Eagleman Race Report

The song “Hot, Hot Hot” aint got nothing on race day at Eagleman.  For some reason, every year the weekend of Eagleman, the temperature rises to levels in between white hot flame and molten lava.  To put It in perspective, the week before the temperatures were 74 degrees and perfect and the days after Eagleman the temps went back down to 76 degrees.  So what were they on the race day?  A nice cool 96 degrees with the feeling of 114 coming off the asphalt.  Yeah, fun race conditions.  But you know what, everyone had to deal with the same elements so we were all in the same boat.

How’d the race go? Let’s find out.

I headed down to Maryland Saturday morning on a 4.5 hour drive to get there, check in, get my packet, rack my bike, and get in a practice swim.  I was able to practice in my Speedsuit just in case the water temps became nonwetsuit legal.  I was freaking out about it all week, since clearly swimming with a wetsuit makes you faster.  After having a quick dinner by myself, I headed back to my hotel to try and get some sleep

Race morning:

By the time I woke up at 3:45am, it was already 82 degrees outside.  Since I stayed about 30 minutes away from the race, I grabbed a cup of coffee and headed to the venue.  I have to say, it was a very nice drive and got my nerves to calm down.  Once at the venue, I set up my transition area, met some of my Big Sexy Racing teammates and a few others that I knew and just relaxed.  With the Pro’s going off at 6:45 and my wave going off at 7:16, I didn’t have too long to sit there and bake in the sun.  So I jump in the practice swim area and warmed up and was ready to go.

Swim:

My goal for the swim was to go under 36 minutes.  It’s not a great time, but I still haven’t became a great swimmer so I knew I could make up time on the bike and run if I stayed in that range.  The swim bouys were set up about every 100 yards so I felt great and was just mentally checking off bouys in my head and counting down until the swim was over.  Looking at my watch every so often I knew I was having a good swim for me.  I wasn’t flying, but the swim felt easy so I was happy.  The water so so shallow that by the time we got to about 75 yards out, everyone starting walking.  Not me. I learned my lesson a few years ago.  So I kept swimming and dolphin diving and passing a lot of people.  I have no clue why people were just walking and making it harder for them.

Swim time: 35 minutes

Bike:

This course is flat.  When I say flat, I mean like so flat that a teenage boy with a face full of pimples has more bumps on it than the course.  So it was time to get on my bike and go.  All my long rides this year have seen me average about 23-24 mph on a much hillier course so I really wanted to test my bike skills here.  After the first few miles clicked off, I was in this some times things felt great and I was cruising at 27-28 mph, and others, I was struggling to keep a 19 mph pace.  I have no clue as to what was going on.  Not to mention I had to stop for about 30 seconds since the shield on my aerohelmet came off and I had to clip it back on.  So weird.  That has never happened.  Anyway, I felt good until about mile 43 and then just couldn’t keep a good rhythm going.  After that, I was struggling.  My fluids and gels were on point so I know it wasn’t that, so it was probably the heat affecting me.  But, I was able to crank out the last 13 miles and get on to the run.

Bike 2:35

Run:

This is where I wanted to be.  Heading out onto the run and catching as many people as I could.  The only problem with this is that it was soooooo hot at this point everyone, including myself, was so drained from the heat.  Normally, I am ok in the heat and can run through it.  Not here.  I knew within the first 2 miles it was going to be a brutal run.  At that point, it was just get to the next aid station, grab sponges, ice, water and douse myself to keep my body temp down.  While I was running, I was able to hold a 6:50 mile pace but I spent so much time at each aid station that my miles ended being about 8 minute miles.  I didn’t care.  I needed to cool down no matter what.  And when I saw pro’s walking, I didn’t feel bad either.  Anyway, as slow as I was going, I was still able to pick off 25 people in my age group and manage the 11^th fastest run time of the day.  Kind of weird since it was 20 minutes of my PR.  Like I said earlier, everyone had to deal with the elements.

Run: 1:44

Overall, it was not my best race day, but it was good considering the heat.  I wanted a higher Age Place but it was not in the cards and there were some quality racers this year.  I was able to meet a bunch of my Big Sexy teammates and was actually the first finisher so I’m glad I got to represent that way.  All in all, I’m happy I did the race and would recommend anyone do Eagleman.

Race Week Giveaway

It's race week this week. 

Ironman Eagleman, I'm coming for you. To kick off a great race season, I'm running a contest with 2 of my amazing partners. 2 different giveaways here. 

HoneyMaxx is giving away a bag of their awesome product to the person who guesses closest to my bike split for the 56 mile bike. 

Skora Running is giving away a $50 gift card to the person who guesses closest to my run of 13.1 miles. 

3 ways to enter.

Enter in the Comments section below.
Enter on my InstaGram comments @trirunningdad
Enter on my Facebook page

Also, check out Skora website Skora

HoneyMaxx website is HoneyMaxx


Guesses have to be in by Saturday 11:59pm EST

It's Race Week!!!

It's Race Week everyone.

Just a very quick post as it is the start of Eagleman Week.

Stay tuned this week for 2 very cool giveaways this week.  

Ironman Eagleman build up

So we are exactly 1 month out from Ironman Eagleman in Maryland.  I have been dedicating a lot of training for this race.  I don't think I have spent this much time working out as I have in years.  There has been a significant time on the trainer dialing in my power numbers and FTP settings, and since this course is pancake flat, I won't have to worry about rolling hills.  This way, I can have a pretty steady race plan.  It makes training a lot easier this way.  I've been noticeable stronger, and able to hold a higher wattage for longer than ever before

As for my other training, it really has gone well.  The interesting part is I feel I am not being as structured as I normally am every single year, but every workout is done with precision and a lot faster and easier than I normally train.  My run splits are lightning fast.  It's actually scaring me.  My last long run was 12 miles, and I finished that in 1 hour and 14 minutes. That equates to about a 1:21 half marathon pace, which would be a PR for me if it was race day.  I know I can't hold that pace for a half marathon after 56 miles on the bike, but even if I lose 4-5 minutes, that still would be about a 1:25 half.  Not too shabby.  I can't slow down even if I tried.

I have also found something in my swim that I am faster than in previous years.  I don't know if I have improved my stroke or I'm just getting stronger, but when doing a time trial in the pool, I am well below my race pace which is pretty exciting.  I still hate being in the pool for long periods of time, but at least when I'm in the pool, the workouts are faster and really spot on.

The one thing that could possibly derail me is that past few weeks.  There has been a magnitude of things that have taken me away from having a nice solid training block.  We had some health scares in the family which led to a few days of making sure everyone is ok.  There was a ton of travel, where it rained constantly so I was only able to run on the treadmill for a few days straight with no swim or bike workouts.  And apparently my weight went from dropping 7 lbs in one week the week of the health scare, to not being able to put any weight back on, to then all of a sudden, me gaining 8 lbs.  Not exactly ideal for stabilizing weight and training.  All this while trying to get down to race weight and see what is the best weight for me to stay at to be in optimal shape for the race.

