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!

Jailbreak 5k - Race Report

If you remember from last year, The Jailbreak Marathon 5k was a race that has become a "regular" on my race schedule.  This year was the 7th running of this local, small town race and the 3rd time for me.  It is put on by The Waushara County Crime Stoppers and the Waushara County Sheriff's Office.  Not only do they hold a 5k race, but also a half marathon, full marathon, and a 1 mile kids fun run.  By far, the 5k is their most popular event.  In addition to the 4 events, they also hold what is called the Bloodhound Challenge.  This is what they consider a "race within the race."  This is not an additional event, but an additional event which coincides with the 5k run.  The Bloodhound Challenge is a competition for law enforcement personnel.  All that is needed to do, is notify the race officials the morning of the race, that you'd like to participate in the Bloodhound Challenge and they will mark down your bib number.  I have been fortunate enough to take the Bloodhound Challenge title the past two years in a row.  It has become an expectation that I show up on race day to defend my title - especially within my own department.  At last year's Jailbreak 5k, I was lucky enough to take first overall on my way to my second Bloodhound title.  My goals going into the race were to finish with a time around 17:30 (5:38/mile pace).  No doubt, it was an ambitious goal.  Especially considering my 5k personal record came at last years race with a time of 17:49, but I would be happy with anything under 17:49.

Training Plan

Just like my last race report, I had not specifically trained for this race at all.  I was simply running it to support the race and to run as the previous year's winner of the Bloodhound Challenge.  My training plan is totally centered on one specific goal - running a sub 3 hour marathon at the Cellcom Green Bay Marathon on May 18th.  The only workout I made adjustments to leading up to the 5k was my weekly mile repeats workout.  Instead of doing 6x1 mile sprints, I did brick intervals.  I started with a 2 mile warm up and did 3 sets of 15 minutes on an indoor cycle followed with a single mile sprint on a treadmill around a 5:50-6:00/mile.  After my 3 sets, I did an easy mile cool down.  Other than that adjustment, my training schedule was my typical marathon training week.  On Saturday I did my weekly long run, this week was a 24 mile run.  On Tuesday, I did my weekly Marathon Goal Pace workout.  I started with a two mile warm up and then did 3 sets of 4 miles all at my goal race pace of 6:50/mile pace.  I then finished with a 2 mile cool down.  I was scheduled to swim for an hour on Friday morning, but was unable to make it to the pool due to being held over at work until nearly 11am which made for a 13 hour shift (10pm-11am).

Day/Night Before

As I just got done saying, I was held over from my Thursday night shift until 11am on Friday morning.  So, instead of getting in my morning swim, I opted to just go home and get ready for work Friday night and ready for the race on Saturday and get some sleep.  Friday night was a busy night at work, but I was lucky and got out on time.  I ate my usual packed food during work that night.  After work, I got changed and got on the road to head to Wautoma.  I drank a cup of coffee along with some green tea on the way there.  Surprisingly, I was feeling pretty awake and alert for working the night before.  

Getting to the Start Line

I ended up getting to Wautoma around 7:30am, an hour and a half before the start of the race.  So, needless to say, I was plenty early.  I picked up my bib and race packet, which consisted of a water bottle and a really nice long sleeve t-shirt, along with your typical pamphlets for other area races.  I had bib number 394.  After getting my goodie bag, I headed right back to my car to stay in the warmth.  It was a cool spring morning, with temperatures around 38* and a strong North wind.  Not knowing exactly what the morning would feel like when I packed my clothes, all I had to wear was my short (short short) running shorts and a dry-wicking t-shirt.  I did not pack gloves, or an optional long sleeve t-shirt.  I stayed in my warm car while the marathon and half marathon started (8:00am and 8:30am, respectively).  At 8:00 I ate my Hammer Bar to top off my glycogen stores since I had not eaten since 4:30am while at work.  Around 8:15 I took, my Race Caps Supreme, Mito Caps, and Anti-Fatigue Caps.  Around 8:25 I headed out into the brisk morning air to start my warm up.  My warm up was pretty simple, I just ran around a large country sized "block" and did some dynamic stretching after the first mile and ended with about 3/4 mile of strides.  After my warm up was complete, I made a quick stop at the car to ditch my warm up jacket and put on my race bib and make my way to the start line.

