Looking Back and Looking Forward

Before I begin, yesterday was a big day for my run streak.  It was day 200 of running at least 1 mile a day or more.  As I've stated before, it has really helped my speed.  This peaked last Sunday with a 1 miler in 7:04.  It was ultra fast for me but to put it into perspective, that translates (if I could even hope to keep that up for 26.2 miles) to a 3 hour marathon. How in the heck to the elites guys do it in a touch over 2 hours? Holy cow is all I have to say.

2012 was a nice year for me, running and triathlon wise.  The year began with the Shelbyville Sprint Series of winter tris where I got better with each race.  It continued with my first stand alone full marathon, which I'm still convinced is harder than doing a full Ironman.

Even though it was a personal best for me in the marathon, it was brutal.  I felt quite ok after my 2011 Ironman but after the KDF marathon, it was out of commission for quite a while.

In May and June were 2 olympic distance events include a PR for me at the distance and first time going under hours at 2:52 in the Motor City Tri.

July was a scheduled half-Ironman, in preparation for my second full iron distance race in September.  It was aborted however as a killer heat wave caused this to be just longer than Olympic distance.  I can't say I'm too upset by the decision because it was such a hot day after all. 

The big event for the year came on September 9th, my second full iron distance race at Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio.  Even with a couple hiccups, I beat my Ironman Louisville time by nearly 90 minutes, including slicing off about 45 minutes from the marathon time alone.

Next up was the Bourbon Chase, a 200 mile overnight relay event with 11 Louisville Landsharks.  Had such a great time relative to 2011 and hope to do it again in 2013.

The event calendar ended with a couple half-marathons including my first ever sub-2 hour half. I'm sure I'm missing a couple smaller events such as the Thanksgiving Day turkey trot but those are the hightlights.

What does 2013 hold?

In no particular order:

• Ironman Louisville in 2013, which is #3
• The Shelbyville winter sprint series
• Motor City (Olympic) Tri
• Ironman Muncie 70.3
• The Hangover (January 1) Classic, a 10 miler
• Bourbon Chase
• The Louisville Triple Crown of Running (5K, 10K, 10 miler) and...
• wait for it....
• The Chicago Marathon with my crazy wife and friends

Such a great 2012 and can't wait for another great year in 2013 and look forward to doing some running with my wife!

150 Days and Counting

Back in late May, several of my training buddies and I decided to try the Runner's World Run Streak which was a commitment to run at least 1 mile a day from Memorial Day (May 28th for my international friends) to the 4th of July for a total of 38 days in a row. Several of us completed that task, including Carlos, Jessie, David and me.  Once we all reached July 4th, we talked about taking it to Labor Day (September 3).  Carlos stopped when he got close to Ironman Louisville in late August as he was fearful of injury so close to the race during his taper period but Jessie and I kept going. 

Jessie and I sat together during the IMKY volunteer appreciation banquet and talked about taking it to the end of the year or farther.  I knew the biggest hurdle for me was going to be September 10th, the day after Rev 3 (full iron) Cedar Point.  But I struggled through and kept the streak alive.

Yesterday marked 150 days and I see no reason to stop the streak.  I've read about people who are well beyond 10,000 days in a row so 150 isn't such a huge deal but I'm definitely seeing a benefit:  speed.  I've often tried to get the mile done as quickly as possible and it has manifested itself in a sub-2 hour half marathon, my fastest mile ever, my fastest 5K, etc.  I've heard from people and read that the only way to run faster is to start running fast.  I now wholeheartedly agree.  Not that I'm going to be approaching world class speed but I'm astonished when I look back at old run data and see that on a longer run (say 8+ miles), I would average 11 minutes a mile and be pleased.  Now I seem to run about 9/9:30 miles without even thinking about it and 10 feels slow.  I'm sure my weight loss helps, but I know the 1 mile speed runs are helping as well.

I'll sign off on this post with some kudos for my wife Jessica, who since August 1 has lost more than 40 pounds.  And no, she's not following some crazy diet, starving herself, etc.  She's done it the right way:  with a sensible diet and working out hard.  Her progress has also caused her to look forward to another marathon, which several of us, including Jessie are going to tackle:  Chicago 2013, in October.

Next event for me is a November 3rd half-marathon and still doing P90x. 

Until the next time...

Trying Something New

Over the past 3-4 years I've done two iron distance events, a stand alone marathon, several half marathons, loads of other triathlons and swam, run and ridden thousands of miles in training and with the Louisville Bicycle Club.  So I understand why I've grown a little tired of it all.  Not that I dislike the three disciplines but I was looking for something a little different as the weather turns cooler.

The answer for me was to try P90x.  I'd seen the infomercials, talked to friends about it, etc. and it looked like it might meet several goals.  One, it would give me something different to do.  Second, since I've lost so much weight, I'd like to "tighten" everything up.  Finally, I could do it at home without a bunch of expensive equipment or a membership at a gym.

I did need a little equipment, some of which I had, some I had to purchase.  I ended up buying a door frame pull up bar, some push up handles and a couple dumb bells.  The dumb bells were the hardest to figure out as I wasn't really sure how much weight to buy.  I had a pair of 10 pound weights so bought a pair of 25s as I figured some of the exercises might allow me to use a lot more weight.  My goal is not to get huge but to tone up so using a bit lighter weight should be ok.  I can also pick up different dumb bells as necessary in the future.

Yesterday was day 1:  chest and arms and some ab work.  Since this workout has a lot of pull ups and push ups, I knew I was in for a test.  Over the several pull up segments, I believe I averaged about 1/2 per 30 second or one minute segment.  The only way is up after that!  It must have been a good workout as today, I'm having difficulty lifting my arms very high.

Today was plyometrics, which was a lot less strenuous but certainly worked my tail off.  I kept up with this workout a lot better.  Tomorrow is shoulders and arms so should be more very hard work.  I guess if it's hard and I'm sore, it's doing the job.

On the "normal" training side, I've kept my run streak alive at over 140 days and tuned up my mountain bike for a break from the norm.  I have a half-marathon on November 3, which I'm doing mostly for the interesting participant medal so have no set expectations.  I might even run it with no Garmin and just enjoy the day.

Bourbon Chase Wrap-Up

This past weekend was the Bourbon Chase, a 200 mile, 12 person running relay throughout bourbon country.  It starts at the Jim Beam distillery and ends in Lexington, near Rupp Arena.  Our team was scheduled to leave at 3:30 pm from Beam and finish in Lexington about 8 or 8:30 Saturday evening.

