Oshkosh Marathon - Race Report

It's been a year and a half since I last ran a marathon and 16 months since my last half marathon. I've really missed the longer distance events. Sarah and I had a couple extensive discussions about possibly racing another Ironman in 2017 or 2018. I got excited at the idea of racing a 70.3 half Ironman this summer to get back into racing long course triathlons again, but then I took a step back and tried to plan my training for a 70.3 this year. I had a very difficult time scheduling 4 hour bike rides and 4-6 hour training blocks into my personal schedule. My life is in a new place now, with a third daughter. I was having a hard time figuring a way to allow me to get all the training in. There is no doubt in my mind that I would be able to finish a 70.3, but I want to be competitive. The idea of just finishing doesn't motivate me to put in the training. So that lead me to some new goals for 2016. I have wanted to "run the year" the past few years, but never truly attempted to achieve it, due to cycling and swim training. I decided that I would focus on running for a while (few years), while my kids are growing up. Running is easy to work into my schedule. It's much more conducive to run before the sun comes up in the morning, where the same is cannot be said for cycling or swimming. I am also able to take advantage of drop off child care at my local YMCA and run for up to 3 hours on a treadmill. So That leads me to my goal races for the year. I decided to focus back on distance running this year. First on my list was a spring marathon. Second was my first ultra marathon.

I registered for the Oshkosh Marathon for a few reasons. First, I couldn't beat the cost. I got a 50% off deal from Groupon for the marathon. Second, it fit into my work schedule and my personal schedule, and it is close to home and wouldn't require me to travel or stay in a hotel. Lastly, two years ago while training for the Whistle Stop Marathon, I did a lot of my training runs on the Wiouwash Trail, as the marathon was a trail marathon and fell in love with the scenery on along the trail. The Oshkosh Marathon has a 7 mile stretch of of the trail as part of the course, which was enticing.

Training for This Race

I created a strict, specific, 16 week training plan leading up to the April 24th race. My training was going great initially. But, then came my first hurdle. I some how, some way, injured my neck on January 25th. It put me in the Emergency Room. I took a 2 week hiatus from running to allow, what my chiropractor called, a compressed disc to heal. I finally got back to a normal running routine on February 9th. At that point, I made some minor adjustments to my training plan and began following it very loosely. I was actually probably very smart about my training. I followed my training plan with workouts, but was flexible with what I did on a day to day basis. I knew what I needed to achieve throughout a specific week, but made my day-to-day decisions based on how I felt, my personal schedule, and other various metrics. But then, on March 31st, I had a 10 mile tempo workout, which I ran on a treadmill. I felt great afterward and went to work that night. I made the decision to do a "back-to-back" running day and run a 6 mile "easy" run the morning after work. I finished it, but noticed a "niggle" in my left calf throughout the run. It never hindered my run, but I noticed it. It got tighter and tighter throughout the run, but finished. I biked the next day, hoping to work out the soreness. I then attempted to get back out for a run on April 3rd. I wasn't able to get further than 2.46 miles. At this point the race was 3 weeks out. I knew that if I was going to be able to not only run the race, but finish, I would have to be smart with my calf and not force anything. I made a couple more attempts at running on both April 5th and 6th, but ended with the same results. I felt good for about the first mile, then noticed my calf tightening up, and would just bag the run all together. I took my second two week break from running, this time during my peak training weeks. I finally was able to get back to running on April 15th, just about a week out from the race. These two "injuries" really changed my goals for the race.

I will say though, I really took away two big learning points this training cycle. First off, on the Endurance Planet "Ask the Coaches" Podcast, one of the host's favorite running workouts was an "over/under" run. The concept is simple. You take your goal race pace, then run a mile at 10 seconds faster and alternate that with a mile at 10 seconds slower than your goal pace. Basically, I would run a mile or two warm up, and follow that with 4-8 miles alternated at a 6:40 pace and 7:00 pace. The workout is challenging and never really gives you a slow recovery. I fell in love with this workout and will definitely use this again. The second learning point I took away was the idea of having a flexible training schedule. Basically I knew the 2 or 3 key workouts I wanted to achieve during a weekly training cycle, but would plan out my cycle literally in 2-4 day stretches. in the past, I would follow my training plan to a "T." This would get difficult and frustrating. But making these adjustments made my life less stressful and allowed for my body to adapt and recover. If I wasn't a complete idiot that one day which caused my calf to tighten up. I completely blame myself for "injuring" my calf, due to just being stupid.

