Packers 5k - Race Report

I you happened to read my race report that I posted on Sunday, you know I had planned on running the Packers 5k on the Saturday following the Ripon Medical Center Triathlon. I chose to run this race for a few reasons. First and foremost, with the race happening on Saturday night, I was simply able to with my work schedule. Secondly, we participated in the Packers 1K Kid's Fun Run last year and had a lot of fun. Lastly, I knew that this race drew a large crowd for a hometown 5k and wanted to put my abilities to the test against some of the best runners in the state. Plus, the final quarter mile of the race are run on Lambeau Field and any opportunity to a lap around Lambeau Field is one you can't turn down!

Training for This Race

I am not going to keep writing the same thing section, so to keep this short and simple, I haven't been specifically training for any race this year at all. But, coming off of the RMC Triathlon and heading straight to the Dells after the race for a few days, all I did this week were a few 5 mile runs. On Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, to be exact. Friday was a rest/recovery day and then Saturday was race day. Pretty simple.

Prerace

I have been working day shift this weeks rotation, which was been great for my personal life. It also allowed me to race in this race. I worked from 6:30-4:00pm on Saturday and I soon as I got home, I changed into my race clothes, and we loaded up the kids and hit the road. We honestly left too early, but personally, that's alright with me. I had no idea what to expect with parking for this event, but we were able to get a decent spot right in the stadium lot. We had tons of time to lounge around the stadium atrium for while before the start of the race. After sitting around the stadium for about an 45 minutes, I started my warm up. I got a great warm up in with dynamic stretches and strides. By the end of my 15 minute warm up I had a good sweat going and was feeling actually pretty good. The race start was extremely organized with 7 separate start corrals. I was in the first wave, which went off at 6:30. Sarah and the girls were in the "walkers with strollers" wave...wave 7. It turns out, I actually finished the race before she ever started. I found a good position on the start line and waited patiently for the race to start. It turns out they had three Green Bay Packers alumnus running the race as well. One of them was UW-La Crosse alumni, Bill Schroeder.

Nutrition Plan

Much like the "Training for This Race" section, I don't want to keep repeating myself from previous race reports. But, due to this being a short race, I have found that less is more.  I last ate at work around 1:00pm and it wasn't anything too complex, just some yogurt, veggies, and a salad with salmon.  On the way to the race, I sipped on a water bottle with one serving of Hammer Nutrition HEED (100 cal).  After that was gone I really didn't drink much of anything until the race.  I did take a few sips of water after my warm up just due to the heat.  It was going to be a hot race with temperatures right around 80*.  An hour before the start, I took my dose of 2 Hammer Anti-Fatigue Caps and then Hammer Energy Surge tablets as needed during the race.

Equipment

Nike Zoom Streak LT2

PRO Compression Socks

Nike Run Shorts

Hammer Running Singlet

Garmin 910XT

Road ID Elite

3.1 Mile Run (18:04)

When the race started I did my best to try and run a conservative first mile.  I knew that with the level of competition in this race, the leaders would be out of my league.  So, I didn't want to get caught up with the adrenaline of a race start and try to keep up with them.  My first mile split was 5:25, one of the fastest miles, I have run to date, that I can recall anyway.  I tried to gauge exactly how the rest of the race was going to go for me and how I was going to pace the final two miles.  After making the second right hand turn (right around mile 1) onto Morris Av, I saw what no runner likes seeing...especially during a race...a long and steady hill.  The hill wasn't anything challenging, but just enough to make it just that much more taxing on your lungs.  In addition of the hill, there was a slight head wind heading west as well.  I found a small group of runners that I could hang with and just tucked in behind them to try and break the wind.  It seemed to work pretty well, but unfortunately it did absolutely nothing for the hill.  My second mile was a slow 6:03.  After crossing the mile 2 mark, I kept telling myself that there is only 1 mile left and tried to dig deep and put up a strong final mile.  Most of the 3rd mile was down hill, but the best part of the final mile was the lap around the inside of Lambeau Field.  We entered in through a back garage area and ended up coming through the same tunnel as Aaron Rodgers and Clay Matthews.  Coming out that tunnel and seeing all the seats and hearing the loud music makes you forget all the struggles and pain you may be feeling at that point of the race.  They had the scoreboard screens on and set up to show the runners as they pasted by the north endzone.  It was neat to see yourself running on the screen.  They also opened up sections of the stadium for fans to come in and watch the runners complete their lap around the stadium.  I was surprised to see exactly how many people were in the stadium, it was a unique feeling.  After coming out of the stadium, you could see the finish line.  The finish line was also pretty cool as they had a large slab of artificial turf with a huge Packer's "G" on it.  The atmosphere of the race in general was so cool, from start to finish.  I was very impressed with the size of the crowds along the entire course.  I'm used to seeing no one along the course of 5k's, but this one was different.  There was an energy that came with this race.  It had the feeling of a Packer's home game mixed with a 5k....very cool.

Post Race

I finished the race in 18:04, not a PR, but definitely not a time I'm ashamed of.  I placed 4th out of 230 in my age group and 41st out of 5,159 runners overall.  After crossing the finish line, I was slightly disappointing they didn't have any post race memento...nothing.  How well...not like I don't have enough medals as it is.  I took a minute or two to try and catch my breath and then started walking the course backwards to try and find Sarah and the girls.  After walking the first half mile or so, I started to jog lightly as a cool down, of sorts.  I ended up finding them just after the 1 mile mark.  I walked the rest of the race with the girls.  I took the opportunity to teach Maya and Delaney about running.  We worked on running parts of the race which gave me a unique chance to run side by side with either Maya or Delaney.  As they approached Lambeau Field, I went to the finish line to watch them finish.  I was proud of both Maya and Delaney after the race.  Maya walk/ran the entire race by herself and Delaney walked at least 75% of the race by herself.  We decided that from now on, we are going to start registering Maya as a participant now that she can consistently finish a 5k by herself.  After the race it was straight home to get three little girls to bed as they were just exhausted.

What's on Tap

On the drive home from the race Sarah and I started talking about how disappointed I was that I didn't place in my age group.  We talked about where I was in my life, starting a new job, raising 3 kids, and trying to balance everything.  I mentioned how, my training has been non-existent this season, how I have been basically just "winging it."  She reminded me how that we talked about how this year was going to have to be a lax year with my training and racing.  She mentioned how we talked about this when I took a the new job and that after this season, I'll be able to get back into a more consistent training regime.  It made sense and in a way made me feel better about my finish.  I was only 20 seconds off of a PR and my times haven't really slipped much from when I was training consistently.  After my little reality check from Sarah, I was actually quite satisfied with my race.  An 18:04 5k for a working father of 3, really aint to shabby.

