Really? Can you have a race report for such a short race? I apparently have something to say so here it goes.
Gabe and I bumbled down to the start line around 7:30 to help Kyle with whatever he needed. It soon became apparent that my effort was best put towards checking in pre-registered runners. I was on it! Unfortunately the weather sucked which meant that everyone was checking in at the last minute - in the pouring rain. I'm pretty sure I mastered the art of quickly saying 'What's your last name?' followed shortly by 'I need you to write your last name, first name, age and gender...but please don't rip that off, they'll tear it off at the end'. I was like a machine.
At around 9 AM (when the race was supposed to officially start) I dumped my volunteering duties, ran to the car, stripped my extra layers, pinned my race bib to my t-shirt, pit stopped at the porta-potties and then proceeded to hop around counting THAT as a warm up. One might speculate that if my race plan was to go as hard as I could, jumping up and down as a warm up wasn't going to suffice. That speculation is most likely correct. Fortunately no injuries occurred due to my lack of warming up.
I wiggled my way up to the front of the pack and bounced along side Susan who was also shooting to 'race' that day. The countdown, although I didn't actually hear it, promptly followed and we were soon surging past the start line and the clock and out onto the city roads. My adrenaline pumping, my heart racing, I was already at full tilt as far as speed goes (well close enough at least). Susan even shouted a warning, 'Don't go out too fast', as I bobbed and weaved past slower starters.
First mile - 7:04 - feeling great. Working pretty hard but the adrenaline was keeping me going. Jessica ran up next to me at some point during this first mile, or shortly after, and chatted for a bit stating 'I think I might be going too fast' as she promptly ditched me and continued to race onward. Hmmm...if she is racing too fast then what the heck am I doing?
Second mile - 7:12 - a bit more realistic. Susan moved on shortly after Jessica took off and I was definitely loosing ground on the both of them. I figured I could slow my pace a little but just keep them in sight. This, however, turned into 'okay, just keep someone in sight' (Susan and Jessica just kept pulling away). Somewhere around 2 1/2 miles I started to develop a side stitch. Apparently my breathing wasn't in control. That's the only explanation I have. So I slowed even more to try and get rid of it but it was only getting worse.
Let's reflect back to the Waterfront 15k where I had a similar situation. That side stitch was gel/sucking wind induced whereas this side stitch - just the sucking wind portion is applicable. All in all - I HATE side stitches. And, for all of those folks that feel my pain (literally), it only gets worse the harder you run and the more you bounce. So what did I do? I stopped and walked to stretch it out! Can you believe that? I WALKED in a 5k race. What a bummer. At least it helped and I could continue on.
Third mile - 7:53 - walking and my mental attitude just took it all out of me. Now it was just about finishing. Keeping it together and maintaining at least a 7:45 for the last little bit. I came across the finish line in just over 23 minutes which meant I met my stated goal of getting under 7:30 average.
After all is said and done it was a great race. I can officially say I've run a 5k (which I don't believe I actually have, at least not in my adult life). I ran it pretty darn well considering the multitude of excuses I can use. And...I want to do another one. Success all around.
4.29.2010
4.23.2010
Reality Check
Tomorrow is the Fun with the Fuzz 5k race that a good friend of mine is putting on and my plan, as of this week, is to actually race it. I don't really know what that means (sound familiar? - aka Waterfront 15k from last year) but what the heck. It's only 3.1 miles and I can pretty much lay it all out there on the line. Push until you puke right?
So strategy - just see how fast I can go without completely blowing up. I'm not sure how trained I am for an effort like that since my focus lately is endurance but it'll be fun regardless. I'm hoping to be below a 7:30 min/mile. I think that's 'doable'.
Wish me luck!
So strategy - just see how fast I can go without completely blowing up. I'm not sure how trained I am for an effort like that since my focus lately is endurance but it'll be fun regardless. I'm hoping to be below a 7:30 min/mile. I think that's 'doable'.
Wish me luck!
4.12.2010
Weekend Update
Well success - the weekend went according to plan.
Saturday, Susan and I hit the Interurban trail and banged out an 4.5 mile interval run. On the plan - a Level 1 - 2 run with a little set of intervals thrown in; 8x20s hard with 40s recovery. I've finally figured out the interval workout option on my Garmin 305 and man do I love it. Not only does it beep at me for the intervals but it also keeps track of the number of sets I have completed. Essentially I don't have to think although I mistook the last beep for one more interval...realizing about a minute later that we were still running hard. Oops.