We were split into two vans; I was in van 2 and was runner 8.  Therefore, I wouldn't be running for at least 5-6 hours after the start.  We all met at Beam to see our team off, check-in, etc.  While there, we ate some lunch, picked up a little Beam swag then made our way toward Maker's Mark after a dinner stop, where van 2 would be starting after the first 6 runners ran their legs.  We picked up our t-shirts and began getting our night running gear together as we would be running our first legs after dark.

I was running 11.8 miles total over the 3 legs with the longest being just over 4 so I decided to keep working on my speed with a goal of staying at about 9 minutes a mile or better.  I started my 4 mile run at 8:54 pm, in nice cool temps with a touch of mist.  Almost perfect running weather.  I ran the first mile in 7:22, my fastest mile ever.  I guess the excitement and waiting for so long made me take off like a fool.  I ended up averaging 8:03 for the leg.  By far my fastest run ever.

After our last van runner finished, we headed to Danville, the next major exchange point and grabbed some grub at The Hub near Centre College (nothing like a big spicy omelette at 2 in the morning) and tried to get some sleep.  That didn't work out so well and I think I slept for maybe 45 minutes at the most.  Long story but no need to air dirty laundry here.

My next leg started at 6:54 am and totaled 3.5 miles.  Again tried to be fast and was hoping to be running into the sunrise.  But with the heavy cloud cover, the sun didn't quite appear as I was finishing up the run.  On this one I averaged 8:42 a mile. Pleased again, and we were off to Four Roses Distillery for the next major exchange in a few hours.  They were passing out bourbon balls made with their small batch bourbon which were out of this world.  No doubt, the best thing I ate all weekend.

My last leg was a bit more difficult, being rated at moderate and a total of 4.3 miles.  I knew being very fast with the climbs was going to be a bit harder and it was also much warmer than my first two legs.  My leg started at 3:55 pm.  I pushed it as best I could and averaged 8:51.  So I met my goal of keeping it under 9/mile while having a great time with a great team.  The last thing to do was head toward the finish, meet up with the other van and wait for our last runner.  We all gathered and crossed the finish together. The total for the team was 28:48:34 or an 8:40 pace.  So much faster than my team last year. We finished 53rd out of 179 male/female teams and 104th of 287 total teams.  No complaints there!

Last but not least, another gorgeous medal to add to the rack:

The last event I have scheduled for this year is a half-marathon on November 3rd.  Nothing else officially planned but I'm sure something else will catch my eye!

Big Hit Half Marathon Wrap Up and Bourbon Chase Preview

On Sunday, I ran a half-marathon.  A late course change turned this into a very flat course where I thought it would be a great chance to complete my first sub-2 hour half-marathon.  Initially, I was going to go out with the 1:50 group and leave myself a little wiggle room.  However, I changed course on race morning and decided to stick with the 2 hour group and then leave them at the 10-11 mile mark if I was feeling good.

The pacer told us he would try his best to keep a 9:10 pace the whole time, necessary for a two hour finish.  In the first couple miles of the race, we go under the expressway for a bit and that caused the pacer's (and mine) Garmin to lose signal so we weren't entirely certain on our pace.  The best we could do was check each mile split.  I walked through a couple aid stations but immediately hooked back up with the pacer to keep on target.  Everything was going great until we hit the mile 10 marker.  Both of us were confused as there was no way it was a full mile.  That meant the course would be short (more on that later).  We think that the late course change to eliminate a bridge and hence a hill, caused the problem.  We kept to our pace or even a bit faster than required until we reached the baseball stadium, as the race finished at home plate of Louisville Slugger Field.  There was really no point in leaving the pacer any point since we were just ahead of our pace. Once inside the stadium, I sprinted as best I could to the finish.

The course, by most estimates was about 12.9 miles, and my total time was 1:56:31 at a pace of 8:54.  I was very happy about the result and even ran the second half slightly faster than the first.  If I extrapolate to the 13.1 mile distance, I still get a time of 1:58:27, well below my previous PR of 2:05.

The next event for me is this weekend's Bourbon Chase.  Long story but I'm no longer on my original team but now running with the Louisville Landsharks instead.  I have a total of 11.8 miles over 3 legs.  The running is really secondary as last year wasn't very fun so I just want to enjoy the event, have fun, be silly, etc.

If you'd like to track my team, you can do so here.  My team number is 476.  Beyond just having fun, I'd like to run 9 minute miles or better and continue to work on my speed.  Update to follow on Sunday.

If the Shoe Fits...

I've worn size 13 shoes since I can remember.  Probably since late middle school.  However, I guess I was wrong.  More on that later.

This Sunday I'm doing a half marathon that finishes at home plate at Louisville Slugger Field.  It's a very flat course (map), so I'm hoping to break two hours for the first time.  This translates to a 9:10 pace per mile.   Today, I ran 5 miles and tried to see if I could meet that pace and still breathe, keep my heart rate at a decent level, etc.  I ended up at an average of 8:40 per mile so I succeeded on that front.  My goal for Sunday is to try for a steady 9 minute pace.  That leaves 10 seconds per mile to walk through an occasional aid station, etc.  As I've heard someone say, you'll never know your limits unless you reach them.

Back to the rest of the shoe size story.   About mile four, I could feel a blister developing on the side of the ball of my right foot.  I've been fighting with hot spots on the balls of my feet for most of the spring/summer but thought it was just the heavy miles I was putting in.  But after only four miles and getting a blister, I knew something wasn't right.  So I took the shoes I normally wear and went off to a local running shop.  It took the owner, Jeff, about thirty seconds to diagnose the problem.  My shoes are too big.  In essence, every time I struck the ground, my foot would slide forward a bit in the shoes and cause friction. Friction = blisters.  He had me try on several different stability shoes (the kind my running style require) and I settled on these, Nike Lunarglide 4:

The size? 12.5.  The big test will be this Sunday but I'm hopeful.

Rev3 Cedar Point Recap

I guess the subtitle of this post is "Coulda, woulda, shoulda" which I'll discuss in my report.

The weekend started with a Friday morning drive up to Sandusky, Ohio for check-in, etc.  Along the way, the skies began to darken, putting a lot of worry into Sarah as the only reason she was coming was to ride the 17 roller coasters at Cedar Point amusement park, where the event was being held.   Of course, as soon as we rolled into the parking lot to check-in, which was in a tent outdoors, the rain began to pour down along with a massive lightning storm.  Luckily the storm passed pretty quickly and we were soon on our way to the park.