Prerace

The entire week or two leading up to the race, I had been checking the weather forecast. The forecast was not promising. All week there was an 80% chance of thunderstorms and cool and breezy. The night before the race, the forecast was the best I had seen. There was a slight chance the rain would hold off until the afternoon. I was ecstatic with this. Not that I would have any control over this, or let this get to me mentally, but let's just be honest, no one likes running in the cold ran...let alone thunderstorms.

The Friday before the race, we brought the girls to a Brewer's game with some friends of the family. I did something that I don't think I have ever done....drank alcohol within the week of a major race. I had three beers! I guess, at this point, I had the mentality that I was not going to be setting any personal records at this race, just based on my training. I chose to have a few brews to enjoy the company and have fun. I thought, what's the worse that could happen at this point? Three beers would not dramatically impact my race, 36 hours later.
 

 

  
On Saturday, I was on my feet way more than I would have liked to be, but again, oh well, life is life. I had to take care of filling in several holes in our yard and planting grass in those spots. I also made it down to the race expo for my packet pick-up. The process was actually very smooth, I credit that do the smaller size of the race. That evening, I had a baked filet of tilapia with a sweet potato and a salad for dinner. I drank a lot of fluids throughout the day and finished the day with my traditional cup of chamomile tea before bed. I was able to get to bed right around 8pm and watched a little of the start of the NHL Playoffs.

I woke up when my alarm went off at 4:30 and was on the road by 5am and got to the race site by 5:30...exactly as I planned. I just chilled up until about 6:20ish, which is when I stated doing some of my favorite dynamic movements to help loosen and warm up before the race. The weather outlook was just about perfect. Temperatures were in the upper 40's with overcast skies. The rain looked like it was going to hold off for the morning.

Nutrition Plan

In every single previous marathon I have run, I have had some sort of breakfast.  Whether it be a Powerbar (way back when), toast with peanut butter and honey, or a sweet potato.  For this race, I chose to try something new...to not eat a damn thing.  All I had before the race was coffee and a few swigs of water with a tablet of Hammer Nutrition Endurolytes Fizz.  My fueling free morning seemed to work, as I never really got hungry before the race. 

The days leading up to the race I took my standard dosage of 4 servings a day for 4 days leading up to race day of Race Day Boost.  As far as my race plan, I wanted to keep it as simple as possible.  I first took two capsules of Anti-Fatigue Caps one hour prior to the start of the race, then I carried 4 Hammer Gels with me, along with a few additional Anti-Fatigue Caps.  My plan was to take a gel at or around miles 5, 10, 15, and 20 and take an additional 2 Anti-Fatigue Caps around miles 10 and 20.  I ended up taking a gel at 5 and 10 and 16.  At that point my I never really felt like I wanted to take an additional gel, but also felt like I needed something.  So at about mile 21-22, I forced about half of my last gel down.  I also took two Anti-Fatigue Caps around mile 13.  My body started craving something sweet, but not a gel, around mile 23.  So, I took an orange slice from an aid station, and it tasted so good.  I also took about three cups of Gatorade from 3 separate aid stations from the remaining 4-5 miles of the race.  I felt good, all around, just wasn't digging the gels at that point in time.
　

Equipment

New Balance 890v5 ShoesSLS3 Compression Socks
Nike Running Shorts
Hammer Nutrition Race Singlet
Sleefs Arm Sleeves　
TomTom Spark Cardio+ Music

Miles 0-10

 As I mentioned above, my training was inconsistent at best leading up to the race, so my expectations were curbed.  I really didn't have any specific goals other than not to embarrass myself.  I set a wide range of times for a finish goal.  My range was 3:00 to 3:30.  I figured I should have no problem finishing within that time window.  So at the start of the race, I really just wanted to take it intentionally easy and just get into a groove that I could sustain for at least 20 miles.  Once the race started I did my best not to get sucked into the rush that happens at every race start.  I knew that still went out a bit too fast and did my best to pull myself back.  By mile 4, I had the inkling that I probably had been going too hard.  My heart rate at this point was in the mid to upper 160's.  I slowed up a bit, but also tried not to look at my watch for time and distance as I just wanted to run based on feel for at least the first half.  As I continued to pass mile markers, I continued to see my heart rate in the 160-165 range.  I decided to just do my best to try and regulate my heart rate the best I can and just keep the fact that this was a 26.2 mile race and not anything less.  

