It's coming right at me. The beginning of a 48 week journey. One that is bound to change my life, redefine my limits, and ultimately earn me the title of IRONMAN. As promised I will bring you every weeks upcoming workouts, as well as a summary of the previous week.
This week I've put in a few miles on the road as well as a visit to the pool and a couple lifting sessions. Unorganized random workouts just to get into the idea of training. Starting Monday this all changes. So here it is: week 1 of the prep period.
Monday -
R: 45 minutes - easy run
S: Distance work - Just see how things are feeling. Easy effort (2600 yds)
WU - 200 swim, 200 kick, 200 pull, 200 swim
Set - 1500 long and strong, just feel things out
CD - 200
Tuesday -
R: 45 minutes - easy run
B: 60 minutes - low effort
Wednesday -
S: Race work - Low yards and only workout so good effort (1700 yds)
WU - 300
Set - 3x400 (good effort on the first, negative split the next two)
CD - 200
Thursday -
R: 90 minutes - easy long run
Friday -
S: Speed set (1400 yds)
WU - 400
Set - 8x100 (25 easy, 25 build, 25 easy, 25 hard)
CD - 200
B: 45 minutes - Easy bike
Saturday - OFF!!!
Sunday -
B: 90 minutes - easy
Here it is! This should be interesting in the first couple of weeks as I am also rehearsing for the musical. Still I should be able to time manage and make everything work. Later!
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Looking Forward
I'm not gonna lie. Ever since I finished the half iron I have been what I like to call "a lazy pile." I've spent more time thinking about training then actually training. But it's been constructive. I've mapped out my potential 2013 season, put together half of the IM training schedule, and done a lot of thinking about what needs to improve. And to be honest with myself, there is quite a bit.
SO. Here is the most likely schedule for next summer. It could very easily change.
-June 2nd - Buffalo Triathlon (sprint)
-June 16th - Hyvee Rochesterfest Triathlon (international)
-June 30th - Waconia Triathlon (sprint ish, the bike is a little long)
-June 13th - Timberman Triathlon (I haven't decided which course yet)
-August 4rd - Brewhouse Triathlon (international)
-September 8th - IRONMAN Wisconsin!!!
There it is. Hopefully I find myself in an employed position that will be flexible enough to allow all this racing. Fingers crossed!
Also. There are rumors of a "Team BOB" in the works. I approve.
Like I said, I've done a lot of thinking about what needs to change going into next season. And one of the first things I thought about was nutrition. I need to gather more information. Eat healthier. And figure out what works as far as "race-day nutrition," especially with an IM on the horizon. My body is going to do the work. I need to give it the right stuff.
Another thing I want to do this year is race more. Check. It seems almost a waste to go through all this training for 2-3 races a year. So, I'm shooting for 6. It should be fun. There may even be room for a road race (probably a half marathon) somewhere in there.
Post race recovery. I need a system that works! I know people who can race every week and be just fine for the next one. My schedule is biweekly so I hope to recover fast and train in between.
Here's a fun one. Bike handling skills... I am the picture perfect stereotype of a triathlete when it comes to the bike. I'm a hazard on two wheels. Basically I'm this tall skinny guy with terrible coordination and even worse balance. I admit it readily. Recovery weeks are going to involve some bike drills.... But here's the thing. I hurt myself and my bike when I do drills cuz I always go down! Drills will be on Phillip (my blue Windsor) not on James (my black Trek.)
And the big one. The reason I haven't had much as far as break out success. Commitment! I am always struggling to get in shape for a race at the last minute. Not because I'm lazy, I just commit to other stuff and training gets put on hold. NOT THIS TIME! The second the musical is finished in early November my only focus over the following 10 months will be IRONMAN. No more making random commitments, 100% triathlon. I have had some pretty great races on last minute training. Just think how good they will be if I'm ready.
Lastly I need to be in shape for the swim. I can kick butt in the water if I'm ready, but since I tend to put training off, preparing for the swim doesn't really happen. And it's still my best leg. I will be in the best swimming shape of my life come next summer. That is a promise.
There you have it folks. I will be posting every week about the upcoming workouts as well as a summary of the previous weeks. Who knows if anyone reads this blog, but either way it will keep me on track.
Finally, a little shout out to my friends and family. I have received, and will most likely continue to receive tons of support for this task that I've chosen to take on. I make a bunch of sacrifices for this sport, and in turn the people close to me do as well. They come to my races, drive me around, cheer me on, support me even when I have a bad race, and even race and train alongside me. It goes miles. IRONMAN will take a lot out of me in the following months and will require myself, my parents, my siblings, my girlfriend, and my other friends to make a lot of sacrifices. You know who you are. Thank you SOOO much for your support. In means more to me then you will ever know. It gets me out of bed and onto the road or into the pool every day to train.
Let's do this.
SO. Here is the most likely schedule for next summer. It could very easily change.
-June 2nd - Buffalo Triathlon (sprint)
-June 16th - Hyvee Rochesterfest Triathlon (international)
-June 30th - Waconia Triathlon (sprint ish, the bike is a little long)
-June 13th - Timberman Triathlon (I haven't decided which course yet)
-August 4rd - Brewhouse Triathlon (international)
-September 8th - IRONMAN Wisconsin!!!
There it is. Hopefully I find myself in an employed position that will be flexible enough to allow all this racing. Fingers crossed!
Also. There are rumors of a "Team BOB" in the works. I approve.
Like I said, I've done a lot of thinking about what needs to change going into next season. And one of the first things I thought about was nutrition. I need to gather more information. Eat healthier. And figure out what works as far as "race-day nutrition," especially with an IM on the horizon. My body is going to do the work. I need to give it the right stuff.
Another thing I want to do this year is race more. Check. It seems almost a waste to go through all this training for 2-3 races a year. So, I'm shooting for 6. It should be fun. There may even be room for a road race (probably a half marathon) somewhere in there.
Post race recovery. I need a system that works! I know people who can race every week and be just fine for the next one. My schedule is biweekly so I hope to recover fast and train in between.
Here's a fun one. Bike handling skills... I am the picture perfect stereotype of a triathlete when it comes to the bike. I'm a hazard on two wheels. Basically I'm this tall skinny guy with terrible coordination and even worse balance. I admit it readily. Recovery weeks are going to involve some bike drills.... But here's the thing. I hurt myself and my bike when I do drills cuz I always go down! Drills will be on Phillip (my blue Windsor) not on James (my black Trek.)
And the big one. The reason I haven't had much as far as break out success. Commitment! I am always struggling to get in shape for a race at the last minute. Not because I'm lazy, I just commit to other stuff and training gets put on hold. NOT THIS TIME! The second the musical is finished in early November my only focus over the following 10 months will be IRONMAN. No more making random commitments, 100% triathlon. I have had some pretty great races on last minute training. Just think how good they will be if I'm ready.
Lastly I need to be in shape for the swim. I can kick butt in the water if I'm ready, but since I tend to put training off, preparing for the swim doesn't really happen. And it's still my best leg. I will be in the best swimming shape of my life come next summer. That is a promise.
There you have it folks. I will be posting every week about the upcoming workouts as well as a summary of the previous weeks. Who knows if anyone reads this blog, but either way it will keep me on track.
Finally, a little shout out to my friends and family. I have received, and will most likely continue to receive tons of support for this task that I've chosen to take on. I make a bunch of sacrifices for this sport, and in turn the people close to me do as well. They come to my races, drive me around, cheer me on, support me even when I have a bad race, and even race and train alongside me. It goes miles. IRONMAN will take a lot out of me in the following months and will require myself, my parents, my siblings, my girlfriend, and my other friends to make a lot of sacrifices. You know who you are. Thank you SOOO much for your support. In means more to me then you will ever know. It gets me out of bed and onto the road or into the pool every day to train.
Let's do this.
Thursday, September 20, 2012
IRONMAN Wisconsin
So. I've talked about it. I've dreamed about it. I've planned for it. Now I'm signed up for it! That's right, I am racing IRONMAN next summer and I couldn't be more excited or more nervous about a single thing in my life.
I have chosen to race IM Wisconsin primarily because of location and timing. Living and training in this area of the country makes late summer/early fall the perfect time for racing a distance like this. The race will take place on September 8th 2013. Believe me when I say that date is constantly on my mind. But here's the big question: what is my game plan?!?!
I wish I knew more people who could give me a better idea of how to train for such a distance, but I don't. I have, however, read quite a bit about training for an all day race and I feel confident in my ability to throw something together. Here's my general plan:
44 weeks out: 20 week program focused on building volume and distance.
Weeks 1-3: Prep
Weeks 4-6: Base 1
Week 7: Recovery
Weeks 8-10: Base 2
Week 11: Recovery
Weeks 12-14: Base 3
Week 15: Recovery
Weeks 16-17: Build 1
Week 18: Recovery
Weeks 19-20: Build 2
24 weeks out: 4 week recovery period focused on low volume/low intensity with some occasional low volume/high intensity workouts.
20 weeks out: 20 week program incorporating the built up higher volume along with high intensity workouts. Will contain around 4-5 shorter distance races (sprint and olympic distance) from late May through early August. My overall structure is not planned yet as I am waiting until I figure out my race schedule.
I will probably start the whole thing about 48 weeks out to give me a buffer for the various interruptions such as my week deer hunting in Alabama and the spring break choir tour, but there you have it! At the end of October I will start my prep weeks and there won't be any turning back!
That's it for now. I hope to gain a few "fans" for this race as I can use all the support I can get. So if you're interested in heading to Wisconsin next September with me and my family, just let me know! You'll love the triathlon experience!
I have chosen to race IM Wisconsin primarily because of location and timing. Living and training in this area of the country makes late summer/early fall the perfect time for racing a distance like this. The race will take place on September 8th 2013. Believe me when I say that date is constantly on my mind. But here's the big question: what is my game plan?!?!
I wish I knew more people who could give me a better idea of how to train for such a distance, but I don't. I have, however, read quite a bit about training for an all day race and I feel confident in my ability to throw something together. Here's my general plan:
44 weeks out: 20 week program focused on building volume and distance.
