Preview
The summer if officially here, I successfully completed my “A” race and now its time for a little variety (see below) before ramping things back up for Silverman in the fall.
Recovery from SD100
It’s been two weeks since my "A" race and I’m happy to say that I experienced little to no soreness from the effort--testimony to proper training and conditioning. On the flip side of that, I’ve been totally drained of energy. It’s been tough waking up in the mornings and by mid-afternoon, my eyes feel heavy and it’s a struggle to stick-out the day.
I’m starting to do stuff again which is a good sign and this past weekend was the perfect summer weekend to be outside. Friday after work, I joined a group of friends and colleagues for a 1-mile swim out of La Jolla Cove sans wetsuit--68 degree water. The water was clear and it was the perfect way to start the weekend.
Marie’s training
Marie and I met Mindy at Mission Trails at 6am Saturday morning and I only made it 8 miles before my legs had enough. The girls went on, through the triple-digit heat, for 20 miles.
Marie and her girlfriends are registered for the Headlands 50 on August 9, so they have been dialing in their training. For Rebekah and Mindy, this is their first 50-mile ultra run with 50K being their longest effort to date. Marie’s debut 50 was in January at the Avalon 50 and she did great so she is excited for more technical terrain and to share the experience with her ultra running buddies.
New book
While I was waiting for Marie to pick me up after her run and head to the beach, I started reading Racing the Sunset: An Athlete's Quest for Life After Sport by Scott Tinley. I breezed through the first 100 pages and I’m really into Tinley’s writing style and the introspective nature of someone who was so passionate and dedicated to reaching their potential in the sport of triathlon when the sport itself was in its infancy. There’s a much deeper message that Tinley is offering as he recounts his struggle with the transition from athlete to the next stage in his life. I’m excited to dive back into this one again soon.
Summer training, travel and races
Sunday morning I joined Jesse and Emmy for a few hours on the bike. He rode north to Del Mar and climbed our way back south through Torrey Pines and over Mount Soledad. It was another hot day so length and effort of our Sunday scenic spin was perfect. Emmy is training for Vineman 70.3 and the three of us did an open-water swim tonight at La Jolla Shores.
Cross-training
Today was my first ActiveX Training workout since... last year? I’m really excited to be back out there and impressed with how many new folks have joined in the fun.
Today’s workout:
50/40/30/20/10 reps
• Double-jumps
• Push ups
• Sit ups
• 400 run
Travel
I’ve got a couple cool trips lined up in July starting with my birthday weekend getaway to Lone Pine, CA. Marie and I are going to camp at the base of the Sierra Nevada in the Alabama Hills, just two days before the start of the infamous, Badwater 135. The race travels from Death Valley, which marks the lowest elevation in North America at 280 feet below sea level, to the finish at Mt. Whitney Portal at 8360 feet. The Badwater course covers three mountain ranges for a total of 13,000 feet of cumulative vertical ascent and 4,700 feet of cumulative descent. The last 12 miles climb over 5700 feet and Marie and I are going to run this section while we’re in Lone Pine to pay tribute to these runners and also to preview this section of the course for the day I take on the challenge 
Badwater 135
Cruise
At the end of July, I’m joining my family for a week-long cruise from NYC to King's Wharf, Bermuda. I’ve never done anything like this so I’m stoked and I’m thrilled to have an entire week with my family in such a unique setting.
Race
My next race is the Accenture Chicago Triathlon (Olympic distance) on August 24. I’m excited for this event, the chance to travel to a new city and the opportunity to finally meet my teammate, Trish, whom I’ve been working with for a year and a half.
Recap
The summer is already off to a great start and I'm excited to shares these fun adventures with you all along the way.
