I can run, I can ruuuunnnnnnn!!!!

Ok, I know it was a few days early but I had to know. So I ran. I went out Saturday to run a couple of miles and ended up running 4. Sunday I got up and had no pain in my calf but man my legs were telling me it had been a month since I last ran. I did a lot of stretching and decided an easy 2.5 miles would knock the rust off from my Saturday run.

I know I have a little extra bounce in my step today. Best of all that nagging voice in the back of my head has gone quiet. You know the one telling me my season would be over because my calf wouldn't be right again this year.

I'M BACK!!! Not as fast as I was but none the less I'm back!

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Steelhead 70.3 DNF? oh NO!!!!

First, let me begin with an explanation as to why this took so long to post. This post has been the most difficult for me to write not because I'm ashamed to DNF and not because I feel like I didn't try hard enough but only because I don't want anyone feeling sorry for me. Emotionally, I am over it. Yes, it was a mental hurdle to get over my first EVER DNF. But, I am now both physically and mentally in a better place. On to my report and then a bit more follow up.

Race morning broke to clear skies and sunshine. The air was cool and the water in lake Michigan was even warm. The butterflies in my stomach weren't too bad and I was excited to do this race. Physically, I was feeling like I was bursting with energy after my 2 week taper. I had no nagging injuries and everything was perfect! (that should have been a sign that this day would go horribly wrong at some point)

I arrived at the race site right on schedule at 6am and got my transition area settled. This was the longest, narrowest, most crowded transition area I had ever seen. The buzz in transition before the race was awesome. I chatted with a few other competitors and everyone was excited to be doing this race. At 6:45 my wife and I started walking down to the swim start (1.2 miles up the beach to the south) This is when I decided to put my wetsuit on up to my waist and suddenly realized my timing chip and strap were still in my transition bag! A quick 100m sprint back to transition and some begging and pleading later I was in the now CLOSED transition area with the gruff instructions of "you better hurry your A$$ up!" whew, race was almost over before it even started. Back to my wife and walking up the beach we stopped about half way and watched the pro men swim by then continued on down to the start. I had about 30 minutes to kill at this point as I was going off in wave 12 at 8:07am. I found a quiet place on a dune and chilled to some tunes on my iPhone while I went one last time through my race plan in my head. At 7:50 I began my final prep with a quick warm up swim, told my wife my stroke felt strong today got my pre-race kiss and I love you and headed over to the testosterone festival called a starting line. After wave 11 went off, we were allowed to head down to the waters edge for a beach start. I think that felt like the longest 7 minutes of my life waiting for that start. At 30 seconds till start I put on my goggles, at 10 seconds I got ready to hit the start on my watch. GO!

I took 1, yes exactly ONE step and felt an excruciating POP in my left calf. Did someone kick me? what the heck? Maybe it's just a cramp. Keep moving forward and just get swimming. We can work a cramp out while we swim. I've done it a thousand times before, this isn't over yet! I finally get to water deep enough to swim in and with in 100 meters I'm feeling better already. I'm not kicking but I feel like I'm able to flex my foot back and fort a bit and stretch out the calf. Ok, now focus on just swimming. Sighting for the bouy's was interesting. You had to time it so that you sighted at the top of a swell not at the bottom. If you sighted at the wrong time all you saw was water and swimmers. As a side note, it was amazing to look around at the top of a swell and you could see swimmers stretching as far in front and behind as you could see. About half way into the swim I start passing some people with white swim caps, they were in the wave ahead of me. Then some pink swim caps, 2 waves ahead of me. The last half of the swim was pretty stretched out people wise. I was feeling good and constantly reminding myself to keep it an easy stroke. I knew an easy stroke would be enough to keep me on plan. My goal was around 35 minutes. As I made the turn for shore I really concentrated on trying to stretch my calf. It was still pretty sore and I had no clue what was going to happen when I tried to stand up. I decided to swim as far into shore as I possibly could to minimize how much running in water I had to do. I swam almost until my chest was scraping the bottom and then attempted to stand. I could put almost no pressure on my left foot and my calf would shoot pain. Damn, not a good place to be. I hobbled up the beach and saw my wife about half way up to transition. I gave her a quick run down and hobbled off. I figured ok, if I can just make it to my bike then maybe, well who knows.

In transition I almost quit right then. I was in pain and couldn't put my left heal on the ground to save my life. I almost fell over twice while trying to maneuver my bike to the bike exit. It took me a half mile to just get my feet into my shoes. (I have my shoes pre-clipped in and don't actually put my feet into them usually until I am up to speed) I almost causes a few wrecks in that first half mile but I managed. I decided right then and there that I would give it a couple of miles and if I couldn't find a comfortable or somewhat pain free pedal stroke that my day would have to be done. Not a decision I wanted to make but something I had to consider. By mile five I was actually averaging over 20 miles and hour and as long as I pedaled with a high left heel I was pretty much pain free. Standing and pedaling was interesting but if I played it smart I figured I'd make it ok. At mile 25 I kind of knew in my heart that this day was not going to end like I intended. But, I now had a plan. Keep the nutrition going, keep the fluids coming. I was cruising on the bike we gotta hope and pray that this stupid calf would work itself out. At mile 38 we made the turn for home, only 18 to go and now it was head wind city the rest of the way in. Like 17 - 25 mph head winds and I was still keeping my average speed higher than I anticipated. 1 mile to go, time to prepare to get off the bike. It was at this point that I had to make the toughest decision of my racing life. I felt great physically. I was as fresh as I have ever felt coming off the bike in any distance race. I was ahead of my goal time by almost 10 minutes already. But, could my calf stand the pounding of the run? I got my feet out of the shoes early. I didn't want to cause a wreck and ruin someone's day as well as mine with my calf in a questionable state. The dismount line was coming and I was about to find out if my race would continue or end. I wouldn't know until my second step because I always plant off the bike with my right foot but I was prepared for pain. As I came off the bike, my left foot finally hit the ground and I almost kept right on going down to my knees. I still couldn't get my heel to the ground. I was devastated. I hobbled my bike back to it's spot on the rack on took a few moments to ponder my next move. I tried to stretch my calf, no good. If I forced my heel to the ground searing pain radiated from my calf and almost brought tears to my eyes. For a few moments I considered trying to run. I thought if I just get started maybe it would get better. Then I would try and put my heel down again and I knew I couldn't go on.

