Getting Ready to Du

I'm a confirmed, lifelong proctrastinator, and I don't think it will ever change. Going back to school when I would wait until the last minute to write a paper. At work when I wait until the last minute to turn in paper work (although I'm not nearly as bad about this as I was at school). At home I don't get my clothes ready the night before, don't get my lunch ready the night before. I'm always fumbling around in the dark early in the morning for clothes, and throwing things in a lunch bag on my way out the door when I pack a lunch.

There is one area that this procrastination does not spill over, and that is my sporting life. It is amazing even to me sometimes that I have no problem whatsoever making sure that I'm signed up for races well ahead of time (at least for races I think of as "important"), doing my training in a timely manner, and getting race ready during the days before the race with little to no procrastination. The one area that I do fall down in when it comes to procrastination is with bike maintenance, but that is a blog for another day.

Today is all about what I do to get ready for my race tomorrow. The first thing I make sure I have ready is my food for pre-race, during the race, and post race. Well, not so much post race. That is usually taken care of by the race directors. There are usually bagels, bananas, and other snacks at the races I attend. I do usually throw in a banana and a granola bar just in case though. I'm still doing a bit of experimenting with my pre-race meals. There are a few things I can eat that are reliable, and I make sure I have available. My staples are: peanut butter and jelly on wheat, bananas, instant oatmeal, and occasionally eggs. I also like Starbuck's Frappucino if I have enough time before the race to get things moving along. That's only for the days I have a couple of hours before the race. During most races I usually stick with a pack or two of Gu Gel. I don't like to eat a lot of solids during races. There is a greater chance for something to upset my stomach. I usually use a shot of Gu for every hour I'm on the course. For hydration I alternate between water and Gatorade cut with water. This might be changing soon. I'd like to find something more effective than Gatorade. During longer races I use Gu and Clif products.

The day or two before the race I also get my bike ready. I clean it up, and lube and/or clean the chain if needed with my Pedro's products. When I get out on the course I don't want to worry about chain issues, or adjustment issues if possible. Besides that every race is like taking your bike out on a date. I want to look and feel my best and I want my partner to look and feel her best. This is what we spend all our time training for right?

The night before the race I lay out all my gear exactly as I'd be wearing it during the race. What's the weather supposed to be like? Do I need my arm warmers or shoe covers? I want to see all my clothes and gear in front of me. If I have my race number I either attach it to my jersey, or race belt depending on the situation. I don't need to wake up in the middle of the night in a panic wondering if I have my gloves ready, my cycling shoes in the bag or where my sunglasses are. I also put my tools and tire pump in the car, and the bike rack on the car the day before. I usually make a few last minute adjustments and pump up my tires at the race site. Most of the races I attend require some driving, so once I'm there...I am there.

If I am well prepared I can relax the night before the race, and if I'm going to be worrying about something it's not going to be my gear. On race morning I am usually just barely coherent, so there is no way I'm going to trust that I can get everything ready and not forget something. There are few things worse than spending weeks or months training, weeks planning, and days preparing for a race only to find yourself panicking over a forgotten piece of clothing or equipment on race morning.

K.eep I.t S.imple S.tupid

I've been living with a sort of online split personality over the last year and a half. I post personal blogs on Yahoo 360 while using this blog as a workout log with a few observations now and again. What I'm finding is that I am tired of living dual lives. I'm tired of it, and quite frankly I don't have that kind of time anymore. I think I'm going to shift everything over to this blog. I need to simplify.

It will save me time, and I've decided to track the nitty gritty workout information through Buckeye Outdoors. That will give me a little more freedom to write whatever strikes me here, or nothing at all. I really don't have enough interesting stuff going on in my life to split between two blogs. Hell, I don't have enough ego or interesting stuff going on to fill one blog really. That's not going to stop me from trying though.

I plan on starting Buckeye Outdoors after Sunday's race. In the meantime I should post up my early morning run from Thursday. It comes down to this: it was dark, it was 5 am and I ran 3.3 miles in 28:29. I felt pretty loose considering it was 5 am. I think my legs have finally given up the pains from the marathon....finally.

5/16/2007 Strength Training and Tri for Joe Goals

The goal for the rest of the summer is to do one strength workout per week. This might prove a challenge since we are ending our membership to the gym at then end of May. I have no idea what I'm going to do after that. Hopefully I'll be able to pick up a membership at the YMCA or somewhere else that I can get a discount through work. Gym memberships are freakin' expensive. I'll miss the Healthplex.

5 minute Dynamic Warm-Up:
(All done Across Basketball Court and back)

• Lunge Twists
• Side Lunges
• Walking Knee Grabs
• Toe Touches
• Butt Kicks

Workout:

• Medicine Ball Toe Touches - 8 lb ball 2 sets x 15
• Medicine Ball Twists - 8 lb ball 2 sets x 15
• Supermans - 2 sets x 15
• Walking Lunges - Width of Court with 15 lbs
• Ball Leg Curls - 2 sets x 15
• Dumbbell Step-Ups - 15 lbs 2 sets x 15
• Hammer Strength Seated Chest Press 45 lbs 2 sets x 15
• Hammer Strength Seated Row 45 lbs 2 sets x 15
• Hammer Strength Lat Pull Downs 35 lbs 2 sets x 15
• Dumbbell Bicep Curls (seated) - 20 lbs 2 sets x 15
• Bench Dips - 2 x 15
• 4 way Shoulder - 5 lbs 1 x 20
• Fly
• Front Shoulder Raise
• Lat. Shoulder Raise
• External Rotation

I'm of two minds in my approach to the Tri For Joe Duathlon. One mind knows this is really a warm-up for the Wheelie Fun Series that starts in two weeks. It should be treated as such. I should concentrate on form on the run and bike, and getting the transition right. Time should not really be a factor at this point. The other mind looks at the time that I had last year, and thinks about the third place division finish, and wants to crush that time! I guess they'll have to battle it out until race day. Then I'll decide how I'm feeling that morning, and decide how to treat the race. Hopefully I can strike a balance between the two minds: do some crushing, and think about my form and transitions.

The goals: 1st 5K= 22:00 Transition 1= 1:00 Bicycle= 50:00 Transition 2= 1:00 2nd 5K= 20:00 Total: 1:34:00

Here are the results from '06: 1st 5K= 21:25.52 Pace= 6:55 Transition 1= 01:06.87 Bicycle= 53:23.48 Avg= 19.7 mph Transition 2= 01:05.85 2nd 5K= 24:25.28 Pace= 7:53 Total= 1:41:27

5/15/2007 Cycling Intervals

I had a good cycling workout today with no soreness at all! I think I pushed it a bit in the days after the marathon, so it actually took a little longer to fully recover than I would have liked. I'm back in action now, and getting pumped up for duathlon season to start! I'm going to use Buckeye Outdoors Training Log to set up my schedule and keep track of workouts. I like using the blog to write about the workouts, but I'm missing a calendar type view to just look at the details of the workouts.

I did an interval workout today on the bike. I didn't have any specific plan in mind, so I just kind of winged it. Over the course of the 30 miles I picked areas that I know would be similar to the course I'm riding on Sunday and picked up the pace to over 20 mph for a mile or so. The distance varied based on a random end point that I'd choose for each interval. Overall I did 4 intervals on flats. There was also two descent climbs that should count for something.

Dist: 30.02 miles
Time: 1:50:46
Avg: 16.2 mph
Max: 36.9 mph

In terms of weather it was perfect. I got out about 9 am when it was still relatively cool in the mid 60's and amazingly sunny. There was quite a bit of head wind over the course of the ride. I have no love for a strong head wind, but I figure it would be helpful. I know there is a couple of spots on Sunday's course where I can count on head winds.

It's also worth mentioning that I tried some electrolyte replacement capsules for the first time today. I can't remember the brand off the top of my head, but that's not really important. The important question is how did they work? I can't say for sure. I only took one. Within the first 5-10 minutes of taking the pill my mouth started to water and I had a salty taste in my mouth. I also gagged a bit, but I don't know if it was from the pill or the fact that it was so dusty out today. Other than the caps I only took 2 bottles of water with me to drink and one Gu packet. I can't say that they worked for sure, but I felt pretty fresh at the end of the ride. Usually after a ride of that length or longer I need a little rest afterwards, but in this case I felt pretty good. The real test will come on Sunday. I'll try them again on a run this week to be sure they don't make me sick, but I'll probably be testing them on Sunday.

5/7 - 5/12/2007 Recovery Week

If I wasn't entirely prepared for the pain that I felt in the last 5 miles of the race I wasn't ready at all for the amount of pain that I was experiencing in this past week. Every time I stood up my quads were screaming. Walking down a flight of stairs was near impossible the first couple of days, and forget about walking down a hill. My knees wanted to unhinge with about every third or fourth step. Good times...good times.

The day after the race, May 7th, I went out for a recovery walk. I figured walking would be better than doing nothing. My legs couldn't possibly hurt any worse. I walked the Center Field 1 1/4 mile path twice very slowly. The 2.5 miles took about 45 minutes to complete. I felt marginally better than when I started, but at this point just getting in and out of the car is difficult.

After a rest day I decided to get out on the bike Wednesday. I really wanted to work the knots out of my muscles, but the thought of the pounding of running wasn't really all that appealing just yet. It also gave me the opportunity to get my bike out on the Tri for Joe course. I'm really looking forward to this race this year. I'd love to get out there and just crush last year's time. Part of doing that will be in preparation.

