Rock'N'Roll St. Louis Race Report

Two straight weekends that I have raced and I have loved every minute of it.  Sure I had to travel a bit but it was worth it.  It just so happened that our race overlapped with the World Series which was awesome.  I was able to support my favorite MLB team in the World Series while in St. Louis, what could be better.  Maybe if I had tickets, sure, but I don't have that kind of money haha.

Anyways, ever since Competitor's decision to drop elite athlete support, I decided that I wasn't going to do any of their events.  Well, I had signed up for this race back in June on "National Running Day" since it was deeply discounted and Casey wanted to do a 1/2 marathon where we would both compete.  And it also gave us an opportunity to visit her parents.  So, no more Competitor races for me, but I did go ahead and run this one since I was already signed up.

My week going into the race wasn't the best training wise.  I felt a little sluggish and sore from the 10k the previous weekend and my "tune up" workout a few days before the race didn't feel very good.  We left for St. Louis on Friday, watched a lot of football and baseball on Saturday, and woke up super early on Sunday for the race.  Since there were no "elites" I wasn't sure how close I would be to the front.  Maybe a few fast locals show up, maybe no fast guys show up, maybe something I didn't even think about happens???  I knew that I was capable of running right around 1:12-1:15 depending on the day/course/etc.

Pre Race Pic about 10 minutes before the start.

Pre race, my In-laws really helped out with our warm up clothes, parking, getting up to the start line without any hassle what so ever.  They were a huge help.  Brad and Kim took our warmer clothes and wished us luck.  I stood on the start line for 5 minutes before the gun went off.  I made sure to be there on time, ha.  At 7 am, we were off.

I settled into my pace which is always hard to judge for the first 1/2 mile or so.  I ran with the 2 leaders until we hit the mile mark at 5:25.  I knew it was a little fast, but it felt good so I stuck with them.  After 2-3 minutes, one guy dropped back a little and the other started to put a small gap on myself.  We all kind of settled into our own paces and that is about how the rest of the race went.  2 miles was right around 10:55 and about 5 seconds behind the leader.

Cruising through the 5 mile mark.

I went through the 5 mile mark right around 27:55.  The leader had a larger gap now and it was only growing.  I held onto my pace and kept it smooth.  I went through 8 miles just under 45 minutes and 10 miles at 56:15.  My next mile was a little uphill but nothing killer.  I ran a 5:50 mile and got a little worried.  I thought the wheels were falling off and I still had 2 miles to go.  Luckily, the next mile was mostly downhill and I ran a 5:15 mile.  I settled back into my pace of between 5:30-5:40 miles and crossed the finish line in 1:13:28.  The winner ended up running under 1:11 so I was no where near him and third place crossed the line about 1 minute or so behind me.  Considering there was 13,000 people in the race, I didn't expect to finish in the top 3 but was happy regardless.

Coming Down the Home Stretch.

I was very happy with the effort and glad it was over.  Brad and Kim were right there to get these amazing pictures and hand me my warmer clothes.  I jogged back to cheer for Casey as my cooldown.  She ran a huge PR and then we had a HUGE Panera breakfast afterwards.  We laid around and watched the Lions and Cowboys go back and forth while cheering for our Fantasy football players and napping.

Sunday evening after attending the World Series Pep Rally.

Just a little Superman pose while at a Rest Stop in Illinois on the way home.

That evening we went downtown to enjoy some World Series festivities and then watched the game at a bar for the first few innings before heading home to get some much needed sleep.

Medical Center 10k

Well, now that the race results have been posted, I can reflect on my 10k from Saturday.

Overall, I am pleased with the effort / time that I was able to accomplish on Saturday.  I have always run pretty fast on that course considering the difficulty of the race.  My "official" time was 33:47.  My watch had me at 33:40.  How was it 7 seconds off?  Let me explain.

I woke up at about my normal time considering the race didn't start until 8:30.  I had a light breakfast, some coffee, and hung out until I was ready to head down to pick up my packet.  I parked, got my packet, and took off on my warmup jog at around 7:45.  After a good 25 minute warmup, I put my racing flats on, did some strides as I was heading to the start line, and got myself mentally prepared for the pain I was about to endure.  It was about 8:20 when I left my car.  When I did my last stride at 8:24 about 200 - 300 meters behind the start line, I heard an announcement saying something to the effect of "2 minutes."  I looked at my watch and double checked that I had over 5 minutes until 8:30.  The wheelchair race was scheduled to start at 8:25 so that is what I assumed was 2 minutes away.  I walked towards the start, saw an open porta potty and started to go in just to make sure I didn't have to go during the race.  Right when I made it there, I heard the announcement "20 seconds."  I look over and do not see a single wheel chair.  I quickly changed my mind about the porta potty stop and jogged closer to the front of the start area.  Before I got close to the front, the gun went off and everyone took off.

