GrooveTime!group - CLOSED!!! (Page 251)

SAquavia - 2010-11-08 1:33 PM

Hey everyone!

Well, 2010 is in the books.

The word for the day was "Average".  LOL:
Division Place:  44/93
Gender Place:  210/434

Swim:  40:22 - tough swim in a way, very easy in another.  Lake Las Vegas is SMALL.  I was commenting to my friend that I expected a real bruiser out there, as there is just no room for 1200 swimmers to work, and I was right.  Could not find open water until the return lap.  Spend most of the first half mile literally cruising at below my preferred pace, as there was just nowhere to go.  In retrospect, I should have gotten to the front of the start line, but as always, I doubt my ability to swim in front.  All in all, it worked well though, as it kept me within myself.  I made the turn at 25 minutes, so had a negative split on the swim.  Mainly because once I made the second turn, I swam on the inside of the buoy for the return leg, away from others.  Added about 100 meters to the swim to get back on course near the end, but was worth the extra distance.

T1:  6:29  Almost a DISASTER.  Low dock that they pulled you onto coming out of the water.  I was feeling so good, I tried to push myself onto the dock with some momentum (think of a seal in a SeaWorld show).  Legs locked badly and cramped.  Hurt like a son-of-a-gun, and I thought I pulled something.  But, managed to get on dry land, and run to T1...which was a LONG way away.  It was about 200 yards to the T1 area, and then you had to run your bike up a carpeted hill with two switchbacks to get to the starting line.  So, a good 2 minutes of T1 was spent running.  LOL. 

Bike:  3:24 - again - put me in the middle of the group - about 6 minutes faster than I had planned on.  Really a tale of two rides.  First 35 miles were hilly, but fast!  Screaming downhills - we were lucky to have fair, cloudless skies with a low UV index.  Mid 60's to low 70's on the bike, and for most of it, very little to no wind so you could get aero and take advantage of the downhill sections.  Felt good on the climbs and did a fair amount of passing (and being passed).  But those Three Sisters - those killed everything.  Was averaging nearly 19 mph heading in to those at around mile 40.  There was just one answer for them.  Find the lowest gear, get out of the saddle, pump the arms and try not to look at the top.  Just keep forcing the peddles down.  On the second and third, a lot of people were walking the bike up the hill.  You had to really pay attention and make sure the person in front of you wasn't going to just stop.  Once over them, we were greeted to a false flat climb into a headwind for 9 miles.  Strained my right quad just above the knee and the right glute on the last sister, and that would cost me on the run.  The mood definitely shifted there. Before, everyone was chirpy and happy.  On that last grade, everyone was quiet, head down and somber.  Averaged about 12 mph from there to the next set of downhills (again, screaming fast) and then into T2 with a last few miles of climbs.  All in all, a very, very tough bike course.  The first 40 miles actually beat you up a bit, but the downhills present a false sense of success and pacing.  The Sisters followed by the false flat really beat you up. 

T2:  4.56 - again, a bit of running to the tent then to the mat.  But good.

Run:  2:18 - I was both happy and not happy with the run.  Fought through some shin/calf issues to start, but the quad and glute was shot and really sang on the hills.  When I was running, I was moving at a pretty good clip, but was forced to stop and walk it out every mile or so.  I got into a rhythm of running to the aid stations, walking through, loading up on gatorade and water, then running again.  But, as the run wore on, the quad and glute started spasming and cramping hard.  So I was soon walking 2x between aid stations.  I estimate my run pace was roughly 8 minute mile pace - so I tried to slow the run down in the hopes of averaging 9 without walking, but the leg/butt would still cramp and spasm.  I got lucky at mile 10.  They had some Endurolytes on the table.  I took three of them, cracked them open, poured the powder into a cup of Gatorade, powered it down and that carried me for the next two miles of solid running.  Ran hard the last .75 miles and actually felt pretty good for the finish. 

