Foot Strike Controversy

What is your thought on the whole heel vs. mid-foot vs. forefoot strike topic?

One of the admins of a running group I help coach just posted an article on our Facebook page that generally talks about heel striking as a bad move and that you should alter it in order to avoid injury.  Following that right up, a member of the group who is a running coach and physical therapistreplied arguing that heel striking has never been correlated to higher injury risk and she used a study to support her claim.

The study I believe she used was Hasegawa, 2007 (she only said "a 2007 study," but the stats she uses match up).  This study looked at elite athletes at the 15km mark of a marathon and classified everyone as either heel, mid-foot, or forefoot striker.  Then, it compared that to ground contact time to foot strike and finish time to find any significant correlations.  Overall, it showed that heel striking had a much longer ground contact time and correlated to a slower running pace. 

She simply used the fact that 74% of the field was heel striking at the 15km mark as her evidence that heel striking is perfectly okay.  She ignored, however, that as you limit the field to faster runners, that percentage decreases and mid-foot increases and that the study never talks about foot strike in the confines of injury.  

So I responded correcting her conclusion on the study and using another study - Daoud, 2012 - as counter to her argument.  The article was also brought up on Runner's World. 

This study retrospectively analyzed collegiate cross country athletes, their foot strike patterns, and their injury history.  Overall, 74% of the athletes had a moderate to severe injury throughout the year and of the injured athletes, those with a heel strike has double the injury rate independent of sex, race distance, and weekly mileage.  However, the study does not point out a cause of injury, simply a correlation. 

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Questions

1.  What are your thoughts on the foot strike controversy?
I personally believe a move away from heel striking is a move towards a lower injury rate.  

2.  Have you ever attempted changing or simply analyzing your foot strike?
I spent a lot of 2011 changing over to a mid-foot strike.  


Swim fast.  Bike smart.  Run hard. 

Training Week Review (03/19 - 03/25)

TOTALS
Swim - 5250 yards (2.98 miles)
50% increase in weekly mileage

Bike - 60.51 miles in 2:31:16 at 24.2 mph
0.5% increase in weekly mileage

Run - 20.44 miles in 2:32:35 at 7:28 pace
56.5% increase in weekly mileage
13.9% decrease in speed

MONDAY

OFF

TUESDAY

CROSSFIT

5 Rounds

5x Deadlift (105lb)

10x Burpee

15x Box Jump

R1 = 1:14

R2 = 1:27

R3 = 1:25

R4 = 1:29

R5 = 1:21

TOTAL = 6:59

SWIM

1750 yards

500 FBB

10x 50s swim

5-1/1-5 Pyramid

250 FBB

WEDNESDAY

RUN

4.14 miles in 29:53 at 7:13 pace

BIKE

(trainer)

25.5 miles in 1:00:15 at 25.39 mph

THURSDAY

RUN

6.13 miles in 44:41 at 7:17 pace

** I was bored with the idea of pacing a specific time,

so I ran this as a fartlek.

It worked well **

FRIDAY

CROSSFIT

21, 15, 9 for time

Clean (95lbs)

Tricep Dip

TIME = 8:41

SWIM

2000 yards

500 FBB

10x 50s Catch-up/Swim

4,3,2,1 swim

10x 50s swim

4,3,2,1 swim

SATURDAY

RUN

10.17 miles in 1:18:01 at 7:40 pace

** That evening, I discovered I had a sunburn.

A sunburn.

I live in Connecticut and it's March! **

BIKE

(trainer)

10.99 miles in 0:30:12 at 21.83 mph

SUNDAY

SWIM

1500 yards

500 FBB

500 swim (free)

500 FBB

**  My back still felt incredibly sore/tight,

so I decided to make the swim as a stretch.  **

YOGA

BIKE

24.02 miles in 1:00:49 at 23.47 mph

** I tried everything I could to convince myself this ride wasn't necessary.

In the end, it probably wasn't, 

but I didn't want to see my mileage decrease. **

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Questions

1.  How was your training week?  


Swim fast.  Bike smart.  Run hard. 