I was 100% warmed up, but just didn't expect the race to start early.  It took me about 7-8 seconds just to get to the start line before I was able to take off.  Another 5 seconds or so before I was able to get into an open area and then I was off.  I figured since it had chip timing that there would be a "finishing" time and a "chip" time so I wasn't too worried.  Well, after looking at the results, there was no chip time so I made a mistake before the start that cost me 7-8 seconds of racing time.  Whatever.  It's not like the guy in front of me beat me by 3 seconds.  He beat me by about 1:30, ha.  One positive to starting a little bit back was I was able to start a little more controlled than I usually do.

Seconds after the gun went off, the rain started to fall.  It was 57 degrees and calm when I woke up.  The temperature was dropping and now it was raining.  I worked my way through the field and by the 1 mile mark I was in 10th place (I didn't know that at the time) and about 5 seconds behind the first female.  She looked very familiar and I was about 90% sure it was Ali Morgan who I ran with at UK.  I decided I would use the 2nd downhill mile to catch her.  Well, she pulled away from me.  I was 5:21 for mile 1, 5:13 for mile 2, and was about 7 seconds or so behind Ali.  I caught a guy just before the 5k mark and going through right at 16:40 (on my watch).  I finally caught Ali just before 4 miles.  We laughed for about a 1/2 second since this was the first time I've seen her in a year or two.  We worked together to maintain pace for the next mile or so.  Going up the long, gradual hill that is the 5th mile, I did get away from her about the exact distance that I would finish in front of her.  I went through 5 miles just over 27 minutes.  We weaved our way around the football stadium and finished on the field.  I crossed the line in 33:47 (race time), and at 33:40 on my watch.  Ali finished just 9 seconds later and we had a good laugh about the race afterwards.

By then, it was pouring and getting colder.  I did a quick cooldown and made it back to the car completely soaked and freezing.  I have only broken 34 minutes for a 10k a hand full of times so I was happy but was secretly hoping to surprise myself.  There was no surprise.  I just met my expectation.

I hate standing around on the start line just waiting for the gun to go off, but I guess that is better then missing the start.  Next time I'll make sure I'm lined up in time.  Off to St. Louis this weekend for the Rock'n'Roll St. Louis half marathon.  Not sure how it's going to work out with the World Series going on but that would be awesome if I managed to get tickets for it while we are there.

Tony

Pre Race Bowling Green 10k

So I have been training consistently (and pretty hard) for that past few months (all summer) and am ready to put the work to the test.  This week is one of my least favorite parts of the training process as I have cut back on the workload and am resting a bit.  When I rest, I tend to eat more, which doesn't work out the best as I tend to cut weight and put on weight pretty fast.  Through the summer training, I have dropped from about 170 - 175 pounds which I was around back in March down to 154 two weeks ago.  Now, that was during a high mileage week and I'm back to high 150's with my rest this week and is a more maintainable weight for myself.  I'm sure once I rest after a few running races, I'll pack on the pounds with the lower mileage and the holiday treats, haha.

Tomorrow is the BG 10k.  I have run this race twice and they have been a few years apart every time I have run the race.  Some years this race has the top 10 guys all in the low 30's or faster.  Other years has 1-3 guys that fast and then a big drop off with maybe the 5th place guy barely breaking 34 or 35 minutes depending on the year.  It seems that the years I have run this race, it is always a fast year.  I broke 34 for the 10k distance the first time ever back in 2005 at this race.  I didn't even win my AG that year with that time.  I believe it was 33:51.  The next time I ran this race I was hoping to finish top 6-8 in the race and I decided I would do what I could to finish there.  Well, the lead group had 15 guys or so in it and they went through the first mile in about 4:45-4:50.  I went through the first mile just under 5:00 and realized I was in a bit over my head.  But it did help me break 33 for the first time ever and I finished 32:53 or so.  Not sure on the exact time but I finished 15th overall.

Over the past six years, here is the finishing time for the 8th place person

2007 - 35:20 (1st place female)
2008 - 31:22
2009 - 32:32
2010 - 30:22
2011 - 31:53
2012 - 35:06

This race is always very competitive and I am really looking forward to testing out my fitness.  I built a solid base over the summer months, and have had some really solid workouts as of late.  They have been a little more 13.1 focused since I'm running the Rock'n'Roll St. Louis half marathon next weekend, but I have had some really good 5k - 10k workouts as well.  I did 5x1k this week @ 5k pace and it felt very good and was a bit faster than expected.

