Monday, April 21, 2014

Sprint Triathlon - mock race

I'm looking for anybody who'd be interested in a "mock sprint triathlon" event that would likely take place on May 18th - time of day would be determined by how many people participate and the time that works best for most. I have reached out to a number of folks so far, and it seems that there may be enough potential interest to move ahead and plan this thing. 

Does the idea of a complete sprint triathlon freak you out a bit? Come do just the swim, just the bike, or just the run... it's a "mock race" so you can do as much or as little distance as you feel comfortable. I'll plan out the course in such a way that you can do the full distance of each leg, or whatever portion of the distance you feel comfortable with. The idea is that there will be a sprint distance planned out...but you can do as much or as little as you feel like. You make it your mock race, but you don't have to do it alone!

This is a great chance for those new to triathon to get an idea of what it's like to transition between the swim-bike-run legs and practice without the intensity of an actual race. It's also a great way to get a great brick training session in. The best part for triathlon regulars is that it's an opportunity to do a full sprint race to start off the season without having to pay for an actual race. 


The "mock race" would likely be at Lake Lanier, as there is ample space for a swim, bike, run setup. We could set up a "transition" area near the cars or a camp site. I will also see if there is anybody interested in just hanging out at the lake who would be willing to watch our stuff...make it like more of a race day transition setup. If that's the case, here's how it would go down:
  • Swim - Ideally, I will set up a buoy at a distance, and we'd go out and back. The other option would be to begin at about 400 meters from where our "transition" is set up and swim from one point to the next. 
  • Bike - I'll map out a route in advance that would be in the 12-16 mile range. Lake Lanier has non-main roads that can be used, but we would have to loop a few times to avoid major roads, I am fine w/ that. (and if you want to extend the distance on your own, there's option here to adapt w/ as many or few loops as you want)
  • Run - I will map out a 5k route in advance...likely it will be along part of the same route we bike.
  • Transitions - If we have a "volunteer" to hang out and watch our stuff, it will be set up like at a real race. Otherwise, we'll lock the bikes to a rack and designate a secure area for our shoes, etc (like the backseat of my car or inside the tent of a campsite).
We will all be responsible for our own safety, fueling, and hydration along the course, but I will plan to provide ample water, snacks, and refreshments for the transition area and "post-race." I will also plan to have on-site a first aid kit and basic bike tools, pumps, extra tubes, etc. 

Swim - Bike - Run - Refreshments!
I will probably camp the night before if it's a morning event - so the camp site thing would be easy that way. If we do an afternoon event, then the parking lot transition area is more likely. It'll work out fine either way. May 18th is a Sunday so the options for times are probably early-ish morning (finishing up by 10am) or any time after about 2:00 b/c I'd like to be able to go to church around mid-day, if possible. I'm up for any input on actual times though... 

Side note - I will be doing this sprint distance "mock race" regardless of the level of organization, as I want one that weekend anyway. I'm organizing it as an "event" in effort to get a group together. If you want to be accounted for in the "event," please let me know by 2 weeks prior, so I will have enough water and stuff and have an idea of whether or not it's worth the level of organization. Otherwise, anybody is welcome to join in at the last minute for all or part of the distances, as I'll be doing the sprint no matter what :) ....it just may not be so organized if I don't have many committed folks by 2 weeks out! 
(Search for "Sprint Triathlon 'mock race'" if that link doesn't work)

Monday, February 3, 2014

2014 Rock n Roll New Orleans Half Marathon

I considered making the title of this blog post "Lessons Learned," but I realized that I learn lessons so often that it becomes a bit trite if I use that phrase as often as I should. This was more a reminder than a lesson, really... it was a reminder of why I run/race. I do it because I can, and I am grateful for that.

more race bling!


This past weekend, I embarked on an adventure in a somewhat spontaneous fashion. I signed up for the New Orleans half-marathon back in December. I gave myself about a month and a half to train, which considering as much training as I have been doing non-stop the past two years makes sense. However, this half-marathon is my first long race since the 70.3 Ironman 4 months ago (yes, it's been that long). This was to be my 10th half marathon, which I wish I had realized prior to mile 5 of the actual race, but that's what I get for not really spending much time in preparation for the event.

