tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2906735980166884812024-03-12T18:35:52.168-07:00Unelite TriathleteTraining under the hammerAlex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07763663301354214102noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-290673598016688481.post-4541639429652863832021-10-30T18:43:00.008-07:002021-11-04T14:28:26.780-07:00Arizona 70.3 recap<p> After COVID shutdown racing in the March of 2020, I was still holding onto some hope that the racing will return by the end of year. It sort of did, but I ended up not racing any physical races for the rest of the year. I signed up for a marathon in Arkansas in mid Spring and got into a good running shape, but unfortunately ended up getting injured with 3 weeks to go. Had to cancel the plans to travel to Arkansas, and started getting back into the pool and into the saddle. Eventually, races returned and I did my first Olympic race in Lake Perris in April. It was a pretty pathetic showing since my swim skills definitely needed re-sharpening, and the bike power was largely gone. After that, I started a more focused training program with the goal to race the Malibu Olympic Tri and eventually Arizona 70.3 that I had rolled over into after Santa Rosa 70.3 got cancelled twice.</p><p>I rebuilt my trusty NP3 with some new components, got a shorter set of cranks, and started getting more time in the saddle over the summer. I definitely got into a decent shape and even came in 6th in my age group in Malibu, and I felt that I largely could have placed better had I had some slightly better luck on the bike course. The training was going well, especially in the pool where I was swimming the best splits of my life. With 3 weeks to go to Arizona, I focused on recovery and a few longer rides/runs. I also committed a cardinal sin - I decided to switch to the new source of nutrition for the bike using Maurten after it tested great during the last long ride and run. I also installed a new Profile Design Aeria HSF bottle, which required a new stem which required a slight change to position and some recabling... so basically the rule about nothing new on the race day was largely violated. But I thought that this would be my opportunity to go sub 5 for the first time, albeit on an easier course.</p><p>Wife and I drove to Phoenix on 10/15, got there by 4pm and I went to get my registration packet picked up. It was pretty warm even for the afternoon. The Ironman village was pretty empty, and I got through the pickup process in no time. Afterwards I stopped by the 5 o'clock athlete briefing and did not get anything super informative out of it outside of the fact that the swim was going to be going in the opposite direction of the last time I swam IMAZ. OK, so pretty much all into the sun. Armed with this bit of knowledge I headed back. We had pizza and beers for dinner, watched some Netflix and I headed to bed early-ish.</p><p>The next morning morning I tagged my gear with the provided stickers. Lucky number 84! Here it is, all good to go, even the wife's flip flops:</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HwNHVLjTaks/YX1TfXahAnI/AAAAAAAC1b8/abl6aIJSo34QdM0yM9jswIaNWiFQqkm0QCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_2045.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HwNHVLjTaks/YX1TfXahAnI/AAAAAAAC1b8/abl6aIJSo34QdM0yM9jswIaNWiFQqkm0QCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_2045.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Wife headed for a drive to Tuscon to check out the local attractions (Biosphere, etc) and I headed to the Rio Salado park at 11 to drop off my bike. The fancy AWA transition section was a tad empty, and I left the bike there after deflating the tires to prevent them from blowing up in the hot sun. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bcIovrV60RY/YX1TVH1Jv-I/AAAAAAAC1bw/oktfYG43akYK-ZqjZNiw67IWrjq8GpnRQCPcBGAsYHg/s4032/20211016_112304.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bcIovrV60RY/YX1TVH1Jv-I/AAAAAAAC1bw/oktfYG43akYK-ZqjZNiw67IWrjq8GpnRQCPcBGAsYHg/s320/20211016_112304.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /> It was pretty damn warm again, and so instead of the planned run back to the rental (about 1.5 miles away) I simply walked. The forecast for the race day was predicting temperatures about 3 degrees cooler, and with some overcast periods, and I was really hoping it would come true. The good news was that the water in the lake was relatively cool, and the swim would not be a bathtub like. I settled on the decision to go with the sleeveless wetsuit, and with that thought I focused on resting and relaxing for the remainder of the day. Can't recall what I had for dinner, and ended up heading to bed at 9pm hoping to fall asleep quickly. Ended up tossing and turning and eventually falling asleep by 11pm.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Got up at 3:45am, had a breakfast of 2 Eggo blueberry waffles with peanut butter and 2 bananas, had 2 cups of coffee and my awesome wife drove me to the race site. Got there and started with getting the tires pumped. Unfortunately the first pump I was able to borrow had a funky presta end and I could not get it to grip the valve even after several tries. Lined up to use one of the free pumps and somehow ended up using one with a weird gauge. Tried another pump and it seemed to be ok. I pumped both tires to 80 psi and started setting up nutrition and the rest of the transition items. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1RjO9zGrnOc/YX1TmLEgPKI/AAAAAAAC1cE/GYRBSsxsiJo1SvqiFKzSxLIW_aAlKB-yACPcBGAsYHg/s4032/20211017_055009.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1RjO9zGrnOc/YX1TmLEgPKI/AAAAAAAC1cE/GYRBSsxsiJo1SvqiFKzSxLIW_aAlKB-yACPcBGAsYHg/s320/20211017_055009.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Lined up to potty at around 5:55am and after hitting it, headed out to the swim start. The line was already formed but it was easy to slip into my self seeded corral of 35-39min. The lake looked pretty clean that morning - the only gross thing that I could see was the dead duck about 25 yards from the swim platform. Life can be hard in Arizona, and I am sure that the creatures lurking in the depths of the Tempe town lake can appreciate a protein snack in the morning. With that, the race got going and at around 6:39am I headed into the water and my day has really started.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The swim</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It was pretty uneventful. I felt great, swam fairly easy, sighting was good, and the water temperature felt perfect. Since I breathe to the right most of the time in races, it was a little bit harder to keep it in the straight line, but there were plenty of feet near me to keep me directionally correct. I think that this might have been the first time since Oceanside 2018 that I can actually enjoyed a 70.3 swim. Came out of the water with the time of 37:57, 29th in the age group. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dDjgdpPGPd8/YX3w5QXw9FI/AAAAAAAC1c0/N73iM5iOQCM2c4-PMdH_I0tDpgghmKQHwCPcBGAsYHg/s3200/14_m-FPIX-3-01016924-DIGITAL_HIGHRES-4452_006280-6304052.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3200" data-original-width="2133" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dDjgdpPGPd8/YX3w5QXw9FI/AAAAAAAC1c0/N73iM5iOQCM2c4-PMdH_I0tDpgghmKQHwCPcBGAsYHg/s320/14_m-FPIX-3-01016924-DIGITAL_HIGHRES-4452_006280-6304052.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The run to T1 was a little long and slippery but I was able to get the wetsuit off, although I had to stop for a 10 seconds to zip up the Roka one piece - as the zipper popped open in the water.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The bike</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The course is shall we say an urban adventure? 3 loops, each loop is roughly circling the Tempe Lake, 5 u-turns per loop, you get to climb the Curry hill 2x per loop. It looks like a weird multilegged blob from outer space.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-3VYe9_YifG0/YX1UjfSm4-I/AAAAAAAC1cY/VW6VQwIqjKUKuzLYMmYMY1DMsLWlmxF8gCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="363" data-original-width="767" height="151" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-3VYe9_YifG0/YX1UjfSm4-I/AAAAAAAC1cY/VW6VQwIqjKUKuzLYMmYMY1DMsLWlmxF8gCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>The ride started well, I was maintaining steady power and despite being slowed down by the ridiculous u-turns the first lap flew by quickly. I was getting pretty warm however, and grabbed a water bottle at the first aid station to dump on my head and the upper body. What I was getting concerned with is that every time I'd apply some power out of the turn, I'd get some squeaking coming from the bike - and it seemed like it was coming from the front wheel. I really did not want to get off the bike and since on the flats it seemed to be fine I pushed on. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bdqWmGG_AzE/YX3wfeu6hsI/AAAAAAAC1co/fBTrWPF5upECoLQotm6rjNve4N_FbkGfQCPcBGAsYHg/s3200/65_m-FPIX-3-01016924-DIGITAL_HIGHRES-4452_068163-6304103.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3200" data-original-width="2133" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bdqWmGG_AzE/YX3wfeu6hsI/AAAAAAAC1co/fBTrWPF5upECoLQotm6rjNve4N_FbkGfQCPcBGAsYHg/s320/65_m-FPIX-3-01016924-DIGITAL_HIGHRES-4452_068163-6304103.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">On the second loop the sound became more pronounced and going up Curry it got LOUD. It really started to appear like a spoke was busted but I talked myself out of stopping to check it out. It was getting hotter and hotter and I had to get water from both aid stations on that loop. Also with everyone out of the water, it got very busy on the course. There were also lots of beginner athletes with unsteady bike handling skills, so I had to dodge them periodically, as well as the cracks and potholes (Rio Salado was especially bad). </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3yRxql5fJDI/YX3wnJaKi8I/AAAAAAAC1cs/QhbhIDhJUGUTjqX8yBg0ayzzw99Jb_NAACPcBGAsYHg/s3200/35_m-FPIX-3-01016924-DIGITAL_HIGHRES-4452_033604-6304073.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2133" data-original-width="3200" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3yRxql5fJDI/YX3wnJaKi8I/AAAAAAAC1cs/QhbhIDhJUGUTjqX8yBg0ayzzw99Jb_NAACPcBGAsYHg/s320/35_m-FPIX-3-01016924-DIGITAL_HIGHRES-4452_033604-6304073.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The 3rd loop was even more crowded, the sound coming from the bike was just as loud, some u-turns were very tricky to negotiate with 4-5 cyclists trying to make them at the same time. I started soft pedaling coming out of turns and up Curry Hill being torn about stopping to check this out and knowing that I am maybe 4-5 miles away from finishing. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N06ZGl6H1go/YX3wul6oWiI/AAAAAAAC1cw/a46oiQc95NEnCDouLnydiRjbkkcLOVXrgCPcBGAsYHg/s3200/45_m-FPIX-3-01016924-DIGITAL_HIGHRES-4452_041423-6304083.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2139" data-original-width="3200" height="214" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N06ZGl6H1go/YX3wul6oWiI/AAAAAAAC1cw/a46oiQc95NEnCDouLnydiRjbkkcLOVXrgCPcBGAsYHg/s320/45_m-FPIX-3-01016924-DIGITAL_HIGHRES-4452_041423-6304083.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So I sort of limped to the end of the lap, got my feet out of the shoes before the dismount line and ran into the T2. Bike time was 02:45:49. The second transition was quick - I reapplied the sunscreen, changed into Vapoflys and socks, grabbed my hat, sunglasses and my belt and headed for the run start.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The run</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The course was 2 loops, largely running east-west along the lake. I popped a Maurten gel right away and washed it down with water and picked up the pace a bit. After the first couple of miles, I really started to feel the heat as the sun was more less directly on top of me all the time. At that point it dawned on me that a sub 5 time was out of reach unless it cools down about 5 degrees. I decided to run tempo for a while, hydrate as much as possible, chug some Cola and see how I feel after the 4-5 miles. I still felt like crap after crossing the bridge on Rural road, but after making my way to Priest Dr and getting on the bridge back to the south side of the lake, I suddenly found my wings. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UMRCc4Ttueo/YX3wXdY0UWI/AAAAAAAC1ck/4sDWzwEAu90Pyf3k4c_q4VLuHFCYILCxwCPcBGAsYHg/s3200/49_m-FPIX-3-01016924-DIGITAL_HIGHRES-4452_045960-6304087.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3200" data-original-width="2139" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UMRCc4Ttueo/YX3wXdY0UWI/AAAAAAAC1ck/4sDWzwEAu90Pyf3k4c_q4VLuHFCYILCxwCPcBGAsYHg/s320/49_m-FPIX-3-01016924-DIGITAL_HIGHRES-4452_045960-6304087.JPG" width="214" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I picked the pace and the 2nd loop flew by quickly. I was passing people all the time and honestly everyone looked cooked and completely beaten up by the heat. I pushed the pace from mile 12 onwards, and finished strong. The run time was 01:32:51 - fastest in the age group. Overall, this put me into the 10th spot in the age group. A good viz of the results <a href="https://www.endurance-data.com/en/result/602/84-alex-shterenberg/">here</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BQk28JYDR5Y/YX3xJUWwKCI/AAAAAAAC1c8/QbA9S7i8ceYs7hdcKfALcO-COKfK7CyvACPcBGAsYHg/s3200/99_m-FPIX-3-01016924-DIGITAL_HIGHRES-4452_119338-6304137.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3200" data-original-width="2133" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BQk28JYDR5Y/YX3xJUWwKCI/AAAAAAAC1c8/QbA9S7i8ceYs7hdcKfALcO-COKfK7CyvACPcBGAsYHg/s320/99_m-FPIX-3-01016924-DIGITAL_HIGHRES-4452_119338-6304137.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And done done - with 2 water bottles and a smile!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i9HeuxAv86s/YX6pSlgYfhI/AAAAAAAC1kU/r5ALMo3z0AwK1X8EGKNzJqSL-L6I1jI0gCPcBGAsYHg/s2535/IMG_4082.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2535" data-original-width="1965" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i9HeuxAv86s/YX6pSlgYfhI/AAAAAAAC1kU/r5ALMo3z0AwK1X8EGKNzJqSL-L6I1jI0gCPcBGAsYHg/s320/IMG_4082.jpg" width="248" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />After the race</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My wife met me at the exit from the finish line. I was pretty conked and wanted to head out as soon as possible. Unfortunately the transition was not fully open yet and it took me about 30 mins to get through the line to get a volunteer to accompany me in. I packed my stuff quickly and headed out. That's when I discovered that my rear tire was inflated to the point that it would not spin at all. The overinflation before the race must have been extreme - it was likely that I accidentally pumped it to 100 psi or more, and then, as the day heated up, the latex tube expanded and added another few psi. C'est la vie, bring your own pump next time dummy! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We headed to the parking lot, dumped my gear in the back of the car and then walked to Mill Ave for some sustenance and beverages. Ended up at Illegal Pete's since it had a nice patio and was not busy, and who can say no to Mexican food and fruity beers after a hot race?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oJP-6TTinfo/YX3y4M80-aI/AAAAAAAC1dM/bZCYVuXbTmsGVNztqgRISaaHdiCh5Y-GwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_2153.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oJP-6TTinfo/YX3y4M80-aI/AAAAAAAC1dM/bZCYVuXbTmsGVNztqgRISaaHdiCh5Y-GwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_2153.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>All in all, I think that the race went well. I did not like the bike course - it is boring, crowded and the u-turns are not my thing. I love racing in Tempe though and will be back there in January for the Rock'n'Roll marathon. The Maurten experiment was largely a success - it is a solid (yet highly liquid) choice for the bike, though I need to figure out why it was making me pee up a storm. Could have been a combination of caffeine and maybe something else. I will test it more. And now, onto building for the next marathon!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07763663301354214102noreply@blogger.com0Tempe, AZ, USA33.4255104 -111.94000545.1152765638211548 -147.09625540000002 61.735744236178846 -76.7837554tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-290673598016688481.post-39107822782805453982020-08-09T22:42:00.007-07:002020-08-17T19:01:13.276-07:00LA Marathon 2020 recap<p>So who knew that this was going to be the very last major marathon held in the US in 2020? Not a soul. We were all completely blind to what was right around the corner. </p><p>Preparation</p><p>I had my first half of 2020 booked pretty solid. The plan was to kick it off with the Surf City half, do the LA marathon shooting for BQ-10, and then onto Oceanside and Santa Rosa 70.3s. Then recover and build for IMLou in fall. That would have been quite a ride! But the Universe laughed at my puny plans, and the things started to go haywire right from the start.</p><p>I kicked off the training on 12/23/2019 about a month off after completing IMAZ. I felt pretty decent but out of shape for sure. However, I almost immediately started having an Achilles issue in the right ankle - it was tight and achy and was not happy 3-4 miles into the run. I tried everything - a brace, different shoes, you name it... It got to the point where I could barely finish out NY day hike. I started stretching aggressively and was doing 4-5 sets of calf raises per day. I ended up taking a full week off in mid January just to calm it down a bit, and started swimming and riding more just to keep the aerobic fitness up. In February I was able to do 5 days a week of running, with some long runs, but no workouts. I think that I might have done a tempo run or 2 but that's about it. I cancelled Surf City obviously, but was still woefully under-prepared. The weekly average for the build was 32 mpw. This was not good at all.</p><p>On top of everything else I went for a recon run the Sunday before the marathon and in the process caught some usual March time upper chest congestion that lingered all week. With COVID just starting to become a real thing, it was not a very good omen of the things to come. I worked from home most of that week, hydrated and tapered (and took a ton of vitamin supplements) and towards the end of the week I started to feel better. But I had no idea what to expect from the race day. </p><p>Went to the LA Convention center on Friday with my friend Sam who flew in from NY to run the LA marathon as well. The rumors were swirling the entire week that the race might get cancelled, and we really had no idea what to expect. The feeling was definitely subdued with the hand sanitizer stations suddenly appearing everywhere. Perhaps it was just my overactive imagination but getting across Figueroa felt like we were crossing a street in Sarajevo during the 90s. We were in and out as soon as we could which was a huge bummer because I usually try to use the conventions to get deeply discounted stuff. 😀</p><p>My friend Ankur flew in on Friday and we did our shake out run in GP and I actually felt race ready. Right there after the run while eating a mediocre reheated bagel with equally mediocre cream cheese and yet some great coffee I decided to give it a go and see if Vaporflys would bail me out. On Saturday night Ankur was staying at my place and being a scholarly gentleman runner he showed up with a bottle of delicious Beringer Pink Zin! We had a nice prerace dinner where Ankur ate some not super carb rich vegetarian food, definitely not marathoner mainstream approved, chatted, played with the dogs, and then went to bed at 10pm.</p><p>Race day</p><p>We were up at 4am. I had my usual peanut butter and bananas sandwich, and my awesome wife Kristina drove us to the Dodgers stadium. It was foggy (or muggy depending on your opinion of the LA air) and a bit cool, but the weather forecast for the day looked fantastic, not hot temps wise. We found Sam near the gear dropoff and she took some badly lit pics of Ankur and I... Ankur was looking fierce!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uBC_BlFPd-w/XzDD6TZBoxI/AAAAAAAColI/s9m0xqBlpf8oC-CnMsUvKFnPSn_QwEC3ACPcBGAsYHg/s4032/20200308_054620.jpg" style="display: inline; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uBC_BlFPd-w/XzDD6TZBoxI/AAAAAAAColI/s9m0xqBlpf8oC-CnMsUvKFnPSn_QwEC3ACPcBGAsYHg/s640/20200308_054620.jpg" /></a></div><p>We warmed up and I went into my assigned corral A where I saw my friend Jeremiah. The atmosphere was a bit subdued due to the COVID uncertainty just setting in, but we were all pumped for the race and hey - my Achilles was quiet as a mouse. The real question was - will the wheels fall off in Santa Monica or in Beverly Hills due to me being undertrained as hell? If the former, I felt that I could limp to the finish line... if the latter - this was going to be a walk to the pier. And on that cheerful thought we were out of the gate at 6:56am!</p><p>I started off pacing myself easy. The section through Chinatown and Little Tokyo is a net downhill and I let gravity carry me. That was fine, though I gave up a good minute right there. The section by the Grand Park is where it really gets going and I felt quite good all the way to the Disney Hall.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L-ZySFwbUQE/XzDH9BBu5sI/AAAAAAAColU/tv8InSelegcdaRrUOI5jW6MxkDjiJeSkgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Disney%2Bhall.JPG" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1364" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L-ZySFwbUQE/XzDH9BBu5sI/AAAAAAAColU/tv8InSelegcdaRrUOI5jW6MxkDjiJeSkgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Disney%2Bhall.JPG" /></a></div><p>I cruised through the next few miles not pushing it too hard and eventually made to Echo Park in high spirits. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4ZFZFb9PsGM/XzDIVKRMlYI/AAAAAAAColc/HAIm4EKKV0QZ7v1qXgKswRhKVCXb29bfQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Silver%2BLake.JPG" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4ZFZFb9PsGM/XzDIVKRMlYI/AAAAAAAColc/HAIm4EKKV0QZ7v1qXgKswRhKVCXb29bfQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Silver%2BLake.JPG" /></a></div><p>Then came the section through my old bike commute route that I knew all too well. The rollers on Sunset blvd were sharp as always and my quads started to talk to me, albeit very quietly. I was still holding a very good pace (about 7:10 min/mile average) and was starting to worry that I am going to overcook it. But soon we passed by my office building and then the Chinese theater and I was still pretty gungo ho about my chances, smiling even!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Sf40awpFzOo/XzDJca4mPfI/AAAAAAAColw/f7Ce81rHvVkLL9GBEBgbQ6l_Av99XrFsACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Chinese%2Btheater.JPG" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1361" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Sf40awpFzOo/XzDJca4mPfI/AAAAAAAColw/f7Ce81rHvVkLL9GBEBgbQ6l_Av99XrFsACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Chinese%2Btheater.JPG" /></a></div><p>I think that around that mark I saw the first pro who blew up and was just walking in zigzags. I was hoping to see my co-worker Estela and her husband there but somehow missed her - such a bummer. And just like that we were back on Sunset and ran through my favorite section of Sunset Strip, and then came the big drop on San Vincente that I had truly feared. It is a super steep downhill and both times before it thrashed my legs. This time was no exception!</p><p>Since I was still ahead of the 3:15 group, I figured that I can duck into a portapotty and pee and take a 30 second break. Did that at about the 15.5 mile mark, came out and took my first GU and then started talking myself into powering through the Beverly Hills section. </p><p><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GfKWKtGOqs4/XzDL5lMJHCI/AAAAAAAComA/FytHWMGIgP8LTkFTOvCjVVkFXjcd9OX6ACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/BH.JPG" style="display: inline; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1360" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GfKWKtGOqs4/XzDL5lMJHCI/AAAAAAAComA/FytHWMGIgP8LTkFTOvCjVVkFXjcd9OX6ACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/BH.JPG" width="640" /></a></p><p>It was on Burton way were my body definitely started to hurt. We ran into a bit of the wind and it was a slow grind uphill, in preparation for the rollers on Santa Monica and then the Sepulveda section. I made it to Rodeo drive, still had some spunk in me, though started to slow down a bit.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bpvwWlNPDbM/XzDMfGd1BoI/AAAAAAAComI/XLEMxlzWaa0gnBq1k3KBS7mb89TIA1PMQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Rodeo%2B2.JPG" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bpvwWlNPDbM/XzDMfGd1BoI/AAAAAAAComI/XLEMxlzWaa0gnBq1k3KBS7mb89TIA1PMQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Rodeo%2B2.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p>And then we turned on Wilshire and I got caught by the 3:15 group, which was a long time coming. But I hung onto that train, and had them pull me all the way to the turn on Sepulveda. By then I knew that the wheels were getting ready to come off, but I actually had a nice run up Sepulveda. I grabbed a shot of beer from someone once we turned right on Federal way, and even took a sip of Nuun for the 1st time during the run soon after (nasty!). It was encouraging that I was maybe 15-20 seconds behind the group all the way til Bundy Dr... and then the wheels finally came off. Suddenly I was stiff as a board and for every step taken the price was sharp pain. But I knew that I only had to make it past the Country Club and then I could just let roll downhill all the way to the finish line. Which is exactly what I did with the crowds just making me a bit more oblivious to the discomfort. Just a few more miles and we were on Ocean Ave!</p><p><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SDoqZ4c9N0E/XzDYoyHo49I/AAAAAAAComw/_aUxhPkaySAzkxEp9HoUZMYLm6jyBqzqACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Hollywood.JPG" style="display: inline; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1360" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SDoqZ4c9N0E/XzDYoyHo49I/AAAAAAAComw/_aUxhPkaySAzkxEp9HoUZMYLm6jyBqzqACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Hollywood.JPG" /></a></p><p>I guess that I felt that throwing up some horns was a good idea.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nfp5GzJ5AbU/XzDOUwr7O7I/AAAAAAAComY/knab5yzYmxw1NCGQvvm8Ii20KID1NN4SwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Finish%2BLine%2Bhorns.JPG" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nfp5GzJ5AbU/XzDOUwr7O7I/AAAAAAAComY/knab5yzYmxw1NCGQvvm8Ii20KID1NN4SwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Finish%2BLine%2Bhorns.JPG" /></a></div><p>Well, just a few more iterations and I have crossed the finish line for the finish of time 3:15:31, or BQ-4.5. The Garmin file <a href="https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/4634393465" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S2hWZ8BPJM4/XzDY1Yo2ynI/AAAAAAACom0/KFevGLvp74ciwlnBpn-NH5AysPPjH2AiwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Santa%2BMonica.JPG" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1360" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S2hWZ8BPJM4/XzDY1Yo2ynI/AAAAAAACom0/KFevGLvp74ciwlnBpn-NH5AysPPjH2AiwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Santa%2BMonica.JPG" /></a></div><p>I guess that I was pretty elated to get there in one piece with no walking. And sure was thankful to the 3:15 group for pulling me through the toughest section of the course! In retrospect, I should have powered through the downhill section on San Vincente and recaptured about 60 seconds... but the hindsight is 20/20.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fNNPlgi9LDg/XzDO7CmpGjI/AAAAAAAComk/ecVqPZ0SjmkVmexTq2qXjAhwvJRxFmKeACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Finish%2BLine%2Bdone.JPG" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fNNPlgi9LDg/XzDO7CmpGjI/AAAAAAAComk/ecVqPZ0SjmkVmexTq2qXjAhwvJRxFmKeACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Finish%2BLine%2Bdone.JPG" /></a>After getting my morning clothes from the gear check, I reconnected with Ankur who very quizzically asked me to guess his finish time. Being a nice person I said - 3:05 only to be excitedly corrected by my friend who had run a blazing 2:55:14! Holy shit, what a monumental achievement! We walked back to my dad's place to get a ride back to Burbank, well more like limped back... it was a very happy moment indeed with both of us exceeding our expectations. Also happy to report that Jeremiah and Sam also PR'ed and generally kicked ass - and I am so sorry for not joining Jeremiah and his wife for lunch after the race! Had I known that we would not see each other then for 5 more months.... humans and our puny plans.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">And just like that it was over. The lockdown started soon after, although Sam and I hung out til Thursday when I drove her to her red-eye from Burbank. She did give me a very important reward before parting ways:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-58Mu1GMTxXU/Xzs2BtVxbrI/AAAAAAACo08/vsgnVpjL9TM__8H48Pwxab9LESd11NnGQCPcBGAsYHg/s4032/20200816_131946.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-58Mu1GMTxXU/Xzs2BtVxbrI/AAAAAAACo08/vsgnVpjL9TM__8H48Pwxab9LESd11NnGQCPcBGAsYHg/s640/20200816_131946.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Seems like it was many lives ago, but yet it was right on my birthday! Well, either way it was an awesome time. Hopefully it will get me and Ankur into Boston 202x!