The BG course is very rolling considering it goes right through WKU's campus and of course they are called the "hilltoppers."  The first mile is rolling but ends right on top of "the" hill.  The 2nd mile is all downhill running into downtown BG.  I have always flown through the 2 mile mark of this course.  My 5k split has always been crazy fast.  In 2010, I went through the 5k split just 15 seconds off my 5k PR.  I did slow down over the second half but had enough in the tank to break the 33 minute barrier.  I believe I did something similar in 2005, but I don't remember what my 5k PR or split was for that race but I know that I was close to my PR at the 5k split.

I'll post a race report Monday or Tuesday.  I love this race and always look forward to spending the afternoon after the race at one of my favorite places, Jackson's Orchard.  Nothing beats race recovery like snacking on caramel apples, hot apple cider, and apple pies with some ice cream on top.

Tony

Franklin Classic 10k

Labor Day weekend is the anniversary for my wife and I so we were really excited about it coming around this year. We didn't have any big plans since we were traveling to Florida the following weekend. Saturday WKU and UK played at Titans stadium so that filled up our Saturday evening. Franklin, TN is also a host to an annual 10k that is run every year and Casey and I figured it would be a good little fitness test since we are both running a half marathon at the end of October. It is a unique event as they have a 10k and a 5k. The 10k startst at 7am and the 5k at 8:45 giving you the option to run both. I did consider this but decided it probably wasn't the best idea in the world.

It played out just like any other summer road race. We woke up, had a small breakfast with coffee, then drove over to Franklin to pick up our race bibs, get warmed up, and race. We didn't really need to warm up much considering the early morning heat and humidity. With a PR under 33 minutes, but having no idea what kind of current fitness I had, I wasn't sure what to expect out of the race. I was almost certain it was a fairly flat course, but I was wrong. It had some flat sections, but was pretty rolling the whole way.

At 7, the gun went off. I followed a few guys and wanted to hang with the leaders for as long as possible. In the previous 3 years, the winner has been anywhere from 32:00 - 35:30 so I wasn't sure how fast I would have to run to win. This year, winning was out of the question. The winner ended up running sub 32 so I didn't stay with him for very long. I ended up running in 4th-6th place for the first part of the race. We ran together and were holding 5:25 - 5:30 pace for the first 5k. It did not feel as easy as I would have liked, but I thought I could hold this for the race. I was wrong. The heat started to really wear me down and my pace started to slow after 5k. I ran a 5:35 mile for the 4th mile, then the last 2 miles were in the 5:50 range. When the wheels fell off, they fell hard. 4th and 5th place ran away from me and I finished 6th in just under 35 minutes. I think it was 34:52 ish. Definitely hoping to be faster, but the hills and heat took their toll, and if I would have paced a tad better, I think I might have been able to run about 20-30 seconds faster. I went out expecting to run faster, and that got me in trouble since I'm not in that kind of shape right now.

But, it means that I can only go up from here. It provided me a little fuel for the fire and have about 7-8 weeks to work hard before the half marathon. I just returned from Florida and a nice relaxing extended weekend vacation. I woke up early, got the work done for the day, and enjoyed the beach, food, and company the rest of the day. I did hit 74 miles last week which I believe is my 2nd most ever in my life. I didn't even try to run a lot of miles, it was just how the workouts planned added up. And having that 10k on Monday did add a few extra miles that I normally don't run on Mondays.

After the race on Labor Day, we had breakfast at Panera, then J. Alexander's for dinner for our anniversary dinner with our wedding cake for dessert. It was still really good so we chowed down on some cake. Casey did a fantastic job at wrapping the cake and freezing it so that it didn't get freezer burn.

Off Course

Since the Music City Triathlon, I have had a little fire in my belly. I don't like to get beat, and I especially don't like to get destroyed like I was that day in Nashville by local pro Craig Evans. It was mostly due to his strength and my lack there-of on the bike. My training has been a little more race specific for the past 3 weeks and I have actually felt like I made some big gains in training over the past few weeks. It's amazing what a little speed work will do.

At the beginning of the summer, I made the decision I would do a few low key races and nothing that I would take too serious. I decided to do a few Nashville races and would do the Bowling Green race as its only 1 hour North and I could stay with my grand parents. Well, the 3rd tri of the year for me was the BG sprint tri where Craig Evans normally cleans up pretty easily. With it being a sprint race, I figured I could just bury myself and try to hang on for dear life to keep up.

It was a simple 400m pool swim, 14 mile bike, and a 5k run.

