Friday, October 17, 2008
Only in Alabama
Last night I was stuck on the trainer again as rain + fleeting daylight + everyone trying to get off the Arsenal at the same time = extremely unsafe riding conditions. So after getting home and setting up the pain machine, I got started around 5:30 and was flipping between PTI and World News with Charles Gibson before watching Modern Marvels from 6-6:30 then picking up the Thursday night football game on ESPN at 6:30. While getting a shot of Erin Andrews always rates near the top of any viewing experience, the highlight of this evening's television was actually a commercial. At some point there was an ad for Woody Anderson Ford where they were advertising a free shotgun with the purchase of an F-150. Thats right kids, buy a truck, get a gun. Honestly, I couldnt make this up if I tried...
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Beef Stew
With the weather turning its the perfect time for a nice warm, hearty, stew. Last week I made some chili but this week I wanted to try something new. After scouring various food recipe websites, I settled on a recipe for a beef stew from Dave Lieberman which looked particularly appetizing. Unlike the standard beef stew containing beef, carrots, potatoes, onions, and maybe some celery and/or peppers, this ingredient list still has the standard fare of beef, carrots, potatoes, and onions but also contains crushed tomatoes, red wine, green beans, and fresh rosemary. So Sunday afternoon I made the usual trip to Publix, picked up the ingredients, and got to work. The full recipe can be found here.
I realize that simply linking to the recipe is admittedly a bit lame but the instructions were well written and the soup came out really well. The flavors of the beef, tomatoes, red wine, and rosemary all work very well together to produce a savory stew. While (like any good stew) it did take a while to cook, the wait was well worth it! Additionally, the best part are the leftovers! This one pot will last at least four or five meals and most likely be just as good (if not better) each time so although there is a bit of work required up front, the ROI is substantial especially when considering how much more time is available on the weekends for food preparation compared to the weekdays. Enjoy!
I realize that simply linking to the recipe is admittedly a bit lame but the instructions were well written and the soup came out really well. The flavors of the beef, tomatoes, red wine, and rosemary all work very well together to produce a savory stew. While (like any good stew) it did take a while to cook, the wait was well worth it! Additionally, the best part are the leftovers! This one pot will last at least four or five meals and most likely be just as good (if not better) each time so although there is a bit of work required up front, the ROI is substantial especially when considering how much more time is available on the weekends for food preparation compared to the weekdays. Enjoy!
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
BRO
is the name of the game right now on the bike. For those unfamiliar with the acronym, BRO stands for Big Ring Only and comes via The Professor, Matt Calarco. Matt grew up riding in San Diego in the pre-Lance days when cranking a big gear was all the rage. As the story goes, he and his friends would have contests on long training rides to see who could get the farthest up a few long climbs in the Southern California area in their big rings. This doesn't sound like fun for your knees but when you're 16, who cares??
Anyway, what was once merely a joke has now turned into a training philosophy as Paulo is convinced my cadence is too high in races. And who am I to argue? So in order to counteract that its been lots of BRO riding in training. Now while this may be easy and even comfortable for the uber bikers out there like Bjorn, this is not particularly fun for me as its quite difficult to make my little legs crank a high torque. The bottom line though is that as long as it will make me faster on two wheels, I'm all for it!
Anyway, what was once merely a joke has now turned into a training philosophy as Paulo is convinced my cadence is too high in races. And who am I to argue? So in order to counteract that its been lots of BRO riding in training. Now while this may be easy and even comfortable for the uber bikers out there like Bjorn, this is not particularly fun for me as its quite difficult to make my little legs crank a high torque. The bottom line though is that as long as it will make me faster on two wheels, I'm all for it!