I walked/hobbled to the nearest official and asked for the medical tent. They asked me three times if I was sure I wanted to end my race. The price for entry to the medical tent is a high one you see, you have to give up your race chip and your day is over. I admitted I couldn't go on any further and they showed me yet another reason why a true, sanctioned, Ironman branded race is the elite, quality event that it is. I was ushered quietly and quickly to the medical tent where immediately a doc, a nurse, a physical therapist and a couple others started checking my calf out. They brought me fluids, they got my wife in there with me. They were AWESOME in their professionalism and their understanding of my sadness of not finishing my race. They also gently reminded me that I couldn't continue when I asked for my chip back because I thought maybe I'd just try. The doc and physical therapist both agreed that there was no Achilles damage. They concluded that I may have partially torn or severely strained one of the muscles in my calf.

My times for what I completed were as follows.
1.2 mile swim 36:52
T1: 4:50
56 mile bike 3:10:55 (17.6mph avg)

On a good note, I did get to talk with Andy Potts who won the overall race, while waiting to get my bike back out of transition. He is the nicest down to earth person and seemed more concerned about my leg with the compression wrap on it than his win. Nice guy!

So what happened next? For the first 72 hours or so I followed the (R.I.C.E. method) rest, elevate, compression and ice method as instructed. Pain was so so for the most part. Each day I noticed a little more range of motion coming back and some cool bruising and swelling moving about my calf and ankle. I wore a compression/recovery sock by Skins for the week following the injury. 1 week after the race I was able to get into the Michigan State University Sports Injury clinic. Those doc's are awesome. They did my shoulder almost 2 years ago and from a sports perspective they never disappoint. Everything is always, "ok, we got this injury so what are your goals and how can we get you there?" I was confirmed to have a slight tear/strain of the gastrocnemius muscle (inner calf muscle) common to those in the 35 - 45 age range. It is a breakdown of the muscle fibers (the pop I felt) that finally gives way. There was no avoiding it. The doc said if it was going to happen it was going to happen. The stretching and warm up helped to lessen it but would not have encouraged or discouraged it from happening. No surgery is needed as I/everyone else suspected. I was right where he would expect my healing to be 1 week out from the injury. I was prescribed physical therapy with my favourite mistress of pain a couple of weeks later to speed up the recovery process.

I was cleared to swim and bike (no hill restrictions but only a pain restriction) and no running for a few more weeks. I was advised to increase my bike and swim to compensate for the no running.

Port Huron Blue Water Tri was out as I kind of suspected it would be but I am cleared to race again September 12th just not to expect a PR at that time.

PT has been going good this week. I do love the place I go to. Much like MSU Sports Injury clinic, they are awesome people there. Stacy kicks my butt and takes no excuses. Right now I am in no pain and have full range of motion back with some "pulling" feeling in the calf at certain times. I am just now feeling like I am able to walk "normal" again. I am planning on trying a short/easy run this weekend to see where we are.

I'll keep everyone posted more often now that the cat is out of the proverbial bag.

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Inter ROCKIN Triathlon race report...

How not to succeed..... or should it be How to successfully set yourself up for pain! or maybe...
How many ways to push your body....

I think I'll go with the last one. In short I left for the race 2 days early and checked into the state park for a solitary couple of days of training. I kicked it off with an easy 8 mile run on Friday night after setting up camp. Yes you heard that right, CAMP, in the old school terms. Tent, car, me, bike and workout clothes. I got up on Saturday watched a little TDF on the laptop. Well ok, I wasn't totally roughing it, haha. I did have my laptop and broadband internet. Had cooked up some eggs and bacon for breakfast and started giving the bike a once over to make sure it survived the trip ok and prep for a long ride. Crap!!! the back brake is not releasing. 3 hours later, I have completely torn the back brake out. I have cleaned it thoroughly, trouble shot the binding problem and finally found it further up the cable. Problem fixed well enough to ride and race. I just blew half my training day! Maybe a blessing in disguise. I changed and managed roughly a 19 mile ride before race packet pick up and catching up with my wife's cousin who was there to do her first ever triathlon. I wanted to make sure I was there to answer any last minute questions she might have. After she left I went back to camp and changed for an easy 5k run.

After dinner my brother in-law arrived to stay the night in my camp and race the sprint distance race the next morning. I can honestly say it's been cool having him interested in doing some these races together. We did the Port Huron Blue Water tri last summer together and now Interlochen. He's a bit younger than me and just about as competitive and pushes me to work harder. I love it!!

Race morning came way to early on Sunday. I was anything but fresh for this race but I wanted it that way. I wanted to train through this race because I have my "A" race for the year in 3 weeks, Steelhead Half Ironman, and I wanted a little extra stress on my body to adapt to before I start my taper in a week or so. The weather was great, nice and cool in the 50's. We walked up to transition from our camp site at about 7am and got things set up. I caught up with my wife's cousin and one of my team mates who was doing the race as well. Gave my bro in law some last minute ribbing and soon enough it was game on.

Swim - 27:05 (once again placed high in my age group - 4th and 36th/134 overall)
The theme this year for the swim has been relaxed and feeling like I'm not even pushing it. Yet I'm getting faster? Other than swimming an extra 50 yards out wide (is it a good thing when they send a life guard to check on you because you're so far away from everyone else?) the swim went to plan. I, as usual, started in the front row and smacked the first 100 or so meters hard, then I settled into an easy, steady stroke for the rest. Other than going to wide, which in case anyone cares does keep you out of the fray, I swam it to plan. Sighted well and had energy to burn as I headed back to shore. Once again I passed a few souls who stood too soon and started walking while I swam by them until my hands were digging into the bottom. I stood up and that is when it hit me as I almost fell back to my knees. My right hamstring cramped solid and my left felt like it was going to go at any second! I fought the cramps in my hammy's all the way up to transition, walking, running , hobbling along. I tried to figure out how I was going to finish and if I did how LONG was that going to take. This race was taking a quick turn in the wrong direction and I wasn't liking it much.