3.1 Mile Run

As just about every single other runner out there does, as everyone started lining up at the start line, I began eyeing up everyone to pick out any possible competition.  I honestly thought, that there was no one that would be able to hang with me.  Yes, I realize that sounds arrogant and conceded, but, that was honestly what I was thinking as I looked around me.  At 9:00 sharp, the race started.  I started out in front and did my best to hang on and keep the lead the entire race.  I was feeling really good right off the bat.  After making a few turns we were heading south with the wind at our backs.  We were approaching a "T" intersection and I was surprised to hear footsteps which sounded like they were right on my ass.  I heard the footsteps the entire race up to this point.  I honestly thought, there is no way this dude can hang with me - he is just another dude who is going out way to fast and will undoubtedly blow up around mile 2...if not earlier.  As we approached the "T" intersection I looked back and asked if he knew which way we were supposed to go.  I was not certain if we were to make a left hand turn or continue straight.  Yea, yea, I know....You'd think that with this being my third running of the Jailbreak 5k, you'd think I would know the course.  The guy behind me said he had no clue which way to go.  I thought we were to go straight.  As we got to the intersection, we saw arrows in the road that pointed to the left.  There were several arrows, but there were also 2 other races.  We continued straight.  At this point we had both slowed our pace greatly.  We heard a guy behind us yelling "GO LEFT!  GO LEFT!"  I immediately thought, "OH F____!"  We turned around and started back on the correct course.  The two of us didn't loose any positions, just time.  The two of us had already built a considerable lead over the remainder of the field.  I don't know how close or far behind me this dude was before the missed turn, but he was dead even with me at this point.  We continued to push each other along the race course, which I lead majority of.  As we hit the 2.5 mile mark he made the move that I was unable to counter.  He had a gear that I was unable to match.  He was about 5 seconds ahead of me at the 3 mile mark.  After he initially passed me, my plan was to hang on close enough to hopefully pass him in the last 100-200 yards, hoping he would be running on empty.  That ended up not happening.  He had a strong push at the end that I was unable to match.  I did make up a little bit of ground during the last 100-200 yards, but was just unable to make the final pass.  I finished with a time of 17:42.0 and he finished in 17:38.2.  I took 2nd overall and first in the Bloodhound Challenge.  A result that I was very happy with.  Even with a missed turn, I set a new 5k PR by 6 seconds!

Jailbreak 5k Garmin Details

Post Race

Unfortunately I was all alone at the race this year.  So after the race I chatted with the kid that beat me for a while and then grabbed a couple of bananas and hung out for a while to watch the remainder of the 5k finishers and also was able to watch the first overall half marathon finisher cross the finish line.  After about 45 minutes, I grabbed a quick picture with the race director with the Bloodhound Challenge plaque and I was on my way back home to get some sleep as I had to work Saturday night again.

Other Notes

Ok, here is your fair warning.  This is going to be my section were I reason with you as to how and why I believe my adjusted 5k time is 17:25 and NOT 17:42.0.  With that being said, if you really don't give a shit, feel free to skip over this section and just tell yourself that I'm full of shit.  Alrighty...Based on my Garmin data (follow the link above), my total time was 17:41.0, a complete second shorter then my official race time of 17:42.0.  My final distance was 3.18 miles with a final average pace of 5:34/mile.  Based on the mapping function on Garmin, I figured that the missed turn added 0.06 miles to my race and a total of 23 seconds.  Now, the way I came up with these numbers is simply figuring my time and distance were I would have initiated the turn and then figuring the time and distance were I theoretically would have completed the turn, based on my positioning during my missed turn.  I figure that it would have most likely taken about 3-5 seconds and about 0.01 miles to complete the distance that was not accounted for meaning I most likely can figure the missed turn cost me about 18-20 seconds - which would leave me with a hypothetical 5k time of 17:22-17:24.  To corroborate my hypothesis, here is another way to calculate a hypothetical race time.  According to my Garmin I averaged a 5:34/mile pace over the course of the 3.18 distance (including the slowed pace during the missed turn).  According to my Garmin data, the total distance covered in 2012 was 3.11 miles and 3.13 miles in 2013.  So even using the longer of the two distances (3.13 miles), that would assume I ran an additional 0.05 miles due to the missed turn (exactly what my predicted distance was based on my GPS data).  Now, if you assume the average pace of 5:34/mile over the course of the 3.18 miles, and calculate a final race time over the course of 3.13 miles (5:34 x 3.13) would leave a hypothetical race time of 17:25 5k.  So based on these two calculated hypothetical race times, I think it is safe to assume that if I had not been a complete dumbass and missed the left hand turn, I would have finished with a race time of 17:25 (or there about).  A whole 5 seconds faster then my ambitious race goal of 17:30!  Hoo-RAH!

