#40: Success is so relative…..and that’s what keeps us in the game

This week was a good one although a little unusual for me.  Coming off a solid effort at NJ State Oly, I felt good, but not great about my performance there.  I tend to be from that “your own toughest critic” mentality a lot of the time, and so every time I didn’t do what it takes to be first (which is every time in this relatively new world of endurance sports for me) I find myself thinking through all of the different what-if scenarios that could’ve been.  I seem to have a few reoccurring post what-if conclusions:

1. I need to continue to find ways at increasing my training volume…..the best (and therefore those who I’m chasing) are a good 20-40% higher than I am from a training volume perspective….so I can’t really expect “A” performances with “B or C” training efforts.
2. I need to continue to learn and gain experience in all 3 disciplines……so many of the competitors have one if not two anchor sports, that they grew up on, and therefore have years of experience on me…..and whereas my fitness can make up for this some…..it’ll never be enough to close the gap entirely.  Having grown up in short-burst power-sports (i.e. 30 seconds of hard effort), I really need to make up ground here.  I’m coming to terms that I may be in my 40’s before I’m really “experienced”……and this is a little troubling to me (see item 3).
3. I need to exercise the patience of an endurance athlete.  The longer the event the more pacing and timing comes into play…..not only on race day but by pushing personal limits hard enough to grow, but not so hard I blow up in the process.  So far, I’ve been pretty resilient to outright injury, but I seem to have a few nagging aches that can rear their ugly head at any point……L knee, R shoulder, R hip-flexor……know your limits.

But even though this is an energy consuming post-race ritual, it’s stimulating as well…..it helps me to refocus my efforts and puts more gas in the tank for the next round of hard training. 

So let’s get cracking…..but not yet.

Normally, I would have taken a day off (Monday) and then hit training hard for the rest of the week launching back into full-out training mode (after all stop 3 in the redemption tour, VA Beach ½ marathon is only 6 weeks away)…..however for the first time (the unusual part) I had my 3^rd of three weekend races in a row.  2 weeks ago it was Teterboro 5K, last weekend it was NJ State Tri and this weekend it was the 90 mile River to Sea relay from Milford NJ to the beach in Manasquan.  I was pulled near the last minute onto a team from Hunterdon County who has run it for several years but was looking for one more spot.  Eric, who had already been pulled on, recruited me and it was a good time.  The gist of it is that each person of the 7 person team runs 2 legs.  For me it was about 12 miles on the day.  I was assigned the rolling-hills from Montgomery Twp NJ to Princeton and ½ of the “wildcard” section somewhere in Freehold Twp.

The race was a good reality check for me.  We had a couple of college kids who could really run (their pace was sub 6min most of the time even on their 8 & 9 mile hilly stages), and a couple of seasoned runners who had plenty of strength to push out the miles.  Eric is generally a stronger runner than I……and then there was me.  I’ve never considered myself a “strong” runner…..but always better than average.  So after the first 3 legs (which had our average pace somewhere around 6:15/mile in high 80’s, low 90’s temp), I was getting pretty nervous that I was going to drag the team down.  I did a little.  My 7:04’s on the 6-ish mile rolling hills section was fair…..but certainly not strong by comparison.  My wildcard 7:00’s x 3mile and then 6:40’s x 2.5-ish also pretty solid…..but not strong by comparison…..it was humbling for me……but then, after hearing the stories of my fellow teammates:  miles per week (one of the college kids had put in 70 miles this week) and years of experience especially (even the youngest on our team had more than double my years under his belt), I took some solace in knowing that although I’m battling the clock some (being “young” in a sport after one’s physiological peak of 25-ish isn’t the best scenario) I can continue to improve if I can stay patient.  So, even after clocking considerable improvements the last 2 weekends, by the end of the day, depending on how you slice it, I’d put myself as the #5 or #6 (of 7) runner…..which isn’t a super comfortable spot for me…..but it will definitely drive me to keep working hard.

Why would anyone want to spend an entire day racing +/- 90 miles?

OK, they weren't there, but pretty sure
their shorts attended.

