Penn State's mentor group - CLOSED! (Page 44)

PennState - 2010-05-07 1:20 PM Well I just returned from a long ride. 93 miles of wind and epic climbing. I'm beat Long run tomorrow.

dharris13 - 2010-05-07 9:12 PM Just got back from the OWS...very choppy today. good training though for bad condition swimming. Got talked into a triathlon group ride in the AM. Told them in only doing 50ish bc i dont wanna overdo it. Sometimes being so regimented and strict can be tough...

furiousferret - 2010-05-08 1:35 AM I was actually pretty sore today in my legs.  I think yesterdays ride aggravated my tired muscles.  I'm not going to ride till Monday, and probably swim this weekend. 

I have a hike in Joshua Tree tommorow, only 5 miles.  

Who's racing this weekend?  Josh and Kenj?

Good luck guys.

kenj - 2010-05-08 7:28 AM

I took care of my bike issue out here last night!  After looking around at all the local bike shops last weekend and a couple of afternoons this week.  If I was going to buy a bike it was going to be an upgrade over my current road bike (which really wouldn't be difficult), I was really looking for a bargain on a road bike with upper end components.  I found a left over 2009 Trek Madone with Dura Ace for about half off in my size!  I cannot wait to hit the road on it this afternoon or tomorrow (or hopefully both!) 

 

Wooden Bell - 2010-05-08 6:29 AM I'm also using an Xterra Vortex 3 fullsuit.  I haven't tested it out yet, but it feels good on.

The last few days have been pretty sad for training.  We got a warning notice from the mailman that our walkway was too uneven, so we tore it out and have been putting in a new brick walkway.  Also, yesterday was my son's 4th birthday, so we were out and about and will be all over the place this weekend as well (birthday party tomorrow), with relatives staying over.  AND, it's mother's day tomorrow, so we'll be spending the pre-party part of the day with my mother-in-law. 

I start coaching track at school (gr 6-8) on Monday, so I'm going to try to make myself just continue training after the kids go home since I'll already be out.  4 weeks until my duathlon, and 16 or so until my first HIM!

Wooden Bell - 2010-05-08 5:29 AM I'm also using an Xterra Vortex 3 fullsuit.  I haven't tested it out yet, but it feels good on.

The last few days have been pretty sad for training.  We got a warning notice from the mailman that our walkway was too uneven, so we tore it out and have been putting in a new brick walkway.  Also, yesterday was my son's 4th birthday, so we were out and about and will be all over the place this weekend as well (birthday party tomorrow), with relatives staying over.  AND, it's mother's day tomorrow, so we'll be spending the pre-party part of the day with my mother-in-law. 

I start coaching track at school (gr 6-8) on Monday, so I'm going to try to make myself just continue training after the kids go home since I'll already be out.  4 weeks until my duathlon, and 16 or so until my first HIM!

kenj - 2010-05-08 12:06 PM

57:50 in what was close if not the hilliest 10K + (I had it at 6.46) I have ran, certainly the sandiest!  All through the vineyards, very pretty area!  4/14 in age group, 42 over all, not certain of the total.  They were still coming in when we left with 2 hours on the clock.

Fun race and very well run!!

kenj - 2010-05-08 1:06 PM

57:50 in what was close if not the hilliest 10K + (I had it at 6.46) I have ran, certainly the sandiest!  All through the vineyards, very pretty area!  4/14 in age group, 42 over all, not certain of the total.  They were still coming in when we left with 2 hours on the clock.

Fun race and very well run!!

kenj - 2010-05-08 12:06 PM

57:50 in what was close if not the hilliest 10K + (I had it at 6.46) I have ran, certainly the sandiest!  All through the vineyards, very pretty area!  4/14 in age group, 42 over all, not certain of the total.  They were still coming in when we left with 2 hours on the clock.