Lessons for Future Events

Nothing new learned here, to be honest.  I have gotten into a pretty comfortable routine with 5k's and feel pretty comfortable running them with little to no rest/taper or any specific preparations.  I feel comfortable using 5k's as a good tempo workout or speed workout in the middle of a typical training load.

What's Next

As of today (Sunday), there are 20 days until the Cellcom Green Bay Marathon.  I have one more long and easy run of 20 miles which is tomorrow.  I also have a final marathon goal pace workout on May 4th, which will consist of 3 sets of 5 miles done at or below my goal pace of 6:50/mile.  I have been consistently running these workouts around the 6:30-6:45/mile pace, leaving me pretty confident with running a sub 3 hour marathon in Green Bay.  I am determined and motivated to make my dream a reality this year and will lay it all out there on race day!  

Oshkosh Half Marathon - Race Report

I have made it no secret that my ultimate goal for the marathon is running a sub 3 hour marathon, especially since qualifying for the Boston Marathon in 2010.  Ever since running the Boston Marathon in 2011, I have focused majority of my efforts toward triathlon.  This year is going to be different.  My main focus for the spring of 2014 is the Green Bay Marathon.  In preperation for the GB Marathon, I scheduled the Oshkosh Half Marathon as a race to gauge were my current fitness is.  I did not plan on treating this race as an "A" race, but a "B" race.  I definitely wanted to put up a fast time and do the best I could, but I honestly had no clue as to what type of time I was capable of.  The last half marathon I ran was in 2008 and I finished with a time of 1:38:43.  My latest marathon time was last year's Green Bay Marathon with a time of 3:10:32.  I often use McMillan Running (www.mcmillanrunning.com) to help predict race times and help set realistic, yet challenging goals.  I first put in a goal marathon time of 2:55:00 and according to their calculator I should theoretically be able to run a 1:23:09 half marathon.  So, just like that, I had determined a goal time for my first half marathon in nearly 6 years.  

Training Plan

My training plan has been geared around one goal in mind.  Running 26.2 miles in less then 3 hours - period.  That simple.....but it's always easier said then done.  Ever since running 30 miles on my 30th birthday, my training plan has focused on strictly prescribed pace workouts.  I have been doing mile repeats, goal marathon paced workouts, long runs, and tempo runs.  Each of these differing workouts have a specific goal pace.  My mile repeats have been done around 5:20/mile, long runs at an easy 7:45-8:00/mile, goal paced workouts are at or below 6:50/mile, and my tempo runs at 6:20/mile.  The days leading up the Oshkosh Half were far from being a taper.  The Saturday before I did an 8 mile run with 5 mile repeats, followed with a 14 mile goal marathon pace run on Monday.  On Thursday I had a track workout consisting of 6x400m sprints with a total mileage of 6 miles.  I took Friday off and then a short 2 mile run on Saturday.  I honestly felt really well on both Saturday and Sunday morning leading up to the race even with my higher training volume/intensity.