Weeks 1-3: Prep
Weeks 4-6: Base 1
Week 7: Recovery
Weeks 8-10: Base 2
Week 11: Recovery
Weeks 12-14: Base 3
Week 15: Recovery
Weeks 16-17: Build 1
Week 18: Recovery
Weeks 19-20: Build 2
24 weeks out: 4 week recovery period focused on low volume/low intensity with some occasional low volume/high intensity workouts.
20 weeks out: 20 week program incorporating the built up higher volume along with high intensity workouts. Will contain around 4-5 shorter distance races (sprint and olympic distance) from late May through early August. My overall structure is not planned yet as I am waiting until I figure out my race schedule.
I will probably start the whole thing about 48 weeks out to give me a buffer for the various interruptions such as my week deer hunting in Alabama and the spring break choir tour, but there you have it! At the end of October I will start my prep weeks and there won't be any turning back!
That's it for now. I hope to gain a few "fans" for this race as I can use all the support I can get. So if you're interested in heading to Wisconsin next September with me and my family, just let me know! You'll love the triathlon experience!
Monday, September 17, 2012
SuperiorMan Race Report
Well hey! So this one time I signed up for a half-ironman distance tri, and tried to get ready in three weeks. Here's what happened...
Taylor and I met up with my parents at the hotel on Saturday afternoon and we all headed to race packet pick-up. I grabbed my stuff, dropped off my bike, and stayed for a brief race meeting. Then it was off to dinner at the Brewhouse and back to the room to get some rest. Safe to say I was on edge at this point... Nerves were kickin in.
Sunday morning I was up at 4:30 and getting ready. Dad drove me to the race and I got everything set up and drank an Ensure to get some carbs and calories. I used the bathroom only twice.... which has to be a record! All that was left was the waiting.
The race!
1.2 mile swim; 56 mile bike; 13.1 mile run
Goal 1: Finish in 5 hours 45 minutes
Goal 2: Have fun!
Race plan: I want to take things out decently hard in the swim using long hard strokes with minimal kicking. Exit the water feeling warmed up and ready for the rest of the race. Take transitions nice and easy, no need to rush. Get on the bike and once I'm done with all the turns settle into the aero position. Use the wind going at my back in the first half but don't push it because it will be coming at me in the second half and I'll need fresh legs to fight it. Get into T2 and stretch out as I'm running in and changing shoes. Exit T2, don't get excited and start running hard!!! Find a smooth controlled pace that I can hold. Don't walk.
Swim: I started in wave 2 @ around 7:00. Wave 1 was at 6:30, the slower swimmers. The way it started was jumping off of the Vista Fleet one at a time in 4 second intervals. I was probably about 4th to last to for getting in the water. Choppy water! I swam hard but had difficulty seeing anything, it was dark and I was wearing shaded lenses, causing me to swim extra yards because I was not going straight. I passed quite a few people and exited the water. Timing chip problem. The clock had me at 50 minutes!!! Funny because I got out of the water at 7:42 and my wave, which I was near the end of started after 7. I'm guessing my time was about 32 minutes.
T1: The run from the ladder exit until the Amsoil arena was about 100 meters. Upon entering the arena we were forced to walk because of the slippery wet concrete. Frustrating! It took at least two minutes to walk to my bike, such a waste of time! Transition went well and I was out in about 5 minutes.
Bike: Have you ever heard me mention that I seem to have bad luck. I do. Over 11 miles into the bike I was making great time without using much energy at all. And then I blew a tire. Are you kidding me! Right then and there I quit the sport of triathlon. I was beyond pissed. Year after year I faced bad luck always having something go wrong and I was just fed up with it. My race was done. I looked down at my watch and I had been stopped for 6 minutes. That's when something clicked. I didn't want to quit, I've invested so much in this sport and I'm not finished. There were repair vehicles available during the race and I knew there was a cop at the 10 mile point whom I could get to radio them. I grabbed my bike and starting running backwards up the race course. After about a mile the repair van saw me running carrying a bike and came over to fix things up. All in all I waited 18 minutes and was in dead last but I was going again. Mentally shaken from my "quitting triathlon" breakdown I was determined to make up the lost time and pushed hard with the wind at my back. I hit the turnaround and gritted my teeth to take on the wind. I had made up 5 minutes that I had lost, even with doing an extra mile. The last 26 miles into the wind were not exactly fast, but I maintained my goal pace and even came back a little. I hit the 55 mile marker and began to surge for the last mile... which ended up being nearly 2 miles. Great! A 57 mile bike course... a little error is fine but a whole mile was just ridiculous. I was a little upset with the race coordinators at that point. I got off the bike and headed into T2. Bike time: 3:30. With an 18 minute break, doing mile 11 over again, and having an extra mile on the course. I was pretty pleased with my bike split. Without any of that it would have been about a 3:05.
T2: I was still fairly close to being in last place. Coming into the transition I knew I had work to do on the run. But my legs felt okay. So I made quick work of the transition. Used the bathroom and headed out to the run. I took a little over 2 minutes.
Run: Still having the "make up lost time" mentality, I began the run at under an 8 minute mile pace. I hit 4 miles at 31 minutes and realized my legs were finished. I tried walking for a minute and then assumed a nice slow running pace. At mile 6 my time was just over 49 minutes. I had pushed the bike much harder then planned and it was coming back to haunt me. My final 7 miles was a walk run mixture. Those miles were some of the hardest and most painful I have ever run. My legs just couldn't maintain anything. And once again the course was long, probably by about a half mile. I crossed the finish line and it was over. I've never felt so physically and mentally defeated in my life. My run time: 2:15. Awful.
I crossed that finish line feeling incredibly defeated. My overall time was a 6:40. Adjusting for the timing chip error on the swim, my time was about 6:22. Still over 30 minutes off of my goal. Although I had just successfully finished a race that many could only ever dream of doing I was disappointed. But that's life, and that's racing. I'm not giving up. I will get back out there and race again and again. And I will get better.
Thanks for reading!
Taylor and I met up with my parents at the hotel on Saturday afternoon and we all headed to race packet pick-up. I grabbed my stuff, dropped off my bike, and stayed for a brief race meeting. Then it was off to dinner at the Brewhouse and back to the room to get some rest. Safe to say I was on edge at this point... Nerves were kickin in.
Sunday morning I was up at 4:30 and getting ready. Dad drove me to the race and I got everything set up and drank an Ensure to get some carbs and calories. I used the bathroom only twice.... which has to be a record! All that was left was the waiting.
The race!
1.2 mile swim; 56 mile bike; 13.1 mile run
Goal 1: Finish in 5 hours 45 minutes
Goal 2: Have fun!
Race plan: I want to take things out decently hard in the swim using long hard strokes with minimal kicking. Exit the water feeling warmed up and ready for the rest of the race. Take transitions nice and easy, no need to rush. Get on the bike and once I'm done with all the turns settle into the aero position. Use the wind going at my back in the first half but don't push it because it will be coming at me in the second half and I'll need fresh legs to fight it. Get into T2 and stretch out as I'm running in and changing shoes. Exit T2, don't get excited and start running hard!!! Find a smooth controlled pace that I can hold. Don't walk.
Swim: I started in wave 2 @ around 7:00. Wave 1 was at 6:30, the slower swimmers. The way it started was jumping off of the Vista Fleet one at a time in 4 second intervals. I was probably about 4th to last to for getting in the water. Choppy water! I swam hard but had difficulty seeing anything, it was dark and I was wearing shaded lenses, causing me to swim extra yards because I was not going straight. I passed quite a few people and exited the water. Timing chip problem. The clock had me at 50 minutes!!! Funny because I got out of the water at 7:42 and my wave, which I was near the end of started after 7. I'm guessing my time was about 32 minutes.
T1: The run from the ladder exit until the Amsoil arena was about 100 meters. Upon entering the arena we were forced to walk because of the slippery wet concrete. Frustrating! It took at least two minutes to walk to my bike, such a waste of time! Transition went well and I was out in about 5 minutes.
Bike: Have you ever heard me mention that I seem to have bad luck. I do. Over 11 miles into the bike I was making great time without using much energy at all. And then I blew a tire. Are you kidding me! Right then and there I quit the sport of triathlon. I was beyond pissed. Year after year I faced bad luck always having something go wrong and I was just fed up with it. My race was done. I looked down at my watch and I had been stopped for 6 minutes. That's when something clicked. I didn't want to quit, I've invested so much in this sport and I'm not finished. There were repair vehicles available during the race and I knew there was a cop at the 10 mile point whom I could get to radio them. I grabbed my bike and starting running backwards up the race course. After about a mile the repair van saw me running carrying a bike and came over to fix things up. All in all I waited 18 minutes and was in dead last but I was going again. Mentally shaken from my "quitting triathlon" breakdown I was determined to make up the lost time and pushed hard with the wind at my back. I hit the turnaround and gritted my teeth to take on the wind. I had made up 5 minutes that I had lost, even with doing an extra mile. The last 26 miles into the wind were not exactly fast, but I maintained my goal pace and even came back a little. I hit the 55 mile marker and began to surge for the last mile... which ended up being nearly 2 miles. Great! A 57 mile bike course... a little error is fine but a whole mile was just ridiculous. I was a little upset with the race coordinators at that point. I got off the bike and headed into T2. Bike time: 3:30. With an 18 minute break, doing mile 11 over again, and having an extra mile on the course. I was pretty pleased with my bike split. Without any of that it would have been about a 3:05.
T2: I was still fairly close to being in last place. Coming into the transition I knew I had work to do on the run. But my legs felt okay. So I made quick work of the transition. Used the bathroom and headed out to the run. I took a little over 2 minutes.
Run: Still having the "make up lost time" mentality, I began the run at under an 8 minute mile pace. I hit 4 miles at 31 minutes and realized my legs were finished. I tried walking for a minute and then assumed a nice slow running pace. At mile 6 my time was just over 49 minutes. I had pushed the bike much harder then planned and it was coming back to haunt me. My final 7 miles was a walk run mixture. Those miles were some of the hardest and most painful I have ever run. My legs just couldn't maintain anything. And once again the course was long, probably by about a half mile. I crossed the finish line and it was over. I've never felt so physically and mentally defeated in my life. My run time: 2:15. Awful.
