Rough Week.

So this past week was a particularly rough one for me, for a couple reasons... and due to the fact my legs weren't in any shape to run after the marathon, one of my most important outlets for my frustrations, anger, energy wasn't available.  So i did what any normal person who can't run would do: cycle 120+ miles and write some music instead.

I feel like i'm in the best cycling shape i've ever been in, and i turned out some lyrics / music that may have some potential once i let it sit and refine it later on.

Today i feel like my legs are finally in form to get out and pile up the miles again.  We're going to start with a 10.2 miler and maybe a shorter 3 - 3.5 miler after depending on how i feel.  I'm going to try and get in at least 10 miles a day from here on out until the week or so before the Philadelphia marathon, so hopefully i'll be a tad bit more prepared this time around.  Focus on that 3:10 mark.

So off i go.  Time to run.  Swim session tonite.

Baltimore Marathon.

It was a long and brutal weekend to say the least... and i am anything but motivated in wanting to post about it.  So i apologize in advance for it being brief and without my normal array of quips and wittiness. 

I got a late start on Thursday and headed down to Baltimore / DC, arriving a little after 10pm.  After hanging out for the night, I headed to Ravens Stadium on Friday for the Event Expo... to register and to collect all the SWAG from the various booths.... i.e. chapstick, more water bottles than i will ever use in a life time, plastic cups, lanyards, gloves, etc etc etc.

Picked up my bib number, signed up for a pace group (3:10) and collected my UnderArmour marathon shirt.  I also purchased some things i probably shouldn't have:  a 2nd UnderArmour shirt, a fuel belt for long distance running, and sweat bands for my wrist.  

Left after about 2 hours of meandering and picking up at least a dozen marathon fliers for other races and headed out to my cousins place about 25 minutes northeast of Baltimore.

When i arrived, i was immediately greeted by a joyous 3 year old who was more than willing to tire me out before i had even run!  I spent most of the day (Friday) playing with him, throwing out my back, and watching Ratatouille / Finding Nemo.  Finally we were able to get him to bed after some convincing and a half hour story time session courtesy of yours truly.  

I think i'll be a great dad.

Went to bed around 11 in anticipation of the 5am alarm that was set to go off.  

Of course, i woke up 2 minutes before the alarm was supposed to go off, so i just got up instead of waiting.  Hopped in the shower, made some oatmeal, and drove to Baltimore.  

Arrived at about 6:30am and wandered about for a bit. I had until 8am to kill until the race start.  Listened to the ole ipod, took in some water and gels, stretched, dressed, laced up the shoes, checked my bag and went to the starting area at around 7:45am.  It was there that i met up with the 3:10 pace group (thanks to Geico) and met some great guys who i was to be running with for the race.  

It was great because the runners were set up so that there wouldn't be faster ones dodging and weaving through crowds of slower ones.  The 3:10ers were at the head of the pack, right behind the Ethiopians.  No. Really.  I lined up right behind the Ethiopians.

The time grew near and at 7:58am, 2 mins before the start, i realized i had to go to the bathroom.  Great.  

Welp... gotta hold it.

The gun went off and we started off on your 7:08 per mile pace.  It was surprisingly comfortable and easy.  We were having conversations and it wasn't laboured at all.  The biggest thing was that i really loved running with other people.  After the initial jockeying for position and crowding, we spread out a bit and just 'chilled' so to speak.

At mile 2, a helpful man on the corner gave us encouragement... saying "you're doing great guys... you're only 4 minutes behind the leaders."  

4 minutes behind the leaders... at MILE 2!  

We pranced on... up one hill, down a little, up another big hill, down a small one.... i swear i have never run so many hills in my life.  I wasn't exactly prepared for that.

About an hour in, i took down my first gel of the race.  Its tricky the first time out.... running, grabbing water, pounding it, grabbing gatorade, pounding it, and trying to get gel too.  

The sun eventually came out and we could tell it was gonna be a hot one.  Through mile 10 we were actually under the 3:10 finish pace which was great.  I still felt great and strong.  The crowds were great and inspiring, and even through some of the ghettos i mean "less wealthy sections" the people had their speakers in windows blasting 'Eye of the Tiger' and 'Chariots of Fire.'  It was a rush! 