Day/Night Before

Saturday was a busy day/night for my family and I.  It started immediately after finishing my short 2 mile jaunt.  Sarah brought the three girls, with her parents, to a Breakfast with the Easter Bunny at the Local YMCA followed by an Easter Egg Hunt.  I left to get down to Oshkosh to pick up my race packet and then met up with the family shortly after their breakfast.  After the Easter Egg Hunt, we went to the grocery store for their annual "Bunny Hop."  It's nothing special, kind of a trick-or-treating style day but Easter Themed with the Easter Bunny.  When we finished making our rounds at the grocery store, we went to the same hospital Harper was born at to visit our good friends Pat and Melissa to see their new son, Connor.  We spent about 45 minutes visiting and then we returned home to get the kids down for an afternoon nap.  Later that evening we had plans to go out to dinner with the entire extended family from my dad's side to celebrate the birthday of my deceased grandfather.  This has been a tradition with my dad and his brothers and sisters for the past 10-15 (or more) years.  My dad came from a family of 12...yes, 12!  So, any time they are able to get most, if not all, together, its pretty special.  We went to a local supper club for dinner and I did my best to eat as close to the Whole30 rules as I could.  I drank water, had a salad with tomatoes and eggs and no dressing, and a broiled piece of haddock for dinner.  My only flaw with dinner was the cup of rice which was served as a side.  I figured it was my best option, and certainly better then the other options of white potatoes (fried, hashed, baked, etc.).  My biggest flaw was having 2 small squares of the cookie cake for my aunt's birthday.  Oh well, you need to enjoy life every now and again.  Don't worry, I won't dive into the number of beers I took down Friday night while playing Cards Against Humanity with my in-laws or the number of handfuls of M&M's that I ate with the beer.  :)  Either way, I was in bed and sleeping around 10pm with my alarms set for 4am.....ugh.

Getting to the Start Line

Without fail, my alarms went off when I told them to...4am sharp.  I was tired, but excited to get my 2014 race season under way.  I finally got my butt out of bed around 4:15 and immediately poured a cup of coffee and ate my traditional prerace meal of boiled sweet potato topped with natural honey and almond butter.  The weather was at the front of my mind all week.  It had been forecasted to be a cold and wet weekend ever since the extended forecast came out.  Saturday was a cool and wet day and rained pretty much all day.  The forecast for Saturday morning called for temperatures near 40 and a 30-40% chance of showers.  That morning it was not raining when I woke up, but the roads and everything else was wet from all the overnight rain.  I immediately jumped onto Weather.com and saw that the rain had a chance of holding off until later in the morning.  Either way, there was little I was able to do about it, at least that's what I told myself.  After a little relaxing and stressing over the radar, I was on my way to Oshkosh (about a half hour drive south of my home) by 5:20.

After getting to Oshkosh, I eventually was able to find my friend Bob and hung out with him until about 15 minutes before the race.  At 6:15am I took my new standard pre-workout supplements from Hammer Nutrition; Race Caps Supreme, Mito Caps, and Anti-Fatigue Caps.  We stayed inside the convention center where the race was based out of to stay dry and warm.  Around 6:45am I started a brief warm up just to get the legs moving and to loosen up.  It was nothing what I would have liked, but hey, it was cold outside and I valued standing indoors in the warmth over being outside in the dreary weather.  By the time I got to the start line it was about 6:55 and I took an Energy Surge for a final boost of ATP just prior to the race starting.  After the National Anthem we receive a pre-race briefing in regards to the current course conditions following yesterdays rain.  No shocker, but there were parts of the course that were flooded, especially the sections that were located on the a trail section of the course along the river.
  

Miles 0-7

Immediately after starting the race, I decided I would make it a goal to go out and just run based on feel and try not to look at my watch for split times.  I wanted to do this because I honestly had no idea if a 1:23 half marathon would be way to hard for me or way to easy and I didn't want to ruin a race by crashing in the final 2-5 miles or by holding back for fear of crashing and burning.  Shortly after mile 1, I had realized that I had gone out way to fast.  My breathing was pretty labored and I knew I had to cut my pace or I would never be able to survive the final 12 miles.  I slowed my pace a bit, but it really wasn't until miles 4 or 5 that I really started to feel like I was at the right pace.  The first 4 miles were ironically the wettest.  This was the section of the race that was run along the lake and river that goes through the City of Oshkosh.  There were sections of the course that were under a good 3-6" of water that were completely unavoidable.  It was at these sections of the course that I tried to make my gait as wide and quick as possible to try and stay as dry as possible.

