Jan, who happened to have a birthday yesterday, June 27, received this e-card from the Marines. We are running the Marine Corps Marathon in October, Jan's sixth time at this race.
The Erie Canal, Running Paradise
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Tupper Lake Tinman
It's true, I may be getting a bit anxious about attempting another 1/2 Ironman this weekend. Three reasons for picking Tupper;
1. Can wear a wetsuit
2. In the Adirondacks, should be cooler all day than my attempt at Florida
3. Less expensive than the trademarked IM races ($140 entry fee versus typical $250 or more)
Good news, we can still wear wetsuits so my legs shouldn't be dragging along the bottom of Raquette pond and the race fee remained at $140.
Bad news, the temperature is forecast to be highs of 80-85 and mostly sunny. At least the humidity should be lower than Florida. Amanda get your IV drip ready for me!
Tuesday night I took my bike out for a quick spin. Sunday I had just cleaned the chain and the bike frame and put on a new rear tire (please no flats during the race!). There was a constant clicking sound as my pedal came around while in the big gear. I adjusted the derailleur and it seemed to stop. On my Tuesday ride the clicking was worse and shifting while in the big gear was horrible. D...o...n...'...t h..y..p..e..r..v..e..n..t..i..l..a..t..e! Must breathe. Relax. NOOO. My race is over, I can't fix this! No bike shop will repair it in less than a week!
Which shop do I go to? Sugar's in Spencerport was the closest, I called and he was going to be open till 7pm. I was down there in 10 minutes. Damien told me if I needed parts there was no way it would be ready by Thursday when we are leaving. I was crushed. My race was over once again. He had one hour left before closing and might be able to look at it. On the way to our last swim, 45 minutes later, Damien called. He had it fixed, but was closing soon. Fortunately, as Jan and I were picking up our last pre-race pizza, she noticed Sugar's was still open and it was 8pm. (how great a town do we have where our favorite pizza place and a bike store are in the same plaza?).
Even better, Damien didn't charge me. He is fairly certain that if I don't mash the gears the bike should be okay for the race. Next week I can take it in for more extensive work. I carried the bike away like a newborn child and gently placed it on the bike rack.
My breathing has started to return to normal. Life is good.
1. Can wear a wetsuit
2. In the Adirondacks, should be cooler all day than my attempt at Florida
3. Less expensive than the trademarked IM races ($140 entry fee versus typical $250 or more)
Good news, we can still wear wetsuits so my legs shouldn't be dragging along the bottom of Raquette pond and the race fee remained at $140.
Bad news, the temperature is forecast to be highs of 80-85 and mostly sunny. At least the humidity should be lower than Florida. Amanda get your IV drip ready for me!
Tuesday night I took my bike out for a quick spin. Sunday I had just cleaned the chain and the bike frame and put on a new rear tire (please no flats during the race!). There was a constant clicking sound as my pedal came around while in the big gear. I adjusted the derailleur and it seemed to stop. On my Tuesday ride the clicking was worse and shifting while in the big gear was horrible. D...o...n...'...t h..y..p..e..r..v..e..n..t..i..l..a..t..e! Must breathe. Relax. NOOO. My race is over, I can't fix this! No bike shop will repair it in less than a week!
Which shop do I go to? Sugar's in Spencerport was the closest, I called and he was going to be open till 7pm. I was down there in 10 minutes. Damien told me if I needed parts there was no way it would be ready by Thursday when we are leaving. I was crushed. My race was over once again. He had one hour left before closing and might be able to look at it. On the way to our last swim, 45 minutes later, Damien called. He had it fixed, but was closing soon. Fortunately, as Jan and I were picking up our last pre-race pizza, she noticed Sugar's was still open and it was 8pm. (how great a town do we have where our favorite pizza place and a bike store are in the same plaza?).
Even better, Damien didn't charge me. He is fairly certain that if I don't mash the gears the bike should be okay for the race. Next week I can take it in for more extensive work. I carried the bike away like a newborn child and gently placed it on the bike rack.
