Honestly, I really wasn't expecting to do well. I ran the course (actually doubled it so I could get my long run in at the same time) the past two weekends but struggled both times with 12-13 min miles so I thought my chances of a sub 35 minute 5K were slim and decided to just forget about a time goal and just go out there and have fun in the mud (it rained the night before).
The weather was fairly mild for December, overcast and low 50s, perfect running weather! There wasn't that many runners so I could of lined up just about wherever I wanted but decided near the back was where I wanted to be since it forces me to start out slow.
The first two miles of the race, I felt fantastic. My legs felt great, my breathing under control and for the first time, I was perfectly dressed for the weather. Just after the 2 mile mark, my legs starting feeling heavier and heavier and my breathing was becoming more labored. I tried to keep running as long as possible, slowing down and focusing on my breathing but eventually I had to walk. I kept this run/walk thing pretty much until I hit the final quarter mile which happens to be on the road at a slight uphill. It's not steep but you definitely feel it. After running on soft dirt, sand and hay, the hard asphalt made my legs feel like they were bricks. But I was determine to make it up and over that hill because I knew the last tenth of a mile was all downhill. I gave it all I had that last quarter mile and to my surprise I finished just shy of 33 minutes, way better than I expected! W00t, w00t!
I'm still waiting for the official results and pictures to be posted and once they are I will update this post.
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Race Report: Turkey Day 8K
Finished in 50:45 about 90 seconds faster than last year's time. And just like last year, I treated this run as training and decided to stick with tempo intervals.5 min easy jog to get warmed up and with a 38° start, I absolutely needed it.
Then the intervals which were run 3 minutes at a 8:45 - 9:30 pace with a 2 minute recovery walk in between. The first 3 miles felt great but most of the first half of this course is downhill or flat so keeping a 9 minute pace wasn't that hard but once I hit those hills in Hampton Heights and on Spring Street, I had a very hard time keeping it below a 10 minute pace. Still the 3:2 intervals worked out quite well.
According to my Garmin Forerunner, my active time was 32 mins and covered 3.5 miles so an average pace of 9:28 which was my goal so I'm happy about today's run.
Friday, November 18, 2011
Lunchtime Runs
I am NOT a morning person. I hate getting up early for anything, especially running which is why I am now somewhat picky on what races I will do. I tend to go for those with later start times, especially in the fall and winter months. So since this was my first job in 3 years where I actually worked on-site 5 days a week and have no telecommuting, I knew that lunch time running would be my best option. So three weeks ago, I started running on my lunch break. At first, it seemed odd and reminded me of gym in school but by the second week I fell in love with it. Now in my third week, I can't imagine not running at lunch, especially once the time changed. Plus it's so rejuvenating to come back to work after a run knowing it's done and I can enjoy my evenings.
If you're thinking about running on your lunch break, the #1 thing to remember is... PLAN AHEAD!
I cannot stress this enough, especially since most places limit you to just a one hour lunch break.
PLAN WHAT TO WEAR!
I usually check the weather (at multiple sources because we all know how accurate meteorologist are!) on Sunday night and pack my bag for the entire week. That way I only end up having to lug my gym bag to and from work once a week.
PLAN YOUR ROUTE(S)!
Map out a route and make sure you know it! Nothing is worse then missing a turn or having to stop and wait at more than a few traffic lights causing you to return back to work late. Try with shorter routes first and increase until you find out what distance you can get in comfortably and still have time to clean up/shower and eat! After all, this is your lunch break and you do need to eat!
PLAN YOUR POST-RUN!
If you shower in the morning and don't sweat a lot, then you can probably get away without taking a shower post-run. Instead you can use cleansing wipes (moist towelettes, baby wipes, etc). It's what I do because it's faster and saves time and seems to work out well even though I have access to a shower at work.
PLAN YOUR LUNCH!
You need to know what you're going to do about lunch, after all, you need to eat! Pick something close by or bring your lunch and eat it at your desk. Luckily we have a subway right next to our building so that's usually where I tend to go.
If you're thinking about running on your lunch break, the #1 thing to remember is... PLAN AHEAD!