Limits According to VDOT Calculations

Since the Leprechaun 5-Miler, I keep thinking "Since I ran faster than I expected, where does that put me for expected marathon or half marathon times?  What is my actual limit?

"And what should my training speeds be?"  I know a lot of people suffer in their race performance because they train at either too slow or too fast of a pace, so I'm always curious where I should be at. I decided to check some numbers.  Therefore, I plugged the 5 mile time into the VDOT Calculator and here's what it told me...

Expected Times for Given Distances

1-Mile - 5:27

(My guess is I can beat that)

5 Km - 18:40 (6:01 pace)

(I think I can beat a 6:00 pace)

10 Km - 38:42 (6:15 pace)

(This might be a challenge)

Half Mary - 1:25:40 (6:32 pace)

(Really?! That's roughly 0:45/mile off my PR)

Full Mary - 2:58:47 (6:49 pace)

(I should be able to get a BQ?!?!)

Training Paces

EASY = 8:01/mile (<25% of mileage)

(Happy to see that.  I like 8:00 as an easy pace)

Threshold pace = 6:26/mile (<10% of mileage)

So what does the 5-mile PR mean?  Apparently that I should be able to BQ and do so under 7:00 pace.  My confidence level in this calculation is not very high, but it brings up interesting questions.  I even dug a little deeper and plugged in my half and full mary times on the VDOT calculator to see how much the predictions were comparatively.  Here's a summary of the data in a graph.

It seems that my PRs (granted, the half and full times could be better), are showing that my body does not stick to the VDOT algorithm.  

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Questions

1.  What are your thoughts on the VDOT Calculator? 
How accurate do you think it is over the range of distances?

2.  Do you train according to specific paces - heart rate, PR times, or anything else?
I don't have specific zones, but I run based on perceived effort, which I admit is not the most accurate.  


Swim fast.  Bike smart.  Run hard. 

Training Week Review (03/12 - 03/18)

Race week (albeit rather impromptu) #1

TOTALS
Swim - 3500 yards
133% increase in weekly yardage

Bike - 60.22 miles in 2:36:02 at 23.16 mph
26% increase in weekly mileage

Run - 13.06 miles in 1:25:32 at 6:33 pace
23% decrease in weekly mileage
33% decrease in time spent running
13% increase in speed

MONDAY

OFF

TUESDAY

RUN

4.18 miles in 0:30:55 at 7:24 pace

WEDNESDAY

BIKE

(trainer)

25.11 miles in 1:00:10 at 25.04 mph

THURSDAY

RUN

1.94 miles in 12:12 at 6:17 pace

1.94 miles in 11:53 at 6:08 pace

FRIDAY

SWIM

2000 Yards

500 FBB

Pyramid (1-5-1)

Pyramid (5-1,1-4)

250 FBB

BIKE

13.06 miles in 30:16 in 25.89 mph

SATURDAY

BIKE

(trainer)

8.0 miles in 20:00 at 24.02 mph

SWIM

1500 yards

500 FBB

10x 50s on 0:10 rest

2x 4,3,2,1

SUNDAY

RUN

(Leprechan 5-Miler)

5 miles in 30:32 at 6:06 pace

BIKE

(outdoors)

14.05 miles in 45:26 at 18.56 mph

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Questions

1.  How was your training week?  


Swim fast.  Bike smart.  Run hard. 

RACE REPORT: Leprechaun 5-Miler

What a way to kick off 2012!

The 20th Anniversary Leprechaun 5-Miler

Pre-Race
As you know, I hadn't planned on running this race until mid-week and I didn't register until late Thursday.  My only race-specific run was Thursday, so it was the classic C Priority race, run completely off the fly.

Going into the race, I knew my best 5k time was 6:14 pace and my 4 mile speed run was 6:12 pace.  Holding 6:12 for an additional mile seemed tough, so I figured 6:24 would be a safety pace and 6:12 would be my goal.

