Masters Running

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Monday's Daily, 11.12.12 (Read 475 times)

coastwalker


    Monrni' everyone.

     

    Nice ride yesterday, TomW!

     

    There was some mighty impressive racing over the weekend by Holly, Doug, and Carolyn! And some nice runs by C-R, Ribs, and Mariposai. How did Breger do in his tri?

     

    Lyndenrunner - great job on the weight loss - very impressive!

     

    We had a great dinner with our out-of-town racewalking friends (Erin and Dave) and Erin's parents on Friday night. Then Erin and Dave served as the guest-instructors at Saturday's racewalking clinic, which went very well. We had about 8 people attend (half newbies, and half with some experience), and everyone left with some tips about how to become more fluid/faster racealkers. On the way home, I picked up race packets for Sunday's Seacoast Half for DN and her husband, who were arriving in the afternoon. We all spent a relaxing evening together, which was quite nice. On Sunday, I was out the door at 5:30, and at the race site at 6 to complete our set-up for the race, and to start welcoming the racers. I was helping move some metal barricades for the finish chute and it felt like a muscle in my lower back popped. #$*@! I did the best I could after that, but was pretty useless. I had to get someone help me set up the splits clocks on the course because I could no longer lift the clocks or the tripods. Fortunately, there were enough members of the race committee around to take up the slack for me. The day was cool (low-mid 40s), with a lot of cloud cover, and a breeze (tailwind) from the south at the ocean. IRC, but a little cool for the spectators. The walkers started at 8:00 and the runners at 8:30. The winning runners finished in 1:13:22 and 1:17:19 (3rd overall), and the winning racewalkers (Erin and Dave) in 1:48:10 and 1:48:37. We had 1,093 finishers, which means that about 3-400 people didn't show up - a function of the race selling out 3 months before race day. I Got to meet MilkTruck after the race, and only wish that I had more time to chat with him. Adding entry fees and sponsorship dollars, and subtracting approximate race expense costs not paid for directly by some sponsors enabled us to present a ceremonial check to our beneficiary for $115,000 - the first time we've gone over $100,000! We had a couple of medical emergencies during and after the race, but they seemed to be dealt with properly. Otherwise, to the best of my knowledge so far, things seemed to go well. Every year, I say the same thing - I love this race committee because on race day, they know the drill and get the job done, and make it all seem seamless.

     

    DW made a great dinner for us last night, and wouldn't let me help. She knew I'd be useless anyway. No workout for me today, but at least I could bend down to tie my shoelaces, so that's progress. Except for our wrap-ups, my race organizing is done for the year. It has been an intense month and a half or so, and I have to admit that I'm ready for a break.

     

    Enjoy your Monday, especially if you have the day off! To all of our Veterans - THANK YOU!

     

    Jay

    Without ice cream there would be darkness and chaos.

      How did Breger do in his tri?

      I hope your Back feels better Jay.  Congrats on your very successful event!  WTG

       

      My International Tri went pretty well - thanks for asking!  This was a way cool, well run event.  The swim was in a freshwater, clear inland lake.  I was one of the few without a wet suit but you certainly didn't need one.  Then the run leg goes through the Miami Zoo.  It was cool having a big Brown Bear watching me from his perch high up in a tree.

       

      The plan for the race was to not drown (check), not crash (check), and not bonk (ummm, NOT check).  I bonked pretty good at about mile 4.5 of the 6.6 mile run leg.  There was a serious headwind on the bike that really took it out of me.  The side winds were treacherous too.  I saw one guy wipe out and they had him on a back board when I went by later (boo).

       

      But I did well and got 4th in my old man AG - they gave awards to the top 5.  And we had fun spending time in Miami.  Even though it's only an hour south of us we never go down there.

       

      There was a Half Ironman in additional to the Int'l Tri.  The guy who had the fastest swim leg swam his 2 loops in 27 minutes (1.2 miles).  I did my 1 loop in 28 minutes..  Ha!  (Yes, I am a slow swimmer!).  The guy looked like he wasn't even working.  Amazing.

       

      Bill

      "Some are the strong, silent type. You can't put your finger on exactly what it is they bring to the table until you run without them and then you realize that their steadiness fills a hole that leaks energy in their absence." - Kristin Armstrong

      Slo


        Awesome job on the Race Jay! Nice fund raising. You wouldn't want to come here and show our RD how it's done would you?

         

        Brrrr, A chilly 22 deg this am. I stayed under covers...had the heat off. It was tough getting up even after sleeping in!

        OrangeMat


        MM #6177

          Hey folks. I've got a lot to catch up on here (as usual), but I just wanted to say I posted a thread with a recap of my experience at the Harrisburg Marathon yesterday. Congrats to all the other racers!


          King of PhotoShop

            $115,000!!  Nice going Jay!

             

            Way to finish in the AG rankings Bill!

             

            OM, I'll get over to your Harrisburg experience in just a moment.