My breathing has started to return to normal. Life is good.
Monday, June 25, 2012
Cornerstone Peach Run
Triathlon Transition Tips
1. Get up early to relax before race. You trained months for this event, "losing" an hour of sleep won't matter.
2. Get equipment prepped the night before your race, don't cause high anxiety by having to run around all over the morning of the race searching for goggles, bike helmet, nutrition aids, etc.
3. Eat your last meal by 6pm the night before. Otherwise you risk spending even more time in the bathroom race morning.
4. Arrive to transition early to setup your equipment.
5. Pre-plan, know the swim entrance, exit, bike out/in directions, run out, finish.
6. Where did you rack your bike? Count racks, count steps from swim finish to bike.
7. Have helmet, bike shoes, sunglasses, race number ready when you come out of water. Know where you are going to place the wetsuit. Have your running gear ready. Prep for nutrition needs during transitions.
Watch this video.
2. Get equipment prepped the night before your race, don't cause high anxiety by having to run around all over the morning of the race searching for goggles, bike helmet, nutrition aids, etc.
3. Eat your last meal by 6pm the night before. Otherwise you risk spending even more time in the bathroom race morning.
4. Arrive to transition early to setup your equipment.
5. Pre-plan, know the swim entrance, exit, bike out/in directions, run out, finish.
6. Where did you rack your bike? Count racks, count steps from swim finish to bike.
7. Have helmet, bike shoes, sunglasses, race number ready when you come out of water. Know where you are going to place the wetsuit. Have your running gear ready. Prep for nutrition needs during transitions.
Watch this video.
Friday, June 22, 2012
Triathlon Racing Suggestions
http://www.5min.com/Video/How-to-Race-Faster-in-Triathlons-2-29683709
Watch this video to learn how to align yourself for the swim, techniques to use in the water (use your legs a bit more the last 2-300m to loosen them up for the bike), and getting prepped for T1.
Practice T1 and T2 so you have the routine down. Much easier to save a minute in transition and come out relaxed than it is to run or bike a minute faster.
Watch this video to learn how to align yourself for the swim, techniques to use in the water (use your legs a bit more the last 2-300m to loosen them up for the bike), and getting prepped for T1.
Practice T1 and T2 so you have the routine down. Much easier to save a minute in transition and come out relaxed than it is to run or bike a minute faster.
Monday, June 18, 2012
Race Taper
Twelve days before the Tupper Lake Tinman 1/2 Ironman triathlon and the taper has officially begun. Now is the time to wonder if you did enough training, not that it really matters anymore. All we can do now is overtrain, not get enough sleep and worry. Far better to realize going into a race possibly a bit undertrained is a good thing.
Top Ten Things to do (or not) when tapering;
1. Don't eat as many calories as when you were training 8-12 hours a week. Gaining 2-3 pounds won't help your race!
2. Run/Ride/Swim shorter distances, but do a few minutes of high quality work in several of the sessions.
3. Stop drinking so much alcohol.
4. Replace your bike tires.
5. Take a complete rest day (or two) each week.
6. Do only one workout on many days.
7. Sleep more.
8. Rest, don't replace the free time you now have from not exercising as much with other physical activities.
9. Practice transitions, imagine yourself in each stage of the race, visualize the course and the success you will have.
10. Plan your on-course nutrition requirements, especially the bike stage, but also what you might keep in the transition area.
You have trained a long time for the race, months, weeks, days, hours. Begin to enjoy the experience now and carry positive thoughts through race day. Your training will get you through the race successfully. Have three goals for the race, for example;
C. Finishing, no matter what the time, as long as it's under the organizer's allotted amount.
B. Meeting a time goal based on your training for each discipline.
A. A top three age group finish or top 50% in your age group, or a fast bike/run split, something that is a bit lofty in case you are having a great day and can push it.