I don't think I'm exaggerating in saying that during the 4 hours we were in the park (with the first hour being early entry people only), I rode more roller coasters than I did when I went to this park on a normal 12 or 15 hour day.  The weather and it being late in the season meant we had lines of maybe five minutes at most.  That is in contrast to a sometimes two hour line in the height of the summer.  My only complaint about Friday evening was the beating I took on a roller coaster called Maverick.  I've never been so jostled and jolted on a coaster.  More on this later.

Since the weather looked threatening for much of the day on Saturday, Sarah and Jessica decided to drive home a day early. They had already planned on heading home Saturday evening so Jessica could go see the Pats play the Titans and Saturday was going to be another day of roller coasters for Sarah.  Turns out they made a good call as after they left the weather turned nasty again.  So much so that the Saturday Rev3 events, including the practice swim and kid's tri, were cancelled.  Had me a little worried for Sunday but turns out we had nothing to worry about.

As I said last year, the night before the night before is the key night of sleep as I know I won't get great sleep the night before the event.  I got a good 9/9.5 hours of sleep and woke up feeling well rested.  The first item for me on Saturday was to knock out a one mile run to keep my running streak going (today makes day 108 in a row of running one mile or more).  I headed out and almost immediately, I felt a pain in my hip/quad that I thought was a bruise from Maverick!  I finished up the run as I thought maybe it was just stiff but it didn't feel much better.  My friends and I had to head over to the expo to pick up or timing chips anyway so while I was there, I saw one of the free massage therapists that Rev3 has for us and after a quick five minutes with him, I felt better almost immediately.  WHEW!

Next was bike check-in, then some chill time as it was time for us to get off our feet and relax for the big day.  One of the little perks Rev3 provides is a personalized name plate at your bike

A nice little touch!  Bike check-in was nice and smooth so I went off to try to find the Michigan State football game on TV (no luck) so spent a few hours relaxing with my iPad and keeping up with the game.  We then headed to Olive Garden for the must-have pre-event pasta.  After returning to the hotel, it was time for one last check of all the gear bags and an early bed time followed by a 5 am alarm.

After the weather the last couple of days, even though the forecast was awesome, we were all anxious to see the Sunday morning weather.  Well, here's what we saw as we stood on the beach waiting for the swim to start

 

So our weather worries appeared to be unfounded as a gorgeous day unfolded.  

This event would be significantly different from IMKY as the course is almost entirely flat, the weather is much cooler, and the number of athletes is much smaller.  This helped shaped the goals I posted in my preview.  I felt good about achieving them.

The swim was wetsuit legal, unlike IMKY and the water looked very calm.  Kept my heart rate down, relaxed and enjoyed the swim.  Because it was two loops we came back close to shore to the start the second lap and that meant a few hundred meters of water running.  The only rough spot I encountered was at the start of the second lap, the waves or current (maybe the tide?) were coming in a bit stronger so I had to work a little harder to get out to the first turn on the loop.  Otherwise, no issues.  Swim time:  1:31:26 compared to a goal of 1:40 with a stretch goal of 1:31.  Right on target.  My transition goals were 10 minutes each and hit 10:38, so still mostly on target.  

The bike started and I couldn't believe how fast I was riding without killing myself.  Yes I knew the course was flat but I was riding 18/19 and it felt like I wasn't doing any work.  We had some headwind in places but it didn't seem to slow me down much.  The miles kept ticking away, my nutrition was good, so was hydration and I was still averaging just over 18 mph.  Then disaster struck at about mile 48.  I heard a loud noise and then the sound of metal hitting the ground.  Had my chain broke? My drivetrain?  With the help of another athlete, I figured it was a spoke, so I nursed it to special needs and had a volunteer call for race support.  That's when I met this volunteer...

 

This guy is named Caleb, and he is my all-time favorite tri volunteer.  Since I was waiting for race support, he asked if I needed anything.  I was really ok on fluids and such but he was so eager, I asked him to top off my aero bottle with some Gatorade.  That's when I really got to know Caleb.  He loves to ride his trike,  he even wrecked it but got back up and kept riding.  I assume he has some medical issue to ride a trike but he was so eager, friendly, sincere, honest, and was helping anyone he could.   Just a refreshing sight when you're pissed off at the world over a silly broken spoke.

I then began waiting (and waiting and waiting...) for race support.  I asked a volunteer to text Jessica as she was tracking me and probably freaking out when I was stopped for so long.  The minutes passed. I had a volunteer call race support again.  Still nothing.  Now I was really pissed but I wasn't going to let this end my day.  I told the volunteers to send race support down the road when they came and started walking.  Part of the reason I got moving again was Caleb.  I couldn't have all his hard work go to waste.  After about a mile walking and still seeing no race support, I was really pissed.  I rigged my now wobbly rear wheel as best I could, opened the brakes and started riding.  I rode the last 62 miles, mostly alone and NEVER saw a race support vehicle, draft marshall, etc.  My pace was obviously hampered and the best guess was I stood still at special needs for 43 minutes.  End result:  16.92 mph/7:15:19. The goals were 16 mph/7 hours or 17.23 mph/6.5 hours.  

(Unfortunately, my buddy Caleb had gone home by the time I got around to his station on the second bike loop).

If not for that mechanical failure, I had the 6.5 hour bike split or even better! T-2 was 10:34, another goal met.

As I got dressed for the run, my stomach wasn't feeling great.  Perhaps it was the Tylenol I popped at T-2? Too much sweet/sugary stuff all day?  I knew I had to hunt down something salty/crunchy as soon as hit some run aid stations.  

I started out maybe a little quick as my first few miles were:  10:38, 11:00, 11:03, etc.  But my heart rate was good and I was feeling ok.  My stretch goal was 5:30 so felt good about achieving that.  Due to a relatively small number of athletes, the run was lonely at times but the volunteers each mile did a great.  My only complaint was the inconsistent availability of some items like chicken broth.   Worked some walk breaks in, usually at aid stations and at about the 10-11 mile mark, even walking my heart rate was a little high.  So I slowed but it was still high.  Figured if I could just make it to the halfway point, get my Red Bull, maybe see some familiar faces, I'd be ok.  The odd thing was my heart rate was much better running than walking. I'll leave that to an expert to explain.

Got to the halfway point, saw Ken, grumbled about my bike and the lack of ice at the aid station, saw a killer text message from Jessica and was on my way.  Only 13.1 miles to go.  I was still keeping up with my 5:30 marathon pace.  The last hurdle was a random rain shower that lasted about 5 minutes at mile 15/16 but it actually felt good.  

