8 Mile run

Ran 8 Miles in 1:21:19 with no walk breaks.  From house, around route, then around Conard track 10 times, then back home.  This is the longest I have ever run without a walk break.  I don't know if I can go 13.1 in two weeks without some judisious walking.

1:10:22 Run

Ran from home along my regular route and then down around Conard and around the track 5 times and then back. I mapped it as 6.7 miles on America's Running Routes.   I did a similar run on 9/17 last year in 10:08:30 so I was a little slower and I have a little less time to prepare than last year.  But last year I only did two more long runs both about 8 mile run/walks in 1:27, so maybe with a few more runs I can get up so speed.  This year to beat my last's year's time I may have to suffer more by walking a little less.  My breath was good tonight, my lower legs felt a little on the numb side after awhile.  I think I need new sneakers.

Swim

Did a leisurely 20 minute swim tonight.

2.4 Mile Run

Ran the route in a little under 24:00 minutes.  My legs felt good.  I was a little winded.  I am trying to recover and test my fitness from a respiratory infection that started the evening of the Surftown Race.

Surftown Half Marathon Relay

Chevaughn and I did the Surftown Half Marathon as a relay down in Misquamicut, Rhode Island.  I did the first leg, which was 6.3 miles.  I have to say I was tired.  I didn't keep my own time and there was no timing mat or zone for the relays.  I ran a 10:11 pace, gaging from the 5 mile time clock, which was 51:30, plus I didn't cross the start line for a 32 seconds.  I was definately getting tired.  The run was flat, not much shade and hot for 7:30 in the morning.  I tried taking pictures during the race, but they didn't come out except for one.

Chevaughn, who ran 11 miles yesterday ran a blazing 2nd leg (6.8) miles.  While I was being passed by many runners, she was passing many.  Afterwards, they had clam chowder. There was a beer tent, but it was somewhat out of the way.  The good thing was there was also a carnival set up in the beach parking lot, so we stayed and watched Lauren and Zoey do the rises, and then went to the beach for a little bit.  The ocean was cold, but felt great as I was very sore and stiff.

While I was in no shape todayto run a half, I have to say being in a relay was a little underwhelming.  At the relay point, I had to unpin my bib, and Chevaughn had to pin it to her.  I learned later we were suppossed to be given a belt.  I already mentioned there was no time for the relay legs and after you did the exchange, the race was over for you.  No water at the exchange site and not having a bib anymore, it was like you were a spectator.

Maybe next year we can both run it as a full half marathon.

We (The Runaway Bay Runners) came in 37 out of 55 relay teams with a time of 2:09:26 with a pace of 9:53.

http://results.bazumedia.com/event/results/event/event-1881

West Hartford Adventure Race

Did the adventure race in West Hartford Center with Chevaughn that was sponsored by Fleet Feet.  The way it worked was teams of two were given a set of 14 clues, each indicating a store or place in West Hartford Center/Blue Back Square.  I think they had 100 teams.  You had an hour and forty five minutes to get nine of the clues right and then get back to the finish, where you had a final clue.

If I had to do it over again, I would figure out nine of the places, and then draw a map connecting them in the most economical manner.  As it was we were quite scattered in our approach.  Running down to Blue Back Square, back to West Hartford Center and then having to run back down to Blue Back to get a missing clue.  All in all, it took use about 45 minutes.  We ran maybe two miles, I'm guessing.  Two of the places involved physical challenges.  At the Fitness Playground we had to do mountain climbers, pushups and jumping jacks.  At Maxx Nutritioin we had to do burpees.  Other challenges were coloring at The Toy Chest and dressing up in a goalie suit at Play if Again Sports.

The whole affair was very laid back.  No times were kept, except perhaps the winner's.  No one even checked your clue cards when you finished.    We got a nice bright green technical shirt out of it.  The post race meal was no great shakes.  Two mini cheeseburgers, which would have been nice if I liked cheeseburgers.

