Week 18 Wrap-up

Finally I got back on track, following several weeks of less-than-optimal training and one really pathetic excuse for a week the previous week...I managed to hit each workout last week and, in general, felt pretty good. The highlight was the bike ride with Vardo (read Tack and the Iron Maiden for the details), but I was also just really pleased to be back in a routine again.

Michele and I ran together Thursday morning in a fairly miserable drizzle/rain--as it was her first run following a bout of bronchitis, we had every intention of taking things slowly...unfortunately, both of us got talking and got a little fired up, so we ended up running about 9 miles at about an 8:40-8:45 pace...which is in no way, shape, or form taking things slowly in my mind. I'll take it though--we had some good chats, and the rain made it seem that much more impressive that we actually toughed it out and did the run outside.

I also swam 2.25 miles during one swim workout--that's the longest I've gone so far. Admittedly, it wasn't a straight 2.25 mile swim, but it was still a good boost of confidence that, barring some unforeseen issue on race day, I should be able to hit the swim cutoff and then some.

Here's the roll-up for the week...

Swim: 3:12:00 / 8650 m
Bike: 4:29:08 / 90.81 miles
Run: 3:48:11 / 30.08 miles
Total: 13:49:19 / 126.29 miles

Tack and the Iron Maiden

This past weekend, Vardo was in town for some family stuff and, since we both needed to train, we opted to do our long ride together on Saturday. Unfortunately, Mother Nature was being very fickle and didn't really cooperate, so Vardo ended up throwing her trainer in and we ended up biking together in my living room. Admittedly, it was WAY better than going it alone for 2 1/2 hours...but that's still a LONG time to ride on a trainer. It was cool, though--we talked about everything from Sparkle's latest adventures to RAGBRAI logistics (for the non-Iowans in the crowd, RAGBRAI is the annual bike ride across Iowa--I'll be tagging along for a few days this year for the first time) to lodging for our friends coming to cheer us on at IM WI. Plus, I finally got to see "Wedding Crashers"--at least most of it when we weren't talking.

It was funny, though...at one point during the ride, Vardo turned to me and said something to the effect of "did you ever think this is how the two of us would end up hanging out when I came to Chicago to visit?" The answer, of course, is hell no...and yet there we were--pedaling away towards this really cool goal we're going to finish together. No, there's no way I would've ever predicted this...but there's also no way I'd change anything about it.

Just in case anyone is wondering what a bi-state training session in one's living room looks like, the pics are above...the first is (clearly) of Tack and the Iron Maiden (that'd be Vardo's spiffy new red Cannondale), and the second is quite possibly the cheesiest photo I've taken (God bless self-timers on cameras, by the way)...we only took it so Vardo's mom (who was also in town) could have photographic proof of our activities.

All in all--not a bad training outing for our first training session together since we started our IM programs...we even finished off the day with a fun little 3-mile brick run. Plus, we ended up doing a little shopping en route to her grandma's...and even managed to work in a stop at Baja Fresh for some yummy fish tacos...I mean, biking, running, shopping, talking with a good friend AND fish tacos???? Sounds like a pretty darn good day to me...

The Indy Mini

Pics from the Mini:

1. The entry to the Speedway...quite thrilling for the pseudo-NASCAR fan...
2. Entering the infield area--this, incidentally, was the worst "hill" of the race...gotta love the flatlands!!
3. Running down the main straightaway...and heading toward the famous "yard of bricks".
4. Coming down from the track itself after a water stop...
5. Theresa and I after the race...it was her first half marathon (and first race, period)--pretty cool!!

Tales from the Mini:

Last weekend, I ran my third half marathon--the Indy Mini, a not-so-small affair with ~35,000 runners and walkers--far and away my largest race so far. A bunch of Kraft folks signed up last fall and, being the joiner that I am, I also signed up for the fun of it all. Unfortunately, a few of the Kraft gang couldn't make it--Erin was tied up with start-up stuff for her project, Sue just got clearance to start running again last week, and Michele came down with a doozy of a case of bronchitis. But, Nate, Amy, Nicole, and I managed to make it to the start corrals bright and early Saturday morning (although I didn't see any of them at any point during the day).