Miles 3-20 were by far the most scenic miles of the race.  These miles were run on the Wiouwash Trial that I mentioned about.  The course was set up to run the first 3 miles to get out of the City of Oshkosh and to get onto the trail itself.  Miles 3 to 10 were all north on the trail.  There were several old bridges from when the trail was originally a train track.  I first saw Sarah and the girls along with my parents and my in-laws around mile 9.  It was great to see some familiar faces as it had been a while since I saw anyone.  The total number of marathon participants was pretty low, which left us runners pretty spread out, so it was nice to just see a person.  Just before reaching the mile 10 mile marker, you hit the turn-around point and headed back south down the trail. 　

Miles 11-20

After hitting the turnaround point just before the 10 mile mark, I was on the "home stretch."  I only had another 16 miles to go and I was making my way back into the City of Oshkosh.  At this point in the race, I had a feeling my heart rate was too high and was going to cause problems later on.  I just did my best to keep my pace in check and keep a close eye on my heart rate.  My goal was to stay below 160 bpm.  I look at my watch for a time for the first time just after the half way mark.  I was at 1:34.  My immediate thought was, "Wow, I could really put up a good time."  My second thought was, "I better get my heart rate down if I want to be any where near a even split."  As I approached mile 15, my stomach wasn't really craving a gel, so I opted to push it back a mile or two and see if that made a difference.  I approached the water station in the vicinity of mile 16, I forced myself to take as much of a gel as I could.  I ended up sucking down at least 75% of it and I called it good.  It was right about this point that fatigue set in.  Part of me was pissed that it again was happening.  That again, I would be taking walking breaks.  The other part of me was actually surprised that I made it this far before fatigue got the best of me.  My cardiovascular system was feeling great, my lungs felt like they could keep on keeping on.  My legs though, they felt heavier and heavier with every passing mile.  I did my best to just make it mile marker to mile marker.  

Miles 21-26.2

By the time I got to mile 20, I was still just going mile to mile with short walking breaks.  My legs were destroyed by this point.  I again didn't want anything to do with a gel, but knew I needed the calories.  At mile 21/22 I forced about a half of a gel down the hatch.  I knew that I didn't get nearly enough calories, so I started to take Gatorade from the water stations.  The flavor of the Gatorade tasted great and wasn't exactly what I would have preferred, but they went down great.  At about the 23 mile mark, I grabbed an orange slice, and let me tell you, it was the best damn orange and it hit the spot.  After getting to mile 24, I just kept telling myself, "2 more miles...15 more minutes."  I just kept pushing till the end.  I finished the race in 3:17:53, 18th place overall, and 3rd in my age group.

Post Race

At the end of the race, I had mixed feelings about my race.  First, I was actually really happy with finishing at all.  I honestly had forgotten how hard marathons were.  I guess a better way of putting it would be that I took running a quick marathon for granted.  It's not easy at all.  See, over the last couple years, I have been running shorter races, simply using my base fitness.  Marathons are not easy, nor can you just mosey your way through one.  Sure, you may be able to mosey your way to just simply finishing one, but if you have ambitious goals, you better have put in the work...and consistent work.  Ultimately, at 3:17 marathon is nothing to scoff at.  Especially knowing that I took four weeks off from a 16 week training plan (25%).  Not only did I miss 25% of my training plan,  two weeks were the two biggest weeks leading up to my taper.

After the race, I got to hang out with my buddy from Winnebago.  I haven't seen him in what felt like years.  But it was great to catch up with him after a race.  He ran the half marathon after working all night.  After sticking around for a bit, I headed home to try and take a nap before work.  Yup, I had to work third shift the night after a marathon.

What's on Tap

With my marathon out of the way, I have one remaining "A" race left on my schedule and it is quite possibly my biggest race, at least since the Ironman.  On October 22nd, I will be running the "Fall 50," a 50 mile ultra marathon in Door County, WI.  I am also 1/3 of the way into my goal of running 2016 miles in 2016.  I am behind the 8 ball to be honest, but with my training for the Fall 50 coming up later this summer, I should be close.  Also coming up is our family trip to Florida, which we are all very excited for.

