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!

Looking Back and Moving Forward - 2015

First off, I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and enjoyed the extra time with their families and friends.  I know Sarah and I had a great Christmas and even though it was hectic as hell, it was a lot of fun!  And now, It's hard to believe, which I think I say each and every year, but 2014 is officially in the books and we are already plunging into 2015.  But, here we are at the start of yet another new year.  You don't need to look far to read, see, or hear about some one's New Year's Resolutions.  They are everywhere.  Just try to scroll through your Facebook feed without reading "New Year, New You," or "This year will be different."  All too often people make goals, some are realistic, others not so much.  Most of these goals, probably in the ball park of 95% of them, fail, and fail miserably.  I'd bet that most people forget about them or just flat out give up within the first week or two.  But why?  I mean, most folks mean well with their goals.  They join their local health clubs, they sign up for memberships or classes.  They want to be successful.  I think the biggest reason so many people fail, is they fail to have a plan on how to achieve their goal, their goal is unreasonable, or they have a vague, unmeasurable goal - I mean how exactly do you measure eating better in 2015? 

While some people make goals and resolutions, others are against the whole idea of a New Year's Resolution.  The thought process here is that any day is a great day to set a goal or make a significant change in your life, why not start December 1st instead of putting it off until January 1st?  Another thought is that most people just make claims and goals because it is the "thing to do."  I mean, how many people ask "what's your New Year's Resolution?"

Personally, I believe if someone is willing to make a goal to better themselves in one way or another, who are we to discourage that, even if they are doing it for the wrong reasons?  It's a start and frankly, I would rather have someone make a goal, instead of just saying, "f*ck it - I'm going to fail anyway."  I also view the new year as a new season, a new beginning.  As an athlete, I plan each and every year beginning January 1st.  So, it's only natural to view the new year as an opportunity to make changes, goals, and resolutions.  For me, it's hard to say, today is the day I am making a change, especially drastic ones.  So, when there is a hard date, in the future, it makes it easier for me to wrap my mind around my goals.  It gives me a definite start date, no excuses, no "I'll start tomorrow," no if's, and's, or but's.  It starts the first of the year.

If you have read my last post where I took a look back at the year that was 2014, you know I have big goals and aspirations for 2015.  If not, take a look here: Looking Back and Moving Forward - 2014.   I after once again, not meeting my goal of running a sub 3 hour marathon, I am putting that goal at the forefront in 2015.  So, without further adieu, below are my goals, aspirations, and resolutions for the upcoming year.  As you read you'll notice, that not only am I laying out all my goals below, but instead of simply saying what my goal is, I am explaining exactly what my plan is to accomplish that goal.

1.  Get my body weight back down to 160-165 pounds.

I have been claiming to want to lose weight for racing efficiency reasons, but, like just about everyone else, fail.  I have found that losing weight is quite possibly the most difficult thing to do.  In order to finally get back down to the weight were I had my most successful race season, I am laying down some very strict ground rules for my diet.  Below are my ground rules.

1. Absolutely no added sugars, sweeteners, artificial sweeteners, etc.  That's right, I am going sugar free for a full year (at least)!
2. Minimal to no processed grains
3. No processed, packaged foods
4. Minimal dairy to no full fat
5. Minimal to no legumes
6. Only one single "cheat-day" per month with no carry-over.  This is to maintain some level of sanity.
7. I am allowing beer as the one exception to all the rules....once again, for sanity and my love of good beer.  The one rule here is no shitty beer!  

2. Run a sub 3 hour marathon 

I have been saying for years now, that I want to run a sub 3 hour marathon more than anything.  so This year, I am going to do it....period.  In order to do it, I am going to run, run, and run some more. I am focusing all my race efforts on running this year.  I think my lack of running (yes I said, lack) has been limiting my marathon running.  Simply put, I do not think my running volume has been at necessary levels to run a sub 3 marathon.  So for this year, I will be putting cycling and swimming on the back burner to focus more time and energy on running, recovery, and strength training.  I figure, if I will be running higher volume throughout the upcoming year, I will need to focus on rest/recovery and strength training in order to stay healthy throughout the season.

3. Run 2015 miles in 2015

This is just a small sub goal that, theoretically, should be pretty easy to achieve, assuming I am able to stay healthy and train throughout the year.  In order to run this distance, I would need to average 38.75 miles per week.

4. Run at least one race for each month of the year

My reason behind this goal is to encourage consistency of training throughout the year.  The race can be any distance and just needs to be an organized event.

5. Run both a 50k and 50 mile ultra marathon

I have wanted to run an ultra marathon for a couple years and with my increased focus on my running fitness, I figured this year will be the year I go beyond 26.2.

6. Strength train at least once a week, except during a taper

In order to insure I stay healthy throughout the year with an increased volume, I need to stay strong by strength training.  Adding some strength training to my weekly regimen will also make me a stronger, faster runner.

7. Do not be so quick to yell at my kids

I won't lie, I can be very quick to yell and get upset at my kids.  Let's face it, racing kids gets frustrating.  I want to raise my kids in a loving, caring atmosphere, and feel like I am often yelling at them when it may not be necessary to do so.  So, from now on, I will take some deep breaths and/or step away for a short period of time to gather my thoughts before yelling.

