May 2005 Archives

My season started Sunday. At 18 weeks of formal training, I'm now ready to start really testing my fitness. First up, the Mad-City Half Marathon. (You may have already read my race report, so I won't go into the specifics here.) The week started off normally, but then quickly reduced intensity to rest for Sunday's race. I still managed some good time and mileage. I even got to bike with Kris on Saturday. This weekend we'll be in Milwaukee for to visit friends and participate in the 50-mile loop of the Miller Lite Ride for the Arts. Later in June, the season continues with my first triathlon, the Wisconsin Triterium in Verona. I'll be doing the sprint course. After that, I hope to be in Pardeeville on July 2, and then in Racine for the Spirit of Racine Half Ironman on July 24. Training peaks in mid-August before I taper three weeks before September 11.

Now that the half marathon is over, the remainder of my training will concentrate on time in the saddle, and less in the shoes. The bike leg of an Ironman course is 79% of the 140.6 miles. Right now, according to my training log, only 74% percent of my mileage has been on Sting. (Based on average speed, 54% of my race time will be on my bike. To date, only 45% of my exercise time has in the saddle.) The biggest advice Nelson, an IM Lake Placid finisher, has given me is to spend time on the bike. With only about 100 days left, I intend to do just that. (Running's really not my thing anyways.)

Even though there's a day left of training, I'm totalling the month of May today, 'cause it just makes things easier. Things are just a bit less than April as I missed few workouts with some illnesses and work. By being on the bike more, you'll really start to see things jump in June.

May 29, 2005
Madison, Wisconsin

Bib: 1545
Overall: 623/1680
Division: 60/110 (M25-29)
Sex: 407/728
Half-way time: 53:29
Overall time: :56:35
Chip time: 1:55:34
Pace: 8:49

Part of the reason the Mad-City Half Marathon was on the list was the commitment of Kris' friends to run it together. I convinced a co-worker to do the same, and we formed ourselves a posse. To properly prepare, we invited everyone over for our carbo-loading pasta pot-luck dinner. The conversation was lively, and the food excellent. You know you've got some serious cooks when the Jell-O is the most overachieving dish on the menu.

Unfortunately, my GI system acted up Saturday morning, most likely from the Olive Garden dinner the night before. I didn't have a solid session for the twenty-four hours leading up to Sunday's race. I held out hope that things would solidify over night and be peachy keen before the start at 7:38. It wasn't to be so. I did what I could and we headed out to start the race, not sure what would happen with my body on the course. Bathroom location could be a serious issue.

We got to the start line as they were finishing the National Anthem for the marathoners. They left at 7:30, and we left eight minutes later. So this was it. My longest run yet in my biggest event to date. It's really getting serious. It didn't take long to get to the starting mats and then around the square to Johnson Street. In preparation for the race, I jogged the first four or so miles of the course more than twenty-five times. At the time, I did it to have a regular route for training, but as I jostled for position, I realized how much all those runs paid off. There was no need to worry about the route. I had it memorized and could focus on the race and my pace. It also built my confidence, knowing that I had done this so many times, it became just another training run.

At the first major turnaround a late marathoner ran by, splitting off from us half-marathoners, we ran over our encouragements chalked on the pavement for the group, and I passed Kris. It was awesome seeing her cheering us on. Our conversation was simple:

"Where's your sweatshirt?"

"Tammy." I pointed behind me.

"How are you feeling?"

"Good." And gave her a thumbs up.

Short and sweet, my one word answers drew chuckles from the runners around me.

Slowly at first, the miles ticked off. The only bathroom issue for the entire run was some nervous/anticipation sensation customary at the begining of races. That sensation slowly dissappated as I ran. At the halfway point, we crossed more timing mats and I'm at 53:29 - under pace for the under two-hour goal. Upon seeing the turnaround past picnic point, I could see that I had nailed the route exactly in my training runs. It continued to give me a huge confidence boost to know I had done this so many times before with one less thing to worry about.

Just past seven miles, I passed Kris one more time. Ever the eager fan, she was yelling out compliments with the camera pressed to her face, taking pictures the entire time. She was a trooper, biking from spot to spot, cheering on our group and many of the other runners. Many groups of fans were sad to see her support move on to the next spot. Sadly, she was unable to meet me again on the course. I really enjoyed seeing her. It was hard not to think how important she and everyone else will be for the Ironman.

Around mile 9, the lead marathoner at that time passed me, followed two minutes later by the eventual winner. At that point, they were about seven miles ahead of us, and were just about to break away from us half-marathoners for the second time. They were running really, really fast.

At the next water station, I took the Gu packet out and gulped it down with some water. Within a minute, I could feel the effects and was able to pick up my pace. At the 10-mile mark with a 5K left to go, I could feel the under two-hour goal within reach. Everything was on track. I started to pass lots of people, keeping the stride as short as possible, and letting things all hang out. It was nothing but clear sailing all the way to the finish line, crossing it, and getting my finisher's medal. Everything went so well, it was nearly anticlimactic. I crossed the line 1:56:35 after the gun went off, and 1:55:34 after I crossed the starting line. Everyone had a successful day, enjoying brats at the World's Largest Bratfest, listening to the half-marathon winners' times put ours to shame.