Dist: 18 mi.
Avg: 16.49 mph
Max: 25.2 mph
Time: 01:05:29

On Thursday it was time to get back into the gym. I had taken some time off from strength training right before the Flying Pig, so it had been over 3 weeks since I'd hit the weights. The lower half of my body was still quite sore, but I pushed through the various lunges and step-ups that really worked the quads and hamstrings.

5 minute Dynamic Warm-Up:
(All done Across Basketball Court and back)

• Lunge Twists
• Side Lunges
• Walking Knee Grabs
• Toe Touches
• Butt Kicks

Workout:

• Medicine Ball Toe Touches - 8 lb ball 2 sets x 15
• Medicine Ball Twists - 8 lb ball 2 sets x 15
• Supermans - 2 sets x 15
• Walking Lunges - Width of Court with 15 lbs
• Ball Leg Curls - 2 sets x 15
• Dumbbell Step-Ups - 15 lbs 2 sets x 15
• Hammer Strength Seated Chest Press 45 lbs 2 sets x 15
• Hammer Strength Seated Row 45 lbs 2 sets x 15
• Hammer Strength Lat Pull Downs 35 lbs 2 sets x 15
• Dumbbell Bicep Curls (seated) - 20 lbs 2 sets x 15
• Bench Dips - 2 x 15
• 4 way Shoulder - 5 lbs 1 x 20
• Fly
• Front Shoulder Raise
• Lat. Shoulder Raise
• External Rotation

One more rest day on Friday followed up by a short recovery run on Saturday. All the soreness that was fading from my quads and the front of my body came back with a vengeance in my hamstrings and butt on Friday and Saturday. I set on Saturday to test the running legs for the first time since the marathon. It really wasn't such a pleasant run at all. I ran the 2.3 miles in 22:16 struggling to keep a pace at all. Hopefully I'll start to get my legs back over the next few days, so that I can get into full swing of duathlon training.

5/06/2007 Flying Pig Marathon

The alarm went off at 4 am. With a 6:30 am start time and a 45 minute drive to the start area I wanted to be sure I had plenty of time get something to eat (pb&j, a banana, and a coffee), get dressed, and take care of any last minute business. I was feeling exceptionally good having slept well for about 5 hours. I had accepted the fact that I wasn't going to sleep well the night before the race since I usually have pre-race jitters, so I just relaxed and settled in for a long night. Apparently I tricked myself into falling into a deep sleep. I wonder if I can trick myself into that again in the future!

After an easy drive downtown due to very little traffic I found a great parking space near the finish area of the race and made my way to the start line. The race day plan was to meet my friend, Jennifer, at the start line and run with at the beginning of the marathon. She was running the half marathon, and had time goals that were slower than my own. This would be a perfect way to slow myself down at the beginning of the marathon. I knew the worst thing I could do is get swept up in the excitement and the rush at the beginning. I really needed to slow down, and save as much as I could for the end of the race.

I felt surprisingly relaxed as we lined up in the middle of the pack off the start line. I could see the pace groups with their signs sticking up above the crowd. A short distance ahead of us I could see the 3:30 pace group sign. If I could catch the 3:30 pace group at some point, run with them for a while, and then propel myself forward for a glorious finish. Visions of crossing the finish line amid cheering masses filled my head as we stood there watching the sun peek over the horizon, making small talk to fill the time before the start.

Looking back my first mistake came within the first two miles of the gun going off. Since we were in the middle of the pack the start was slow, but not so slow that we didn't cross the start line about a minute after the official start. We jogged the first half mile on the wide road heading east toward the first bridge to cross into Kentucky. I watched the 3:30 pace group pull away and turn the first corner. I forced myself to keep it slow and stay with Jennifer. We laughed and joked to keep things light, but my legs wanted to go. I started to pick up the pace and weave through the crowd Jennifer encouraging me on. I was thinking we would weave up until the crowd thinned out, and then slow it down to a nice comfortable groove. Shortly after the first mile marker I turned to check behind me to be sure that Jennifer was still there, but she was gone. Oops. I slowed and looked over my shoulder for her to no avail. Maybe I could've stopped and waited, maybe I should have been more patient, but the legs wanted to go! I pushed on ahead and picked up the pace.

I eased in to a nice pace and the miles began to pass by easily. I put in my earbuds, and turned on Phedippidations to ease myself through the early miles. What a bit of good luck that a show about first marathons was released in the same week that I was running my first marathon. I tried to listen as stories of first marathon triumphs and disasters were shared, but I was really so far absorbed in the moment, the sounds of the spectators on the sides of the roads, and the good vibes of the runners around me that most of the podcast was lost on me. Those early miles are kind of a blur as we crossed the bridge into Kentucky wound through Covington, crossed back into Cincinnati and headed out of town toward the east side of town.

Sometime around mile 8 I caught up with the 3:30 pace group. I was excited to see that I was running so well. I was feeling great, and obviously hitting sub 8 minute miles already. I was concerned for about a minute that I was running too fast, but then dismissed it. This was my second mistake. I should have taken that concern to heart. Instead I stuck with the 3:30 pace group for a few miles, and then pulled ahead of the pace group.

Miles 16-18 were amazing. I met up with my family around mile 16, which was a huge rush. Very rarely do I have my own cheering section at any of the races I compete in, but this was a big deal and I had lots of support. These were the best miles as I worked my way through Mariemont where the course was at it's farthest east point and turned back toward downtown. I was buoyed by my family support, but unfortunately the good feelings wouldn't last long.

It was at about mile 19 that I got my first cramp. My left calf seized up. I stopped and worked it out, then moved on. It was at this point that the 3:30 group caught and passed me. I moved back on to the course and followed the 3:30 group hoping that I would be able to keep up. It wasn't to be though. My quads began to burn then take on a curious feeling like they were turning to stone. This was the beginning of the end for me. By mile 21 I was battling off cramps in both calves and quads. I began to alternate by running to a mile marker, then taking a one minute walk break, then running on to the next mile marker. I was beyond hitting the wall. I was now throwing myself against the wall repeatedly in an effort to keep my legs moving.

Those final five miles were unlike anything I've ever experienced. The closest was when I bonked on my first century last year. Those final miles were similar in some ways, but this was far more painful. I think the problems I had in those final miles can be attributed to a combination of factors. The obvious factors of coming out to fast early on, and then continuing the quick pace through the middle miles. Less obvious to me at the time though was my sweating and loss of electrolytes. This may have been an even larger factor than my assumed too quick pace. I won't really know for sure, but I never felt overly winded throughout the race. I was taking in plenty of fluids and gels. The major problem was never exhaustion like I've felt before, but the cramps. It was a hard lesson to learn, but one I'll take to heart. I've been thinking about picking up some electrolyte supplements anyway, so this may be the final straw.

This is almost a week after the race. I've had some time to get things in perspective, and recover a bit. There is no doubt that I am going to do another marathon, because this was an incredible experience. Not only was it an incredible experience, but I think I can definitely do better, and I love a challenge. As a matter of fact I've already contacted the Team In Training group about doing the Walt Disney World Marathon in January 2008!



Split 1: 17:10 Miles 1 & 2 pace: 8:35
Split 2: 1:17:46 Miles 3 - 12 pace: 7:46
Split 6: 8:46 Mile 13 pace: 8:46 (restroom break)
Split 7: 7:21 Mile 14 pace: 7:21
Split 8: 15:20 Mile 15 & 16 pace: 7:40
Split 9: 32:50 Mile 17,18,19 pace: 10:56 (friends and family)
Split 10: 16:51 Mile 20 & 21 pace: 8:25
Split 11: 18:16 Mile 22 & 23 pace: 9:08
Split 12: 10:47 Mile 24 pace: 10:47
Split 13: 12:07 Mile 25 - 26.2 pace: 10:05

Half Split 1:43:41 pace: 7:54
19.3 Split 2:33:49 pace: 7:58
25.2 Split 3:27:24 pace: 8:13
26.2 Miles 3:37:14 pace: 8:17

5/04/2007 SRR - Counting Down to the Flying Pig "2"

One final run before a rest day tomorrow. I got out at about 5:45 in the morning. Hopefully these will be the same conditions I will be facing Sunday morning. I geared up with the clothes I talked about the other day and threw on a long sleeve t-shirt over top, which is exactly what I plan on wearing on race day. It will work out just fine based on what the forecast is so far.

I jogged a nice slow 2.3 miles through the neighborhood in 19:51 . It's great that it is getting light earlier so I am able to get in the early morning outdoor jogs again.

We'll also be heading down to the Expo tomorrow to pick up my race packet and do the Kids Fun Run for Aiden. I'm very excited to take part in all the weekend's festivities! Hopefully I'll be able to get some good photos and have some stories to share sometime next week after I recover and get myself back together.

5/03/2007 Goals - Counting Down to the Flying Pig "3"

What are my goals for my first marathon?

Aside from the obvious goal of finishing I do have some goals that I'd like to achieve for my first outing. Other than finishing time goals I also have some goals along the way. The first of which is to go out slow and finish fast. I've kind of secured a method for doing this by hooking up with a fellow runner for the first 8 miles. She will be running the half-marathon with a slightly slower goal pace than my own. This will work out well for me. I'll start the race with her, and let her set the pace for those miles. After that I'll hopefully feel fresh enough to slowly increase the pace over the remaining 18.2 miles.

My time goal is in three tiers. My ultimate goal is to run a Boston Marathon qualifying time of 3:10. I would be ecstatic if that happened, but it seems unlikely. Nothing in my training up to this point would lead me to believe that I'll be running a Boston qualifier, but I can dream. My more realistic time goal is to run a 3:30. That would fall more in line with my training. Plus there is the inexperience factor. The farthest run I've had is my 20 mile long run, so it will be interesting to see what happens in the last 6.2 miles. I'd still be ecstatic with anything under 3:30.