8. No texting and driving and to stay off my phone while driving in front of my kids.

In the past, I have always used the excuse that. "I am good at multitasking while driving."  And regardless, even if I may be just a fine driver while using my phone, it sets the wrong example for my kids.  Even though we are 10+ years before Maya even starts the think about driving, I do not want to be the parent that tells them not to use their phones while driving when they have been watching me do just about everything on my phone while I drive.  Sounds quite a bit hypocritical....  Sarah is on board with me on this one too.  We are going to lead by example for our kids and how to be a good driver.

So there you have it, like I said, most of my goals are pretty ambitious, especially going sugar free and grain free this year.  But, I just need to get into a grove and I should be just fine.  I do well with rules and plans, so I am confident I will be able to go sugar and grain free all year.  Below is my preliminary race schedule for 2015.  And with that, I want to wish everyone a safe and prosperous 2015!  I hope you are able to stick to your own personal goals and have a successful new year!

My Tentative 2015 Race Schedule

January 24th - Ice Breaker Indoor Half Marathon, Milwaukee, WI
February 7th - Seroogy's Valentine's 5k, De Pere, Wi
March 15th - St. Pat's Day 5k/15k
April 25th - Jailbreak 5k, Wautoma, WI
May 2nd - Wisconsin Marathon, Kenosha, WI
June 20th - High Cliff Sprint Triathlon, Sherwood, WI
July 11th - Dances with the Dirt 50k, Merrimac, WI
August 16th - Race the Lake, Fond du Lac, WI
September 19th - Fox Cities Marathon 5k, Appleton, WI
October 11th - Whistle Stop Marathon, Ashland, WI
November 7th - T-Bunk Challenge 50 Mile, Eagle, WI
December 5th - Race for the Light 5k, Oshkosh, WI

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!

Pleasant Prairie International Distance Triathlon - Race Report

Yea, I know it's been nearly two weeks since the Pleasant Prairie Triathlon, but as I find myself saying too often, it's better late then never, right? At least I feel I have a damn good excuse - Sunday after the race I came home to out for my daughter's birthday dinner and then went back to work for a full rotation on Monday night. Not only was it a full rotation of work, but it was the infamous week of Country USA - a 5 day music festival that runs Tuesday through Saturday. Most officers for our Sheriff's Office have to work 11 hour shifts for all 5 days, so needless to say, it's one long week. So, now on to my race report. But first, I realize that I have a habit of rambling on and on, especially with my race reports, so in an effort to cut the fluff, I am changing my race report template, so we'll see how this goes....so here goes nothing....

Why this Race

Each year in the late winter when I start planning my upcoming race schedule, I pull out my work schedule to first see which weekends I can actually race on. Once I figure out the few weekends each year I am free to race, I start looking to see where I want to race. There are definitely races that I want to do each and every year, but most times, I enjoy traveling around the state and Midwest to try new races. So, when I saw that I was able to register for the Pleasant Prairie Triathlon, I was pretty excited. I have heard good things about this race and knew it was a competitive race. Also, knowing that I was racing all shorter duration races this year, I did want to do one Olympic distance race to see exactly how I would fare in that distance. Typically speaking, sprint distance races are generally not as deep of a field competitively. While Olympic distance races are much more competitive in nature. I have only done one "Olympic" distance race in my career, but only early on. I say "Olympic" in quotations, because it was advertised as an Olympic race, but was not a true Olympic distance race. So, in all reality, I never raced a true Olympic distance race and really wanted to lay it on the line to see how I stack up.

Training for this Race

Not often do I find myself racing on back-to-back weekends, but that is exactly what I found myself doing coming off of my race at High Cliff. My training coming off of High Cliff was not much different from the training I had been doing prior to High Cliff. The big difference was my emphasis on recovery. I knew if I wanted to not only have a successful race in Pleasant Prairie, but avoid potential injury, I would need to be fully recovered from racing at High Cliff. My training focused a lot on swimming with 4 swimming workouts, with 3 bike workouts, and 3 running workouts. I opted to take Saturday off completely from training to allow a full day of recovery before the race. I felt like I recovered nicely leading up to this race. I attribute that to my nutrition throughout the week along with diligent use of my foam roller and self massage stick.