Miles 8-13.1

I continued to count down the miles to get to mile 10, because at that point I knew I would just have a 5k to the finish line.  Miles 8-10 were the worst miles, mentally.  I had no one in front of me to chase and no one behind me to push me.  I was lonely.  I tried to continuously assess my breathing, my gait, and my overall general feeling, wondering if I needed to slow down, or if I could pick up the pace based on how much of the race was left.  By time I got to mile 10, I was in a comfortable grove.  I knew I could hang on with just enough gas in the tank for a strong push on the final mile.  After the 10 mile mark, I took a final Hammer Nutrition Energy Surge for a little energy boost to get me to the finish line.  I continued to slowly pick up the pace until I passed the 12 mile mark.  It was at that point that I picked up the pace.  There was still no one visible in front of me, but I was able to see another guy behind me.  With about a quarter mile to the finish line I really opened up, I am not sure if it was adrenaline or the Energy Surge, but I felt like I had a whole other gear and pushed hard and finished with a final time of 1:24:31.

Oshkosh Half Marathon - Garmin Details

Post Race

After finishing I was very happy to see my wife and kids (as always) at the finish line and we spent some time chatting about the race and stuck around to watch Bob finish the race.  It was special to see my wife and kids at this race.   I could have been the fact that the weather was cruddy and my wife still lugged 3 girls all 4 and under out to the finish line by herself.  It could have been the fact that we are now a family of 3 with a one month old.  Or it could have been the fact that this was Harper's first ever race.  Either way, It seems like since the Ironman and having our third daughter my family has meant even more to me then before.  I am truly the luckiest guy out there and I wouldn't trade my life for anything.  Shortly after Bob finished, they held the awards ceremony.  I was fortunate enough to finish in 12th place overall and 2nd in my new age group of 30-34.  I was thrilled.  

Other Notes

I was very happy with my time.  No, it wasn't the 1:23 I was shooting for, but really who knows if that was realistic.  Maybe if I had trained specifically for a half marathon and tapered and peaked for this race I could have run a 1:23, but I really don't care.  For me it isn't about this individual half.  It's about the Marathon, specially running that marathon in under 3 hours, and that race is now 33 days away.  I have been training hard for the marathon and ran this race in the heart of my training, so I am very pleased with my time of 1:24:31.  Plus, now when I input my official race time from this race into the McMillan Calculator, it predicts a theoretical marathon time 2:57:52.  Sure, I wouldn't mind a little cushion but that is a definite confidence boost.  A boost that I will take into the final month of my training.

Lessons for Future Events

There are few true lessons that I will pull from this race when it comes to the specifics of the race and strategies.  But I will say, this was the first race that I ran since strictly using Hammer Nutrition products and I will not change anytime soon.  This was also the first time I used Energy Surge and Anti-Fatigue Caps and I am extremely impressed with the results.  I can't wait to continue to use them in future races and triathlons.  I debated what I would eat or drink for my pre-race meal.  I have made a decent effort to eat a diet higher in fat and protein and lower in carbohydrates in an effort to become more fat adapted.  So, I debated drinking coffee with pure coconut milk in it was opposed to my traditional high carb meal that I ultimately ended up eating.  I think I will still eat my sweet potato before the Green Bay Marathon, but might experiment with just coffee and coconut milk for my triathlons and other races this summer.

What's Next

It's time to kick my training into high gear the next few weeks before my final taper before the marathon.  I am scheduled to take Monday off from training in an effort to properly recover before jumping back into pace specific workouts.  I have one more real long run on my schedule of 24 miles and then a final 20 miler before my taper.  I have 2 more goal marathon pace workouts and a couple of shorter, more intense runs on the schedule.  I also have the Jailbreak 5k coming up on April 26th, which has the Bloodhound Challenge for Law Enforcement Officers.  I have won it the past two years and have some high expectations to win it a third year in a row.  I will do my best, but like I say every year, it's only a matter of time before another quick person shows up and steals the traveling trophy from me.

Videos from Ironman Wisconsin

The videos below were taken by Sarah throughout the day at Ironman Wisconsin.

Passing through Verona on the bike for the first time.

