RACE REPORT: 2017 Rev3 Quassy Olympic

Rev3 Quassy Olympic

June 3rd, 2017

I have raced the Rev3 Quassy 4 times (2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015).  Last year, I opted to race IM 70.3 Eagleman instead and to be honest, it felt WEIRD!  It was a good change, but man did it feel odd to be on course the weekend of the race and not be checking my tire pressure, setting up transition, thinking about the water temperature, and such.  This year, I was back!!  And I branched out to try the Olympic this time.  

Funny thing...

We Rev3 Quassy is called the Beast of the Northeast and most consider that the doing of the Half race on Sunday.  It has 3800 ft of elevation change on the bike and 850 ft on the run.  Having raced it four times and trained on it more times than I can recall, it truly is a beast any way you cut it.  

However, the Olympic is just as formidable!  Just look at the elevation change per mile comparison.

Rev3 Quassy Half Bike = 68 ft 

Rev3 Quassy Oly Bike = 68 ft

Rev3 Quassy Half Run = 65 ft

Rev3 Quassy Oly Run = 59 ft

Sure, you can argue that you don't have the same total elevation by the end of the day, but the pain is of the same caliber all day long!

But enough of that.  Let's get to racing!

PRE-RACE

As you might tell from my previous reports, I am 70.3-focused.  However, I am focusing this year on some more intensity with three Olympics before heading back to the 70.3 in September.  So I approached this with as much focus as I would an A-race. I shaved the legs on Wednesday, got a new haircut on Thursday, had my typical carbo-load breakfast on Friday, and tapered much like I would normally.  Everything in place!

The only addition to this was a Thursday night sprint tri.  I would have raced the previous week, but that race was cancelled.  In order to get the cobwebs shaken out, Lake T it was!  

RACE MORNING

Air Temp = 50-60F/10-15.6C (7-9:30a)

Water Temp = 64F/17.8C 

Mostly Cloudy

I live approximately 40 minutes from the race site.  Transition opened at 5:15a and based on previous experience, the front row parking is full about 20-30 minutes before that time.  Therefore, I was up at 3:20am and parked at the race by 4:40a.  Am I type A?, yes!

My morning breakfast was the usual; 3 over easy eggs, 2 pieces of toast, a banana, and a full jar of applesauce.  I would swap my typical 1 hour pre-race Powerbar for a double scoop of UCan protein (chocolate) with half the water, and had a caffeinated GU gel 20 minutes before the swim start.  For an Olympic, I start caffeine right away while at 70.3, I wait until mile 35 on the bike.

Mistakes are getting easier to overlook.

As I began setting up transition, I pulled out my bottles, shoes, kit, socks, gear, etc.  I started to pull out my race nutrition when I realized that I had the UCan hydrate which goes into my aero bottle, but I had left the aero bottle on my desk at home.  Uh-oh!!  At a longer race, yes, that would have bothered me as I know I am not the best at maintaining my hydration throughout a race.  However, given the air temps and shorter format of the race, I let it slide.  That's one thing I'll never forget again!  haha

SWIM

GPS

None.  I don't wear it.

The swim is a clockwise triangle format.  It was angled differently this year to avoid the glare of the sun on the second slide of the triangle.  Whether good or bad, the sun spent most of the race hiding, so there was no chance of being blinded.

I lined up in the front line of roughly 15-20 men for the first wave of the day.  This meant the swim would be smooth, but the rest of the race would likely be quiet.  As the air horn went off, I ran out into the water until I could no longer lift my legs above water.  I dove in and began swimming.  I noticed multiple people to my left and right doing dolphin dives.  For a split second, I thought "Should I do that too?  I don't want to lose ground."  That was quickly answered by the observation that those dolphin diving were not gaining in placement.  I kept swimming. 

The pack quickly divided.  There were a group that broke away early on.  I believe post-race that it was 3-4 swimmers.  As they separated from the main group, I noticed that no one was left on either side.  As is my norm, I found myself in calm, open water.  As much as I would prefer to have a draft and do better with one, I am quite used to swimming alone.

Holy Veering!!

I know I veer left as I swim.  I do my best to compensate for that by shooting right of my target.  But on that morning, my body was determined to head off into the open lake!  I can't even blame other swimmers!!  These are times that I wish I wore my GPS in the swim - so that I could see how far off course I swam.  I did begin to dig into me mentally, but I decided to ask myself as a coach what to do.  I just kept correcting and realized it was something I would have to work on.  I couldn't completely fix the issue right then, so why worry?

I've been working lately on productive mental talk
and today that helped!

As I came to the end of the swim, of course my body had one last laugh at me by mixing up the arrangement of the final two buoys and swinging extra wide.  But I made it to the swim exit, popped up, and continued on all the same.

SWIM = 21:58

Not bad for veering wide for most of the course.

My dad informed me afterwards that this is one way he can always pick me out of a swimming crowd.  I have a specific rhythm in my stroke and I always veer left.  Thanks Dad!! 