Pre Race

My bedroom for the night

Traditionally I wouldn't classify myself as a superstitious guy, but I do like to do a lot of the same things the night before races. So my pre race plan for Pleasant Prairie was completely crazy and really goes to show how dedicated I am to the sport of Triathlon and how far I will go to race. So, Pleasant Prairie is about 2.5 hours south of our home in Kaukauna. The race was scheduled to start at 6:30am on Sunday morning, meaning if I was to leave Sunday morning, I would have to leave around 2:30-3:00am in order to get there early enough to prepare for race day. Instead of driving down that early, I opted to stay closer to Pleasant Prairie the night before. By doing this I was able to take advantage of packet pick up on Saturday and could rack my bike the night before, which makes race day morning just that much easier. Finding a place to crash the night before is where my craziness starts. It was enough to ask Sarah to go away for the night and leave her alone with 3 kids just so I can race, so when I asked to book a hotel for the night and spend an additional $120 it didn't go over so well. So my options were to either camp again at a local state park or book a really cheap motel for $45/night. I opted for booking a campsite over the shady motel. At least this way I knew what I would be getting AND I would save some money. I booked a campsite at Richard Bong Recreation Area, which is about 20-25 minutes west of Pleasant Prairie. The race expo and packet pick up was pretty simple, but the fact that I was able to rack my bike the night before was a nice perk. After the expo, I headed to my campsite. Once there, it started to rain. I packed a small one person tent, but was debating whether or not to use it in order to save time in the morning and to just make my morning easier all together. So, when it started to rain, it made my decision easy, I folded down all the seats in my Ford Flex and made a makeshift bed. I got to my campsite around 4pm. Knowing that, I spent 12 solid hours straight in my car. I ate my dinner of salmon fillets, sweet potato with and apple, and a salad around 6pm, while sitting in my car. I then hung out and tried to keep myself occupied with listening to podcasts and playing games on my iPad until I ultimately went to bed around 8:30pm with a 4am alarm. Surprisingly, I woke up after sleeping relatively well, all things considered. I made it to the race host, The Pleasant Prairie Rec Plex (a municipal recreation building and health club) around 5:00am after stopping for gas and coffee on the way to the race. I was able to get my transition area all set up. As the sun came up, the entire landscape was covered in a dense fog. The race director was confident that the fog would lift quickly after the sun came up and the temperatures began to raise. They announcer said that there were contingency plans for the race in the fact that the fog did not lift as quickly as they had hoped. As it turns out the fog was so thick and it failed to clear out in a timely manner. This forced the race officials to postpone the start of the race for safety reasons on the swim course. The first wave was scheduled to start at 6:30am, but at that time you could not even see the first orange swim buoy that marks the swim course, let alone any other swim buoy. The race did not start until close to 8am, nearly 1.5 hours later. This postponed start forced the international distance bike course to be cut short by about 2-3 miles. This was due to logistical reasons that they could not keep a major highway closed any longer then they had scheduled.

View of the transition area

Nutrition Plan

With an Olympic distance triathlon taking at least about 2 hours, I knew I needed to change my nutrition plan from what I did at the High Cliff Sprint Triathlon. On the way to the race, I ate a 180 calorie nut butter packet and then an hour before the race was scheduled to start (5:30am) I ate a Cashew Coconut Chocolate Chip Hammer Bar, along with my usual servings of Anti-Fatigue Caps (2), Race Caps Supreme (2), and Mito Caps (2). During the race, I drank about 270 calories throughout the bike leg with 2 Anti-Fatigue Caps at half way and then had a watered down Chocolate Hammer Gel in a flask with an Energy Surge mixed in. I had a second Peanut Butter Hammer Gel at the 5k mark of the run.

Gear/Equipment

Blue Seventy Reaction wetsuit from www.TheTriShop.com
Custom TYR Special Ops 2.0
Look 556
Giro Aero Helmet
Rydon Rudy Project Sunglasses
Louis Garneau Carbon Tri HRS Shoes
Torhans VR 20oz Hydration System
Zoot Kiawe 2.0 Shoes
Hammer Visor

1.5k Swim (27:46)

View of swim venue the night before

The venue for the swim was Lake Andrea, which is a spring fed 100 acre lake. The temperatures race morning was 69 degrees. Unfortunately, for safety reasons with the fog, we were unable to swim in the lake before the start of the race. The race started on the shoreline of the lake and once the race started we headed straight out for 10-20 yards before making a right hand turn to head along the shore line. The water was comfortable, temperature wise, and clear. It was a great venue for a triathlon swim. I really wanted to put up a strong swim time to put myself out towards the front at the start of the bike leg. I felt as though I got out front early and just tried to hold on. I caught up to most of the wave that went out ahead of my around the half way point of the swim. As I exited the water I didn't see many black swim caps of the M30-34 age group, which was my entire wave. I felt confident as I entered T1.

40k Bike (54:05)

The race hosted a sprint distance race and a duathlon, in addition to the Olympic distance race. The bike course for the Olympic race consisted of two loops. The first loop went West from the race site and the second loop, East of the race site. The sprint distance only raced on the East loop. As I proceeded to head out on the first loop, I was not passed and passed about 3-5 others. During the second loop, it was tough to determine if you were being passed my sprint course racers or Olympic distance races. Not that it matters, but I like trying to track positions in my head to keep my pushing. The bike course was basic, nothing special, not much for scenery and a few stretches of rougher roads.