All the best,
~Toby
Active Toby's Adventure Blog
46 Posts tagged with the toby-guillette tag 1 2 3 4 Previous NextAt 6am on Saturday, 81 runners began the 100-mile journey through a trail network consisting of a 20-mile loop that returned to the start/finish area, followed by a 30-mile loop back to the start/finish. These loops were repeated for the second 50 miles of the race. Each 50-mile segment had an elevation gain/loss of 6,000 feet for a total of 12,000 feet gain/loss and runners had a maximum of 31 hours to complete the race.
Our plan was to begin relaxed and super conservative towards the back of the pack. I took my time getting into a groove and chatted it up with a fellow TCSD member named Jeff who was also attempting his first 100. I was determined to run my own race so I stuck to what was comfortable for me and eventually was off on my own cruising and feeling solid.
The temperature climbed into 80’s quickly and my crew team kept me on liquid calories, fresh fruit and gels for the entire day. We had six insulated coolers packed with ice to keep the assortment of fuels cooled off. We went through over 100 pounds of ice during the race. This was paramount for regulating my core temperature which is something many runners struggled with because of the intense heat.
I buzzed through the first 20-loop in a little over four hours and began the next loop of 30 miles in the heat of the day. My crew continued to execute our aid station routine with NASCAR-like efficiency: sock change, shoe change, clothing change, wipe sunglasses, apply sunscreen, fill bottles, food, GO! But it was more than that; it was the level of excitement and enthusiasm I could feel from each member of the team.
My brother was so into it and so were Marie and her dad. The three of them held it down all day and were joined by Rebekah and Mindy at 3pm when I was just finishing 43 miles. The staggered arrival of additional crew support was planned--the girls arrived with more ice to replenish the supply and they also brought with them fresh energy and excitement.
This is funny, watch how much food I stuff in my mouth:
My 50-mile split was right on track at 11 hours, 45 minutes. Arch had arrived wearing his ActiveX shirt and had a chance to meet my support crew. Marie’s father was first to run with me as my pacer from the half-way point to the next aid station. It was a steep climb and we walked most of the way. My legs were still going strong but my core temperature was raised and this was the worst I felt all day. I remained positive and enjoyed the opportunity to run with Marie’s dad. We were greeted by our crew along with Arch, Airey, Jesse and Emmy who drove all the way out to support. It was a grand arrival and they made me feel like a rock star. I was still not myself internally as my insides felt like they were boiling but I knew the sun was about to set and things were going to cool off. (Check out Jesse's impressive mustache--only took a week to grow!)
Rebekah joined me for this stretch along the PCT which was the most beautiful portion of the race. With the Anza-Borrego desert vista to the east and the sun setting over the mountains to the west, I was beginning to cool off and could feel my core temperature leveling out. Soon we ran out of daylight and switch on our headlamps and hand-held flashlights. From somewhere deep within, I felt my energy surge and soon Rebekah and I were kicking fast. We passed a whole bunch of runners during this stage and surprised our support crew at the next aid station by our prompt arrival.
This is when the tempo changed for me--62 miles and 15 hours into the run and I felt better than I did when I started that morning. I also ran this section faster the second time through. This is when I realized that I had prepared for this race correctly. I still didn’t want to push too hard but I could see the relief and the excitement in the eyes of my support crew. They were supporting a runner who was still very much in the race and gaining strength 
Mindy and I cruised through this section because there was a long climb out of the next aid station and I wanted to run while we had the chance. We passed more runners and entered the camp at mile 70 and were greeted by the support crew. I stretched out for the first time that day on a mat that we brought along. My housemate and his girlfriend had arrived and joined the support crew. It was fun to see everyone and see how pumped up my big brother was to finally get the chance to run with me. We didn’t get to run much on this section as it climbed significantly to the next aid station but it was still a pleasure to run in my first official race with Steve under such unique circumstances.
The rest my legs got from walking so much during this climb was perfect for the next flat section that Marie and I ran. We passed a couple runners during this short but fast section and arrived back for hot soup before the final big push of the race. It was also brought to my attention that I was now in 15th place!
