The Summer Sans Triathlon and my Return to Open Water Swimming

Well, the tri season is nearly over out here in NY and I don't suspect I will be doing another multisport race this season.  That being said, I didn't even get to do an actual triathlon this summer.  That is, I never raced all three disciplines in succession.  I did two duathlons, several 5k races, and my very first aquathlon (I don't think that is actually a word because just race morning I heard it pronounced a-kwa-ath-lon, a-kwath-lon, a-kwa-ath-a-lon, and a-kwa-thon).  Regardless, I had my first summer without triathlon in 5 years, and it was a frustrating one that began with an insanely difficult American Zofingen Duathlon that I detailed previously and has ended (I think) with the very interesting Moreau Lake State Park Aquathlon.

For those that don't know, an aquathlon consists of swimming and running, either swim/run, swim/run/swim, or run/swim/run.  The Moreau Lake Aquathlon is a 1500m swim and a 5k run.  The swim was absolutely gorgeous; set in between some serious hills and heavy forests, the water was impeccably clean and made for excellent swimming and sighting conditions. I knew absolutely nothing about the run course except that the website says it is "technical", which can mean a variety of things, but usually it means everyone has a high probability of falling or rolling an ankle on a rock or tree root.

Not feeling too confident about this...

I was a little nervous about the swim because I only recently (2 months ago) started training in the pool again and haven't swam open water since one year ago today when I did Ironman Wisconsin.  Rather unsurprisingly, I swam an abysmal 24:30 for 1500m, putting me about 45 seconds behind the first athlete out of the water in this small field of about 25 athletes.

Not many people here.  Others had done the 3k swim, 1.5k swim, or 15k trail run.  Some were even doubling up on races.

Although, if I had to find a silver lining in this experience it was that I had a good start, made it to the first and second buoys first, got caught by a few athletes but was able to hang behind them for the remainder of the swim.

Who wouldn't want to swim in this lake?

So, I was 4th out of the water and quickly made my way to transition into the run.  I use the word "quickly" here very loosely, because even though I probably had the fastest transition time (not recorded, so this is just conjecture) I think it is only because I didn't sit down to roll out my calves with a rolling stick or have a snack before heading out onto the run.

This was the most poorly designed (read: largest) timing chip ever.

I think those people behind me are getting a pretty nice view...

And I'm off to start the "technical" run.

With my speedy transition, I ended up being the first runner out onto the course.  So, I head out to the run, which I knew was going to be a "technical" trail run.  I thought, "roots, rocks, maybe even a creek", but there is no way the 5k times from 2011 were accurate.  I mean, the winner ran a 28 minute 5k last year...28 minutes!  We all probably know someone who can walk a 5k faster than that, which, as it turns out, is the majority of what I was doing for the first half of the run.  Little did I know that they would make us run the most obscured and rarely traveled trail ever, which happens to have 500ft of elevation gain in the first 1.5mi.  The descents were no fun either since the rain last night left us to run on wet pine needles, mossy rocks, and slippery tree roots, this trail was for the sure-footed only!

The lead swimmer caught me about a mile into the run and let me set the pace.  Having done this race last year, he had the edge on me in terms of experience.  I put in a hard downhill surge at the 2mi mark to try and make a break and I got about 5sec on him.  Unfortunately, there were some sharp turns ahead and I wasn't able to carry my speed for too long.  He remained a few seconds behind me until the trail opened up into a nice gradual downhill where the blew by me.  I tried to stay with him but I was mentally gone.  The run course was so unexpected that it threw me out of my comfort zone.  I tried to match his pace but 30s later he was dropping me.  With less than .5mi to go and not another athlete within sight, I decided to back off the pace a bit and cruise into the finish for 2nd place overall.

While it would have been nice to win the race and the custom made Adirondack walking stick, I am still very pleased with my performance.  My previous multisport success has always relied on my cycling abilities.  This race tested my weaker disciplines, at which I only have had a few months of minimal training due to my extended hiatus from the pool and the tibial stress fracture.  I will always believe that I am a stronger cyclist than I am a runner or swimmer, but it is still nice to know that I can put up a reasonable race without relying on my bike performance.

I hope to add a few more pictures and actual results once they are posted online.  Check back in a few days for my official times and some running shots (hopefully good ones with my nice leisurely pace at the end of the run).

