Ran a 10k in June (5 Viewers)

[tri-man 47]

Hi, tri-man! Hi, tri-man! Hi, tri-man!

:finger::finger::finger:Can I help it that I have incredible fast-twitch muscles, even when I'm typing?

 

[gruecd]

You can set a clock by my wide's 10-minute mile pace, but she blew out a 45:09 and was 5th in her age group.

I'd highly suggest not letting your WIFE see this!!!

 

[2Young2BBald]

You can set a clock by my wide's 10-minute mile pace, but she blew out a 45:09 and was 5th in her age group.

I'd highly suggest not letting your WIFE see this!!!

Did I mention there was free beer? I am the king of typos without it! It was certanly not a Freudian Slip.

 

[El Floppo]

For a non-trained for run, don't beat yourself up. Great to hear that your son and wife both had great races. You also learned that cross-training does not equal training. Congrat's for "just doing it" and to your family and friend who get to boast that they had a better day than you. Get them back by kicking ### on your tri!

Not every race should be your "A" race. And this one- last minute and a few weeks before the Tri- is most definitlely not one of those. I also have a hard time racing at night- my training was always set to match morning race-starts... getting the body to race after a full day of work/eating etc is brutal (at least for me)<>What distance tri are you doing?

 

[bentley]

Any of you other dudes running the Nike Human Race 10K on Sunday night? I just let someone talk me into it today. I've cut back on running and started weightlifting the last few weeks to try and add some muscle, so I haven't run more than four miles at a stretch in a couple months.

My one training session plan is to get in seven miles tomorrow after work to get the feel back for the distance (Austin start time on Sunday is 6:30 p.m.) and to set my expectations low. Any other advice?

 

[2Young2BBald]

For a non-trained for run, don't beat yourself up. Great to hear that your son and wife both had great races. You also learned that cross-training does not equal training. Congrat's for "just doing it" and to your family and friend who get to boast that they had a better day than you. Get them back by kicking ### on your tri!

Not every race should be your "A" race. And this one- last minute and a few weeks before the Tri- is most definitlely not one of those. I also have a hard time racing at night- my training was always set to match morning race-starts... getting the body to race after a full day of work/eating etc is brutal (at least for me)<>What distance tri are you doing?

"Just" a sprint. 500M Swim, 20K Bike & 5K run. I'd like to look at the Olympic distance in the future, but it baby steps for me on the swimming.

 

[culdeus]

Pigskins & Culdeus: which Garmin units are each of you using? Any significant negatives to the units you use?

The 705 can take the maps and will display them for car driving. It's not the best thing to have saftey wise as the screen is small, but it's really helped me out on longer trips and going to strange places and once you get used to using it you learn how to get it to display the directions in a concise manner.Also the 705 takes data from several power meters which can come in handy for the racer boys as well as the cadence/speed like the 305. It's also got numerous settings for following a course, your history, prior workouts etc. and can tell you where you are in front/behind your goals. It was really nice to be able to tell where we stood at certain times and keep track of our splits as time went on during the big rides. There are some strange software quirks that I wish they'd fix, but nearly all of them have a resonable workaround. Most people say either get the 305 or the 705. The 605 is a waste of time and is nothing more (I think) than a 305 with a bigger screen. Don't sue me if I'm wrong on that. tia

 

[Dash]

Pigskins & Culdeus: which Garmin units are each of you using? Any significant negatives to the units you use?

The 705 can take the maps and will display them for car driving. It's not the best thing to have saftey wise as the screen is small, but it's really helped me out on longer trips and going to strange places and once you get used to using it you learn how to get it to display the directions in a concise manner.Also the 705 takes data from several power meters which can come in handy for the racer boys as well as the cadence/speed like the 305. It's also got numerous settings for following a course, your history, prior workouts etc. and can tell you where you are in front/behind your goals. It was really nice to be able to tell where we stood at certain times and keep track of our splits as time went on during the big rides. There are some strange software quirks that I wish they'd fix, but nearly all of them have a resonable workaround. Most people say either get the 305 or the 705. The 605 is a waste of time and is nothing more (I think) than a 305 with a bigger screen. Don't sue me if I'm wrong on that. tia

Thanks to both of you. Sounds like the 705 is the item to save for and hopefully the cost comes down a bit while I save. The real-time map features are what I thought was missing from the 305 and the ability to do in-car directions or time-to-destination features are things I'd want. But that extra $$$ is too much to justify right now and wasn't planned for...So now my cycling/hobbies related savings goals include money for a fancy-shmancy Edge 705 with HR & Cadence and a personal LT test. Maybe I should start working at that second job again...

 

[tri-man 47]

Any of you other dudes running the Nike Human Race 10K on Sunday night? I just let someone talk me into it today. I've cut back on running and started weightlifting the last few weeks to try and add some muscle, so I haven't run more than four miles at a stretch in a couple months. My one training session plan is to get in seven miles tomorrow after work to get the feel back for the distance (Austin start time on Sunday is 6:30 p.m.) and to set my expectations low. Any other advice?

Like you said, keep the expectations low. You really can't add any physical preparation at this point. Running the distance (slowly!) will help mentally. Just enjoy the race. Find a hot female to follow and enjoy the view.2Young - tough race for you, but sounds like a great event for your family. I like hearing about your son's running! What a great example you're setting for him.

 

[culdeus]

Pigskins & Culdeus: which Garmin units are each of you using? Any significant negatives to the units you use?

The 705 can take the maps and will display them for car driving. It's not the best thing to have saftey wise as the screen is small, but it's really helped me out on longer trips and going to strange places and once you get used to using it you learn how to get it to display the directions in a concise manner.Also the 705 takes data from several power meters which can come in handy for the racer boys as well as the cadence/speed like the 305. It's also got numerous settings for following a course, your history, prior workouts etc. and can tell you where you are in front/behind your goals. It was really nice to be able to tell where we stood at certain times and keep track of our splits as time went on during the big rides. There are some strange software quirks that I wish they'd fix, but nearly all of them have a resonable workaround. Most people say either get the 305 or the 705. The 605 is a waste of time and is nothing more (I think) than a 305 with a bigger screen. Don't sue me if I'm wrong on that. tia

Thanks to both of you. Sounds like the 705 is the item to save for and hopefully the cost comes down a bit while I save. The real-time map features are what I thought was missing from the 305 and the ability to do in-car directions or time-to-destination features are things I'd want. But that extra $$$ is too much to justify right now and wasn't planned for...So now my cycling/hobbies related savings goals include money for a fancy-shmancy Edge 705 with HR & Cadence and a personal LT test. Maybe I should start working at that second job again...

