Fat Kid to Triathlete - Week 3 (Mike)

Weight:  199.8

Swimming
Short Swim:  .65 mile - 30.41
Long Swim:   .88 mile - 42.40
                   1.53 mile - 1:12.21
Cycling
Short Ride:   13.81 miles - 1:05.39 (Mt. Alpha (2))
Long Ride:   28.39 miles - 1:51.07
                    42.20 miles - 2:56.46
Running
Short Run:     3.34 miles - 0:33.24
Long Run:     0.00 miles - 0:00.00
                    3.34 miles - 0:33.24

Swimming:  I can do it....now I just need to figure out how to do it faster
Cycling:  I said last week that I don't sweat it...now I'm not so sure.  I've done plenty of riding, but 24 miles in a TT is a little more continuous and harder riding than I normally go at it.  Friday's ride left me tired and sore.
Running:  Yeah, it sucks.  Despite my progress, I still struggle to find motivation to get in a good long run on Sunday and my mid week run has gotten cut each of the last two weeks in favor of keeping my short bike ride.  After a week of swimming and cycling, I'm tired and just have to push to get out there.

Week 4 is a week to tapper back, but Weeks 4 and 5 are going to be cut to work obligations....it was bound to happen.

Fat Kid to Triathlete - Week 2 (Mike)

Weight: 200.0

Swimming
Short Swim:  .57 mile - 27.01
Long Swim:   .85 mile - 40.45
                   1.42 mile - 1:07.46
Cycling
Short Ride:    9.48 miles - 0:42.34 (Job Corps)
Long Ride:   23.88 miles - 1:34.55
                    33.36 miles - 2:17.29
Running
Short Run:     2.21 miles - 0:21.12
Long Run:     0.00 miles - 0:00.00
                    2.21 miles - 0:21.12

Yes, I've lost 8lbs since prior to the Capital City Challenge Tri, but do I really look that much different?  People keep telling me how good I look, but its not like losing 8lbs cured me of leprosy or anything...  The trip to Pittsburgh last weekend for the Great Race 10k pushed everything back a day and left me with the decision to either skip my short run or long run.  I decided to start moving today and make my decision on the fly.  Colder weather and foot pain helped make it an easy decision.  I try to be better at something every day in life in general, but also in training....some days that just means resting and taking care of my feet.  I've gotten better every day - its been a great start.  And I've held up pretty well the first two weeks until dealing with a little foot pain this weekend.  So, I've spent plenty of time icing and wearing my splints so hopefully next week will be fine.  I don't sweat the cycling.  I've shown a lot of progress in swimming.  Running sucks.  Do work.

Pittsburgh and The Great Race - Review

PTR spent last weekend travelling north to Pittsburgh for the Great Race 10k. This is the least I have prepared for a race in recent memory. Letting the leg heal had been my first priority after running the Parkersburg Half.
Mike and I got into town Saturday afternoon and picked up Mary to fetch our race packets. The traffic was fairly heavy, and navigating the South Side proved too much a task for me. After lunch, we met up with Emily at the Renaissance Hotel on 6th St. Accessing our rooms on the mysterious 12th floor proved arduous. Once that was completed a pre-dinner nap was necessary to recover from the drive. Honorary PTR members Stacey and Jess met up with us for dinner in a square not far from the hotel. We enjoyed an impromptu rap concert while dining outside at Diamond Market Bar and Grill. Perhaps foolishly, I chomped on some ribs for my pre race dinner. I care not; with full stomachs we strolled back to the hotel for a good night's rest. Or so we intended. The freaking Pirates decided to blow every last firework in the Zambelli Brothers inventory in an hour and a half long fireworks display that ended around midnight. Not the best recipe for the evening before a race.
Undaunted, we woke up and did our morning race routine. A long shuttle line led us to the starting line in Frick Park where porta-john stops were taken. We got a before race picture to remember the time we thought this would be a good idea.

Thumbs up, let's do this!