Fun race and very well run!!

kenj - 2010-05-08 1:06 PM

57:50 in what was close if not the hilliest 10K + (I had it at 6.46) I have ran, certainly the sandiest!  All through the vineyards, very pretty area!  4/14 in age group, 42 over all, not certain of the total.  They were still coming in when we left with 2 hours on the clock.

Fun race and very well run!!

PennState - 2010-05-09 10:37 AM Sounds like a great idea. Is there a masters swim class near you?

Still waiting for the official results to be posted... but the unofficial results printed at the race said my time was 4:55:32!!!!!  I don't have my splits but if that is legit then I am so happy I can't even describe it to you!!!

I had a secret goal that I considered barely possible if everything came together perfectly to go sub 5 (sounds crazy but that would be a 50 minute PR).  When I left the hotel on race morning there were 20mph constant winds with gusts to 30... plus it was HUMID (I sweat a lot).  I went from being nervous to being completely "oh well" and just decided to have fun.  I knew everyone would be b*tching about how choppy the lake was and how hard the bike was going to be and all that.  I love the irony of triathletes who pay thousands of dollars to challenge themselves and suffer and then get all sissified when it's windy or hilly or choppy or hot or whatever.  HTFU people, we're all equally disadvantaged.

I switched my garmin over to HR/time only, and removed my bike computer... something I've been wanting to experiment with for some time but always have big time goals so won't let myself.  With the wind today, I figured what the heck.

So when I felt good I pushed a little harder, and when I felt bad I held back a little more.  I didn't worry about maintaining any paces on the bike or anything... I didn't know what my pace was!  I just road what felt good and backed off if my HR got above 150.  Figured I'd save it for the run.

This was my first race ever racing towards the front of the pack.  I was in the first swim wave.  My swim has really improved recently.  I borrowed Scott-the-dirt-eater's wetsuit and it tested about 10sec faster per 100y in the pool the day before.  I also got passed several minutes into the race by someone from the wave behind me, and determined that I would grab onto his feet and draft him.  I don't know what got into me but I was able to do it and hold on... and it was unbelievable how much faster I was able to go.  I was hurting but it felt so good to be going that fast through the water.  

On the bike I'm used to passing tons of people as a result of my poor swim.  This was different... I probably passed about 10 people on the first lap and I probably got passed by about 20 people.  It was pretty spread out and everyone was cooking along at what felt like a pretty decent pace.  MAN the wind was brutal.  Just brutal.  But I felt good and stuck with my plan.

I was shocked to experience on lap two just how many people among the fasties also make the same mistakes I've seen (and made) in the middle of the pack.  I passed about 30 people in the last 10 miles of the bike.  I remembered some of them BLOWING by me like I was standing still earlier on the bike... now they had obviously blown up and were just hoping it would end... with the wind and the bad pavement showing no mercy... and dreading the fact that they had to run a half marathon afterwards.  I, on the other hand, felt great and was actually looking forward to the run.

I do have my run split... it was 1:38:01... which would have been a stand-alone half marathon PR for me by ~9 minutes.  Again I am so stoked for this.  That even includes forgetting my race belt (I've now done this in 2 races) and having to spend about 40 seconds going back to T2 to retrieve it.  I was passed by 3-4 people on the run, and I passed dozens.  I may have passed a few more than that at the end, but it was impossible to tell because it was a 3 loop course so I was passing hundreds of people by lap 3.  The bottom line is that it was obvious I had paced myself right and saved it for the run, so that despite having a respectable bike time I was just cruising through the hot/humid/windy run while most of the people around me were suffering pretty badly.

4:55:32 was my unofficial finish.  What is so exciting about that is a quick gland to the right will show you my HIM PR from 2008 at Diamondman... a MUCH easier course... was 5:49:45.

JoshKaptur - 2010-05-09 2:13 PM

Thanks to those who have asked about my race!  I'm exhausted but had an amazing day, so I hope you'll forgive me if I just copy what I wrote in my log: