dumb bass?! :finger:

Holy crap was that a mean course. I took it ok for the first 14miles, working out a 10:00 pace. Then we got to a section called "Metrocenter", the clouds burned off, and I (and others) got eaten alive. I started walking uphill, and letting the dogs loose downhill, resulting in a 4:51 finish. I'll take it.

Fortunately, the finish was slightly downhill, so I let the dogs loose and sprinted it home over the last 2/10 and gave the crowd a thrill. lol

One of the bands along the way played "Crazy", and another played something with "Fool" in the title. I think they were trying to tell us something.

No I-T problems whatsoever! Ended up with a freakin' huge blister on my big toe, but it didn't bother me at all. Five hours on a plane didn't help my legs (a little stiff), but otherwise doing pretty well.

Next stop, San Diego!

 

[DolphinsPhan]

LongDrawnOutFourLetter WordIndicatingAnguishAnd ExhaustionBeginningWithF!!!!!I want to find the course designer and beat the ever-lovin' crap out of him. Boston has "Heartbreak Hill"...picture that every couple hundred yards or so. And THEN...the bastage made us run an extra 1/4mile! My Garmin and a couple other people I talked to ended up in the 26.44-26.48 range. The miles in the first half were off by 1/10, and eventually turned into 2/10, and finally 1/4. Measuring tape down, dumb bass?! :finger:Holy crap was that a mean course. I took it ok for the first 14miles, working out a 10:00 pace. Then we got to a section called "Metrocenter", the clouds burned off, and I (and others) got eaten alive. I started walking uphill, and letting the dogs loose downhill, resulting in a 4:51 finish. I'll take it. Fortunately, the finish was slightly downhill, so I let the dogs loose and sprinted it home over the last 2/10 and gave the crowd a thrill. lolOne of the bands along the way played "Crazy", and another played something with "Fool" in the title. I think they were trying to tell us something. No I-T problems whatsoever! Ended up with a freakin' huge blister on my big toe, but it didn't bother me at all. Five hours on a plane didn't help my legs (a little stiff), but otherwise doing pretty well. Next stop, San Diego!

Congrats on finishing. Gotta love the race organizers. For my upcoming 5k they don't even put out mileage markers. It is START and then FINISH, so if you guess your pace wrong going out of the gate you are pretty much done. Did my 7 mile run yesterday. Did it "better" than last week. Last week I did 3 miles at 10m/m and then 3 miles at 9m/m. This week I did 2 miles at 10m/m and then 4 at 9m/m. Finished with a mile at my goal pace (8m/m). My legs were fine afterwards. I was tired though. I think I managed to sweat through my dri-fit shirt though...Feel pretty good this morning. Off for an easy 3-4 miles.

 

[RoarinSonoran]

Anatomy of a bonk

Blue = my pace, green = elevation in feet, from my Garmin.

Wow, the 1st half didn't look that bad, more gradual inclines, tho the 2nd half hills look steeper.

Blue spike at 2mi is a potty break. I probably should have gotten out of my corral at the first hint of needing to pee, as it took 34mins to get to the starting line.

Spikes at 16 and 18 are when I stopped to put on some Vaseline for thigh chafing.

Like that green spike at 19? I think that was a freeway overpass.

 

[pigskinliquors]

My first Tri of the year (and the best in my life) is finished . As a whole all went great. My quads were extremely tight this morning, but didn't bother be at all during the race.

The swim was partially hilarious. On the final leg I got so far off the course, a kayak had to come over and rescue me. I didn't lose too much time, but was laughing pretty hard when I looked up to see where I was at on the course. My excuse is that we had 99% humidity at the start of the race, and my goggles fogged-up pretty bad = when I was looking up, there wasn't much to see!

The bike portion, was probably the best ride of my life. According to my cyclometer, I averaged 22.1mph (which would be a personal best) on the 17 mile course. The course was extremely hilly, and had multiple turns, but my legs really wanted to go, and I let them.

