Crosswinds 5k.

I am the type of person that absolutely cannot get a stellar nights sleep before a race.  No matter how tired i am, i get so antsy and can't turn my brain of while thinking about difference scenarios and how the race will play out.  

That being said... i got 4 hours of sleep last night before the race, if that.

Up this morning at 7, even though i had been laying there for quite some time.  I feel like i was waking up every 5-10 minutes on my own, and although my alarm was set for 7 am, i hate that alarm clock sound so i just got up at 6:58 when i woke the latest time.

Moped around, got some fluid in me.  Felt hungry but resisted the temptation and decided to race this one without eating breakfast and only used the stored energy from dinner last night.  I knew it was a possibility that if i ate anything it might come right back up since the course was definitely harder than last week and i was feeling fatigued as hell.

Got to the race site at about 8am, registered, and the waiting began.  God i hate waiting.  It makes me even more anxious and antsy to get out there and run.  

While i was stretching, the only thing i could do was look around and scope out the competition... definitely a stronger group than in Philly.  A lot of high school and collegiate runners in their short shorts and running tank top gear.  I love being a sleeper in the crowd.  Out of no where i see an old friend from high school, Andy Crawford, who is insanely fast.  Of course, he was in my age group... welp... scratch winning my group.  

We got to talking and i asked him what his goal time was for today.  His nonchalant reply was "well, i'm coming off an injury, so if it feels good and i actually race it, i'll run it in around 16... but if i just treat this as a training run, maybe around 17."

Jesus.  Right.  Essentially what he was saying is that he will be showered, changed, and sat down to eat by the time i cross the line.  

As we line up for the start, i stay near Crawford thinking that i could probably hang with him for at least the first mile or so.  We muscled our way to the front of the starting group (always start where you plan on finishing, right Irial?) and off we went.  

Got off fast from the line and managed to secure myself in the lead pack.  Crawford passed me after about a half mile, but he was the only one to do so the entire race, so i was pretty happy with that.  Of course he kept going... and i knew there was no way i could keep pace with him.

He's a ridiculously strong runner.

Crossed the first mile marker in a time of 5:43.  Oh crap.  Out too fast... not good.  I knew it was going to be a struggle to keep a 6 minute mile pace from here on out and with the dreaded hill coming up between miles 2 and 3.1 ... i would be lucky to stay under 20 minutes.

From mile 1 - 2 it was a sharp downhill and flat, so it was a chance to rest a bit and just let the body go.  The first place guy was so far ahead, i couldn't see him, but i could still see Crawford (who was in a battle for 2nd with another guy,) that other guy, and an older man directly ahead of me.  I drafted off of him for about a half mile and then passed him at about mile 1.75.  My 2 mile split was 11:50, so i fell off my first mile pace a bit, but it was still under a 6 minute mile.

The end of the race was the hardest i've experienced in running.  All uphill.  My body kept telling me to "walk.  WALK DAMMIT!"  and it took all my willpower to shut off my brain and just enjoy the pain and go... one foot in front of the other.  

I could still see the 2nd -4th place people in front of me, but they were a minute ahead, and on the uphill, and nearly out of gas, catching them wasn't even on my agenda.  At this moment it was "alright nate, don't shut down and DON'T let anyone pass you."

The crowds along the streets helped a lot and there were a lot of people that i knew from high school and living in Canandaigua.  Old classmates, friends, teachers, etc.  It was great to see them all and the one constant reaction was "oh,  you're a runner?!"  

No, i'm not.  I'm a reformed soccer player.

Came into the finish area... lined on either side with cheering spectators and finally crossed.

19:11.  

5th overall.

3rd in my age group.

My goal was to get around 18 minutes and to win my age group, but considering the competition i had, the shape of my body after a hard week of training, and the difficulty of the course, i'm pretty happy with how things turned out.

I think i surprised a lot of people who didn't expect me to keep up with the big dogs... and thats just fuel for the fire.  I love to prove people wrong.

So there's still room for improvement... but at least i proved something to everyone and myself and that i am a force to be reckoned with.  I'll only get better and faster from here.

Oh, and i got a nifty engraved bronze medal too:) 

Oops. Race Tomorrow.

So yesterday i did mile repeats at the FLCC x-country course.  Essentially it's a speed workout where you try to keep a consistent mile speed, rest a couple minutes, and then repeat at the same pace 4 times.  