I cannot stress this enough, especially since most places limit you to just a one hour lunch break.
PLAN WHAT TO WEAR!
I usually check the weather (at multiple sources because we all know how accurate meteorologist are!) on Sunday night and pack my bag for the entire week. That way I only end up having to lug my gym bag to and from work once a week.
PLAN YOUR ROUTE(S)!
Map out a route and make sure you know it! Nothing is worse then missing a turn or having to stop and wait at more than a few traffic lights causing you to return back to work late. Try with shorter routes first and increase until you find out what distance you can get in comfortably and still have time to clean up/shower and eat! After all, this is your lunch break and you do need to eat!
PLAN YOUR POST-RUN!
If you shower in the morning and don't sweat a lot, then you can probably get away without taking a shower post-run. Instead you can use cleansing wipes (moist towelettes, baby wipes, etc). It's what I do because it's faster and saves time and seems to work out well even though I have access to a shower at work.
PLAN YOUR LUNCH!
You need to know what you're going to do about lunch, after all, you need to eat! Pick something close by or bring your lunch and eat it at your desk. Luckily we have a subway right next to our building so that's usually where I tend to go.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
The 10 Minute Plank
My coach Holly Di Giovine posted this challenge on July 28 ...
[quote]CHALLENGES...who is up for a ten minute plank? Nobody will take me on here...and I don’t even know if I can make it for 5 minutes. But it’s something I’ve always wanted to do and felt I would have the most success with peer support/suffering. Also, 50 burpee pullups. If you can’t even do one pullup then start with 50 burpees b/c that is going to be hard enough! See how long it takes you...it might even take an hour, who knows?! But I guarantee next time you’ll do it faster. [/quote]
So the very next day I attempted a 10 minute plank and failed at just over 3 minutes. I haven't been doing much core work or strength training before then so for the next couple of weeks I started adding push ups and crunches as part of my post-run routine as well as on two other non-running days. Then this evening, just two weeks later, and on Holly's birthday, I gave it another shot and this time I had much different results.
The first 3 minutes were definitively the toughest and I ended up having to "rest" a few times. (A "rest" is simply a few seconds in the downward dog position). As I approached 5 minutes I begin to realize I'm half way there and started believing a 10 minute plank was possible. The "rests" became more frequent and as I rounded out 6 minutes, that's when things started to get really painful, but I told myself, just complete 1 more minute! My arms begin shaking and my hips kept wanting to drop and it took every bit of energy and willpower I had left to stay in proper form at this point. It was getting harder and harder after each passing second. Once I hit 7 minutes and knew I had just 3 minutes to go, it became mostly mind games after that. I then became aware that my tank top was soaked and that sweat was dripping off my forehand and it became apparent of just how much energy I was expending! At 9 minutes I almost couldn't believe I was actually going to do this and make the full 10 minutes! 4...3...2...1, my timer went off and challenge completed! It felt good and the moment I put my knees down, I was like, that wasn't so bad. Oh how quickly we forget the pain and suffering when we feel victorious after completing something we are not sure we can do.
8/11 - Post-morning follow-up: Not as sore as I would of expected but I'm sure that will change as I approach 24 hours and enter into DOMS (delayed on-set muscle soreness). This morning I feel some soreness in my abs, shoulders and hips.
