The Scale 5-28-11

THE NUMBER = 243.6 (-0.8 for last two weeks)

Missed weigh-in last week due to being out of town.

Weekly Schedule 5/23/11-5/29/11

MONDAY
Bike - 1:30:00 - 5 and 10 minute Drill Intervals

TUESDAY
Swim - 0:45:00/2200m - 50s and 100s Aerobic
Strength - 1:00:00 - General Strength Training

WEDNESDAY
Run - 0:40:00/4 miles - Moderate Run w/Pickup
Bike - 1:30:00/ - Cadence and Pedal Drills

THURSDAY
Off Day

FRIDAY
Swim - 1:00:00/2450m - Fast Intervals

SATURDAY
Brick - 2:00:00/28 miles - 25 Bike/3 Run (zone 3 & zone 4 efforts for both)

SUNDAY
Run - 0:40:00/5 miles - Tempo Run

TOTAL TIME THIS WEEK
Projected - 9:05:00

PREVIOUS WEEK
Swim (Projected/Actual)
Time - 2:50:00/3:00:07     Distance - 7640/7500
Bike (Projected/Actual)
Time - 6:15:00/5:10:46     Distance - 60/81.69
Run (Projected/Actual)
Time - 3:00:00/2:54:43     Distance - 11/15.45
Strength (Projected/Actual)
Time -0:30:00/0:30:00
TOTAL (Projected/Actual)
Time - 12:35:00/11:37:42

Dispatches From The Field - 5/21/11 – North Along The Bay

Longer run today. Tried to scout a little bit before I came out and found a path that follows a good section of the coast. Decided to catch that and follow it north for a out and back run.

Early morning before everyone gets up is always the best time for me. It’s like being a kid at the exercise version of a Disneyland fantasy where you are the only kid in the park and all the rides are available to you. I simply enjoyed the moment.

Running down the bike path looking at the conservation areas designed to protect the sand dunes and there environment was very relaxing. The ocean out to your left as a primal force, even when it is quiet in the harbor. I understand why people spend millions of dollars to be able to keep watch over it from their living room window every day. It is simply so majestic and senior to us.

The run was fantastic, with cool weather that made it very comfortable to run and a slight breeze. I could go on and on, but I thought that it would be better to simply share some pictures of the area.



The Monterey Harbor



Standing post at the end of the Pier waiting for the call. Some of these boats have been waiting for a while...

How could you ever get tired of this?

Nothing like a fresh adventure to start the day. Have no idea where I am going.

The turnaround point during the run. I seriously could have run forever if I only had the time.

The real Harbormasters

Enjoy the day.

1:36:06 / 8.47 miles 

Dispatches From The Field - 5/20/11 – The Presidio of Monterey

Spoke to Coach Cyndee before I left town and told her that I would be in Monterey, CA. Could maybe swim, no bike and would take running shoes for sure. She set me up with a rest day on my travel day and then hill repeats my first day here.

Dude! I’m at sea level!

She must have been here before, because I step out of the elevator to head to my hotel room and there is a window looking out directly at this huge hill behind the hotel. Hot damn, I’m in business. I make a mental note for the morning.

I get up early and try to disturb Melissa as little as possible. She is a great sport, but I know I wake her up when I get up at an ungodly hour to go exercise. Got to do it though, because as soon as things get rolling for the day, I know that I won’t have a spare moment the rest of the day. I roll out with the pre-dawn into the mist.

I jog around the corner of the Marriott and hit W. Franklin Street which is immediately uphill. So much for a warm up. The street runs through a residential area straight up the hill. I’m not normally a sidewalk guy, but the streets here are narrow and the parked cars push you out into the street far enough that you would have to tap dance over the hood of a car as it came down the street toward you.

I can find beauty in a lot of things, the landscaping here is mature and the cypress are absolutely beautiful. They look like the wind came down with shears and an Ipod filled with Flock of Seagulls music for a little trim. The tops of those trees are flat and teased out my friends.

