In the four years that I have been a runner, I have read and heard a ton about heart rate training. I just figured it was one more thing to mess with, so I have been curious, but have never bothered with it. When I bought my awful Timex Global Trainer, it came with a heart rate monitor on it and the strap. I think I used it on one or two runs, but it took forever for the stupid watch to register the heart rate and the chest strap wasn't comfortable at all, and I found it was a hassle, so it is still sitting in the bottom of my gear junk drawer. Not that I could use it anyhow seeing as how that dang Global Trainer is history too!
However, as I am looking towards my other goals in my training and racing, as I look at training plans and talk with other athletes, they all incorporate heart rate training. So maybe there is something to this after all? I have also been playing with the idea of wanting to dial in my pace and effort more and I have missed having a bike computer. So all of this has led me to my latest tri gear purchase, a Garmin 310XT, and I made sure that I bought the one with the heart rate monitor.
This will be my new venture, I am going to try to incorporate heart rate training into my own SBR. I am going to have to figure out how to calculate my Zones, and how to use the watch to alert me to these, and then see what improvement I can make. Kim, my friend from BT, was telling me over the weekend it has completely changed her approach to training. So here goes nothing!
What have I done in the past, you ask? I have simply gone by how I feel. I don't want to ditch that entirely, because I strongly believe we have to listen to our bodies and how we feel, this is just one more way for me to get feedback from my body. I have simply in the past gone faster if I feel like for as long as I think I can, then backed off. If I am having a rough day and feel mentally or physically thrashed, I back down. I do this in racing as well. I have always just raced with a cheap Timex stop watch that has an alert to remind me to fuel every 15 minutes, and keeps track of my overall time. Getting into all of this technology will take some adjusting. But, like I said before, here goes nothing!
In the meantime, happy training and racing!
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
Saturday, May 3, 2014
Ironman 70.3 St. George Race Report
This might just be my longest race report to date. I have so many thoughts and feelings about this race that I am not sure how to sum it all up! I guess as usual, I will start with all the pre-race stuff, because it was so much fun!!
PRE-RACE:
I headed down with Mike, Melinda, and their friend, Jason, on Thursday morning to StG knowing that Ken and the kids would be joining me on Friday afternoon. As always, they are a ton of fun. We got into town and immediately went to Ironman Village. I was so excited about this! If you follow me on Facebook or Twitter, you know I was posting tons of pics from that afternoon. The Athlete Check in was even fun! All of the volunteers treat you like a rock star and it is so smooth and organized, I loved it! After I got my bag, timing chip and other race stuff, we went to the merchandise tent where they have anything and everything you could ever want from Ironman. It was fun! I bought a finisher's t-shirt, a car emblem, and a bike jersey. I also got Ken a shirt that says Support Crew on it and the kids got Future Ironman shirts. We then waited around for the Pro Panel. Since this is the US Championships, the pro panel was deep! It was funny because I had a question about where the pro panel would even be so I turned and saw a woman with a shirt that said IRONMAN STAFF on it and asked her. She was this really fit, 40 something woman who responded in an Australian accent and pointed where it would be. As I left from talking to her Mike said, "You know who that is, right?" I had no clue. It was Paula Newby-Frazier, multiple world champion and coach to Hines Ward in Kona last year! HA! We then sat down and were waiting for the Panel to actually start and I saw this woman who was also VERY buff, and I was positive she was Meredith Kessler. Well, she was, and I wasn't going to miss my chance to visit with her. She was beyond friendly, and was asking me about my racing and training, and also telling me about her week their in StG. I asked to have a picture with her and she very kindly agreed to snap one with this tri-geek. She was awesome. Can't say enough nice things about her!
We then had dinner and I retired to the hotel early and had a great night sleep. The next day was pretty low key as well, we went to bike check in, drove the bike course, and then Ken and the kids joined me that evening. This whole time I had race nerves, but more excited like a kid on Christmas Eve more than anything else. |
| Meredith Kessler is the real deal! |
Saturday morning I woke up early, had my oatmeal and my banana and left for the shuttle to take us up to Sand Hollow. I was in Wave #9 with a start time of 7:24. I had fun in transition visiting with my friends and making new ones. I was able to see Jarrod, Megan, Kim, and Mike. I still say triathletes are the coolest and friendliest people on earth! They are all very encouraging, fun and great support out there!
SWIM:
My swim wave started at 7:24. Before that we were able to watch the pros take off and I was glad that this was a wave start. With 2800 people racing, I wasn't wanting a mass start. I know that many people say that you have to experience it just once, for the whole "washing machine" effect, but I was okay with bypassing that. This was a deep water start where you actually had to swim about 150 yards off the short to the red buoys where you then waited for the horn to blow and start. I got in the water and noticed it was indeed cold, but with the full wetsuit it wasn't bad at all. Some one reported a temperature of 61 degrees. I was, however, very glad to have my neoprene skull cap under my swim cap so I was able to avoid the brain freeze head ache that I got at Rage in Vegas. I swam calmly out to the buoys and I barely got there when they blew the horn so I just kept going! I was glad that there wasn't much contact with other swimmers and the water was very clear. I concentrated on my pace but also on sighting every 4th stroke. I was able to stay pretty much on the line that I wanted, but as always, I tended to drift off towards the right. They had kayaks and paddle boarders everywhere though, so it would have been virtually impossible to get too far off. I made it to the first turn buoy pretty quickly and then had a long straight line to the next one. I started to catch up with people ahead of me from other waves. I also noticed when I would look up to sight or breathe the GORGEOUS scenery around me. I was just in a very happy place during this swim. It was calm, beautiful, and I was doing exactly what I planned to do during the swim. It couldn't have been more perfect. I even started to think ahead to the run and bike and review in my mind my nutrition plan and my strategy. It was a good time. I finally turned around the final buoy and headed into the boat ramp where you exitted the water and that was the only place that it really got crowded or hectic. I made my way out and looked down at my watch to see that I had a final swim time of 40:36, a 5 minute improvement from the Utah Half! 
T1:
As soon as I was out of the water, I headed up the boat ramp and found the wetsuit strippers. This is so nice! That suit has never come off so fast! I then grabbed it with my goggles, swim caps, and ran right to the porta potties. I then found my bike, put all my bike stuff on and packed up my swim stuff into my bags. This was a new experience with all the transition bags that they give you, but it is very doable and pretty slick, actually. I then ran with Belle to a volunteer that put sunscreen on my since I forgot to do it in the rush to get my bike stuff on. NOTE TO SELF: Take the time to do it yourself next time. I then clicked in and was on my way! Final T1 time was 6:44.
