Steelhead 70.3 Half Iron 8/3/06 ? summer A race
Short: (don?t have official times so these are estimates)
-swim 35:50ish out of water (PR 1 minish on half iron distance)
- t1 ? 8ish
- bike 2:48ish ? 20mph (PR by 12minish on 56)
- t2 ? 6ish (bathroom stop)
- run ? 3:14ish
- overall 6:51ish (Prior 7:32, so 41minish PR)
65ish degrees at start, ending around 83 (mostly cloudy)
Breakfast ? 2 slices white bread (forgot to bring my bagels) + peanut butter + 2 bananas + 20oz diet coke
Long Version.. Real long version
This year was supposed to be ?Revenge of Steelhead? for me. I wasn?t satisfied about the run last year, at all, because (mostly) the heat just killed me. Yeah, it was the first year I had even done 13.1 at all (did 3) but still I ran something like a 3:40 and that?s just bad (stand alone was 3:19). So my primary goal was sub 7hrs. However, with my fitness gains over the last year 6:29:59 was in my reach. However, ultimately the temps would decide whether or not I made it, there was no doubt. I do poorly above 70. I melt above 80. I go nuclear and shut down over 85. This I know and I haven?t solved it, I?m sure my size plays a huge factor in it ? but also several days a week I spend large chunks of time in 60degree server rooms ? that doesn?t help one get used to heat!
DW and I went down for the weekend after dropping the kids with the inlaws. A few of my Chicago friends were racing too, so we decided we?d do a Friday dinner. We invited Triboy and wife and had a GREAT Italian meal the night before. Lots of fun! I went and checked out transition, half listened to the course talk, and spent entirely too much money on race gear. I love my Steelhead bike jersey from 06 and I was able to pick up 2 more (short and long sleeve) as well as 07 versions. Paid off though (I?m rationalizing) because DW pointed out my white shirt had no pockets (wearing white for heat reduction) so why didn?t I wear the jersey for the bike and then change. Good idea!
To bed not entirely early and up (literally) too early. I got 5 hours so that?s enough, but used my cell phone for an alarm. It was still showing Central time (where I live) but we are in Eastern time (barely). Well, overnight it switched. So I ended up getting up at 3:30am EST instead of 3:30am CST. Well, by the time I noticed it was too late to do anything about it, so I just hung around for a while and then bailed. So I left DW the car, I rode my bike 4-5 miles to transition. DW would later come and see my finish, but there was no reason she needed to hang all day. This makes this weekend a bit of a vacation for her instead of just a ?diva weekend? for me
Got setup and had tons of time to kill. So I stretched, wandered around, and finally started the 1.2mile walk up the beach to the start. OK, I am not liking that change. Last year, they did shuttles. Wore flip flops (which I was planning to dump) and ended up removing them because they were hurting my feet (I didn?t train in them!). Did a warm up swim. Being in wave 15 I had MORE time to kill. Boooring. Did another warmup swim. Finally ready to go.
Beach start this year. No more pier jump (city/county is banning it too many kids have died screwing around and jumping off). There was NO Clydesdale wave, although there WAS a Clydesdale division. So I got to start with the 35-39?s in Wave 15 (of 16) ? speedy group for the most part too. Unusual territory for me, so I seeded myself second row, center (normally would go first row center). We had to run maybe 100? Ft out before it was waist deep. Announced yelled ?GO? (horn died, LMAO) I probably made it 50ft before I decided I could swim this faster than running, so I dove in and swam in the shallow water. I did in fact start to pass some of these runners who had jumped ahead of me, although a few pulled away. By 100ft everyone was swimming. This was weird for me, normally I break away with to top few of my wave and loose everyone else. Well? the Male 35-39 is a fast group. So I had maybe 40% behind, 30% with, and 30% who left me in the DUST! That was WEIRD! Anyway, I slowly moved ahead of the middle group and started breaking into the top group, but it took ¼ mile. That or I had caught the slow-pokes from the prior wave (2 waves of our age group, both with blue, so who knows). I kept a ?fast as I can without being out of breath? pace. Felt good. With so many people around it was pretty simple to sight. I have people left and right and we stayed on course for the most part.