TRANSITION 1

If there is one thing to note about the elevation change in the Quassy course, it is that it's spread out quite evenly.  Unlike some courses that have sections of all the elevation gain and others that are quite flat, Quassy has hills all day long; even coming out of the swim!

Out of the water, you head uphill to the parking lot where transition is set up.  They do offer an aid station just before the transition entrance which is nice.

I found my bike, got out of the wetsuit, put on my bike shoes, a pair of light winter gloves, sunglasses, helmet, and was off!!

BIKE

GPS

Screen 1 = Cadence, Mileage, & HR

Screen 2 = Average Lap HR (never looked at it)

Normally, I never put my shoes on in transition, but the bike course begins with... Wait for it... an uphill!  I made the decision to not attempt getting into my shoes while on a hill.  In hind sight, I think I'd go back to leaving the shoes on the bike.

Live and learn!!

However, I did make another first time change that worked out well.  I have raced Quassy Half before with 50 degree air temps at the start.  In my recollection, it was FREEZING for the first 10 miles or so.  I survived and did fine, but it wasn't a pleasant start to the day.  Being that today was even shorter, I knew I wouldn't have as much time to warm up.  Therefore, I opted for the light winter gloves (they cover the full fingers).  It took me extra time in transition, but the bike was much more comfortable.

Ok... Now the course!

The bike course is a single-loop, lollipop format with the first and last roughly 5-6 miles being the same.  As mentioned, the elevation gain is comparable to the Half race based on per mile.  Much of the course is even the same as the Half.  We simply use a different initial/final 4 miles of road and cut out one large chunk of the Half.  Altogether, the elevation is quite spread out.  A forewarning is that it can be tough to find a time/place to take in nutrition as you are busy going up hill, tucking in to fly down hill, or making a turn.  I fell into that pit 3 of the 4 previous times I raced here.

As I predicted at the start line, the bike course was really quiet.  I saw roughly four other riders the entire 24.8 miles.  This makes the race a much bigger mental struggle than being in a pack.  While I don't do my best in these conditions, I believe I've learned to cope adequately.

My silent goal was to hold the HR somewhere between my sprint and 70.3 race ranges.  In a sprint, I am up at 170+ bpm.  In a 70.3, I am around 158-162 bpm.  I held a fairly constant 160-165 bpm for the majority of the race and felt strong about that.  I never felt my body begin to fatigue and was able to put out surges when I needed to.  I do think I could hold the HR higher, but I was happy with the outcome as is.

Nutrition was different today!  As I mentioned earlier, I did not have my front hydration, so I had to remind myself to reach down and grab a frame bottle.  I had guessed that over 5-6 drinks, I took in 10-12 ounces while in reality, it was more like 4 ounces.  I did get in one caffeinated gel around mile 15 and it went in much faster than I expected.  I was happy with that - no GI push backs!

As I came up to the final 6 miles, I began to push.  I wanted the last quarter of the bike to be pushed harder than the previous three-quarters.  It was made a bit easier by the fact that it's net uphill in those final miles.  Mission accomplished.

BIKE = 1:12:48

TRANSITION 2

I spent half of the bike debating what to do in transition.  Normally, I go without a shirt if I'm allowed to - which I am at Rev3.  But it was colder than the typical race, so maybe I would stay in my sleeved jersey.  I raced in it on Thursday as a test and it's not bad.  It isn't as cool as a bare chest, but it is workable.  I did leave the bra in transition as well.  That could be a happy medium.  In the end, it was above my typical 50-degree cut off, so I went without the shirt.

I rolled into transition, racked the bike, took off the helmet and glasses, sat down, put on my shoes, grabbed my gear and ran.  While moving, I put on my hat and race belt and switched the watch to run mode.

RUN

GPS

Screen 1 = Heart Rate

Screen 2 = Pace (I forgot I had put this on there)

What's that in my shoe??

I'm used to feeling like there's something in my shoe.  Just a crease in the sock or rock in the bottom of the shoe.  I kept running a quarter mile until I realized what it was.  On Thursday, the clip to my Lock Laces fell off.  I couldn't put it back on at the race, so I left it in the shoe figuring I'd remember to put it back on the laces Saturday morning.  Nope!  I had even forgotten where I put it until just then.

Funny thing...

I stopped, took off my shoe, got the clip out, put my shoe back on, and continued to run the entire race with that clip in my left hand.  I'd just put it back on when I got home.  But somewhere between the finish line and chatting with friends just outside the finisher's chute, I lost it.  Haha!! 

My goal was to stay comfortable for 2 miles, survive the nasty hill at mile 3, then push mile 5 and 6 hard.  The pace does not reveal this, but my HR does.  I was steady (actually slowly increasing) from the start through mile 4.  Then I spiked up a bit and held it up through the finish.  Again, a process goal complete!!

As I left Quassy, I was about 0.05 miles from "Mais," the athlete in front of me.  He held his distance all the way through mile 3.