Top Ten Things to do (or not) when tapering;
1. Don't eat as many calories as when you were training 8-12 hours a week. Gaining 2-3 pounds won't help your race!
2. Run/Ride/Swim shorter distances, but do a few minutes of high quality work in several of the sessions.
3. Stop drinking so much alcohol.
4. Replace your bike tires.
5. Take a complete rest day (or two) each week.
6. Do only one workout on many days.
7. Sleep more.
8. Rest, don't replace the free time you now have from not exercising as much with other physical activities.
9. Practice transitions, imagine yourself in each stage of the race, visualize the course and the success you will have.
10. Plan your on-course nutrition requirements, especially the bike stage, but also what you might keep in the transition area.
You have trained a long time for the race, months, weeks, days, hours. Begin to enjoy the experience now and carry positive thoughts through race day. Your training will get you through the race successfully. Have three goals for the race, for example;
C. Finishing, no matter what the time, as long as it's under the organizer's allotted amount.
B. Meeting a time goal based on your training for each discipline.
A. A top three age group finish or top 50% in your age group, or a fast bike/run split, something that is a bit lofty in case you are having a great day and can push it.
Monday, June 11, 2012
Who Let the Dogs Out?
Remember when the majority of races were 10k's? If a 5k was being run at the same place it was truly the "fun" run that young kids and beginning runners participated in. Participants in the 5k might have received a ribbon, probably not a t-shirt or award. Now a 10k race is a rarity. Saturday we had the chance to run a 10k, the Fast and Furriest, proceeds of which benefited the Verona Street Animal Society in Rochester. Results.
Sal's runners dominated in the old but not out of it age categories. Mike Weinpress won the 55-59 age group, earning 10 Rochester Runner of the Year points (even though he doesn't care about the series), while I came in 4th, earning 7 points. Jan won her age group and Lou finished 6th in his.
Prizes were awesome, first place receiving $40 gift certificates to Fleet Feet Sports! The course was fairly flat through the city, down the River path of the mighty Genesee towards the University of Rochester and back up the other side.
Please take the ethics poll on the left of the web site, which deals with a situation that occurred after the race while three men were doing their cool down run. To be clear, there were no cars or homes near where the event took place.
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Airport 5k Race
The Airport 5k, benefiting Lifetime Assistance, is being held on Saturday, June 23. Register online through the race website or active.com. This unique course gives runners the opportunity to race on a runway at the Greater Rochester International Airport.
Lifetime Assistance provides services to children and adults with developmental disabilities and their families. Currently they serve over 2,000 people in our area, offering residential services, day services, employment, family support, transportation and community services.
Monday, June 4, 2012
I Am Not Lance
When Lance was training for Le Tour de France he would not miss a training day due to rain. Lance did quite a bit of training in the mountains of North Carolina, along the Blue Ridge Parkway and was known for going out no matter what the weather.
I am not that tough. Sunday was going to be a long ride (60ish miles) with Jan and MW. The professional weather prognosticators gave mixed forcasts, meaning they had no freaking idea if the rain would continue or not. Our 9am ride was canceled due to a downpour. MW wanted to wait and see if it would clear up, I was too impatient and needed to ride.
Jan and I set our bikes up in the basement, plugged in a Coach Troy 90 minute ride up Mt. Lemmon in Arizona dvd and began pedaling. An hour later the sun came out and stayed out as we did a second dvd, a killer 90 minute interval set.
The good news is we both completed our goal of sixty miles on the bike, saved on suntan lotion, washed the floor with our sweat and lost weight.
I am not that tough. Sunday was going to be a long ride (60ish miles) with Jan and MW. The professional weather prognosticators gave mixed forcasts, meaning they had no freaking idea if the rain would continue or not. Our 9am ride was canceled due to a downpour. MW wanted to wait and see if it would clear up, I was too impatient and needed to ride.
Jan and I set our bikes up in the basement, plugged in a Coach Troy 90 minute ride up Mt. Lemmon in Arizona dvd and began pedaling. An hour later the sun came out and stayed out as we did a second dvd, a killer 90 minute interval set.
The good news is we both completed our goal of sixty miles on the bike, saved on suntan lotion, washed the floor with our sweat and lost weight.
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