Got to about mile 22/23 and then the emotions start.  Some tears, some pride, some relief that it will soon be over.  Thinking about all the people who've helped along the way.  The training partners, the supportive family, the tri-club friends, the people on Facebook, etc.  They all played a role.  At the last aid station, the volunteers were cheering so loud, I could hear them for a good quarter mile.  It certainly put some pep in the step.  

The last piece of the puzzle as I neared the finish. What do they call you at a Rev3 event?  They wouldn't/couldn't say Ironman, so what would it be?  I got within a hundred meters and there was Ken. Had to stop for a high-five, maybe a hug, it's all a blur, then the finish was all mine.  "Jeff Johnson, welcome to the revolution!"

 

Marathon result:  5:30:18 with goals of 6 hours/5.5 hours.  Right on target.  Total time for the day was 14:38:16.   Take out that mechanical and I had a sub-14 in my grasp.  I guess I owe this course a beating in the future?

I have 2 half-marathons coming up and the Bourbon Chase.  Updates to follow!

Rev3 Cedar Point Preview

Sunday, the 9th, is my second Iron distance event, put on by a company called Rev 3.  It takes place at Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio.  I'll be heading up there with my wife, daughter and a couple friends, one of which is also attempting the full iron distance event (2.4 mile swim; 112 mile bike; 26.2 mile run). 

My training all summer has been in some very hot conditions so I'm quite looking forward to an event in bit cooler weather.  The forecast, as of today, calls for a high of 73(23 C) so should be just about perfect weather.  The course is also much flatter than my first Ironman (course profile here) so that should also make for a shorter day. 

I've thought about my goals for the day in two ways.  One, a quite achievable goal and two, a bit of a stretch goal.  I really don't have much fear of not finishing, as my pal Kevin would say, "the hay is in the barn, you've already put in all the training."  So it's really a question of how quickly I can do it.

The swim is in Lake Erie and will be wetsuit legal.  Given that, my two goals for the swim are one hour forty minutes and ninety minutes if I have a good day.  Regardless of swim time, I want to have no more than a ten minute T-1.

My riding has really come along in the last year.  I'm faster, don't feel nearly as spent after long rides, etc.  At minimum, I know I can average 16 mph.  That means a seven hour bike split. If I get a good rhythm going, I should be able to get a bit above that.  Six and a half hours would require an average of 17.23 mph.  A stretch I know but maybe possible.  I have the same goal for T-2: ten minutes.

Finally, on the run, I'm going to pay much more attention to my heart rate and if it gets out of hand, slow down or even walk a bit if I must.  I'm also going to employ my normal walk through the aid stations strategy and try to take it easy for the first half and then pick up the pace if I have it in me for the last half of the marathon.  Achievable goal:  six hours;  stretch goal: five and a half.

Putting that all together....

Achievable goal:  15 hours.
Stretch goal:  13 hours, 50 minutes.

I'm using the same tracker I used last year, but this time the company also has an iPhone app that I used last week to track several friends last week at IMKY.   It was great and easy to use.  You can find it in the iTunes store, for free, if you search for My Athlete Live.

It's Taper Madness!

Ironman number 2 is 13 days away.  But before I get to that, Ironman Louisville 2012 was yesterday and I had a big weekend of activities planned.

First were some IAmTri events on Friday:  a short ride, driving some people around the bike course who had never seen it and the big gathering at the finish line area.  It was great to hook up with some friends I hadn't seen since last August.

The next was my last big run before my event, a 2 hour run.  Ended up at about 11.5 miles at a nice easy pace.  I also had a 60/70 mile bike ride planned but that would be postponed until Monday morning as I was booked solid on Sunday for IMKY.  

After the 2 hour run, it was time for one of the most fun events around IMKY, the annual Underpants Run.  As I discussed last year, it's a way to make fun of people who love to train in very little clothes and raise some money for charity at the same time. 

My friend, the volunteer director, was desperate for some help in bike and gear check-in on Saturday afternoon so after a quick lunch, a few friends and I headed over to help.  So after 2 runs, and being up early, when I got home, I was beat. 

I was asked by the same friend to assist and act as the bike catch captain.  Essentially I would put together a volunteer group who would take bikes from the athletes and put them on the bike racks for the athletes to collect them after the race.  My day started at about 9 am and I was also signed up to catch athletes at the finish so I finished up about midnight.  It was a long, hot day but so worth it when you get the thanks from the athletes. 

I got to see so many friends who were racing and even catch a few at the finish.  It was a rough day for the athletes and it wasn't just about the heat and wind.  Some idiot decided to throw carpet tacks on the course, causing many many flat tires and quite possibly causing more than a few DNFs. 

My planned 60/70 mile ride this morning ended up being about 45 and a 1 mile brick run.  I estimate I spent 27 hours working hard over the weekend between my runs, running around as a volunteer and so on.  So I think 45 will suffice.  Now begins the taper!

I have some relativey short runs, rides, and swim sessions over the next 2 weeks but nothing of a huge distance.  I'm absolutely pooped today but given what I just wrote, I guess that's to be expected.  The point of the taper is to recharge after all the hard work so that you'll be ready for the big day.

I'll be following up with an event preview early next week!

Getting to the "Heart" of the Matter

4 weeks from today is Ironman number 2.  I've been training pretty heavily and have felt on the edge of burnout at times.  At the suggestion of a multiple Ironman finisher friend (who's also been world class in triathlon), I've taken a day off here and there.  As long as I get 1 long swim, 1 long bike and 1 long run in per week, I'm happy with whatever else I do.  Still following my plan but adjusting as necessary.

Several people I know have recommended this book.  I found it appealing because he claims that many triathletes have loads of "junk miles" in their training.  That is, miles and sessions without a purpose.  I'm not at all afraid of this distance this year as I was last year so I've been trying to get "better."  Better might mean faster, might mean less strain, might mean feeling overall better after a run or bike.  He's also an advocate of swim drills and heart rate training.

So in that spirit, I've become more interested in swim technique and heart rate data.  I can swim, but can I SWIM?  As I said, I'm not afraid of the distance but if I can do it more efficiently and save energy/time at the same time, why not? So instead of a swim workout where I don't know the purpose, I've been doing 1 drill set a week and I think I can feel the improvement.  I'm gliding much better and feel like I'm swimming less but getting more out of each stroke.  I've also decided to get some swim lessons over the winter.  If I really want to know how to SWIM, I think it's the next logical step.