Race day came around, Casey and I both checked it (since she decided it was more exciting to race than spectate) and we were seeded 2 & 3 in the time trial swim format (normal for a pool swim tri). I just assumed Craig would be #1 seed and my plan was to keep him in sight coming into t2 and then run him down. If I crossed the finish line with him, then I would be the victor by 10 seconds. Well, when we lined up to start, it was a 13 year old age group swimmer who was seeded 1st. Craig was seeded 10th?? Not sure how that happened considering he is the reigning champ of that race for the previous 37 years (ok, not quite that long) and he always has the fastest swim split. I had to change my race plan. I would just go hard and race scared hoping to hold him off for as long as possible.

The swim was uneventful. It was 400 meters of long course swimming where we had to go under a lane line every 50 meters. I got out, had a good t1, and was off on the bike.

The first mile was uphill and I was cranking away. I looked down and had averaged 361 watts for that first mile. I backed off a little but was at the top of the hill and starting to go down so it was not going to stay that high anyways. I felt great on the bike, continued to push, and came into t2 with a nice little lead. I never saw Craig even when I was heading out of t2. We had driven the bike course and most of run course the following day so I knew exactly where to go. I was glad that I did too as the run course wasn't marked very well back in the little neighborhood for the first 1 - 1.5 miles. I got the the aid station at around the 1 mile mark, but it was set up on the far right side of the road and the volunteers were sitting in their cars as I ran by on the left side of the road. I didn't even see the aid station, because of where the cars were parked, until I was already by it. I made the left hand turn for home and was feeling pretty good. I ran through the 2.5 km mark of the run in about 8:20 and turned into the park about 1 minute or so later.

Here is where I got lost. The run course map for the race had you making a right hand turn once you were in the park and then getting on the running path that circles the park. I started to do that, but had a volunteer tell me to go straight through that intersection, so I did. And if I had turned right, that was the bike in/out so I'm not sure how they would have handled the crossing paths of runners and cyclists. So I ran straight, and kept running straight. I got to a stop sign and didn't see a single marking on the road or sign or anything. I knew that I was supposed to turn right at some point so that is what I did, then I made a right about 1/4 mile later at another stop sign. I found my way back to the running path in the park and made a right hand turn right as Craig came running by in the opposite direction. I knew that I had made a wrong turn and that my race was over. I turned around, followed Craig to the finish line and immediately walked to my car to change clothes and jog around for a cooldown. Apparently I was supposed to cut through the grass at some point to get over to the running path and follow that to the finish.

I was really upset at the time, but I figured that much worse things could have happened. There was no prize money on the line so I didn't really lose out on anything special. I cheered Casey on as she finished and we did a cooldown together. We ate some bbq that was catered, then went to my grandparents for a nap and some soft serve ice cream.

All in all, it was a great day. Casey finished her 2nd tri, and finished really well considering the trouble that she had with the crappy chip strap they gave her. It's hard to swim fast when the velcro doesn't work on your chip strap. I had a much better bike split than I anticipated and was running really well until I went off course. And I got homemade peach cobbler with soft serve ice cream for an afternoon snack.

I ended up 2nd on the day after adding on a few minutes of running. I can't say that I 100% would have won or if I would have ended up 2nd even if I had stayed on course until the results are posted online.

My focus for the next few months will be on running. I have a few running racing on the calendar and am looking to runs some personal bests at various distances. Then the base building for 2014 will begin.

Music City Tri

What?  2 triathlons this year?  crazy.

This past Sunday was the Music City Tri and with Nashville being my new hometown, I figured what better race to compete in than this one.  I toyed with the idea of the Chattanooga Tri a few weeks ago, but given my current fitness level on the bike, I knew Chattanooga would have been a rude awakening.

I love sleeping in my own bed and having an almost normal morning the day of a race.  I woke up right around my normal time, had some breakfast and coffee, packed the car, then hit the road for downtown.

I was running around like a chicken with its head cut off.  I picked up my packet race morning, but the volunteers didn't steer me through the line so I left prematurely.  I realized later on I didn't have any race numbers, stickers, or a swim cap.  I jogged back over got that stuff and went back to the car to get everything ready.  Went for a little spin on the bike to make sure everything was good, then racked it in transition.  I should have listened to the pre race announcements as they discussed the flow of transitions and that would have benefitted me greatly.  Someone did mention the water was 72 degrees so I was extremely happy I happened to throw my wetsuit in the car "just in case."