When I'm all done I can upload all the data to Garmin Connect and get a nice breakdown of how I did - pretty awesome for a data geek like me. In case you can't tell where the interval portion of the run is I've gone ahead and circled it below. I'm pretty stoked that 5 out of the 8 intervals were sub 6 min/miles. My goal for future runs is to keep them consistently around 5:30s. I think with actual recovery time in between (as opposed to chatting) I could pull it off. We'll see this weekend I guess.
Now interestingly my coach gave me a rough estimate for where my HR zones should be (according to a heart rate test I did on the bike) and a Level 1 - 2 puts me somewhere in the range of 145 - 155 bpm. So, I've been wearing my heart rate monitor to really see where I land.
Pretty sure I was only in Level 1 - 2 for about 30 seconds right at the beginning of my run, and that was probably because we were standing at a stop light. Now normally I'm a high beater (meaning I hit 180 bpm the minute I start running) so I'm not alarmed by the heart rate chart above. In fact, I'm sort of impressed that with 8 intervals put in the mix I didn't get over 200 (I've been known to hit 205 on occasion). So maybe my fitness is going up - that would be great! Well, that said, it appears I need to send data over to coach and see if the levels need adjusting.
Following the run I made a quick pit stop at Emerald City Smoothies for a dose of energy and then moseyed on over to the Aquatic Center to meet the tri group for track work (which ended up happening on trails because a track meet was going on) followed by a swim practice. First off, folks in the group are really improving their form! I came loaded with drills - everything from 'pawing the ground' to slow motion high knees - and by the end everyone was panting pretty hard. That could have been because we were doing drills going up hill but I also like to think that they were all just working hard. All in all it was a tough workout - warm-up, drills, then probably at least a 2 mile run. That's quite a lot for most of the folks in the group. I was thoroughly impressed. Then, to follow it all up with a swim - they're a tough group!
The swim practice (for me) was uneventful. The pool seemed overly crowded but we managed to snag 3 lanes and pile in to do a series of drills and work on technique. For my part I really don't do anything. I freeze my butt off standing in the water explaining drills and then watch everyone swim. After 40 minutes I did just a few laps so I could warm up a bit before getting out. Good thing I get my swims in during the week! I'm no swim expert so I just hope that the folks I'm helping are getting something out of it. They do seem to be improving their stroke though and it's only week 2.
Okay, now on to Sunday - perfect day for a ride! Finally we had clear skies and no wind. The usual suspects met at Lake Padden (with the addition of Rachael and Adriane - total troopers in for a 45 mile ride when they're not even training for anything) and headed South. I think this route is one of my favorites around town. It's scenic, rolling hills, with little to no traffic.
The only dreaded section is a 1/2 mile climb on Grip Rd. It looms ahead of you and it is winding so you don't actually know where the top is. The last time I road it I assumed that when the road curved the hill would flatten (was fooled twice and didn't appreciate it). This time I was expecting it so it wasn't AS bad but I was still in my granny gear and huffing and puffing to get up to the top. That said, my heart rate only hit 180 so apparently I wasn't working THAT hard. Right after I crested the hill a group of 4 team riders passed me like I was standing still cheerily saying 'Good Morning' as they flew by. Ah what it would be like to ride that effortlessly.
In the 4 mile stretch of flat section on the southern part of the ride I tried to focus on riding in aero position and seeing what pace I could keep. I was surprised to see that I averaged over 18 for those miles and one mile I even hit an average of a little over 21 mph (that's with a very slight downhill - losing 28 ft. in one mile). And (just to continue the tooting of my own horn) the flattest mile (no gain or loss in elevation) I averaged 19.2. I think I'm getting stronger! I'm pretty excited about those numbers (if you can't tell) and I figure I can only improve.
Of course, by the time we got to Padden I was pretty well spent (especially since the last 15 miles of the ride was basically a steady uphill with a sizable climb for the last couple of miles to get up out of Lake Samish) but Carol, Lora and I sucked it up and put in our 4 mile run around the lake and then called it a day. Compression tights were the name of the game for the remainder of Sunday but no nap! My mom came up to visit so there was no rest for the weary. Actually, I was surprisingly energetic - maybe it was the caffienated Accel gel and then the Coke I had at lunch, or the fact that I was taking Monday off - probably all of the above.