7 month Blog Hiatus

Since I lead a thoroughly uninteresting life, I do not want to bore you with how work was going or any of the menial activities I was involved in.  I will however give you an update on my racing and training over the past 7 months.

February 19, 2012:  HMRRC Winter Marathon - DNF

I went into this with the intention of breaking the 3-hour mark.  I felt really good for the first 10mi and even went through the 13.1mi mark just under 1:30:00.  I was running with someone who was hoping to finish around the same time so we did our best to pace off of each other.  The course was flat, but it was mind-numbingly repetitive (4 laps of a horse shoe course: around the outside, around the inside, repeat, repeat, repeat). Unfortunately, I started to unravel around the 15mi mark and I had to ditch my runner buddy.  Additionally, I had found out the week before that I was going to start work the following morning on the 20th, so I decided to cut the race short so that I wouldn't be "that guy" that runs a marathon the day before I started work.  In the end, it was a DNF by choice (more or less).

Good pacing with the guy in black.

Unfortunately, he started to run away from me around 14mi and I couldn't keep up

April 22, 2012: Delmar Duathlon (2mi R / 10mi B / 2mi R) - 1st Overall - 52:04

I had an absolutely fantastic race.  I started in the first of five waves (organized by ages) and I quickly got into the lead on the run.  The run course was a Figure-8 style loop around the Elm Avenue park, all on soft trails with a few short, steep hills.  I finished the first run with a sizable lead on the other people in my wave, but I had to make sure I was still pushing so that anyone in the later waves wasn't gaining time on me.  Finished the first 2mi in 12:21 at a pace of 6:11/mi, 2nd fastest run split.

Start of the race (I'm in purple).

The bike was a 10 course with no major hills.  There was one long stretch that we had to ride into a strong headwind, but that wasn't going to slow me down anymore than anyone else behind me.  I pushed hard on the bike in hopes that everyone else wouldn't be able to match my speed and so that I could buy some time on the second run.  Finished the 10mi bike in 25:47 for an average speed of 23.3mph, 2nd fastest bike split.

The second run leg was the same course but backwards.  I could definitely tell that I may have pushed it a little too hard on the bike, but it was only a 2mi run and I could definitely push through it.  I ended up running a 13:01 for a 6:30/mi average pace, good enough for another 2nd best run split.

1st overall - 52:04

While I didn't actually have the fastest run or bike split, I had the most consistent.  2nd place was a fast runner but a slow biker and 3rd place was a fast biker and slow runner.  It was pretty cool to win, but it was certainly a cold race morning.  I'm very happy I didn't have to swim that day.

May 20, 2012 - American Zofingen Long Course Duathlon (5mi R / 85mi B / 15mi R) - 8:12:36 - 4th Overall

This race was EPIC!  It felt like a small race that a group of friends decided to put on amidst some of the toughest terrain I have experienced.  Held in New Paltz, NY, in the heart of the Catskill Mountains, this was the most mentally challenging race I have ever done.  Let me first show you the elevation profiles that my Garmin 305 recorded:

Run #1: Single Loop of a 5mi Course in 42:03.  1,150ft elevation gain.

Bike: 3 Laps of a 28mi Course (84mi total) in 4:33:33.  8,900ft elevation gain.

Run #2: 3 Laps of the same 5mi Course (57:53/1:00:34/55:57). 3,900ft elevation gain.

Looks painful, right?  Yes, very, very painful. But also, very, very fun!  I started the first run with a lead group of guys and felt really good.  Then, all of the sudden, we started going uphill.  Three guys tried to take the lead going up the hill but I stayed back with another guy named Mitch.  He told me, "Be careful, this is a long day.  You don't want to push it too hard too early."  I heeded his advice and stuck back with him for the rest of the run.  We finished the run together and then biked the first two loops together too.  We paced really well over the ridiculously mountainous terrain, averaging 19mph for the first two loops. I hit a max speed of 52.3mph going down one of the many long downhill sections of the course and worked really well to stay in control on the climbs.  Unfortunately, I hadn't spent as much time in the saddle as I needed to and the third look really hit me hard.  I dropped to a 17mph avg, lost 13 minutes to my buddy Mitch, and lost my salt pills somewhere on that loop of doom.