I crossed that finish line feeling incredibly defeated. My overall time was a 6:40. Adjusting for the timing chip error on the swim, my time was about 6:22. Still over 30 minutes off of my goal. Although I had just successfully finished a race that many could only ever dream of doing I was disappointed. But that's life, and that's racing. I'm not giving up. I will get back out there and race again and again. And I will get better.
Thanks for reading!
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Preparing for 70.3
If you've been reading my blog you have probably noticed a pattern. I am a busy guy who tends to get ready for races much later than when I would like. This is a change that I need to make for the 2013 season. Especially with the number of races I plan on doing. Unfortunately training for the SuperiorMan was no exception to my procrastination. I struggled with doing the work while I was working all day everyday at summer camp, and settled for a plan of about 3 six mile runs a week. I finished camp with 3 weeks to go before the race. Not a whole lot of time to build a lot of endurance.
The good thing was that my run was still in pretty fair condition so my main focus was miles on the bike and getting in the pool for some workouts. I hit training hard doing at least 2 workouts a day, which meant being very lazy in between. With working out at least 3 hours a day I knew I could get my body ready to do this race. I put in some great long distance bike/run blocks simulating my goal paces as well as near to race distance bike rides all the while practicing some race nutrition.
Once again my bad luck struck. On a 50 mile bike ride I lost control going over a gravel patch on a turn and went down. I bruised muscles in my hip and butt and had scrapes all over my left side. One week before the race. I hate to say it but this was the closest I had come to quitting this sport, I have gotten so sick of my rotten luck during the summers and the races with injuries, personal life issues, equipment problems, and just lack of time to commit to training. It feels like I am having one pitfall after another...
I didn't quit. But I did, however, suffer from the situation. I was basically unable to train other than swimming for the next week. Which was no good with a 70.3 mile race looming.
But what happens happens and all we have to do is give our best efforts in spite of what cards have been dealt to us. So I packed up my college stuff and moved in to my apartment just as planned a few days before the race and then met up with my girlfriend and headed to Duluth. It was go time.
The good thing was that my run was still in pretty fair condition so my main focus was miles on the bike and getting in the pool for some workouts. I hit training hard doing at least 2 workouts a day, which meant being very lazy in between. With working out at least 3 hours a day I knew I could get my body ready to do this race. I put in some great long distance bike/run blocks simulating my goal paces as well as near to race distance bike rides all the while practicing some race nutrition.
Once again my bad luck struck. On a 50 mile bike ride I lost control going over a gravel patch on a turn and went down. I bruised muscles in my hip and butt and had scrapes all over my left side. One week before the race. I hate to say it but this was the closest I had come to quitting this sport, I have gotten so sick of my rotten luck during the summers and the races with injuries, personal life issues, equipment problems, and just lack of time to commit to training. It feels like I am having one pitfall after another...
I didn't quit. But I did, however, suffer from the situation. I was basically unable to train other than swimming for the next week. Which was no good with a 70.3 mile race looming.
But what happens happens and all we have to do is give our best efforts in spite of what cards have been dealt to us. So I packed up my college stuff and moved in to my apartment just as planned a few days before the race and then met up with my girlfriend and headed to Duluth. It was go time.
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Buffalo Triathlon Race Report
Hello readers! It's been too long since I've blogged, but I promise to get caught up and keep em comin! I have about three blogs to do to catch up to today so bear with me. The first: Buffalo tri!
What a fun race! This event is definitely becoming my favorite race. The atmosphere, organization, and sheer size of the event make it such a great experience. And this year I had the added bonus of having family members race along side me. I challenged my Mary, Bill, and Andrew to make a relay to race me and they were all for it! Also my parents jumped into the event and did a relay with one of my sister's friends. Making for a wonderful family experience!
The race: Buffalo Triathlon: 1/4 mile swim; 13 mile bike; 3 mile run
Goal 1: Finish in 1:08
Goal 2: Finish in top 100
Once again it was a big sprint course with just under 1000 athletes. My goal for a 1:08 finish was outlined with a swim/T1 time of 7:30 a bike/T2 time of 41:00 and a run time of 20:00. Going into the race I knew these would be tough goals for various reasons. First of all, working all day every day at a bible camp left little time for training, so my biking and running was limited and my swimming was nonexistent. Another was the bike course. For the season I had worked on improving the bike leg as well as purchased a new bike, however the course was changed due to construction at the last minute causing us to race on a hilly course. With that in mind my strategy changed. I decided to all out attack the bike to get through those hills. After all, it's a sprint course...
Lining up for the start I knew my strength (the swim) would not be as good as in the past but I still had confidence to be one of the first out of the water. My sister and her friend started in a wave 4 minutes before me so I knew I had someone to chase. I was out of the water in 6:04 (29th)... ouch! I hustled into transition and was out of there with a swim/T1 time of 8:29. Time to ride! Like I planned I attacked the course, which for me, means I was still getting passed plenty. I caught my mom before the two mile and flew past, now I had to get Andrew. The hills were brutal but I didn't let up, after the swim I'd already lost a minute on my goal. No time to relax. I caught Andrew after mile 7 and kept surging. I could tell as was working but it was my plan, I was gonna stick to it. I hit the finish line in just under 40 minutes feeling great about the bike split. I exited T2 with a bike/T2 time of 40:58. With the tough bike course and still hitting my bike goal, I felt good.
I hit the run ready to make up more lost time fro. the swim, but found my bike legs were not disappearing as fast as I would like. I tried to stretch out the stride but everything stayed tight. Holy crap! I was tired and tight. Oh well, screw it! I shortened my stride and settled to run on biking legs. Almost immediately I was losing ground and I knew it, but the muscles just were not gonna fire. I held on, did what I could, and finished with a run of 21:21, not even under 7 minute miles... Lesson learned: Don't use it all on the bike.
I finished the race in 88th place, 10th in my AG. My final time was 1:10:45, 2 minutes slower than I wanted to be, but not every race is your best.
Breakdown:
Swim: 6:04 (29th) T1: 2:25 Bike: 39:50 (212th) T2: 1:08 Run: 21:21 (73rd)
My family all finished and loved the experience, I hope they want to do do it again. Overall it was great event although my finishing time wasn't what I had hoped. But hey! I dropped nearly 4 minutes from last year's time, so that is something to be proud of. Next year I will be back and I have even higher hopes! I am really looking forward to taking things to the next level and having a serious time cut at Buffalo!
Next up: Superior Man Triathlon. My first 70.3!!!
What a fun race! This event is definitely becoming my favorite race. The atmosphere, organization, and sheer size of the event make it such a great experience. And this year I had the added bonus of having family members race along side me. I challenged my Mary, Bill, and Andrew to make a relay to race me and they were all for it! Also my parents jumped into the event and did a relay with one of my sister's friends. Making for a wonderful family experience!
The race: Buffalo Triathlon: 1/4 mile swim; 13 mile bike; 3 mile run
Goal 1: Finish in 1:08
Goal 2: Finish in top 100
Once again it was a big sprint course with just under 1000 athletes. My goal for a 1:08 finish was outlined with a swim/T1 time of 7:30 a bike/T2 time of 41:00 and a run time of 20:00. Going into the race I knew these would be tough goals for various reasons. First of all, working all day every day at a bible camp left little time for training, so my biking and running was limited and my swimming was nonexistent. Another was the bike course. For the season I had worked on improving the bike leg as well as purchased a new bike, however the course was changed due to construction at the last minute causing us to race on a hilly course. With that in mind my strategy changed. I decided to all out attack the bike to get through those hills. After all, it's a sprint course...
Lining up for the start I knew my strength (the swim) would not be as good as in the past but I still had confidence to be one of the first out of the water. My sister and her friend started in a wave 4 minutes before me so I knew I had someone to chase. I was out of the water in 6:04 (29th)... ouch! I hustled into transition and was out of there with a swim/T1 time of 8:29. Time to ride! Like I planned I attacked the course, which for me, means I was still getting passed plenty. I caught my mom before the two mile and flew past, now I had to get Andrew. The hills were brutal but I didn't let up, after the swim I'd already lost a minute on my goal. No time to relax. I caught Andrew after mile 7 and kept surging. I could tell as was working but it was my plan, I was gonna stick to it. I hit the finish line in just under 40 minutes feeling great about the bike split. I exited T2 with a bike/T2 time of 40:58. With the tough bike course and still hitting my bike goal, I felt good.
I hit the run ready to make up more lost time fro. the swim, but found my bike legs were not disappearing as fast as I would like. I tried to stretch out the stride but everything stayed tight. Holy crap! I was tired and tight. Oh well, screw it! I shortened my stride and settled to run on biking legs. Almost immediately I was losing ground and I knew it, but the muscles just were not gonna fire. I held on, did what I could, and finished with a run of 21:21, not even under 7 minute miles... Lesson learned: Don't use it all on the bike.
I finished the race in 88th place, 10th in my AG. My final time was 1:10:45, 2 minutes slower than I wanted to be, but not every race is your best.
Breakdown:
Swim: 6:04 (29th) T1: 2:25 Bike: 39:50 (212th) T2: 1:08 Run: 21:21 (73rd)
My family all finished and loved the experience, I hope they want to do do it again. Overall it was great event although my finishing time wasn't what I had hoped. But hey! I dropped nearly 4 minutes from last year's time, so that is something to be proud of. Next year I will be back and I have even higher hopes! I am really looking forward to taking things to the next level and having a serious time cut at Buffalo!
Next up: Superior Man Triathlon. My first 70.3!!!
Monday, June 11, 2012
Fargo Half-marathon race report!
So this is a little late but better late than never!
Race distance: 13.1 miles
Competitors: 6000
Goal1: Under 1:30:00 (6:52 pace)
Goal 2: Top 100 racers
As I had mentioned in my previous blog I was coming off of a ligament strain in my knee and started running after a 3 week break about ten days before my race. All in all I was a little apprehensive about my goals so I hatched a race plan of go out hard and build up something of a buffer for my pace to slide. I planned to take out the first 3 miles at under a 6:40 pace. Then settle into my 6:52 pace and then use whatever I had left in the last few miles to hold on.