Three of us met up and drove down together.  It was supposed to be about 50 degrees, but it only hit 45 by race time and the sun didn't have any intention of attending.  As we stepped up to the line, I took the risk and tossed the shirt to the sideline.

Race
Four little girls shouted "Ready. Set. Go." and we were off.  I had it in my head that I wanted to run the first two miles at a sub-limit pace (maybe 6:20) and then pick it up from there, so I started out the gate at a steady pace and quickly took the lead.

That didn't last long.  Less than a quarter mile down the road, two guys passed me and I let them go.  "Just hold a steady pace" I kept telling myself.  We rounded the 1 mile mark and a guy was yelling out times.  "Five twenty!"  ...wait. What?!  I looked down at my watch - 5:44.  He was off twenty seconds, but that's still faster than I wanted to go.  As one runner mentioned, "The damage is already done!"

We hit a straight away and I heard a guy's GPS beep.  Assuming it was the mile tone, I hit my watch at that point - 6:05.  Much better, but I was already feeling the hole I had dug myself into in the first mile.  "Just keep it steady!"  The third mile had a couple really small inclines which I was happy to see; something to break up the race.  Just after the first incline, I heard another set of feet coming up behind me.  Coming up on the half way point, I decided I couldn't let them pass me.

Turns out it was the 2nd place female and she thankfully sat on my heals for the next mile.  It was the push I needed to maintain my pace.  The straight away on the way back was killer.  I kept thinking "ok, just to that house," but I'd get there and it'd keep going.  Mental killer!  

I hit the four mile mark at 24:14.  If I just held an easy 7:00 pace, I'd be under 32:00.  I was so close.  I pulled onto what I was positive was the final road and kicked it up a notch, though I could tell my body didn't want to hold it long.  As it should be with every race, my body did not have the kick for the finish, but I crossed as hard as I could.

Official Time = 30:32

6:06 pace

Post-Race
I just ran a sub-31 5-Miler!  I didn't know what the pace was, but I knew it was under my 5k PR pace.  Therefore, it's about time I crush my 5k PR. 

I grabbed my shirt, stuck around to see my friends finish - who both crushed their own goals - and then headed in and got some food before heading home.  It was a lot of fun running with friends!  I'm definitely going to have to do it again.  But for a 5k next time around.

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Questions
1.  What PRs are you out to break this year?
Now I'm gonna' have to crush my 5k PR, but I've got my eye on my Sprint, Oly, Half Mary, and Half Iron time this year. 

2.  Are you good at pacing yourself?
I'm horrible at pacing myself.  While I prefer the idea of running by feel, I know having a GPS for a time would help me. 


Swim fast.  Bike smart.  Run hard. 

First Race of the Season

This Sunday marks the beginning of the 2012 Race Season for me!

The 20th Annual Leprechan 5-Miler

Madison, CT

A friend of mine at the gym asked me to join him at this race.  I figured it'd be more fun making a short road trip with him and running together than to go to an alternative local 5k on my own. 

With that said, I have never raced a 5-miler.  Should it be just over my 5k pace?  Should it be well over?  I have no idea.  Granted, my best 5k time was the first one I ever ran and that was in 2010, so I'm not sure I can use that for gauging current paces.  Therefore, I decided to test myself. 

Two one-mile out & back loops.

The first mile would be a faster than normal warm up pace (knowing my body will still be 'warming up'), the second at a solid pace, the third and fourth attempting to push the pace harder each time.  Keep in mind that the 'out' portion of the loop is net uphill and the 'back' is downhill.  My guess at mile times were 7:20, 7:00, 6:40, and 6:20.  Here's how it went...

Mile 1 - 6:24

(Holy be-Jesus!)

Mile 2 - 5:59

Mile 3 - 6:13

Mile 4 - 6:01

Average pace - 6:12

With those paces, my goal for this weekend's 5-Miler is at least sub-32:00 (6:24 pace) if not 31:00 (6:12 pace).  