Riding my new Felt DA up a very tough climb (1000ft gain over 2mi)

Once I got off the bike I wasn't feeling very good.  I hadn't adequately prepared for the distance on the bike and I was quite unsure of my ability to finish a grueling 15mi run.  Fortunately, I had the moral support of Anna and her family throughout the whole day, plus they were giving me water and coke along the run course. 

Sitting comfortably in the shade and smiling while others suffer

 What I find most interesting about this race is that I was so coherent throughout it all.  During Ironman Wisconsin last year, I don't remember a good portion of the run because I was so distracted by my IT band issues that I was unable to appreciate what I was doing.  Fortunately, this run was completely on trails and very well shaded, not to mention 11mi shorter than the IM run.  Nevertheless, it was wicked hard and I spent a good portion of my time walking up some very steep hills, I averaged an 11:00 min/mile pace.

Start of the 3rd run loop (miles 10-15).  Not pretty.

At the end of each loop we had to run through the finish gazebo (pictured above and below) where the short course racers were already drunk and eating burgers and hot dogs.  It was not pleasant.  However, given the atmosphere of this race, the few moments spent in the gazebo were amazingly motivating.  Had I had been a bit more stupid (or would it have been sensible?), I would have taken a shot of Jameson before the last loop...clearly I was too coherent and therefore not running hard enough.

Finish.  My glorious girlfriend waiting to congratulate me.

 Finally, after 8 hours of the hardest racing I've ever done, I walked into the gazebo and did not have to run out the other side.  It would be difficult to decide if this was harder than Ironman, or even Triple T, because they are completely different beasts.  While I don't feel like diving into a comparison right now, I will certainly say that I plan on doing Zofingen again next year, and mark my words, I will be under 8hrs.

Unfortunately, after American Zofingen, I figured out I had a stress fracture in my right tibia and I had to take all of June off of running.  I slowly worked back into running in July and I have been running between 15-20mi/week now for the past 3-4 weeks with no pain.  Lots of R.I.C.E. on the leg after runs and some NSAIDs really help out.  I have been working with a guy from work on my swimming and I am hitting times in the pool that I used to only dream of.  As it turns out, kicking is very important for swimming fast (I can't believe those words just came out of my mouth).  Additionally, I have been biking a bit more on my PowerCranks and I can't say for certain if they have really helped my run yet since I haven't started running seriously yet, but I will be sure to continue riding them to strengthen my hip flexors in the upcoming off season.

Thanks for your patience, I apologize it has been so long (not like anybody really cares anyway...)

Big Changes

Since my last post, I have driven further and more frequently than I ever have before.  I first drove all throughout the state of Michigan to do holiday festivities with my girlfriend's family.  I went from Portage to Manistee (the location of my last post), Manistee to Saginaw to Clawson, Clawson to Sylvania, Sylvania to Plymouth, Plymouth to Manistee, then finally Manistee to Portage again, all within a narrow time frame that left me feeling like I shouldn't ever have to drive anywhere again.  But oh boy was I ever wrong...

After a few relaxing days in Portage, the moving stress began again.  The minivan was stuffed to the gills with bookshelves, clothes, bikes, and other items that would not fit in my vehicle.  The remaining miscellanea was stuffed into my vehicle and so began my move to Albany, NY; my life's possessions somehow packed into two vehicles.  Needless to say, after all that driving through MI, I was none too excited for the 700mi trans-Canada journey.  With my girlfriend next to me, my parents behind me in the minivan, and my pet Chinchilla in the backseat, we set off early, well before sunrise.

We arrived in Albany well after sundown and proceeded to feverishly dump the contents of the vehicles into the small two bedroom apartment I am now sharing with my accommodating girlfriend.  Although the drive was long and tiresome, we had no traffic, border, or weather issues the entire way, so we made excellent time with very minimal stress.

I have now been "officially" living in Albany for 12 days (neither the state of NY or MI actually knows yet, but they will soon) and it has been better than I could have anticipated.  When I first decided to move to NY in April '11, I was in the midst of a relationship that had been long distance since January '10.  Finally, after nearly two years of phone calls, skyping, and gChats, I finally get to see the woman I cherish every day and I couldn't be more thrilled.  As my mom told me when the long distance business first began, "short term pains for long term gains".  Two years ago I thought this moment would never come and every time I uttered phrases like, "I wish I could be there" or "If I were there", it seemed like it was a distant future.  But now that I'm basking in it, I can't believe that those two years have passed, and for some reason, I feel like it all happened rather quickly.  None of that matters anymore now that I am here, with Anna, finally and indefinitely. 