I'm touch sore in my right calf and hip, but overall feeling really good. I can't complain coming in five minutes under my goal time. Next up is my first triathlon June 19 in Verona.

I hope that there are many more weeks like this one in store. Everything went so smoothly. There was just a bit of workout juggling due to some work conflicts, but I got in the pool three times, and increased the intensity on the bike and run. The week was highlighted by Saturday's ride around the Ironloop and adjacent connection. It was ten minutes short of the scheduled three and one half-hour ride, but it was enough. I started in Verona at Fireman's Park (site of the Triterium Triathlon next month) and headed out from there. I wasn't alone. Everyone was taking advantage of the sunny, windless weather after the nearly three weeks of rainy, drab days. It was intimidating to see a group of three from Illinois unpack their bikes from their car. Their front tires alone looked more expensive than my entire ride. But, no bother, let's just ride. I set out before them and another group of 20 from the local Head Hunters's Tri club. I may have overpowered the first section, hoping to escape the peer pressure. I train alone for a reason.

I was tickled to find out in the course of my ride that the group of 20 seemed to be chasing others that I eventually passed on the course. And the three from Illinois? They were starting their second loop after I tacked on another 23 miles. Of course, that meant they were doing 80 for the day, but I held my own by not being passed by them. A big boost to the confidence level that I actually can hold my own. Now, I just need to do it.

My legs were a touch sore and achy from Saturday's ride. I didn't know how they'd respond Sunday. I needed the run, just a week before the Mad-City Half-marathon. I felt every one of yesterday's 63 miles while stretching.

"This could be bad. Let's try walking...Not too bad, maybe we should try running. Hey, this actually feels pretty good."

Aside from the warmish morning and lack of hydration, the run went just fine. No significant pain anywhere.

I plan on tapering the run a bit this week to rest for the half-marathon Sunday. The bike and swim will follow workouts according to a recovery week. Then, two weeks of full workouts, then rest for the Verona Triathlon on Father's Day.

The week finished with a 3-hour ride on Sunday. In a normal week, that doesn't really sound like much, but when you throw in the events of the weekend (12 hours of drinking in a pub crawl), it was a monumental mental effort to get out there. Talking to Kristin about it, she asked if I listen to anything while out there. When she learned I didn't, she said, "That's a lot of time to be out there with your thoughts." Depending on your mood, that can be a serious situation. I've discovered reading other triathlete blogs that there's a regular dialog on long workout sessions. Your thoughts are the only thing keep you in check.

My thoughts tend to be self-defeating. During workouts they tend to be along the lines of, "Your legs hurt...You're out of breath, let's walk for a bit...This hill is really big. Are you sure we can do it?...The wind is going the other way, why are we riding into it?...We can cut this swim short; who needs to go 2000 yards anyways?" Responding with a simple, "You can do this, you can't give up," works in the short term. Once you get up the hill, touch the wall, or take the last step, reaffirming the accomplishment is ammunition for the long term. It's verifiable proof that you can and will finish.

Getting out there is another battle entirely. The alarm always goes off before you're ready, and those Sunday afternoon naps can be disastrous. Often the most difficult part of the workout happens before you get on the bike, lace up the shoes, or strap on the goggles. Working up the courage to hop on the saddle, put one foot in front of the other, or jump into the water can make or break that session.

It came to a head Wednesday. Actually, it was in my head. I had enough snot and congestion to really sock me out. Kris found me on the bed zoning out, just sitting there waiting for nothing. She took one look, and made me skip the swim and sleep for another 45 minutes. It worked wonders. I also missed the evening's workout to get some work done. By the time Thursday came around, I was fresh to finish the week. Until Sunday that is. What was supposed to be a half-hour nap ended up being an hour and fifteen minutes, and much harder to wake up from. But I won the internal battle with my mind and got out and completed the three hour ride.

A challenging week mentally. Work is still crazy busy, with late meetings and some deadlines. Throw in some training, lots of snot and you've got one tired Robbyb.

The week started off with last Saturday's cold. Praise be to the Wal-fed for congestion relief. Although the muscles were sore and slow to recover throughout the week, it went better than I anticipated. Swimming was sub-par, but that's a bit expected seeing as the breathing was already hampered with all the snot.

Thursday's ride was a lesson in weather. The forecast finally predicted highs above 60°F and I wanted to capitalize on what promised to be a pleasant day. I woke with the rising sun over a calm Lake Monona and called the local weather line for the morning's temperature. "...it's 42°...Winds: calm...Feels like: 42°..." Sounds good to me. Shorts it is. But, I'll wear my jacket and long gloves just to be sure.

