4.4 Mile Run

Ran in 43:03, which is faster than the last time (JUly 29 44:10), as fast as June 25's 43:02, but not as fast as May's 41:58. Last year I was running the route in 44-46 minutes. Nive evening to run, wasn't particuarly trying to go fast. i did run the way out with Chevaughn, who went a different way back. She likes to do circles, not out and backs.

One Hour Swim

Swam for an hour.  Estimated 1.5 miles.  I was tired, but I could have gone on.  I think I will be okay for Saturday's 3 mile swim

2.4 mile run

No triathlon today.  I had to pick Lauren up at the airport so it was a cancel.  Instead I ran 2.4 miles at a fairly fast pace and I suffered.  I came in at 22:24, which is slower than my 20:10 of March, but better than other times of late.  I was short of breath and my legs felt heavy.  No doubt I would have suffered at the triathlon today.

40 Minute Swim

Swam for 40 minutes today, which was likely a mile.  Instead of counting laps, I am just going to count time 40 minutes to the mile in the pool.

Bike/Run

Rode for about 50 minutes tonight.  I whine about their not being good streets to ride around here, but it is not true.  There are many great neighborhood roads with steep climbs and no fast cars.  I should be out riding every evening.  After the bike, I ran my 2.4 mile route in 25:10. 

I don't know why I have been having such a hard time getting out the door to work out.  I need to preplan my workouts better and truly commit.

I am thinking I will do the Olympic on Saturday, but I am worried I will come in last.  I would really like to enter a race and feel truly trained for it.

5.5 Mile run

Ran my 5.5 mile route down around the Conard track and back.  I did it in 1:01:46 on an increasingly humid morning.  I last ran this route last September in the evening in 55:32.  Good for me for getting out.  I have been having an incredibly hard time getting outg the door to work out lately.

1/2 Mile Swim

Easy 900 yard swim.  Tired from night at Springsteen concert in Boston with beers last night.  I am trying to get in a workout every day now as i feel worthless if i don't.

2.4 Mile Run

Did my neighborhood run in the noon heat.  23:50.  I am still dealing with some lingering back ache, which does not bother me to much when i run.

Lake Terramugus Sprint #6 8-9-2012

Waiting on my times.  It was a nice night.  I chose not to bring my wet suit.  I don't think I swam as well without it, but it was nice not having to take it off.  I had some trouble getting my helmet on today.  The strap was too tight, and it took me awhile to loosen it.  Odd.  Once on the bike, again it felt tight and I almost puked with it so tight on my throat...

Early in the bike, I coughed and felt a pop in my back right where the muscle has been bothering me. It fortunately didn’t affect my race, but I have a hard time getting in and out of a car and also tying my shoes now.

My plan was to try to race harder if I felt okay so for the first time this year, I went down to the drops. I definitely rode faster, but still not going all out. I passed a few people, but was passed by many more as usual. In the next transition, I had to tie my shoes because after Saturday’s race, I had forgotten that my sneakers had gotten wet and heavy with sand. I left them in the garage and they were still heavy and smelly also so I could not us them. They had my tri laces in them, so I had to use regular shoelaces, which only allowed me a little.

I felt okay on the run and passed a few people, including several at the end who had passed me. I was a little disappointed in my time on the run, that while faster than my last race, was still slower than I expected. The run time does include your transition time so maybe that is where I lost some.

Overall, while not my fastest race there, it was my highest percentage finish at 83.5% beating the 84.5% from my fastest race there last year. All told I have raced Terramuggus 10 times, 6 in the post hybrid bike stage. This was my 2nd fastest Lake T race total time-wise and 3rd fastest combination bike/run-wise, which is the most accurate way to gauge at least that portion as the swim can vary widely depending on buoy placement..

Next year I would like to try to do all six races there.

Whether or not I do the Olympic, I don’t know. Doing this race made me feel like I would not want to be doing a longer race unless I went substantially slower.

HERE ARE THE TIMES
NOT AS GOOD AS MY BEST, BUT AN IMPROVEMENT OVER EARLIER THIS YEAR.

results

RACE # 6

1:28:27  198 of 237 (83.5%) (+3:13)
12:57    133 (56%) (+0.57)
42:55    202 (85%) (+1:05)
32:35    203 (85%) (+1:11)

Race # 3

177 of 202 overall 1:32:40 (87.6%)

16/18 in age group
129th in Swim 14:54   (63.8%)
180th in Bike 44:00  (89%)
174th in Run 33:46 (86.1%)

Terramugus History

2012 #6  198 of 237  (83.5%) 
2012 #3  177 of 202 (87.6%)
2011 #4 153 of 181 (84.5%)
2011 #2 141 of 155 (90.9%)
2011 # 1 11 of 132 (85.6%)
2010 #? 186 of 220 (84.5%)
2007 #6
2007 #
2007 #
2007 #