On the menu for this week - more building. I have a 9 mile run tomorrow and a 50 mile bike brick on Sunday. I'm sure I'll keep you all posted on how this goes. Next week - recovery!
Saturday, Susan and I hit the Interurban trail and banged out an 4.5 mile interval run. On the plan - a Level 1 - 2 run with a little set of intervals thrown in; 8x20s hard with 40s recovery. I've finally figured out the interval workout option on my Garmin 305 and man do I love it. Not only does it beep at me for the intervals but it also keeps track of the number of sets I have completed. Essentially I don't have to think although I mistook the last beep for one more interval...realizing about a minute later that we were still running hard. Oops.
When I'm all done I can upload all the data to Garmin Connect and get a nice breakdown of how I did - pretty awesome for a data geek like me. In case you can't tell where the interval portion of the run is I've gone ahead and circled it below. I'm pretty stoked that 5 out of the 8 intervals were sub 6 min/miles. My goal for future runs is to keep them consistently around 5:30s. I think with actual recovery time in between (as opposed to chatting) I could pull it off. We'll see this weekend I guess.
Now interestingly my coach gave me a rough estimate for where my HR zones should be (according to a heart rate test I did on the bike) and a Level 1 - 2 puts me somewhere in the range of 145 - 155 bpm. So, I've been wearing my heart rate monitor to really see where I land.
Pretty sure I was only in Level 1 - 2 for about 30 seconds right at the beginning of my run, and that was probably because we were standing at a stop light. Now normally I'm a high beater (meaning I hit 180 bpm the minute I start running) so I'm not alarmed by the heart rate chart above. In fact, I'm sort of impressed that with 8 intervals put in the mix I didn't get over 200 (I've been known to hit 205 on occasion). So maybe my fitness is going up - that would be great! Well, that said, it appears I need to send data over to coach and see if the levels need adjusting.
Following the run I made a quick pit stop at Emerald City Smoothies for a dose of energy and then moseyed on over to the Aquatic Center to meet the tri group for track work (which ended up happening on trails because a track meet was going on) followed by a swim practice. First off, folks in the group are really improving their form! I came loaded with drills - everything from 'pawing the ground' to slow motion high knees - and by the end everyone was panting pretty hard. That could have been because we were doing drills going up hill but I also like to think that they were all just working hard. All in all it was a tough workout - warm-up, drills, then probably at least a 2 mile run. That's quite a lot for most of the folks in the group. I was thoroughly impressed. Then, to follow it all up with a swim - they're a tough group!
The swim practice (for me) was uneventful. The pool seemed overly crowded but we managed to snag 3 lanes and pile in to do a series of drills and work on technique. For my part I really don't do anything. I freeze my butt off standing in the water explaining drills and then watch everyone swim. After 40 minutes I did just a few laps so I could warm up a bit before getting out. Good thing I get my swims in during the week! I'm no swim expert so I just hope that the folks I'm helping are getting something out of it. They do seem to be improving their stroke though and it's only week 2.
Okay, now on to Sunday - perfect day for a ride! Finally we had clear skies and no wind. The usual suspects met at Lake Padden (with the addition of Rachael and Adriane - total troopers in for a 45 mile ride when they're not even training for anything) and headed South. I think this route is one of my favorites around town. It's scenic, rolling hills, with little to no traffic.
The only dreaded section is a 1/2 mile climb on Grip Rd. It looms ahead of you and it is winding so you don't actually know where the top is. The last time I road it I assumed that when the road curved the hill would flatten (was fooled twice and didn't appreciate it). This time I was expecting it so it wasn't AS bad but I was still in my granny gear and huffing and puffing to get up to the top. That said, my heart rate only hit 180 so apparently I wasn't working THAT hard. Right after I crested the hill a group of 4 team riders passed me like I was standing still cheerily saying 'Good Morning' as they flew by. Ah what it would be like to ride that effortlessly.