Yeah. I looked at it as a GPS unit AND a cycling unit. I needed both so it came along at the right time. If you have the need for just one or the other then no need to combine because there isn't much of a price break for getting the two bundled and the GPS side comes with some compromises. Make no mistake it's a cycling computer first.

 

[2Young2BBald]

2Young - tough race for you, but sounds like a great event for your family. I like hearing about your son's running! What a great example you're setting for him.

My wife & I are VERY lucky to have 2 kids that like to keep active. My son had a water gun, slip & slide, water ballon themed birthday party earlier this summer. We have group photo up of him and his buddies and its really sad to see, to be frank, how fat most of these kids are. It may embarrass the heck out of my kids when they are older, but its way up there on my life to-do list to cross a 1/2 marathon finish line hand in hand as a family (although we may have to settle for a 10K and a slow one for my daughter).

 

[bentley]

Any of you other dudes running the Nike Human Race 10K on Sunday night? I just let someone talk me into it today. I've cut back on running and started weightlifting the last few weeks to try and add some muscle, so I haven't run more than four miles at a stretch in a couple months. My one training session plan is to get in seven miles tomorrow after work to get the feel back for the distance (Austin start time on Sunday is 6:30 p.m.) and to set my expectations low. Any other advice?

7 miles in 1:01:42 tonight. Maybe I won't die on Sunday.

 

[SFBayDuck]

Been slacking a bit since my half, complicated by the start of a new job (kicking off with a week in Boston) and my daughter starting kindergarten. So haven't had a long run in 3 weeks, but have managed to knock out five 4-mile runs in the mornings over the past 2 weeks to at least keep something going. Going to get out this weekend and hit the trails for the first time in about a month, we'll see how long I can go but planning on 6-7.

Browsing through Active.com tonight trying to figure out what's next on my race agenda to help get me focused again. I think the Bridge to Bridge 12k on 10/5 is likely, as that was my first ever race last year, would be fun to do it again and see what kind of improvement I can make on the 1:08:31 time I put up last time. I have a retreat up in wine country I have to work that Thursday-Saturday, hopefully I can keep the client entertainment from getting too out of control on Friday night in particular!

Nice reports from others, although I have to admit I skipped the bike stuff. One of these days I'll come back through and read all of those at once!

Anybody heard from darren or SteveUK in the past few months? Seems like those two dropped off the face.

 

[pigskinliquors]

Anybody heard from darren or SteveUK in the past few months? Seems like those two dropped off the face.

FWIW: I'm back to being a "runner." Two five milers, and a sixer this week. I'm hoping to get my base up, to start training for the Houston Marathon in January.

 

[culdeus]

Worst time of year for me. I think I'll just commute for awhile. I like to workout with a focus of some sort. I guess if I have no focus I can focus on just saving gas and wear and tear on the car.

It's entirely possible I won't do a major event until 2010. I think I'm going to do my World Climbing Tour starting then. Also have some unfinished business in LaGrange. Until then just treasure every free second I can. Probably pull my daughter in the trailer a lot more in the fall. That sort of stuff.

 

[tri-man 47]

Worst time of year for me. I think I'll just commute for awhile. I like to workout with a focus of some sort. I guess if I have no focus I can focus on just saving gas and wear and tear on the car.

It's entirely possible I won't do a major event until 2010. I think I'm going to do my World Climbing Tour starting then. Also have some unfinished business in LaGrange. Until then just treasure every free second I can. Probably pull my daughter in the trailer a lot more in the fall. That sort of stuff.

But that's good stuff!!

 

[prosopis]

My knee is still messed up. It will be two weeks Monday since I went out. I am eating Ibuprofen like m&ms.

 

[El Floppo]

My knee is still messed up. It will be two weeks Monday since I went out. I am eating Ibuprofen like m&ms.

Sorry, man.My come-back got nipped in the bud (temporarily) by a flame up in and around my left ankle- same ankle that gave me problems during my IM training, but now in a different place (achilles area). Sorry state of affairs to have half a dozen runs no more than 3.5 miles put me into trouble. I'll try doing a short, easy run this weekend, and if there's problems, I'll head in to see my doc this week. (and fwiw- the shoes probably only have 100 miles on them)

 

[culdeus]

Worst time of year for me. I think I'll just commute for awhile. I like to workout with a focus of some sort. I guess if I have no focus I can focus on just saving gas and wear and tear on the car.

It's entirely possible I won't do a major event until 2010. I think I'm going to do my World Climbing Tour starting then. Also have some unfinished business in LaGrange. Until then just treasure every free second I can. Probably pull my daughter in the trailer a lot more in the fall. That sort of stuff.

But that's good stuff!!

Oh for sure.

 

[gruecd]

My knee is still messed up. It will be two weeks Monday since I went out. I am eating Ibuprofen like m&ms. :(

Sorry, man.My come-back got nipped in the bud (temporarily) by a flame up in and around my left ankle- same ankle that gave me problems during my IM training, but now in a different place (achilles area).

Sorry to hear about the injury problems, guys. Actually, there must be something going around, because I woke up this morning, and the ankle that I sprained almost six weeks ago--the one that had been feeling almost perfect lately--was sore as hell. I don't know if I slept with my foot turned the wrong way or what, but it really hurt. I don't know if I'm stubborn or tough or stupid (or some combination of the three), but I still managed to complete my 2-hour, zone 1 run at 8:13 pace. I limped through the first half mile or so, and then it loosened up to the point where it was more bearable. It was pretty sore this morning, but it felt better as the day went on, and what's really weird is that now it feels almost normal again. WTF?!!Anyway, planning on another hour at a similar pace tomorrow morning, so we'll see how it feels. Goodnight, all.

 

[gruecd]

Anyway, planning on another hour at a similar pace tomorrow morning, so we'll see how it feels.

Followed up yesterday's 2-hour run with an hour this morning at 8:09 average pace. I was supposed to run 8:15s, but I had a hard time holding myself back, even despite the fact that it was warm and quite humid outside this morning. Ankle felt better than yesterday, but still not as good as it had been feeling. But at least it doesn't appear to be any major setback. I totaled almost 45 miles this past week and 161 for the month of August, putting me over the 1,000-mile mark (1,144, to be exact) year-to-date.

