Two by two

With one day left in the month of April, we are officially soggy. We will finish 1/100th of an inch short of the all time wettest April for the state of Indiana. The wettest was way back in 1893. Guess no one was training for a triathlon that year. However, I continue to to do so and with a hopscotch training schedule around the rain. I am at the cusp of a brutal stretch of races and training. In the next 30 days, I will run a half marathon, complete an Olympic triathlon, run a 5k(as fun with the whole family) and complete my first half-ironman distance race. This will truly be a tall task that will be a huge gauge as to my progress to date. It will give me feedback as to where my biggest weaknesses exist. This will set the stages for my training for the next 40 days to address those areas. Then I take on another half-ironman. That will be my last race before Louisville. I am now less than 4 months away from jumping into the Ohio River to start the days journey.

I am currently scaled back a bit in training this week in preparation for the Indy mini marathon. It's a race I will do with my wife. It is the largest half marathon in the nation. It's a race that includes a 2.5 mile trip around the famed yard of bricks at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It's definitely a special moment for myself as I come down that main stretch since I have gone to every Indy 500 since I was 4. You can do that math. Last year was a my first mini and it did not go well. A sudden heat wave with high humidity sapped my energy and endurance mid race. I have high hopes for an improved performance with a goal time of sub 2 hours. No heat wave is predicted this year but guess what is. Rain........

 

Going long

Doing anything for a long time takes effort.  I find running for a long time more difficult than swimming or biking.  It just seems that parts and pieces begin to ache and not react the same after extended running. You can't adjust or slow. You can't coast or use and easier gear.  You just have to keep putting one foot in front of the other.   For me 10 miles is magical.  It seems that when I cross that point in my run my legs become those of another person.  They lose their strength and I tend to feel increased amounts of soreness.  I admit this worries me when I think about the fact that in an Ironman this does not even put me half way home not to mention the the bike portion and its wear prior to even beginning to run. 
As hard as the cool weather is trying to persist against the will of ever runner, biker and triathlete in Indiana, warmer air is becoming more frequent.  The training has been good and is pretty much outside for everything but my swims.  Water temps are still hovering in the 50's which is just too low.  Last year, open water swims were already under way with temps in the low 70's. Besides that, most the area was deluged with more than 5 inches of rain with greater amounts in certain areas.  Swimming open water would not be wise when the lakes resemble chocolate milk.  The other constant besides cool weather has been wind.  Every day is 15mph+.  This makes for much planning on your routes so as to either minimize its influence all together or to make sure that its at your back at the end.  There is not much more painful than physical exhaustion and a 25mph headwind to really kick ya.
Saturday was my day for a big run. IT was to be be last really long run before the mini marathon(13.1 miles). It would be my longest run so far.  The day was rather cool at 45 degrees and surprise, surprise quite breezy.  The temp was not all that bad for a run but with the breeze it just never felt very comfortable.  Contrary to the conditions, my run went really well.  I was rather anxious about the run due to its length and my affinity for having dead legs after 10 miles.  This was really gonna be a good indicator of how the mini may play out for me.  In the early stages I felt great.  The pace was at a really good rate for me and as importantly, my heart rate was low and steady.  I held caution as the miles ticked off.  My pace held, my HR kept good and the legs were solid.  8, 10, 12, Can I hit 13.1 and still have it?  I did.  Mind you I was tiring but the pace was still the same as well the legs were alive.  A big sigh of relief was exhaled.  Tick, tick the miles kept going.  My workouts are timed base not mileage based so I continued as prescribed for my 2 hours +.  When done, 15 miles was the reading.  The legs were withering as previously but I was so pleased to be at that mileage.  Now I face the next level of having11+ more to go and add on a bike before hand to make this thing happen.  But with any training process, its about the build and progression and not being able to do it all the first day.  For me, a milestone was reached.  I am still cautious about what will happen the day of the mini and in the Ironman but I feel better today than I did a week ago by a long shot.

Close to home

By now most if not all of you have seen the tragedies that occurred Monday at the Boston Marathon.  What a truly tragic scene on what was to be a joyous and for many a monumental achievement.  In an instant this was all erased.  For me, this has been very real and impactful and maybe a bit more so than for some.  First of all, I had good friends and a fellow Ironman participant/training buddy running in the race and near the blast when it went off. I was stricken with concern when the live timing for the race ceased and I knew he had yet to cross the line and his projected finish time was around the time of the incident.  Also, I was communicating via text with his girlfriend that was unable to locate him nor had he made it to their rendezvous point.  Thankfully, he and all are safe.  Next, is the impact of the nature of the terror at that location.  As I have described in the past the finish line is a euphoric place.  Google Ironman finish video and you will see a plethora of videos that are very moving.   Many describe it as a near religious experience.  Many will describe the ironman finish line as something of a level of inspiration and awe that they have rarely seen else where.  To feel that there is a threat to diminish or destroy that puts a pit in my stomach.  In the face of terrorism we must be resilient, but I can only hope that when I make that finish line in Louisville that there is no diminishing feeling as these participants have experienced. 