[quote]CHALLENGES...who is up for a ten minute plank? Nobody will take me on here...and I don’t even know if I can make it for 5 minutes. But it’s something I’ve always wanted to do and felt I would have the most success with peer support/suffering. Also, 50 burpee pullups. If you can’t even do one pullup then start with 50 burpees b/c that is going to be hard enough! See how long it takes you...it might even take an hour, who knows?! But I guarantee next time you’ll do it faster. [/quote]
So the very next day I attempted a 10 minute plank and failed at just over 3 minutes. I haven't been doing much core work or strength training before then so for the next couple of weeks I started adding push ups and crunches as part of my post-run routine as well as on two other non-running days. Then this evening, just two weeks later, and on Holly's birthday, I gave it another shot and this time I had much different results.The first 3 minutes were definitively the toughest and I ended up having to "rest" a few times. (A "rest" is simply a few seconds in the downward dog position). As I approached 5 minutes I begin to realize I'm half way there and started believing a 10 minute plank was possible. The "rests" became more frequent and as I rounded out 6 minutes, that's when things started to get really painful, but I told myself, just complete 1 more minute! My arms begin shaking and my hips kept wanting to drop and it took every bit of energy and willpower I had left to stay in proper form at this point. It was getting harder and harder after each passing second. Once I hit 7 minutes and knew I had just 3 minutes to go, it became mostly mind games after that. I then became aware that my tank top was soaked and that sweat was dripping off my forehand and it became apparent of just how much energy I was expending! At 9 minutes I almost couldn't believe I was actually going to do this and make the full 10 minutes! 4...3...2...1, my timer went off and challenge completed! It felt good and the moment I put my knees down, I was like, that wasn't so bad. Oh how quickly we forget the pain and suffering when we feel victorious after completing something we are not sure we can do.
8/11 - Post-morning follow-up: Not as sore as I would of expected but I'm sure that will change as I approach 24 hours and enter into DOMS (delayed on-set muscle soreness). This morning I feel some soreness in my abs, shoulders and hips.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Tempo Tuesday
Today's Workout
Because it was once again 90 degrees, I decided right from the start I was going to walk the recoveries so I could push it harder on the tempo intervals. The first interval was fairly easy and downhill and I used it to get loosened up before the rolling hills that were too come. The second and third intervals were rolling hills with a net gain up hill and they were by far the toughest intervals. The last two intervals were a little easier as they were downhill but with the heat and humidity my legs were fatiguing fast but still managed to finish strong with negative splits.
- 5 min warmup walk
- 5 x 4 min at 9:30 - 10:00 pace, 3 min recovery walk
- 5 min cooldown run/walk
Because it was once again 90 degrees, I decided right from the start I was going to walk the recoveries so I could push it harder on the tempo intervals. The first interval was fairly easy and downhill and I used it to get loosened up before the rolling hills that were too come. The second and third intervals were rolling hills with a net gain up hill and they were by far the toughest intervals. The last two intervals were a little easier as they were downhill but with the heat and humidity my legs were fatiguing fast but still managed to finish strong with negative splits.
- Total - 45:00 - 3.46 miles - 13:00 avg pace
- Active - 20:00 - 2.06 miles - 9:42 avg pace
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Half Marathon Training: Week 1, Day 1
Today's Workout
This workout just about kicked my butt! I guess it's the heat, 86° with a feels like of 92°. I felt really good during my warmup, kept it slow and easy. Then it was the 7 x 60" strides with the goal of getting further with each one but that was easier said then done! By the 5th one I was struggling but at least I was able to complete this workout even if it was a lot slower than what I hoped for. Finished with walking lunges, seat kicks, high knees, lots of stretching and 50 crunches and 20 push ups.
- 10 min warmup jog
- 7 x 60 sec strides, 2 min recovery run/walk
- 4 min cooldown run/walk
This workout just about kicked my butt! I guess it's the heat, 86° with a feels like of 92°. I felt really good during my warmup, kept it slow and easy. Then it was the 7 x 60" strides with the goal of getting further with each one but that was easier said then done! By the 5th one I was struggling but at least I was able to complete this workout even if it was a lot slower than what I hoped for. Finished with walking lunges, seat kicks, high knees, lots of stretching and 50 crunches and 20 push ups.
- Total - 35:00 - 2.95 miles - 11:52 avg pace
- Active - 7:00 - 0.85 miles - 8:14 avg pace
- Recovery - 28:00 - 2.09 miles - 13:23 avg pace
Sunday, July 17, 2011
What's Next?
I keep going back and forth on whether or not to do triathlons and have came to the conclusion, yes, I'll continue doing triathlons but they will not be a priority or a "key" race. They will be soley for fun and for that extra challenge that running or cycling alone will never compare to. I'll probably stick to sprint distances races and don't really have any desire to do anything longer than that at this point.