For the heart rate data, I've been collecting heart rate data for a good 2 years but never doing anything with it.  I know it takes a lot of work and a decent amount of money to really get a good starting point but without boring you with the details, my best guess is that my zone 2 heart rate is in the 111-140 beats per minute range.  I guess I would call zone 2 a manageable aerobic pace.

So I set my Garmin to honk, beep, etc. whenever I crossed over 140 bpm.  Much to the chagrin of my training pal, Ken, I think it's working.  I ran 15 miles today, at a just over 11 minute pace.  For a full marathon, that translates to a 4:50/4:55 marathon, which is 20-25 minutes faster than my marathon personal best.  And the best part? I feel phenomenal.  If I compare that to the KDF Marathon in April, I felt worse that day than post-Ironman.  I could barely walk and could barely even walk the next day.  I also examined the heart rate data and found that I was easily busting 160 at times.  No wonder I felt like crap, eh?  Today, I kept it under or very close to 140 and you know how that turned out.

This week is the last big week of training then I start to taper.   I'm still at about 10-12 mile long runs, 3200 meter swims and 75 mile bikes for a bit then it really tapers off as I head toward the big day.

Some Random Thoughts

About 7 weeks from Ironman #2.  I think I'm officially in the dog days of the training.  I just want the event to be here.  The weight is still coming off too.  I was 222 lbs on IMKY day last August and this week I hit 214.  I can't imagine I'll see a 1 for the first number but I guess it's possible?  That makes a total weight loss of 65 pounds lbs from my peak.

To keep me motivated, I tend to watch inspirational videos, movies and documentaries.  The latest is:

I first met Todd Crandell at the Motor City tri in 2011.  I had no idea he was such an ultra-endurance beast.  If I recall we talked for a good long while about Ironman Louisville.  Just shows how low-key Todd is with respect to his achievements.  The documentary follows Todd's attempt at UltraMan Canada.  Whereas an Ironman is a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and a 26.2 mile run, UltraMan is over 3 days and is made up of a 6.2 mile swim, something like 260 miles of biking and a DOUBLE marathon.  A good watch if you get a chance.  If you're local, I also have a copy of the DVD if you'd like to borrow it and pass it along.

I was recently featured on a friend's blog.  I first met Jessie through a mutual friend and she's plunged headfirst into the tri movement locally.  She was already an experienced marathoner but now she's into biking and swimming too. The post about me can be found here: http://blogs.courier-journal.com/accidentalathlete/2012/07/05/triathlons-can-transform-lives/

Finally, I really don't know how it happened but apparently I've agreed to do Ironman Couer d'Alene in Idaho in 2014.  I promise there wasn't any alcohol involved!

Not much else to report.  The training is going well.  I'm up to about 80 mile rides, 10 mile runs and 3000 meter swims.  Shouldn't have any issue with the full distance, just a question of how much faster I can be this time.

Ironman Muncie 70.3 (Ok, 37.2) Report

Headed up on Friday but had to take a detour to Oxford, Ohio in order to see the final game at Sarah's hockey camp.  Ken drove over from Muncie to watch as well and then we were going to head back over to the event.  But as we sat down to watch some hockey, our phones began to go crazy.  At the first race briefing (there were several choices) the race director tells us that due to extreme heat, the event will now be a 1 mile swim; 30 mile bike; and a 10K run for a total of 37.2 miles instead of 70.3.  Temperatures were expected to be the hottest in the history of the city with a heat index of up to 114F/46C.

At first, I was a little upset, but as I thought about it more, the key was going to be the volunteers and the ability to safely get athletes in distress the medical care they needed.  Expecting a volunteer, especially those who are younger or older to hang out in those temperatures for eight hours seems unreasonable.  And if enough athletes had problems, would there be enough medical personnel and/or EMS vehicles available?  So in the end, I'm comfortable with the decision.

However,  the attitude of the organizers in the face of the decision was terrible.  They offered us a $125 discount off four 70.3 events later this year.  But all of them are hundreds of miles away so the discount is basically a bill for more money.  Why not simply offer us that discount off Muncie 2013?  When a person asked this at the briefing I attended, the speaker actually laughed and said something like, "ask Ironman."  Not the kind of customer service we expect for the money we pay for official IM events.

On to the event itself.  The water temp was 89 or so from reports I read.  This made for a hot, slow swim.  I also had an issue with my tri top.  Since I've lost some weight, my top seemed to be acting a bit like a parachute.  I could feel it taking on water so I'm certain this had something to do with my absolutely pitiful swim time.  The worst I expected for a 1 mile swim was about 40 minutes but officially it was 49:24.  That's at about 1 minute slower per 100 meters than my normal.  Just a bad day? The heat? The water temp? Who knows.

The run to transition was very long, much longer than I expected so much of my T1 time was getting from the beach to my bike.  Total: 5:09.

My goal for the bike was to average 20 mph.  This would give me my best bike split ever, pace wise, in an event.  The course was mostly flat but with some rolling hills at times.  We also had some wind in places.  I personally felt the heat of the day start to come on about halfway through the bike.  Bike split:  1:28:33 or 20.33 mph.  Very pleased.

My bike was rather far away from the T2 entrance so a 2:34.  Part of that was stopping for a bit of sunscreen off my bike.  Worth it to spend a few seconds being safe.

I knew the run was going to be rough.  The best I could do was slow down, try to stay cool and hydrated.  So I did some walking at times, used a lot of sponges in my tri top, etc.  They had aid stations every 1/2 mile so we had plenty of aid.  One aid station did run out of ice and some of the volunteers (and athletes) were looking pretty rough so I think the short race call was right in the end.  One funny moment toward the end of the run was the "squishing" sound as all of us had soaked shoes from all the ice in our kits, water over our heads and so on.   Run total:  1:13:11 or 11:48/mile.

Grand total:  3:38:51.

For a normal Olympic, the bike would have been about 5 miles shorter and the swim 100 meters shorter.  At 20 mph, the extra 5 miles of biking would have been 15 minutes.  The extra 100 meters of swimming would have been 3 minutes. That would have given me 3:20.  Well off my Olympic PR but respectable in the heat.  I survived and was certainly a good hard day as I point toward my next Ironman on September 9.

We did get medals too:

 Yeah, it says 70.3 but I'll take it :)

Ironman Muncie 70.3 Preview

On Saturday, I tackle my second half Ironman:  1.2 mile swim; 56 mile bike; 13.1 mile run. 