Came through the halfway point at about 1:35 which is right on pace for a 3:10 marathon.  It was about this time that we saw the leaders streaking by the other way.  

Unreal.  

Throughout the first half of the race i was ever vigilant of the professional photographers on the course.  I can't wait for the cd to get to me with all the pictures on them... i made a point of posing for a number of them... so it should prove interesting.  Another thing that will be great to see is my inevitable decline after mile 16 and the how bleak i looked.  

Heres a mile by mile recap of the end of my race:

Mile 16 - Left leg started cramping up a lot.  First my calf, then my hamstring had to play too.

Mile 18 - I had been able to keep the pace group in my field of vision up until this point.  No more.  My race had turned in to running with walking through aid stations.

Mile 19 - My right leg finally felt the peer pressure and started cramping up... only worse than my left.  These cramps were the balled up ones where every time i kicked my hamstring constricted.  I haven't felt that kind of physical pain in a long time.

Mile 20 - The 3:20 pacers started to pass me.  This is when i knew i was in serious trouble.

Mile 21 - Lost view of the 3:20 pacers.  My run became more of a pathetic hobble.

Mile 22 - My body finally gave me the big middle finger and reduced me to walking.  Talk about humbling.  I decided to finally stop and use a port-a-pottie if only to give my legs a rest.  

Miles 23 / 24 - Consisted mostly of a humorous hobble / walk combination (humorous to watch, not experience) and a "grab everything i can get my hands on" mentality through the aid stations.  I was grabbing a cup of water, pounding it, grabbing a cub of gatorade, pounding it, and then another water to wash that down.  My body hated me.  To add insult to injury, the 3:30 pacers had began to pass me.

Mile 25 - Almost entirely a walk, at this time it was about finishing... but oh boy did the first aid booths look inviting along the course.  

The last mile was entirely down hill and i met up with another struggling member of the 3:10 pace group.  We just said screw it and starting running as fast as we could.  I sprinted the last mile (well, as good a sprint could be after 25 miles of physical battery) and finished in a time of 3:38:54.  Almost a half hour after the the group i had set off with.  The surprising thing was that my last mile was actually ran in under 6:30. 

I hate my body.

After the race, we were corralled into the runners area where we were treated to a medal, a reflective sheet to ward off the sun, liquids and some food (bananas, chips, granola, fruit, etc.)  Stupidly, i pounded 4 cups of gatorade, grabbed two bottles of water, chips and granola and went and sat on the ground.  This is where i started to feel bad... dizzy, nauseous, all sorts of not normal.

I stood up and walked over to the other side where i checked my bag.  Sat down on a bench, put my head in my hands and i may have 'fallen asleep' for a good 15 minutes.  In reality, i probably passed out.  When i 'woke up' i went and collected my bag and then got that mouth watering feeling that comes to you right before something bad is going to happen.  Yeah, you know what i mean.

I snatched my bag and made my way as quickly as possible to the far end of the nearest parking lot, where no one could see me, and promptly returned all that gatorade back to the earth.  On the plus side, it made me feel 150 times better, but at the cost of soiling my new $110 Adidas AdiZero running shoes.  

I guess they're officially broken in now.  

After collecting myself and getting my act together, i was delighted to see that ONE PERSON came to see me.  Maren Bertwell from my Italy Round 1 lives in Annapolis, so she drove up to say hi.  It was amazing to see her and was really the highlight of my day.

I think the hardest part about running there wasn't the heat, wasn't the hills, wasn't the distance or any of that... it was the fact that i had no one there to support me.  No one for the hour and a half prior, no one cheering for me during, and no one at the finish where everyone else was hugging their loved ones.  It was just me, my little spot on the pavement and eventual puddle of gatorade.

Congrats Nate.

Gotta be honest, sitting in a car and driving yourself home 30-40 minutes is not an ideal way to wind up a marathon experience either.  For a lack of better way to put it, that sucked.

