Clearspace Server Syndication Feed

Sentamentality Descending

MelanieWilson — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 18:59:00 GMT

Only two weeks until the race, that's two more group runs and a couple of days in Napa and it's ALL OVER! Ashley is already working on the next CCFA event, which is the San Antonio race. I could probably only afford such an undertaking in another ten years. I'm not hyper into asking people for cash. The fires up north are making the race look questionable. I think I might be a little childishly devastated if we didn't get to go. I doubt CCFA has a backup plan for that sort of thing. But I'm betting we'd still get the t-shirt. And really, isn't that what racing is all about? Having the proof for years to come that you were there? inDEED.

Next Saturday is our final training followed by a group/family/friend breakfast where all the information we'll need for the race will be disbursed. Gotta admit, I'm a little exciiiiited. There's a small chance Jon may be coming home this week and I'd get to drag him out of bed to meet everyone in Santa Monica. The whole group's been keeping him in their thoughts/prayers and they've never even met him. But I guess that's pretty common. I send out good vibes to the entire continent of Africa all the time. In truth I personally know very few Africans.

With DOUBLE luck Jon will be able to watch the race in Napa. I'm guessing there's slim chance in that but a girl can dream. In any case, his return this month looks pretty definite and though the money I have raised will not help pay his hospital bills, I do feel like I've contributed something. Even though I've been ruthlessly driving his car around the city for two months and I probably actually owe him a tune-up. Though at $4.60 a gallon I drive as seldom as physically possible in this stupid city. stupid stupid city. GO LA CHAPTER OF TEAM CHALLENGE OF CCFA! woooooo!

Valverde's Victory, Garmin's Swarming and the UCI is MIA

Frankie Andreu — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 18:14:37 GMT

Click below to hear Frankie Andreu's first stage report for Active.com. This podcast recaps Alejandro Valverde's uphill win, talks about the large presence of Garmin soigneurs and discusses how the absence of the UCI has impacted the race so far.

Taking a Look at the New Rides

Frankie Andreu — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 18:05:39 GMT

A day before Stage 1 starts in Brest, Frankie Andreu checks out the new electronic shifting that Gerolsteiner will be using, gets the story on Team Columbia's frantic change from Team High Road and discovers how one bike company decided to reward its employees.

And They're Off!

Bruce Hildenbrand — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 16:22:09 GMT

The headline in today's l'Equipe translates to "The Thunder of the Tour" which is a great way to describe all that accompanies the entourage that is the Tour de France. And we are finally underway in Brittany with a very hilly day from Brest to Plumelec. To steal a phrase from Phil Liggett, the course profile looks like a discarded piece of string. When the riders aren't going up, they are going down and they will do that for about 120 miles.

While the focus today is on the sprinters, the race for the yellow jersey is still the main focus. In my Tour preview I opined that Cadel Evans, Denis Menchov, Alejandro Valverde and Damiano Cunego are the favorites. Some like Andy Schleck, but this is his first Tour and at the ripe young age of 23 it might just be a learning year for the Luxembourger on Team CSC-Saxo Bank. There is the possibility that he will contend for the white, best young rider, jersey against the likes of Rabobanks' Robert Gesink who is a year younger than Andy at 22.

Another possibility is that neither Schleck or Gesink will finish the race. Some consider 22 and 23 years old to be too young both physically and mentally to race the Tour. Lance Armstrong first rode the Tour as a 22/23 year-old and was pulled, as planned, after the two mountain stages in the Alps about ten days into the race. The primary reason for pulling a rider isn't about the physical demands. It has more to do with the mental aspect and the strain it puts on a rider's confidence.

A potential Tour winner has to believe that he can someday win the race and to be overwhelmed at a young age could do damage to his psyche. So, young riders, especially those who are tipped to do well in the future are routinely pulled either after the first set of mountains or about ten days in.

Race notes....

The finish today in Plumelec was incredible and hopefully it bodes well for an exciting race. Stefan Schumacher's attack looked to be the winning move, but he picked up a couple of concrete suitcases and Kim Kirchen appeared to have taken everybody by surprise. But, in the end, nobody could match Alejandro Valverde. What is very cool is seeing potential overall contenders Cadel Evans, Kim Kirchen, Frank Schleck and Ricardo Ricco also in the Top 10 for the stage. They all outfoxed the sprinters and stole the show on day one. A great start for the Tour.