10k Run (40:23)

After exiting T2, I felt as though I was in the top 3 in the M30-34 age group, based on my belief of exiting the water in the top 3 of my wave and not being passed on the bike by anyone in my wave/age group. I wanted to find my groove early on in the run, knowing I had to run hard for 6.2 miles, which is twice as long as the run leg in a sprint triathlon. I was passed early on just before mile 1 by another guy in my age group and then yet another guy after mile 2. My mile splits for the first 5k were all in the 6:30/mile ball park. I felt good at that pace and just wanted to hold that pace the best I could. I don't recall passing many people on the run course. I am positive I didn't pass anyone from my wave/age group. For the first time, I felt as though my run was my weak link in my race. I have always felt like a strong runner and generally think I am, at least in an open run (5k road race). Maybe this is because I have changed my strategy in my race to ride as hard as possible during the race. In the past, I have ridden at a higher cadence to save energy for the run. After reaching the 6 mile mark, I really turned up my cadence and ran an average pace of 5:09/mile pace over the last 0.20 miles. The run course was really nice. Half of the course was on a rec trail that circle around Lake Andrea. The sprint and International distance courses split after about a mile and a half and the International course runs an out-and-back stick on a gravel trail, before meeting up with the last half of the sprint course.

Post Race

After the race I hung out to see how I fared. I finished the race in 2:04:39, which was good enough for 14th overall and 5th in my age group. I was not surprised to finish 14th overall, but was surprised to finish 5th in my age group WHILE finishing 14th overall. That means that about a third of the top 14 finishers were in my age group. This includes every other age group AND the Elite competitors. Regardless of my place, I was satisfied with my race. I was disappointed in the end that the bike course was cut short because I really wanted an accurate time in a full Olympic Distance course to compare it with. After I learned that I did not place in my age group, I had my traditional post race beer, which I did open up with my race medal, which was in fact a bottle opener. One nice perk of the race, at least for me and my circumstances, was the ability to utilize the Rec Plex's shower facilities. So, after the race, I was able to drive straight home in fresh, clean clothes.

What's on Tap

As I mentioned in my preface, I had Country USA start right away on Tuesday night following this race. My next race is about a month away. On July 27th, I will be racing the Ripon Medical Center Sprint Triathlon, in Ripon, WI. This will be my last race before the Age Group National Championships in August. This will also be my only actual sprint triathlon with distances of 750m swim, 20k bike, and 5k run, which are the same distances of the National Championships. This will give me one final tune-up race to prepare and test some race strategies. Until then, I will be training my ass off and really focusing on top end speed and power to peak for my race on August 10th. I will also continue to focus on eating a clean, higher fat diet to trim up to help race my best race ever at the USA Triathlon Age Group National Championships.

Going Sub 3

Everyone knows that running a 26.2 miles is hard, regardless of how long it takes you.  It takes hours of training, dedication, and determination.  Running a marathon under 3 hours increases the difficulty exponentially.  It turns the already challenging task of completing a marathon into a rare accomplishment.  How rare?  According to Runner's World, only 2% of all marathon finishers completed 26.2 miles in under 3:00:00 in 2011.  Running a sub 3 hour marathon is the ultimate goal for many marathoners.  It's a time that differentiates the good from the elite.  It may only be a second or two, but the difference between 3:00:01 and 2:59:59 is huge.  I have been shooting for a sub 3 hour marathon for the past 3 years now.  In 2010 I ran a 3:03:46 at the Fox Cities Marathon, so I know I have the ability to do it.  Since then, I have had 2:59:59 in my sights.  Unfortunately, I haven't really come that close.  Since my 3:03 performance, I have run (in chronological order) 3:17:44, 3:12:23, and 3:10:32.  I guess if you wanted to look on the bright side of those times, I'm trending in the right direction, but still a ways off.  I don't want to sound like I am making excuses as to why I haven't been able to finish in under 3 but here are my top 3 hypotheses.

1. I have not devoted the necessary time to training specifically for a sub 3 marathon.

The past 3 seasons (especially 2013) I have focused on a balanced approach to the sport of triathlon.  I have run at least one marathon each year, but have always included triathlon races as part of my training program and trained relatively hard in both swimming and cycling.  

2. I have not stayed committed to a regimented diet since 2010 and have progressively gained unnecessary weight.

In 2010 when I ran a 3:03 my body weight was in the 155-160 range.  I raced IM Wisconsin at 175, about 20 pounds heavier.  You don't think it makes a difference?  Strap on a 20lb vest and go for a short run and see how it effects your times.  Now consider running a full 26.2 miles with that same vest on!

3. My weekly mileage has not been as high as it should be for a sub 3 training plan.

This one could probably be grouped in with #1, seeing how the main reason I never allowed my mileage to get over 30-40 miles per week is to allow time and recovery for all the other workouts I was completing during the week.

Now that I have successfully crossed off completing an Ironman from my bucket list, I am going to focus my efforts toward a new goal - Running a sub 3 hour marathon.  How do I plan on doing it?  What are going to be my key workouts?  What will my training plan look like?  How many miles will I run in a week?  

First, I want to explain how I planned my 2014 race schedule.  I scheduled a spring marathon that I am familiar with on May 18th, being the Cellcom Green Bay Marathon.  This will allow me to focus 100% of my attention on running throughout the winter and spring.  After the marathon, I will cut back on running and focus majority of my attention toward cycling and swimming for the heart of the triathlon season, June through July.  After two months of focused triathlon racing, I will change gears once again and focus again on running to finish my first ultramarathon.  I am eyeing up Door County's Fall 50 on October 25th.  It all fits rather nicely into a logical annual plan broken down into three phases; marathon specific work early, triathlon specific with a focus on cycling and swimming in the middle, and finish with a pure aerobic phase at the end of the year.