Monday, October 13, 2008
Oct6-12
S: 22,900 yds
B: 9h 10min
R: 4h 12min
Total: 19h 7min
With less than a month to go until Clearwater, its all about intensity. Of course with daylight disappearing about as fast as investment banks, its hard to rack up much bike volume during the week. Even with the shorter weekday workouts, if I have to stay late at work I'm relegated to the trainer. This happened on Tuesday AND Thursday this past week which made Thursday's workout especially mind numbing.
I almost forgot... Happy Columbus Day! I'm not sure who decided this needed to be a holiday, but I dont have to work, so I'm not complaining. Gotta love those random government holidays!
B: 9h 10min
R: 4h 12min
Total: 19h 7min
With less than a month to go until Clearwater, its all about intensity. Of course with daylight disappearing about as fast as investment banks, its hard to rack up much bike volume during the week. Even with the shorter weekday workouts, if I have to stay late at work I'm relegated to the trainer. This happened on Tuesday AND Thursday this past week which made Thursday's workout especially mind numbing.
I almost forgot... Happy Columbus Day! I'm not sure who decided this needed to be a holiday, but I dont have to work, so I'm not complaining. Gotta love those random government holidays!
Wind blows aka Another reason to train with POWER
Below is a comparison of the first half of my rides the last two weeks. I only took the first half because the route is fairly flat and doesnt have too many stoplights. So here goes...
Date: 10/5/08
Pnorm = 214 W
Pavg = 205 W
Avg Speed = 21.7 mph
Date: 10/12/08
Pnorm = 217 W
Pavg = 207 W
Avg Speed = 20.5 mph
As you can see, although the power values for both rides were about the same, the average speed on 10/5 was 1.2 mph higher. The main difference? It was really windy yesterday whereas the 5th was a relatively calm day. Of course everyone knows that a headwind or crosswind will slow you down. The problem is that it is hard to say how much. Additionally, because struggling to pedal along at 12 mph into a headwind feels so different than flying along at 30 mph with a tailwind, it is often hard to use PE to determine which is better workout.
This just another advantage to owning a power meter. Unlike speed, which is highly dependent on external environmental variables, power is only affected by how hard you are working. So whether you are going 12 or 30 mph the power meter doesnt care.
The map below encompasses most of the first part of the ride but I have to admit I dont know all the road names so I only made it as far as I know ;)
View Larger Map
Date: 10/5/08
Pnorm = 214 W
Pavg = 205 W
Avg Speed = 21.7 mph
Date: 10/12/08
Pnorm = 217 W
Pavg = 207 W
Avg Speed = 20.5 mph
As you can see, although the power values for both rides were about the same, the average speed on 10/5 was 1.2 mph higher. The main difference? It was really windy yesterday whereas the 5th was a relatively calm day. Of course everyone knows that a headwind or crosswind will slow you down. The problem is that it is hard to say how much. Additionally, because struggling to pedal along at 12 mph into a headwind feels so different than flying along at 30 mph with a tailwind, it is often hard to use PE to determine which is better workout.
This just another advantage to owning a power meter. Unlike speed, which is highly dependent on external environmental variables, power is only affected by how hard you are working. So whether you are going 12 or 30 mph the power meter doesnt care.
The map below encompasses most of the first part of the ride but I have to admit I dont know all the road names so I only made it as far as I know ;)
View Larger Map
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Pretty nice little Saturday
Yesterday started off with the Monte Sano 15k. I have been doing a long tempo run on Friday night so I really just switched it to Saturday morning this week and did my usual 50min Saturday morning run on Friday night. Heading into the race I planned on running the first half in 5:35 pace or so (the course is pretty hilly) and then picking it up the last few miles. I felt good starting out and was in 2nd for the first few miles and everything was going according to plan. However, going up a couple of the steeper hills I started having some lets just say... internal plumbing issues... and was worried about changing pace too much. The legs felt fine though so I just kept the same pace for the rest of the race and upon finishing continued straight through the chute and into the little boy's room.