As far as my goal of finishing a race in every month in 2015, I have completed a total of 9 races so far in the 8 months of 2015.  Up next will either be the Waupaca Triathlon on August 15 or the Fox Cities Half Marathon on September 21st.  Either way, I will be doing the half marathon as my September race.  And yes, if you have been following along with my 2015 journey, that does mean that I am passing on racing for Team USA in the ITU World Championships in Chicago.  Fact is, I just can not justify the financial commitment to compete in that event.  It is just too much of a short notice on top of my lack of specific training.  I would not want to go into that big of an event just to cross the finish line.  I would have liked to commit a solid 3-6 months of dedicated training to the event to give it my all to see exactly how I stack up against the best in the world.  I am relatively young yet and feel I still have great things ahead for me and my racing career.  And, of course, I will never give up on my dream of qualifying for the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii.

Thanks for reading!  Keep on keepin' on!!!

RMC Sprint Triathlon - Race Report

Back in the early spring of this year, I received a personal email from the Race Director of the Ripon Medical Center (RMC) Triathlon. He informed me that as last year's winner of the sprint event, I would be offered free entry into this years event. I was thrilled and honored by his offer. I immediately accepted and inserted this race into my race schedule. At first it was unclear whether or not I would be able to even participate in this event due to starting a new job with the City of Kaukauna. In June, I was slotted into a permanent rotation and I was scheduled to work the night before the race until 3am. I was fortunate to agree to a shift trade with a co-worker to allow me to race in this event. The race itself was well run last year, I had no complaints, and was very impressed with the awards offered, especially because it is a relatively small race. This year, I went into the race with high expectations....to win it again.

Training for This Race

As with many of my races this year, I have been relying on the base I have built up over the past 6-7 years of endurance training, opposed to following a strict and thorough training plan. I was a little concerned whether or not I would even be able to finish the race at all. During a weekend camping trip at Devil's Lake State Park, I went out for a run and a tweeked my right calf. After taking the remainder of the weekend off from any form of exercise with hopes of it healing itself, I tried running. I was able to finish two runs, but it was still present. I opted to take the next week and a half completely off from running. I focused on my cycling and swimming. I was leery to whether my calf would heal or not in the limited time I was giving it, but I was willing to try it.

Prerace

I had to work Friday into Saturday morning before the race and was going on limited sleep. On top of that, it was just me and the three girls, as Sarah was in Chicago all day and night for a bachelorette party. It was a low key day for me personally, as my dad wanted to take my two oldest to a local splash pad for the afternoon. I got to bed early and had my alarms set for 4:30am. My hope was to get on the road before 5. I was close to my goal and ended up on the road at 5:05am. The drive took about an hour and was my chance to visualize my race and listen to some good music. I got to the race right around 6, which left me more than enough time to set up my transition area. The RMC Triathlon does not have designated transition areas, which allows you to choose any area you wish. Since I got there early enough, I was able to get a spot on the end of the row. This is a prime location as you do not have to worry about getting caught up in the crowded aisles.  This also means there is less distance you need to run to get your gear. After getting my transition area all set up, I got into the water and did a good, thorough warm up in the lake.

Nutrition Plan

This is now my second straight year of focusing on short course triathlon racing. With the two years of focused attention, I feel very comfortable racing at high intensities with limited to no nutritional assistance, before or during the race. On my ride to Ripon, I drank a cup of fresh brewed coffee. After my transition area was set up and I was ready to race, I took two Hammer Nutrition Anti-Fatigue Caps about 60 minutes before the start of the race.

Gear/Equipment

Blue Seventy Reaction Wetsuit

TYR Special Ops 2.0 Goggles

Look 576 Triathlon Bike

Louie Garneau Tri HRS Shoes

Giro Aero Helmet

Oakley Half Jacket XLJ Sunglasses

Zoot Kiawe Shoes

Hammer Nutrition Tri Skinsuit

Hammer  Nutrition Visor

500m Swim (7:34)

The race started about 10-15 minutes after the Olympic distance race started. The first wave of the sprint triathlon consisted of males under 40 years old. The swim start was a mass beach start in about 1' of water. The water depth dropped off in a hurry. Within about 10 feet of the shoreline the water was at least 4' deep. My start was basically one large dive into the water and then right into my stroke. I initially had to fight a for positioning with one or two other guys. I was getting a little frustrated with one guy who was on my left and was struggling to swim a straight line. So no matter how often I would attempt to reposition my self along a new line, we would run into each other. I held up for a split second to let him get ahead of me and then passed him on his right as it seemed he was always pulling to his left. Once I did this, it was pretty much smooth water ahead of me. I ended up being the third one out of the water.

T1 (0:41)

Why yes, it does appear I have a mullet.

The transition area was very close to the beach, which allowed for a quick T1. I had no issues with taking my wet suit off and since I was the third one out of the water, I have virtually the entire transition area all to myself. After getting changed over and ready for the bike, I was out of the transition area. I made one mistake during my T1 and it was actually a mistake from my preparations that came to light during my T1. I forgot to preset my crank arms to my desired angles. Normally I have my right pedal in the forward position so I can swing my right leg over the cross bar and clip right into the right pedal. My crank arms were all backwards, so, after swinging my right leg over the cross bar, I had to take a few seconds to readjust my crank arms, then clip in. In all reality, it probably only added a second or two, but it sure did feel like forever I was sitting there trying to just get clipped in.

15 Mile Bike (40:48)

Once on the bike course, I saw two others ahead of me. They weren't too far ahead of me, maybe a quarter mile and a half mile respectively. I immediately began to hammer with the idea of passing them as soon as possible. After the first mile or so, there was a deceptively challenging climb. My heart rate soared and my legs began to burn. I immediately began to question my tactics of trying to pass the two dudes ahead of me. I made the decision to just settle into an aggressive, but maintainable pace and just pass the others as the opportunity arises. I told myself that even if I don't catch them, I know I am a strong runner and would more than likely pass them on the run course.

I ended up passing them both around the 3-4 mile mark of the bike course. At this point I was leading the race. I then began to rethink my strategy for the remainder of the bike course as I had over 10 miles to go. I figured I had two options, I could throw the hammer down and build as much cushion as possible and hope I don't fade on the run. My other option is to realize that I had no positions to gain by hammering hard and just ride fast enough to not get passed, then to rely on my run legs to hold off others on the run course. I opted for my first choice; to ride as hard and build the largest lead possible and hope I can hang on during the run with what ever may come my way.

I was riding strong and felt good throughout the race. All of a sudden around mile 13-14, a guy I didn't recall passing flew by me on his bike. I down shifted and my cadence dropped, with hopes of at least keeping up with him. Even though I was redlining at this time, I couldn't even keep him in sights. I ended up coming in with the second fasted bike split of the day, but it didn't even compare to the other guys split of 37:12!