I also want to point out that my fastest 5k time is 19:30 (6:14 pace).  I just broke that on a training run!!  I guess I'm going to have to fit in a couple individual 5ks this year to see where I'm at.  

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Questions

1.  Have you ever run a 5-Miler?  If so, do you race it any different than your 5ks?

My plan is to go out at roughly 6:20-6:30 pace and try to negative split the back half.  Sound reasonable or should I just gun it for the goal pace from the start line?

2.  Do you test your PRs every year at each distance or do you focus on one or a few at a time?

Last year I didn't race anything shorter than a marathon.  I'd like to keep a range of distance races in my schedule this year - 5k on up to full iron. 

Swim fast.  Bike smart.  Run hard. 

The Big Year

I don't have a tv and I've lived without cable for seven years now.  I do, however, watch a lot of movies.  I'll watch them while on the trainer, cooking, or even just while sitting around relaxing with a nice hot heat pack and a foam roller (and probably a pizza!).  I'm by far no movie buff, but I certainly have strings of movies that disappoint and then some big surprises.  Tonight, while making dinner and cleaning, I had a bit of a surprise.

Source

The Big Year.  A 2011 comedy with Owen Wilson, Jack Black, and Steve Martin.  I'm a fan of Jack Black, but not always of the other two.  Still, I saw some good reviews and thought "why not?"

The movie is about birding; that is, going out to look at birds.  More specifically, it is about - as the title lends itself - what's called a Big Year - an informal competition to see how many different species of birds they can see or hear throughout the span of one year, restricted to a specific geographical area

Overall, the movie was great.  Plenty of funny lines here and there, a great story, and the way the characters play off one another was very well designed.  The big surprise came in the underlying them that I didn't expect.  

The Big Year is an informal competition.  There are no prizes.  There is no formal panel of judges.  It's each man and woman out for themselves to do the best they can.  The story takes three people of various backgrounds who strive towards a similar goal for three very different reasons.  The big shot Big Year record holding birder strives to maintain his status and does birding full time.  The wealthy business owner who is torn between his two desires in life, maintaining his wildly successful business and his life long dream of going for a Big Year.  Finally, the unsuccessful thirty-something guy who lives at home and who is reaching for a bigger-than-life goal while draining both his and his parents bank accounts.  Makes for a great bunch, huh?

Throughout the movie, you see what each character goes through in order to stay on pace with the current record.  They go through the normal bad weather, inconveniences, and such.  But they also have family issues, friends who stab them in the back, and risks they're left taking.  I won't ruin the ending for those who want to watch the movie, but it all came together when in the end, the characters reflect back.  The movie leaves you with a final question...

Was it worth it?

As always, these types of movies make you think about your own life.  First off, what is your "Big Year"? 

1. What's your big goal this year?  
2. And maybe more importantly, what do you have to sacrifice to get there?  
3. Do your friends and family support you?  
4. Does your goal put a strain on your life at home?  
5. Is there a balance you have to find between your big goal and work?  
6. When it comes push to shove, which side wins out?

I really do hope that everyone has a "Big Year" (their personal goal) and that their family and friends support them in pursuing it.  And I hope that we all reflect enough on what we have so that when the moment comes, we know what things are and aren't worth risking to reach that goal. I also hope that each of you recognize what your family's or friend's goals are and are just as supportive of them as you'd like them to be of you.  Here are my answers...

1. A sub-10 hour Ironman
2. Time, food I like, savings, vacations, nights out, visiting family, weekends, eating out, spending time with friends, any chance of a dating life, and more I'm sure...
3. They do for now, but apart from my roommate and whoever pops into work, I don't see many people.
4. I'm single and no one depends on me, so I'm taking advantage of that while I can.  Family visits become tough as they realize I have to fit them in around my workouts.  
5. I'm thankful that work compliments my goal, but as with any activity, it cuts into potential workout times.
6. I find work comes before workouts, but workouts come before most anything else (even the taxes that are still sitting on my desk).