My brother and I took on the arduous climb up Middle Peak and then the taxing descent down the other side. This portion isn’t accessible to support crews but there is an aid station out there. We were in and out of the station within 1 minute and on our way to the next point. We ran this section 10 minutes faster than I did earlier that day and jumped in rank to 13th place!
By the time we arrived at the last aid station, mile 92.4, I had the sub-24 hour fire in my eyes. Marie and I took off for the final section and within minutes, I began to realize I was less concerned with a sub-24 hour finish and more interested in reflecting on the experience with Marie. We walked, talked, held hands, ran the downhill sections and some of the flats. When the glow of daylight from the east was enough to switch off our headlamps and flashlights, we were running the final descent into the finish area. We were welcomed by the race director and our entire support crew.
I crossed the finish line at 6:32am on Sunday and shook hands with Scott Mills, the race director, as he presented me with a bronze belt buckle for completing the race in 24 hours, 32 minutes. The months of disciplined training and a well-organized race plan enabled me to enjoy every minute and every mile of my 100-mile ultra marathon debut.
Results:
24 hours, 32 minutes
2nd AG (20-29) Youngest finisher
13th overall (53% finish rate)
My support was simply amazing: my brother, Marie, her dad, Rebekah, Mindy, Tim, Elizabeth. Plus my other friends who stopped by to show their support: Quinn, Mike, Arch, Airey, Steve, Jesse and Emmy. And at an even deeper level, it was all of you sending us good vibes all weekend. Check out how my friends in the Marine Corp Marathon online community tracked my progress throughout the entire race. Thank you all for joining me in this memorable and exciting journey and I assure you that this is only the beginning. Stay tuned for the next adventure...
PS. Congrats to Jill and Jeff for running a great race, finishing strong and making TCSD proud!
Between work, tapering for the SD100, preparing all the logistics for the race and the rest of my life, things have been very busy lately. As you'll see from this post, I've got nothing to complain about. Life is good and I've never been happier. Thanks again to everyone for the emails, phone calls and messages. I'll post more about the countdown to the race next week, beginning on Monday. In the meantime, check out whats going down here in SD:
Competitor Magazine and hosted an evening with running legend Dean Karnazes and filmmaker JB Benna last night at the historic La Paloma Theatre in Encinitas. There was Papa Johns Pizza for sale before the show and I loaded up on 5 slices. This reminds me; everyone keeps telling me how skinny I look--what’s up with that? It’s definitely something new for me to hear but I feel great and stronger than ever so that’s all that matters right now before the big race next weekend. It’s not skinny, its “lean” come on people, get it right Oh and now that I mention it, I went another hole smaller on my belt this morning…
...Now back to the show. The president of TCSD, Brian Long, publicly thanked the heroes who came to the assistance of club member, Dave Martin, who was tragically killed in the shark attack last month. They were called up on stage and met with a standing ovation from the sold out theater. It was a very special moment and I’m glad they were recognized for their brilliant actions under the most unfortunate of circumstances.
In addition to the Ultramarathon man himself, there were so many endurance athletes in attendance; the energy in that room was uncanny. I especially enjoyed from our beloved Marine Corp Marathon online community. He’s in town for the San Diego Rock n’ Roll Marathon on Sunday and we sat together during the movie. Jimmy has run tons of marathons and from the sounds of it; he’ll be crossing over to the ultra marathon scene pretty soon. We both agree, the film is great and even better news; the film has been selected for national syndication.