The hill turns out to be about ¾ of a mile long, with the last quarter mile being the steepest section. I drive my arms forward and lean into the hill. I feel pretty good and look forward to these workouts. I’m going to need this strength and leg drive at Dipsea.

Breathing hard, I hit the top of the hill and run up to one of the entrances to the Presidio of Monterey. The Presidio (fort) was founded on June 3, 1770. The Presidio has been both active and abandoned several times throughout its history. Controlled by Mexico for a time, it has been held by the US Army since the mid-19th century. Since 1946, the Presidio has been the home of the Army Language School (ALS).

Franciscan Fr. Junipero Serra gave the Thanksgiving Mass on the same day that the Presidio of Monterey was opened by the Spanish. Religious requirements for the Presidio were left to the charge of Fr. Serra. (Madonna and Child from the Mission at Monterey where Fr. Serra lived).

I wave at the guards as I turn around to head back down. No response. Maybe they think I’m a terrorist.

The next repeat they studiously ignore me. Maybe everybody runs up this hill. I’m only repeating the steepest ¼ mile. Maybe that doesn’t bear mentioning in this part of the world. These people are obviously animals.

Repeat #3. They are both looking at me now. It is my turn to pretend to ignore them this time. I try to appear non-threatening. It would be embarrassing if I had to explain to Melissa that I got shot running repeats to a guard shack at the top of the hill.

Up again. I feel good but also am starting to feel the hill. There’s now some little engine that could in my stride. I’m running out of time. Got to get back to the hotel and get Melissa up. I don’t pay attention to the guards as I flip around for one more.

Last one. I push hard. Focused on everything moving forward but it is definitely getting hard. Driving to the top of the hill I hear a deep voice shout at me, “All the way!”

I look up from the sidewalk in front of me and see the two guards at their post. I drive hard for the stop sign at the top of the hill. I wave and one of the guards waves back. My day is complete and it’s not even breakfast yet.

I head back for the hotel and enjoy the view of Monterey Bay on the way down.

47:26 / 3.71 miles    

Weekly Schedule 5/16/11 - 5/22/11

MONDAY
Bike - 1:00:00 - Cadence Drills
Swim - 1:30:00/3400m - 100s, 300s, 400s

TUESDAY
Brick - 1:45:00/23 miles - 20 mile Bike/3 mile Run

WEDNESDAY
Bike - 4:00:00/60 miles - Zone 2 Effort

THURSDAY
Off Day

FRIDAY
Strength Train - 0:30:00 - Core Exercises
Run - 1:00:00 - Hill Repeats

SATURDAY
Swim - 0:40:00/2000m - Open Water Swim

SUNDAY
Run - 1:30:00/8 miles - Hilly Trail Run
Swim - 0:40:00/2000m - Open Water Swim

TOTAL TIME THIS WEEK
Projected - 12:35:00

PREVIOUS WEEK
Swim (Projected/Actual)
Time - 3:05:00/3:33:17     Distance - 7600/8250
Bike (Projected/Actual)
Time - 4:15:00/6:31:29     Distance - 75/105.29
Run (Projected/Actual)
Time - 3:00:00/4:08:15     Distance - 13/23.58
Strength (Projected/Actual)
Time -1:30:00/1:35:00
TOTAL (Projected/Actual)
Time - 12:50:00/15:47:51

Out of town from Thursday on for a business trip. Had to have Coach adjust the training schedule this week to fit with travel. Bike is early in the week as a result.

Dispatches From The Field - 5/14/11 - Arden Peak (Run For The Towers)

My Dad is a hunter.

That statement means nothing to this post other than the fact that if you put him on a dirt road, he is looking at everything other than where he his driving. I can remember as a kid riding shotgun with the windows down and my Dad looking for animals. We never drove off the road, but I had some moments along the way where I wondered if we were going to make it.. No wonder I have no hair now. I could continue to whine about my Father's driving but I am definitely my Father's son. I'm actually worse, because I do the same thing, only on pavement and I am looking for trails.

Can you imagine the conversation with the Police? "I know officer, but do you see that trail running up the side of the hill over there...what do you think the elevation gain is on that? That's got to be zone 4 the whole way up for sure!"