As we ran down covered roads, I debated on whether to stop and pee.  I had been wanting to pee since the swim.  I opted not to only because I knew that there were porta johns easily accessible at each aid station.  I'd stick to my rabbit until I absolutely had to leave him.

At mile 3, there was a quick downhill before the nasty hill.  Apparently Mais is not a downhill runner and I quickly passed him.  As we came to the hill, I put my head down and repeated "Just survive" to myself.  No need to overcook the legs here.  I wanted to do that in mile 5 and 6.  Plus, the last time I was on this hill was 2015 and I had to walk it - I was toast then.  I wasn't going to be now.

Another athlete passed me towards the top.  I held with him through 3.5 miles and then he drifted away a bit.  As we hit mile 4, the road begins to decline and I began to push.  With that, I held onto this new athlete (he was in a red, white, and blue kit and in my age group!).  I held onto him through the end but was never able to close.  We both did however, close in on two other athletes in the final mile.  The final 1.5 miles is uphill; the same hill we ran down to start the run.  It's a tough section only because it's the very end and if you've paced it well, you're already pushing hard at that point.  I came within 25 yards of one athlete, but as he told me post-race, he could hear my feet and that was motivation enough to put in an extra push.  We were 4 seconds apart.  I was not unhappy with that finish though.  It was a solid process run!!

RUN = 39:58

FINISH = 2:17:37

POST-RACE

The afternoon of hot flashes.

After I finished, I talked with a few friends and then went to put clothes on as I began to cool off.  About 30 minutes later, I was warm and began shedding layers.  I spent about 1.5 hours spectating and then got cold again - back on with the clothes and jacket.  A little later, off they come.  I would realize the next morning that I likely had a cold, but wow was that a weird afternoon!!

I spent most of the afternoon under the bridge at mile 5.6 of the run taunting people as they came up the final hill.  Then I packed my transition gear, got some food, and volunteered at packet pick up.

All around, it was a GREAT day!!

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QUESTIONS
1.  Have you raced a Rev3 event before?  
Yes, Quassy and Cedar Point.  I'll race Poconos and IM 70.3 Maine (still a Rev3 Race) this year.

2.  Do you race with process goals, metric goals, or both?
I much prefer process goals, but supplement with metric goals at times as long as my perception is matching them.


DREAM.  BELIEVE.  ACHIEVE. 

IMLP Training Camp Report

I know this is quite delayed, but hey!  Better late than never.

Every year, my triathlon club (HEAT) takes a trip to Lake Placid for a training camp.  Many of the athletes are training specifically for Lake Placid, but some are just there for a good training weekend or to enjoy the comradeship of the group and the tons of other athletes out on the course.

I headed up Friday, June 21st, right after work.  A friend, Paul, and I packed my car with our two bikes and all our gear and made the 4 hour drive up to Lake Placid. 

I am amazed at how much my Fit can... well, fit in it.

We arrived around 8:30p, missing the Friday meeting, but there really wasn't any information that we didn't already know.  We went straight to the hotel and laid out our stuff for the weekend.  It was going to be a long weekend of beating up our bodies.

FRIDAY

Optional 4-5 mile run

SATURDAY

1.2 mile swim

56 or 112 mile bike

2-3 mile run (or more if desired)

Dinner

SUNDAY

Swim clinic

1.2 mile swim

13.1 mile run

We went to bed early.  I was up by 5:45a or so thanks to my internal clock.  I got some food and once Paul was up, we headed down for our 7am swim in Mirror Lake.

Mirror Lake

We had a group of maybe ten of us heading out.  The water felt a little chilly at first (67 degrees), but was nearly perfect!!  There were buoys in the water for the skulling races on Mirror Lake.  Thankfully I wasn't the fastest swimmer in the group, so when the lead swimmer stopped and started treading water to tell everyone to turn, I took note of the location and headed back to shore. 

SWIM

1.2 miles

30:26

15:13 out

15:12 back

Thankfully, the water was so incredibly calm and I ended up swimming faster back than I did on my way out.  Bonus!!  Then it was back to the hotel to change for the bike.  Once ready, we met in the parking lot and headed out.  Thankfully, we had Sonic Endurance on hand for training help and increasingly important as the day continued, our roaming aid station.  Shaun from Sonic Endurance took our extra bags and we headed out.

THE BIKE COURSE
We had the option of making a single or double loop of the Placid bike course.  As you head out of town, there are some decent rollers.  Then you hit the major downhill going all the way to the turn in Keene.  The downhill goes for approximately 7 miles at 25-50 mph.  You can get some crazy speed down the hill!!  Once you make the left in Keene, you have the closest to a flat section you'll get.  There are some small rollers, but all the way from Keene (mile 15) to the end of the first out-and-back section (mile 36) is flat.  Then you take a right and start climbing.  The final 20ish miles are a net gain in elevation, but opposed to what some other athletes had me believing, there are plenty of flat or downhill breaks.  I had expected 10-15 miles of continuous uphill.  Part way back to town, there is another short out-and-back of roughly 2 miles each way.  After that, you go through what is called Baby Bear, Mama Bear, and Papa Bear; the final hills going back into town.  I only recognized Papa Bear from the descriptions they gave me, so apparently they're not as bad as I had believed beforehand.