In the 4 mile stretch of flat section on the southern part of the ride I tried to focus on riding in aero position and seeing what pace I could keep. I was surprised to see that I averaged over 18 for those miles and one mile I even hit an average of a little over 21 mph (that's with a very slight downhill - losing 28 ft. in one mile). And (just to continue the tooting of my own horn) the flattest mile (no gain or loss in elevation) I averaged 19.2. I think I'm getting stronger! I'm pretty excited about those numbers (if you can't tell) and I figure I can only improve.
Of course, by the time we got to Padden I was pretty well spent (especially since the last 15 miles of the ride was basically a steady uphill with a sizable climb for the last couple of miles to get up out of Lake Samish) but Carol, Lora and I sucked it up and put in our 4 mile run around the lake and then called it a day. Compression tights were the name of the game for the remainder of Sunday but no nap! My mom came up to visit so there was no rest for the weary. Actually, I was surprisingly energetic - maybe it was the caffienated Accel gel and then the Coke I had at lunch, or the fact that I was taking Monday off - probably all of the above.
On the menu for this week - more building. I have a 9 mile run tomorrow and a 50 mile bike brick on Sunday. I'm sure I'll keep you all posted on how this goes. Next week - recovery!
4.09.2010
In Full Swing
This week was week 4 of 12 on my training plan. First off, I can't believe I'm already a third of the way through. Secondly, I can't believe I haven't talked about said training plan yet in this blog. I'm apparently failing at the blog updating.
A bit of history:
I came into this year knowing I was going to try and accomplish two Half Ironman races. Sort of with the idea of 'testing the waters' for a potential Full Ironman. As we all know, I registered for the Persona Oliver Half Iron which will take place on June 6th. Once registered I went in search of a good training plan. The one I 'used' last season just wasn't fitting the bill. Obviously (per the quote marks), I didin't really stick to the plan. I pretty much made up my workouts as I went along and used the plan as a very loose guideline. This year I wanted to be a bit more serious. However, scouring the internet for plans wasn't getting me anywhere. I always wanted changes here and there.
Enter coach:
That's right folks - I've enlisted the help of a coach. Now it's not as serious as you all may think. It's not like he's meeting me for every workout and evaluating my technique. He is, however, providing me with a tailored plan, heart rate zones, and feedback when I seak it.
The plan is excellent! It is about quality over quantity which most internet plans don't follow. Don't get me wrong - I'm still putting in the hours. The first two weeks I put in about 8-9 hours which is nothing to scoff at. Other benefits of the plan 1) two rest days instead of one (much appreciated), 2) interval training, 3) two week build followed by a recovery week.
All in all it's going great. I feel stronger and faster especially in the bike and swim areas (my weaker sports). So now that my update is complete my agenda for this weekend is as follows:
Saturday -
8:30 AM meet Susan for a 4 mile run with intervals
10 AM USA Fit Triathlon Training program's track workout (as lead by me...more on that in another post)
11:30 AM USA Fit Triathlon Training program's swim workout (partially led by me)
Sunday -
8 AM meet at Lake Padden for a 45 mile ride with steady build in effort followed by a 4 mile run off bike.
Should be fun. Stay tuned for updates.
A bit of history:
I came into this year knowing I was going to try and accomplish two Half Ironman races. Sort of with the idea of 'testing the waters' for a potential Full Ironman. As we all know, I registered for the Persona Oliver Half Iron which will take place on June 6th. Once registered I went in search of a good training plan. The one I 'used' last season just wasn't fitting the bill. Obviously (per the quote marks), I didin't really stick to the plan. I pretty much made up my workouts as I went along and used the plan as a very loose guideline. This year I wanted to be a bit more serious. However, scouring the internet for plans wasn't getting me anywhere. I always wanted changes here and there.
Enter coach:
That's right folks - I've enlisted the help of a coach. Now it's not as serious as you all may think. It's not like he's meeting me for every workout and evaluating my technique. He is, however, providing me with a tailored plan, heart rate zones, and feedback when I seak it.
The plan is excellent! It is about quality over quantity which most internet plans don't follow. Don't get me wrong - I'm still putting in the hours. The first two weeks I put in about 8-9 hours which is nothing to scoff at. Other benefits of the plan 1) two rest days instead of one (much appreciated), 2) interval training, 3) two week build followed by a recovery week.