T2 (0:21)

Coming into T2, I was very confident I would be able to run down the guy that was currently in the lead. I had the second fastest T2 in the race. I feel very confident in my ability to transition from the bike to the run. Coming out of T2, I needed something to drink. I have been opting to forgo any fuel/hydration during the bike portion of the race. The weather on race day was hot with limited wind. I became very thirsty on the bike and had to get something to drink. I took a few seconds to stop and get some liquids in my system, I figured that no matter how long it took to stop and get some liquids in me, I would have been worse off not stopping.

3.1 Mile Run (20:32)

Remembering from last year, the run course was extremely challenging. At least the first half mile or more is straight up hill. After climbing, you come back down, just go back up hill for the next quarter mile or so until the turn around point, just to do it all over again. Once I started my run leg, I tried to the distance between me and the leader manageable and I was going to try and make my move on the first downhill. As I was climbing the first hill, I was passed by one of the guys I initially passed on the bike leg. He looked fresh and fast. He just looked more comfortable than I was feeling, as I was breathing hard and my legs felt heavy. It was at this point that I felt like winning was not going to be an option. I tried to keep a positive mindset in case the two of them faded after the turn around due to the hills. After climbing the first hill I eased into a more relaxed pace to gather myself and hopefully have a strong kick during the second half when the other two would hopefully slow down. Unfortunately, that was not the case. I just couldn't catch them. I was the third one to cross the finish line and could tell just by the way I felt, that I gave it my all. I was gassed.

Post Race

After the race, I congratulated the other two finishers that finished ahead of me. It turns out that the guy that passed me in the late stages of the bike was in the second wave, meaning I had about a 2 minute head start on him. That completely explains why he was able to just blow by me that late in the bike leg. Even though he was the second one to cross the finish line, he ended up winning the race overall, again due to the 2 minute discrepancy in waves.

I ended up finishing in 1:09:57, 3rd overall, and 1st in my age group. Even though I came in 3rd and didn't win the race, I was extremely happy with my race time. I improved my swim time, my T1, my average bike speed, and my T2. My run leg was barely slower than last year.

What's on Tap

To keep on track with my goal of completing at least one race each month, I have a 6 day turnaround to my next race. I am racing the Green Bay Packers 5k on Saturday, August 1st at 6:30pm. After getting home from the race we got all packed up and headed out of town for a short family vacation to Wisconsin Dells. It was a nice relaxing vacation and I was able to get out for a couple shorter runs just to stay fresh for the upcoming race.

On the Friday before the race, I found out that I was awarded a spot on Team USA for the upcoming ITU Age Group Sprint World Championships. I was full with mixed emotions upon receiving this email. First I was thrilled for the opportunity as it was the culmination of all my hard work throughout last year leading up to the Age Group Sprint National Championships. On the other hand, I was looking at a minimum of $1,000 of unplanned money to spend on a single night stay in Chicago and race fees. Upon making it public knowledge that I was offered this opportunity by would likely turn it down, I received many offers to assist in paying for the trip. I also received encouragement to ask for donations or do some fundraising. First, I just can't ask or accept money from friends and family for this opportunity when I can "technically" afford it. It would just be such a big hit to our family finances, that I am having a difficult time justifying it. It is also a very short notice, with the race taking place in about 6 weeks. Had I earned the spot outright, immediately following last years National Championships, I probably would have been able to saved the finances and better planned for the $1,000 commitment. Currently I am asking around for corporate sponsorships from local businesses to assist with the financial responsibility of representing Team USA in the ITU World Championships. As of writing this, I have not received any sponsorship money and doubt I will, meaning I will have to regrettably turn down the opportunity to race for Team USA this September.

As always, thanks for reading and keep on keepin' on!

Neenah Duathlon - Race Report

Usually every year I find some way to race the Neenah Duathlon.  This race was one of my first ever multisport races.  It used to be called the Paper Discovery Duathlon and was hosted in Appleton.  It then moved to Neenah and retained the title of Paper Discovery Duathlon.  Last year it was changed to the Hope for Kenya Duathlon as a fund raiser for providing food and water to citizens of Kenya.  This year it officially became the Neenah Duathlon.  When I realized I would be able to race this years duathlon I jumped at the opportunity...even if this would be my third race in just as many weekends.

Training for This Race

As I mentioned in my last race report from the Jailbreak 5k, my main goal going into the week between races was to recover enough to feel fresh, yet ready to race hard.    So, the day following the Jailbreak, I took a full rest day and then was back out running on Monday.  Tuesday was a short brick workout, followed up with a swim on Wednesday.  Thursday I was back out for a 5 mile run and then was feeling good enough to go for a bike ride that evening.  Friday was just an easy day with 4 miles of running in the morning.  Saturday was a full rest day, but not only in terms of exercising.  With my recent change of work places, some guys from work took me out for dinner and drinks on Friday night which left me feeling a little sluggish on Saturday.  On top of feeling sluggish, it was also a day full of coaching 5 and 6 year olds flag football in the morning followed up with yard work and "Healthy Kids Day" at our local YMCA.  It was a busy and slow moving type of day.  A perfect day for a day without working out.  

Prerace

That morning my alarm went off at 4:50am with hopes of getting on the road around 5:30am.  I ended up rolling out of bed around 5:15am and leaving about a half hour later.  I got my race bib and packet and then went to get my transition area set up just the way I like it.  With a duathlon the transition area is rather simplistic - all you need to have ready is your bike and bike gear as you start the race in all your run gear.  I did my usual 15 minute warm up and was ready with some time to spare leading up to the start of the race at 7:30.  I was placed in the first wave and was warmed up and feeling surprisingly good considering how much adult beverages I drank on Friday night.  

Nutrition Plan

My nutrition plan was pretty simple but actually had some consistency to it compared to my recent shorter races.  My goal was to finish in the 1:15-1:17 range, so I wanted to take in some fuel.  I started my taking in 2 Anti-Fatigue Caps an hour before the race.  Once the race started I planned on drinking about 100 calories worth of Hammer Heed during the bike leg.  During the bike I also took one tablet of Hammer Energy Surge right before one of the only climbs on the bike course.  During the final run leg, I took a second tablet of Hammer Energy Surge to give me a strong final kick.

Gear/Equipment

Zoot Kiawe Shoes

Louis Garneau Carbon Tri HRS Shoes

Hammer Nutrition Socks

Look 556

Giro Aero Helmet

Rydon Rudy Project Sunglasses

2 Mile Run (11:22.73)

The race started with a 2 mile run throughout Riverside Park in Neenah.  My main strategy was to hang with the front of the pack, no matter how tired it made me.  After the first mile passed, I was comfortably in 3rd behind two very strong runners.  I finished the 2 miles in just over 11:22 (5:51 pace), which ended up being the 7th fastest run split.  As we entered the transition area, I felt strongly that I had a chance to pass one if not both of them in transition.  I was wrong.   Even with a strong T1 (00:36, 9th fastest), I was still 3rd out of transition.