 

[2Young2BBald]

Finishing my last big week of training before the sprint tri I swam yesterday doing two timed 500m pool swims. First one I did was under 11-minutes, the second was almost 13-minutes. I have to think that swimming with less breaks in the action will lead to a little faster time on race day (depending on the conditions). Followed up yesterday with a brick today with a buddy of mine. We met early this morning and went to one of metro-Detroit’s Metroparks. We did 2 very hilly loops of the park for a total of 17+ miles in under and hour and followed it up with a 5K run in less than 23-minutes. My thighs are cashed, but I feel very good otherwise. I drank more than 36ozs of water and still lost 1-½ pounds.

Today’s mission may be to find a better bike. My heavy 1980s Schwinn Continental is serviceable on flat ground, but my buddy killed me on the up hill portions. While I really can’t justify dropping $1500 like he did, I am going to try and find a good used one.

I was so very cool to see so many fit people running, biking and blading this morning. I was a bit tough dragging myself out of bed this morning, but I am dang glad I did.

 

[bentley]

Running the Nike Human Race 10k in 5 1/2 hours. Looking forward to it. It should be a nice breezy 95 degrees at start time. Ought to be a whole lot of fun in the throng at the start.

 

[tri-man 47]

2Young, I LOVE hearing of your tri-progress! Concerning the bike - it would be hard to make a beneficial change at this late point. Do you at least have stirrup pedals that give you better grip? My 'wide' and I will be visiting friends in Va Beach on the weekend of the 13th. I'm catching a 5K down there. But I'll be itching to hear your race report!!

Good, hard week for me - almost too hard.

Tues - 6 mile run with two 1/4-mile long striders at the end; Wed - 40 min swim; Thurs - 8 mile moderate run; Friday am - hour bike; Friday pm - 5 miles with mile repeats; Sat - 2 hr bike; Sun - 8 mile run with some hills.

Took Friday pm off work and hit the track. Did three repeat miles at 6:30/pace with an easy lap in between. But it was about 90 degrees and sunny, so I was getting cooked and verrrry tired. Last mile was a real challenge to maintain distance and pace. Ouch.

 

[pigskinliquors]

2Young, I LOVE hearing of your tri-progress! Concerning the bike - it would be hard to make a beneficial change at this late point. Do you at least have stirrup pedals that give you better grip? My 'wide' and I will be visiting friends in Va Beach on the weekend of the 13th. I'm catching a 5K down there. But I'll be itching to hear your race report!!

Good, hard week for me - almost too hard.

Tues - 6 mile run with two 1/4-mile long striders at the end; Wed - 40 min swim; Thurs - 8 mile moderate run; Friday am - hour bike; Friday pm - 5 miles with mile repeats; Sat - 2 hr bike; Sun - 8 mile run with some hills.

Took Friday pm off work and hit the track. Did three repeat miles at 6:30/pace with an easy lap in between. But it was about 90 degrees and sunny, so I was getting cooked and verrrry tired. Last mile was a real challenge to maintain distance and pace. Ouch.

Great to hear how the training is going 2Young! Unless the course is really hilly, don't worry about a change this late in the game. I rode my first sprint on a 15 year old mt. bike. After watching tri-bikes fly by me, I knew that I'd be buying a bike shortly after the ride (Culdeus did a great job helping me find one!). Having done it on my mt. bike, gave me a greater appreciation for the ride, and gave me a Tri-Man: GREAT week of training! I might not get in a tri this year, so I'm living vicariously through other's endeavors.

2Young: Here's the post that I started for my first tri (just over two years ago). I received great advice in the thread, that you might find useful. Post 26 has my race report, which might help you avoid some of the stuff I screwed up as a rookie. Looking very forward to your race report!

 

[2Young2BBald]

2Young, I LOVE hearing of your tri-progress! Concerning the bike - it would be hard to make a beneficial change at this late point. Do you at least have stirrup pedals that give you better grip? My 'wide' and I will be visiting friends in Va Beach on the weekend of the 13th. I'm catching a 5K down there. But I'll be itching to hear your race report!!

Great to hear how the training is going 2Young! Unless the course is really hilly, don't worry about a change this late in the game. 2Young: Here's the post that I started for my first tri (just over two years ago). I received great advice in the thread, that you might find useful. Post 26 has my race report, which might help you avoid some of the stuff I screwed up as a rookie. Looking very forward to your race report!

PSL, thank you for the link!! I read the whole darn thing and almost bumped it, it was so good (Tri-Man had some great stuff as always & Joe had a couple of great posts). For kicks, lets pretend I did go out and get a bike, lets call it Fuji Roubaix with straps instead of clips. What would be the best way to acclimate myself to this bike?

BTW, I am quite sure I would have not even tried this, this year without the help and support I get here!

 

[El Floppo]

2Young, I LOVE hearing of your tri-progress! Concerning the bike - it would be hard to make a beneficial change at this late point. Do you at least have stirrup pedals that give you better grip? My 'wide' and I will be visiting friends in Va Beach on the weekend of the 13th. I'm catching a 5K down there. But I'll be itching to hear your race report!!

Great to hear how the training is going 2Young! Unless the course is really hilly, don't worry about a change this late in the game. 2Young: Here's the post that I started for my first tri (just over two years ago). I received great advice in the thread, that you might find useful. Post 26 has my race report, which might help you avoid some of the stuff I screwed up as a rookie. Looking very forward to your race report!

PSL, thank you for the link!! I read the whole darn thing and almost bumped it, it was so good (Tri-Man had some great stuff as always & Joe had a couple of great posts). For kicks, lets pretend I did go out and get a bike, lets call it Fuji Roubaix with straps instead of clips. What would be the best way to acclimate myself to this bike?

BTW, I am quite sure I would have not even tried this, this year without the help and support I get here!

 

[2Young2BBald]

2Young, I LOVE hearing of your tri-progress! Concerning the bike - it would be hard to make a beneficial change at this late point. Do you at least have stirrup pedals that give you better grip? My 'wide' and I will be visiting friends in Va Beach on the weekend of the 13th. I'm catching a 5K down there. But I'll be itching to hear your race report!!

Great to hear how the training is going 2Young! Unless the course is really hilly, don't worry about a change this late in the game. 2Young: Here's the post that I started for my first tri (just over two years ago). I received great advice in the thread, that you might find useful. Post 26 has my race report, which might help you avoid some of the stuff I screwed up as a rookie. Looking very forward to your race report!