What's next? Well for me, it's my original running goal to complete a half marathon. I trained and registered for the Greer Earth Day Half Marathon in April only to injure my back the day before the race and had to pull out (actually ran the 5K since I wasn't about to waste my money). So yea, I'm more determined than ever to complete that goal now. My target race is the Spinx Half Marathon in October in Greenville and half marathon training starts on Tuesday!
It will be nice sticking to one sport again and using the other sports as cross-training. Trying to be great at all three takes a lot of dedication, motivation, discipline and hard work which just made "training" something I dreaded rather than enjoyed. So it will be welcoming to only have to focus on running for the next 15 months.
My training plan will closely follow Holly DiGivoine's half marathon plan. I have made some slight modifications to it to fit my running style, mostly with the long runs but the speed and tempo intervals I pretty much kept as written.
This Week's Training (7/18 - 7/24):
What's next? Well for me, it's my original running goal to complete a half marathon. I trained and registered for the Greer Earth Day Half Marathon in April only to injure my back the day before the race and had to pull out (actually ran the 5K since I wasn't about to waste my money). So yea, I'm more determined than ever to complete that goal now. My target race is the Spinx Half Marathon in October in Greenville and half marathon training starts on Tuesday!
It will be nice sticking to one sport again and using the other sports as cross-training. Trying to be great at all three takes a lot of dedication, motivation, discipline and hard work which just made "training" something I dreaded rather than enjoyed. So it will be welcoming to only have to focus on running for the next 15 months.
My training plan will closely follow Holly DiGivoine's half marathon plan. I have made some slight modifications to it to fit my running style, mostly with the long runs but the speed and tempo intervals I pretty much kept as written.
This Week's Training (7/18 - 7/24):
- Tuesday - Speed run - 7 x 60 sec strides with 2 min recovery
- Wednesday - Strength training - 45 mins
- Thursday - Tempo run - 6 x 2 min with 2 min recovery
- Weekend - Long run - 10K using run/walk intervals
Race Report: You Go Girl Women's Only Triathlon
Pre-Race
I slept okay but only got about 5.5 hours of sleep which isn't really enough for me. I left the house shortly after 5am and arrived at the race site around 6 am (about a 50 minute drive for me). I unloaded my bike and proceeded to the transition area and picked up my packet, got my chip and headed over to body marking. Lori was there volunteering so it's always great to see familiar faces at events. I had a solid 30 mins to setup my transition area to my liking and there were a lot of first-timers there that looked confused on what to do so I helped them out since I know first hand what it feels to be clueless at your first triathlon. With about 15 mins until participant meeting, I headed to the pool for a short 200 yard swim to get a feel for the water. Perfect mid-80s...I knew I was going to swim fast and well so my nerves calmed down after that.
Swim (250 yards)
It was over before I even knew it. I couldn't believe how easy swimming 250 yards felt even with only two swim workouts since Middle Tyger Triathlon. Didn't even have to stop at the wall to rest once and ended up passing one swimmer and catching up to another so that felt great. Swim time: 6:16 (includes a 10-20 sec run to transition). And to my surprise, fastest swim time in my age group!
Transition 1
Legs felt really good coming out of the swim and was able to make a good run to transition. Got on my cycling shoes, helmet and sunglasses and proceed out of transition. Transition 1 time: 1:18
Bike (9.5 miles)
I felt really good when I got on my bike, legs felt fresh unlike they did at Middle Tyger Triathlon. I was able to surge ahead two riders which that felt great but one caught me a few miles later. I had a hard time controlling my heart rate and breathing for the first 5 miles but after I got relaxed, it got easier, just too bad only 4 miles were left at that point. Ended up passing 3 other riders while 1 other rider passed me. For the first time, it actually felt like I was racing. In most triathlons, I get passed but don't do any passing. Bike time: 40.04 (14.3 mph).
Transition 2
Much, much better than last time! Got my shoes off, helmet off, put on my running shoes and grabbed my hat and number belt to put on while I was running. 49 secs.