Enter the weather lesson. When the ambient winds are calm, I average about 18mph on my bike. That means I create my own wind chill, making it feel like it's 30°F when riding. Thirty degrees does not feel the same as forty-two. Add to the mix that most of my route around the Capitol City Trail lies in a marsh, about ten feet lower than the surrounding land. With the calm winds and cool night, the air settled into the cool marsh dropping the air temperature another 5-7 degrees. Nice. I was anticipating spring and I get the middle of winter. Luckily, I haven't succumbed to shaving my legs, so the extra hair kept them warm. But my fingers, out in front and breaking the wind, didn't have it so good. It was all I could do to keep them warm. Lo, it was all I could do to wiggle my fingers from time to time. Here's the moral: Don't trust your brain if it's before 6AM.

I am happy with my totals for Week 15, the second in my Build Phase. Over 100 miles total again, but this time without any extra rides to pad the mileage. Average paces are faster, and amount of intensity is increasing.

First introduction to intensity, races and ruts. (You've already read about the intensity and race.) Overall, I feel like I'm getting into a rut. Hopefully, I can snap out of withthe increase in intensity, but I need to starting riding and running new routes. I can't do anything about swimming, but I'm used to that. In fact, swimming is quite good. Wednesday's workout consisted of 20x200 on 3:00. I built up each group of five, and recorded my time for the final one of each group. They went as such: 2:23, 2:21, 2:19, 2:15.

Getting a cold late Saturday prevented me to finish out the week properly. I slept in Sunday to 9:45 AM. Even resting most of the day, I ended up only lasting a half-hour on the trainer. I was on the trainer becuase it's May 1st and it's 30° outside and snowing. Only in Wisconsin.

Executive Summary
2004: 51:15, Weight: 210.
2005: 40:48, Weight 180.
2005 mile splits: 8:43/8:36/8:07/7:43/7:04

Report
I ran this race last year in 51:15, dragging the last mile or so. A lot has changed since then. For starters, thirty pounds have disappeared from my frame. I've also put in more hours running in the past four months that I have previously in my entire life. Many friends were expecting a dramatic increase in performance. So was I, but I wasn't holding my breath. Anything around 45:00 would be acceptable. My running mate (and sister) Beth and I agree to float the first mile with the crowd, settle for two miles, and then kick it in to gear for the last two.

The forecast called for a mix of snow and rain, with high winds. Thankfully, none of that showed up race morning. We started off with Beth's roommate Polly for about ten feet. That's when Polly turned around and said, "See you at the end!", and, with a wave, was gone. (Polly finished in a speedy 37:54.) Beth and I continued on with the other frauds that seeded themselves at the 5:30/mile pace. As a result, the true runners were slicing and dicing through the slower crowd. The first mile is the best of the course. It winds around the Capitol Square and then down State Street towards the heart of campus. State Street is downhill, so you get to see thousands of runners' heads bobbing along while Library Mall and Bascom Hill loom in the foreground. That's when runner 4198 passed us, breathing heavily, her feet stomping the pavement with a furious force. The way her race was shaping up, Beth and I agreed we'd see number 4198 again. My Forerunner beeped the first mile just a touch ahead of the posted mark, 08:39. That pace is a touch quick, but I'm still feeling good. So is Beth, and we settle in according to our plan and continue to Observatory Drive and mile 2.

It doesn't take much to figure out how Observatory Drive got its name. It's the highest point on campus, so they put an observatory on top. Trouble is, we're at the bottom near lake level, and need to get to the top. The drive winds its way up the hill, and teases you with a slight downhill, before cresting at the observatory. The view of Lake Mendota and Picnic Point is quite thrilling, but not so much after just running up the hill. I took a quick glance, and prepared for the downhill. My research into running has instructed me to lean forward, shorten my stride and let gravity help me down the hill. So I tried it, and it's not so bad. That shortened stride thing works well. At the bottom of the hill, the GPS beeped just a touch more before the 2-mile mark, 8:26. The course seems a bit long, but we're still well below the 45:00 goal.

Mile 3 runs flat by the lake. Beth continues to run on my shoulder, but I can see her face start to look a bit distressed. We covered mile 3 in 8:07. At the time, I didn't realize we were descending the miles, but it did feel a bit fast. It was just after the mile mark that we saw our friendly runner, #4198. She was fading fast. I let Beth know I was kicking it in, but she stayed back and continued on the current pace.

Mile 4 starts with the only water station on the course. I skipped it, knowing that I was well hydrated. (I peed four times before we even left for the start.) For some reason, I shortened my stride. I didn't know what this would do to my pace, by from my bike rides, I knew that a higher cadence is easier to maintain, and sometimes results in a faster overall speed. Sure enough, I cruised along, picking up speed, recognizing more and more shirts as I passed them. I never did count my steps, but I bet it was over ninety per minute. Mile 4 whizzed by in 7:43.

The last mile is a killer for the untrained runner. Most of it runs uphill, and right after the final turn, there's a small bump just big enough to take any wind out of your sails. From there on in, it's smooth sailing around the outside of Camp Randall Stadium, under the seats and to the 50-yard line. I stopped my watch at 40:45, the chip had me officially at 40:48. I covered the final mile in 7:04. My course length was 5.07 miles; a true 8K is 4.97. Beth finished in 42:50, beating her goal, too.

Overall, thirty pounds and a heaping helpful of training do wonders for running. Next up is the Mad-City half marathon, May 29.