Dean is truly inspirational and his values of inclusion of others and the promotion of health and fitness on a national scale make him a hero in my eyes and you'll see from the movie that he has a growing number of loyal followers who have all been inspired. After the showing, Dean Karnazes and JB Benna the filmmaker were on stage for a QnA. Dean actually ran from Sonoma to San Diego for the movie premier, traveling the coast from Mission to Mission along the way to raise awareness for their delapatated condition. He covered 700 miles in a week and a half and he's running the San Diego RnR Marathon this Sunday. Next week, he’s' off to run across the Gobi Desert as he attempts the 2nd race in the Desert Grand Slam Series. Dean keep's a that gets a little bit more attention than mine but maybe one day I'll get comments like he does
Here's the trailer from the film but keep a lookout because it will be in theaters this summer. Check the JourneyFilm website for updates. Without further adieu:
Tomorrow, I'm going to fit in a quick 13-mile run and head over to Barnes and Noble to finally meet Active Expert Matt Fitzgerald and film his Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Pre-Race Clinic called "The Art and Science of Marathon Pacing." Matt will speak for 30 minutes and then answer questions. Copies of Brain Training for Runners will be available for purchase and signing. For more information including time and directions, check out the Endurance Sports Blog.
Best of luck to Jimmy and the rest of you all running the marathon on Sunday. I'm playing chauffeur, super-fan and photographer for my friends who are running the marathon to help repay my debt for their support next weekend as my crew team at SD100. I'll be out at the start on the east side of 6th street, on the little bridge above the band when your heading south on Park blvd., then down on the west side of the 163 and over at the finish line taking pictures and video.
Make it a great weekend everyone!
~Toby
San Diego 100 Mile Endurance Run
When: Saturday, June 7- Sunday, June 8.
Where: Start/finish area will be at the Camp Cuyamaca Cedar Groove, Cuyamaca State Park in Descanso, CA 91916. Google Maps
Directions: Approximately 50 miles and 60 minutes travel time. Travel east on I-8 for ~35 miles and take exit 40 for Hwy 79 (Descanso direction). Turn left at Hwy 79 (Japatul Valley Rd toward Julian). Go 2.75 miles (past the small town of Descanso) and go left on Hwy 79 toward Cuyamaca State Park. Follow this winding road for 7 miles to the Park Museum road. Turn right and go down the hill past the gate. Park below the dirt road at the bottom of the hill and park perpendicular to the dirt road.
Parking/Rules: Please follow the instructions of the aid station personnel related to parking, you may have to park a short distance and walk on occasion. PLEASE FOLLOW ALL PARK RULES--FAILURE TO DO SO MAY LEAD TO THE DISQUALIFICATION OF YOUR RUNNER.
Links:
Weather
Course Map
Course Overview
Race Website
PACE CHART
The course consists of two 50 miles loops that allow you to meet your runner seven times during each loop, for a total of fourteen times during the 100 miles.
| STATION | SEGMENT DISTANCE | CUMULATIVE | TIME/24-HOUR PACE |
| Camp Cuyamaca/START |
0 | 0 | 6:00 AM SAT |
| Sunrise | 5.9 | 5.9 | 7:30 |
| Pedro Fages | 6.7 | 12.6 | 9:00 |
| Camp Cuyamaca | 6.9 | 19.5 | 10:30 |
| Paso Picacho |
6 | 25.5 | 12:00 PM SAT |
| Big Bend | 4.9 | 30.4 | 1:15:00 PM SAT |
| Milk Ranch Rd no cars | 5.8 | 36.2 | 3:00 |
| Sweetwater | 6.4 | 42.6 | 4:30 |
| Camp Cuyamaca | 7.4 | 50 | 6:00 |
| Sunrise | 5.9 | 55.9 | 7:30 |
| Pedro Fages |
6.7 | 62.6 | 9:00 |
| Camp Cuyamaca | 6.9 | 69.6 | 10:45 |
| Paso Picacho |
6 | 75.5 | 12:00 AM SUN |
| Big Bend | 4.9 | 80.4 | 1:15 |
| Milk Ranch Rd no cars | 5.8 | 86.2 | 3:00 |
| Sweetwater | 6.4 | 92.6 | 4:20 |
| Camp Cuyamaca/FINISH |
7.4 | 100 | 6:00 AM SUN |
| 24-hour finish |
Last week marked the peak in my training--20 hours of running. I’ve slashed a full 50% off my training volume this week. The idea of cutting back this close to a race can appear counter-intuitive but in the endurance world, it’s a well-known strategy called tapering. I turned to Active Expert, Gale Bernhardt for guidance in outlining my remaining schedule to ensure I fully benefit from all my hard work done to date.