T1: 3:53
Yup, you read that right. Almost 4 minutes. I hobbled through this transition at lightning speed fo sho. But a plan was forming. Just get my cramping rear end on the bike and we'll see if it works.

Bike: 1:21:02
Ever try and swing your leg over your bike when it's cramping? Not an easy task. I'm sure it was good for some humor to some of the spectators but it was far from funny for me. I made it on the bike and set out on my plan for "active recovery". Here is what I came up with during my hours in transition. A) I need lots of fluids B) I need to keep the workload low until my cramps can subside and C) I need lots of fluids!

I was in luck, I had loaded 2 water bottles with my secret Gatorade, Hornet Juice and water mixture. 48 ounces of blessed amino acid and electrolyte filled liquid. I hoped it would be enough! As I got going in a low gear spinning easily, I started pounding the first bottle down. I set out to finish a bottle and a half before the half way point. Goal 2 was to keep the speed reasonable (around 17ish mph) until that time. By the time I hit the turn around at the half way point my legs were feeling better but vulnerable. I decided to push it a little harder on the way in but not get crazy. I kicked it up to around 20mph avg on the way back. I raced smart hanging just out of the draft zone (3 bike lengths) on a few riders to get a little break here and there and actually started making up some ground by the end of the ride. Maybe just maybe I had persevered through the worst of it. Average speed ended up being 18.4mph. Not bad on gimpy legs, haha

T2: 55 seconds
This has been my greatest improvement this year. I hit it exactly like I wanted.

Run: 1:03:49
This was a tale of 2 distinct halves. The first half of the run I felt pretty alright. I skipped the first aid station and had a water at the second. (yes I walked the aid station for water, I still can't run and drink yet, ugh!) then at the 2.1 mile point I turned the corner and in front of me was the HILL! A .8 mile 12% climb to the turn around. My legs that had finally felt ok now started to complain about this climb. I made a deal with them, run me to the top of that hill and I'd let them coast back down. They weren't buying it. By the time I reached the turn around, my calves were cramping. A short walk at the aid station at the turn around to drink some more fluid and I started running back down the hill. By the time I reached the bottom my hamstrings were cramping once again. The last 2 miles of the race were not a lot of fun but I was shocked to find a 10:17 avg for the run. Even with the issues and a couple of extended walks in that final 2 miles I still managed a decent, for me, pace.

Overall time: 2:56:43
I'm happy with that time. Not quite as fast as I had hoped but close. Given my early on issues, I was ecstatic with that time. I have a suspicion that I was not quite hydrated enough through the weekend. I also know I was not rested at all for this race. Now for the great news. I dropped 2 full minutes from my time last year on this course and I tapered for that race! I will miss this venue if I don't do it again but I think the draw of it has worn off for me. As of right now, I'm not planning on doing this race again next year. Time to try some new races. I have decided to find another Olympic distance race to run in Sept. This time with a taper. I want to find out just how fast I really can go now if I give my body a chance to rest before the race.

Up next Steelhead Half Ironman in 3 weeks.

Until my next post... Keep tri-ing

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Shhh, it's a secret

Ok, first, I've been a bit lacking the past couple of weeks on posting. I apoligize. My counterpart at work has been gone on vacation so my workload has increased. So between work being nuts, being in a fairly critical time in my HIM training and seemingly travelling with the family every weekend on short trips something had to give. And, unfortunately my friends, the blog lost that battle.

So not only have I been teasing you with a secret but I have also been ignoring you all. How rude am I? lol Let's see if I can make it up to you.

Here are the quick workout facts to date. I have continued my build phase towards Steelhead. I am currently 4 weeks away and feeling pretty ok with my fitness. This coming weekend is Interlochen. This was the first tri I ever attempted and this may be the last year I race it. I think next year I am going to be trying some different venues and race management companies. This is another 3 Disciplines race and I have just grown tired of the constant issues and excuses. I felt like they were better at Motor City and I have hope for Interlochen but it's just time to try some new events next year. My race expectation for Interlochen is another PR. I really feel ready to break the 2:55 mark. This is a fast fairly flat (1 small hill on the outbound leg of the bike and one HUGE hill at the half way point of the run) fast (the bike is typically into the wind on the way out and with the wind on the way in) race. My ultimate goal would be 2:45 but that will require some serious buckling down on my part. I fully expect a sub 2:55 effort on this one. Anything less will be a definite disappointment.

Ok enough of that drudgery. I have been holding out on you all for the past few months and especially the past 3 weeks. This past spring I came across an oppourtunity to participate in a research study through Michigan State University. What prompted my desire to participate was the chance to have a real VO2max test! I initially thought it was at no cost to me. Boy was I wrong! it may have been no monetary cost but the physical effort to participate in the study cost a ton, haha. I used to think lab rats had a pretty good life. 3 square meals a day, lodging, a little exercise..... how bad could it be? Let me tell you, I have grown mentally and physically participating in this study. I found out about 3 weeks ago that I had been accepted into the study. The study is being conducted by Clemens Drenowatz, a Ph.D. candidate in their kinesiology dept. This is a pre-study for his doctoral dissertation. He is studying the validity of the Sensewear Armband® at high intensity exercise. (I should have paid more attention that statement when I signed up, haha, high intensity should have set off some alarms somewhere) For the study I will be doing 3 separate test procedures. I have completed the first two as now. I am scheduled to complete the 3rd and final test procedure Wednesday evening, this week.

So, on to my Craig the lab rat report. For my first visit I met Clemens at the IM Circle facility (my second test was there as well). We chatted a bit and I got to listen to all the disclaimers and legal crud. Then I got to sign all their waivers saying I wouldn't sue if I died, etc... Hey I'm a triathlete afterall, I'm used to signing my life away so what the heck, lol... Then the fun began.

Body composition testing and VO2Max test. The results here would establish a baseline for the next 2 visits and establish effort level percentages for future use. The first picture is the "bod pod" used for determining body composition (read that as how much fat does Craig have) What an eye opener that was. The device uses air pressure to determine exactly how much bone, muscle, fat, etc.. you have in your body.
I found out I'm a nice healthy 24% body fat, not a surprise but now I also was shown that number translated to 40 pounds of fat!! That number was an eye opener. Wow! It sounds really bad when you put it that way, lol. Anyways that was only the begining of the fun. We got to get standing heart rate, height, weight and blood pressue as well. The second picture is of Clemens, standing next to the open bod pod. You really feel a bit odd sitting in there while they run the test.