After clearing things out, I felt much better but was dissappointed about not being able to accelerate at the end of the race. Still though, the legs werent really sore and I ended up getting in 18 miles on the day with 9.3 @ 5:37 pace, so all in all it was a pretty good workout. Even better, it only costed me $15 to sign up and I got a long sleeve tech shirt and a free pair of shoes as an award. Not a bad deal! Plus, even with the digestional issues, it was a lot more fun (and a more quality workout) doing the race as opposed to the long run by myself.
From there I headed home to clean up, watch some football, and track the IM. Texas-Oklahoma put on a good show as well as South Carolina-Kentucky.
At the end of the early games it was time for a bike ride. Because I didnt get to open it up as much as I wouldve like to at the race, the ride ended up being better than expected.
With that out of the way it was time for the highlight of the day: Florida-LSU watching with the Spring City Gator Club. The gathering was at a member's house this week and due to the matchup with LSU, the club bought some gumbo and asked everyone to bring something to share. I made some cornbread and was stoked for the game.
In case you missed it, the game was total domination for the Gators as they "hung half a hundred" on LSU. It was the first time since 1996 that LSU had given up 50+. Anyone want to guess who that came against? Thats right, the Gators, under some guy named Steve Spurrier.
But back to the game. It really was a great performance by the Gators. The offensive line opened up some nice holes for freshman running backs Jeff Demps and Chris Rainey helping Florida amass 265 yards on the ground. Additionally, the defensive front stepped up big holding LSU to only 80 yards rushing. This is dispite the fact that LSU's leading rusher, Charles Scott, had rushed for over 100 yards in every game this year. And finally, Tim Tebow was Tim Tebow. I can only hope they'll (yes they, NOT we) play this well the rest of the year. If so, it should be a great season!
After clearing things out, I felt much better but was dissappointed about not being able to accelerate at the end of the race. Still though, the legs werent really sore and I ended up getting in 18 miles on the day with 9.3 @ 5:37 pace, so all in all it was a pretty good workout. Even better, it only costed me $15 to sign up and I got a long sleeve tech shirt and a free pair of shoes as an award. Not a bad deal! Plus, even with the digestional issues, it was a lot more fun (and a more quality workout) doing the race as opposed to the long run by myself.
From there I headed home to clean up, watch some football, and track the IM. Texas-Oklahoma put on a good show as well as South Carolina-Kentucky.
At the end of the early games it was time for a bike ride. Because I didnt get to open it up as much as I wouldve like to at the race, the ride ended up being better than expected.
With that out of the way it was time for the highlight of the day: Florida-LSU watching with the Spring City Gator Club. The gathering was at a member's house this week and due to the matchup with LSU, the club bought some gumbo and asked everyone to bring something to share. I made some cornbread and was stoked for the game.
In case you missed it, the game was total domination for the Gators as they "hung half a hundred" on LSU. It was the first time since 1996 that LSU had given up 50+. Anyone want to guess who that came against? Thats right, the Gators, under some guy named Steve Spurrier.
But back to the game. It really was a great performance by the Gators. The offensive line opened up some nice holes for freshman running backs Jeff Demps and Chris Rainey helping Florida amass 265 yards on the ground. Additionally, the defensive front stepped up big holding LSU to only 80 yards rushing. This is dispite the fact that LSU's leading rusher, Charles Scott, had rushed for over 100 yards in every game this year. And finally, Tim Tebow was Tim Tebow. I can only hope they'll (yes they, NOT we) play this well the rest of the year. If so, it should be a great season!