"By Endurance We Conquer" is a phrase I'm glad I heard since it very accurately describes the past two years of my life.  I now find it odd that I immediately stored it in the triathlon-related portion of my brain when it encompasses so much more.  Here's to breaking down the partitions in my brain:

I'm pretty sure Calvin is better thinking outside the box than anyone, ever.

The rest of my life seems to be in order as well since I anticipate my security clearance will be completed soon meaning I can then start my CAREER and earn a SALARY!  I am enjoying the downtime I have now since I know I won't be able to laze about like this when I start my employment.

I have been running incessantly and logging excellent workouts, paces, and distances with great recovery and no physical problems.  14 runs in 18 days for January, 110 miles total, today was my 10th day in a row of running and I hit the track hard with a solid workout.  I'm looking forward to a 30k road race this weekend and glaring down on me only 4.5 weeks away is a marathon.  I'm putting in some big miles and hoping for some big results.  More thoughts on running frequency, durability, and road vs. trail coming soon.

New name for the blog

Well, I figured that since I barely even posted anything about No Shave November during November, that this blog really has nothing to do with that divine, manly activity.  I've been thinking about changing the name for a while now, but I never really had any good ideas for new blog names.  Well, I was recently inspired by a new book that I am listening to during training.  This inspiring book is called Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage, it details the story of Ernest Shackleton and crew throughout their amazing story of survival on Antarctica in the early 20th Century.  They were attempting the first trans-antarctic trek on foot and horrible events ensued, obviously, or there wouldn't be an incredible story about it.

Shackleton's ship, Endurance, stuck in ice, listing 30 degrees port and sinking

Anyway, Shackleton's named this ship Endurance because of his family motto fortitudine vincimus meaning "by endurance we conquer".  I got to this explanation in the audiobook as I was struggling through a rough spot in my run.  The run wasn't particularly hard or fast, but I started feeling pretty terrible and then this part of the story came through the headphones.  It was a strange feeling, but all of the sudden, I had a more positive outlook on my run.  I knew it was tough and I wasn't feeling well, but I was convinced by this motto that by pushing through the rest of the run was going to be more of a mental benefit than a physical one.

This was very relevant in my current training as I have been doing most of it alone, when it is very easy to slow down and walk if I feel any twinge of discomfort.  Obviously, if I want to do well in race, I'll need to push through some rough spots.  Mental toughness is typically overlooked in our sport since there is such focus on going faster and with better form.  Go watch lots of running videos and you will see some very fast runners with what most would not consider "good form" in the conventional sense of the word (meaning midfoot strike, high cadence, feet landing under the hips, etc.).  However, they certainly are fast and can push through rough spots in their training and racing.  This mental toughness is what I desire to achieve.  Hence, the new name to the blog "By Endurance We Conquer" so as to remind me every time I post that I need to keep on keepin' on in my training so that I can stay tough and mentally focused during races.

Also, I added a new feature to the right side of the blog that lists my previous 10 workouts.  I'll try to keep it simple so as not to bore you with specifics and what not.  The paces that I put on there are averages and I will try to list the general classification of the workout (interval, long, easy, tempo, speed, strength, etc.)

Also, I graduated!  Go me!

2012 Race Schedule

Well, in the interest of procrastinating, I have decided to take a look at which races I would like to do in the 2012 season.  Since I will be moving to Albany, NY in a month's time, I have no idea what or how many races are in the area.  After quick search of TriFind.com for triathlons, running races, duathlons, and cycling races in NY, NH, VT, ME, CT, RI, and MA, I have decided that there are many more than I could imagine.  I'm going to focus on the half-iron distance and 13.1 and 26.2 next year so as to maintain the huge running base that I have been building this winter.  So, without further adieu, here are the available races (obviously, I will have to pick a final group of these to register for, but as of now  **Asterisks** indicate that I have already registered for this event.