I made it back to town in roughly three hours.  I tried my best to keep the first loop comfortable so that I didn't put myself in a position of hitting the wall on the second loop.  So far, so good.  I stopped with everyone else and got more fuel from Shaun before heading out again.  

On the first loop, I had been taking a gel every 25 minutes and sporadically taking in my Perpetum and water.  On the second loop, I took along my Coke and switched to my clear glasses as some storm clouds started darkening the sky. 

Early on the second loop, the guys I was with took off, leaving me to try and pick up my pace.  I tried compromising with my own desire to control the pace and ended up doing my best to go my own pace as it started to sprinkle and the number of athletes out on the course dropped.  At this point, I started taking swigs of my Coke as my mind started wanting to give up on the ride.  Happily, it worked and it pulled me back into it.  This time down the crazy hill, I tried to go without my brakes; didn't work.  I had to use them on the last couple of S-turns. 

I caught back up with my buddies on the flat section, but due to the rain, they skipped the out-and-back and I was out on my own for the last ~32 miles.  At the end of the first out-and-back, I was SOOOOOO glad to see Shaun drive by.  I had about 1/4 of a bottle of water left and 20 miles of hills ahead of me.

Savior Moment #1

The final hills went well and I kept taking swigs of my Coke.  I picked up that trick from Mirinda Carfrae hoping it would help my run.  At this point, all I could tell was that it helped keep my mental game in check and tasted so good after over 5 hours of gels, water, and Perpetum.

BIKE

112.24 miles

6:06:28

18.34 mph

I switched into my running shoes and headed out for an undetermined distance run.  I headed out and went out the short out-and-back portion of the run course.  I made it out, took a quick break while watching a photography session for a wedding (crazy things you'll see on course), and then headed back.  On the way back, I passed a friend who looked like he was having some trouble.  He helped me out on the bike, so I stopped and walked with him all the way back to his hotel.  Once he left, I headed back out for more of a run.  Overall, I clocked time for 2.64 miles and then did a little extra jogging/walking to warm down.

RUN

2.64 miles

17:25

6:36 / mile

Official opinion on Coke - AWESOME!!  That, or I paced my bike well enough to give me plenty of energy early in the run.  Who knows how long I'd be able to hold that pace, but I felt great!  Once showered and dressed, we headed to dinner.

With a much better habit of getting in my fuel on training and racing trips, I hadn't felt very hungry as we went to dinner.  However, once the food was in front of us, I couldn't believe how much I ate!  Three full plates of ribs, chicken, potatoes, and corn and I only started to feel full.  Then it was time for much needed sleep!

Sunday I woke up at the same time and we headed down for a swim clinic prior to our regular swim.  We worked on swimming around buoys, tips on drafting, exiting the water, and then stroke analysis.  The cool part was that it was coached by Jeff Stuart, a member of the 1980 U.S. Olympic swim team (the year we boycotted the Olympics), and the record holder for the 10-mile swim.  This guy was a little crazy, but damn is he a good swimmer.  Not only that, but he refuses to wear a wetsuit even down to 40 degree water.  Wow!!

Here's a video that Paul took with his GoPro.  It's a great look at what a swim start or even just the triathlon swim looks like.  And that is me in the red/orange cap ahead of Paul.

Then out for another 1.2 mile swim.  This time, I was the fastest swimmer, so when I got to the turn around point, I stopped and waited for the other swimmers.  Funny, around 3/4 the way out, I looked back and they were a buoy or two behind me.  When I got to the turn around, there was no one.  After a minute or two, our swim clinic coach came out and swam back with me. 

SWIM

1.2 miles

28:35

13:53 out

14:31 back

When I got back, everyone else had turned around where they assumed the turn around was.  That at least explained why I was left alone out there.  I thought I was the only one with enough energy to make it and I had started by wondering if I should cut out early.  Haha

Finally, we went back and changed for the run.  One loop of the 13.1 mile course. 

THE RUN COURSE
You head out from the oval down the hill and past the horse barns to Riverside Rd.  That whole stretch is flat to downhill.  Riverside Rd. is a roughly 3.5 mile out-and-back with rolling hills.  Then you turn back towards town, climb two major hills, take a right at the oval (yes, you go past the finish line... 3 times!!), do a short 1 mile, flat out-and-back, and then repeat. 

And we're off!!

I was able to make it nearly to the first turn around on Riverside Rd. without stopping; roughly 6 miles.  The problem with that road is that it twists and bends constantly, I didn't know where the end was, and I was told two separate times that there was "only about half a mile more."  Well, that works once, but not twice to keep me going.  After that turn around, I slowed to a walk/run and started taking my Coke.  This time around, I discovered that while the boost helps to keep me going, my stomach doesn't like it much.  I don't feel sick in any way, but I throw up the Coke within the next half mile.  I may have to look into caffeine salt pills or another drink. 