The third tier of the goal is based on a dream. I had a dream some time back that I ran the Flying Pig in 3:45. Is it prophecy? I guess we'll see on Sunday. My final goal if I don't reach the others is to beat my dream self.

5/02/2007 SRR - Counting Down to Flying Pig "4"

I've found that the best way to make sure that I take a nice slow, short run is to take our dog, Gracie, along with me. It is guaranteed that we will have to make multiple stops along the way, and she won't last more than a couple of miles. She's built for speed not endurance. So we hit the road for a 2.3 mile 22 minute jog with a few stops along the way.

I've pretty much decided on wearing my Zoot Trifit shorts and Prana Enduro shirt for the race on Sunday. I'll probably take along a throw away long sleeve t-shirt and maybe some sweats or loose shorts to stay warm before the race. I might take along some throw away gloves as well. It could be pretty cool in downtown near the river. Right now the weather looks like it is going to be fantastic day on Sunday, but possibly on the warm side. With a high of 78°F and low of 56°F I will be thankful that we start at 6:30 am, and I'll be done well before the heat of the day.

Now I just have to figure out my food carrying situation. I'm thinking I can get away with using my race number belt to staple a couple of Gu's to for the beginning of the race. I should see some familiar faces somewhere around the halfway point, so I can ditch it with them. I'm going to stop by the Running Spot this afternoon to see if there are any better solutions that aren't too expensive. I should have take care of this already, but it's the procrastinator in me shining through!

5/01/2007 SRR - Counting Down to Flying Pig "5"

I'm feeling the energy starting to build for the Pig this weekend. It was hard not to overdo it today on my run. It was a beautiful day, and I am feeling good. I have some minor pain in my lower back on the right side, but it is not so bad. I'm going to try to get in to see my long ignored chiropractor this week to get an adjustment, and I'll definitely follow up after the race if the pain persists. For now though, it's a minor thing, and considering I've now run over 400 miles since the beginning of the year my body is holding up very well. This is by far the most I've ever run in any amount of time.

The schedule calls for a 20-30 minute srr, but I felt so good I pushed it a little further. I did 4.3 miles in about 38 minutes, which includes a minor clothing adjustment. I decided to try and get my wardrobe worked out for the race today. I tried a pair of tri-shorts underneath a pair of running shorts to try and combat the chafing issue, but halfway through the run I realized I was being silly. I ditched the running shorts all together, and I'm just going to go with the tri shorts, and my tight running shirt. I'm really not going to care when I'm out there running about modesty or anything else by mile 20. I'd much rather be comfortable and cool. I've got a 2 more runs to make a final decision, but I'm pretty well set. Now all I have to do is figure out how I'm going to carry to Gu packs on me for run consumption. hmmmm....

4/28/2007 Commuting

The first commute of the year is finally done. All the anticipation over the course of the spring, as chance after chance at commuting was washed away by rain, or sudden chilly turns in the weather was finally ended on a beautiful Sunday morning. By the time I got home I was reminded of all the things so great about commuting, and all those things that I could really do without. The best thing about commuting is that wonderful burst of energy after a great ride to work. It beats a great shower, caffeine, or just about anything else for great ways to get the mind and body in full swing.

Dist: 25.19 miles
Avg: 15.78 mph
Max: 32.1 mph
Time: 1:35.45

The commute home reminded me of some of the things that I don't particularly care for in bicycle commuting. First is the stiffness that comes after riding then sitting all day at a desk, then trying to ride again. That stiffness never seems to fully work itself out during the commute home most days. Then there are the drivers. It wasn't so much an issue on a Sunday commute, but just being out there reminded me of how inconsiderate and dangerous people driving home from work can be, especially in the dark. That was the final bad thing about the ride, except for the sore butt, was finishing up the ride in the dark.

I was prepared for the possibility that I would be in the dark with a headlight and a taillight, but it was still not so much fun. This won't be something I will do very often as the days get longer, and most of my commutes will hopefully be a little earlier. Thankfully, I won't be doing it very often.

Dist: 25.16 miles
Avg: 14.89 mph
Max: 28.4 mph
Time: 1:41.23

All in all, it was a great commute, and I look forward to getting in a lot of miles this year by way of commute.

4/25 - 4/27/2007 A Couple Medium Recovery Runs

4/25/2007 Neighborhood MRR

In breaking with my usual routine I wasn't able to get out for my daily run until the late afternoon. It always feels a little odd when that happens, and I never have a great run unless it's really late into the night. I guess it shows I am either a true creature of habit, or creature of the night. I'm a little of both I think, especially in warm weather.

I was a bit stiff during this run, and never felt like I was at 100%. It was one of those days when the legs never quite loosen up fully and it feels like running on stilts. It was still good to get out and run my trusty old 6.5 mile route with the nice long hill to break it up. The 56 minute run of 6.5 miles averaged out to a 8:36 pace.

4/27/2007 Lunken Airport MRR + 3 VAPs

Another afternoon run that I had to squeeze in after getting off work. This time I headed over to Lunken Park for a nice flat run on the loop. In order to make up for my 3 VAP's that I missed the other day I did 3 1 mile VAPs starting at miles 1, 3, and 5. 7 miles. It was a fairly cool day with temperature low to mid 50's and overcast, which is perfect for running. On the flat course I was able to run the 7 miles in 56 minutes at an 8:00 pace without pushing too hard.

I have started making the detailed preparations for the Flying Pig, and one thing I know for sure is that I'm not wearing my gray running shorts. They are doing some serious chafing. I'm gonna have to come up with an alternative between now and Sunday. It might be a pair of Underarmor tights, or ideally a new pair of shorts with the seamless tights sewn in to the short.

4/24/2007 Cycling The Evil Twins

There is something truly wrong with looking forward to a ride that is called The Evil Twins, and is 30 miles of nothing but hills. There must be something wrong with it, but I'm not sure what it is. I was loving every minute of it. It was perfect riding weather with temps starting out in the mid 50's and climbing to the mid 60's over the course of the ride, and sunny, gloriously sunny.

This is only the third time that I've done this particular route, but I want to use it more this year. I feel like I could benefit from some serious hill work, which is all this ride is for the most part. If I could work this ride in a couple times a month to build some endurance that would be great. I would also be better prepared for the Hilly Hundred come October.

Dist: 30 miles
Avg: 14.34 mph
Max: 45.6 mph
Ride Time: 2:06.52

4/22/2007 Tempo Cycling

I'm trying to get some sort of regiment going for cycling. This would be my tempo cycling day. I tried to keep my tempo between 18 and 19 mph for stretches of the ride. It was a fairly flat route to Milford and back, so it was well within reason to keep that kind of pace, and for the first 16 miles I was pretty successful. After that I began to fall off, but that's okay. Hopefully I will be able to work on that.

Distance: 24.77 miles
Avg: 16.51 mph
Max: 32.5 mph
Time: 1:30.02

4/20 - 4/21/2007 Yasso 800's & MRR

4/20/2007 Yasso 800's

It was time for a change of scenery for the Yasso workout. I didn't feel like running up and down Filager Rd. 15 to 20 times, so I took this show on the road. I headed out on Filager toward Rt. 222 as a warm-up and then started the watch about 1/2 mile into the run to start the intervals. The 10 x 800 with jogs in between took me into Batavia. Once in town I ran some laps around town with intervals of 3:30 each. With a few left I headed back toward home which posed my biggest challenge of having an interval going up the Rt. 132 hill. I held my own on the hill, but had to slow to a walk/jog to finish up the hill after the fast run. It's all good, because I was able to finish up strong on the last two intervals.

4/21/2007 Medium Recovery Run

This run falls somewhere between MRR and SRR but I'm calling it MRR. I ran my old 4.25 mile loop in 36:24. It wasn't exactly a quick run, but still felt challenging after a day of intervals.

We are quickly closing in on marathon day. Things are starting to fall into place, as I feel I'm right on track with my training. Aside from a little lower back pain, and the occasional knee and hip pain I'm feeling healthy (knock on wood). I have a pretty good idea of what I'm going to do for nutrition during the race. The only thing that I feel could derail me there is if we have a sudden spike in temperature and it turns out to be a hot day. Hopefully the fact that it's so early in the morning will help offset that possibility. The only thing left to do is get my packet for race day, and figure out what I'm going to wear and play the waiting game.

4/17/2007 SRR + 2 VAP's

My workouts are probably going to be a little spotty this week. With the two losses in the family I'll be very busy attending to family business. Let's just say that it is not a very good week. I'll most likely not be doing anything on Wednesday and Thursday. I'll push back the final interval workout, skip the SRR and go from there. Such is life.

I kind of screwed up this day's workout. I was supposed to do 3 VAP's, but only did two. The workout was a 27 minute srr in the neighborhood, with two VAP's that were 4 minutes each. I was still feeling a little stiff after the colossal effort that was the half marathon. I'm starting to get jazzed about the marathon as it is drawing close. I just wish the weather would shape up, so I can get out and ride my bike more during the taper period.