Hudson Mohawk Road Runners Club Winter Marathon - Albany, NY - February 19, 2012

• Registration: $20
• Distance from Albany: 5 minutes from my apartment

**American Zofingen Long Course Duathlon - New Paltz, NY - May 20, 2012**

• Long Course Duathlon - 5mi run, 84mi bike, 15mi run
• Registration: $150
• Distance from Albany: 1.5hr

HITS Hunter Mountain HIM - Hunter Mountain, NY - June 10, 2012

• HIM on Sunday, June 10
• Registration: $250
• Distance from Albany: 1hr

Patriot HIM - East Freetown, MA - June 16, 2012

• Registration: $225
• Distance from Albany: 3.5hr

DoubleMussel 88.7 - Geneva, NY - July 14 and 15, 2012

• Sprint Saturday
• HIM Sunday
• Registration: $225
• Distance from Albany: 3.5hr

Rev3 Maine HIM - Old Orchard Beach, ME - August 26, 2012

• Registration: $250
• Distance from Albany: 4.5hr

Lake George Triathlon Festival - Lake George, NY - September 1 and 2, 2012

• Olympic Saturday
• HIM Sunday
• Registration: $220 for both Oly and HIM
• Distance from Albany: 1hr

The Pumpkinman Triathlon Festival - South Berwick, ME - September 8 and 9, 2012

• Sprint Saturday
• HIM Sunday
• Registration: $280
• Distance from Albany: 4hr

HITS Cooperstown HIM - Cooperstown, NY - September 23, 2012

• HIM on Sunday, September 23
• Registration: $250
• Distance from Albany: 1.5hr

Sunapee HIM - Sunapee, NH - September 23, 2012

• Registration: Unknown
• Distance from Albany: 3hr

Vermont 50 - Brownsville, VT - September 30, 2012

• 50mi or 50k trail run
• Registration: $115
• Distance from Albany: 2.5hr

Mohawk Hudson River Marathon - Schenectady, NY - October 7, 2012

• Road marathon
• Registration: $60
• Distance from Albany: 20min

Hairy Gorilla Half Marathon - Voorheesville, NY - October 30, 2012

• Trail Half-Marathon
• Registration: $25
• Distance from Albany: 20min

Definitely excited about the myriad of possibilities.  Looking forward to narrowing down this list.  I'll post a finalized list when I have one.  Until then, here is something that you should probably listen to.

LP - Into the Wild Live

I won a 5k? Me? Are you sure?

Yes, yes, and yes!  And yes, I oxford comma'd the hell out of that list of yesses. Because otherwise, your lists become confusing and misleading.  

Happy Birthday Mr. President.

So, in the spirit of Christmas, I figured I should beat up on some little kids at a race in Lansing last weekend, so that's what I did.  I'm proud of it, so who are you to say that beating a pre-pubescent boy at a race means nothing.

I decided to race a 5k this past weekend because Anna's aunt and uncle were going to do the race, and frankly, I didn't have much else to do that day anyway.  So, I signed up for the Scrooge Scramble in Old Town, Lansing.  Despite mother nature throwing 6inches of snow on us a few days prior, the race director had some cajones and decided to re-route the course.  Unfortunately, this re-route not only made the course less interesting and shorter, but harder because it now involved running up one hill twice and covering several hundred meters sections on wet ice.  It was wet because Madre Natura decided to be grace us with a 40degree day, so the ice was melting at race-time at 10am.  

I ran the course (both laps) to warm up and get a feel for both the course in general and to lay out a strategy of where I could open up and where I needed to play it safe on the ice.  I learned a few good tips that helped during the race (sidewalks vs. streets, inside vs. outside corners, etc.).  After a quick jaunt to the potty, I was lined up.  A field of less than 150 and only a few that were wearing racing flats and 5k-esque clothing, maybe I could do well here?  Yes, that is me judging by appearances, because who would you pick to win: the guy with a sweatshirt on and a fuel-belt around his waist or the tri-shorts and flats-wearing, self-inflated guy who toes the line next to him?...That's what I thought.