I've been feeling really good during training.  As I lead up to my second Ironman in September, my swims are up to 2500 meters, rides at 80 miles, and runs up to 10 miles.  So there's no real fear of not finishing.  The big issue is going to be how fast I can go in some very hot conditions. I've seen forecast highs from the low 90s F (33 C) up to 100 F (37 C). 

So here it goes with some goals.

The swim is in a reservoir, so shouldn't see any current.  My last event had a 1500 meter swim, which I did in about 31 minutes.  Adjusting for the lack of current and very warm water, I'm hoping for a 45 minute swim.

Since it won't be wetsuit legal, T1 should be pretty speedy so I'm shooting for 3 minutes at most.

The bike is flat for the most part.  With predicted light winds, I think I can average 17 mph.  Maybe a bit higher but I can't afford to kill myself in the heat.  That would give me a 3:18 bike split.

T2 should be quick, as I'm mostly changing shoes, so shooting for 2 minutes.

The big test will be the "run."  My goal is 2.5 hours, which translates to 11:27/mile.  I say "run" because with the expected heat, I can guarantee lots of walk breaks to survive.  So is 11:27 doable? I'm going to say yes but we shall see.

Putting it all together, that gives me 6:38 so my initial goal of sub-7 hours seems entirely manageable. 

Full event report to follow on Saturday or Sunday.

Motor City Tri Report

Yesterday was my favorite tri:  the Motor City Tri put on by 3 Disciplines racing, a company owned by my high school pal Kenny.  It's held on Bell Isle, in Detroit, my hometown.  It was also my pal Ken's first time doing this tri. 

The distances and my times from last year:

1500 meter swim: 32:25.
T1:  2:10.
23.8 mile bike:  1:14:17.
T2:  1:20.
6.2 mile run:  1:07:43 (last year was an odd distance, 6.6). 

My goal was to go sub-3 hours with a specific goal of 2:47.

The wetsuit legal swim is about 500 meters upstream/nearly calm, then 750 downstream, finishing up with 250 with almost no current.  The first 500 always seems hard because you can't wait to get to the downstream part where it feels like you're flying.  I finished up the swim in 31:27, shaving nearly a minute off last year and a new PB for the distance.  Very happy.

A decent run to T1 and since there are no wetsuit strippers, you're on your own in getting it off.  I came into transition with my wetsuit at my waist and stripped off the rest with some struggle.  T1 total:  2:06, almost exactly the same as last year.

The bike is 4 almost flat laps around the island but this year was a little harder due to some wind and much warmer temperatures compared to last year.  I was also having bike computer issues so even though I knew I was pushing, I had no idea fast I was really going.  The goal was 20 mph.  Ended up finishing this leg is 1:12:03 or a 19.6 average.  More than 2 minutes faster than last year.

T2 was basically ripping off my helmet and bike shoes and putting on my visor and running shoes.  It's a rather large area so some of the time is wasted getting to your gear and then exiting transition:  1:23 this year, the same as last year.

The run was a new but still flat course this year.  I guess I did push rather hard on the bike as my run ended up being 1:07:30 or a 10:52/mile pace.  Also did this without knowing my exact pace but that's no excuse, really.

Grand total was 2:52:20, smashing the 3 hour mark and about 5 minutes above my pre-event goal. 

There's always next year, right?

Motor City Tri Preview

This Sunday is one of my favorite events, the Motor City Tri in Detroit, my hometown.  It's run by one of my middle and high school buddies, Kenny, who is one of the reasons I'm where I am today with regards to my fitness.  It was Kenny who encouraged me to "give it a tri" 3 years ago and come try this event.  I started with the sprint distance but since I've moved up to the Olympic distance:  1.5km swim, 23.8 mile bike, and a 10 km run.  The bike is slightly short compared to a normal Olympic but the island where it's held lends itself to the odd distance.

The race takes place on Belle Isle on the Formula 1/IndyCar track so it's flat and fast.  The only issue could be heat as it's supposed to be warm but with us starting at 8:00 am and finishing by 11:00, hopefully it won't be an issue.

My personal best in this race is 3:01 so my goal is to beat that.  For the specific legs, here are my goals:

Swim 32 minutes
T1      2 minutes
Bike   1 hour 11 minutes
T2      2 minutes
Run    1 hour

That would make a total of 2:47 which makes beating 3:01 entirely possible. 

Back on Sunday or Monday with a full race report.

Tri-Fest Olympic Event Report

Heading into the event, my goal was to break 3 hours.  However, I also knew that the course was going to be harsh.  Luckily the weather was nice and cool so the main adversary was going to be the hills.

Going in, my goal was to beat these times: 32 minute swim; 1:28 bike (or 17 mph); 1 hour run.  That would put me at sub-3 hours and leave a little room for transitions. 

The swim was in Taylorsville Lake in my sleeveless wetsuit.  Swim went well, with the only odd part being some minor swells toward the end.  Not sure if the wind kicked up for a few minutes or a bigger boat went near us but definitely odd.  I guess this is part of open water swimming but not used to it locally in our normally flat water.  Ended up with a 33:37.5 swim.

Transition went well, with the hardest part being the removal of the wetsuit.  Luckily, we had help from a wetsuit "stripper" who helped us get out of them.  T1:  2:16.8.  This doesn't seem fast, but in my last wetsuit race, in Detroit, my T1 time was over 5 minutes!

On to my bike.  The first quarter mile or so is completely heinous.  The grade is so steep coming out of the boat ramp area that at times I was under 5 mph and nearly fell over I was going so slow.  At least you knew you got to descend it later.  The course was as hilly as advertised but at least the climbs were nice steady ones instead of slow steep, holy cow, I want to die climbs.  Ended up with a 1:30:44 or 16.4 mph.  Not quite the 17 I wanted but the hills....  I also was having a touch of stomach upset, which was made evident with a trip to the bathroom after the event.

T2 was 1:24.9, right on target. Although I'd like to get this closer to 1 minute in the future for shorter events.

The run was again hilly but uneventful.  Averaged 10:49, which I'll take on a hilly course. I indeed beat an hour but the run was a touch short.  Only 5.52 miles instead of the advertised 6.2.  Total was 59:53.4.

Grand total was 3:07:56.6, which given the course and other factors, I'll take.  In lieu of a normal medal, here is what we received:

Different but nice.  They were made by a member of my local tri club.

Next event is in the middle of June. Another Olympic but this time on a super flat course.  3 hours is definitely in the cards! 