In fact, I was supposed to have my first race of the season 2 weeks ago, but it rained so bad that I didn't feel comfortable being on a bike for 40 plus miles in those conditions, so I actually had my first DNS of my career.  So going into Eagleman, I will have no way of knowing what I need to work on for race prep.  I don't have anything to base it on.  Looks like I'm flying blind here.

I know "life happens", and that everyone goes through things, but all this happened in about a 2-3 week span.  Luckily, I still have exactly 1 month to dial everything back in.  That means 3 weeks of one last hard training block, and 1 week of recovery/taper for the race. 

Sometimes things go perfectly, and other times, life happens and you have to adjust.  Here's to figuring out exactly how to adjust.

What is strength

This week I have learned a new meaning of strength. How do we all define what strength means.  Is it, how much weight you can put up in the gym?  How many watts you can hold on the bike and for how long?  What about how high your IQ is?  There are so many ways to define strength, but this week I have found the one that is the most important.

Becoming a father was obviously a life changing event.  How could it not be?  But when things are going well, it's easy.  It's easy to run through a finish line with Riley in my arms, or to put him to sleep and have him sleep 12 hours and us be the ones to wake him up.  It doesn't take strength to do these things.  It takes being a father.  It's when things go slightly (or more than slightly) off kilter that strength is needed.

I have learned that having the strength to keep it together and be there for my family far out powers any strength that I have amassed during my years of training.  No 20 mile run, 100 mile ride, 95lb dumbbell.  Let's just say this week has been worse than the week from hell.  When you get information that cuts you like a knife but with the pain of cutting like a spoon you are left with only so many options.  No parent wants to hear news about their child, and no parent wants the week that the wife and I have had. 

As a result, I continue to reevaluate what strength is and how is it evaluated.  I have seen the strength that is needed to be there for not only Riley, but also the wife, the grandparents, the aunts/uncles and pretty much everyone else. Strength is needed to be there both emotionally as well as supportive while not allowing myself to digest, feel, or process things personally.  I have to be the one who holds it together so others don't lose their shit.  What I've found is that if I can't find the strength to make sure everyone is ok, then everyone won't be ok.  This also means that I need to find the strength for myself to be able to hold it together.  If I can't muster it up, then there are a lot of people who will have a difficult time. 

I wish that no one would ever have to be in a situation to find that inner strength, though I know that is not the case.  There are people who have to go through things a lot harder than I have to, which I wish wasn't the case, and these people have to find either more strength than me.  It's doesn't make it easy to say that, but it's true.

I considered myself a strong individual before this week, but nothing compares to the strength that I have developed this week.  Here's looking at never having to do it again

It's time to get some higher education and get a PhD

The good stuff

I have rarely been into supplements in my lifetime.  Yeah, the occasional protein powder when I was in college to bulk up (like that worked), but other than a few things here or there, I haven't really been in to the whole supplement game. I do take a multivitamin and fish oil daily, and then with the exception of Beet Powder for long workouts, that's really it.  Since joining Big Sexy Racing team, one of our great supporters is PhD Nutrition.  As a result, I have been introduced to some amazing products, so I wanted to write a quick review of some of the products I have been using, which I can say they have really increased the intensity of my workouts and training.

Pharma Greens:
The first thing I do in the morning is make a glass full of the Pharma Greens.  You're supposed to take these on an empty stomach and wait about 20 minutes before eating or drinking anything else, so I make a mixture, drink it, then go walk thunder and by the time I get back, I am ready for my morning coffee.  The Pharma Greens acts by balancing PH levels in the body, helps in post workout recovery, and cleanses the digestive system, which allows your body to digest important nutrients throughout the day. 
Pharma Greens is also about 7-8 amounts of vegetable servings for an entire day, so you know that if you take this, you are getting the nutrients you need every day. 
What I can honestly say is that within a few minutes of taking my Pharma Greens, I can feel my body getting healthier.  I know that sounds weird, but while I'm out walking Thunder and I don't have anything in my body, I feel a jump of energy and a clean feeling throughout my body.  It's hard to explain, but I definitely feel my body is better after eating these.
I recommend the Green Apple flavor, but have also had the Lemon-Lime which is good also

Battery +/-:
Battery is an all natural sports drink mix.  It replaces the electrolytes that you lose while working out.  I readily admit that I don't use it for the recommended usage.  What I do is add the Battery to my other drink mixes to help increase the electrolyte and salt that I am losing while working out.  I have my drink mix that I have been using for years and love, so the Battery is a really nice compliment and has helped solve some of my cramping issues that I had trouble with last year.

Glyco-Durance:
Glyco-Durance is a drink mix as well, but different than the Battery.  The Glyco-Durance is more of a carbohydrate mix to help deliver these plus calories during workouts.  It is a lot thicker than most other drink mixes that we're used to, but that's a good thing.  The Glyco-Durance gets absorbed in to the body faster than anything else on the market so you're not going to get the crash during long workouts/races as often happens.  In fact, you can freeze the Glyco-Durance overnight and then it will be a perfect mixture by the time you get to the bike leg during a race. 
What I do is mix the Glyco-Durance, the Battery, and my other electrolyte mix (HoneyMaxx) and this is the best tasting mix I have had and actually look forward to it on the bike leg.  I know I'm getting the calories, carbohydrates, electrolytes that I need so I can continue my training strong and get to race day in one piece.
I recommend the Strawberry Kiwi flavor

Pharma Pure:
This is a protein mix that I use after my workouts.  I won't go into much detail into the Pharma Pure since everyone has their own feelings about protein powders, mixes, what they like/don't like etc.  What I will say is that the taste is great, especially the Peanut Butter Chocolate Caramel.  It is like eating a great milkshake.

Ultra Durance:
And we saved the best for last.  The Ultra Durance.  This is possible the greatest supplement known to man.  The purpose of Ultra Durance is many.  It reduces Lactic Acid by 18%, increases VO2 Max, speeds recovery, reduces muscle soreness, or basically everything that a distance athlete would want.

In about 20 minutes after you drink Ultra Durance, your body gets this tingling sensation.  That means its "go time".  There is no caffeine in this, so I mix it with my Crystal Light Energy for the perfect cocktail of caffeine and awesomeness.

I can honestly say that when taking the Ultra Durance, my workouts are seriously kicked up though I don't feel it.  They feel easier to me.  I'm able to sustain a better pace for longer on the run, I swam the farthest I ever had last weekend, and I'm able to hold higher watts on the bike.  I cannot recommend the Ultra Durance any more.  I know that when I take it, I am going to have a great workout and be able to really take my training to the next level

I recommend the Orange Flavor

So that's really the gist of some of the new supplements that I have been taking.  I also want to share that every product at PhD is tested and are in compliance with every testing agency so there are no questions that what I am putting in my body is up to standard and legal.

I can go more into detail about any of the above products but I wanted to give a quick recap of some amazing products and keep this post relatively short

Check out all the products at
http://phdnutrition.ca/en-us/

My first win!!!

