|
||||||
|
What a fun race! I was blown away by how many people showed up to run. Unlike anything Ive been part of before. The smaller 5K, 10K races I have done around town dont draw nearly the same number of entrants or fans. Almost the entire 13 miles of the course had people lined up holding signs, handing out orange slices, drinking beers and slapping hi fives. The conditions were nearly perfect for the race, 50F overcast, just cool and windy enough to keep your body temperature nice and comfy. We pulled up to the starting line with just enough time to fight through the crowd to the 7 minute mile pace group, but not enough time to go to the bathroom one last time. Luckily about 3 miles into the race I forgot all about it after seeing a guy who had managed to learn to pee while running. Apparently a port-o-let or a strategically placed tree would just take too long for this dude and while I was about 20 yards behind decided to let er rip.  I promptly dropped a gear and headed up ahead to start the first of many climbs in Iroquois Park. My heart rate was a little high, I was about 5 to 10 seconds per mile ahead of my goal pace but I felt good inside so I decided to go with it.? Since this was my first open half marathon, I wanted more than anything to run a smart race, but once youre in it, you just want to push ahead as fast as you can.? The park has a great collections of tough ascents, as much as 300ft, but rewards you with some equally steep and speedy descents to give our legs a little break. About mile 5 we exited the park and had a pancake flat race ahead of run back towards downtown Louisville.? This aid station would be 1 of my 2 stops during the day, just long enough to make sure I got a good supply of water to wash down the gel packs I was taking.? This was the time to really lock into a groove, work on my technique, breathing and latch on to someone holding my own pace.? I hopped on the wheel of a 30 something woman running right about 7:10's which would work for me and got into my breathing every 5 or every 7 steps and just tuned out for the next few miles locked into a groove. I noticed alot of funny things during this time … signs like “You rock my face off!” A pair of signs asking the question “What kind of animal do you NOT want to play cards with” then revealing the answer 50 yards down the road “A Cheetah! Get it ahahah!”? Finally a guy with a t-shirt on proclaiming that “If you can read this, you are definitely NOT from Kenya.”  That was a nice distraction as we were making the turn to head into Churchill Downs.? That was a fun detour through the infield since everything is setup for the upcoming Derby week and opening day at the track which is today.? After running out through the paddock and getting back onto 4th street we hit the Jelly Belly Sport Beans aid station which are supposedly the same thing as energy gels so I decided to grab a bag and pop a few for a little extra boost of sugar.  At this point my buddy had told me, you just have to gut it out.? The last three miles is where you just put the pedal down and let it go.? I was on pace to smash my 1:40 goal, but I didnt want to leave anything in the tank so I put everything I had left on the table and decided to rip the last 5K.? I had trouble finding the right gear, but right as I past the University of Louisville and the college kids that had come out, I got a boost that would end up putting out a 21:45 over the last 3.1 miles of the course.? I finished with a time of 1:34:49 setting a tantalizing goal out ahead of me that I might be able to qualify for the Boston Marathon with a little bit of help.? First things first … I have an Ironman to get ready for.? No rest days for me, Im back on the bike for 2 hours tomorrow. The Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon and miniMarathon arrive this weekend as the latest excuse to get me out of bed at an obscene hour on a Saturday.? Unlike the races in the Triple Crown of Running (5K, 10K, 10M) which started at 8:30 and were situated where you could park and walk … this race starts at 7:30 and you have to take a shuttle to the start line which stops running at 6:30.? A travesty of sanity I tell you!  