After jogging to and from the car about 5 times, and making Casey extremely nervous, I was finally all set and went down to the river for the start.  It is a time trial start like most Team Magic races and all of the sprint distance athletes were starting first.  so about 450 athletes were starting ahead of me so I knew I had a while to wait.  I did find out that my buddy Bruce was starting right behind me and I know he's a fantastic swimmer so I would have some feet to chase once he flew by me.  At about 8:30, the Olympic distance athletes were finally started.  The race favorite, and local pro, Craig Evans was first in the water.  I timed the space between us, and it almost was exactly 2 minutes exactly.  I had a pretty solid start and swam consistently for the whole swim.  I did get on Bruce's feet for 100-200 yards but couldn't manage to hang on for much longer.  The rest of the swim was uneventful and I came out of the water in 3rd behind Craig and Bruce (I started 24th, not sure how they seeded the swim and how Bruce and I was 24th and 25th).  I ran to transition, ran down the wrong aisle, and spent 5 seconds or so looking around for my bike.  Once I found it, I took off and got a pretty solid start to the bike.

The bike is 2 laps and I held about the same wattage for both laps.  I was afraid to push too much as I haven't done many brick workouts and really haven't biked much at all this year.  I kept a solid pace and was able to catch Bruce about 20 miles into the bike.  The only thing I would have changed is taking a 2nd bottle.  I figured that 1 bottle would have been plenty of fluid for me, but it definitely wasn't.  I came off the bike in 2nd, behind Craig, with Bruce right behind me, and again, ran down to the wrong rack.  After another 5 seconds or so, found my spot, racked my bike, slipped on my shoes, and was off.  Well, I ran to the bike out which was the opposite corner of T2 from the run exit.  I had a volunteer yell at me as I was heading out that I was going in the wrong direction.  I turned around, ran to the other side of T2, and started my run.  Looking at the results, Craig put 45 seconds on me just in T2 if that tells you anything about how lost I was in T2, haha.  well, I had already given him a nice lead from the bike and that mishap just added to it.  I felt really good on the run for the first 3 miles or so.  No idea what pace I was running as I didn't see a mile split until I hit 3 miles.  I know my 4th mile was about a 5:42, and then the 5th mile was brutal.  It had 2 pretty challenging hills in it and was where the wheels started to fall off.  I managed to salvage my run on the last 1.2 miles but the damage was already done and I was 4 minutes out of 1st anyways.  I do know is that I ran the last 3.2 in 18:40 and looking at the results I was around 35:40 so I ran around 5:40 pace for the first 3 miles.  not terrible considering the lack of speed work, tempo, anything faster than easy pace really.

Overall I was happy with my effort given the swim and bike prep.  I felt I swam really well, biked well given my current fitness level, and ran pretty well.  if it were a flatter course, I may have broken 35 min. for the 10k run off the bike so I would have been really happy with that.

It was really nice having Casey, my mom, sister and her fiance all there cheering me on.  And I even ended up with some great pics thanks to the local tri guys.  Onto the next one.

Old Hickory Triathlon

Team Magic puts on some great races and I have always enjoyed participating in their races.  I have never competed in this particular race but I have done the Chattanooga and Music City race several times.  The format is a little different as the boat ramp where we swim start/finish is pretty small so there isn't enough room for a transition area.  So, there is a 1 mile run from the swim exit to the transition area to the bike.  This is included in the race so that you don't see people with 6 - 10 minute T1's.  So, 400y swim, 1 mile run, 12 mile bike, 2 mile run was our distance for the day. 

As you guys know, I have been injured for a long time now and this was my first multisport race since September of 2011.  I was really chomping at the bit to get out there. The weather was a little warm but we are in Tennessee in the summer so what else would be expected?? 

I woke up ready to roll and got there as early as planned.  Picked up my race packet, and checked out some of the local competition.  I am not from the area originally so I didn't recognize anyone and wasn't sure what to expect.  I was seeded 4th going into the swim as it is a time trial start.  I got in a little warm up in all 3 sports and waited patiently until 7:30.  I was off just 15 seconds after the gun went off.  The 1st and 3rd guys in the water looked like decent swimmers in the few seconds before I started but the 2nd seed was a female and she looked legit.  When I was sent in the water, I took off after her.  But her 10 second advantage was just too great, and the fact that she was a better swimmer than I was. I felt pretty solid for my first open water swim of the year and actually did a lot better job of sighting than I usually do.  I was out in 2nd, slipped on my running shoes, and was off for a 1 mile run. 

It was uphill from the boat ramp so it was a little challenging, but all the better since I've mostly been running lately.  I passed the female who got out of the water in front of me and I was first into "t2." 