Yeah, not good.

Coach Cyndee had hills on the training agenda today and so I thought that Arden Peak would be a good one to try.

Arden Peak. Black Mountain is just out of the picture to the right.

To the south of town is the Anthem development. We never built from the center out in Vegas, but rather we built in clusters all over the valley and then filled in from there. It's still common to see empty lots in the middle of the city everywhere as a result. There are three major community developments in the city: Green Valley, Summerlin and Anthem.

The homes in Anthem have been built right up to the base of Black Mountain. As Vegas (along with communities across the country) try and improve their recreational trail systems, more money has been spent on their development. The Anthem East Trail is a part of this development.

Traveling 7.5 miles of the foothills behind Anthem, this trail has can be pretty tough and has zero shade. I have run it from both sides and that is how I came across the Radio Towers on Arden Peak.

The Shadow Canyon Trailhead for the Anthem East Trail.

(Directions for Shawn - Go south on Eastern to Anthem. Stay left on Anthem Parkway at the fork in the road with Eastern. Make a left on Atchley (just past the Walgreens). Make a left on Shadow Canyon Road. There is a small 6 car parking area on your left with the trailhead toward the top of the hill.)

The trail is paved on both ends and there are restrooms at the Anthem Hills Park side trailhead. Dirt road and singletrack in the middle portion. The trail is not very technical but it does have some very steep sections and a lot of switchbacks.

Anthem East Trail moves left over the hill. The Arden Peak access road moves to the right.

The trail to Arden Peak is basically uphill the entire way with you starting on the Anthem East Trail. From the Shadow Canyon trailhead, the paved portion takes you to a flood control collection area. If you take the singletrack to the right of the flood control basin it will take you to the Black Mountain Trailhead. Left and across the small dam in the front of the collection area keeps you on Anthem East. Keep going straight onto the dirt and broken gravel road and this will take you up to the fork in the trail that is pictured above. Left keeps you on Anthem East and right will take you to the radio towers.

I was feeling a little slow, chugging my way up the hill, but the view is more than worth it.

Looking back at the Las Vegas valley.

The radio towers seem closer than what they actually are. The service road that you work your way up constantly works its way around the sight line, so you think you are almost there and then you clear the hill and realize that you still have a ways to go. The grade is fairly consistent the entire way. I have to say that all the flat speed work that I have done lately has not been helping my mountain climbing ability.

Before you can get all the way to the last set of towers, the road is gated and access is restricted. I had visions of men in dark sunglasses and black suits. Maybe a dog with bad teeth that talks would be thrown in as a sidekick...

End of the line just short of the third set of radio towers.

The nice part is what goes up, must come down. Where my size kills me going up the hills, it works really well going downhill on a bike and reasonably well on the run. The trip down the trail was obviously much quicker than the trip up. On the way down, a pickup truck passed me on their way to the towers, I squinted at their windshield to see what was up. The two guys seemed to be wearing t-shirts and did not have a pug...

The middle tower at the turnaround.

The run was really enjoyable and I would do it again. Nice cardio workout and a little over 5.5 miles round trip. Enough to make you feel it, but not so much that you're going to destroy the rest of the week for training. Early morning does give you some shade on the upper portion of the road as you move around the east side of the hill.

There is a fair amount of foot traffic on the lower portion of the trail but people are courteous and the trail is wide in these areas. Overall, I'm going to have to give it 3 stars. Trail profile in the Garmin link below.

1:12:15/5.63 miles
Garmin Details

The Scale 5-14-11

THE NUMBER = 244.4 (+1.2 from last week)

Not quite sure what happened here, but still committed to what I am doing. Interested to see what happens with this week.

Dispatches From The Field - 5/14/11 - Vegas to Jean

The quest for a reasonably flat 50 mile ride in the Las Vegas area. This was the request Shawn threw out over Twitter. I think I actually chuckled as I was reading the tweet. In a car, the valley seems reasonably flat, but the moment you get out for a ride or a run, you realize that its more like a cutting board tipped up in a sink to drain. The valley slopes away from the Red Rock Conservation Area and moves on a consistent slope to the Las Vegas Wash that works its way into Lake Mead.