BIKE:
The first half of the bike was awesome. We immediately headed out of the parking lot, had a good down hill then around the side of the lake and up another steep hill. This would be the first of 5-6 significant climbs on this course. These are not little rollers, they are HILLS! For each of these I put Belle on the small ring in a low gear and just grinded my way to the top. I enjoyed how pretty the course was, talked with others around me, and made sure that I stuck to my nutrition whenever the alert would go off on my watch. We made our way through some farm areas, then into the small town of Hurricane. The first aide station was there and I grabbed a water to refill my aero bottle. I was thoroughly enjoying the course, the day, and the awesome downhills that came after all the climbs. Yes, this course has some very hard climbs, but it is also very fast in many places. I loved these parts! I used them as a chance to spin my legs out, or just coast, and chill for a minute before the next climb would come. It was starting to get pretty hot, but I was sticking to my hydration and taking the salt tabs as well. I had just passed the second aid station at around mile 28, when I noticed I had a flat on my rear tire. Dangit!! I have never flatted in a race! I had just barely given a tube to another cyclist that had one not 20 minutes prior! I then noticed that cyclist I had helped out not only took my tube, but my tire levers and my CO2! I had nothing to change this with! So frustrating! Luckily I had some help from another cyclist who helped me get it off and use some of their CO2. I was back on my way, but easily lost 15-20 minutes here.
I headed off again and it wound through the west side of town and we were about 5 miles out of Snow Canyon when it flatted again. This time it just seemed low, and I didn't want to spend much time on it, so I just let someone fill it up for me with CO2. That was a mistake right there, I should have more thoroughly checked it, instead of just putting something in it and being on my way. But, hindsight is 20/20! I got off on my way again, now completely out of supplies, and I made my way into Snow Canyon, passed another aid station where I took more water, and not 10 minutes after that I was flat AGAIN. At this point, I was feeling so defeated. I was tired, hot, and this was NOT going according to plan. I sat down on the side of the road with other athletes speeding past me and just cried. There was nothing I could do. I had no more tubes, no levers, no CO2 and the bike support was no where to be seen. I put my head down and cried. I also said a prayer begging God to send some help or my day was over, and I so didn't want that! Not a minute later I had something thrown at me. It was tube from a passing cyclist. Well, that's a start, but it wasn't the supplies I needed to change it. Then another cyclist stopped and asked if I needed help. I told him my predicament, and he said that he was starting to cramp up anyway and should get off for a break. He was from LA, his name was Kevin, and he is a self proclaimed bike nut. He whipped that tire off and then spotted the problem. There was a thorn in the tire. That is what kept making me go flat! If I had taken the time earlier to look for it instead of just trying to fix the problem and be on my way, I would have seen that! Dangit!! Anyhow, he pumped me back up, both mentally and physically on the bike, and I then started the climbing in the dreaded Snow Canyon. These fellow athletes that helped me today were truly angels. I would not have been able to finish if they hadn't of stopped their own race to give me aid. I am now vowing to never leave another cyclist on the road or in a race that needs help with out at least seeing what I can do to help. Pay it forward people!
I was still pretty defeated, or feeling that way at least. I started to try to calculate how much time I had lost on that dang wheel. It had to be at least 45 minutes. I started to wonder about the bike cut off and if I would make it. I knew in reality that I was still ok, but I wasn't exactly thinking positively or clearly at this point. As we were making our way up this brutal climb, there were several motivational sayings on signs on the side of the road. I really needed them at this point! They said things like, "All you really need is already inside of you", "Do you remember the guy that quit? Neither does anyone else" and "If you give up now, you will regret it". I needed those as a pick me up for sure, because at this point, I was NOT having fun. I had even gotten off my bike at the steep part of the climb and started walking it thinking that if the SAG wagon showed up, I would gladly jump in. I had to walk it because my quads were spasming so bad I thought I would fall over.
Once I got the the top of Snow Canyon, I had the best down hill ever! I decided to try to do the whole thing in aero and even had my stomach turn at one point like it does on a roller coaster ride, but it was freaking awesome! I felt like I was flying as I sped down that hill. I needed that as a boost as well. I knew I was within 10 miles of the bike finish and what do you know, they had another hill for us! At this point I was thinking more clearly and thought that after what I had already been through, I could do anything, and even this hill. It wasn't as bad as it looked and the whole bike thing was over soon enough. My bike split is pretty pathetic, but when I keep in mind that I lost so much time on flats, it puts it into perspective. Final bike time was 4:21:43. Ouch.
T2:
I couldn't get off that bike fast enough. It was hot. I knew that my family was probably worried about me taking so long on the bike. I quickly changed, hit the porta potties, and was on my way. T2 time was 5:24.
RUN:
Ken was just outside the transition area. He hollered to cheer me on and I told him about all my flats. I waved and was on my way for more hills! I told myself that I would power walk the steep hills and aid stations and run the rest. I was able to do this the entire 13.1 mile run. The aid stations were about every mile anyhow. I found that I was in much better spirits and I was able to see some of my friends on this out and back course. I also visited with some other runners around me. I took some salt tabs in and a Gu every 40 minutes or so. The area was awesome but the hills were brutal. I swear, this course was designed by a sadist! I did my best to power up them the best I could, but was starting to feel the day wear on me. As I hit the aid stations I took in water, dumped ice down my top, grabbed sponges and coke. My stomach started to bother me and I couldn't stand the thought of anything else. I knew however, I would be in world of hurt if I didn't at least force the water and the salt tabs. I did this for the entire second half of the run. I was grateful to hit the turn around and was in good spirits, but wasn't feeling well at all. I noticed that despite the 97 degree temps, I was getting chills and my arms were tingling. My stomach was tight and crampy. Not good signs! I just wanted to finish and be over. I managed to run the entire last 3 miles, but finished in rough shape. my Final run time was 2:44:34. Considering how hot and hard this course was, I am pretty happy with that!
POST RACE:
Like I mentioned above, I finished in rough shape. My final time for this race was 7:59:01. Not what I wanted, but what choice did I have? I didn't feel well at all. I was very weak, tired, and getting chills. I now know these were probably the early signs of dehydration or bonking. When I got all of those flats, my watch kept beeping at me to hydrate or fuel, but I would just focus on the tire at that moment and ignored those reminders to take in fuel and water. This entirely threw of my nutrition plan, my electrolyte intake, everything. So, to say I paid for it was an understatement. I felt like crap. Usually when I finish a race I can eat a horse. Now the only thing I could stomach was the Coke. I also didn't have an appetite for several hours after the race, and even then, it was hardly anything. I made sure to keep drinking Nuun throughout the rest of the evening to restore what was lost to my poor body! I was also pretty sun burned. Don't trust the well meaning volunteers to do the sunscreen right! I literally have streaks of burn where they didn't apply it evenly or thoroughly. We headed back to the hotel and just vegged the rest of the evening by the pool and I fell asleep pretty early.