</div>Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07763663301354214102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-290673598016688481.post-19288418433572860052020-08-08T17:56:00.011-07:002020-08-09T17:32:50.821-07:00IMAZ 2019 recap<p>It's funny how things change over time. For a while, I could not really bring myself to sit down and write a recap of what I see as my worst IM race so far. But now that we are in the midst of a cancelled season, and after having spent a ton of time reading numerous threads on the web about various races cancelled/postponed/not coming back at all, I have realized that there is a non-trivial chance of this being my last IM race for a long time... and so, it is time to write it down, because some key lessons were learned on 11/24/2019, and in retrospect there were some bright spots in my IM number 6. Alright, here it goes.</p><p>In terms of the gear, I was worried about the desert heat in the middle of the day, so brought with me my old Rudy Airwing helmet and my LG M2 one piece suit. The wind situation was pretty uncertain, so I opted for the trusty Zipp 404 FC set that handled well in any conditions. I definitely remembered the lesson from Boulder and brought my Hoka Cliftons v1 reissue edition shoes. The lower legs felt a little tired from a big hike the weekend before, so I brought some calf sleeves just in case... for placebo effect mainly.</p><p>Here's the bike setup for the race.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i7R-ms1J_wg/Xy9JJOlpfkI/AAAAAAACojU/Dep8Jk76WCYoizjedRKklxPuE-4VUhE5gCPcBGAsYHg/s4032/20191117_081023.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i7R-ms1J_wg/Xy9JJOlpfkI/AAAAAAACojU/Dep8Jk76WCYoizjedRKklxPuE-4VUhE5gCPcBGAsYHg/s640/20191117_081023.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>In theory I was about 25% fitter in mid-November based on the Elevate app as compared to my pre-Boulder fitness level. By the end of November I had logged about 1800 miles more vs the previous year. I had my bike dialed in real good. I was swimming well and often. It looked good, and I was heading into the race thinking of going sub 10 hours. With that mindset I drove to Phoenix and got there late on Thursday night. The whole place was drenched from the rains in the last 2 days - so much for the desert! </p><p>Day 1</p><p>Woke up on Friday and had to switch rooms the first thing in the morning. I ended up with a room right next to the elevator after the check in since I got there so late and at night the noise drove me nuts. The hotel clerk was super accommodating and I ended up with a massive room upgrade too! That was a good start. I ate breakfast after moving, went food shopping, got the necessities (PB, gatorade, bagels, turkey, Budweiser 😀) and met up with my buddy Brad at 11am at the IM village. We got checked in, went down to Tempe lake, made sure it is still there - and it was pretty gnarly looking water quality wise as always, with debris and dead fishes.</p><p><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ByPOrSi3Vm4/XzB3zr0BEDI/AAAAAAACokQ/C6SBsJbPdVQJW_G-zBUl_4pgjpPH13h0wCLcBGAsYHQ/s960/77158946_10162850732435045_5703409899833131008_n.jpg" style="display: inline; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ByPOrSi3Vm4/XzB3zr0BEDI/AAAAAAACokQ/C6SBsJbPdVQJW_G-zBUl_4pgjpPH13h0wCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/77158946_10162850732435045_5703409899833131008_n.jpg" /></a></p><p>After enjoying the view, we made plans to grab dinner later on. I went back to the hotel, assembled the bags, checked the bike... realized that I was probably short a tube, a GU or 2 and possibly a CO2 cartridge. Made plans to stop by a bike shop nearby before dinner to get the missing items. </p><p>Took a nap and then headed downstairs for some hot tubbing. Almost drowned my cell phone, had a bit of a scare with the water getting into the charging port (hair dryer to the rescue), and then drove to the bike shop. After buying the stuff I was looking for and receiving a sage advice to get some Gatorskins to avoid thorns inflicted flats on the Beeline highway, I met Brad for some beer and Mexican food near ASU. We talked about the weather, whether it makes sense to pre-swim tomorrow, old work anecdotes... He had to leave early to pick up his wife from the airport, and I drove home, and was in bed by 10.</p><p>Day 2</p><p>Got up at around 6:30 am and did a quick pre-ride/pre-run near the hotel. It was pretty chilly and I did not do anything too strenuous. The area was not super bike friendly or perhaps not friendly period</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R6CC92xCUVw/XzCVFJiXzzI/AAAAAAACoks/-QofNIpNIxQ8dl89HOLsJSYxgtL41h6MgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/20191125_123951.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R6CC92xCUVw/XzCVFJiXzzI/AAAAAAACoks/-QofNIpNIxQ8dl89HOLsJSYxgtL41h6MgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/20191125_123951.jpg" /></a></div><p>and so I was back in the lobby for breakfast by 8. </p><p>I had my drop off time at around noon, and I drove to Mill ave. Everything went well, except for somehow getting stuck behind a very slow moving train at the rail crossing for good 15 mins! After the drop off walked around the village again, but headed back by 1. Later at night met Brad (and his wife Mara) again and we tried to get into an Italian restaurant near their hotel, but it was packed. We ended up in a place that looked a bit like Chucky Cheese's but had decent sandwiches. Brad told me that he had swam in the morning and the water was cold. I joked that now he knows what to expect and is already infected with the TTL bacterium. And yep, more dead fish and odd colored things were in the water during the swim!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zB6YBg4ZDdI/XzB4JnEiUCI/AAAAAAACokY/Idd7GD_9D5A0OkK_1A24omNHNY9rwi-IgCLcBGAsYHQ/s960/75407647_2574609732772729_6010115730643615744_n.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zB6YBg4ZDdI/XzB4JnEiUCI/AAAAAAACokY/Idd7GD_9D5A0OkK_1A24omNHNY9rwi-IgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/75407647_2574609732772729_6010115730643615744_n.jpg" /></a></div><p>Well at least we will have a protein snack available if it comes to it. Was back at the hotel by 9:30, and in bed by 10.</p><p>Race day</p><p>Got up at 3:00am, ate 2 bagels with PB and bananas and a Starbucks espresso. The forecast looked perfect - mostly mid 60s to the low 70s, some overcast, no real wind. Was out of the door by 3:50 am, parked at the same lot as I did on Friday. The T1 was the usual chaos. Found my bike, attached the bottles, the batteries and the Garmin, pumped the tires to about 90 psi, checked on the gear bags... tried to meet up with Brad, but we kept missing each other. Went to the water at around 6:40 am. It was still dark, but the sun was poking through the clouds. Lined up with the 1:10 group and started making peace with the Universe once again.</p><p>Swim</p><p>I took it pretty easy early on but got into a good rhythm after 200 yards. However, by the time we got to the 1st bridge, I started to get cold. By the time we turned around I was very cold - as in starting to shiver. No idea why - the water did not seem that cold... but yeah I should have listened to Brad. The swim to the Tempe bridge was the worst. I wanted to quit several times, and caught myself looking longingly at the paramedics who would rescue me from this watery hell. I tried to go faster but the muscles were not having it. The last 800 yards were done on pure adrenaline. It almost felt like I was struggling for my life in some bullshit 2 mile swim, how pathetic. Never been happier to see the finish platform before. Total time 1:27:48, Garmin file <a href="https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/4282514689" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><p>T1 </p><p>We had to run from the exit point near the museum back to the park - about 600 yards. I was so cold that I was not thinking clearly.... and took off my weitsuit. That was a seriously dumb move. I got even colder by the time I got to the tent. Had to sit full 20 mins near the heater (which got crowded quite fast), sip some chicken soup and shiver in my space blanket. Eventually I got warm enough to put on my bike gear with removable sleeves and head out. Total time 28 mins. </p><p>Bike</p><p>The first few miles through Tempe were a struggle. Was still cold, shivering and not quite seeing straight. Tried eating a a Clif bar that I taped to the top tube, and after about 15 mins I started feeling a bit more normal. The first lap on Beeline was not bad, and the turnaround came up quite quick. I lost the sleeves, stopped for 20 seconds to stretch the back and flew down that hill. During that stretch for the first time in the morning I felt fine. A bit better than fine perhaps. The second lap came and went quick but I started to get that grinding sensation in the lower back and the slow ambient heat from the desert was starting to bake me ever so slowly. On the way back into town I got a new set of bottles from the special needs and a cold cola, chugged half of it and continued. The goal was to start preserving energy for the run since I knew that the 3rd loop will be a struggle - and always is.</p><p>But to the contrary it went pretty easy. I had to push some watts up to get to the turnaround, but coming back felt quite good save for some chafing in the nether regions. Unfortunately the spec needs already chucked my bag, so I could not get my lube... but the good people manning the station gave me some Vaseline and it helped. I pulled into town feeling kind of exhausted and having to dodge the pot holes on Rio Salado. Bike time 5:53:18, Garmin file <a href="https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/4282486276" target="_blank">here</a>. </p><p>T2</p><p>It went quick. I left the shoes clipped in as always, grabbed my bag, threw on the HR strap, changed socks, put on shoes, calf sleeves, race belt, a hat and sun glasses and was out of the door. Total time 5 mins.</p><p>Run</p><p>I knew that the swim and the T1 fiasco killed any chance of it being a PR or anything close to it. I also knew that during the first 20 mins of the bike I burned a lot of matches... so the goal was to run a steady pace of about 8:20. I was planning to stick with the trusty diet of cola and water, and an occasional Clif shot or 2. It seemed doable pretty much until mile 11 or so where I started to feel (quite suddenly) that the bottom is about to fall out. In fact I was panicking that I could not even make it to the split to the 2nd lap. I got there though and the next 3 miles went ok, but once I crossed the lake I felt that I had to hit the portapotty which meant peeling the top off from my sweaty skin... and that's when the run/walk started. From that point everything was bugging me. The M2 suit was chafing, the glasses were hurting my nose (I ended up chucking them), the shoes felt wooden... The race was effectively over and I sort of limped along to the finish line, although I ran up that pesky Curry Road hill with some spark. It was a weird feeling - the stomach was perfectly fine, but the energy was just gone. I walked the 24th mile aid station and after that jogged to the finish line in darkness. Mike Reilley butchered my last name for the 2nd and the final time that year - here the finish chute video. Thanks Mike nonetheless. </p><p><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/L8O5QmBv6sw" width="320" youtube-src-id="L8O5QmBv6sw"></iframe></p><div>Run time 3:59:03, Garmin file <a href="https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/4282484110" target="_blank">here</a>. The total time was 11:49:24 good for the 80th place in M45-49.</div><p></p><div>Post race:</div><div><br /></div><div>Well I was exhausted. Ate some food at the finish line with some equally beat up triathletes. Tried looking for Mara or Brad, did not see anyone. Went back to the park, collected my stuff, reconnected with the world and limped back to the car. Got to the hotel at around 7:15pm, ate a little bit more food and had a beer finally. Mara texted me as I was eating, and confirmed what I saw on the live tracker - Brad was walking. I grabbed some Gatorade and water and headed back to the park. Eventually found Brad and Mara, and they were walking roughly through mile 15. Brad was looking wrecked, and definitely could not hold down any nutrition. We walked together for about 30-35 mins, tried to talk Brad into finishing since he had time... then I crossed to other side of the lake from the museum site to meet them there since my feet were starting to kill me.. That's when Mara texted me that Brad gave up after feeling dizzy from dehydration and got carted back. Shit. I walked back to the park, checked the med tent, he was not there... his bike was still in transition... kind of went back and forth and then Mara told me that he was ok. Knowing that his mood was probably not great I headed back to the hotel now completely exhausted. The day ended up like this.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UzXz4pfJTqM/Xy8_4g5sOEI/AAAAAAACoho/PP9hJlZwZaIB8uu5ACK6mDpEpVkSOfc5ACPcBGAsYHg/s1074/20200808_171134.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1074" data-original-width="1074" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UzXz4pfJTqM/Xy8_4g5sOEI/AAAAAAACoho/PP9hJlZwZaIB8uu5ACK6mDpEpVkSOfc5ACPcBGAsYHg/s640/20200808_171134.jpg" /></a><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The day after I got a hold of Brad, exchanged some texts, he was alright just tired and obviously upset about the DNF. I was not happy either, but it was what it was. I started planning ahead to 2020 (lol, goes to show what we know), stopped by the Cosanti store in Paradise Valley and got my wife a bell she wanted to hang by the front door. Drove back, listened to the podcast... and that was the end of the 2019 season. Though I had lots of Trislide left!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nnEu-DWgJ9Q/XzCVkJm3nNI/AAAAAAACok4/tlzq5--LpcsS2i78ZXyYIOhPOlrghwi3wCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/20191125_173130.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nnEu-DWgJ9Q/XzCVkJm3nNI/AAAAAAACok4/tlzq5--LpcsS2i78ZXyYIOhPOlrghwi3wCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/20191125_173130.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07763663301354214102noreply@blogger.com0Tempe, AZ, USA33.4255104 -111.94000545.1152765638211548 -147.09625540000002 61.735744236178846 -76.7837554tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-290673598016688481.post-67200886517964296082019-06-23T15:10:00.003-07:002021-10-31T07:25:38.247-07:00IM Boulder 2019 recap<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
I have been building for the race since mid-January. Averaged 10.5 hours per week which is pretty light. However, this includes 2 short vacations when I could not train all that much, some taper and a 7 day break after St George 70.3, and about 5 days of downtime in late May when I came down with a chest cold . All in all,I felt that it was a decent prep cycle, although the timing of the illness around the Labor day before the race threw a wrench at my plans to have a graduated taper. Cannot control stuff like that, but unfortunately it had some effect on the race. The long and short of it, I had to ease off in Boulder because of the nasal congestion that I could not completely shake off.<br />
<br />
In terms of being race ready, I felt that my cycling fitness was probably the strongest ever. The swim fitness was pretty good too, but the run was somewhat weaker than usual - I just could not do more than 30 mpw, and that honestly worried me. But nonetheless the race week came and it was time to go to Boulder and test my limits one more time.<br />
<br />
Day 1<br />
<br />
I flew into Denver on Thursday of the race week. For the 1st couple of nights I was staying with my childhood buddy Leo who has been living in Colorado since the early 1990s and is always super hospitable. Picked my rental car and drove it to Aurora where Leo lives. Got there at around noon, settled in and went for a quick run. Although it was sort of overcast, I started to feel the sun a couple of miles into it. Was very glad that I had put on a lot of sunscreen! An important lesson learned in St George. The run went pretty well, I did not struggle with the rollers or the altitude, and overall it did not feel that much different from my easy runs in the Valley. The rest of the day was spent napping, checking the Sunday forecast (it was showing a significant cooldown from Saturday with a chance of rain), playing with my buddy's kid, their dog, having a nice dinner and... well I did have a couple of beers. Maybe 3.<br />
<br />
Day 2<br />
<br />
Got up fairly early, had my usual morning fare - a bagel with peanut butter, a banana and a cup of coffee type of breakfast, and then headed to Boulder to checkin and pick up my bike. The drive took a little bit over an hour. Got to Boulder at around 10am, parked and headed to the IM village. It was setup on a grassy lot next to the parking lot of the high school. The grass was a mess - it could have been cut by the city, and there was also some road construction going on literally right next door to the tents. The village was pretty empty since it was early-ish, so it took me no time to grab my registration packet, a few souvenirs from the store, and then go get the bike. I was pretty relieved that it had seemingly arrived with no damage - well, more on that later. Threw everything in the back of the car and drove back to Denver. On the way there, I got an email from the RD stating that this was going to be the last year of IM Boulder. It was a bummer for sure, but it also gave me a good reason to do my best on Sunday.<br />
<br />
Once I got back, I reattached the race number, reinstalled the aero bottle cage, the pedals and the eTap batteries, pumped the tires and headed to a nearby bike path to pre-ride. The bike path ran through an awesome looking open space with lots of greenery, sizable creeks and so on - and it was also twisty as all hell, so staying on the aerobars was a challenge since I had to make sharp turns every few hundred yards. Turned around after about 10 miles and rode back - and suddenly the storm cloud appeared out of nowhere and right around the time I was about 2 miles from my car it started pouring. Had to ride a bit faster while avoiding wiping out on the sharper corners.<br />
<br />
Got back to my buddy's house and did the final prep for the race - ie hand tightened every single bolt. As I was working on the front brake, I had noticed something odd - the fork was now turning all the way, while before there was a little stopper pin in the top tube that was restricting the fork to about 30 degrees of movement to the left/right. This was a bit of a surprise, but I did not think much about it.<br />
<br />
Assembled the gear and the special needs bags in the afternoon. Was not 100% sure how the weather was going to turn out, so just in case threw in a rain vest and the arm sleeves into the bike gear bag, and an extra t-shirt and a trash bag with holes for the head and arms into the run special needs bag - in that neck of the woods you just never know if the temps going to drop or if it rains. Threw in some extra GUs and a Clif Bar into the bike special needs bag. Also taped 5 GUs to the top tube just in case I wanted some change of pace for my nutrition - one can only have some much Infinit on any given Sunday 😄<br />
<br />
In the evening had another awesome dinner with my buddy and his family - they made shrimp fajitas with some salad. We had a bottle of wine between of us and stayed up fairly late just chatting, reminiscing about our childhoods and enjoying the weather. Went to bed at around 10:30pm. Slept well.<br />
<br />
Day 3<br />
<br />
Slept in as long as I could - still got up at around 8am. Had another bagel/banana and a Clif bar with a cup of coffee. Loaded my gear into the car, said bye for now to Leo and his family and headed to Boulder for the gear drop off and some pre-swimming in the reservoir.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aP0cz8say8k/XQ6RhTLd0_I/AAAAAAACT0U/e0kKmabW6_8PZFKX6rml0Gc3Al44pTZYwCKgBGAs/s1600/20190608_100901.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aP0cz8say8k/XQ6RhTLd0_I/AAAAAAACT0U/e0kKmabW6_8PZFKX6rml0Gc3Al44pTZYwCKgBGAs/s320/20190608_100901.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Got there at around 10am and was able to park in the lot right next to the water. Dropped off the bike and the gear bags. Since the forecast was sort of iffy with regards to the rain in the morning of the race, I wrapped the aerobars in a trash bag, and put a plastic bag on the seat. I was very worried about the fork moving around too much.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f3zSjQJ-Svk/XQ6Rq_Utj8I/AAAAAAACT0Y/it8zsoMR1RsyKMWE87kcbuosxUPhkGo8gCKgBGAs/s1600/20190608_104841.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f3zSjQJ-Svk/XQ6Rq_Utj8I/AAAAAAACT0Y/it8zsoMR1RsyKMWE87kcbuosxUPhkGo8gCKgBGAs/s320/20190608_104841.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Then I went for a quick swim. The water in the reservoir was very warm, easily in the upper 60s. Since I missed all of the previous days' supported swims, I could only swim in a small circle near the beach, but honestly it did not matter. Right away I knew that it was going to be a single cap swim in a very comfortable water temperature. I also really liked swimming with just an underlayer under the wetsuit as opposed wearing a full aerosuit - it really did not restrict the range of motion in the shoulders.<br />
<br />
Once I dried up a bit, went back to the car and set out to drive one loop of the bike course. It took me a little bit of time to find the beginning of the loop but after that the map was easy to follow. The terrain consisted primarily of stretches of mostly flat roads with some rollers and a few sharp climbs with top kickers that looked quite steep. The back end of the loop had some more rollers but I did not see anything that looked like a concern.<br />
<br />
Came back to Boulder around 3pm and headed to Dina's place. She's my cousin's cousin who moved to Boulder when her hubby got a job at CU over there. They invited me to stay over for a couple of nights and I gladly accepted their offer to couch surf 2 miles away from the Boulder High School. We had a nice dinner that night - all while it suddenly hailed outside!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/1ldvxqv0pdY/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1ldvxqv0pdY?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<br />
The weather went from warm and sunny to overcast and cold... just like that. In any case, I was in bed by 9:30pm and fell asleep quickly.<br />
<br />
Race Day<br />
<br />
Woke up at 3am and had 1.5 cinnamon raisin bagels with peanut butter, 2 bananas and a Starbucks espresso double shot. The goal was to get about 750 calories in and I think that I came pretty close.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uZ--nkcV5pg/XQ6RxGflGlI/AAAAAAACT0c/E7AvDqwsImEv7s6FLcI76MYNQCxC_ICogCKgBGAs/s1600/20190609_035324.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uZ--nkcV5pg/XQ6RxGflGlI/AAAAAAACT0c/E7AvDqwsImEv7s6FLcI76MYNQCxC_ICogCKgBGAs/s320/20190609_035324.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Headed out of the door at 4 am, drove to the corner of Pearl and 15th and parked in a structure (yay free Sunday parking!). It was VERY cold and wet outside - I was shivering although I had a warm underlayer on and a shirt/hoodie on top of it. Took quick walk to the Boulder high and dropped off my special needs bags on the way before lining up to get on the shuttles.<br />
<br />
It was a quick ride to the reservoir, listened to Viktoria by Marduk on the way there - lots of adrenaline in that record! Got off the bus at around 4:50am - and yes, it was even colder there.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7aBTZavYI7M/XQ6R6F50KfI/AAAAAAACT0g/laf7ew9ZOAoIfbEzttx4qLsMMs23GUQHgCKgBGAs/s1600/20190609_054637.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7aBTZavYI7M/XQ6R6F50KfI/AAAAAAACT0g/laf7ew9ZOAoIfbEzttx4qLsMMs23GUQHgCKgBGAs/s320/20190609_054637.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
We had to walk up this little hill to get to the transition area, so that warmed me up a bit. The bike was in a good condition, a little wet but nothing critical. Took the bags off, attached the batteries and my Garmin, tested the wheels and found that the front wheel was rubbing for some reason. That was odd as this issue was just not there in the morning on Saturday. I had to open up the brake a little - that's one great thing about the TriRig Omegas, you can always fine adjust just one side... that took care of the rubbing issue, but I was still worried about the brake moving during the ride. Just in case, I laid out a trash bag under the front wheel to minimize the movement.<br />
<br />
Ate another Clif Bar, put on my wetsuit (swam in a HUUB suit this time) and headed out of the transition area. Lined up for the 1:10 group and started to get mentally prepped for the race. We had Mike Reilley at the start line - he was doing his usual banter/cheering bit and I had realized that I had really missed it last year in Santa Rosa. He made the time go by very quickly, and I was somehow feeling at peace with the universe. Did not get in the water til 6:46am or so... and then it began.<br />
<br />
The Swim<br />
<br />
The first 100 yards felt great. And then something happened... I felt a weird discomfort in the upper body, and I suddenly had to stop. I was breathing way too hard. After a minute or 2 I started to feel ok. People were swimming around me, and I decided that I was ok to continue. Had to swim a bit slower than normal until I hit the first left turn. After that I got into the rhythm, which was still a little slower than my usual pace, but I was feeling relaxed and just making sure that I was doing a good job sighting and breathing. After the second turn the chop picked up a little bit and the going got a bit harder. The water was at least 15 degrees warmer than the air but was definitely cooling down minute by minute. The last 300 yards or so were a struggle as the arms started to get a bit sore, so I started kicking harder. Got out and the watch showed 1:31 as the swim time. Ouch. The Garmin file <a href="https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/3732694540" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
<br />
T1<br />
<br />
Was out of the wetsuit very quickly, did not have to stop and have it stripped - that's one thing I really like about HUUB (if it only was not such a pain in the ass to put on). The run on the grass to the bags was pretty short and the volunteers were very helpful and I was in the changing tent in no time. Here I really did mess up. The plan was to take off the underlayer, put on the HR strap, pull up top of the aerosuit, throw on my rain vest, and head out with the shoes on putting on the helmet as I was running to the bike. Sure enough I forgot to put on the HR monitor and only realized it when I had the vest on... I really did not want to risk not knowing the heart rate on the run, so I had to dress up twice. That sucked. The run to the mount line was basically to the top of the same hill again, this time in bike shoes. 10 minutes left there.<br />
<br />
The Bike<br />
<br />
The first 90 minutes or so were pretty much punctuated by this one uniform sensation - I was cold, shivering and everything. Having the vest on sure helped, but the arms and the hands were uncomfortably cold. I was very grateful that I had put on some warm-ish socks in T1 - at least the feet were not ready to fall off. Once we started hitting the first hill going up to the Hwy 36, I began to feel more normal and had a pretty good climb where I was able to push out of the saddle and generate good steady power. But then came a fast descent down Nelson Road and I got cold again, to the point that when I was riding up the 65th I had a hard time putting back the nutrition bottle in the cage behind the seat. It fell out and landed on the nipple that broke off and ended up inside the bottle - boom! Half of my 1st loop nutrition spilled out. I had to turn around and go salvage whatever was left in it. Stopped at the next aid station and transferred the remaining Infinit mix into an empty water bottle. Also grabbed a few GU Roctanes just in case. For some reason one of the was open which I did not notice - and the GU leaked out gluing my vest to my aerosuit in the back. Good times!<br />
<br />
The rest of the went pretty much without a hitch, although I did have to stop about 10 miles later on Hygeine Rd when my chip band slipped down my leg and was hanging a bit too loose for my liking. I retightened it - as turned out too much, so that the ankle was sore for a few days after run, more on that later. I made it up Hygiene Rd which was probably the steepest bit of the course and that's when I finally stopped being nearly hypothermic. The backside of the course was great - the sun was out on the Hwy 66, we were passing neat little lakes - life was suddenly good! The rollers on the 75th Ave were fun and I hit pretty good speeds coming down. Most importantly I made up a ton of time.<br />
<br />
The 2nd loop flew by pretty fast. I got my 2nd bottle of Infinit from the special needs station along with a cold can of Coke, spent about 45 second sipping it and was off fighting the wind on the Hwy 119.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jH9_E5LeEB4/XQ62QW7b6II/AAAAAAACT0s/Vwo5xz29w0U_yxRBZ6Dsz5ypxG0U_iePwCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_1961.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jH9_E5LeEB4/XQ62QW7b6II/AAAAAAACT0s/Vwo5xz29w0U_yxRBZ6Dsz5ypxG0U_iePwCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_1961.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
For some reason the out and back on Monarch was very bumpy the 2nd time around and the turnaround was very tight - I actually had to unclip to make it. The climb up Neva was a lot of fun again and I really enjoyed it although it is a mere bump by the standards of Santa Monica mountains. Here's a picture of me cresting there.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8lnVqbcTkvc/XQ62y8arSXI/AAAAAAACT04/znEzcQ2BJL0RGFSpIPHUgUMbio-ZAKLmwCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_9946.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1549" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8lnVqbcTkvc/XQ62y8arSXI/AAAAAAACT04/znEzcQ2BJL0RGFSpIPHUgUMbio-ZAKLmwCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_9946.JPG" width="309" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