So here are my only two questions to you...

What's your big goal this year?

What are you sacrificing to pursue it?

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P.S.  I did Crossfit and a 4 mile run today.  So don't give me that "oh gosh" look when I tell you there's a half eaten roll of cookie dough in the fridge.  It was only $0.90 (on sale with a double coupon!).  You should be happy there's any left. 


Swim fast.  Bike smart.  Run hard. 

Tri-filled Weekend

I'm not even going to try to structure this.  The following is a completely random list of happenings and thoughts from the weekend. 

Please feel free to interject with your own thoughts or advice!

CycleOps Joule 2.0
Awhile back, my sister found a CycleOps Joule 2.0 at one of my triathlons.  I contacted the race organizer and CycleOps to try and figure out who's it was - we all hate losing these things.  The race never had a report of it being lost and CycleOps said it was never registered.  So guess who now owns a CycleOps Joule 2.0?!  This kid!

Before I can use it though, I need to the mount unit, and a sensor.  The mount unit is easy.  The sensor might be interesting though.  I want a dual speed and cadence sensor, but at first I read that dual sensors don't work.  Then apparently a firmware update is required.  So if you have a suggestion for a good ANT+ dual speed/cadence sensor, I'm all ears! 

Wetsuits

I have a half Rev in early June and a full Iron in late October, so I thought it might be prudent to look into a wetsuit.  I went to the LBS and tried on a sleeveless 2XU ST:3 at the recommendation of their resident 12x Ironman. 

First off, these things are just as difficult to put on as they seem.  Yes, this was the first time I tried on a wetsuit.  The only problem I had was that the neck seemed tight.  I know it's supposed to be tight enough to keep water out and prevent chaffing, but if I put my head down, my face would have been beat red in a matter of 60 seconds.  I thought "maybe they're all like this."  For shits and giggles I also tried on a full sleeve TYR Hurricane C1 as well.  OMG, there's no way I'd wear a full sleeve at a race!  The only thing I did like of it was the neck; it was so much more comfortable. 

Do you have a wetsuit?  Are they all tight around the neck? 

LA Fitness & Swimming

After two full months of running and biking, I finally added swimming back into the mix.  It was between Bally's and LA, but in the end, LA has yoga classes as well as a better pool despite that it's a little further away.  But WOW am I out of swimming shape! 

Running Shoes
I've been running in the Pearl Izumi Streak IIs all this year and I've absolutely loved them.  I'm about 150 miles in and I know I'm going to need a new pair by mid-summer.  I've been debating though whether I might try a different pair.  I've been looking at different shoes and I really want to try the Pearl Izumi ISO Transitions. 

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Questions

1.  Any suggestions for dual speed/cadence sensors?  
Is the Garmin GSC-10 good or need I spend more money on something more mid-level?

2.  Do you own a wetsuit?  Is there always a tightness in the neck?  

3.  What shoes do you run in?  Has anyone tried the Pearl Izumi ISO Transition?


Swim fast.  Bike smart.  Run hard. 

Training Week Review (03/05 - 03/11)

This is recovery week #2.  

TOTALS
Swim - 1500 yds (0.85 miles)
That's an infinite percentage over all the time combined from the new year until now!

Bike - 47.9 miles in 2:00:46 at an average 22.48 mph
29% increase in weekly mileage (should have been higher)
33% increase in time spent in the saddle (should have been higher)
2.7% decrease in average speed

Run - 17.11 miles in 2:08:16 at an average 7:30 pace
10% decrease in weekly mileage
6.7% decrease in time spent running
4.2% decrease in average pace

MONDAY

BIKE

11.11 miles in 30:17 at 22.02 mph

RUN

2.94 miles in 22:43 at 7:44 pace

TUESDAY

STRENGTH

WU: Spin Bike

3 Rounds...

Plank - 1:00

10x 5s hip extension

Plank Touch (10 for each side)

McGill Crunch (10 on each side)

Plank Opposites (10 on each side)

RUN

4.18 miles in 30:37 at 7:19 pace

** I had planned a Crossfit workout for after my run,

but I felt empty afterwards.