PSL, thank you for the link!! I read the whole darn thing and almost bumped it, it was so good (Tri-Man had some great stuff as always & Joe had a couple of great posts). For kicks, lets pretend I did go out and get a bike, lets call it Fuji Roubaix with straps instead of clips. What would be the best way to acclimate myself to this bike?

BTW, I am quite sure I would have not even tried this, this year without the help and support I get here!

The thanks was meant for you too. The music started playing to get me off stage before I could thank everyone on my list by name.

 

[pigskinliquors]

For kicks, lets pretend I did go out and get a bike, lets call it Fuji Roubaix with straps instead of clips. What would be the best way to acclimate myself to this bike?

BTW, I am quite sure I would have not even tried this, this year without the help and support I get here!

Other than getting used to going a lot faster, with the same effort, not too much of an adjustment. The first ride I had with my tri-bike (going from the 15 yr. old mt. bike) was 3+ MPH faster than any ride I had had before. My only shock was that it took just as much effort (= it took just as much out of me). For some reason, I thought I'd feel less winded. Also, work on turns at speed, to find what lines work best for you, for in a tri, you are typically going balls out on every turn, and there's a good chance you'll have some congestion at turns (people will try to pass you on turns, and you will most likely be trying to pass during turns as well). Make sure you get a couple of rides on it to ensure a good fit, practice turns, and getting out of the pedals and you should be good to go. Also, practice your transitions to get acclimated to doing things in an orderly fashion after completing the swim and bike.edited to add: I blindly did my first tri with just a six weeks of training. You are going to be so ready for this thing!

 

[2Young2BBald]

For kicks, lets pretend I did go out and get a bike, lets call it Fuji Roubaix with straps instead of clips. What would be the best way to acclimate myself to this bike?

BTW, I am quite sure I would have not even tried this, this year without the help and support I get here!

Other than getting used to going a lot faster, with the same effort, not too much of an adjustment. The first ride I had with my tri-bike (going from the 15 yr. old mt. bike) was 3+ MPH faster than any ride I had had before. My only shock was that it took just as much effort (= it took just as much out of me). For some reason, I thought I'd feel less winded. Also, work on turns at speed, to find what lines work best for you, for in a tri, you are typically going balls out on every turn, and there's a good chance you'll have some congestion at turns (people will try to pass you on turns, and you will most likely be trying to pass during turns as well). Make sure you get a couple of rides on it to ensure a good fit, practice turns, and getting out of the pedals and you should be good to go. Also, practice your transitions to get acclimated to doing things in an orderly fashion after completing the swim and bike.edited to add: I blindly did my first tri with just a six weeks of training. You are going to be so ready for this thing!

I took'er for a test drive this morning. Among other things, I learned what not to do as I derailed the chain playing with the gears too much. I did learn that I can get out of the straps qucik and got the chain back on in seconds. I have to read up on the gears and find just a couple that are comfy for me. The speed difference is silly and I thought it was a heck of alot less effort, but it was only 7 miles. It was so quiet compared to the dinosaur I was riding. I thought the noise of the old bike was the tires on pavement, but I think there was just a lot of friction all over the bike.

 

[gruecd]

Haven't heard anything from RS in a while. I know he's in the process of moving to Minnesota, but it'll be two weeks tomorrow since his last post in here. Less than eight weeks 'til our big relay race. I hope he's ready!

Just an easy 45 minutes for me today at the slow end of my zone 1 pace. Went to the in-laws for lunch and to help my FIL move some furniture, then came home and watched Eric GAG ME squander another lead for the Brew Crew. I'm supposed to run for an hour tomorrow with 25 minutes at LT pace (6:55) sprinkled in the middle, but I'm going to the Brewers game tomorrow night, so it's already going to be a long day. Gonna wait until the sun goes down tonight and see how much I've got left in the tank. If it's cool enough and if I've got enough energy, I might actually attempt a double and do tomorrow's workout tonight. We'll see. Here's what I've got on tap:

15 min w/u at 8:15 pace

10 min 6:55

3 min 8:15

8 min 6:55

3 min 8:15

7 min 6:55

14 min c/d 8:15

 

[gruecd]

Here's what I've got on tap:

15 min w/u at 8:15 pace

10 min 6:55

3 min 8:15

8 min 6:55

3 min 8:15

7 min 6:55

14 min c/d 8:15

OK, now I'm pissed at myself. I honestly didn't feel like getting out of bed at all this morning, but I'm going straight from work to the Brewers game tonight, so I knew that I didn't have a choice. Did the warm-up and the first LT interval without much trouble, but I was sucking wind pretty bad towards the end of the second one. To make a long story short, I ended up 'ing and doing the balance of the run at 8:15 pace (skipping the last interval). It was warm and humid out there (70° and 70%+ humidity), and I honestly think that I would've puked if I'd attempted it--but I still wish that I would've tried. Just upset with myself for being mentally weak. Final line--7.76 miles at 7:44 average pace.

 

[SFBayDuck]

So my first trip back up on the trails since before my 1/2 occurred on Saturday afternoon....and it was brutal. Last time up there I ran 13.1 miles, with 10+ of it on the trails, and did it at a decent pace. This time I couldn't complete a single loop around without having to walk the stairs and uphills a little - the fireroad up to the lake (300 ft elevation gain in about 1/3 of a mile) just knocked everything out of me, and I couldn't recover. It was hot, too, but still, I'm really frustrated with how much I've lost by not doing any hill/trail work in a while. I managed 4.5 miles total, but it was at a brutally slow pace and with my heart rate way too high.

So Monday I went back out again for a long run, and decided to stick to the flats, knocked out 7.5 miles in right around my normal 10:00 long run pace, keeping the HR around where it should be on a long run, at least for the first 6 miles or so. Felt a little better about myself, but amazing how much I lost in such a short time.

This week I'll try and hit that hill and loop again instead of a flat run for one of my 2-3 weekly runs, gotta start working back to where I was, and then probably stick to the flats for one more weekend long run.

 

[RoarinSonoran]

Haven't heard anything from RS in a while. I know he's in the process of moving to Minnesota, but it'll be two weeks tomorrow since his last post in here. Less than eight weeks 'til our big relay race. I hope he's ready!