Runs

2012 #6 32:35
2012 #3 33:46
2011 #4 30:44
2011 #2 32:20
2011 #1 32:09
2010 #? 33:09
2007 #6 36:05
2007 #   34:39
2007 #  34:07
2007 #  35:10

Bike

2012 #6 42:55
2012 #3 44:00
2011 #4 41:18
2011 #2 43:22
2011 #1 45:44
2010 #? 41:36
2007 #6 51:13
2007 #   48:25
2007 #  52:00
2007 #  55:53

Niantic Bay Triathlon 8-5-2012

This was my third time doing this race. I did in in 2007 and then again in 2010. It remains one of my favorites.


While my race goal is always to do better than I have in the past, I never read my old time in advance, and since the batteries died on both my running watch and my bike, I have stopped keeping time and distance, particularly this year as my training has lagged I just try to run the race at a pace that keeps me from keeling over dead.

The race was at low tide, so I just kept walking at the start. The swimmers weren’t gaining on me, so I stayed on my feet. I think I was the last one to swim. I swam easy and straight, and only had a couple bump-ups. I did get a direct elbow blow to the face, but it was not from a Clydesdale so I was not much shaken, and my goggles stayed on. Normally I swim into the beach until I can no longer take another stroke. This time I decided to stand when I could stand, and I think I will start doing this. Rather than having to stagger up and struggle with my balance. I get my feet under me, and can start unzipping my suit while still in the water. I had my best time swim there at 14:58, but while an increase in my race percentile from 2010 (from 49% to 44%), it was still down from my 2007 35%.

I have had issues this year stepping out of my wet suit, including a face plant on the sand at Terramuggus, I kept the legs on until I was in transition, and then using the transition fence as balance, was able to step out pretty quickly.

The bike was okay, I went a little faster than in 2010, which surprised me because I felt like I was slow-poking it. It is a nice ride, while not the flat race it promises in the brochure, there are a few hills that require some effort.

I was very tired immediately on the run, just starting to feel the heat. Fortunately there was a lady with a garden hose and I took off my Heat hat and let her hose my head down, which felt great although for the next quarter mile, my shoes and my shirt felt quite heavy with all the water, although that soon evaporated off as it was quite hot. I cooled myself down with water on the head at the water stations and got two more hose dousing on the course. I managed to run the whole way. When I hit the beach at the end, the temperature on the sand seemed ten degrees hotter. I felt I had no gas for a final sprint, but then I heard someone coming up behind me and people cheering for them, so I put the blazers on and sprinted in ahead of my unseen competition. While I race only myself, I hate being passed in the final 50 yards. I finished my run at 32:10, which made me think the run is shorter than 3.4 miles as I don’t feel like I was even running a 10 minute mile pace.

I got handed a cold water bottle, a cold Gatorade and a medal, but I just walked right over to the beach, took off my sock and sneakers and laid the drinks down and went in for a dive and then floated on my back. I spend so much of the race asking myself why I do this, but it always comes down to that finish line sense of accomplishment and that post race dip in the water reward. While I enjoy the post race dips at Terramuggus, the water at Niantic Bay is so much more refreshing.

I never check my results until I am home, and then I analyze them closely. I actually beat my 2010 time by a minute, and increased my percentile finish from 78% to 71%, so I felt good about that even though I concluded I am not in shape to do the Terramuggus Olympic. The four laps of Jones Hollow Hill has me daunted, along with the prospect of a 10k in the August heat and humidity. I suppose I will see how I feel on the eve of the race and then, weather and shape dependent, make a decision on registering.


Results

338 of 471(71.7%)
22/37 Clydesdale
Total: 1:36:52 
Swim   14:51 (209) (44.3%)
T1         2:35
Bike 45:34 (362) (76.8%)
T2         1:53
Run 32:01 (354) (75.1%)

Past Performance

 2010
 400 out of 511 (78%)
31 out of 43 Clydesdales
 1:37:56 Total
 Swim 254 (16:13) (49%)
 TI 2:47 Bike: 421 (46:01) (82%)
 T2 1:30 Run: 422 (31:28) (82%)

 2007
 357 of 389 (92%)
 Division: 21 of 24 Clydesdales
 Total:  1:50:44
Swim: 17:06 (135) (35%)
 T1: 4:55
 Bike: 51:29 (374) (96%)
 T2: 1:48
 Run: 35:27 (367) (94%)

2 Mile Swim

Swam a continuous 3600 yards (2 Miles) at the pool in 1:22:00.  The worst part was needing to pee.