I had mentioned that this ride might work. The ride follows Old US 91 (now State 606) out of Las Vegas to Jean. 606 is a 2 lane road that runs parallel to I-15. The shoulder is narrow and covered with debris from cars and trucks pulling on and off the road. The shoulder has also been dished to wake up sleepy motorists. Still, there are no traffic lights which allows you to stretch out and develop a rhythm. Despite the hazards, I like the ride.

The road is consistently uphill as you work your way out of the Las Vegas Valley, but I seem to remember this ride as relatively flat as you head to Jean one you clear the valley. I normally ride 160 and 159 on longer rides (Blue Diamond & Red Rock areas) or out by Lake Mead. Both of these rides are definitely not flat.

Luckily, Coach Cyndee had me scheduled for a moderate 50 mile ride. Trying to make up my mind about which route to take, I ultimately decided to make this ride so I could confirm that the route was relatively flat for Shawn.

It's funny how our recollection of events can be so flawed sometimes. Let's just say that the quest continues.

Jean, Nevada. Road leading to the top of the picture goes to Goodsprings. Road through the middle is I-15. If you follow I-15 to the right, you will end up in Las Vegas. (photo by: Anoid)

The link for Garmin info is below if you want to take a look at the route profile.

 2:57:41/50.43 miles

Garmin Details

Dispatches From The Field - 5/13/11 - The Historic Railroad Trail

This was the first Rails to Trails project in Nevada and what a great first effort! If you are not familiar, the Rails to Trails Conservancy is a national 25-year old effort to reclaim old railroad lines as trails for recreation. The Historic Railroad Trail at Lake Mead was a short line that was created to move cement to the Hoover Dam site as the dam was being built and includes 5 short tunnels that were drilled through the rock. For me, this is the second time I have run the entire trail out and back.

The dirt trail is broken into two fairly distinct sections: the first section is 2 miles and takes you to the fifth tunnel. There is a gate here that is closed at dark. The trail to this point is basically flat. The second section works its way through the Bureau of Water Reclamation Service Station and an Electrical Changing Station for the next 1.5 miles. I don't think that this is part of the original line and the terrain works its way down into the gorge where the dam is located.


Looking out at the Las Vegas Marina and Lake Mead from a half mile into the trail.

What it looked like in 1931 (from River Mountain Trail Blog)

How Tunnel #1 & #2 Look Today.

 I read somewhere that the track bed cannot have a grade steeper than 3% due to the train. As a result, the trail starts out basically flat with benches spread out along the trail for a breather and a view of Lake Mead. There are several placards along the way that either talk about the lake or the history of the trail and the dam. I have never read these, as I have been running every time I have passed one, but a little trivia is always nice for those who are enjoying the trail at a more leisurely pace.
 
At the far side of the Electrical Changing Station, the trail ends at a picnic table and a bike rack. From here to the far side of the Dam through the Parking Structure is a half mile. This last half mile is all paved.



Entering the top of the 5-story Parking Structure. The bridge in the upper right of the picture is the new bypass to the dam that was opened last year.

 I love running through this section. Coming through the gate at the end of the trail and down into the back side of the parking structure has the feel of coming into a completely new area. (I feel like a secret agent from Mission Impossible - yes, stupid I know, but what the hell). Running across the top of the parking structure moves you to an amazing view of the tourist complex around Hoover Dam.

Running down the stairs to Hoover Dam

Shawn Wallace and I were having a Twitter exchange yesterday and he was laughing because he had run this route yesterday. "Wally" threw down with the challenge of exchanging trails after this to see who could come up with some great trails to run. Five stars are possible, with a bonus sixth star available if there is the "wow factor" of having tourists gawk at you as you run by. This one is going to be tough to beat as we both gave it six stars. Other trails to follow...