So given the recovery week status, I called it quits.  **

WEDNESDAY

BIKE

11.21 miles in 30:14 at 22.25 mph

THURSDAY

RUN

3.86 miles in 25:45 at 6:40 pace

** I was supposed to bike Thursday,

but as you saw HERE, I couldn't help myself.

It was 62 degrees and I couldn't in good conscience give that opportunity up.  **

FRIDAY

CROSSFIT

5 Rounds...

10x Clean Squat Thrust (75lb)

10x Pushup

400m Run

R1 - 2:58

R2 - 3:17

R3 - 3:15

R4 - 3:18

R5 - 3:39

TOTAL - 16:29

SATURDAY

BIKE

25.58 miles in 1:00:15 miles at 25.42 mph

SUNDAY

YOGA

SWIM

1500 yards

500 yd - Alternating Free, Back, Breast

5x 100 IM

1-4 Pyramid (1,2,3,4,4,3,2,1)

RUN

6.13 miles in 49:11 at 8:01 pace

** My goal for this run was to hit my Ironman goal pace, 8:00.

I was surprised how much I had to slow myself down.  

It became a very 'mental coach' run, 

but I did pretty well and the run felt easy (yay!).

Now I just have to quadruple the distance 

and match the pace after 2.4 mile swim and a 112 miles on the bike and I'll be set.

Here's to big dreams! **

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Questions

1.  How was your training week?  
Recovery weeks seem to become a 'Train on the fly' type of schedule, but it was still a decent week.  I'm happy about having swimming back in the equation. 


Swim fast.  Bike smart.  Run hard. 

Summer, What?!

As most of you know, this Winter indeterminate season we are currently in is...  well, just that; undetermined.  One day is snows.  The next day it melts.  One day it rains and is cool.  The next it feels like apple picking season.  Heck, even the geese are back already, though I wish I had access to the database of tagged geese.  I'd love to know how many times they've gone North and South this year.  They may have small brains, but even they have to be wondering what the heck is up.

Amongst all this back-and-forth, we had a rather warm day this past week.  As mentioned HERE in my training review, Saturday had an impromptu warm afternoon, so I bumped my long run up and headed out for a nice 9.6 mile run.

March 3rd, 2012

As you can tell (no running tights, sleeveless shirt), it was a warm day; 50 degrees.  It was March 3rd in the upper northern hemisphere for gosh sakes!  We're supposed to have a foot of snow and hear everyone grumbling. 

After that run, I thought "Ok, I've run sleeveless in both February and March.  I'll put it away until a freakishly warm day in April."  It turns out the cycle of warm and cold days was shorter than I thought.  After running some errands this morning and writing up workouts for this afternoon, I couldn't bear letting a 62 degree day go by without a run.  You read that right...

62 Degrees!!!

March 8th, 2012

Heck with sleeveless.  I went no shirt!  And I don't know if it was the mental factor of being happy back in my preferred running outfit (or lack thereof) or the fact that it's a recovery week (which by the way have been lacking recovery speeds), but I ran my 3.86 miles at 6:40 pace without a skip. 

Just because it's funny - I sent my mother the above picture knowing she'd have a response worth a laugh.  Right on cue, she responded "You look naked!"  I'm sure in her head I now am the guy who streaks around CT for my training. 

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Questions

1.  Have you been having freakishly summer-esque weather lately?  If so, have you been making use of it?
I'll run in the cold if need be, but any chance I get to fit my runs in on warmer days, I'll jump at.  I just wish I had more time today so that I could have done my long run for the week instead of waiting until tomorrow.

2.  What is your ideal running outfit and/or conditions?
In training, I love temps around the 60 mark, but for races, I'd prefer about 50.  I prefer going shirtless only because I hate the feeling of a shirt sticking to me while I run.  I do also like the occasional run in the rain.