Went back to my cousins place, but only after i stopped into a Walmart to grab a 10 pound bag of ice.  Filled the tub up, dumped the ice in, and submerged my battered lower body.

Now, you're only supposed to be in an ice bath for 10-15 minutes.  I FELL ASLEEP in my ice bath and only woke up when my cousin pounded on the door 50 minutes later.  

Nice one Nate.

After washing off i headed downstairs where Derek (the 3 year old) was more than willing to pick up where we left off the day before.  Unfortunately, i couldn't say no to him and ignored my body's pleas to rest and relax.  We ripped through Finding Nemo again, and then sat down for a great meal of eggplant parmesan.   After putting the kids to bed we sat down and watched Reign Over Me.  Well... my cousin and her husband sat, i kind of sprawled in whatever position would make my body the least angry.

I went to bed before 11pm and passed out until my alarm went off at 9am.... i MUST have been tired.  I never completely sleep through the night.  Due to the fact i drink too much water (or maybe because i'm getting old) i have to get up to piss 1-2 times during the night.  I know you wanted to know that.

When i got up, i was greeted with eggs, bacon, and strawberry / chocolate chip pancakes.  Ugh... heaven.  At about noon i said my goodbyes and began my trek back north.

If there's anything worse than driving 40 minutes right after running a marathon, its driving 6+ hours the day after.  Not exactly pleasant.

So that was my weekend in a nutshell.  Today i was antsy, and although unable to run for another couple days, i went against my better judgement and cycled an easy 34 miles.  

::shaking head::

Lifting and swimming tomorrow... hopefully turn on the high mileage running at the end of the week in prep for the Philadelphia Marathon on November 23rd.

I learned a lot this weekend, about the race and about my body:

1.  I underestimated how hard a marathon is.

2.  Despite what your mind and lungs want you to do, your body will do what it wants.

3.  Running with other people make all the difference in the world.

4.  I've said it before, and i'm saying it again:  i have to check my ego at the door.  Even though my time was "really good" for a first timer, i wasn't nearly prepared enough from my training.

5.  Have people there for you.  At the end, there's nothing i wanted more than to see the people i care about.  It's a crappy feeling when you can't.  Substitute "crappy" with a much stronger word though.

6.  Ask questions and take advice.  Encourage others and accept encouragement.  

7.  Fuel and hydrate.  FUEL AND HYDRATE.

8.  It's an emotional experience.  Crossing that finish line was more than gratifying.  To the point of wanting to cry.  When it hurts to the point you want to quit, think about that finish line.

40 days until Philly.  Lets see if we can cut 30 minutes of that time, shall we?

20.4

Anyone i've talked to has made a point at saying "if it's the only thing you do, run at least a 20 miler before your first marathon, just so you get a taste of what you're in for, and know what to expect."  Well, today, as promised, i did just that.

Although still a little achy in the joints from the devil treadmill, i really couldn't have asked for a better day for a run.  Not humid at all, clear skies, sunny but not sunny enough to warrant sunglasses, and a refreshing 55 degrees.  

So this was the plan : my normal "10 mile run" is actually a 10.2 mile loop that i do, starting and ending at my house.  Since it was my intention to run at least 20 miles today straight, i figured i'd do the loop twice, with a quick water / food / pee break after the first 10.2 miles.  Simple enough.

I head out, feeling absolutely great.  After about a mile, any rust and aches that were in my joints melted away and i was on cruise.   Long easy strides and my breathing wasn't laboured at all.  If pressed, i would have to estimate my heart rate wasn't too far above 100 bpm.  Maybe 110 at most.  I was still able to have a conversation at the pace i was running... it's incredible the progress i've made... now thinking that a 10 mile run in just over an hour is "easy."  

"You're a machine Nate... and more than a little insane."  

Yes... so i've been told.  Repeatedly.  If i had a dollar for every time i've heard that, i could probably purchase one of those new sweet C-series 450 horsepower AMG Mercedes.  

Donations anybody??