By the time we got to Nelson/65th it was plenty warm, so I stopped there for a sec to take off my vest. Nothing remarkable to report on the rest of the ride, although I started feeling a tad fatigued going through the rollers on the 75th ave. By then it was almost over. I was a little bit surprised that the course ended up being short by about 2 miles - with 2 out and back segments repeated twice I'd have imagined that the organizers could have gotten it right, especially since this was the 2nd time they used this course. The finish time was 5:42. Garmin file <a href="https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/3732727613" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
<br />
T2<br />
<br />
This went pretty smoothly. I left the shoes on top of the pedals so that helped a bit. We had to run through a short stretch of uncovered rocky dirt which sucked, but other than that no complaints. I did change into my running clothes (shorts and a singlet) which took about a minute and I reapplied lots and lots of sunscreen, but I was out in 6:19.<br />
<br />
The Run<br />
<br />
The first 3 miles or so were on some country roads leading out of the reservoir area. There was one sharp hill in the 1st mile, and then it was a gradual climb until mile four. I wanted to try the idea of running faster but walking the transitions since I was very concerned with the possible dehydration from the recent cold. Have to say that worked pretty well for the initial 10 miles or so. I would grab some water in the beginning of the water station and then some Coke, walk briskly while drinking and then pour some more water on my head and shoulders at the end of the aid station. But after a while my brisk walk became a lot less brisk and I ended up moving slower and slower through the aid stations. The other thing was that the bike path we were was relentlessly rolling, and lastly it was super hard on the lower legs. After about 15 miles I was feeling super beat up. The Nike Vaporflys that I was running in provided a lot less cushioning than the Hoka Cliftons that I was so used to in racing. Eventually I started feeling the unusually crushing fatigue - probably the effects of elevation were becoming more and pronounced, on top of the nasal congestion that was still lingering. At around mile 19.5 when I finally came to the last turnaround I started playing this game in my head where I'd promise myself to walk some if I can run one more mile... and then I'd get to the mile marker and would postpone walking for one more mile, promising some walking in the future, rince and repeat.<br />
<br />
The worst part was that we passed by the Boulder high school twice and the bags and the bikes were clearly visible from the path... but yet we had miles to go. Had a minor panicky moment when I could not find the mile 25 marker (it was for some reason misplaced and instead showed up at around mile 25.6). At that point I was negotiating with myself running in quarter mile stretches and the prospect of having to go an extra mile or so was just unthinkable, as sad as it sounds. But it turned out that the course was probably spot on distance wise - I ended up logging 26.4 miles which is pretty good for a twisty bike path with lots and lots of underpasses where GPS just does not work at all. Finally I got off the bike path, headed to the finish line, heard Mike Reilley call my name. It was all over. A 3:57 run, giving a 11:27 finish time for the 23rd spot in the M45-49. Garmin file <a href="https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/3732725936" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BlT8wkhzPug/XRuhQP5GmyI/AAAAAAACU40/NMrscqc4wyQzKu-tt1l6BEuK2__KIkbjACKgBGAs/s1600/20190609_181527.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BlT8wkhzPug/XRuhQP5GmyI/AAAAAAACU40/NMrscqc4wyQzKu-tt1l6BEuK2__KIkbjACKgBGAs/s320/20190609_181527.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
Full video:<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/PzoAA_WlTko/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PzoAA_WlTko?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<br />
<br />
After The Race<br />
<br />
Have to say that I was spent - close to 100%. Like a zombie I lurched towards the food tent which was all of 500 yards away Started to feel very cold, so I threw on my finisher shirt on top of my singlet along with the space blanket I got at the finish line. Finally saw Dina and her husband and their daughter near the food tent... they started asking me about how I was feeling... I was out of it. Was not even sure where I was probably! Tried to eat some food from the tent and had to put it down - just could not digest any real food, save for some Chips Ahoy cookies. That whole plate in the picture - it was left on the bench in its entirety.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vns1mv31vj4/XQ8N7nr94sI/AAAAAAACT1E/DKxWITkjhPwCo5mCSKUCkkbzYMiQWTOCgCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_7447.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vns1mv31vj4/XQ8N7nr94sI/AAAAAAACT1E/DKxWITkjhPwCo5mCSKUCkkbzYMiQWTOCgCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_7447.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Since I was getting colder and colder, decided to go get my morning clothes and the bike. That was an even longer walk and there was a line to get to bags and bikes since you had to be personally accompanied by a volunteer. The kid who walked me was super sweet and patient, wish I had an appreciation wristband to give him. I changed right there on the grass, and decided to drop off my bike with the TriBike transport right away. That took a little while as they had trouble taking the pedals off and for some reason the front derailleur was stuck in the midshift position. Eventually the things got figured out and the bike was signed for and filed to be on the way to Burbank. After a bit more walking I made it to the car, threw my gear bag in the back and headed to Dina's house. Had a great dinner with them again which was sorely needed. I almost passed out from being low on sugar when I waited too long to eat! And then came a great black wave of sleep, with no dreams or sensations...<br />
<br />
In Conclusion<br />
<br />
I feel happy with the results. Sure, no PRs here, and the course was not all that hard, especially if you mad the right equipment choices. But I think that somehow I did not leave much on the table, and unlike in St George I raced to my fitness level. Kind of sad that I won't get to give this course another go any time soon, but I am quite content with how things went. And the pictures of the peaks of the Rockies that I took on the flight back are still quite stunning. Til we meet again!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F-Dr_l3RlfQ/XQ_zuKhXPeI/AAAAAAACT2E/vRUAYpk4ocYB2ZHYPXWIg76bTBJ3leNZgCKgBGAs/s1600/20190611_200621.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F-Dr_l3RlfQ/XQ_zuKhXPeI/AAAAAAACT2E/vRUAYpk4ocYB2ZHYPXWIg76bTBJ3leNZgCKgBGAs/s320/20190611_200621.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1OwOXstX3UA/XQ_zuCKZgYI/AAAAAAACT2E/LSXGlJLbLT0bRoqnKEAhltZg8IOS3N0QwCKgBGAs/s1600/20190611_200607.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1OwOXstX3UA/XQ_zuCKZgYI/AAAAAAACT2E/LSXGlJLbLT0bRoqnKEAhltZg8IOS3N0QwCKgBGAs/s320/20190611_200607.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07763663301354214102noreply@blogger.com0Boulder, CO, USA40.0149856 -105.2705455999999939.820449100000005 -105.59326909999999 40.2095221 -104.9478221tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-290673598016688481.post-61333444887173870462019-05-19T08:21:00.004-07:002019-05-19T17:34:18.077-07:00St George 70.3 2019 recap <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Signed up for St George 70.3 as a way to test my fitness before IM Boulder in June. I have been training steadily since mid January. Spent a lot of time climbing on the bike on Zwift and in real life. By April I had felt pretty good about the bike and the run, and the swim training was actually showing some real progress too after a year spent working on a Vasa trainer. My easy time for 100 yards free was about 1:38, with a hard effort repeats time being around 1:26-1:27. I made some improvements to the bike, lightening it up a bit and getting a custom storage box that attaches to the area above the bottom bracket.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Arrived at St G on Thursday afternoon. Checked into the
hotel (Tru by Hilton, very convenient!), unloaded my gear and went to the town square square to pick my registration
packet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Got there right around the time when Andrew Messick was starting his announcement of the full IM returning to StG in
2020, with the 3 year rotation. I tried to listen to the speech but the
tent was too loud, and I really did not want to lose my space in line, so I just turned on their Facebook live feed and listened to it
instead. Much better <span style="font-family: "wingdings"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span>.
The pickup lines were pretty long and I ended up spending about 30 minutes
waiting for this and that. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Got back to the room, laid everything out on the spare bed
and assembled the gear, sorting it into 3 piles (morning/bike/run). Everything
was in place except for the chain lube, so I breathed the sign of relief. By that time, it was almost
6:30pm local time and it was time to get some food. I went out to the local
diner called Black Bear. Had a substantial dinner by my standards – with Cobb
salad and a baked potato. The diner was teeming with the tourists (non triathletes by the looks of it) and the locals. The food was quite good,
especially the bacon. Yum! Afterwards I drove to the nearest supermarket and got
some fuel for the race day morning – ie Gatorade, peanut butter, bananas and a
few bread rolls. Got back to the hotel, watched TV for a bit and turned in for the night. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Slept pretty well,
although the noise from the Interstate 15 right outside the window was a bit
annoying.Woke up at around 6:30am and headed downstairs for
breakfast. The hotel clearly was doing a good amount of business with the
triathletes – saw quite a few loading up on carbs or heading out/returning from
rides. I had some oatmeal with cranberries and a banana with coffee. After
that it was time for some equipment testing. Rode my bike for about 15 mins, no
hard efforts, just making sure that the shifting was working the way it was
supposed to. No issues, although the return route via River Rd was not great – the
bike lane was too narrow to stay in aero. Rode it on the bullhorns mostly. Got
back, put on running shoes and headed out for a quick run. The sun was already
pretty hot, and there I made my first mistake – not putting on lots and lots of
sunscreen right away. Went downstairs,
had a waffle and more coffee, and then headed to a bike shop up the street to
get some chain lube. It was so fantastically dry outside that I realized that
the chain needed to be dry lubed. Picked up some dry lube and after that was
finally all set.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Loaded my gear bags and my bike into the car at around
11:30am and headed towards the town square. The plan was to listen to the
athlete meeting, drop off the run gear bag and then head towards the reservoir.
By the time I got the stage, the area in front of it was pretty full and I
ended up sitting sort of high way between the shaded area and the area exposed
to the sun. That was a really dumb move. I got baked there big time, while
learning absolutely nothing new from the presenter. And then I had to wait
another 30 mins for T2 to open up. More time in the sun without the proper hydration
and sunscreen. Arggh.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Once I had dropped off the run gear, I headed to the reservoir. It
was a bit longer of a drive than I had expected with the traffic being heavy. I got there eventually and the parking
situation was not great… had to make myself a parking spot. Lubed the chain, racked the
bike, hung the bag on the numbered rack and then went down to the water to see what condition my condition was in.
The water was definitely not warm, but felt about 62-63 degrees, which was exactly what I was expecting. I walked ankle deep in the water of the shallow end of the boat ramp for a few minutes and decided that it is going to be a 2 swim cap thing. Finally got
to the car at around 2:30pm and drove back to StG. Stopped by a supermarket on
the way back and got 2 slices of pizza and a chicken sandwich for dinner. Was
back at the hotel at 3pm. Charged all of my electronics, mixed my Infinit drink, rolled a little bit on the foam roller.... At that point, the plan was to park myself in front
of TV, and only step out of the room to drop off the stuff I won't need in the morning by the car at around 6:30pm.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I followed the plan to the T, but unfortunately, when I went
down to the car, I had discovered a huge nail sticking out of the rear
left tire. Not sure where I picked it up, but there it was. I checked with Google for the tire shops nearby that were still opened and the only one without 2 miles that was still
open was a WalMart down street. Drove there quickly, but they had a line of
cars out of the door and the manager told me to come back tomorrow. At that
point, I simply put on a spare and drove back to the hotel, bummed knowing that
I had to take care of the tire right after the race.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Got to the room at 7:30, had my sandwich and did my best to
calm the nerves down and prep for sleep. I really started to feel the sunburn on
my neck and my back and even my arms. Slept fairly well, not great… got up at
3:45am. Had 2 bread rolls with Justin's peanut butter and honey mix, a banana and a Starbucks
Espresso shot can. Rolled on the foam roller, got my bags, checked out and
stepped into the cool, dark night. The hotel was about 1.5 miles from the
finish line, so got there at 4:15am, parked 3 blocks from the shuttles and
headed out. Boarded right away, no wait… the drive to the T1 in the darkness is
always a weird experience (somewhere between exciting and terrifying) – listened to Burzum as I always do before races,
and his magic was lifting my spirit off this planet one more time. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Got to my bike, re-installed the eTap batteries, pumped the
tires to 85/90 front/rear, put in Infinit, filled up the aero bottle with a mix of Gatorade and water, milled around… was looking for a couple of my
buddies, but the T1 got hectic quick, and suddenly it was 20 minutes to the
start and the portapotty lines were long as always… I did not get to the swim
start til about 5 minutes to 7. There I made another mistake. I did not realize
how long it’d take to let everyone into the water, so as I lined up with the 35-38 minute swim section, I did not start swimming until 7:35am. One weird thing was that I felt something in the right eye as I was tightening the goggles. Perhaps, I somehow overtightened one side? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The swim was uneventful but.. once again, just like in Palm Springs
earlier this year, I could not find my groove. I was not struggling, but it was
not a smooth swim at all. Although the water temps were in the low 60s I felt cold, and was not just in my element. The
course was very easy to navigate, as it is a simple triangle swam
counterclockwise. At one point, somewhere before the 2<sup>nd</sup> turn, suddenly
the wind picked up and it got choppy. In any case, I was out of the water in 40
minutes. Well, 40:34 for those who care. Garmin file <a href="https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/3618225469" target="_blank">here</a>.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In T1, somehow the wetsuit got stuck on the right leg (the one
that did not have the chip on, go figure) and I had to get down on the mat to
get it to come off. Once that was done, I grabbed my bag off the rack and got
the helmet and the shoes on. Ran up to the bike in shoes since we could not leave them
clipped in and we were off into the desert.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I got on the bike and only then had realized that somehow I got either some speck of sand or something like that into my right eye. It was starting to itch bad and would kind of get worse every few miles, and then let up. I managed to sort of initially wink through it, but then a thing happened that could have ended my race right there. We were going up the first incline when some guy in front of me dropped his bottle and in some inexplicable fashion turned around to catch it as it was rolling down. In the process, he almost took me down, but thankfully I was able to make a stealthy evasive maneuver. After that I rode the next 10 miles trying to warm up and get the hips going again. It was not going well, and I kind of tried to just work through it. Things got better once we turned left on the highway (Hwy 6/State st), but the problem was that by then I was riding against a fast moving traffic on the right, and the left lane/shoulder was full of rumble strips. Basically til mile 19 I could not do much and was just going as fast as possible given the conditions.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Once we turned on Telegraph Road, I felt a bit better. I was not shivering anymore and was pushing good wattage up up the inclines. There was one descent that could have been taken very fast in aero but it was so crowded that I had to brake hard in a few spots. Nonetheless mentally I was feeling pretty strong but the power in the legs was just not coming back. The course was starting to wind through the suburbia for a while until we hit Red Rocks Parkway where we rode on the opposite side of the run course - but that time the pros were starting to climb the infamous Booyah Bend. At the top I managed to drop the chain shifting into the big ring... that was a big bummer, and I kind of lost my motivation there. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We rode back into town and did an out and back on Snow Canyon parkway which is basically just a series of false flats. It was starting to get a bit warmer and I could feel the sun on my arms and my back. Once we started going up the actual Snow Canyon climb past the ranger station, I started to feel back in my element and powered through the segment. To be honest, it is not that hard of a climb if you pace with power - although it does get fairly steep within the last mile or so. Oh and it also is completely exposed to the sun. Once I crested it, there was a water station - grabbed a bottle of water and poured all over the head/neck/back... and then I dropped the chain for the second time. The irony! That was the point when I mentally threw in the towel and decided to just cruise through the rest of the race. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The descent into town was a lot of fun - it really is fast and by then the road was pretty open since the climb broke up the packs of riders. A few sections were exposed to the wind so I had to get off the aerobars but generally it was a pretty screaming ride all the way to the turn off on Diagonal street. The last mile or so was along the run course again... and I was pretty surprised to see a few age groupers clearly on the way to the finish line. Assuming the run in the range of 1:30-1:35 and them lining up at the front of the swim - that meant that the faster age grouper times were going to be in the 4:40 range. Ouch. The final bummer was the fact that the bike course was about 0.6 miles short and I stupidly did not get my feet out of the bike shoes fast enough so that I ended somehow with the right foot on top of the right shoe, but the left foot dangling on top of the left shoe... at the dismount somehow the left foot ended back in the shoe, which almost caused me to drop the bike... just the series of unfortunate events. Bike time - 3:02:38, which is pretty sad. Nutrition wise I had about 550 kcals of Infinit mix, 2 GUs with caffeine, about 15oz of Gatorade and 1 half of a Clif Bar. I think that I could taken about 200 kcals more since I came off the bike feeling a bit low on fuel. Garmin file <a href="https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/3618237496" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The T2 was already hot and I somehow ended up having trouble getting the run gear back untied. The the Nikes shoelaces would not tie... at least I got 2 packets of sunscreen smeared on quickly, but another 5 mins wasted. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The run was the least eventful leg of the race. I would take a cup of water and a serving of Cola for nutrition and try to stay as cool as possible by dumping water on my head and shoulders at every station. The first climb was steep but went by quickly, About a mile into it I saw my co-worker and studly triathlete Jeremy running down towards the finish. From there onward I was not definitely working particularly hard, keeping the heart rate around 160bpm give or take. Somewhere towards the top some dude ended up running along with me, and we basically ran together until mile 12 where he pushed forward and I had no real desire to push any harder. We chatted as we were going up and down Red Hills parkway and the time flew by quite fast. We passed a ton of people, don't think that anyone really passed us at all for the entire stretch... the course is actually quite fast if you did not burn all your matches climbing Snow Canyon or going up the Booyah Bend climb out of town. The only thing that bugged was the soreness in the right eyelid, which was probably aggravated by the sweat and the sunscreen running down... it got bad enough with 0.5 miles to go that I had to stop and pour some cold water on the eye. It did not bother me until I sat down to get some food after the race. Run was done in 1:40:58, average heart rate 159bpm, Garmin file <a href="https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/3618235015" target="_blank">here</a>. All together, the total time was 5:34:28. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The finish line was a bit disorganized by the WTC standards. I got my medal and my finisher's hat and then sort of hung around the chute, waiting for god knows what, until I had realized that we were supposed to walk back towards the town center square. I was so overheated that I jumped into mini creek where the kids were splashing and just submerged in it for a few minutes. Was joined by a couple of other triathletes.. one of them stated rightly - hey, we're all just big kids! That made me laugh, and I felt so much better... proceeded to the food tent, got a box of what looked like Chipotle food with a banana and a soda. The eye was still bugging me, and at that point I just wanted to get to my car quick because I had some artificial tears in my backpack... I got my morning bag and my T1 bag from the volunteers, thanked them, piled everything up, grabbed the bike and walked to the car. Still was a bit out of it, and took some time to actually find where I had parked 😁. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Threw everything back into the car, and then drove back to that WalMart place. Half way through the eye started hurting so bad that I had to stop to drip in more tears. The mechanic told me it'd take 2 hours to put on a new tire, and I used the time to get more food at some local BBQ place (which was just awful, as an aside) and catch a cat nap on a patio furniture at the Garden section of the said supercenter (very comfy). The sun was just burning me up, the eye would itch like crazy every 10 minutes or so... not good. At that point I bailed on the plan to stay overnight in Las Vegas and instead called the hotel where had I stayed the night before and booked a room for 1 more night to get myself together. In the hotel, I could not stand to see any screen glare at all, so I listened to podcasts, ate the leftover peanut butter, bread and bananas... fell asleep, woke up at 7am, had the breakfast downstairs and decided to take a chance on driving back to LA... with the hope that the eye won't be an issue anymore. Drove without any problems (not counting the Vegas traffic), although had to stop twice to stretch the legs and the back.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What are my thoughts, now that it's been 2 weeks since the race? I think that it is a tricky course for a number of reasons. I was told by the number of people to bring a compact crankset to avoid overbiking on Snow Canyon. Well I did that and certainly did not overbike by any stretch of imagination, but I also spun out on every downhill losing a bunch of time. I will switch back to 52/36 upfront and 11/28 in the back for Boulder. To hopefully fix the chain drops, I am going to set my front derailleur as close to the SRAM specs as possible. My OWS continues to be my weakness and it keeps me from riding a less crowded course - will try to get more ocean swims in summer. The run is the only reliable constant. Lastly, definitely no more athlete briefings or ignoring the sunscreen or hydration in the dry climates! Lessons learned hopefully.<br />
<br />
Some pretty pictures of the pretty sites I saw on the way there and in StG<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SHAVmtnvg1A/XOH1_kqKYoI/AAAAAAACRz0/q0ALTg2_GtM0rOH-K-7wy9hwTqO-_kDvgCKgBGAs/s1600/20190503_140233.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SHAVmtnvg1A/XOH1_kqKYoI/AAAAAAACRz0/q0ALTg2_GtM0rOH-K-7wy9hwTqO-_kDvgCKgBGAs/s320/20190503_140233.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_Ztffeqs7Gs/XOH1_paYiyI/AAAAAAACRz0/UcMgERmRHs0w9bbRBT5MHgZnMe31GQpWQCKgBGAs/s1600/20190503_100808.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_Ztffeqs7Gs/XOH1_paYiyI/AAAAAAACRz0/UcMgERmRHs0w9bbRBT5MHgZnMe31GQpWQCKgBGAs/s320/20190503_100808.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uBW1ov8K6bQ/XOH1_nkYvjI/AAAAAAACRz0/Dv860viG-u0TT8bhL-bR7IJfezG8d-wFACKgBGAs/s1600/20190502_143946.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uBW1ov8K6bQ/XOH1_nkYvjI/AAAAAAACRz0/Dv860viG-u0TT8bhL-bR7IJfezG8d-wFACKgBGAs/s320/20190502_143946.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n6EAOsy32Ls/XOH1_tvWRPI/AAAAAAACRz0/xaJJL4_m2QEXzO4TWRd3bph3kLi1pWPZgCKgBGAs/s1600/20190502_123529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n6EAOsy32Ls/XOH1_tvWRPI/AAAAAAACRz0/xaJJL4_m2QEXzO4TWRd3bph3kLi1pWPZgCKgBGAs/s320/20190502_123529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Gb1FF_NDv2A/XOH1_lkj1LI/AAAAAAACRz0/6bJ5mDg9TH0NE9udIJhVU7TUbLKIIGmWgCKgBGAs/s1600/20190502_123530.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Gb1FF_NDv2A/XOH1_lkj1LI/AAAAAAACRz0/6bJ5mDg9TH0NE9udIJhVU7TUbLKIIGmWgCKgBGAs/s320/20190502_123530.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yQkpoQozg1o/XOH1_g2hPNI/AAAAAAACRz0/u0Bf-GgmXR4cG8cCk8rCzxn9scpRWjG_QCKgBGAs/s1600/20190502_134854.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yQkpoQozg1o/XOH1_g2hPNI/AAAAAAACRz0/u0Bf-GgmXR4cG8cCk8rCzxn9scpRWjG_QCKgBGAs/s320/20190502_134854.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
</div>
Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07763663301354214102noreply@blogger.com1St. George, UT, USA37.0965278 -113.5684163999999936.893907799999994 -113.89113989999998 37.2991478 -113.2456929tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-290673598016688481.post-84387000883961826972018-10-18T17:13:00.002-07:002021-10-31T07:25:57.932-07:00Chicago Marathon 2018 recap<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I was so incredibly burned out after IM Santa Rosa that I had no desire to get on the bike any time soon. I tried to pick it back up for a few weeks, but it was not working at all. Thankfully, I can fall back on running. My colleague got me a spot in the Chi-town marathon and it was just what I needed. The simplicity of the running training is so captivating... It just felt right. I started training in early July.<br />
<br />
Of course, life interferes. Injuries crept up out of nowhere. Bumped the left knee accidentally, pulled the right right hammy playing ball with my pointer dog... stuff like this just kept coming up. Nonetheless, I put in about 14 weeks of good to great training, averaging about 45 miles per week. No week had more than 55 miles in it. I focused on easy mileage to help with the injuries, but every other week I'd throw in a bit of tempo running. The longest run logged was about 18 miles.<br />
<br />
All in all. I felt ready.<br />
<br />
Pre-race<br />
<br />
Got into Chicago on Friday night. It was pissing rain with thunderstorms when we were landing. I had to walk to the hotel from the train station in a pitch dark humid wall of sparse water. Felt very ritualistic. Got to the hotel, has a simple dinner with a sandwich and some salad and a glass of beer.<br />
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vZYD_2ZiOhY/W8iGwZBrTSI/AAAAAAACJtc/cJR_66o2B4gRvBCyhzNXboxfLKnCtIb5wCKgBGAs/s1600/20181005_211534.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vZYD_2ZiOhY/W8iGwZBrTSI/AAAAAAACJtc/cJR_66o2B4gRvBCyhzNXboxfLKnCtIb5wCKgBGAs/s1600/20181005_211534.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vZYD_2ZiOhY/W8iGwZBrTSI/AAAAAAACJtc/cJR_66o2B4gRvBCyhzNXboxfLKnCtIb5wCKgBGAs/s320/20181005_211534.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Got to the room, and feel asleep very quickly.<br />
<br />
Got up the next morning at around 8am local time, had some coffee and went for a run. Rosemont does not have a ton of exciting options in terms of running routes, but I used the opportunity to discover the places to grab some food and just get some basics. I brought my Hoka Claytons with me and since they are about 1/2 size too small, I was worried about the effects of humidity... but the feet felt good. Neither the left knee or the right hammy bugged me.<br />
<br />