Morning-of jitters over, I jogged to loosen up the muscles a little. Then, we settled into a starting position somewhere in the middle the 8,000 odd racers. Once the race started it took us about four minutes to reach the start line. The crowds were similar to those we faced in Richmond and Atlanta at the Monument Ave 10k and the Peachtree 10k, respectively. Weaving in and out of racers was a race long issue. I used the sidewalk extensively in the first two miles, and narrowly avoided landing on someone running on the street when merging back into traffic. Within the first mile, I could tell I had re-aggravated the torn cartilage in my right leg. However, it was difficult to tell how hurt I was at the time. I continued running but tried to alter my gait so as to minimize the pain.
The course itself was nice and scenic. It rolled, but featured mainly downhill sections from start to finish. The first half proved the easiest in terms of elevation. Once we reached the Boulevard of the Allies, the heavens opened. Rain started casually at first, but it intensified as I looked down off the bridge and at the Monongahela River. Miles 5 to 6 were the toughest in terms of elevation. My pace dragged significantly, though the aching leg and side stitches might have contributed to that as well. Below is a race map and my split times.

Keep rolling, rolling, rolling.

Third Mile Lucky

Soggy, injured, and a bit delirious I crossed the finish line with a chip time of 48'32". That was 3 minutes off my Cleveland time, but I was just happy to finish this one. Mike posted an all time best at seconds over an hour. All our times are listed below.

        

After a shower and slight rest we went out (I hobbled) for brunch. We lucked out by finding an interesting and delicious spot called Nola on the Square, which specializes in New Orleans style fare. Beignets, french toast, steak and eggs, fried chicken, etc. were what I can recall of the food. It was all enough to send Mike and I into a deep slumber back at the hotel. We rested up for a dinner that felt like another good call. Meat and Potatoes didn't seem to feature much of the latter, but still didn't disappoint. Lamb, flatbreads, burgers, and pasta filled us up and perhaps more than replenished the race calories. It was a tasty end to a rainy weekend in downtown Pittsburgh and one of the largest 10k races we've participated in to date. We came, we saw, we participated.
My stupidity will likely make this the end of a busy race year. It started fast and furious for me, but has ended with a deafening whimper. To avoid permanent injury I'll put the Nike's on the shelf for 2012 and stare longingly out the window like a dog whining for a walk. Boo-hoo, pity party, etc. Oh well, at least there are fall festivities and the holiday season to come.

Fat Kid to Triathlete - Week 1 (Mike)

Weight: 206.4

Swimming
Short Swim:  1/2 mile - 23.26
Long Swim:   3/4 mile - 38.26
                   1.25 mile - 1:01.52
Cycling
Short Ride:   13.71 miles - 1:00.18 (Mt. Alpha)
Long Ride:   20.50 miles - 1:24.50
                    34.21 miles - 2:25.08
Running
Short Run:     1.81 miles - 18.05
Long Run:     6.28 miles - 1:00.34 (Great Race 10k)
                    8.09 miles - 1:18.39

Since my 400lb bench press days, I've dropped about 24lbs of body weight.  Everything was still a struggle until dropping under 210, but this week was full of new personal best results.  Yes, I am exhausted, but completing this first week is very encouraging.  At this point, I can complete each leg of a tri individually (except maybe the swim), but need to work on piecing it all together.  My swim times need to come down and that will be the greatest challenge....I also can't hardly imaging doing the 10k run I did today after a .9 mile swim and 24 mile bike.  But, time and a chip on my shoulder are all I need.  And staying injury free.

Injury and Healing

Well it's been a long time since running the Parkersburg Half. I have not filled that time with running. Why, you might ask? The diagnose came about three weeks ago from a family physician that I tore some cartilage between the tibia and fibula of my right leg. That's what inadequate training prior to a long run, like a half marathon, gets you. I've spent most of September on the couch or out walking the neighborhood, wishing I was one of a handful of people I see running the sidewalks. I even had to sit out the 2012 Capital City Challenge that I help promote with a great race committee.
But no more! With the Pittsburgh Great Race on the horizon I felt it was time to test the leg. It held up reasonably well to a three miler last night (9/24). This lends hope to completing the 10k come Sunday. Mike has been triathlon training and will incorporate the race into his regiment. Here's hoping the rest of the Harmon clan and company are ready for the weekend. With injuries overcome/averted it should be a blessed weekend of exercise, entertainment, and food.
Andiamo!