RACE ORGANIZATION:
You simply can't beat Ironman. They know how to do a race. This was an amazing event, starting with the pre-race stuff at Ironman Village. I kept thinking, if this is what they do for just a Half, I wonder what it is like for a full? Everywhere you went you were treated like a rock star. Even in town, when people say your blue athlete wrist band, you were treated like royalty. It was pretty cool! The volunteers were awesome. The aid stations were pretty well stocked, you name it, they had it! They think of everything! They sweep the roads for the bike and run prior to the race. They sweep the rocks off the sand at the swim start so you don't have to worry about stepping on them. They lay out carpet between bike racks in T1 so you don't have run on hot or gravelly pavement as you head to your bike. And, they have a pretty cool medal! I have to say, that as tough as this day was, it is an amazing course. Very challenging, but amazing. It was the hardest race of my life, but I am glad I did it. I would definitely do it again, I feel that I have score to settle with that dang bike course!
LESSONS LEARNED:
-Sun screen shouldn't be taken lightly. I look like a streaked lobster today.
-Hydration and nutrition are crucial and when you have a plan, stick to it, regardless of what the day throws at you!
-Be prepared for worse case scenario. I should have had more stuff to change my tires, and known better how to use it. And check for the cause of the problem, like the thorn, to avoid future issues!
-PAY IT FORWARD with all the good people that helped me through this hard day, I have to pay it forward from now on!
-I really like the challenge of long course racing. I definitely got to see what I was made of today.
I would be lying if I said that I was not disappointed in my race. It was my "A" race and I this is not what I envisioned or planned for today. I have been pretty bummed about it. But I pushed through some very difficult conditions, heat, a difficult course, three flat tires, and the mental challenges as well! I put myself through the wringer today! But, as I have been bummed, I have asked myself, what else could I have done? I didn't give up. I didn't get bitter (ok, maybe for a minute or two on the bike), and I FINISHED. Most people won't do things like this, much less finish. I can honestly say I did my best with what I had given to me, and at the end of the day, I can't ask more of myself than that. This course and this race, and the conditions, etc, really gave me a chance to see what I was made of, and I am happy with what I found :)
In the meantime, Happy training and racing all!
Sunday, April 27, 2014
20 Running Related Questions about Me...Got tagged
1. How long have you been running?
I have been running regularly for just over 4 years now. As a kid and growing up I was never athletic, and my only memory of running was when we had to run the mile every Friday in PE, and I hated it.
2. Why did you start running?
I started it after I lost weight doing Slim in Six, and I needed a new challenge, so I figured I would do a half marathon.
3. What is the furthest distance you have ever ran?
26.2 miles. And I am in no hurry to do that any time soon. Who knows, maybe I will sooner than I think :)
4. What is your best running memory?
Not sure, there are so many. I think marathon finish lines are the best. But also finishing the run portion of the Utah Half and crossing the finish line and jumping into Ken's arms is pretty high up there as well. It was absolutely the perfect finish line moment.
5. What shoes do you run in?
Asics. I have switched between a few of their stability shoes, but it is always Asics, currently the Gel Numbus 16.
6. What are your favorite and least favorite distances to run or race?
I don't know, I like them all for different reasons. 5ks and Sprint triathlons are sometimes over way too soon, though that can be a good thing too. 5ks can hurt a lot to if you really go all out like I do. I tend to like the longer distances because the sense of satisfaction is amazing when you cross the finish. Overall for running, I like half marathons. Still a challenge, but not so much you kill yourself in training for one or racing one.
7. Do you have a running partner?
Nope. Just me. I am fine with that as I like the time to myself.
8. What is your favorite place to run?
I really like to get up in the mountains and do trail running when I can, but it isn't very convenient. There is something comforting and calm about the trails and farm roads by my own house, which are my regular. I tend to like routine, so I never get tired of my same routes.
9. What is your favorite running accessory?
Not sure, but I love running skirts, if that counts. Can I count my Jaybird Bluetooth headphones? Those things are amazing!
10. Do you like outdoor or indoor running?
Outdoor is the only option, really. If I really need to get a run in and the outdoor conditions are just terrible, I will pay $2 and go run on the dreadmill at the community center, but it has to be really bad for that.
11. What is your favorite time of the day to run?
Ideally, the morning because I can get it over with, and it is a good thing to start the day with something that productive. It makes for a good day. However, since starting at the high school where I have to be to work so much earlier, these are not the norm anymore. I usually run right after school around 4, and that is another good way to process my way and prepare for a full evening of wife/mom duties.
12. What races have you ran?
My Race Line Ups and Times Page, I have done pretty much every distance in running up to a full marathon and in triathlon I have done up to a 70.3
13. What music do you listen to when running?
Don't judge me, but I like everything. There is music that I will only listen to when I run, but I love good beats like Eminem, Jay-Z, Beyonce, but also have country and 90s music.
14. What is the coldest or hottest weather you have ever ran in?
I would say the hottest I have run in is probably mid to high 90s, and that was in a race where the run portion hit mid day. I try to avoid high temps like that. My coldest run was -10 below. It was actually one of my favorite runs ever :)
15. What are some other exercises you love?
Besides the obvious of swimming and biking, I really like yoga, though rarely do it. I enjoy a good butt kicking strength or plyo work out like Jillian Michaels or Insanity.
16. Are you currently training for something?
Always. I have the IM 70.3 on Saturday then my main focus will be the Triple Bypass ride with my Dad on July 12. It's 120 miles and 11000 feet of climbing!
17. What are your current or future goals?
Current goals are to stay fit and keep improving. I would like to complete a full Ironman in the semi-near future.
18. Advice for new runners?
Stick with it, I promise it gets better. The beginning sucks, but then you wonder how you ever WEREN'T a runner
19. Why did you start making running vlogs/and or blogs?
I really like being able to have a record and accountability for myself. I like going back and reading past race reports and seeing how far I've come. I also like reading other people's training and race reports, so I put it in blog form.
20. Who will you tag?
Not sure, anyone who reads this...GO!
I have been running regularly for just over 4 years now. As a kid and growing up I was never athletic, and my only memory of running was when we had to run the mile every Friday in PE, and I hated it.