Anyway, we were off.  An uphill start felt kindof weird, but didn't hurt at all since pain doesn't set in for a few hundred meters anyway.  By a quarter mile in, I was in the lead.  I heard breathing and footsteps off my left shoulder, but I was still leading, whoever this was was not faster than me.  We got to an icy portion of the course and I hopped from the street to the sidewalk (thanks Lansing for having sidewalk snow ordinances) and my competition quickly realized his mistake and had to surge to make up for it.  Two quick right turns and we were back onto clear streets.  Still running shoulder to shoulder, I decided to let him take the lead.  I figured, if he isn't passing me yet, I'll have a chance to win if I can drop him later in the race.

I stuck on his shoulder and watched as his heels made indents in the asphalt and I swear I could hear his tiny twig legs stress-fracturing with every step.  

Quickly, both his dreams and tibia were crushed

At this point I was feeling really good.  I knew there was a hill coming up and I knew I could push up it because there was a slight downhill right after.  My adversary did not possess such crucial knowledge.  The hill appeared, I surged and broke free.  I was now onto the second loop of the course, 1.5mi in at 5:55/mi pace, and alone.  The race was mine to be won.  I avoided the icy street and made the two quick turns and looked back to see that I had about a 100m gap.  Dry streets, push hard, 5:45/mi.  Wet ice, slow down, stay upright, 6:15/mi.  This strategy was on repeat for the second lap.  Got to the boardwalk again and didn't see anyone behind me, .5mi left.

Pushed up the hill and surged for the finish.  No tape, no big cheers, but clearly in first place, and a look of approval from the lead biker (or is he just checking out my butt?) 

My left arm has an unwieldy hitch in it's giddy-up

18:07 for a 3.03mi course = 5:58/mi average.  Definitely didn't hurt as bad as a previous 5k with the same average pace.  I paced this one much better and felt controlled the entire time.  It felt pretty good to win, despite my biggest competition being a 14 yr old boy (who if he doesn't get injured due to poor form will become a fast runner in a few years).  Regardless, I won.  People thought I was fast.  Tom Izzo signed a basketball that will be given to me.  I got a medal that says "1st Overall".  'Nuff said.

Scraggly, The KISS Method, and a Breakthrough Workout

My beard is itchy.  I'm a mere 3 weeks into No Shave November and am contemplating shaving.  I want it gone because I feel dirty.  Am I gaining anything from keeping it?  No, unless you count the horrified stares from little children asking their parents "what happened to that man's face?"

Day 20 - considering giving up.

Day 20 - Side Shot

Obviously, my beardiness is not thick enough to consider it an actual beard.  Hence my desire to give up.  However, I figure that decision will be made when I finally get to see my girlfriend on Wednesday for the first time in 11 weeks!  If she deems it unkissable, I will rid my face of this unkempt, disheveled mess on my face.

In non-beard related news, running is fantastic.  I did 16mi yesterday at 7:30/mi average and felt pretty damn good the whole time.  Yes, I had some tough spots in there where I didn't want to continue running, but that is the beauty of out&back routes, I had to get home and the fastest way to get there was running.  I don't quite understand some people's hatred for out&back runs.  They are honest and simple, a principle which often gets overlooked in triathlon training.  Everyone is always so excited about the latest gadget and how it will make their training more precise and then make them faster.  However, I've always tried to cling to a simple motto that I learned in high-school hockey: The KISS Method, or Keep It Simple, Stupid Method.  I've tried to adopt it in my run-specific training lately and I think it has been working well.  If I feel good, I run fast and far.  If I need to recover, I run slow and short.  I have also been paying more attention to my recovery, because these good workouts will only help me if I can stay healthy and avoid injury.  Lots of stretching and strengthening, core work, yoga, compression, sleep, healthy food, etc. 

My next race will be a 5k on December 3 in Lansing.  The Scrooge Scramble is the name of it.  I want an improvement in my 5k time from last month (a measly 18:26).  I have high hopes, especially considering I had a breakthrough track workout just this past Tuesday.  I did 5x1000 on 2'30" rest, hoping to be faster than I was last month when I did the same workout.  I ran all five under 3:33/1000m which correlates to about 5:40/mi pace and they felt easy.  Last month I was struggling real hard and barely running 3:40 for the reps, so an improvement of 7s is huge over this distance in only 4 weeks!

I'm really excited to continue running.  I'm going to try to string together a few weeks of 50mi and see how I hold up.  I'll let you know how it goes.