4/16/2007 Strength Training

5 minute Dynamic Warm-Up:
(All done Across Basketball Court and back)

• Lunge Twists
• Side Lunges
• Walking Knee Grabs
• Toe Touches
• Butt Kicks

Workout:

• Medicine Ball Toe Touches - 8 lb ball 2 sets x 15
• Medicine Ball Twists - 8 lb ball 2 sets x 15
• Supermans - 2 sets x 15
• Walking Lunges - Width of Court with 15 lbs
• Ball Leg Curls - 2 sets x 15
• Dumbbell Step-Ups - 15 lbs 2 sets x 15
• Hammer Strength Seated Chest Press 45 lbs 2 sets x 15
• Hammer Strength Seated Row 45 lbs 2 sets x 15
• Hammer Strength Lat Pull Downs 35 lbs 2 sets x 15
• Dumbbell Bicep Curls (seated) - 20 lbs 2 sets x 15
• Bench Dips - 2 x 15
• 4 way Shoulder - 5 lbs 1 x 20
• Fly
• Front Shoulder Raise
• Lat. Shoulder Raise
• External Rotation

4/14/2007 Loveland Challenge Half Marathon

Dedicated in memory of Howard William Westphal. My great-uncle died yesterday at the age of 97. He was truly an inspiration to me in so many ways. Most of my memories of him were of him in his retirement from the Navy. I spent many summers at his house mowing his grass, learning about short wave radios, trains, and how to grow old gracefully. He walked 5 miles a day for some 36 years along the same route that I frequently run my long runs. I don't often feel religious or spiritual, but I felt like he was with me today.

This race was truly a last minute call. I had really resigned myself to skipping it and just doing my own 13.1 mile Goal Pace Run next weekend. Even as I went to bed last night I had no intentions of getting up this morning. The weather was supposed to be cold and rainy; not exactly ideal conditions for running a race or so I thought. Then something strange happened. I woke up at 3:30 this morning and just knew that I had to do the race. I don't remember having some dream that prompted the thought or flash of intuition. It was just there. I knew I was going to roll out of bed in a couple of hours and get ready for the race, and so it went. At 5:30, with no alarm clock to wake me, I rolled out of bed knowing full well that it was dark, cold and just crap outside and got dressed for the race. It was the best decision I could have made.

The first reason it was a good idea was that for some unkown reason after a year of fumbling around with my nutritional needs on race day I finally found something that works. And the winner is...good old peanut butter and jelly on toast. Keep it simple stupid. About 2 hours before the race I had a pb&j and a banana. It settled well, and I felt full all morning. During the race I had one Gu about 50 minutes into the race. It was a strategy that I originally tried during my 20 mile long run. It is the strategy that I will carry to the marathon. I'll have a Gu or something similar about every 60 minutes I'm out on the course.

The second reason that it was a good idea to go out today was that it was a brilliant race. It was the eureka moment that I needed to give the confidence for the marathon. Going into the race I had a goal. All I wanted to do was run a solid 8 minute pace throughout the race. In a way you could say that I failed at the goal, but the result made the failure worth it. At the start of the race I forced myself to slow down and let runners go. I was determined not to chase anyone at the beginning, so I fought the urge to give chase.

I set in at a pace that felt comfortable. It turned out to be about a 7:30 pace, but the important thing is that it was comfortable. I felt so good that somewhere around mile 5 I made a deal with myself. If I was still feeling good at mile 1o I was going to turn loose and finish strong. I should mention at this point that it also helped that I fell into pace with another pair of runners that were keeping a similar pace. One fell away within a few miles but it was nice to have someone to watch as the miles rolled. I'd let him pull up away from me, then I'd pull him back in with a surge, and fall back again. I'd do this every couple of miles just to keep him close.

The first 6 miles of the race were on the roads, so the terrain varied. We'd run a couple of hills, through some dips and all the usual ups and downs typical of the roads in the Loveland area. By mile 6 though we dipped down to the river and entered the Loveland bike trail. We reached a point in the course where we turned around, and headed back to the finish on the bike trail. From then on it was a flat straight course on the bike trail. This was perfect conditions to turn it on at the end.

At mile 10 I felt fantastic. Actually it was shortly after mile 9 that I started to pick up the pace. I felt like I was coiled and ready to strike and the waiting was killing me, so I gradually picked up the pace until mile 10 and then turned it on. From this point on the race was pure bliss. I was doing something that I had failed to do in previous races up to this point. I was kicking it and passing people at the end of the race. The end result was an awesome 6:58 pace for the final 5K and a second place finish in my division. This was a race I had low expectations going in, with modest goals, and it turned out to be one of the best races I've run ever, and a great learning experience.

Bring on the Flying Pig!

Avg HR: 165
Peak HR: 176
Min HR: 88
Total Cal: 1410
Lap 1: 6 miles - 44:50 Avg HR: 165 - 7:28 pace
Lap 2: 4 miles - 29:29 Avg HR: 165 - 7:22 pace
Lap 3: 3.1 miles - 21:36 Avg HR: 170 - 6:58 pace

Official Results:

TIME: 1:35:55
PLACE: 16
PACE: 7:19
DIVISION: M3034
ENTRANTS IN DIVISION: 12
PLACE IN DIVISION: 2
GENDER: M
ENTRANTS IN SAME GENDER: 76
PLACE IN GENDER: 14

4/12/2007 Yasso 800's x9

The weather has taken a turn for the worse this week. We went from wonderfully warm temps in the 60's and 70's back down to the 30's and 40's with days of rain and sometimes flurries. The weather has been utter crap. It's been tough to get out and run outside in between storms, but I managed to get out and squeeze in some speedwork in the drizzling rain.

The 9 yasso's I did on Filager were at 3:30 with 3:30 jogs in between. The 3:30 time seems to be working out pretty well. I don't hit the 1/2 mile mark every time, but I come close, and sometimes exceed it by a bit. These speed workouts are really paying off as I found out today at my first half marathon. woo hoo!

4/11/2007 Short Recovery Run

This short recovery run bordered on a medium recovery run. I pushed it a little harder than I usually do on the short recover runs and went a little further. It didn't feel that much more difficult, so maybe I'm just getting stronger and a "short" run isn't what it used to be. I know a long run isn't what it used to be. I did a .25 mile warm up and 3.5 mile run with .25 mile cool down for a total 45 minute run time.

4/10/2007 Strength Training

5 minute Dynamic Warm-Up:
(All done Across Basketball Court and back)

• Lunge Twists
• Side Lunges
• Walking Knee Grabs
• Toe Touches
• Butt Kicks

Workout:

• Medicine Ball Toe Touches - 8 lb ball 2 sets x 15
• Medicine Ball Twists - 8 lb ball 2 sets x 15
• Supermans - 2 sets x 15
• Walking Lunges - Width of Court with 15 lbs
• Ball Leg Curls - 2 sets x 15
• Dumbbell Step-Ups - 15 lbs 2 sets x 15
• Hammer Strength Seated Chest Press 45 lbs 2 sets x 15
• Hammer Strength Seated Row 45 lbs 2 sets x 15
• Hammer Strength Lat Pull Downs 35 lbs 2 sets x 15
• Dumbbell Bicep Curls (seated) - 20 lbs 2 sets x 15
• Bench Dips - 2 x 15
• 4 way Shoulder - 4 lbs 1 x 20
• Fly
• Front Shoulder Raise
• Lat. Shoulder Raise
• External Rotation

4/09/2007 Long Run

The big one was finally here. The 20 mile long run that I had been worried about for a while. With some of my workouts not feeling so good lately this workout concerned me. If I couldn't hack the longest of the long runs it didn't bode well for the marathon in my mind. I'm dealing with some doubts obviously.

The long run I wanted to do would have taken me through some familiar long run territory around my town with similar terrain to the flying pig course. Unfortunately due to scheduling it just wasn't meant to happen. I had to do the long run on a park running path; a 1.25 mile path. That means lots of laps, and monotony right? Well, as it turns out it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. The short laps allowed me to bring a water bottle with me and just leave it along the path instead of carrying water or dropping water off along the route before the run.

The long run route included a lead in path of 1 1/16 mile followed by 15 laps of 1.25 miles followed by a run out the same lead in path of about .6 miles for a total 20.5 miles that took 2 hours 44 minutes for an 8 min/mile pace.

Avg HR: 148
Peak HR: 174
Min HR: 79
Total Cal:2409

I didn't set out to run at any particular pace. I just ran at a pace that felt comfortable, and it did feel comfortable. I felt like I could have easily finished the last 6 miles or so of the marathon at that pace, which is a very encouraging sign. At that pace my heart rate hovered in the mid 140's until I got to around mile 15. From that point my heart rate started to do a steady creep upwards, but nothing out of control. I finished around the mid 160's which is typical for a race pace.

The path itself is flat to rolling hills. There are no major climbs, but it is a consistent group of small rolling hills. It was perfect for a long run of this type. The weather was cool in the high 40's and overcast.

4/08/2007 Short Recovery Run + 2 VAPs

I'm playing some catch up here with the last week's worth of entries. I'll probably keep them short and to the point. On the other hand I do have the advantage of hindsight to work with here. Coming off the heels of a very successful half marathon today I can see the advantage of doing this workout where I could not before.

I have consistently run my races in a haphazzard manor up until this point. I would come out fast and hard pushing it the entire way. In the end I would struggle to finish strong. Even if I had a good time it would frequently leave me feeling defeated or frustrated. Today I had my eureka moment. Today I turned it around finally. I forced myself to come out slow and throughout the race I would surge forward a bit for 400 meters or so testing how my legs felt and then back off. Those short surges left me with lots of gas at the end of the race to put in the best kick I've had ever. I'll talk more about that later, but the point is I think part of this turn around was due to this type of workout.