2. Why did you start running?
I started it after I lost weight doing Slim in Six, and I needed a new challenge, so I figured I would do a half marathon.
3. What is the furthest distance you have ever ran?
26.2 miles. And I am in no hurry to do that any time soon. Who knows, maybe I will sooner than I think :)
4. What is your best running memory?
Not sure, there are so many. I think marathon finish lines are the best. But also finishing the run portion of the Utah Half and crossing the finish line and jumping into Ken's arms is pretty high up there as well. It was absolutely the perfect finish line moment.
5. What shoes do you run in?
Asics. I have switched between a few of their stability shoes, but it is always Asics, currently the Gel Numbus 16.
6. What are your favorite and least favorite distances to run or race?
I don't know, I like them all for different reasons. 5ks and Sprint triathlons are sometimes over way too soon, though that can be a good thing too. 5ks can hurt a lot to if you really go all out like I do. I tend to like the longer distances because the sense of satisfaction is amazing when you cross the finish. Overall for running, I like half marathons. Still a challenge, but not so much you kill yourself in training for one or racing one.
7. Do you have a running partner?
Nope. Just me. I am fine with that as I like the time to myself.
8. What is your favorite place to run?
I really like to get up in the mountains and do trail running when I can, but it isn't very convenient. There is something comforting and calm about the trails and farm roads by my own house, which are my regular. I tend to like routine, so I never get tired of my same routes.
9. What is your favorite running accessory?
Not sure, but I love running skirts, if that counts. Can I count my Jaybird Bluetooth headphones? Those things are amazing!
10. Do you like outdoor or indoor running?
Outdoor is the only option, really. If I really need to get a run in and the outdoor conditions are just terrible, I will pay $2 and go run on the dreadmill at the community center, but it has to be really bad for that.
11. What is your favorite time of the day to run?
Ideally, the morning because I can get it over with, and it is a good thing to start the day with something that productive. It makes for a good day. However, since starting at the high school where I have to be to work so much earlier, these are not the norm anymore. I usually run right after school around 4, and that is another good way to process my way and prepare for a full evening of wife/mom duties.
12. What races have you ran?
My Race Line Ups and Times Page, I have done pretty much every distance in running up to a full marathon and in triathlon I have done up to a 70.3
13. What music do you listen to when running?
Don't judge me, but I like everything. There is music that I will only listen to when I run, but I love good beats like Eminem, Jay-Z, Beyonce, but also have country and 90s music.
14. What is the coldest or hottest weather you have ever ran in?
I would say the hottest I have run in is probably mid to high 90s, and that was in a race where the run portion hit mid day. I try to avoid high temps like that. My coldest run was -10 below. It was actually one of my favorite runs ever :)
15. What are some other exercises you love?
Besides the obvious of swimming and biking, I really like yoga, though rarely do it. I enjoy a good butt kicking strength or plyo work out like Jillian Michaels or Insanity.
16. Are you currently training for something?
Always. I have the IM 70.3 on Saturday then my main focus will be the Triple Bypass ride with my Dad on July 12. It's 120 miles and 11000 feet of climbing!
17. What are your current or future goals?
Current goals are to stay fit and keep improving. I would like to complete a full Ironman in the semi-near future.
18. Advice for new runners?
Stick with it, I promise it gets better. The beginning sucks, but then you wonder how you ever WEREN'T a runner
19. Why did you start making running vlogs/and or blogs?
I really like being able to have a record and accountability for myself. I like going back and reading past race reports and seeing how far I've come. I also like reading other people's training and race reports, so I put it in blog form.
20. Who will you tag?
Not sure, anyone who reads this...GO!
Friday, April 25, 2014
Taper thoughts and Race Ramblings....
This was my first official week of tapering for IM 70.3 StG and I have done a whole heck of nothing this week. I ended up being way more sore from the SLC Half than I anticipated, so I took it easy for a couple of days. Even trying to walk my dogs left my legs fatigued. I was feeling a lot better by Wednesday, so I thought and easy run would be okay. Wrong. I came home and they ached so bad I put on compression socks and took Advil! What the heck!? Three miles has never been so painful! Apparently my legs need more time to recover from a two hard races within 7 days!
So then I thought I would attempt an easy swim with the pull buoy and work on upper body. Then I got to the pool to find it was closed for lightning. I still don't get why indoor pools are closed for weather, but it obviously doesn't matter what I think, it was closed regardless.
So here I sit on Friday, I am supposed to run 6-7 miles. I will attempt it, but I am going to take it easy for sure! Then tomorrow is supposed to be a 35 mile bike ride. AND the weather calls for temps in the high 40s and 90% chance of rain. I know this is why God created bike trainers, but I hate with an intensity changing out my back tire to put it on the trainer. Looks like I get to SUCK IT UP BUTTERCUP and do it anyway.
As much as I hate how this week HASN'T gone, obviously my body is trying to tell me something, and I need the rest. Especially with StG coming up, and all those hills. And all that heat. And all that wind. I know that I won't lose much if any fitness and the rest will do me good. I have also made the mistake in the past of NOT listening when my body is trying to tell me something, and Heaven knows I won't do that again.
So what are race week plans? I already have a sub for next Thursday and Friday and am heading down as soon as I drop the kids off at school on Thursday morning. Ken and the kids will join me on Friday. I really want to be down there for the Pro Panel on Thursday at 4:00, the pro line up for this year is AMAZING! Can't miss the chance to meet these folks! Linsy Corbin, Crowie, Andy Potts, and many others will be there. Friday I plan on doing an easy pre-race swim out at Sand Hollow and checking in my bike and run stuff that day. I also want to be able to take my time in the Athlete Village and the Expo, without having to worry about boring other people (read: Ken and the kids) to tears. If the kids get down there in time on Friday, they will do the IronKids fun run as well.
The weather forecast for StG has been scaring me a bit. The original one I saw a few days ago was calling for a high around 97. That had me freaking out a bit. Okay, maybe a lot. The most recent one has it sitting around 90 race day, but with high winds. I am not convinced that is any better. I am not making any changes to my nutrition plan, just up the water potentially and FOR SURE do salt tabs, including on the run. I am again grateful that I was able to do Rage just a week and half ago, because the conditions will be pretty similar, just longer and hotter :)
So, that is it for now. I am nervous but at the same time so excited for this race! I have many good friends who have done this before, it is on their yearly race list, and I keep hearing amazing things. Plus, I love StG and this will be a gorgeous race, and I plan to not let that escape me on race day.
So in the meantime...Happy Tapering/Training/Racing all!