I won't dive into how I structured my entire 2014 annual training plan, but want to focus solely on how I plan on training for a sub 3 hour Cellcom Green Bay Marathon.  This spring, I plan on training like a marathoner, not a triathlete.  Unlike past years, when I trained for a marathon all while training for triathlons, I will focus my efforts on running, and use swimming and cycling as recovery workouts, as opposed to key midweek workouts.  My plan actually began this week, on Monday December 16th.  I have it broken down into two unique phases.  First, I built a full 12 week base building phase which will end on March 9th.  The last week of that phase is an unloading week to allow for some recovery.  Yes, I do have mid-cycle recovery weeks built in, but week 12 has a very significant decrease in mileage compared to any other previous week.  After my recovery week, I will begin an 8 week build phase with very specific workouts focused on strict pace work.  I will then unload again during a 2 week taper before toeing the start line in Green Bay on May 18th.  So let's dive into the plan...

Base Building (12 Weeks)

This phase is about as simple as it gets.  The main objective of this 12 week phase is to build my aerobic engine.  I want to make my body as aerobically efficient as possible.  In order to do this, I will do all my run workouts in a specific heart rate range.  I plan on using a MAF heart rate range of 145-155 bpm.  I won't dive into specifics on MAF Training, but if you would like to find out more, check out this website: MAF 180 Heart Rate Training.  Basically, you take 180 and subtract your age and depending on your current fitness level you adjust this number either up or down (see the article).  Therefore, being 30, I am left with 150, but due to several years of endurance training, I get to add 5 beats to this number.  Then I simply create a 10 beat range with 155 being my max, leaving me with a range of 145-155.  I will train strictly in the heart rate range while increasing my weekly mileage to a range that is suggested for elite marathoning.  I have done some general research on training plans for elite age group marathoners and have found that, although many of the individual workouts vary greatly, one thing seems to remain constant, a high weekly training mileage.  Most training plans I have found have a weekly training mileage of 50 up to 100+.  In the past, my peak weeks were 35-50 at best, mainly due to devoting time to swimming and cycling.  With this training plan I start out in December with 36 mile week and build up to a 56 mile week.  My biggest individual day is centered around my 30th birthday on March 2nd, when I will run 30 miles to commemorate turning 30.  The weekly breakdown is simple.  I will run every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday.  Each Tuesday and Saturday will be a shorter distance long run, with longer runs falling on Thursdays and Sundays.  The Sunday long run will be the longest of runs within each week.  Mondays will be a recovery swim workout, which will be technique based and Wednesdays will be a medium duration bike day.  

This will be the first ever 7 day training plan I will follow since starting with Winnebago County and working a 9 day shift rotation.  This will require some long runs after a night of work, but I want to reap the benefits of more frequent long runs.

Peak Marathon Phase (8 Weeks)

During this phase is when I do a complete 180 in the type of workouts I will do.  There will be no more heart rate based training.  Over the next 8 weeks following a long base building phase, I will begin very specific workouts geared towards training my body to be able to hold sub 3 hour marathon pace for 26.2 miles.  During this phase, I will base all my workouts on a specific pace.  To determine appropriate paces for each individual workout, I used the McMillan Running Calculator at www.mcmillanrunning.com.  I entered in a goal race time of 2:59:00 for a marathon and was provided a very specific pace range for a variety of distances and run types (long run, tempo, speed, etc).  In my peak phase I will increase the number of weekly runs from 4 to 5.  My weekly schedule will consist of a rotation of either mile repeats or hill repeats on Monday.  Tuesdays and Wednesdays will be moderate distance runs.  On Saturday, I scheduled various sets of long intervals.  I will complete traditional long and easy runs on Sunday.  Below is a description of each of the different types of workouts I will complete during this phase.

Mile Repeats

Running short sprint repeats are not truly necessary for marathon training, but some form of speed work is necessary.  Sprint intervals of 400-800m are nearly too short to elicit a beneficial training response specific to the marathon.  However, longer high speed workouts can be beneficial for increasing your lactate threshold and your overall efficiency.  In the past I have run mile repeats with a 3 minute recovery period.  This year, I am trying a shorter recovery period.  I found a unique style of mile repeats while researching training plans for my training plan.  I found a style of mile repeats that copies a popular interval style from lap swimming.  Instead of having a set recovery period, I will begin a mile interval every 7 minutes.  If I run my first interval in 5:30, I will get 1:30 to recovery before the next rep.  On the 2nd interval, I finish in 5:45, I get 1:15 to recovery before the next.  It's that simple.  I have a predetermined number of reps during each session and then set a daily mileage goal for that day.  So for instance, on April 1st, I am scheduled to run 4x1 mile with a total distance of 7 miles.  On this day, I will run a 1.5-2 mile warm up and finish with a 1-1.5 mile cool down with the 4, mile repeats to reach a total of 7 miles.  