Zero dark thirty departure aside, I am pumped up about this race as much as any other time I get to compete, but this will be a new milestone for me as I have never done an open half marathon.? I have gone the distance as part of a half Ironman last September, but never by itself so it will be a new experience to me.? My run split then was right at 2 hours, so as long as I go 9:14 minute miles or better (Im aiming for 7:30s) then I should set a pretty nice PR.? The course is similar to the 10 miler, mainly heading down 3rd Street with a 2 mile warmup before starting a loop around Iroquois Park.? It does add a unique twist however by running into Churchill Downs and taking a lap around the infield, before continuing on to the finish downtown. You can sign up to get text message or email alerts for your friends running the Derby Festival Mini/Marathon this weekend.? Below is a link to the sign up page ]]> Week one of my training is complete, only 19 more to go until the big day.? Its been a pretty standard week, mainly just getting used to the new schedule and the increased hours.? Been trying to stay on top of recovery nutrition, get at least 7 hours of sleep and stretch after my workouts in order to keep my body healthy.? I have started noticing a funny thing going on with my left knee which doesnt make me too happy.? I talked with my brother/PT who suggested getting a knee brace to wear when I run.? Theres no sense in being stubborn this far from the event.? I also picked up an ice pack for my knees after the long runs which will be no shorter than 10 miles at least once a week from here on out. ?? ? Swim: 6437.23 Yd 2:10 Bike: 53.87 Mi 2:58 Run: 14.00 Mi 2:08 Total: 7.25 hours? Mental Health: Excellent Injuries: None Aches & Pains: Minor – Left knee Nutrition: OK Party Days: 2? Good Nights Sleep: 5? ]]> Today started the first of 5 triathlons this year beginning with the Max Performance Sprint race in Shelbyville, peaking at Ironman Louisville and ending with the USA Triathlon Age Group Short Course National Championships two days before my 30th birthday.? Despite the rainy 40F temperatures outside I was able to best my time from last year by 3 minutes to finish with a 1:03:45 which would be good enough for 5th overall and 1st in the M30-34 age group.? Due to the weather the event was run in reverse order which I love, though the non-swimmers seem to grumble.? I like it mainly because of the mass start; everyone lines up for the run and goes at once!? Its not like the time trial starts where everyone leaves one at a time or in waves and youre only racing the clock.? In a mass start, the first person to cross the finish line wins simple as that.
With all of the confidence I have been building with my running, I decided to put my skills to the test and really race this event.? Turns out … I killed the run! This part of my training has shown major improvement over the last year, dropping my 5/10K pace from eight minute miles down to the sixes. I keep harping on it, but thats because Im still so happy/surprised. I lined up at the very front for the start of the race and was determined that I wasnt going to let anyone pass me. Other than handful of people that blasted out of the gate, I would be able to keep that promise. My first mile went off at 6:16, which coincided with my heart rate shooting up to 185bpm, but its a sprint and I had something to prove so I let myself go. I tried syncing my breathing up to my run cadence which provided a mental distraction during the 5K. Every 5 steps I would take a breath and let it out, changing to every 4 my the end of the run once we made the turn and started back up the hill. I was in about 8th place coming in to transition and was able to pick up 2 spots before getting on the bike. The bike course was very windy with rolling hills which wont quite let you get into a rhythm but I am surprised that I didn't go any faster than I did in this same event 1 year ago. My run has drastically improved and I feel stronger in the swim, but my cycling has gone nowhere. Need to figure that one out. Need to get stronger at hills, work on a more powerful stroke. My heart rate is staying well within the zones that it should be, but I feel like I should be able to go faster. Will need to look at some strengthening drills and spend alot more time in the saddle.? 