Gale: “There are lots of ways to structure the workouts in your taper weeks. One way is to apply the percentages above to your long runs and fill the remaining hours during the week with whatever is left. I'd keep the Friday, Sat., Sunday structure that has gotten you to this point and just scale those runs back. Run commuting may become a problem just due to distance and time. Fill in with the bike to keep your legs from too much pounding.”
Week 5/12: 8 hours preferable, no more than 10 for sure.
Week 5/19: 14.8 hrs (80% of max)
Week 5/26: 9.25 (50% of max)
Week 6/2: 1.8 hrs (10% of max: Run 30-40 minutes Monday, Bike 45-60 Minutes Tuesday, Run 20-30 minutes on Wednesday with Thursday and Friday off. The run, bike, run days are mostly aerobic and can include a few 20 second accelerations (not all-out fast) with lots of rest.)
I’m following Gale’s advice and structured this week around a SD100 group training run on the second loop of the race course Saturday. Plus, it’s supposed to be a scorcher this weekend so I can get more exposure to heat training.
This week is National Bike to Work Week and it’s been good getting back on the bike and the short break from the run comes as a relief after last week's volume. Here’s the week breakdown:
Week 5/12: 8 hours preferable, no more than 10 for sure
Mon: OFF
Tues: Bike, 1hr15
Wed: Bike, 45m
Thursday: Yoga, 1hr
Fri: Bike, 1hr15
Sat: Run, 6hr (Cuyamaca State Park)
Sun: Swim, 1hr (La Jolla Shores)
Month-to-date:
My peak training session for the SD100 began Friday with a 16-mile run-commute and then I purposely stayed up all night to simulate race-day conditions and started a 39-mile trail run at 3AM Saturday.
It was pretty spooky running solo because I was in a nature preserve and there were creepy sounds in the woods and brush. At one point, I saw 2 sets of really large eyes staring at me from the underbrush--I was running on the flight or fight response the whole time!
I made it alone from 3-6AM and the cool part was at 5:15AM when it was light enough to turn off my headlamp and flashlight. It felt really good to have the sun back and I'm glad I will have a pacer with me for the entire night portion of the SD100.
At 6AM, I met Carrie Smith and her friend Paul and we ran another 13-mile loop, 15 minutes faster than my first loop. I was really happy to see them and have their support.
At 9AM, Carrie and Paul left and Airey arrived. So did the heat. The last loop took longest; my feet were sore but not much else. We finished at lunchtime Saturday. I got to sleep by 2PM and slept until 7PM, woke up, went to an amazing sushi dinner, stayed up until midnight with good company, good beers and finally got to use the fire pit in the backyard.
I got up Sunday at 8AM with no soreness and met Jesse and his girlfriend at Mission Trails Regional Park. We ran a 7-mile loop together and then they left and I ran the same loop 2 more times. I was great having these guys come out to support.
Total weekend mileage, 60.
I've run for more than 80 hours in the last 6 weeks.
The hard part is over and my taper has begun!!!
The week is well underway; I've recovered properly from the weekend mileage with rest both Sunday and Monday and a bike commute yesterday. Today, I’m back to my run-commute and Friday, I’ll do the same. Saturday, I’m planning on another 30 miler in Cuyamaca State Park. We’ve had high winds, hot temperatures and low humidity since the end of last week but we’ve seen a quick change and its cooling off which will make the long run Saturday less of a drain.
The race is in 37 days and I'm still feeling good about where I'm at. It's hard to feel "confident" because 100 miles is such an unknown but I do know that I've been responsible about increasing my volume without risking overtraining or throwing off the balance in the other areas of my life.
