Mad Manatee Mentors 2013: CLOSED (exc/ Pop Tart bribes) (Page 269)

WTF?  Most guys go out of their way to "not get caught" - you seem to be a magnet for the few that want to get caught! 

ROTFL!

I want to share some awesome training updates.  Feeling mostly good going into my race in a couple weeks

Saturday - I rode 56 miles in 3 hrs 2 mins.  That's an 18.5 mph average on a ride that included nearly 3,000 feet of elevation gain!  I'm pretty stoked about that pace.  My race has that much gain - but it has almost 5,000 feet of loss.  My local rides gains and losses are equal!  

Sunday - I swam (almost .7 miles) at a 1:39 pace without feeling like I was pushing it at all. 

Sunday - later that day - I went for a 6 mile run.  My legs were still pretty sore from the ride the day before, but check out these splits (per mile): 8:47, 8:38, 7:58, 8:01, 7:54, 7:23.... ON SORE LEGS! Did I mention my legs were sore?  :)

My conservative goal for my 1/2 Ironman is 5:30 - My aggressive goal is 5:15 - My "Holy sh*t" I killed it goal is 5:00 hours.  

I'm feeling pretty good about everything right now as those paces put me right on target to hit my conservative goal (even if I add in transitions).  

I'm trying real hard not to factor in any adrenaline boost I'm sure will come - or the negative 2,000 feet of elevation for the bike course...

Since I lived in Denver for 12 years, I am ignoring the elevation factor (6,224 feet vs sea level where I live).  The one thing that scares me is the heat (probably will be 95+ degree's and I haven't trained a day over 85 this year).  Even with the heat and elevation - I am starting to get really, really excited!  As long as I can hold up on the run - things are looking pretty good.  

We shall see.  

I want to share some awesome training updates.  Feeling mostly good going into my race in a couple weeks

Saturday - I rode 56 miles in 3 hrs 2 mins.  That's an 18.5 mph average on a ride that included nearly 3,000 feet of elevation gain!  I'm pretty stoked about that pace.  My race has that much gain - but it has almost 5,000 feet of loss.  My local rides gains and losses are equal!  

Sunday - I swam (almost .7 miles) at a 1:39 pace without feeling like I was pushing it at all. 

Sunday - later that day - I went for a 6 mile run.  My legs were still pretty sore from the ride the day before, but check out these splits (per mile): 8:47, 8:38, 7:58, 8:01, 7:54, 7:23.... ON SORE LEGS! Did I mention my legs were sore?  

My conservative goal for my 1/2 Ironman is 5:30 - My aggressive goal is 5:15 - My "Holy sh*t" I killed it goal is 5:00 hours.  

I'm feeling pretty good about everything right now as those paces put me right on target to hit my conservative goal (even if I add in transitions).  

I'm trying real hard not to factor in any adrenaline boost I'm sure will come - or the negative 2,000 feet of elevation for the bike course...

Since I lived in Denver for 12 years, I am ignoring the elevation factor (6,224 feet vs sea level where I live).  The one thing that scares me is the heat (probably will be 95+ degree's and I haven't trained a day over 85 this year).  Even with the heat and elevation - I am starting to get really, really excited!  As long as I can hold up on the run - things are looking pretty good.  

We shall see.  

I did the Pacific Crest Oly on Jun 30. 

Swim - 29:40 (.99 miles)

T1 - 4:40

Bike - 1:29:30 (28.75 Miles)

T2 - 3:48

Run - 52:16 (6.1 miles)

Official Finish Time:  3:00:12

Very hot - 5,500 feet of elevation - and very sporadic disorganized training leading up to this event.  