Back to the Ironman training this week.  Next update when I have something interesting to say!

It's Event Week

Had a pretty good week of training last week.  The post-marathon massage I had on Sunday helped immensely and luckily the twisted knee also cleared up pretty quickly.  The massage therapist also brought up an interesting question:  do I take any joint supplements, such as glucosamine?  I hadn't really thought about it but I'm not getting any younger and I am indeed putting a pretty good pounding on my body so there was no harm in at least investigating the idea.  I found these at Costco.  They were also on sale, only $12, and that covers a bit more than 6 months. 

The event this week is an Olympic tri.  That's a 1500 meters swim (.9 miles); a 40 km bike (24.6 miles); and a 10 km run (6.2 miles).  My goal for these is to break 3 hours.  Might be tough as the course is pretty hilly and the event starts at 10:00 am, which could mean some heat.

Race report coming on Saturday!

Kentucky Derby Festival Event Report

April 28th was the marathon.  In the few days leading up to the event, the weather was on our minds.  It looked like the high temperature would be awesome, but a looming batch of storms had us worried.  We ended up with a starting temperature of about 55 (12C) and one tiny batch of showers that actually felt good.

The pre-event strategy was to hook up with the Asics 4:45 pace team with a fall back position of letting the 5:00 pace team catch up with me if necessary.  The 4:45 team's strategy was to maintain a pace of about 10:30 a mile and walk through the fluid stations to end up with the proper finish time.

The course begins basically flat until you hit Iroquois Park at about mile 11.  One of the highlights, and where the half-marathon splits from the full, is running through the Churchill Downs grounds, the home of the Kentucky Derby.  After CD, you head toward the Park and the first hilly section.  I've run the park before, but this time we did it in the reverse direction, which I found harder.   I normally build walk breaks into my long runs and this was a perfect place to insert a few.  You exit the park about mile 15/16 and the course flattens again.

This is where I had my first issue.  Not sure if it was a pothole or some other road imperfection but I twisted/torqued my left knee and running after about mile 17 was very difficult.  My mile split times steadily increased after this point.  From 11 minutes to 12 minutes to at times, almost 15 minutes in hilly sections.  I passed a medical tent and had them spray my knee with bio-freeze, which helped for a short time but it was especially difficult trying to go pain free down hills.  Regardless of any issues, I knew I was going to finish and I knew I was going to set a PR.

As the 4:45 team left me, I waited for the 5:00 team to catch me. I held them off as long as I could and then stuck with them for about a mile or two.  They then left me and I was on my own again.  The last bit of the course is extremely hilly until you reach a flat finish.  In this area I caught up with my training partner Ken, who was also struggling a bit.  Finally, on the last few hundred meters, we were caught by the 5:15 pace team and finished with them.  I did manage to run the last bit, including the finish chute, which is always exciting.

Total time was 5:19 as the 5:15 pace team crossed the start line a few minutes after me.  My only prior marathon, as part of Ironman, was 6:12 so a significant improvement in my PR.  I am convinced that a stand alone marathon was much harder than Ironman!  Part of it, is that I ran much more yesterday than during Ironman.

Here were my splits on the day, you can see where the course turned hilly and post knee-twist...


1    10:02.6
2    10:42.6
3    10:41.9
4    11:03.4
5    10:20.5
6    10:57.0
7    10:30.8
8    10:31.5
9    11:04.9
10    10:58.1
11    10:12.6
12    11:31.2
13    11:38.2
14    12:10.0
15    12:47.2
16    11:15.6
17    12:12.1
18    13:22.0
19    13:16.2
20    12:36.1
21    11:31.0
22    13:59.6
23    14:47.0
24    14:59.8
25    14:53.4
26    15:21.1

In the end, it was all worth it though....

Now begins the next Ironman training plan.

Stay tuned...

It's Marathon Week!

After about 18 weeks of running 4 days a week on average, it's time!  Up to this point, this has been my mileage during training.

January:  88
February:  95
March:  137
April (so far):  80

I feel about as ready as I'm going to be.  Not terribly worried about the distance but I want to meet my time goal of sub-5 hours.  That means a sub 11:27 mile pace.  The pace team should be a big help.

The other big concern this week is the weather.  Just like Ironman, the weather forecast has changed about 28 times. I've seen highs in the forecast as high as 85 and as low as 61.  The latest is for a low of 45 and a high of the mid-60s. Not sure we could have ordered much better weather. Even if it means some cheap throwaway gloves or an old sweatshirt at the start, that's ok with me.

I have 3 very short runs scheduled for Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday and maybe a couple easy swims.  The expo and packet pick up is Friday as well as a pasta dinner I might attend. 

I'll be back with a full race report next weekend.

Shelbyville Tri Race Report

Today's tri was the 4th in a winter/spring local series.  I've done the first three and today's was a normal order tri with some sort of odd distances:  400 yard pool swim; 16 mile bike; 5k run.

The organizers have you self-report your expected swim time and then you're lined up within those ranges alphabetically.  However, it appeared that they used much too large of a range.  That is, I had friends around me who reported times 2-3 minutes faster than me but yet I was ahead of them in the lineup.  This caused way too much "washing machine" action: people who were much faster trying to pass in a 25 yard relatively narrow pool lane.  I thought I had a decent swim. 

My times for the 4 versions of the series, all 400 yards.  The first two were swimming last.

Race 1:  9:17.7
Race 2:  9:06.3
Race 3:  8:22.1
Race 4:  8:17.7

I had no idea they were better each time. I'll take that!  My T-1 time was right at three minutes. Bit slow but we had a decent run down to transition due to a late location change. 


The second leg was the sixteen mile bike.  The weather forecast was for warm and windy conditions and the forecasters weren't wrong!  My Garmin displays average pace and for the first half it had steadily risen to about 19.5 mph.  But as we made the right turn to head toward the second half of the loop, the wind just blasted us.  On the way back in, I steadily watched my bike average go down....down...down....  Ended up with a 53:16.1 or an 18.0 mph average.  I was quite pleased, given the conditions.  My only negative was dealing with a new saddle that was pointed down just a couple millimeters but it made it difficult to stay in the aero position as I felt like I was going to slip off the darn thing.

Will have to adjust it a bit but at least it felt comfortable.

T-2 was 1:08.5 and headed out to the rapidly warming run.  Comparing the three tris with the 5k run, I have:

Race 2:  28:09.8
Race 3:  29:40.5
Race 4:  29:05.1

Race 2 was a bit faster as it was run first so no fatigue. 