For the WIN

Last week I did something I have never done before.  Win an ENTIRE race.  Not an Age Group win, not make the podium, but be the first person to cross the finish line and break the tape.

I signed up for the Taconic Runner's St. Patty's day 10k to see how my fitness is leading into triathlon season. I thought it would be a good test and since my running this off-season has been going better than ever, I wanted to really see what I was capable of.

For the sake of keeping a 10k race report short, here's how it went down- abridged version.

The gun went off and 3 of us went out of the shoot like a bat out of hell.  All under 5:50 pace for the first mile.  I thought there was no way that I could hold this pace for the entire race, but I stayed with the other 2.  One was a 25 year old shirtless runner, and the other a 45 year old guy.  So I split the middle age group and all of us stayed together the entire way.  How close you ask?

That's as far apart as we were the entire race

Shirtless boy would surge on the down hills, but he fell back at the uphills.  This is where I excelled. It was like a yo-yo.  He would surge, then we would pull him back.

Since the course was a 2 lap course, at the 2.5 mile mark, there was a big hill.  Seeing shirtless boy couldn't hang on the hills, I took a mental note for the second lap. As the second lap went, it was the exact same as the first.  We were no more than 2 feet from each other.  I realized I felt good so at this point, I thought a win might be possible.

Fast forward to mile 5.5 at the hill. It was exactly as I thought.  I am a strong hill runner so attacked the hill and no one could stay with me.  With half a mile to go, I turned on the jets and went for the finish line.

I crossed in first, pumped my fist, and led out a HUGE yell. My first ever win.  Even though it was a local 10k, there were still over 5-600 runners and I was the first one.  Not too bad.  It was even better that this was the first race I was representing Team Big Sexy Racing, so I was happy to perform and get a win for the team.

Fear as a motivator

For everyone who knows me, they know that I am motivated on a daily basis by one thing: Fear.  Not fear in the sense of spiders, bugs, heights, etc, but real fear.  With a capital F.  It pretty much consumes me and makes me try and be a better person.

Realize I am not talking about what motivates me during my training.  That ultimately is done by me wanting to push myself as far as I can.  I'm talking about the Fear of not being a good dad, husband, person, and not being able to provide for my family.

This has taken on an even greater purpose for me when the wife and I bought a house about a year.  Instead of not being able to pay rent every month, now it is can I afford to pay the mortgage, can I keep lights, will there be food on the table.  Those types of things.

So what does this mean?  Really nothing.  I can't live my life in Fear every day and let it consume me, though it seems to a lot.  Maybe it's the industry that I work in, maybe it's some type of insecurity, maybe it's something else that I haven't thought of.  The only thing that I can do is try to be the best at what I do every single day.  It helps to have a supportive wife and family to help keep this Fear under wraps, though it at times takes a toll on them.

Even though this post may seem cryptic and weird, it is something that I have thought about constantly and wanted to share my thoughts.  So I wonder, what motivates you and what are you scared of?

Kicking up the intensity

One of the benefits that I have never had prior to me joining a triathlon team is the internal competition that happens within a given team.  Obviously everyone is competing with each other on race day, but what happens in the time leading up to race day?  Since I have been training solo for pretty much my entire career, I haven't had anyone to compare myself to.  Now I do.

Thanks to the advent of TrainerRoad, Strava, TrainingPeaks, etc, pretty much everyone can see everyone else's workouts.  Our Big Sexy Racing Team has their own TrainerRoad team page so I am constantly tracking my teammates.  What this does is make me train so much harder.  Sometimes not in a positive way.

I have always been able to push myself as hard as I want, or need to.  I've been very lucky with that gene.  Now it just seems like I have so much more internal motivation to basically kill myself during my training.  I pick workouts with the thought of how much sweat is going to be left on the floor and how much my legs and lungs are going to hurt during the workout.

What this has done is the obvious: making me a lot stronger.  I can feel how much stronger my legs are when compared to last year.  I thought I was working hard last year but when I know my workouts are being published to a team site, my workouts seem to have the Emeril splash- being "kicked up a notch".  Not that I'm complaining one bit, but it's amazing to see what happens when other people are going to know what you do.

As a result, this has also bled into my running and swimming.  My run times are getting significantly faster because of my leg strength.  And I'm swimming at such a faster pace than previously.  Not that this improved swimming will help me on race day, but at least I know I can go faster and longer  now.  I'm also staying in the pool longer than before.  I used to have this mental block that when I reached like 30 minutes or about 1500 yards, my body would shut down.  Now I can go a lot longer and harder.

Having the knowledge that I will be racing some teammates at a few events this year, I want to make sure I am the first Big Sexy Racer to cross the finish line and not the last.  I need to put on a good showing for the team.

All of this has led to such an increase in my intensity, which I hope will lead to an decrease in my race times this year.

New Year, New Team

One of the cool things that happen towards the end of last year was I was accepted on to a new Triathlon Team.  Truth be told, I really haven't wanted to be part of a team in the past few years, even though I have had invitations to do so.  My feeling was, "what can I get out of one?"  Lat year, I was part of the Cobb Cycling team, the Cobb Mobb.  They were a great team and I am still involved with Cobb Cycling and their amazing saddles but it was time to find a more intense team.

One day in December, I received an email inviting me to join the "Big Sexy Racing" Triathlon team.  First off, the names is really cool.  Come on, Big and Sexy.  While I am not big, I do consider myself sexy at times.  The team was formed by triathlete professional Chris McDonald.  They have some amazing partners and sponsors for the team, so I will definitely be writing reviews, giving them shout-outs and promoting the brands here.  The fact that this team is run by a professional triathlete and his amazing wife means that it has the best things going for it and the knowledge is there.

What's cool is this team was ranked as the #1 Triathlon team in the U.S last year (possibly world, but not sure).  And I was invited to join the team?  Something is seriously wrong that they consider me worthy enough to join their ranks.  But I accepted and am a full member of Team BSR.

I'm really looking forward to speaking with, racing with, and getting a lot of wisdom from these guys.  There are so many things that I can learn from some of the top athletes in the country and apply it to both my racing and training.  I've always known how tight the triathlon community is, but when you are part of a team there is definitely something that brings you into another gear.  I can't wait to see how I am able to bounce ideas off everyone and then see how my race season gets better.  As I've written before, I had a disappointing season last year so even the smallest improvement in my season will yield huge results.

I will be posting some images of my new Big Sexy Gear when I get the team kits, so be on the look out for my sexy arse :)

2016 race race year in review

2015 is coming to an end which you’re either happy about or would like this year to continue.  One of the things we should all do is take an inventory of the year and see what we should keep, let go, or improve upon.  In terms of me taking stock of myself and what I personally need to work on, I will leave that to my own demons and work through myself and the wife.  To be upfront, there really isn’t anything life changing so nothing to worry about there.  Just some tweaks here or there to be a better person, husband, father, boss, etc.  However, the one thing I do every year is analyze how my race season went and see what I learned and what needs to be changed.  So here is the good, the bad, and the ugly

When looking at my race season as a whole, I think the concept that comes to mind first is it was the year of “what-ifs” and “almosts”.  I had a lot of strong races where I was in contention for podiums, good times, and things that would make me very happy.  But as I write this today, I have to look back and say there were too many things that went wrong in a race that caused me to have issues.