I paid for the bike portion a bit during the run, but still exceeded expectations there as well. My first mile was a bit slow for me (7:25 pace) while the last 2.1 were around 7:10 pace (we should have official times/results in the next couple of days; beyond total time).

Overall, my time was 1:20 which was right at my goal. My other two goals were to have nobody pass me during the bike and run portions. I only had one bike pass me, and it was in the last quarter mile, and nobody passed me during my run; and I was able to pass the guy who passed me on the bike The biggest plus was that Mrs. Liquor also finished, and had a great time = I'm pretty sure this will be her first of many . My neighbor and best friend here also finished his first, which was another huge plus.

Officially, I took 2nd patsback in my age group (40-45), and 21st overall. There were 6 professionals in the race = I'm ecstatic where I finished (= my best tri ever!). It' now time to see how 3 or 4 beers will effect my very dehydrated body !

Thanks to all for your support in this thread!

 

[tri-man 47]

Wow, guys! Tough racing and tough workouts. Amazing what we can do when we challenge ourselves. I'm very impressed ..and motivated. RoarinS, glad the IT held up and that you gutted out a tough race (know thy course!!!). Liquors, congrats to the Mrs for completing her race (and to you too, of course!). That's some fast biking and running!

I biked about 2 1/2 hours on Saturday - my first long ride of the season. I went down to and then along the Chicago lakefront. Always nice riding the path along the lake and enjoying all the, um, scenery (lotta ladies out running). The longer bike ride wiped my legs out pretty good. Today I did a 14 mile run on those achy legs, but it went very well. Gruecd fired me up. I average about 7:52/mile, which gets me psyched up, now.

 

[RoarinSonoran]

RoarinS, glad the IT held up and that you gutted out a tough race (know thy course!!!).

Well, it's kinda tough to "know thy course" when this is what they give you to work with, and (link in earlier post; green line) is closer to reality. Yes, there are hills shown there, but the impression isn't "steep" or "wringing the life out of you".Guess I'll have to find a really accurate topographical map of San Diego in the next five weeks. lol SD elevation graph looks like a smooth decline from about 2 to 5, but for all I know it could be a rollercoaster as it descends. Same thing with that monster climb from 6.5 to 10. The last half is looking mighty flat, but again, looks could be deceiving.

 

[Schmegma]

Just under 20 hours until my first race of the season and I'm FIRED UP!

The starting gun goes off for the 8K Crazylegs Classic here in Madison at 10 AM tomorrow. The best part - they give all the runners BEER at the finish line, which is the 50 year line at Camp Randall - home of the Badgers.

I'm heading out to get my packet sometime in the next hour or so.

A friend posted this in her blog recently, and I liked it so I'm re-posting it for you: Your bib number is your LUCKY number. Say it out loud, announce it to the volunteer: “Hey, I got my lucky number.” This is, of course, regardless of the number you got. It is, for that moment, your lucky number.

I survived, but my time was a little disappointing - 52:07 for an average of 10:29/mile. I walked a lot. My left knee didn't bother me during the race, but I wore a brace and I'm sure it helped, because later last night and today I could hardly walk because of pain in that knee. My right foot went numb again after about 3 miles, so I'm going to need to get that figured out before the half mary on May 27th. It was a fun experience, though. Unlimited free beer - two at a time - for all participants after the race at Camp Randall. On the positive side, I did beat beat the head coach of the Badger football team by 1:27! I guess I also beat about 2000 other runners, so finishing in 7057th place isn't so bad, right?

 

[tri-man 47]

Just under 20 hours until my first race of the season and I'm FIRED UP!

The starting gun goes off for the 8K Crazylegs Classic here in Madison at 10 AM tomorrow. The best part - they give all the runners BEER at the finish line, which is the 50 year line at Camp Randall - home of the Badgers.

I'm heading out to get my packet sometime in the next hour or so.