It’s a fair question……it’s a very long day.  But these kinds of events draw out a different kind of enthusiast……and R2C did not disappoint…..a good portion of the 700+ entrants were what I would call “authentic runners”.  These are a relatively rare breed, even by running standards and if you’ve ever come across this species you know them…… ½ of them (often the younger ones) look like high-school or college kids who could probably use a few burgers so they don’t get lifted away by the next crosswind……the other ½ are what happens to these college kids after college……often (within 10 years of graduation) they are bronzed by the sun, a little scraggly at times but look generally relaxed in otherwise ill-fitting shorts that no other human-sub-species would dare walk, let alone run in…..but in general they’re looking fit…..and really quite fast.  They tend to evolve into (possibly 20 years after graduation) one of 2 types from there……the free spirit runner who seems to be “about” running……they work in/on/around the sport and live for the chase….more of a lifestyle than a sport really…..let’s call this the Forrest track……and then the others…..who chased corporate jobs or business ownership and a financially “grounded” future……these are the runners who, secretly wishing they had had the courage to get on the Forrest track 10 years ago, thoroughly enjoy the thrill of the event.  They see friends and competitors at these events…..they know the stats and the game quite well…..these are a weekend warrior of a different kind…..they savor the chase, hoping it will last……only to be back in an entirely different race on Monday, quietly planning the next adventure, just waiting to drop it on their colleagues. 

Ken Bob Saxton....yeah, that's what I'm talking about

10-20 years later it seems that the 2 tracks converge into what I call the grizzled-road-warriors.  Almost impossible to tell apart (except that those on the forrest track have gone from bronze to leathery and those on the other are doing everything they can to combat that big hot cancer-causing thing in the sky), they have a certain racing wisdom about them…..and get my respect just for being there.  With rare exception, they’re less concerned with speed and more about how many miles they have “left in them”.  They are selective-warriors picking only their favorite chases to be involved in but still deep in the game…..and then there’s the final segment….the silver-back…..perhaps as many as 40-50 years past the fit-graduate stage, and now just happy to be around the scene.  Perhaps they run now and again…..but they rarely race……it’s about the personal challenge; long gone are the days of going for the win…..but never gone is their stake in the game itself….they are most concerned about passing on all of the goodness that comes with the competitive spirit and the thrill of the chase.

At R2C there were all of these and more…..plenty of fleet-footed college types to remind me of how old I’m getting and slow I already am…..plenty of hippie-runners and success-chasers….a good crop of road-warriors and even a handful of silver backs.  And the best part is, that although many are in direct competition …..there’s a sense of camaraderie……sure there are tactics and strategies….but it’s not cut-throat.....it’s friendly competition…..something more folks would benefit experiencing now and again.

So NOW are we ready to get serious…back on the redemption track?

YES enough fun and games (well almost….one more relay next weekend)……..I have roughly six weeks to hit a relative peak……this means I have a 3-2-1 ahead of me.  3 build, 2 peak, 1 taper…..and then redemption ½ marry style.

So what’s on the agenda? 

1. Need to get some new (speedy) shoes…….my last pair of brooks are pretty much obliterated making it very clear that I am a lateral-midfoot striker.  I’m torn here on whether I should continue to evolve toward the no-sock triathlon style shoes or stick with trainers.  Given my need to shave time off in transition which was so painfully obvious last weekend, learning to go sockless may be a very good, albeit stinky, idea

2. Need to put a training plan down on paper…..or in this case on the training interface we use through www.pro-activity.com …..of course, like most things, if it’s written down, I’ll stick to it more closely.  I’m thinking my build weeks will be 1 long, 1 tempo and 1 speed workout with bikes and swims mixed in for recovery and cross training.  I’m thinking 20-30 miles running per week and another 2-5 hours of cross-training and recovery workouts…..but that’s just high level.

Roll up the sleeves kids, it’s time to get to work….

Mike E.

#39: Things a little out of focus for the right reasons.....Redemption Tour pulls into Mercerville

The goal coming off of last week's 5k in Teterboro was to go easy so as not to totally burn my legs prior to the NJ State Triathlon today.  This was to be my measuring stick as my first triathlon with "historical data".  Just about everything was going to be the same, including the insanely hot weather.


