Chicago Marathon 2017

10.8.17

2nd time for this one. This was my first ever marathon in 2015, and, it was a GREAT experience.  I was eager to do it again.  

I entered the lottery for this race last winter.  At the time, I was training diligently for The Cowtown Ultra, had RnR NO 26.2 coming up, etc.  When I registered, I was aware of several other runners from FW that would also be entering the lottery.  Everyone I know got in.  

With the changes in my living and financial situation, I was hoping to do this trip on the cheap.  As a result, I booked a flight using miles, and Jan was kind enough to find free lodging for us.  

My running had decreased significantly since Cowtown. Over the summer, I ran several short distance races, but, only had 1 run at the half marathon distance, and, it was a mess due to the heat.  I hoped to get a few long runs in prior to Chicago, but, alas, it did not happen.  In the weeks leading up to the race, I was averaging only 6 miles per week.   I knew I his would likely lead to a tough race.

Typically, I would make a trip like this a Friday - Sunday trip, but, due to booking with miles, it was a Saturday - Tuesday trip.  

I had an easy flight to Chicago and landed at about 2 on Saturday.   I caught the train to a stop near the expo, and would walk it from there.  Jan would meet me at the expo and then we would head back to his friend’s house.  Just as a exited the train, a cold windy rain began.  It was a tough walk to the expo with my luggage, but, finally, I arrived.   Jan was there to greet me.  We picked up our packets, shirts, etc., and did a little shopping at the Nike area.  I grabbed a few gels for the race and we headed out.  

Tanner had coordinated a dinner for many of us. It was good to see a few FW folks.  I had some spaghetti and a couple of beers for my pre-race meal.   

We headed to Jan’s friend’s house. Laurie and Saar were awesome.  They have an awesome condo in the wicker park area.   I headed to bed early, with hopes of a good night sleep before the race.   We were up and out the door by 6 a.m. on Sunday and caught the train to the race.   While the temps were mild, it was warmer than I’d hoped.  I figured it would be a hot day.  

Jan was in another corral, but, I connected with a few FWUNCO folks in my corral prior to the race. My plan for this one: run a 10:30ish pace as long a I could and then adjust.  My prevailing thought was to not get injured before Austin 70.3.  

Tanner and I started out together, and were keeping the desired pace.  I shed my arm warmers by mile 2, as it was already getting hot.  

By mile 4, I needed to pee, and stopped at the same stop as 2 years ago.  After a quick stop, I was back at it. I had a little stomach pain, and, at mile 7, made a stop.  I continued my steady pace though the 1st half, and felt ok.  While I was tiring and it was clear that I was undertrained, the 1st half was not too bad.   By the 25k mark, I’d had enough.  While I’d been walking water stops most of the race, I began to walk more frequently.  The race was becoming somewhat reminiscent of my Dallas Marathon in 2015.   Miles 14 - 25 were almost all walking.  I was determined to finish, but, knew it would be ugly. Occasionally I would run a short distance, but, fatigued legs wouldn’t allow me to run for long.  I knew I’d be well over 5 hours, and, my target finish time kept getting longer and longer.   

At the 25 mile mark, I decided to run it in.  I was able to push through and finish.  I posted a pathetic 5:51:27. Nearly an hour slower than 2015. 

I spent the rest of the day thinking this may be my last Marathon (my mind has changed since).  

Jan and I headed out for a few beers and food, but  turned in fairly early.  We got up on Monday and hung out a bit before he flew back to DFW.  I spent the rest of the day eating and drinking, ultimately connecting with Jean, who was kind enough to allow me to crash on Monday night before I returned home Tuesday. 

The Chicago Marathon really is an awesome event.  The crowd support is outstanding and its a great city.  I suspect I’ll be back.  

Rahr 5k 2017

9.30.17

In 2012, after working my way back into shape on the bike, this was my 1st running event.  I remember texting Brent, as I was concerned about my ability to run a 5k.  Albeit slowly, I finished the race that day, and, as they say, the rest is history.  As a result, this event holds some significance for me.

Lindsi and I both ran this race in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015.  We skipped last year, but, were back this year.

2012

2013

2014

2015

This is a fairly large event, on a somewhat challenging course.  That said, I've PR'd 2x on this course, posting a 25:02 in 2014 and a 23:24 (still my PR) in 2015.  While I didn't plan on pushing the pace this day, I was glad to be back. 

The course had changed slightly this year due to construction, and, appeared to be a bit easier than in years past.  My hope was to run mid 8's the entire way.  

When the horn sounded, I had trouble finding good space to run.  The roads were narrow and the congestion was difficult to navigate.  I was finally able to find some real estate about 1/2 mile in.  I boooked an 8:27 mile 1, but, knew I could be faster.  I shaved mile 2 to 8:20 and mile 3 to 8:19.  I skipped the optional whskey shot a little after mile 2 and pushed hard to the finish.  Overall time:  26:28.  Not terrible.    My finish was good for 21 of 88 in my AG and 182 of 1629 overall.  