Splits:

Mile 1 - 6:01

Mile 2 - 5:54

Mile 3 - 6:02

Mile 4 - 6:07

I was going to do a hill workout afterwards but my hamstrings were tight and giving me problems over the last 2 miles.  Keep in mind these are X-COUNTRY splits... hills, grass, mulch, holes, etc ... so if my split times don't seem that fast, now you know why.

Today decided to go out and do an easy 7 miles.  Finished the first 3.5 in 23:09 and the overall 7 in a little over 50 minutes.  The second 3.5 i shut it down and just cruised, to the point where i could have a conversation while running.  Hamstrings again felt tight and i'm chalking that up to the intense workouts this week.

Now, I was planning on doing a 5k on Sunday, but when i got home, my brother informed me that no, we aren't doing the race on Sunday, but instead we're doing a 5k TOMORROW morning which gives me less than 12 hours to get rested and ready to run hard.  I usually like to have AT LEAST a day rest before a race, so this is going to be interesting.  Oops.

My time this past weekend was 21 minutes flat and that was getting caught up in traffic.  The winner of this race last year came in just shy of 18 minutes, so i'm hoping that i can latch on to one of the top guys as a pacer... because i know if i have to pace myself i will probably struggle as i will already be fatigued.

At the very least, i hope to win my age group.

We'll see how it goes!

Back to training after LIVESTRONG.

Yesterday i got back on the bike and decided to do a serious hill workout.  Cycled around for about 10 miles to warm up and then headed to Lincoln Hill (which is the first climb on the Finger Lakes Triathlon course.)

Measured the distance from bottom to top and it came out to be .7 miles.  Shorter than i had previously estimated.  I remember two years ago in the last Finger Lakes Tri that i participated in i did the climb in just over 5 minutes.  With that as my only benchmark, i went to work.

Did the first climb in a little over 3 minutes, coasted down, 2nd climb took about 2:50, coasted down, and the next 3 climbs were all shy of 3 minutes.  I'm going to do 2-3 serious hill workouts a week now in preparation of the race since i know that is where i lost a lot of time in the past.

Ended the session with another few miles and hard sprints around the old Primary School bus loop.  A few young girls decided to join me (no i did not get their numbers, they were too young... even for me,) and kept pulling off to the side when i was about to pass them, saying "you're fast Mr. Bicycle Man."

It was cute.  Just take my word for it.

The total mileage ended up being 25.1 miles.

Today the legs felt good... i was surprised they weren't sore from the climbs yesterday.  Sooo i decided to head out for a 10.2 mile run.  

It had been a few days since i last ran, so my legs were fresh (minus the minor cycling fatigue.)  Went out pretty fast and was able to hold the pace... actually, i was able to go stronger and faster from miles 5 - 10.2.  The route i take passes my house at about mile 6 and i sometimes stop to stretch and get some water, but i completely bypassed that and ran the distance all the way through.

About halfway in i set my goal to finish in 1:10 (1 hour 10 minutes,) which would put me under 7:00 per mile on average.  Unfortunately, i finished in 1:12:44 which put me at 7:07 per mile, but this was still about 7 minutes faster than my previous personal 10.2 mile best.

This is way under my needed 7:50 per mile pace (or so) to finish the Baltimore Marathon in a time where i win prize money.  For those of you that don't know, the Baltimore Marathon offers a cash purse for those who have never run a marathon before and finish the race in under 3:25.  So fingers crossed, i'll be getting paid on October 11th.

Right now my hamstrings are a little tight and my calves are hurting a bit, but hopefully a nights rest will cure that.  

Tomorrows workout agenda:

- 10.2 mile run in the morning

- Hill workout on the bike again (approx. 25 miles)

- 3.5 mile run in the afternoon

- Lifting: back and shoulders

- If i feel so inclined... swimming 5,000 yards between 8:30 - 10pm.

There's a race i may do this weekend thats fairly local... another 5k.  This one is a straight up race so i'm hoping i can latch on to someone faster than myself, have them pace me, and then beat them on the final kick.  I don't mean to toot my own horn, but my finishing kick is pretty ridiculous.  

Toot toot.

LIVESTRONG Weekend In Philly.

* Disclamer - This will be a long post.  So get your popcorn, put up your feet, and enjoy the ride.

Friday, August 22nd.

"oh, yeah... i'll be leaving Canandaigua around 1 pm and get into Philly around 6 at the latest!"

