Spin, Run, Golf

The Stats
5/29: 2.0 mi; 15'36"; 7'44" avg. pace
6/12: 3.1 mi; 23'46"; 7'36" avg. pace
6/19: 3.1 mi; 23'33"; 7'32" avg. pace
Cycling
5/15: 11.2 mi; 0:57:46; 11.6 mph; 608 ft. climbed
                     5/19: 14.3 mi; 0:53:54; 16.0 mph; 696 ft. climbed
                     5/20: 21.2 mi; 1:15:39; 16.9 mph; flat
                     5/22: 28.7 mi; 1:48:32; 15.9 mph; flat
                     6/01: 11.5 mi; 0:44:15; 15.6 mph; flat
                     6/10: 14.2 mi; 0:54:18; 15.8 mph; 805 ft. climbed
                     6/17: 14.3 mi; 0:54:50; 15.7 mph; 805 ft. climbed

It has been a busy end to my Spring workout season. As you can tell, my running has slacked off from the frequency I had during the winter. A combination of increased cycling and golfing activity has cut into my 5k training program. However, despite that break in focus, my running times are still solid. I have been running near 7'30" per mile in the Spring heat, with temperatures hitting 90 degrees, so I am fairly pleased with keeping that shape. I will try to refocus on the training program proper, with interval runs and hill runs, but it would help to have a few races to motivate that activity. Ashley and I will be running a 4-miler on July 4th, 'cause ya know, America. But after that we do not have future races planned.
Meanwhile, cycling activity and form has blossomed this season. On May 15, I posted my second best time on the Job Corps climb (10:41). Then, on the May 19, I went for a ride before a storm system passed through and managed to set a PR on Mount Alpha to Whispering Woods (14:15) and the shorter segment of Alpha to Beta Lane (7:03). The next two rides I tried to expand on my distance a little and rode over 20 miles both times. The ride on May 22 saw me puncture a back tire within 100 meters of my house - certainly a bummer, but I could have been stranded in worse places. My bike felt a little sluggish after that, as I replaced some old brake pads and may have put the chain back on the cassette in the wrong gear. Still, I managed to figure something out and get back to the climbing by the middle of June. I revisited Alpha on June 10 and set new PRs for both segments again! I did the same route a week later and lowered my best time on Mount Alpha to Beta Lane to 6:47.
I think I have figured out how to successfully ride hills and improve my times. I used to pick spots on a climb where I would stand up on the pedals to increase my speed. Now, I can tell how that takes a whole lot of energy out of me. It seems I am much faster riding a consistently faster pace for an entire hill section. My muscles are in good enough shape that I can ride Alpha without using my easiest gear, despite 8%-10% inclines. Basically, I am kind of excited about this.
July should feature plenty more cycling - it will be Tour de France month, after all. I will certainly mix in some running with a few beach runs at the end of the month. And I look forward to my first race in a few months on the Fourth of July. I will recap all that and maybe more at the end of next month.

Spring Break 2017

The Stats
4/17: 3.1 mi; 24'05"; 7'36" avg pace
4/18: 3.1 mi; 23'59"; 7'35" avg pace
5/01: 3.1 mi; 24'09"; 7'39" avg pace
5/08: 5.1 mi; 42'47"; 8'16" avg pace
Cycling
                      4/12: 8.3 mi; 0:38:10; 13.2 mph; 570 ft climbed
                      5/03: 11.3 mi; 0:45:05; 15.1 mph; flat
                      5/07: 13.1 mi; 0:37:31 (Zwift - indoor ride)
                      5/10: 15.7 mi; 1:05:15; 14.5 mph; 696 ft climbed

It has been a busy spring so far. Ashley and I took a trip to California and Napa Valley in the last week of April for our anniversary. Before that, I was focusing on running and getting my 5k times faster. This is a larger goal for the entire year. Still, I like to mix in a good number of bike rides to keep both skill sets up to par. The first three runs listed on this post were relatively flat; two of them were straight-forward runs and one was an interval run that combined sprinting and jogging. The longer run left the flat ground and climbed up the Carriage Trail. I dodged dogs and their owners up to the old Sunrise mansion and came back down to the South Side Bridge via Bridge Road. Running more hills is part of the strategy behind increasing 5k and 10k speed, so I will likely be visiting Carriage Trail often in the coming months.
The cycling goals are concentrated on better hill climbing and longer rides. I would love to be able to get a 100 kilometer ride under my belt. That will take time building up endurance and getting used to being saddle sore. I am more accustomed with making it the local hills. My ride on May 10th was going well as I climbed up Mount Alpha, but it came to a bumpy end when my front tube punctured at the top of the hill. After twenty minutes of unsuccessfully changing the tube, a good citizen pulled over and helped me get the tire back on the rim before giving me a lift home. My next ride focused on the flats, as I did the Kanawha City bike route after work, a familiar if somewhat boring ride. Rain pushed me inside for the next ride, but I was happy to revisit the Zwift software and log another ride on it. I had to update my software because it had been two months since I last road indoors. Once the clouds cleared up a couple days later, I road Mount Alpha again and not only made it up without a puncture, but also set a PR on the Strava segment that ends at Whispering Woods Rd.
It will be interesting to see if I can improve both cycling and running times in the next month. I think a good goal will be to two runs and two rides each week (leaving some room for golfing). The temperatures are about to increase dramatically, so it is time to break out the sunscreen and get ready to sweat.