2012:  32:51
2013:  27:50
2014:  25:02
2015:  23:24

2016:  didn't race

2017:  26:28

We hung around for beers for a bit.  Fun Saturday!  

Disco X50 2017

9.17.17

Disco TRI is a DAR event that takes place on the same course as TexasMan.  While I'd planned to race this event, I was unsure about what distance, as it would likely not be wet-suit legal.  The Olympic an X50 course include a 1 mile swim.  I was not too keen on the idea of swimming a mile sans wet-suit.  Additionally, the bike course at TexasMan had been brutal due to bad winds.  So, I was none too excited about racing a longer distance.

And then...I was beer pressured by my racing "friends".  Everyone would be racing as they prepared for upcoming events, including Austin 70.3.  I figured if I was going to commit to a mile swim, I may as well do the X50, as a temperature check.  In the days leading up to the event, I continued to check water temps, with hopes of the swim being wetsuit legal, but, alas, it would not be.

I drove to Plano on Saturday for PPU, as I didn't want the added stress of PPU on race day.

I was out the door early on race morning for the hour+ drive to the race site.  I prepped transition, visited with friends, and, headed to the waterfront.  I wasn't really feeling any nervousness as we waited.

Swim:  The swim course was 2 loops, so,  I knew I'd get a break midway.  The sprint racers were off 1st, and then our wave.  I entered the water with a plan of "slow and steady", as I didn't want my heart rate to elevate.  I was breathing every 2 strokes, rather than my usual 4, but, felt like I was swimming at a decent pace.  as I turned past the 1st buoy and headed parallel to the shoreline, I went a little wide, but, felt like I was able to correct course fairly quickly.  I turned past the 2nd buoy and headed back towards the shore. I was experiencing a little left ankle pain (without a wetsuit, I had to kick!), but nothing to slow me down.   When I got to the point that I could stand, I looked up and saw Remi.  I was shocked.  Remi had been concerned about the swim, and, had started in a wave behind me.  Clearly, she was having a better swim than  I was.  I glanced at my watch and realized I'd swam a pathetic 28 minute 1st loop.  I headed down the shoreline and back out for the 2nd loop, hoping to improve.  While the swim felt much the same, I booked a 22 minute 2nd loop.  50:12 total time.  I had extended my swim to 1911 yards (1760 yards = 1 mile), but, slow, nonetheless.

T1:  I made the long stroll up to T1.  As per usual, I put on shoes, as the surface in T1 is super sharp. 3:44.  Far better than my 7:57 T1 at TexasMan  :).

Bike:  I wanted to crank hard on the bike, as, honestly, this was the only leg that I felt any confidence about.  This is a challenging bike course, and, I'd gotten my ass kicked at TexasMan.  My target was 18 mph, which would be significantly faster than my 16.2 pace at TexasMan.   I was a little slow to warm up, but, once I was rolling, I was passing lots of cyclists.  About 5 miles in, I heard something near the bike...I didn't realize until later that I'd lost my mini saddle bag (note to self...get a new one before Austin).  Through 20 miles, I averaged 17.9 mph.  Even with the challenging course, I felt pretty good and was passing lots of folks.  I stopped a couple of times to refill my aero bottle, but, continued to push.  The next 20 miles was at a 17.7 pace.  While I'd just miss my 18 mph target, I felt good about the bike.

T2:  3:36.  slow, but, uneventful.  I had several gels ready for what was sure to be a brutal run.

Run:  As I headed out on the run, I had aspirations of a slow, but steady pace.  It was hot, and I was gassed.  Before mile 1, I was walking.  It was going to be a brutal run.  I settled in on walking early on, and knew that the run portion would be tough.  I jogged occasionally, but walked most of the way for the 9 mile run.  I made a point of talking trash to those that encouraged me to race this race, as I was miserable.  I mustered up the energy to jog in the last 1/2 mile or so.

It was a tough day, but, I was done.   I'd missed my initial 4:30 target by almost 45 minutes.  We hung out for a bit and  group of us had lunch and beers in Denton.  I've got some work to so before Austin...

FWRC Labor Day 15k 2017

9.4.17

take 4. 

This event will likely be a staple event on my calendar.  It is the signature event for FWRC, and is always a good time. 

I'd had a decent run on Saturday, considering the heat, and wanted to follow it up with a decent run in this one.  I typically target a 9:30 pace for this distance, and, had the same pace in mid for this day. 

My race belt broke the morning of the event, so, if I wanted music, I would be forced to carry my phone. 

I saw many of my racing buddies pre-race, but, would not run with any of them, as we were all targeting different desired paces. 