Jailbreak 5k - Race Report

This race has become a staple in my race schedule, regardless of my work schedule.  For one, this race is actually very well run and offers some very nice perks.  Second, it supports a great cause, the Waushara County Crime Stoppers.  And lastly, they offer a separate award class just for law enforcement officers, called the Bloodhound Challenge.  I have been fortunate enough to win the award the past 3 years.  I have been debating the idea of letting someone else win the award, but I guess I'm just not willing to give the award to someone else.  I want them to win the award away from me.  I think the only way I would forfeit the award to someone else, would be for extenuating circumstances were to prevent me from being at the race, such as a family obligation, or if my work schedule simply would not allow it.  This year, I was able to take Friday night off of work and get a good night sleep the night before and I was excited for the opportunity to claim the Bloodhound Challenge for a 4th year in a row.

Training for This Race

Much like my race report for the Oshkosh 5k, I had no real specific training plan for the months leading up to the race.  With only 6 days between races, I really focused on recovery and staying fresh to maximize my odds of having a strong race.  On Monday I hit up the pool for an easy swim.  Tuesday was a hellish day, work-wise.  I ended up running all over the valley for various appointments and obligations, all on no sleep from working the night before.  I made Tuesday an off day and then an easy 4 and 3 mile run on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively.  On Friday, I was back in the pool for another easy swim.

Prerace

I got to bed pretty early, around 9:30am and had my alarm set for 6:00am with plans of getting on the road around 6:30-6:45am.  Friday night, I did something I usually don't do on a night before a race...I had a beer....but only one!  Saturday morning came and I was up and out the door by 6:45.  I got to the race site at 7:50, which left me plenty of time to register and warm up before the 9:00am race start time.  At 8:00am, I ate a Chocolate Chip Hammer Bar along with 2 capsules of Hammer Anti-Fatigue Caps.  After allowing some time to pass, I started my warm up.  It was my usual warm up, consisting of a 5 minute jog to loosen up, followed by some twisting lunges, high leg kicks, followed by some more walking lunges.  I finished with another 5+ minute jog with some strides worked in.  I quickly switching into my race shoes, and made my way to the start line.

Nutrition Plan

My nutrition plan was simple, take in the Hammer Bar with the Anti-Fatigue Caps about an hour before the start of the race.  During the race, I bypassed all water stations, but started out with sucking on a Hammer Energy Surge when the race started.  I took in a second Energy Surge at the 2 mile mark to help give me the extra kick I needed during the final 400m.  

Gear/Equipment

Nike Zoom Streak LT2

Hammer Swiftwick Socks

Hammer Running Singlet

Hammer Arm Warmers

Garmin 910xt

Miles 0-3.1

 When the race started, I had very simply, yet specific goals.  One, to win the race and two, set a PR.  So when the race started I wanted to be in the lead, which I was.  The weather was similar to last weekend's race, with temperatures around 40* and 12mph winds out of the East (last week was 48* with winds 14mph out of Southeast).  After the first 400m, I heard a couple sets of footsteps close behind me.  At the 800m mark, a kid pulled along side me, it was the same kid that beat me last year with one hell of a final kick.  I immediately was determined to beat him this year.  I felt as though my fitness was were it needed to be to beat him.  Between miles 1 and 2 we were literally neck and neck.  At times we were running side by side.  At the turn around point (2.15 miles) it was on.  I feel as though we both knew one of us had to make a move to claim the lead.  Unfortunately, once again, it wasn't me that had any gas left in the tank to make the move.  At around 2.65 miles, he was in front and I knew that if I tried to stick with him, I'd surely crash and burn.  At this point, I just tried to do as much damage control and minimize his lead.  He beat me again, but I guess I had a small (very small) victory that day: this year I was only beat by 3 seconds, while last year he beat me by 4 seconds.  I placed 2nd overall, 1st in my age group (30-39), and once again was the 1st law enforcement officer to finish, reclaiming my title as the Bloodhound Challenge Champion!

Post Race

After the race, I was once again, left to sit by myself.  Sarah stayed back home with the kids as Maya had a flag football game, which I felt incredibly guilty for missing, especially after hearing that she scored her first ever touchdown!!!  I chatted with a few other 5k finishers to pass the time until the awards ceremony.  The Jailbreak Marathon, once again, held a great race, with one of my favorite post race atmospheres.  They are extremely supportive of the participants and the race organizers are truly there for the right reason - to raise money for a cause they believe in AND the participants!  On top of an extremely well run event, they offer a full post race buffet style meal (pulled pork and turkey, potato salad, and corn), along with really nice awards for both overall finishers and age group winners.  I realize that this race is run in the back woods of Wisconsin, but it really is worth the trip!