Soon enough some yellows go blowing by us. Relay team. Clearly the bigtime swimmers. Wow were they fast! I was steadily picking through caps ? orange, silver, red, lime green, etc ? I think I caught some from every wave, but I lost count and started to tire so I had to stop site seeing. Soon enough, the orange buoy which indicates the turn. I floor it and sprint ahead of the pack I was in and about ½ way in find some shallow ground ? so I dolphin dive a few times, only to get back to deeper water! Huh? That threw me. Was a sand bar I guess. Floored it some more and started passing tons of guys walking/running to shore. Since running in not my strength, I kept swimming instead until I was in maybe 2ft deep water. Hopped up and ran to land ? 35:50. I started up the beach expecting to see the mat? nope? hmmm..kept running? dying? wogging? dying? uphill and sand are NOT a good combo? dying? HR skyrocketing? finally the mat at the crest. Wow. That took me another 1-2 minutes and is WAY further than last year.
I wogged for a while and then broke into a run, this is a fairly long trip to transition and this year made longer by running AROUND transition to get in. Which was ok, my bike was near that side.
Get into T1 and I go to what I THINK is where my bike is. No bike. HUH?!?! WTF?!?! That?s my number. I think that?s my number. Look at arm, that?s NOT my number, go run to my spot. Hey looky there, my bike! Duh. Made it to my bike quick, stripped the suit, already had bike jersey on, so glasses/helmet/wipe feet REAL good (lots of sand) and go. Stupid sand got in my shoes running out, grrrr, no time to deal. Mount and go.
Immediately I?m passing people. I felt good and HR was recovered enough and I had to yell for several guys to move over so I could pass. I was mentally ready for the first hill, which is <1 mile away? oh wait, guess not, we?re turning right not left! Wow, they changed to bike course TOO (run course dramatically different). Oh well, power on. My goal for the bike was to stay 10beats below LT. Last measured was 166 but we?re ?guessing? it?s moved up to 170 during this cycle (as evidenced by mini tests). So 160 it was. I felt REAL good at that number. The miles flew by and I was constantly passing people. Very few passed me, most I captured again later. It was, bar none, one of my best rides ever. I was powering away on a flat at 26mph with a headwind. 29 with the tailwind. It was wonderful. Of course the hills cancel that out, but still holding that and NOT hurting was SO much fun. I stayed religious on my nutrition ? 400 -400+cals hour 1, 300-400 hour2, 200-300 (if I can). Drinking was perfect, every 10min or so. I switched between Gatorade endurance and water. Had 4 bottles, more or less and wore a bottle, more or less to cool me (preventative, it really felt pretty nice out). I took 2 thermolytes at 1:15 and 2:15. 1:15 my stomach was bugging me and this stopped it. 2:15 was preventative before the run.
In the end I was 2:48 something and pretty pleased. I have since heard from 5 people the course was 57 miles ? which means OVER 20mph (woot!). A big PR and I wasn?t even at MAX ? that was cool. What I was most amazed at is how LITTLE it hurt. My legs felt REAL good, REAL strong and submax effort. Wow, what COULD I have done if I want all out?
T2 was uneventful except for a trip to the porta-potties. I guess I sufficiently hydrated and I had to sit down for a visit there too, which is unusual but went quickly.
Off on the run. The ?plan? I worked out with CC was a follows ?1- plan on loosing 5min stretching early. Before start of after a few minutes of running. Then do ALL the stretches.
2- walk EVERY aid station.
3- do a bunch of heat reduction techniques (dousing with water, ice hat, etc). The idea on #1 is I will slow more than the lost stretch time, if I try to skip it. The idea on #2 is to cool down, reduce HR, force fluids, and eat. Again, come out of that refreshed so I can run faster the time I am running. I added to this ? take 1 thermolyte at each aid station if you can remember.