Swim fast.  Bike smart.  Run hard. 

Training Week Review (2/27 - 3/04)

Totals
Swim - 0 yards

Bike - 36.93 miles (1:30:28 at 24.62 mph)
70% decrease in mileage
79% decrease in time in the saddle
43% increase in speed

Run - 19.11 miles (2:17:27 at 7:12 pace)
36% increase in mileage
29% increase in time spent running
4.6% increase in speed

Monday

YOGA

Tuesday

RUN

4.24 miles in 31:09 at 7:21 pace

CROSSFIT

10,9.8.7.6.5.4.3.2.1 Reps for TIME

Burpees

Body Squats

Box Jumps

TIME = 6:43

Wednesday

BIKE

12.62 miles in 30:15 at 25.04 mph

Thursday

RUN

5.28 miles in 37:28 at 7:06 pace

**  I already posted about this run HERE. 

It was rainy, cold, and I really didn't want to go run.

I compromised with myself to do at least 3 miles

and ended up doing more as I felt amazing!  **

Friday

BIKE

24.31 miles in 1:00:13 at 24.22 mph

Saturday

RUN

9.59 miles in 1:08:50 at 7:11 pace

**  Due to an impromptu beautiful 50 degree afternoon which followed a cold, dreary morning,

my long run got bumped up from Sunday.

I've run sleeveless in both February and March now.

 

My first 2 miles were around 7:40 pace.

In light of the distance, I kept my effort constant, but my speed kept increasing of it's own accord.

I felt so strong and I could have easily gone further.

This was a feel-good run!!  **

Sunday

OFF

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Questions

1.  How was your training week?



Swim fast.  Bike smart.  Run hard.

Training Week Review (2/20 - 2/26)

Totals
Swim - 0 yards

Bike - 123.65 miles (7:21:21 at 17.16 mph)
100% increase in distance
192% increase in time spent on the bike
31% decrease in average speed

Run - 14.03 miles (1:45:47 at 7:32 pace)
35% increase in distance
46 % increase in time spent running
8% decrease in average speed

Monday 

RUN

3.56 miles in 26:43 at 7:30 pace

YOGA

Tuesday

BIKE

18.88 miles in 45:12 at 25.06mph

CROSSFIT

5 Rounds for TIME
10x squat-clean-thrust (65lb)
10x pushup
400m run

TIME
Round 1 - 2:58
Round 2 - 3:03
Round 3 - 3:00
Round 4 - 2:59
Round 5 - 2:46
TOTAL - 14:48

** This is my favorite Crossfit style workout!
The biggest time factor in each round was the treadmill speed.
I'd prefer to repeat this workout on a track to eliminate that variable.  **

Wednesday

BIKE
12.77 miles in 30:16 at 25.31mph

RUN
1.94 miles in 14:20 at 7:23 pace

CROSSFIT
 Burpees for TIME

50 Burpees
1st 25 = 1:24
2nd 25 = 1:55
TOTAL = 3:19

25 Burpees
Time = 1:32

** This began as a Time Trial for 150 burpees.
After 25, I changed my mind and did 50.
Next time I'll make this an AMRAP **

Thursday

RUN

8.53 miles in 1:04:44 for 7:35 pace

Friday

YOGA

Saturday

OFF

** I had work 7a-5p, went straight to a friend's fight after work
and had to rest before Sunday's big fundraiser.  **

Sunday

BIKE

92 miles in 6:05:53 at 15.53 mph

** This was the Jim Calhoun CardioRaiser.
I spun for just over a straight six hours!  **

** I used a trainer from my LBS and found it had a much greater resistance than my own.
I'm sure my trainer would have given me a faster average speed.
I'm considering upgrading my trainer since I spend so much time in my top gears.  **

Swim fast.  Bike smart.  Run hard.

Jim Calhoun CardioRaiser Raffle Winners!!