What's on Tap

As of now, I have yet another race next weekend.  This will be the first time I have run 3 races on back-to-back-to-back weekends.  So, once again, it's back to the game plan of maximizing recovery, while staying fresh and fast.  Next weekend I will be running the Neenah Duathlon (formally known as the Paper Discovery Duathlon).  This is one of my favorite multisport races as it is close to home, well run, and an enjoyable course.  The only hitch in my plan of maximizing recovery is a preplanned outing with some of my good friends from work on Friday night.  Normally, I avoid excessive alcohol for 1-2 weeks prior to any race and 4-6 weeks before any high priority race.  This will be my first time breaking this rule.  I will most likely keep myself in check, as I need to coach Maya's flag football team Saturday morning, but I'm sure I won't be 100% that morning.

As always, thank you for reading!

Cheers!

Seroogy's Valentine's 15k - Race Report

Coming off a less than thrilling race in Milwaukee at the Icebreaker Indoor Half Marathon at the end of January, I was looking for a redemption-type race. Early on in my planning of my 2015 race season, I was eyeing up a race I have done before - the Seroogy's Valentine's 5k/15k. I did this race about 2 or 3 years ago and had a good time, plus you get free Seroogy's chocolate just for running. The race is held in De Pere, WI, about a 20 minute drive from our house and the weather was supposed to be ideal for an early February race. Taking all that into consideration, plus the fact that I was already off the night before, made it an easy decision to sign up for this race. In the past, I ran the 5k and this time around I wanted to try something different. I wanted to run a distance that I had not yet tried and with that reasoning, I signed up for the 15k opposed to the 5k.

Training for this Race

I did minimal training and zero specific training for this race during the two weeks following the Icebreaker Half Marathon. I did do some basic workouts, but nothing truly specific with the goal of improving my fitness for the Seroogy's Valentine's 15k. I did some pretty easy workouts with 2 indoor cycling workouts, 1 swim workout, and 6 running workouts with the longest being 7 miles on a treadmill. So like I said, no real specific workouts, just some basic lower intensity workouts with hopes of maintaining fitness.

Prerace

The race start time was scheduled for 8:00am, which is great, it would allow me to get an extra hour of sleep compared to a 7:00am start time, which I have grown accustomed to. My goal was to be on the road around 6:00am to give me ample time to officially register for the race and get a thorough warm up in leading up to the race start. I woke up around 5-5:30am and poured myself a cup of coffee, took care of business.  I left shortly after 6:00 and got to Seroogy's Chocolates around 6:45ish.  I was able to register right away and found that I had a ton of time to spare until the 8:00 start time.  Luckily, the church across the street from Seroogy's Chocolates opened it's doors for the runners to stay warm.  I found an empty room there and just chilled for a while until 7:30, when I wanted to start my warm up.  I got in a short and easy warm up, with some easy running with a few short strides thrown in to work on leg turnover.  By 7:50 I started making my way to the start line.

Nutrition Plan

After completely forgetting my nutrition plan during the Icebreaker Indoor Half Marathon, I really wanted to be diligent with my nutrition during this event.  It started at about an hour before the race, when I took 2 Race Caps Supreme, 2 Mito Caps, and 2 Anti-Fatigue Caps.  With just 5-10 minutes before the start of the race I took a single Nocciola Hammer Gel just to top off my fuel stores, since I did not take in any nutrients since the night prior.  The Nocciola flavor is seriously the best tasting gel I have ever had, and I have had my share of gels.  My plan during the race was to take a single tab of Energy Surge as needed and rely solely on race course water for hydration - and only if necessary.