It's been two weeks??!??!!! Well I'll be, so it is. lol I've been checking in, but y'all haven't given me any straight lines to jump on lately. Yeah, I've been ptts-ing the past three weeks, getting my wife and kids packed up and moved (to Apple Valley MN, southern burb of the Twin Cities). Then add on top of that not sleeping well due to either sleeping alone for the first time in >13yrs or being out of my running habit, and the result is very little running. I started doing some pushups and dips(?? from a standing position, step back and drop to a knee, kinda like a lunge I suppose) last week, but then I needed a couple days off to rest the new achey muscles from the dips. lolRan 2mi in 17:49 on Saturday, and it looks like the heat may soon break (but with a last gasp of 110 later this week), so I should get back on track for the Fall50. The race is my main deadline for getting out of here (hey I made a commitment to gruecd and tri-man, and I'll keep it!), otherwise I'd probably still be here at the end of the year. So, within the next 4-6 weeks, I should be a Southerner-in-Yankeeland. I may have to re-evaluate my goal to run the San Antonio Marathon.

 

[2Young2BBald]

Here's what I've got on tap:

15 min w/u at 8:15 pace

10 min 6:55

3 min 8:15

8 min 6:55

3 min 8:15

7 min 6:55

14 min c/d 8:15

OK, now I'm pissed at myself. I honestly didn't feel like getting out of bed at all this morning, but I'm going straight from work to the Brewers game tonight, so I knew that I didn't have a choice. Did the warm-up and the first LT interval without much trouble, but I was sucking wind pretty bad towards the end of the second one. To make a long story short, I ended up 'ing and doing the balance of the run at 8:15 pace (skipping the last interval). It was warm and humid out there (70° and 70%+ humidity), and I honestly think that I would've puked if I'd attempted it--but I still wish that I would've tried. Just upset with myself for being mentally weak. Final line--7.76 miles at 7:44 average pace.

I am not so sure you are mentally weak. I don't know much, but I think your ankle is telling you its not quite right. No matter how strong your mind is, if your body is not willing it doesn't matter. Why don't you consult your coach or a doc to determine if a short rest would do you some good in the long run? If you have a bum wheel you know you are doing more damage to it and its slowing you down. Just my .

 

[prosopis]

Knees feeling a little better so I took a casual 2 mile walk. Hopefully the knees will stay ok.

 

[gruecd]

I am not so sure you are mentally weak. I don't know much, but I think your ankle is telling you its not quite right. No matter how strong your mind is, if your body is not willing it doesn't matter. Why don't you consult your coach or a doc to determine if a short rest would do you some good in the long run? If you have a bum wheel you know you are doing more damage to it and its slowing you down. Just my .

It's not the ankle. My ankle feels close to 100%. It's just that it was super humid outside, and I was running at my Lactate Threshold, which is difficult to start with. That type of workout is always mentally challenging; it's just that I lost the battle yesterday.

 

[gruecd]

Oh yeah, I've determined that I'm not going to any more Brewers games this year. I've gone to six games this year, and their record is 1-5 in those games. On the season, they're 80-58 (.580 winning percentage). To make matters worse, the game last night went to extra innings, so we ended up sitting there until 10:30; I didn't get home until 12:30, and they ended up losing the game in 10 innings.

The weather was much more comfortable this morning, so I did about 5.6 miles in 45 minutes. I was supposed to run an easy 8:15 pace, but the cooler weather made it feel so easy that I ended up running just over 8's. Tomorrow we're supposed to have highs in the low 60s. Can't wait!

 

[gruecd]

Wow, kinda feels like I'm talking to myself around here....

:crickets:

SRD for me today. It's so nice and cool outside that I was tempted to go out and run anyway. Got up, got dressed, and even headed out the door with my Garmin, but then I thought better of it. It's been a week since my last rest day, and I'll already be pushing 45 miles for the week. Just a slow 4-miler tomorrow morning, and then I'm doing a local half marathon on Saturday morning as a training run. My training schedule calls for 120 minutes at 8-minute pace, so I'll do a 2-mile warm-up beforehand, and then I'll go out and run the half in 1:44 and change. I'll be racing the Fox Cities Half in a couple of weeks, and I need to talk to my coach, but I'm guessing my goal time for that one will be around 1:30.

I hope everybody is having a great week, and hopefully the chatter will pick up around here soon.....

 

[Dash]

No significant updates on my front: did a solid, solo 49 miles on Saturday at a reasonable speed (for me). I'm wishy-washy on doing the full 100 miles at the end of the month because my body has been telling me that my training plan was a bit aggressive for my fitness level. I've backed off the intensity and am allowing more rest and recovery time. Tonight will be the first "hard" workout since Saturday -- and my first spin class in a looooong time. Woohoo!

 

[K-funk]

Hey, y'all.

I wiped out on a 1982 Honda moped on Sunday evening and ended up with a chewed-up knee (taken about 16 hours after the impact), so I'm taking a break from running for at least another week or so. Walking is just a bit uncomfortable at this point, but I'm doing what I can do to keep somewhat active. The cool temps and rains that is the fallout of Gustav have settled on Madison today; a long walk will feel great tomorrow.

 

[gruecd]

The cool temps and rains that is the fallout of Gustav have settled on Madison today; a long walk will feel great tomorrow.

Great weather for running. Crappy time for you to be laid up. Best wishes for a speedy recovery!

 

[2Young2BBald]

Did a "mini" brick tonight doing a 6 mile ride at 19+ MPH and then practiced an immediate tranistion to the the run including taking the garmin off the bike and getting it on my wrist and changing the setting from bike to run. In the other bricks I've done, I did a bit of stretching. Tonight I wanted to go right off the bike and in to the run to see how I felt. I was trying to beat the rain, so I only did 2 miles, but I did them in 14:22. I am not achy like I would be in the week before a 1/2 but I certanly feel like I need a taper of sorts for the next week. I'd like to get in one more timed 500m swim for confidence and would like to ride the bike 2 or 3 more times to keep getting used to the new one, but I might only run a mile or two oer the weekend and then shut it down. Any thoughts on the need for a bit of recovery would be apreciated, knowing that I tend to be more achy than most and have a bit of a case of the dead legs right now. I have to travel next week for work on Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday, but booked a hotel with a pool on Tuesday night so I can get a swim in. One more thing before I forget, any must do or must don't tri etiquite pieces anyone can share?