Either way, I made it back to town and just as I'm half way up the final hill, Shaun comes by.

Savior Moment #2

He yells out the window "You good?"  In  my head, I'm thinking "How in the world do I look good?!  The last fill up I had was at least 3-4 miles ago.  I'm horrible!"  All I got out was "WATER!"  I refilled my handheld, took a swig of gatorade and was off.  I had previously decided that the extra turn around was out of the question, but now replenished, I couldn't say no.  Unfortunately, I was racing the clock on this one.  We had a late check out at the hotel for 12:00pm.  After finishing and checking back in with Shaun, I got to the hotel at 11:45am.  15 minutes to shower, pack, and get out!

RUN

14.87 miles

2:08:19

8:38 / mile

"How did you go nearly 15 miles on a 13.1 mile course?"  My thoughts exactly!  We had an extra 0.5 mile at the start I knew, but I found out that the marked turn around on Riverside Rd. was well past where it should be.  Thanks!!  So I could have cut out the last 2 mile out and back and been perfect. 

Overall, the weekend was well worth the trip.  I got first hand experience with the course, made my own conclusions on how to attack it, got some tests in with the Coke, got a lot of miles in, and had fun with some triathlete friends. 

I'll be back next year!!

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Questions
1.  Have you ever been to a training camp?
This was my first experience and a great one!

2.  Do you take trips to check out the race course you're racing on?
Either way, what's the furthest you'd go to check out a course?  1 hour away, 3 hours?...

3.  I know many of us have used the Coke on the run course, but has anyone had experience with Coke on the bike?


Dream.  Believe.  Achieve. 

HITS North Country 70.3 Tests

This Saturday I am toeing the line yet again.  This time it's the HITS North Country 70.3; another half ironman!!  This race, however, is not a priority.  It's a chance to test some things out and see what I might want to do come Ironman Lake Placid in July or FIRMman in September.

Here's a little insight into my thoughts of going into this race...

New Course
HITS purchased the North Country Triathlon this past fall.   The race has offered a Sprint and Olympic in the past and in true HITS nature, they added an Open, Half, and Full to the weekend.  This means that the course is brand new and there is no previous opinion to be found on it.  Looking at the elevation maps below, it looks to be a relatively flat course, but with a single massive hill in both the bike and run to make it all the more interesting.

Bike Elevation Map.  Talk about a hill out of T1!!

Run Elevation Map.

Support?  What's that?
HITS does not pull a large field.  HITS pulled 100 racers for one of their fulls within the last year, but that's the most.  I'm not expecting more than maybe 50 people.  With that said, I can't expect there to be many racers on the course to keep my mind occupied.  And with so few racers, there's even less of a chance of having much support, so I'm planning to carry almost everything I need with me.  Along with that, not many spectators will be coming to watch the show.  Overall, I'm really expecting this to seem like a half-way put together training day with a bunch of crazy triathletes. 

With that said, this will be the perfect race to use as a training exercise to test some new things out.  I can't expect to be fully supported as I'm used to.  I won't be pumped up as I usually am by all the other racers.  And I have no idea what to expect for the course conditions.  Oh, conditions!  Here's the forecast...

Looks like a fun day to race, huh?!

Ok, onto the tests I'm going to do.  I'll go down the race section by section to make it more concise.

SWIM

• Swim hard!  I'm a swimmer and despite the fact that I'd prefer to draft and get practice, I can't expect to have many swimmers better or as good as me.  I'm not being egotistical; I'm saying I know I'm a much better swimmer than most and with a smaller field, the chances become smaller of getting a draft zone.  So there's no use in planning on it.  I'll swim my own race and see if I can maintain as good a pace as I did at Rev3; roughly 30 minutes.

BIKE

• Slower than normal pace.  I have been unable to nail the run the last two years due to what I feel is a bike leg that takes too much out of me.  Therefore, I'm going to slow down the bike to what at Rev3 might be a 3:00-3:10 (adding 10-20 minutes) in order to attempt getting off and being ready to run.
• Nutrition every 20 minutes.  The only exception allowed is an upset stomach.
• Coke as the last bottle.   I tried this at IMLP training camp and it helped.  It should help give my run a boost.  

RUN

• Run hard!  I would ideally like to see a sub-1:40 run and have it feel pretty moderate.  I doubt it'll feel that good, but I'd like to know that I can get off the bike and really make use of my running ability!
• Take a gel every 3 miles.
• Carry water, but take HEED / Coke at aid stations

POST-RACE
Birthday Cake!  It's my mother's birthday the next day and I have to drive past her house on the way to the race, so I'm spending Sunday with my mom!!  =D

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Questions
1.  Have you ever done a race just for testing purposes?
This will be my first test race.  But for $75, you can't get a better deal.

2.  What do you do differently for wet / raining races?
I'll lower my tire pressure to allow for better grip, but given the temp, I'll still dress and race normal otherwise.