The race: I lined up with my brother and my friend Samantha who had also decided to take on the race. This put me pretty far back from the actually start line. I knew I would be passing a lot of people in the beginning but it would be something to make a game out of and keep my mind off of the race. Unfortunately it ended up being extremely congested and I wasted a lot of energy working through people in the first mile through accelerating and slowing and weaving back and forth. However my first mile ended up being a 6:38, feeling little strain or exhaustion I hammered the pace for the next few miles. I hit the 5 mile point at 32:32 and I knew I was in a good position well ahead of my goal pace.
I kept plugging away at a pace faster then my goal pace for the next 5 miles hitting the 10 mile mark at 1:05:45. That's when it started to hurt. My legs were tight and sore from pushing a pace much faster than I had anticipated. Knowing that I was well ahead of my goal pace I gave in to the pain and slowed down. It is so easy to think that you will just push through things mentally but when the moments actually arrive sometimes you just give in, and I did. My pace slowed to above 7 minute miles. And I had only a brief kick with about one minute to go. Finishing the last 3.1 miles in 21:56 for a total time of 1:27:41. I was happy with that! Well ahead of my goal and finishing 55 overall.
Basically a success! I was extremely happy, and took a lot out of the experience, I will definitely be back to Fargo in 2013!
Next up Buffalo triathlon race report!
Race distance: 13.1 miles
Competitors: 6000
Goal1: Under 1:30:00 (6:52 pace)
Goal 2: Top 100 racers
As I had mentioned in my previous blog I was coming off of a ligament strain in my knee and started running after a 3 week break about ten days before my race. All in all I was a little apprehensive about my goals so I hatched a race plan of go out hard and build up something of a buffer for my pace to slide. I planned to take out the first 3 miles at under a 6:40 pace. Then settle into my 6:52 pace and then use whatever I had left in the last few miles to hold on.
The race: I lined up with my brother and my friend Samantha who had also decided to take on the race. This put me pretty far back from the actually start line. I knew I would be passing a lot of people in the beginning but it would be something to make a game out of and keep my mind off of the race. Unfortunately it ended up being extremely congested and I wasted a lot of energy working through people in the first mile through accelerating and slowing and weaving back and forth. However my first mile ended up being a 6:38, feeling little strain or exhaustion I hammered the pace for the next few miles. I hit the 5 mile point at 32:32 and I knew I was in a good position well ahead of my goal pace.
I kept plugging away at a pace faster then my goal pace for the next 5 miles hitting the 10 mile mark at 1:05:45. That's when it started to hurt. My legs were tight and sore from pushing a pace much faster than I had anticipated. Knowing that I was well ahead of my goal pace I gave in to the pain and slowed down. It is so easy to think that you will just push through things mentally but when the moments actually arrive sometimes you just give in, and I did. My pace slowed to above 7 minute miles. And I had only a brief kick with about one minute to go. Finishing the last 3.1 miles in 21:56 for a total time of 1:27:41. I was happy with that! Well ahead of my goal and finishing 55 overall.
Basically a success! I was extremely happy, and took a lot out of the experience, I will definitely be back to Fargo in 2013!
Next up Buffalo triathlon race report!
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Hello Ironman 70.3! Fargo half preview
So... I have the unfortunate situation of no longer being able to go to Australia to study abroad next semester. Bummer... however as an athlete I will be able to benefit from this. My Ironman goals have often been put to the wayside so that I can take other opportunities but this time I am going straight for it. I will be competing at the end of August in the inaugural Superior Man triathlon in Duluth, MN. For those of you who are not familiar with the 70.3 races, they are a half-distance Ironman. That means: 1.2 mile swim; 56 mile bike; and a 13.1 mile half marathon run!!! More on training for that at a later time.
But now... the Fargo half-marathon is comin up. I have four days left and getting back into shape after an MCL injury hasn't been the easiest. I started running again 6 days ago (10 days before the race.) Safe to say I'm not as in shape as I would like to be, however my goals still stand.
Goal 1: Finish under 1:30:00 (6:52/mile)
Goal 2: Finish in the top 100
On Saturday I tried a 10 mile medium effort run coming in at 74 minutes. And have been running easy hour runs until today I tried out a 5 mile run at my goal race pace, I came in at 34 minutes a 6:48 pace that felt a little too tough for comfort... But, it is what it is, and positive thoughts and hopefully the racing atmosphere will help me to realize my goals. The next couple of days I will have some easy shorter runs and no more workouts. Wish me luck, race report coming soon! Thanks for reading! :)
But now... the Fargo half-marathon is comin up. I have four days left and getting back into shape after an MCL injury hasn't been the easiest. I started running again 6 days ago (10 days before the race.) Safe to say I'm not as in shape as I would like to be, however my goals still stand.
Goal 1: Finish under 1:30:00 (6:52/mile)
Goal 2: Finish in the top 100
On Saturday I tried a 10 mile medium effort run coming in at 74 minutes. And have been running easy hour runs until today I tried out a 5 mile run at my goal race pace, I came in at 34 minutes a 6:48 pace that felt a little too tough for comfort... But, it is what it is, and positive thoughts and hopefully the racing atmosphere will help me to realize my goals. The next couple of days I will have some easy shorter runs and no more workouts. Wish me luck, race report coming soon! Thanks for reading! :)
Friday, May 11, 2012
It's Triathlon Season!!!
It's been a while but not much has happened. Once again I have hit a streak of bad luck... First getting hit by the car delayed my training, then bad weather kept interfering with the 5k in the outdoor season, and finally I strained my MCL playing tennis... talented.
That about sums up the month of April for me, however I left out one good point. PR in my 5k in the middle of all that bad luck at an 18:30. But now for the fun stuff.... my upcoming summer!
As I already mentioned I am heading to Australia at the end of July cutting my season a little short. However I will still get in a couple races. First next Saturday is the Fargo half-marathon. Due to the MCL strain I'm not quite in the shape I would like to be but I plan to make do. 6,000 runners and I would like to crack the top 100.
Buffalo!!! This has been my favorite race to date so I am comin back! This year I challenged my brother, sister, and brother-in-law to race me. Them as a relay, me as an individual. Also my parents and a friend will be forming a relay. It will be a family function this year and I am beyond excited.
A third race is still up in the air... I am looking into either the MinneMan in Oak Grove, MN or the smaller but more convenient Bismarck Tri. Stay tuned for the Fargo half race report comin next week!
That about sums up the month of April for me, however I left out one good point. PR in my 5k in the middle of all that bad luck at an 18:30. But now for the fun stuff.... my upcoming summer!
As I already mentioned I am heading to Australia at the end of July cutting my season a little short. However I will still get in a couple races. First next Saturday is the Fargo half-marathon. Due to the MCL strain I'm not quite in the shape I would like to be but I plan to make do. 6,000 runners and I would like to crack the top 100.
Buffalo!!! This has been my favorite race to date so I am comin back! This year I challenged my brother, sister, and brother-in-law to race me. Them as a relay, me as an individual. Also my parents and a friend will be forming a relay. It will be a family function this year and I am beyond excited.
A third race is still up in the air... I am looking into either the MinneMan in Oak Grove, MN or the smaller but more convenient Bismarck Tri. Stay tuned for the Fargo half race report comin next week!
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Between Then and Now
So a few months have passed since last July. In that time a few exciting things have happened.
1. I got a new bike!!! My biking can use all the help it can get so I looked for an affordable yet fast triathlon racing bike. My previous had just been a simple road bike. With pedals shoes and accessories the whole thing cost me about $3000... Yeah, I justify it by saying it's my first car...
2. My second and final season of cross country came and went. Once again my goals were to finish every race and never finish last. I never finished last and I finished every race, even the one that I stopped and threw up after three miles. Jamestown caf food. Nuff said. I finished the season with a PR of 31:42 at our home meet. Over a minute and a half faster than last year's PR.
3. I'm going to Australia!!! At least I hope so... I have been accepted to study abroad at the University of Western Sydney! I just need to make sure my credits over there will transfer otherwise I can't go. Crossing my fingers!
4. Indoor track is over and we are on to outdoor. I took the final weeks of February and the first couple weeks of March off to avoid the same mistake of that need for recovery in late April of 2011. Learning how your body works is key. Unfortunately my motivation level has been down lately. I think I'm just getting tired from the day to day craziness of the life of a college student (who seems to commit to way to much...) It is getting to the point where I don't feel good on my easy runs, keep pressing and hope it's just a lull.
5. I had a first, and not a good one. I got hit by a car two weeks ago on my run. I stayed on my feet but still got nailed pretty hard on the hip and butt. A setback that I could've gone without. The worst part is he kept driving after blowing a stop sign and hitting a runner... not cool! But I'm feeling fine now.
That's it for now! The next blog should be about my upcoming summer races and then on to blogging about the current track season and workouts. We are all caught up to present day, I hope you enjoyed the brief history! Thanks for reading!
1. I got a new bike!!! My biking can use all the help it can get so I looked for an affordable yet fast triathlon racing bike. My previous had just been a simple road bike. With pedals shoes and accessories the whole thing cost me about $3000... Yeah, I justify it by saying it's my first car...
2. My second and final season of cross country came and went. Once again my goals were to finish every race and never finish last. I never finished last and I finished every race, even the one that I stopped and threw up after three miles. Jamestown caf food. Nuff said. I finished the season with a PR of 31:42 at our home meet. Over a minute and a half faster than last year's PR.
3. I'm going to Australia!!! At least I hope so... I have been accepted to study abroad at the University of Western Sydney! I just need to make sure my credits over there will transfer otherwise I can't go. Crossing my fingers!
4. Indoor track is over and we are on to outdoor. I took the final weeks of February and the first couple weeks of March off to avoid the same mistake of that need for recovery in late April of 2011. Learning how your body works is key. Unfortunately my motivation level has been down lately. I think I'm just getting tired from the day to day craziness of the life of a college student (who seems to commit to way to much...) It is getting to the point where I don't feel good on my easy runs, keep pressing and hope it's just a lull.