I got to the hotel, changed, showered, ate some breakfast and headed to the Expo. The ride was pretty simple, although the connection to the other line was as confusing as they come (many tunnels to walk through, lots of escalators/etc). I met a fellow out of town runner on the train who was also trying to get to the expo from my station... he was going for the top 20 in his M60-64 age group. We got to the expo while chatting about the strategies for tomorrow and then went our separate ways.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BJKlVIlbevM/W8iGsNY6U0I/AAAAAAACJtY/qshMaRjxMu4aIq4r0CbwwY2_t6lI3m5OACKgBGAs/s1600/20181006_102153.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BJKlVIlbevM/W8iGsNY6U0I/AAAAAAACJtY/qshMaRjxMu4aIq4r0CbwwY2_t6lI3m5OACKgBGAs/s320/20181006_102153.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
The expo was very well organized, and I got my bib in no time. The only odd thing was the goodie bag station located in the back of the hall. That forced you to walk through the vendor village twice - which I guess worked, since I bought a pair of Vaporflys at the Nike's area.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KmDuk9URtXU/W8iGk6fY1MI/AAAAAAACJtU/G1Dwq2GfFYgvnnyaGxk1iC1t63nQdeBJQCKgBGAs/s1600/20181006_130842.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KmDuk9URtXU/W8iGk6fY1MI/AAAAAAACJtU/G1Dwq2GfFYgvnnyaGxk1iC1t63nQdeBJQCKgBGAs/s320/20181006_130842.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
Sampled some gels, skipped the beer bus, also grabbed some BioFreeze samples and headed out. Was back in Rosemont by noon. When I got off the train, the drizzle was back on and it sure did not look like it was going to end any time soon. I stopped by the 7-Eleven, grabbed some peanut butter/bread/Gatorade/bananas and on the way back got some Chicken Parm sandwich from a local restaurant. Stayed in the room the rest of the day, stretched and watched college football. Got a call from the team I was on at around 7:30pm - the lady told me that I had forgotten to pick up my hospitality tent pass at the expo. I was totally dumbfounded as I thought that the sticker on bib would work as a pass but I guess I was wrong. I told her that I would pick it up on the way to the starting line from a hotel near the Grant Park. Was in bed by 9pm, but hardly slept.<br />
<br />
The Race Morning<br />
<br />
Got up at 4am and had coffee and 2 slices of bread with peanut butter and bananas. Headed out at 5am to get on the 5:15 train. The platform was pretty tightly packed with the other runners and their entourage. It was still drizzling and the air was fairly cold with high humidity. The train ride went quick, although I kind of struggled to stay warm. Got off at Jackson with the rest of the runners who by that time had packed the train. It was raining a bit harder in the downtown area and the wind was pretty strong too. Got to the Congress entrance to the park at 6:20am and at that point decided not to risk it and skipped the pass pickup.<br />
<br />
Got through the security checkpoints, dropped off my gear bag, hit the portapotties a couple of times. By that time it was 6:55am and I had realized that I was not at the right wave entrance - I was located by the wave G entrance and yet had to get to the wave B. That turned out to be a fairly difficult task as one had to cross a narrow passage that separated the wave D and E corrals to get to the A/B entrance which was off to the side. I did not get there until 7:15am which was 5 minutes prior to the cutoff time. Phew.<br />
<br />
The corral space was pretty packed. I positioned myself a bit to the side, and stretched a little more. Finished my Gatorade, sneaked a quick pee into the bottle, disposed of my throwaway hoodie, applied the last layer of Vaseline to the chest and the privates... and we were off to the races.<br />
<br />
The Run itself<br />
<br />
The goal was basically to run by feel with the general target of anywhere between 3:00 and 3:15. The pace out of the gate was roughly in the 6:55 min/mileish range, which was a little bit too fast for my fitness level but I decided to give it a whirl and see how I'd feel after 10 miles. The first 2-3 miles were basically all through the downtown area with the tall buildings messing with the GPS signal. I was hitting the lap button every time I'd cross the mile marker. The drizzle was on and off but the air was pretty warm, so running in a singlet was not an issue at all.<br />
<br />
One thing about this course was the crazy number of turns one has to make. Thankfully the organizers painted a consistent blue line that was a huge help with taking the right tangents. I mostly followed it to the finish line and managed to clock about 26.3 miles which is a really really good result.<br />
<br />
We headed out over the bridge and then descended into some sort of a subterranean garage/road, running through a tunnel for a little bit. Then we re-entered the world of the living again! The next 4 miles or so were all through the downtown area, pretty tightly packed with the crowds doing the LOUD cheering. By mile 5 we were in Lincoln Park and running through the faithful imitations of the great London parks. The drizzle turned into rain and crowds have thinned out quite a bit. What was bugging me was the humidity. It was so high that my running headphones were swimming in the liquid in my earholes and either I would hear the music that sounded like it was coming from a pack of dolphins or at times it'd seem like it was being played through some severe wah wah pedal distortion. By the end of the run I could not hear anything and it was really messing with the running rhythm, so I turned the music off.<br />
<br />
By mile 7 were running north along the shore and it was also pretty packed with supporters. Had my 1st gel and felt pretty good. I was trying to draft as much as possible since the wind had picked up considerably. Miles 10 and 11 were through what looked like a typical mid-Western town's business district stretching for blocks and blocks with little to see. I started to feel a little bit more fatigued and by mile 12 I got caught by the 3:05 pacer group. I ran with them for about a mile and then decided to give this one more go... and picked up the pace.<br />
<br />
However, this turned out to be a bad move. I downed some more gel but the speed was slowly dropping. By mile 16 the 3:05 group reconnected with with me and I got dropped. Right then I knew that a 3:05 was not in cards that day. The rain would start and stop, and the scenery that we were moving through was pretty drab... just your typical non-descript suburbia. We ran along some freeway for a while and then turned into Chinatown - which was fun and had some nice decorations along the water stations, but also with long stretches of totally gloomy streets... basically the butt end of the course. Had 1 more gel but from the mile 23 I REALLY slowed down and was just hoping to come in under 3:10. Once we turned left on Indiana avenue, the surroundings got brighter and much more festive, with the crowds visible again and cheering loudly. I was focusing on the steady breathing and the miles started rolling by a bit quicker. Eventually we got to the last right turn of the course and cut back into the park - where we hit one real incline of the course (kind of a joke, but still). Hit the finish line... could not even sprint! The official finish time ended up being 3:08:28. The Garmin data is <a href="https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/3072116337" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kvvRoK6MYo8/W8kb9zQdbKI/AAAAAAACJuc/XIQbq8AnejwAM7UkF31nwjZSVj6fakVbQCLcBGAs/s1600/Capture.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="471" data-original-width="775" height="194" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kvvRoK6MYo8/W8kb9zQdbKI/AAAAAAACJuc/XIQbq8AnejwAM7UkF31nwjZSVj6fakVbQCLcBGAs/s320/Capture.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Post run<br />
<br />
Had to walk about 5 blocks until I got back to the entry point to the gear check. Got some grub, and a special 26.2 edition Goose Island IPA beer.<br />
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-khIqe0MG86U/W8kbLVDVdgI/AAAAAAACJuU/zdU5OOq1OWsRrvWkHn6ZuKv-SVDommJ5ACKgBGAs/s1600/20181007_125204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-khIqe0MG86U/W8kbLVDVdgI/AAAAAAACJuU/zdU5OOq1OWsRrvWkHn6ZuKv-SVDommJ5ACKgBGAs/s320/20181007_125204.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />
The finishers looked pretty rough, lots of people barely able to walk, someone would barf randomly here and there... the organizers had lots volunteers on hand to help, so things were moving smoothly. Got to my gear bag, changed, walked to the train station, got on the train... it was pretty painful, and the ride back seemed to take forever. The walk back to the hotel was not super pleasant either, but at least I moving a bit better... Got to the room, showered, headed out and grabbed some McDonalds and some beer from a liquor store, went back to the room... watched the NFL the rest of the day.<br />
<br />
On the way the next day the airport was full of zombie-like runners, carrying all kinds of swag. I chatted with a few of them, commiserated and/or praised their results depending... all good. By the way, every bathroom at the O'Hare airport carries this sign 😀<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WZ8nrCLYs6o/W8kd6tkWziI/AAAAAAACJuo/ztsxBUJWHRAqWg0zzDX8Qm08TkK-OOagACKgBGAs/s1600/20181008_115508.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WZ8nrCLYs6o/W8kd6tkWziI/AAAAAAACJuo/ztsxBUJWHRAqWg0zzDX8Qm08TkK-OOagACKgBGAs/s320/20181008_115508.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
The main takeaway from this race - do not go out fast. The course feels easy but with the landscape being so flat you can never cruise on a downhill - it is basically a track race. In a race like the Los Angeles marathon you can actually try to bank some time up front because the last 4 miles or so are downhill and you can cruise down while using the muscle groups that haven't been utilized all that much ie as fatigued. In Chicago you don't a chance to clear the lactic acid and the fatigue can get you if you exceed your fitness, with the wheels coming off suddenly. I'd like to go back and re-do this race one more time - with the right strategy, I can probably get closer to the 3:03 mark... have to do it right.<br />
<br /></div>
Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07763663301354214102noreply@blogger.com0Grant Park, 337 E Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60601, USA41.8721722 -87.61875049999997616.3501377 -128.92734449999998 67.3942067 -46.310156499999977tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-290673598016688481.post-509725040914412122018-05-18T20:15:00.005-07:002021-11-01T10:12:14.139-07:00Ironman Santa Rosa 2018 recap<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I signed up for IMSR 2018 after receiving an assurance from the wife that she'd be able to go there with me. Of course, then the circumstances changed and it became a solo trip. I had a place to stay in Santa Rosa with my friends Cynthia and Shawn, so I was all set.<br />
<br />
The training spanned January through early May with a break for Oceanside 70.3 and a business trip that followed it. I changed up a couple of things this time around. I put a heavy emphasis on structured training 2x a week via Zwift's 12 week FTP builder program. I also bought a Vasa ERG system on the cheap over the winter break and started utilizing it for 3 sessions a week + 1 longer session in the pool. I really felt strong in the pool towards the beginning on May - I was able to do 10x100 yards at 1:30 and so on. The bike did not progress as well as hoped - I felt that I just did not push it hard enough. Still with a few peak weeks at 15 hours plus I was hopeful that this might get me closer to KQ.<br />
<br />
Pre-race<br />
<br />
I had to travel for work right after Oceanside, and so I trained very little that week. I got back into town, put a few 15 hour weeks, and after predictably got a head cold. I could not shake it off, so the week before the race was my downtime, save for a few minor workouts. As of Wednesday, my snottiness started to go away, but I still felt that my airways were not 100% clear even the morning of the race.<br />
<br />
Got into town on Thursday afternoon. Stopped by the race venue, got my athlete bag and headed over to my friend's house. Got some "athlete's" food en-route - bread, peanut butter, bananas, cheese, turkey, mini-starbucks espresso cans, Gatorade, etc. Got my race bags sorted out, hung out with the hosts, went to bed early, slept some solid 9 hours...<br />
<br />
Woke up and did my usual pre-check routine. Went for a short ride around Fulton Rd... not without some wild stuff happening. I picked Wood Rd as a rougher part of the course, and coming out of it - hit a gravel patch and almost skidded into the busy traffic on Fulton. Got home safe, but the wind and the roughness of the road was no joke. Made me worried enough about Saturday. The run was fine although it was getting pretty warm by the time I got back.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OXZLwtoIZDs/Wv-TNOWxqyI/AAAAAAACEDY/OGJtsS-s9Ikatmi2phR5THZwrUS502uPACKgBGAs/s1600/20180511_093150.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OXZLwtoIZDs/Wv-TNOWxqyI/AAAAAAACEDY/OGJtsS-s9Ikatmi2phR5THZwrUS502uPACKgBGAs/s320/20180511_093150.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
The nutrition plan for the bike was 2x bottles each with 3x servings of Infinit custom mix with 276 kcals per servings, 4x Clif shot gels on the frame, water at the aid stations, and a frozen mini-Coke can in the special needs bag. The run as always was going to Cola + water taken as needed. The rest of the day was spent shuttling the bike, dropping the run gear, hydrating, sweating the windy sunset... went to bed at 9:30pm, slept again like a baby.<br />
<br />
Race day<br />
<br />
Got up at 2:45am, had 2 slices of bread with peanut butter and syrup, a banana and a real cup of Cuban coffee (major crack if you ask me!). Grabbed my frozen drinks and headed out. Parked by 4am at the Macy's parking lot, and was on the shuttle by 4:10am.<br />
<br />
I was at the T1 by 5am. It was still dark, but there was plenty of lights. Set up my bottles and my gels on the bike frame, proceeded to pump the tires... the rear tube exploded when I pushed the pump head down on it too hard. Replaced it with a spare latex tube I had with me, and was all set.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-L1u9OLzcFJE/Wv-TXImpayI/AAAAAAACEDc/BxJkcye8q2wAmMgrCVJYtItX5ZObOSyRACKgBGAs/s1600/20180511_122902.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-L1u9OLzcFJE/Wv-TXImpayI/AAAAAAACEDc/BxJkcye8q2wAmMgrCVJYtItX5ZObOSyRACKgBGAs/s320/20180511_122902.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Headed down to the swim start at 6:15am and was pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to make my way to the right self seeding corral - unlike the last year's 70.3 where I was stuck with no hope of moving up. I lined up in the middle of the 1:10 swim group and waited for the start. Had another Clif shot gel with caffeine, sipped some Gatorade, onward into the battle! The volunteers were letting 5 folks into the water at a time, so it took about 12 mins for me to start swimming.<br />
<br />
Swim<br />
<br />
The course consisted of 2 laps, with an exit and re-entry at the end of the 1st lap. Seemed like each lap was exactly the same as the the lap of the 70.3 last year. The water was quite warm this time around - to the point where I thought that I could have swam in a sleeveless suit.The first lap was totally unremarkable, although with lots of contact for some reason around the turn markers - the sighting was easy with the exception of the first few hundred yards that were directly into the sun. I was riding the feet the entire way so the effort was pretty minimal. We got back into the water and I continued to draft about half way into the 2nd lap until someone whacked me on the left foot and somehow dislodged the timing chip. I could feel the velcro strap dangling, so I had to stop, roll up the ankle sleeve, close the velcro the best I could in the water (it is awkward!) and continue the swim. It was a bit harder without anyone to draft off of and I had to do my own sighting. Came out of the water a bit winded probably due to the water being warm - swim time 01:20:02. GPX <a href="https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/2694768990" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
<br />
T1<br />
<br />
The organizers have laid a long rubberized carpet up the ramp this time around, so I ran up the hill with no problem - although it was as steep as it was last year. Took the wetsuit down to the waist and had the strippers pull it off under the bridge. The velcro strap was loose still, so I retightened it and proceeded to the changing tent. A quick change - helmet on, throwaway socks on, shoes on, wetsuit and goggles into the bag... I had a disposable riding vest I brought with me just in case it was going to be cold - I put it on initially but dropped it before the exit from T1 - it was already WARM. T1 time was 07:19<br />
<br />
Bike<br />
<br />
The course started with a fairly long descent into the Dry Creek area and generally followed the 70.3 course from last year for a while. Then it switched to the old Vineman course which took us to the Chalk Hill area. The road quality was ranging from ok to poor. The 128 stretch was very jarring, and the supposedly resurfaced Chalk Hill part had some truly dangerous potholes in the shaded areas. The first climb went ok, although the road was partially blocked by a truck that somehow got stuck there at the most inopportune time. I had to descend carefully with all the holes in the road surface. It just got worse after we passed Shiloh Road - the Mark West Station area was unbelievably bad and there I had the bottle holding my spare kit pop out. Luckily the rubber band area held up and only had to fish it out from the ditch. Later I have discovered that the plastic part of the bottle cage that holds the bottle secure came loose and got lost somewhere along the way. About 5 miles down the road on Eastside or Wohler I ran across the section that had a huge lip in it - which forced me into the opposite lane... had to do some Sagan level shit to avoid getting hit by an oncoming car.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LgVKHEj2PPA/WwLQIb42T6I/AAAAAAACEKY/2e2IUDEiuJAwpDYOPZEdSKz4Whvn0U_zQCKgBGAs/s1600/IronManSantaRosa-743.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1069" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LgVKHEj2PPA/WwLQIb42T6I/AAAAAAACEKY/2e2IUDEiuJAwpDYOPZEdSKz4Whvn0U_zQCKgBGAs/s320/IronManSantaRosa-743.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Then it got hot and dry all a sudden and it was 10 miles to go to the next aid station... and I was running out of water. The stretch of Westside road had all the rollers in the world and I was just getting hotter and hotter... and so I think that that's where I cracked. Really made me regret using Giro Aerohead on that day - it is a hot helmet in conditions like this. I made it to the aid station on Kinley but I think that the race was over by then. It was the mile 56 or so and all I wanted and I dreamt of was the frozen Coke in my special needs bag. I made it there after climbing what would have been normally a piss ant sized hill... took in half of he can contents and suddenly my nose and my throat and my eyes were on fire and just blowing snot. Crazy stuff. The 2nd pass over the 128 was painful and I stopped looking at the power readings - in my mind I was no longer racing, I just wanted to get home. I made it over Chalk Hill again, it was a relief to climb out of the saddle for a bit, I knew it was going to make my run slower, but I could not care less at that point. I passed the lap marker on Shiloh and we turned towards Santa Rosa... and the wind suddenly picked up. I was getting blown all over the road, Laughlin Road which I have ridden a bunch in the past was suddenly this obstacle course of the blown up riders, Woolsey Road was even worse - I saw riders swerving all over the road... and the road quality was just abysmal in some spots.<br />
<br />
Eventually I made it back into town, with the last 10 miles being a total blur. I was focused enough to get my feet out of the shoes before the finish line and do a decent sprint along the bike racks. Bike time was 6:01:08. GPX <a href="https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/2694774527" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
<br />
T2<br />
<br />
I got to the changing tent, all I had to do was get the helmet off, drop the bike socks and put the running socks/shoes on. For a minute, I sat there thinking - what's the point? I am not racing anymore, why suffer? Then I talked myself into running 1 lap, to see how it feels... maybe the inspiration will come. I put on my running belt and a hat and headed out. The T2 time was 04:50<br />
<br />
Run<br />
<br />
Basically - jogged the whole thing. Stopped by the porta potties twice. Walked most of the water stations after mile 14. Had Cola and water judiciously, even sampled the red Bull (yikes) every now and then. My friend Cynthia saw me at mile 17, I hugged her and her kid, she told me to to push through this, that gave me a good moral boost, so I snapped out of it and did not just walk the last 5 miles.Ran the final 2 miles fairly hard to wrap this up - run time 3:52:23<span style="white-space: pre;">, for the total time of </span>11:25:42<span style="white-space: pre;">. </span> As an aside, the course looked a little short, perhaps about 0.5 miles off. GPX <a href="https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/2694779420" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"><br /></span>
<span style="white-space: pre;">Post race</span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"><br /></span><span style="white-space: pre;">Got my medal, my hat, a space blanket... tried eating some grub but had no appetite whatsoever. Not </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;">even </span><span style="white-space: pre;">for free beer or spicy Spanish food. Just nothing, total self negation, everything running on empty,</span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;">maybe that's just the way it was meant to be - the cleansing of the soul, of the mind.</span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"><br /></span>
<span style="white-space: pre;">Collected my gear, walked to the car, loaded everything in, the brain was not working, to the point of </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;">not </span><span style="white-space: pre;">knowing how to pay for parking.</span><span style="white-space: pre;"> Drove back to my hosts' place, showered, was </span><span style="white-space: pre;">treated to sushi, </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;">beer </span><span style="white-space: pre;">and a fantastic conversation on the future of the human race... somewhere along the </span><span style="white-space: pre;">way I crashed</span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;">and </span><span style="white-space: pre;">did not wake up til the mid morning the next day. Still, dreams crushed once again. Til the</span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;">next time - of course.</span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"><br /></span>
<span style="white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div>
Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07763663301354214102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-290673598016688481.post-87096315950628320552018-04-10T09:50:00.000-07:002018-04-10T09:50:20.454-07:00Oceanside 70.3 2018 recap<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I started structured training again during the first week of
January of 2018. For this year, I wanted to focus on improving my swim as much
as possible and raising my bike FTP to be as close to 4w/kg as possible. For
the swim portion, I found a used Vasa ERG on Craigslist and bought it for
cheap, despite the grumbling of my dear wife. For the bike, I have decided to
commit to Zwift’s 12 week FTP booster program and do at least 3 exercises
weekly, coupled with a long ride at the end of the week. Running was to be
capped at no more than 35 miles per week to make room for Vasa training and
more stationary trainer work.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Vasa stuff was a real struggle in the beginning. I
simply did not have the right muscles to pull off 30-35 min intervals workouts
when I started. It was genuinely hard. But once I got going, I started to
appreciate the focus that it gives you and the incredible time savings that it
provides. The Zwift training was much easier to get going with but eventually it
got hard enough that I could do maybe 2 hard workouts per week – which meant
that I had to supplement it with maybe 1 easy 1-hour spin and a long ride over
the weekend.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In any case, once I started my fitness testing in the pool,
I really liked the results. The improvement in swim times was noticeable. On
the Zwift front, I also bested every single PR from the last 2 years, not by
much – but by 3-4% easily across the board. The FTP test done in the beginning
of the month did not show the improvement I was hoping for but I did hit 274w
which was still a reasonable progress.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So with that in mind my goals for the race were to swim a
35-36 min pace, ride in 2:40 or so and then hold on for the dear life on the
run, hoping for a sub 1:30 showing. That’d give me a sub 5 hour result that I
was after, assuming that I’d not commit a horrible blunder in transitions. One
thing that worried me greatly was the lack of familiarity with the bike course
– the map showed a very varied rolling terrain with a couple of massive hills,
and some exposure to head winds in the last 10-12 miles. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I spent a bit of time wondering if I should
bring a cassette with a less tight of a range than my usual 11-25. At the end I
decided to stick with what I knew. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I drove to Oceanside from Los Angeles on Friday morning. Got
there at around 1pm, found a good parking spot near the beach and went to pick
up my registration packet. After some confusion, got my parking permit for the
race day, grabbed my swag and went back to the car. Put the stickers on the
bike and the helmet, and pedaled about 0.8 miles to the transition area.
Everything seemed to be working good. Checked the bike in with the handlebars
covered by a plastic bag in case it rained… and walked to the water. The water
was definitely a bit on the colder side, but like daggers cold. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The little kids on the beach were swimming in
the surf, so it was probably not bad at all. I really regretted not brining the
wetsuit to the beach with me – a short swim past the breakers would have been
awesome. Oh well. Walked back to the car, and headed to the hotel in Carlsbad.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The traffic was just terrible! This was as vicious as any day
time 5pm traffic on the 405. Took me 47 minutes to go 11 miles… craziness.
Checked in the Hamptons, had to change rooms after realizing that the hotel
staff put me into the room next to the ice machine and with a pool facing side
wall. Prepped the clothes for the morning, watched TV, ate my rice and tuna
dinner<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q6FVU59qfaU/WszqTq6_VCI/AAAAAAACCbY/Wu_U6zTg5CszZ3jR53SXSJojnB0rvryjACKgBGAs/s1600/20180406_182614.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q6FVU59qfaU/WszqTq6_VCI/AAAAAAACCbY/Wu_U6zTg5CszZ3jR53SXSJojnB0rvryjACKgBGAs/s320/20180406_182614.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
and attempted sleeping at 9pm. Had trouble falling asleep, but
eventually I dozed off only to be rudely awakened by the alarm clock at 3:30am.
Ate a Clif bar, a banana, about 2 handfuls of mixed raw cashews and almonds and
a small can of Starbucks double espresso shot. That felt good, although I was
not 100% awake. Hit the can, lubed up, put on my bike clothes and headed out. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I debated back and forth the time I needed to be parked by…
but having been unfamiliar with the parking situation I opted for caution and
got there by 5am. Got on the shuttle almost immediately although I could have
just walked that 0.6 miles. Was at the T1 by 5:15am. It was dark but fairly
warm. The transition was starting to fill up slowly… that pre-race nervous
energy was very evident. That’s the time to feel alive! Pumped the tires to
about 90 psi, had another Clif bar, more lube and sunscreen, put on my wetsuit,
dropped off the morning clothes bag, went for a warm up jog… by the time I got
done it was 6:20pm and I had to push my way to the 35 min swim group.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was packed!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By the time I got there the pros had already
gone off and the age groupers in the faster groups have started swimming as
well.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Had a final caffeine packed GU gel and was in the water by
7:10am. The swim was a little congested in the beginning, lots of contact, but
it was pretty orderly all thing considered. I got out of the harbor quite fast
and the sun was just blasting me into my eyes…. There were so many people
swimming in that confined space that I had no use for sighting at all – the
feet to follow were everywhere. I got to the turn around and felt so fresh that
I actually did not start kicking until around the 0.6 mile marker. The swim was
basically into the sun, so breathing was to the right only which was fine –
once inside the harbor I wanted to swim as far to the right as the life guards
would allow me. It was actually great – zero contact, and super easy to sight
off of. Soon enough the finish chute appeared, and I swam up to the timing mat!
The watch was showing about 36:30 which was ok by me. I got out of the water
and started running into T1. The heart rate was totally manageable.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I pulled my wetsuit down to my waist, but then I saw the
strippers! Boom – my wetsuit got pulled off and I was on my way to my bike!