So then I thought I would attempt an easy swim with the pull buoy and work on upper body. Then I got to the pool to find it was closed for lightning. I still don't get why indoor pools are closed for weather, but it obviously doesn't matter what I think, it was closed regardless.
So here I sit on Friday, I am supposed to run 6-7 miles. I will attempt it, but I am going to take it easy for sure! Then tomorrow is supposed to be a 35 mile bike ride. AND the weather calls for temps in the high 40s and 90% chance of rain. I know this is why God created bike trainers, but I hate with an intensity changing out my back tire to put it on the trainer. Looks like I get to SUCK IT UP BUTTERCUP and do it anyway.
As much as I hate how this week HASN'T gone, obviously my body is trying to tell me something, and I need the rest. Especially with StG coming up, and all those hills. And all that heat. And all that wind. I know that I won't lose much if any fitness and the rest will do me good. I have also made the mistake in the past of NOT listening when my body is trying to tell me something, and Heaven knows I won't do that again.
So what are race week plans? I already have a sub for next Thursday and Friday and am heading down as soon as I drop the kids off at school on Thursday morning. Ken and the kids will join me on Friday. I really want to be down there for the Pro Panel on Thursday at 4:00, the pro line up for this year is AMAZING! Can't miss the chance to meet these folks! Linsy Corbin, Crowie, Andy Potts, and many others will be there. Friday I plan on doing an easy pre-race swim out at Sand Hollow and checking in my bike and run stuff that day. I also want to be able to take my time in the Athlete Village and the Expo, without having to worry about boring other people (read: Ken and the kids) to tears. If the kids get down there in time on Friday, they will do the IronKids fun run as well.
The weather forecast for StG has been scaring me a bit. The original one I saw a few days ago was calling for a high around 97. That had me freaking out a bit. Okay, maybe a lot. The most recent one has it sitting around 90 race day, but with high winds. I am not convinced that is any better. I am not making any changes to my nutrition plan, just up the water potentially and FOR SURE do salt tabs, including on the run. I am again grateful that I was able to do Rage just a week and half ago, because the conditions will be pretty similar, just longer and hotter :)
So, that is it for now. I am nervous but at the same time so excited for this race! I have many good friends who have done this before, it is on their yearly race list, and I keep hearing amazing things. Plus, I love StG and this will be a gorgeous race, and I plan to not let that escape me on race day.
So in the meantime...Happy Tapering/Training/Racing all!
Saturday, April 19, 2014
Salt Lake City Half Marathon Race Report
I have very few races that are on my yearly race list, but the SLC Half marathon is one of them. This is my 4th year in a row to do it, and I love it for many reasons. One, it is a home town kind of race! I love that the entire course is in the city and you have great crowd support the entire time. Second, I like the timing of it being in mid-April. It doesn't usually conflict with any of the other races that I want to do. The course has changed slightly every year that I have done it, but this year brought the biggest changes to it, it is almost nothing like the previous years, it is almost like they started from scratch in designing this years.
I picked up my packet on Thursday from the race expo at Energy Solutions arena. They always have a decent expo. The shirt this year, as always, was butt ugly. I seriously think they try to outdo themselves every year on this one. However, not like I really wear them anyway unless they are cotton. I will just throw it in my pile of race shirts to eventually be made into a quilt. I did go to the Bondi band booth and buy too more. I love those things, and you can never have enough. I then went and bought another race belt. I bought one from this same booth last year and really like it, however, I don't always want to carry water on during the race and I want one like it, because it does stay down, but with out water. Got one and used it during the race...it was awesome!
Fast forward to Saturday morning. We got up and headed down and I was debating where to have Ken drop me off. The race tells you to just ride any TRAX train up to the start. However, I did that last year and they never came for us and we barely made it to the start on time. Ken started up 400 South trying to figure out where to drop me off, and we started running into major traffic as the bike tour had already started and the roads were closed. I just gave him a quick kiss goodbye, grabbed my stuff and jumped out and ran across the street to a station where I saw lots of other runners. Well, apparently they haven't figured things out from last year. WE waited and waited for a train to come. There was dozens of runners waiting and the cop that was working the station was clearly as agitated as we were. He kept yelling at someone over his radio to get more trains there. Amazing, how he commented, that during a University of Utah football game they can run trains every 5 minutes, but when there are 8,000 runners trying to get to the start line, they can't up the trains for that. Long story short, we eventually got picked up and there was standing room only. And, I got to the start line 4 minutes before the gun went off. UUUGggggghhhhhhhh!
In that 4 minutes I weaseled my way through the crowd to try to find the 2:00 hour pacer for the half. I really like using pacers as they a good way to stay on pace, not go to crazy out of the gate like I usually do and I have had many successful races in the past using them. I was able to find him and as soon as the National Anthem was played and the gun went off, he was my guy to stick with! The course immediately headed up a couple of hills into Federal Heights. I have never been in this swanky neighborhood before and it was beautiful! Lots of people were in their front yards cheering us on. We then ran up along the Salt Lake City Cemetery in the Avenues and overlooking the entire city and it was gorgeous! Then down City Creek Canyon through Memory Grove and that is when that had me sold on this new course. It was so pretty, and some of my favorite parts of the city, it was great. We then wound down to South Temple and followed it for several more miles. I loved the crowd support, as usual, for this race and the weather conditions were perfect. I was able to feel pretty good and I hit all of the aid stations briefly for a quick swig of water and I had my Clif Shot blocks through out the run. It reminded me though that Shotblocks are really better on the bike. They are a pain to chew and try to get down while running, so next time I will stick with Gu :)
I had to stop at about mile 8 and hit the porta potty. I lost a few minutes in there for sure. That is also when I lost my pacing group and I never caught back up to them. I really felt very good this whole run until about mile 11, then I was ready to be done. Luckily by then we were winding our way through Liberty Park and that is another one of my favorite parts in the city, so I knew we were close and I enjoyed being there. Then it was out of the park, round the corner to 400 East and then a mile to the finish. I did my best to sprint that last bit to the finish, but I was GONE by then. My legs were heavy and I was so ready to have this run over with. My final run time for the race was 2:05:24. It's not the sub 2 I wanted, but it isn't bad either. I know that this was a harder course with the hills through Federal Heights and 800 South, and I had lost time in the bathroom. I do really want to try another half sometime this summer though to hit that sub 2 goal again :)
I got my medal, grabbed a Creamie, a bottle of water, then texted Ken to find him. I always love hooking up with him post race, he is always very encouraging. I also visited briefly with some friends with my running group then we headed home.