Passing through Verona for the second time.

Running on State Street at about mile 6 of the marathon.

The second time on State Street, at about mile 13ish.

Crossing the finish line of Ironman Wisconsin!

Ironman Expectations

I would be simply foolish to believe that I would be able to accurately predict how things are going to go this Sunday.  Even the pros can't necessarily predict their finish times with any degree of certainty.  A 140.6 mile race is just too long to forecast.  First, there are so many things that can happen, both good and bad that will impact a your overall time.  Second, little things can very easily compound and become big things.  Lastly, factors that are out of your control, such as temperatures, wind speeds, hills, etc, have exponentially larger impacts on race times due to the length of the race.  For instance, a slight head wind may only add seconds onto a finish time of a sprint triathlon, where in an Ironman, those seconds become minutes.

With that all stated, my #1 goal is simply to finish before the 17 hour cut off.  Simple as that - finish before 12:00am Sunday night/Monday morning.  I don't want to go and jinx myself now, but I am confident that is a realistic goal.  Now, simply going in to finish is all fine and dandy, but at the same time there needs to be some level of expectations, regardless that this is my first attempt at the Iron distance triathlon.  It doesn't help that I have no previous experiences to draw from.  The closest race I can draw from are my 4 previous half Ironman races.  But still, I finished those all in the area of 5 hours (+/- 15 minutes or so).  My PR at that distance is a 4:45.  A half Ironman is a 70.3 mile journey....which means there is still another 70.3 miles to cover....and that's no cake walk.  A simple thought is to just multiply your finish time by 2.  Duh - twice as far = twice as long, right?  That would give me a projected finish time of 9:30, wow, that would qualify me for Kona and put me in the top 20 overall.  There is no way that's going to happen.  So now what?  I have seen equations to multiply by 2 and add a 30 minutes.  That would put me at 10:00, still at the top of my age group.  I have also seen equations that say multiply your half Ironman time by 2.2, which had me at a 10:27.  So which is it???

You need to take those predictions with a grain of salt.  They do not take into consideration the course you raced your course on.  They do not take into consideration the course you are racing your full Ironman on.  They do not take into consideration your training.  I think those equations can give you some ideas of what you are capable of.  From there you can draw from your training as to what you are capable of.

Like I said above, my main goal, my #1 goal is to simply finish and that will remain my goal no matter what happens on Sunday.  My #2 goal is to finish under 12 hours.  My #3 goal, to finish under 11 hours.  My #4 goal, to finish under 10:45.  And my last goal, which is more of a dream goal, is to qualify for Kona.  Below is my break down for each leg of the race with my strategies for them.

2.4 Mile Swim - Projected Time 1:05-1:10

The swim course has changed from previous years from a double loop to a single 2.4 mile loop.  The swim is starts in deep water and is a mass start.  This means that all 2,500+ participants start together, in the open water, as opposed to waves of 50 starting every 1 minute or so from shore, as many triathlons start.  My thoughts are to get in the water by about 6:40-6:45am, depending on what the crowds do, and swim out to the ski ramp.  There are ski shows near the swim start during the summer months and they leave the giant ski jump ramp in the water.  The ramp is the outside portion of the start line.  I am planning on playing the start by ear depending on the crowds in the water and try to judge abilities of other swimmers and try to stick with people who I feel have similar abilities to try and draft off of.  Once the swim starts, there is little to describe.  My plans are to go out easy and never over exert myself in the water.  I want to use the swim as a warm up for the day.  The swim time is extremely minor compared to the remaining events.  You will never win a race (or meet your goals on the swim), but it is very easy to lose a race during the swim (or blow up your race plans).  If everything goes right, I should come out of the water just over 1 hour, hopefully under 1:10, but I will not get discouraged if I come out over that.  

Swim to Bike Transition - Projected time 0:10

After coming out of the water, I will utilize the wetsuit strippers to help remove my wetsuit.  I will then run to the Monona Terrace and proceed to run up 4 stories to the top of the parking ramp.  Instead of running up 4 flights of stairs, they have us run up the infamous helix style driveway to the top of the parking ramp to the male/female segregated transition areas.  The long distance to run to the transition area, on top of running in circle to the top story of the parking ramp have me over estimating my transition time of 10 minutes.  I will then grab my T1 gear bag, apply some chamois cream to my crotch, grab my helmet, cycling shoes, sunglasses and arm sleeves, apply a layer of sun screen and head out to grab my bike.