Grand total for today was: 1:34:48.3.  Pleased with the results, especially given the conditions. 

The next event is the KDF marathon on the 28th.  Stay tuned!

Taper Madness!

I'm now fully into the time all endurance competitors (I'll not call myself an athlete) dread: the taper.  During this time, every twinge is a pulled muscle, every niggle is a catastrophic injury, and so on.  During my Ironman taper, I was basically a jerk but now knowing what I'm in for, will hopefully make it easier to handle.

I did my longest non-Ironman run last Thursday, a 20 miler with my training partners.  Felt great, had a good handle on nutrition and hydration but did find myself with a hot spot on my right foot that after 20 miles turned into a nice blister.  It's since popped but I'm not sure how it's going to do with only 2.5 weeks until the KDF Marathon.  I've been advised to slather the area with Body Glide, use Anbesol on the affected area in order to mask any pain to survive the 26.2 miles, put duct tape over the area, etc.  I'm hoping that some shorter taper runs will build a decent callous so it won't be an issue.

Leading up to the big day, I have a 12 miler and an 8 miler as my long runs along with some shorter 3-4-5 mile runs during the mid-week training sessions.  After some good results at both the Rodes City 10K and the Papa John's 10 Miler, I've decided to hook up with the Asics 4:45 pace team.  They essentially run a steady pace and if you stay with them, you'll finish the marathon in 4 hours and 45 minutes. I also like the fact that the 4:15 and slower pacers usually walk through aid stations, which is a strategy I normally employ anyway.  My initial goal was 5 hours so hanging around with that pace team should help me reach my goal and there is a 5 hour pace team coming behind me if I end up slower than expected.

Finally, on Sunday, I'm doing the last of the Shelbyville Winter/Spring Tri Series events.  This one is a 400 yard pool swim, 16 mile bike, and a 3.1 mile run.  I tried some new swim drills this week that really seemed to help so hopefully it pays off on Sunday with a good result.  I'll post an event recap on Sunday/Monday.

Yeah, I'm a Slacker on My Updates

So I know I've been slacking on my updates.  However, I find it boring to post a weekly batch of training talk.  Seems like I end up saying the same general things over and over.  But since I last updated, I've been in several events and had some other news so here goes....

The first event since my last update was a trail half-marathon.  I did exactly ONE trail run before this but that hasn't stopped me before.  That seems to be my M.O.:  sign up for something and then go for it, figuring out the how as I go.  I was in the midst of full marathon training so it wasn't as if I was too far out of shape.  However, I completely underestimated the mental strength required to fight the elements, the weather, etc. Oh, did I mention it was at night so the course was also dark?  I sure do get myself into some crazy situations, eh?

Several of my local tri club members went up to this event and as we drove north from Louisville toward Indianapolis, we noticed several flooded farm fields from the recent rain and it wasn't getting any better as we got closer to the park.  So we all figured we were in for a mud-fest.  The course didn't disappoint.  The temps were in the low 30s (about 0 C) with windchills several degrees below that.  It was an unfamiliar park/course to most of us so that forced us to be both worried about the mud and ice and also not knowing where the obstacles, tree limbs and such, were.  The course was 2 loops, 13.1 miles/21 km.  I started off with my pal Kevin, but after a couple miles, he badly twisted his ankle and I had to move on without him.  Toward the end of the loop, we reached the "mud mile." It was literally almost a mile of straight mud.  At first, I tried to tip-toe through the mud and that worked for about 1/8th of a mile so I gave up and took my medicine.

As I started the second loop, with it being evening and windy, the course started to ice up in places.  I think I hit the deck about 3-4 times total.   The best fall was essentially giving a forearm smash to a nice big tree root.  Apparently, I took more damage than I dished out on that one as I ended up with a decent scrape/bruise.  I walked a fair amount and even the "running" part was slow as the unfamiliar course/icy-muddy conditions really took it out of me.  I finished it in 3:06.  For reference, my only other full marathon, in great conditions took me 6:12 so this was extremely slow.  However, I did finish and got this reward:

It was made from a tree in the event's park.  One of my favorite medals.

In February, begins the local winter tri series.  The first was a reverse super-sprint tri:  3k run/6 mile bike/400 yard swim.  It was a very cold day so we all bundled up and headed out.  Not my best day and I stopped on the bike for a minute to possibly assist a flat victim and ended up with a 51:13. 

The second tri was the same format but a bit longer:  5k run/12 mile bike/400 yard swim.  Also cold, but except for a dropped chain due to pilot error (ME), this one was better:  1:23:11. 

Finally, the 3rd in the series was the same length as #2, but in normal tri order:  swim/bike/run.  This one had most of us in short sleeves on the bike so the conditions were much nicer.  Ended up with a 1:18:15, shaving nearly 5 minutes off my #2 time.

The last 2 events I've done since the last update were part of the local triple crown of running.  I did the last 2 events and added distance in order to meet my KDF Marathon training goals.  Both ended up being PRs.  My 10K time was 58:16--my first ever sub 1 hour 10K and the 10 miler 1:38:37.  That shaved more than 11 minutes off last year's time. 

On Thursday, I have my big long KDF training run: 20 miles and the marathon itself on April 28th.  I also have the last of the tri series races in mid-April, to complete the series.

I'll be back with more updates soon!

An Update and a Nod to Some Great People

Yesterday, my training partner Ken, did the Disney World Marathon.  It was his first full marathon.  Hard to articulate but it's almost like I did it, if that makes sense.  I can now better understand all the excitement he showed after Ironman when he was so thrilled after I and a mutual friend did it.  I was out doing my weekly long run (more on that later) and several times I nearly stopped to try to find the results on my phone. 

The other person who has been killing it lately, is my wife Jessica.  She's also a marathon finisher (NYC Marathon several years ago) so I know she has it in her after getting into a bit of a fitness rut.  She's been in the gym on a regular basis, watching her diet a bit better, etc. 

We've also decided to do the Disney World Half Marathon together next January.  Perfect timing as I had been looking for a "destination event" to do.  That is, some place where the event is just part of the other fun stuff to do.  I know Cedar Point iron distance qualifies but having my wife doing the event with me makes it even better.

As far as my training goes, even though I said I was going to follow this, I've settled into a hybrid of that and the other novice program.  I ran 8 yesterday.  (The weather was so great on Friday/Saturday, we got some biking done so moved my long run to Sunday).  It was chilly but with the right gear, it made for a great run.