As per usual, I felt pretty good for the 1st 5-6 miles, booking:  9:29, 9:11, 9:25, 9:30.  I slowed a bit after that, booking: 10:07, 9:51, 9:45. 9:52.  I was able to speed up a bit to a 9:06 pace for the last .3. 

Per Strava, a 9:37 pace overall (9:31 per official results), and, good for my 2nd fastest effort out of 4 attempts.  Total time:  1:29:18.  Good only for 21 of 32 in my AG, and 112 of 246 overall....why is my AG so fast??? 

2014:  1:37:57
2015:  1:32:06
2016:  1:28:52
2017:  1:29:18

While I'd hoped to hang out with friends after, a call from the Y to report a broken pipe pulled me away. 

A decent weekend of running and a bit of a confidence boost as Chicago nears. 

Cox Labor Day Weekend 10k 2017

9.2.17

year 2 for this one.  While last year's race was held at Trinity Park, this year's was at Martin House (bonus!).

Much like last year, I wanted to take full advantage of the Labor Day Race Weekend.  I was hoping that a good weekend of running would allow me to build some confidence for Chicago. 

Griffin wanted to run this one as well.  It would be only his 2nd 10k ever.

It was a hot morning, and with a 15k on Monday, I kept all expectations in check.   We  saw several buddies before the race, and visited for a bit before the start.

When the horn sounded, I settled into a 9:30ish pace.  It was comfortable considering the heat.  We crossed the river, headed up the incline, and headed east.  There was a turnaround at about mile 1.8, and we headed back, passed the brewery, and east for a bit.  I booked 9:35, 9:19, 9:22, 9:33 for the 1st 4 miles.  I slowed slightly for miles 5 and 6 (9:43, 9:50), due to the heat and stopping briefly to check on Griffin. The little dude was having a tough day due to the heat.  I pushed  a bit at the end, and clocked a 59:05 (9:31 / mile).  Good for 1st in Clydesdale.  I grabbed a water and headed back out to find Griffin.  That tough little due finished strong.  He was 1 of only 2 kids under the age of 12 to complete the race.  I'm so proud of the little guy!

HHH 2017

8.26.17

year 5.  I was a late registrant for this one, as Lindsi thought she might ride, which would require me to stay home with the boys.  Finally, just 6 days before the ride, we determined that I would go and I registered.

My plan was to do as I's done the past 3 years.  Leave FW by 4, arrive by 6, ride, have a few beers, and return to FW.  Alex agreed to ride with me to WF, which would make the trip better.  We rolled at 4, and had an easy trip to WF.






























As planned, we arrived at 6 with no challenges, and, quickly connected with Jan, Katherine, Lexy and Remi.  We learned that Jan had mistakenly left his cycling shoes and helmet in his car that was in the shop.  He had attempted to purchase all of the necessary items prior to ride morning, but, had purchased the wrong cleats.  After some anxiety and help from a local bike shop that was set up on site, he was able to get he issue resolved.  We headed towards the starting corral.

When our corral was released, we worked our way through the crowds and finally found some room to ride.  We connected with Jason Hill early on, and had a good, fast pace going.  Jan and Katherine fell back and, I think pulled over early.  We would not see them again for a bit.

We made the 1st turn a little after 10 miles, and Lexy turned off for the 50 mile route, as that is what her training plan called for.  So, it would be Alex, Jason, Remi and me for a bit.  Jason and Remi were slightly ahead of us.  By the 20 mile rest stop, Alex had fallen back a bit, and Jason and Remi were still ahead.  I thought I would be solo the remainder of the day. I'd been pushing the pace, and had averaged over 20 mph for the 1st 20 miles.  I rolled through the rest stop and continued.  My pace slowed slightly, as we were hitting some headwinds (earlier than usual), but, I still felt good.  Finally, at mile 30, I stopped at the rest stop for a quick pee break.  I saw Jason and Remi, and visited with them briefly.  As we were about to head back out, Katherine and Jan rolled up.  This ended up being a 14 minute unplanned stop.  Jason, Remi and I rolled out and began to push the pace again.  While only moving at about 18.5 mph, we were still passing lots of cyclists.  Surprisingly, Jason fell off the pace fairly quickly, leaving Remi and I to ride together.  We kept the pace over 18 mph, rolled through the airfare base, and pushed to the finish.

Total time:  3:32:56 (17.5 mph).  Moving Time: 3:19:04 (18.8 mph).  This was, by far, my fastest HHH 100k.  19 minutes faster than a year ago, and 9 minutes faster than 2015.   A good day in the saddle.

Somewhat surprisingly, I'm beginning to creep up the leaderboards in events like this too.  My effort brought me in at 8 of 64 in my AG, 55 of 557 males, and, 63 of 815 overall.

The crew had a few beers and then headed to lunch before Alex and I headed back to FW.  Good day.