In my first race of the season, I was in 2^nd in my AG and about 11^th overall heading into the run at the Great Six Flags Tri.  Knowing I am a strong runner, I was looking to pick off some people and get on that podium.  Yet, at the first mile on the run, I cramped up, wasted about 4-5 minutes trying to figure out how my left hamstring would ever move again, and ultimately wound up 4^th in AG and about 14^th overall.  This 4-5 minute stoppage time cost me a lot.  Fast forward to my last race of the season (Challenge Poconos), and I was about 6/7^th AG coming off the run and looking and feeling really good.  Yet about 4 minutes into the run, same issue and cramping stopped me for about 3-4 minutes now.  This ultimately led to me placing 4^th AG by 62 seconds, in a race I couldn’t have been 2^nd AG and higher up in the standings. 

I clearly need to work on nutrition and electrolyte balance, which I have started, but I have to view those 2 races as what if’s.  What if I didn’t cramp up and I put together 3 phases of a strong race.  Would I be looking at my season differently?

Then came Alcatraz.  The bucket list race.  One that I was excited for, up until the point the race started.  I really wanted to do well here.  I didn’t care about place or time or anything except enjoying the race, being part of history, and experiencing something not a lot of people do.  But this race was just not fun for me.  The swim stunk, and the bike was the most scared I have ever been on 2 wheels.  Instead of getting a chance to tell people about Escape from Alcatraz triathlon and how great of an experience it is, I know have to say I will never do it again and something that I was looking forward to being over and not I want to do again.

Throw in a tri in July where it was the hottest day of the summer and humid so they had to cut the course short and my tri season was something of an eventful and uneventful season all within the same year.  This was another race that coming off the bike I could have made some places up, but just ran out of real estate due to the shortened run.  Having known this on the bike, I could have raced differently and put myself in a better position.  File that into both, what-if and almost.

Lastly, let’s take the NYC Marathon.  I wasn’t supposed to do this race in the first place, but clearly drinking and registering for races don’t go well together.  The fact is I just didn’t put the necessary hours and miles in to hit my goal here.  Wanting to run sub-3:00 is a difficult task.  My training times were there, but the number of miles just weren’t.  Instead of hitting the wall and just slowing down and struggling to finish, my body just told me to pack it in and be done.  This was neither a what-if or an almost.  It was a what could have been if I did what was needed.

As you can see, with the exception of a few little things here or there, my race season would have been pretty good.  But racing is being able to put everything together and fight and deal with adversity as it comes.  I wasn’t able to do any of that this year. 

As I look forward to 2016, my race schedule is pretty much planned.  Now is the time to take what I learned from 2015 and use it to work in 2016.  Make sure that my nutrition/electrolyte balance is good so coming off the bike, I can be strong and not cramped.  I can make sure my bike fit is proper so I can take advantage of aerodynamics, and not have muscle imbalance.  I can learn how to swim train properly so when I get in the water, I can at least be a mid-pack swimmer and not back of pack swimmer where I need to work that much harder on the bike and run.  All of these little things make a difference so that when I write this in one year from now I can look back and say, I learned from my mistakes and am not doing the same things over and over again and complaining that nothing is changing. 

I’m confident 2016 will be a strong year.  I’m part of a great triathlon team (future post), I’m a lot smarter than I was a year ago, and I’ve got the ability to do what needs to be done. 

Keep training, and race on.

Runner's World The Runner's Brain Book review

As I have said a few times, being a blogger sometimes has perks that go along with it.  Some times its reviewing products before they come, some times it's getting invited to events, and some times, like in this case, I get to review an advance copy of a new book.

Recently I got to read the new Runner's World book, The Runner's Brain.  I was interested in reading this book in part because of the title.  There are many things that I have worked on over the years to improve my fitness, racing and so on, but never have I really thought about how the brain impacts all of these. I've always thought about positive reinforcement and those types of things, but never have I delved into the inner workings of the brain and running.

So without going chapter by chapter and what the book explains, I'll give a high level of it, plus I want everyone to pick it up and take it for a spin.  For the record, I don't get anything if you do.  I don't get a dollar, a free Runner's World magazine, or anything.  I am just a fellow runner who wants to help out other athletes.

The main thing that I really enjoyed about the book is that for everything that was explained, they backed it up with scientific studies explaining their data.  Being a nerd that I am, I enjoyed knowing that there was scientific proof to what was being explained.  This helps things to be believable.

Parts of the book explain how running affects the brain and how running improves memory, "age proof" the brain, and makes us happy after we run.  I'm sure we all knew this but having it explained really brings things out to the open.

Some of the most interesting and readable parts of the book are the explanations about superstitions (we all have them, right?), how to manage both pre-race jitters as well as post race blues, and a real in depth explanation about the "runner's high" and how to achieve it.  I'm glad I read that part since I have never experienced the runner's high so now I know how to achieve it, though I don't think I will even knowing what to look for.  

Other intriguing and helpful parts of The Runner's Brain is what to think about during your runs, both internal thoughts, as well as external ones.  These can help you get through your runs and how to deviate your mind in the times of pain.  This can also be helpful in long races where you "hit the wall" and need to find a way to break through it.  The book does a great job explaining the psychosis of hitting the wall, which is something we have all experienced.  

Without going in to more detail about the book, I found it a very quick and easy read to get through.  This book is about running so it's not like it's an intense read and since we all want to get better, what you learn in this book can definitely help.  There is also a reference to one of my favorite shows ever, "How I Met Your Mother" so that is definitely a plus in my book.  The first chapter was about the Boston Marathon 2013, which I have a connection to for running it in, but I think in some ways, I'm not a fan of everything being tied to that horrific event.  I understand it's a book about running, and no one can ever forget what happened that day, but I feel to try and tie this book into that day might have been a wrong call and turned me off a little.

The Runner's Brain is a very good book with a lot of scientific proof of why things work the way they do.  I think this book is perfect for the novice runner or intermediate runner. A veteran runner usually knows most of the things in the book because they have experienced it themselves, so I am not sure they would get a lot out of it, even though I took a few nuggets from the read.  The holidays are coming so it would be a great stocking stuffer for the runner in your life.  

Below is the link to check out the book:
Link to "The Runner's Brain"

The good through Sports

We often hear about all the bad things about professional sports.  The billionaires vs. millionaires, the domestic violence, the performance enhancing drugs, how sports is a business, how teams don't care about the fans, and on and on and on.  But we as fans tune in every day, week, month, year for some reason.  There has to be a reason. Sometimes there is a connection to growing up, sometimes it's  family thing, or maybe it's just the sheer enjoyment of entertainment.  Either way we, as fans, love sports.  There is plenty of good that comes through professional sports but very rarely do we hear about it.

Most of my posts are about racing, raising Riley, training or something along those lines.  This one will be very different since I want to share how one of the most amazing experiences I have had was because of how generous a professional sports team was.