One Hour baby Jogger Run

Pushed 65 pound Zoey in the baby jogger for an hour going 5 plus miles on a beautiful evening.

Dave Parcells Tri, No Duathlon - 9-8-12

They scratched the swim and did a duathlon.  Here are the results:

http://www.plattsys.com/m1shell.asp?eventid=942

***

On Friday night I put my gear in the car and the bike rack on the back. All I had to do was get up in the morning and drive down to Madision for the Dave Parcells Tri. I didn't sleep too well, waking up a lot.  My alarm went off. I got up, then got back down. Three times I got up, and then laid back down. I did not want to go. Why? I had only ridden my bike once since the last Lake T triathlon. My running has been weak lately. I wasn’t likely going to set a PR, and would just be going through the motions. Plus twice on the way home yesterday the lights on my car just went out, so I had that worry to deal with – suddenly becoming invisible on a dark country road.

Still, I finally did get up and out into the car. I knew that if I stayed home, I would feel bad as I watched the clock, thinking, right now, I would be swimming or biking or running or crossing the finish line.  I think if I hadn't already pain, I might not have gone.

I didn’t get to Mountain road before my lights went off. I quickly flicked the switch and they came back on. I thought about turning around, but kept on. I was actually wishing they would go off again so I could return home with some semblance of honor instead of disgrace. I kept on, the lights stayed on.

When I got there, I learned they were canceling the swim due to rough water. Some people were leaving because of that. I thought about it, but ended up parking and walking in to the packet pickup. I picked up my packet, and then there I was.

They had us run, what they said would be 1.8 miles, but I think it was shorter. Where they screwed up was the waves got mixed up. I was in the 4th wave and there was supposed to be a fifth wave, but most of the fifth wave went with us, quite possibly the whole wave. I ran slow, taking this as a training run. There were a few people behind me. At least the transition was easy, not having to mess with the wet suit. I went easy on the bike for awhile. What was nice was going in the last wave, and being a slow runner, I don’t think I was passed by two riders the whole way, while I passed many. I had read this great book called “The Rider” the night before about an amateur bike race that was taught me a great deal about what road racing was like. I decided to just turn the jets on and was passing many people. It was a big rush, but admittedly these were not speed demons on tri bikes I was going by. I was a little slow on the run, and was happy to finish. My times in the bike and the run were a little slower than last year, but I wasn’t really going too all out.

Afterwards, I went for a swim. I really think they could have done the swim, but I guess unlike New Jersey they weren’t geared up for the safety aspect of rougher seas.

I am a little sad to be done with triathlon for the year. True, I didn’t train as much as I would have liked, and at most held my own over last year, but I would like one more chance to go all out.

24 Minute Run

Ran my neighborhood route, but was so tired, I missed a turn.  Late afternoon run, hot out, legs weak, short of breath.  Still tired from Saturday swim.

Lake Quassy Swimfest - 3 Mile Swim

Doing the three mile swim at Lake Quassy has been a longstanding goal of mine. The last two years when I did the mile and a half, as I arrived I saw the last of the three milers coming in and thought, damn if I had only done the three mile that would be me coming in now.

So this year it was one of my goal races, along with Litchfield Hills, the Lord of the Flies, the Terramuggus Olympic and the Hartford Half Marathon. I missed out on the Litchfield because I wasn’t fit and only did the Olympic portion of the Lord of the Flies, missed Terramuggus because of last minute family issues. I did not want another goal race to slip past.

I have yet to make it out to West Hill Lake this year, so my only open water swims were the Quassy Mile, the half mile at Niantic and Griskus, and the 600 yard swims at Terramuggus. I did go to cornerstone and in the last two months, managed three one mile swims, two mile and a half swims and one two mile swim. (I get dreadfully bored counting laps, so lately I just swim by time assigning 40 minutes to the mile. After the two mile swim I felt confident I could complete the three mile. I didn’t want to do a three mile in the pool for fear of straining a muscle that would hinder my race.