Well, unfortunately, the best laid plans don't always work out:

• On Sunday I got in the water for a good swim......part recovery, part needing to get in the water (more on that in a bit)

• On Monday, I did my last "hard" workout (or so I thought), a 30:30 brick in very hot conditions

• On Tuesday I just did a little spinning to stretch the legs, very short, 20 minutes

• Wednesday I was able to get in about 45 minutes of easy riding

• Thursday I was part of a "test group" for a bootcamp workout that Pro-Activity is considering offering (having not done much besides endurance in a straight line, I was more sore than I'd like to admit from lots of body-weight squats, push-ups, etc)

I don't think it was quite this hot in Lebanon
on Friday..... Haven't seen this yet....
almost afraid that if I watch I might
want to try it.....maybe not.

• Friday I ran on a treadmill in the blazing (as in peaking at 106 deg F) for about 2.5 hours.  Truly not the typical pre-race prep chosen by most, but it was bigger than that.  As mentioned in Nick's Blog our group signed on to support a few folks who are near and dear to us as they attempt to raise money for Breast Cancer Awareness/Research as they step up to do the 3-day Komen Walk for the Cure (60 miles).  We said we'd run 30 minutes for every $80 raised and that put me up for an hour & 45 shift in the AM and a second 45 min shift in the afternoon.

• Saturday I stretched my sore legs by doing an easy preview ride (we did a single loop of the 25 mi course) w/PACER Teammate Chris Bush and then later that night, literally stretched my legs.

In general, I was confident that I was up to the race and that given all of the base-training work I had put in for Ironman, I would be able to show some improvement.  I was hoping to shave (up to) 30 minutes off of last year's time.

PERHAPS A LITTLE TOO CONFIDENT?

Let's just say, as astutely pointed out by Eric, that my perspective has changed......last year this was my first triathlon and I trained relatively hard for it.  Was in the pool at least 2-3x/week leading up to it and was on a very specific training plan.  This year, mostly due to work-demands, I was averaging a swim about every 7-10 days and was just taking whatever time I had and loosely applying training principles to it.  I hadn't even looked at the race packet until last night (as in hours before the race).

Last year I had my race strategy thought through forward, backward and sideways.....this year, I literally wrote it down at 9P as I started to find my gear.

Last year I was in bed early, tapered appropriately the week before.......well, 2.5 hours of running in 100 degree heat can't really qualify as taper and I starting my race strategizing at 9P didn't really lend itself to an early night to bed.

So, whereas I wouldn't trade the experience gained (and therefore the far less stressed pre-race week), I need to find some balance if I'm going to really live up to what I think my potential as a racer is.

HOW'D IT GO?

The bad news is, not being in the pool hurt me worse than I thought it would. I actually did WORSE on the swim by about 2 minutes.  OUCH!!  Well, the gurus would appear right, someone of "novice" swim ability should probably be in the pool, even if for short sessions 3-4 times per week.....but as mentioned above, and, since this is one of my least favorite excuses......I'll phrase it like this......I just didn't make the time.

The good news is that the Tri-Gurus are right about more than just the need to swim if you want to be good at swimming - a solid base will carry you through.  I shaved around 22 minutes off last year's debut and jumped from #450 out of 926 last year, to #211 of 944 this year.  I also went from +/- middle of the pack last year (#50 of 87 age and 340 of 626 gender) to the top quartile (#27 of 108 age and around 180 of around 700 gender)......which of course only makes me want to kick my own butt......see "didn't have the time" excuse above.

The even better news is that there is probably some low hanging fruit that I can work on....spelled T-R-A-N-S-I-T-I-O-N

The best transition-ers spent a TOTAL of 2 minutes in transition today......I spent, 6 minutes and 10 seconds.......let's just do a little "for fun" math here.....if I could transition like the speedsters and saved 4 minutes, I would have jumped an additional 50 places......Heck, if I had just shaved 2 minutes off here, I would have jumped 30 slots.....ok, so it might be time to have a transition strategy and start practicing it.....it's a give-away.

Sidenote: World Triathlon Corp changed the
IM St George run course eliminating Red Cliffs Parkway....
I feel a little better about it now.

Bottom line is - the swim was a dud (432nd place), the bike was solid (averaged 22 mph, 2.4 mph faster than last year, putting me at 116th place) and the run was still not where I think I can be but a leap in the right direction (2:15/mile faster than last year's heat-related beat down, putting me at 225th place).....

