April 2007 Archives

I'm only into my third year of triathlon training, so I'm continuously learning. I'd thought I'd share something that I learned this weekend: Don't expect to be able to walk a round of golf after a long run.

Saturday, I went golfing for the first time this season. However, I woke up early to get in 10 miles. Unfortunately, I didn't think about my stuffing my swollen feet into golf shoes. (And to think, I actually turned down getting a cart. I did pick one up at the turn, but the damage was already done.) I developed some nasty one-inch holes, just inside of my heels.

To add insult to injury, the Band-Aid blister healing bandages I bought failed. I bled through my socks on Sunday and was reduced to a crawl on Sunday night. Every time I sat down, I dreaded to get up because I knew the pain would be worse. We picked up some New-Skin to protect my feet from infection. I needed to take the Band-Aids off in order to apply the New-Skin. As I took the one on my right foot off, it took the flap of skin with it. So now I have a quarter-size hole on my right heel. Fun.

And of course, this happens a week before Crazylegs and my first triathlon of the season. I'll take it easy running this week and see how fast I can make these things heal.

So all this running might be paying off. I ran Bucky' Race for Rehab 5K instead of a running time trial as part of my recovery week. It was the same course as the Valentine's Day 5K, providing the opportunity to compare and see if I could improve on my 22:00 performance on the bitterly cold day in February.

One of my season goals is to run a sub 20:00. In the race registration bag, Runner's World provided a chart that showed the necessary pace to finish a particular time for several race distances. To go sub 20:00 in a 5K, you need to be faster than a 6:30 pace. Gulp. My first thought was to rethink my goal. Nerves aside, it was a beautiful sunny day. Just cool enough, but not so much to be chilled.

I started near the front to avoid the slower starters. However, this induced me to run the first mile a touch fast. I split the first mile in 6:23. Whoa. Too fast. (But it felt so good.) I backed off and settled into an aggressive pace to make sure I would push myself.

Throughout mile 2, I stuck with most of the group and even picked off a couple of guys fading. Granted, they were nearly twice my age, but a pass is a pass. I crossed the 2nd mile mark at 13:00, for a 6:37 split, leaving seven minutes to go 1.1 miles. I would need to run at a 6:22 pace to get there in time. I knew that it wasn't happening today. (That's why a sub-20 is a season long goal.)

At about mile 2.5, there's a hair-pin turn at the top of a small incline. It totally sucks. The combination of the curve and hill zap any momentum that you have for the home stretch. I hit the hell already thinking I'm dead. I feel like I'm in molasses but I press on to the finish, which is also up a small hill.

I turned the final corner and saw the 20:xx on the clock. I didn't expect to see that, so I was excited and stopped my watch at 20:37. A PR by over a minute from last November's 21:49. Now to repeat the run after a swim and a bike.

The day dawned beautifully. Sunny and potentially warm. I switched my long run and bike just so I could avoid biking in the rain on Saturday. (Luckily, I ran during the only hour and half that it didn't rain.) It was sunny as I ate my breakfast and I was getting more and more excited for my first outdoor ride of 2007. I got ready, clouds thickened, so I gathered some extra layers just in case. A line of storms was heading towards us, but I had enough time to get out and back b1fore it hit. The last thing Kris says to me as I leave is, "The storm is at the county line." Shit. That won't leave much time. I go anyway.

It was windy (as expected) the entire way out. At times, I was leaning diagonally into the wind to stay upright. If I didn't, I would've gotten in the way of vehicles. It was a constant battle as I weaved down the shoulder of county Highway T. At Highway N. I stop for a bite to eat and the bathroom. Now I'm biking directly into the wind, going slower than ever before. As I get to highway BB, the first drop hits. I'm know the furthest point on the loop, and must ride the entire way back in the rain.

In the rain, I thought little about my misery but rather focused on how hard it must've been to ride 112 miles in this crap. It was the exact same conditions: rain, wind and mid-50 temps. My respect for all those that did Ironman Wisconsin in 2006 grew as every rain drop pelted my face, and every grit of sand got in my teeth. I couldn't imagine going for a 2 mile run after my 21 mile ride, let alone 26.2 miles after a 112 mile ride.

Mad props to y'all.