Last week was my first week of training in leading up to a race.  The schedule was lighter than usual so as to be fresh but since this was a sprint triathlon it was not drastically changed as this was really just an appetizer and a way to gauge to my progress.  The Carmel Tri is a sprint triathlon with a pool swim that you then transition outside for the bike and the run.  Its 400 meters of swimming, 10 miles of biking and ending with a 5k (3.1 mile) run.  I did the race in 2012 but was fighting a cold at that time and had done a 65 mile charity bike ride the day before.  Either way it was a pretty good result for me with a finishing time of 58:29. This placed me 58th over all, 8th out of 47 in my age group, and I came in the 12th fastest bike time overall.  Versus 2012 I had improved my finish by over 150 spots.  As with any race critique you come back with some areas where I lost time.  For me, the swim was a real disappointment given all my recent effort in this area.  10 meters into the swim I felt something around my feet.  My heart rate monitor strap had come loose.  The upside was I did not loose a $60 heart rate monitor. However, with stopping to get it, then fiddling with it as swam, and eventually stuffing it my pants to finish, I cost myself a good 30 seconds to a minute.  This was the difference between a top 5  in my age group and top 50 overall.  My transitions were also a bit slow. I spent too much time at my mat and was to slow in to my shoes on my flying bike mounts.  These were more of a function of being the first race of the year than anything else.  These also decrease in importance as the length of the events increase.  So my take-away was the training is working, to focus a bit more on the details of the race to reduce the glitches, and to keep up the hard work.  Lastly, my daughter participated in the swim as part of a relay team with her friends.  They did an awesome job finishing 1st in the age grouping even with a slight hiccup on the run that went a little longer in distance than it needed to be. It was great to kick the season off in a more official manner with good results and it was also great to see so many others that I have come to know in this crazy community of triathletes.  I am now back to focusing on increasing my distances.  My next race will be the Indy Mini marathon on 5/4.  Boston will no doubt be on all our minds. 

Good with the bad

I have been a bit abscent of late. This was due to two reasons.  First was our annual family vacation over spring break.  I will cover that part as spring training.  Secondly, due to a loss.  I will cover that near the end.  I am sitting here typing away on this blog on the eve of my first race of the year.  Its hard to believe that actual race season is upon me.  This will certainly not end or greatly affect my training but it does break up the monotiny of the training regimine and will feed that competitive nature.  It is also a great gauge of progress. So now... the rest of the story.


For the last 15 years or so we have made an annual spring trip south to Florida for vacation.  We typically stay with my in-laws in the Bradenton Beach area.  This is just south of Tampaon the gulf coast.  It is always a nice reprieve and nice to enjoy some warm weather and relaxation.  This year would not be much different except that I would be incorporating my training into our vacation agenda.  I was actually looking forward to this as our weather had been so miserable.  During the trip, my training was really no different than at home except for my surroundings.  After 15 years I had already had a good feel for the area and my way around for some good training.  For the bike, I actually rented a nice Specialized Roubiax from a local shop.  Ringling Bicycles was nearby and gave me great service at a rate much cheaper than trying to get my bike down there.  That would have been nearly impossible and very expensive since we were flying.  I rented it for a week and not only did my normal workouts but also did several outside of my plan just to get more use of the bike and to enjoy the opportunity to ride in such surroundings.  This is a really great area to ride as there is a multitude of dedicated bike lanes and in most cases I was breezing past cars that were stuck in endless lines of traffic.  The only real challenges is the constant sea breeze that seems to always be in you face and the tourist or retirees who don't look for bikes.  It was a great time and put a smile on my face. My swims were a bit less frequent even though I was in and around a pool more than anything.  This was not a significant issue.  I was able to do one open water ocean swim of just over a mile.  The water was an eye opening 63 degrees.  Yet, once I was past the initial shock it was very pleasant.  I had to learn to time the waves to my breaths and keep thoughts of Jaws from invading.  My wife did pace me down the beach and got the up close on the looks and points from the sunbathers at that "crazy" guy.   My runs were also a mix of short and long and were of great pleasantry.  The heat was not too crazy this year so my acclimation was not too bad.  The area was loaded with runners so it was fun to be amongst them. Again, this area is great for running as most all areas had running paths near or around.  My only real fault was that on my 12 mile I was in a bit of rush to start and I forgot to take or stash some water.  My pace was slow at the end but I got through it. 
So I returned to the great white north on Sunday and to our amazement the warm weather accompanied.  It has been extremely pleasant of late with temps in the 70's but a constant wind. On Monday I decided to hit the Monon trail for a run on my way home from work.  Something I have mentioned and done often.  My only change was I chose a bit of different starting spot than normal to change up the scenery some and to match my workout better.  I changed at work stowed my work stuffs, clothes and such in my car.  Parked near the trail and headed out for my hour run.  It was a decent run and with the warm weather of late I was far from alone.  Then, upon return to my car, a crisis had occurred.  A fine individual had decided to bust out my passenger window and steal my work bag and my pants which still had my wallet.  I was devastated.  They had gotten not only my wallet but my laptop, IPAD, and my work bag which carried all my work essentials including my passport.  The theft in materials and damage to my car was one thing but the sheer hassle of all the credit cards and such was just inconceivable.  Therefore, since return from vacation I have done next to nothing but fret with this BS and try to maintain my workouts as a reprieve from my anger and disbelief.  Fortunately, much has been resolved and replaced. I have come to try and put this bump behind me where I can and focus on Sunday as the dawn of the season.  I feel prepared.  I feel relieved to start the season.  I feel a bit of fire in anger for the senseless action of a theft.