Friday, October 10, 2008
Branded :0
As if I didnt hate the trainer enough already, it gave me even more of a reason to despise it. Or maybe it was just getting back at me for all the evil things I've said to it, who knows. Anyway, this little incident offers the perfect opportunity to highlight trainer safety. After spending 1.5h suffering, be very careful when putting your bike and trainer away!When winter finally rolls around I'll likely just leave the bike on the trainer permanently as the chances of riding outside during the week will be nonexistent. However, because I plan to ride the orange speed machine outside tomorrow and Sunday, I went ahead and took it off the trainer last night after the workout. Wanting to keep the apartment semi-straitened, I decided it would be a good idea to move the trainer out of the middle of the room. However, I did this right after finishing my workout and apparently wasnt paying much attention because I allowed the cooling unit to hit the back of my leg. Because I had just completed my session, the unit was still quite hot and I got a nice little burn on the back of my leg. As if the initial pain wasnt bad enough, the shower last night and dip in the pool this morning have offered repeated reminders of its presence.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Rain, rain, go away!
or at least come again later in the day. Actually, there no reason the rain needs to go away... just the lightning that accompanies it.
Shortly after dragging myself out of bed this morning at 4:30 I noticed it was raining. It wasnt a torrential downpour but it was coming down fairly steadily. I didnt think too much of it except how nice it would be to have a legitimate excuse to just go back to bed and skip the trip to the pool. However because a little rain is certainly not the requisite excuse, I proceeded on my standard pre-swimming procedure of starting the coffee maker before getting dressed. However, once the coffee was ready I had to pause a bit to ponder how wonderful going back to bed would be. That lasted all of about 13 seconds and soon enough I was savoring the coffee while constructing my lunch.
Up to the pool and even during my 5 minute drive there were huge discrepancies in the rate at which precipitation was falling from the sky. I arrived at the pool, got changed, and stoop out on the deck for a few minutes, procrasitinating about starting the workout. I eventually jumped in and went through my usual 800 yd warm up. Shortly after starting the main set, however, the plug was pulled on the early morning fun. There was lightning in the area and we had to get out. Dumpster. At this point I had had coffee and warmed up, so going back to sleep really wasnt an option. However, I also didnt really do a workout so needless to say, sleeping in would have been a much better decision but such is life.
Shortly after dragging myself out of bed this morning at 4:30 I noticed it was raining. It wasnt a torrential downpour but it was coming down fairly steadily. I didnt think too much of it except how nice it would be to have a legitimate excuse to just go back to bed and skip the trip to the pool. However because a little rain is certainly not the requisite excuse, I proceeded on my standard pre-swimming procedure of starting the coffee maker before getting dressed. However, once the coffee was ready I had to pause a bit to ponder how wonderful going back to bed would be. That lasted all of about 13 seconds and soon enough I was savoring the coffee while constructing my lunch.
Up to the pool and even during my 5 minute drive there were huge discrepancies in the rate at which precipitation was falling from the sky. I arrived at the pool, got changed, and stoop out on the deck for a few minutes, procrasitinating about starting the workout. I eventually jumped in and went through my usual 800 yd warm up. Shortly after starting the main set, however, the plug was pulled on the early morning fun. There was lightning in the area and we had to get out. Dumpster. At this point I had had coffee and warmed up, so going back to sleep really wasnt an option. However, I also didnt really do a workout so needless to say, sleeping in would have been a much better decision but such is life.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Sep29-Oct5
S: 23,800 yds
B: 7h 42min
R: 4h 11min
Total: 17h 50min
Last weekend was the SC Half so the first few days of this week were relatively light training. However, by Thursday I was back to regularly scheduled programming. I've been feeling great in the pool and got in a few really high quality swims to end the week along with a very solid long ride on Sunday.
As for this week I have a 15k to look forward to on Saturday. It takes place up on top of Monte Sano Mountain so it should be nice and cool for the 8AM start. Other than that it'll be business as usual as I'll just be focusing on GTWD before Clearwater.
B: 7h 42min
R: 4h 11min
Total: 17h 50min
Last weekend was the SC Half so the first few days of this week were relatively light training. However, by Thursday I was back to regularly scheduled programming. I've been feeling great in the pool and got in a few really high quality swims to end the week along with a very solid long ride on Sunday.