Bruce

Always Poop Before A Run

hellparadiso — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 15:20:52 GMT

So I went on my first-ever run today, not counting when I take a walk and decide to sprint to the next stop sign. My first real, live, in-the-flesh run. I'm going with the beginner's training program on coolrunning.com, which recommends a pace of 60 seconds of running followed by 90 seconds of brisk walking, for around 20 minutes.

I essentially got through four rounds of this before everything in my torso started hurting, so I walked the rest of the way. By the time I got home, I had gone for about 25 minutes, although I haven't figured the mileage yet. I feel pretty good about it though. It's certainly more than I've ever done.

Things I've Learned Today:
1. It's not as bad as I thought it would be.
2. Relaxing your hands helps A WHOLE FREAKING LOT.
3. Always poop BEFORE running.

Things I Need to Work On:
1. Relaxing my shoulders.
2. Rolling through my step.
3. Don't stop.
4. For God's sake, don't buy overpriced nasty-tasting "energy drinks" at the store during a run.

Countdown to the Half!

Heather — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 00:10:37 GMT

So the NYC Half Marathon is around the corner, July 27th to be exact. Is anyone running it? Let me know! I am also planning on running the Queens and Staten Island halves as well.

I kind of fell in love with running at the same time that I hated it years ago in high school cross country. Then the addiction began and I have been hooked ever since! I have realized one of the hardest things about training is not having my partner so this is going to be very useful for me to talk to all of you on here! You will be like my partners from afar! You all have incredible stories and outlooks! I am relishing this experience. I hope that this is just the first!

Well, this is the beginning of my blogging and a hi and hello! So, talk to you all soon! Heather

Firecracker July 4th Run

althoffd — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 22:24:39 GMT

My goal was to come in at 50 min..��I did not know how hilly this course was Or I should say rolling hills. This course had you going up and down all the time... So I did not make my time that I wanted... Note to self do my hills in runs..

So I am happy under 52 min new PR for me.. I did stop and walked through the water stations..��It was not harm and humid but I could tell that I needed water when I cam up to a water station..��I think my time is faster then it is posted because this a gun time and i was not up in the front I was more to the middle so It was like a 30 sec - 1 min before I crossed the line mark Start on the Road..��

So here comes the Lifetime Fitness Triathlon should be fun lets hope this weather keeps up if it was like today it will be a breeze to beat that time to.

July 4

spwalker75 — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 14:58:13 GMT

Ran a 5K this morning on Johns Island. It's amazing the difference in temperature between 6AM (when I usually work out/run) and 8AM (when the race started). It was hot. Dang hot. This was a cross country type of race, meaning we were on dirt/over grown roads and paths around a lake. I started out trying to take the curves as close as possible to keep from running any more distance than I had to. By half way through the race I had changed strategies and was finding the most direct path to the next shady patch along the race route. I started out at a pace of under 10 minute/miles. Held this for about a mile. Declined after that.

I'm not sure how often my Forerunner captures the pace reading because, as you can see from the chart above, it is very erratic. Regardless, you can see a couple of spikes up to the 20 min/mile range. No way to hide the fact I took a couple of walk breaks. Like I said, it was hot. The spike at the end is showing that I didn't stop my Forerunner until about 20 feet after I crossed the finish line and was walking. It also means the Forerunner time of 33:05 was a little off. I think I crossed the line at 32:47, about a minute slower than my time from the ALS Hope 5K on the beach at IOP a few weeks ago. All in all, any race you finish is a good race. I wasn't last and I beat some skinny people. One of the highlights was watching a guy think he crossed the finish line, pour a drink in his face and then do a belly slide on the ground for some strange reason. The look on his face when someone told him the finish was about 10 feet in front of him was priceless. Well, plenty more work to do to get ready for the half marathon in February but I'm putting miles on my legs. This week I've run about 12.5 miles. I will probably do a long run Sunday.

"Come on, Come on!"

Paul828 — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 15:04:57 GMT

Ok, here is the Apollo entry I promised.

When on the leash at the beginning of the run when he is really excited, he will grab the leash with his mouth and jump up and down, pulling me further and faster down the road. I attributed it to the fact that he was excited about getting to get on the road.

However, recently he has been performing this at the end of the runs when I am struggling to maintain or push it in. It is his way of encouraging me to push to the funish line. At least that is the way I am inturpreting it.

Thanks Apollo. What a great training partner.

Paul828

July 4

bvcc — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 13:33:31 GMT

Off

Tomorrow: 6 miles pace

Comments: Did "Beyond Basic" yoga workout.