 

[pigskinliquors]

Prior to a tri; a typically taper my running much more than the other two. For a Sunday tri, my typical week before looks like this:

Sunday: medium length (a little longer than tri distance), slow run; with last two miles at race pace

Monday: medium length ride at pace (close to tri distance)

Tuesday: hard swim workout, with two sets at race distance

Wed: short, slow run

Thursday: ride at race distance, with 10 middle miles at race pace

Friday: ez swim workout w/ one set at race distance

Saturday: practice transitions, hydrate and rest

Sunday: it's go time!

This gives me one full week without a hard run, and 4 days of rest for my legs; and gives me some time swimming and biking at pace.

My .02

 

[2Young2BBald]

My .02

Thanks!! If I could ask for a few cents more, THIS has me freaked out a bit. Its the swim map for the event. If I am reading this right, it looks like their goal is to have all (3) races "collide" in the long stretch and the turn for home. Is this your read, or are they trying to time it out so the sprint group is behind the olympic group and the olympic group is behind the 1/2 ironman? If you think they are chucking us all together, would it be better to hug the bouys or head out a bit in open space? It wont make a difference in the final chute.

 

[pigskinliquors]

My .02

Thanks!! If I could ask for a few cents more, THIS has me freaked out a bit. Its the swim map for the event. If I am reading this right, it looks like their goal is to have all (3) races "collide" in the long stretch and the turn for home. Is this your read, or are they trying to time it out so the sprint group is behind the olympic group and the olympic group is behind the 1/2 ironman? If you think they are chucking us all together, would it be better to hug the bouys or head out a bit in open space? It wont make a difference in the final chute.

That ending does look pretty hanky. Assuming an average time of 10 minutes per 500k and that the final chute is approx. half (though it's a little less), each wave (on average) should hit the shoot at:

Half: at 8:35

Olympic: at 8:50

Sprint: at 8:55

As a spectator it should be great, but it will most likely be quite congested coming in. Go very wide of the buoys as the turn into that chute will be crowded. No matter how small the race is (I don't have any clue how big this one is), this would be a cluster.

Go out slow for the first 50, find your bearings, site often and find a way to get a smooth stroke going. You will most likely take in some water. When this happens don't panic, just catch your breath, and get back at it. It is really easy to go out too fast on the swim. Think smooth, and rhythmic.

 

[2Young2BBald]

My .02

Thanks!! If I could ask for a few cents more, THIS has me freaked out a bit. Its the swim map for the event. If I am reading this right, it looks like their goal is to have all (3) races "collide" in the long stretch and the turn for home. Is this your read, or are they trying to time it out so the sprint group is behind the olympic group and the olympic group is behind the 1/2 ironman? If you think they are chucking us all together, would it be better to hug the bouys or head out a bit in open space? It wont make a difference in the final chute.

That ending does look pretty hanky. Assuming an average time of 10 minutes per 500k and that the final chute is approx. half (though it's a little less), each wave (on average) should hit the shoot at:

Half: at 8:35

Olympic: at 8:50

Sprint: at 8:55

As a spectator it should be great, but it will most likely be quite congested coming in. Go very wide of the buoys as the turn into that chute will be crowded. No matter how small the race is (I don't have any clue how big this one is), this would be a cluster.

Go out slow for the first 50, find your bearings, site often and find a way to get a smooth stroke going. You will most likely take in some water. When this happens don't panic, just catch your breath, and get back at it. It is really easy to go out too fast on the swim. Think smooth, and rhythmic.

They are expecting 500 folks so I'll expect a cluster. As for smooth & rythmic, I think I am sort of smooth and very rythmic. In fact, this is where I think swimming clicked for me this summer, when I could get a song in my head and swim to it to slow myself down. Now, got any tricks to get the wetsuit off my calves faster? I can power it off the rest of my body, but I guess I have freakishly large calves 'cuz its a bear to get off this last part (overnight lows are supposed to be in the mid 40s, so I am wearing the suit for sure). I also went and bought tri pants as the running shorts were not cutting it on the bike and I rather not moon the crowd when taking off the wetsuit. Man I look like a dope in the tri pants, but after swimming, biking and running in them, I like the way the fit, feel and work.

 

[El Floppo]

My .02

Thanks!! If I could ask for a few cents more, THIS has me freaked out a bit. Its the swim map for the event. If I am reading this right, it looks like their goal is to have all (3) races "collide" in the long stretch and the turn for home. Is this your read, or are they trying to time it out so the sprint group is behind the olympic group and the olympic group is behind the 1/2 ironman? If you think they are chucking us all together, would it be better to hug the bouys or head out a bit in open space? It wont make a difference in the final chute.

That ending does look pretty hanky. Assuming an average time of 10 minutes per 500k and that the final chute is approx. half (though it%s a little less), each wave (on average) should hit the shoot at:

Half: at 8:35

Olympic: at 8:50

Sprint: at 8:55

As a spectator it should be great, but it will most likely be quite congested coming in. Go very wide of the buoys as the turn into that chute will be crowded. No matter how small the race is (I don%t have any clue how big this one is), this would be a cluster.

Go out slow for the first 50, find your bearings, site often and find a way to get a smooth stroke going. You will most likely take in some water. When this happens don%t panic, just catch your breath, and get back at it. It is really easy to go out too fast on the swim. Think smooth, and rhythmic.

They are expecting 500 folks so I%ll expect a cluster. As for smooth & rythmic, I think I am sort of smooth and very rythmic. In fact, this is where I think swimming clicked for me this summer, when I could get a song in my head and swim to it to slow myself down. Now, got any tricks to get the wetsuit off my calves faster? I can power it off the rest of my body, but I guess I have freakishly large calves %cuz its a bear to get off this last part (overnight lows are supposed to be in the mid 40s, so I am wearing the suit for sure). I also went and bought tri pants as the running shorts were not cutting it on the bike and I rather not moon the crowd when taking off the wetsuit. Man I look like a dope in the tri pants, but after swimming, biking and running in them, I like the way the fit, feel and work.

Really excited for you, gb- you%re going to do great! Some general things, a lot of which ps touched on.

PRE

- set up tranistion area

- I have an old back-pack I use for a T-bag. I put a couple of big garbage bags and electrical tape inside along with the usual stuff. (I%ve used electrical tape to fix all manner of stuff at the last minute).

- usual stuff= body glide, spare tubes, gels, water, dry clothes for after, bike pump

- make a mental note of where your spot is. make the note again, and again. you don%t want to get confused or lost trying to find your bike after the swim.

- if the bike is left over night, cover saddle and head-set with plastic bags in case of rain or dew. if rain is likely, cover chain-ring and cogset too.