1:33:03/8.2 miles

Weekly Schedule 5/9/11 - 5/15/11

MONDAY
Run - 1:00:00/6 miles - Moderate Effort Intervals
Swim - 1:20:00/3000m - 500s

TUESDAY
Strength - 1:00:00 - General Strength Training
Bike - 1:15:00/25 miles - Zone 2

WEDNESDAY
Swim - 1:00:00/2600m - 300s Pyramid
Bike - 1:00:00 - Very Easy Pace

THURSDAY
Off Day

FRIDAY
Strength Train - 0:30:00 - Core Exercises
Run - 0:36:00/4 miles - Run Building Effort

SATURDAY
Bike - 3:00:00/50 miles - Long Ride

SUNDAY
Run - 1:00:00/6 miles - Moderate Pace
Swim - 0:45:00/2000m - Open Water Swim

TOTAL TIME THIS WEEK
Projected - 12:50:00

PREVIOUS WEEK
Swim (Projected/Actual)
Time - 2:00:00/2:20:37     Distance - 5000/5100
Bike (Projected/Actual)
Time - 3:45:00/3:42:08     Distance - 40/55.18
Run (Projected/Actual)
Time - 0:30:00/0:30:05     Distance - 0/3
Strength (Projected/Actual)
Time -1:00:00/1:05:00
TOTAL (Projected/Actual)
Time - 7:15:00/7:37:58

Training week is ramping up again. I've been so fat and lazy the last three weeks other than the marathon that it came as a shock to my system to see it on paper. Laughing as I try to figure out how to make it all fit in again.

The Scale 5/7/11

THE NUMBER = 243.2 (-0.8 from last week)

Small loss on a recovery week with half the training load. Happy to be moving in the right direction.

Things I'm Learning - Swimming

The weakest of the three disciplines of triathlon for me - I won't even begin to talk about stroke as I have so far to go. If you are interested in form, here is a link to a website that has the perfect swimmer.

My observations:

When sighting in open water, try to use a point above the water, with higher being better. Buoys in heavy swell or chop can be hard to see. I try to look for features on mountains, buildings, etc. that I can easily identify when possible. It doesn't require me to pick up my head as much and I can get back into proper swim body position faster. When I pass a buoy, I pick my new sighting point off the next buoy and keep going.
 

There is a buoy on the middle far right of this picture below the far right island that runs off the picture. Easier to see the island...

To practice swimming straight, use the lane markers in the pool. A drill I will use when I feel like I might not be swimming straight is to get as close to the lane marker in the pool as I can without touching it. I then swim the lane marker looking back toward the center of the lane. My breathing is to the opposite side of the lane marker (marker on my right, I breathe to the left). The goal is to swim the lane without brushing the marker. I find this gives me a greater sense of "feel" in the water. I make sure when I do this drill that I do it with the lane marker both on my right and on my left sides.

Practice breathing bi-laterally. This is huge. Being able to breathe both to the right and the left on demand gives you so much more freedom and confidence in the water. The ability to see where other swimmers are, if there is an open swimming lane you can get into during a mass swim, the ability to breathe away from the swell are all invaluable.

Practice hypoxic breathing. You must have someone with you to do these exercises, but I think it is worth the effort. In the interest of disclosure, there are several sources that disagree with this type of training. What I would say is that I make this a small part of my training in the pool, but I personally have found it to increase my confidence as well as my ability to relax when I miss a breath for whatever reason. Find a series of hypoxic breathing drills here. An additional drill that I do is to swim underwater as far a possible without coming up for air. I will usually do 2-4 efforts at the end of a session, trying to push just a little farther with each effort.

Swim with faster swimmers. See my running post. Swimming with better swimmers makes you work harder. Nobody wants to be last. Faster swimmers are also better technical swimmers. To paraphrase one of my favorite quotes: swimming fast is 90% technique, the other 10% is technique.

A mass start triathlon swim is the aquatic version of a mosh pit. If you wade into the pit, you are going to be bumped, pushed, hit, kicked and grabbed. Mentally welcome it before you ever get into the water. The difference between the mosh pit and the mass swim start is that in the mosh pit it is intentional. Swimmers just have the unfortunate desire to occupy the same space as someone else. Try and stay calm. Stress increases adrenaline and burns additional energy. Remember that, especially in longer events, the swim is there to soften you up. The real work is on the bike and run. Try to relax as much as possible and stay patient.