So after 5min (the magic number for me) I stop for 3min of stretching. Only 3 because some of the stretches need ?props? and I didn?t have any there. So I?ll do them later. Which I did. I ran off and was running reasonably comfortable for the first 3 miles (it?s all relative, I was working hard but nothing was so tight it hurt. It takes 20-30min sometimes for me to loosen up). Cloudy and wasn?t too hot yet. We go from the park to the whirlpool campus through a subdivision. Lots of people around, tons. Getting passed BY lots of people, tons. I just keep plodding away. Passed a few people, there?s a change! Aid stations every 1.5mile or so and I stick to the plan. I?m not running very fast, but I am running pretty consistent. Even WITH the stretching and walking stops I was recording 14-15:15 miles. Of course, if I was to make my 6:29 goal I needed 12min miles- which is what I did this spring on a VERY hilly course. As it heated up it became clear 6:29 was not an option. When the sun broke free from the clouds, I overheated within minutes which means I have to slow down. I don?t even get a CHOICE in the matter. If I try to power through it, I just get hotter and I just shut down further. It?s nuts. But with 14-15?s I was still going way slower than I wanted but I was just balancing being able to run steady vs overheating. So I had a 13:30mile and a 15:30 mile but most were 14:30?s.
Saw triboy on the run a couple times, gave him some of my thermoltyes as he was cramping. Saw my other buds, along with SIX other people who said hi to me and remembered me from last year. WOW, I totally didn?t remember them, that?s awkward. Oh well, I say Hi, what else can you do? (saw 5 others at the end, same deal ? one more at the hotel I am at).
The sun played pea-ka-book with the clouds, but for the most part EXCEPT between miles 6-9 it was hidden so I was ok. 6-9 was rough for me to keep the pace and not overheat. But I kept chugging along. I also noticed there were MANY people behind me. As I left loop 2 ? there were 3 people starting their first! Ok, I was in wave 15 (of 16) and going to finish in 7ish and if they are that far behind, do you think they can do 11 more miles in 1:04 (the cutoff?) I?m thinking they would get pulled from the course.
I did spend a TON of time cat-and-mouse with #2400. A big guy maybe 6ft 5in clearly having a hard time of it. I would pass him then soon enough he?d pass me, and repeat. No words said, but it was clear our game. We did that from mile 1 to mile 13. I dropped him around mile 11 though. Interesting, last year the reverse played out with my cat-and-mouse guy.
Mostly the body felt fine (again, relative, I was tired but not dead. I was sore, but not at the end of my limits), but by mile 8 I was done with Gels. Also my right PF hurt (only happens during HIM weird) so several stops to stretch calves which worked. I stuck to Gatorade Endurance, but by mile 10 I got sick of that. They ran out of ice at some of the stops, so I was not pleased about that. My feet were now wet from dumping water on me, getting sprayed by kids with super-soakers, and people with hoses. So the feet were starting to really hurt. You know, this happened mile around mile 8-9 last time. I guess I need to hard up or just expect it. But it wasn?t as bad as last year and I didn?t stop to do anything about it.
Mile 11 I?m not eating as much, drinking as much and I still have 30min to go, so I pulled out my secret weapon ? the Enervitine pack ? described as ?Crack for Cyclists?. I have tried them and it?s true. Quick acting energy for the end of the race. I used one of the bike and one here. It helped almost immediately and the stomach started feeling BETTER for a while.
Each mile got harder to keep the pace. Mile 1-3 was pretty much ?work but not dying?, 4-6 was ?wow, this is REALLY a lot of work?, 7-9 was ?Why am I doing this? Maybe I don?t like HIM distance??, 10-13 was ?someone kill me now this really hurts and I am TIRED?.
The last mile was rough. I would be running? then walking. I had not made a ?choice? in this, it just happened. That was weird. So I?d just talk myself through it and get going again. I walked a bit before we got to the beach, where you make a sharp left turn and run down the sand (with carpets) and then some concrete for the finish chute. Did not like the sand. Every time my foot landed, it rolled a tiny bit and my quads flashed with short and sharp pains. In the end I finished strong but I was hurting pretty bad. My quads were FRIED. DW was there to shove my recovery drink into me and make sure I kept moving so I didn?t cramp. I was mixed with emotions, mostly pleased I was done, a little annoyed with mother nature for holding me back, but overall just happy for it to be done. Standing by the beach after though, it was darnright pleasant out! Man if I hadn?t been for that ?swim/bike/run? for the last 7 hours the weather would have been darn nice!
I don?t have mile splits, I won?t get home until Thursday, I?ll post them if anyone cares.
NO interest in the post-race food. I tried to get a massage but wait too long. I managed to congratulate Triboy on his first HIM, along with another Chicago bud who it was his first HIM. My other bud missed a Clearwater spot because of his swim. If he had swum my swim time (35ish) instead of his (48ish) he would have had it. He?s gonna take some lessons Monday he said
We swim Wed in lake Michigan today, so I told him he needed to stop missing it and come learn somethin?. Hehe.