Dream.  Believe.  Achieve.  

Ironman Lake Placid Training Camp

This weekend I will be in Lake Placid getting a first hand view of what I'm in for in July.  This could be great or I could realize how much of a bad decision I made a year ago by volunteering for this race in order to sleep outside a gym and sign up for this year's race.  *sigh*  Only one way to find out!

There are some 20 members of my tri club heading up to swim, bike, and ride the whole course.  Some are training for Placid themselves and others are just using the training camp as a great weekend training for other races.  Or maybe they're scoping the course out before signing up; who does that?!

With my calf issues behind me (*crossing fingers*), and my hip adductor tension 90% gone, I'm excited for this weekend's training.  I won't make it up for the Friday evening short run due to work, but I'll make the Saturday/Sunday swims, Saturday's 112 mile ride, and Sunday's 13.1 mile run.  Woohoo!!  And the weather is somewhat cooperating thus far. 

Rain I can deal with.  Thunder & lightning might put a hamper on our activities.

I'm excited to see what the course is like and to test some new things out:

• More frequent nutrition intake on the bike.
• Greater Perpetum concentration on the bike.
• Half bottle of Coke at the end of the bike.
• Cruising the first bike loop and kicking up the second.

This puts me 5 weeks from Ironman Lake Placid and just one week from HITS North Country 70.3.  The pre-race jitters are starting to settle in from time to time.

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Questions
1.  Have you ever been to a training camp?
I've been to summer camp.  That's as close as I get.

2.  When's your next big race?
Ironman Lake Placid in just over 5 weeks.


Dream.  Believe.  Achieve. 

There's no such thing as bad weather...

"There's no such thing as bad weather, only weak runners."

~ Chelsea Neville

I woke up this morning and decided semi-spontaneously that I should either swim or bike before I go for my run.  I debated the pros and cons of each and well, my lazy economically aware self decided that I should stay home and hop on the trainer instead of driving to the gym to hop in the pool.  I put Jack Black's Gulliver's Travels on and jumped on the bike.

The movie was good; nothing spectacular, but it was entertaining enough to keep me riding for over an hour, just over 25 miles.  I cycled for a straight 40 minutes and then took a breather.  I hopped back on, kicked up the gear, and rode for another 28 minutes.  When I was done, I was drenched!  I may very well have to setup one of my standing fans early this year.  

After the bike, I figured "Ok, time for my run."  That's when I became aware of what was going on outside of the confines of my room's four walls; a lot of this...

Rain is one of few forms of weather that will stop me from exercising outdoors.  Something about rain just gets to me.  Unless I'm at home with a good book, a back porch and a comfy chair, I really don't like rain.  I'll take snow instead any day of the week.  But today, I looked at it differently and ran anyways.  No weak runners here!  Knocked off three miles in 23 minutes. 

Now I am about to eat some dinner (it is cooking while I type this, yay multitasking!).  Then hopefully it's back over for another attempt at 3:10 to Yuma; no promises though. 



PS: If you remember, I mentioned last Thursday that I'd have some reviews early this week.  I'll have a short-term review of the CEP All Sport Compression Calf Sleeve tomorrow.  I may push the short term review of my bike trainer to next week in order to give myself some more time to get rides in on it and form a fuller opinion. 

Questions

1.  How did your training week start off?  Wrong side of the bed?, or like a rocket?

2.  Are you a weak runner?  Is there a type of weather (precipitation or temp) that will stop you from going outdoors?
Rain normally stops me.  I presume hail, sleet, tornadoes, and hurricanes would stop me.  Temps over 90 F are too much, and anything around 0 F gets a bit cold.

3.  How are you at multitasking?  Do you own it?, or are you a one-thing-at-a-time type person?
On a grand scale, I am the worst multitasker EVER - I go from one project to another, but once I switch, that last one is lost.  On a minor scale, I always tend to be cooking and blogging, eating and organizing, cleaning and brainstorming for work, working and writing workout schedules, etc.  I'm odd.


Stay fit.  Stay healthy. 

Ondale! Ondale!

I'm only two days into this training schedule (with multiple weeks of seat-of-my-pants training behind me) and I feel great!  With the longer warmup and some stretches, the shins have been feeling good and my legs feel really good too.

I ran the same exact path today as I did yesterday - a three mile out and back - and when I headed out, I let my body find whatever pace it wanted to go.  I wasn't going to push myself today because Wednesdays will be my mid-week recovery runs.  Anyone who knows me knows that short recovery runs don't go well.  haha  I made it a mile before the evil plan hatched!  I'll continue on to the turn around at the current pace and then see if I can high tail it back and beat yesterday's time.  The whole "recovery run" thing will work much better once I get Wednesday's distance higher than Tuesday and Thursday.  But until then...