Foggle anti-fog wipes are the bomb. I am not endorsed by anyone, so if I endorse a product it is because I use it and find a superior benefit from it. Triathlete Shawn Wallace turned me on to these wipes and they are amazing. Totally fog free for an entire swim session. I get usually get 4-5 sessions out of one wipe by replacing it in it's original packet and then putting that in a small zip lock baggie. Buy them here.

Find a pair of goggles that are comfortable. If you find your goggles to be uncomfortable, you should take a look around. There are several major brands and a ton of styles available. I wouldn't make a recommendation that is specific because I have tried multiple styles from one brand and found that some work well while others don't. All I am saying is that a comfortable pair of goggles do exist and you do not have to suffer pain and headaches my friend.

The more desperate things become, the more you need to relax. Call this the quicksand theory: the more you struggle, the faster you eliminate your options and sink. Things are going to happen to you while you are swimming, especially in open water. Goggles kicked off, cramp, stung by a jellyfish, smashed by a wave, shapes/shadows in the water that scare the shit out of you, mouthful of water, disorientation, vomiting, etc. For me, part of the reason I train hard in the water is to give myself the confidence that I can handle it. When I am shocked or scared in the water, the first thing I do is take a mental moment to relax and access where I am at. Then I can make a better effort at working my way through problems. I think it's just a smarter way to swim.

Race Report - 5/1/11 - OC Marathon

Apparently the third choice was the charm. My original choice was to run the Big Sur Marathon, but it sold out before I got my money in. The next choice was going to be the Eugene Marathon in Oregon, but the logistics and time factor were not going to work out, so it was the OC Marathon in Orange County, CA that became the choice.

I made the trip down with the family on Saturday to pick up my bib and spend a little time on the beach (Lulu is big on the water and the sand). The entire trip down was one long "are we there yet?" combined with "Mommy, can you open this?" (regarding some new toys for building sand castles).

Race morning - up at 4:00am to make sure I get there with plenty of time for the 6:00am start. Traffic in this part of the world can be a little rough and although there shouldn't be a problem, I'm not sure how many people are doing the race.

I have a shirt that I had made when I ran my first marathon in Las Vegas. I started this whole journey as a way to get healthy for my family. The goal is to be on this planet long enough to make sure that my daughter has everything she needs to have a good life. The shirt is my message to her and I have worn it for each of the marathons I have run.



My message to Lulu.

The morning weather is nice. Probably in the 60s with very little wind. I know that it will be too warm later, but it feels good getting started. Melissa gets me to the start line with plenty of time and then heads home to go back to bed and bring Lulu back later (staying with friends who kept an eye on her so she could sleep).

I walk over to the start area and pass the time with some active stretching. A bathroom break before the start and then into the corral.

Getting to the start.

The race started a couple minutes late as the Police needed to finish up on something. People were good natured and excited. With 1,657 marathoners and a little over 8,000 total participants between the half and full marathons as I would find out later, this was a relatively small event. I ended up in the second corral as a result, which was exciting, because I never get this close to the start line.

One of my goals with this race was to run based on perceived effort. I wanted to see how aware I am of how my body is responding and also wanted to try to take my mind out of the equation as much as possible. I wore my Garmin, but taped over the face so I could not see time splits during the race.

Running by feel...

From the start, I tried to go at a pace that I felt was easy. As people blew by me, I tried to focus on my breathing and allow myself to relax. I was philosophical: either they were blowing by me because I would never catch up anyway or I would catch them later in the race after they had blown up. I wanted to run a smart race.

The course was very nice with a rolling nature and 4 hills along the way. None of these hills are really steep and prolonged, so the course sets up well to make a good effort.

The first 12 miles of the course are shared by both the full and the half as it snakes back and forth through Newport Beach and then past wonderful views of the Pacific Ocean before heading back inland on it's meandering course toward Costa Mesa.