20 Mile Bike (0:51:06)

Coming off the bike, I once again just wanted to lay the hammer down, even if it meant blowing up during the second run.  Early on during the bike I was able to work myself into 2nd place.  I was actually able to hold that position for the first 5 miles or so.  That was the point where the guys with the nice, pricier bikes passed by me with ease.  The wind was tolerable with a head wind for the first half.  As we made the turn to the east down near County Hwy GG and Interstate 41 I was ready for a tailwind.  This was the point in the race I was not expecting.  The past years that I have raced this event when it was in Neenah, we would head north on the frontage road of HWY 41.  Not this year, we went straight east on HWY GG.  This was fine, until I started to hear a train whistle.  I got nervous, I knew there was a railroad crossing coming up and I did NOT want to get stopped by the train.  As I approached the crossing, I saw the stop bars dropping down and the red lights began flashing.  I said a few choice curse words and began to slow down.  The stop arms came to a rest as I reached the crossing and the train was still a ways away from the intersection.  I asked it it would be alright to continue through the crossing since I was able to do it safely.  I was granted permission and I immediately stood up and began to hammer down to try to quickly get back up to speed.  I had roughly 8 miles to go and I didn't want to loose any more ground.  I gritted my teeth, sucked it up, and just focused on maintaining a consistent cadence.  I finished with an average speed of 22.6 mph, a little slower than I had hoped, but I was happy with my time.  I then entered T2 with one goal in mind - get in, get out, and finish strong.  I ended up with a T2 time of 26 seconds, the second fastest T2 of the day.  I was extremely happy to see that, as transitions are free time.  Now to just hammer down for the final 2 miles.

2 Mile Run (12:04)

Coming out of T2, I was able to see the next runner ahead of me.  I guessed he was about a quarter of a mile ahead of me.  I knew it would take one hell of a run split to even make it close, but I immediately made it a goal to pass him.  As tired as I was, I knew that I am a strong runner and I am always able to make up ground during the run leg.  I stayed focus on my cadence and just listened to the steady beat of my feet striking the ground and tried to maintain an even rhythm.  I was able to catch the guy in front of me with about a quarter mile to go.  I finished the final 2 miles in 12:04 which was the 5th fastest split and a total time of 1:15:37 which placed me 9th overall and 1st in my age group.

Post Race

As I came in from the bike I heard Sarah and my girls cheering me on.  I believe that is what kept me going during the final run leg.  So, after the race, I spent some time with my daughters and shared the post race french toast buffet with them.  We stuck around for the awards ceremony, since both Maya and Delaney not only love me getting awards, they have come to expect me winning awards.  I really don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing.  I guess, I'll take it as a positive for now....

What's on Tap

My future race schedule is truly up in the air at this point.  I realize that I have already scheduled out my entire 2015 year, but truly, that is simply just an ideal plan.  With me starting a new job at a new department, I have to take a realistic approach to my racing schedule.  Who knows if I'll be able to finish my goal of completing a race in each month of the year or not.  I'll do my best to do it, but if I can't make it happen, then it wasn't meant to be.  Simple as that.  I'd really like to race the Toughman Wisconsin Triathlon on June 20th, but we'll see if I can make that happen.  That would be my next race, but like I said, I really have no clue what my future holds for my race schedule.  I do know that I will be racing the Race the Lake bike race around Lake Winnebago in August and that's really about it.  For now.  :)

Thanks for reading!

Cheers!

FNB St. Pat's 10 Mile Run - Race Report

I have only done the FNB St. Pat's Run once before, but it's tough to pass up considering it is literally run within miles of my home.  The race starts and finishes at a local sports bar and grill in Kimberly, WI.  The race is put on by Du Tri Run, who is the race organizer that puts on various endurance events throughout Wisconsin.  Du Tri Run offers a promotion throughout the race season called "The 5 Star Series."  It's rather simple, participate in at least 5 of their events and you add up your age group placement.  At the end of the season, you add up the 5 best placements from at least 5 events and the top three scores in each age group win additional awards at an end of season banquet.  The race I ran in February (Seroogy's Valentine's Day 15k) was apart of the 5 Star Series and I would like to try to work 5 events into my schedule and see how well I can place throughout the year in my age group.  This was also a race that worked into my schedule pretty well, because of its proximity to my home and the 9am start time, since I worked the night before.  The FNB St. Pat's Run offered two distinctly different distances, a 5k and a 10 mile run.  After falling in love with an intermediate distance at last month's Valentine's Day 15k.

Training for This Race

I haven't been following a specific training plan for this race.  I was using this race as a "training" race or your stereotypical "C" race.  I had no taper and no specific preparatory workouts.  In fact, I ran 10 miles the weekend prior and had a speed workout on Tuesday and a tempo run on Thursday.  On Friday, I was able to finally get outside on my bike and coupled it with a short 2 mile brick run after.  I have really changed up my training plan from my traditional training philosophy.  After the Seroogy's Valentine's Day 15k, I started implementing the basic philosophies of the Furman Institute of Running and their FIRST Study.  These principles can be found in their book, "Run Less, Run Faster."  Basically, you perform 3 running workouts a week, no more, no less.  These include a track workout, a tempo run, and a long run.  All 3 workouts are based on intensity opposed to volume, which is traditionally found in most endurance training plans.  In addition to the 3 runs, you perform 2 cross training workouts during the week of you choice for about 45-60 minutes with a moderate to high amount of intensity. 

I started planning my week with the 3 run workouts (Tuesday=track, Friday=tempo, Sunday=long).  After scheduling my running workouts, I wanted to add in 3 bike workouts and 3 swimming.  After playing around with my schedule I came up with the following schedule (primary workout is in bold):
Monday: Tempo Swim
Tuesday: Tempo Bike / Track Run
Wednesday: Endurance Swim
Thursday: Interval or Hill Bike / Optional Brick Run
Friday: Sprint Swim
Saturday: Long Bike
Sunday: Long Run

Training has been going really well for me.  This style of training is completely new to me.  Sure, I've done intensity before, but never to this extent.  Basically, there is no easy days.  Even long runs are done at a pace faster than my predicted marathon pace.  It's been very challenging, both physically and mentally.  This is the main reason I wanted to try this style of training.  In my marathon racing in the past, I have faded in the second half of the marathon.  I think I neglected the intensity in my training.  I know without a shadow of doubt that I can run for hours at an easy clip and I can run a half marathon in a good time, but I can't break 3 hours in the marathon.  So, my hope is that if I increase the intensity of my training, I'll be better suited for the challenges during the later stages of longer races.