As for this week I have a 15k to look forward to on Saturday. It takes place up on top of Monte Sano Mountain so it should be nice and cool for the 8AM start. Other than that it'll be business as usual as I'll just be focusing on GTWD before Clearwater.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Sunday Ride Summary
I had a pretty decent long ride today so I thought I'd post the stats. The workout was a pretty typical Sunday ride, 3h Zn2 with 3 x 30min Zn3.
Duration: 3:02:31 (3:03:26)
Work: 2147 kJ
TSS: 208.9 (intensity factor 0.831)
VI: 1.07
Distance: 63.571 mi
Cadence (avg): 86 rpm
Speed (avg): 21.0 mph
Mountains traversed: 1
Duration: 3:02:31 (3:03:26)
Work: 2147 kJ
TSS: 208.9 (intensity factor 0.831)
VI: 1.07
Distance: 63.571 mi
Cadence (avg): 86 rpm
Speed (avg): 21.0 mph
Mountains traversed: 1
Friday, October 3, 2008
Gotta get LEAN
And no, I'm not talking about body fat...
The last few days I've been sequestered in a room with 10-15 other materials engineers with the goal of coming up with a process for... writing processes (technically materials and process specifications) for the manufacturing of the Ares Upper Stage. Sounds fun, huh? This was a "Kaizen" event which is where you are supposed to take a process, analyze it, and then "lean" it out. The only problem was that we didnt really have a process to begin with. So after following our "moderators" instructions and going through all the steps, we eventually formed our "idealized" process and came out with some "action items" for management. IMHO, we couldve done this in about half a day rather than 2.5 but of course this was a "value added" activity due to the fact that it was a "Kaizen" event. Yeah...
So after being holed up all day yesterday (and Wednesday and Tuesday) it was nice to get out for a run. I'm back in the routine after the race last weekend and last night was tempo run night. While the weather is becoming less and less ideal for cycling, it is patently perfect for running. This led to utter enjoyment once I got the legs going. Now admittedly I certainly didnt break any records in terms of speed but the cool, crisp air was just what I needed after the 3 day headpounding session I had to endure at work.
The last few days I've been sequestered in a room with 10-15 other materials engineers with the goal of coming up with a process for... writing processes (technically materials and process specifications) for the manufacturing of the Ares Upper Stage. Sounds fun, huh? This was a "Kaizen" event which is where you are supposed to take a process, analyze it, and then "lean" it out. The only problem was that we didnt really have a process to begin with. So after following our "moderators" instructions and going through all the steps, we eventually formed our "idealized" process and came out with some "action items" for management. IMHO, we couldve done this in about half a day rather than 2.5 but of course this was a "value added" activity due to the fact that it was a "Kaizen" event. Yeah...
So after being holed up all day yesterday (and Wednesday and Tuesday) it was nice to get out for a run. I'm back in the routine after the race last weekend and last night was tempo run night. While the weather is becoming less and less ideal for cycling, it is patently perfect for running. This led to utter enjoyment once I got the legs going. Now admittedly I certainly didnt break any records in terms of speed but the cool, crisp air was just what I needed after the 3 day headpounding session I had to endure at work.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Hodges, McDonagh capture half triathlon
By KEVIN FIORENZO/Index-Journal sports writer
"Andrew Hodges still had a ways to go when he moved into the overall lead during the bike leg of the South Carolina Half Triathlon on Sunday at Lake Greenwood State Park, but based on his affinity for running, he wasn’t too concerned about his chances."Monday, September 29, 2008
South Carolina Half RR
I mixed things up a bit and started the day with a chocolate peanut butter and banana bagel rather than the usual peanut butter and banana bagel with honey mainly because well, I was in a hurry while packing and the chocolate peanut butter was the first thing I saw. This stuff, BTW, is delicious and it got the day started off right. It also goes very well with coffee.