Enough of the easy stuff, lets go torture Craig now. The next picture shows me all suited up in a portable VO2max mask. It communicates wirelessly with a laptop to give them all my data realtime. The last visit of the study is a 30 minute outdoor run wearing this sexy Fighter Pilot getup, so to keep the study consistent I get to wear the portable unit for all 3 phases. Yippeeeee! In the week before the VO2max test I read somewhere that it takes a motivated individual to do the test. I would like to add slightly demented, masochistic individual to that statement.

The test went like this. Gear Craig up, put him on treadmill walking at 3.5 mph for 3 minutes lulling him into a false sense of comfort and ease. Increase speed to 6mph for 1 minute, then 7mph for 1 minute then when he's just about comfy, start torturing him by setting the incline at 1% and increase that incline .1% every 10 seconds until Craig falls off the treadmill, jumps off the treadmill or dies, which ever comes first lol. I managed to hang on (figuratively, because as soon as you grab the hand rails the test is over) until 10.5% incline for a total test time of around 10 minutes. The last picture is of my relieved face once the test was over.

I managed a VO2max of 52 and a max heart rate of 194 (holy cow! really 194) So much for the 220 minus your age rule, haha

Now that I have written a book for today's post, I think I'll wait to tell about my second visit until later. This has been a very cool experience and I have gotten to meet some very cool people at Michigan State. I must have something wrong with me though because I have volunteered to be tortured again in the future for other studies if they want me. I am now officially a college lab rat. But, I get so much cool data to help me tailor my training by out of it.

Well, I hope everyone in the U.S.A. had a great 4th of July weekend and thanked a serviceman or woman somewhere for their sacrifices for our country.

Keep on tri-ing....

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Motor City Tri, Race report

Ok, no suspense here. I PR'ed this race! 2:55:08, that's 2 hours 55 minutes and 8 seconds, almost 3 minutes faster than my best previous Olympic distance race. More importantly, I'm starting to manage the race distance better. I honestly felt like I was in control of my race from start to finish. I still know I can go faster but that is a fitness/training issue not capability issue.

The race was held on Belle Isle in Detroit Michigan and it is a flat, fast course with over 750 athletes registered for all the races. I went down to the race the afternoon before and met up with one of my team-mates and his wife at packet pickup. We pre-rode the bike and run course together, talked about strategy and the course. This was very cool. After that we went back to their house where I would be staying with them for the night and relaxed a bit before dinner. Jon, you and your wife were awesome hosts, thanks again for putting me up for the night. For dinner we met up with a couple more teammates at a local Italian restaurant called Sila's. Great pasta! Being on a team is very cool this year. I really feel part of something bigger than myself and feed off the excitement of my team-mates.

Race morning was perfect weather wise. We were up and out the door by about 6am and at the race site around 6:30am. I got T2 set up (this was a 2 transition race, the swim was about a mile from T2) and went back to the car to gather my T1 stuff. I made it down to set up T1 by about 7am and had lots of time to organize and go through my pre-race routine. I saw a few more of my GREYHOUND support crew and team-mates then it was time to start. I was calm and felt ready.

Swim: Goal time: 30 minutes Actual: 29:47
place 9/31 age group 77/214 overall
This is a course with a current. The firs 500 meters and the last 250 meters are into or across the current with the back 750 meters or so with the current. The river current isn't fast but you feel it. I lined up in the front row so I could go out hard and get out of the fray as always. About 100 meters in I settled into a nice groove and found sighting good. At about 500 meters I was coming to the first turn and had already caught the tail end of the wave of swimmers before me. It was at this point I came to the realization that I was feeling really strong in the water! I was actually making an effort to hold back on my pace to conserve some energy. I had some minor issues with the slower swimmers and I cut the turn around the buoy a little close and had some issues with it's tether rope but all in all the turn didn't have too much drama. On the back stretch with the current I felt like I was flying and hardly working at all. I picked a solo line and passed a lot of stragglers along the way. I made the turn back upstream with little issue other than I suddenly was trying to sight into the rising sun! That was quite interesting picking my line to the last turn for home. I generally tried to just use the other swimmers and shore for my bearings. Suddenly there was the last buoy and it was time to turn for home. I can't stress enough how little energy I felt like I had used on this swim. I was feeling much fresher than normal coming out of the water. It may be time to re-adjust my time goals for future races as my swim strength continues to improve again.

T1 - 3:35
This is long for 2 reasons. You had to pack all your stuff in a bag for the race staff to collect and bring to the end of the race. And, my wetsuit wanted no part of being shoved into the bag! what the heck? It was like it had a mind of it's own, lol. No worries though, I knew going in this would be a longer transition and accounted for it in my goal time.

Bike Goal: 1:15:00 Actual: 1:13:13 (hours:minutes:seconds)
The bike went just as I planned. Except for one thing..... I had no speed readout on my computer! I had cadence but no speed. Luckily I train to cadence a lot and had a general idea of speed based on cadence and gearing so I just went with it. I eased into the bike for the first half lap (it was 4 laps around the island) I hammered the next 2 1/2 laps and backed off slightly on the last lap to save on the legs a little. This was also my first race attempt at removing my shoes while still on the bike and leaving them attached to the bike in T2. This went off without a hitch and I felt like a pro hopping off the bike, not stopping or loosing momentum, running the bike into transition holding it by the saddle. haha, I'm sure I didn't look like a pro but man I now know what they feel like.

T2: 1:02!!! (minutes:seconds)
WHAT?? I never go that fast! I think this will get about 15 to 30 seconds faster at my next race as I practice a little more. I screwed up the order of getting putting things on and getting going, so practice is in order. This definitely made up for the slower T1.