Prerace

Unfortunately, I had to work the night before.  On top of working overnight the day before the race, I had a long sleepless week at home.  We had two sick girls at home this week which lead to a long tiresome week.  Saturday night went without a hitch and got out of work I got to the race start really early.  Okay, really early, I got there around 6:40am and passed time with a fantastic nap.  I sleep rather soundly until 7:30 and went inside to get my race bib.  After getting my bib (#71) it was back to my car to do my final preps before heading out for a thorough warm up.  About an hour before the race start, 8:00, I took 2 caps of Hammer Anti-Fatigue Caps and chilled until about 8:15.  After about 2 miles worth of warming up, I made my way to the start line.

Nutrition Plan

My nutrition plan was very basic - eat/drink nothing unless absolutely necessary.  I brought a few Hammer Gels along with me to take throughout the morning, if needed.  I last had a protein shake around 4:00am while at work and brought a couple Hammer Gels to eat before the race in case my stomach started rumbling.  I never needed to eat the Hammer Gels before the race, so I brought a single gel along for the run, to be taken only if needed. My intention was to avoid the on course sugary "sport" drink and just utilize water and calories from my Hammer Gel if I started to feel sluggish.  I did bring a small baggie with 3 Hammer Energy Surge.  My intentions were to take these as needed throughout the race.

Gear/Equipment

Brooks Pureflow 4

Swiftwick Tall Compression Socks

Adidas Running Shorts

Hammer Long Sleeve Running Shirt

Rudy Project Rydon Sunglasses

Miles 0-10

The race started out at what felt like a very relaxed pace.  I didn't want to look at my watch at all during the race and just wanted to run as hard as possible and shoot for a top 10 spot.  During the first 2 miles, I thought the pace was too easy for a 10 mile run and just thought that I would take advantage of the perceived slower pace and be grateful during the last 2 miles.  Just like the Valentine's Day 15k, both the 5k and 10 mile races started together.  The main difference for this race is the bibs were distinctly different for the two races.  The 10 mile race had green bibs while the 5k had white bibs.  This was actually pretty nice to know who was running which race.  At the one mile mark, I was in 8th place (including two 5k runners).  The lead pack was basically the 8 of us and were all within 50-75 meters of each other.  The lead runner really started to break away during the second mile.  By the second mile I think I moved up into 5th place or so and still felt like the pace was relaxed.  The 10 mile run split from the 5k around mile 2.75 at which time only one runner that was ahead of me split off the course and I was officially in 3rd place at this point.  It was right then and there were I made it a goal to not give up this position and finish in at lease 3rd place.  The majority of the 10 mile route was run on a paved trail along a larger county highway in my neighborhood.  I have run numerous of my everyday runs on this trail and have become extremely familiar with this trail.  The trail has a couple decent rolling hills that follow the on and off ramps of the highway.  Knowing this I planned my first tablet of Energy Surge around mile 4, just before the first hill climb.  I continued to stay about a 300-400 meters behind the 2nd place runner.  I passed up on all the water stations and was feeling really good nutrition-wise.  I wasn't feeling thirsty nor did I ever really feel sluggish to the point I felt I need to eat my Hammer Gel.  The portion of the race that was on the trail was an out and bake section, so I took a second and final tablet of Energy Surge at the same hill, just the opposite side, which was about mile 8.5 or so.  After reaching the crest of the final hill climb, I cranked up my intensity, just mentally imagining the runner behind me was on my ass.  I made it a point to not look back for fear of getting a feeling of complacency.  I just kept imagining hearing foot strikes on my tail, when in reality I had built nearly a 90 second lead.  It seemed to pay off, as my last mile was one of my faster splits.  I finished the race in 1:02:27 (6:15/mile pace) and placed 3rd overall and 1st in the Male 30-34 age group.

Post Race

I was pumped with my finish, both my time and my place.  I realize that my place is only indicative of who entered the race and I have zero control over that.  But my time, I have total control over that.  I have never raced a 10 mile race, so I had no prior races to draw from when creating a goal.  I arbitrarily came up with a time under 1:05 for a goal.  I really thought I would be closer to 1:05, then my finish time of 1:02:27.  So, when you compound that with the fact that I placed in the top 3 overall, I would classify that as a highly successful race!  After the race, I hung around until the awards ceremony and was able to catch the tail end of the 5k awards ceremony.  By far my favorite perk of this race was the fact that it was held at a local sports bar and the bar offered free beer to all the finishers!  How can you beat that?  And I'm not talking about shitty green light beer....but any tap beer was free.  So, I scored a couple pints of Red Hook's Audible Ale.  After receiving my age group award it off to get home, shower and get to bed!

The Day in Music

What's on Tap

Coming up next is one of my most important races of the year.  Its a race I do just about every year, the Jailbreak 5k.  It has become a must add in my annual plan and this year I will look to claim my 4th Bloodhound Challenge title in a row.  The Bloodhound Challenge is dubbed the "race within the race."  It is a race open to any law enforcement officers.  I have claimed the title the past 3 years and have no intentions of no trying to reclaim the title until it is taken away from me.  I will continue to train following the FIRST Run Less, Run Faster plan with hopes that it will bring my 5k time under 17 minutes.  Now, lets be honest, that is a damn lofty goal.  Taking 50 seconds off of a 5k is taking 17 seconds per mile off my average mile splits.  But, I'l never continue to improve if I don't set my sights high.  

Also, I may do an additional 5k the weekend before, to continue placing high in the Du Tri Run 5 Star Series.  On April 19th Du Tri Run is hosting a 5k, half marathon, and full marathon.  I have already done 2 events through Du Tri Run, and still am planning on doing 3 more as it is now, but one of my planned events may not go, depending on my work schedule.  So, if I am able to run a quick 5k on a morning after work, especially since its hosted in the city I work in, I feel like I should take advantage of the opportunity.  

So, until then, thanks for reading!

Cheers!