5. I had a first, and not a good one. I got hit by a car two weeks ago on my run. I stayed on my feet but still got nailed pretty hard on the hip and butt. A setback that I could've gone without. The worst part is he kept driving after blowing a stop sign and hitting a runner... not cool! But I'm feeling fine now.
That's it for now! The next blog should be about my upcoming summer races and then on to blogging about the current track season and workouts. We are all caught up to present day, I hope you enjoyed the brief history! Thanks for reading!
Monday, April 9, 2012
Timberman Triathlon
Finally.
I had wanted to do this race since 2007, it was now 2011. Better late then never. I would like to say that with the many years of anticipation leading up to this event that this was a perfect race. That didn't happen. Racing is about mentality, if something goes wrong in your personal life an endurance race can really tank. Triathletes of all levels, even the pros, have bad races when they are having bad days. I was having a bad day...
We don't need to go into too many details but long story short: I was in the process of being dumped, so my head wasn't in it. I was convinced that I could show up and still race at my peak level, but when you are out on the course for over two hours there is a lot of time for thinking, and when that thinking is missing some positive thoughts, your best is not what is going to happen.
I don't mean to blame my ex or make excuses for a poor race. She is a wonderful person and I respect her decision, at the same time I won't pretend it didn't effect my race. But enough of that, how about the race!!!
Timberman Triathlon, June 9th 2011: 1 mile swim; 22.9 mile bike; 6 mile run
Race plan/goals: Go out hard on the swim, do your thing! Improve on T1 from Buffalo's disaster. Steady on the bike, working too hard will screw over the whole race. Even paced run, assess level of fatigue and decide on a pace that can be held for 6 miles. Crank it up at the end! Goal time 2:28:00
Swim: Rain delay for the start, not a pretty day. I sprinted out the first couple of minutes and then settled into a long strong stroke with little kicking. I held on a guys wake for the first half and then pushed ahead of him at the turn around. Came out at 20 minutes, not great but not bad. Also I wasn't really tired so that was a good sign. 20th overall 2nd in my AG
T1: I made some improvements. I had my clothes on under the wetsuit however I still struggled getting it off, maybe removing the timing chip will be faster? Try it next year. 2:26 not bad.
Bike: Long... Slower course and my weakness. Huge 4 mile climb that is repeated as it's a two loop course, however that climb is undone by a fast 1 mile steep downhill. 2nd time around I missed the turn and ended up doing probably an extra 3/4 mile, oh well. The 2nd loop the climb killed me. Rough bike time, especially with that extra distance. 1:24 104th overall 7th in AG
T2: Smooth and fast, highest ranking of the day at 12th, counts for something. 0:51
Run: After a bad bike I really needed to make up ground. I flew for the first mile at a 6:45 and realized it was too fast. I settled at about a 7:30 pace for the next two miles but I was getting tired. My pace dropped dramatically and I hardly had any kick. 47:30 an average of 7:55. 52nd overall and 6th in my age group.
Final time: 2:35:27 69th out of 120 and 7th out of 7 in my AG. Definitely room for improvement. These Olympic distance athletes were far better than the sprint course athletes I had encountered in buffalo. But it was a start, I had completed my first triathlon season.
I had wanted to do this race since 2007, it was now 2011. Better late then never. I would like to say that with the many years of anticipation leading up to this event that this was a perfect race. That didn't happen. Racing is about mentality, if something goes wrong in your personal life an endurance race can really tank. Triathletes of all levels, even the pros, have bad races when they are having bad days. I was having a bad day...
We don't need to go into too many details but long story short: I was in the process of being dumped, so my head wasn't in it. I was convinced that I could show up and still race at my peak level, but when you are out on the course for over two hours there is a lot of time for thinking, and when that thinking is missing some positive thoughts, your best is not what is going to happen.
I don't mean to blame my ex or make excuses for a poor race. She is a wonderful person and I respect her decision, at the same time I won't pretend it didn't effect my race. But enough of that, how about the race!!!
Timberman Triathlon, June 9th 2011: 1 mile swim; 22.9 mile bike; 6 mile run
Race plan/goals: Go out hard on the swim, do your thing! Improve on T1 from Buffalo's disaster. Steady on the bike, working too hard will screw over the whole race. Even paced run, assess level of fatigue and decide on a pace that can be held for 6 miles. Crank it up at the end! Goal time 2:28:00
Swim: Rain delay for the start, not a pretty day. I sprinted out the first couple of minutes and then settled into a long strong stroke with little kicking. I held on a guys wake for the first half and then pushed ahead of him at the turn around. Came out at 20 minutes, not great but not bad. Also I wasn't really tired so that was a good sign. 20th overall 2nd in my AG
T1: I made some improvements. I had my clothes on under the wetsuit however I still struggled getting it off, maybe removing the timing chip will be faster? Try it next year. 2:26 not bad.
Bike: Long... Slower course and my weakness. Huge 4 mile climb that is repeated as it's a two loop course, however that climb is undone by a fast 1 mile steep downhill. 2nd time around I missed the turn and ended up doing probably an extra 3/4 mile, oh well. The 2nd loop the climb killed me. Rough bike time, especially with that extra distance. 1:24 104th overall 7th in AG
T2: Smooth and fast, highest ranking of the day at 12th, counts for something. 0:51
Run: After a bad bike I really needed to make up ground. I flew for the first mile at a 6:45 and realized it was too fast. I settled at about a 7:30 pace for the next two miles but I was getting tired. My pace dropped dramatically and I hardly had any kick. 47:30 an average of 7:55. 52nd overall and 6th in my age group.
Final time: 2:35:27 69th out of 120 and 7th out of 7 in my AG. Definitely room for improvement. These Olympic distance athletes were far better than the sprint course athletes I had encountered in buffalo. But it was a start, I had completed my first triathlon season.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Grandmas Marathon
The race!!!
Goal time: 3:56; a 9:00/mile pace
Plan: Start off easy, stay easy, keep running, do what it takes to finish. Simple.
Pre race athletes drop off the warm up clothes and water bottles in their marathon bag into huge garbage bins at the start line which are then driven to the finish. After dropping my bag into one of the many garbage bins and walking toward the start line I'd realized I had left my timing chip in the bag. I ran back but had no idea which bin I'd used. A volunteer was carting a bin off to the truck and so I called at him to stop, I frantically dug through the bin and found my bag and chip. Finally something had worked in my favor! Maybe I'm not so unlucky after all!
The gun went off as me and 8000 other participants surged towards the starting line, and then we were off. The first 5 miles we are blur, I was dodging in and out of much slower runners and just having fun. I couldn't help myself, I was having a blast and just laughing out loud. Emotional reactions are sometimes weird... With so many participants to distract me I don't even think I lost an ounce of energy those first 5 miles.
Turns out after starting way at the back of the pack, I'd already passed 5,000 runners!!! No wonder I had been so distracted...
But the racers were thinning out and now it was time to check where I was. I hit the 10K/6.2 mile point at 45 minutes, whoa! I figured I'd start out at about 8 minute pace and see where things took me, telling my parents at about what time they should be where in the race to cheer me on. But I was flying at a 7:20 pace. I felt good so I just kept plugging!
The speed stayed strong and before long I was at 13.1, halfway with a time of 1:35. I couldn't believe my pace! I was hoping to hit this point at about 1:48, I was well ahead of that. I kept on going but the infamous 20 mile Wall was creeping into my consciousness. For those of you who don't know the Wall is something many newcomers to marathon hit at about mile 20 in their marathon, it is a complete physical 180. You are feeling fine then suddenly you feel like you can't go another step. They say you can't possibly describe it, but anyone who has ever hit it knows just what it feels like.
At mile 20 my time was 2:28, I had been averaging 7:24 per mile... and no wall, mile 21 passed, mile 22 passed and then I hit the legendary "Lemon Drop Hill" of Grandmas marathon. It is a short but steep hill that inconveniently sits at 22 miles into the marathon. Any cross country runner knows that after a steep hill you have take a little time to "get your legs back under you" before you return to pace. After 22 miles, this does not happen! I had hit the Wall!
Those last 4 miles felt like the second half of the race... My body was done but my mind wasn't. I wanted to stop running so badly but I knew if I did I wouldn't be able to start running again. So I plowed on at a high 8 to low 9 minute/mile pace... One foot in front of the other and repeat... and repeat...
The physical part was over. This was all just a mental game. Cramping was coming into my legs and side aches were appearing but I hobbled on determined to reach my goal. Mile 25 passed. I wanted to push the pace but just couldn't do it, it all hurt too much. With 1/4 mile to go I found sudden energy in my legs, the end was in sight!!! I burst forth and crossed the finish line with my arms in the air and hearing the announcer's voice, "Robert Heinzen! What did you just do? You just ran a marathon!!!"
A little over two years earlier my all out mile was a 7:47. On June 18, 2011 I ran 26.2 miles at a pace of 7:44/mile to finish at 3:22 minutes. A whole 34 minutes ahead of my goal.
Success.
Goal time: 3:56; a 9:00/mile pace
Plan: Start off easy, stay easy, keep running, do what it takes to finish. Simple.
Pre race athletes drop off the warm up clothes and water bottles in their marathon bag into huge garbage bins at the start line which are then driven to the finish. After dropping my bag into one of the many garbage bins and walking toward the start line I'd realized I had left my timing chip in the bag. I ran back but had no idea which bin I'd used. A volunteer was carting a bin off to the truck and so I called at him to stop, I frantically dug through the bin and found my bag and chip. Finally something had worked in my favor! Maybe I'm not so unlucky after all!
The gun went off as me and 8000 other participants surged towards the starting line, and then we were off. The first 5 miles we are blur, I was dodging in and out of much slower runners and just having fun. I couldn't help myself, I was having a blast and just laughing out loud. Emotional reactions are sometimes weird... With so many participants to distract me I don't even think I lost an ounce of energy those first 5 miles.
Turns out after starting way at the back of the pack, I'd already passed 5,000 runners!!! No wonder I had been so distracted...