I admit I had nervousness about the race – nervousness apart from the normal race anxiety. What if suddenly in the middle of the Lake I passed out or just suddenly bonked. I have never done an open water swim more than a mile and a half, if I don’t count the West Hill out and back, which I think is 1.6. I knew I would have the wet suit so I could always stop and float, but its not like biking or running where you can just walk. It’s either swim or be rescued by a kayaker or else dragged up in a dredge. For the first time I had a true what if I drowned fear.

I packed my wet suit and gear in the car the night before, and worked hard to keep myself hydrated. That was another fear. How do you hydrate when you open water swim? I was unaware of any water stops in a lake and it was not like I would have my own support boat.

A couple days before the race my daughter and wife both got respiratory infections, which is a huge fear for me because when I get one they tend to anchor in my chest and can knock me down for weeks and weeks, and set my training back even farther. So I started premedicating myself with Musinex. I made a mistake the day before the race of taking another dose at 2:30 in the afternoon. It kept me up all night with that awake sleep state.

I was one of the first arrivers at the race, which enabled me to rest sleep on the grass prior to the race. The race ended up not going off till 8:20 or so. I was guessing the race would take me 2 hours, but I did not want to still be out there when the 11 o’clock mile and a half race started. They did allow us to put water on a raft at the turn around point so that helped allay my dehydration concerns.

The night before I treated myself to a new pair of goggles and some antifog spray, and they were great. My goggled were awesome for the whole race. No fogging, no water, no scratching view. I swam easy in no hurry. The buoys were well spaced, alternating in color between yellow and red in a straight line. The course is out and back and out and back again in a clock wise fashion. The water was 77 degrees, and unlike the Quassy Mile in June there were many in wet suits.

The first leg out I just took it as a regular swim, three quarters of a mile easy, do it all the time. At the turn point I was glad to see I was not last, although I did see there were only a few people behind me. The next leg was also fairly easy, just doing my mile and a half, feline good. I even had to caution myself to slow down a little as I approach the turn around. No need to race or pass the swimmer in front of me. As I swing by the raft, I grabbed my drink and guzzled, then went right back to swimming. I felt a little queasy as I tried to digest it.

On the third leg which I had though might be the hardest I tried to think about different topics between each buoy, that worked fairly well, my left arm was starting to strain to the point I was a little worried about it, but though t maybe it would just be a matter of not being able to lift it the next day. Once I passed the two mile point, I started to feel more serious fatigue. Swimming around for the home stretch, on what I thought would be a celebratory, I am actually going to finish this race and reach my goal feeling, suddenly became a struggle. I had a hard time concentrating on my chosen topic, and I felt myself drifting off line. I felt some nausea, and a little bit of panic like maybe I won’t make this. I ended up just having to focus on the next buoy. The only thing in my mind became red buoy, red buoy, red buoy, until I reached it and then it was yellow buoy, yellow buoy. Instead of sighting every three strokes, I sighted every other stroke so I could keep my focus on the buoy. Getting closer, getting closer. The only issue I had was the kayakers sometimes positioned themselves in front of the buoys so when I looked up to sight there was suddenly no buoys visible, which was disorienting. Fortunately, the kayakers after several more strokes would drift away and I could focus again on my talisman buoy.

It wasn’t until the last buoy when I could see the finish area that I felt better and increased my stroke. I swam in and fortunately they had two people in the water to offer a hand getting out, which I accepted. I finished in 1:54:56.

It took me awhile to get my wet suit off, but fortunately I didn’t have to hop on the bike. I guzzled warm Gatorade from my backpack and I laid down on my towel for awhile before I felt strong enough to tackle the walk up the steep hill to where the refreshments were.

I don’t know if the 11 o’clock race went off on schedule or not, but I would not have been in shape to do another mile and a half this time. I drank two Gatorades and ate some of the pastries and muffins then went over to the amusement park to meet my family.

Today, my left arm is surprisingly okay, just my neck is somewhat stiff. Before I commit to doing all three next year, I will have to train more.

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