All in all it's going great. I feel stronger and faster especially in the bike and swim areas (my weaker sports). So now that my update is complete my agenda for this weekend is as follows:
Saturday -
8:30 AM meet Susan for a 4 mile run with intervals
10 AM USA Fit Triathlon Training program's track workout (as lead by me...more on that in another post)
11:30 AM USA Fit Triathlon Training program's swim workout (partially led by me)
Sunday -
8 AM meet at Lake Padden for a 45 mile ride with steady build in effort followed by a 4 mile run off bike.
Should be fun. Stay tuned for updates.
4.03.2010
Vancouver Olympics
So I realize this is a bit delayed but I wanted to share our mini-excursion to beautiful British Columbia and our partaking in the festivities surrounding the 2010 Winter Olympics.
The Friday of the last weekend of the Olympics I sat in my office listening to fellow co-workers talk about how amazing it was to be up there, how it was great just to be a part of this global energy regardless of whether they attended events or not. Only nights before I had similar interactions with friends - explaining how easy it was to get across the border, catch the sky train into the city center, and wander around taking in the sites. Now, I'm not normally known for spontaneity - my life reads like a calendar really, but that Friday afternoon I felt the sudden urge to be somewhat spontaneous and venture North the following day. My thoughts - how could we miss such a great event when it's so close to us?
Later that evening I prodded Gabe about the idea and it was settled - we would rise early, drive to Surrey and park at a park-and-ride, take the sky train to the torch and make our way through the city by foot seeing everything we possibly could. We prepared by making a quick trip to Trader Joe's to stock up on any snack items and a swing by the ATM for a fistful of cash...just in case I needed a pair of Olympic mittens that I've heard folks rave about. PS - never did get those mittens. We went into The Bay to check them out but the line was ridiculous. Gabe and I are definitely not 'waiting in line' type of people especially when it comes to purchasing more 'stuff' so we skipped it entirely. I have plenty of mittens and if I was really dead set on having them I guess I could purchase 2 dollar gloves from Fred Meyer and sew white circles on them.
Saturday morning we awoke bright and early and hit the road by 8 AM. I-5...no traffic. Wasn't there talk that the Winter Olympics was going to create copious amounts of traffic through Bellingham? Hmmm...doesn't look like that panned out. It was all a ploy for developers to build gigantic condo/retail buildings that will sit empty for years and to widen roads like the Guide, demolishing small road-side homes. But I digress.
We reached the border in record time and found ourselves in a line-free, all lanes open situation. We pulled in behind a truck ready to speed right up to the booth. Funny how the lane we DID pick ended up being the longest wait (all of 5 minutes...maybe). The guy in the truck was asked to pull over - bummer.
Once across it was smooth sailing to the park-and-ride in Surrey to catch the sky train. Although this wasn't the fastest way to get into downtown it was rather enjoyable. The train was fairly empty and we got to watch as parts of BC slid by.
Then it was south to Robson St. and east to Granville. On our way I got a quick tutorial on the Bobsled...well, no, not really but it was a great photo op. I couldn't sit all the way down because the seat was covered in water but I'm pretty sure I looked professional.
We made haste past silly Canadians playing hockey in the blocked off street (getting ready for the big game the following day - Canada vs. US) towards Yale town. Unfortunately none of the quaint eateries were open yet so our walk continued on toward BC place.
Briefly stopping to check out the curling competition. Oddly enough I think this was the year of curling for me. I had seen it a few nights before our trip up north and my brother tried to explain all of the rules and the method. I think I'm a fan but I have to say it's not the most exciting sporting event.
There really wasn't much to see right near BC place since it was all tented off and only those with tickets were allowed in. But we did venture down to the riverfront and got a glimpse of the Olympic village on the other bank. It was pretty fun to see all the different flags hanging from the windows of the apartment complexes. You could distinguish the Canadian building from the Swiss building and so on. I wonder what it would be like as an athlete to stay there for a week or two and enmesh yourself in everyone's cultures (at least I hope that's how it works out).
And of course we got to see all of the rock statues that were erected on the river shore. Now, I didn't have a clue what these meant and there wasn't any placard that described their meaning so here's the deal - they are Inuit guiding stones. I wish my camera could have captured how large some of these were but oh well.
