Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Races

The few races I did this summer have gone pretty well. Given the minimal amount of training, I am pleased with my age group finishes in the Energy2Action duathlon (2mi/16 mi/2.5mi 3rd place), Blacksnake duathlon (2mi/20 mi/2.5mi 2nd place), and Tri-Indy duathlon (2mi/12.4mi/5k 3rd place).

The Fisher Area Sprint Triathlon (500m/10mi/5k)was my first tri, and I finished within a minute of my projected time. My swim was weak (expected, as my swim training consisted of swimming 40 laps in my pool two weeks before the race), and first transition ridiculously slow, but the bike (21.4mph avg) and run (7:17 pace) went well. I was 12th in my age group, but as a first timer (newbies were grouped by age as well), I was first in my age group.

I ran in the Cancer-Free Lungs 5k last weekend, a non-competitive race (meaning no timing, bibs, or chips), which meant most of the participants were walkers; there were a handful of runners, but none were fast. My buddy Mike and I led the whole race, crossing the finish line together at 21:44 (6:59 pace). He could have waxed me at the end, but didn't. I was running at near redline for most of the race, with my heart rate in the 170s (174 avg), eventually peaking at 181 near the end. Speed is not my thing, but it did feel good to push it a bit.

September has been my lamest month of "training"; it's more like I am training to be lethargic. I have two races coming up, for which I am not prepared. The Ft. Harrison mini-marathon is in a bit over two weeks, and while I have no concerns with the distance, figure my speed will be lacking. Worse, this race was supposed to be a final prep for the Monumantal Marathon in five weeks, with a solid taper in between. I should be running an 18-20 miler about next weekend, but I haven't even run a 10 miler since Labor Day. Yes, I am way behind, and will not catch up. if I hadn't already signed up for the marathon, I would probably skip it for lack of preparation. Not being prepared to run a mini is no big deal; I can fake it and just slow down. 26.2 miles cannot be faked. You are either prepared or not, and that is a major factor in having a good race or a bad race. Oh well, I just have to get off my arse and utilize the remaining time as best I can.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Upcoming Races

I have some races coming up. You'd think I might actually train a bit to get ready for them, but it seems my training is more suited for getting ready for GluttonFest 2009. At least the races coming up soon are short: I have a sprint triathlon this Sunday (Fishers Triathlon), and a 5K the following weekend (Cancer-Free Lungs). But I really need to focus on October, as I have the Monumental Marathon on 11/7, with a mini-marathon two weeks prior (10/17). I'm not worried about the mini, but I don't think I'll be breaching 1:40. I'll be lucky for a 1:45. Or even 1:48.

It's been hard to put the time in, but I started riding my bike to work to make better use of my commute. It has helped me with my duathlon performance, as I have placed in my age group in all three this year (3rd in Energy2Action (May), 2nd in Blacksnake (August), and 3rd in Tri-Indy (August)). If I put the time in, I might get a win. Sad, but my VO2 max numbers show a potential
(with lots of training time) for a sub-3:00 marathon.

Time. It's hard to make time to train. The afternoons are impossible, as the kids get home from school, and the whirlwind doesn't cease until after 8pm. I was running at lunch, but I really don't have enough time to run and stretch; if I can't get at least 40 minutes on the road, I won't even bother. That leaves early morning. I have been running a bit before work, but getting up at obscene hours to run remains a challenge. If I hadn't already signed up for the Monumental Marathon, I wouldn't even worry about it. But I have, and with less than two months to go, I still have a chance to redeem myself by getting back in the game and putting forth the effort to beat my marathon PR of 3:39:56. I learned some things from the Flying Pig Marathon that will hopefully help my next marathon: adequate rest, pre-race meals, and race nutrition.