Parkersburg Half Marathon - Review

As improbable as it may have been, I managed to finish the Parkersburg Half last Saturday without walking. A consistent, steady pace helped me overcome a lack of preparation, and I was able to trump my only other half marathon experience from two years ago in the Marshall University Half Marathon. Back in November 2010, I was confident in my training and let out of the gate at my normal 10k pace. This proved disastrous late in the race when I pulled up and walked the entirety of mile 12. That was a mistake I wisely avoided this time around.
Though I missed out on crucial training, I made sure that the day before race day went by the book. This consisted of filling up at the pasta dinner and getting a solid nine hours of shut eye. I booked a hotel just north of town to avoid driving an hour and half from Charleston the morning of the race. That was the best decision I could have made. For breakfast I downed a Powerbar two hours before the start. Then, I jogged around the hotel room to loosen up a bit (weird, I know). I packed up and drove down to the start where I was greeted by the Parkersburg High band (I'm assuming).
Then, it was race time. The weather was a beautiful mid-60s with overcast skies. I began at a trot and only slowly passed those in my vicinity. I used the Nike+ GPS app on my phone to track the run, which started fairly accurately, but wound up overestimating my distance by a mile at the end of the race. The first three miles felt great. I kept my pace steady and enjoyed the views, crossing a bridge to leave downtown and hit more rural scenery. I was warned by locals the night before that there wasn't much to see along the course. While true, at least it wasn't an ugly looking route.
After two miles right at an 8'40" pace, I dropped to 9'17" on mile three due to some inclines. I polished off the first 10k around 55 minutes. My mantra during this section was "save it for the back half". I felt like I could easily pick up the pace, but again, I didn't want to commit the error of overestimating my endurance. By the time I entered the 7-10 mile range my mantra changed to "save it for the home stretch."
After mile 10, I hit the proverbially wall. The feeling is almost indescribable, but I'll give it a go. No single muscle, bone, or joint aches, but the body itself hurts. Your brain thumps away. Your mouth is dry and stomach empty, but you don't want food. All you want is to stop. That's where the kind organizers of this race decided to stick a steep incline. On mile 12 you run for less than 0.2 miles up a hill that stopped at least half of the people I was running with. It reduced much of the field to walking. Somehow I managed to summit it. After doing so, I knew I had to drag my limp corpse all the way to the finish.
Even after that, I did want to walk, but made it to a straight-away where I could see the finish line. It's common sense that you can't pull up in sight of the finish line. But neither could I gas it up for a dramatic finish. A couple hot shots behind me decided to do that and sprinted past me at the line. Whatever guys. Enjoy the added soreness from taking 299th place instead of 300th. Groggily, I walked forward and was donned with my finishers medal.
Then came the best part of the day. I shuffled to a small leafy area with stone seating and chugged a water and some Powerbar gel. Sitting there reflecting on what I just did and knowing that somewhere people were rolling over in their beds sleeping the morning away felt pretty sweet. Without serious training I had ran thirteen miles nonstop.
Here's how ugly I looked after 13 sweaty miles:

Get the stretcher ready

My final stats for the run were as follows:

Distance - 13.1 miles. Net time - 1:54:30. Avg. pace - 8:44/mile.

Parkersburg Half, Hope or Delusion?

I remarked a couple weeks ago that I signed up to run the Parkersburg Half Marathon on August 18, 2012. Back then, I probably figured there was enough time to run a few 10ks and maybe a longer 8-10 miler. Alas, sickness laid me on the couch for the entirety of last week. Not a single mile was logged. When training for the Charleston Distance Run in previous years I went to great efforts to prepare. I ran the Corridor G hill numerous times, slowed my pace, adjusted to the late summer heat. This race will enjoy no such preparation. My only hope is that rest has refreshed my legs and they will be able to endure the physical strain. It is likely that this hope is unjustified. I trotted out a comfortable 5 miler yesterday and felt well enough. Then, I remembered just how daunting it would be to trek an extra 8 miles, with uphill sections. Apparently the toughest hill at the Parkersburg Half is at mile 11. Why anyone would subject runners to such misery late in a race is beyond reason. This may very well turn into a dual event for me: a 10k run and a 10k walk. At least then I'll be able to enjoy lovely Parkersburg, WV on a mild summer morning.
Race week preparation always stumps me. It's difficult to know how much I should push for a little more training and what is merely opening me up to injury. For this race though more preparation seems little better than folly. I've already gotten this deep without doing the necessary work. I'll likely take the pain come Saturday and then rest up for the remainder of August.