Thursday, December 29, 2011

Willis River 35K Trail Run

On January 14th, I am running the Willis River 35K Trail Race. The race takes place in Cumberland County, Virginia at Bear Creek State Park. As you may recall, I ran the Bear Creek 10 Miler at the same park on December 4th. The terrain is likely to be very similar although I won't know for sure until I run the race. Here is a video from the park's web site showing a little bit about the Willis River Trail. In the video, you don't really get to see too much of the trail but you sort of get the idea that the trail is on the wild side.



This race will be slightly more than twice the distance of the Bear Creek 10 Miler. I am not sure how long it will take me to complete the race. I am guessing around 4 hours. I have been running trails for the last month or so in addition to tempo runs, hill work, and other runs. Plus I have been keeping up with my cycling and swimming.

My goal for this race is to run hard and have fun. Running trails is a great way to gain fitness as well as strength. This particular race features lots of "blow downs" which means I will be leaping over downed trees as well as jumping around and through several creeks. A race like this will force me to use different muscles than a straight road race which will help me in my overall fitness. I am also hoping that training and racing this event will help build a strong running base which is something I have not really had for many years.

In preparation for this race, I have been running the trails downtown. Seems funny to link "trails" and "downtown" in the same sentence but here in Richmond that is exactly what we have. In the heart of downtown Richmond we have the James River Park with miles of single track trails that parallel the James River. There are several races each year on these trails and I have both ridden and run them many times.

For me, running trails is so much more interesting then simply running around my neighborhood. Don't get me wrong, the streets around my house are great for running but there is not much to inspire me. It is the same old parked cars, houses, lawns, fences, dogs barking, etc over and over again. When I run downtown, I have to concentrate more on my footing and there are always surprises in the way of other bikers and runners as well as wildlife and great scenery. Running through the woods seems more primal to me and thus more motivating.

For today's Saturday morning run, my training plan called for a 2 hours and 30 minute run nice and easy. A few of my friends from church met me downtown at 8AM to run. They would end up running one loop with me. I continued on after a brief stop at the cars to say adios for a second loop by myself. Running with friends definitely helps break up the monotony of a long run. But it was nice to also get some time by myself to ponder my training and upcoming races. Running alone on the trails can be meditative. I think my run this morning was a perfect mix of social running and running with my thoughts.

I ended up seeing a coworker and her children on the tail end of my run. I love seeing people I know exercising and it was great to see them running together as a family. I stopped to chat briefly before continuing on my last mile back to the car. I ended up running 2:45 at a very easy pace. I think I accomplished the goal of the workout by keeping my heart rate low. In fact, after getting home and analyzing my GPS data, I could see that my heart rate stayed in zone 1 and 2 for the entire run.

Tomorrow I have a 1 hour pace run to complete. After that run, my long runs will mostly be over for now. The rest of my preparation for the race in two weeks will involve shorter but faster workouts. I am not sure exactly what the coach has in store for me but I will likely find out tomorrow. Coach K seems to consistently update my weekly training plan on Sundays.

In general I feel pretty good about my preparation for the 35K. It will be the farthest I have run since my marathon training in 2007 but I am confident I will enjoy the race. I have learned a lot since the training I did for the marathon and I think I train better now. Plus I have been doing lots of cross training which I think will pay off when I run the trail race.

Until next time, thanks for reading. Comments appreciated but not required.

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Just Keep Pushing Play

"Just keep pushing play." These are the words of Tony Horton who encourages people who are doing his P90x workout in the privacy of their own home to put his DVD in and just press play. It is a similar philosophy that you will hear runners talk about. Just lace up and hit the streets. Don't obsess about the workout or how many miles you need to do. Just get out there and run. Even it means just getting out for a 1 mile run. Often that 1 mile will turn into many more.

I reflected on this philosophy which is captured by the famous Nike slogan, "just do it." It is one thing to get out there and exercise simply for health. It is another thing to train for a specific event. For multisport athletes, just do it becomes just do what? How much should I swim, bike, and run? Thankfully, I have a training plan that tells me exactly what to do. Now, I can look at my training plan and say to myself, "just go run 1 hour." It is a luxury really. I have faith in the plan because I believe in my coach and my training team.