Fantastic! Everything was going awesome – found my bike, put on my helmet,
socks and shoes and started running towards the starting line. Then I have
heard the announcer stating that the bib number has to be on to ride through
Camp Pendleton as I was half way out…. I had to leave my bike with a volunteer
in the transition, run back to my spot… for some reason finding my way back was
very confusing – it took me at least a minute to find my spot, get my racing
belt… another 30 seconds to put it on, make sure it is not twisted, find my
bike… 2 minutes lost there. I was kicking myself for not paying attention to
the athlete guide. Dumb move, Shterenberg!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Started riding and was feeling good again. The nutrition consisted
primarily of 3 servings of Infinit custom mix, and I had 2 Clif shot gels taped
to the frame just to break things up a bit. I’d take a big swig from the bottle
every 15 minutes and chase it with water 2x in between intakes of Infinit. The riding
space was tight, people were forced to ride 3-4 wide, saw a crash maybe a mile
or so out with a girl on the ground. The road surface quality was rough. I
thought that maybe the right pressure should have been 85 psi or so. In any
case, the first 20 miles or so were pretty great – riding along the coast,
seeing the nuclear power plant up close, cool breezes making the riding so
effortless. Once we turned east towards the inland portion of Camp Pendleton,
the weather started to change. It was a lot more arid, the wind got warm, the
desert scenery had a lot less green to it. And then I saw the infamous San
Mateo hill.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It was a really imposing climb as the grade was steep - I
had to mash most of the way up. Saw some dude walk his bike up that hill. It
was thankfully pretty short but it definitely took a good size bite out of me. The
ride down was pretty short, and soon enough we started to climb what looked
like a long false flat with periodic rollers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I was not having a great ride by that time – I was climbing out of the saddle
on the short rollers, had a close call with some guy trying to pass me on the
right… we climbed the second big hill, which was actually not big at all and
then the descent started in earnest. We went through the speed control section
which was not well marked at all – I was lucky that the girl in front of me was
riding her brakes pretty hard and just followed her lead. We climbed one more
hill which was a bit longer but not as steep as the second hill, and then with
about 14 miles to go it was time to ride the flats. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I really had trouble putting out much power until we got out
of the open space and got to something that looked like civilian housing. The
rest of the ride was pretty unremarkable, but generally I felt kind of blown
up. I was still racing, but it was clear to me that the sub 5 hour goal was no longer
possible. I finished the ride as quickly as I could – perhaps lost 10-15
seconds once we got to the beach when I was riding with my feet on top of my
shoes – I did not realize that the single file section at the end was THAT
long. Got off the bike, dropped my socks somewhere while I was running back to
my spot, changed into the clean socks, my Claytons and my hat and was off to
the run course. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The running pace was pretty good out of the gate and I was
passing people left and right. The course had some steep on and off ramps right
around the pier area, and some rollers off the strand. The pier inclines were
almost too steep to run so I half walked them. I was maintaining a very good
6:40-ish pace through mile 5 when we turned around and the wheels started to
come off a bit. I was still running pretty good, all the way to the 2<sup>nd</sup>
turnaround. I’d take a Coke and some water every station and dump some water on
my head as it was getting a little hot. I was feeling a little bloated but not
too bad.. once I started the 2<sup>nd</sup> lap I knew that I am going to run
strong the rest of the way, but I was feeling a bit more worked than I had
hoped. Started sampling Red Bull at around mile 11, it was pretty tasty but was
really jacking me up in a bad way. Many thanks to the dude who was blasting
AC/DC from a loud speaker on the way back – it was like an anthem… pushed me
through the last mile or so. I kicked a bit harder in the last 0.5 miles on the
Strand, brought it home but was feeling flat. I was just spent.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Had a one and half mini-burrito with some cheese cubes, a
banana and a Pepsi for my post race meal, chatted with a couple people next to
me, grabbed my clothes, changed… caught a shuttle back to the transition,
grabbed my bike and headed to the car. That ride was too pathetic to capture in
my Garmin. Got to the car, packed everything and headed home…. The 2.5 hour
drive home was perhaps the last obstacle that the race threw at me. The traffic
was just gnarly and relentless. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What are my take from this race? The swim went just as
planned, the bike was a shitshow, and the run was good, but probably
could have been faster had I not burnt all those matches on the bike. I am
going to take a week off to recover and then will have 4 weeks til my date with the Ironman
Santa Rosa in May… some introspection and perhaps some rejiggering of the
crankset and/or the cassette might be in order. Stay tuned.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
The splits are here - <a href="https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/2607901949" target="_blank">swim</a>, <a href="https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/2607942036" target="_blank">bike</a> and <a href="https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/2607908645" target="_blank">run</a>.</div>
<br /></div>
Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07763663301354214102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-290673598016688481.post-14813666724723522992017-11-08T07:12:00.001-08:002017-11-08T07:13:21.607-08:00NYC Marathon 2017 recap<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: left;">
I signed up for the NY marathon as a last minute decision. I was looking for the season closing race in 2017, but could not talk myself into doing another IM. The body felt beat up, I had trouble sleeping, was constantly stressed, was probably drinking more than I should I have... all in all, another round of IM training would have been too much at this point. But a marathon seemed manageable, and when my contact at the sponsor company of the marathon offered me a spot, I could not say no. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
So as I was finishing up the training for the Malibu Olympic distance race, I started to slowly ramp up my running mileage.I spent about 8 weeks training fairly consistently, and hit a couple of 50+ mile weeks, but did nothing really earth shattering in terms of the training volume. On the year I averaged 36 miles per week, and I was hoping that would be a good enough foundation for a solid year ending marathon run. I really wanted to improve on my time in the 2014 NYC marathon where I had a really crappy 8 mile stretch at the end of the race. I knew that with the constant rollers and tall bridge crossings, the 5 boroughs course will require strength and consistent pacing. I cut down on the quality runs a bit and concentrated on running daily, sometimes doubling up on a day to get used to running on tired legs. All in all, I think that the training went well, even though I had to reduce the volume in the week before the race, as I was feeling too much fatigue. I did 3 18 mile runs, one of them was done with a 4 mile closing stretch at the race pace at about 7:20 min/mile. I also ran a 1:25 half marathon (albeit on a very flat course) about a month before the race, which was encouraging but not really indicative of my potential time. It gave me hope, but in the absence of the longer training stretch I had to be careful with having too ambitious of a goal.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Got to NY on a Wednesday night, had a dinner with a co-worker who also traveled with me, checked into the hotel and fell asleep right away. Woke up at 7 am local time to what sounded like an animal stampede in the hallway. Dressed up and went outside and to my amusement there were a couple of dozen of Italian runners gathered outside of the hotel door. There were staying on my floor I guess - and they were all out to pre-run the course. Went for a run towards the Central Park, with the intent to make it about 6 miles in total... it was still a bit dark, lots of folks running, clearly in town for the race. By the time I got back to the hotel it was bright outside and very, very warm. In the evening I went to the convention center and picked up my packet. Walked back to the hotel and was pretty tired from all the running and walking during the day. Had to go for another dinner close by, and by the time I got back I had logged close to 20k steps on the day.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The next morning I did the same routine but kept the run down to about 3 miles, at a very easy pace. Limited walking to a trek to the office and back, had a quiet night by myself, went to bed at 9:30 pm - and woke up rested. Checked the forecast fr Sunday and it was showing the mid 50s to low 60s with rain and a bit of the wind throughout the day. I needed some warm clothes for the starting line - I had a couple of spare shifts that I could just change out of before the run, but no bottoms to keep the legs warm. Walked to a TJ Maxx nearby and bought some pajama pants that were on clearance for $9 and a cotton shirt for $5. Spent most of the day in bed, watching college football and went for an pasta dinner in a nearby Italian joint. Had a strangely intense conversation with some woman at a bar who was drinking fairly heavily (her $50 bill was made up of mostly red wine by glass) about the pros and cons of prolonging someone's life through tube feeding and so on. She mentioned working as a surgeon in a Brooklyn hospital but she might have been a bit drunk and exaggerated somewhat. Nonetheless I had a very tasty pasta with meat sauce with a glass of table wine, and afterwards went back to the hotel feeling quite ready.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Woke up the next morning, had 2 slices of bread with almond butter and marmalade, a cup of coffee, got dressed and headed out. Yes, I looked dorky.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5NdGAqRS-hs/WgMb5ZW8l6I/AAAAAAAB-9U/JIqIl7Wd5cg3BYLq5Apv0tqtl4qNXscFQCKgBGAs/s1600/20171105_044052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5NdGAqRS-hs/WgMb5ZW8l6I/AAAAAAAB-9U/JIqIl7Wd5cg3BYLq5Apv0tqtl4qNXscFQCKgBGAs/s320/20171105_044052.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The Europeans were already crowding in the lobby, all looking grumpy for some reason... walked to the Essex House hotel on the 58th to get on the sponsor's bus. Was seated fairly quickly and we were moving by 6 am. Have to say that the ride to Staten Island is one of my favorite parts of the race experience. Seeing New York early in the morning, the streets mostly empty except for the runners and their entourage getting on the race buses is quite a difference experience from the usual crazy hustle of the daily life in the city.We had a fairly smooth ride all the way to the Staten Island where we ran into the race day traffic and were moving at a glacial speed until one of the traffic cops cleared the road for us. I had a Clif bar right before we pulled into the terminal, and got ready to exit the bus. The weather outside was very, very autumn-like. Low clouds, a bit windy, with a tiny drizzle and the temps at about 53 degrees... we had to go through a massive security theater at the entrance with the metal detector gates, bag "checks", lots of cops of every imaginable unit clocking easy time and even the army units present in a full combat gear.I made it to the sponsor's tent, had a coffee and bagel and went outside to get a bit more used to the climate. It was wet and chilly, and I was worried that we would get drenched before the race even begins. After some more thinking I put on removable sleeves, grabbed my gels, Gatorade and one more Clif bar, and dropped my bag with the UPS track. I had to think for a second about potentially bringing with me a spare pair of running socks wrapped in a plastic bag... but the rain did not seem that bad. So I left them in the bag to change into them later. It was time to go to the Blue village for the start of my Wave 2. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Made it there too early, and just sat on the ground for a bit in my Corral A. At around 9:40 am I went to a porta potty... and by the time I got out, the organizers had removed the ropes separating the corrals. I was suddenly in the middle of the 3:30 pace group probably in Corral D or maybe even further in the back. I tried to make my way to the front corral again, but no dice - I was facing a human wall made out of stressed and angry runners. As I was realizing that I was stuck, I took a deep breath and decided to relax and enjoy the experience... hopefully I'd make it through the crowds and get to run my pace. I was suddenly in a good place, rested and ready for a great run through the Big Apple. Had 3 Clif shot gels, 1 super caffeinated GU gel and 8 salt stick tabs in a baggie. Bring it!</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The gun went off at 10:15 and the human stampede across the Verrazano-Narrows bridge has began. I was highly amused by the folks taking their selfies in all sorts of bizarre spots, like on the divider row, while running with the back turned, even attempting mini group selfies while all trying to run at the same pace... saw some dude drop his iPhone on the ground shuttering it into 2 halves. Good times. Human vanity is the true movers of the economy. In any case, there was not a ton of room to maneuver here, so I ran at whatever pace the crowd would let me without doing too much twisting and turning. The first mile was predictably slow, but then we starting going down the bridge, and the speed picked up. The next couple of miles through Brooklyn along the 4th Ave were fast fast fast and eventually I caught up with the 3:25 group. I started to feel really hot in the sleeves and dropped them soon after. Bye old friends - you served me well!</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The problem was that there was just not a ton of space to run around people in. I kept passing folks who looked like they were running in the 10 min/mile range, and they were all bunched up together, clearly running as a group. Knowing from the past that doing too much running around the people will eventually cost me, I tried to keep it down to the minimum. And there odd bits like having a full camera crew on the motorcycles filming some human interest story about (I am assuming) the folks using the hand cycles and so on. But for most part I could find space and was keeping a steady pace. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
By the time we got to mile 9 I was averaging about 7:14 min/mile and that pace felt about right. The heart rate was mostly around 158 bpm and it felt comfortable. The drizzle started back up about an hour into the run. It was falling steadily, never quite turning into a full on rain, but kind of just slowly drenching everyone. On the upside, I stopped drinking water and would just take Gatorade every other station. Saw an open porta potty at around mile 10, darted into it, the piping was a bit frozen up so the pee took about a minute. Started running again, and eventually the pace was about 7:16 min/mile right. Both Pulaski and the Queensboro bridges were completely packed with very little room for maneuvering. We passed the halfway marker between those bridges and the time was 1:35:39 - so I was looking at something along the line of a 3:10-3:15 finish depending on how the rest of the run would go. Had the first Clif gel at that point.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
That stretch on Queensboro broke me last time, as I was probably climbing too hard and then ran down too fast too. This time I made sure to keep it a steady effort, without jacking up the heart rate into the zone 5 range. The bridge is pretty dark and dank inside, although it looks absolutely majestic from the outside. It kept echoing with hundreds of feet pounding on the surface. I came off the bridge and was feeling very pumped. I knew that I was going to finish the run strong that day. And was really looking forward to running the 1st Ave - it is always the craziest stretch!</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
We ran north through Manhattan, crossed the Willis Ave bridge and then trekked into Bronx for about 2 miles. As everyone would tell you, it is the least exciting part of the run from the scenic view perspective. Drab streets, project buildings and a general feeling of this lingering industrial misery - that's pretty much what you see there. But soon enough you get back into Manhattan via Madison Ave and by then you are either doing a death march on the 5th Ave or are out to bring it for the final stretch. I was feeling good, had another Clif gel, but something inside of me was beginning to ache a bit. I also started to get a little bit of a twinge in the right hammy from probably not taking enough electrolytes. Had to pop a salt tab and started taking Gatorade at every water station without exception. The twinge went away. But I sure was seeing a lot folks working through massive cramps, and more or less run-walking those last 4-5 miles.The last few miles of the race along the 5th Ave are either a steady climb, or rollers that hurt. My pace was good and steady but I definitely felt that I lost 45-70 seconds along that stretch, as I had to respect the HR - was pretty sure that I push it I might cramp up pretty severely. This was taken at mile 24.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-E8nvZSC85Yg/WgMcB0pdOnI/AAAAAAAB-9Y/LqF491muCCM3LkC3REO130eGR7VLEifnACKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_2252-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1066" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-E8nvZSC85Yg/WgMcB0pdOnI/AAAAAAAB-9Y/LqF491muCCM3LkC3REO130eGR7VLEifnACKgBGAs/s320/IMG_2252-2.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The rain stopped for a bit, but then started back up again... feet were dry, but my top and shorts were all drenched. The average pace was dropping, and it was around 7:20 min/mile. With all the running around people I was looking to ending up running about 0.2 mile extra, which would have cost about 85 seconds extra, and with that it looked like it was going to be a 3:13-ish finish time. Indeed, that's what ended up happening - I finished with the time of 3:13:40.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Made my way to the tent of the sponsor, got my bag and rain poncho, put on calf sleeves and started walking towards the exit. I was absolutely drenched, shivering cold and just wanted to make it back to the hotel as soon as possible to get a hot shower. The walk was not bad save for the super congested stretch near the Columbus circle mall. Got back, showered and went out with a couple of friends to enjoy a burger and some brews! Should I even say that they hit the spot?</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Final thoughts. It seems like the elites were about 3 min slower compared to 2016, so perhaps I can be excused for missing my goal by 3 mins. I love this race, but being in the second wave majorly sucks. My whole race up until the last turn to the finish line was spent running around people. I ran up full 0.2 miles extra on top of the 26.2 and oftentimes there was just no way to run clean tangents. The first 3 bridges were jam packed and it certainly cost me anywhere between 60 an 90 seconds. Most importantly - I get that the organizers want to make it a special race for a lot of people but seeding massive European club teams way above their running ability turns this into a video game for the 2nd wave folks. If you are thinking of doing this race for a BQ - I'd find another course where you can have an open road. But then again - where else will you have this kind of crowd support?</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
My splits can be found <a href="http://results.nyrr.org/event/M2017/result/19265?_ga=2.225420954.1848736062.1510151793-68442278.1503333044" target="_blank">here</a> and my Garmin file is <a href="https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/2298460768" target="_blank">there</a> - now I am going to go work on my breakfast.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07763663301354214102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-290673598016688481.post-85676606210448261942017-10-20T21:46:00.001-07:002017-11-08T07:14:40.027-08:00Long Beach half marathon 2017 recap<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I had nothing on the schedule between Nautica in mid September and the NYC marathon in early November, so I started to get antsy. I felt like I need a teaser race to get a sense of my fitness to help decide on the realistic goals for the NYC. The Long Beach half was convenient, a bit on the pricey side, but quite a few of my fellow athletes were running it, so I signed up. Took it easy in the days leading to the race and skipped the tempo run that week. But still the legs were not feeling super fresh, but that's just how it goes - can't really taper for a half marathon.<br />
<br />
Woke up at 4am on Sunday, had 2 slices of bread with some peanut butter and banana slices, a cup of coffee and headed out. The drive was quick and the traffic in the area was light. I like to park about a mile away and then walk down, and usually the parking is easy to find... this time it was a real hassle. I ended up parking about 1.2 miles, in a pretty run down area. But on the flip side, a walk at an easy pace woke my legs up and by the time I made it to the starting line area I was fully awake and was feeling like running some fast miles.<br />
<br />
By the time I made it to the Aquarium area, the bike tour was starting. A fairly long line of cyclists blocked the street crossing, and I had to wait for them to trickle out to the course. Once I crossed I saw my friend Joanne who was also picking up her bib in the morning. We chatted for a bit and then I wen to the gear drop off area to change into my running gear.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-f3SDYXnf57M/WerQpKwIU2I/AAAAAAAB-kU/0iAEt2f4AtsIler2lwIPDsnTGe4fwPMNgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG9593051.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-f3SDYXnf57M/WerQpKwIU2I/AAAAAAAB-kU/0iAEt2f4AtsIler2lwIPDsnTGe4fwPMNgCLcBGAs/s320/IMG9593051.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Xlj9RztqIQ8/WerQpGVuA5I/AAAAAAAB-kY/baKMN2hwJEQWLZLsFoTub0eAs3HuW_vzQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG9593081.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Xlj9RztqIQ8/WerQpGVuA5I/AAAAAAAB-kY/baKMN2hwJEQWLZLsFoTub0eAs3HuW_vzQCLcBGAs/s320/IMG9593081.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
We also had a Boston line up reunion which was super cool! Have not seen Alan in a very long time.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8G5eQrxE9oQ/WerQ7UKPOyI/AAAAAAAB-kc/0jHVSuDsQoYP7cdO5EymqnfO21Y8EAnaQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG951191.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1202" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8G5eQrxE9oQ/WerQ7UKPOyI/AAAAAAAB-kc/0jHVSuDsQoYP7cdO5EymqnfO21Y8EAnaQCLcBGAs/s320/IMG951191.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I really had no strategy at all for this race, no goals, just wanted to go out and run fast. And I did just that. The first 3 miles I simply ran at the pace that felt very fast. The heart rate was high, Z5 pretty much all the way, so I knew that soon enough I'd have to throttle back a bit. By the time we crossed back to Ocean blvd I started slowing down and holding a steady 6:40ish pace. That felt comfortable and I knew that it was a safe pace to hold for 7-8 more miles.<br />
<br />
I was still not that far from the second leading pack, and I was still hoping that once we get to the beach path I'd be able to work my way back into the pack if the wind was favorable. But unfortunately the wind was the exact opposite, and me running solo proved to be a huge detriment. They gapped me up quickly and by the time we made it to Belmont Shores I was easily 3-4 minutes behind. Oh yeah, I passed some odd looking slower marathon runners, including some dude wearing a Pikachu costume. Here's him checking out my ass.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iXikxfnjWoc/WgMfN-FJerI/AAAAAAAB-9o/hI7NkdJF2I0DIEN4JBmyOv6j939y4C9_ACKgBGAs/s1600/726878_263568334_XLarge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1063" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iXikxfnjWoc/WgMfN-FJerI/AAAAAAAB-9o/hI7NkdJF2I0DIEN4JBmyOv6j939y4C9_ACKgBGAs/s320/726878_263568334_XLarge.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Now with 3 miles to go I simply wanted to bring it home without being overtaken by my buddies. With the wind in my back from mile 10 onward, the run pace felt a bit easier although the heart rate was still way too high to be able to squeeze any real gains. 175bpm is only like 8 beats away from my max heart rate so I had to be judicious about trying to gain a few seconds here and there. Also, by the time I got to mile 11 I was absolutely soaking wet from the humidity of Long Beach, and was also weighing me down - I can do heat and cold, but humidity is my kryptonite.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JJEY52QRiIU/WgMfSa1-iiI/AAAAAAAB-9s/8G1LbFvtQeEm3DpsTQE1rvZ5xait9Qs4wCKgBGAs/s1600/726877_263544881_XLarge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1063" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JJEY52QRiIU/WgMfSa1-iiI/AAAAAAAB-9s/8G1LbFvtQeEm3DpsTQE1rvZ5xait9Qs4wCKgBGAs/s320/726877_263544881_XLarge.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Anyhow, soon enough I was turning left towards the finish chute. Was quite happy to cross it with the time around 1:25:10, and my fastest 10k/10mile/13.1 mile effort to date. My buddy Kevin finished about a minute behind, but I am sure that he was controlling his pace since he is training for a real goal (ie a sub 3 at the California Intl course in December). I hung out with him for a bit, but soon had to make my way back to the car to get home to take care of some stuff. I did stop by a tiny little cash only breakfast place run to get some omelet and bacon with toast or else my body was threatening a hard crash.<br />
<br />
Overall I thought that the race was a success. I could have probably gone under 1:25 had I been executing on some specific race plan, but I really just wanted to go by a feel and just blast it out without any regard for the strategy. The end result gave me some confidence towards trying to go 3:12 or so in NY in November, but I'll have to recalibrate depending on the race day conditions. Until then...</div>
Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07763663301354214102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-290673598016688481.post-32251729433821165972017-09-23T19:45:00.002-07:002021-11-01T10:12:42.600-07:00Nautica Malibu Olympic Triathlon 2017 recap <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I have done the Sunday edition of the race 6 times, in fact it was my introduction to triathlon and, for a long time, in many ways a measuring stick of my fitness in a given year. All 6 times I raced it as a part of the tri team at work. But I really grew tired of the shitshow that the bike course had become over time... it's no fun to race when you have to primarily focus on being taken out by a random cyclist who's not comfortable riding along cars on narrow shoulders. The changes in the team did not help either. But I love the Malibu course, and so I have decided to sign up for the Saturday Olympic distance race despite the obscene cost of it.<br />
<br />
As it turned out, it was my last triathlon of 2017. After I came back to tri training in the summer of 2017, I felt like I had never probably recovered from the San Diego marathon. Never having specifically trained for an Olympic course, to be successful I had to concentrate on the swim fitness, and also shift the focus of the bike workouts to some short but very intense intervals. It was a tough slog for me, but by the beginning of September I saw a good size gains in my FTP, and I definitely was swimming better than ever, thanks to the time spent on the masters team.<br />
<br />
My plan for the race was to swim as aggressively as possible for the first 1k, then bring it home with a steady kick to get the legs going, ride at roughly 82% of the FTP, and then run with the HR not higher than 180 bpm. I felt pretty comfortable than this should get me off the bike perhaps in the 6-7th position in the age group, and if I could hold a 6:15-6:20 pace I'd probably have a shot at winning it. The swim was a bit of a wild card here, as I did not want to overswim my fitness and jeopardize the bike leg.<br />
<br />
One nice thing about the Saturday race is that it is a cinch to get to. Tons of parking, easy bike racking and full 5 minutes between the swim waves, not to mention that I was in wave 4! Woot! Got up at 3:00am, had the usual fare of two slices of bread with peanut butter and 2 bananas, a cup of coffee, stretched and rolled and was out of the door at 3:50am. The drive took about an hour. By 5:20am I was checked in, had everything setup<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6l-SNPM0itk/WccVv5V-6jI/AAAAAAAB9eQ/6Su43LUovW46vICxND_9A-9eWpCQ6n0MQCLcBGAs/s1600/20170916_061151.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6l-SNPM0itk/WccVv5V-6jI/AAAAAAAB9eQ/6Su43LUovW46vICxND_9A-9eWpCQ6n0MQCLcBGAs/s320/20170916_061151.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
and got bodymarked. Had a half of Clif bar, stopped by the portajohn a couple of times and was at the beach by 6:30am. Found a good Samaritan who zipped up my Huub wetsuit for me, and took a quick dip in the ocean. No real wave action, but the water was plenty cold - about 63 degrees or so. That was fine by me, as I feel comfortable in anything above 58. There was a sighting of dolphins, I jogged for 3 minutes to activate the core and then I had a GU packet, and then it was time to go get it done.<br />
<br />
My wave went off at 7:15. There was a lot of pushing and shoving until we turned right at the first marker, and after that it was a smooth sailing... well, swimming. I concentrated on making sure that I stayed in the mid pack of the wave and that I swam in as straight of a line as possible. I did good on both counts - came out of the water with a bunch of people in my wave swim caps, and did not zig zag much - based on my Garmin file. Good visibility that day helped a lot - unlike the last year's race, we had no fog and the chop was minimal. Swim time ended up being 26:43, though my watch showed 25:47 - I must have taken some time to run to T1.<br />
<br />
The T1 was quick and soon I was on my way to the bike start. The temps were in the mid 60s and the wind was pretty mild. Unfortunately, the first mile or so was very crowded and I could not do much (or even get on the aerobars), especially with the tunnel under the PCH being flooded and everyone riding a narrow improvised bridge over the water. Once I got to the open space, it was just the matter of putting my head down and hammering. The leg out was into the wind as usual, and it took a bit of work to find some a steady rhythm. But I was feeling pretty strong and basically was passing people the entire time until we got to the single lane zone right past Neptune's Net. A bit more of restrained riding there but soon we were at the turn around. On the way back it really felt good to have wind in my back and I was going about 23-24 mph the entire time except for the climb out of Leo Carillo. Got to the dismount with a lot of energy, but was feeling a little bit dehydrated despite having at least 20 oz of the Gatorade mix. The bike time was 1:06:01, about 30 seconds slower than I had hoped but I was definitely still in the hunt.<br />
<br />
The T2 was pretty quick - but this time I decided to put on socks since I was going to run in Hoka Claytons that I just had not put a lot of miles on yet. Spent about 30 seconds extra there. Still kicking myself for that.<br />
<br />
Onto the run! It was definitely a slightly harder course than the 4 mile Sunday version. A few more u-turns and a bit more concrete sidewalk running. But unlike the Classic distance, I had lots of open space and spent little time running around slower racers. I was maintaining the tempo I had planned for and quickly passed 2 of my m40-44 competitors in the first 1.5 miles. After that things definitely got harder and I started looking at the Garmin every chance I got. On the positive side of things, I was not seeing any more of the m40-44 or actually of much of anyone at all until maybe around the 4.5 mile mark where I ran into a large group hanging with some female pros. The last mile was definitely a trying experience as I started to feel a bit of a fade setting in. The pace dropped some to 6:21 min/mile... yet the finish line was close. I thought that I saw another m40-44 racer right near the finish line with maybe 0.15 mile to go - but I was not sure. But yes - he was there... I thought about doing one more surge to overtake him, but alas that was my moment of weakness. I was just not too sure if he was in my age group, and (lame!) decided to take my chance. Sure enough - I finished 12 seconds behind the second place. Damn it, putting on socks was not such a smart decision! 39:22 was the run time, and I missed out on the 2nd place by a tiny margin. The overall time was 02:16:31.<br />
<br />
Had a bagel with cream cheese, a banana, some water and a shot of fancy coffee drink that some company was giving away at the finish line. Hung around a bit, got my medal and went back to the car to drive home and get some much needed SLEEP! But the sleep never materialized, and instead I spent a bunch of time watching NFL games in the company of my dogs.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_7xI9cBQqwk/WccXYBUiiOI/AAAAAAAB9ec/JAJJMg6M9_wfTIZceoKd7VPsnOyeh8KeACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_20170916_185917.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_7xI9cBQqwk/WccXYBUiiOI/AAAAAAAB9ec/JAJJMg6M9_wfTIZceoKd7VPsnOyeh8KeACLcBGAs/s320/IMG_20170916_185917.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
All in all, I think that this was a successful race. I swam ok, bike pretty hard (19th fastest non-pro), and had the 6th fastest non-pro running split. I might accept an invite to go to Cleveland nationals next year since I think that this was a strong enough showing.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Now - onto the NYC marathon!</div>
<br /></div>
Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07763663301354214102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-290673598016688481.post-55334828768115270362017-06-05T16:16:00.001-07:002021-11-01T10:13:04.135-07:00San Diego Rock'n'Roll Marathon 2017 recap<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Why the hell was I even there? I guess that I just like racing. Signed up for this race for 3 reasons:<br />
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>San Diego Rock'n'Roll 2012 was my first marathon. I wanted to see how I progressed in 5 years.</li>
<li>It was only $70 through a promo.</li>
<li>In June of 2016 I was not sure if I was going to get into Boston, so I wanted to sign up for a late Spring marathon as a fallback.</li>
</ol>
So then I got into Boston and talked myself into racing the "inaugural" Santa Rosa 70.3 in mid May... and suddenly I had my hands full with 3 races in 7 weeks. I kind of considered both Boston and Santa Rosa to be the A races, and so had to re-allocate the time that would have normally been spent on running/recovering to cycling. As the result, I ended up with 22 weeks of mixed mode training and racing with about 37 miles per week of running all in all. In other words, this is about 25% lower than the mileage I'd consider standard for the marathon training. The big positive was that I got plenty of aerobic exercise, which made the tempo runs very very fast at low heart rate readings. Accordingly, in 2017 my times for 13.1 were about 5 mins better than my previous PRs, but running a full marathon in Boston on 39 mpw for 15 weeks proved to be not so awesome, even though I BQ'ed there.<br />
<br />