I have a friend (let's call him Mickey to keep his name private) who has had some issues this year.  It is not my place to publicly explain what they were, but Mickey has been through a very rough year and has basically gone through hell and back.  Mickey is a Buffalo Bills fan and I am a NY Jets fan for our respective NFL teams.  Every year we go to the Jets/Bills game and root on our teams.  We have a nice competitive streak and give each other hell but it is all in good fun.  We enjoy watching the game together and it is our annual event. As a result of Mickey's problems this year, we weren't sure that we would be able to take part in our tradition.  Let it be known that Mickey is probably the nicest person you will ever meet.  As in the type of guy who just gets under your skin because no one should be this nice and yet somehow he is.  He is the guy who puts everyone first and is more concerned with you than him.  Pretty much he is my total opposite.  So when Mickey went through his issues this year, I wanted to do something special for him.

I knew it was a long shot, but I reached out to the NY Jets organization explaining what the situation was and how I wanted to do something for Mickey.  I explained our tradition and wanted to see if they would help me with something.  Well, I got a response, and what the NY Jets did was something that I couldn't expect and by far and away extremely nice.

Sammy Watkins in action

After trading a few emails back and forth with someone in the NY Jets organization, I was emailed Game Day field passes and tickets for the Jets/Bills game.  More on the seats later, but Mickey and I were allowed to go on the field during pregame warm-ups for the Thursday night nationally televised Jets/Bills game.  We got to meet with the owner of the Jets- Woody Johnson, the GM of the Bills, in addition to the Jets 1992 draft class of Chad Pennington, Laverneus Coles, Shaun Ellis, and a few more.  Plus the country music star Jessie James.  We saw up close and personal the players which was extremely cool.  Take a look at these pictures we got.  No zoom needed.  In fact, Mickey got to see his favorite player Sammy Watkins and almost got him to sign his jersey.

These guys are biiiiiig

I have a whole new respect for how large these guys are.  Seeing Mario Williams up close and how big NFL players are is incredible.

Gotta love a personal escort to the field by Snoopy

After warmups, we were escorted to our seats.  Instead of just giving any seat possible, the Jets gave us the Coaches Club seats which were incredible.  We walk into this suite that is essentially a club with the most incredible food at a stadium.  Seriously, who eats Lobster rolls, shrimp tacos, 5 different kinds of wings, a sushi bar, ice sculpture with a raw bar, and on and on.  That is not stadium food.  That's a nice night out with the wife.  Yet, here were Mickey and I eating away while the Jets walked right in front of us from their locker room onto the field.

The players walking out on to the field right in front of us

These seats were great.  We were so close to the field.  Honestly the Jets went above and beyond.

Even though the Bills won the game (I am convinced the Jets lost because they wanted to do something really special for Mickey), this was an event that I am so thankful for.  All I wanted to do was give my friend something that would help him get through this difficult time, but the NY Jets organization wanted no part in that.  They understood what my friend was going through and decided it was important for them to help out also and make this night extra special.  This occasion wasn't about me. It was about my friend Mickey forgetting about all the crap he has gone through, and having one night that he can enjoy.



So for all we hear about all the negatives in sports, I want everyone to realize there is still good in sports, and the good significantly outweighs the bad.  I honestly can't thank the NY Jets organization enough.  They are a class organization who clearly cares not only about their fans, but also everyone in the community.  They didn't have to do this. And they especially didn't have to be as generous as they were.  I am not sure who appreciated it more, Mickey for the entire night, or myself seeing him get to experience this knowing what he has been through.

This was one of the most special nights I could imagine and I am thankful my friend "Mickey" was able to experience it.

Being on the field was the ultimate highlight and glad
"Mickey" was able to experience it

NYC Marathon race recap

This past Sunday was the NYC Marathon.  After last year’s race, I had no desire to run this race again.  Since the wife and I lived on the course for the past few years, we decided last year would be my last marathon for a while, and it was a great way to go out.  But when you’re drinking one night in February and an email comes in saying it’s the last week to register for the lottery, all decisions and inhibitions go out the window.  And realistically, I haven’t gotten into the lottery ever, so I didn’t think there was a good chance for me to get accepted.  So of course I registered.  And what happens is of course I get an email saying congratulations, you’ve been accepted in the 2015 NYC Marathon.  Great, just freaking great.

So let’s fast forward a few months since the spring and summer is my triathlon season and cut to end of summer and fall where I was training for NYC.  After moving out of NYC earlier this year, I still haven’t been able to find my “long” training runs so I have not been able to put in a good solid block of training in a while.  Setting up for excuses already?  Nope.  Just trying to lay a foundation here.  Other than that obstacle, my training was pretty good.  My weekly runs were crisp, fast, smooth and nothing to complain about.  My long run days weren’t the best runs, but at least they were on the pace I wanted to achieve.  However, as training went on, I was only able to get in 1 training run of each 18 miles, 19 miles, and 22 miles.  I usually do at least 3 runs of 20 plus miles heading into a marathon.  This year, it just didn’t work out like that.

As November 1^st approached, it was race day.  Though the night before was Halloween and I had fatherly duties to attend to like teaching Riley how to trick or treat properly in the burbs.  My little fighter pilot did well and his candy take was impressive for a short amount of time 

My little fighter pilot walking his Plane, Thunder

I’ll save the normal pre-race stuff since it’s the same for everyone across the board.  Take the bus to Staten Island, wait 3-4 hours, strip down, pee on the side of the road, gun go off, Sinatra’s “New York, New York” plays, blah blah blah.  Every race report about NYC will have the same stuff.  Nothing special there.

Going into the race, I really wanted to break 3 hours for the day.  That equaled a pace of 6:51/mile.  All of my training was faster than this so I figured I was in decent shape.  Having doing the race last year, I knew what to expect and knew how to navigate the difficult parts of the course.

For the most part, the race was really really uneventful.  I didn’t realize it last week, but running through Brooklyn was soooooooo boring.  It is basically one long 8 mile stretch on the same road.  Nothing to keep you engaged with change of scenery, scrowds, hills, etc.  Just flat and straight.  It was right around mile 8 where I said to myself, things are looking really good but how bored am I?

At the half way mark, I was under goal pace and felt great which was very promising.  As we entered Queen, the temperature for the day kicked up to 60 degrees and became pretty hot.  Not ideal race conditions.  Having cramped up last year and a few times this season, I took in liquids every stop (every mile) and had my Base Performance Salt to keep me in check.  At the start of the Queensborough Bridge, it felt like I had too much in my stomach. Last year I attacked the QB and felt great doing it.  This year, the bridge just felt like it never ended.  I can’t believe how long this thing was.  Did the bridge grow?