I took off on the bike and it was a GREAT course.  1 mile to the highway, get on the on ramp, then 5 miles straight down a closed down interstate with smooth paved roads.  No pot holes or rubber line bumps, it was smooth as can be.  I enjoyed having the lead motorcycle in front of me as I tried to keep pushing.  I hit the turn around and it was just the exact same road back for 6 more miles.  I felt surprisingly good on the bike considering my lack of training on the bike.  I hit "t3" and was off for my 2nd run of 2 miles.  It was nice and warm and everything was marked perfectly.  I am always a little nervous about smaller races and having the course marked.  In the past, I have had a little trouble with that, but this one turned out to marked better than some of the bigger races that I've competed in before.  It was basically 1 mile out and back course and I crossed the finish line just over 54 minutes. 

No words can describe how it felt to get out there for the first time in a long time.  I enjoyed every second of it.  I was happy to win the race and meet a few of the locals in the process.  I'm looking forward to doing a few more, smaller races this year and keeping it low key.  I'm still keeping a close eye on my foot as it still makes me nervous some days, but for the most part it is 100% pain free.  Most likely the Music City Triathlon will be my next event.  I don't have to travel and it will be my longest triathlon since August of 2011.  My cycling will probably be my focus for the next few weeks to make sure I don't get blown out of the water by some of the local guys.  A 12 mile bike and a 2 mile run is a little bit easier to fake than a hilly 25 mile bike / 6 mile run.

Country Music 1/2 Marathon RR

Sure this is over a month late but I did another race.  That is 2 for 2013.  what is going on???  anyways, I once again waited until the last minute to sign up as I signed up 6 days before the event (last day of online registration).  The mileage has been there in training, just absolutely no speed work whatsoever.  My body responds pretty well to mileage as long as its easy with some moderate stuff and the occasional speed session.  I got injured while trying to maintain high mileage and over doing the speed work.  Most of my injuries have come from speed work sessions where I have over done it.  I was either turning the workout into a race, or doing it tired and hoping to hit times that would have been a stretch for me even if I had rested.

Anyways, I've been running consistently and keeping the mileage high for me.  Long run every weekend (11-14 miles) and doing some moderate runs throughout the week.  I used race week to back off a little and rest.  Saturday rolled around and it was pouring rain and thundering.  Luckily, the thunderstorms went away, but the rain continued to come down.  It didn't stop until Saturday night.  I was soaked well before the start of the race but no worries.  If you mentally accept it, its no big deal.  It's when you try to stay dry and tell yourself that you won't get that wet when you get upset about the rain.

I did a short/easy warmup and saw a Vandy girl doing the walk of shame so that always makes me laugh at 6:35 on a Saturday morning.  At, 7:05 we were off.  I felt controlled but I knew I was running faster than I have been recently.  There was a bachelorette party running in front of me for the first 1/2 mile.  I kind of laughed but wasn't happy to be behind them.  Well, they stayed in front of me for the next 3-4 miles and I didn't catch the last member of that party until 6.5 miles in the race.  I guess they were legit.  I went through the first mile in 6:02 which was a lot faster than expected.  The next mile was downhill so it was another 6:03 mile.  Miles 3-5 were uphill so I held around 6:15-6:20 pace for these.  I was passing the ladies who took it out fast, and the guys that were running a little faster than they should have been.  My 6th mile was a 5:58 so I went through 6 miles in just about 37 minutes.  My 10k was just over 38:10 ish.  The next few miles were up and down and I passed the leading woman around mile 8.  It's been a long time since I've had to race the leading female.  I remember when I first started running road races that I always was right around where the leading female would be so that turned into a goal of mine until I started getting a little better.  It turned out that is about the goal I set in the middle of the race.  I decided that I had better beat the first woman and I would run as hard as I needed to accomplish this.  Fortunately, there were no "very elite" women at this race or I would have been in trouble as I know there are plenty of women that can run in the ball park of 1:14 - 1:19 which is faster than I was going to run for sure.

Anyways, nothing really changed over the last 5 miles or so.  The leading woman kept me in her sights and I even heard some spectators cheer for her at mile 11 so even though I passed her at mile 8.  My 12th mile was my fastest mile being in about 5:50 (think it was a hair short as my last mile was 6:15 - 6:20 and it wasn't really that uphill), and managed to hold pace to the finish line.  I went through 13 miles right around 1:19:10 ish so I really had to focus that last 1/10 of a mile to make sure I dipped under 1:20 (which I did).  The results ended up having me about 50 seconds faster than I had on my watch but who's counting, right???

Casey met me at the finish line, we jogged back to the car, still getting completely soaked from the downpour, then we went to Panera.  That was our splurge for the day for me getting about 17 miles in for the day and Casey being the best spectator on the course (I may have a little bias).