Came in after the first 10.2 miles in 1:12:52 which is 7:09 per mile.  Legs felt great, breathing still wasn't laboured, i was just a little thirsty.  haha.  

Took a 5 minute break.  Downed a water bottle of water, ate a banana quick, took a bathroom break and was back out for round 2 after only 5 minutes "rest."  I figure that during the actual marathon, i can easily cut off 3 minutes of that since i'll have HAMMER GEL packs on my tri belt and there will be aid stations throughout... so i can actually cover SOME distance as opposed to remaining stagnant at my house for 5 minutes.

After the break, took off for lap two, and it took about a mile to get back into the groove and have the newly ingested fuel take affect.  About mile 13 my right knee started bothering me and by mile 15, that pain was replaced by sharp pains in my left knee.  At mile 17 i definitely started to slow down a little bit... the knee pains were promptly replaced by pain from cramping calves and hamstring.  Unlike the joint pains... these stayed with me until the bitter end.

I ended up running the 2nd 10.2 miles in 1:19:51.  Just shy of 7 minutes slower than my first 10.2 and at an average of 7:50 per mile.  

Added together and including the 5 minute pit-stop, my total time for 20.4 miles was 2:37:43 which equates to a 7:43 per mile average.  Plenty below the 8 minute average i need to reach my 3:25 goal in Baltimore.  Take off a couple minutes with the on-the-go aid stations... i think i'll be golden.

After i got home i quickly filled the bathtub and dumped a bucket of ice into the water.  Dipped myself in and sat there for about 20 minutes... i think thats going to save me in the next few days and i hopefully my soreness level will be far lower than it was last week when i only ran 13.7.  

I estimate that i probably burned around 2,000 + calories during todays training session.

Just finished eating, spent about 15 minutes stretching, and i currently have an iced gel pack on my right knee.  Hopefully i'll be in good enough condition to head out for at least a 3.5er tomorrow.

I learned a few things about longer runs on my training session today:

- i am capable of going 10.2 miles without hydration in conditions similar to today.

- the race really doesn't start until mile 17 and higher.

- distance running is a testament to how well you can endure and shut out pain.

- if you cant endure or shut out the pain, embrace it.

- i no longer have to wonder if running a marathon will suck.  i KNOW it's going to suck.

- throughout the entire 2nd half of my run, i could only think about the fact that i will be doing this next summer, after a 2.4 mile swim and after a 112 mile bike, through the mountains.  it has given me a new perspective on how difficult the Ironman really is.

- i consider myself pretty fit and my athletic ego tells me i can finish any type of race without training hard.  i mean, REALLY training.  shorter races, yes... ok.  these longer endurance races i have to check my ego at the door and train seriously.

- the body is an incredible thing, and only a week after struggling so much with a training run, the fact it allowed me to come back and run well today, 7 miles longer, with more ease, and less physical punishment.

- endurance races are humbling.

Baltimore is just going to be a stepping stone.  I think after todays run i definitely want to run in Philadelphia and drop my time.  The time of 3:25 which i want to reach is an average of 7:48 per mile.  Even with that long break today, i'm 5 seconds below that.  I'm like rainman.  It's always a numbers game for me.  

Always crunching. 

Oh, and i got new running shoes a few days ago.  Adidas AdiZero Tempos.  They are incredibly light and they make a world of difference compared to my Nike Shox (purchased in fall 2004 and with 500 + miles on them.)  haha.

After the marathon, i'll finally be comfortable enough to call myself a real runner.

Rain, Treadmills, and Wind chills.

Let me preface this post by saying it is freakin' cold outside!

Today i decided to hit the trifecta with training.  Cycling, running, and then swimming this evening.  Initially, i went outside without checking the temperature and only going off the fact that there were blue skies and sun sun sun.

Bad idea.  

I quickly found out that cycling shorts, no socks, and a beater was NOT sufficient enough to get me through a training ride.  Time to revamp the training wardrobe.   After about 15 minutes of trying to find a make shift cold weather cycling outfit, i emerged from the house wearing my knee high black nike soccer socks, my black cycling shoes, black nike cycling shorts, and long sleeve tri shirt.  Even with all that, it couldn't keep me warm and the wind cut through everything when going 30+ mph on my bike.  With the air temperature being in the upper 40s / low 50s, the wind chill must have been at least the low 40s / upper 30s.  Absolutely freezing.