My heavy focus for the next 6-12 weeks has to be on the run.....with a late summer 1/2 and fall-full marathon(s) coming into view.....the next 2 stops on the redemption tour......perhaps I'll use the pool as recovery.

But......although I'm sooooo glad I didn't try to be ready for it.....as I sit here typing while in the background Mike Reilly's voice continues to tell people "You are an Ironman" on the web-stream of IronMan Lake Placid I find myself itching to get serious again.....

Focus Mike......FOCUS.

___________________________

Big CONGRATS in Order:

1st to teammate Chris Bush - who had a GREAT race today at NJ State Oly Tri.  Top third in his age group.

Next to professional colleague (and go to guy for tips & tricks) Bill Capune - who is an animal......not only did he win his age group today at NJ State Oly Tri.....he came in 14th overall.....to put in perspective there were 17th elite males today.....he beat about 1/2 of them.

Big KEEP GOING KEEP GOING goes out to:

James Armstrong of Soliders Race Team, Randy Latza (who Linds went to HS with) and the 10 or so Carmichael compadres I met who are on the run somewhere (or finished as I suspect in some cases) in Lake Placid, NY.

Now.....some sleep.

MIke E.

#38: Over one hurdle, many more to come

REDEMPTION TOUR STOP 1:


It's been another busy week, but another baby step in the right direction.  I started the week knowing it was going to be a trick to balance another jam-packed work week with another training step and, if I was going to take a recovery day before my first event of the "summer redemption series" (Teterboro 5K), I was going to have to get things done early in the week.......so after my 65-ish mile bike tour from Hunterdon to Fort Dix last Sunday, I decided I'd make the run and swim workouts primary this week. Got a solid 45 min swim session in and a good tempo run in the soupy humidity that July seems to bring.....but unfortunately, it ended there.  Wed and Thurs turned into longer working days and Friday was the planned day off, so it was a definite "recovery week", whether planned or not.  This was a bit of a downer for me, so I definitely took some solace in a solid first show on my redemption tour by shaving almost a full minute off last year's 5K time and moving up 19 spots in the field.  This was about 12 seconds faster than my goal for the day and put me within striking distance of my 2011 goal for that distance.....cool.  What's even better is that team PSEG (who I ran for these last 2 years) came out on top this year as overall fastest team by somewhere between 30 seconds and 7 minutes depending on how you score it.  OK, so I might have had something to do with the recruiting this year.....but redemption is redemption.


This coming week is the next stop on the "redemption tour": The NJ State Triathlon in Mercer County Park.  I can't over-do the early week miles b/c I've agreed to support a fundraising effort for a couple members of the "Pro-Activity Family" who are making their push to raise $2000 for the Koman walk for the cure.  I've agreed to run a leg of the (potentially) 12 hour run our staff has signed on for.  So as long as I don't burn my legs too badly and with any luck (assuming I've learned enough to pace myself correctly on the bike and stay properly hydrated) I can have a strong run, which will be about the best barometer of success compared to last year.  With the likely cancellation of the Hunterdon 1/2 Ironman, the NJ State Triathlon will represent a shift from primarily triathlon training to primarily run training (with some swimming and biking as recovery) so I can finish the summer strong and be in the right position to attack some fall road (and other) races:

• Weekend of 7/30: I'm signed up to run a few legs of the "River to Sea relay" for a team called the Hunterdon Hill Hobblers.  They were down a man and called me up from the bullpen.  Hope I can live up to the expectations.
• Weekend of 8/5: 2nd Annual PACER Rediculous Relay (250+ mile relay from High Point to Cape May)
• Labor Day Weekend: Rock-n-Roll 1/2 Marathon (redemption tour stop #3)
• Skylands Sprint Triathlon (9/11)?
• O'er Hills & Far Away Race 10/8
• AC Marathon 10/16?
• Flemington Turkey Trot 11/24

And so, there is still much to be done.  This week was an important milestone, but I'm definitely not there yet.