Overall, I am okay with this race. I can't really complain with hitting an average pace of 9:32/mile, when all my long runs lately have been at least a minute longer than that. And, lets be honest, I haven't been putting in the running miles I have done in the past when I have done this race before. That will be a big focus of mine once I get through the Triple Bypass with my Dad. Finally try to do something about this dang run!
What's next? I am officially tapering for IM StG in two weeks!!! I have had two very hard races within a week, so I am HAPPY to be tapering and resting up prior to StG. I can't believe it is already so close, and I feel that I am ready. I still have to try to get away from that time expectation as I go into it, but I think that I will be fine.
In the mean time, for me, it is Happy Tapering!
Saturday, April 12, 2014
RAGE Triathlon Race Report - Olympic Distance tri
The Rage Triathlon is put on by BBSC Multi Sport and takes place at Lake Mead National Park just outside of Las Vegas. They offer a sprint, Olympic, and Half (70.3) distance. I have not raced with BBSC before, but had heard good things. I had a couple of friends doing this one, so we made a mini road trip out of it and it was a blast!
PRE-RACE:
Friday morning, Mike, Melinda, Alicia and I all headed south to Vegas for our race. Mike and I were doing the Olympic distance, Alicia was doing the sprint, and Melinda was along as race support extraordinaire Seriously, these people are a riot! I had so much fun and laughed until my sides hurt with these friends! Once we got to Vegas, we went to packet pick up, and got our cool shirts and swag bags. I like that it is a shirt I will actually wear! It was also in a very cool triathlon shop and I spent some time drooling over bikes :) We then did what probably isn't ideal pre-race, and walked the strip. Hey, you can't miss that right? We had fun, ate an amazing burger, and enjoyed people watching.
My goal for this race was simply to treat it as dress rehearsal for IM StG 70.3, as I figured the conditions and the courses are pretty similar. I didn't care about time, I just wanted to practice pacing, nutrition and see if my new tri kit will make the cut for StG :)
I actually slept pretty well, and we got up and left the condo to get to the race site by 6:30. My swim wave didn't start until 7:50. I was thrilled to be at a start line again, and really liked how BBSC set up transition. We had plenty of space and it was one very long transition area, instead of the standard rows. The only draw back to this is that it was a long run to get in and out, but it was worth it for the extra space.
It was already very hot waiting on my swim wave and I knew I was in for a scorcher. I was glad that I had thrown salt tabs into my bag for this trip and knew I would use them on the bike. Before I knew it, it was time to suit up for the swim!
SWIM:
My swim wave wasn't huge and it was a deep water start. I visited with other people and was shocked at how cold the water was! It was freezing, even with a full wetsuit! I really wish I would have worn my skull cap under my swim cap, because as soon as we were off and I put my head under the cold hit and I had a brain-freeze style head ache for the first 5-10 minutes. The swim started off and went to a buoy that was out a ways and involved sighting into the sun. I had a hard time seeing where I was going and I had a hard time hitting my groove till we past that, as I was pretty disoriented and frustrated trying to figure out where the dang buoy was. Even though this seemed like a long time to get where I felt like I was in a rhythm, it was only till that first buoy and the turn there that I felt that way, only 300 yards max. Once there I was able to find a good groove and it was a straight shot to another green buoy that I could sight the whole time and felt like I finally was where I wanted to be. I didn't have much contact with other swimmers, the water and area were really pretty and I was happy to calm down, and enjoy the swim. The water did get choppy at times, but I actually like this for a challenge. I did take in more water than I would have wanted, but I was still happy with the majority of the swim. Once out of the water, my final swim time was 32:50 for one mile swim. Not great, but it was that crappy start that did me in, and also the fact that the timing mats for the "end" of the swim were quite a ways from where you actually exited the water.
T1:
As I mentioned before, the way this transition was set up, it was a long row of bikes on either side and it took me awhile to get to my bike running down this giant row to get there. I had a hard time getting out of my wetsuit and switching to the bike gear, then running my bike all the way down to the other end to the bike mount area. My T1 time was 4:49, which was average for my age group on this transition.
BIKE:
The bike course was on a hill immediately out of transition. I hate this because you really have a hard time hitting your groove. This was a difficult course with TONS of hills. I did over 75% of this 25 mile bike course in the small ring. It was a never ending onslaught of big climbs, then a down hill, then repeat, repeat, repeat. I could not think of a better training ride for StG! It was brutal when you add in the heat of over 90 degrees, absolutely no shade, and wind. I was glad to hit my nutrition for this ride, I stuck with my Perpetuem, shot blocks, and a salt tab every 30 minutes and water in between. The hills were fun on the down hill, I finally got gutsy enough to do every down hill in aero. It was a fun reward for the climbing! I felt that I had to make up time wherever I could and take advantage of the free momentum! As hard as this bike was, I felt like I handled it well and though I was tired, I didn't feel like it was killing me, but I was glad to get it over with as well. My only gripe with this out and back course is the bike aide station wasn't until about mile 19-20 of the 25 mile course. Really?!? This meant I was with out water for about 25 minutes. Why not have it at the turn around? It made no sense and it was pretty irritating, but I got over it. Final bike time was 1:40:28, an average speed of 15 mph. Considering how much climbing was in this course, I'll take it!!
T2:
Another slow transition as I had to run forever and get to my spot. Then, it was a really quick shed the cycling stuff, throw on the running shoes and be on my way. I did take a pit stop at the porta-potties. Total T2 time was 3:16.
RUN:
Man, the first part of this run was bad. Not one thing good about it really. This was also an out and back run course and to get to the turn around it was one giant gradual up hill to that point. Then, right off, the run start did the first mile on a very gravelly and rocky path! It was awful! It was pretty demoralizing and I knew I was going slower than a herd of turtles through peanut butter, and it was hot, my body was tired, and I just did not love this first part of the run. BBSC was good about frequent aid stations on this run, and with the heat they were absolutely critical. I grabbed a Gatorade and a water at every station. I only walked at the aid stations but my run was pretty much a granny shuffle until the turn around due to the uphill of the course. I started to question my sanity of doing StG knowing that it is very much like this course, only longer. I started to think negatively, beat myself for a crappy run, etc. Thank heaven it was about this time I saw Mike pass me on his way back in. He yelled, "Looking strong!" and gave me a high five. It is amazing how just seeing a friend on the course and getting a little support turns things around for you. It was not far after that at all, maybe a half mile, that I finally hit the turn around. That was a "Hail Mary!" moment! It gave me the mental boost to know that this Death March was half way done, and it was literally all down hill from that point out. I really hit a good groove on the second half of the run and tried to give high fives and shout outs to the people that were around me. I dare say I actually enjoyed the second half of the run?!? I was thrilled to be done though and crossed the finish line to my friends cheering me on. Final run time was 1:14:24 for this 6.2 mile run, an average pace of a 12 minute mile, but this did include a longish bathroom break. It is what it is.