After a ride in which i was thoroughly chilled, i grabbed some water and headed out for a run.  

But before i get into that, lets rewind to yesterday.

Yesterday.  Cold, rainy, miserable yesterday.  I had the brilliant idea of putting to use the treadmill we've had for YEARS by putting it outside on the porch so that on those rainy days, there is no excuse for not running.  Also, i put a stand in front of it so that i could watch movies on my laptop and partake in Facebooks MOB WARS while running!!!

I. Hate. Treadmills.

I put on the movie Boiler Room, set the treadmill for 9 mph, and went at it.  God, its boring, and even though i was mildly distracted with Facebook and Boiler Room, i really couldn't deal with it.  Every 2 miles i had to stop because the constant bouncing and noise annoyed me.  I ended up doing only 7.5 miles, but it was the worst 7.5 miles i have ever run.  Treadmill running will only be a last resort thing from now on.  

Hell, I'll even run in the rain / sleet / hail / snow / hurricane katrina to avoid that blasted machine.

So back to todays run.  I set out with every intention of running at least 10 miles.  I mean, i DO have a marathon in a week.  About a mile into my run, my ankles and knees began to hurt like hell and the pain only escalated with each step and each mile.  By mile 3 i knew that 10 wasn't going to happen today.  In fact, i had to stop at 3.5 because it got so bad.  

Not a good sign.

I haven't hurt like this since i was playing soccer in Italy.  The only change i've made in my training was the treadmill... so now i know how my body reacts to that.  

Tonight swam a nice 2,400 yards and i'm finally feeling great about my swimming.  I feel fast, fluid, and comfortable in the water.  A far cry from what i was only a short month ago where i would drown after a quick lap!

So the enormity of the race i'm about to take on is finally hitting me.  I'm quite certain that i'll be laid up for quite a few days afterwards and i'm having doubts that i'll even be able to finish in the 3:25 that i set as a goal.  My longest continuous run thus far is 17 miles, and i was struggling towards the end of that.  I guess finally the nerves are hitting me and the uncertainty of what i'm about to take on makes things worse.  I'm sure the marathon in Philly will be a little better seeing as i'll know what to expect.

Anyways... this weekend (tomorrow) i am planning on running at least a 20 miler to get a taste of what it will be like.  I've heard and been told that the race doesn't actually really start until after the 20th mile... so i guess we'll just have to see how strong my resolve is.

Yay haw.

QUOTES!

Here are a few running related quotes that i found truthful and humorous!  Picture them on the back of a shirt.

- "destroying your confidence one step at a time."

- "on the 7th day, god ran an easy 3."

- "in my mind, i'm a Kenyan."

- "trample the weak, hurdle the dead."

- "every second per mile in a marathon is the difference between finishing with the Kenyans, or finishing with a guy name Ken."

- "our training runs aren't the only things that are long."

- "we're those fast kids your parents warned you about."

- "if you're reading this, you've been lapped."

- "my pace or yours?"

- "running is different from other sports.  other sports only need one ball."

- (for x-country) "roads? where we're going, we don't need roads."

- "if running was easy, they'd call it a game."  (another variation: "if running was easy, they'd call it your mom."  sorry... i had to. haha.)

- "my sport is your 'sports' punishment."

10.2 ... PLUS 3.5

Well i figured it was time to stop my slacking and hammer down for the next week and  a half before the marathon in Baltimore.  What better way to "hammer down" than head out for a 10.2 mile jaunt.  

So i did.

Felt great.  Fast.  I was probably at about a 7 minute per mile pace by the end of it and felt like i still had some gas left.  Legs weren't sore, strides were long and fluid...  tack on an extra 3.5 miles?  SURE!  Why not!!!