Come mid May, I vacillated for a while thinking of just using my cancellation option that I paid an extra $10 for during the registration, but then the stupid part of me took over... and with that I decided to give it a go since I had a whole bunch of Hilton Honors points and there was a Hampton's right next to the finish line that I could book for $30/night after applying the points. I also was keen to test the theory that I had read on Slowtwitch that if you can hold a certain pace for 16 miles, you should be able to hold it for 26 miles. I was pretty certain that I can hold 7 min/mile pace for 16 miles, so in theory that'd would have given me a very solid PR. In other words, all kinds of cocky, stupid stuff but if you don't need to worry about BQ'ing, all kinds of self abuse suddenly seem like a good idea.<br />
<br />
Saturday<br />
<br />
Drove to San Diego in the afternoon, checked into my hotel and walked about a mile or so to the convention center. It was a bit crowded, but I got done with the packet pick up fairly quickly. I had no desire to hang around, so I walked back to the hotel and noticed that it was quite warm despite the cloud cover and definitely VERY humid - I was sweating from just a moderate walk. Huh!<br />
<br />
Stopped by a nearby Claim Jumper for dinner. Had a beer and a chicken club sandwich with mashed potatoes. Was really really full when I left. Watched TV for a little while at the hotel, read the book and went to bed at 9:30.<br />
<br />
Sunday<br />
<br />
The alarm clock went off at 3:45am. I was actually soundly asleep for a change. The pre-race meal consisted of 2 strawberry pop tarts with peanut butter, a banana and 2 cups of coffee. I was out of the door at 4:45am with the intent of solo Ubering to the start line. Luckily a couple of runners downstairs graciously offered to split their Uber with me, so for $5 I a ride to Balboa park arriving at around 5am.<br />
<br />
Walked to the gear trucks, sat on the curb, chatted with a few fellow runners, got my gear bag checked in and went to the porta potties. Just like 5 years ago, the lines were super slow moving, and eventually I just gave up and committed a quick pee behind a tree. No idea why this race sanitation situation is like this - seems like a ton of porta potties, but I guess for some 30k people+support at the start it is just not enough.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3rAWGovsPoc/WTXdouK_H3I/AAAAAAAB5vA/rPDayfFAMKsCQRHp9ssdESZpJNA5_BgjQCLcB/s1600/20170604_053611.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3rAWGovsPoc/WTXdouK_H3I/AAAAAAAB5vA/rPDayfFAMKsCQRHp9ssdESZpJNA5_BgjQCLcB/s320/20170604_053611.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
Made it into the Corral 2 about 5 mins before the start. To be honest, I still did not have a very good plan as to what I was going to do race wise. From looking at the elevation profile I knew that<br />
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>there will be rollers for the first 10 miles</li>
<li>there was a big drop coming at mile 11 or so </li>
<li>the hill on the 163 that used to be mid way through the race was now coming sometime around mile 22. </li>
<li>the elevation gain was going about the same as Boston</li>
</ol>
With that in mind, I decided to just hold the same pace I did for the Santa Rosa 70.3 run leg (about 6:50 min/mile) for as long as I can and, if things go well, re-assess at around mile 18. Wanted to be sure that I have something left in the tank to do that hill and then just blast down to the finish line. I also allowed myself 2 30 second pee breaks around miles 8 and 16 to break things up and give myself a breather.<br />
<br />
The race kicked off at 6;15am. Oddly, for a while everything was happening more or less as planned. I jammed the first 12 miles running slightly under 6:50 min/mile, but the legs were not feeling fresh at all. From the mile 3 I was feeling like I had run a 10 miler already, mainly in the quads and the hip flexors. But I pressed on and was concentrating on not pushing the rollers too forcefully, having learned that lesson in Boston the hard way. There were lots of them for the first 8 or so miles, with a couple of decently steep but short climbs. The sky was overcast, with almost no wind and a muggy but cool air. After a while it started to drizzle a tiny bit and soon I realized that I was completely drenched from the humidity. But the weird thing was that I had to keep taking fluids at almost every other station - it sure felt like I was sweating up a storm. Even my feet were eventually swamped in sweat.<br />
<br />
We left the downtown area, ran around Normal Heights (what a name) and eventually split from the half marathoners. Then after a while we were moving along the side (but in the opposite direction) of the runners just going through mile 5 or so. At one point I saw a bunch of school girls all decked in KISS makeup and costumes and had a really laugh. They were going completely nuts rocking out to Dr Love - fantastic! More looping through the neighborhoods and eventually we got to Presidio Drive, where the big drop was about to happen before we would cross the 8 freeway. We ran down that serpentine downhill that had some pretty steep sections where I had to slow down and go very gingerly since the pavement was a bit wet. Once I got done with descending, that's when the legs started to feel really uneasy for the first time. I was definitely doing ok aerobically, and the effort did not feel too hard, but the lack of training volume was not helping any. I was slowing down a bit, and I could tell that I won't be able to hold the sub 7 pace for that much longer. Saw the leading men while making my way through Overlook to to Mission Bay and they looked pretty miserable too, so that made me a feel a bit better but not really.<br />
<br />
At that point I started taking caffeinated Clif gels every 3 aid stations. Really wished that I could have some Cola, but no dice. This was probably the lowest point of the race for me, as I was really dreading that I had miscalculated my abilities and there would need to be some walking in the near future. Coming out of the Mission Bay area, and tracking back along the road that we took on the way there, I saw a bunch of other runners, and they were definitely suffering. Eventually, we started climbing at around mile 19, very slowly but... suddenly I would see people in front of me slow down and walk, stretch, jog. Not race anymore in other words. I was not hauling ass anymore either, but I was still moving at a reasonable clip, so at that point I started to pass some people. Eventually made it to the off-ramp to the 163, saw the KISS girls one more time, they were still going nuts. Awesome!<br />
<br />
Suddenly I started feeling better. That's when the actual hill at mile 22.5 presented itself. It was more of the same - I was not going super fast but was passing people consistently. About 1/4 way up I did get overtaken by a very fit looking runner chick - I tried to hang on and have her tow me up the hill but she was just stronger at that point and eventually dropped me once we started running down. She was absolutely flying! She definitely helped me go a bit faster up that thing that just seemed to never end. Hurray for getting chicked.<br />
<br />
Once I got over the hill, I knew that I was going to finish strong as long as the grade on the way down was not going to be too crazy. I still had some strength in my legs but could not do better than 7:20ish min/miles. The downhill was snaking all the time and I was trying very hard to run the tangents and not put any extra distance - as my watch was already showing an extra 0.12 miles by that point. I was very very happy to see the downtown San Diego again, and see us merge with the 1/2 marathon crowd - who were also moving at a zombie pace. There was a tiny tiny hill right after the 26 mile marker, and that seemed like a mountain... but soon enough I hit the finish line. Not going to lie - I was completely out of gas. Could barely see or walk. Somehow in the downtown area I picked an extra 0.08 miles and now my total was almost 26.4 miles. Grabbed some water and Gatorade and started slowly moving towards the gear pickup area - which was like 4 blocks away. <br />
<br />
Eventually, I made it there, got my bag and my finisher jacket, got back to the hotel, stretched, showered, grabbed a few munchies and drove back to LA. Had to stop half way through to eat something and stretch. Even McDonalds tasted good at that point.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rxLfK3Drvo8/WTXdxdaldZI/AAAAAAAB5vE/KtilveFmuH4WaKM7KCIzCuwftFzMyCqFQCLcB/s1600/20170604_123710.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="846" data-original-width="1080" height="250" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rxLfK3Drvo8/WTXdxdaldZI/AAAAAAAB5vE/KtilveFmuH4WaKM7KCIzCuwftFzMyCqFQCLcB/s320/20170604_123710.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
The finish time was 3:12:50 (Garmin file <a href="https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1778149142" target="_blank">here</a>), so this at least will improve my corral placement for Boston if I decide to run it next year. The first half of the race was run in 1:31:20 and I added a solid 11 minutes to the second half, so no negative splits here! Once again - this was a hard, painful run, but then again in 2017 I was 30 minutes faster than 5 years ago on almost the same course (yay getting older?). It is entirely possible that I simply had not been fully recovered from Santa Rosa, where I was probably not 100% recovered from Boston.<br />
<br />
I got back to my house 3 hours later, and only then realized that I was totally and completely spent. Chilling by the pool never felt that good before.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4qqcu0KiwdU/WTXd4P6YzOI/AAAAAAAB5vI/hLIEn3Zov1YaakweMwD3RiZ5WX1T9xKhgCLcB/s1600/20170604_150044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="846" data-original-width="1080" height="250" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4qqcu0KiwdU/WTXd4P6YzOI/AAAAAAAB5vI/hLIEn3Zov1YaakweMwD3RiZ5WX1T9xKhgCLcB/s320/20170604_150044.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Will take the next 5-6 days off completely, and will get back into swimming and cycling next week. Won't run til the end of the June, but will need to eventually get back into the groove to build for the NYC 2017!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07763663301354214102noreply@blogger.com0San Diego, CA, USA32.715738 -117.1610838000000331.861779000000002 -118.45197730000002 33.569697000000005 -115.87019030000003tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-290673598016688481.post-29599354537492819132017-05-16T21:26:00.002-07:002021-11-01T10:13:27.863-07:00Santa Rosa 70.3 2017 half recap<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div>
Prior to the race.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The focus of the winter and the early spring training was getting ready for Boston while maintaining a decent amount of bike fitness. That amounted to about 45 miles per week of running and about 100 miles per week of cycling. I did not swim at all until the week of taper before Boston, so in total I got in maybe 12 swims before the race. I felt reasonably ok about being able to race the bike leg, but the swim was likely going to be a struggle. However, since it was a wetsuit legal event in a lake I was fairly confident that in the worst case scenario I'd be looking at about 40 mins. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Friday before the race<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Got into Santa Rosa at around 11am. Found parking, and headed into the athlete's village. Picked up my registration, got the swag and met up with my buddy Brad who got there the night prior. We decided to head to the lake and survey the area after dropping off the bikes. It took about 35 mins to drive there - most of the drive was along a very pristine wine country with plenty of faux Italian/French architecture. Got to the lake, parked in the overflow parking, got my gear into the bike bag, pumped the tires and headed to the T1 area.This is what it looked like from the top:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4gpKA4200zQ/WR9tzXULDSI/AAAAAAAB5oE/S8d8cK6WFw0R87wL_vZitIinlBXO8gg7gCLcB/s1600/IM%2BSR%2BT1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4gpKA4200zQ/WR9tzXULDSI/AAAAAAAB5oE/S8d8cK6WFw0R87wL_vZitIinlBXO8gg7gCLcB/s320/IM%2BSR%2BT1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The lake was looking awesome, by the way:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rCLEsYc-hSw/WR9t_GDgyoI/AAAAAAAB5oI/wJu-Xr7hMR0rv2ygvSio-10ha83n2t3pACLcB/s1600/IM%2BSR%2Blake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rCLEsYc-hSw/WR9t_GDgyoI/AAAAAAAB5oI/wJu-Xr7hMR0rv2ygvSio-10ha83n2t3pACLcB/s320/IM%2BSR%2Blake.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Noticed that my rack was towards the end of the transition, which meant a longer run from the lake. The ramp leading to the lake looked as fearsome as portrayed in the race director's videos he was posting on Facebook. It was steep for the first few hundred yards and the concrete was kind of rough and definitely cold. The view of the ramp from T1:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gcZ4dLBZASM/WR9tpRr_5lI/AAAAAAAB5oA/ICiQI3-yQ4A49C1vcYjiUI9ZKJbCkEQTACLcB/s1600/IM%2BSR%2Bramp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gcZ4dLBZASM/WR9tpRr_5lI/AAAAAAAB5oA/ICiQI3-yQ4A49C1vcYjiUI9ZKJbCkEQTACLcB/s320/IM%2BSR%2Bramp.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I could only imagine how unpleasant it would be after hundreds of feet will splash it with water on the morning of the race.<br />
<br />
By the way, all 3 of those pictures were taken from the Facebook group page where they were shared. Hooray for full disclosure!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Headed back to Santa Rosa, dropped off my running gear and had a quick lunch at Mary's pizza shack (it was a decent bet that we would carb up there) with Brad who was by the way coming back to racing after taking a year off. I ordered a sandwich with cheese and meatballs. It was quite filling actually and reasonably tasty. After that I went to find my friend Cynthia's new house in Santa Rosa where I was going to crash for the night. It was about 3 miles from the starting area. Hung out with the incredibly hospitable Cynthia and her husband Shawn and their 12 month old, had a bit more food at around 6:30pm and headed to bed at 9pm. Felt asleep quickly which was a bit unusual for me - normally I toss and turn all night before the race like a rookie. This time - a total fucking blackout. Good!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Race day</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Got up at 3:10am, had 3 slices of raisin bread with peanut butter, 2 bananas and a can of Starbucks doubleshot espresso with cream. Drove to the mall parking lot near the start, got the bag, and headed towards the shuttles. The looked long but somehow 5 minutes later I was aboard a shuttle. A lady next to me was very visibly nervous and could not wait to tell me that she did not know how to swim freestyle and was going to breast stroke her way through. I had my doubts, but assured that this was totally doable, I'll probably burn in hell for a bit for this.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Got to T1 and got out of the shuttle. Holy shit, the parking lot was literally swarming with triathletes! The porta potty lines were ridiculous too. Went in, got the tires pumped, packed my nutrition and salt tabs, filled the water bottle... left myself about 20 mins before the start at 6:25am to get to a toilet. Well, not so fast! I got done at 6:22am and had to haul ass down to the boat ramp only to find the line of people already entering the water! Quickly chomped a GU packet, washed it down with some Gatorade and 18 minutes later started swimming with my feet were already frozen solid. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Swim</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The sun was in my face and had trouble seeing the first 2 or 3 buoys. The water temps were in the low 60s but I got used to it after a minute or two. But then we turned right and suddenly everything was clear and I got into the rhythm, despite some chop and the swells coming in from time to time. To be honest, there were so many people in the water that I did not even bother to sight and just followed the bubbles in front. The pace felt easy and the whole lake was a giant draft. Before I knew it we crossed back under the bridge and exited the water. The swim took 40:01, uploaded <a href="https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1731504432" target="_blank">here</a>. Ouch.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
T1</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I was kicking myself for not bringing with me a pair of flip flops to wear on the way out of the water. Plenty of folks were smarter than me... I actually ran up that ramp and sort of jogged to the top of concrete path all the way to the parking lot. Along the way was trying to pull the wetsuit down my ankles but it was not budging, Have to mention that it is a roughly .25 mile run - the ramp is .22 miles and my bike rack was towards the end. I had to run AROUND the edge of the T1, not straight to the bike racks. I got to my bike in T1 and pulled the wetsuit down hard - and the legs cramped big time! Finally I got it off and had to make a decision about the arm warmers. I was shivering bad so the wind vest was definitely a go, but I could not see myself spending anymore time putting those things on. Grabbed the bike and ran to the exit. T1 time was 8:59.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Bike</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
This was my first race on my Cervelo P3, so I was a little bit cautious not knowing what to expect from the bike in terms handling and the position. I got it in mid April and by the time I had it all built up and fitted... was just not enough time left to test it out in real conditions. I had a few issues with the seat post slipping, and the 11 speed chain already popped once... all of this was weighing in on my mind.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The exit was crowded. Some tall dude in front of me got on his bike but was probably in too high of a gear - and so he toppled right over into the ditch. I stood on the pedals and pushed through the short incline and was off to the races. Grabbed a quick gel with double caffeine and crossed the bridge. The powermeter was acting up and my right foot was having trouble clipping in. Finally I got to the descent out of the lake and was able to relax a bit. The descent was quick and fast but I was not rushing it since I was too cold to go hard or react to the emergency braking situations. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The first 10 miles went by quick. Got out of the lake park, rolled along the wineries on Dutcher Creek for a bit and eventually got to the 1st climb. It was a bit steep, with some sections of the grade in the 8%+ range but nothing killer. After that it was again more rollers and a few flattish sections. Basically the old Vineman route in reverse. Got to the 1st aid station and refilled my water bottle and dropped the vest. I was mainly fighting the road surface up until mile 26 or so, which was where we hit the second climb. Again no problemo.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
After that there was a long stretch on Westside road which was all rollers and that was one section of the course that I knew really well from my past rides in that area. I started to feel some fatigue once we turned onto Laguna road and was feeling kind of hot and cold for the rest of the ride. Nutrition wise I was sticking with my plan of 3 squares of Clif Shot blocks every 20 mins, a 3rd of a Clif bar and 1 Salt Tab every hour on the hour. There was a stretch of some really terrible pavement on Guerneville Rd at miles 45 through 49 or so. I was nearly nauseous from the road vibrations. The final 4 miles were back in Santa Rosa and were very very crowded with cyclists going 3 rows wide in a single traffic lane. I just hung in there and cruised to the finish. Ride time turned out to be 2:48:30, uploaded <a href="https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1731573026" target="_blank">here</a>. Most importantly, I felt ready to make up some time on the run.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
T2 </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Easy peasy - shoes left clipped in, ran up to the rack, parked the noble steed, swapped the helmet for the hat and the number belt, put on my Cliftons and ran out. It took me a good 40 seconds to get to the end of T2 - 2:54.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Run</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I felt great, really did. Running on a smooth bike path, along the side of a nice stream in a mostly shaded area was a big plus. I was passing people the entire 13 miles, no joke. Felt had a crazy good vibe going all the way through maybe mile 10 and by then I started to get a bit hot. Was taking Gatorade and water every station and Cola every 3 stations. Had a bit of a panic through mile 8 when I realized that I am heading towards the finish line... finally saw the turn around like 0.3 miles from the finish. Phew.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The second lap was also pretty fast sort of following the first lap. Started fading a bit around mile 11 and 12, but I never felt like the wheels were going to come off. Was still passing a ton of people. Kicked up the last mile and finished strong. Run time - 1:29:02, uploaded <a href="https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1731509935" target="_blank">here</a>. Overall 05:09:26, for the 39th in the 40-44 age group out of 343.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
After</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Ate 2 slices of pizza and 2 bananas and a Cola, chatted with some folks, got my gear bags and my bike, showered and drove to my buddy's house in San Carlos where I had some sushi, some wine and a damn good company of my old friends. Crashed at 10pm, had a great breakfast in the morning with my hosts and then drove back to LA with 3 (!) stops to stretch the legs.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Afterthoughts</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I might return next year for this race when it happens in July. Well organized, and if the roads are somehow fixed up - it will be a killer little race. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07763663301354214102noreply@blogger.com0Santa Rosa, CA, USA38.440429 -122.7140547999999938.241423000000005 -123.03677829999998 38.639435 -122.39133129999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-290673598016688481.post-77124844119533660742017-04-18T14:01:00.002-07:002021-11-01T10:13:46.813-07:00Boston 2017 recap<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Pre-race.<br />
<br />
Qualified last year with a 3:11 time, but after that did mostly IM type of training with no real significant running volume. Started to get a bit more focused in the beginning of 2017, but for most part the volume was quite low – about 12 weeks at 43 miles per week average with a lot of bike workouts mixed in as I was also training for the Santa Rosa 70.3. As the result, my bike fitness got way better than what it normally is in Spring, but my run fitness was probably a bit less than optimal. Additionally, I started having some hip and hamstring tightness on the left side, and had a really hard time stretching it out. For the last 2 weeks before Boston I tapered off the run volume and replaced it with the swim volume feeling that it is the right move.<br />
<br />
Day 1.<br />
<br />
Got to Boston at around 4pm. Got super duper sore just sitting on the airplane. Dropped my stuff off at the hotel, hopped on the T and got to Hynes Center at around 5:30pm. It was crazy packed, the streets, the entrance, the expo – very busy as expected.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RisCqZqMXg4/WPZ7AM7_T7I/AAAAAAAB5XM/DnUfZfMzONQpWii-XedaG6xMh6bFBrXLACPcB/s1600/20170415_174100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RisCqZqMXg4/WPZ7AM7_T7I/AAAAAAAB5XM/DnUfZfMzONQpWii-XedaG6xMh6bFBrXLACPcB/s320/20170415_174100.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
I’ve noticed that it was really really warm and humid that day. Not a good sign. Got my registration and my packet and shot right out of the building. Grabbed some groceries and then stopped by PF Chang’s in Cambridge for the fried rice combo.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TnZ_QPmNyyY/WPZ7AMkguHI/AAAAAAAB5XM/q0NWIo33Lds0OTzAExkg81qU6YfS4_fiQCPcB/s1600/20170415_193525.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TnZ_QPmNyyY/WPZ7AMkguHI/AAAAAAAB5XM/q0NWIo33Lds0OTzAExkg81qU6YfS4_fiQCPcB/s320/20170415_193525.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Back in the hotel by 8pm and asleep by 10pm.<br />
<br />
Day 2.<br />
<br />
Woke up, ate a small breakfast with a sandwich and coffee. Next was my 2 miler shakeout run. Holy crap, was it hot and humid and windy at the same time! The temps were in the mid 80s and it felt sort of tropical. The first mile into the wind was pretty horribad, and the return was a bit better but not very encouraging. Was astonished to see a number of French speaking runners just powering into this muck the day before the race – and going HARD!<br />
Got back to the hotel, showered, walked around Cambridge - which was almost completely shut down because of Easter Sunday. Took the train to Boylston to meet up with the member of my tri team also in Boston for the race. Ended up at a pretty generic Irish pub, had a sandwich and french fries. Back to the hotel at 4pm, lazed around for a bit. Got my gear set up for tomorrow, had plenty of fluids, and went to bed at 10pm. Did not sleep well at all.<br />
<br />
Day 3.<br />
<br />
Woke up at 5:30am, ate the usual PB and Banana sandwich with coffee. On the T by 6:30am. Dropped off my gear bag and headed for the bus with a bottle of Gatorade and 3 small Clif bars. Shared a bus seat with a gent from Oregon named Norm. Got to the athlete village 8am. Could have slept for another hour easily…<br />
Hung around the tented area, ate a little, drank a little, chatted with a few runners. In the corral by 10:20am after a surprisingly long walk through the village – I was assigned to the Wave 2/Corral 1. It already felt warm – not as bad as the day before, but the sunshine was direct and definitely felt a few degrees warmer than the real temps. Humidity was also quite high. We kicked off right on time at 10:25am. My plan was to stick with the 7:14 min/mile pace for as long as I could until Newton, give up a couple of minutes there and then make it up from mile 23.<br />
The first 2 miles were mostly downhill with one or 2 minor climbs. The crowd of the runners was very thick and we all moved in unison with very little space between the runners. The crowds were loud and insanely supportive. The entire stretch had almost no empty spaces where no one would be cheering. Held the pace quite well for the first 8 miles and was ahead of the schedule by 30 seconds. Decided to reward myself with a quick pee break. Started running again and was about 15 seconds behind at the next mile marker.<br />
From the nutrition and hydration perspective, the strategy was simple. A cup of Gatorade every drink station unless I am taking a gel that mile, and small sip of water, with the remaining cup and a half of water dumped on the head, back and shoulders. I would eat a Clif gel every 6 miles and in case of cramps, I had salt tabs.<br />
Started to feel a bit bad at mile 10 – the constant rollers were beginning to grind me down. I would lose 5-10 seconds on every uphill (and they were coming in all the time) and would not get all of them back on the downhill. Was trying not to get frustrated and kept my emotions in check. The mind was in a good place, and the tempo felt very very manageable. By mile 15 was about 68 seconds behind, and decided to take another pee break before we would get to the Newton hills.<br />
I actually went through the major inclines without feeling fatigued or even noticing them very much. But the downhills were my undoing and I would give up 30-40 seconds per major hill. By mile 23 I accumulated about 5 minutes of debt and the legs were starting to give up the ghost a bit. I knew that I had enough in me to finish up at the pace about 30 seconds slower than the target, and I sort of let it go and started paying way more attention to the crowds and a few attractive female runners near me than to my watch. Lots of people were walking by then with cramps and heat exhaustion clearly visible. I had to get paramedics to check out a runner who was running figure 8’s in the lane next to me. I basically floated around for 20 minutes or so and once we turned to Boylston Street, I picked up the pace a bit to just finish strong. 3:16:54 was the finish time, enough to qualify me for 2018 if I want to go next year. Garmin file is <a href="https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1683206878" target="_blank">here.</a><br />
Walked to the gear tent, got my bag, changed, rode the T back to Cambridge, and hobbled over to the hotel room with a few other fellow crazy people from all over the world. Ate, showered, stretched and hopped back on the T for a dinner with Kevin and Carrie who wanted to celebrate. Lots of good food, probably more wine and desert than necessary – good times.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yWckrIulREk/WPZ7ALXP-4I/AAAAAAAB5XM/4L9LxbjUg1M7iwf5dNfdoTu1l1-mKJsxwCPcB/s1600/20170417_181103.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yWckrIulREk/WPZ7ALXP-4I/AAAAAAAB5XM/4L9LxbjUg1M7iwf5dNfdoTu1l1-mKJsxwCPcB/s320/20170417_181103.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Day 4<br />
Woke up, stretched a bit more, ate, Ubered to the airport – and off to the Big Apple!<br />
<br />
Takeaways:<br />
<br />
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>Boston requires a significant investment in training focused on running the rollers and downhills efficiently and fast.</li>
<li>The weather can be a huge factor. In Boston it is likely to be all over the place and can change significantly intra day.</li>
<li>A late starting marathon can throw your body a curve ball. It sure did throw mine off.</li>
<li>In Boston pace and hydration can be the difference between a great run and a walk for the last few miles. Think through your strategy and stick with it. If you are feeling good after the Heartbreak hill, make it a race.</li>
</ol>
<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07763663301354214102noreply@blogger.com0Hopkinton, MA, USA42.228695400000007 -71.5225646000000142.13462890000001 -71.683926100000008 42.3227619 -71.361203100000012tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-290673598016688481.post-46126303130710510902017-02-13T17:30:00.003-08:002021-11-01T10:14:05.812-07:00Run To Remember 2017 recap<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Started running again in January in order to build for Boston. A little sluggish in the first 2 weeks, but started to get into the rhythm of the training. The typical schedule is something like this:<br />
<div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Mon - 6-8 miles running</li>
<li>Tuesday - 6-8 miles running with some speedwork</li>
<li>Wednesday - 4-5 miles easy running + 20-25 miles hard cycling</li>
<li>Thursday - 6 miles medium effort running + 20-25 miles medium effort cycling</li>
<li>Friday - long run</li>
<li>Saturday - long bike + 4 miles running easy</li>
<li>Sunday - off</li>
</ul>
<div>
So with that going on for a month, I thought it'd be a good idea to test the waters and see what I can do on a short course. At the end of January I ran a local half marathon in Griffith Park and did ok, basically matching where I was last year in January. I was encouraged by this development (even though I was sore as hell for 3-4 days), and so I signed for the Run to Remember half which is basically a collection of my lunch time running routes in Hollywood.</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Did a little bit more work than I should have during my ride on Saturday the day prior, so the legs were not super fresh come Sunday morning when I rolled out of bed at 4:45am. Had my usual Clif Bar with a side of banana and cashews, plus coffee. Got to the Grove at around 5:45am, parked, picked up my bib, went back to the car... listened to the radio, peed in the bottle to avoid the stupid long lines and went downstairs again to take my space by the starting line.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The sub 7 min group was a little sparse so I had plenty of room of stretch and do some basic warming up. The weather was awesome - high 50s, plenty of sunshine, clear and cool. Kicked off at 7:01am, and the first 1/2 mile were a real struggle - I was trying to find some space to run, and it was a bit of an uphill, so the pace was really punishing. By the time we got to Melrose I settled into a good rhythm and was averaging 6:21 min/mile. We ran into the Paramount lot, where the water station was manned by my Tri team members. Grabbed a cup of water from Agnieszka and proceeded towards the Bronson gate. I know I look like I am being chased by cops in the picture below, but that's just how much of a savage I am.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ipFuvpp0FO4/WKJa5l--d4I/AAAAAAAB47U/9Sr_DC-3ARI2LH3wV_x0NkKFkWC9wGkxgCLcB/s1600/16730206_10154418692742921_4224115469694160258_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ipFuvpp0FO4/WKJa5l--d4I/AAAAAAAB47U/9Sr_DC-3ARI2LH3wV_x0NkKFkWC9wGkxgCLcB/s320/16730206_10154418692742921_4224115469694160258_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
There after a quick lot detour the 10k and the 1/2 marathon crowds split. I was able to see the field in front of me and by my estimation I was about 20th from the front.<br />
<br />
I knew that the climb up Western and Hollywood blvd is coming up, so the rest of the run on Melrose was the effort to get as close to the group up front. For some reason I made it up Western with ease but once I was on Hollywood blvd I really started to hurt. The pace was still high, all the way to the turnaround on Vermont, but I was really struggling. Heart rate was in the mid 170s, no bueno. In my mind, I just needed to get past Normandie on the way back and then get my shit together on the downhill all the way back to Melrose.<br />
<br />
I got to the turnaround and I was actually 21st there. The runners in front of me looked pretty young, so I thought that I had a decent shot at placing in my age group. The downhill back to Melrose was a nice relief for my quads and I was ready to take on the Melrose hill - TWICE! Climbed it quite gingerly, knowing how unpleasant it really is even on a training run. Got back to the Bronson gate of Paramount and here we merged with the 10k crowds - or put differently, the walkers of the 10k crowd.<br />
<br />
From here to La Brea it was mainly all about dodging the walkers, trying to not get jammed into the curb like it happened last year when a lady in front me decided to suddenly stop and bolt in a coffee shop. The average speed dropped to 6:34 min/mile. Finally got to La Brea and from here we had our own lane again. Suddenly I got dropped by a group of 3 runners. Chased them all the way to the 3rd street where a did our last turnaround, and were within a mile or so from the finish line. I caught all but one of them, but had him and one more running in my sight all the way to the finish line. Finish time was 1:25:54, official time 1:25;52, the Garmin goodness can be seen <a href="https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1570388768" target="_blank">here</a> in all of its glory.<br />
<br />
Got my medals, picked up a few bananas and a Nesquick's protein drink and walked back to the car - slowly! Got home and actually discovered that I finished 23rd overall, and took the 1st in my age group. Yay me!</div>
</div>
Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07763663301354214102noreply@blogger.com1189 The Grove Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90036, USA34.072163499999988 -118.358381000000018.5501289999999877 -159.666975 59.594197999999992 -77.049787000000009tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-290673598016688481.post-18516859793252134222016-11-01T15:40:00.000-07:002016-11-02T06:14:34.456-07:00IM Los Cabos 2016 recap<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal">
Thursday<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I fly in at around 2pm, get a car, shop for groceries at a
local WalMart (lots of bread, strawberry jam and Jiffy Peanut Butter, along
with Gatorade, beer and Pepsi) and head to the hotel. I am pretty beat from the
travelling, but decide to go for a run at around 5pm. It is intensely hot and
humid. I am sweating like crazy after 2 miles and cut my run way short. The rest of the night is spent eating PB&J
sandwiches and drinking beer while watching the Thursday night NFL suckfest.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Friday<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I show up for the pre-swim at 7am at Palmilla. The water is very calm and super warm with very
little chop and no visible swells, but a bit of a current on the way back. Swim
about 1000 yards and do not feel like swimming more would make any difference.
