Buffalo Boogie 10k 2016

5.7.16

I've been sick all week...like don't go to work for 4 days sick.

I registered for this race before getting sick.

All that said, I had not idea what to expect today, as I had not worked out since the tri last Sunday.

But, up and at em this morning...

The Buffalo Boogie takes place at the Fort Worth Nature Center.  I ran the 5k in 2013, as 1 of my 1st races after my recommitment to wellness.  I haven't been back since.

I really wanted to ride in the Shiner GASP today, but, in an attempt to save some money and the health of my marriage (it is mother's day weekend, after all), I chose this event instead.

This is the 1st year that this event offered a 10k course.

I arrived this morning with plenty of time to get settled and get in a .9 mile warm up run before the event.  My plan was to run in the mid 9's to start and see how I felt at 5k.  I visited with a few buddies at the start line, and when the horn sounded, my plan, as always, went to shit.

The 1st mile is downhill.  I ran it in 8:17.  That's a problem.  I scaled back for miles 2 and 3, but, the damage was done.  I found myself wanting water at about mile 3, but, the water stops were scarce.  I finally got water at about mile 4, and my pace continued to slow.  Miles 4-6 were pretty slow.  I picked it up for the last .2, and booked a 58:24.  9:24 per mile.  Considering the lack of training and recent sickness, not too bad, I guess.

It felt good to run again.

In checking the results, it appears that AG's were grouped by 10 year ranges rather than 5.  Had they been 5, I would have placed.

revision:  AG's were changed to 5 year groups.  I took 3rd in AG.

Good to get this one done.

Michelob Ultra 5k next weekend,  TexasMan Sprint Tri the following weekend, and, finally, a 67 mile ride at the Burleson Honey Tour to round out May.

PlayTri Festival Sprint Tri 2016

5.1.16

My racing season has gotten off to a slow start, I'm 10 pounds heavy, and my diet has been poor.  Much like last year, I am now into May and need to jumpstart my training and better nutrition.  I missed Galveston 70.3, as my training was poor, and, it sold out early.  I am determined to complete a 70.3 this year, and believe that Austin will be it on 10.30.16.

While I feel good about my ability to be ready for the bike and run, I will have to get more comfortable in the open water to be ready.  I will need to practice OWS throughout the summer.  To that end, in an effort to force myself into the open water, I registered for this event.

This event offers three triathlon distances and an aqua bike.  The super sprint distance is 300M swim, 7 mile bike, 1.5 mile run, the sprint distance is 500M swim, 14 mile bike, 5k run, and, the Olympic distance is 1500M swim, 22 mile bike, 10k run.  I opted for the sprint, as today was all about getting used to the open water.

The event takes place just behind the Marriott Las Colinas, with the swim taking place in the man made canal.  The canal would allow for easy sighting, etc, as it is not too large.

I'd purchased a wetsuit a few months ago, but, had yet to wear it.  Last week, I wore it in the pool for a 1200M swim, and, realized it makes a big difference.  Today's event would be wetsuit legal, with a water temp of 74.

I've only completed 1 OWS swim event before - Trifecta (9.14).  It was a mess.  I simply could not commit to putting my face down and swimming freestyle.  A mix of sidestroke, breaststroke, and backstroke took me most of the way that day, and, I finished the 500M swim in a little over 15 minutes.  I wanted today to be much better.

I arrived around 6:15, and got my transition area ready.  Our rack was full, making for a difficult time with prep, but, I found space.

The olympic distance went off 1st.  Their swim looked long!!  Pshychologically (and, likely, physically), I'll have some work to do to be ready for that kind of distance.  The sprint swim looked much shorter, and, I felt good about it prior to getting in the water.

The start was time trial style, with 2 swimmers entering the water about every 10 seconds.  I moved towards the back of the line, and, when I reached the timing mat, hopped in and was off.  I felt pretty good early on, and was in my rhythm of breathing every 4 strokes.  The wetsuit felt a little tight, but, I suspect that was just nerves.  I actually passed a few swimmers before reaching the 1st buoy.   I was surprised how quickly I reached the buoy!  I passed it and made my right turn towards buoy number 2.  I switched to breathing every 2 strokes, which interrupted my swim rhythm, but, kept me from getting short of breath.  I veered slightly to the right and off course, but quickly adjusted.  After passing the 2nd buoy, I began to tire a bit, and breaststroked a bit to keep on course and get air.  I finally reached the steps and got out.  I'd done it.  11 minutes flat for the 500M swim.  2:12 per 100M (per official results).  Not bad.  My Garmin showed the swim being shorter (424M), but, I suspect that is just a GPS error, as I checked other athletes' distances on Strava, and they seemed to be correct.

I headed to T1, stripped my wetsuit with no problem (1st time ever!) and geared up for the bike.

My new tri bike is in the shop, as it has a crack in the top tube.  I am waiting to hear from Specialized on the resolution.  My hope is: new bike.  Specialized has a lifetime warranty on their frames, and, I'd only ridden the bike about 120 miles with no crashes.  So...The CAAD10 was the bike for the day.