Gear/Equipment

New Balance 890v4

New Balance Windblocker Heat Tight

Hammer Cycling Wind Jacket

Garmin 901xt

Miles 0-9.3

Right after the gun went off, I started with what I thought was a conservative pace.  It was difficult to find a good grove since both the 5k and 15k races started together.  So, even though I felt like I was starting slower, based on the lead pack of runners, in fact, I probably started out a little too fast.  I found myself started just below my normal 5k pace.  It took me until the first mile, or so, to settle back into a good pace.  I had a predetermined goal in my mind of finishing in under an hour.  That pace would translate to an average pace of 4:00 per 1k.  I opted to set my Garmin to go off every 1,000m to help me keep an accurate eye on my pace.  I knew if I could keep my pace at or around 4:00 I would set myself up for a successful race.  The two routes split just shortly after the 2 mile mark.  It was at this point were I realized exactly how many people were racing the 5k and how few people were running the 15k - at least relative to the number of runners ahead of me.  The 15k portion of the route was a simple out and back through a local city park.  I continued to just push as hard as I could and tried to keep the uncontrollables out of mind and focus on what I can control.  I shoved out the thoughts of pain, discomfort, and focused on my breathing, my foot plant and toe-off.  It seemed to work well, since I ran pretty steady splits and never really fell off.  I ended up finishing the race in 1:00:06, right were I was hoping to be.  Luckily for me, the course was a tad bit shorter than a full 15k (9.3 miles), it ended up being 9.18 miles according to my Garmin.

Post Race

The post race is probably one of the best parts of this race.  Why?  Simple, free chocolate.  But not just any chocolate...good chocolate.  After a few free samples of Seroogy's Chocolate, I quickly made up my bottle of Hammer Recoverite and then stuck around to see if I was lucky enough to place in my age group.  Unfortunately, the 15k results got completely screwed up - at no fault to the race directors.  A whole group of runners who registered to run the 15k, decided to run the 5k instead and never told anyone.  And since both races were run concurrent to each other, their 5k times registered in with the 15k times.  Sure, it would be pretty obvious at first to sort through the times, but once you get into the 5k walkers (who typically finish in around an hour) it gets a little tricky to decipher who ran which race.  It took literally about an hour after the initial awards ceremony, but it all got sorted out, and I took 3rd in the M30-34 age group and 11th overall.

The Day in Music

What's on Tap

The next race that I am eyeing up isn't until March 15 at the St. Pat's Fun Run in Kimberly, WI.  It has also been a good 2-3 years since I last ran this event, but it is put on by the same company who organized the Seroogy's run.  Plus, the race starts at 9:00am which makes it easy to get to after working the night before.  They again off a 15k option along with the traditional 5k distance, which is tempting.  I found that I really like the 15k distance, as it is still a quick race, but more challenging than both a 5k or 10k.  I think I will play it by ear since I will be working the night prior to the run and will see how I am feeling physically that day before I commit to a 15k race at 9am.

As for my training and such, I have started training with a multisport focus and significantly more intensity.  I have been implementing the principles of the Furman University studied, FIRST Program.  It has been marketed quite a bit by Runner's World Magazine.  FIRST stands for Furman Institute of Running and Sports Training.  Along with Runner's World, the experts of FIRST wrote a book entitled, Run Less, Run Faster.  Now, I haven't ordered the book just yet, but have read up on the program extensively online and bought the app...yes, they even have an app for that.  As I am sure you could have figured the entire philosophy of the FIRST program is to improve your race times after cutting your weekly mileage significantly.  The basic are that you "cut the fluff" out of your current program and do 3 very focused runs each week; a track style workout, a tempo run, and a long run.  Not one of these runs would be classified as "easy."  In fact they are all physically and mentally challenging.  The long runs, which are typically done at a slow and easy pace for me, are now run at a minimum pace 45 seconds faster than pace which I had previously thought was "fast."

I am not following the FIRST program to a "T," which calls for just 3 days of running...NO MORE, NO LESS, and 2 intense cross training days, and then 2 days of rest.  My current program sticks the 3 running workouts, that are specific for a 10k, into a multisport training plan leading up the Neenah Duathlon on May 3rd.  I am currently swimming 3 times a week, and cycling 3 times in a week.  I also threw in 2 other optional run workouts, that are done at an easy cool down pace following either a cycling or pool workout.  So, like I said, I am not exactly following the FIRST program but just using the shorter, high intensity workouts along with my other sports throughout the week.  This fall, I do plan on experimenting with the FIRST program as it's written to train for the Whistle Stop Marathon on October 10th.  I want to really give the FIRST program a fair shot at being successful and want to follow it and their "3 plus 2 plus 2" philosophy (3 days running, 2 cross training days, and 2 off days).  But for now I am focusing on just balancing my life with my multisport training for the upcoming multisport season, which kicks off May 3rd.