It was a typical short recovery run of 3.3 miles on Filager and Meghan's Run. The difference is that it included two 4 minute, 1/2 mile vap's. From easy pace I would pick it up to a pace that was just above my comfort zone for the 4 minutes and then back it down. Excellent workout.

4/06/2007 Y800 to the Power of 8

Early morning on the treadmill to get in my Yasso workout. I did 8 Yasso 800's at a 3:30 pace with 1/4 mile jogs in between. I wanted to do the full 3:30 but time was short so I went with the quarters. I felt really good during this workout which was a nice sign as the marathon is getting close. Only one month until the big day!

4/05/2007 Strength & Short Recovery Run

Strength Training

5 minute Dynamic Warm-Up:
(All done Across Basketball Court and back)

• Lunge Twists
• Side Lunges
• Walking Knee Grabs
• Toe Touches
• Butt Kicks

Workout:

• Medicine Ball Toe Touches - 8 lb ball 2 sets x 15
• Medicine Ball Twists - 8 lb ball 2 sets x 15
• Supermans - 2 sets x 15
• Walking Lunges - Width of Court with 15 lbs
• Ball Leg Curls - 2 sets x 15
• Dumbbell Step-Ups - 15 lbs 2 sets x 15
• Hammer Strength Seated Chest Press 45 lbs 2 sets x 15
• Hammer Strength Seated Row 45 lbs 2 sets x 15
• Hammer Strength Lat Pull Downs 35 lbs 2 sets x 15
• Dumbbell Bicep Curls (seated) - 15 lbs 2 sets x 15
• Bench Dips - 2 x 15
• 4 way Shoulder - 4 lbs 1 x 20
• Fly
• Front Shoulder Raise
• Lat. Shoulder Raise
• External Rotation

Short Recovery Run

This was a very quick 2 mile short recovery run on the tread mill in 16:30. Nothing very exciting here. move along

Past, Present and Future Duathlon Preparation Part 1

As I'm quickly approaching the beginning of duathlon season I've been thinking about a new training program to transition out of marathon training and into duathlon training and racing. I'd like to build on my current running fitness, and experience from last year to have a great year of racing this year. As I was floundering a bit to get a hold on what I would like to do for a new plan I got a message from a friend on SparkPeople. She is considering her first duathlon, and wanting some advice on her first race. This works out great for me. I think it would be helpful for me to take a look back, review what I did last year and decide what the next stage is going to be. So, thank you Barb for helping me move to the next stage and I hope this will be helpful for you.

Now, that is out of the way let's get down to business. Barb, I think you have some very reasonable goals for your first race, and I think you will surprise yourself and exceed those goals. You definitely have a good fitness base from all the cycling, so working in some running shouldn't be a big problem as long as you don't have any problems that might cause you pain from running.

This is the "program" (I use the term program very loosely here) that I used last year adjusted by what I've learned over the course of the year. It worked very well for my first year of racing even though I wasn't always able to stick to my workouts like I would have preferred. It sounds like you have a good handle on how much running you want to do by what you wrote to me, so I'll just give you the focus of the runs. You'll find you improve a lot faster with some well defined focus for each run. Time is always an issue, so the key is to stay flexible, and if you can pull off some "two a days" like you mentioned in your message to me it will be helpful.

Keep up with the cycling and add 3 to 4 runs per week if you can fit them in.

The 1st run is a tempo run to get you used to running the speeds you want to achieve. If you want to alternate walk and run that is great. It sounds like you are already close to running the whole thing which is good. My suggestion would be to run 1K then walk approx. 400m and run another 1K until you reach your distance goal of 5K or longer. Phase out the walks a little at a time each week.

The 2nd run is intervals to increase your speed. For a 5k distance 400 meter intervals will work well. Start with 4x 400 meter intervals with an equal time of a walk or slow jog in between. So, if you run a 2 minute 400, slow down for 2 minutes breaks. Add 1 additional each week up to the week before your race.

The 3rd run is brick day. You said you've been doing a few bricks already, so keep it up. It doesn't have to be a long run after the ride. It's just to get your legs used to that feeling of getting off the bike and going straight to a run. I approached these days with a race distance bike ride followed by a 2 mile run straight off the bike. This is important to get used to, because if you don't you'll get a nasty surprise on race day in the form of leg cramps.

The 4th run is long run. If you can only fit in three runs alternate this with your tempo run. Run 8K to 10K at a slow pace. Keep your pace 1 to 2 minutes slower per kilometer than your race pace. You should be able to carry on a conversation during these runs as a point of reference. The long run will help build endurance.

Hopefully this will give you a good starting point on which to build a plan leading up to your race. To address your question: "How much harder is it to do 2 5km runs with the bike in between?" I'm not sure how to answer this question. Thinking back to the very first duathlon that I did I would say that it was very hard, but I think I wasn't very well prepared. I doubt that I did any brick workouts before hand. The hardest part is the first kilometer of the second run. After a hard effort on the run and bike your legs will probably be very stiff. If you're feeling stiff off the bike walk it out and work into the run slowly.

Like I said before, I hope this is helpful Barb. Now that you've got me thinking about this I'll also take a look at transitions and fueling/nutrition before and during races. Transitioning back and forth between the bike and run can be a tricky business when the bikes are packed in close together and you're dealing with people coming in and out of the transition area. Nutrition is also key for many reasons, including warding off those pesky cramps.

4/03/2007 Cycling

This is my 1st attempt at speed work for '07. I don't have a training plan in place at the moment, so this was sort of a spur of the moment speed workout. I'm on the hunt now for a training plan that will get me ready for my first duathlon in May. I figure I can start more bike work now and ramp it up during the taper period of my marathon training. That way I can transition after the marathon into a regular duathlon training schedule.

For this ride I did 3 pick ups for 1 mile each trying to maintain a pace of over 20 mph. This was not necessarily the best way to approach this workout but I managed to do okay considering I was pedaling into a headwind at some points. For this type of training I'm thinking it's time to upgrade to the double wireless with cadence. Honestly, how have I gone this long without a cadence monitor?

Dist: 20.6 miles
Time: 1:17.57
Avg: 15.8 mph
Max: 34.7 mph

4/02/2007 Goal Pace Run & Positive Thoughts

I wasn't feeling as good today on the road as I have in previous goal pace run sessions. I never felt like I could hold the pace I wanted all that well. It was a constant struggle throughout the run, and I'm experiencing some lower back pain. All in all it kind of sucked out there today. I finished the 10 miles in 1:23.31 for an 8:21 pace. This is by far the slowest goal pace run I've done all spring, and it is a little discouraging. I talked a little bit about feeling some burn out yesterday and it persists. I'm wondering if the mounting aches and pains in my back and knees might be contributing to this feeling. It might be time to get back to the chiropractor for some visits before race day.

I've been giving some thought to the mental aspects of racing and running lately. Especially since I've been experiencing a bit of burn out. I want to find ways to push back these negative thoughts that creep in during runs that aren't necessarily going as planned. It was good luck that on Simply Stu he interviewed Dr. Stephen Walker about just that subject. It is definitely worth a listen. The first thing I'm going to do to start getting the positive mojo flowing again is to focus on some positives. So, at the end of each workout entry I will post something positive from the workout. Even if I have to pull something small and mundane I will find something positive to write about.

+++Something Positive+++

I learned some good mental tricks to improve my racing by listening to Simply Stu. Stay in the moment during runs. The mind will try to wander and pull my attention away from the task at hand, but stay focused. One trick is to use a tactile method. Wear a rubber band on my wrist during the race. Whenever negative thoughts creep in or the mind loses focuses give the rubber band a snap as a way to take a moment to get refocused.

4/01/2007 Short Recovery Run

Everything got bumped back a day on the training schedule this week after Saturday. Due to a change in work schedule and family coming into town there was just no way I was going to get out to run. It's not a big deal. I'm feeling a bit of marathon training burnout right now, so a movement in the schedule is actually a bit of a welcome relief from following the schedule so rigidly like I have been up to this point. I have a little over a month left, and can't quite get psyched up about the race just yet, but I'm ready to see the end of the run training and get on with the rest of the year. I think I'm more excited about the Tri for Joe following the Flying Pig. It's just the burn out talking. I'll start to get psyched again once I move in to Taper Period.

I did get in my short recovery run on Sunday that should have been the Saturday run. I went out on my lunch break and ran around Clifton which is always a welcome change of scenery. During the 4.25 mile 35:30/ 8:21 pace run I felt pretty stiff which is not unusual after sitting at my desk for 4 hours. It was also very warm, about 75 F, which I'm still getting used to after spending the last 3 months running in much colder temps.

The good thing is after returning to the office post-run I feel great, and am ready to crush the rest of the day.

3/30/2007 Strength & MRR

Strength Training

It was another speed workout day. Up at 5 am and in the gym by 5:30. You gotta love the smell of sweat, and the feeling of burning muscles to put yourself through this. The best part was walking out of the gym at shortly after 7 am feeling fresh and awake to see the rising sun of a nice warm day. That alone makes it totally worth it.