'Ride lots' is the best advice people will give you when looking for tips on how to get faster cycling, no shortcuts on this one.? I was able to pass two people on the bike but would later get roped in by 24 year old swimmer from St. Xavier who would win his age group and pick up 4th overall.? I was sitting in 6th until about 1 mile from the finish and once again was able to pick up a position by having a speedy transition from bike to swim.  Felt really good about the swim and the water felt GREAT, especially after 30+ minutes on the bike with no gloves on!? For the most part I was strong throughout, keeping even with two guys who were swimmers, one ahead and one behind me.? I felt awesome with the race, nailing my projected time to the second. Im watching live coverage of Ironman Arizona watching person after person crumble as they cross the finish line, with a euphoric look of 'where am I?' written on their faces.? I sit here in my PJs relaxing, playing the finish on 4th street out in my head 5 months from now.? Its going to take a perfect storm of dedication, endurance, luck and support to get me through and opening the race season makes this all real now.? Time to buckle up and get to work. ]]> Anybody can do an Ironman.? Dont ever think its something that your body cant do … its your mind that wont try.? Entering the first of 21 weeks of training, I realize that Im facing much more of a mental challenge than a physical one.? Its not the distance, but the six days a week consistency.? Its not the hours of training, but the very few left over after training over 10 hours a week.? The diet, the hydration, the early nights, the earlier mornings, the stretching, the ice baths, the protein shakes, gels, salt tabs … Ironman is a lifestyle. April 6th kicked off a 21 week training plan to get me to the starting line of Ironman Louisville on August 31st.? My preparation however started about 17 months prior when I joined the YMCA and began triathlon training to building my aerobic base.? The very first week of my Ironman plan has me training for 8 hours with 30 mile bike rides, 10 mile runs and more than a couple laps in the pool.? I needed the last year and a half to get fit enough to even consider taking on this challenge, and during that time I have put in over 2200 miles on the bike, 650 miles running and 200,000+ yards in the pool.? Pretty much I could have Forrest Gumped it from one side of the country to the other. I feel prepared now though; healthy, happy and ready to accept the challenge.? I have the inevitable feeling that I have no idea what Im in for.? I will be no doubt humbled by the experience and emerge on the other side forever changed.? Check back over the next 5 months as I log my training successes and failures and report on the 5 other triathlons that I plan on doing this year.? The first one starts tomorrow morning with the Max Performance Triathlon Series Race #3 which was the first ever triathlon that I competed in one year ago.
Thanks Stephanie Church for this pic! ]]> The prologue to the 2008 training season is now over with the completion of the Papa Johns 10 Miler and therefore the completion of the Louisville Triple Crown of running.? There is still the Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon at the end of April, but by that point Ironman training will be in full swing.? Ill spare you the suspsense and say that this season has turned out to be incredible so far, and this race today would be no exception.  This was the first time I have run an open 10 mile race so I was not sure of how to pace myself. The 10K I ran two weeks prior left me very sore so I decided I would take it a bit slower than the 7:15 pace McMillan suggest that I run. I had a goal time of 1:15 and focused more than anything on keeping my heart rate right around my Lactate Threshold. I held this pace right at 7:30′s or below for the first 5 miles, or as close as I could as going through the park sent the heart rate spiking. About mile 6 we were coming out of the park and I kicked the pace up a bit from 6 through 8. It was this point in the race where very few if any people passed me for the rest of the day. If my pacing strategy held out, mile 8 is where I should have been able to drop the hammer and start flying past people. It absolutely 100% worked! I kicked the pace from the 7:15′s I was running to sub-7′s for the last two miles and I was passing people left and right. Strategy worked perfectly.