Run (2.5 miles)
Running still hurts after riding, no matter how long the run is! The first 1/2 mile was brutal, mostly because it was on grass then went uphill before doing 2 loops then returning back. I had an issue with my watch starting (apparently I forgot to reset it from last time) so when I hit start, I didn't realize it was wrong until about 2-3 mins later. So pretty much the entire run I had no clue how fast I was running. I felt like I was crawling at some points but I guess I ended up running much faster than I thought. Averaged an 11 min pace which for me, I'm super happy with considering all my runs after cycling have been 12+ min pace. Time: 27:32
Overall Time and Final Thoughts
1:15:56 (89 out of 134) – Finally feels great to finish in the middle of the pack. Sure, there was a lot of beginners but still it feels good. With very limited training in the last 5 weeks due to extreme hot temperatures with triple digit heat indices, I am thankful I did as well as I did. I swam, biked and ran faster than I did in the Middle Tyger Triathlon and although it was a shorter course, I still didn't expect that.
This is a great course and a fun race! It's very beginner friendly so if you're a women in Upstate, SC and want to try a triathlon, this is the one to do! I really hope to be able to do this one again next year.
I slept okay but only got about 5.5 hours of sleep which isn't really enough for me. I left the house shortly after 5am and arrived at the race site around 6 am (about a 50 minute drive for me). I unloaded my bike and proceeded to the transition area and picked up my packet, got my chip and headed over to body marking. Lori was there volunteering so it's always great to see familiar faces at events. I had a solid 30 mins to setup my transition area to my liking and there were a lot of first-timers there that looked confused on what to do so I helped them out since I know first hand what it feels to be clueless at your first triathlon. With about 15 mins until participant meeting, I headed to the pool for a short 200 yard swim to get a feel for the water. Perfect mid-80s...I knew I was going to swim fast and well so my nerves calmed down after that.
Swim (250 yards)
It was over before I even knew it. I couldn't believe how easy swimming 250 yards felt even with only two swim workouts since Middle Tyger Triathlon. Didn't even have to stop at the wall to rest once and ended up passing one swimmer and catching up to another so that felt great. Swim time: 6:16 (includes a 10-20 sec run to transition). And to my surprise, fastest swim time in my age group!
Transition 1
Legs felt really good coming out of the swim and was able to make a good run to transition. Got on my cycling shoes, helmet and sunglasses and proceed out of transition. Transition 1 time: 1:18
Bike (9.5 miles)
I felt really good when I got on my bike, legs felt fresh unlike they did at Middle Tyger Triathlon. I was able to surge ahead two riders which that felt great but one caught me a few miles later. I had a hard time controlling my heart rate and breathing for the first 5 miles but after I got relaxed, it got easier, just too bad only 4 miles were left at that point. Ended up passing 3 other riders while 1 other rider passed me. For the first time, it actually felt like I was racing. In most triathlons, I get passed but don't do any passing. Bike time: 40.04 (14.3 mph).
Transition 2
Much, much better than last time! Got my shoes off, helmet off, put on my running shoes and grabbed my hat and number belt to put on while I was running. 49 secs.
Run (2.5 miles)
Running still hurts after riding, no matter how long the run is! The first 1/2 mile was brutal, mostly because it was on grass then went uphill before doing 2 loops then returning back. I had an issue with my watch starting (apparently I forgot to reset it from last time) so when I hit start, I didn't realize it was wrong until about 2-3 mins later. So pretty much the entire run I had no clue how fast I was running. I felt like I was crawling at some points but I guess I ended up running much faster than I thought. Averaged an 11 min pace which for me, I'm super happy with considering all my runs after cycling have been 12+ min pace. Time: 27:32
Overall Time and Final Thoughts
1:15:56 (89 out of 134) – Finally feels great to finish in the middle of the pack. Sure, there was a lot of beginners but still it feels good. With very limited training in the last 5 weeks due to extreme hot temperatures with triple digit heat indices, I am thankful I did as well as I did. I swam, biked and ran faster than I did in the Middle Tyger Triathlon and although it was a shorter course, I still didn't expect that.