A friend posted this in her blog recently, and I liked it so I'm re-posting it for you: Your bib number is your LUCKY number. Say it out loud, announce it to the volunteer: “Hey, I got my lucky number.” This is, of course, regardless of the number you got. It is, for that moment, your lucky number.

I survived, but my time was a little disappointing - 52:07 for an average of 10:29/mile. I walked a lot. My left knee didn't bother me during the race, but I wore a brace and I'm sure it helped, because later last night and today I could hardly walk because of pain in that knee. My right foot went numb again after about 3 miles, so I'm going to need to get that figured out before the half mary on May 27th. It was a fun experience, though. Unlimited free beer - two at a time - for all participants after the race at Camp Randall. On the positive side, I did beat beat the head coach of the Badger football team by 1:27! I guess I also beat about 2000 other runners, so finishing in 7057th place isn't so bad, right?

Way to go, man. It was a good race experience for you ...and you got free beer. Now you can reevaluate and sharpen your training for Mad City. We're going to have to talk soon about logistics if we're hoping to meet up at the expo and such. Four weeks to go!

 

[pigskinliquors]

Just under 20 hours until my first race of the season and I'm FIRED UP!

The starting gun goes off for the 8K Crazylegs Classic here in Madison at 10 AM tomorrow. The best part - they give all the runners BEER at the finish line, which is the 50 year line at Camp Randall - home of the Badgers.

I'm heading out to get my packet sometime in the next hour or so.

A friend posted this in her blog recently, and I liked it so I'm re-posting it for you: Your bib number is your LUCKY number. Say it out loud, announce it to the volunteer: “Hey, I got my lucky number.” This is, of course, regardless of the number you got. It is, for that moment, your lucky number.

I survived, but my time was a little disappointing - 52:07 for an average of 10:29/mile. I walked a lot. My left knee didn't bother me during the race, but I wore a brace and I'm sure it helped, because later last night and today I could hardly walk because of pain in that knee. My right foot went numb again after about 3 miles, so I'm going to need to get that figured out before the half mary on May 27th. It was a fun experience, though. Unlimited free beer - two at a time - for all participants after the race at Camp Randall. On the positive side, I did beat beat the head coach of the Badger football team by 1:27! I guess I also beat about 2000 other runners, so finishing in 7057th place isn't so bad, right?

Hey Schmegma! Congrat's on surviving. Time is irrelevant, as the goal for hopefully all in this thread is the experiences we receive when we race. Drinking beers in Camp Randall after running CL's is an incredible experience. Having whooped Bielema is a feat in itself. Imagine how many minutes (probably hours!) that you could have beaten Alvarez!!

 

[gruecd]

Just under 20 hours until my first race of the season and I'm FIRED UP!

The starting gun goes off for the 8K Crazylegs Classic here in Madison at 10 AM tomorrow. The best part - they give all the runners BEER at the finish line, which is the 50 year line at Camp Randall - home of the Badgers.

I'm heading out to get my packet sometime in the next hour or so.

A friend posted this in her blog recently, and I liked it so I'm re-posting it for you: Your bib number is your LUCKY number. Say it out loud, announce it to the volunteer: “Hey, I got my lucky number.” This is, of course, regardless of the number you got. It is, for that moment, your lucky number.

I survived, but my time was a little disappointing - 52:07 for an average of 10:29/mile. I walked a lot. My left knee didn't bother me during the race, but I wore a brace and I'm sure it helped, because later last night and today I could hardly walk because of pain in that knee. My right foot went numb again after about 3 miles, so I'm going to need to get that figured out before the half mary on May 27th. It was a fun experience, though. Unlimited free beer - two at a time - for all participants after the race at Camp Randall. On the positive side, I did beat beat the head coach of the Badger football team by 1:27! I guess I also beat about 2000 other runners, so finishing in 7057th place isn't so bad, right?