In the afternoon I head into town to pick up my registration packet along with my bike from the TriBike
Transport. The registration process is a bit chaotic, and then I find out that
half of my numbers have the wrong name printed on them (I am not Nick). Without
missing a beat, some industrious human working the “Problems?” window prints my
name on a bunch of blank labels and just slaps them on top of my numbers. Along
the way it turns out that the Mexican triathlon federation wants a onetime
registration fee of $10, and even that is kind of comical – window 1 collects
$10 without any receipt and sends you on the way to the next window that
refuses to release your bib numbers without a receipt from window 1. Then
window 1 and window 2 confer and decide that you are good to go. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Back at the hotel I put my bike together and go for a ride
at around 1:30pm. It is on the Highway 1 with the shoulder randomly appearing
and disappearing as construction trucks and buses zip by you at the speeds approaching
80 mphs. After 10 minutes I decide that my bike works fine and I do not feel
like becoming roadkill, at least not just yet. I turn around dodging the
traffic and go back. I have to cross the highway one more time to get back into my hotel which is a whole
different level of scary (and stinky).<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then it is time to figure out how am I going to get to the
race on Sunday. The host hotel (Hampton Inn) attempts to collect $15 USD for
letting me use their race shuttle on Sunday, but then backs off. The concierge lady
is nice but she is less than informed.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At around 4pm I go to the pre-race meeting and there is more
chaos there. The 2 men wrecking crew running it consists of a super suave US expat
along with an older Brit expat, but in a typical local fashion neither one is
certain on the subjects of the course's vertical gain, the layout or the rules of what sort of gear will need bagged and dropped off on Saturday. At the same time both are insistent that no bikes
will be allowed to be brought in on Sunday. And lastly, they flat out state that
there will be no access to the bike gear bags in the morning. I leave slightly
frustrated but not too worried.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Saturday<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Gear bags and bike drop off at the T1 at 11am – again more
chaos. Some teenager manning the entrance decides to body mark and let people
into the T1 at the same time, creating a sizeable line. Then everyone is let in
in and the event team kids run around and randomly body mark only 1 spot on
your body (i.e. the right shoulder in my case). The bag drop takes place in a
completely unmarked tent and no one working it knows for sure if the bike gear bag
must contain shoes and helmet or neither or both. Everything seems to be
improvised on the spot. It is 11:30am and it is already hot hot hot. I leave the helmet, the shoes and the glasses
in the gear bag and head to the T2 back in town (no address, just go by a drawing on the map!). I find it in a completely
unmarked tent in downtown San Jose del Cabo situated in the middle of a busy
road with just a couple of teenagers again manning the process. I leave my
stuff there and hope that it works tomorrow. I am starting to get into the
whole go with the flow thing that the locals use as an excuse for everything.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sunday<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I get on the shuttle at 5am (for free, yippee!), and the
first thing I see is a bunch of people from my hotel bringing their bikes on
the shuttle. I ask no questions at this point. We get dropped off at the top of
the hill at Palmilla where I hear and sort of see (it is dark) the kids who are
there to collect our special needs bags. They they just kind of stand there and
wait for you to give them the bags. Then naturally I see more people zipping
down the hill on their bikes in total darkness along with a whole bunch of
bike gear bags brought in. I get into
the T1 and soon realize that I can access my bike gear bag and proceed to take the helmet,
shoes, number belt and glasses out and set up a proper transition mat by my bike. No one says a
word.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The 70.3 race kicks off at 6:15 with the male pros and the
female pros leaving at 6:20 and the rest of the field leaving at 6:30am. The
announcers are completely focused on the 70.3 field until about 7:15 when they remember
to give some terse instructions for the full. The buoys are still being towed,
and then we line up in what supposed to be self seeded corrals and head into
the ocean at 7:30. It is already hot. It takes me about a minute to get into
the water, and the swim is nice. No fighting for space and the water is warmer
then the hotel pool. The course is kind of rectangular with 3 left turns to
make. My watch goes off at the half point mark and – I see that only 31 minutes
elapsed which is good for me in a non-wetsuit swim. We make the second turn and
then the current suddenly picks up along with a sizable swell. It is now a
fight, and after the 3<sup>rd</sup> turning point the chop is bad enough that
my goggles start to leak and I can’t really breathe to the left anymore. It
takes me almost 50 minutes to complete the 2<sup>nd</sup> leg which also turns
out to be about 300 yards longer than expected. I get out of the water and can
barely see from all the salt water in my eyes. 1:21 is my swim time.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
T1 gets done quickly and I head out. Cannot not quite get
all the sand off my feet but that is expected in a beach transition where the
carpet does not really work very well. We head up the Pamilla hill and I am
sweating like a pig. Nutrition wise the plan is to eat half a Clif bar
(macadamia white chocolate, yummy!) and 6 Margarita shot bloks per hour long
with 2 salt stick tabs giving me me about 325 kcals total with 850 mg of
sodium. For the liquids I plan to take water only with an occasional bottle of
Gatorade to mix things up. The plan works
very well as I have no issues with staying hydrated or fed.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The ride to Cabo San Lucas is unremarkable but the heat is
unrelenting. I maintain about 170w of NP. The first big climb (there are 4 in
total) is not bad and the ride down is definitely fun. I grab my first water
bottle at a water station at the bottom of the hill and a little kid manning it
holds on too it too tight and I almost get dropped. The ride back to San Jose
is much harsher facing the wind and the fumes from the cars that are at a total standstill
on the other side of the highway. I make
it to the turn around and the guy manning it is so confused and has no idea who
needs to go where. The screwy thing with the course that you come to this
turnaround, go up the hill and then if you are doing the half or finishing your
2<sup>nd</sup> lap of the full you get to ride past the WalMart to the T2. But the airport hill
needs to be done, and the amigo completely fails to communicate it. I head up
the hill to the toll road and that 2<sup>nd</sup> climb does not disappoint. I
drop a good number of of people on the climb (still lots of slower 70.3 riders
on the road), and then head down to the roundabout for the 2<sup>nd</sup> loop
and turn towards Cabo San Lucas. Pass the special needs and pick up the rest of
my nutrition and a small Coke that really hits the spot at that point. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What the Mexican culture lacks in the areas like being
organized or planning ahead, it more than makes up for that by displays of an enthusiastic
attitude along with employing hordes of rules enforcement people. The Ironman
is no exception to this modus operando. On the bike course there is no drafting
at all because the officials on their scooters are out in force looking sufficiently menacing. On the other hand, things like setting up water
stations equidistant from each other are not something that the organizers would
put too much effort into. Also, the volunteers working the stations are out in
huge numbers and are going bananas for every rider passing through but the
timing mats are way too few and missing on one of the 2 major climbs.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The ride back to Cabo San Lucas feels a lot harder now – the
heat is just unrelenting, even more cars are at a complete standstill on the
other side of the highway stinking up the air and there is a stretch of about
10 miles with no aid stations. I now make sure to stop at every station and
either exchange the water bottles or just grab one and dump it all over my
body. I do the climb at San Lucas (the 3<sup>rd</sup> big one) and head down
hurting a bit. The course is now pretty desolate with a rider seen maybe every minute
or so. My second salt stick dispenser
jams and I cannot get any salt tabs out of it. I am very glad I grabbed a spare
baggie of Salt Stick tabs out of my special needs. The rollers are getting
harder and harder even though they did not get any taller or steeper compared
to the 1<sup>st</sup> lap. My NP slowly drifts towards 165w but my heart rate
stays steady. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I catch myself starting to drift off a bit and now only
concentrate on eating every 20 minutes and steadily riding the hills without
spiking power. We get closer to San Jose and (it is roughly mile 91) I notice
that my NP is now 192 and climbing and my TSS is nearing 287 with less than 20
miles to go. How did that happen? Then I notice that my 10 sec average power
alternates between a cool zero even going up a hill and 800+. The P1 pedals are
drifting and I am pretty sure that it is from the heat from the pavement that got
to them. I can stop and try to recalibrate
but with only 1 major climb to go I decide to ride by my heart rate which is
still steady. The last or the 4th climb to the airport road is just frustrating
but I power through it and drop a couple more people in the process. I still
have no idea where I stand scoreboard wise but it feels like I might be in the
top 20% of the field right now. The poor soul manning the turnaround suggests
that are 3 laps to do but I know better and just bomb down the WalMart street to
the T2. Its pavement is so rough that I am afraid to reach down and unbuckle my
shoes before the t2 bike catchers do their thing. My ride takes 6:02 to
complete.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I grab my run gear bag and head into the changing tent. I sit
down to only realize that I am completely baked. It is a weird feeling – and I have to talk
myself into going out of the tent. Running 26 miles just seems wrong at the
moment, but I am that stupid sometimes. The first 2 miles along the hotel
corridor are in same searing, tiring heat. It is literally punishing to the
point that having a bucket full of water dumped over me only keeps me damp for
2-3 minutes. The upside to this is that worrying about having wet feet in this
situation proves to be completely unfounded. I stop at every other station and
drink a cup of Pepsi. Eventually I get jacked enough to find some running rhythm.
It carries me through the first of 3 loops. I even start to notice things
around me – like the totally enthusiastic kids manning the stations, and the
strange practice of having race officials writing down bib numbers at
turnarounds located literally a few yards after intermediate split timing mats.
The heat is starting to subside and I run with a lot more ease. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I now notice how utterly boring the run course really is. It
weaves around the hotel corridor and the marina and the city gardens replete
with the cows, butterflies and barely covered ditches and then suddenly drops
you into some backstreet behind the city hall only to make do a U-turn and make
you back to the city hall passing the finish line within maybe 100 yards. I
complete the second loop and it is now getting dark (the time just got rolled
back 1 hour in the morning so what used to be 7pm is now 6pm). I push through the hotel corridor one more
time and it is hard to ignore the fact that for every runner there are now 10-12
people walking or weaving. Not good. The run over the bridge to the marina is
in total darkness and I try to not get hit by some kid on the bike or an
official riding a scooter. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Yet all good things must come to an end and I finally cross
the marina bridge for the last time and come back to the city hall. The Ironman
does this funny thing to me where it takes things that I normally love to do (Cycling!
Running!) and subtly pushes them to the point where they are just not fun
anymore, forcing me into this sort of mental game where I have to maintain
focus or else things start to go bad. I cross the finish line at 3:59 looking
dazed enough to have some helpful volunteer escort me all the way to the feeding
station which serves pizza by slice, cookies and ramen noodles (!!!) along with
water and Gatorade. Then it is time for a good massage from 2 very enthusiastic
students of the local massage school and to head back to the T2 which is about 3
blocks away from the finish line. The entrance is of course right at the
furthest end of the T2, but I am totally stoked to find my bike and bags intact
and grab one last Clif bar for the night. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But would this really be a race in Mexico without more fun
and games? As soon as I find my bike a gentleman comes up to me and starts
asking for my helmet. I explain to him that I am not planning to ride my bike
but he insists and it does not look like my Spanish is working. I finally pull
the helmet out of my T2 bag, he checks the number on it and leaves me alone. I get dressed and head out, and
one of the dozen or so kids manning the exit takes my timing chip. I ask them where I can find a taxi and one of
them tells that they are queuing up a block away on a fairly shabby looking
street. This turns out to be totally true and I immediately secure a taxi van.
As I am loading my bike and my bags into the van, one of the T2 kids runs up to
me yelling “Chip! Chip!”. I tell him that it was just collected it and I don’t
have it but he does not believe me and inquires if my heart rate
monitor band, my 910xt and finally my cadence meter are all “Chip!”. I kind of
get ready to fight him but the taxi driver gets in the middle and probably
tells the chip collector to get away from his fare. $25 later I get back to my
room… and then I realize that it is all over along with my 2016 season. I go downstairs, order a cheeseburger and
nachos along with 3 Heinekens and get back to my room to sleep a very brief
sleep of death. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<a name='more'></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Monday</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I wake up at 3am still jacked on the Pepsis I drank on the
course and check on my results. 6<sup>th</sup> out of 34 finishers in M40-44
(11 DNFs and 2 DQs for missing the airport hill) with the final time of 11:33. Time
to head back home. I prep my bike for the TriBike Transport, drop it off, grab
a few things from the Ironman store for the family and head to the airport. Bye
Cabo – it was certainly an experience!<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07763663301354214102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-290673598016688481.post-73942445387816215592015-11-16T17:05:00.000-08:002017-11-11T17:06:22.915-08:00Ironman Arizona 2015 recap<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Arrived in Phoenix Thursday night. Last race of the season, and it's been a fairly long season for me. My goal was to get as close to 10:30 as I can, and then re-evaluate. Also to have fun and enjoy the Arizona fall. Bib # 2487.<br />
<br />
The forecast has called a rain to start after 6pm, so I figured that I'd be done well before that... how foolish of me. Did not pack anything warm at all.<br />
<br />
Swim - was shooting for a 1:10 time. However I did not realize how packed would the starting queue be - by the time I got in line, best I could do was get to the dude holding the 1:15 sign. LOL. The steps were kinda funky, but I got in and started swimming. Lots of mutual pummeling, etc. After about 3 markers, I finally swam through the masses and had plenty of space. Some more traffic at the turnaround, but not too bad. Slowed down a bit for the last 0.5 miles - realized that my neck is getting horribly chafed as my wetsuit's collar somehow got twisted, probably during the starting fight for space. Got out, I guess that the timer was placed at the top of the steps - my Garmin showed 1:14, official time was 1:15:14.<br />
<br />
T1 - got the wetsuit off, ran to the bike bags, found mine quick. Hands were cold - and given my lesson from 2 years ago, I wanted socks. Took a minute to get the strap to click and the socks to line up on my numb feet. Off to the bike course in 5:40.<br />
<br />
Bike - oh boy. I knew that it'd take me 3-4 miles to start generating power. Was shooting for 183 NP... man was I in for a disappointment. Going out on the first loop I was at 175, by the time I was back in Tempe I was at 161. Somehow I just could not get warm at all, was peeing on the bike every hour. The winds on the way out of town were pretty mild, but I was just sucking. Nutrition wise I was doing great, taking on 100 kcals every 20, and an extra GU packet on the hour mark. I was barely sweating, and was mostly drinking water with a salt tab once in a while. The rain started after 11, and it was on and off for the rest of the ride. By the time I was finishing the visibility was nearly zero and I was shivering nonstop. Did a flying dismount and almost face planted - the carpet at the finish line was soaked. 5:35:08 - boo.<br />
<br />
T2 - it was so warm inside the tent! Decided to stay inside for an extra minute and stretch in hopes of warming up. The rain was coming down extra HARD outside but it was time to poop or get off the pot. I got up. 3:35<br />
<br />
Run - After the first mile I was so cold that I almost called it quits. Then paired up with a 50-54 dude who was cranking it out, and he pulled through the next 3 miles. The rain water turned the dirt path along the lake into an obstacle course, which made it fun. After 5 miles I was finally warm, feeling my toes, and decided to shoot for a 3:40-ish run. It was definitely on until the 19 mile mark, when I have realized that I was shivering again. Started walking the water stations until the mile 24. After that, brought it home without any more misadventures. 3:44:16.<br />
<br />
Overall - 10:43:53. Went out with the family afterwards, and had a burger and some salad and a couple of beers, got home to watch the 'hawks crapping their collective bed... and fell asleep on the coach... and woke up in the middle of the night HUNGRY. Typing this up before I forget stuff.<br />
<br />
Conclusion - a very middling outing. I got work to do, with the bike re-fit and probably some sort of coaching. I should also get better prepped for colder events - which is hard to do in SoCal, but now that I got burned twice (here and in NYC 2014)... </div>
Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07763663301354214102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-290673598016688481.post-8453787710420952022015-08-25T17:10:00.000-07:002017-11-11T17:11:12.069-08:00Hansen Dam Olympic 2015 recap<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Location - Hansen Dam Park near Pacoima, the Valley region of Los Angeles. My first tri of the 2015 season.<br />
<br />
The weather is always a crapshoot here, and of course we got a mini-heat wave this weekend. The swim is in an urban lake, called Recreational lake, and the day prior to the race the temps were easily in the 90s. Oh well. Brought the sleeveless with me just in case, set up my transition, got body marked, had a banana and a Gatorade. The air was easily in the upper 70s, and when I went for a pre-swim - the water was easily 85.<br />
<br />
Swim. The course was 3 laps around the lake, and about 1/3 of the loop you had some blazing sun in your face. I was in the second wave, which got going at around 6:48am. The course was merging with the incoming waves during the start of each loop, and of course I would run into the incoming swimmers EVERY time. The course was pretty loosely measured, and I swam at least 1700 yards. Out in 32:53. Meh, hate swimming in a muck.<br />
<br />
T1. Nothing too eventful except that someone managed to rack their bike next to mine facing the same direction so that their bullhorns were tangled with my front brake cable. Took about 30 seconds to unscrew this, without dropping the other bike. 2:14<br />
<br />
Bike. The course was 2 loops, claiming to be 22 miles. You climb on some rollers and false flats for about 5 miles, and then bomb down. I ended up with about 19.7 miles total distance on my bike. Anyhow, I was shooting for about 200w per loop. At the end of the first loop hit some nasty crack in the pavement, and heard a pop coming from the wheel. Slowed down a bit, the front wheel seemed to be intact. However, going up the second loop felt really hard for some reason. I was starting to get passed by chicks, people riding road bikes... more road bikes on the way down... wtf... avg power up to 214w. Dismounted in T2 and immediately saw that a spoke was broken. FML. Had to carry the bike in. 54:13.<br />
<br />
T2. In and out quick. Was getting pretty hot, so poured about 1/2 bottle of water on the head and chest. 1:12.<br />
<br />
Run. About 70% trails, . I knew that I was not going to be able to medal, so decided to just treat it as a tempo run for a marathon. It was a bit hilly, so 7:15 min/mile was about the right pace. The organizers did set up at least 8 or 9 drinking stations, so hydration was not an issue. The last 1/2 mile were a bit of work since we basically went down a dirt ditch and then up the said ditch. Was over before I knew it. 46:46, 2:17:19 total, 4th in my division, 17th overall.<br />
<br />
Got a bagel, bananas and water and went home to cry to momma. The wheel turned out to be ok, just had the spoke replaced the next day. Silverman is next, and then IMAZ. </div>
Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07763663301354214102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-290673598016688481.post-80879553004376429782015-05-12T16:39:00.001-07:002017-11-11T15:47:31.050-08:00OC Marathon 2015 recap <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It's been 8 days since, so I'd better write up a recap. Memory is not my forte anyhow, so here it is.<br />
<br />
I started to taper one week prior to the race week. Ran about 10 miles less than prescribed, and did not do strength work or tempo. Just eas-ish running instead. The right ankle was getting pretty stiff and sore, and I really felt that resting it up would be a good idea. The week of the race I did not run at all Wednesday through Friday and just rested and iced the ankle. Unfortunately by Friday I started develop a little bit of nasal congestion. Really, really hoped that it does not develop any further. Loaded up on Vitamin C and liquids.<br />
<br />
The day before traveled to Newport Beach and checked into a hotel. There was some stupidness going on with the shuttle passes, but thanks to my friend Joanne we got the coveted wrist bands even though it cost an extra $10. Had a chicken sandwich with mashed pot at TGI Friday (it sucked and was drenched in Tabasco, ugh!). Laid out my gear for tomorrow and went to bed at 9:30 and kinda sorta slept til 3am.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Nj8NPR1KJMM/VVKO-RsUEsI/AAAAAAAA6a8/NT9yc-EgYRQ/s1600/IMAG0995.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Nj8NPR1KJMM/VVKO-RsUEsI/AAAAAAAA6a8/NT9yc-EgYRQ/s320/IMAG0995.jpg" width="181" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Woke up and had PB&J sandwich and a banana with coffee. The weird head cold thing was still there but it was sort of in the background. Wanted to see if I can cram an extra Clif bar and some Shot Bloks but was way too full. Got on the bus at 4:30, got dropped off at the race start. Had a bottle of Gatorade, hit the porta potty a couple of times, forced myself to have a gel at about 5:25am. The race got going at 5:41am. It was almost bright enough. The temps were in the high 50s. Perfect!<br />
<br />
The first few miles were rollers through the town, and I kept pace pretty controlled. Then we got to Corona del Mar and the pace quickened a bit. I was at 7:10 and saw a few 7:08s. I knew that this was not going to be prudent, and really tried to keep the pace in check. We hit the first (and really the only) sizable hill on Dover Dr heading towards Castaways park. The pace was around 7:11 and it stayed that way til the half marathon split point.<br />
<br />
I had to make an assessment there. My plan was to honestly ask myself if I was feeling strong - this was the logical place to bail if something was not firing right. I had another marathon scheduled 3 weeks out - and it'd been smart to avoid running the full 26.2in OC, to save the energy and fight another day. But I felt like a million bucks at that point. The ankle was a tiny bit achy but otherwise all was good. And so I popped a gel and it was on!<br />
<br />
The course was pancake flat til mile 20. We ran past the Segestrom Pavillion, through the mall and through some fairly non-descript 'hoods. Had another gel - but I felt no signs of energy depletion. The pace was around 7:13 at mile 20, but I started to feel the miles a bit. I took one last gel and pitched the remaining 2 to reduce the weight. At around mile 22 after we got off the river bike path there was pretty small but sharp hill and it felt like I was running up the Trash Truck Hill in Griffiths Park. I also found that if I sharply turn my head, I get dizzy. Ugh again. I think that the temps were rising and my body started to lose electrolytes faster than I was able to replenish them.<br />
<br />
So the pace was at about 7:15. Started popping salt tabs but still from mile 24.5 I was cramping a bit here and there. But I still was on track, just had to keep thinking good thoughts. At mile 25 or so some dude gave me mini bottle of ice cold water and yelled at me to pick it up as I was almost there. Right he was. Pushed harder but had to mind the crampy state of affairs at that point.<br />
<br />
Got to the fairgrounds, it was kinda desolate there, but eventually reached the merger point with the half marathoners. Was very happy to hit the finish line and see the clock at 3:12. The official finish time was 3:12:43. I've done it! The full Strava thing can be found <a href="https://app.strava.com/activities/297620795/overview" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07763663301354214102noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-290673598016688481.post-37197249232222384662015-02-02T16:48:00.004-08:002017-11-11T15:47:56.284-08:00Surf City Half marathon 2015 recap<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Ran the Surf City half marathon yesterday. 2 other buddies came along, so we all carpooled. Took about an hour, and parking was relatively painless despite the horrors that I have read about in the reviews. We got there at 6:20 and it took no time to find parking in a structure ($12 though).<br />