The post race party was lame this year, I didn?t stick around but one of my buds did. They had pizza and warm soda. Last year it was a fun event at a local bar (with COLD beer), we ended up going out there after cleanup and a nap and drinking more than I?ve drank in the last 6 months. Fun! I added a fried pickle, never had that before, a hamburger (yummm? sinful) and a custard Sunday at Culvers (yumm.. condensed sinful!).
So overall, I?m satisfied with the result. I?m certainly not unhappy, with the weather it?s no surprise. It could have been worse. I?m not jumping for joy, because I really know I have a sub 6:30 in me NOW- if the weather would be cooler. Regardless, it?s a huge time jump, I did NOT have any ?almost injuries? like last year so I really think CC nailed my schedule and what abuse my body can take. Big kudos to her on that.
I feel so much better trained for this event as compared to last year. Not that CC didn?t do a great job with the raw material given, but moreso that the extra year made a huge difference in fitness. Almost no weight loss, which is a disappointment, but it?s something I need to continue to work on. I am certain my Body Fat has decreased by 2-4% this year, but there is still too much ?weight? and I need to purge more because it?s ?Free Speed?.
Even though I have a ?2 week decision free zone? I can tell you I doubt I will do a marathon or Full Ironman until I get a better handle on the run. I just did 3+ hrs, I?m not interested in a 6:30 marathon or 7:30 IM Marathon. I don?t LIKE running that much and that is just too darn long. I will wait until I am sub2 hour HM before I attempt a full Marathon or Ironman I think. I have the confidence I could finish a full IM with a season of training, but the fact is I don?t want to at the moment purely because of the run. It?s not in the cards until 2009 or 2010 (ideally) anyway due to family stuff, so I have time and I will take my time.
Thanks so much for the kind thoughts and emails. I think I got 10 emails Friday wishing me luck from various people. It means a lot. I have gotten so much from CoolRunning over the years and can only help by sharing my experiences, I can help someone else avoid some of the stupider mistakes I?ve made and learn something.
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Yup That's me[/URL" target="_blank">
Short: (don?t have official times so these are estimates)
-swim 35:50ish out of water (PR 1 minish on half iron distance)
- t1 ? 8ish
- bike 2:48ish ? 20mph (PR by 12minish on 56)
- t2 ? 6ish (bathroom stop)
- run ? 3:14ish
- overall 6:51ish (Prior 7:32, so 41minish PR)
65ish degrees at start, ending around 83 (mostly cloudy)
Breakfast ? 2 slices white bread (forgot to bring my bagels) + peanut butter + 2 bananas + 20oz diet coke
Long Version.. Real long version
This year was supposed to be ?Revenge of Steelhead? for me. I wasn?t satisfied about the run last year, at all, because (mostly) the heat just killed me. Yeah, it was the first year I had even done 13.1 at all (did 3) but still I ran something like a 3:40 and that?s just bad (stand alone was 3:19). So my primary goal was sub 7hrs. However, with my fitness gains over the last year 6:29:59 was in my reach. However, ultimately the temps would decide whether or not I made it, there was no doubt. I do poorly above 70. I melt above 80. I go nuclear and shut down over 85. This I know and I haven?t solved it, I?m sure my size plays a huge factor in it ? but also several days a week I spend large chunks of time in 60degree server rooms ? that doesn?t help one get used to heat!
DW and I went down for the weekend after dropping the kids with the inlaws. A few of my Chicago friends were racing too, so we decided we?d do a Friday dinner. We invited Triboy and wife and had a GREAT Italian meal the night before. Lots of fun! I went and checked out transition, half listened to the course talk, and spent entirely too much money on race gear. I love my Steelhead bike jersey from 06 and I was able to pick up 2 more (short and long sleeve) as well as 07 versions. Paid off though (I?m rationalizing) because DW pointed out my white shirt had no pockets (wearing white for heat reduction) so why didn?t I wear the jersey for the bike and then change. Good idea!