About a mile in, it hit me.  I started to hurt... a lot.  Legs started feeling like lead, stride shortened... breathing was still unlabored, but i was just running out of gas.  It probably didn't help that i was foolish and failed to stop at any point for water or a refuel.

Finally got home, pounded 2 bottles of water, and ate a banana that tasted absolutely glorious.  My legs were definitely in pretty bad shape though.  As i sit here, my quads are pretty sore.

Finished up 13.7 miles in 1:45:34 which equates to 7:42 per mile.  So that was a little over a half marathon training session today.  If i fuel and prep properly for the race in Baltimore, i think that the 3:25 mark is definitely in reach... although i'm really cutting it close at the moment.

Hopefully i can get about 50-75 miles of training in before the race, rest for a few days, and be good for the big day.  

Only time will tell.

New Goodies and RACE DAY!!!

So, i accidently purchased some new goodies for my bike and races in general... in addition to getting my bike completely overhauled.  I mean, it HAD been 1,500 miles since any tune up had been done!

The tune up was first... and when i went out on it afterwards, it felt like a completely new bike.  Smooth, accurate shifting and fast fast fast.  Not even a week later, i went in and pulled the trigger on getting new pedals, cycling shoes, and aerobars.  I won't say how much everything cost in total, but lets just say i wouldn't have made the investment if i didn't intend on competing for years to come.

Lesser purchases over the past week included a tri-belt to attach my bib number so transitions go faster, various HAMMER Nutrition products... including tri shorts, and YANKZ elastic laces for my shoes to help slide them on faster.  Back to those later...

So i took out my bike after purchasing the bars, pedals and shoes and it was unbelievable the difference they made.  The power i gained from the shoes and pedals put me at almost 5 mph above what i usually rode, and the aerobars made flat rides and down hills far more comfortable and easy.  

Now for the REAL story... RACE DAY!!!

Yesterday was finally the Finger Lakes Triathlon that we've been waiting so long for... but race weekend really got started on Saturday with the arrival of the out-of-town athletes!  Eric, Adam, and family arrived early in the afternoon and we met by the lake to pick up our packets.  Shortly thereafter, Jenny Scott, who is one of my good friends from Italy, came in from Grand Rapids, Michigan.  We loaded into the convertible, picked up Eric and Adam, and i showed them the bike route for the following days race.  Then i showed them what the course WOULD have been had they not changed it.  Needless to say, they were very happy not to have to deal with the massive hill previously on the route.

We then went on a little driving tour around town and then back to my house for a pre-race bbq / dinner / fire.  After a delicious dinner of salad, lasagna, grilled chicken and various other Mama Rychlik culinary delights, Adam and Eric went back to their hotel suite and we settled in for the evening, prepping for the day to follow.

Nates Race Day Check List -

- 3 Packs of HAMMER Gel

- 1 Pack of HAMMER Revcoverite

- Bottle of Water

- 2 Bike Water Bottles

- Helmet

- Sunglasses

- Timing Chip

- Speedo / Tri-Shorts

- Stop Watch

- Goggles

- Swim Cap

- Cycling Shoes

- Running Shoes

- 2 Towels

- Chapstick

- Bib & Bib Belt

- Socks

- Bucket

- Bike

- Banana

The day started at 5am, getting hydrated, and making sure everything was packed and in working order before the race.  Shortly before 6am Jenny and i loaded up our bikes onto the bike race and headed off to the race site.

After Jenny registered, we headed to the transition area, got body marked, and headed to set up our transition spots.  There we met up with Eric and Adam who had already been there for some time.  

7:15am - Transition area closes and everyone is corralled to the swim area for last minute instructions and prep for the first race waves.  Between 7:30 and 8:15, the Olympic distance races took off on their swim in the nippy waters of Canandaigua Lake.  The air temperature was in the low to mid 50's and the water temperature was a brisk 64.  Unfortunately, we had about an hour to stand around before our wave was to take off.  Plenty of time to stretch, relax, and psych yourself out before the race!