IT'S NOT ALL HARD WORK


Even after a taxing, but ultimately fulfilling week, the week ended with a glimmer of (what I hope turns out to be) the future.  Today, we decided to throw out an invite for people to come in and watch the Women's World Cup finals at BaseCamp31.  The kids were pumped, painted their faces and we put some of the big screens up so people could get into the game.  Some of the PACER folks stopped in for the monthly social (happened to be on the same day) and we all shared the space and got into the game; and even though it didn't work out the way we had hoped (Japan takes it in shoot out) it was really cool to sit back and see people from different groups all come together and get into the game.  The kids seemed to enjoy themselves and b/t Lindsay behind the counter and some of the healthy treats the PACER folks brought to share, it was a good atmosphere.  With any luck we'll have more and more moments like this and more and more people will come in and be part of it.........recharging for sure.


AND MORE TO COME.....


And, although I still can't mention some of the cool stuff happening on the Pro-Activity side of the world b/c the details are still not fully ironed out, but this week we got even closer to another exciting development in the evolution of Pro-Activity.  Some fun conversations and some even more fun "what-if" mind gymnastics......bottom line is, it could be cool if a few more things fall into place.....stay tuned.


And so summer racing has started with promise.  Probably the weirdest thing for me is that there's definitely a mental shift.  I'm looking forward to training and wishing I had more time to commit.......strange.


MOST IMPORTANTLY, THANK YOU.


I'm sort of surprised, but I'm nearing the 2500 hit mark on this blog.  When I committed to it, my biggest goal was to get 1000 reads and to complete an Ironman; and although I'm a little surprised people are interested enough to stay tuned......it's been very cool for me and I thank you.  Seems strange perhaps, but in a way, I draw inspiration from it.  So thanks for reading and following along.


And for now.....that is all.


Mike E.

#37: If I only had something to do in my spare time....

This week was pretty much the microcosm of my life:  always busy, some crazy twists and turns (just when things were starting to settle a little) and squeezing in some training around the schedules of pinging children (see video below).


The always-busy part is pretty straight forward; lots of work to get done, never enough time to do it......such is life for most people I guess.  The crazy twists and turns...well, I can't let the cat out of the bag yet, because nothing is final until it is, but I can say there are a few things brewing that have gotten my attention in a big way.  Exciting potential(s) for sure and we're really hopeful things will fall into line enough to make some announcements soon.  Kid stuff?  Well, with Linds knee deep in Fuel Good most hours of the day, I've had to step up my Dad game.  I think just about anyone who knows me understands (I hope) that I love my kids dearly, would give them the world if I could and would do just about anything for them.......except be a Mom.  Whew, it's tiring, and I'm getting a TON of help from everyone around me.....but I think I'm getting the hang of the new schedule.  I'm figuring I'll have it down just before school starts.....which is perfect timing for that to throw a total curve ball my way.  Cool.


As for training?


Started the week out relaxing in the sun.....yes, three day weekends and family BBQ's are an easy way to start a short week.....in fact, I'm all for moving to a four day week very soon.  Can we arrange that on a permanent basis?

• Tuesday got a 17 mile ride in, was short on time so pushed pretty hard.
• Wednesday I sneaked a higher-intensity negative split run in on the BC31 hills
• Thursday I got in the pool for a solid hour session.  Shoulders are not a fan of my once per week swimming regimen.  If it weren't for the race in 2 weeks I'd probably skipped it, so it's good that I have a reason to get there.
• Friday some of the busyness of "said potential" came to a head and blocked out any significant training
• Saturday was more busyness and some kid-chase down @ Ft Dix for a summer-swelter-fest (and some kid soccer thrown in)
• And to make up for a couple of missed days.....a nice, long, ride....somewhere b/t 65 & 70 miles....a little heat, some hills and some sore legs following.....I decided I'd ride to Ft. Dix this time.  Recovery was pretty quick though (within 2 hours legs felt decent again).....so that's a good thing.

Overall, I'm feeling pretty OK and I'm starting to think about what my goals are for this upcoming Olympic race (or the super flat and fast PSE&G Teterboro 5K next weekend that I've committed to).


For the 5K:  I really have no idea.  I ran it last year in just over 20 minutes (like 20:10 or something) and I feel like I'm in better shape now.  I'd love to eventually get under 19 minutes, but I'm not sure I'm there yet.  I'm just going to go out and give it a go and see what the body responds with.


For the Oly: My primary goal is just to have a strong run.  With each of the 3 triathlons I've done so far I've felt like the run was a disappointment in one way or the other.  This race last year was very very hot and I wilted......same in Utah.......the other I had some knee issues to contend with......so I'm still in search of a Tri that I the run falls into place.