Ok, so it's six days late, but a win is a win; am I right?! 

We had twelve prizes...

Let's see who's getting a package soon!

Thanks to Random.org, here are your Jim Calhoun CardioRaiser winners...

Christine

$35 Road ID Giftcard

Road ID "Wanna Go For A Ride" Vintage T-Shirt

Road ID Trucker Hat

Suzanne

$35 Road ID Giftcard

Road ID Visor  

Honestly, it's going to be hard to let the visor go.  I might very well have to get one of my own!

Also, Suzanne might get my award for the most chuckle worthy blog title ever!

Karen

Box of Peanut Butter GU

Aimee

Box of Strawberry Chomps 

Road ID Trucker Hat

Shannon

Canister of Lemon-Lime GU Brew 

Coy

Road ID Vintage T-Shirt  

Linh

Road ID Trucker Hat

Congratulations to all the winners.  But more importantly, THANK YOU to everyone for supporting such an amazing cause! 

Send me your address at my email...

becominganironman (at) hotmail (dot) com

And a big THANK YOU to Road ID and GU Energy Labs for their support as well.  I don't race without either company and I'm so happy to be associated with both of them. 

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If you're curious about how I made out with the 6 hours of spinning, I'll say this for now:  When the last instructor told us "That was the last song.  You guys are done.  ...unless you want another one," I told her "bring it on!"  I can't be sure if it was my competitive nature or my delirious mind that spoke up though.  =P  Surprised?

I should have a report up by Monday. 


Swim fast.  Bike smart.  Run hard.  

I'm On Fire!!

Today is a run day. 

Yesterday it started snowing at about noon - heavy, wet, slushy snow - and wasn't supposed to let up until ten this morning.  It may have been a run day, but it certainly did not feel like one when I woke up.  Twenty nine degrees outside with a winter mix coming down and plenty of puddles & slush piles to step in.  Ugh!  Who wants to run in that?!

Trust me though, I'll run in that before I touch a treadmill.  

I'm the total opposite of EMZ, the Treadmill Master  

We may not understand one another, 

but we have a mutual respect.  haha

Either way, I mapped out my run and headed out.  I compromised and told myself "If it's really that bad, I'll cut a bit out of the run, but I at least have to do 3 miles."  Well...  I didn't have to worry about that.  About a mile into the run, I felt like this...

But looked more like this guy:

Around 1.5 miles into a 5.28 mile run, I mentally checked in on myself.  I felt good and figured I was running a rough 7:30 pace.  I felt that was pretty good, so I decided to try and maintain it.  The pace felt comfortable.  Then with a rough 0.75 mile left, I kicked it up a notch.  With a distance of what I thought would take 4:00 to finish, I started the mental calculations.

The run in total was around 5.25 miles.  Assuming six miles and 8:00 pace, that's 48:00.  I looked at my watch...

34:xx

Ok.  Maybe the calculation is too rough.  Let's assume five miles and 8:00 pace - that's 40:00.  That gives me 6:00+ to finish, which is pretty easy.  How about five miles at 7:00 pace - that's 35:00.  With a quarter mile extra, I might be hitting....  WHAT?!

On a run that I didn't want to do in the first place, where my feet are soaked, my thumbs are numb, and I've changed distance decisions multiple times, I might be under 7:00 miles?!

I hit the finish at 37:28, officially 7:06 mile pace.  Super pumped!!!  And my heart rate was only up to 146 at the end of the run.  Love it!  Let's see where my 9 mile run takes me on Sunday.

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Questions

1.  Do you ever find that the runs you don't want to do end up being the best ones?
Maybe it's the fact that my mind is focused elsewhere and I'm not pushing for a time.  

2.  Would you run in snow?, rain?, slush?  Or do you hit the treadmill in those conditions?
I've run in rain, snow, a hurricane, snowstorm, 100+ degrees, -10 degrees...  Mentally, I can't take a treadmill.  You don't go anywhere.


Swim fast.  Bike smart.  Run hard.