             

            1.1 slow recovery on the dirt, with Lucy, just to move my legs, following yesterday's strong wave run.

             

            I don't post all my Dallas Morning News blog entries, but this one mentions our own Holly, and has a good lesson in it for all of us:

            http://runningblog.dallasnews.com/2012/11/he-was-a-brave-man-who-first-ate-an-oyster.html/

             

            Spareribs

            Mariposai


               SpareRibs, you don't  often post your daily blog here, but you should because we always learn something from your posts. BTW, that was a hard wave run yesterday! Good job!

               

              Esther you ran a strong race. Congrats! I follow your training closely because I am always inspired by your love for running and your desire to put in the hard work to get the results. Don't worry, that BQ will come...you will see.

               

              Bregarcito, look at you! 4th in AG...way to go!

              Jay, that is a lot of money! Who is the beneficiary? How cool that you met Milktruck

              Slow-Hand, I really like your avatar.

               

              Wildchild, you asked how can it can be that yesterday I ran my first solo trail run. Long story but the short version is that the woods near-by are not were a girl want to be found alone by illegal wood-cutters, drug dealers and such. Now, one valley over and I would be safe, but who wants to drive for over an hour for a run? Anyway, were I ran yesterday  is a new place we found last year and was finally deemed safe by my DH so I now have a place to run in the woods alone anytime I want.

               

              I had intended to take the day off today to give my tired legs a rest, but it snowed last night and the fresh fallen snow was too pretty not to go out and play in it. Six miles before the snow plow showed up.

               

              "Our veterans were more than soldiers

              They were, and still are heroes"

               

              Now it is bread baking, fridge cleaning, mail sorting, and pumpkin roasting time!

              "Champions are everywhereall you need is to train them properly..." ~Arthur Lydiard


              King of PhotoShop

                Mariposai, some of them are flat out boring, and some have news of only local interest, so I post the ones I think this group would enjoy. Don't want to wear out my welcome!

                 

                Breger, here is what my friend Patrick Schultz posted about your tri:

                 

                Miami Man Report - back from Miami and had a good night's sleep! First I want to congratulate all the Team-In-Training participants who participated. We raised thousands to support the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society for blood cancer research and family support. It was a tough day on the bike course (Windy!!!) and as a result we had some DNF's. I know how hard everyone trained for this event and it can be disappointing not to finish. But, the important thing is that they stepped up to the line - more than most! There are a lot of things you can control on race day - but weather is not one of them - you get to the starting line and the deal with what it is. As for me - it was in may ways a typical triathlon: lousy swim, okay bike - but not a great run (usually my best part) - the wind on the bike course took a lot out of me making the run tough. Finished in a disappointing 6:47 but made it to the finish line. Thanks to all of you who supported my effort on behalf of TNT. All of your contributions were greatly appreciated!

                 

                Spareribs

                  Way to go Brooger...I would never make it out of the water...

                   

                  Hope your back heals quick Jay...

                   

                  OM...very nice marathon...as I said on facebook...marathons are a tricky beast...you can only go in as prepared as you are and hope for the best...

                   

                  Ribs...You were spot on about Holly....Self doubt will win everytime...

                   

                  Mariposai...You can keep the snow on your side of the mountains...Thanks...

                   

                  5 Monday mornin miles...15 sec faster per mile than last week...but still suffering from the lingering effects of a cold...

                  Looking for a place to Happen, making stops along the way - The Hip

                    Bill, my (limited) multi-sport experience has been that a major skill is to learn how to pace yourself in the first couple of events so you have something left in the finale. I haven't mastered it yet (too much of a runner's aggressive mentality). Also, my understanding is that a major benefit of a wetsuit is the added buoyancy, which I am 100% certain I would need in order not to drown! But if you're serious about pursuing these events, you might consider it. I know that up here there is a max water temperature limit for wetsuits to be allowed, and some of my friends get worried in the summer that they won't be able to use theirs.

                     

                    After a good 20 hours worth of AT&T tech work, it finally looks like it's working, and working very well. After replacing every piece of related equipment, in the end it looks like it was being caused by something else that was plugged into the network router box. Fortunately, since this was an initial installation, they won't charge me as being my "fault", although that box had been working fine for years on my previous network. Anyway, back in business...

                     

                    So, with the tech visit this morning, it's another day without a workout. But starting tomorrow I should be back on schedule. At least my 10K went well, as did several others' races this weekend with all sorts of AG wins and Esther's PR.

                    Doug, runnin' cycling in Rochester, MI

                    "Think blue, count two, and look for a red shoe"

                      ...Way to Go Burger//

                       

                      ..........YAY OM//////........RevengeRaces are The Best

                       

                      ==========

                       

                      raining now,

                      29-degrees tonite

                       

                      pt xs

                      ............poolrunning tomorrow

                       

                       

                      .............................good running guys

                      ..nothing takes the place of persistence.....