Hill Repeats

On scheduled hill repeat days, I will not follow a strict workout.  I have access to a few decent sized hills near my home.  First, there is the well known hill at High Cliff State Park.  Then there is the hill near Thousand Island's Nature Preserve.  Closest to my house is a shorter hill which is about 3/4 of a mile from home.  Depending on my work schedule and other possible commitments, I will determine where I will complete my hill repeats.  On that day, I will judge how I feel and either do shorter duration, higher intensity hill sprints, or do longer duration, lower intensity intervals up the hill.  On the short end I am looking at a total duration of about 20-30 seconds of up hill running, while on the longer end of the spectrum I will aim at about a 45-60 second set.  Running up hills not only improves your overall running efficiency, but also increases your overall running specific strength.  Hill repeats are found in just about every elite marathon training plan.  The only thing I found consistent with hill repeats in all the training plans I read, was that there were no two plans with the same philosophy for how to complete hill repeats.  Because of this, I will play each scheduled hill repeat by ear and vary the style of how I complete my repeats.

Midweek Long Run

These are my Wednesday and Thursday runs.  The main goal of these runs are to boost my aerobic capacity and to add to my weekly mileage.  These runs are done at a comfortable zone 2-3 pace, just above a recovery pace.  On my training plan you will see that I have quite a wide range of paces (from 6:50 to 7:50).  That is done on purpose.  I want to have the ability to take it easy on days I feel a little beaten up while on other days when I am feeling fresh, I don't want to have to force myself to hold back.

Long Intervals

The purpose of long intervals is to train your body to learn to run at your desired race pace.  They also allow you to get more total time at a higher speed then doing just one tempo run at a set distance.  During the main sets of these long intervals, I will aim at holding a steady pace at or slightly below my goal marathon pace of 6:45/mile.  My first long interval workout is relatively short with 2x3 miles and each week builds from that with a variety of combinations to peak with a 2x6 at race pace just before I begin my 2 week taper.  This final long interval set will be slightly different from all the prior sets.  During this set, I am going to try something completely different that I read makes this workout very specific to the later stages of the marathon.  During this workout, I will run the first 6 miles at my goal race pace, immediately upon completing this set, I will sit and do nothing for about 10-15 minutes.  This will allow proper recovery, but also allow my legs to begin to recover.  I will then go back out for the second 6 miles and do my best to hang on at my goal pace.  I've heard that this is a great workout to let you know if you have a realistic goal time or not.  From what I understand, if you are able to maintain a consistent pace during that second 6 miles, you should be good to go for your marathon.  As for all the prior long interval sessions, my recovery will be in the ball park of 2-5 minutes, depending on the duration of the set and the number of sets.  The sole reason my rest interval is so long on my final session is to elicit the feeling of "heavy legs" which is so typical of the final 10k of a marathon.

Long Run

These weekly runs fall on Sundays, the very next day following my long interval sessions.  I did this for a couple reasons.  First, I want to run these on somewhat tired legs.  I figure if I can run effectively on tired legs, I theoretically should be able to run that much better on fresh legs.  Secondly, I want to have a day with a specific workout designated towards recovery.  You will notice this run has the slowest pace range, at 7:00-8:00.  These runs will range from 12 miles up to 22 miles and will all be done at a relaxed pace.  These runs will also incorporate a few minor walk breaks to properly fuel and hydrate.  The number one goal of the weekly long run is to maintain and grow your aerobic engine, to ultimately turn your body into an efficient fat burning machine!  I have read several articles and reports about NOT running longer than 16 miles or 2-2.5 hours.  I buy this to an extent.  I think I can see this method being beneficial if you are running more than 2 marathons in a calendar year, you have been running consistently and regimented for at least 5 years, and/or you are naturally a gifted runner and find yourself getting injured when you run long.  If you don't find yourself falling into one of those categories, I think you need the long run, it will only help.  At a minimum it will at least give you the mental confidence to go that far, especially if this is going to be your first marathon.  There is no way I would ever recommend a first timer to peak at only 16 miles in their training plan.  That would simply be setting that person up for failure.

Taper (2 Weeks)

The taper phase is just that.  A gradual tapering of weekly mileage to elicit an overcompensation effect in your overall fitness.  It also allows ample time for your body to fully recover to allow you to get to the start line at 100%, so to speak.  The duration of your taper phase depends on several things, your overall fitness level, your experience level, and how hard you trained.  At the absolute high end, a taper phase would last no more than 4 weeks and a minimum of 2 weeks.  A typical taper will begin immediately following your highest volume week (your peak week).  From there you cut your mileage about 25% and then an additional 25-50% the next week.  The percentages that you cut your mileage down to depends on the total duration of your taper phase.  Throughout your taper you are cutting your VOLUME, but NOT your INTENSITIES.  You should still maintain your intensities throughout your taper.  Typically, I schedule one final short race pace tempo run on the Monday or Tuesday of race week as one final "tune-up."  From there you get to plug runs into your schedule as you see fit.  At a minimum you should do your last run on Thursday, if the race in on a Sunday allowing two full days for recovery.  However, if you feel confident it won't leave you mentally fatigued, some people will run a short (1-2 miles) the day before the race.  Which ever you chose, keep in mind that you should be taking it easy and stressing recovery throughout your entire taper phase.  If you are scheduled for a rest day, REST.  Get an extra hour of sleep, stretch, get a massage, etc.