I arrived at the race site without any hassle and after parking the car I started getting my bike ready. I then headed over to transition and went through the usual prerace nonsense. In transition I got to meet Jeremy Sipos, a fellow member of the Posse who lives in the ATL. Soon enough it was off to the swim start, which was about a quarter mile from transition.
After pulling on the wetsuit I only got to warmup for about 5 minutes in the water before we were called out. While I would’ve liked to have loosened up a bit more I wasn’t too worried because we were allowed to wear wetsuits even though the water was reported to be a cozy 73 degrees. Regardless, after a prayer and the national anthem, the largest open field in the (short) history of the race was back into the water for an air horn start.
The lake was nice and calm and after a few minutes I settled into a group with two other guys. There was another guy out front so we were 2-3-4. I was sitting in third (2nd in our group) and about a quarter of the way through the swim the guy in front of me started veering off course a bit so I cut back to the inside. He mustve realized his error because soon enough he came back towards me and I ended up pulling my two swimming partners the rest of the way. Fine by me as I was in a good rhythm; just trying to go as fast as possible without overheating in the wetsuit. Finishing up the swim I could tell the first place guy wasn’t too far ahead so I was hoping he’d come back during the run, if not on the bike.
I jumped onto the bike and I was ready to rock and roll. In order to not have a repeat of Almere, I was determined to not to go out too hard and I also wanted to make sure to eat enough. Not going out too hard was simply solved by trying for the same power as Almere as I was fine through 56 miles there (just couldnt quite make it 75...). So once I settled into my targeted power range I braced myself for what was sure to be a number of people coming past me on the bike because, well, that’s what usually happens to me in races.
However, a funny thing happened… no one was coming. On the other hand, I was actually catching the guy ahead of me… what a concept! About 12 or so miles in I caught him and was feeling good so proceeded to go right by him into the lead. “He must be a swimmer,” I thought and after passing him I was still ready for others to start coming by. I continued to lead up until the aid station at mile 30 when while I was grabbing a bottle of Gatorade, former #1 passed me to retake the lead. I let him lead for about 5 minutes then repassed him on a downhill as I was determined to keep the speed up and we just weren’t going fast enough with him in front.
So the miles ticked by and I kept riding my race, waiting for the others to come. 30, 35, 40 miles down. At this point, I was still feeling great. Additionally, I knew that time was running out on the cyclists. If someone else wanted to win the race, he’d have to catch me pretty soon or be ready to run really fast. 45, 50 miles down. By now I was pretty excited and I start kicking it in, just so I could win ST’s all important “race to T2.” The best part was that the power was still there and I finished strong.
Heading out on the run I saw my pursuers and realized they weren’t far behind. However, I also knew that as long as I didn't totally blow up, I should have be able to hold everyone off. I felt good and came through the first mile in 5:42. The run course is two loops and I just told myself to just take it nice and easy on the first, then if I needed to I could always pick it up on the second. The miles started slowly clicking away (2= 5:48, 3 = 5:40) and I just sang along to the song(s) in my head and tried to stay relaxed. Finishing up the first loop, I got a huge boost from the crowd and headed out onto the second. There were some hilly parts around the turnaround with uneven footing but other than that I was feeling fine. It was nice to see the other competitors out on the course as well. Soon I arrived at mile 11 (11 = 5:52) which sat near the top of a hill and was a place that I told myself I just needed to get to as it would me mostly downhill from there. Still feeling good, I started to open it up a bit. I turned back into the park for the last time and it was a thrill running through the crowd again.
At this point I was still feeling great, but was ready to be done. However, the finish for this race is a bit evil. After running by the lake, participants had to trek up an ~13% grade hill. It was only about 20m long, but that’s an eternity at the end of the race. As I begin the ascent, the announcer starts screaming, “Come on, if you sprint you can break 4 hours!”
Do I want to sprint? Hell no. But he totally just called me out so I oblige, huff up the hill, and finish in 3:59:53. I’m told that it is a course record, so that was pretty cool.