                        Bill, my (limited) multi-sport experience has been that a major skill is to learn how to pace yourself in the first couple of events so you have something left in the finale. I haven't mastered it yet (too much of a runner's aggressive mentality). Also, my understanding is that a major benefit of a wetsuit is the added buoyancy, which I am 100% certain I would need in order not to drown! But if you're serious about pursuing these events, you might consider it. I know that up here there is a max water temperature limit for wetsuits to be allowed, and some of my friends get worried in the summer that they won't be able to use theirs.

                        I tried to pace myself during the Bike, and really rode basically the same pace I've been training at.  But the winds really made it harder and easier depending on which direction we were riding.  The head winds were tough for sure.  A steady 25 to 30 mph.

                         

                        As to the wetsuits.  I was one of only about 10% that didn't wear them.  There are temperature limits here too - standard USAT rules - and it was barely under.  I didn't miss it, though I could have used the buoyancy induced speed gain.  I still have not yet decided whether I'm going to continue with Triathlons and I don't want to buy one till I know for sure.  Swimming has been "enlightening" to me as I expected to be average at least speedwise, although I have the endurance.  Not even close.  We'll see.

                         

                        Bill

                        "Some are the strong, silent type. You can't put your finger on exactly what it is they bring to the table until you run without them and then you realize that their steadiness fills a hole that leaks energy in their absence." - Kristin Armstrong

                        Dave59


                          Great racing this weekend.  Congratulations to all.

                           

                          It's a busy, crazy day here, but I managed to fit in 2.9 miles at lunch.  I picked up the pace in mile 2 just to see if I could move faster than a shuffle.

                           

                           


                          MM#209 / JapanJoyful#803

                            Swimming has been "enlightening" to me as I expected to be average at least speedwise, although I have the endurance.  Not even close.  We'll see.

                            .TryByll -

                            .

                            Congratulations on your non-wet suit triathlon. However, don’t let a non-competitive swim discourage you from triathlons. Too bad they don’t do like the IMH where, though allowed, wetsuits are automatic disqualifiers from AG awards.
                            .
                            As you might imagine, since triathlons are just like my running, i.e. for the fun and fitness of it, I am as noncompetitive as can be (except for how fast I can make it through transitions barefoot), shunning wetsuits at all costs same as I eschew shoes for both the bike and run legs. 
                            .  
                            MIRACLE OF WETSUITS. 
                            However, after a 15-year hiatus, when missing the 2hr/20min swim cutoff in the 2003 IMCdA by eight minutes seemed to doom the various IM’s I loved so much in those days, my IM mentor gave me a last minute loan of the bottom half of an old famer-john wetsuit for the 2004 edition with a guarantee that I would never DQ again.  Unfortunately, after swimming about ten yards in it, I refused, hating how confining it was.  Yuk. 
                            .
                            Nevertheless, by the next morning though, I feared another DQ again even more (and wasting the then $450 entry fee too).  Therefore, I wore at least part of a wetsuit for the first time in my life.  What a difference: a 1:38: swim, 50 minutes faster than sans suit. 
                            .
                            I bet there’s lots of very good used ones you can get at a good price to be as competitive as you want in future swims. You would have won your AG this year, if not more, that’s for sure.

                            .

                            Good luck.

                            "Enjoy yourself. Your younger days never come again." 100yo T. Igarashi to me in geta at top of Mt. Fuji (8/2/87)


                            an amazing likeness

                              Please excuse my butting into your daily, but just wanted to share a public thanks to Jay for yesterday's Seacoast Half. This really is a very, very good race he has created and nurtured.

                               

                              The course is both pretty and interesting with stunning ocean views out to sea where a concrete grey sky met rolling green seas and whitecaps, old village sections, salt marsh sections and wooded sections.  All on rolling country roads with just steady gentle rollers and some sharper sections. Nice.

                               

                              This is a well organized race with top-notch organization from pre-race parking and packet distribution, good on-course services, and a good post-race location. These folks know what they're doing. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a half in the NH area.

                               

                              Jay also dialed up perfect racing weather for us yesterday. He looked pretty busy with stuff when I interrupted to say Hello...so it was just a drive-by introduction.  Thanks Jay!

                              Acceptable at a dance, invaluable in a shipwreck.


                              Marathon Maniac #957

                                Jay – well done!

                                 

                                Byll – congrats on your 4th AG win!

                                 

                                Spareribs – I liked your blog.  (I always do)  Self-doubt sometimes wins with me, but sometimes it’s my stubborn refusal to give up that wins...I never think of myself as fiercely competitive, but sometimes I surprise myself…..

                                 

                                No run for me today, just 30 minutes of upper body and core.

                                 

                                 

                                Life is a headlong rush into the unknown. We can hunker down and hope nothing hits us or we can stand tall, lean into the wind and say, "Bring it on, darlin', and don't be stingy with the jalapenos."

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