5 minute Dynamic Warm-Up:
(All done Across Basketball Court and back)

• Lunge Twists
• Side Lunges
• Walking Knee Grabs
• Toe Touches
• Butt Kicks

Workout:

• Medicine Ball Toe Touches - 8 lb ball 2 sets x 15
• Medicine Ball Twists - 8 lb ball 2 sets x 15
• Supermans - 2 sets x 15
• Walking Lunges - Width of Court with 15 lbs
• Ball Leg Curls - 2 sets x 15
• Dumbbell Step-Ups - 15 lbs 2 sets x 15
• Hammer Strength Seated Chest Press 45 lbs 2 sets x 15
• Hammer Strength Seated Row 45 lbs 2 sets x 15
• Hammer Strength Lat Pull Downs 35 lbs 2 sets x 15
• Dumbbell Bicep Curls (seated) - 15 lbs 2 sets x 15
• Bench Dips - 2 x 15
• 4 way Shoulder - 4 lbs 1 x 20
• Fly
• Front Shoulder Raise
• Lat. Shoulder Raise
• External Rotation

Medium Recovery Run

I'm a day behind on my scheduled runs, so I really wanted to get caught up this morning, and I knew full well I wasn't going to have time after work. I decided to hit the hamster wheel after my workout since it was still dark outside, and I had a very limited amount of time to get my run done. I don't know if this can even be considered a medium recovery, but it will have to due. I ran 3 miles at a little under a 9 minute pace for a total of 26:40. I would have like to run longer, but work and family take precedence most days. I'll take what I can get.

3/29/2007 Yasso 800's & Cycling

Yasso 800's

It was another fun day of intervals. This one was kind of fun since some of the pressure has been taken off of me with the decision to just do the best I can and to hell with trying to kill myself for a Boston qualifying time. I don't think I'll be going to Boston next year anyway. Although that is not a bad idea and worth looking into doing. Once again I used the 3:30 time that I had set early on in my interval training to run the sets on the road rather than heading to the track or the gym. The 7 800 intervals of 3:30 with 3:30 jogs in between were done up and down Filager Rd. outside the house. The varying terrain and small hills provided a nice change from running in circles around the track or pounding it out on the treadmill. The entire workout ran about 5.75 miles with the 1/2 mile warm up and 1/4 mile jogs in between sets.

Cycling

It was such a beautiful day I couldn't pass up a chance to get out on my bike. I don't know if I have anything of particular interest to report on this ride. It was a perfect 66 degrees and sunny out. I did hit some headwinds on some of the flat sections of my route, which was not fun, but maybe a good little reminder that I need to get out and do some training to prepare for such things. As a reminder to myself I should definitely get my bike in for a tune up sooner rather than later. The longer I wait, the longer it will take to get it back.

Dist: 24 miles
Time: 1:28.11
Avg: 16.3 mph
Max: 38 mph

3/27/2007 Strength & SRR

Strength Training

Two days post race, and I'm back in the gym. I must admit I wasn't so psyched to get back at it. As usual I did feel better as the workout progressed and I warmed up.

5 minute Dynamic Warm-Up:
(All done Across Basketball Court and back)

• Lunge Twists
• Side Lunges
• Walking Knee Grabs
• Toe Touches
• Butt Kicks

Workout:

• Medicine Ball Toe Touches - 8 lb ball 2 sets x 15
• Medicine Ball Twists - 8 lb ball 2 sets x 15
• Supermans - 2 sets x 15
• Walking Lunges - Width of Court with 15 lbs
• Ball Leg Curls - 2 sets x 15
• Dumbbell Step-Ups - 15 lbs 2 sets x 15
• Hammer Strength Seated Chest Press 45 lbs 2 sets x 15
• Hammer Strength Seated Row 45 lbs 2 sets x 15
• Hammer Strength Lat Pull Downs 35 lbs 2 sets x 15
• Dumbbell Bicep Curls (seated) - 15 lbs 2 sets x 15
• Bench Dips - 2 x 15
• 4 way Shoulder - 4 lbs 1 x 20
• Fly
• Front Shoulder Raise
• Lat. Shoulder Raise
• External Rotation

Short Recovery Run

It was a nice day out on Tuesday, so I after finishing up my strength training I headed outside to do my recovery run. Right outside the gym the roads have sidewalks which is really nice. I headed out for a 3 mile run that took about 27 minutes. It took about 2 miles before the run even became comfortable. I guess that is why they call it a recovery run.

3/25/2007 Heart Mini-Marathon: 18 The Hard Way

I thought it was going to be great that one of my longest runs would fall on the same day as the Heart Mini-Marathon. I was thinking that I'd run 9 miles before the race, and then the 9.3 mile race. I reconsidered, thinking that I the first nine would wear me out enough that I wouldn't run the race at my best. So I decided to split it up, and run 6 before, take a little rest, and then the 9.3 mile race, and finish up with a slow 3 after the race. I don't think that I regret stuffing in another 9 miles around my race, but it was not an easy day of running, as a matter of fact it was probably the hardest day of running I've had ever.

The first 6 miles was really fun. I got out on the 5k course, which was a part of the longer 15K course. It's pretty rare that I'm able to get out to a race early enough to get out on a course when it is empty. It was nice to jog through the first part of the course, stopping every now and then to take a photo. I did the first 3 miles on a mostly empty course and a few other runners warming up. I got back to the start a few minutes before the 5K race began, so I did the 2nd 3 miles near the back of the 5K pack. It was a big boost to go along with the flow of the other runners. It's been a while since I've been in a race, so my legs forgot what it felt like to be swept along with all the other runners.

I got back to the start area in plenty of time to relax get refueled and ready for my race. I was very excited to get to the race. That might explain my rookie mistake at the beginning of the race. I had no reason to believe that I could keep a sub-7 minute pace up for. 9.3 miles, especially after running 6 miles. Despite what I should have known when that gun went off and I got up to the starting line among the sea of other runners I practically broke into a sprint. The first mile was a very quick 6:47, the second mile was a little slower. The following miles fluctuated up and down, but on an ever slowing pace. By the time I finished the mile 6 Torrence Pkwy. hill, a 1/4 mile in which I had been dreading all morning, I was feeling the miles building in my knees and hips. It was like a pressure building that was making it ever harder to keep running let alone keep up a pace. By mile 8 and the final climb of the race I was picking out points along the race route just to keep going.

The good news is that I did manage to finish the race, and meet my goal of getting of running a 7:30 pace. The bad news is that 7:30 pace started with a 6:48 pace and deteriorated to a close to 8 minute pace. That will not due for the marathon. If I do not reign myself in at the beginning of the marathon I will be not be able to finish. Hopefully this will be the lesson that I need to get my marathon strategy together. It's time to set aside pie in the sky dreams of running for a Boston qualifying time on my first marathon. I could try for that, but that would most likely lead to a lot of pain and a very long day.

With this in mind I've decided to set a goal of running an 8 minute pace for the marathon. It will be well under the 4 hour marathon time that I've been thinking about, and a pace that I feel very comfortable holding. Let us hope that it is a lesson learned.

I can't be to hard on myself. I did manage to lower my time from last year by nearly 8 minutes. That is a huge accomplishment in a year's time. I finished 33rd in my division of 201 and 259 out of 3049 overall. That is not a bad day's work.

3/24/2007 Cycling

The day before Heart Mini Marathon I really couldn't bring myself to sit on my butt all day and do nothing, but I didn't want to do any running or hard cycling. So, I geared up and went for a nice easy spin downtown to get my haircut, and then an easy ride out Rt. 222.

It was just to nice of a day out not to do something. I cruised 14.84 miles at a very slow pace.

3/22/2007 Yasso 800's

This is the run that almost didn't happen, but turned out to be the most fun I've had running since marathon training began. After an extra long day at work sitting in front of the computer I really didn't feel like going to the gym to do my run on the hamster wheel. Actually I was dreading that, so I decided to skip the hamster wheel and head to downtown Batavia. Batavia is the typical small town, which means it is plenty safe and deserted to run the streets at night.

I used the 3:30 times that I was running during previous Yasso sessions as a guideline. Instead of using the 800 distance I ran the 3:30 time with the 3:30 jogs in between runs. I mapped out the route I used using routeslip afterwards and found that I had about a mile loop, so I figured I was getting in at least 800's on the runs.

I did 6 800 repeats with 6 jogs that I figure were 1/4 mile long for a total of 4.5 miles in 42 minutes.

3/21/2007 Strength Training

Strength Training

Today was a speed strength training day. I had exactly 45 minutes to get through the work out before getting ready to go to work. I made a deal with myself that I would do as much as I could in the time, and if I didn't get done I'd be alright with that. I made it with like 30 seconds to spare. I guess this proves Josh right. Despite what I thought this workout can be done in less than an hour. I just have to do it very quickly.

5 minute Dynamic Warm-Up:
(All done Across Basketball Court and back)

• Lunge Twists
• Side Lunges
• Walking Knee Grabs
• Toe Touches
• Butt Kicks

Workout:

• Medicine Ball Toe Touches - 8 lb ball 2 sets x 15
• Medicine Ball Twists - 8 lb ball 2 sets x 15
• Supermans - 2 sets x 15
• Walking Lunges - Width of Court with 15 lbs
• Ball Leg Curls - 2 sets x 15
• Dumbbell Step-Ups - 15 lbs 2 sets x 15
• Hammer Strength Seated Chest Press 45 lbs 2 sets x 15
• Hammer Strength Seated Row 45 lbs 2 sets x 15
• Hammer Strength Lat Pull Downs 35 lbs 2 sets x 15
• Dumbbell Bicep Curls (seated) - 15 lbs 2 sets x 15
• Bench Dips - 2 x 15
• 4 way Shoulder - 4 lbs 1 x 20
• Fly
• Front Shoulder Raise
• Lat. Shoulder Raise
• External Rotation

3/18/2007 Long Run

It's pretty rare that I'm out for a night time run, but when I am able to get out at night I always enjoy it. For my Sunday long run I ran into a situation where I didn't have time in the morning because of work, and didn't really want to put it off until Monday. So, after work I suited up and hit the roads out the door of the workplace. I've talked about running around work before and have enjoyed it every time. This time was no exception.