Our last stop was the Sochi preview at the Science Center. I was pretty impressed with the Russian pride and turnout here in Vancouver. I realize they are getting the next Winter Olympics but still - it's a long way to travel. They did have quite the flair.
A short sky train ride later and we were back at our car and heading home. All in all it was a very worthwhile half day tour of the Olympic scene in downtown Vancouver and I'm glad we were able to make the time to get up there.
The Friday of the last weekend of the Olympics I sat in my office listening to fellow co-workers talk about how amazing it was to be up there, how it was great just to be a part of this global energy regardless of whether they attended events or not. Only nights before I had similar interactions with friends - explaining how easy it was to get across the border, catch the sky train into the city center, and wander around taking in the sites. Now, I'm not normally known for spontaneity - my life reads like a calendar really, but that Friday afternoon I felt the sudden urge to be somewhat spontaneous and venture North the following day. My thoughts - how could we miss such a great event when it's so close to us?
Later that evening I prodded Gabe about the idea and it was settled - we would rise early, drive to Surrey and park at a park-and-ride, take the sky train to the torch and make our way through the city by foot seeing everything we possibly could. We prepared by making a quick trip to Trader Joe's to stock up on any snack items and a swing by the ATM for a fistful of cash...just in case I needed a pair of Olympic mittens that I've heard folks rave about. PS - never did get those mittens. We went into The Bay to check them out but the line was ridiculous. Gabe and I are definitely not 'waiting in line' type of people especially when it comes to purchasing more 'stuff' so we skipped it entirely. I have plenty of mittens and if I was really dead set on having them I guess I could purchase 2 dollar gloves from Fred Meyer and sew white circles on them.
Saturday morning we awoke bright and early and hit the road by 8 AM. I-5...no traffic. Wasn't there talk that the Winter Olympics was going to create copious amounts of traffic through Bellingham? Hmmm...doesn't look like that panned out. It was all a ploy for developers to build gigantic condo/retail buildings that will sit empty for years and to widen roads like the Guide, demolishing small road-side homes. But I digress.
We reached the border in record time and found ourselves in a line-free, all lanes open situation. We pulled in behind a truck ready to speed right up to the booth. Funny how the lane we DID pick ended up being the longest wait (all of 5 minutes...maybe). The guy in the truck was asked to pull over - bummer.
Once across it was smooth sailing to the park-and-ride in Surrey to catch the sky train. Although this wasn't the fastest way to get into downtown it was rather enjoyable. The train was fairly empty and we got to watch as parts of BC slid by.
First stop, the waterfront to catch a glimpse of the Olympic torch and the rings out in the water.
Then it was south to Robson St. and east to Granville. On our way I got a quick tutorial on the Bobsled...well, no, not really but it was a great photo op. I couldn't sit all the way down because the seat was covered in water but I'm pretty sure I looked professional.
We made haste past silly Canadians playing hockey in the blocked off street (getting ready for the big game the following day - Canada vs. US) towards Yale town. Unfortunately none of the quaint eateries were open yet so our walk continued on toward BC place.
Briefly stopping to check out the curling competition. Oddly enough I think this was the year of curling for me. I had seen it a few nights before our trip up north and my brother tried to explain all of the rules and the method. I think I'm a fan but I have to say it's not the most exciting sporting event.
There really wasn't much to see right near BC place since it was all tented off and only those with tickets were allowed in. But we did venture down to the riverfront and got a glimpse of the Olympic village on the other bank. It was pretty fun to see all the different flags hanging from the windows of the apartment complexes. You could distinguish the Canadian building from the Swiss building and so on. I wonder what it would be like as an athlete to stay there for a week or two and enmesh yourself in everyone's cultures (at least I hope that's how it works out).
And of course we got to see all of the rock statues that were erected on the river shore. Now, I didn't have a clue what these meant and there wasn't any placard that described their meaning so here's the deal - they are Inuit guiding stones. I wish my camera could have captured how large some of these were but oh well.
Our last stop was the Sochi preview at the Science Center. I was pretty impressed with the Russian pride and turnout here in Vancouver. I realize they are getting the next Winter Olympics but still - it's a long way to travel. They did have quite the flair.
A short sky train ride later and we were back at our car and heading home. All in all it was a very worthwhile half day tour of the Olympic scene in downtown Vancouver and I'm glad we were able to make the time to get up there.
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