Way to go, man. It was a good race experience for you ...and you got free beer. Now you can reevaluate and sharpen your training for Mad City. We're going to have to talk soon about logistics if we're hoping to meet up at the expo and such. Four weeks to go!

Yeah, nice run, Schmegma. I hope you get that knee thing figured out.I actually called and booked a room this morning at the Hilton Madison Monona Terrace. The last couple of times I checked they were sold out, but apparently they had some cancellations. The only complicating factor for me is that I made an offer today on a house, and if we get it, I'll be closing at the end of the month, and I might be spending Memorial Day weekend getting ready for the move. Time will tell....

 

[wraith5]

Anatomy of a bonk

Blue = my pace, green = elevation in feet, from my Garmin.

Wow, the 1st half didn't look that bad, more gradual inclines, tho the 2nd half hills look steeper.

Blue spike at 2mi is a potty break. I probably should have gotten out of my corral at the first hint of needing to pee, as it took 34mins to get to the starting line.

Spikes at 16 and 18 are when I stopped to put on some Vaseline for thigh chafing.

Like that green spike at 19? I think that was a freeway overpass.

That graph is really freakin' cool - I never really considered getting a Garmin until right now. That's outstanding.Congratulations on the finish! My GB finished 4:50:12 (5:13:25 clock) so you guys may have been pretty close to each other during the race. I haven't talked to him yet about the "cool temperatures and calm winds" (per the website) during the race, but it sounds like the course was very tough and it got pretty warm as the morning wore on.

There's nothing worse than getting yourself hydrated & to the starting line so you can wait 30 minutes to "start." I always cracked up at - and joined - the line of guys at Chicago about a mile in who are peeing on the wall at an underpass...

Congratulations again!

 

[GStrot]

Oh! I officially signed up for NYC marathon (defered last year)... so I finally have a goal in place. Now I just have to stop eating for two with my pregnant wife...

what date is the NYC marathon?

 

[GStrot]

They are doing a "wave" start, so that should help. Good thing my time isn't important, though. I'm just running for the beer because there will be over 10,000 entrants in this "race".

I actually saw that on the Crazylegs website yesterday. This morning I talked to a guy who ran it last year, and he said that the volunteers did a great job of keeping people in the right waves.My 18-miler this morning went very well. Averaged 8:04 pace, but we mixed in a couple of fast miles at 7:30 or so. I'm feeling pretty confident right now, which is good, because my longest runs between now and the marathon will probably only be 10-12 miles.

nice job!

 

[GStrot]

LongDrawnOutFourLetter WordIndicatingAnguishAnd ExhaustionBeginningWithF!!!!!I want to find the course designer and beat the ever-lovin' crap out of him. Boston has "Heartbreak Hill"...picture that every couple hundred yards or so. And THEN...the bastage made us run an extra 1/4mile! My Garmin and a couple other people I talked to ended up in the 26.44-26.48 range. The miles in the first half were off by 1/10, and eventually turned into 2/10, and finally 1/4. Measuring tape down, dumb bass?! :finger:Holy crap was that a mean course. I took it ok for the first 14miles, working out a 10:00 pace. Then we got to a section called "Metrocenter", the clouds burned off, and I (and others) got eaten alive. I started walking uphill, and letting the dogs loose downhill, resulting in a 4:51 finish. I'll take it. Fortunately, the finish was slightly downhill, so I let the dogs loose and sprinted it home over the last 2/10 and gave the crowd a thrill. lolOne of the bands along the way played "Crazy", and another played something with "Fool" in the title. I think they were trying to tell us something. No I-T problems whatsoever! Ended up with a freakin' huge blister on my big toe, but it didn't bother me at all. Five hours on a plane didn't help my legs (a little stiff), but otherwise doing pretty well. Next stop, San Diego!

The two things I take from this "finish" and "no IT problems". Great job and congratulations!Just think how easy 26.2 will be after doing 26.5. Or something.