That was Nathan "last thursday" Rychlik.  When reality finally set in, I was on my way to Philly between 4 and 5 pm.  Saddled up in a little red convertible, bike in the back, gear in the front, with my ipod and 5 pieces of Orbitz Mojito chewing gum, 5 hours from my destination, the weekend began.

About 6 hours, 2 pieces of gum, every Gavin Degraw song ever released, and countless construction zones later, i finally arrived to good ole Philadelphia.  

It was great to see Eric and Adam, my generous hosts, and just plain weird to see Wendi waiting on their couch.  I felt like we should be back in Florence at Luna Rossa, listening Italian music and drinking a cappuccino.  Who am i kidding... it was great seeing her too :)

We all went out to dinner where i proceeded to be a glutton and eat a spinach artichoke dip, french onion soup, and a large burger and fries... still famished after downing it all.  

THREE CHEERS FOR A FAST METABOLISM!!!

Saturday August 23rd.

Slept in.  After loafing about for a while, Adam, Eric and I meandered to the race site to pick up our packets, shirts, and timing chips.  A trip that was supposed to only take a half hour or so took much longer and an hour + later, we arrived.  

Yadda yadda yadda...

Hours later we were at a restaurant eating enough food to feed a small country.  Back to the apartment for some olympics and Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and asleep by, ohhh 2am.  

Sunday August 24th.  RACE DAY.

Up at 5 am... still full from the night before.  Despite that, managed to eat some oatmeal and a banana before we loaded up and headed to the race site.  I spent most of the ride with my ipod blasting and getting into the "Zone" if you will.  I was just antsy.  After working out every day and then taking 3 days off to rest of a race, I just wanted to run.

Even with having left some 90 minutes prior to race time, we barely made it by 7:30 am.  The logistics weren't exactly worked out by those in charge (good job Lance,) and parking was hard to come by.  Luckily, Adam has a PhD in parking, and he slid in nicely by a bus... risking that perhaps he would block it in.  Oops.

Walked to the race start line and waited.  Waited.  Waited some more.  After the 100 mile bike group, the 70 mile bike group, the 45 mile bike group, and nearly an hour after our scheduled start time, the race began.  Immediately there was a problem.  1,000 people crammed into a rather small space and a start that was not conducive to those faster runners to run to their potential.  I definitely got the short end of the stick.

Adam, Eric and I all started together well back in the pack.  Ducking, weaving, hurdling babies, soccer moms, and old women in wheel chairs, I tried to get clear of the slower people to get to where the race was.  So frustrating.  I spent more time on the grass than i did on the pavement during the first stretch.

My first mile was a mediocre 7 minutes and my mind got to thinking what could have been if I hadn't been held up for at least a minute and a half with the slower participants.  Continued to pass people and made it a point to never be passed myself. 

At least I achieved that goal.

No one passed me throughout the race and I ended up finishing with a time of 21 minutes flat.  Unbelievably, that was good enough to place me 12th out of 659.  The winner ran in with a time just 30 seconds faster than my personal best, and I think that if i had been running with someone to push me, i would have been able to win in the home stretch.  

Yes, i'm disappointed in my performance.

When i crossed i wasn't out of breath and had this "meh" feeling since i knew it was a lost cause from the start.  I guess its reassuring that a bad race of mine is still 21 minutes.

The whole team got together and we grabbed some lunch and beverages before the jaunt back to Philly.  Oh... and the post race provisions were provided by Pizza Hut and Michelob Ultra.  Weird.

The drive home was faster and the day culminated with a short hour nap and the drive back to New York.

Yeah... i kinda got sick of writing here at the end.

In summary:

LIVESTRONG 5k - COMPLETED

PLACE - 12th out of 659

FEELING - mediocre at best and can do better blindfolded hopping on one foot.

REALITY - pretty great that i finished that high, but it frustrates me when numerical results don't accurately represent what i'm capable of.

Next up: Finger Lakes Triathlon.

Speed Workout #2. Whisper It... Sub 5 minute Mile.

So it's been roughly 3 weeks since my last speed workout at the track.  

Three weeks since I last wanted to cry from being so physically depleted.