Shortly before 8:15am the first wave of the Sprint race was herded into the water.  There we stood for a good 10 minutes.  The most conversation starter was "God bless you that you're not wearing a wetsuit.  You're either really hardcore, or just insane!"  Frankly, at a distance this short (half a mile,) it's not worth it for me to struggle with a suit when i'm only going to be in the water for 15 minutes at most.  

The countdown began.  30 seconds.  One last pee in the lake.  A few last "good lucks" all around.  10 seconds.  Finally splashing my body with water in preparation.  5 seconds.  The adrenaline starts flowing.  GO!  We take off.  

After a couple minutes we all found our place in the group.  A select few Michael Phelps-esque swimmers separate themselves, I found myself just after the lead group with one other swimmer, and the main group further behind me.  It was surprising how easy i found the swim this year... well, i guess compared to two years ago, anything would be easier.  I didn't train for the swim at all in the previous race, and hadn't swam in about 5 years, since high school... and my time of 19:25 was reflective of that.  THIS year however, with nearly 50,000 yards of training under my belt,  i felt fast and comfortable (not to mention, numb) in the frigid water.  This time around my time was much better.  I was top 10 out of the water in my heat in a time of 14:43.

Swim Time 2006 - 19:25

Swim Time 2008 - 14:43

Next came the bike.  Out of the water, running to transition was probably my least favorite part of the race.  Running barefoot on a jagged cinder walkway on water adjusted numb legs is NOT easy or fun.

Got on my cycling shoes, helmet, sunglasses, Tri-belt and took off.  I only got passed once on an uphill climb where the cyclist promptly scolded me, saying "don't get out of the saddle!  You'll only waste energy and lose speed!"  D'oh!  I passed a lot of people and refused to slow down around corners that had signs saying "SLOW DOWN."  I ended up hammering into the transition area with a time far better than 2 years ago!

Bike Time 2006 - 46:56

Bike Time 2008 - 40:37

AVG MPH 2006 - 17.0

AVG MPH 2008 - 20.8

My T2 was too long and frustrating.  I got off my bike and to my spot fine, but i couldn't for the life of me get my left shoe on.  Even WITH the YANKZ, the sole kept sliding to the toe... a testament to me not wearing socks.  Damn.  So in a transition where i was able to get in and get out in 40 seconds two years ago, it took me 2 minutes this time around.  Definitely frustrating. 

The run started off alright... it seemed as though my legs would easily make the transition from biking to running, but at about the half mile mark, i started to cramp and my stride was noticeably shorter and less free than usual.  This went on until a little after the first mile and then the cramp went away and my muscles started to get accustomed to running.  My stride opened up and the remainder of the 5k felt good.  I came in with a time literally a mile faster than my time 2 years ago.  I had a great kick to the finish.  

5k Time 2006 - 28:12

5k Time 2008 - 22:08

Overall, the race was a success for me i think.  I didn't finish top 10 overall like i had hoped, but i got through without feeling short of energy and learned a lot about training and proper fueling.  I know that i still have a lot of room for improvement and i think i can easily drop 10 + minutes for next years race... putting me in the top 5 overall.

Triathlon Time 2006 - 1:40:16

Triathlon Time 2008 - 1:22:39

My finish this year was good enough for 31st out of 455 and 3rd out of 32 in my age group.  I even got a nifty 3rd place plaque!  

Afterwards i was waiting for the other three to enter transition, but saw the massage table and opted to get my hamstrings worked on instead.  After an after race meal, i planted myself at the chiropractic booth and got my back fixed.  From there i went to the awards ceremony.

Jenny did great, coming in 8th in her age group and Eric and Adam both did superb, finishing below 2 hours.  This was the first real triathlon for all three of them and i think it's safe to say they have the bug now.  Just look at me... i am the face of triathlon addiction.  Now i have 3 others that share my "pain."   haha.

Next year can't come soon enough and this is going to be a long winter of training without outdoor races.  I'll have swim meets, and i still have 2 marathons on the agenda... but it's just not the same.  

The next big triathlon on the schedule right now is Ironman Lake Placid... but i'm sure that i'll partake in some before hand as well.

Great job everyone, i'm proud you all made it through after all your training!

Now... let the training continue!