 

[GStrot]

Officially, I took 2nd patsback in my age group (40-45), and 21st overall. There were 6 professionals in the race = I'm ecstatic where I finished (= my best tri ever!).

wow. that is cool! Nice swim story. I laughed out loud at the thought of a lone swimmer off on his own swimming out to sea with foggy goggles having to be rescued by the kayak dudes.

 

[pigskinliquors]

Official results of my race are now posted. My swim was MUCH slower than I expected it to be, though having gone all the way off of the course I am not surprised. My times, average speed, and place overall for each are below (they didn't give ranks for the transitions):

Swim (500m): 10:07 (2:01 pace) (87th best overall) [6:52 was the fastest]

T1: 1:41

Bike (16.8 miles): 45:45 (22.0mph) (12th best overall) [fast for me; esp. for a hilly course]

T2: :32

Run (5k'ish): 23:03 (7:23 pace) (39th best overall) [close to what I anticipated; my Garmin had the course at 3.25k; overall pace 7:19]

Overall: 1:21:10 (25th place overall) (2nd in my age group)

Even if I would have had a good swim, I don't think I could have caught the person who beat me (he beat me by 1:30), so I'm ecstatic with the day. Watching the Mrs. finish was a greater joy than I've ever personally received in a race = I hope she has a desire to do many, many more (she's pretty sore today, but has the "I did something, I didn't think I could do" high).

 

[GStrot]

Just under 20 hours until my first race of the season and I'm FIRED UP!

The starting gun goes off for the 8K Crazylegs Classic here in Madison at 10 AM tomorrow. The best part - they give all the runners BEER at the finish line, which is the 50 year line at Camp Randall - home of the Badgers.

I'm heading out to get my packet sometime in the next hour or so.

A friend posted this in her blog recently, and I liked it so I'm re-posting it for you: Your bib number is your LUCKY number. Say it out loud, announce it to the volunteer: “Hey, I got my lucky number.” This is, of course, regardless of the number you got. It is, for that moment, your lucky number.

I survived, but my time was a little disappointing - 52:07 for an average of 10:29/mile. I walked a lot. My left knee didn't bother me during the race, but I wore a brace and I'm sure it helped, because later last night and today I could hardly walk because of pain in that knee. My right foot went numb again after about 3 miles, so I'm going to need to get that figured out before the half mary on May 27th. It was a fun experience, though. Unlimited free beer - two at a time - for all participants after the race at Camp Randall. On the positive side, I did beat beat the head coach of the Badger football team by 1:27! I guess I also beat about 2000 other runners, so finishing in 7057th place isn't so bad, right?

I don't know what your goals were exactly but finishing is never a bad thing in my book.congratulations.

Isn't the badger's coach like 32 years old? Seems like a good guy to beat.

 

[RoarinSonoran]

Congratulations on the finish! My GB finished 4:50:12 (5:13:25 clock) so you guys may have been pretty close to each other during the race. I haven't talked to him yet about the "cool temperatures and calm winds" (per the website) during the race, but it sounds like the course was very tough and it got pretty warm as the morning wore on.

He probably started 3-4 corrals ahead of me. My clock time was 5:25, meaning 34mins to get to the start line, instead of the 23 for your buddy. Hell, if that's the way it's going to be for a "wave start", I'm thinking I'll be hanging out at the portopotty next time, instead of standing around waiting for a half-hour.My last two marathons, I had a 6min wait to start in Dublin (probably far fewer runners), and only a 3min lag at PF Chang's. However, Dublin had no half-marathon, and PF Chang's had separate start times and courses for the full and half. Maybe this lag won't be a problem in SD (no half-marathon). I'll have to keep it in mind. Or, I can just go ahead and pee, and if I start dead last, I start dead last. I'll still get a chip time, plus the joy of zipping past all the slowpokes. It was "cool temps" (actually, damn near freezing! ) compared to the 101 it was in Phoenix Saturday (1st 100degree day of the year), but it was warm from a runner's standpoint. Winds were calm for the most part, but there were some nice breezes.