To bed not entirely early and up (literally) too early. I got 5 hours so that?s enough, but used my cell phone for an alarm. It was still showing Central time (where I live) but we are in Eastern time (barely). Well, overnight it switched. So I ended up getting up at 3:30am EST instead of 3:30am CST. Well, by the time I noticed it was too late to do anything about it, so I just hung around for a while and then bailed. So I left DW the car, I rode my bike 4-5 miles to transition. DW would later come and see my finish, but there was no reason she needed to hang all day. This makes this weekend a bit of a vacation for her instead of just a ?diva weekend? for me
Got setup and had tons of time to kill. So I stretched, wandered around, and finally started the 1.2mile walk up the beach to the start. OK, I am not liking that change. Last year, they did shuttles. Wore flip flops (which I was planning to dump) and ended up removing them because they were hurting my feet (I didn?t train in them!). Did a warm up swim. Being in wave 15 I had MORE time to kill. Boooring. Did another warmup swim. Finally ready to go.
Beach start this year. No more pier jump (city/county is banning it too many kids have died screwing around and jumping off). There was NO Clydesdale wave, although there WAS a Clydesdale division. So I got to start with the 35-39?s in Wave 15 (of 16) ? speedy group for the most part too. Unusual territory for me, so I seeded myself second row, center (normally would go first row center). We had to run maybe 100? Ft out before it was waist deep. Announced yelled ?GO? (horn died, LMAO) I probably made it 50ft before I decided I could swim this faster than running, so I dove in and swam in the shallow water. I did in fact start to pass some of these runners who had jumped ahead of me, although a few pulled away. By 100ft everyone was swimming. This was weird for me, normally I break away with to top few of my wave and loose everyone else. Well? the Male 35-39 is a fast group. So I had maybe 40% behind, 30% with, and 30% who left me in the DUST! That was WEIRD! Anyway, I slowly moved ahead of the middle group and started breaking into the top group, but it took ¼ mile. That or I had caught the slow-pokes from the prior wave (2 waves of our age group, both with blue, so who knows). I kept a ?fast as I can without being out of breath? pace. Felt good. With so many people around it was pretty simple to sight. I have people left and right and we stayed on course for the most part.
Soon enough some yellows go blowing by us. Relay team. Clearly the bigtime swimmers. Wow were they fast! I was steadily picking through caps ? orange, silver, red, lime green, etc ? I think I caught some from every wave, but I lost count and started to tire so I had to stop site seeing. Soon enough, the orange buoy which indicates the turn. I floor it and sprint ahead of the pack I was in and about ½ way in find some shallow ground ? so I dolphin dive a few times, only to get back to deeper water! Huh? That threw me. Was a sand bar I guess. Floored it some more and started passing tons of guys walking/running to shore. Since running in not my strength, I kept swimming instead until I was in maybe 2ft deep water. Hopped up and ran to land ? 35:50. I started up the beach expecting to see the mat? nope? hmmm..kept running? dying? wogging? dying? uphill and sand are NOT a good combo? dying? HR skyrocketing? finally the mat at the crest. Wow. That took me another 1-2 minutes and is WAY further than last year.
I wogged for a while and then broke into a run, this is a fairly long trip to transition and this year made longer by running AROUND transition to get in. Which was ok, my bike was near that side.
Get into T1 and I go to what I THINK is where my bike is. No bike. HUH?!?! WTF?!?! That?s my number. I think that?s my number. Look at arm, that?s NOT my number, go run to my spot. Hey looky there, my bike! Duh. Made it to my bike quick, stripped the suit, already had bike jersey on, so glasses/helmet/wipe feet REAL good (lots of sand) and go. Stupid sand got in my shoes running out, grrrr, no time to deal. Mount and go.
Immediately I?m passing people. I felt good and HR was recovered enough and I had to yell for several guys to move over so I could pass. I was mentally ready for the first hill, which is <1 mile away? oh wait, guess not, we?re turning right not left! Wow, they changed to bike course TOO (run course dramatically different). Oh well, power on. My goal for the bike was to stay 10beats below LT. Last measured was 166 but we?re ?guessing? it?s moved up to 170 during this cycle (as evidenced by mini tests). So 160 it was. I felt REAL good at that number. The miles flew by and I was constantly passing people. Very few passed me, most I captured again later. It was, bar none, one of my best rides ever. I was powering away on a flat at 26mph with a headwind. 29 with the tailwind. It was wonderful. Of course the hills cancel that out, but still holding that and NOT hurting was SO much fun. I stayed religious on my nutrition ? 400 -400+cals hour 1, 300-400 hour2, 200-300 (if I can). Drinking was perfect, every 10min or so. I switched between Gatorade endurance and water. Had 4 bottles, more or less and wore a bottle, more or less to cool me (preventative, it really felt pretty nice out). I took 2 thermolytes at 1:15 and 2:15. 1:15 my stomach was bugging me and this stopped it. 2:15 was preventative before the run.