Salty had a past run in with a perv in a car. Evidently, his cousin rides the el in Chicago around 3:00 am.  Some would state that odds like that preface a lotto ticket purchase

If you are ever wondering about the value of Race Reports, I submit that they are more useful then I believed in the past. I am trying to get through a few things right now that are not working well with me, so I went back through my old RR's as a review. Well, the RR's themselves were helpful from a solely analytic perspective. What went well, what did not on race day, where I can improve, what does not work, nutrition strategy, etc. But none of that was as welcome as the support that you have shown in the past year+.  In each of your individual ways, you have helped push me a bit or picked me up when I am down. It was a positive reinforcement for me and I thank you all for that.

If you are ever wondering about the value of Race Reports, I submit that they are more useful then I believed in the past. I am trying to get through a few things right now that are not working well with me, so I went back through my old RR's as a review. Well, the RR's themselves were helpful from a solely analytic perspective. What went well, what did not on race day, where I can improve, what does not work, nutrition strategy, etc. But none of that was as welcome as the support that you have shown in the past year+.  In each of your individual ways, you have helped push me a bit or picked me up when I am down. It was a positive reinforcement for me and I thank you all for that.

If you are ever wondering about the value of Race Reports, I submit that they are more useful then I believed in the past. I am trying to get through a few things right now that are not working well with me, so I went back through my old RR's as a review. Well, the RR's themselves were helpful from a solely analytic perspective. What went well, what did not on race day, where I can improve, what does not work, nutrition strategy, etc. But none of that was as welcome as the support that you have shown in the past year+.  In each of your individual ways, you have helped push me a bit or picked me up when I am down. It was a positive reinforcement for me and I thank you all for that.

How did the elevation affect your performance there? Can you tell between that and the heat?

I also find that reading race reports of prospective races is VERY helpful. I read several (okay all) of the St. George RR yesterday and the variety of reports really helps give an idea of the course challenges.

When I race at elevation, my heart rate and breathing seem to be consistent with training / racing at sea level.  

However, my muscles (especially my quads) seem to fatigue much faster, and I notice that I drink about 3 times the water I normally do when it is over 85 degrees.  I really, really feel it on the run.  

Based on my bodies reaction, combined with the fact I lived in Denver for 12 years, (and I just remembered that I was born, and lived the first 8 years of my life at about about 4,500 feet of elevation) I'm assuming that the bigger issue is the heat.  Does that sound like a safe assumption?  If not - I may have to start training once per week in the mountains.  No way for me to really prepare for the heat - as we just don't get that kind of heat in my neck of the woods.  

Find Bryancd's RR about St George last year.  He changed my style of riding the bike and helped me learn what a mental candy azz I am. A LOT of wind at that race, really brutal conditions and his approach was spot on.

Reading various RR from St George the main take-away is that the conditions are the X-factor more than the hilly ride and run. The weather could be crazy stoopid cold, like 2012, or crazy stoopid hot and mix in crazy wind with either of those extremes. I still think about doing it, but I remembered last night that I am looking at all of these HIMs just DAYS after saying I would try to race closer to home in 2014

I grew up in Denver but after living in Omaha for 6 years I had to re-acclimate to the altitude when we moved to NM.  Likewise, my son, who also grew up in Denver, now lives in SoCal and struggles his first few days at altitude. YMMV but I wouldn't be so quick to discount the effect of elevation.

You put into words what I've been thinking, and you said it much more eloquently than I would have been able to, especially regarding the support.  I know it's been a huge help for me at various times - and I can only hope I've been able to do the same for others on here as well.  

I find not only my own race reports, but other reports from the same race to be helpful, or even the RRs for a race that I'm contemplating.  It's also been a pretty good learning tool - though mainly for what NOT to do so far. 

Ah yes, I forgot to tell you about that. You all up to speed now?

Yeah, it kinda set my mind right on goal setting if I do anything longer than a sprint. Sprints you can sort of get away with time oriented goals, but it seems to me that longer races require a somewhat different way of thinking and planning. 

Race close to home, it makes the sleeping arrangements much easier. Or, race in SW Florida and you can sleep in my kid's empty room

Alright, quite frankly I was a little embarrassed to publish this but SALTY-SHYTE-SHOW

Also, for those of you that don't know, I GOT THE JOB!