The bike course was 14 miles (Strava showed 14.5 at the conclusion), with 2 loops.  We started into a bad headwind, and fought it for the 1st 2.5 miles of each loop.  A tough way to get started.  After the headwind died down, I was able to find some speed, getting up to over 20mph at several points, with a top speed of 29.5.  Other than the headwind each lap, the bike portion felt pretty good.  The result showed me 14 miles in 52:01, or, 16.1 mph, but, Strava shows me at 16.8 mph based on 14.5 miles.  Still about 2-3 mph slower than I need to be.  That will improve with training and once I get my tri bike back.

A slow, but, uneventful T2, and, off to the run.

We faced the same headwind at the beginning of each lap of the 2 lap run.  I keep a slow, steady pace, hoping to keep my run in the "9's".  I'll work that down to the 8's as the season progresses.  I saw a few friends on the run, and, achieved my goal of keeping my pace in the 9's.  9:53 per Strava, but, 9:36 per the official results.

All in all, a decent day.  I'm still incredibly slow compared to others, but, that will improve as the season progresses.  I've already signed up for my next OWS tri (in 3 weeks), and will continue to push towards Austin 70.3.

Caveman Tri 2016

4.17.16

1st time for this one.  This is one of the few DAR sprint tris that I had not done.

This event takes place at the Flower Mound Community Activity Center.  The format: 250M swim, 10.8 mile bike, 5k.  A short course, and touted to be great for beginners.

There had been a threat of rain for the weekend, but, as I left the house this morning at 4:45, he rain had yet to begin.  That would change...

I arrived at about 5:15, as I needed to p/u my packet.  No issues in doing so, so, I found a spot at the end of the rack in transition and set up my gear.

This would be my 1st race on the new bike, and, having had some adjustments done on Thursday, I was eager to see how it felt.  I have been struggling on the bike, but, was hopeful that the adjustments would make a difference.

I went inside to get my chip and use the restroom, and ran into a few friends, including Rapp.  We visited for a bit pre-race.  I headed back out to transition to make final preparations, and went back inside to get staged in the gym.  About that time, the rain came in.

As we stood in the gym with heavy rain outside, we continued to get updates from the DAR reps.  At one point, it looked as if it may turn into a swim / run only event, but, finally, at about 7:45, we were informed that the race was on, and that we would finally begin (race was scheduled to begin at 7).

Swim:  No real issues on the swim, but, I was passed by  few people.  Weird, as I didn't think that my time reported time for registration was too ambitious.  I did find myself needing to breath every 2 strokes by the end, but, not a big deal.  total time: 6:08.  I expected to be about 40 seconds faster, but, a crowded pool can make speed difficult.

Off to T1:  my stuff was soaked.  I emptied the water out for my cycling shoes and put them and my helmet on to head out on the bike.

Bike:  it would be tough to really push the pace, as it was rain hard, was windy, and there would be a need to slow for the corners and turnarounds.  However, i felt pretty good.  I didn't spend much time in the aero-bars, as the rain made things difficult enough.  The route was fair, and, on a dry day, would be fast, I suspect.  The driving rain and wet roads made for a slower bike pace.  I finished at a 16.6 mph pace.  about 2 mph slower than I would have liked.

T2:  I put on my soaked socks and shoes and headed out.

Run: The run actually felt pretty good due to the rain and cooler temps.  I was slower than I would have liked, but, increased speed will come as my season progresses.  9:39 pace on the run.

I finished in 1:20:40. About 5 minutes slower than I would have liked, but, due to conditions, I'll take it.

This was a fun event.  I'll be back next year.

Big D Half 2016

4.10.16

Note to my future self:  Stop signing up for this event.  It sucks!

year 3 for this one...I can't understand why I keep coming back.

arrived at fair park with no issue.  got into the mass of humanity and waited.  No corrals, just a cluster of a start.  shitty course...just like last year.

I felt good through 8 miles, and, other than a pee stop at about mile 3, was making good time.  slowed considerably for miles 9-13, and took lots of walk breaks.

time to get back in racing shape.  I've cancelled hotel for OKC.  No more long races until my training improves.

Disco 15k 2016

4.3.16

It looks like I may race very weekend in April.   After a poor training regiment and a streaky racing schedule, I'm hoping to jumpstart my training and racing for the year.

This event is coordinated by Dallas Athletes Racing.  I've raced with DAR many times in the past.  They do a great job.  This is the 4th year for the event, but, the 1st year that a 15k would be offered.

I was out the door by 6:30 this morning, to allow for the drive to Dallas and packet pick up before the 8 a.m. start time for the 15k.  The event was staged on the Continental Pedestrian Bridge near the Trinity Groves Area, and, the actual run would take place on the trail system below the bridge.  This is the same trail that was utilized for the Hottest Half last summer.

I'm out of sorts as it relates to pacing etc, as my running has been inconsistent.  That being sad, I got out to a good start, and felt good for the 1st couple of miles.  I stopped around mile 2 to shed a layer of clothing, and resumed my pace.   I felt good through the turnaround, and, other than a few quick walk breaks through water stops, was making good time.