The loss of SD triathlon club member, Dave Martin, has been on lots of people's minds this week. It's been surreal as it was such a blow to the local community but locals were out in the water all weekend with the hot temps and many have resumed their routines of open-water swimming and of course, surfing. There have been some interesting reports released from shark experts like in this interview with Marine Biologist and shark expert Jeff Graham from Scripps Institution of Oceanography. They were able to recover shark teeth from Martin’s body and measured the distance between the bit marks to determine the size of the Great White at a minimum of 15 feet.
Also, part of the Los Penasquitos Canyon that I ran in 3 weeks ago burned in a brush fire on Sunday. It's right below the Active Network headquarters and we can see the whole affected area from the office. The spring is off to quite the start!
On a more positive note, the Triathlon Club of San Diego published a little blurb about my half-Ironman race in Oceanside in the May club newsletter which I've attached. It's on page 3 and 6.
I hope you all are having a great week,
~Toby
My long training session this weekend marked the end of another 70-mile week in preparation for my first 100-mile ultra marathon. I’ve been training on the SD100 race course in Cuyamaca State Park frequently so for a scenery change, Marie and I got on the Noble Canyon trail located 45 minutes east of San Diego in Pine Valley, California. From the top-down, its one of the most popular downhill mountain biking trails in southern California so running up it is perfect for my training. The trail climbs over 11 miles to the Sunrise Highway for a vista of the Anza-Borrego Desert.
My beautiful view
At the top of Noble Canyon, we crossed Sunrise Highway, connected to the Pacific Crest Trail and traveled south for a gorgeous stretch on the PCT with the desert in full view. Instead of looping back on the Big Laguna trail that reconnects to Noble Canyon, we opted to run on the road for a few miles back to meet the trail. The lollipop-shaped route then descended back into Pine Valley for a total of 31.5 miles.
4/18: 14M Run-commute
4/19: 31.5M Noble Canyon Trail
4/20: 9M Mission Trails Regional Park
I was strong all day, legs never got tired and training is on right track. 7 weeks until the SD100!!!
Friday I did the run-commute to-and-fro making sure I began Saturday on semi-fatigued legs. Plan was to run 24 with the SD100 training group and an additional 19 on my own for 43 on the day. I was stoked for a solid pace because this crew of ultra runners is legit--some are training for WS100, SD100 and AC100.
I was on the road by 6 am to Cuyamaca State Park and 49 miles into my 50-mile drive I realized I forgot my running shoes. During my long drive back to SD, I was really upset with myself for making such a careless mistake, especially since I had to run solo all day because of it.
I stopped at my house to find my shoes, drove to Peñasquitos Canyon and started running at 8:30 am. It must have been 80 degrees down in the canyon and temps continued to rise. My legs were solid, but I barely managed 26 miles because I was nauseous from the heat.
Sunday, while Marie was at tearing it up at the San Diego Mud Run, I warmed up with a few miles in Lopez Canyon and then stopped by to watch Airey race in a criterium. After that, I returned to Peñasquitos Canyon for more punishment. I was happy to get 13 more hot miles in and called it quits with 16 on the day, 70 for the week and only 10 shy of my original goal.
4/11: 14M
4/12: 26M
4/13: 16M
It was good for me to go back-to-back-to-back and its a great sign that my legs never got tired or sore. The conditions from the weekend took a lot out of me but it was a firm reminder of the challenge that I’m committed to for the next 8 weeks.
Updated Training Schedule:
4/18: 14M Run-commute
4/19: 33M Noble Canyon Trail
4/20: 9M Mission Trails Regional Park
4/25: 14M Run-commute
4/26: 26+24= 50M Cuyamaca State ParkCuyamaca State Park
4/27: 4M (Marie--La Jolla 13.1)
5/2: 14M Run-commute
5/3: TBD
5/4: 20M Lake Hodges
5/9: 14M Run-commute
5/10: 52M Peñasquitos Canyon (PCT?)
