Columbia Triathlon Race Report

It’s been over a month since this race so just writing this now will test my memory. Race morning brought cloudy skies and light rain. After setting up my transition area, I headed to the MMTC tent to chill before my swim start. I chatted with some folks and looked around for fellow 40-44 M age groupers. Chip? Nope, he’s over 45 now and he hasn’t raced Columbia the past couple of years. Jellyfish? Nope, word was he’d become a duathlete. Oh well, into the water I went alone.

Swim - I was curious how I would do since I’d been in the pool about a dozen times before the race. I went out nice and easy and stayed out of the heavy traffice. After a couple of turns, I tried to catch on some feet and draft. It worked twice for a few minutes. At one point I remember thinking that I was having a very relaxing swim and wondered if that was bad in terms of time.

Out of the water in 26:38, only 3 seconds off my fastest swim of my 6 previous Columbia races. T1 was uneventful but I realized it had started to rain again. Oh well, it is what it is.

Bike – I didn’t like the rain but was determined to enjoy this race and not let it bother me. The rain stopped after 20 minutes but the roads were very wet. Just before the halfway point, on a tricky descent, I second-guessed my cautious approach to the wet roads. Until I saw two people helping to pull a guy out of the trees as his bike lie on the road. Then I knew I was better off. And then I heard noises with my bike. Hmmmm. After a few minutes I determined it was my rear wheel but didn’t know what was wrong. It caused me to back off a bit, though I don’t know why. If something was going to break, I’m sure it would have happened at any speed.

On the return to the park, I thought I was having an awful ride in terms of time and I thought I might have my slowest Columbia race yet. And that would definitely affect whether or not I was having fun. But my bike computer wasn’t working so I was basing it on my watch split time. I pushed it in the final 5-10 miles hoping to salvage a decent bike split. And then I saw the family in their traditional spot just before the park along Rte 108. T1 and bike times were combined in the results but by my watch my bike time was 1:22ish which was about 5 minutes off my times in recent years but not my slowest.

T2 was pretty fast but the race organizers didn’t do our AG any favors with our spot.

Run - As always, I try to calculate how much time I have to run to meet my goals. For this race the goals were simple: 1) Finish, 2) Have fun, and 3) beat 2:47:43 (previous slowest time).

My mind calculates that I need to run a 55 minute 10K to avoid setting a new slowest time. So I set out at a comfortable pace, well as comfortably as one can run after riding 25+ miles when one only does one brick workout in training for this race. Uh oh. I figure 9 minute miles for the first 5 miles will do the trick. And I’m just below that for the first 3-4 miles, chugging up each hill, determined to get to the 5th mile marker. But just after 4 miles I start struggling to hold that pace. I tell myself that if I can just get to mile 4.5 and hit the nice downhill before the park I’ll be fine. Still trying to have fun but the 3rd goal is in jeopardy. Up the final hill to mile 5 and more mind calculations.

Back downhill to the lake. Time to push it. Around the lake and toward mile 6 with the mind working overtime in efforts to calculate remaining distance and time. And there is mile marker 6. Hot damn! Just .2 to go and I’m done! Around the bend, slapping hands with one son as I crusie to the finish. On this day, all goals are accomplished. Maybe next year I’ll train enough to shoot for a new PR.

Time 2:46:48 92/222 M 40-44
Swim 78/222 26:38
Bike plus T1 92/222 1:25:49
T2 26/222 1:41
Run 115/222 52:42 8:29 pace

Racing for Fun? In the Rain?

The Columbia Triathlon is two days away. And given that my training this year has been less than stellar, not to mention less than normal for me, and given what I wrote after last year’s race , “…Looking at my watch during the final half mile, I suddenly think I have a shot at 2:39:xx, a time that has been my ultimate goal for about 3 years. I tell myself that if I push hard enough I might be able to reach it. And if I do…well, that just may be the best I could ever do on this course and I’ll never have to worry about racing it hard again.”, I suppose I have no choice but to race for “fun” this year. That’s hard to do. I’ve done it before, especially during the 2007 Challenge but it’s still hard when you’re competitive with yourself. But add in the forecasted rain and I think I have no choice and can eliminate any pressure to do well (for me).