This is a great course and a fun race! It's very beginner friendly so if you're a women in Upstate, SC and want to try a triathlon, this is the one to do! I really hope to be able to do this one again next year.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Race Report: Candlelight 5K
Considering I haven't ran since June 9th and helped my husband for 5+ hours earlier today shoveling and spreading white rock and brick edging to our backyard, I couldn't of asked for a better race. I was so tired when we got done with our landscaping project, that I almost decided against doing this race. But I love night races, mainly because I love evening running and there just isn't many night races to choose from around here. Plus unlike last year, the weather was actually pleasant. Mid to low 70s felt pretty darn cool after weeks in the 90s.
But, I beat last year's time of 37:00 with a time of 32:07 (unofficial) this year so yea, big improvement over last year but it's always better when you know what to expect! But if my unofficial time is correct, this will be my third fastest 5K. Of course I always tend to do better in impromptu races that I really didn't train for. If I keep focusing on my goal to have fun and just enjoy myself out there, then I usually do much better then when I'm being competitive and chasing a PR. Oh and I just about made it up that entire hill without walking. That hill is so freakin' long that you never think it's going to end! Of course once you hit the turnaround and come down it, well that's the fun part!
Oh and how can I forget to mention the issue with the porta-potties...they never got delivered! So, it was quite the nightmare with only 2 bathroooms....the line was a good 45+ mins long!
Mile Splits: 10:12, 10:50, 9:50, 1:16 (7:45)
But, I beat last year's time of 37:00 with a time of 32:07 (unofficial) this year so yea, big improvement over last year but it's always better when you know what to expect! But if my unofficial time is correct, this will be my third fastest 5K. Of course I always tend to do better in impromptu races that I really didn't train for. If I keep focusing on my goal to have fun and just enjoy myself out there, then I usually do much better then when I'm being competitive and chasing a PR. Oh and I just about made it up that entire hill without walking. That hill is so freakin' long that you never think it's going to end! Of course once you hit the turnaround and come down it, well that's the fun part!
Oh and how can I forget to mention the issue with the porta-potties...they never got delivered! So, it was quite the nightmare with only 2 bathroooms....the line was a good 45+ mins long!
Mile Splits: 10:12, 10:50, 9:50, 1:16 (7:45)
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Race Report: Middle Tyger Y Triathlon
Pre-Race
I slept surprisingly well and got a solid 7 hours so I woke up feeling really good. I left the house right at 5:50 am and arrived at the race site around 6:15 am. I unloaded my bike and proceeded to the transition area where I realized there was no assigned racks and it was first come first serve so I found a good spot that I felt would be easy to get in an out of and set up my transition area. We were called to the pool area about 10 til 7 am for some last minute race instructions. We then lined up for the swim and like most of everyone else, I was a little surprised by the out-of-pool start.
Swim (400 meters)
I have been swimming 1-2 times per week and getting in solid 1 hour workouts so I wasn't really concerned about the swim but maybe I should of been. The Swim Center pool is kept at very therapeutic 85° and my brother's neighborhood outdoor pool is probably around 86° or warmer so when I dove into the colder water (probably around 78-80° which is usually what they keep it at) of the Middle Tyger Y's pool, it was quite a shock. [Lesson #1...if at all possible jump in the pool before the race!] So for the first 50 meters, I nearly panicked as I tried catching my breath but was able to keep it together to at least do the breast stroke until I got my breathing under control. About 100 meters in, I finally got into a rhythm but the combination of nerves and cold water seemed to took a lot more energy out of me as I had to rest at each wall for about 5-10 secs, something I rarely needed to do in training when I did my 400 and 500 time trials. Still only 1 person passed me so either I didn't do as bad as I thought or everyone else was having trouble too. I glanced at my watch as I exited the pool and it was at 9:56 so a lot slower than the 8:40 I was hoping to achieve.
Transition 1
Went as good as it could of gone. Got my socks and shoes on, sunglasses, helmet, grabbed my bike and jogged (as best as I can in cycling shoes) to the mount line. Got on my bike and got clipped in without any issues and ended up beating 2 others out of T1 that were there before me but they caught up to me and passed me on the bike about 2-3 miles in.
Bike (14 miles)
Got on my bike and immediately realized this is going to be much much harder after swimming then I thought! [Lesson #2 Do more swim/bike bricks!] The first few miles were painful but after I got up the first hill, I was pretty much on cruise control. I did get passed by several guys and 1 women during the bike leg but all gave me words of encouragement as they passed as well as every volunteer and police officer so that felt pretty good. At the 1/2 way point I was right at 28 mins (bike portion only) so I knew if I kept this pace, I would finish the bike in under an hour. Up to 12 miles, I averaged a 14.2 mph pace but then got to that final hill which took everything I had to get up it and where my average pace dropped down to 13.8. I still finished in 1:01:00, just 1 min over my goal so I was pretty happy with the bike portion considering I did only one short swim/bike brick during training.
Transition 2
Got a good dismount and no mishaps unclipping...in fact I never really thought about it as it's now become a natural instinct. It was super awkward to jog to my rack with wobbly legs in cycling shoes but I did the best I could. Took off my helmet and swapped my cycling shoes for my running shoes, grabbed my visor and number belt to put on while I was running and off I went. However, as soon as I started running out of transition, my legs started to feel like lead and was already was in pain. Exited transition at 1:14:00 overall time which means both transitions combined couldn't of been more than 3 mins.
Run (5K)
Running is hard enough for me on fresh legs so on fatigued legs...well to be completely honest...it sucks and usually the moment where I ask myself "why am I doing this again?" I've been running 5-10 mins after every bike ride and have done several bricks with up to 1.5 mile runs afterwords but nothing any longer than that. I got off to a good start and was thankful the first 1/2 mile was downhill to allow things to loosen up a bit. I was able to run to the first water station (about 1/2 mile in) where I took my first walk break. I decided then that I was going to run the flats/downhills and walk up the hills. I guess I was averaging a faster pace than I realized because at mile 1, my time was at 1:24:00 and at mile 2, I was at 1:36:00. So the first 2 miles went better than expected and I was hoping for at least another 11-12 min mile but that's when I started to fall apart. [Lesson #3 - Do longer bike/run bricks...as long or longer than the race distance.] My entire lower body felt like it weighed 5 times more than normal and my legs just didn't want to do anymore running. It was all I could do just to walk at that point as my calves and hip flexors are screaming for me to stop but once I saw the mile 3 sign, I just gave it everything I had left to jog the remaining .1 mile to the finish line. Which means the last 1.1 miles was around 20 mins, yikes!
Overall Time and Final Thoughts
1:56:14 (57 out of 61) - Okay so I'm not a fast finisher and there was only about half the number of participants than in year's past. I improved 19 mins over the Greenville Triathlon which was the same distances and finished under my goal time of 2 hours so that's what I'm going to celebrate.
This was a great event and I loved that it was only 18 mins from my house! The spectators cheered for everyone and not just for those that they knew, and the volunteers and police along the course were great with their words of encouragement.
Swim Time (400 meters) - 10:31
Transition #1 - 1:18
Bike (14 miles) 1:01:13
Transition #2 - 0:53
Run (5K) - 42:20
Total Time - 1:56:14
I slept surprisingly well and got a solid 7 hours so I woke up feeling really good. I left the house right at 5:50 am and arrived at the race site around 6:15 am. I unloaded my bike and proceeded to the transition area where I realized there was no assigned racks and it was first come first serve so I found a good spot that I felt would be easy to get in an out of and set up my transition area. We were called to the pool area about 10 til 7 am for some last minute race instructions. We then lined up for the swim and like most of everyone else, I was a little surprised by the out-of-pool start.
Swim (400 meters)
I have been swimming 1-2 times per week and getting in solid 1 hour workouts so I wasn't really concerned about the swim but maybe I should of been. The Swim Center pool is kept at very therapeutic 85° and my brother's neighborhood outdoor pool is probably around 86° or warmer so when I dove into the colder water (probably around 78-80° which is usually what they keep it at) of the Middle Tyger Y's pool, it was quite a shock. [Lesson #1...if at all possible jump in the pool before the race!] So for the first 50 meters, I nearly panicked as I tried catching my breath but was able to keep it together to at least do the breast stroke until I got my breathing under control. About 100 meters in, I finally got into a rhythm but the combination of nerves and cold water seemed to took a lot more energy out of me as I had to rest at each wall for about 5-10 secs, something I rarely needed to do in training when I did my 400 and 500 time trials. Still only 1 person passed me so either I didn't do as bad as I thought or everyone else was having trouble too. I glanced at my watch as I exited the pool and it was at 9:56 so a lot slower than the 8:40 I was hoping to achieve.
Transition 1
Went as good as it could of gone. Got my socks and shoes on, sunglasses, helmet, grabbed my bike and jogged (as best as I can in cycling shoes) to the mount line. Got on my bike and got clipped in without any issues and ended up beating 2 others out of T1 that were there before me but they caught up to me and passed me on the bike about 2-3 miles in.
Bike (14 miles)
Got on my bike and immediately realized this is going to be much much harder after swimming then I thought! [Lesson #2 Do more swim/bike bricks!] The first few miles were painful but after I got up the first hill, I was pretty much on cruise control. I did get passed by several guys and 1 women during the bike leg but all gave me words of encouragement as they passed as well as every volunteer and police officer so that felt pretty good. At the 1/2 way point I was right at 28 mins (bike portion only) so I knew if I kept this pace, I would finish the bike in under an hour. Up to 12 miles, I averaged a 14.2 mph pace but then got to that final hill which took everything I had to get up it and where my average pace dropped down to 13.8. I still finished in 1:01:00, just 1 min over my goal so I was pretty happy with the bike portion considering I did only one short swim/bike brick during training.
Transition 2
Got a good dismount and no mishaps unclipping...in fact I never really thought about it as it's now become a natural instinct. It was super awkward to jog to my rack with wobbly legs in cycling shoes but I did the best I could. Took off my helmet and swapped my cycling shoes for my running shoes, grabbed my visor and number belt to put on while I was running and off I went. However, as soon as I started running out of transition, my legs started to feel like lead and was already was in pain. Exited transition at 1:14:00 overall time which means both transitions combined couldn't of been more than 3 mins.Run (5K)
Running is hard enough for me on fresh legs so on fatigued legs...well to be completely honest...it sucks and usually the moment where I ask myself "why am I doing this again?" I've been running 5-10 mins after every bike ride and have done several bricks with up to 1.5 mile runs afterwords but nothing any longer than that. I got off to a good start and was thankful the first 1/2 mile was downhill to allow things to loosen up a bit. I was able to run to the first water station (about 1/2 mile in) where I took my first walk break. I decided then that I was going to run the flats/downhills and walk up the hills. I guess I was averaging a faster pace than I realized because at mile 1, my time was at 1:24:00 and at mile 2, I was at 1:36:00. So the first 2 miles went better than expected and I was hoping for at least another 11-12 min mile but that's when I started to fall apart. [Lesson #3 - Do longer bike/run bricks...as long or longer than the race distance.] My entire lower body felt like it weighed 5 times more than normal and my legs just didn't want to do anymore running. It was all I could do just to walk at that point as my calves and hip flexors are screaming for me to stop but once I saw the mile 3 sign, I just gave it everything I had left to jog the remaining .1 mile to the finish line. Which means the last 1.1 miles was around 20 mins, yikes!Overall Time and Final Thoughts
1:56:14 (57 out of 61) - Okay so I'm not a fast finisher and there was only about half the number of participants than in year's past. I improved 19 mins over the Greenville Triathlon which was the same distances and finished under my goal time of 2 hours so that's what I'm going to celebrate.This was a great event and I loved that it was only 18 mins from my house! The spectators cheered for everyone and not just for those that they knew, and the volunteers and police along the course were great with their words of encouragement.
Swim Time (400 meters) - 10:31
Transition #1 - 1:18
Bike (14 miles) 1:01:13
Transition #2 - 0:53
Run (5K) - 42:20
Total Time - 1:56:14
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