So far this week, the workouts have been great. We had a grueling swim class on Monday that had us up to 700 kick (some with fins) and push ups in between some swim intervals. It was a hard workout but I felt pretty darn good about it afterwards because I knew I had worked hard and done well. I still have my swim issues to work out and I will be getting in the pool as often as possible over the winter break. Hopefully with more time in the water, my stroke form will improve. It did last year when I increased my time in the water.

In addition to the swim, I had Monday night yoga which was wonderful as always, Tuesday morning cycling class which was hard but rewarding, Wednesday morning tempo run which turned out great, and Thursday morning cycling class. Next up is a 1 hour easy run. I plan to head out for that run very soon.

My job now is to follow my plan and just do the workouts. I am going to 'just say no' to skipping workouts and say yes to just doing it.

Saturday, December 17, 2011

Saturday Wrap Up

This morning we had our normal 1 hour cycling class with Karen. Karen lost her voice somehow so instead of her usual workout, we did a Spinervals DVD that I brought to class and ran off my computer connected to the projector. It was a relatively small class as some folks had opted to get their run in today rather than tomorrow due to h0liday obligations. We had a good workout although not as hard as when Karen leads the class.

After cycling, we went home and I refueled with a smoothie and got all my gear together to run. I made the quick drive downtown to run the trails- this week by myself. My training plan called for a 2 hours and 45 minute run and that is exactly what I did. I felt good on the run. I ended up doing about the same distance as last week but about 15 minutes faster. The trails were muddy and slick in some spots but I managed to stay upright the entire time. It was cold but I dressed appropriately.

During my run, I consumed 3 Vanilla Hammer Gels. At no time did I feel hungry or weak. Toward the end of my run, my legs and hips were starting to complain slightly and my right calf was starting to tighten up a bit but these things did not really slow me down. I was tired afterwards but not wrecked or anything. I did some quick stretches and headed home.

When I walked in, I was shivering. Melissa said that I looked cold. I told her I was about to get even colder. "Ice bath?" she asked. Yes indeed, that was my plan. I put on a bunch of clothes over the upper half of my body including a winter hat and the hood from my sweatshirt. Then I sat in the empty tub and let the cold water rise up so my hips and legs were submerged. Melissa then put the big back of ice in the tub for me and started the timer. Boy was it cold. Ice baths in the winter are always colder because the cold water comes out of the tap so much colder than during the summer. I did my 11:35 in the icy cold water before I had had enough. There is no doubt that the ice bath helped with inflammation. After I finished getting cleaned up and headed out to the store, I thought my legs felt pretty good.

Later that evening we had a Christmas party to go to. It was fun. There is nothing like a house full of like minded people talking about training and racing. I heard some great Ironman stories and discovered that one couple has traveled all over the world doing Ironman. It was neat to hear their stories of finishing their first Ironman.

One guy who also had some great stories told me I should do Florida Ironman in 2013. The bike and swim are flat and fast so it is good for a first Ironman race. Of course the 2.4 mike swim is in the Gulf of Mexico which can be very choppy. That would be the most daunting part I think. That and the 112 mile bike ride followed by 26.2 mile run. It all seems so crazy. In talking to the folks at the party, one woman told me that she thought it was crazy. But she said, after you do one, you have a new idea of what crazy really is.

I think I am on my way to someday going for it. But I am not really ready for that distance yet. My goals for this year are to get more time in the saddle, swim better, and learn how to pace and race better. I have planned to do 2 half iron distance races as well as a few Olympics and a sprint. We'll see how thing go. If, in November of 2012, my coach things I should go for it, I may just go ahead and register for the 2013 Florida Ironman. Then again, maybe I will wait another year. For now, I have to take things one workout at a time. And is it now time for some recovery. Good night.

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Feels like a Rest Day

This morning during cycling class, I felt pretty good up until we started doing the T-Max Absolute Power drills. It was then that I could feel the effects of Wednesday night's hill repeats. I did not quite have the gas to red line it like I have in the past. I still feel like I got a great workout and I am gradually progressing.