<br />
The pre-race went as expected. Line up at a portapotty, do the deed, mill around, hit the portapotty again, off to the starting line. This time I took a bit longer than usual and had to push through a densely packed crowd to get to the starting line.<br />
<br />
So the plan was to run the first 7 miles or so at a 6:45 pace, and then slow it down for the last 6 miles, to end up with the average of about 7:15. The first 5 miles went great, but by the end of mile 5 I felt like I was developing major blisters on the balls of my feet. Both of them. I was running in my Saucony Guide shoes with about 230 miles on them, and I have been doing all of my speedwork in them... no real issues in training, logged 12 miles in them just last week... perplexing. By mile 6 I had to make a decision to slow down to get to the nearest aid station and get some Vaseline. Found it at the mile 8 or so. From there I ran the rest of the course very leisurely, stopped at a portapotty, since a bunch of time was wasted anyways.<br />
<br />
Finished with the feet absolutely searing. Finish time was pretty irrelevant by that point (1:58). Had a couple of beers in the garden, waited for my friends to finish... enjoyed the sun and the chatter around me. Will need a few days to let the feet heal and maybe find another half to do in mid February to test the fitness. This said, week 5 is over just like that!</div>
Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07763663301354214102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-290673598016688481.post-78487236942287089492013-11-18T16:29:00.000-08:002017-11-11T16:29:30.164-08:00Ironman Arizona 2013 recap<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Woke up at 4, had 1 more serving of rice, a PB&J sandwich, a cup of mild coffee and a banana. Got to the park at 5:15am and ate a Clif Bar. Dropped of my SN bags and changed. Listened to death metal and was getting pumped. The pros went off at 6:45am and I lined up for the entrance. Before the start had a GU and 4-5 oz of water. Jogged/jumped up and down for about 4-5 minutes. Got into the water, it felt about 64-65 degrees.<br />
<br />
Lined up in the middle about 4-5 rows down. With about 2 mins to go, a woman next to me starts having a panic attack. She is bobbing up and down and trying to swim on her back. I grab her and some dude holds her other arm and we call a kayaker. He finally hears us and starts making his way to us. The woman is getting wigged out and I am trying to tell her that she is not done for the day. It is chaotic as the kayaker is trying to pull her up and people are swimming all around us. Finally she is secured and the gun goes off a few 5 seconds later. By now, I am probably 15 rows down and it is a wild stampede. I go through about 5 mins of fighting for space. Finally, I get some open water and swim without too much contact until the turnaround. The turnaround is a mess again, with people trying to cut it as close to the markers as possible. Once we turn around, I take my straight shot back to the museum building that I sighted before. Again, tons of open water as people are wondering off in all directions. I am starting to feel like I am getting a little too worked and I slow the pace down a bit. Before I know it, we come to the last turnaround and a bit of fighting ensues again. I swim up to the steps and get pulled in. The clock reads 1:19.<br />
<br />
T1 - pull my wetsuit off right away and run having to dodge people being stripped by the volunteers. Run into the bag holding area and find my stuff quickly. Hands are a bit cold so it takes time to take my gear out of the bag and put my top on and shove food into the back pockets and then pack the wetsuit. I run towards the exit and grab my bike from the volunteer. Shove a Clif bar into my mouth before jumping on and wash it down with Diet Coke to hopefully kill off any fauna I might have swallowed in the water. The clock reads 1:30. 10 mins down the drain. I guess that I need to figure out how to do a better T1 in the IM format.<br />
<br />
The goal was about 150 NP, and at least 500 calories intake from non-fluids. I get on the bike and I am shivering. Freezing almost. Takes me a good 15 mins to defrost. Of course, I barely put out any power in this condition. We get to Beeline and the wind is in our face. Ride to the top pretty slowly, and then get to bomb down back to McDowell. Awesome! Not a ton of drafting. The second loop feels much easier for some reason – that’s because the wind had shifted. Ride to the top is now super fast. The stomach starts to get a little tight, and the sun is in my back heating up my saddle and my rear. I eat my GU packets and my Clif Bloks 3 cubes at time but I am not a happy camper digestion wise. The ride down is painfully slow as it is again against the wind. I have to stop at the special needs area and grab 2 banana halves and refill my aero bottle. 2 mins go by and the cramps are gone. Back to Rio Salado and off to the 3rd loop. I try to drink as much as possible (I am using G2 grape flavor with about 20% water added on top) and I have to stop again to fill up the aero bottle and grab 2 more banana halves. Take away - need to work on my tempo rides. I can get faster, I know it. Bike time was 5:47:39.<br />
<br />
Got to T2. I hand over my bike, get my run gear bag and try to change on the grass. I get accosted by a volunteer and get told to go to the tent and change. Whaaaat? It is hot and musty in the tent and quite dark too. Find a seat and put on my shoes and hat and my running belt with the number on it. Turn on my Garmin, and pack the bike helmet and some leftover food stuff into the bag. I keep 2 GU packets and a packet of salt tabs. I am out of the tent and the time reads 7:25. Another 5 mins spent.<br />
<br />
It is mid-day and then sun is still quite warm, probably in the mid 70s. I start my run and the whole herd of us is moving towards the east end of the park. It is confusing since I have no idea whether someone is running their second loop or not. My heart rate monitor starts glitching again, and is showing a 190 bpm HR. I know that I am not quite having a heart attack, and in fact my breathing is smooth. I get angry and pitch the heart strap at the next trash can. Feeling liberated. Some rollers in the first mile. I come to the first drink station and get some water. Take it in and the stomach is unhappy again. The pace is still good – about 7:55 min/mile. At the next aid station I take some cola and a wet sponge. It feels much better. We turn around and are now running back to the Priest bridge. I alternate between Cola and bananas, followed by tiny sips of water, between drink stations. The stomach is not super happy about it, but I feel like I will fight through this. Cross over to the other of the lake and run a little slower but still within the 8:10 min/mile pace. The voices inside my head are beginning to talk about how cool it’d be to go sub 11. The next 6 miles are a blur… I get back to the T1 area and feel like going number one. I am tired of peeing myself and jump into a porta potty. The pee looks dark. Crap! I take a salt tab and it makes my stomach churn. I switch to almost 100% cola for the next 4 miles. Eventually I make it back to the T1 area and I am feeling pretty spry now for whatever reason. I notice a 7:55 min/mile pace at one point. Cross the Priest bridge and am now seeing the sub 11 mile goal fading. Garmin is projecting a 3:39 finish time for the run… and my heart just goes. I try to pick up the pace but it makes my quads cramp. I make it back to the turnaround under the freeway, grab water at the next station and a banana… water makes me throw up. Gross. I have to slow down to keep going. My mind starts to wander a little and the next 2 miles are a blur again until I make it the hill on Curry road. I know I need to walk that hill or else I may be forced to walk the last 3 miles altogether. I also walk the last incline to the Priest bridge and I am elated to know that I only have 1.5 miles to go. I forgo taking fluids or food at this point and just concentrate on moving forward as fast as I can. I come to the split between the loops and I can hear the noise from the finish line. Going about 7:20 min/mile at that point, not even sure why. I come to the finish line and am overwhelmed by the crowd. Crossing the line, it reads 11:10:05. A 3:46 run, nothing to write home about under the normal circumstances.<br />
<br />
I get seated by the volunteer and drink my chocolate milk, and grab some chips and pizza and water. I am almost delirious. My kids find me and call me. I am now realizing that I am done. Suddenly I feel much better. I find my clothes, change, grab the bike and my gear bags and we head out. Wife parked about a mile from the finish line, and is joking that I can always ride my bike back. I seem to be walking ok though. We get back to the rental, I shower and we all go to Grimaldi’s in downtown Scottsdale for pizza and beers. I am feeling great. We get home and I black out into the darkest sleep where no dreams dwell.<br />
All in all... this being my first IM, I think that I could have done better transitions and probably more tempo bike rides.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07763663301354214102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-290673598016688481.post-37111658569584720122013-09-09T16:10:00.000-07:002017-11-11T16:17:02.707-08:00Nautica Malibu Classic Distance 2013 recap<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Got up at 3:30am, had a PB&J sandwich with some banana and a little bit of coffee. Had half a bottle of Gatorade on the way to the race, and 1/2 of Clif Bar. For the warmup, swam in the ocean while Bret Michaels was desecrating his old hit song. Got used to the water and then got out and ran for 90 seconds. Chatted with some fellow racers, and had a GU packet about 15 mins before going in.<br />
<br />
Noticed that the current seems to be sweeping people south, so I lined up on the right, and swam northeast. Hit the buoy almost head on and rounded it smoothly. There was no congestion at all, and I seemed to be falling into a good rhythm. The breathing and puling felt just right. Before I knew it, it was time to swim back. Caught a few waves and made it to the shore very quickly. Swim time 13:54.<br />
<br />
Had a decent T1, somewhat delayed by one of my fellow racers almost dropping my bike. Bike leg was a bit of a mixed bag. I had a really hard time navigating my way around slower age groupers from the previous waves. There was literally no room to move in the parking lot exit, and most downhills had people descending in packs of 2-3 wide. The congestion got a little lighter once I got out of Leo Carillo's parking lot. Still a slowish ride by my standards. I could have taken chances on the downhills and the parking lot. But I have decided not too... the risk of crashing and jeopardizing my IM training was not something that I liked too much. Bike time was 51:53.<br />
<br />
Clipped out of the cycling shoes right near the dismount point in T2. Ran in dodging some late swimmers (wtf?). The helmet somehow had a buckle stuck... lost another 10-15 seconds.<br />
<br />
Had a good run. Again, the course was narrow and crowded, so it was hard to navigate. Ran an extra 0.1 miles just trying to find space to pass people on.Had a GU at around mile 1, and then just maintained my 5K pace. Tried the H3O drink that Herbalife provided, and it was as expected - gross and chemical tasting. Enjoyed the awesome ocean side running. A beautiful day all in all. Run time in 26:05. I might have been able to speed up a bit, but who knows. No need to second guess myself. Overall time was 1:36:24.<br />
<br />
Met the family, walked around, had some junk food.<br />
<br />
I have to say that the bike course needs to be somehow re-thought. A few things make it very unpleasant and somewhat dangerous in my opinion.<br />
<br />
1. Let's face it, this event draws a lot of people who are not comfortable on the bike. They tend to compensate by riding in groups and blocking the narrow space available to pass them. I saw 1 official who might have assessed some penalties to the blockers right in front of me, but none were announced.<br />
<br />
2. Letting the mountain bike division start the swim with some of the 40-44 males pretty much insures that some of us will have a tough time navigating the bumps in the parking lot with some rather unwieldy and slow bikes around. Couple this with a decent number of bad riders from other waves and you have a dangerous situation on some rough pavement. I easily lost about a minute today trying to make my way through the narrow spaces between the bumps and the curb.<br />
<br />
3. The Trancas intersection on the way back - pedestrians were allowed to cross practically in the midst of cyclists descending at 35mph+. It is was a close call this year and the same thing happened to me 3 years ago.<br />
<br />
4. Cars on the PCH were flipping u-turns right through the cones numerous times. I cannot tell you how dangerous this was. The cops either did not see it or chose to do nothing about this.<br />
<br />
My immediate suggestion would be to move the start of the ride to the south end of the beach and avoid the unpleasantness of the parking lot racing. I also think that this would allow for much wider space for runners as they can go up Wetsward beach road which runs about 2 miles out. I also really wish that the organizers could simply close the PCH for a stretch of 9 miles to somehow alleviate the congestion in the bike lanes.</div>
Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07763663301354214102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-290673598016688481.post-32739157880199276052013-05-05T15:57:00.000-07:002017-11-11T18:40:17.004-08:00Wildflower 70.3 2013 recap<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Got up at 4:45am, had my PB&J sandwich and coffee. Drove to the lake, and was racked and ready by 7am. Spent an hour reading the newspaper and watching the fellow racers. After the 3rd wave went off, stretched and jogged around. Then enjoyed the next 10 minutes of piece and quiet in the sun.<br />
<br />
Only had about 6 weeks to get back into swimming, so I have decided not to exert myself and just get through the swim saving the energy for the run. I waited for about 30 seconds to get into the water and did not fight for space. Still got kicked around quite a bit but the crowd cleared pretty quickly. The rest of the swim just cruised. If I had more time to train, I shoot for a sub 40 min time, but this time the goal was to save energy for the bike and the run. Swim time - 43:50.<br />
<br />
Given that the temps were getting into the low 90s, I have decided to actually wear a cycling jersey on a bike to get a little bit more body covered. Took a little time to put on.<br />
<br />
The bike course is a loop around the San Antonio lake. The roads on the side of Monterey county are horrible. But it is a fun course nonetheless. I had a decent amount of time to get into cycling shape. Was shooting for about 3:15, but had to dial the effort down a bit once the temps have gotten above 90 F. I knew that the run will be brutal, so I backed off on the hills and climbed them in the easiest gear possible. But something was wrong with the bike - after about 20 miles my right calf and hammie started to ache. Only after the race I realized that someone must have knocked my bike on the ground - the seat was slightly turned to the right and I am pretty sure that the rear brake was rubbing a bit. Bummer. Bike time - 3h 26m 37s<br />
<br />
This race is all about preserving energy for the run. The other things was that I chose to stop twice and actually refill my aero bottle since warm Gatorade/water was turning to HOT Gatorade/water in no time.I suspect that a lot of racers who later walked the hills on the run course chose to save 2 minutes of stoppage time but then lost good 20 minutes having clear dehydration (and maybe even GI) issues.<br />
<br />
Again, changed into my Asics running jersey that helps with cooling a bit. Boy did it pay off! Spent another 20 seconds or so re-applying sun screen.<br />
<br />
Was worried about the right calf/hammie as they were bugging me on the bike. But they were not a problem, again pointing to the seat being the root cause. So... the last year I walked a good 1/3 of the course. This year my goal was to walk no more, except for a couple of really steep parts where walking just as fast as running, and actually race the run leg. The course is made of brutal hills, rolling trails, dust, little to no shade and then the last 4 miles on the smoldering pavement! Fun course. I also made every effort to pour water on my head and torso every chance I got, and take in as much drink as possible. Still after scaling the summit at mile 5, I was hot and starting to feel slightly dizzy. But then I got into the camping grounds and the kind people along the run path hosed me down a few times. I was rejuvenated. Picked up the pace and got in and out of the pit quickly. Had a little bit of an issue with the left foot but nothing too bad. Finished strong - 1h 54m 59s. The run went exactly as planned.<br />
<br />
Was not too tired, just hot. Got my medal, collected some snacks and walked out to pick up the bike and my gear. A lack of swim training and a relative lack of time in the saddle limited my ability to perform faster - spent all winter training for the LA marathon.<br />
<br />
Overall - a great race. It's an experience. Highly recommended, despite the brutal conditions - hot, windy and no shade.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07763663301354214102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-290673598016688481.post-2265133689433561552013-03-17T20:30:00.001-07:002017-11-11T15:48:15.303-08:00LA Marathon 2013 recap<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Got up today at 4:15am. Had a cup of cooked oatmeal, a banana, a yogurt, about 6 oz of OJ and a small cup of coffee. I was shooting for about 700 calories for breakfast. Got picked up by my buddy Ankur and his roommate at 5:20am and headed to the Dodgers stadium. Mistake #1 - could have stayed home for another hour. A drop off was quick and we were there at 5:45am. Walked around, hit a portpotty twice, saw a few peepz from my team and headed to my corral.<br />
<br />
For some reason, the corral entrance reminded me of the Soviet era line at a liquor store. Everyone tries to get in, people pushing, chicks trying to squeeze in with their boyfriends even though you have to pre-register for a corral spot.... stupidity abound. Once in, it was actually nice since I found a spot by the concrete bench and put my bag of stuff down. Warmed up for a little while - mainly short slow runs, some kicks, shuffles and then 4 strides... Now the right calf started aching during the strides. Oh oh...<br />
<br />
The elite women went off at 7:10am or so (all 7 of them, LOL), and then people started pushing towards the front of the line. Now this was looking more like a Slayer concert with people angling for the spot at the stage. Poor volunteer kids were getting pushed and shoved, albeit gently. Mayor speech was short and the gun went off for the rest of the field. We were out of the gate in about a minute after the start of the run.<br />
<br />
The right calf was still sore. I had to stop for 20 seconds and massage it. Suddenly it just quieted down and I was on my way downhill. After the first mile I was already way behind my pace... I started trying to catch up. The first 3 miles were mainly downhill and I was getting close to 7:25 min/mile on average. The we started climbing the hill on Temple st and running towards Silver Lake. I was not making up lost time anymore. Not good.<br />
<br />
We got to Sunset and it was roughly about 10 km into it. The crowd thinned out and I no longer had to contend for a corner space or watch out for the elbows. Lots of people were out supporting the run and the atmosphere was plain awesome. Still I was stuck at 7:30min/mile and I saw no real way to accelerate as I knew that the Hollywood area is going to be full of short, sharp rollers. Eventually I worked my way down to 7:28min/mile at around mile 12. I actually was getting hungry despite having eaten a GU gel at mile 7. Started grabbing orange slices that were abundant throughout the course, and a banana slice here and there. Saw some kid giving away potato chips and grabbed a bunch - thanks kid, you were an awesome help!<br />
<br />
Had another GU, as we blasted down Doheny. Again lots and lots of supporters... a very encouraging setting. I was checking for the signs of fatigue as were getting past mile 15 and saw little... quads were tightening a little from the hill running, but nothing too dramatic. The average pace was at around 7:29 min/mile. Then came the stretch on Burton. Pure sufferfest for some reason. A non-ending false flat, with a nasty wind in my face. Got to turn around on Wilshire and run a short while til the intersection of Santa Monica. This is where I started to feel the legs talking to me. I knew that I had some appreciable rollers ahead of me as we would cross Westwood and I was getting worried.<br />
<br />
Took another GU and tried to keep the pace from dropping past 8 min/mile. Not terribly successful... was hoping to find someone to draft off since the had wind really picked up and could not find anyone willing to go at my clip... Eventually got to the VA site and at that point I knew that I'd be about 5 mins behind my goal time. There was no way I would be to run a 42 minute 10k from that point. I was so bummed by this realization.<br />
<br />
Ran down San Vincente without too much enthusiasm. It was getting really freaking cold too! 54 F with wind. The crowds were very good as we hit Santa Monica. Finally saw my kids and wifey and my dad at the 14th street and it gave me a good moral boost. From there I ran pretty strong and hit the finish chute sprinting. Walked past the KTLA crew as they were interviewing some guy and apparently they caught me on TV. Yay! Finish time was 3:21:57, a PR but almost 7 minutes worse than the goal. Link <a href="http://connect.garmin.com/activity/285750602" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
<br />
The organizers for some reason intended for everyone to walk down Ocean Ave almost til the Santa Monica Pier. I was getting cold, hungry and thirsty all at the same time. Grabbed a bagel, 2 bananas, water and cliff bar and a space blanket and sneaked past the barricades. Started walking towards my dad's place on Euclid and I was getting really cold, like nearly hypothermic. Wife had to come pick me up half way into my mini deathmarch. Got to my dad's place, took a hot shower, changed into some clean clothes and had some chicken soup with a huge chicken breast. Life was good again, except for no BQ for me today.<br />
<br />
Gonna take a day or 2 off and then get into the pool.<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07763663301354214102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-290673598016688481.post-45488126046150207452013-01-06T12:39:00.004-08:002017-11-11T15:49:48.397-08:00Camarillo Half marathon 2013 recap<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Was supposed to run 14 miles today, but where's the fun in that if you can race instead! Picked up a registration for <a href="http://www.camarillomarathon.com/" target="_blank">the Camarillo 1/2 marathon</a> in October. Of course, what was a good idea back then, did not seem that hot this morning - with 43 F outside and a pouring rain. But hey - beats running in a 90 F dry heat, right?<br />
<br />
Headed out to Camarillo, and the rain really picked up once I got off the 101. I parked near the starting line and got my packet - the environment looked pretty nasty. They were running a full, a 1/2 and a 5K, with staggered starting times (7:00am/7:30am/8:00am respectively). I felt for the people running the full - the rain just stopped and the road was caked in mud.<br />
<br />
Soon after I put on my gear and left the warmth of my car. Warmed up for 5 mins or so, and did some stretches. The 1/2 had attracted a decent size crowd, probably close to 200 people or so. The gun went off and we headed out towards Las Posas, as "Highway to Hell" was blaring my my headphones. By the way, I have been running with <a href="http://yurbuds.com/" target="_blank">Ironman Series Yurbuds</a> for about 9 months now and gotta say that while the sounds gets a little distorted, they do stay in place no matter how much I sweat.<br />
<br />
In any case, I wanted to see if I can maintain a consistent 7:15 pace throughout and it felt pretty easy on this course. Miles 3 and 4 were somewhat uphill, but then it was a nice stretch of a downhill coming up. It was getting warmer, and I was considering losing my gloves. I passed a few people running a half, and for a while was running solo, with only a few runners ahead by about 1/4 mile. Lots of drink stations were setup along the way, it felt like they were there every 1/2 mile. In one case the station was set up on the other side of the road, which was strange - but the road was closed to traffic, so it was not too bad, except for additional few yards I had to cover to get there and back to the edge of the road. The road was covered with enough slippery mud to make this for a challenging few miles, especially when we headed back towards <a href="http://portal.countyofventura.org/portal/page/portal/airports" target="_blank">Camarillo airport</a>.<br />
<br />
The last 4 miles were run around the airport, and it was a little confusing, since the road was sort of open to traffic. At one point we ran across the way, and the car was coming in from behind :). In any case, I was at about 7:12 min/mile coming up to the last 2 miles. I picked up the cadence a little, and started sprinting once we hit the turnaround behind the airport. Passed a few more people, and boom - ran into a serious headwind. Thankfully, we turned off the main road and ran on some dirt path for the last 1/2 mile. I hit the finish line, the watch was showing 1:34:36, which would make it for a solid PR. Results <a href="http://connect.garmin.com/activity/258910734" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
<br />
The organizers had a small table with your typical post race food - bagels, bananas, oranges, pretzels and some <a href="http://www.powerbar.com/products/6/powerbar-recovery.aspx" target="_blank">Recovery Powerbars</a>. The Powerbars were pretty dense and chewy, and had to be washed down with 2 glasses of water. I liked them overall, but Clif bars are better IMO. In any case, hung around for a bit, talked to a few other finishers, and then headed back to the car.<br />
<br />
When I got home, my entire backside was covered with dirt and mud! Off to watch the second half of the Wild Card weekend. And look at my ferocious finishing line look:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F1JiE7PPyP0/UOpDopZLaYI/AAAAAAAAEjo/Xl_W49WrrEw/s1600/2013_Camarillo_mara-1274.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F1JiE7PPyP0/UOpDopZLaYI/AAAAAAAAEjo/Xl_W49WrrEw/s1600/2013_Camarillo_mara-1274.jpg" width="228" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
Alex S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07763663301354214102noreply@blogger.com0