Run Goal: 1 hour Actual: 1:07:33
Let give a quick public service announcement. Do NOT, EVER play one on one basket ball with your 12 year old 2 days before an important race. No matter how easy you think you'll go, YOU WON'T! I learned this lesson the hard way this weekend. My legs felt good off the bike. As good as I can ever remember them feeling coming off the bike. There was only one problem. It felt like someone was jamming a knife in my lower back and I was very stiff around the waist. I could run no problem, not fast and not comfortable but I could run. Any incline or downhill momentarily compounded the issue. I had felt the twinges the day before but figured it would go away by race day. No such luck! Fortunately for me this was a fairly flat course. The only hills were in the form of 3 small bridges I had to cross 2 times each. It took about 2 miles into the run to find a stride that was about as pain free as it was going to get and with about 3 miles to go I finally was able to start speeding up to my normal pace. I was averaging around 9 minute miles the last 3 miles. I walked the water stations as I still haven't mastered the art of drinking while running but other than that I was running. I finished strong to hear my name and RACING GREYHOUNDS announced and the announcer commenting on how well represented the GREYHOUNDS were in this race.

Total time 2 hours 55 minutes 8 seconds!! My new personal record for this course and an Olympic distance race. (1500 meter swim, 23 mile bike, 6.6 mile run in this race)

It was awesome to see so many GREYHOUNDS at this race. Between competitors and support crew we had around 20 people out there! It is such a lift to see your team-mates out there on the course.

Next week I'll let everyone in on a little secret that is happening Saturday. It is so cool what I am getting to do but I can't tell you about it quite yet.

So until next time... keep training and don't ever stop tri-ing!

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Curwood 10k race report

Saturday morning was a great day for a race. It was bright, sunny and only about 60 degrees Fahrenheit at race start. This small town race is flat, fast and brings in about 700 attendees. My son Ryan, ran the 5k and I lined up for the 10k. I wanted to use this as pacing practice for my upcoming race at Motor City. I always go out too hard at these things and pay for it in the last half. Saturday, I was determined to change that. As the race was about to start I told Ryan good luck and sent him off to the front row. I on the other hand headed to the back third of the pack. I soon learned a couple of new lessons.

1) this far back in the pack, if you aren't paying attention, the race start might just be a total surprise when you don't hear the starting beep.
2) more people need to learn how to start in the right pace location.

I was looking around soaking in the atmosphere when all of a sudden people were running all around me. I never heard the race start. Whoa, hey Craig, you're slow enough without letting everyone have a head start! I quickly regrouped and took off. It was hard not to sprint off like everyone else. I felt like I was running half as fast I could. Life was good and soon to get even better. I spent the first mile weaving through the crowd. For the first time that I can remember, I was the passer not the passee.... is that really a word? I hit the 1 mile mark at 9:30 and was shocked to only be 30 seconds off my goal pace for the first mile. Over the next mile I slowly caught up with a neighbor and friend going about the pace I was planning for the first half of the race. I then had the pleasure of a nice conversation up to the turn around. We both were running well and slowly catching and passing people as we went. I sensed she was pushing maybe a little harder than she wanted and I felt like I was still holding back. Staying to my plan of negative splitting the race. After mile 1 I was hitting the mile markers pretty darn close to 9 minutes or just a little under. So far so good.

At the turn around I passed 2 people as they stopped to take water and decided to let the horses have their heads a little and see how the next mile felt. My neighbor sensed this wasn't a short term change in pace and wished me well as I slowly worked away from her. I settled in to a good pace and started picking people to pass. (again, not normal for me but what a great feeling, haha) At about the 4.5 mile mark I caught up to a group of three guys and spent the next half mile working my way past them as they were pushing my pace a little more than I really wanted at that point. But, my legs felt good, I wasn't overly winded and the gas tank was feeling pretty full still. Next, it was time to test the mind a bit. I wanted to get a little out of the comfort zone for the last mile. I wanted to turn up the speed a bit and battle my mental demons. Those little buggers always seem to creep into my head at some point and for once, I wanted them on my terms. I wanted to embrace the pain and force the issue at a point where I knew it was almost over and beyond a time when walking would be an option. I got what I wanted and then some. I crossed the 6 mile point with the demons screaming their pain filled song through my body. This time, however, I could see the finish and hear the crowd. Like a horse headed for the barn, nothing was stopping me at this point. I felt a growing urge to purge my pre-race bagel and peanut butter from my stomach and fought that nauseated feeling the rest of the way in, still picking up speed and ignoring the pain.

I did it. I battled the demons on my terms and won! Kind of, lol. I was pretty miserable for the first few minutes after the race, not knowing if I was going to hurl or pass out, but I did it MY way this time. No walking, no going out too fast, continually speeding up as the race unfolded. I passed a lot of people who know me as a triathlete and gave me well wishes on my way by. I PASSED people. That in it self does not usually happen when I run. That felt good, no it felt GREAT!

I set a goal of 54 minutes. I ran a 54:31 and am not in the least disappointed. I know I lost time on the first mile. I, for once, ran a smart race though and that is way better than woulda, shoulda, coulda.

My awesome son Ryan, who I hope some day finds his true potential, ran a PR 21:23 5k. I fully anticipate he'll break 20 minutes by the end of the year at the rate he's going. I actually got to see him mid race after his turn around point and he looked so strong. How cool is it to cheer your son on mid race in the middle of the course? It was mind blowing for me, I even slowed down just a little so I could wish him well at the exact point our courses turned opposite directions.

This weekend brings my next triathlon. The Motor City Triathlon on Belle Isle in Detroit. I'll try and get a quick post up before the race with some goal times.

As always, if you do nothing else in your life. Just keep Tri-ing....

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The past... the present... and the future!

Hey all, about time I get out another update. I have fully healed from my physical wounds, aches and pains from my Xterra adventure. I still haven't wiped the smile off my face from the experience. In this post are a few of the pictures of me rocking my GREYHOUND team kit. I got to say that wearing that kit during a race sure makes you feel like you belong with the big boys, even if your speed says otherwise, haha


The picture on the bike I chose only because it shows the deepest point of the two stream crossings. (and yes I think that is a smile on my face, I felt like such a kid on that trail ride!)


The running picture is from the finish chute. I felt so strong finishing that run! My fitness is definitely coming along well this year.