So, how did I prep for this race? Well, I didn't train as I had trained for any previous race. In fact, my training plan consisted of me just trying to continue to recover from the previous months (half-ironman, car accident, whiplash, and two months of nothing). In the past two years, I've spent 5-7 days each week working out...either swimming, biking, running, or doing some form of strength training. In the past 4 months, I've worked out maybe an average of once per week, during my good weeks. Granted, my life required me to take a break...car accidents with whiplash and job changes will do that to a person.

Four months ago, I almost PR'ed my half-marathon time with getting around 2:04 for the 13.1 mile run portion of the half-ironman. I was convinced that my next half-marathon would easily be under 2 hours. I planned to run the Thanksgiving half in Atlanta simply to break that 2 hour mark b/c I knew I could. Then life happened. A seemingly minor fender bender left me with whiplash and a re-injured back. I wouldn't run for two months. I finally got back into running and found myself in tears after realizing how hard it was going to be to start from scratch again. That hasn't stopped me yet, though.

In December I ran my worst 10k ever...slow, painful, and not at all to the standards I had set for myself. I still decided to sign up for the half-marathon this past weekend in New Orleans, if for no other reason than to go to New Orleans for a weekend. Since signing up, I got very busy at work, had the holiday break as a distraction, got the flu for a week, finally started running again, and then I threw out my back. In preparation for this race, my longest training run was 8.5 miles (and was the only really good run I'd had in months). I was running maybe once a week for the past couple of months in prep for the race. Typically, I prefer to run 3-4 days/week with specific running workouts (tempo run, easy run, interval run, and long run). I also have been eating/drinking like a college student (including fried food and ramen, no lie), which is quite different from the last two years of healthy eating habits.

So, as race week arrived, I decided that I may as well go ahead and book a room and stick with my plan to run 13.1 miles, unprepared. The night before the race, my friend and I had a few beers, ate some awesome New Orleans food, and even enjoyed a bit of people watching on Bourbon Street. I got maybe 5 actual hours of sleep in my hostel bed the night before the race. For the first time, I spent less than 20 minutes preparing everything for race morning. I didn't think too much about logistics or any other detail I normally obsess over. Race morning arrived, and I didn't make myself stick to some pre-determined routine that I "had" to follow simply b/c it was race morning.

Night before the race: Bourbon Street

It was one of the least stressful race experiences ever (second only to the half-ironman, which was just surreal). I had a fun race. My goal this year is to enjoy racing instead of constantly trying to compete (mostly with myself). I don't want to always be pushing myself to the limit for every event. This race was proof that I can really just have fun and feel great about it after the race. It was one of the hardest half-marathons I've run because I did not properly train or eat well or hydrate for more than a few days. I still had fun. This race was an opportunity to prove something to myself, and for once I was trying to prove something other than how fast I could race...I proved that I am capable of just enjoying running and racing for what it is. Plus, in the end, my race time wasn't that bad, all things considered. It was not my slowest half marathon by a few. My first 2 or 3 races were around the 2:30 mark, right along with this one. So, while I hope to break 2 hours next time, I can still have fun and be okay with a 2:30 half marathon.

Even if I look half dead (and felt it), I survived another 13.1!

I learned that I don't have to beat my best race every time I race. I learned that sometimes, it's okay to let life happen, take a break, and jump back in when I'm ready (and no sooner). I skipped a race the previous weekend because I just wasn't ready yet.

I needed this race to go the way it did with the little amount of prep. I tend to stress out and freak out if anything goes wrong with my training, even if I'm not trying to be uber competitive. I am more concerned with injuring myself for lack of training, but I learned that as long as I'm fairly well-conditioned (and I listen to my body), I can have fun and run a good race without being in tip-top shape every time. Although, I do love the process of training, so as soon as this horrible winter weather finally goes away, I am so ready to get back outside running/biking most of the week!

A little known fact about me on race day: almost every race in the 2-hours-or-longer time range can be an emotional experience for me. I am fairly certain that I have teared up on the course of every single endurance race I've run (in that 2+ hour range). I know I did for my first of every race, including my first 5k. Almost every race where I was beating my previous time, I teared up. This time, though, I wasn't doing anything I hadn't already done, except proving that I could enjoy racing regardless of how prepared I was for the actual competition. Every time I get out there with a race number attached to my belt, I am doing something I never would have expected a few years ago. I am getting out there and trying, and that is something worth getting emotional over once in a while.

So, once again, I race because I can. I run because, at this point in my life, I am able to run. I do it because my body lets me. One day, I may not be able to run a half-marathon after having only done a few training runs, but right now I can... so I will.