More impressively, another Kraft-ite and my good friend Theresa queued up with all of her siblings to do her first race (nothing like starting one's road race career with a half marathon)--having stayed with them Friday night, it was really cool to see them get ready for the race, talk through their strategies, pin their bib numbers onto their shirts, etc., etc. Plus, knowing Theresa as I do, it was amazing to see her tackle this new challenge...and a bit humbling to find out that I was part of her inspiration to start running in the first place.

When we got to the race start Saturday morning, it was cold--one of those days when you just aren't sure what to wear. I originally had tights on, but opted to peel those off and go with tri shorts, a long-sleeve shirt, and a jacket--in theory a good wardrobe, but in reality, the start corrals were really cold (thankfully, things warmed up a bit through the course, and it ended up being a darn near perfect day for running). I ended up in one of the preferred start corrals, having sent in a qualifying time--and as I was in corral E and the last corral was literally corral Z, I was grateful. While I was trying to stay warm before the start of the race, I met a woman from Michigan who had also recently run her first marathon--we chatted about our experiences, when we hit our respective walls, our recovery issues, etc., etc., and then decided that we were both targeting about the same pace. We opted to try to run the first few miles together--we ended up running together until just before mile 6 when we went into the Speedway.

As often happens in races, I took off a little faster than I was thinking I would, especially considering how @#$%! tired I was heading into the race given the work chaos of the past couple of weeks. But, my new running buddy and I kept up the pace pretty well, and I have to admit I was feeling great. Right before we entered the track, I noticed the guy in front of me had an IM tattoo on the back of his calf. I asked him what race he had done--he's a veteran of IM Florida, Canada, and Lake Placid, and he's doing Florida again this year. He asked me the same question--I told him I was training for IM WI, and his only comment was that if I was a flatlander Midwesterner, I should steer clear of IM WI and hit the flat course of Florida instead...but then he wished me good luck on the hills as I passed him (which, frankly, was a great mental boost--it's always fun to pass people, but even more so when you know they've had significant athletic achievements like IM).

It was pretty cool entering the track--just before mile 6 and following a very pleasant course through Indy neighborhoods. Having a dad and several friends who are racing nuts, I can certainly appreciate the history and the excitement surrounding the Indy Motor Speedway...which gave me goosebumps as we ran into the infield area. Unfortunately, those goosebumps died down with the realization that I had to run around a 2.5 mile track that was, frankly, boring and the most challenging mental part of the course. It didn't help that, at about mile 6.5, my stomach and digestive system decided to rebel against me--thankfully, I was able to make it the rest of the race without a trip to the port-o-lets, but it was a close call for a while. Admittedly, it was fun to run down the main straightaway and cross the yard of bricks...but that's still a really long way to run in a big circle. I mentioned that to Jeremy when I got back to the office...his comment (he's an IN native, by the way) was that I was insane as there is a ton of history at that track--fair enough, but that history didn't help me run any faster.

The second half of the run was pretty good--again, through random Indy neighborhoods. My pace was still faster than I was expecting to run (hovering between 8:20-8:40/mile), and by mile 11, I had decided that, come hell or high water, I was going to finish at that pace just to prove I could. Perhaps it wasn't the smartest decision as I knew I had a long bike ride the following day, but sometimes I can't help but get caught up in the excitement of race day. By the mile 13 sign, I had a huge grin on my face as I knew I was going to hit a PR, which I totally didn't expect to get...and my finish at 1:52:17 had me grinning ear to ear. More impressively for me, the pacing-challenged one, all of my splits were within 20 seconds of each other, and my mile 13 split was actually the fastest of my race. Could be I'm finally figuring this whole pacing thing out...