5/11: 18M Mission Trails Regional Park
5/16: 14M Run-commute
5/17: 30M Cuyamaca State Park
5/18: 20M Lake Hodges
5/23: 14M Run-commute
5/24: 24M Pacific Crest Trail
5/25: 13M Peñasquitos Canyon
5/30: 14M Run-commute
5/31: 9M
6/1: 0! (Marie--SD Rock 'n' Roll)
6/2: Memorial Day
6/5: Steve arrives
6/7: SD100
6/8: SD100
Will I get the Silver Buckle for a sub-24 hour finish?
The Bronze buckle for a sub-31 hour finish?
Or DNF?
Stay tuned for updates as I continue to train my body and mind for the San Diego 100 Mile Endurance Run on June 7-8.
This weekend marked the one-year anniversary of my life as an endurance athlete. Last year on this date, I ran the Lake Hodges 50K, stepping into the unknown with only an 18-mile training run under my belt. The events of the last calendar year yield a similar pattern of redefining my limits, chronicled here within and embodied in my young adult life.
My journey has lead me to the summit of what I thought was previously possible only to be afforded a fleeting glimpse of higher mountain tops and greater challenges. First it was the 50K that presented the challenge, then came the 50-Mile distance that broke me until I achieved success. I'm currently preparing for a 100-mile run in June and already registered for a 140.6-mile triathlon in November. Then what..?
"What the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve."
To celebrate my passion for endurance, I participated in my first official triathlon, the Ford Ironman 70.3 California at Oceanside on Saturday. The race itself is a classic—season opener for the sport of triathlon. The field was stacked with Pros in both the men's and women's divisions. It was cool to hear all the hype before the race but I was there to push myself for a killer training session—all to build my body and mind for the San Diego 100 Mile Endurance Run on 6/7-6/8.
I like to set the bar high so it leaves me with more to be desired—this way, I remain motivated at all times. I projected my finish in less than 5 hours and a PR in the half marathon. I didn't reach either of these goals (haha) but I sure had a blast along the way!
The swim was nice and warm (60-degrees) in the protected Oceanside Harbor. No swell to battle, just a bunch of flailing bodies. I was surprised to see the different color swim caps (yes, mine was pink) during the swim--I must have caught up to at least two waves that started before my age group. I knew my swim was solid and projected 32-minutes which was pretty much spot-on as I was out of the water and into T1 in 33-minutes.
The bike portion began with a mistake within the first half-mile that would cost me later on. I somehow managed to drop my electrolytes on the ground, never to be seen again.
"Punishment = Glory"
Right?
In the meantime, I enjoyed pushing myself on the bike, which remains my weakest link in the trio. I've only been riding a road bike since August and my longest ride was done in the Anza-Borrego Desert with the Triathlon Club of San Diego (TCSD). We covered 60-miles that day in 106-degree dry desert air so 56-miles through the rolling hills of Camp Pendleton seemed easy, so I pushed harder.
Towards the end of the bike, my lack of electrolytes began to creep up on me in the form of cramps in my quads so I switch to Gatorade at the aid stations. I finished the bike portion in under 3-hours, averaging 19-miles per hour. My bike dismount into T2 was greeted by a full contraction of my hamstring when lifting my leg over the top-tube of my ride--foreshadowing the first portion of my half-marathon run. My right foot was numb for at least 4 miles and my legs were heavy and the impact of each step was loud—not my typical efficient running stride. The temporary discomfort was quality punishment training
The run remained the highlight of my day. I train alone so often that I was absolutely blown away by the volunteers, fans and spectator support--it was beautiful. I was proudly wearing TCSD apparel and encouraged by familiar faces and countless supporters along the 13.1-mile run course.
I appreciate you all joining me on this adventure--stay tuned for another year!