- have a towel laid flat and some water (some people use a shallow dish big enough to step in to wash whatever crud gets on their feet running from the end of the swim... problem is your neighbors will often use it too and splash all over your stuff) to rinse feet. The towel is usually good enough to wipe the crap off your feet.

Bike:

- put bike shoes out fully open (with one sock in each if you%re wearing socks) next to towel

- put helmet, headband, gloves, goggles (helmet at least), on handlebars of bike.

- make sure bike gearing is in an easy gear before racking... you%ll want to spin your legs out from the swim for a few minutes before unleashing the big gears.

- check tire-pressure

Run

- Running shoes next to bike shoes also fully open (speed laces are your friend, but don%t worry about them if you don%t have them).

- running cap/head-band/glasses/gels etc in running shoes.

- Keep a big bottle of watered down sport-drink with you and keep drinking. you%ll be peeing an insane amount (from nerves, mostly), so find a place you can sneak off to to do your business. I use an old soccer trick where I%ll take a knee and pretend to be tying my shoes, but discreetly whip it out and let it go (never in the transition area).

SWIM

- try and find a landmark to site on while you%re getting ready to swim- you%ll probably just be following everybody else, but it%s always nice to be able to just look up and see a water-tower or what not and swim for that- saves you from having to really do sighting.

- start wide and stay wide of the buoys if you%re not too confident yet.

- just concentrate on your stroke and not what other people are doing... even if they%re swimming over the top of you. Don%t take any of it personally, just stick with your stroke and know that you%ve done the work. My first race I goosed some poor woman big-time... repeatedly

- that said, if you find yourself swimming near somebody at roughly the same speed, drop in right behind their feet and let them drag you along. Drafting is your friend. You don%t want to be tickling their feet exactly, but almost.

- wetsuit and calves... body glide the outside of the calves down to the ankle of the wetsuit- this helps it slide over the feet and calves.

- swim all the way until your dragging sand/dirt with each stroke... practically onto your belly... and then get up to walk/run to T1.

- as soon as you get out of the water:

1. keep cap on.

2. push goggles up to forehead, but still on head. (you don%t want to be fumbling with your cap and goggles while running or trying to take your wetsuit off)

3. while running/walking, unzip upper and get out of arms and chest to waist... let hang while running. If you%re feeling confident while running, take cap and goggles off and hold onto them in one hand.

4. thank any and all volunteers and smile of the cameras.

T1

- When you get to your spot, take cap and goggles off and throw into your bag

- Slide wetsuit off. Don%t worry if it feels like it%s taking too long- do what you need to do without falling over and hurting yourself.

- throw/jam wetsuit into bag.

- wipe feet.

- put on stuff inside helmet and then helmet (so you don%t forget).

- socks/shoes/glasses etc

- unhook bike and start running to chute.

- before hopping on to the bike, thank the volunteers (do this repeatedly wherever you see them).

BIKE

- Spin the legs out in an easy gear for a couple of minutes- your body will tell you when to start shifting. The swim/bike transfer is logistically the hardest one to practice (I don%t think I%ve EVER practiced that one), so take it easy on your legs at first.

- At about the same time you start working the gears, take in some water. I%m usually too amped up after the swim to deal with drinking. I like starting with water and then working my way to the sports-drink after I%ve settled in to the bike.

- STAY TO THE RIGHT. don%t be a tool. let people know you%re passing them ("on your left") as you come up on them.... it%s annoying, but it helps, IMO. Get back to the right as soon as you%ve passed somebody.

- Figure out ahead of time where you%re going to want to take in some nutrition... it%s a sprint, so nutrition isn%t as much of a deal, but you%ll probably want to take a gel at some point on the bike. Don%t take it too early or too late- ideally it%ll be a nice long flat stretch where you can down it without having to do a climb (and breathe heavily). If there%s a bike map, figure it out and get a sense of what kind of landmarks there might be to help you find it in person. You may not even need it depending on the lenght of the race.

- Get into a nice cadence and just go.

- DOn%t forget to keep taking in fluids.

- (I%m a heavy mineral sweater, so I usually rinse my face just as I%m coming up to the chute and getting ready to dismount)

T2

- As you roll up to the chute and get off your bike, THANK the volunteers.

- keep the helmet, goggles, gloves etc on as you run to your spot (no point dropping them by accident and then having to fumble for them in the middle of the Transition area).

- Hook the bike

- Helmet off, gloves and goggles (unless you run in them like I do) off and into the helmet onto towel or in bag.

- bike shoes off.

- take stuff out of running shoes and put on (hat, glasses, headband, etc)

- put on running shoes and take off to chute.

- THANK VOLUNTEERS!

RUN

- short, quick strides out of T2- same as the bike, you don%t want to open up your stride until you%ve shook off some of the bike from your legs.

- grab some water on the way out. (squeeze the top of the cups they hand out so that it%s a sliver and not round- keeps from all splashing out, and makes it easier to drink without pouring all over your face.

- like with the bike, once you open your stride keep a good cadence going and get your power mantra running in your head.

- don%t get sucked in to anybody elses% race- run at the pace you know how to run, and not some hot chick who runs by you.

- smile for the cameras and thank the volunteers.

- at the last aid station before the finish, get a cup of water to rinse your face off- my first race, I was buzzing around for a good half-hour after the race all pumped up and posing with friends for pictures... realized later that I had snot and shmutz all over my face for all of those... I know it%s not a big deal, but if you cna remember it, what the heck.

- finish strong, but doesn%t mean sprinting- I%ve had a few friends injure themselves sprinting in at the end of races. It%s going to change your time by- what- 2 seconds? Save yourself the potential injury and just power in comfortably.

- cheer on the fatties who are slower than you.

eta: you may THINK you look like a dope in the tri-shorts, but you%d look like more of a dope at the race if you didn%t have them. Dope-factor aside, they%re one of the few must-have gear items I recommend for people just getting into the sport from a purely functional level.

 

[2Young2BBald]

EF, thank you. That took a lot of time, late at night and I appreciate the detail. I’ve saved it as a Word document so I can hopefully pay it forward for someone else down the road with the information. To help my comfort level, I thought I’d share what I have done to prepare for some of the things you cited and add a few more questions.

Before I start, I think you mentioned thanking the volunteers . I have made this much more a part of my routine as the last year + has gone on. It’s a nice mental boost for me in race and the volunteers love to hear it! For next weekend, we are trying to see if my wife & kids can volunteer to distribute medals, water, towels, etc at the finish. I have an email in to the organizers to see what is available.