I think since I slept in on Wednesday and slept well last night, today almost felt like a rest day. I had the cycling class but then I had nothing scheduled for after work. My legs are not sore and I felt relaxed and alert all day. For some reason or another, it almost feels like a rest day.

My actual rest day is tomorrow. Having a rest day on Friday is nice because usually by the end of the work week, I am pretty tired and ready for a break. Another good reason to rest on Friday is to prepare for the busy weekend. This particular weekend will be very busy.

Saturday morning we have cycling class and then I have a 2:45 hour trail run. After refueling, I then have a little more shopping to do and some presents to wrap. Later we have a Christmas party to attend. And of course as I mentioned before, Sunday night we are going out with friends for dinner. I think I mentioned it.

There are 7 disciplines involved in Triathlon. Swimming, biking, and running are the obvious ones of course. Then there is transition, nutrition, and pacing. Finally, one of the most important and often overlooked parts of training for triathlon is recovery. With that, I must say goodnight.

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Tired Legs

As my winter training continues, I may shift my blog to something more akin to a training journal with occasional longer entries about this and that. I have been meaning to experiment with doing a daily journal and thought it would be more interesting to do it here on my blog than in a little notebook. It will mean more frequent but shorter posts and less story telling. I hope my readers don't get too bored with it. I will undoubtedly occasionally write about other things and I will of course continue updating you with my race plans and race reports.

Let me recap the week so far. Saturday started out early with a morning cycling class with our coach. "Fun with Karen" as she likes to put it. We did a lot of one leg drills and a bunch of standing and high cadence work. My legs were pretty tired afterwards. I would never be able to push myself as hard as I do when I am in one of her training sessions.

After cycling, I pretty much shopped for the rest of the day and got almost all of my shopping for the holidays done. When I tell people that I went to Short Pump on Saturday to shop as well as to the Toys R Us, they think I am crazy. "Wasn't it just so busy" they ask. Well, I don't really think it is such a big deal. I grew up 5 minutes from Tysons Corner in Northern Virginia. Shopping at Christmas up there is a totally different ballgame. That is what I am used to. Sure you may have to wait at a stop light a little longer than normal on Broad Street but honestly, it is really nothing compared to what I grew up doing.

On Sunday, I did a very slow trail run with some of the ladies from my training team. We ended up running trails for about 3 hours. We had a few walk breaks and occasionally stopped to tend to the dogs that were running with us. And we took a short refueling break during the middle of our run. I was in zone 1 for the entire run. That is probably just what I need. I tend to go a little too fast when I am supposed to be taking it easy.

Monday morning came early and I was back in the pool. We did lots of kick drills and my tired legs did not serve me well. I felt slow and I was slow. I was the last one to finish the kick drills each time down the lane. My legs were pretty shot.

After work on Monday, I hurried home and did a 30 minute pace run and then headed off to Yoga. Tuesday morning was cycling class. It was hard. My legs were pretty tired and the high cadence drills were tough to maintain. But I think overall, I did pretty well.

On Wednesday, I slept in until 7AM. It is nice to catch up on some sleep sometimes. After work I did my one hour hill workout. We have one short hill in our neighborhood that climbs about 50 feet in about a quarter of a mile. It was repetitive but I managed to run up and down the hill about 23 times after warming up. Here are my splits.

Tomorrow I will cycle again and then Friday I have a day off before Saturday's cycle and long run. I am moving the long run to Saturday. Sunday is our 18 year wedding anniversary. I want to have the whole day free so we can spend time relaxing and enjoying our day.

That's all for now. Thanks.

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Caveat Emptor



Caveat emptor - let the buyer beware. Before I get into my Bear Creek 10 Miler race report, I must first discuss something that happened to me on the way home from the race. Like the many thousands of triathletes, cyclist, and families who travel with their bikes, I have a bike rack on the back of my vehicle. I bought the rack in 2010 from our local REI here in Richmond, Virginia. As it turns out, my bike rack is illegal. That's right. According to the Cumberland County sheriff who pulled me over for speeding on the way home from the race, the bike rack obscures the license plate and is therefore illegal in the state of Virginia. Even without a bike on the rack.