Thanks for reading!
Cheers!

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!

Festival Foods Turkey Trot - Race Report

The Festival Food's Turkey Trot is an event that has become a family tradition, not only for my immediate family, but also my parents, brother, and his girlfriend.  This year was the 6th year of the Turkey Trot and the 2nd year it has been run in Downtown Appleton, as opposed to Menasha the previous 4 years.  My mom and dad have done the event from the very first year, while I have now done it 4 of the past 5 years.  The only reason I missed the race in 2010 was I had just started working for Winnebago County Sheriff's Office and was training on 1st shift.  The event itself has become a rather large event, which is fantastic.  It offers families a great way not only to spend quality time together, but quality time together exercising prior to a traditionally glutenous holiday.  I've heard that average person consumes roughly 4,500 calories on Thanksgiving day!  So, when a community comes together to offer an event to promote health and fitness, I'm all for it.

Training Plan

I honestly, did not have a full blown "training plan" for the Turkey Trot, but did have a rough outline of days I would run and days I would not run.  Basically, my plan consisted of 3 runs per week.  I would do a fartlek run on Tuesdays, a moderate distance (6-8 mile) run on Thursday or Friday, and a long (8-10 mile) run on Sundays.  The days between I would either take off and rest, swim, or bike.  I was extremely flexible with my "plan" and would not go to great lengths to make sure a workout got in on any particular day.  Bare in mind, that I was technically still in my off season recovery mode from Ironman Wisconsin, back in September.  With that in mind, I definitely took it easy, and ate like absolute crap (not proud to admit it....but hey, it's the truth)!

Day/Night Before the Race

I finagled my work schedule to get the night before Thanksgiving off.  I had to pull a trade with a buddy of mine, which isn't always easy to pull off, considering it was the night before Thanksgiving.  I not only wanted to participate in the Turkey Trot (which I would have regardless of working the night before), but also to spend at least a portion of Thanksgiving together with my family and daughters.  The day before the race was spent with the family.  Maya, Delaney, and I made a pie for Thanksgiving and then had dinner.  I made stuffed acorn squash for dinner and for the first time ever, I had beer with dinner the night before a race.  Not just one beer, and I didn't stop at two, but had 3 beers with dinner that night.  I think that goes to show where my priorities have been at this off season.  Either way, I got to bed at a reasonable hour and had everything set for both the Turkey Trot in the morning and Thanksgiving.

Getting to the Start Line

I was tired and honestly wanted to stay in bed when my alarm started going off at 5am.  But, I got up, poured a cup of coffee and hopped onto Facebook.  I saw that someone had posted something to the effect of there being snow for the Turkey Trot.  I quickly jumped up and looked outside and sure enough, there was about 1-2 inches of snow.  The first true snow fall of the 2013 winter...on Thanksgiving...the morning of a race.  The kicker is, that last year it was 60* outside.  Now this year, it was snowy and 20*, quite the difference.  None-the-less, we woke up the girls and bundled them up and were on the road by 6:45 and on our way to downtown Appleton.  After finding a parking spot and putting off getting out of our warm car until the last possible moment, we met up with my parents near the start line to pick up our race bibs.  My dad and I then did a short run to start warming up and at 8:00, it was back to the start line for the start of the race.

5 Mile Run

Not that it was a major concern of mine at the start of the race, but in the back of my head I was wondering exactly how much of an impact the previous night's snowfall would have on the race.  It was only a light snow, but definitely enough to impact footing, especially on corners.  The first 200-400 yards of the race went straight West down College Av, which is the main drag of Downtown Appleton, so there was little to no snow in the streets.  But almost immediately after turning right off of College, we were on side streets which were not nearly as clear.  If you stayed in the area of travel for vehicles, the roads were clear of fresh snow and were either just wet with water or slush.  I started the race as I do with all races, slower than most.  I have never gone out like a bat out of hell like 98% of the participants do, I don't know why I don't, I just never have and don't ever plan on changing.  Naturally, I had a decent size group ahead of me, but I was fine with that, knowing that it wouldn't be long before they tired out.  By about mile 2 or so, I had passed majority of those who go out too fast.  By mile 3 I started to feel as though I had gone out too fast.  I began to focus on my breathing and just tried to get into a rhythm.  It seemed to have worked, maybe my pace didn't increase, but I felt comfortable as the race progressed.  The snow really wasn't as big of an issue as I had thought it might be.  It really only impact the race on the corners.  You could not take the corners at full speed, for risk of slipping and falling.  As you approached a corner you had one of two choices.  1. You could slow down and take the corner cautiously.  2. You could take the corner wide, where the earlier vehicle traffic had melted majority of the snow and you would be able to stay on concrete.  No matter which option you choose, you're adding seconds onto your time.  Not a lot of time, but they add up, there's no doubt.