At least this time I knew what I was getting into this time around.  Lets recap what I ran just 3 short weeks ago.  Actually... lets do a side to side comparison between the first speed workout and todays 2nd speed workout to show the differences:

July 30, 2008 August 19, 2008

400  - 1:24 1:15

800  - 1:20 1:12

1200 - 1:18 1:12

1600 - 1:17 1:13

2000 - 1:22 1:13

2400 - 1:23 1:11

2800 - 1:27 1:13

3200 - 1:25 1:14

3600 - 1:25 1:14

4000 - 1:21 1:11

4400 - 1:22 1:16

4800 - 1:12 1:08

Mile 1 - 5:29 4:52

Mile 2 - 5:37 4:51

Mile 3 - 5:20 4:49

3 Mile - 16:26 14:32

One word: INSANE!

My average times today were on mark with my fastest last lap time 3 weeks ago.  Keep in mind that I ran 14 miles yesterday, cycled 24 miles this morning, there was a strong headwind down the back stretch, and I wasn't running fresh.  So there is definite room for improvement!

Tomorrow it's up early for a swim session, another 20 or so miles of cycling (gotta break that 600 mile mark,) 10 - 14 miles of running, and ending up the day with a 2nd swim session since I was bad and skipped one today.  If I still have anything left, maybe go to the gym and get some lifting in.

I'm feeling great.  Fit.  Strong.  Confident.  Been icing the joints and so far everything is holding up.

A Tweak here... A Pull There...

I forgot to mention a few things.

For the past month or so, my knee and body problems had seemed to all but disappear.  Today though, midway though my 10 + miles, the knees started acting up.

Right now, I have ice on my right knee, i'll be icing and heating the other and both ankles later on, and my left hamstring seems poised to snap.  No matter how much i stretch it, the tightness still remains.  

When I get sponsors / a semi - reliable income, I need to make weekly chiropractic and massage appointments to help keep my body in working condition.  

It's a scary thing feeling a tweak here, a pull there, and wondering if the next one could be the catalyst for events that would end your dream.

Milestone.

Well... hit a couple milestones this week, the most important being that I broke 200 miles running over the past month and change.  It doesn't seem like I'm running that far during training, but it's surprising and hard to stomach, looking back and seeing what I've actually done!

The other milestone was that I ran my 3 mile in a time of 18:02 and finally got my 5k time under 19 minutes.  Again... it's hard to believe that when I started a little over a month ago I was running 3 miles in 23 minutes and that I've already dropped 5 minutes off in this short of time.  Although it was a personal best by well over a minute, I wasn't happy since my goal was to get in the 17 minute range.  To miss by 3 seconds... gah.  Torture.

Today started the lead-up week to the first road race of the season:  the LiveStrong 5k in Philly.  The plan for the next few days was to run an easy 10 miles today with a 3 mile cool down, speed workout tomorrow, and then another 10 miles on Wednesday.  Rest Thursday, Friday, do an easy mile or two Saturday to loosen up, and then race like a bat out of hell on Sunday.  I would love to drop my 5k time to around 18 minutes... and if I can finally break into that 17 minute zone, I'll be one happy guy.

So I ran an easy 10.2 miles today.  Finished in 1:20:13 which is a little over my personal best, but still averaging 7:51 a mile.  I wasn't winded at the end at all... and I think the Baltimore Marathon shouldn't be too hard to conquer.  Especially my route here has more hills than in Baltimore.

Did a 3 mile "cool-down" and realized with about a half mile to go that my 22 minute pace probably wasn't the "cool-down" i needed.  I ran a faster mile pace than I did in my 10 miler.  Instead of feeling better after that run, I actually started to hurt for the first time.  After 13.2 miles, i was dead.  I can't wait to have aid stations with water and food during the actual marathon.  With that, i know it will be easy.

Looking forward to a personal best this weekend.

Epic Cycling.

So last Thursday, i decided to take on my first real long distance cycling challenge.  The 100 or so miles from Canandaigua to Buffalo.

So i geared up, packed 3 bottles of water, 2 bananas, a sandwich, and my ipod... stoked about the journey that i figured would take me 6 hours, TOPS.  I planned on getting on the road by 6 am, but i actually left around 8.  Got about a mile in, and realized i had forgotten my cycling gloves.  

GREAT.

Turn around, pick them up, and i'm on my way... for real this time.  

It was overcast and the forecast called for severe thunderstorms at the day progressed.  I hoped that i could make it to my destination before those became a factor.