Coming off on 1^st Ave is usually a great time.  Last year was quiet, this year was loud.  I went over to the crowds since I felt I needed a boost of energy but I just couldn’t capitalize on it.  My energy levels were shot.  At mile 18 I just didn’t want to do it any more.  The wife’s brother and his girlfriend were the only spectators who were going to be on course for me that day.  The wife had to work and no one else was around.  They were right at the mile 19 mark and I fought my hardest to make it to them.  I did and about 2 blocks after seeing them, my body just said, thanks for the year, and “let’s go enjoy the offseason”

I just didn’t have anything left in the tank or in my legs.  I slowed my pace a little to catch my breath and mentally get back in the game, but it didn’t matter.  At mile 20 I was still under goal pace, but not having enough long training runs in me, I just couldn’t push any more.  I didn’t hit the wall for the race, I hit the wall for the year.

So for the final 5 miles I started playing the math game.  Since I knew I wasn’t going to hit the 3 hour mark, I said, ok let’s just get a BQ.  This allowed me to walk a little and have about a 5 minute allowance of walking for the final 5 miles.  That’s doable.  Yet, as the distance crept up, so did my walking.  I have never walked this much in all of my races combined.  I was running for 3 minutes, walking for 1 pretty much every mile for the final 4-5 miles. 

I wish I could write something on how I enjoyed the race, overcame adversity, or anything like that.  But I didn’t.  I was in such a fog that I just wanted it to be over.  It was the offseason or bust for me.

So I crossed the finish line in a time of 3:19, which was worse than my time last year, but I’m ok with that.  I didn’t hit my goal, I didn’t do anything I wanted to, but sometimes it just doesn’t happen.  I didn’t put the miles in and that’s my fault.  Normally, I would be upset, but I’m ok today.  I’ve learned a lot this year about my body, my mental approach to training, and what I enjoy in a race.  It just so happened that my enjoyment ended at mile 19 of a race that had 7 more miles to go.

Either way, the NYC Marathon is in the books and I say this gracefully and with respect, I won’t be back.  At least not for a few years.  My marathon days are over for the time being

The part of the race I felt good.  Looked good in my Fusion gear and Skora Tempo's

The annual NYC Marathon playlist

Usually the most read and fun post that I do for everyone is my race-specific music playlist.  This isn't just some random mix of music put together to get me through my race.  This is a well thought out, time taken, thought provoking, course specific mash of music that is designed with every minute of the race taken into account.

I've done play lists for other people and they really appreciate the ebbs and flows that go along with putting a mix together.  There are things to consider such as, how long are you planning on running, hills on the course, how long flat sections are, where you think you're going to need to get a boost of energy or where you need to bring yourself back down and a whole lot other factors.

Looking at the NYC elevation profile on the link, you see that I have thought long and hard about my playlist and how I'm going to shoot for a sub-3 hour race this coming Sunday.

NYC Marathon Elevation

While the majority of the music I like is Top 40, there are other songs that have a weird meaning to me and just something different to lighten the mood.  It might not be for everyone, but below is the playlist that will take me along the streets of New York City.

1. This Town- OAR
2. She Ain't You- Chris Brown
3. Sick of Being Lonely-Field Mob
4. Up in Da Club- Marquees Houston
5. Stitches- Shawn Mendes
6. Danza Kuduro- Don Omar
7. Miss Independent- NeYo
8. Bailando- Enrique Iglesias
9. Price Tag- Jesse J
10. Where Them Girls At- David Guetta
11. Dip It Low- Christina Milian
12. International Love- PitBull
13. Don't Stop Believing- Journey
14. Bad Blood- Taylor Swift
15. Airplanes- B.O.B
16. On MY Mind- Ellie Goulding
17. Dangerous- David Guetta
18. Whistle- Flo Rida
19. Barden Bellas Final performance- Pitch Perfect 1
20. Let Me Love You- NeYo
21. Wild Wild Love- PitBull
22. See You Again- Charlie Puth
23. My Time- Fabolous
24. Pump It Up- Joe Budden
25. The Man- Aloe Blacc
26. Starships- Nikki Minaj
27. Rest of My Life- Ludacris
28. Raise Your Glass- Pink
29. Magic- B.O.B
30. Like a Warrior- Matasyahu
31. Good Feeling- Flo Rida
32. The Monster- Eminem
33. Ghost- Ellie Goulding
34. Break Your Heart- Taio Cruz
35. Stand By You- Rachel Platton
36. I Cry- Flo Rida
37. Right Now- David Guetta
38. Timber- Pitbull
39. Empire State of Mind- Jay-z
40. Talk Dirty- Jason Derulo
41. Let It Roll- Flo Rida
42. Fight Song- Rachel Platton
43. Dynamite- Taio Cruz
44. Time of Our Lives- Pitbull
45. Payphone- Maroon 5
46. Can't Hold Us- Macklemore
47. Give Me Everything- Pitbull-  Plan on Finishing on this song
48. Club Can't Hold Me- Flo Rida

When the student becomes the teacher

Those who have followed my blog for a while know that my friend Leo and I often race together.  We have been doing it for close to 10 years.  But not many people know the true story of how it all started.  We became friends as a result of being neighbors.  However, Leo used to smoke, and I would refuse to hang out with him when he smoked.  This led to some weird nights where Leo would go outside to smoke and leave me at the bar.  Finally, I said to him that if we were going to hang out, then he would have to stop smoking.  He reluctantly agreed.  But over time he started to get healthier and began to run.  At first it was just a mile or so, but it ultimately we did our first Half Marathon together in Baltimore, and have built on it for the past 10 years.  Over time, it has been half marathons, marathon, triathlons, etc

That is a very general synopsis of our race history.  Why is that important, really it's not.  But to say how impressed I am with him is an understatement.  Leo basically turned his life around and is (almost) just as active as me.

Now Leo has become the teacher.  He has taken my lead and next week he is running the NYC Marathon for the 2nd time (maybe 3rd, I can't remember). But this year will be completely different.  He now is running with a friend from college for his first marathon.  Leo has taken everything that I have taught him and is using it to help coach his buddy.  In fact, Leo is taking it a step further and running the entire race at his friends pace.  Something that I have never done with Leo.  It takes a lot to slow down and run at someone else's pace, but Leo understands the importance of making sure his friend gets the training he needs, and that he enjoys his first NYC Marathon experience.

As a result of this great thing Leo is doing, Mizuno got hold of his story and is sponsoring both Leo and his friend for the marathon experience.  Leo has always asked me about my partnerships, but now he has this great opportunity as well.  Leo and his friend, Doug get to see what it's like to be pampered throughout race week.  Much like I did for Timex last year, they are filming spots of them running in NY, getting free shoes/gear, having a nice pre-race dinner, and some more great things.

Since, I feel like a proud papa, I wanted to help share Leo's story and experience this week.  I'll continue to post his link over the week leading up to the race and show his progress, pictures, videos, etc.  Though I am a proud Skora users and will be wearing them for my NYC Marathon (and for every run that I will ever do), this is Leo's first experience of getting some type of sponsorship, so I want share his excitement as well

Great job Leo.


Full video of Leo's journey



Nice shot of Leo's leg's and new Mizuno shoes

It's been 5 years

This post is a little premature by a few days, but this Friday is my 5 year wedding anniversary with the wife.  Usually my posts are about training, racing, products, or random things, but the truth of the matter is that none of it would be possibly without the support (cough, cough, most of the time), from the wife.