 

[GStrot]

Official results of my race are now posted. My swim was MUCH slower than I expected it to be, though having gone all the way off of the course I am not surprised. My times, average speed, and place overall for each are below (they didn't give ranks for the transitions):Swim (500m): 10:07 (2:01 pace) (87th best overall) [6:52 was the fastest]T1: 1:41Bike (16.8 miles): 45:45 (22.0mph) (12th best overall) [fast for me; esp. for a hilly course]T2: :32Run (5k'ish): 23:03 (7:23 pace) (39th best overall) [close to what I anticipated; my Garmin had the course at 3.25; overall pace 7:19]Overall: 1:21:10 (25th place overall) (2nd in my age group) Even if I would have had a good swim, I don't think I could have caught the person who beat me (he beat me by 1:30), so I'm ecstatic with the day. Watching the Mrs. finish was a greater joy than I've ever personally received in a race = I hope she has a desire to do many, many more (she's pretty sore today, but has the "I did something, I didn't think I could do" high).

12th best bike out of all participants? Stud.Great story about your wife. That really is motivating.

 

[pigskinliquors]

12th best bike out of all participants? Stud.Great story about your wife. That really is motivating.

FYI: this was a small triathlon, with only 250 participants = stud is a bit too high of praise (but thanks ).

 

[wraith5]

5 weeks until the SoldierField10...

So you'd better get your butt outside and start pounding those miles!!! You've really got three weeks of training left.

Thanx coach!! - planning to do 6 & 13 +/- each weekend until May 19th, and I'll probably only do one run that last weekend. Two treadmill runs during the week, including one for "speed" work. Should get me to the starting line OK.

This weekend was a vast improvement over my aborted 15 miler last weekend: 6 miles on Saturday & set a course PR by 17 seconds - I've done that run at least 20 times since Jan of 2006. I mixed in 2 fartlek segments each mile from 2-5 and finished with a 7:19, which is very fast for me. My hammy's were a little sore at the end, but I felt good enough to do yardwork the rest of the day... Sunday I set out for a 13 miler at 9/min pace like I have the past several weekends. I decided to change my drinking from every 2 miles to every 1.5 miles to see if that made any difference. After mile 8 I decided to keep my pace steady and complete the 15 miler I bailed on last weekend. After mile 12 my hammys were barking but I still pushed my pace and I finished mile 15 at an 8:22. Overall another very strong run for me!Two more weekends of work, then one easy weekend before the race.

 

[RoarinSonoran]

Dead-freaking-last was a 71yo woman in 7:59:38 (clock 8:20:52). I was going thru airport security at about that time.

GB her, she still managed a 4th place finish in her division.

Actually, upon further review, the 2nd-to-last runner had the longest clock time, coming in at 8:31:57, but her chip time was 7:55:14. Only by virtue of starting a couple corrals further back was she the last one on the course (51yo).

 

[GStrot]

So, the guy that I made the "bet" with (see post #1) was in town this weekend. Since his wife and my wife are probably going to run with me in this thing while he runs the marathon (see post #15 or so), we all ran my 4 miler on Sunday together. The good news is, we all finished. The bad news is the wimmen are going to slow me down. I will probably look for a local 10k or 5k or maybe even a half marathon later in the summer or fall to see how I do on my own. But, the goal of this one is finishing so not a big deal.

After the 4 miles on Sunday, I am feeling really good about making that goal. Running with people is a lot more interesting and I had to recheck the route on mapmyrun to make sure that I had actually done a full 4 miles. I didn't time it but it was probably close to 45 or 50 minutes.

Anyway, my wife and my friend's wife (and my friend) were impressed with how easily I was able to do the 4 miles. I guess I have made a lot of progress (although it makes me wonder how out of shape they thought I was back in January) and I thank everyone who has posted here for their help and encouragement.

One month to go.