POST RACE:
The finish line was fun, I got a cool medal (I can now add it to my out of state medal count) and they had the standard water, chocolate milk and bananas. I grabbed one of each. Then they had a shaded tent where they did lunch for the athletes of a sub sandwich, chips and cookies. That was very nice! Final total time for this Olympic distance was 3:35:45. All things considered, I am happy with this. This was the toughest race I have ever done considering the heat, the wind, the constant hills, etc.
RACE ORGANIZATION:
I would give BBSC 3.5 out of 5 stars. I liked the packet pick up, the shirt, and the location, even given the hills. I liked the frequent aid stations on the run. The transition area I have mixed feelings about as they do give you a lot of room, but the nature of it is that is makes for long transitions. I HATED the rocky start of the run course on the gravel, and the location of the bike course aid station at mile 19ish was pathetic. They needed it much sooner than that. Also, the lack of porta potties on the bike and run course was sad too. However, they did well at many other things and I would race with them again.
WHAT I LEARNED:
As this was a dress rehearsal for StG, I took mental note of things to do differently or AHA! moments through out the day:
-Take a skull cap for the swim.
-Add an extra water bottle for cheap insurance on the bike, even though the aid stations by Ironman will be more frequent
-Salt Tabs are your best friend. Will continue to do them every 30 minutes as needed
-Carry my hydration pack race belt. The water will be needed, plus it doesn't ride up as bad as my other one does
-DO NOT USE THE SWIFT WICK SOCKS for races. Great for a short run or ride, but blisters galore and my feet were so on the run. Sheer misery.
-The new Betty Designs tri kit rocks. No chaffing on the top, the bottoms rode up a little on the bike, but otherwise it was awesome.
-I survived this course and actually felt pretty good even at the end. I now know I am ready for StG, and I am so grateful that I did this race to fine tune and few things, but I know that as long as I have realistic expectations and race smart, I will have a good race come three weeks :)
WHAT'S NEXT?
I have my last solid week of training this week then the Salt Lake City Half Marathon next Saturday to start my two week taper till StG.
Happy Training and Racing!
PRE-RACE:
Friday morning, Mike, Melinda, Alicia and I all headed south to Vegas for our race. Mike and I were doing the Olympic distance, Alicia was doing the sprint, and Melinda was along as race support extraordinaire Seriously, these people are a riot! I had so much fun and laughed until my sides hurt with these friends! Once we got to Vegas, we went to packet pick up, and got our cool shirts and swag bags. I like that it is a shirt I will actually wear! It was also in a very cool triathlon shop and I spent some time drooling over bikes :) We then did what probably isn't ideal pre-race, and walked the strip. Hey, you can't miss that right? We had fun, ate an amazing burger, and enjoyed people watching.
 |
| Gorgeous morning for a race!! |
I actually slept pretty well, and we got up and left the condo to get to the race site by 6:30. My swim wave didn't start until 7:50. I was thrilled to be at a start line again, and really liked how BBSC set up transition. We had plenty of space and it was one very long transition area, instead of the standard rows. The only draw back to this is that it was a long run to get in and out, but it was worth it for the extra space.
It was already very hot waiting on my swim wave and I knew I was in for a scorcher. I was glad that I had thrown salt tabs into my bag for this trip and knew I would use them on the bike. Before I knew it, it was time to suit up for the swim!
SWIM:
My swim wave wasn't huge and it was a deep water start. I visited with other people and was shocked at how cold the water was! It was freezing, even with a full wetsuit! I really wish I would have worn my skull cap under my swim cap, because as soon as we were off and I put my head under the cold hit and I had a brain-freeze style head ache for the first 5-10 minutes. The swim started off and went to a buoy that was out a ways and involved sighting into the sun. I had a hard time seeing where I was going and I had a hard time hitting my groove till we past that, as I was pretty disoriented and frustrated trying to figure out where the dang buoy was. Even though this seemed like a long time to get where I felt like I was in a rhythm, it was only till that first buoy and the turn there that I felt that way, only 300 yards max. Once there I was able to find a good groove and it was a straight shot to another green buoy that I could sight the whole time and felt like I finally was where I wanted to be. I didn't have much contact with other swimmers, the water and area were really pretty and I was happy to calm down, and enjoy the swim. The water did get choppy at times, but I actually like this for a challenge. I did take in more water than I would have wanted, but I was still happy with the majority of the swim. Once out of the water, my final swim time was 32:50 for one mile swim. Not great, but it was that crappy start that did me in, and also the fact that the timing mats for the "end" of the swim were quite a ways from where you actually exited the water.
T1:
As I mentioned before, the way this transition was set up, it was a long row of bikes on either side and it took me awhile to get to my bike running down this giant row to get there. I had a hard time getting out of my wetsuit and switching to the bike gear, then running my bike all the way down to the other end to the bike mount area. My T1 time was 4:49, which was average for my age group on this transition.
BIKE:
The bike course was on a hill immediately out of transition. I hate this because you really have a hard time hitting your groove. This was a difficult course with TONS of hills. I did over 75% of this 25 mile bike course in the small ring. It was a never ending onslaught of big climbs, then a down hill, then repeat, repeat, repeat. I could not think of a better training ride for StG! It was brutal when you add in the heat of over 90 degrees, absolutely no shade, and wind. I was glad to hit my nutrition for this ride, I stuck with my Perpetuem, shot blocks, and a salt tab every 30 minutes and water in between. The hills were fun on the down hill, I finally got gutsy enough to do every down hill in aero. It was a fun reward for the climbing! I felt that I had to make up time wherever I could and take advantage of the free momentum! As hard as this bike was, I felt like I handled it well and though I was tired, I didn't feel like it was killing me, but I was glad to get it over with as well. My only gripe with this out and back course is the bike aide station wasn't until about mile 19-20 of the 25 mile course. Really?!? This meant I was with out water for about 25 minutes. Why not have it at the turn around? It made no sense and it was pretty irritating, but I got over it. Final bike time was 1:40:28, an average speed of 15 mph. Considering how much climbing was in this course, I'll take it!!
T2:
Another slow transition as I had to run forever and get to my spot. Then, it was a really quick shed the cycling stuff, throw on the running shoes and be on my way. I did take a pit stop at the porta-potties. Total T2 time was 3:16.