It seemed that the course measurements were a little short, as I found myself hitting mile markers before my Garmin reached the mile.  I slowed for mile 6, and, even more so for mile 7 due to a big bridge.  I picked the pace back up and aimed for a sub 1:33, which represents under 10 minutes a mile.  (shorter course helped...).

I kicked for the last 1/4 mile or so, and booked a 1:32:49, or, 9:59 per mile.  However, the course was only 8.95 miles, so, I truly paced at abut 10:22.  Pretty slow...

It felt good to get this one done.  I have the Big D Half next week, the Caveman Tri in 2 weeks, likely the OKC Half in 3 weeks, and the Mayest Run in 4 weeks.  I'm ready to work my way back into shape.

Rock N Roll Dallas 2016

3.20.16

this would be year 3 for this event, and my 20th 13.1 to date.  Not bad for a guy who thought that he would never run again.

The RnR events are great.  They are well produced, well attended, have great crowd support, good on course entertainment, and, based on my experiences, good courses.

I registred for this event a year ago, when the price was a mere $50.  I'll likely take advantage of the "deal" again for next year, and register over the next few days for '17.

My training has been poor thus far in '16.  While I've completed 7 events, including 3 HM's, I have yet to really ramp up my training.  Going into today, I had not exercised in 11 days.  I have been fighting a bit of an illness, and, like every year, the 1st 2 days of March Madness took its toll on my nutrition and training.  So...expectations were incredibly low.

I had an good experience yesterday at the Expo, as I was in and out in 10 minutes or less.  I connected with Hider pre-race this morning, and saw a few tri buddies as well.

The temps to start today were in the low 40's.  I struggled with what to wear, and finally settled on a compression shirt, tech shirt, and 1/4 zip pullover.  Gloves, shorts, calf sleeves to round out the attire.     This decision would prove to be problematic.  More on that later.

As for the race...

I had only one goal today...finish.  I got off to a slow start, and had to stop for a pee break at 1.5 miles.  I suspect I lost about 3 minutes.  I continued my slow (but running) pace until 4.5 miles, when I realized I needed to shed some layers.   The problem was that I really needed to shed my base layer. In retrospect, arm sleeves with my tech shirt and 1/4 zip would have been better.   I stopped on the side of the course and started the slow process of stripping my top layers.  Once my base layer was off and tied around my waist, the shirt and pullover went back on.

I continued a slow pace until about mile 9.5, the another pee break was needed.  I walked a few hills late in the race, but, ran most of the way.

Final time:  2:29:38.  My slowest 13.1 ever.  I suspect I lost 6+ minutes from the 3 stops.

While a slow time, it wasn't a bad day.  The course, although hilly, was great.  RnR did a nice job of showcasing the city.  Between Deep Ellum, Kessler Park, Oak Cliff, the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge etc., this was an awesome course.

I stuck around for a few beers post race and listened to Blues Traveler (headlining band).

Rock N Roll Dallas is far superior to the Dallas Marathon.  A shame, really, but, the truth.  I'll be back for '17 for sure.

Glad to have this one done.  #20 in the books...

Rock N Roll New Orleans 2016

2.28.16

Year 2 for this one.

After completing this race last year, we preregistered for this year's race while still in NO.  The plan was for Lindsi, Lisa, Butler and me to run again.  Several months ago, Indi registered as well. 5 of the 6 of us would race.  Unfortunately, we had a childcare issue, so Lindsi had to bail, and, Indi was needed at home.  As a result, only the Gossards, Butler and I would go.  Too bad.  Having everyone here last year was awesome.

The race had been pushed back a month due to Mardi Gras, so it fell on the same day as Cowtown.  It sucked to miss Cowtown.

Butler and I drove down on Saturday, and will be here until Wednesday.  We're staying in the same house as last year.  It's a great house in a good location. I suspect this will be our go-to each year.

As for the race:   I was unsure what to think about the race.  I have not been running much, but, have already completed 2 half marathons this year.  I PR'd on this course last year, so, knew that I could have a good time. I planned to run the 1st 10k at a 9:45 pace, with hopes of speeding up for the last half of the race.

It was cool, but, not cold at the start line.  It appeared that it would be a great day for a run.

When the horn blew, I tried to settle into my 9:45 pace, but, it was simply too crowded.  I figured if I could stay close to the 4:15 marathon pacer, I would be on track. As early as mile 1 I was slower than hoped, booking a 10:06.  By mile 2, I realized my plan was not going to work. It was too crowded, the temps were heating up, and I was undertrained.  I kept my hopes that I could speed up at the half way point, but, it never happened.  About mile 3 I shed my arm sleeves, and around mile 5 I stopped for a pee break.  While a great course and great city, many of the roads were in poor condition or under construction, leading to some poor running surfaces.

I continued my slow, steady pace until the end, and booked a 2:19:16.  Yuck. My slowest half in quite some time.  I'll need to begin training again if I hope to post 2:05's and below.  I still hope to break the 2 hour mark this year.   With my speed work during the summer, I suspect it will happen at a fall race.

Still a fun race. I hope that we will all return next year.