I finished with a new PR of 1:14:03, though any time would have been a record as I have never raced a 10 miler before.? I will definitely do this one again though.? It was a good mix of a fast out and back with a challenging hill section in the middle.? At the end you get to run into Papa Johns Cardinal Stadium and run a lap around the astroturf!? They even have a camera aimed at the finish line with your picture displayed up on the jumbotron as they announce the names of the finishers.? The post race band and free pizza were an added bonus as well.? Onward to the opening of the tri season now with the Headfirst Performance Sprint Triathlon out in Shelbyville on April 13th. My goal was to break 45 minutes which would be about 4 minutes faster than I ran it in 2007.? Using the McMillan Running Calculator? I plugged in my time from the 5K I ran two weeks earlier to see what pace it would suggest for me to run the 10K.? Lo and behold out pops 44:05 at a swift 7:05/mile pace!? What the heck … I cant run that fast!? Thats nearly a minute a mile faster than I ran it last year; even after coming off of a personal best in the 5K I was still unsure that I could break into the 44's.? The McMillan website has been good to me in the past offering suggested training paces for all types of workouts and projects peak performance at given distances.? I decided to split the difference at 44:30 and make that my goal at a pace of 7:09/mile.Conditions were perfect for an early season road race: overcast, cool and dry.? I had a mini taper going on that week since I had been traveling for work and did not have much time to get any workouts in.? I warmed up around downtown, stretched, handed over a layer of clothing and headed out to the start line.? I decided to find a place pretty close to the front to avoid the traffic jam with people crowding the narrow timing mats.? The first mile of these races is more about traffic management than actual racing but I quickly found a clear route on the outside and settled into my groove.? The first few quarter miles clicked off at 7:10/mile pace which felt a little slow, but I wanted to stick to my game plan and hold a steady pace.
As the marker for mile 1 came into view, I noticed that my watch was still in the 6's!? Not by much, but enough that I would put in a 7:14 for the first one of the race.? Not bad, it still felt like I could pick up the pace, but I held strong knowing its always easier to negative split the race and run the second half faster than go out too fast and run out of gas.? The hill that takes you from Broadway up to Baxter Avenue followed shortly and was enough to get my heart rate up into the 180's for the first time in the day.? This was OK because I actually run hills pretty well and I picked my cadence and got up on my toes to really fly past a bunch of people.? As I crested the top I snagged a drink at the water stop and enjoyed a few sloshing gulps before getting back into my groove.? It was about this point in the race where I had brought my average lap time down to a 7:08/mile pace, a smidge better than my goal time.? I looked around for people running about the same pace as me and tried to form a silent partnership with a few people who would stick with me to the end, pushing me along to the finish, not letting me back off of my target time.? I noticed a younger girl and a teenage guy who had been around for the past few minutes.? We gave each other a slight recognition in the form of a head nod and a grunt that we would pace each other. I noticed my pace starting to pick up on my quater mile pace splits, 7:07, 7:03, 6:58 … I was cracking into the six minute miles!? I was putting out some serious effort to keep this pace going with my new found teammates, but it was sustainable.? I checked my heart rate monitor … 185, about 97% of my max, I still felt I had the legs to get there, so I hung on to the pack.? We hit the halfway point 22:00 for my 5K … 13 seconds faster than 2 weeks ago … and I still had another 5K to go!? It was awesome that I went out so fast, but at the same time a bit scary because I had to actually pick the pace up a bit if I wanted to negative split the race.? Going for 44:30 was no longer my goal.? Realizing that I signed on with 2 people who would run sub 7 minute miles the rest of the race, I could crack into the 42's.  The next few quarter mile splits came back on an even faster and faster pace 6:50,? 6:46, 6:39.? At the same time though, the fatigue was getting to me.? It was with about 1.5 miles left to go that I had an eat your Wheaties moment.? One of the greatest feelings of accomplishment that I get out of racing in endurance events, is when you reach that point where your body begins to talk of a mutiny.? Your body has had enough and its planning to walk out on strike and shut down on you.? Using your mind to convince your body to keep going is the true skill that lies within a endurance athlete.? The mental toughness is so much more desirable of a characteristic that I strive for in my training.? It was at this point in the race with barely 10 minutes to go that I had to decide to kick in the extra gear and get my moneys worth out of this race.? For the first time I dropped the two runners who had been so good pulling me along for the last 30 minutes.? I felt I