As always, the volunteers were amazing. I simply cannot thank these people enough for their efforts and kindness. In the first couple aid stations however, the volunteers were overwhelmed with the number of people that were trying to get through the area. It made me wonder if I should start carrying my own water through the race in the future. While the extra weight might not be the best thing during the race, I wonder in the time saved, especially during the early aid stations, wouldn't more than make up for it. Something to consider.

The running went well early in the race, but I had GI issues once again. I seem to be managing it better with each successive race, but I have had to stop in all 3 marathons that I have run. I have to confess that it is very frustrating. I will keep playing with my diet and timing until I find out what works for me. This time, the stop cost me 5 minutes at mile 4.

I was running in the vicinity of the 4:40 pace group to that point. With the stop, they were long gone. I popped a gel and got some water at the aid station before setting off again. I tried to take it easy, but my pace definitely picked up after the stop. I was passing more people than were passing me.

At mile 8 I caught up to the 4:40 people. Wow! I was going faster than I thought. I was tempted to slow down, with a goal of 5 hours, I was obviously way ahead of schedule, but I felt good, so I kept going, moving ahead of the 4:40 people. I was sure that they would catch me somewhere down the road.

Mile 12 brought the split in the race courses and I was amazed at how much the field thinned out. Suddenly there was a lot of room to run. The winds had picked up was things got a little warmer and this stretch was directly into a headwind. I worked on keeping my cadence up and keeping my shoulders and hips moving forward.

As I continued along, I could feel my legs becoming a little heavier as the race progressed. As I passed the mile 16 marker, the 4:40 pacers passed me. I think this was the key point in the race for me. Previously, I would have mentally thrown in the towel. I would have simply said, they got me; it's over. I would have finished, but I would have slowed down further in the process. Instead, I dug in my heels and kept pace with them from about 20 meters behind. That went on until mile 17.5, where I passed them again.

A quick entertaining note on the pacers; the 4:20 pacer was actually behind the 4:40 pacer for about a third of the race. He then blew by everybody at mile 14 while pacing nobody. The little sign was all over the place as he ran and he looked like he was so exhausted that he would pass out at any moment. I lost sight of him at mile 15 and have no idea what his actual time was. The 4:40 pacers were a man and a woman wearing orange vests with the pace times on them. When I passed them for the second time, a third person wearing a black shirt came by with their sign shortly after my pass. I guess he was knighted as the new pacer. He blew by me and I never saw him again. At mile 21, the lady who was the original pacer passed me again and I passed her later at mile 24 while she was getting some water. I never saw her again. The pacers seemed to have had a challenging day.

Mile 23 brought a group of 10 Marines, both male and female, who cruised by me with a fellow Marine who was in an adult-sized jogger. I was inspired by their effort at a time when I was suffering most during the run. I looked at that, the dedication of the soldiers running for a friend and the courage of the man in the stroller and the things he had given up for us and felt a little ashamed at my own weakness. If he could endure what he had, I could suck it up and run another 5K with some dignity.

Everything below the waist hurt now. Mile 24 was my slowest mile and as hard as I was trying, the wheels were coming off. I started looking from one lamp post to the next. Just to the next corner; a mile marker will be coming soon...

I came upon the next aid station, grabbed some water did a gel and shuffled through. As I got to the end of the aid station there was a man standing and watching the runners go by. As I passed him, he jogged up beside me and put his face right next to my ear. He pointed at one of the Marines that had fallen off the pace about 200 meters ahead. "Go get that fucking guy!" I focused on the Marine's red shirt and started to shuffle faster.

I began to pick up the pace again. I was getting, not a second wind, shall we call it a second breeze? Whatever, I was going to ride it home. I caught the Marine at mile 25.5 and patted him on the back as I went by. Pushing I crossed the last intersection and got onto the grounds of the Costa Mesa Expo Center. I started to chase the guy that was running 40 meters ahead of me. Probably 600 meters to go.

People started to scream as I tried to chase him down. At first he didn't realize what was happening, but someone yelled at him. He turned his head and saw me and began to run faster. 400 meters.