The post race spread was included a nice meal of hamburger, grilled chicken, pasta salad, and a brownie in addition to Coca Cola and lemonade. There was also Bruster’s Ice Cream which, unfortunately, was not free. However, I had no problem forking over $5 for a double scoop waffle cone of sheer goodness.
All in all I was really pleased with the race. It certainly helps get over the poor performance in Almere and gives me confidence for Clearwater. For now though, its back to work!
I arrived at the race site without any hassle and after parking the car I started getting my bike ready. I then headed over to transition and went through the usual prerace nonsense. In transition I got to meet Jeremy Sipos, a fellow member of the Posse who lives in the ATL. Soon enough it was off to the swim start, which was about a quarter mile from transition.
After pulling on the wetsuit I only got to warmup for about 5 minutes in the water before we were called out. While I would’ve liked to have loosened up a bit more I wasn’t too worried because we were allowed to wear wetsuits even though the water was reported to be a cozy 73 degrees. Regardless, after a prayer and the national anthem, the largest open field in the (short) history of the race was back into the water for an air horn start.
The lake was nice and calm and after a few minutes I settled into a group with two other guys. There was another guy out front so we were 2-3-4. I was sitting in third (2nd in our group) and about a quarter of the way through the swim the guy in front of me started veering off course a bit so I cut back to the inside. He mustve realized his error because soon enough he came back towards me and I ended up pulling my two swimming partners the rest of the way. Fine by me as I was in a good rhythm; just trying to go as fast as possible without overheating in the wetsuit. Finishing up the swim I could tell the first place guy wasn’t too far ahead so I was hoping he’d come back during the run, if not on the bike.
I jumped onto the bike and I was ready to rock and roll. In order to not have a repeat of Almere, I was determined to not to go out too hard and I also wanted to make sure to eat enough. Not going out too hard was simply solved by trying for the same power as Almere as I was fine through 56 miles there (just couldnt quite make it 75...). So once I settled into my targeted power range I braced myself for what was sure to be a number of people coming past me on the bike because, well, that’s what usually happens to me in races.
However, a funny thing happened… no one was coming. On the other hand, I was actually catching the guy ahead of me… what a concept! About 12 or so miles in I caught him and was feeling good so proceeded to go right by him into the lead. “He must be a swimmer,” I thought and after passing him I was still ready for others to start coming by. I continued to lead up until the aid station at mile 30 when while I was grabbing a bottle of Gatorade, former #1 passed me to retake the lead. I let him lead for about 5 minutes then repassed him on a downhill as I was determined to keep the speed up and we just weren’t going fast enough with him in front.
So the miles ticked by and I kept riding my race, waiting for the others to come. 30, 35, 40 miles down. At this point, I was still feeling great. Additionally, I knew that time was running out on the cyclists. If someone else wanted to win the race, he’d have to catch me pretty soon or be ready to run really fast. 45, 50 miles down. By now I was pretty excited and I start kicking it in, just so I could win ST’s all important “race to T2.” The best part was that the power was still there and I finished strong.
Heading out on the run I saw my pursuers and realized they weren’t far behind. However, I also knew that as long as I didn't totally blow up, I should have be able to hold everyone off. I felt good and came through the first mile in 5:42. The run course is two loops and I just told myself to just take it nice and easy on the first, then if I needed to I could always pick it up on the second. The miles started slowly clicking away (2= 5:48, 3 = 5:40) and I just sang along to the song(s) in my head and tried to stay relaxed. Finishing up the first loop, I got a huge boost from the crowd and headed out onto the second. There were some hilly parts around the turnaround with uneven footing but other than that I was feeling fine. It was nice to see the other competitors out on the course as well. Soon I arrived at mile 11 (11 = 5:52) which sat near the top of a hill and was a place that I told myself I just needed to get to as it would me mostly downhill from there. Still feeling good, I started to open it up a bit. I turned back into the park for the last time and it was a thrill running through the crowd again.