But the racers were thinning out and now it was time to check where I was. I hit the 10K/6.2 mile point at 45 minutes, whoa! I figured I'd start out at about 8 minute pace and see where things took me, telling my parents at about what time they should be where in the race to cheer me on. But I was flying at a 7:20 pace. I felt good so I just kept plugging!
The speed stayed strong and before long I was at 13.1, halfway with a time of 1:35. I couldn't believe my pace! I was hoping to hit this point at about 1:48, I was well ahead of that. I kept on going but the infamous 20 mile Wall was creeping into my consciousness. For those of you who don't know the Wall is something many newcomers to marathon hit at about mile 20 in their marathon, it is a complete physical 180. You are feeling fine then suddenly you feel like you can't go another step. They say you can't possibly describe it, but anyone who has ever hit it knows just what it feels like.
At mile 20 my time was 2:28, I had been averaging 7:24 per mile... and no wall, mile 21 passed, mile 22 passed and then I hit the legendary "Lemon Drop Hill" of Grandmas marathon. It is a short but steep hill that inconveniently sits at 22 miles into the marathon. Any cross country runner knows that after a steep hill you have take a little time to "get your legs back under you" before you return to pace. After 22 miles, this does not happen! I had hit the Wall!
Those last 4 miles felt like the second half of the race... My body was done but my mind wasn't. I wanted to stop running so badly but I knew if I did I wouldn't be able to start running again. So I plowed on at a high 8 to low 9 minute/mile pace... One foot in front of the other and repeat... and repeat...
The physical part was over. This was all just a mental game. Cramping was coming into my legs and side aches were appearing but I hobbled on determined to reach my goal. Mile 25 passed. I wanted to push the pace but just couldn't do it, it all hurt too much. With 1/4 mile to go I found sudden energy in my legs, the end was in sight!!! I burst forth and crossed the finish line with my arms in the air and hearing the announcer's voice, "Robert Heinzen! What did you just do? You just ran a marathon!!!"
A little over two years earlier my all out mile was a 7:47. On June 18, 2011 I ran 26.2 miles at a pace of 7:44/mile to finish at 3:22 minutes. A whole 34 minutes ahead of my goal.
Success.
Running 26.2!
The Ironman Triathlon consists of a 2.4 mile swim; 112 mile bike; and 26.2 mile full marathon. To do the whole thing you have to be able to do each one, so for my second race of 2011 I chose to run Grandmas Marathon in Duluth, MN.
For my race preparation I had to compromise, I was more focused on triathlon and less focused on the marathon, thus my longest runs during the spring and early summer had just been 10 mile easy runs. I had two weeks between the Buffalo tri and Grandmas to get ready for a whole 26.2 miles so I decided to do an 18 mile run with 8 days to go... This was a gamble with being so close to the race but I needed to know where my body was, I vowed to maintain a very easy pace.
The run was a comfortable and relaxed out and back. I made sure to stay above an 8 minute pace for the first half and then let fatigue govern my pace on the way back. I began to notice the rubbing of my shoe was getting to my foot after about 12 miles. I forged on and got back to my house in just under 2 and 1/2 hours with a huge bloody blister on my foot. Perfect... just what I needed: a minor injury that could just be the end of me for a 26.2 mile race.
I spent the next few day cleaning the blister and helping it to heal and avoided running until the final two days leading to Grandmas. I did an easy 30 minute jog both days, the first day making me realize there was no way I could do the marathon without help for my blister. I found some old corn bandages that divert the pressure to the other areas of your foot that the bandage doesn't cover and then wrapped my foot for the next day's 30 minute jog. Considerably less pain. It would have to do.
The night before the race, I was nervous. It was such a daunting distance and with pain in my foot I was so worried that I would end up going too hard and getting tired or just not being fit enough to run the whole thing. I was talking my girlfriend on the phone when she assured me "I know you, you are going to be running that race and realize, 'I don't need to stop, I got this.'" That small assurance completely settled me mentally. Sometimes the little things make all the difference.
For my race preparation I had to compromise, I was more focused on triathlon and less focused on the marathon, thus my longest runs during the spring and early summer had just been 10 mile easy runs. I had two weeks between the Buffalo tri and Grandmas to get ready for a whole 26.2 miles so I decided to do an 18 mile run with 8 days to go... This was a gamble with being so close to the race but I needed to know where my body was, I vowed to maintain a very easy pace.
The run was a comfortable and relaxed out and back. I made sure to stay above an 8 minute pace for the first half and then let fatigue govern my pace on the way back. I began to notice the rubbing of my shoe was getting to my foot after about 12 miles. I forged on and got back to my house in just under 2 and 1/2 hours with a huge bloody blister on my foot. Perfect... just what I needed: a minor injury that could just be the end of me for a 26.2 mile race.
I spent the next few day cleaning the blister and helping it to heal and avoided running until the final two days leading to Grandmas. I did an easy 30 minute jog both days, the first day making me realize there was no way I could do the marathon without help for my blister. I found some old corn bandages that divert the pressure to the other areas of your foot that the bandage doesn't cover and then wrapped my foot for the next day's 30 minute jog. Considerably less pain. It would have to do.
The night before the race, I was nervous. It was such a daunting distance and with pain in my foot I was so worried that I would end up going too hard and getting tired or just not being fit enough to run the whole thing. I was talking my girlfriend on the phone when she assured me "I know you, you are going to be running that race and realize, 'I don't need to stop, I got this.'" That small assurance completely settled me mentally. Sometimes the little things make all the difference.
Monday, April 2, 2012
My First Triathlon
Many go into their first triathlon with the simple goal of finishing, these are the newcomers to the sport. I was a newcomer and this was my first but since I had been training for nearly two years I had higher expectations for myself than just finishing a sprint tri. I wanted to have a "good race." Fast times and smooth transitions. My swimming should be strong, my bike just needed to happen, and my run would hopefully help me to chase down a few of those strong bikers.
Multisport is a tricky thing. There are three disciplines and if you have a weakness it is unlikely that you will be a top finisher. I know my weakness, it is on the bike. I will continue to work at that but as a collegiate runner I really only have time to work on the run, but I have many years to come when I can get stronger on the bike.
I was however stuck in a place of uncertainty. I had been running cross country and track well into the spring and I was getting tired. Every now and then you need a recovery period of easier workouts to just good old time off. Time those recovery periods incorrectly and you could find yourself out of shape at the wrong time... Like I said, multisport is tricky. I realized I needed recovery all to late around the end of April. Things to improve on in the future.
I took a few easy weeks and then hit training hard in mid may with about three weeks to go, I crossed my fingers that I hadn't gotten too out of shape in the recovery period.
I was entered in the Buffalo Triathlon in Buffalo MN on June 5th, I had been suggested this race by a friend who insisted it was "fun and friendly." It was just that.
1/4 mile swim; 13.3 mile bike; 3 mile run about 900 participants
Race plan: Go out hard on the swim get in front of your wave and don't worry about getting caught in the punching and kicking of the middle of the wave. Transition to bike and feel out the course, don't go too hard to soon, keep comfortable in the first 8 miles start to push a little for the last 5. Transition to run. Longer strides for first half mile, loosen up those biking muscles. Shorten strides and increase cadence after loosening up. At turnaround increase effort to maintain pace, start your kick with about 1/4 mile to go. Never settle during the race, keep that slight edge of pushing.
Not too complex. Just a few things to keep in mind.
Race:
Swim: There were about 20 waves of 50 racers, I was in wave 8. The gun went off and I rand til mid-thigh water height and dove in. Streamline under water glide with strong dolphin kicks to get ahead of the pack. My adrenaline was pumping and I came up sprinting. Before long I was already in the middle of the wave ahead of me. Passed them and moved onto the next wave. First out of the water in my wave @ 5:07 7th overall in the race. Good start!
T1: Pardon my language... it was a shit show! I'd practiced many times but my brain was overexcited. Taking my wetsuit off getting it caught on my timing chip made me panic. Got it off and threw on my helmet before my bike jersey, took of the helmet and threw on the jersey, wet body + tight jersey = stuck. I pulled and yanked at it to get it down heard a few stitches rip and tried to calm myself. Shoes on I grabbed my bike and forgot the helmet, ran back and grabbed the helmet and hopped on my bike. 3:42... humorous after the fact.
Bike: Flat and fast but a bit of headwind for the first few miles until the turns t turned into a wicked crosswind, I was able to ride that wind on the way back and recover a little. Definitely getting passed by a lot of stronger bikers. Like I said it's my weakness. Legs were tight but ready for the run. Bike time: 44:00, 18.1 mph pace, around 250th overall.
T2: Much better than the first transition. Dropped off the bike grabbed my watch and took off the jersey, it was hot!!! About a minute flat.
Run: Flat! Stretch out the legs and felt loose after about 4 minutes, shortened stride and tried to pick up the pace a little. At the turnaround I felt it in my gut, I had to take a crap!!! 1.5 miles to go, suck up the pain and hammer down! Pick off runners one by one and keep looking ahead to the next guy. Finish line was in sight and started the kick. Before I knew it I had finished my first tri. Run time 20:30, 6:50 per mile, about 60th overall.
Awesome experience! My chip malfunctioned and didn't have me finishing the run but I had my time on the watch, total time about 1:14:30 placing me around 120th. Funny thing is my finish line photo was one of the main pictures used to advertise the event for 2012, but the race results had me at DNF, nut it's all good. I knew I had finished!
Multisport is a tricky thing. There are three disciplines and if you have a weakness it is unlikely that you will be a top finisher. I know my weakness, it is on the bike. I will continue to work at that but as a collegiate runner I really only have time to work on the run, but I have many years to come when I can get stronger on the bike.
I was however stuck in a place of uncertainty. I had been running cross country and track well into the spring and I was getting tired. Every now and then you need a recovery period of easier workouts to just good old time off. Time those recovery periods incorrectly and you could find yourself out of shape at the wrong time... Like I said, multisport is tricky. I realized I needed recovery all to late around the end of April. Things to improve on in the future.