So there you have it, my plan to finally break the 3 hour mark in the marathon.  The only topic I did not cover was my diet as I mentioned the effect that my current body weight had on my ability to maintain proper pacing in the marathon to finish in under 3 hours.  I know I have said on here countless times, that I need to regain the self control I had a few years back to better gain control of my body composition.  I recall specifically laying out my wanting to jump on board with a ketogenic diet a month or two ago.  Honestly, I was jumping into something I do not think I was totally prepared for, especially being the head chef for my family.  So, where do I go from here, how do I get back down to a reasonable running/racing weight?  First, I want to get past the holiday season.  Let's all be honest, this is no time to start a strict, relatively uncommon (at least in America) diet.  As soon as I get past Christmas and all of it's indulgences, I will start eating more simply.  Sounds easy, right?  Just three words: EAT. REAL. FOOD.  No processed junk.  Nothing artificial.  No refined sugars.  Just whole, real, fresh, nutritious, food.  I figure this is a simply diet and will be easy to follow even with preparing meals for the entire family.  With that being said, all that's left to do is the work!  Wish me luck!  And if you are reading this to assist you with preparing your training plan, best of luck to you - and please do not hesitate to email me or message me on Twitter @IrondadTri, or on Facebook with any specific questions you may have.

As always ~ Be fast, be strong, & carry on!

YMCA Freaky 5k - Race Report

I have had the YMCA Freaky 5k on my radar pretty much since the start of the year.  This is a race that I have done now for the past 4(?) years and one that I pretty much plan on running no matter what, even if I work the night before.  Plus this year, I thought that Maya was finally old and mature enough to do the kid's fun run before.  Maya has never done an "official" kids run, were I actually had to register her and pay for her.  Yes, she did complete the kid's fun run before the Patriot March 5k a few weeks back, but it was free and nothing organized.  This had a different feel to it.  She got her own bib, and a race t-shirt, along with a goodie bag chock full of stuff, from candy to free coupons.

Training Plan

I haven't really had a formal training plan.  I have been doing what ever I feel like doing, when I feel like doing it.  I do have some structure to it though.  I have been trying to get in 3 runs during a calendar week - a easy 4-6 mile run, a 5-6 mile fartlek run (think unstructured interval work), and a 6-8 mile "long" run.  Between those runs, I have been swimming and biking as I see fit and taking day's off when I feel like taking off.  I have still been getting outside on my bike even though it's starting to get rather chilly, but the roads are clear and I know the snow is coming, so I have been trying to squeeze the most out of the season as I can.  

Day/Night Before

The race was on this past Saturday morning.  It fell directly in the middle of my work rotation.  I had to work Thursday night into Friday morning.  On Friday morning I did a short 2,000 meter swim consisting mostly of drill work.  I got to bed around 10ish and got my usual 7ish hours of sleep.  I then had to work Friday night into Saturday morning and got out from work on time and went directly from work to Pierce Park where the race was held.  

Getting to the Start Line

The kids race didn't start until 8:00 and the 5k at 8:30 and I got to the park around 6:45, so I was plenty early.  Sarah and the girls didn't get to the park until around 7:30.  So while I waited, I picked up everyone's race packets and bibs.  As soon as they got to the park, we got the stroller all set up and got the girls into their costumes and then brought them to the start of the kid's "Mini Monster Dash" fun run.

Kid's Mini Monster Dash 1/4 Mile Fun Run

Maya had been looking forward to this race ever since she did the fun run at the Patriot March 5k.  I was probably just as excited for her as she was, if not more.  It was fun to see the excitement in her eyes when ever she talked about it.  Sarah told me that she woke up all excited on the morning of the race and got herself all dressed and talked about nothing other than running fast like daddy in her race.  The cool part was that she got her first official race bib.  Her cousin (my God Son), Bradyn was in town staying with Sarah's parents for the weekend, so we signed him up for the race as well.  Maya was wearing her Merida costume (from Disney's Brave) and Bradyn was dressed up as Wolverine.  This was Bradyn's first race and Maya's 2nd fun run.  Once they started the race, Bradyn was a little hesitant to start out, but Maya helped him out.  For one reason or another Bradyn didn't want to run right away, but Maya wanted to, so I jogged along side Maya and Sarah's younger brother ran with along side Bradyn.  After they finished the kids got their medal and they were very proud of them.  