A little background on us is we actually met when she was 12 and I was 13.  I was her first slow dance ever, and I was actually her junior prom date back in high school.  She will admit that she had a huge crush on me throughout high school, so I like to remind her every once in a while that not many girls get to marry the man of their dreams, or at least their high school crushes.  We never dated back then, but we reconnected after about 15 years of not seeing each other and dated for about 2 years before tying the knot.  What's cool is that we have pictures from her junior prom (which there is no way I will post) and also have pictures from our wedding.  It happens to be a very nice full circle.

There are very few people in this world that can put up with me.  I tend to have a lot of moods, keep to myself, have little desire to socialize except for during racing/training, so the fact that we have been together for this long is pretty amazing.  The wife definitely puts up with a lot of crap and while I am not an emotional or affectionate person, she definitely deserves some type of award.  She is the one who allows me to travel for both work and racing, put the long hours in on the asphalt, and recognizes when I need to get out and just run to calm me down.

There have been some rough patches over the 5 years, but there has never been any between us.  Every couple fights, but we have limited ours to the most stupid things that are insignificant in reality.  I can't think of any drag it out, no holds barred, punches being thrown fits that we have had which is quite amazing if you know both of us.  We are both strong opinionated people, so the fact that we can somehow make it work is special.

The wife has taken care of Thunder when I travel for work, and has given me Riley, so life seems pretty good. And without her support, I could never have become the TriRunningDad so this anniversary is for her.  What seems to be very coincidental is that the 5 year anniversary present is considered the "wood" anniversary.  I'm going to use the fact that I bought her a house this year, and cash in that the house has wood as her present.  I think it definitely counts.

To the wife, thank you for the past 5 years, and looking forward to many more.

HoneyMaxx New Flavor

It's new and it's taaaaasty

It is very rare that I can get excited about a gel flavor, drink mix, electrolyte supplement, or anything that I ingest for the sole purpose of my training.  However, that is exactly what happened within the past 2 months.  My take is that since we eat and take in all of these things for fuel and calories, they really aren't all that exciting to begin with.  Most gels taste roughly the same so it's really just a matter of what consistency you like or what agrees with your system during training and race day. And with the exception of a few drink/electrolyte supplements, every product is identical.  But HoneyMaxx has released their new flavor and I am super stoked that I got my hands on it.

Like I do with a lot of my reviews, I give the disclosure that I am not paid by any company and I typically pay for the products that I review.  I am a product Ambassador for HoneyMaxx and have been using their products exclusively for the past 2-3 years.  I'm proud to work with such a great company and race in their gear.  With that being said, it is my responsibility to be honest with my reviews and if I don't like something about their product, I will not hide my opinions.  The team at HoneyMaxx has not asked me to be positive just to be positive, which is something I respect about them.  They want their customers to be just as happy with their products as I am with mine.

So what is this new flavor?  It is HoneyMaxx Pomegranate Acai Blueberry.  Yes, that's a mouthful to say, but it is even a better mouthful to taste.  I have always grown up drinking and preferring some kind of Lemon-Lime flavor for my drinks, probably because it is the most common.  It is what I have been racing with for years, so I was hesitant to try something new, especially something so drastic as Pomegranate Acai Blueberry.  But part of the perks of being an ambassador is I get to try new flavors out.  In this case, because I was racing and didn't want to interrupt my training weeks before a race, I only got to stare at the bag of mix without trying it for weeks.  It was sitting in my training section of my house and I kept walking by it and wishing I could taste it.  Once my triathlon season was over, I ripped open the bag and mixed me a nice electrolyte cocktail.

So how does it taste? Different, good, clearer, tasty all are words that come to mind.  Let me explain a little.  If you have ever tried HoneyMaxx Lemon/Lime or Orange you know it has a great taste.  The taste builds as time goes on, but there is definitely a Honey tinge that you goes through your mouth. Obviously it's because of the main ingredient being honey.  The flavor isn't in your face obnoxious like most drink mixes and anyone who I have met who has tried HoneyMaxx is instantly converted because it is so much better than anything on the market.

Pomegrante Acai Blueberry is a very different and unique flavor to the sport drink market.  I can't think of anything that can compare so if you want something different, this is worth a try.  With so many boring flavors out there, it's nice to spice it up a little.

When mixing the flavor with water and taking my first few sips, I couldn't believe how clean this tasted.  Maybe I was expecting more of a kick in the face from the 3 flavors, but it wasn't like this at all.  Each one of the ingredients complimented each other but not over the top.  They were all very subtle individually, but collectively they all blend perfectly.  I wish I could come up with a better word to describe but as I sit here and write this, I'm drinking a glass of HoneyMaxx Pomegrante Acai Blueberry for fun, and clean still is the best word.  You just know what I mean when you drink this.  The taste is smooth, crisp, while being more drinkable than you can imagine.

The makers at HoneyMaxx have also fixed the "problem" of having the mix not dissolve easily.  I've often had to let my HoneyMaxx 1.0 sit overnight to dissolve, but with the Pomegranate Acai Blueberry flavor, they have incorporated the 2.0 mixture so once you mix it with water, it dissolves and you instantly have your flavor. They also added 100 mg more sodium than in previous versions, which is a welcome addition to someone like me who has experienced cramping problems in hot conditions.

As a whole, I think the Pomegranate Acai Blueberry is a great addition into a market that doesn't have a lot of variety.  By infusing the market with a different flavor, our taste buds are able to break out of the norm during those long tedious workouts and enjoy a splash of something to invigorate us so we can push through those barriers.

Check out this great flavor, and the originals, plus a BRAND NEW WAFFLE that even I haven't been able to get my hands on yet.  Don't worry, I'll be just as excited for that.

http://www.honeymaxx.com

Keep on pushing past those limits!

These long summer workouts have been fueled by some great products,
HoneyMaxx has kept me going. 

Challenge Poconos Race Report

I've been slacking on the blogs and race reports this season, but I think it's been hard to keep up with everything going on with the move to the new house, the construction going on at the new house so the wife, Riley, Thunder, and I are living with my parents for 2 months (help me), and with training/racing, it's been so hard to sit down and put everything into words.

But my final triathlon of the season was last week at Challenge Poconos.  I was originally signed up for the Half, but over the course of this year (and it started last year), I realized that I really enjoy shorter races compared to longer races, so I switched to the Olympic.  I have always wanted to race this course, from the time it was the Ironman race to last year when it was Rev3, to this year when it was Challenge.  It's close to my house, I used to snowboard in the region, they have a Nascar race in the region, and it is naturally a beautiful area.  So this year, Leo and I signed up and headed out last weekend.

In my experience, Challenge/Rev3 always puts on a great race.  They care about the experience and not just about making money.  I'm always disappointed when it comes to the race expo, but overall, its a pretty good experience.