The race ended in a long straight away with a 90 degree elbow with 50 meters to go. I was closing the distance on him. If I could catch him by the turn, I might be able to beat him to the line. It's really kind of comical, two guys who are going to finish in the bottom 40% of their age group in a death match at the end of 26 miles for the right to cross a timing strip first. We were both hurting. 100 meters.

People were screaming at both of us now. A group of strangers all caught up in the moment. I saw him turn the corner. I reached for whatever was left. I came around the corner behind him. 50 meters.

He had 3 meters on me and he never let it go. I looked up and saw the clock over the finish line and saw 4:56 and change. I thought I had done better than that, but at least I was going to meet my goal and break 5 hours. As I crossed the finish line, I congratulated the guy who beat me across the line, collected my medal and got some Gatorade, Water and a bag of food a volunteer handed me.

I saw the Marine in the jogger as I left the corral into the area where people were meeting their families. I stopped and thanked him both for being an inspiration to me, and more importantly for the service that had cost him so much. I thought about my Brother-in-law Kelly who is serving in Iraq now and wished a prayer for his safety.

It was then that I peeled the tape off my Garmin and realized that I had done better. The clock was based on gun time, not my personal start time. That brought a rather large smile as I waited for Melissa to come find me and take me to a shower... 

Splits from the race:
5K - 31:50 / 10:15 pace
10m - 1:42:22 / 10:15 pace
11m - 1:53:02 / 10:17 pace
13.1m - 2:14:09 / 10:14 pace (PR)
15.5m - 2:38:30 / 10:14 pace
18.6m - 3:16:31 / 10:34 pace
Finish - 4:49:17 / 11:02 pace (PR)

Monthly Totals - April 2011

SWIM
Time - 9:42:06
Meters - 22,400
Avg Pace - 0:01.6 / meter

BIKE
Time - 4:32:06
Miles - 73.89
Avg Pace - 03:41 / mile

RUN
Time - 24:39:47
Miles - 132.79
Avg Pace - 11:08 / mile

STRENGTH
Time - 2:00:00

EVENTS
None

REVIEW
Swim and run up with strength and bike training down. Prep for the marathon at the beginning of may. Quality of the run workouts was much improved this month.

Bike tuned and aero bars installed during the down time.

Bike and strength volume down, but swim and run were up against 2010 numbers. Not sure what Coach has in mind for the next couple months, but last year run mileage has high over the next three months as I was prepping for the SF Marathon.

Quality of overall workouts felt better this month against March. Looking forward to a little more balance between the disciplines in May.

Weekly Schedule 5/2/11 - 5/8/11

MONDAY
Off Day - Post Marathon Recover

TUESDAY
Swim - 0:50:00/2100m - 25s, 50s, 100s

WEDNESDAY
Bike - 1:00:00/15 miles - Moderate Pace, Flat Course

THURSDAY
Off Day

FRIDAY
Strength Train - 1:00:00
Run - 0:30:00 - Zone 2, Flat Course

SATURDAY
Swim - 1:10:00/2900m - Long Swim

SUNDAY
Bike - 1:45:00/25 miles - Moderate Pace

TOTAL TIME THIS WEEK
Projected - 6:15:00

PREVIOUS WEEK
Swim (Projected/Actual)
Time - 0:40:00/1:18:34     Distance - 2000/3200
Bike (Projected/Actual)
Time - 0:00:00/0:00:00     Distance - 0/0
Run (Projected/Actual)
Time - 6:50:00/6:59:00     Distance - 34.2/39.51
Strength (Projected/Actual)
Time -0:00:00/0:00:00
TOTAL (Projected/Actual)
Time - 7:30:00/8:17:32

Post OC Marathon Recovery Week. Next race is the Double Dipsea.

The Scale 4/30/11

THE NUMBER = 244.0 (-0.6 from last week)

MEASUREMENTS
Waist = 41.75" (-0.25")
Chest = 46.0" (-0.25")
Calves = 18.0" (+0.5")
Neck = 16.75" (-0.25")
Upper Arms = 15.0" (Unchanged)
Thighs = 24.5" (-1.5")