Xterra Midwest Cup/Sport, aka Custers Last Stand Xterra, was an awesome experience. I am already planning on going back next year. I'd like to get a few of my fellow GREYHOUNDS to join me for the fun.

The present.....

Okay, the training took a bit of a week off last week as it was a recovery week and life got a bit in the way. I still managed some decent mileage on the bike and my body felt fresh by this weekend. Just as a recovery week should be!

This weekend was a weekend of being a supportive dad and team member. On Saturday I cheered my son on at a local 5k. It was a cross country style, tough!, course that I ran with him last year and swore I'd never do that one again, lol. Ryan went out and did me proud. His running is getting so strong now. There were over 400 runners in this race and he defined "tough day at the office". Ryan placed 8th overall but 7th in his agegroup. He was excited though because he finally beat one of his classmates who had his number all season long in track, and almost beat another. He ran a 22:27. Way to go Ryan! Next up on Sunday was a GREYHOUND team event at the Hawk Island Triathlon in Lansing MI. I was only a team sherpa for this event. I got to help man the team tent and cheer them on. I think, as a competitor, it is harder to be a spectator than it is to race. The GREYHOUNDS represented well with 11 team members racing and 3, womens agegroup 3rd place podium winners and 2 young male studs just outside the podium. An awesome morning with the team, getting to know more of my teammates better. I can't wait for Motor City when we have the team compound set up and I get to race.

Sunday night brought a ride I had been looking forward to with both excitement and fear. I have been trying to work out a time to ride with this guy (Greg) for almost a year. He is a very fast roadie who rides more than anyone I know. He is a great person on top of everything else. I finally was able to work out a time when both our schedules would work out for a ride. I told him I felt I had a decent 2 hour effort in me last night and just hoped I could hang. First let me just say he was a great riding partner. If he dropped me (and in the hills he did easily), he would wait for me to catch up. I felt good that I wasn't just a wheel sucker all night because our route allowed us to ride 2 abreast most of the time. On the flats and downhills, I felt like I did a decent job of hanging with him. I'm pretty sure that ride qualified as a recovery ride for Greg, but for me it was exactly what I needed. We rode 33 miles in just under 2 hours. I can't tell you how many times I looked down at my computer and we were over 20 miles an hour. Afterwards I was absolutely crushed physically! But, I know I had the biggest smile on my face and Greg seemed willing to take me along again. I now know the route and I plan on working on those darn hills so I can hang with him better the next time. Today I am sore from head to toe! I can't believe how many muscles are sore from that bike ride! IT'S AWESOME!! I know riding with him will only make me better.

Now for the future.

This week, it's back to full training. This weekend, Ryan and I are running in the Curwood 5k/10k races. This is a flat, fast course and I can't wait to see Ryan PR this one. I am running the 10k as a training run. I am setting a modest 54 minute goal for this race. Just working on pacing and consistency. My next triathlon is a week from Sunday at the Motor City Triathlon. My first ever Olympic distance race a year ago and a race I'm looking to for some redemption after all my cramping issues last year.

Everyone have a great week, keep training and never stop TRIing....

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I feel you wind....

Thank you, for making me not take todays ride for granted.

Thank you, for only blowing the sweat into one eye at a time when you were crossing me.

Thank you, for not letting me rest even on the down hills on the way out.

Thank you, for blowing harder just as I got to the top of that really long hill so I couldn't rest and recover.

Thank you, for making it hurt just a little extra so I can better learn how to embrace that pain during a race.

Thank you, for challenging me to put the effort in even when I wanted to take it easy.

Thank you, for shifting as I turned for home so I couldn't enjoy your push quite as much.

Thank you, for helping with the 35mph thrill ride on that big down hill.

But most of all...........

Thank you, for making me appreciate those days when you aren't there.

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Custers last stand and Craigs repeated fall...

First off I just want to say that I have a new found respect for the mountain bikers. My hat is off to anyone who chooses to put themselves into tight, twisting, log in the way peril and chooses to do it as fast as possible. Wow!

Now on to my race report from my weekend Xterra triathlon.

I got to watch the pro's start up close and personal but once they hit the bike it was my turn to gather my wits and prep for my race. Here is my observation about the pro's. They are AWESOME to watch up close and personal. They are just like age groupers only faster and their confidence and command on the bike and run is astounding. Jamie Whitmore , a former women's world champion Xterra pro, did the announcing for the race and did a great job at that. She is an amazing person who has battled cancer and is unable to race now because of it. What an Insperation to the rest of us. Also thanks to Doug V. who looked me up and said hi while we were setting up transition. That was cool. Great job out there as well Doug. You passed me on the bike and even though you looked like you were struggling a bit on the run when I passed you back, you stuck with it and finished. From the smile I saw on your face afterwards you might just be hooked like the rest of us now. Welcome to ranks of being a triathlete!

I hit the water about 15 minutes before my race start to try and get as acclimated as possible. It was a chilly 33 F on my way to race this morning. The only good thing was that I was sure the water had to be warmer than the air. It was, but not by much. It was a mass beach start of all of the sport distance athletes, male and female. (read sprint distance for all us roadies) I had a great line to the first buoy and was almost gassed by the time I hit it. I made that turn and managed to find a pair of feet to draft most of the way to the next bouy until their driver decided to take the scenic route off course. Thank God I was still sighting for myself. I made the turn for home and dug down deep for the final push. I came out of the water hardly able to get my feet under me and moving and I figured out why after the race. The timing mats by transition were about 100 yards up hill from the water and I still turned in a 10:02 swim time for 500 meters. That was smacking it a little too much and I paid the price in T1 and for the first few minutes on the bike trying to get my breathing back under control.

T1, I took my time on purpose this race. I knew I was out of my league on the bike so I dogged it in transition just to give some of the faster riders a head start. I don't remember my split time for T1 but I am sure it was 3+ minutes.