RUN:
Man, the first part of this run was bad. Not one thing good about it really. This was also an out and back run course and to get to the turn around it was one giant gradual up hill to that point. Then, right off, the run start did the first mile on a very gravelly and rocky path! It was awful! It was pretty demoralizing and I knew I was going slower than a herd of turtles through peanut butter, and it was hot, my body was tired, and I just did not love this first part of the run. BBSC was good about frequent aid stations on this run, and with the heat they were absolutely critical. I grabbed a Gatorade and a water at every station. I only walked at the aid stations but my run was pretty much a granny shuffle until the turn around due to the uphill of the course. I started to question my sanity of doing StG knowing that it is very much like this course, only longer. I started to think negatively, beat myself for a crappy run, etc. Thank heaven it was about this time I saw Mike pass me on his way back in. He yelled, "Looking strong!" and gave me a high five. It is amazing how just seeing a friend on the course and getting a little support turns things around for you. It was not far after that at all, maybe a half mile, that I finally hit the turn around. That was a "Hail Mary!" moment! It gave me the mental boost to know that this Death March was half way done, and it was literally all down hill from that point out. I really hit a good groove on the second half of the run and tried to give high fives and shout outs to the people that were around me. I dare say I actually enjoyed the second half of the run?!? I was thrilled to be done though and crossed the finish line to my friends cheering me on. Final run time was 1:14:24 for this 6.2 mile run, an average pace of a 12 minute mile, but this did include a longish bathroom break. It is what it is.
POST RACE:
The finish line was fun, I got a cool medal (I can now add it to my out of state medal count) and they had the standard water, chocolate milk and bananas. I grabbed one of each. Then they had a shaded tent where they did lunch for the athletes of a sub sandwich, chips and cookies. That was very nice! Final total time for this Olympic distance was 3:35:45. All things considered, I am happy with this. This was the toughest race I have ever done considering the heat, the wind, the constant hills, etc.
RACE ORGANIZATION:
I would give BBSC 3.5 out of 5 stars. I liked the packet pick up, the shirt, and the location, even given the hills. I liked the frequent aid stations on the run. The transition area I have mixed feelings about as they do give you a lot of room, but the nature of it is that is makes for long transitions. I HATED the rocky start of the run course on the gravel, and the location of the bike course aid station at mile 19ish was pathetic. They needed it much sooner than that. Also, the lack of porta potties on the bike and run course was sad too. However, they did well at many other things and I would race with them again.
WHAT I LEARNED:
As this was a dress rehearsal for StG, I took mental note of things to do differently or AHA! moments through out the day:
-Take a skull cap for the swim.
-Add an extra water bottle for cheap insurance on the bike, even though the aid stations by Ironman will be more frequent
-Salt Tabs are your best friend. Will continue to do them every 30 minutes as needed
-Carry my hydration pack race belt. The water will be needed, plus it doesn't ride up as bad as my other one does
-DO NOT USE THE SWIFT WICK SOCKS for races. Great for a short run or ride, but blisters galore and my feet were so on the run. Sheer misery.
-The new Betty Designs tri kit rocks. No chaffing on the top, the bottoms rode up a little on the bike, but otherwise it was awesome.
-I survived this course and actually felt pretty good even at the end. I now know I am ready for StG, and I am so grateful that I did this race to fine tune and few things, but I know that as long as I have realistic expectations and race smart, I will have a good race come three weeks :)
WHAT'S NEXT?
I have my last solid week of training this week then the Salt Lake City Half Marathon next Saturday to start my two week taper till StG.
Happy Training and Racing!
 |
| Melinda and I post race. She rocks, plain and simple :) |
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
It's Race Week Again!
I have several races close together in the months March, April and May, so this is another race week as this weekend I head south to Las Vegas to do BBSC's Rage Triathlon at Lake Mead. I haven't raced with BBSC before, but I have heard nothing but good things. I signed up for Rage as a good dress rehearsal for IM StG 70.3 just three weeks after. I wanted to be able to get into open water prior to StG, and I also wanted to tri out a new tri kit, and also fine tune some nutrition. I will be doing the Olympic distance at this race. they also offer a sprint and a 70.3. It really is a B race for me, as it is a prep/training day for StG, as mentioned before.
Things training wise have been good and bad. Bad, in that I haven't hit all my work outs due to a bit of a stomach bug the past few days. The bad cramping and GI issues would leave me in some compromising positions to try to bike or run, to say the least, I will leave it at that. However, I have hit the key work outs, meaning my long runs and rides and those are going well!
My last long ride I headed out to Antelope Island and decided to try every climb out there. There aren't any that are particularly long, but they are short and steep, one even reaching 24% grade. Needless to say I didn't get all the way up that, but I was able to get much further up it than I could last year. The other climbs I was able to do much easier (and faster according to my Strava data) than I could remember doing them last year! I love seeing progress like that and it is a confidence boost as I head into StG where, from what I hear, it is all about the HILLS!
My last long run was 10 miles. It seriously was the easiest 10 miles ever! I finished feeling great, like I could easily continue, and I was hardly sore at all! It also was a boost to know I am back to where I can knock out 10 miles with no problem! Yeah for seeing progress!
Rage will be very similar conditions to StG, from the weather, and the course. I am anxious to see how it goes. I will be driving down on Friday morning with friends and that is always fun as well. Race report will follow!
In the mean time, Happy training/racing all!
Things training wise have been good and bad. Bad, in that I haven't hit all my work outs due to a bit of a stomach bug the past few days. The bad cramping and GI issues would leave me in some compromising positions to try to bike or run, to say the least, I will leave it at that. However, I have hit the key work outs, meaning my long runs and rides and those are going well!
My last long ride I headed out to Antelope Island and decided to try every climb out there. There aren't any that are particularly long, but they are short and steep, one even reaching 24% grade. Needless to say I didn't get all the way up that, but I was able to get much further up it than I could last year. The other climbs I was able to do much easier (and faster according to my Strava data) than I could remember doing them last year! I love seeing progress like that and it is a confidence boost as I head into StG where, from what I hear, it is all about the HILLS!
My last long run was 10 miles. It seriously was the easiest 10 miles ever! I finished feeling great, like I could easily continue, and I was hardly sore at all! It also was a boost to know I am back to where I can knock out 10 miles with no problem! Yeah for seeing progress!
Rage will be very similar conditions to StG, from the weather, and the course. I am anxious to see how it goes. I will be driving down on Friday morning with friends and that is always fun as well. Race report will follow!
In the mean time, Happy training/racing all!
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