I hit the roads at dusk and ran for 1:17:49 into the night. The 9.75 mile run took me all over Clifton through the gaslight district. What I didn't count on was just how little light those gas lamps emit. I had to stop a few times to look at my route sheet to be sure I was going the right direction. It slowed me down a little bit to an 8 min/mile pace. That's probably a good thing considering I should have been running slower on a long run, but I didn't want to be out running all night.

3/16 - 3/17/2007 10.6 GPR & Short Recovery Run

3/16/2007 Goal Pace Run

It's kind of funny that I'd have the best run of the week, maybe in the last month, the day after I had a real crap run. The schedule called for a 9 mile goal pace run. It was a run that I was really not looking forward to doing. Part of the reason was that I was either going to run it on the hamster wheel in the gym, which I dread anymore, or hit the path at Lunken. I liked the path at Lunken when I first started running it, but the long stretches of flat really wear on me. It will be good to use occasionally over the spring and summer to prepare for the flat courses that I run on the duathlons, but right now I need something with a little more variation in terrain.

I found what I was looking for in a little trip to the Running Spot. Have I said lately how great that place is? They have training groups for the Flying Pig going right now, so they have a variety of running routes that leave from the store available. I grabbed the 10.6 mile routeslip and headed out the door. It was so great to get out on a new route, and the best part about it is that it is part of the Flying Pig Marathon course.

Like I said at the beginning of this rambling post. It was the best run I've had in a while. I maintained an pace of about 7:38 mile, which is excellent considering it was pretty cold, and my legs were definitely at less than 100% with some soreness and stiffness from the previous workouts. I also didn't account for the stops I had to make to cross streets and check for traffic, so had I been able to keep up a consistent run it was probably even better. The course was also quite hilly which was great to get some hill work in on the actual race course. The entire run took 1 hour 21 minutes for the 10.6 miles.

3/17/2007 Short Recovery Run

Today was the epitome of short recovery runs. I had to be at work at 7 am, so I hit the treadmill for a very slow and stiff 2.5 miles that took 25 minutes. I don't think I was awake enough until the last 1/2 mile to really feel any pain so that was good.

3/15/2007 Medium Recovery Run

For the first time during my training for the Flying Pig I really started to question my motivation during my run. There were a number of different reasons that I was feeling unmotivated and just wanting to scrap the run and go home. The first was the crappy weather: it was cold, windy, cloudy and spitting rain occasionally. I am tired and sore: the accumulating miles are starting to take a toll on my legs, hips and feet. I've got a wart on the bottom of my foot that has been there for a while, and the pounding of all the running is making it hurt. I don't know whether to do something about it now or wait until after the race. Finally I had a notion that scared me a little bit. What if I don't feel like running anymore after this race. I have a lot planned this year, and it feels awfully early to be thinking about burn out.

These thoughts and feeling persisted throughout the run nagging at the back of my mind. I held in there though and finished the run. I guess this is the hard part. This is the part of training that will probably make me or break me. I know if I stick with it I will be better prepared to race later, and hopefully these feelings will pass. With a little over a month and a half until the race there is no way I'm letting up now.

The 45 minute medium recovery run was 5.5 miles at a 8:10 pace.

3/14/2007 Strength & Yasso 800's

Strength Training

I'm starting to get into the groove of the new workout. Doing things like alternating between the medicine ball toe touches and the medicine ball twists instead of resting and doing 2 consecutive sets of each will help bring down the time I spend in the gym.

5 minute Dynamic Warm-Up:
(All done Across Basketball Court and back)

• Lunge Twists
• Side Lunges
• Walking Knee Grabs
• Toe Touches
• Butt Kicks

Workout:

• Medicine Ball Toe Touches - 8 lb ball 2 sets x 15
• Medicine Ball Twists - 8 lb ball 2 sets x 15
• Supermans - 2 sets x 15
• Walking Lunges - Width of Court with 15 lbs
• Ball Leg Curls - 2 sets x 15
• Dumbbell Step-Ups - 15 lbs 2 sets x 15
• Hammer Strength Seated Chest Press 45 lbs 2 sets x 15
• Hammer Strength Seated Row 45 lbs 2 sets x 15
• Hammer Strength Lat Pull Downs 35 lbs 2 sets x 15
• Dumbbell Bicep Curls (seated) - 15 lbs 2 sets x 15
• Bench Dips - 2 x 15
• 4 way Shoulder - 4 lbs 1 x 20
• Fly
• Front Shoulder Raise
• Lat. Shoulder Raise
• External Rotation

Yasso 800's - The Speed workouts Continue

I hit the local high school track for some more speed training. I wasn't getting quite up to the speeds that I was last week, but I just wasn't into it all that much today. I still got in all 5 800's at a decent pace. If I continue to do these on the track I might have to think about switching directions on the track half way through the workout. I could definitely feel strain starting to build up on my left side as I was running around the track. My left hip and knee felt tighter than my right side.

.5 mile warm-up & stretch
1. 800 - 3:21
jog - 3:17
2. 800 - 3:27
jog - 3:26
3. 800 - 3:30
jog - 3:17
4. 800 - 3:30
jog - 3:10
5. 800 - 3:39
.25 mile cool down

Total mileage: 4 .25 miles

3/13/2007 Cycling + SRR = Brick

Tuesday was the first day on the bike in a long time that didn't result in frozen face or frozen toes, or some other combination of frozen body parts by the end of the ride. It was an incredibly unseasonably warm 70+ degrees F outside. What a brilliant day for a ride!

It was a good day to settle a dispute in my mind. When I set about planning my 16 mile run last weekend I managed to underestimate my mileage by almost 2 miles. Instead of running 16 miles I ended up running 17.75 miles. It's not that big of a deal, and was an excellent, if hard, lesson in running longer distances. I learned that I need some sort of food or gel before and during a run that long or I will bonk in a big way. The dispute was whether I really missed the boat when I planned the run or if routeslip was is just off. To settle it once and for all I rode the same route that I ran to check the distance. I'm reasonably confident that it will give me the correct mileage.

Dist: 18.72 miles
Avg: 15.8 mph
Max: 38.2 mph
Time: 1:11.03

It wasn't really 18.72 miles. That was my total ride. The confirmed distance for Sunday's run is 17.75 miles give or take a tenth of a mile. It sets to rest my anal retentive mind.

After my riding was done, I finished up with a 23 minute, 2.8 mile SRR on Filager and back Meghan's Run. I am bound and determined to get brick sessions in as I can before duathlon season starts this year. I'm shooting for 0 leg cramps during the races this year. I don't think it was a matter of diet that was causing them last year as much as it was poor training. We shall see.

Speaking of training I need to set up some sort of training regiment for my cycling. It's not going to be enough for me to get out and just ride a bunch of miles this year. I want to increase my speed. To do this I'm going to need a plan. I've though about setting up something similar to what I do for running. During any given week I'll get out 3 times. Once for a long ride, once for an interval session, and one other time for a brick day. It sounds like a plan, but I'm going to do some research first to get some ideas.

3/11/2007 Long Run

I found out on this run that I am completely inept at planning and routing using a map. Well, that may be overstating it a little bit, but somehow while I was planning my 16 mile run I ended up with a route that was 17.75 miles long. There is nothing like making yourself do a little extra work. I also learned that I need to start working on taking in some nourishment on these long runs. You'd think I'd know that having spent so much time on the bike, but lessons come hard sometimes. This lesson hit me at about the 12 mile mark as I realized I was running out of gas and I was still at least 4 miles out on the course. It made for a very long, stiff and tiring 5.75 miles. It all came to a head when I realized I was finishing up with the .5 mile 132 hill climb. This was the first time in a long time that I've had to stop and walk up the hill. I still managed to finish up the last mile at a jog after getting to the top of the hill. The dumb about the whole bonking out on Sunday is that I just bought a bunch of Gu while I was out getting my new running shoes the day before. Maybe next weekend I will play it a little smarter and start working on fueling the body while I run.

This was the maiden voyage of the aforementioned new running shoes. I liked the Asics Gel Cumulus model so much that I used all last year that I got the same pair for the '07 season. New shoes are so much fun. I felt so confident in them that I popped them on and did a 159 min long run. (17.75m / 8:57 pace). An 8:57 pace even with a stop to work out my stiff and cramping legs at mile 14 and walking part of the hill at mile 16? Not a bad day.

3/08/2007 Strength & Yasso 800s

A.M. Strength Training

The new strength training routine is great. While the old plan served its purpose at the time the new plan covers a much wider range of muscle groups. Just the change has been a nice push. I haven't felt the kind of muscle soreness that I'm feeling now in a long time.

5 minute Dynamic Warm-Up:
(All done Across Basketball Court and back)

• Lunge Twists
• Side Lunges
• Walking Knee Grabs
• Toe Touches
• Butt Kicks

Workout:

• Medicine Ball Toe Touches - 8 lb ball 2 sets x 15
• Medicine Ball Twists - 8 lb ball 2 sets x 15
• Supermans - 2 sets x 15
• Walking Lunges - Width of Court with 15 lbs
• Ball Leg Curls - 2 sets x 15
• Dumbbell Step-Ups - 15 lbs 2 sets x 15
• Hammer Strength Seated Chest Press 45 lbs 2 sets x 15
• Hammer Strength Seated Row 45 lbs 2 sets x 15
• Hammer Strength Lat Pull Downs 35 lbs 2 sets x 15
• Dumbbell Bicep Curls (seated) - 15 lbs 2 sets x 15
• Bench Dips - 2 x 15
• 4 way Shoulder - 4 lbs 1 x 20
• Fly
• Front Shoulder Raise
• Lat. Shoulder Raise
• External Rotation

P.M. Yasso 800's - The Speed workouts Begin

Here is the premise of the Yasso 800 as described on the Flying Pig Marathon website training page.