UC 5k Double Take

Matt - Place: 16; Net time: 22:08; Avg. pace: 7:08/mi

I was not expecting a chilly morning like we had two weeks prior to this race in the Foxtrot 5k, but that is what we got. After huddling inside UC's new Innovation Center for half an hour it felt downright frigid outside. It's no wonder that my first mile split in this race was the fastest at 7:02. I warmed up, and tired out, in that first mile. As I reached the 29th Street intersection on Frontage Road, a car pulled up to the crossing. It rolled to the intersection and then accelerated right next to two runners in front of me! We yelled and screamed at the woman driving who was either half-asleep, drunk, or incompetent (Oxford commas rule).
Shaking off that near catastrophic sight, I huffed and puffed down Virginia Ave to the turn-around point. Our friend Scott was about 50 meters behind me, and we encouraged each other to keep pushing it. Fatigue caught up with me and I slowed down on the back half of the race. My second and third mile splits were 7:17 and 7:30, respectively. This put me on the UC lawn and near the finish around the 22 minute mark. Both of my GPS apps counted the distance at around 3.05 miles, so this race was about one-tenth of a mile short of a full 5k. Nonetheless, it was my fastest pace in a long time and made for a happy start to the weekend. Below are a few pictures from the event.

UC 5k 2017

Ashley - Place: 49; Net Time: 27:24; Avg. pace: 8:49/mi

Matt and I decided to start our April with a 5k that conveniently started about a block from our house. While I’ve kept up a decent work-out schedule for a while, I admittedly have not been running much, so I didn’t have high expectations when we ran our first 5k of the season a couple weeks ago (you can read about Matt’s experience at the Fox Trot 5k.) Surprisingly I had a pretty good time (28:33) which gave me a little confidence to run the race on Saturday.

Since the race was essentially in our back yard, we know the route well and it is a frequent weekend run course for us. Although we’re a few weeks into spring, the morning started out cold (around 45 degrees) and there was a rainy mist in the air. We met up with a friend before the start and impatiently waited for gun time. Looking around I feared that I would be toward the back of the pack since there weren’t a lot of runners.

Once the race started I tried to keep a respectable yet cautious pace to make sure I didn’t waste too much energy up front. I saw Matt and our friend Scott quickly make it out toward the front and the distance between us increased steadily. At the first mile my Nike app alerted me of a sub-9 minute pace, unusually quick for me, but I tried to keep that pace up for the remainder of the race.

There were tons of race volunteers cheering us on along the way, which was a nice touch. As I neared the halfway point I started to think I might be able to keep up my pace and potentially get a personal record. My favorite song from Hamilton, “The Schuyler Sisters” came through my earbuds at a critical 2 mile point and helped motivate me to the finish.

I picked up the pace in the last tenth of a mile and finished with a time of 27:24 – a new record for me! I caught up with Matt and Scott, who finished within 20 seconds of each other, and both set new PRs!

Now we’re scouting out the next local 5k to run to keep us in shape, and the next 10k for team PTR.

Foxtrot 5k 2017

Matt -     Place: 11; Net Time: 22:59.3; Avg. pace: 7:25/mi
Ashley -  Place: 36; Net Time: 28:33.4; Avg. pace: 9:13/mi
Mike -     Place: 64; Net Time: 34:36.1; Avg. pace: 11:09/mi

A mid-March 5k race is quite unpredictable. Not only can the weather range from sunny and mid-60s to rainy and low 40s, it can do that in the same day. This time of year is also the first race most of us have done since winter fell. Creaking joints and blurry eyes still managed to make it to the start line outside of the Capitol Market the day after St. Patrick's Day. It had rained a lot in the pre-dawn hours leaving the pavement slick. The temperatures hovered in the 40-45 degree range depending on whether the sun was peaking out through the clouds. Mike, Ashley, and I got to the start line and noticed that not too many runners were toeing said line. I moved up immediately in order to not get caught behind any walkers. Apparently, this race was not going to be crowded with speedsters. Mike and Ashley both moved up behind me a couple minutes before the gun sounded.

As usual, the anticipation to start running was high and it felt like we waited an hour to get moving. The gun finally sounded and I happily half-sprinted the first few hundred meters, shaking off the cold. Wet roads mostly did not affect my stride. The first half mile was pancake flat, then we hit a short uphill stint on Chilton Street which connected the route to Piedmont Road. That small hill broke up my pace and got me breathing heavy. The one-mile-mark was hit behind Laidley Field and I finished that first split in about 7:10. That was a little too fast given that the back half would be slightly uphill on the same stretch next to Laidley Field.
I hit the halfway mark behind the Capitol, where I ran around an older gentleman race volunteer who runners were treating like a cone. My first 1.5 miles was right about the same 7:10 pace I had on the first mile. All that was left was to return on the same roads that led to the Capitol. The second mile was completed, again, behind Laidley; my pace had slowed down to about 7:30 for this split. I battled to keep a decent pace on the slight uphill stretch. Then, I hit Chilton Street again and coasted downhill for 100 meters or so. My pace slowed down again on the flats. Once I hit Smith Street though, I was able to muster a three-quarters sprint to the finish line. I could see the clock ticking up towards 23:00 at the finish and tried my best to beat that mark. I missed it by two seconds but thankfully my net time was seven-hundredths of a second below it. Talk about cutting it close.

The cool down period took a solid minute. I grabbed a couple waters and returned to the finish line to get a few photos of Ashley's finish. She ran to the finish all smiles, hands in the air.

Mike had some knee pain and was admittedly not in his running shape yet this year. He still had a nice sprint to the finish line though.

We finished and waited around for a while. With such a small field of runners we anticipated that Ashley or I may have placed in our age groups. Little did we suspect that we both placed first in our age groups. That is a PTR first, no doubt. Mike scolded us for betraying the essence of participation trophy running, which we deserved. With dined over the good news at First Watch.
With our first race of 2017 in the books we look forward to more fun on the roads this Spring.

Warm Winter for Running

The Stats
02/01/17: 3.16 mi; 25'33"; 8'04" avg. pace
02/05/17: 3.16 mi; 24'05"; 7'37" avg. pace
02/06/17: 4.84 mi; 42'19"; 8'44" avg. pace
02/13/17: 3.12 mi; 24'45"; 7'56" avg. pace
02/20/17: 3.12 mi; 22'43"; 7'17" avg. pace
                      02/22/17: 2.92 mi; 34'57"; 11'57" avg. pace (hill intervals)
                      02/27/17: 3.11 mi; 23'34"; 7'34" avg. pace

February started with a nice day for running and I took advantage of it. That run was a 5k interval training effort with five, fast paced segments and jogging in between them. Four days later, on Super Bowl Sunday, I ran another 5k at a constant pace. I almost finished that one under the 24-minute mark and neared 7'30" miles on average. It was not quite as exciting as the game that night, but it did justify a lot of game time snacking. The next day I decided to do a longer run with hills. I had never ran on the Carriage Trail next to Bridge Road, so I decided to jog down MacCorkle before ascending it. It certainly reduced me to a slow pace and had me sucking plenty of wind. I hit the trail summit and snapped a quick picture on the way down.

To get a bit more hill training, I jogged less than a quarter mile up Bridge Road before returning to MacCorkle Ave. On the way home, I got hit with acute stomach pain. My lower intestines were bouncing around and screaming at me to get home. I managed to keep jogging to reduce the time spent in pain though it probably did not help the intensity of the pain. I hadn't had a bad running experience with stomach issues like that for a while. Let's hope it was an aberration.
The weather intervened for the next week with only a short bike ride on Feb. 11th allowing me to get outside. The next Monday I did manage to run another 5k interval. I got my time down to under eight-minute miles for that effort. Then, another week passed before I could hit the pavement again. But the rest may have been behind my awesome pace on Feb. 20th. With temperatures in the mid-60s, I ran a 5k that day under 23 minutes. I was shocked at how much I had improved in only a month of training. Two days later, I decided to do a "long hill sprints" exercise. I ran up the Carriage Trail for one minute and noted my stopping point. After jogging back down hill and recovering, I did five more sprint efforts up the hill, ending at the same point each time. The result was 557 vertical feet of climbing and some sore legs.
The next day, I took a break from running and went on a bike ride. I decided to test out Mount Alpha for the first time this year. To my surprise, I recorded my best time on the "Mt Alpha to Whispering Woods" segment according to Strava. I had trouble with my easiest gear at the beginning of the hill and that caused me to stand up on the pedals and work harder. I still didn't think it would be my best time but you never know until you look at the results.

My last run of the month was a little sobering, but still very promising. In colder weather I could not match the 7'17" avg. pace for a 5k that I ran earlier in the month. Still, I toughed out a 5k at 23'34" which is a good pace. I am well on my way to running a 5k under 22 minutes. It will take a couple more months, better weather, and good training. Eyes on the prize.

2017 Off to a Sprint, 5k Training

The Stats
01/02/17: 3.17 mi; 24'51"; 7'49" avg pace
01/16/17: 3.16 mi; 25'03"; 7'55" avg pace
01/18/17: 3.18 mi; 26'08"; 8'17" avg pace
01/19/17: 5.01 mi; 41'46"; 8'19" avg pace
01/23/17: 1.37 mi; 20'23"; 14'48" avg pace (hill sprints)
                      01/24/17: 3.11 mi; 24'33"; 7'53" avg pace

The new year got off to a good start for running with an unseasonably warm day on Jan. 2nd. I took advantage of the day off and managed an afternoon run between watching bowl games (how about that Rose Bowl?). I was happy with the sub 8-minute-mile pace and put it down to the weather and being in decent shape. Colder weather over the next two weeks kept me inside on the bike trainer.
My next running effort was another 5k around the block on a cloudy Monday after work. The pace was about the same, solid but not great. This got me thinking about my running training in general. For the past few years I have exercised without a real goal in mind aside from staying fit and keeping my weight under control. I decided it would be more interesting, fun, and ultimately healthy to adopt a running goal. Mine is simple: I want to run a 5k in under 21:45, that would average a sub 7-minute mile average pace. A very helpful article in Runners' World by a long-time coach, turned me onto some exercises designed to improve stride, endurance, and sprint speed. I found it convincing and decided to adopt his regiment to the best of my ability and scheduling availability.
The next run on Jan. 18 was a 5k interval run. I would alternate between jogging and running at my optimal 5k pace. I ran 5 5k segments at about a 7-minute per mile pace. The jogging recovery pace was much slower at about 9:10 per mile. The next day, I ran a 5-miler, as that coach suggests mixing in some medium and longer distance runs to aid endurance. It's always helpful to be able to run farther than you actually have to in any given race. To start the following week, I ran short and steep hill intervals from the base of Bridge Road. I would sprint up the road about 300 meters and recover on the walk back down to the bridge. Eight of those at a sprint pace under six minutes per mile on a windy day had me sucking for wind. The hill sprints are supposed to help make the running stride more efficient (longer, quicker strides) while toning the fast-twitch muscle fibers.
I finished off the month with a regular 'ole 5k run. I was able to hit around a 7:10 pace three times during the run, but I still ended up with a similar overall pace to runs at the beginning of the month. Still, I am looking forward to the quicker times and better runs that I feel confident will result from a more focused running training program. I'll post that progress at the end of February. Until then, happy running!

Cold Weather Running

The Stats
12/05: 3.17 mi; 27'15"; 8'35" avg. pace
12/07: 5.01 mi; 43'02"; 8'35" avg. pace
12/08: 3.50 mi; 30'07"; 8'35" avg. pace
12/12: 6.23 mi; 54'32"; 8'45" avg. pace
12/13: 5.10 mi; 44'38"; 8'44" avg. pace
                     12/28: 3.16 mi; 25'34"; 8'05" avg. pace

As the weather turned colder, I ran the most miles of any month in 2016. This was due in large part to a heavier load on the bike during the summer and fall this year. Also, I entered a Brooks' Running challenge on Strava that required participants to run six hours over a twelve day period. I failed to complete the challenge (the randomly chosen finishers got a pair of shoes), but I still got out and ran on days that I usually write-off as "too cold." My pace was considerably slower, as I had an incentive to spend more time running. My right knee was getting over some joint stiffness as well, which kept me about 30 seconds below my long-run-average per mile pace. I was particularly pleased with the 10k distance on 12/12, half of which occurred in the dark; it was like a running neighborhood Christmas lights tour through Kanawha City. The lights reflecting off the river kept me distracted from the intermittent knee and muscle pains.
I managed seven workouts on the indoor bike trainer in December, including my first few races on Zwift. The races are categorized by Watts per kilogram (W/kg), i.e. how much power you exert and given how much you weigh. I usually ride in the 2.7 - 3.4 W/kg range, which puts me in the C-grade on races. The categories go from 'A' being the fastest to 'D' being the slowest. My old trainer may be holding back my results, but I also could simply be weaker than a lot of the serious riders on Zwift. Shelling out $500-$600 on a new trainer is not exactly appealing right now.
It was satisfying to finish the year with a solid month of running. I have found that running is the best cardio exercise when it comes to controlling weight and full-body shape. A goal for 2017 will be to better balance cycling and running to optimize overall health. With the addition of a pull-up bar to my home gym in the basement, I should have some upper body strength soon to boot.