The first couple of miles on the bike were fun. Twisting and turning through the woods and I was flying pretty good. Then some joker decided to try the same twisting and turning while throwing logs in the way and adding a bunch of elevation changes both up and down (read straight down and straight up) That is when I got my first biff of the day. I learned the hard way to watch for lesser riders having issues on the uphills. When clipped in and suddenly coming up on a traffic jam right at the top of a climb, no momentum spells Craig on the ground, the hard way! 3 of my 4 biffs were the result of that exact scenario. Then I learned a cool way to dismount when going down a steep rut filled section. After that I latched onto another rider of similar skills to mine and just followed her at an easy pace until about the last mile when I found I could carry more speed than she was willing to in some of the twisty sections. (Thanks Monica for the assist and laughs about us roadies having no business on bikes in the woods, lol) I was never so happy to get off my bike in my life. Muddy, bruised and scraped up pretty good but happy none the less. (as a side note, Pusher I know we've had a lot of problems getting the kits right but I gotta say, the tri shorts are awesome. I was sure they'd be torn to shreds given the cuts and bruises I got on the inside of them, but the shorts don't have a scratch on them.) One last note from the bike. There were not 1 but 2 creek/river crossings on this trail and I am proud to report that I managed to at least keep it upright through both of those. (water depth was up to the axels on them both)

T2 was uneventful, I striped one layer of shirts off, changed my shoes, grabbed a quick sip of sports drink and I was off. Still not as fast as I am capable of but ok none the less.

The real test of my early season fitness came on the run. I am proud to report that I am ahead of schedule. I ran the entire 3 mile trail run with about the freshest legs I can remember having off the bike. The trail wasn't too hilly or technical and I was able to finish strong, right around 30minutes.

I don't have all my splits yet but I do know I had a 10:02 on the swim and was a 1hour 59 minute something total. I can't wait to get back on the road now but the experience was awesome!

This weekend was a good test for me on my current training plan. Friday I rode my first solo 50 mile training ride, raced Sunday morning and came home Sunday evening and ran a mile and a half easy run with my wife. I feel pretty good and the increased work this winter is already showing some results.

It was awesome wearing my new RACING GREYHOUND kit and hearing go GREYHOUNDS while out on the course. I'm bruised and battered and grinning from ear to ear. I can't wait for Motor City and road redemption. I'll put some pics up shortly. They had photographers at the finish and on the course in a couple of places so I should even get to show off my awesome GREYHOUND bad self, haha, just for you Mike.

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And so it begins.....

Somehow my triathlon season has suddenly snuck up on me. Now don't get me wrong, I feel plenty ready for this weeks race. (more on that in a minute) This off season has just flown by. I feel like I have maintained my aerobic fitness this off season. That was my primary goal. I also committed to riding my mountain bike outdoors on a regular basis this winter. Again, mission accomplished. I forced myself to put in over 300 miles on the indoor trainer in February with the hope of jump starting my fitness for this season. Why did I do these things instead of taking an extended break this winter? Every race last year left a bitter taste in my mouth from a fitness standpoint. I had the heart but I felt like my body let me down more often than not. I have committed to not having that be the case this year. I want to finish strong and have legs left for the run this year. I may never run fast but.... I can be fresh enough to run strong off the bike. With that in mind I have focused on bike fitness more than anything this winter. I stayed out of the pool, my first love, until April and hoped I would not lose the main edge I have at these races. After last week, I don't think that will be a problem. Bottom line, I feel GREAT about where I am right now at this point in my training.

Last week I turned 42. It didn't even faze me this year. I feel better than I have in many years physically and I think that helps. Once again I celebrated by completing the bfit birthday challenge. You celebrate your health by swimming the first number of your age in either yards or miles depending on your ambition, you run the second number of your age (and if its a zero you get to do 10 miles) then you ride your entire age in miles. This was a challenge started by Roman Mica over at http://www.bfitbday.com/ . I completed it last year and decided to continue the trend this year. I set the goal of doing everything in miles (yes the swim too) and to complete it within a 24 hour period. I can report, after the fact, that I was successful. I began Thursday evening after work with a little 4 mile swim (2 hours 12 minutes, 26 minutes faster than last year, so much for lack of swim fitness haha). The next morning I ran 2.5 miles (sorry, I'm an over achiever) in 21:43 and that afternoon I hoped on the bike and cranked out a 42 mile ride in 2 hours 43 minutes. All in all it took me 5 hours 16 minutes 43 seconds. I cut 15 minutes off my time from last year and ran and rode one more mile each! Who says you can't get better as you get older, lol. After all that effort in a 24 hour period, the fact that I was not sore and could have trained this weekend (I took it off to celebrate my birthday and have one last hurrah before I get serious with my training) I feel like I am more than ready for this weekends race, fitness wise. One interesting note from my swim. I found it quite interesting that the longer I swam, the stronger I felt (until about the 3.5 mile point, then it was a suffer fest for the last 800 meters). I never once felt that last year. I hadn't felt that since the days when I swam competitively in high school. I'll be interested to see if that carries over into my season as my races get longer.

This coming weekend is my first ever Xterra event. I'm dong what they call a Sport race (pretty much a sprint distance for us roadies) It's a 500 meter swim, 10 mile mountain bike ride, 3 mile trail run. Just a fun little race to kick my season off right. Also, I recently found out it's one of 2 stops for the Xterra pros in Michigan this summer and both Melanie McQuaid and Conrad Stoltz are scheduled to race. (for those who don't know they are the Female and Male reigning Xterra World Champions and both won their last race a couple of weeks ago) I can't wait to observe them and see how they do things for race prep, etc that an average age grouper like me can learn to from. I have no expectations for this race other than to finish strong. I also get to race for the first time as a RACING GREYHOUND in my awesome team kit. I'll see if I can't manage a pic or two for the race report. I'm going unsupported (read solo, alone, sans family) to this race so pictures might be hard to come by but we'll see. I'm training right through this race as I am into my build period in my Half Ironman training, 12 weeks out and officialy trying to follow a plan this year where every workout is mapped out from now through Aug 1. We'll see how that works, haha.

Ok kiddies, that's all for this week unless I get the urge to write more before Sunday. So until my first race report of the year, next week. Train smart and work hard!