I was very pleased with the result considering I have been running 8:00 min. pace for my long runs so I did not expect to run 6:05 pace for this race at all.  Over the next few months I'll just keep doing what I'm doing and try to stay consistent with my training.

Tony

Chasing Deer

My goal for 2013.  To run down a deer and catch it with my bare hands.

I was presented with this opportunity early in the year.  Unfortunately, I was in horrendous shape during this opportunity.  I gave it my all, but suffered for the rest of the day as if I had done an ALL OUT 800 meter run, or mile.  Both hurt A LOT.

After reading the book "Born To Run," I took several things away from this book.
A. running in racing flats is all the support that I will ever need in a pair of shoes.  I'm not going full extreme and getting the five finger shoes or the running sandals, but I do like racing flats and the feel of them.

B. The stories of running down deer is awesome and I want to do that.

I learned in 2011, that lesson A was a good idea, but I developed a heel spur and then a wicked case of plantar fascia that I dealt with for 1.5 years.  So, more support in my shoes for now.  If is ain't broke, don't fix it, right???

But the deer would make a great story if I were to ever run down a deer.  On February 6th, I was running a recovery jog in the park (about 9 min. per mile pace) and 1.5 miles in, there was a family of 6 deer.  I was so excited I got that little feeling in your stomach that you get when something sudden happens (you know what I mean).  Well, I wasn't sure how to start the chase to I just ran straight up to them.  Since the park is a popular place, the deer themselves were used to people and actually let me get a lot closer than I expected before they took off running.  Almost 30 seconds into the chase, 1 deer to separated from the rest and I knew that was the idea of the chase.  I managed to keep it separated for a little bit but it was able to sprint faster than me and get around me and back to the family.  For the next 2 miles I sprinted/jogged very slowly for recovery while chasing these deer over a few open acres of a grassy field. I ran about 12 minutes for those 2 miles which about killed me.  I was weezing and coughing the rest of the morning.  The deer escaped and made me look stupid as this field is right beside a busy road that many Nashvillians use to commute into downtown.  The only thing that I was really worried about was chasing the deer into the road so anytime they took off in that particular direction, I stopped chasing immediately.

I walk / jogged back to my car and got in about 2 more miles than I had planned and at a much higher intensity than I had planned.  Needless to say, the run the following day was my recovery run.

About a month later, the deer were there again, but it was in a different section of the park that was closer to the wooded area.  I chased for about 45 seconds and they got around me and into the woods.  They just into and across the small creek thus ending that chase.

Those are the only 2 chases I've had in 3 months but I'm hoping for more as I'm in much better shape.

I want revenge for this guy.  Sure this happened in S. Africa and this was an Antelope, but its the same family, right?

Mud Run 5k RR

So I know this isn't much but it is my first finished race since a Duathlon I did in October of 2011.  Finally feeling somewhat healthy, my wife and I decided we would find a fun race to do together.  A local high school put on a 5k mud run that I find about a week before the event.  We discussed it and I happened to have the day off from work, so we signed up.

Race day came and it was a pretty warm day for the middle of March.  The SEC Tourny was going on and I had hoped to stay out late the night before after watching a UK victory, but that did not happen.  I showed up wearing some longer running shorts, normal running shoes, and a t-shirt.  There were some seriously dressed up guys that looked like they were there to dominate.  Wearing some 5 finger shoes with their Mud specialty clothing, I felt that I might have some competition.  Casey reminded me that this was for fun, but I knew deep down that I wasn't going to let anyone else win.

Luckily, I got put in the first wave and we started at 9 am.  The gun went off and I took off just like any other race that I've competed in.  About 100 meters into the race, I already had a significant lead.  There was a hay bail to jump and then 75 meters straight uphill.  Right at the top was the Mudpit that was advertised.  The mud/water was about 2 ft. deep and about 15 - 20 yards long.  I was first out of the pit and off running.  Over the next 1/2 mile it was mostly running on grass with some hay bails to hurdle and some hurdles to go under.  There was a sand crawling section straight into a slip and slide which was the best part.  The rest of the 1.5 mile loop was more hay bails, crawling obstacles, and a large slip and slide right before the finish/start of second loop.  I pushed as hard as I could just getting that competitive flow going that I used to love.  The second loop was me against myself and I continued to push as that is what I have come to love.  I did lap the guys who were dressed up like they raced mud races professionally so that gave me a little laugh.  I didn't lap many people, but those 2 guys were about 50% of the lapped field.

I crossed the finish line about 4-5 minutes before the next competitor.  I realized this was a small race, and mostly people just running for fun, but it was enough to remind me how much I love to run/race.