I hit the turn around at about 11 minutes and had to beat a 10:21 on the way back.  The nice part about this course (and part of the reason I run it so often) is that it has gentle hills.  My mind works best when you give me small little tasks to complete (i.e. make it to the corner, just to the top of the hill, ease down this hill, final stretch) as opposed to one straight and flat shot.  Anyways, I felt great on the way back.  I wasn't pushing it hard, but I had it a notch higher. 

I finished in 21:07, fourteen seconds faster than yesterday.  And to beat that, I felt better today than I did yesterday.  Double bonus!!

Keeping my watch on hand will certainly be a threat to slower pace days (I have a lot to teach my competitively oriented mind still), but it's fun to keep track of pace!  The true test will be seeing what pace I hold for Saturday's long run (6 miles); 7:45 maybe?

Questions

1.  How was your workout today?

2.  Do you ever have spontaneous challenges mid-workout that you simply can't refuse?
The two goals of a coach - as I've always been told - are to tell you when enough is enough and to make sure you're pointed in the right direction.  I need a coach!


Stay fit.  Stay healthy. 

Expensive Habits

I have an expensive habit.  No, I'm not hooked on drugs.  I don't stop at every starbucks for a $10 half-cup of coffee.  I even periodically shop at the Salvation Army, so I'm not a fashion or shopping snob.  I'm a triathlete.  

Today was my first run in...  well...  a long time (maybe a month).  I'm feeling much better (over my nasty cold), so I'm shooting to race in a 5k this weekend that I promised to do with a couple of friends.  Given that fact and that it's dropped in temperature significantly since I last ran, I had to find a set of winter running gear for Sunday.

I picked up a pair of Pearl iZUMi running gloves from Fleet Feet Sports in West Hartford for $30.  Then I ran over to Target and got a wind-breaker jacket for $24.99 and two long-sleeve moisture-wick shirts on clearance for $1.98 and $3.48 each (yay clearance rack!!).  I invested $60 today and I know there's plenty more to get simply for winter training, not to mention what I'll need come spring for the next triathlon season or what I'll pay this coming year in entry fees alone.

I decided I need to compile a list of my triathlon investments.  Are you ready to see how much a triathlon lifestyle is?  Starting from late May of this year through today: 

Gear:
Road Bike.......................................$300........Craigslist
Bike Helmet....................................$20..........Target
2x water bottles...............................$7............Wal-Mart
Triathlon shorts................................$70..........Newington Bike Shop
Headband & Bandanas....................$10..........Target
3x Moisture-wick sleeveless shirts....$15..........Target
Watch with timer.............................$12..........Target
Sunglasses......................................$19...........Target
Hex-Key Set (allen wrenches).........$7.............Lowe's
Bike Pump......................................$30...........Central Wheel
New Bike Tire................................$30...........Newington Bike Shop
Non-cotton running socks.................$15..........Dick's Sporting Goods
Moisture-wick running shorts...........$15..........Boston Running Co.
Headband.......................................$3.............Hartford Expo
Axics running shoes.........................$106.........Fleet Feet Sports
Running gloves................................$30...........Fleet Feet Sports
2x Moisture-wick long sleeve shirts...$6............Target
Wind-Breaker..................................$25..........Target
TOTAL:..........................................$750


Entry Fees:
USAT Membership..............$39
4x Spring Triathlon...............$100
Park City Oly.......................$108
Litchfield Oly.......................$103
Nancy's 5k...........................$18
South Park 5k.......................$20
Hartford Half Marathon........$55
TOTAL:...............................$443

GRAND TOTAL: $1193

Now, I will give myself the benefit that the initial costs are always greater.  Once you are set with the bike, got all the racing / training clothes, and gear, your continued costs are mainly the entry fees.  But given entry fees alone, in the upcoming year I plan on running a half marathon (~$50), a marathon (~$75), maybe another four sprint triathlons ($100), hopefully a couple Olys (~$200), and two half-Ironman (~$550), I'm looking at roughly $1000 in entry fees this coming year alone.  The following year is my ultimate goal of the Ironman which has an entry fee of roughly $600 as a single event.

At this point, while I fully support the idea of giving your business to local, privately owned shops (the local running or biking shop, etc), I have to admit that for most people, this sport requires cutting a LOT of corners and those shops can be a bit pricey.  So I have no problem checking out the clearance sections at Target, looking on Craigslist for used gear, or attempting for periods of time to see if you can get away without certain items.  I'm personally on a college student budget.  So this sport has sucked quite literally half of this past 6-7 month's savings.  I don't have a new, shiny bike, a wetsuit, clipless pedals, bike shoes, or even an official triathlon jersey, but I make it work.  I didn't believe it when I started, but as a convert I will pass along my personal stamp of approval.  It's true - this isn't just a sport, it's a lifestyle.

For my own financial sake, I hope I can get a job simply to support this habit.  haha

Ok, dinner time.  Ciao!!