I took a few easy weeks and then hit training hard in mid may with about three weeks to go, I crossed my fingers that I hadn't gotten too out of shape in the recovery period.
I was entered in the Buffalo Triathlon in Buffalo MN on June 5th, I had been suggested this race by a friend who insisted it was "fun and friendly." It was just that.
1/4 mile swim; 13.3 mile bike; 3 mile run about 900 participants
Race plan: Go out hard on the swim get in front of your wave and don't worry about getting caught in the punching and kicking of the middle of the wave. Transition to bike and feel out the course, don't go too hard to soon, keep comfortable in the first 8 miles start to push a little for the last 5. Transition to run. Longer strides for first half mile, loosen up those biking muscles. Shorten strides and increase cadence after loosening up. At turnaround increase effort to maintain pace, start your kick with about 1/4 mile to go. Never settle during the race, keep that slight edge of pushing.
Not too complex. Just a few things to keep in mind.
Race:
Swim: There were about 20 waves of 50 racers, I was in wave 8. The gun went off and I rand til mid-thigh water height and dove in. Streamline under water glide with strong dolphin kicks to get ahead of the pack. My adrenaline was pumping and I came up sprinting. Before long I was already in the middle of the wave ahead of me. Passed them and moved onto the next wave. First out of the water in my wave @ 5:07 7th overall in the race. Good start!
T1: Pardon my language... it was a shit show! I'd practiced many times but my brain was overexcited. Taking my wetsuit off getting it caught on my timing chip made me panic. Got it off and threw on my helmet before my bike jersey, took of the helmet and threw on the jersey, wet body + tight jersey = stuck. I pulled and yanked at it to get it down heard a few stitches rip and tried to calm myself. Shoes on I grabbed my bike and forgot the helmet, ran back and grabbed the helmet and hopped on my bike. 3:42... humorous after the fact.
Bike: Flat and fast but a bit of headwind for the first few miles until the turns t turned into a wicked crosswind, I was able to ride that wind on the way back and recover a little. Definitely getting passed by a lot of stronger bikers. Like I said it's my weakness. Legs were tight but ready for the run. Bike time: 44:00, 18.1 mph pace, around 250th overall.
T2: Much better than the first transition. Dropped off the bike grabbed my watch and took off the jersey, it was hot!!! About a minute flat.
Run: Flat! Stretch out the legs and felt loose after about 4 minutes, shortened stride and tried to pick up the pace a little. At the turnaround I felt it in my gut, I had to take a crap!!! 1.5 miles to go, suck up the pain and hammer down! Pick off runners one by one and keep looking ahead to the next guy. Finish line was in sight and started the kick. Before I knew it I had finished my first tri. Run time 20:30, 6:50 per mile, about 60th overall.
Awesome experience! My chip malfunctioned and didn't have me finishing the run but I had my time on the watch, total time about 1:14:30 placing me around 120th. Funny thing is my finish line photo was one of the main pictures used to advertise the event for 2012, but the race results had me at DNF, nut it's all good. I knew I had finished!
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Becoming a Runner
Junior year: 2010-2011
The last thing I wanted for my transition from a non-runner to collegiate cross country runner was to be behind more than I already was. Sometimes you just get dealt the wrong hand. Due to my stress fracture, I missed out completely on pre-season training as well as the first few weeks of the actual season. So here I am falling further behind my already intimidating team mates.
I didn't know what I was getting into so I kept my goals simple. I had only two.
1: Finish all of my races (with the exception of injury)
2: NEVER take last place in a meet.
Pretty simple. And the fear of making a fool of myself drove me into training. I really didn't want to be the last guy across the finish line. Sure all of these other runners have been doing this for as many years as I had months, but they don't know that, and my male instinct is to not look weak in front of others. That being said, I had totally defied that instinct by trying this sport.
After healing up, I spent about three weeks getting fit before my first race. These workouts were kicking my butt but I was determined. After spending many years as a swimmer I was mentally tough enough to take on the practices. But physically my runner muscles were not prepared for the collegiate load. More than anything fear of looking weak drove me on in the first couple months.
Then my first race. I was not in the best physical shape yet but I needed to get racing. And if anyone has ever been "baptized in the fire" it was me. My first running race was one of the largest collegiate races in the country. Roy Griak Invite in Minneapolis. Hilly, slow, and competitive with a tight funnel start for over 300 guys. Races all day going all the way from DI to NAIA to high school. When it became time for our division's race I headed to the start with my two goals in mind. Our event was an 8K, 5 miles
Never having run a cross race before and hearing the horror stories about things getting physical at the start with athletes getting pushed around and spiked my start plan was to hang back and let the guys out front duke it out. I figured I'd save those physical starts for the many swim portions of triathlons to come.
After that I had no plan. I didn't know race strategy yet and I wasn't there to compete, I was just there for me. The only thoughts I had were go out strong, don't settle in the middle, and start that kick with about 2 minutes to go. Oh yeah, and don't finish last! After about a mile the pack began to thin out and I began to drift back but looking behind me a still had a fair few guys slower than me. As the race went on, however, I kept getting passed. The hills were killer! Miles 4 and 5 were slow and painful, but finally I finished in just under 37 minutes. As for my goals, they remained intact.
328 finishers. My place: 327
It wasn't the prettiest display, but it would do. I would go on to race the 8K four more times that season with the Griak meet being my worst time and worst finish at 2nd to last. I dropped time to get my PR in every race to follow, finally finishing the season with a 33:30 as my best. It was a tough road, but I was becoming a runner.
I would go on to compete in track, where I knew, in my 5K races of about 15 guys, last place was almost a sure thing for me, but I was okay with that. I was getting better every week and felt prepared to have some decent tri's in the summer of 2011. My track season best in the 5K was an 18:48. Things were falling into place.
The last thing I wanted for my transition from a non-runner to collegiate cross country runner was to be behind more than I already was. Sometimes you just get dealt the wrong hand. Due to my stress fracture, I missed out completely on pre-season training as well as the first few weeks of the actual season. So here I am falling further behind my already intimidating team mates.
I didn't know what I was getting into so I kept my goals simple. I had only two.
1: Finish all of my races (with the exception of injury)
2: NEVER take last place in a meet.
Pretty simple. And the fear of making a fool of myself drove me into training. I really didn't want to be the last guy across the finish line. Sure all of these other runners have been doing this for as many years as I had months, but they don't know that, and my male instinct is to not look weak in front of others. That being said, I had totally defied that instinct by trying this sport.
After healing up, I spent about three weeks getting fit before my first race. These workouts were kicking my butt but I was determined. After spending many years as a swimmer I was mentally tough enough to take on the practices. But physically my runner muscles were not prepared for the collegiate load. More than anything fear of looking weak drove me on in the first couple months.
Then my first race. I was not in the best physical shape yet but I needed to get racing. And if anyone has ever been "baptized in the fire" it was me. My first running race was one of the largest collegiate races in the country. Roy Griak Invite in Minneapolis. Hilly, slow, and competitive with a tight funnel start for over 300 guys. Races all day going all the way from DI to NAIA to high school. When it became time for our division's race I headed to the start with my two goals in mind. Our event was an 8K, 5 miles
Never having run a cross race before and hearing the horror stories about things getting physical at the start with athletes getting pushed around and spiked my start plan was to hang back and let the guys out front duke it out. I figured I'd save those physical starts for the many swim portions of triathlons to come.
After that I had no plan. I didn't know race strategy yet and I wasn't there to compete, I was just there for me. The only thoughts I had were go out strong, don't settle in the middle, and start that kick with about 2 minutes to go. Oh yeah, and don't finish last! After about a mile the pack began to thin out and I began to drift back but looking behind me a still had a fair few guys slower than me. As the race went on, however, I kept getting passed. The hills were killer! Miles 4 and 5 were slow and painful, but finally I finished in just under 37 minutes. As for my goals, they remained intact.
328 finishers. My place: 327
It wasn't the prettiest display, but it would do. I would go on to race the 8K four more times that season with the Griak meet being my worst time and worst finish at 2nd to last. I dropped time to get my PR in every race to follow, finally finishing the season with a 33:30 as my best. It was a tough road, but I was becoming a runner.
I would go on to compete in track, where I knew, in my 5K races of about 15 guys, last place was almost a sure thing for me, but I was okay with that. I was getting better every week and felt prepared to have some decent tri's in the summer of 2011. My track season best in the 5K was an 18:48. Things were falling into place.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
I Think I'm Cursed
I was sore from my first race so the first few weeks of my new program included stretching and weight training. My heart and head were finally in it! It was go time!
I would like to say training was easy and it came natural to me, but it wasn't. Try as I might, I'm just not the most talented athlete out there. Mentally I was there, but physically I just didn't have it. After months of training I just wasn't getting better at the run and bike disciplines, and that is frustrating. I'm built like a runner, what the heck?!
I needed coaching, but I'm a broke college student. Enter: Triathlete's Training Bible. Joe Friel's book on the self coached athlete has given me some valuable insight into the sport which, as passionate as I am, I know little about.
I also talked to the college track coach in the spring and started training with the team. Intimidating! I was completely horrible and these guys were studs! But I learned a lot and started to increase miles. New shoes and everything, I was becoming more of an athlete every day. I even decided to go out for the cross country season the following fall.
The summer came around and I was fit and registered for the 2010 Timberman Sprint Triathlon. I couldn't believe it, I was weeks from becoming a triathlete! I wasn't going to be a superstar, probably not even top 3 in my AG of about 10, but I knew I would finish with a decent time!
Then disaster hit. Pain in my ankle starting one week from the event, two days later it got worse. I went to the doctor got the X-Ray and the bad news. Stress fracture. I was out of the race 5 days before the event. Once again I was thwarted on this race. I was close to doing the run on crutches but decided the chaffing wasn't worth it, I even considered gritting through the pain. But with my first collegiate season approaching I opted for the better safe than sorry plan.
360 days straight... Still not a triathlete... I was not a happy camper.
I would like to say training was easy and it came natural to me, but it wasn't. Try as I might, I'm just not the most talented athlete out there. Mentally I was there, but physically I just didn't have it. After months of training I just wasn't getting better at the run and bike disciplines, and that is frustrating. I'm built like a runner, what the heck?!