112 Mile Bike - Projected time 5:53

The bike course is a "lollipop" style course.  You head southwest out of Madison to Verona and proceed to complete two loops before heading back to Madison.  I have biked the loops a total of 3 times, completing a total of 5 laps.  I know the bike course like the back of my hand at this point.  I can nearly recite the roads by name turn by turn.  In all of my previous rides on the course I have averaged roughly 18.5-18.8 mph including stops at my vehicle to reload water and nutrition.  I feel confident that I will be able to ride the course, in its entirety at an average speed of 19 mph.  That would put my bike time at 5:53 and change.  Now, this is not taking in consideration any head winds, rain, or flat tires while on the course (knock on wood).  Yes, I did literally knock on my kitchen table.  My strategy is to go out easy, use the 16 mile ride to Verona as an opportunity to warm up my legs and get into a groove.  I will assess my legs, my body, and my mind on that ride to Verona, and settle in for a long day in the saddle.  I will ride the first loop easy, never stressing over my average speed.  I will repeatedly keep saying "Ride Strong, Ride Smart" to keep me on task.  I will not stress over getting passed and will not aim to pass other riders.  I will stay in my own little "bike bubble" and ride based on how I feel.  After completed the first loop, I will be half way done with the bike leg.  The second loop will be much of the same.  However, if I am still feeling great, I may kick it up a notch.  The course is extremely hilly and technical.  I will ride the downhills hard to build momentum to get up the next hill.  I will climb from in the saddle to preserve energy.  After completing the second loop, if my body is feeling up for it, I will give it all I got on the 16 mile trip back to Madison.  As I approach Madison, I will try to ride standing up to stretch out the legs and prepare them for running the Marathon portion of the race.

Bike to Run Transition - Projected Time 0:08

The bike to run transition is much like T1, up the helix to drop off the bike and change cloths and down the helix out to the marathon course.  I will not do to much during this transition, just change shoes, grab a hat, remove arm sleeves, reapply anti-chafe cream as needed and head out for the final leg of the race.

26.2 Mile Run - Projected Time 3:30

After exiting transition, I want to take it EASY for the first few miles.  I figure to take about 2-3 miles before settling into a pace to maintain for the rest of the race.  There are aid stations at just about every mile to assist me with any nutritional or hydration needs.  With knowing that, I will only be carrying a flask with Hammer Gel in it.  The run course is kind of confusing, it is essentially a double out and back run - 6 out, 6 back, done twice.  The nice thing about that it makes it very easy for spectators to see their athlete multiple times without much work.  It also mimics my training runs.  I would often run the same loop multiple times and see the same scenery over and over again.  The course is supposed to be mildly hilly with one hill of concern.  I have never been on the run course and will take it as it comes on race day.  If I need to walk up hills to preserve energy, then so be it.  I will survive and I will succeed.  I ran the Green Bay Marathon back in May in just over 3:10 and have a marathon PR of 3:03.  Based on my brick runs from training, I should be able to nail a 3:30 marathon coming off the bike.  But, you never know.  I have never run a marathon after swimming 2.4 miles and biking 112.  So many things can happen, I could actually feel better and run faster, I could feel like absolute shit and struggle through the 26.2 mile run, who knows!  I will take it easy and take short walking breaks every couple miles and reassess my legs, my mind, and my nutrition.  I will take the run, one step at a time and know that all I need to do is keep moving forward and I eventually will reach the finish line.

Projected Finish Time of 10:40-10:45

Based on my calculation I should be able to finish in under 11 hours.  If that were the case, I would be ecstatic!  It would be more than a success if that were to come true.  Just getting to the start line will be a success, knowing how many hours and how much effort I put into training for this race.  I will not be disappointed if I finish in over my projected time.  I am happy to able to race and to compete in the events I do.  Each race is an adventure and I know that Ironman Wisconsin will not be any different!