Casey was the first female across the finish line from wave 1 so it was a couple tag team for first place.  Unfortunately, there was a timing issue with one of the other heats and 3 ladies all finished within 3 seconds of each other finished as the top 3 females.  They either only ran 1 lap or their timing chips were off.  Usually the winner of just about any race looks somewhat fit, and these ladies all looked like they were out for their Sunday morning 2 mile walk.  Anyways, we had fun and made for a great start to a fun day as one of my groomsmen was visiting for the weekend.

More to come in 2013.

You're still here?

So I know that it has been almost 1 year exactly since my last blog.  I took some time away from the sport and dealt with some personal stuff.  Mostly GREAT stuff as I got married in September of last year and then we moved to Nashville, TN.  I trained last summer but was still dealing with some foot issues.  I felt that if I didn't train, then I would get out of shape and that I was letting my "professional" career slip away.  I didn't want to be the pro that turned pro too early and then disappeared.  But guess what, I believe that is exactly what happened, ha.  It is now May of 2013 and I haven't finished a triathlon since September of 2011 at the Tri for Sight in Lexington, KY.  I believe I'm going to compete in some low key races this year just to get some of that fire back.

Ever since 2003, my life has revolved around my workouts.  Whether I was travelling, studying, working, or whatever else, I was always thinking about my workout the next day.  Missing a workout was something that always got under my skin and then I would be the grumpy guy for the rest of the day.  In 2011, it was at its all time high.  I was training more than ever, and sacrificing everything outside of my triathlon career.  I had some pretty good results but I believe I made some of my "A" races the same as a lot of the "faster" guys and I finished outside of the top 10 so I got a little down about most of those results.  Looking back on it, I was averaging close to 300 watts for 56 miles and then running in the ball park of 1:17 - 1:15 off the bike for 13.1 miles.  (I wish I was in that kind of shape right now.)  Anyways, I believe things happen for a reason.  I got hurt, was forced to put things in perspective, and am finally getting better.  I fought that plantar facsia injury for most of last year until I got to my breaking point in September.   Right after the wedding, I finally decided I was going to take time off completely.  I still swam a few days a week but that was about it.  We went on our honeymoon in December and I had a job where I was working 40 - 45 hours a week, but they were later in the day shifts so I was working a lot of 11 - 8 or 9 pm so I was mostly doing a short swim before work followed by a little lifting. Then we got short staffed at work so I ended up working a lot of 9-8 shifts thus cutting more into my workout time.  Not that I was training that much.  My foot still didn't feel like it was getting better after 10 weeks of no running what-so-ever. I did my research and decided that not running was not the answer.  I got some professional "scraping" done, did a lot of foot strength exercises, and got some custom orthotics.

I finally started running again mid December.  I was running 3-4 time a week for 2-4 miles at about 9-10 min. per mile pace.  And it was NOT easy.  I just kept this up and gradually picked up my mileage.  January of 2013 I ran about 120 miles for the whole month.  All of it was slow mileage with maybe my fastest mile during that being a 7:45 mile in the middle of a random run.

During all of this time, I was getting in a short workout, then making time for all of the other things going on in my life.  If I didn't get around to running one day, no big deal.  Especially making time for my new wife, even if it was just laying around and watching a movie on a Sunday afternoon.  It was nice to not worry about workouts and be a little more relaxed about my eating habits.  I didn't have to go to bed early on Friday worrying about getting in a 5 am bike ride on Saturday that was 3 hrs long with race pace efforts before traveling/working later Saturday morning.

I now have a new job that has set hours that never change outside of 8-5 and that works great.  I finally am getting that fire back in me as triathlon season is starting and I'm seeing results that are just mind blowing.  Guys are swim crazy fast, then 20-30 guys are holding 300+ watts for the bike leg then getting off and running 1:15 or faster.  I know I have a lot of work to do, but I'm up for the challenge.
April 1st was my first swim since November and it was ugly, ha.  I now have a month of swimming and it is coming along.  I am running consistently and cycling is the last thing that I've really wanted to do but it's finally coming around.

Motivation is definitely something that comes and goes and I didn't want to start my comeback too early before I was ready.  Forcing workouts is never a good idea.  Take a break when you need it, mentally and physically, and train hard when its called for.  I have been very consistent with my workouts since January, even if it has only been a 2 mile run at 9 min. per mile pace.

One big change that I've focused on this off season that has been a change of pace for me is lifting weights.  I have hit the gym at least 2-3 times a week this whole winter and definitely feel stronger than I have in the past.  Focusing mainly on leg strength and my stabilizer muscles as I'm pretty sure they were all pretty week from my down year and my injury.  I will blog more to come, I promise.  And I'm not down for the count, just took a little sleeper.

Tony