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ugh!! so not as ready as I thought today :)

Ok, first off lets make this sound really, really good. My wife, oldest son and I ran a local 5k race this morning. My son (who's 14 and doesn't seem to understand pain) ran a 22:14 5k, placed 2nd in his age group (by less than 2 seconds) and was 18th overall. My wife placed 2nd in her age group and once again kicked my butt (more on that later). I had a respectable 3rd in my age group but not that respectable of a time. (by the way, in the interest of full disclosure, I was 3rd out of 4 in my age group with a pathetic 28 minute 5k, I gotta find more small races to do, lol I did walk the last .1 or so with my brother in-law and I got to finish with him and his wife all at the same time. That was a high point.) It was a family affair with my wife's parents there doing the walk as well.

All week I had trash talked my wife about how this was finally going to be the week I beat her in a 5k. Up until the one mile mark I was shoulder to shoulder with her. At the half way point I was just behind her and watching her slowly pull away. Darn it!! No excuses though. She is my running idol. She loves it so much and I.... well lets just say I do it because you can't finish a triathlon without it. haha In a few weeks I have my first race of the season and I'd bet anyone I'm within 2 minutes of my time for todays 5k for the 5k run at the tri. Oh well, at least us turtles can swim fast...

Now that the race season is upon us here in the northern hemisphere. I'd like to wish everyone starting their season the best of luck and health. I'm excited to get this year going. I get to kick it off with my first ever Xterra event and then it's game on!

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Confirmation!!

Just a quick update. I just got confirmation that my entry to the Iceman Cometh Challenge mountain bike race is valid! The registration process was totally screwed up by some malicious activity bringing down the online registration site during the registration times. It made it almost impossible to register. That being said. I am in and from the list they published today about 1300 other people managed to get in as well.

Another potential minor change to my published race calendar. I may be dropping the Sept Michigan Triathlon championships race to instead team up with my fellow GREYHOUNDS the following weekend to do a half ironman relay.

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09 Race Schedule and thoughts

Ok for those of you who care. Here is my tentative race schedule for 2009. I am upping the ante this year and racing more than ever. The new additions are primarily earlier and later than I raced last year. This schedule should provide a nice build to the Half Ironman in August and a sweet wind up to the year doing something new to me.

So without further adieu, drum roll please.........

• May 17 - Fort Custer Xterra tri - sprint distance
  
• June 14 - Motorcity Tri Olympic distance
• July 12 - Interlochen Tri - Olympic distance
• Aug 1 - Steelhead 70.3
  
• Aug 23 - Bluewater Tri - Port Huron (undecided dist)
• Sep 6 - Michigan Tri Championship (this one is a maybe)
  
• Nov Iceman Mountain bike race- HOPEFULLY I can get registered.

Here is the quick why and wherefore breakdown on each race.

Fort Custer, May is an iffy time of the year in Michigan but I say what the heck, let's give it a go. I've been wanting to try an Xterra and this might be a fun kick off to the season.

Motorcity, Belle Isle Detroit - It's that big triathlon feel on a closed, screaming fast course. It was my first ever Olympic distance last year and I intend to blow away last years 3+ hour time on this one.

Interlochen, An annual trek to beautiful northern Michigan. It was my first ever tri and continues to be my favorite venue. A full weekend of friends, family and racing. It is also the perfect race just before Steelhead to really hammer it before the half IM taper begins.

Steelhead 70.3, Last year I was a bit overwhelmed with this race. I also didn't feel like it really counted because it turned into a 70.3 duathlon after the swim was canceled. Let's hope this year we get to do the swim. This is my A+++ race for the year.

Bluewater, This originally was the fun year end race for me... somehow what used to be my end of season has turned into mid season! Isn't fitness AWESOME? I traditionally run the sprint distance on this one just to have some fun and go fast. It's only a few weeks after Steelhead so depending on how I feel, I could go either distance.

Michigan Triathlon Championship, This race is a team race and I am leaning towards doing it just to have one more chance to hang with the tri-mates this year. We'll see how I feel by then, I might just turn this one into hanging with the tri-mates and not racing.

Iceman, This is a 27 mile mountain bike race from Kalkaska to Traverse City Michigan through National Forest and 2 track roads. It has a capped registration and it sells out every year. I tried to register last Friday night but the registration site crashed and no-one was able to register. Monday night is the next registration attempt. If all goes well this will be a wild weekend with the GREYHOUNDS.

So, in a nutshell that's my current crazy schedule. I'll get a side bar with the schedule up shortly so everyone can track my progress.

Until next time, keep training and ask yourself this question every day. "What am I doing today to prepare for my races this summer?" That is my latest mantra to keep motivated.

Craig

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2009, the times they are a changin...

It seems like just yesterday I was celebrating New Years. I was looking forward to my first season competing with a bit more purpose and being a part of a team. I am all ready blown away by the awesome people I have gotten to know on the RACING GREYHOUNDS. (and yes, the teams official spelling is all capitals). I am looking forward to some group training when the weather breaks. We have our team kits ordered, they're expected to arrive sometime in March. I already have my team helmet, socks and podium t-shirt. I've been told to swing by the bike shop and pick up my 2 team issue water bottles. I have approval from the team for my tentative racing schedule, and let me tell you we are having some fuuuuun this year. If you want to see what the team kits look like just click on the RACING GREYHOUNDS logo over on the left.

You might notice the new look to the site. I thought a freshening up was in order and I have a few more things I want to add in the future. Keep on coming by, you never know what new things I might be adding. I have also decided on no more logos unless I am either a) being paid for advertisement or b) sponsored in some way, shape or form by the company whose logo is there. I love the Evo Tri team and will continue to support them but I always felt guilty with all their sponsors links and I don't use or am not provided the oppourtunity to use any of them. From now on if you see it on my site, I either use it, endorse it or am paid to place it. If you have a product you'd like me to review or endorse drop me an email I'm sure we can work something out. If you want to sponsor me in some way PLEASE drop me an email, I would love to chat with you about my goals and aspirations.

As far as my off season training goes, I just started back into it in January. I just finished a 30 day 300+ mile bike focus. (mostly trainer workouts, but some mountain bike trail riding as well) I finishing up an easier/transition week getting ready to start a run focus month next. It's killing me, but so far I've avoided the pool since the first of the year. I'm trying to work on my weakness first this year.

Ok... Next week I'll announce my 2009 race calendar as it stands right now. Until later, keep training, it's the fitness gained in the off season that carries you in the heat of the race.

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