When I got pulled over for doing 69 in a 55, I expected to get a speeding ticket. What I did not expect was being told my rack was illegal. When the sheriff told me that "the thing you got on the back of your car is illegal" I was a bit miffed and in an act of anger made some smart remarks. He told me I could tell it to the judge after which I explained that coming to court would be inconvenient and couldn't I just pay the fine. At that point, he had me get out of the car to show me why the rack was illegal. I was super polite and understanding from this point forward because I did not want the extra ticket.

The sheriff said that just because you can buy these things at the Walmart or wherever, they are illegal in the state of Virginia. Part of me realizes that it is my responsibility to know the law and to abide by it. Part of me wonders why the REI here in Virginia would sell me something that is illegal. Ultimately I know it is my duty to make sure my vehicle complies with all the laws of Virginia but at the same time, wasn't Tommy Chong arrested and jailed for many years for selling a device -legal in some states but not in other states- to someone in one of the states where it is illegal. I am not sure how this is different. We are talking about two very different items but still, it makes me wonder why the laws are not applied the same.

In the end, I did not get the extra ticket. But I wanted to make sure everyone was aware of this issue. The sheriff told me that if I wanted to keep the rack on the back, I would have to move the license plate to a place on the back of the vehicle that was not obscured by anything. I am not sure how I am going to pull this off but I am going to research it.

As far as the race goes, it was a blast. It was a bit chilly at the beginning of the race but after about 2 miles into the race, I stripped off my hat and gloves and stowed them in my pockets. It was actually great weather for a race. The terrain was mostly single track with lots of wet leaves all over the trail. In addition to the roots, rocks, creek crossings, and leaves, there were also a fair amount of downed trees to hurdle here and there.

With less than a mile to go in the race, the people I was following went off the course and before you know it we were lost. We ran back and forth in the woods trying to find our way back to the official race course. It was fairly obvious we were off trail as the leaves looked undisturbed. We finally did make it back to the finish and ended up with an extra 1.5 miles. I did not really mind too much as I was just doing it all for fun and was not too concerned with my time. Speaking of my time, I ended up doing the 11.5 miles of trails in 1:48 which is pretty good overall I think.

Despite being pretty sore for the next couple of days, I decided to go ahead and sign up for the 35K trail race that takes place at the same park but on different trails on January 14th. It will be a very different race because I will have to take it much easier in order to finish. It will be the longest trail race I have ever run and the most I have run since I ran the Richmond Marathon back in 2007. I am looking forward to the training leading up to the race and hope that running trails makes me a stronger runner. Running trails is so much more interesting than running on the road.

Well, I tried to keep it relatively short. Sometimes I think more details about the race would be interesting but I don't want to ramble too much. Comments are appreciated. Thanks.

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Let's Race!

Now that I have a coach, I have a training plan. I have direction, structure, and focus. And, I have a race to run. The other day I logged into my Training Peaks to view my upcoming week of prescribed training. I noticed that Karen put the Bear Creek 10 Miler Trail Race on my calendar for Sunday, December 4rd. When I checked the race website, I noticed the race was full. However at track practice, another athlete offered me her spot in the race because she is recovering from an injury and cannot race. So Tuesday, I found out I would be racing on Sunday. It was quite a pleasant surprise because the race sounds challenging but fun.

The Bear Creek 10 miler is a trail race. There are apparently no flat sections on the course and the trails are rooty, covered in leaves, and there are 5 creek crossings. I have been told to be prepared to get my feet wet as there is really no way around it. The course is harder than the downtown trails I have been running on and since I don't know the course at all, it will be difficult to pick my way through the rough terrain. One thing that does favor me is there are no sustained climbs, just lots of short up and downs.

This race is a nice capstone to my week of training. Here is how my exercise week has unfolded thus far.

Monday-Morning Swim, Evening Yoga
Tuesday-Morning Cycling Class, Evening Track Practice
Wednesday- Morning Swim
Thursday-Morning Cycling Class, Evening Run
Friday-Evening Run
Saturday-Morning Cycling Class

I am pretty excited about the race and look forward to getting to know my teammates better. Of course I will blog about the race here when I find some time in between working out, eating, sleeping, working, and of course doing some shopping.

Thanks for reading. Comment below if you are so inclined.