Icebreaker Indoor Half Marathon - Race Report

 Immediately after getting home from Ashland and the Whistle Stop Marathon back in October, I knew I needed an break; an off season of sorts, even though I wanted no such thing.  I took a brief break with no training, no planning, or anything else.  It was a break, a forced break, but a break none-the-less.  After my break it was right back to planning, strategizing, and training.  I'll be completely honest, I once again, became selfish, foolish, and unrealistic with the life that I live.  I had all the grandiose plans.  They all started with a full marathon in January, which was to be run on an indoor 445 meter track.  It was run at the Petit National Ice Center, which is the official Olympic Speed Skating Facility and called the Ice Breaker Marathon.  I immediately registered to save some bucks on an early registration.  But, after only a week break, I started training for this indoor marathon, just to find my calf acting up again.  I knew I needed a true break to allow my calf to better heal.  I emailed the race director asking for a transfer into the half marathon event held on the Saturday before the marathon.  It was approved and I was good to go.  Since then, I had posted a blog article about my goals and resolutions for 2015.  I'll be completely honest - I have given up on all my goals and resolutions.  Maybe "given up" is a bit too strong.  Maybe, redirected better fits.  So, lets go that route, I have redirected my goals and resolutions for 2015.  My goals and resolutions were ambitious, sure, they were also unrealistic.  Unrealistic in that my goals were simply unattainable considering were I am currently at in my life.  I have 3 beautiful daughters who are currently 10 months, 3 and 4.  So without going too much into my reasoning and my personal life, simply put, I have redirected my goals to focus more on my family and my kids and bettering my marriage with my wife, Sarah.  Yes, I still plan on racing and training, but will take life as it comes and race when it works with my work schedule and my family schedule.  So as the weekend of the Ice Breaker Half Marathon approached, we changed our original plans for the weekend.  Originally we planned on spending the weekend in Milwaukee with the girls and taking them to the Milwaukee Children's Museum after the race on Saturday.  But our vehicle had some major unexpected repairs and we felt that spending a weekend away from home probably wasn't the best decision.  So, we opted to stay home to save a few bucks. 

Training for This Race

My training has never been more inconsistent than it was for the race.  Originally, I had started my training with the idea that I was running a full marathon.  Then, like I said, my calf started tightening up as it did earlier in 2014 and I had to take some time off from running to make sure it properly healed.  Once I felt recovered, I started training for a half marathon.  My training went OK with some minor breaks, because its never truly easy training throughout the holidays especially with a household of 3 kids.  Once the holidays passed, I was getting back into a rhythm, I had to take a full week off due to an outpatient surgery in early January.  So, the final 2 weeks leading up to the race, I ran a total of 3 times for a total of 13 miles - definitely NOT ideal. 

Prerace

As I mentioned before, Sarah and I decided to not spend the weekend down in Milwaukee.  So, the day of the race, I woke up at 3:45am with the plan of driving down to Milwaukee for the race and then driving back afterward.  I actually got a pretty decent night's sleep, as I went to bed around 8:30pm.  My drive was nice with very little traffic.  I drank my travel mug of coffee and didn't plan on eating anything before the race.  I did pack a couple Hammer Gels in case I felt too hungry to eat before the start of the race.  After getting to the Petit, I checked in a got my race bib.  I got everything all set up and had plenty of time to kill before the 7am race start.  I took advantage of my extra time to get a thorough warm up completed.  I have never run at the Petit and wasn't sure what the track was like and I definitely had no clue what the atmosphere felt like - would it be cold, cool, or comfortable.  I ended up running a mile and a half and did my usual dynamic stretching routine.  After the National Anthem, it was finally time to race. 

Nutrition Plan

I had a wonderful nutritional plan for this event, but honestly completely forgot all about it.  I had planned on taking Hammer Anti-Fatigue Caps, Race Caps Supreme, and Mito Caps an hour before the race, and simply forgot. So, all I took before the race was my mug of coffee and half a water bottle with a Hammer Fizz tablet in it.  During the race I wanted to take advantage of the nutrition tables which were positioned on the corner of the track and was accessible literally whenever you needed it.  So, I created a water bottle full of 2.5 scoops (250 calories) of Hammer Heed and would sip on it throughout the race.  I also packed a small baggie of Hammer Energy Surge to take throughout the race and a dose of Hammer Anti-Fatigue Caps, but once again forgot all about them come race time and they sat in my backpack right next to the pills I was supposed to take an hour before the start of the race....oh well I guess...

Gear/Equipment

New Balance 890v4
Hammer Cool Tee Running Shirt
Hammer Cycling Socks
Garmin 910XT

Miles 0-13.1

The race started on the back half of the track, so our first lap was really a half lap.  So counted the first half lap as a full lap we had to tally 48 laps (total of 47.5 laps) to reach a final distance of 13.1 miles.  I was really unsure how the race would go, if it would be crowded or spread out.  The start of the race was the most crowded the track was the entire day.  As with any other event the start of the race is always the most congested.  But to be honest it thinned out quickly.  It was less than a lap until there was plenty of room to run and it never became an issue.  The general rule of the race was run on the outside of the track and pass on the inside.  It worked out extremely well.  Another key rule was absolutely no personal music devices - that's right - no headphones = no music.  But, they counter this well, by allowing every person to pick one song of choice to be played randomly throughout the race.  My pick was American Witch by Rob Zombie.  Simply put, the race organizers have this race down to a "T," as the number of participants seems to be just about the perfect number of runners to be running.  My goal for the race was to finish with a time between 1:30:00 and 1:24:00.  Yes, its a wide range but figured with my inconsistent training I should still be able to run a  1:30:00 half marathon, considering I have been training to run a 3:00:00 full just 3 months ago.  I figured it out that I would have to run a 1:47-1:55 lap to finish in that time range.  My first 20 laps or so were all in that range.  But then they started to fall short and I was running all my laps in the 2:00 range.  Initially, I had thought that this race would be perfect for pacing.  I thought I would be able to monitor my pace on a much more fine level opposed to pacing myself my miles during any other outdoor event.  Plus this event was completely flat, so I didn't need to worry about being slowed down by hills.  I have also run multiple 20 mile long runs on the track at my local YMCA which is a much smaller track (11 laps = 1 mile).  So I have run for hours to tally 220 laps.  I felt like my mental toughness wouldn't be an issue as I believe I have a good ability to just "zone out" and focus on running.  However, I found that racing on an indoor track is much different that running easy on a track.  I found myself focusing on the pain and discomfort WAY more than I ever do during an outdoor event.  It's like there was nothing else to focus on other than the negative.  Whereas, during a road race, there are literally thousands of things to distract you and take your mind off of the discomfort.  That, without a doubt was the most difficult this with this race.  I ended up finishing with a time of 1:32:19 or about 1:57 per lap.  This put me at 20th place out of 101 runners and 8th of 22 runners the M30-39 age group.  If I would have been close to my goal of 1:24 I could have placed 2nd in my age group and in the top ten, but oh well.  It just wasn't my day.  I'll live to run another day. 

Post Race

After the race, I quickly showered before other runners finished and I would have found myself in a long line waiting to use one of only a few showers available to runners.  After I showered and changed I stuck around to see the results to see if for some reason I was able to place high enough for an award.  As soon, as I realized there was no chance of that, I left to get back home to take the kids to a local indoor play park for the kids, which Sarah and I had planned on doing if I was back early enough.  The post race spread was small but good.  They offered homemade cookies, bagels, bananas, and chocolate milk.  All-in-all it was the event is extremely well run and well organized.  I am glad I did it, but don't think I will be doing it again, as this type of event just isn't for me.  I would much rather use the winter months as a true off season, as I have in the past.  Rather than force myself to continue training and race indoors in the middle of winter.

The Day in Music

How do you not choose Round and Round by Rat?

What's on Tap

At this point I really don't know what's on tap.  I am looking at running a 5k (or 15k) in early February in De Pere, WI, but am not completely sure if I will or not.  After that, there are a few other races I may or may not do.  Like I said earlier, I really want to refocus some of my energy into my family and kids and really work on finding that balance between life, work, family, and fitness.  More than likely I'll do several shorter races throughout the year that require little to no travel and maybe a marathon or two sprinkled in where I can.

Thanks for reading!
Cheers! 

Looking Back and Moving Forward - 2014

After have arguably one of my best years ever in 2013, I had no idea what to expect for 2014.  It seemed as though after my post Ironman high wore off, I was left with a mild depression.  Almost a feeling of emptiness.  Now, I totally realize that this sounds absurd and over-the-top, but I have talked about this at length before.  Completing an Ironman had been at the forefront of my mind ever since I became involved in endurance sports, hell, it was the reason I got involved in the first place.  It was the reason I woke up and trained at 5am in subzero temperatures in January.  So anyone should be able to under stand there was going to be a feeling of void after crossing off your top goal.  After taking some time off, I wanted to start planning my 2014 race schedule, but honestly had no idea where to go with it.  What races should I do?  What distances should I race?  I kept telling myself that I wanted to race shorter distance races, but it took me a while to convince myself that it was OK to do sprint distance races.  Regardless of what distances I choose, I knew 2014 would be a challenging year, as we would be adding our 5th addition to our family, baby Harper.  Also, after neglecting my wife and kids for the better part of all of 2013, I really wanted to make the most of 2014 and for a lack of better words, make up for lost time.

Knowing that I wanted to spend more time with my family than I did in 2013, all while continuing to race competitively, I was struggling to come up with a race schedule.  I didn't want to just do 1 or 2 races, but at the same time I didn't want to do too many races.  I tried coming up with some goals for the upcoming season.  First, the goal that will remain in the forefront until I can cross it off, will be running a sub 3:00 marathon.  Now, I just needed to find a goal race for my triathlon season.  I saw post of Facebook about the 2013 USA Triathlon Age Group National Championships, which were held in Milwaukee, that they were voted the best race of 2013.  The post also mentioned that they race would be returning to Milwaukee for 2014.  I immediately had my goal race for 2014.  

After doing a little research I learned that the Age Group National Championships is the qualifying race for the 2015 World Triathlon Championships.  I looked into how realistic it would be for me to qualify for Team USA for 2015 by looking at the 2013 results.  During a normal year, Team USA takes 15-18 athletes per age group, but during a year when the World Championships are held in the United States, Team USA is allowed a few extra athletes as the host country.  The 2015 World Championships are scheduled to be held in Chicago.  This will be the first time the race will be held in the US in several years, let alone the fact that the race will be held within driving distance from my home.  Based on times from last year, I figured that if I were to finish the race in under 1:08:00 I would be sitting in a great position to qualify for Team USA.  And just like that, I had a goal for 2014 - I would focus my training towards qualifying for Team USA for the opportunity to represent The USA at the 2015 World Triathlon Championships.

So, to start 2014 off, Sarah and I planned a final get-away trip to Chicago in January.  This was our last trip as a family of four.  We stayed right in downtown Chicago and planned on just having a relaxing weekend.  We went to Shedd Aquarium, Ed Debevic's, and to Millennium Park to see the "jelly bean," and even did a little ice skating in the park.  It was a great weekend away and something different for the kids.  Both Maya and Delaney still talk about our trip to Chicago.

Before we knew it Harper was born.  As I write this she is just 9 months old.  It's kind of odd, but a part of me feels like she was just born yesterday, while on the other hand it feels like she's been a part of our family for much longer.  I will say this though, a third kid is much more taxing then I imagined.  I had no clue what to expect going from 2 kids to 3, but my free time has dwindled to just about none and our lives seem to be just that much more stressful.  It has been such a change to our family.  Suddenly, simple errands have become larger undertakings, getting ready for bedtime has become a project, and just about everything takes considerably longer.  It's funny because when it came out that Sarah and I would be having our third child, people would joke saying that we would need to switch to zone defense.  Since Harper's birth, life is just not as simple as one parent dealing with one kid, it is now a full team effort.  It is truthfully a zone parenting scheme.

It was shortly after Harper's birth that I realized that my training and racing would take a hit.  I knew it was going to take extra planning in order to get in my longer workouts.  Either way, I was still determined to train just as hard as I did in previous years.  I jumped right into training in January with hopes of finally nailing my sub 3:00 marathon at the Green Bay Marathon in May.  Unfortunately, my training took a huge hit in February when my calves started to give me issues.  I had no idea specifically what the issue was.  I even saw a sports medicine doctor thinking it was a possible stress fracture in my right calf.  After my appointment he assured me that it probably was not a stress fracture.  I took a couple weeks off from running and started back up easing my mileage back to where I wanted it.  After my break I was able to ease back into training and ran in the Oshkosh Half Marathon in April, finishing 12th overall and 2nd in my age group with a time of 1:24:31.  It was the day after the Jailbreak 5k (one week following the half marathon) I suddenly had a new issue in my left calf.  It was right in the belly of the muscle and felt like a giant knot, almost like a painful cramp.  This occurred during an attempted long run the day after the Jailbreak 5k in April, just a few weeks before the Green Bay Marathon.  The good news is I, once again won the Bloodhound Challenge as the fastest Cop in the race, for now the 3rd year in a row.

With hopes of still toeing the line at the Green Bay Marathon, I was desperate for just about any quick fix to help my calf heal.  I made an appointment to receive some Dry Needling treatments at a local physical therapy office.  It definitely helped, but I think the damage was done just a little too late.  I was able to at least try finishing the race, but fell just short and pulled out around mile 17.  This was my first ever DNF (Did Not Finish).  It was hard, but I think know it was the right decision, regardless of how much it sucked walking off a marathon course.  My choice to walk off proved to be the right decision, because after just a few days of rest and recovery from the marathon, I slowly eased back into running with sprint triathlon specific training.  Even though I was unable to finish the marathon, I still think the Dry Needle treatments helped immensely.  You can read more about my experience with Dry Needle treatments here.   

Once I started my triathlon specific training I was getting used to being a father of three.  Sarah and I were starting to figure things out.  Basically, for the two of us, I would generally take care of the older two girls, while she focused on caring for Harper.  It seemed to be working.  As for my training, it didn't take me long to realize that just because I was training for a much shorter race, the training didn't necessarily become any easier.  Yes, the training was shorter, much shorter, but it in no way was it any easier.  I feel in love with this style of training.  Majority of my weekday workouts were between 45-90 minutes and pretty much always included some intensity.  My weekend workouts were anywhere between 1-2 hours.  It was perfect.  I enjoyed the balance of intensity and duration.  My weekend workouts fulfilled my love of going long while the weekday workouts were challenging enough that I was glad they were shorter than my usual workouts.

My first multisport race of 2014 came in June, with the High Cliff Sprint Triathlon.  I was a bit hesitant going into this race since it was just a few weeks after I pulled out of the Green Bay Marathon.  I was worried that the intensity of the 5k run would bring back the issues in my calf.  I was especially concerned because the first half mile of the run was straight up a steep hill.  The race went great and I had no issues with either calf.  I finished the race in 1:22:14 and placed 10th overall, 1st in my age group.  The best part of this race was my age group award of a screen printed pint glass!  This race was held over Father's Day weekend and to take advantage of the opportunity, we camped right at High Cliff State Park for the weekend.

The very next week I scheduled a race in Pleasant Prairie, WI.  It was going to be my longest triathlon of the year.  I raced in the Olympic Distance race and would be my first time racing this distance since 2008, when I was first getting started in triathlon.  I was excited to race this distance as it is very indicative of your ability as this is the most competitive race distance out there, IMO.  The race ended up being postponed about an hour or so due to dense fog.  Once the race started, I gave it everything I had with hopes of placing in my age group.  I ended up falling short placing 5th in my age group but 14th overall.  It was a competitive race at the top, but I was extremely pleased with my race.  I finished in 2:04:39, but the bike course was cut a mile or two short due to road construction.  Here is my race report.

My third race was my last race before Age Group Nationals and was going to be final tune up race.  The race I scheduled was the Ripon Medical Center Sprint Triathlon.  The race was 2 weeks before Nationals.  My hope was to literally go 110% throughout the entire race with hopes of having no energy left at the end.  I wanted to use this as a practice race to see how hard I can go and how it will feel having the throttle wide open for an entire race.  My biggest concern was how hard the run would be after mashing on the bike.  Turns out, the race went WAY better than I ever imagined.  I ended up placing 1st overall and it honestly wasn't even close.  I won by over 6 minutes!  At no point in this race did I ever take it easy.  This was my first ever overall win in a triathlon.  I was stoked!  You can read my race report here.

Coming off my first ever overall win, I was feeling fast and confident.  The week before the USA Triathlon Age Group Nationals in Milwaukee, we had a family vacation in Rhinelander with the Nissen's.  I went into the race feeling fresh and fast.  On race morning I was the most nervous I think I had ever been for any race.  No, it wasn't going to be a long grueling race, but there was so much at stake.  This was my first race were there was no real joy in simply finishing.  I had a very specific time goal in mind and even if I achieve my time goal there was no guarantee that I would qualify for Team USA.  My strategy for the race was to do the same as I did in Ripon and give 110% the entire race and never let up.  The race went well, it was one of my favorite events I've done to date.  I stuck to my plan and felt pretty good all day.  I ended up finishing with a time of 1:07:08, nearly a full minute faster than my optimistic goal of 1:08.  I was most impressed with my effort on the final home stretch of the run, where I had an average pace of 4:52/mile throughout the final tenth of a mile.  My race report can be found here.

Unfortunately I did not qualify for Team USA.  I finished 28th in my age group and missed qualifying by about 30 seconds.  Evidently my estimate of finishing with a time of 1:08 would leave me sitting pretty fell a bit short.  But after thinking about it after the fact, I think this year saw a much more competitive race for several reasons.  First, I think the success of last years race lead more people to racing it in 2014.  Secondly, the 2015 World Championships are held in the USA for the first time in several years, bringing out a ton more athletes.  And finally, I truly think the proximity of the 2015 World Championship (Chicago) to the National Championships (Milwaukee) brought out more people too.  This is due to the belief that if you're able to race in Milwaukee, you should be able to race in Chicago the following year.   Comparing the two years, 2013 had a total of 55 finishers in the M30-34 age group while 2014 had 114, over double!  So in short, I am not at all bummed with my finish.  I am actually pretty proud of myself.  I know that I did the best I could and gave it my all.  I finished just outside of qualifying for Team USA and was the first guy from Wisconsin to finish in my age group....for what that's worth.  

Initially, my race season was going to end after the Age Group National Championships.  But, as I mentioned, I pulled out of the Green Bay Marathon, therefore obviously, not achieving my goal of finishing a sub 3:00 marathon.  So, immediately getting home from the Green Bay Marathon, Sarah jumped online to find a redemption race for me to complete sometime down the road.  She found a race in Ashland, WI in October.  Conveniently, her parents have a cabin in a small town about 20 miles south of Ashland and I was already off the weekend of the race.  She gave me the almighty blessing to register for the race that day, literally just hours after walking off the Green Bay Marathon course.

Coming off the National Championships, I took a few days off to just kick back and relax at my family's cottage and then jumped into my marathon training plan.  My training plan was very run heavy (imagine that!).  My training better than expected.  More than ever, I felt like this was going to be the time I would run a sub 3 hour marathon.  I was hitting all my predetermined marks in training and feeling great throughout.  We had made arrangements to spend an extended weekend at my in-laws cabin the weekend of the Whistle Stop Marathon.  The race was on Saturday, so we would then celebrate my daughter's birthday that weekend with our families on Saturday night.  It was a great plan and everything was all shaping up to be a perfect opportunity to meet my #1 goal.

Once again, unfortunately I did not achieve my goal.  For one reason or another, I once again blew up in the later miles of the race after sustaining an appropriate pace for more than half the race.  I finished in 3:16:28 and placed 4th in my age group.  I was left with a feeling of confusion.  I honestly do not know what I need to do, or what I need to not do.  I do know that I want, more than just about anything, to run a sub 3:00 marathon.  The race itself was a great race and was extremely scenic, especially during that time of year with the fall colors at their peak.  

2014 was a much better year than I had expected coming off the year I had in 2013.  I was able to experience some great new races and found new ways to challenge myself without sacrificing a bunch of hours away from my family.  I have become even better with my time management skills.  Our family took some great trips both short and long.  So, with no doubt, I would say 2014 was a great year, even when I thought it would be impossible to even come close to the year I had 2013.  

In the next week or two, I will be writing Part 2 of my Looking Back and Moving Forward.  My next post I will look ahead to my plans, goals, and resolutions for 2015.  I have huge plans for 2015 that I have been working out the details for.  I want to really work on not only becoming a better athlete next year, but more importantly a better father, husband, and person.  So, until then, I hope you all have a great holiday season!