I will be really emphasizing my hydration on the bike in an effort to stay cool and I will be trying to find the right calorie mix.


As for the swim?  I'm sort of mixed.  I think I've improved from last year (I hope I have) and given that this is the shortest distance I've done, and I did this specific race last year I'll now have something close to apples-to-apples (assuming water temp and wind is similar).  The only drawback is that I'm definitely not been as disciplined in the pool in preparation for this race as last year.  They say swimming is 80% technique and 20% fitness.......I suppose we'll see......I need to have a swim heavy week this week though.


When it comes to the bike, I know I'm a bunch stronger, last year I had real issues getting over "Sourland Mountain".  As part of my tour today?  I was breathing heavy, but not real trouble.  Last year I was around 19.5 mph, I hope to have gained some ground here.  The bike should help too.  Last year I had a road bike with clip-on aerobars.  This year the positioning is better on the Tri bike which should translate to some additional power......


Of course, goal #1 is to finish so no training mishaps or mechanical failures please.


And where does that leave the rest of the competition plan for the rest of the season?

• This Wed I should be able to confirm if I'm going to make a run at the tough-mudder
• It looks like there is a 1/2 Ironman called the "toughman" in NY in September....this might be worth considering
• AC Marathon on 8/16 still has my eye as well.

And so.....things are still moving forward even though my summer has been a little busier on the life side of the equation and a little lazier on the training side of the equation than I like, I'm not taking on water yet and so things are good.

____________________________________


Keeping up with my kids is a lot like this at times.....

#36: Ducks, Fireworks and Birthday wishes.....and some training too.

After getting all of my mental ducks in a row last week and officially getting back into a training mindset, I was able to string a pretty good effort together. 3 solid runs, 3 short but intense sessions on the bike, a swim and a short strength/stability session to round it all out.  This week was all about trading duration for intensity as I'm continuing to find myself tight on time; but with the local festival over (which stole a couple nights last week), no soccer tourneys this weekend, no wedding to attend and a 3 day weekend......well it felt almost slow; and truthfully, given my next race is Olympic Distance, I need to be emphasizing a little more intensity anyway......so a pretty good training week.


And now something a bit off script:  July 4th weekend is always a special one for me, mostly b/c it's Linds' birthday weekend......and although I do a pretty good job of hiding my sentimental side (a little too well at times), it was a treat to get out and "hit the town" a little last night.  Sure, hitting the town has a very different meaning for us as compared to what it once did.....we shared a bottle of wine and some pretty standard fare and then decided to make it a really "late night" and catch the end of the US Women's World Cup team dominating Columbia over a beer and some poundcake with fresh fruit....truly, a wild after party......but that's not the point, it was nice to just sit back; not to have to dart from one place to the next or for one of us to have to tag the other as we run out the door to squeeze in a little training.......we just sat back and enjoyed each others' company.  


So a big thanks to my parents for watching the kids and to my brother & sister-in-law for suggesting a trip to Doylestown for the relaxed atmosphere and although getting stuck in post-fireworks traffic pretty much stunk (didn't know there was a show and 202 is a one-lane road in each direction and NOTHING was moving), it was a fun evening of just being together.


Although I'm certain there are a ton of other things to write about related to training:

• Did a killer hill session on the bike
• Am happy with the progress I seem to be making on the run
• Need to get back in and swim more
• Less than 1 month away from competition
• Starting to slowly move back toward race weight (+/-5 lb off)
• Bummed that Hunterdon 1/2 Iron may not work out and need to search for a new fall race

I think I'll just leave it short and sweet this week and wrap it up with some birthday wishes:

Happy Birthday to the best country in the world and thank you to the men and women around the globe fighting to keep it that way.  I have what I have, am allowed to believe what I believe and express it however I choose because of you.  We're not always right, and we'll have more missteps along the way, but I am proud to be an American.

Happy Birthday to my supportive wife; I love you very much.  Sure, we're busier than we should be, more exhausted than we could be and crazier than we would be if we weren't who we are......but where's the fun in that?

Time and tide wait for no man, but time always stands still for a woman of 30 (Robert Frost),

Mike E.