Driving this route in a car, i didn't realize how hilly it actually is.  The first 20 or so miles... all hills... and to make matters worse, i couldn't even get up to cruising speed DOWNHILL because the $%#&-ing headwinds were so strong.  I literally had to pedal to keep speed going down hills.  After pedaling hard up the hills and then having to do the same downhill... very demoralizing.

About 40 miles in, i decided to pull off and have a banana and a sandwich.  After a 15 minute food / fuel break, i saddled back up and headed off down the road (up more hills.)

Cranked away for another 15 miles and i suddenly realized that i was out of water.  Super.  Luckily, my father was leaving to head to buffalo a few hours after i left, in a car of course, so i had hoped water would be available upon his arrival.  

I was about half a mile into a mile climb and he blows by me and stops about a quarter mile ahead.  Not at the top of the hill, or just over the peak, but right on the slope so i have to stop mid climb.  

Thanks dad.

To make matters worse... no water.  It would have been really easy to break down my bike, load it up, and ride the rest of the way... but i resisted the temptation and kept on going.  Luckily, and much to my relief, my father came tearing back towards me about 5 miles later with 2 bottles of water.  He's my hero.  Seriously.

My hamstrings were cramping, my calves were cramping, i was getting sore being in the saddle, and my upper back was just killing me from being in that position for 4+ hours at this point.

Then started the rains.  Misting at first... then harder, mixed with headwinds and crosswinds that made each hammer of the pedals torture.  Mind you, i usually average between 18-20 mph on my rides... i was lucky to be between 13-14 mph at this point in time.  Again... demoralizing.

As the end of the ride neared, the sun came out, and for the first time i realized how close i was.  Only about 20 miles to go.  Only an hour and change.  But no, it would have been too easy to finish like that.  

The Place: Mile 77.5 - Bullis Road, just outside of Buffalo.

My back tire shreds.  AWESOME!  There was nothing i could do.  I had an extra tube and repair stuff, but with 20 miles left and no serious tire pump, i couldn't ride on.  So thats a big DNF.  

DID NOT FINISH.

The worse words an athlete can hear and words i hope to never experience during an actual race.  So now i have to head back out and attempt the ride again, and again, and again... until i'm successful.

So i called my father, he came to pick me up, and in the meantime i walked my bike an extra couple miles because i couldn't bear to just stand there.

The rest of the weekend was a gluttonfest and full of Rychlik family tomfoolery.  It was my cousins wedding on Friday, so naturally we had to party Thursday, Friday, Saturday, AND Sunday.

My family is more fun than yours.

So now, i guess you could say it's back to the grind.  I ate horribly, drank soda for the first time in probably at least 6 months, and enjoyed an alcoholic beverage or 10 with the family to celebrate the wedding.  

Time to detox and get back to it.

Day of Rest.

So yesterday, Monday, i took my first day of rest from all things triathlon related.  It was hard.  I was antsy and had to force myself to NOT do anything.

It paid off.

Today i cycled to the lake, went for a leisurely 2,000 yard swim and then cycled home to run an end of the day 6 miler.  During my biking, i felt slow, sore, and just lethargic.  Not a good feeling.

Anyways... my previous personal best in the 6 miles was just over 42 minutes.  I crushed that today and wasn't that winded by the end.

What a difference a day of rest can make.

By the end, i finished my run in a time of 40:51.  Thats 6:48 per mile.  Still room for improvement... especially since my route isn't flat at all.  Granted, i was literally racing for my life as a severe thunderstorm was rolling in and lightning was striking in the fields around me, so the adrenaline was pumping a little bit.  haha.

Tomorrow is a double session day of swimming (4,000 - 5,000 yards), cycling to and from the lake (5 - 6 miles,) and a light 6 miler at night.  I'm saving my cycling legs for thursday... i'm cycling to Buffalo (approximately 100 miles.)

I'll be out of town this weekend for a wedding, but i'll still try and get some early morning runs in.  

New Personal Bests.

Well, tonite, not only did i run a personal best in the 6 mile (42:02) but i also reached a personal best in the 5k.  

After running a brief 2.9 mile "warm up" in approximately 22:40, i went on to run my fastest 5k to date without taking a breather or a break for water in 19:22.  

It makes me wonder... if i go out on less "warm up" and harder... how fast can i go?

I definitely had some left in the tank when i stopped...

Progress Update. One Month In The Books.