needed to return the favor for everyone and surge ahead to stoke the fire.? It worked and I ripped out a 6:38 mile with just a couple of blocks left to the finish.? At this point the pack surged ahead and would leave me for the day, but I did what I needed to do to secure my personal victory. I would finish 4 tantalizing seconds away from breaking into the 42s, but at 43:04 I was a minute and a half faster than my goal and over six minutes faster than the 2007 race.? Yet another PR that fell today by quite a hefty margin. Alot of people told me that endurance training is a multi-year adventure before you really start to see what your body is capable of. I have only been building on the aerobic engine block since late 2006, but I continue to be amazed what why my body can do if I train it well. Running has always been a drain on my confidence, but with the results from the last two runs and the dramatic fashion in which I destroyed my previous personal bests, this is no longer the case. If I can keep these types of performances up, then challenging for podium spots at triathlons is a more realistic possibility. ]]> “Count on atleast 2 mental break downs in a 30 week training plan. It's just all so intense I think it's kind of normal to go thru a week or so of, crap, I just don't want to do this anymore, this is all too much and I'm not ready and so on and so forth. Then you have a really great workout, or see some great pictures or someone says something that gets you out of the funk and you start back up again.” ]]> It was very crowded at the start and it took some crafty maneuvering to keep a clear path ahead of me. The first half of the race was done almost exclusively on the sidewalk dodging walkers, first timers and slower people as the race organizsers did not line runners up by pace this year. My plan was to go out as fast as my body wanted to thinking that I would adjust as needed after the first few quarter mile splits came back. Conditions were great, cool temps, hardly a cloud in the sky … I was hoping this would be a fast day.  After the first song on my iPod was over, I looked down at my watch and noticed I had gone out at a sub 7 minute mile pace! PS … that is absolutely insane for me. Last year I was a steady 8 minute miler and was content with the fact I didnt like running, and running didnt like me. Coming into the race my goal was 23:30 which is about 7:35 min/mile pace. I had split that late in the season last year and thought it would be a real challenge to accomplish at this point. In the two months since I have started training again, I have done zero speed work … all of it has been long/slow/distance (LSD) just trying to build up my endurance. I knew that endurance training was going to help with my running overall, but after I passed the first mile marker and saw the official clock, I realized that I had gone out in 6:42. I did a quick inventory of my body and everything seemed to be working great. Effort was hard, but I felt like I had plenty in the tank and I was continuing to knock off 1:41 quarter mile splits. I felt as long as I could maintain the pace I had going, there was a good chance of absolutely smashing my previous personal record of 24:58. By the halfway point, the crowd had thinned out considerably so I could drop deeper into the zone and spend less time dodging traffic. I passed a Team In Training mentor from my time in Philly and as per tradition give him a firm smack on the butt as I passed. After the race he would tell me that helped pick him back up as he was starting to fade a little bit. I grabbed a water from a volunteer, made the turn at the halfway point and started back home. The rest of the run was just a good solid effort. Nothing fancy, just run hard, manage the breathing, check the legs … still good. By this point I realized that I was going to be etching a new personal best and as I saw the finish line tried to drop it into the finishing gear. Somewhat to my dismay, I didnt have too much left … but at the same time I was happy about it since it means I paced myself perfectly during the race. 11 of the 12 quarter mile splits from the race were within 4 seconds of each other so I had used everything in the tank. This turned out to by my best run ever! I smashed my open 5K PR by almost 4 minutes over last years time. And that is with very minimal effort at building speed. All my focus has been endurance only … so this give me hope for the future that with a little perseverance and a little luck … goals like a 19:xx minute 5K or a qualifying for Boston aren't so crazy after all.]]> So Im almost done with the Honduras trip … just two more days to go after the latest installment that I just posted in the My Travels section.? Check it out as our trip comes to an end and we get geared up to spend some time resting and relaxing before heading back to the states.
I also realized that I never posted a race report for the Toyota Challenge Half-Ironman that I did back on September 23rd.? So take a few minutes and read up on my first attempt at the 70.3 distance.  ?
Also … ask me why I like Roller Derby so much (and consequently sheep herding) and why I went skating with the Derby City Roller Girls this past weekend.  ]]> |
||||||
|
Copyright © 2012 www.garrettmcalister.com - All Rights Reserved |
||||||