Practice Swim with some Cobb Mobb gear

Leo and I got there Saturday in time for the practice swim and bike check.  I'll get to the swim course later, but the Expo/packet pick up/Bike check was a total cluster f%&ck.  They were in 2 different locations and trying to find parking at either was horrible.  It took hours to get from one to the other.  But we made our way to the practice swim and had some fun.


After that, we headed out for some dinner and an early bedtime.

Race Morning:
Getting to the race was a little logistical nightmare.  Since there wasn't a lot of parking near the venue, we had to park in the ski resort and they bused us to the transition area.  Not a big thing, but kind of annoying having to deal with it race morning.

Finally at transition, we checked our gear in, and I got to see an old friend who I went to high school with.  It was nice to catch up and spend some time talking.  We have been speaking for a while now since I've gotten him to use HoneyMaxx, Rudy Glasses, Fusion Gear, so I'm glad to see someone likes my recommendations.

Once we were ready to go, they Half athletes were getting under way, and the Olympic athletes were started a little while later.

Swim:
The swim course was both good and bad.  The course went about .5 miles AGAINST the current, which sucked, no wait, it SUUUUUUCKED.  It was like swimming through quicksand.  What also happened was I got punched in the face twice.  I have never been punched in the nose during a race.  We all kicked, claw, scratch, etc, but I got a direct punched in the nose to where I had to stopped and check to see if I broke my nose and was bleeding.  Even the kayakers asked me if I was ok.  I was, so I went after it.
At the turn buoy, we finally went with the current. WHOA this pace changed.  I was flying.  Every stroke felt like I was being propelled through the water.  The about halfway through the return swim, the water got shallow and there was a wall of seaweed.  We all had to stopped and figure out a way to get through it.  It was crazy, but it hurt all of us and not just me.
Finally through the wall of seaweed, I got to shore and started my run through to transition picking off a lot of people.  What sucked was I lost my goggles on the run.  Boo, these have been with me for 2 seasons and I really liked them.
Swim: 30 minutes- not great but I was 8th in AG so the currents effected everyone so I don't care about time.

Bike:
Having driven the course the day before, I knew what to expect.  The first 4 miles were uphills, and the next miles were easy rolling hills.  I grabbed my bike and headed out on the course.  I actually strapped my GoPro to my aero bars and filmed the entire bike course, so I'll upload my videos in a bit.

I didn't mind the hills of the first few miles, but the roads weren't paved so my arms were vibrating so much it hurt.  They closed the roads so it was great to open roads to go after everyone.  I found a guy who was riding about my pace and we worked together to pick off the field.  We were doing it legally, which was good because we saw a group of 4 in front of us get penalties for pack riding (more on that later).

The course was very scenic and fun to ride.  Nice rolling hills, but flat enough to really push the pace. Nothing special, which in my opinion was a good thing, so I got back to transition and was ready to roll.

Bike: 1:08- happy for the most part.  Probably would have liked a few minutes less, but I'm good with it.

Run:
I figured I was about in 6th in AG after the bike since I saw people in front of me on the bike on the turn around so I knew I had a chance to pick some racers off.  I was ready to go.

I also had my fathers GoPro in my tri kit so I was going to take some pics of me on the course, which I was excited for.

I guess I never learn from my mistakes.  About 1/2 mile into my run feeling good, my left hamstring cramped up.  Bad! I couldn't move.  It was the same exact thing that happened at the Great Six Flags Triathlon in May.  I was feeling good, in contention and boom, a huge knot forms in my leg.

Trying to take a pic on the run

So I was forced to rest on a tree and watch my competition go by while I'm just sitting there for about 3-4 minutes massaging the cramp out.

Finally after kneading the knot out, I got back on my imaginary horse and went to work.  My legs felt great and I picked up the pace to hit miles of 6:16, 6:21, 6:19, and 6:24.  I kept passing everyone who passed me while I was stopped and they were all shocked and how I recovered so well.

Just some (blurry) shots of awesome scenery

For some reason, I thought there was a chance I could still get on the podium, even after me stopping.  I kept passing everyone and noticing the ages on people's calves, and no one was in my age group.  So I sucked it up and gave it one last push.  I caught one runner about 1/2 mile from the finish and realized I couldn't get anyone else so I coasted in while taking a few pictures of me in the finishers shoot.

Run: 45 minutes- great run except for the 3-4 minutes I was stopped on the road





Post Race: 
I waited for Leo and my high school friend to cross the finish line and hung out. Due to them not opening transition for close to 3 hours, Yes, that's right, 3 freaking hours, after I crossed the finish line, there was nothing to do but wait.  This really needs to be fixed for next year's race.  It was so boring, nothing to do, and we then had to wait for shuttles to take us to our cars, then drive to the bikes, and this took a while because the roads were closed.

As the awards ceremony started, I said to Leo, if I lose out on AG podium by 3 minutes or less, I'm going to be pissed.  As my Age Group came, 3rd place podium was 62 seconds in front of me.  62 damn seconds.  Which meant I would have been up there sans cramp.  I was pissed.  I stewed for a good hour after that, and then kept checking the results and found out that the 3rd place AG was actually one of those who got a 2 minute penalty, so he really beat me by 3-4 minutes (though I saw him get the penalty and didn't really think he deserved it).  But knowing he beat me by that time, it helped ease some frustration because even though it would have come down to a sprint finish, at least I know he wasn't as close as I thought.

All in all, the race was great.  I think the transition, bike gear check, bike pick up, and timing could definitely be improved upon for next year, this race is one that I will likely do again.  I loved the course, I loved the atmosphere, as Challenge always puts on a great race.

Now that Triathlon season is over, it's Marathon season.  Let's get running people.

Finding that inner motivation

Over the past few weeks, it has been hard to find that motivation to fight the pain within and push through some of the harder workouts.  With moving into the new house and getting everything in order, and really not having an "A" race anymore, there just seems to be that inner conflict of pushing through those tough parts of the workouts that make you stronger.

Ever since last year, I started to realize that I enjoy shorter races a lot more, so I change my "A" race in August of the Challenge Pocono Half to the Olympic.  As a result, I'm already at the fitness level that I need to do well there, so it really is fine tuning my workouts for that race.  With Alcatraz being over, I'm ahead of where I need to be so trying to spend more time on the roads than I have to in order of building my base fitness is just something that I haven't been able to accomplish.  I'm finding that instead of running 14 miles, I'll cut it short to 9-10 miles, or spending an hour and half on the trainer instead of the 2 plus hours.  While this isn't a horrible thing, especially since the distance for an Olympic race is shorter than that, it's more of me not having that inner voice telling me to push myself.

I've always prided myself and making the most out of my workouts and pushing as hard as I can, but now when a hard part of the workout comes, I start to dread it instead of looking forward to it.  I always love going up hills knowing that they will make me stronger.  I'm starting to find routes that avoid the hills.

It could be the heat of the summer, it could be knowing that my fitness is relatively where it should be, or it could be something that I can't put my finger on, but I need to get on it and quick.  Pushing through the pain is a good thing to me, so I want to make sure that I get that part of my training back.