For the transitions in general, I am debating between a backpack and a Tupperware tub for my gear. Check in is in the morning, so I don’t have to worry about getting the bike and stuff there the night before. I am leaning toward the Tupperware, but may do both this and the backpack, laying out my stuff in a specific order. In fact, I entertained the kids by practicing T1 last night. I had my son say go and start the stopwatch on the other side of the basement (about 20’ or so away). I had a towel over my shoes, one sock on each and my shirt behind them, with the helmet next to it, glasses inside. Granted this was done in perfect (dry) conditions, but I got better each time doing the swap in 1:16, 1:09 & 1:06 respectively. The practice was very good for me mentally to remember to pull the collar & strap down on the suit right when I get out of the water. I hadn’t thought about a water bottle to wash off my feet, but that will be an addition for sure.

Exiting T1, depending on how congested it is, I can see where I might be carrying my bike vs. rolling it. Is one better than the other? I’ll be in my running shoes as I only have straps on the bike so getting in is, or at least should be pretty easy. My plan is to have my fuel belt ready to be put on at T1. I have tried to use a normal bike water bottle and just don’t like how I lose control of the bike a bit when I reach down. Plus, I end up wearing less water with the belt’s bottles. I can’t see the belt causing me any discomfort (and hasn’t so far) or cause drag that would impact anything. Additionally, this will help me remember to water up at both transitions.

For nutrition, I am a Cliff Blok fan. Having tried a couple of things, I’ve rested on double-sticky taping them to the bar on the bike and taking small pieces throughout the ride when it permits. I think I have gotten to the point where I am more comfortable with the swim than the bike. For both, I think a little slower will be better, figuring I’ll “know” my body best when I get to the run.

For T2, I have practiced taking the Garmin from the bike to my wrist and changing the settings from MPH to running pace. I am not really happy with the effort or time this takes, so I may just use both mine & my wife’s having one on the bike and the other sitting on a ready to put it on my wrist at T2. Not wanting to get DQ’d by a mental gaffe, I plan on keeping the helmet on until I get to my transition spot. My understanding is that they have a PVC post to put my back wheel on. I’m will be in my running shoes, so the plan is to hook the bike, drop the helmet & glasses & go. Depending on how I feel about my hydration I may just keep the fuel belt on. More likely, I’ll take a good drink & drop the belt too. I am only 1.5-miles from the next water station anyway. I practiced going from the bike to run on Thursday literally going right off the bike and in to a run. The Garmin was key here and I am sure it will be on race day. I have a couple of first mile paces in mind depending on how my body feels at this point. I was worried about not stretching before the run part, but after practicing it a few time, I am confident I can go right from bike to run, knowing that if my calves are “crampy” I can always do a quick stretch.

For the run, I am going to try and go out at around a 7:45 to 8:00 pace for the first ¼ mile or so to gauge my legs, figuring I can throttle up if I feel good. I am not a sprint to the finish runner, so I am just planning to find a pace I can maintain until the end.

A few more things I have been thinking about: it’s going to be a bit chilly in the morning that day if the long term forecast holds. Having to check in the gear by 7:30am, but not going off until 8:50, I am planning to not get in the suit until the latest time possible. Once in the suit, I’d like to keep my upper body & feet warm. I have a big long sleeve shirt for my upper body and think I’ll go with some socks I can just pitch for my feet. I am debating between a long sleeve & short sleeve tech shirt for the bike & run part. Right now, the plan is for long sleeve with a short sleeve available at T2 if it heats up a bunch.

We are going up the night before and the plan is to drive the bike course, check out the run route and possibly do a light swim out to the buoy at the first turn on the course, at least getting a good look at the swim course.

Wow, this turned in to a longer post than I expected, but it feels real good to memorialize what is banging around in my head. Thanks again to all for the support & amazing information!

 

[tri-man 47]

K-funk, that knee is going to be a lot of fun when it scabs up tight! Yow.

2Young - the guys gave a ton of good advice already, but I'll add a few comments.

Swim. Looks to me like the swim is set up so that the 1/2-swimmers will pass through, then the Olympic-distancers will do their turn and come behind, then your sprint group will head straight out and be just behind the Olympic. Hanging tight to the buoys gets crowded. You might want to leave some space. You get left and right buoys toward the end, so you should be able to stay on path. The first stretch, though, will have the east sun in your right-turning eyes, so watch that. If you can wade in and swim a bit before the start, that's good to warm up ...and to pee again (yes, in the wetsuit - it's warm!!).

T1. Have a couple small towels or something to quickly swipe sand off your feet. Wetsuit - when you get it to your massive, manly calves (I presume you're peeling it inside out), you should then be stepping on it and lifting the knees high. You could push if off to clear the last couple of inches. Don't try to eat and drink here - save that for a few miles into the bike. Walk/jog your bike along to the exit. Don't carry it.

Bike. I'd recommend the short-sleeve shirt. You'll be OK with the weather. And I'd skip the bike gloves (if that's even a consideration). That just adds more seconds. I'd say: when in doubt, focus on quick spin over a higher gear, especially at the end. If you get a downhill, it's OK to coast for a few breaths!

T2. With shoes already on, drop the bike and helmet and go! You'll get fluids on the course. Don't waste T2 seconds drinking while not moving.

Run. Be ready for the mental challenge ...be ready to man-up, and be strong and tough. You've trained great, but this'll still be challenging as you put it all together. Plan some things to help yourself - push hard around the corners; stay with someone that passes you; don't slack off through the aid stations; and if really tired, try to hook up with a runner with similar stride and 'shadow run' behind them (let them do the work!).

This week: Your plan sounds good ...getting more familiarity with the bike, grabbing a last, short swim (go out hard to simulate the event), and maybe a bit of a run. If in doubt, undertrain, now. You won't get better this week! Graze throughout the week, and drink plenty. Sunday race? Your key meals will be Friday night/Saturday morning. Saturday night should be easy food that helps you poop on race morning.

Final thought: I don't know if I mentioned that for my last tri, I didn't wear my watch. My daughter held it and caught my splits (as did the official timing). That worked very well ...not worrying if I was behind 'schedule,' or expecting to tire if I was ahead of 'schedule.' Think about that - leave your garmin at home or with the family. Just go out and race your best, whatever that might be. You're going to do great!!!