3.1 Mile Run

After the kid's run, I had about 15 mins before the start of the race, so I took off to go get warmed up for the 5k.  After a short 5-10 minute warm up (I would have liked about 10-15 full minutes of warming up) I got to the start line just before the National Anthem.  Shortly after that, we were off.  They changed the course this year slightly to make the course like a lollipop where you run out, do a small loop, and come back the way you went out, ultimately finishing were you started.  The course is a great course, but challenging.  You start out going down hill almost immediately and then run back up a similar hill all within the first 3/4 of a mile.  I started the race as I do most other races, a little more reserved than most.  Especially with the hill right at the start, I did not want to over do it within the first 10th of a mile.  By the time we hit the 1st uphill I found myself in 3rd place with a guy pushing a single child stroller behind me.  It was at that exact moment I told myself, "there is no way you're going to let a guy pushing a stroller beat you - especially with how hilly this course is!"  At that time I did my best to hold on, continue to push to try and catch the 2nd place guy, and not get passed by anyone.  After the first mile, I settled into a good 5k pace.  I was still in 3rd place at this time and had built a decent lead over the 4th place guy, but was still about 10-15 seconds behind 2nd place.  That pretty much stayed constant throughout the entire race.  The most difficult part of the race was the final uphill at about mile 3.  The last 10th of a mile in a 5k is the most difficult part, even without a hill at the end.  So forcing your body to push past maximal effort during the last bit of an all out race and go up a steep hill is extremely taxing!  I finished still in 3rd place with a time of 18:21, the guy who took 4th was the dude pushing the single child stroller - totally badass!  

Post Race

Immediately after finishing, I congratulated the guy who was pushing the stroller on a fantastic run, along with the dude who took 2nd place.  I then waited for my dad to come across and then we jogged the course in reverse to walk with Sarah and the girls.  After catching up with Sarah and the girls, Maya and Bradyn wanted to get out of the stroller and I said I would walk with them.  We were right around the 2 mile mark at this point and they wanted to try and run the last bit of the course.  I thought that was the coolest thing ever.  I was so proud and happy that they wanted to do this on their own without any prompting.  I gladly ran along side them.  They ended up running until they got too tired to continue and then when they caught their breath again, they would run.  They continued this walk/run cycle all the way to the finish line.  I was honestly more proud of the way the finished the last mile of the 5k then the fact that they ran nearly the entire kid's fun run.  After the kids finished, I took them each through the post race food area and then we hung around for the awards ceremony.  A short while later, I received a rather large 3rd place trophy.  Maya was so happy and proud of her daddy!  After enjoying the post-race company of my parents and in-laws, I was starting to get tired and needed to get to bed.  It was time to put yet another great Freaky 5k in the books and head home.

Other Notes

I was honestly a little bummed with my time as I kind of hoping to beat my previous PR I set at the Jailbreak 5k of 17:49.  However, once you take into consideration all the hills on the new course, it's tough to say how this time compares to other 5k times.  My time from last years Freaky 5k, were we only ran down and up the hills once, was 18:14, but took 5th overall.  Either way, I am very happy with my finish and my time.  And in no way am I disappointed or upset with my time.

Lessons for Future Events

Really nothing much to take away here, just another 5k in the books!  I do, now know, that Maya is more than old enough to start doing races on her own, which is awesome!  I can't wait to continue to share my passion of racing and endurance sports with her as she gets older.  But, I know right now, I will NOT be one of those parents who pushes their kids to do things and I will not force Maya to do anything.  If she is old enough to run a fun run or whatever, then she is old enough to decide on her own if she wants to participate in those events.  But, based on how much she enjoyed the Freaky 5k, I have a funny feeling she'll be wanting to do more and more of these events.  

What's Next

I have one final race on my schedule for 2013, The Festival Food's Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning.  I am going to continue to doing what I have been doing for the past month - just doing what I feel like doing wtih some moderate structure.  I'll continue to run 3 times a week and just fill the other 4 days with other fluff to keep my satisfied and happy.  Within the past week, I have also decided that I need to make a change in my eating habits.  Since the IM I have found myself eating anything and everything I see and I have had some of the worst self control I have ever had.  It has been especially bad since we have been getting a ton of Halloween candy from all the festivities Sarah has been bringing the girls to.  This past Monday, I made the firm statement that this is changing today.  Since Monday, I have eaten as clean as I have ever eaten and I am determined to get my weight back down were it should be.  I have said too many times the past year or two that I need to lose the excess weight I have put on since becoming a full time 3rd shift patrol officer.  If you even look back to my Lakefront Marathon Race Report from over a year ago, I made the statement that I need to lose the weight.  I know it's been a focal point of at least 3-4 posts on this very website, but I have never been able to make the commitment to a strict diet.  I have been able to follow a strict diet for about 3-5 days and then I fall right back into the bad habits that got me to where I am now.  So now, I have been eating less, controlling my hunger through a higher fat diet and cutting back calories.  Granted it has only been a week, but in the past week alone, I have felt great, sleeping better, having quality workouts, and been happier in general, all while eating fewer calories, but eating very nutrient rich foods, such as vegetables, healthy fats, dark leafy greens, and drinking a lot of whole leaf teas and water.  I have not been tracking my calories at all and have not laid out a formal diet plan to follow.  My only rule is to eat clean, unprocessed foods and aim to get majority of calories from fats and proteins.  I have eaten nothing but salads, lean proteins (tuna and salmon), fruits, and vegetables.  My goal now is to stay eating like this and continue to do so until I reach my goal weight of 155-160 by my birthday, March 2nd.  So far - so good, if I can continue like this and stay focused, I may just allow a pig out day on Thanksgiving....we'll see  :)