After working my way (slowly) through the finish chutes and picking up my various post-race food items, I went back to the parking garage and grabbed warm clothes (it was still chilly, especially with me being very sweaty), then took care of said digestive issues and headed back to the finish area. After waiting by the mile 13 sign and watching diligently for Theresa and her siblings for several minutes, she called and told me they had actually finished about a half hour earlier than they had thought...meaning they all had one heck of a great race. I met up with them in the post-race area, gave them all the customary post-race sweaty hugs, and took some pictures (see above).

When the results were posted, it ended up being a great day for Team Kraft--all of us (Nate, Amy, Nicole, Theresa, and I) ended up with PR's--pretty darn cool and a fantastic end to a great day. I think it's safe to say I'll be doing that race again in the future--it's a great course, very well-organized, and apparently pretty fast if our results are any indication.

All in all, a great start to the summer racing season...and if this was any indication of things to come, it should be a great one!!!! Bring it on...tri season, here I come!

Week 19 Wrap-up

Week 19 was, in a word, brutal. This was the first week where I've missed significant training time...to the point where I had a whopping one workout during the work week (at least it was a bike/run combo, though). Plus, I was wiped out from stress, long hours, and messed up sleep schedules due to plant coverage needs and other assorted fun things. However, that being said, it was also a great week in that I set a PR at the Indianapolis Mini Marathon (aka the Indy Mini) and witnessed my friend Theresa's first half marathon (separate post to follow on that race). The Explore Joliet bike ride was Sunday--beautiful day for a bike ride, and I got in the 54-mile route with no issues. I ended up seeing the majority of the staff from the Bike Shop along the route Sunday--talked with Chris and a couple of the other guys at different times. For the record, the tan lines have begun...my bike short lines and the tan from my HR monitor should be stellar by the end of the summer.

Here's the roll-up...such as it is...

Swim: 0:00:00 / 0 m
Bike: 4:22:19 / 73.07 miles
Run: 2:30:00 / 17.11 miles
Total: 6:52:19 / 90.18 miles

Week 20 Wrap-up

Week 20 began the work chaos that wreaked havoc with my training for a couple of weeks. I really shouldn't complain too much as Erin has gone through way more than I have in the past few weeks (Jeremy, too, as he got sucked into helping with start-up), but it has been a good wake-up call that life (and training) don't always go according to plan.

The first two days of the week ended up being off days due to plant trials and some very very long days. The remaining days of the work week were better, although I kept having to cut my evening workouts short in order to get out of the fitness center before they closed...but I figured some workout is better than no workout. As I needed to go to one of our plants on Saturday and wouldn't be back until Monday, I did my long run Friday afternoon--normally not a big deal, but running essentially a half marathon on little to no sleep wasn't exactly a fun time. Michele and I ran together for the first 7.5 miles, then I finished up the other 5.5 miles inside on the treadmill. My long ride on Saturday ended up being on my trainer--the weather didn't cooperate and I was on a fairly tight time schedule anyway so I could get on the road. 2:20 is a REALLY long time to ride a trainer...especially when I've been spoiled lately by riding outside as much as I have. But, I got it done...and then went and worked the night shift Saturday and Sunday, which flipped my sleep schedule upside down.

Here's the roll-up for the week...

Swim: 2:00:00 / 5700 m
Bike: 3:50:57 / 61.11 miles
Run: 2:34:20 / 17.11 miles
Total: 8:25:17 / 81.78 miles

Week 21 Wrap-up

OK--so better late than never, I guess. I finally had the chance to drop my training info from the past four weeks into my handy-dandy Excel spreadsheet...and hence, I finally have updated totals to post. Rather than combine all three past weeks into one posting, I'm opting to give each week its own little moment of glory (or lack thereof, in most cases)...more so I can remember what happened each week than anything else.

So, in week 21, I developed a brutal head cold (probably from lack of sleep). As a result, I bailed on my bike workout on Wednesday so I could go home and sleep instead, and I also opted to skip my swim on Thursday as it's really tough to breathe in the pool when there's nothing but phlegm in the way. I did, however, run with Michele and another co-worker Thursday morning--I honestly tried to pace us slower due to my cold, but we ended up moving right along...managed a couple of good farmer's blows to keep me breathing properly and all was good.