But still, I don’t want it to be my worst time at Columbia.

Adjusting to the Curveball

So a week before the National Marathon I got sick. And stayed that way for over two weeks. There went the training and the hope for a PR. And then came the attempt to regain my running fitness. Only that was harder than I thought it would be. Still I tried to get the long run back up to a distance that might allow me to take a shot at the Frederick Marathon. 13 miles was tough. A week later I tried for 16 but cut it short at 14. And with that run I decided no way I would attempt Frederick and that I should start my abbreviated training for the Columbia Triathlon on May 17.

Just another curveball that life throws at ya when you’re sitting on the fastball. Try to keep the weight back and drive it or foul it off and wait for the fastball.

There will be another shot at the marathon. Maybe this fall. Maybe not.

It’s Taper Time!

Well all the long runs are in the bag and now comes the time to obsess about things beyond my control. Am I ready? Can I really hold that pace? How big are those hills? What will the weather be like?, etc.

But so far that’s not happening. Probably because I’m too busy with youth sports…seems we (my two sons) have something everyday except for Monday between basketball, lacrosse and baseball. It’s a wonder that there are no conflicts on race day.

Looking back the past few runs have gone well. This past weekend called for 12 miles with 10 at goal pace. I nailed it but I know I could not have managed many more miles at that pace. And the previous weekend I logged 21.7 miles for a long run. Outside! I went west on Rte 99 for over 9.5 miles and then returned. And then I managed a few more cool down miles in the local neighborhoods. The more difficult runs have been the mid-week speed workouts. But they’re all done now. Probably only 4 runs left between now and the marathon. Bring it on!

Recapping the Past Month

For the most part I’ve done well in getting outdoors for the long runs but the weekly runs were all on the treadmill save for my President’s Day run. Three weeks ago I set out to run 20. It was cold and windy but I was doing fine, until I returned to the house at 14 miles to refill water and Gatorade. I finished on the treadmill…didn’t want to go back out. Oh well. The following week was a great run, 16 miles with 13 at goal pace…all outside! Score one for me. But then there was last week. I had to start very early to make it to my son’s basketball game…couldn’t be late since I’m the coach. So I started at 5:30 AM on the treadmill and put in the movie, Michael Clayton. That kept me going for almost 2 hours and by then I decided to finish on the treadmill. So I watched Invincible. A new treadmill PR – 21.5 miles.

The marathon training is taking it’s toll on my physically and mentally. It’s the most challenging plan I’ve followed and last week I was drained. So I cut my Monday and Wednesday run from 8 to 7 miles and 11 to 10.2 miles, respectively. Not much of a cut but it was needed. And then this past Saturday was tough getting out the door. I was in no hurry since basketball was later in the afternoon and I didn’t want to set an alarm. Then I got comfy on the couch drinking coffee. Finally I made it out the door around 9 AM. The first 7.5 miles were great, the second 7.5, not so much. But it got done and it was outside…small victories.

There are only 4 weeks left until the race, for which I finally registered last night. $101 for a marathon. My wife thinks I’m nuts. It’s been a few years since I’ve run one but damn, they’re becoming as expensive as triathlons.

Someone Needs to Get Outside

In the past three weeks, all but two two of my 12 runs have been on the treadmill. And prior to that I seemed to spend more time on the trails than the road. I’m pretty sure the marathon I plan to run in March will be on the pavement, not a treadmill and not the trails. That’s why I need to put in some miles on the asphalt.

But it’s been cold, real cold two weeks ago when the temperature was 0 degrees. On that day I needed to run 18 miles. Unsure if I could do it, I hopped on the treadmill, armed with Season 4 of Seinfeld DVDs, Gatorade and GU. Slowly, but surely, I managed and in the process set a distance record for me on the ‘mill, surpassing the previous long of 17 miles. And then last Saturday, it was cold and windy. So again, I headed to the basement and cranked out 14 miles with 10 at goal pace. It wasn’t easy as I hoped it might be but I could check off another run. This week? Snow and ice kept me indoors for three runs. Tomorrow? We’ll see, but sooner or later, my feet need to pound the pavement.