In the end I was 2:48 something and pretty pleased. I have since heard from 5 people the course was 57 miles ? which means OVER 20mph (woot!). A big PR and I wasn?t even at MAX ? that was cool. What I was most amazed at is how LITTLE it hurt. My legs felt REAL good, REAL strong and submax effort. Wow, what COULD I have done if I want all out?
T2 was uneventful except for a trip to the porta-potties. I guess I sufficiently hydrated and I had to sit down for a visit there too, which is unusual but went quickly.
Off on the run. The ?plan? I worked out with CC was a follows ?1- plan on loosing 5min stretching early. Before start of after a few minutes of running. Then do ALL the stretches.
2- walk EVERY aid station.
3- do a bunch of heat reduction techniques (dousing with water, ice hat, etc). The idea on #1 is I will slow more than the lost stretch time, if I try to skip it. The idea on #2 is to cool down, reduce HR, force fluids, and eat. Again, come out of that refreshed so I can run faster the time I am running. I added to this ? take 1 thermolyte at each aid station if you can remember.
So after 5min (the magic number for me) I stop for 3min of stretching. Only 3 because some of the stretches need ?props? and I didn?t have any there. So I?ll do them later. Which I did. I ran off and was running reasonably comfortable for the first 3 miles (it?s all relative, I was working hard but nothing was so tight it hurt. It takes 20-30min sometimes for me to loosen up). Cloudy and wasn?t too hot yet. We go from the park to the whirlpool campus through a subdivision. Lots of people around, tons. Getting passed BY lots of people, tons. I just keep plodding away. Passed a few people, there?s a change! Aid stations every 1.5mile or so and I stick to the plan. I?m not running very fast, but I am running pretty consistent. Even WITH the stretching and walking stops I was recording 14-15:15 miles. Of course, if I was to make my 6:29 goal I needed 12min miles- which is what I did this spring on a VERY hilly course. As it heated up it became clear 6:29 was not an option. When the sun broke free from the clouds, I overheated within minutes which means I have to slow down. I don?t even get a CHOICE in the matter. If I try to power through it, I just get hotter and I just shut down further. It?s nuts. But with 14-15?s I was still going way slower than I wanted but I was just balancing being able to run steady vs overheating. So I had a 13:30mile and a 15:30 mile but most were 14:30?s.
Saw triboy on the run a couple times, gave him some of my thermoltyes as he was cramping. Saw my other buds, along with SIX other people who said hi to me and remembered me from last year. WOW, I totally didn?t remember them, that?s awkward. Oh well, I say Hi, what else can you do? (saw 5 others at the end, same deal ? one more at the hotel I am at).
The sun played pea-ka-book with the clouds, but for the most part EXCEPT between miles 6-9 it was hidden so I was ok. 6-9 was rough for me to keep the pace and not overheat. But I kept chugging along. I also noticed there were MANY people behind me. As I left loop 2 ? there were 3 people starting their first! Ok, I was in wave 15 (of 16) and going to finish in 7ish and if they are that far behind, do you think they can do 11 more miles in 1:04 (the cutoff?) I?m thinking they would get pulled from the course.
I did spend a TON of time cat-and-mouse with #2400. A big guy maybe 6ft 5in clearly having a hard time of it. I would pass him then soon enough he?d pass me, and repeat. No words said, but it was clear our game. We did that from mile 1 to mile 13. I dropped him around mile 11 though. Interesting, last year the reverse played out with my cat-and-mouse guy.
Mostly the body felt fine (again, relative, I was tired but not dead. I was sore, but not at the end of my limits), but by mile 8 I was done with Gels. Also my right PF hurt (only happens during HIM weird) so several stops to stretch calves which worked. I stuck to Gatorade Endurance, but by mile 10 I got sick of that. They ran out of ice at some of the stops, so I was not pleased about that. My feet were now wet from dumping water on me, getting sprayed by kids with super-soakers, and people with hoses. So the feet were starting to really hurt. You know, this happened mile around mile 8-9 last time. I guess I need to hard up or just expect it. But it wasn?t as bad as last year and I didn?t stop to do anything about it.
Mile 11 I?m not eating as much, drinking as much and I still have 30min to go, so I pulled out my secret weapon ? the Enervitine pack ? described as ?Crack for Cyclists?. I have tried them and it?s true. Quick acting energy for the end of the race. I used one of the bike and one here. It helped almost immediately and the stomach started feeling BETTER for a while.
Each mile got harder to keep the pace. Mile 1-3 was pretty much ?work but not dying?, 4-6 was ?wow, this is REALLY a lot of work?, 7-9 was ?Why am I doing this? Maybe I don?t like HIM distance??, 10-13 was ?someone kill me now this really hurts and I am TIRED?.
The last mile was rough. I would be running? then walking. I had not made a ?choice? in this, it just happened. That was weird. So I?d just talk myself through it and get going again. I walked a bit before we got to the beach, where you make a sharp left turn and run down the sand (with carpets) and then some concrete for the finish chute. Did not like the sand. Every time my foot landed, it rolled a tiny bit and my quads flashed with short and sharp pains. In the end I finished strong but I was hurting pretty bad. My quads were FRIED. DW was there to shove my recovery drink into me and make sure I kept moving so I didn?t cramp. I was mixed with emotions, mostly pleased I was done, a little annoyed with mother nature for holding me back, but overall just happy for it to be done. Standing by the beach after though, it was darnright pleasant out! Man if I hadn?t been for that ?swim/bike/run? for the last 7 hours the weather would have been darn nice!
I don?t have mile splits, I won?t get home until Thursday, I?ll post them if anyone cares.
NO interest in the post-race food. I tried to get a massage but wait too long. I managed to congratulate Triboy on his first HIM, along with another Chicago bud who it was his first HIM. My other bud missed a Clearwater spot because of his swim. If he had swum my swim time (35ish) instead of his (48ish) he would have had it. He?s gonna take some lessons Monday he said
We swim Wed in lake Michigan today, so I told him he needed to stop missing it and come learn somethin?. Hehe. The post race party was lame this year, I didn?t stick around but one of my buds did. They had pizza and warm soda. Last year it was a fun event at a local bar (with COLD beer), we ended up going out there after cleanup and a nap and drinking more than I?ve drank in the last 6 months. Fun! I added a fried pickle, never had that before, a hamburger (yummm? sinful) and a custard Sunday at Culvers (yumm.. condensed sinful!).
So overall, I?m satisfied with the result. I?m certainly not unhappy, with the weather it?s no surprise. It could have been worse. I?m not jumping for joy, because I really know I have a sub 6:30 in me NOW- if the weather would be cooler. Regardless, it?s a huge time jump, I did NOT have any ?almost injuries? like last year so I really think CC nailed my schedule and what abuse my body can take. Big kudos to her on that.
I feel so much better trained for this event as compared to last year. Not that CC didn?t do a great job with the raw material given, but moreso that the extra year made a huge difference in fitness. Almost no weight loss, which is a disappointment, but it?s something I need to continue to work on. I am certain my Body Fat has decreased by 2-4% this year, but there is still too much ?weight? and I need to purge more because it?s ?Free Speed?.
Even though I have a ?2 week decision free zone? I can tell you I doubt I will do a marathon or Full Ironman until I get a better handle on the run. I just did 3+ hrs, I?m not interested in a 6:30 marathon or 7:30 IM Marathon. I don?t LIKE running that much and that is just too darn long. I will wait until I am sub2 hour HM before I attempt a full Marathon or Ironman I think. I have the confidence I could finish a full IM with a season of training, but the fact is I don?t want to at the moment purely because of the run. It?s not in the cards until 2009 or 2010 (ideally) anyway due to family stuff, so I have time and I will take my time.
Thanks so much for the kind thoughts and emails. I think I got 10 emails Friday wishing me luck from various people. It means a lot. I have gotten so much from CoolRunning over the years and can only help by sharing my experiences, I can help someone else avoid some of the stupider mistakes I?ve made and learn something.
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