I needed coaching, but I'm a broke college student. Enter: Triathlete's Training Bible. Joe Friel's book on the self coached athlete has given me some valuable insight into the sport which, as passionate as I am, I know little about.
I also talked to the college track coach in the spring and started training with the team. Intimidating! I was completely horrible and these guys were studs! But I learned a lot and started to increase miles. New shoes and everything, I was becoming more of an athlete every day. I even decided to go out for the cross country season the following fall.
The summer came around and I was fit and registered for the 2010 Timberman Sprint Triathlon. I couldn't believe it, I was weeks from becoming a triathlete! I wasn't going to be a superstar, probably not even top 3 in my AG of about 10, but I knew I would finish with a decent time!
Then disaster hit. Pain in my ankle starting one week from the event, two days later it got worse. I went to the doctor got the X-Ray and the bad news. Stress fracture. I was out of the race 5 days before the event. Once again I was thwarted on this race. I was close to doing the run on crutches but decided the chaffing wasn't worth it, I even considered gritting through the pain. But with my first collegiate season approaching I opted for the better safe than sorry plan.
360 days straight... Still not a triathlete... I was not a happy camper.
Woes of Commitment
It's mid June 2009 and I have about 30 days to kick things into high gear. I have a six mile race to run and I'm starting to freak out. Pathetic I know. But hey, the longest I've ever run straight is 1.5 miles, in 7th grade...
I was encountering an issue, I would plan a 25 minute jog and by the time I was at 8 minutes, I was completely dogged. once I hit 11-12 minutes I was done. After a few days of this I just decided to drop the pace a bit, turns out I'd being going about 8 minute miles, which at this point was pretty max for me. SO I headed out for a run with just under 4 weeks to go and slowed the pace. I went for a whole 45 minute super easy jog, and didn't quite hit 5 miles. But I was stoked!!! New lesson learned: Don't skimp out on the "easy" part of easy runs, just relax and enjoy the run.
After that training was pretty consistent for a few weeks, but once again, I got overconfident and lazy. I knew I could do the distance so for the last 10 days leading up to the race I only ran 3 times. Mistake # 1.
Mistake # 2: Applebees Quesidilla burger. Midnight of race day.
Mistake # 3: Out with friends until 3 AM race day.
Mistake # 4: I still hadn't invested in running shoes, and the shoes I was wearing race day, were literally falling apart. (I mean literally, I used duct tape race day...)
So yeah. Heart still not in it.
Race day: I don't mean to say I was being a total pile. I showed up as enthusiastic as ever stoked and ready to do my leg. I had a blast but my time was nothing to brag about. Easy, flat, out and back 6 miler. When I said I was enthusiastic I meant it! I hit the first 3 miles hard turning around at about 22 minutes. Then I died... finishing in 47:00. A 7:50 pace.
What happened after the race is the important part, the spark was lit. I felt like a little bit of a let down, both to my team and to myself. So that day I vowed to do the Sprint Course next year. I told myself "I'm not taking a single day off until this race. I will do one thing every day to prepare, on my off days, I'll stretch or practice transitions, anything, as long as I do something."
Triathlons, here I come!
I was encountering an issue, I would plan a 25 minute jog and by the time I was at 8 minutes, I was completely dogged. once I hit 11-12 minutes I was done. After a few days of this I just decided to drop the pace a bit, turns out I'd being going about 8 minute miles, which at this point was pretty max for me. SO I headed out for a run with just under 4 weeks to go and slowed the pace. I went for a whole 45 minute super easy jog, and didn't quite hit 5 miles. But I was stoked!!! New lesson learned: Don't skimp out on the "easy" part of easy runs, just relax and enjoy the run.
After that training was pretty consistent for a few weeks, but once again, I got overconfident and lazy. I knew I could do the distance so for the last 10 days leading up to the race I only ran 3 times. Mistake # 1.
Mistake # 2: Applebees Quesidilla burger. Midnight of race day.
Mistake # 3: Out with friends until 3 AM race day.
Mistake # 4: I still hadn't invested in running shoes, and the shoes I was wearing race day, were literally falling apart. (I mean literally, I used duct tape race day...)
So yeah. Heart still not in it.
Race day: I don't mean to say I was being a total pile. I showed up as enthusiastic as ever stoked and ready to do my leg. I had a blast but my time was nothing to brag about. Easy, flat, out and back 6 miler. When I said I was enthusiastic I meant it! I hit the first 3 miles hard turning around at about 22 minutes. Then I died... finishing in 47:00. A 7:50 pace.
What happened after the race is the important part, the spark was lit. I felt like a little bit of a let down, both to my team and to myself. So that day I vowed to do the Sprint Course next year. I told myself "I'm not taking a single day off until this race. I will do one thing every day to prepare, on my off days, I'll stretch or practice transitions, anything, as long as I do something."
Triathlons, here I come!
How It All Began
My submersion into the world of triathlon was a long and slow road, it was always something I wanted to do but committing to training was tough for me. Simply put my heart wasn't in it yet. And I honestly had bad luck getting signed up for a race.
As I said in the previous post, I discovered the Timberman Triathlon in '07 but was unable to compete due to the fact that I wouldn't be around for the event. With this in mind, I saw no point to training.
The next year, 2008, I thought about it a little more and decided to sign up for the race. I learned my first lesson of triathlon: heed registration deadlines! The race after opening registration was full within two weeks. I wouldn't be able to run it this year, once again I was uninspired to train.
The fall of '08 and the spring of '09 made up my freshman year of college. During this time I received my first boost of inspiration. My high school girlfriend ended our relationship, and I honestly just needed to look forward to something. So I said to myself, "someday, I'm going to be an Ironman!" As silly as it seems, I must be honest and that is how I really first kicked things into gear. When it came time for registration to Timberman a friend asked me to be part of a relay, the running leg. So the swimmer tried to turn himself into a runner.
I learned a little bit about myself at this point. Mainly: I'm a crappy runner. I headed to my college track in late March for a little time trial. 1 mile. All out. My time: 7:47. Realizing I have a little over 3 months to run 6 miles and considering my time, I was severely discouraged. So I did the exact opposite of what I should have done, I didn't train.
The fear of making a fool of myself eventually got me going with about 4 weeks to go before the race. And eventually I was on my way to taking part in my first triathlon.
As I said in the previous post, I discovered the Timberman Triathlon in '07 but was unable to compete due to the fact that I wouldn't be around for the event. With this in mind, I saw no point to training.
The next year, 2008, I thought about it a little more and decided to sign up for the race. I learned my first lesson of triathlon: heed registration deadlines! The race after opening registration was full within two weeks. I wouldn't be able to run it this year, once again I was uninspired to train.
The fall of '08 and the spring of '09 made up my freshman year of college. During this time I received my first boost of inspiration. My high school girlfriend ended our relationship, and I honestly just needed to look forward to something. So I said to myself, "someday, I'm going to be an Ironman!" As silly as it seems, I must be honest and that is how I really first kicked things into gear. When it came time for registration to Timberman a friend asked me to be part of a relay, the running leg. So the swimmer tried to turn himself into a runner.
I learned a little bit about myself at this point. Mainly: I'm a crappy runner. I headed to my college track in late March for a little time trial. 1 mile. All out. My time: 7:47. Realizing I have a little over 3 months to run 6 miles and considering my time, I was severely discouraged. So I did the exact opposite of what I should have done, I didn't train.
The fear of making a fool of myself eventually got me going with about 4 weeks to go before the race. And eventually I was on my way to taking part in my first triathlon.
Becoming a Triathlete
Singer, guitar player, songwriter, tuba player, actor... triathlete???
Standing at 6 foot even weighing about 145 pounds, the last thing you expect when you see a guy like me is that mix of macho/crazy stereotype that comes with the world of triathletes. SO to be fair, it's not who I am at all. I'm just an everyday tri guy, your simple weekend warrior that does it for fun. And it is fun! Let's be serious, I do it for the food. If you've done a triathlon you know exactly what I'm talking about :)
The whole thing started with overcoming my fear of being in the water. When it came to sink or swim, I tended to lean towards the sink. So in 7th grade I joined the swim team because my older sister, a 12th grade varsity swimmer, encouraged me to do so.
I showed up to my first day of practice and demonstrated the finer points of being a rock in the water.
To make a long story short I've come a long way since then and finished out a strong high school career as a backstroker. Somewhere along those lines I learned how to ride bike, and yes, do the math, I didn't learn how to ride a bike until I was 13 years old. But better late then never!
My junior year of high school, 2007, I took notice of a local event called the Timberman Triathlon in my hometown (Grand Rapids, MN). I though "what the heck, I know how to swim, let's give this a try!" Unfortunately my family planned to be on vacation for the race so I pushed it to the back of my mind. But I knew that one day, I would do this race, and call myself a triathlete.
Standing at 6 foot even weighing about 145 pounds, the last thing you expect when you see a guy like me is that mix of macho/crazy stereotype that comes with the world of triathletes. SO to be fair, it's not who I am at all. I'm just an everyday tri guy, your simple weekend warrior that does it for fun. And it is fun! Let's be serious, I do it for the food. If you've done a triathlon you know exactly what I'm talking about :)
The whole thing started with overcoming my fear of being in the water. When it came to sink or swim, I tended to lean towards the sink. So in 7th grade I joined the swim team because my older sister, a 12th grade varsity swimmer, encouraged me to do so.
I showed up to my first day of practice and demonstrated the finer points of being a rock in the water.
To make a long story short I've come a long way since then and finished out a strong high school career as a backstroker. Somewhere along those lines I learned how to ride bike, and yes, do the math, I didn't learn how to ride a bike until I was 13 years old. But better late then never!
My junior year of high school, 2007, I took notice of a local event called the Timberman Triathlon in my hometown (Grand Rapids, MN). I though "what the heck, I know how to swim, let's give this a try!" Unfortunately my family planned to be on vacation for the race so I pushed it to the back of my mind. But I knew that one day, I would do this race, and call myself a triathlete.
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