Indecisive Weather

I'd like to start with a picture I took at the beginning of this week:

Monday, November 8th, 2010

And then today we hit 63 degrees.  I go outside and I quickly find my sweatshirt is a bit excessive.  A couple hours later, I even debated whether I should have worn shorts today instead of pants.  So in one week I've gone from having to put on a shirt and arm warmers back to running with only my shorts and shoes.  I find myself torn.  On one hand, I've always been a rather enthused fan of winter weather.  However, with the constant workouts, a part of me would prefer it remain in the 50's so I don't have to run with a shirt, arm warmers, jacket, spandex, gloves, etc.  But for now Mother Nature has found it just as hard to decide what season to stick with; at least I'm not the only one.  =P

What season do you prefer?  Are you a solid summer person?  Or do you get excited at the first snow of the year?  Maybe you are in the middle and simply like the change every so often.  Let me know what you think; leave a comment.

Today was another short workout.  I have a show to go to tonight and wanted to be sure I had time to cook tonight since I don't have any leftovers to grab in my typical rush.  My runs have gotten better and I believe I figured out why I had started getting a pain on the outer part of my right forefoot.  Despite the running shoe stores telling me that I slightly over-pronate, it feels as if I run more on the outer portion of my right foot (as if my foot tips inside-up & outside-down).  My left foot in comparison certainly hits flat and feels much different.  I'll keep focusing on trying to correct it a bit or testing whether I correct it naturally at different speeds or intensities. 

Today's Workout:
1.  Warm up: Elliptical; 1 mile forward, 0.2 mile backwards, 0.2 mile forward, 0.1 mile backwards (heart rate up to ~160)
2.  Pulley Front Lats (10 reps with 80,80,90 lb)
3.  Pulley Front Bicep Curl (10 reps with 80,80,90 lb)
4.  Pulley Front Triceps (10 reps with 80,80,90 lb)
5.  Push-Ups (20 reps)
...Repeat #2-5 for a total of three sets

6.  Squats (10 reps with 90,100,110,120,130 lb)
7.  Bench Press (5,10,10,10,10 reps with 120,90,90,90,90 lb)
...Repeat #6 & 7 for a total of 5 sets

8.  Side Plank Twists (15 reps per side)
9.  Crunch Ups (10 sit-ups & 10 crunches)
10.  Russian Twists (20 reps with 20 lb) 
...Repeat #8-10 for a total of 3 sets
10.  1.5 mile run

Depending on what I'm up to tomorrow, I may end up doing a workout at home instead of going to the gym; I'm semi-expecting to not have the full 2 hours to get down to the gym.  I've seen a few power sets for home on youtube that will be worth giving a try. 

Ciao!

Time for Reflective Tape!

Today was a short day.  I wasn't able to get to the gym until mid-afternoon.  I decided I should avoid any calf workouts to see if it helped my after workout run and that ended up turning into "if I'm going to run after, then I can skip the 4th power set, right?"  haha  Either way though, I wasn't home and ready to run until just after 5 o'clock and if you haven't noticed, it's already dark by then.  It's CRAZY!!!  So I officially decided I need reflective tape or a reflective vest; while my bright white legs should still suffice as a "hey, don't hit me" signal, I'd prefer to alert oncoming traffic a bit more efficiently when I run at "dark" (I can't even call it 'night' 'cause it's still too early).

On another note, I heard from a two time Ironman today that he suggests Gale Bernhardt's 13 Weeks to a 13 Hour Ironman training guide.  He used it for his first Ironman race and got a 12:40, which is good for a first time racer.  I'm skeptical of how well this will train you for a full Ironman race, but it was suggested to me by someone who succeeded with it, so it must have some validity.  From my previous reading, I've found most people train for roughly 6-9 months for a full Ironman.  Either way, I can certainly see how the normal person (non-professional athlete who balances training with kids, a job, a significant other, and other responsibilities) would gravitate towards a training schedule that says you only need to put in just over 3 months of pure Ironman training.  I'm getting a big smile on my face just thinking about the day I officially start my full Ironman training.  =D

Today's Workout:
1.  Warm up: Elliptical; 1 mile forward, 0.2 mile backwards, 0.2 mile forward, 0.1 mile backwards (heart rate up to ~160)
2.  Recline Bench Press (10/10/6 reps with 130 lb)
3.  Seated Bicep Curl (10/10/6 reps with 55/50/50 lb)
4.  Push-Ups (20 reps)
...Repeat #2-4 for a total of three sets

5.  Squats (10 reps with 90,100,110,120,130 lb)
6.  Push-Ups (20,15,15,10,10 reps)
...Repeat #5 & 6 for a total of 5 sets

7.  Oblique Lift (10 reps with 25 lb [back] & 30 lb [side])
8.  Reclined Sit-Ups (10 reps)
9.  Russian Twists (20 reps with 20 lb) 
...Repeat #7-9 for a total of 3 sets
10.  1.4 mile run


I pressed myself with the push-ups today.  I enjoy how difficult such a simple exercise can be after doing weight lifting.  I managed to do 130 push-ups in total.  I used the reclined sit up bench today in an attempt to increase the difficulty level for my abs, but I have to focus on not straining my neck too much.

Ciao!