Yasso 800s (Y800). This is a workout developed by a Runner's World employee, Bart Yasso. It accurately allows you to predict the time that you are capable of running a marathon. If you want to run a 3:30 marathon, train to run a session of 800s in 3:30 each. Between the 800s, jog for the same number of minutes it took you to run your repeats. This method holds for all speeds whether you are 2:30 or a 5:30 marathoner. The 800 paces that you are able to complete is a good predictor of your marathon time. 2 minute 30 second 800s equal a 2:30 marathon; 5:30 800s equal 5 hours and 30 minutes for the marathon.

This is my first day of speed training, and I really like this new way of doing the intervals. It's a little more time based than the way I was doing intervals before. In previous interval sessions I'd do a 400 and rest for the equal distance creating a very long jog time. The Yasso 800 equals the times out which will keep the workouts shorter and more intense. I kept track of each 800, so I have an idea of how long I run these for in case I need to do these on the road instead of the cushy 400 meter track.

.5 mile warm-up & stretch
1. 800 - 2:54
jog - 3:01
2. 800 - 3:17
jog - 3:23
3. 800 - 3:19
jog - 3:20
4. 800 - 3:19
.25 mile cool down

Total mileage: 3.5 miles

3/05 - 3/06/2007 Long Run, Strength & Short Recovery Run

3/05 Long Run

After a 2 day rest due in part to work, and in part just to being tired I was back on the road today for the week's long run . It was a relatively nice day out with temperature above freezing and the sun was shining. I took full advantage of the nice morning and got back to my first long run route. It felt good to get on to familiar roads and do a relatively slow run after last week's tough back to back runs. The 9.7 mile run took 1 hour 25 minutes at 8:45 pace.

3/06 Strength Training & Short Recovery Run

The new strength training routine is great. While the old plan served its purpose at the time the new plan covers a much wider range of muscle groups. Just the change has been a nice push. I haven't felt the kind of muscle soreness that I'm feeling now in a long time.

5 minute Dynamic Warm-Up:
(All done Across Basketball Court and back)

• Lunge Twists
• Side Lunges
• Walking Knee Grabs
• Toe Touches
• Butt Kicks

Workout:

• Medicine Ball Toe Touches - 8 lb ball 2 sets x 15
• Medicine Ball Twists - 8 lb ball 2 sets x 15
• Supermans - 2 sets x 15
• Walking Lunges - Width of Court with 15 lbs
• Ball Leg Curls - 2 sets x 15
• Dumbbell Step-Ups - 15 lbs 2 sets x 15
• Hammer Strength Seated Chest Press 45 lbs 2 sets x 15
• Hammer Strength Seated Row 45 lbs 2 sets x 15
• Hammer Strength Lat Pull Downs 35 lbs 2 sets x 12
• Dumbbell Bicep Curls (seated) - 15 lbs 2 sets x 15
• Bench Dips - 2 x 15
• 4 way Shoulder - 4 lbs 1 x 20
• Fly
• Front Shoulder Raise
• Lat. Shoulder Raise
• External Rotation

After finishing up on the strength training I jumped on the hamster wheel to do my scheduled short recovery run. I didn't have much time to get it in, but managed to squeeze out 2.25 miles in about 22 minutes. It felt like enough. I varied the speed about every half mile to keep it interesting. I used a 8:34 pace as a base and then every so often bumped it up to an 8 minute pace.

3/02/2007 Medium Recovery Run

This run is brought to you by Body Glide, because without it I would be hobbling around like a baby with diaper rash. After yesterday's run in the rain I was feeling so stiff, sore and chafed in all those places that get chafed when clothes get wet. It was no fun getting up this morning, but I know the pain and tiredness is only temporary. I will look back on the early mornings, the runs in the rain, snow and cold and be grateful after a well run marathon. At least that is what I'm hoping anyway.

I hit the gym this morning to run the hamster wheel, since it was very early, still dark, and I was on a very tight schedule. Getting out of bed was brutal as my legs just didn't want to respond to my requests to stand up. Once I got to the gym I did some stretching which helped a bit, but my legs were still reluctant as I began my warm up jog. Everything was in slow motion, and the legs were begging me to stop, but I pushed on. I wish I could say it got better, but it never really did. I loosened up a bit as I was running, but I never felt good, and more than anything just wanted to stop.

I managed a 4.5 mile run in about 45 minutes including the warm up and cool down portions of the run. I maintained a pace between 8 minute and 8:34.

3/01/2007 Goal Pace Run

I had two choices for running my 8 mile goal pace run. I could go to the nice dry, warm gym and run on the treadmill, or go to Lunken and run in the pouring rain. Hmmmm...let's see driving rain or treadmill. Which will it be? Okay, so it was 52 degrees and raining. I guess I should have mentioned that. There was no doubt that I was going outside short of a snow storm. I dressed pretty light in shorts, an underarmor shirt and short sleeve shirt over top. I've learned from previous outings in the rain that layering up does no good. You just get soaked and then end up dragging 15 lbs. of soaked clothes chafing you all the way. More on chafing later.

The Lunken Loop is a nice flat 5 miles with one short hill. It's a perfect change after a day of hills and weight lifting. My legs were already feeling so sore all day, and I was seriously wondering if I would be able to hold my goal pace over the 8 miles. I just kept in mind that this is part of my training, and this is probably what it will feel like over the last part of the marathon as my legs and hips stiffen up from the pounding miles. The good news is that despite the stiffness and the pouring rain the run went very well, and I managed to exceed my 7:30 goal pace that I was aiming for. I did a mile by mile breakdown:

mile 1: 7:21
mile 2: 7:26
mile 3: 7:16
mile 4: 7:02
mile 5: 7:05
mile 6: 7:25
mile 7: 7:21
mile 8: 7:12

2/27- 2/28/2007 Dog Jog, Hills & New Strength Plan

2/27/2007 Short Recovery Run Dog Jog

Gracie, my occasional running partner, went out with my on my short recovery run. We did the typical loop down our road and through Meghan's Run. It's kind of nice having her with me on these short, and usually mundane runs, because she forces me to be more aware of my surroundings as I have to be even more alert for the occasional bit of traffic. She is also hyper aware of anything that moves, like a squirrel or other rodent that she would love to chase down.

We did the 3.3 mile route in about 32 minutes with several stops to sniff this or that and the occasional potty break...for her not me.

2/28/2007 Medium Recovery Run & Strength Training

Today was all about maximizing the minimum amount of time to get the maximum amount of workout. It all sounds like corporate double talk when I put it that way. I was synergizing, and relaying my core beliefs...and uuggh. Anyway I had to squeeze in a medium recovery run with 6 hill repeats before I met with a trainer to start my new strength training plan. So here is how it went down.

It all worked out pretty well since I decided to do my run near the gym. The gym sits on the side of a hill, so I knew I should be able to find a suitable incline to do my hill repeats on. As it turned out I found a nice .45 mile long hill that ranges between 3 and 7% or somewhere near that range. It was part of a nice little 2 mile loop. So I ran around the first part of the loop to the bottom of the hill. I did the 6 repeats, and then finished up the loop back to the gym. The 6.5 miles that include the 6 hill repeats took about 56 minutes.


After finishing up the run I went straight into the gym and met my trainer to go through my new strength training plan. I was pretty psyched to see what he had worked up for me. As a fellow runner I was pretty confident that he would put together a nice group of workouts that would target just what I need. Here is the new workout:

5 minute Dynamic Warm-Up:
(All done Across Basketball Court and back)

• Lunge Twists
• Side Lunges
• Walking Knee Grabs
• Toe Touches
• Butt Kicks

Workout:

• Medicine Ball Toe Touches - 8 lb ball 2 sets x 15
• Medicine Ball Twists - 8 lb ball 2 sets x 15
• Supermans - 2 sets x 15
• Walking Lunges - Width of Court with 15 lbs
• Ball Leg Curls - 2 sets x 15
• Dumbbell Step-Ups - 15 lbs 2 sets x 15
• Hammer Strength Seated Chest Press 45 lbs 2 sets x 15
• Hammer Strength Seated Row 45 lbs 2 sets x 15
• Hammer Strength Lat Pull Downs 35 lbs 2 sets x 15
• Dumbbell Bicep Curls (seated) - 15 lbs 2 sets x 15
• Bench Dips - 2 x 15
• 4 way Shoulder - 4 lbs 1 x 20
• Fly
  
• Front Shoulder Raise
• Lat. Shoulder Raise
• External Rotation

We did one set of each just to go through the workout and make sure I was using appropriate form for each one and knew what each one was doing. Between the new workouts and the hill running I am so fracking sore today. The lower half of my body feels like it's made out of glass...but in a good way. During the workout I definitely felt challenged, but not overwhelmed until we hit that last set of 4 way shoulders. He told me that I would be glad that it was only 4 lbs. by the end of the rotation. I thought it wouldn't be a big problem, but by the beginning of the external rotations I was burning, and by the 10th in that set my shoulders were screaming, and I had to stop for a few moments. This will be a great challenge for me, and I'm betting it will really help when it comes time to start preparing for the Little Miami Triathlon.