Saturday was awesome--all 5 of the Kraft R&D IM team rode together for the first time this season. We did one of the Wheelmen rides (this one's called the "honey do ride")--a 54-miler through the northwest 'burbs and through some amazing neighborhoods. The route was challenging in that there were some well-placed hills, but it was a great route in general. Plus, it was fun to ride with the gang--Jeremy and I rode together most of the way as he lost his cue sheet early on and needed someone to guide, Michele took off like gangbusters and blew us all out of the water, and Sue and Erin rode together as well. One gross item of note--I had a very unfortunate farmer's blow which was a direct shot onto the mesh part of my shoe...that was disgusting... One more item of note--both Tack and I suffered our first minor scrapes when I didn't clip out in time at a stop sign (thought I could make it, but a car came barreling through and I had to stop) and literally tipped over. My pride was wounded way more than my slightly scraped knee, but Tack's handlebars got a little nick as well. Such is life, I guess... After the ride, Sue, Michele, Jeremy and I went out for a fabulous brunch at a nearby restaurant--a great way to end the ride (Erin had to go home and clean for her in-laws' visit).

Sunday I had the "pleasure" of doing my long run (followed by a brief bike session on my mountain bike) and then climbing in a car for a 5-hour drive to one of our plants in northern Wisconsin. Thankfully, the co-worker I rode with is also a runner and didn't laugh too hard when I got out of the car and could hardly walk for the first few steps...plus the activity points I earned came in handy when we stopped at Culver's for dinner and ended up with a milkshake.

Here's the roll-up for the week...

Swim: 1:51:00 / 5000 m
Bike: 5:06:42 / 81.96 miles
Run: 3:48:40 / 25.08 miles
Total: 10:46:22 / 110.17 miles

Reality Bites...

Well, if you've been wondering when the next update would be coming along, here it is...about three weeks after the last one, which should be an indicator of the chaos that has ruled my life (and wreaked havoc with my training) over the past couple of weeks. Work (you know, that thing that I do that pays the bills so I can do this other stuff, too) has basically taken over--I'm really really really hoping that I can get things back under control and back to a manageable level of insanity this week.

It started three weeks ago with one humdinger of a cold that kept me out of the pool for fear of literally drowning in my own snot (gross, yes, but also true). Add to that a project that falls under my group (and that Erin is actually leading) that has undergone a dramatic transformation in the past couple of weeks and, incidentally, right before start-up. Throw in a plant trial in northern Wisconsin, a number of challenging start-up-related issues of Erin's project, and the fact that there are still just 24 hours in a day, and the picture becomes a little clearer. I am, in a word, exhausted...sleep has been minimal and stress has been high--and not even the four-shot lattes I've been sucking down can keep me from being completely drained.

So, the net of the chaos is that I've had two way-less-than-optimal weeks of training--this past week I got in one measely workout during the week (a decent bike/run combo at least). At least I've hit my long stuff on the weekends (more or less--cut this weekend's a little short just due to exhaustion), but I haven't been in the pool for a week and a half, which should make tomorrow morning's swim interesting at best.

The bright side of all of this is that I did a half marathon in Indy yesterday and finished with both a PR (1:52:17--even good enough to place in the top 10% of my age group) and the most evenly paced splits of any run I've done to date, so I'm pleased with that. More importantly, my friend Theresa completed her first half marathon yesterday (along with all of her siblings, which was way cool to see)...and she thanked me later for inspiring her to start running in the first place. Funny how friends know exactly what to say to keep you going when you're down...

Anyway, I'll get the wrap-ups for the past few weeks posted soon, hopefully--haven't had a chance to add everything up yet...and I'm hopeful this week will be better. Vardo's headed this way this weekend, so we're going to ride together Saturday--it'll be our first training outing together in person since we both started our "official" IM training programs. Should be fun...and a great step in helping my life return to normal...