1 of 16

I received an email from the race director of the Savageman Half Iron Triathlon. It read in part,

Congratulations on the tremendous streak you’ve accomplished in being one of only 16 Savages to have successfully finished the entire SavageMan Half in 2007 & 2008, AND successfully scaled the “Westernport Wall” both years!

And it went on to note that as acknowlegdement of the accomplishment, I could receive 25% off the 2009 race registration fee. I have no choice now, do I? It has to go on the calendar again for this year.

But that’s a long way off. My current focus is the National Marathon in March and my training has been inconsistent at best. I always strive for consistency in training so this is tough to take. But a cold over the holidays had me cut most of my runs short, not by much, a mile or two, but I did miss one scheduled run. And my last long run was 15 miles and included bonking twice. I only took 2 gels, one around mile 5.5 and the second just after mile 10. The final mile was more like a death march. I have to figure this out soon. I’m looking for some consistency and it started this week. Two scheduled runs. Two completed runs at the scheduled distance. That’s what I’m talkin ’bout.

Back in the Saddle and a Reason to Yell

So I did take a week off and that seemed to be just what was needed. Last weekend, I returned to the trails…same park, different section. And I thought we were running on a flat section along the river. It was more up and down but the ankle held up fine. Even when we followed the trail to the end and then had to make like billy goats and climb up the side of the hill to find our way back to the trail. I need to bring along a camera next time as some of the views are just awesome.

Last Friday I ran 13.2 miles on a treadmill. It was raining and I wimped out. But I got in the long run so I’ll take it. And then on Saturday I ran the Celtic Solstice 5 Miler in Baltimore. It was cold and I was slow but I enjoyed the race, and the hot soup and warm wassail afterwards.

I’m a Dolphins fan and they’ve been awful for a few years. It used to be that they were in the playoffs just about every year. But there’s been a drought since 2001. So yesterday I found myself yelling at the TV during a Miami game for the first time in years. They were losing to the Chiefs, the 2-12 Chiefs. With the AFC East title on the line. I was outside of the house, adding some water to the hot tub, looking in through the sliding door at the game. And yelling. Like a mad man. I wondered what any neighbors might think if they heard me. But it was bitterly cold yesterday so I doubt anyone was outside. Still, it’s nice to see the Dolphins play a meaningful game again. Now, if only the Orioles could do the same.

On the DL

The Metric Marathon was cancelled on Sunday due to snow and ice on the roads and paths. I was bummed to learn that while pouring my cuppa joe and getting ready to go. But a few MMTCers were going for a trail run at Patapsco State Park. Great idea! And it began as a great run on the freshly-fallen dusting of snow with the sun peaking in through the trees that blocked the blustery wind.

And then….one step on a snow-covered downed tree and my left ankle turned more than it should. Or at least more than it can some 20 years after tearing ligaments. I recovered without falling but continued to limp for a bit before stopping to assess the damage. I tested it. Hmmmm, tried running….hmmm, seemed like it was okay. So on we ran. For another 90 minutes. And that may have been the wrong decision.

While I enjoed the 10+ miles overall, by Sunday night I couldn’t walk on the ankle. And here I am three days later and while improving, there’s still no running.

We’ll see how it feels tomorrow morning. I’ve already resigned myself to taking off until the weekend so if that’s all the downtime I have I’ll be happy.

Was it worth it? The jury is still out…but it really was a nice way to spend 2 hours.

Steppin’ it Up

The Metric Marathon is this weekend and while the forecast calls for temps in the 20s and a chance of snow, I’m looking forward to the race.  Well, it won’t really be a race for me but rather a long training run.  I’m not ready to race that distance (16.2 miles) yet.  But I did have a pretty good 15 mile run in Ellicott City this past Sunday.

It wasn’t easy, mind you, but I would call it a success. Just over 4 miles in to the run we began a climb out of old town EC. Chip was encouraging me up the hill with a bevy of cliches. “This is where character is built….where champions are made…where victory is won” and on he went. If I weren’t busting a lung I would’ve laughed.

But to complete the run as the rain changed from an unnoticeable light mist to a steady light rain with temps in the upper 30s was even better. Cold, wet and satisfied I got in my car to drive home. But not before I hit the Fractured Prune for hot coffee and donuts for the boys (and me).