So, 6:34 - about what I thought it would be.  In retrospect, my training for this race was sub par - a lot of going through the motions toward the end and that cost me a bit on the run.  I was a bit burned out on the training after Nautica, and it showed in the training, and it showed on the run course.  But, with that said, I'm very pleased with the result and the last race of the season.

Looking back at the race - I think they have a good claim on "the toughest" race.  If they were to turn IMSG into a single loop HIM distance course, I think Silver would be harder.  The Sisters are much more challenging than the "wall" at IMSG.  The run courses are equally brutal, but I think the bike on Silverman is tougher.  Before the race, I was full of bravado, saying that in 2012, I'd do the Silver full.....now I want no part of it!  LOL.

All in all, a good day.  Some very good times of confidence and feeling strong, some times of suffering and wanting to stop, and a good finish that I'm proud of for the season. 

Now, for some R&R - I think I'm gonna have a beer tonight! 

P.S.
For a non-WTC race - they put on a HECK of a good race. Just first class all the way.  Small and intimate, but they took very good care of the racers, great course, great police protection on the roads, awesome aid stations, good volunteers...just a top-notch production all around. 

PPS - Next step: Season post mortem - what to work on for next season....putting the thinking cap on. 

stevebradley - 2010-11-06 10:40 AM
ANNE -

Yikes! I just noticed your post on the bottom of the previous page, the one about Sage and yoga. thank you! But I now owe you responses for about three paost, so my "later" is being extended AND deepened.

I shall return!

thall0672 - 2010-11-07 5:56 PM


Well I managed to win 1st place in my AG at this race, which should give you some idea of the kind of race it was. It was very small scale (in its second year), with maybe 50 runners/walkers (if that). And there were probably only about 10-15 runners; the rest walked it. In fact, I think in my AG for women, I was the only runner. But I'll still take the medal!

But in terms of my progress, I think I did well. There was no real official timing (there was a guy who's a former RD taking times down at the finish line). I think my finish time was 32:00 (forgot my watch so I don't know for sure). This was a 3-miler, so that would put my pace at around 10:40 or so. That's a PR for me. But man, it was COLD! And windy. The race was along the Cape Cod Canal in Sandwich. The temp today was around 45, but with wind chill it had to be 30. Glad I brought along the fleece pullover (which I had considered leaving behind!)

Tracey

stevebradley - 2010-11-09 5:52 PM



TRACEY again -

I think the bottoms of those trail shoes are designed for snow and slippery stuff, yes? And the uppers are not open-mesh like the regular models, yes? So bring winter on -- you're ready for it!!

stevebradley - 2010-11-11 6:20 AM ANNE - No, haven't started yoga yet. Uh, sometime soon? I'm having my own foot problems, which actually started after 9RunRun, I guess. That was the onset of the bunion, and then after an innocent-enough run last Wednesday, BOTH started bothering me -- a combination of metatarsal and incipient neuroma tendencies. NOT GOOD!!! I haven't run since then, and have an appt with my sports doctor for Tuesday evening. I too am wearing my shoes in the house, and for the reasons you do the same.....and if I don't, I share some of your symptoms! I really don't know what brought this all crashing down so suddenly, as I have gone so long without any bothersome foot pain. And what I have is migrating all around, making it kind of hard to address. 90% of it is bottom of the foot, or at least inside-the-foot for the stuff that seems neuroma-ish. I am very unhappy about this.......but am trying to view it as here is my excuse for an off-season, so that's what I'll do. I might try a run today and just see what it all feels like. I have done two days of massive lawn-mowings trying to clear up our "back forty", and I've done that wearing Newtons, and they feel okay - probably better than any other of my shoes. So, that's thta. I'm sure there will be more to follow! And best of luck with the threshold testing today. Ooo-wee! Well, just remember -- the pain feels so good when it stops!

stevebradley - 2010-11-11 6:32 AM ANNE again -  I have no real hope of winning either (unless Steven Smith from Granger, IN, doesn't show......along with a few other real-good guys!),