By mile 4, I was taxed, but new the end was near.  Right after the 4th mile marker is the vaunted hill that not one person looks forward to.  Could the hill come at any worse part of the race?  Well, I suppose it could, it could always be at the finish line, but still a big hill right during the last mile....sheesh.  After I pushed up the hill I decided to crank up the my pace and push.  I passed a couple additional people on the last half mile or so.  As I was coming down the home stretch there was one more guy in front of me and made it my goal to pass him.  With about 2-3 blocks left, I had passed him, but

he had one spare match left over, where I, on the other hand, had burnt all my matches.  He sprinted past me on the final 50-100 yards to finish ahead of me.  Honestly, I wasn't too upset about it, probably because I knew I had nothing left and he was just better then I at that point.  I finished the race in 31:32 (6:19/mile).  My time last year was 30:56, so I did not set a new PR, which I was really hoping to do, but all things considered with the colder temperatures and snowy roads, I was pretty happy with my race.  Ultimately, I only added 36 seconds to my time, or an additional 7 seconds per mile.  I placed 29th out of 2,838 finishers and 3rd out of 29 finishers in my age group.  My dad finished in 35:20 and placed 117th overall and 1st of 24 in his age group.

Festival Foods Turkey Trot - Details

Post Race

One of the coolest things about the Festival Foods Turkey Trot is the free pumpkin pie!  A lot of participants choose to donate their pies to the local food pantry which is also very cool.  In past years, I have opted to donate my pie, but this year I picked up my pie with the intentions of bringing it to work that night to share with our department's "3rd Shift Thanksgiving," since I had to work that night.  The race does not put a lot of money and/or effort into the post race spread, which is quite alright.  It's simply not what the race/event is about.  The event is about promoting family and fitness on a day that has been overcome with sales, shopping, and pre-Christmas preparations.  They do still have water, bananas, and doughnut holes, but nothing in addition.  Since I had to work that night and we had plans of spending Thanksgiving with my family that day, we didn't hang around too long after the race.  So after Sarah, the girls, and my mom finished the 2 mile walk, we loaded up the car and headed home to get cleaned up for our family feast.

Other Notes

Part of me is satisfied with my race time while another part of me is thinking I really let myself down.  I wonder whether or not I could have gone harder/faster with the fitness that I had.  I honestly wasn't sore at all after this race, which is odd, especially after a 5 mile race.  I also feel as though I really have fallen off the wagon, so to speak.  I have eaten everything that I have avoided in the past and really just been a slob (relatively speaking).  I've been caught between me wanting to enjoy my down time after finishing the Ironman, but that has now been 3 months ago, and I am still just eating crap foods that do nothing for me other than taste good.  I have been feeling cruddy, my stomach has been in knots, and my sleep has been sub par.  I can only think of pinning the blame on my piss poor diet.  I keep telling myself that I'll make the change tomorrow, or next week, or after the holidays.  I never say, "I'll make the change today."  It's frustrating and I only have myself to blame.  I know I need the break, not only for my body to recover, but also for my sanity.  But, I should know that taking a break doesn't mean a green light to eat what ever I want when I want to.  I know that doesn't fit into a successful off season recovery period, it does just the opposite.

Lessons for Future Events

There were not any real lessons taken away from this event.  Simply put, this is also a late season race, which always comes 1-2 months after my season ending "A" race.  I rarely put any emphasis on this race, training wise and honestly, just take it for what it is, a great tradition to do what I love, with the ones I love.

What's Next

I have been spending the past month or so now compiling a 2014 race schedule.  I have for sure put the Green Bay Marathon on my list for an early season marathon.  I am taking a new approach to my training this year for a marathon and will be focusing all my efforts to run a sub 3 hour marathon.  I will post my training plan on here soon, but all I will say for now, is that it begins Monday, December 16th!  So stay tuned for a post on my training plan and specific workout detail on how I plan on running a sub 3 hour marathon.

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  :)