So, after a month which included over 400 miles biking, 150 miles running, and nearly 10,000 yards swimming... i was gandering at what my progress has been since the beginning of this training endeavor.  

And here... i will share my findings with you!!!

SWIMMING:

Ok, well i haven't exactly been swimming as much as i should be or want to... ESPECIALLY since swimming is my weakest discipline, but from what i've done thus far, there has been a noticeable improvement in my ability.  Now, keep in mind all my swims have been open water lake swims.

My first time out was mediocre at best.  I always swim with my friend Katie, and i had her stopping at EVERY buoy to catch my breath and rest.  If i couldn't have touched the bottom, there was probably a good chance that first time out that i would have drowned.  Alright, not really... but you get the picture.

First recorded swim time (2nd actual swim) - 40:37

Since that first swim, each subsequent outing has gotten easier and my endurance is noticeably better.  Katie actually asked the other day "have you been swimming without me?!"  

Last recorded swim time (5th actual swim) - 32:34

The distance is 1.1 miles... so, hypothetically, i should be able to finish the Ironman swim in about 1:20 on the high side, taking into account slowing down and inevitable exhaustion.  Still... it's clear i'm improving.

Improvement time - 8:03

CYCLING:

I was especially excited to come back from italy and get on my bike.  Now, i'm obsessed with getting a new one... a tri-bike specific to this sport.  Lighter, more aerodynamic, aerobars... just better in general.  Not to say my bike isn't great... but its a normal road bike... not ideal for my type of races.  But i digress...

I have a usual loop that i do... down the lake and back up around town.  It ends up being about 21 miles.  

First workout: 

Mileage - 20.8 miles

Time - 1:20:15

Top Speed - 39.8 mph

Average Speed - 15.5 mph

My main concerns with training are not only distances, but more importantly, my average speed.  If my average speed steadily gets higher, it shows i'm getting stronger in this discipline.  Top speed is irrelevant, but it's fun to look at, and time is just a byproduct of average mph.

Last recorded workout:

Mileage - 21 miles

Time - 1:09:09

Top Speed - 39.6 mph

Average Speed - 18.2 mph

I've done 23 workouts to date at various lengths and intensities... but there's no doubt that i'm definitely improving.

Improvement Time - 11:06

Improvement Average Speed - 2.7 mph

I want to have my average speed up to over 20 mph by Ironman time...  it needs to be in order to have a shot at the Kona spot.

RUNNING:

Well, anyone who has been keeping tabs on my training might guess that running is my favourite discipline and the sport i have been training the most in.  Ideally, i had wanted to keep my training ratio at 5:1 when it came to cycling and running (that is the race ratio) but it has become a ratio closer to 3:1.  My rationale - running is the last chance in a race to pull ahead and finish strong.  Many people crumble and collapse at the end, and i don't want to be that guy.  This is where i plan on passing those who may have passed me earlier on.

It's hard to put my improvements into numbers.  I started off my training mainly on a track and have since gone to the road and x-country courses to train (except for speed workouts.)  So i guess we'll show the distance improvements and times.

10 miles road

First run - 1:25:21 (8:20 per mile average)

Best run  - 1:17:07 (7:43 per mile average)

5k (3.1 miles) x-country course

First run - 32:23 (10:26 per mile average)

Best run  - 23:47 (7:40 per mile average)

5k (3.1 miles) road

First run - 22:39 (7:33 per mile average)

Best run  - 19:59 (6:40 per mile average)

The biggest changes i've seen is that i can easily run 6-10 miles at under 8 minutes a mile pace and not be winded at the end.  It's actually quite relaxing for me.  With lots of short races coming up, i worry that i'm putting too much emphasis on endurance and distance and not enough on speed and fast twitch muscle training... so i think i may have to do more hill / speed workouts to help me with that aspect of my "game."

Maybe i've been looking towards the Baltimore marathon too much and trying to get under that 3:30 threshold (i need to keep at least an 8:00 per mile to reach that.)  Who knows...

I GOT IT!!!  

Maybe i'll do better if i start wearing my Action Jeans while training!

Orrr maybe i'll just save them for race day.  We'll see!!  If anyone can make sure i have a good race day, it's Chuck Norris.  Obviously.

So here i am, 10:45 pm on sunday night... and as i wind down this update, i'm looking forward to the easy 10k i'll be running not 10 minutes from now.

All in all... July was a successful month.  But i think August will be better.