CCC 2016 Review

The Stats: 48th place; 2:39:17; 25.4 mi; 6'16" per mile; 9.57 mph (all activities)
Run - 4.14 mi; 0:34:05; 8'14" avg. pace; 7.3 mph
Row - 4.14 mi; 1:06:29: 16'04" per mile; 3.7 mph (includes transitions)
Ride - 17.1 mi; 0:58:43; 3'26" per mile; 17.5 mph

Another Capital City Challenge has come and gone. I count this one a success on two accounts: 1) I completed the race without injury and with minimal soreness 2) I considerably improved my bike time. I was a full ten minutes faster on the cycling portion. The kayak continues to disappoint and is merely an equipment issue. If I ever decide I am sick of people leaving me in the dust (er, water) I might shell out the cash for a better kayak. I feel like it might be a waste to get a nicer kayak because I can't currently transport it with my sedan style car and I would not be able to use it consistently.
The key to feeling better this year was training. I cycled early and often during the summer, cycling indoors when the weather was too hot or rainy. Running activity could have started earlier, but ultimately it only takes a few weeks of running to get back into decent shape. I did not have my best running split time, however it was still respectable.
The race gave me a reason to get back into shape and now I hope to continue logging miles throughout the fall. Cycling and running posts to follow.

CCC Training - Part 5

The Stats
Running
9/09: 4.41 mi; 41'51"; 9'29" avg. pace
Cycling
9/06: 11.5 mi; 0:46:55; 14.8 mi/hr
9/08: 12.3 mi; 0:53:24; 13.9 mi/hr

This was the last week of full training before the week of the Challenge. I managed a two-a-day on Sept. 6th with a ride around Kanawha City with Mike in the afternoon. That was followed up with another bike ride on Thursday morning. I decided to ride Lower Donally, which is a soft incline (3%) in a neighborhood in KC. Everything was going well on the climb, then came the descent. A yellow flash sprang out of one homeowner's yard and moved after my back wheel. I heard the owner yell after his dog to come back and started to pedal hard. Unfortunately, I was in a high gear and my pedaling did not outpace the dog at first. A couple construction workers whistled at the dog to try to distract it to no effect. I got into a lower gear and shot down the hill to the bottom. Once I stopped shaking and regained composure, I decided to try to climb Quarry Creek Road and then end the ride. I paced myself very slowly on Quarry Creek. The possibility of reaching the top was tempting, but I started to breathe very heavily and decided it was not worth the effort/soreness. I pulled into a driveway on the right, about a tenth of a mile from the top.
Training could have hit a speed bump as Ashley and I hopped on a plane to Atlanta. But that Friday morning we took the opportunity to visit Stone Mountain and run the five mile route around it. A half mile walk warmed up our legs. We kept the same pace for the first three miles on the rolling course. Then, Ashley walked a little and I went ahead to finish the fourth mile. This was the first time in months I had run at least four miles and I did not do it at the desired 8 minute per mile pace. But, I have hopes that can be accomplished in the race this Saturday.
This week will largely be a "rest" or "prep" week. I plan to run some light miles and get the bike a tune-up. Fresh legs are more important than training hard the week of an event.

CCC Training - Part 4

The Stats
Running
8/30: 3.14 mi; 25'03"; 7'58" avg. pace
9/06: 3.16 mi; 25'16"; 7'59" avg. pace
Cycling
8/31: 18.6 mi; 1:03:56; 17.5 mi/hr; 190 Avg. Watts (T)
                      9/01: 16.7 mi; 1:23:54; 12.0 mi/hr

Last week featured a steady stream of running and cycling Tuesday through Thursday before heading into a long rest break over Labor Day weekend. Tuesday I got out of bed and shook off the cobwebs for a solid 5k distance run. I got caught up in a group run of UC athletes. They finished near the gym construction and the leaders ran a time of about 12 minutes (as I heard their coach tell them), so they couldn't have done much more than two miles. Hence, I didn't feel bad about them passing me at my three mile pace. Plus, ya know, they are athletes on scholarship. I repeated the morning run routine today. It felt considerably less humid this morning - a good sign for the approaching race. I need at least one four-mile run before the Challenge to feel confident in that 8-minute per mile pace.
The persistent 90-degree Fahrenheit heat drove me indoors last Wednesday to cycle on the trainer. I did two loops of the Zwift London Loop course at a good pace. It is hard for me to ride at 200 Watts on the trainer consistently, so getting 190 average Watts for the whole ride was encouraging. Then, Thursday presented much cooler weather for an outdoor ride. I decided to hit the hills hard and did both Job Corps Hill and Mount Alpha to Whispering Woods in the same ride. The Job Corps climb was difficult, so I made sure to stay in a high gear and pace myself until getting near the top. I dropped down four gears and stood up on the pedals once close to the summit. It turned out to be my third best time (11:28) overall on that hill. I dropped down the hill at my quickest pace ever (3:47) and crossed the 35th Street Bridge back to Kanawha City. Mount Alpha was the next stop and I managed to finish the segment to Whispering Woods in my second best time. My descending skills continued to show improvement as I had a PR on the Alpha Descent (2:46). I am a cautious descender to say the least; falling off a mountain is not on my to-do list.
Training will hit another speed bump this weekend as I vacation to Atlanta. The running shoes are coming with me; I am determined to be in good shape come race day. Now if I can just carve out an hour to get in that darn kayak...