At this point I was still feeling great, but was ready to be done. However, the finish for this race is a bit evil. After running by the lake, participants had to trek up an ~13% grade hill. It was only about 20m long, but that’s an eternity at the end of the race. As I begin the ascent, the announcer starts screaming, “Come on, if you sprint you can break 4 hours!”
Do I want to sprint? Hell no. But he totally just called me out so I oblige, huff up the hill, and finish in 3:59:53. I’m told that it is a course record, so that was pretty cool.
The post race spread was included a nice meal of hamburger, grilled chicken, pasta salad, and a brownie in addition to Coca Cola and lemonade. There was also Bruster’s Ice Cream which, unfortunately, was not free. However, I had no problem forking over $5 for a double scoop waffle cone of sheer goodness.
All in all I was really pleased with the race. It certainly helps get over the poor performance in Almere and gives me confidence for Clearwater. For now though, its back to work!
Sep22-28
S: 17,600 yds
B: 8h 54min
R: 3h 55min
Total: 17h 13min
It was a decent week of training which culminated in a pretty good workout on Sunday. And by workout I mean a half IM race, the South Carolina Half.
Results are up here but the short story is that it went really well as I felt in total control throughout the day. Most importantly though I was very happy with my ride so that was encouraging given the new position and extra time I've spent on the bike the last few months. Additionally, the weather was picturesque and the course was a lot of fun. Anyway, I didnt get home until early this morning so I dont have time for a full RR now but I'll hopefully have one up tomorrow, so check back for that!
B: 8h 54min
R: 3h 55min
Total: 17h 13min
It was a decent week of training which culminated in a pretty good workout on Sunday. And by workout I mean a half IM race, the South Carolina Half.
Results are up here but the short story is that it went really well as I felt in total control throughout the day. Most importantly though I was very happy with my ride so that was encouraging given the new position and extra time I've spent on the bike the last few months. Additionally, the weather was picturesque and the course was a lot of fun. Anyway, I didnt get home until early this morning so I dont have time for a full RR now but I'll hopefully have one up tomorrow, so check back for that!
Friday, September 26, 2008
Packing
Sunday is the South Carolina Half and while I'm looking foward to racing, I'm not exactly looking forward to the seven hour drive ahead of me tomorrow. Hopefully it won't be too bad but you just never know when you're going through Atlanta, the epitome of vast, messy, suburban sprawl. Making matters worse is the supposed gas crises which may just preven me from getting there altogether. Of course the other downside about being stuck in the car all day is that I wont get to watch any CFB! Maybe I can pick the Gators up on the radio but that is doubtful... or I could just kill two birds with one stone by stopping in Atlanta to watch the game with my college roomate, Jimmy, and eschewing the race altogether. Save gas money and watch the Gators... I like it!
On the bright side at least I dont have to pack my bike! I'll gladly take a long drive over a short flight when it comes to traveling to a race simply due to the fact that packing the bike is such a hassle. And that was my feeling before the recent absurd increase in the cost of traveling with a a bike. Although considering none of the airlines have any money I cant really blame them. I just they put weight limits on you + your baggage. That way me + my bike + my carryon would still be less than the 200 lb guy sitting next to me.
Well, time to pack. At least I should arrive to my hotel in time to watch the Georgia-Alabama showdown tomorrow night.
On the bright side at least I dont have to pack my bike! I'll gladly take a long drive over a short flight when it comes to traveling to a race simply due to the fact that packing the bike is such a hassle. And that was my feeling before the recent absurd increase in the cost of traveling with a a bike. Although considering none of the airlines have any money I cant really blame them. I just they put weight limits on you + your baggage. That way me + my bike + my carryon would still be less than the 200 lb guy sitting next to me.
Well, time to pack. At least I should arrive to my hotel in time to watch the Georgia-Alabama showdown tomorrow night.
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