2018 3:20 (and beyond) (Read 582 times)

Sir Jim: Is winning the next step up from getting invited?

Pesto: That is a great race!  Nice job!  Heat is impossible - I've tried everything (starting fast when it's cool, all kinds of cooling strategies, etc.).  The race is just too short and too much red-lining to be able to handle anything but cool temperatures.  Unless maybe you live somewhere hot and humid.  Anyway, you did great.

OMR: I'm studiously avoiding your photos.  I'm a squeamish wimp, in most things.

Clever: If you are running 7:15 pace, you will be ahead of the rodeo.  Still... I recommend running with a handheld bottle and not using the water stops.  Yes, it's a little more weight (1.5 lbs, mostly at the beginning) and yes it makes you slightly unbalanced.  But it puts you 100% in control and you never have to slow.  I did that during my PR run there last summer.  I definitely would not use a pack - extra weight, potential for sloshing, etc..  But a handheld works.  And you probably don't need more than the one handheld unless it's really warm.  It's the taste of water that helps you, not the water itself (I just read Alex Hutchinson's Endure).  One handheld has plenty of tastes in it.  And you won't have Biddeford-quality volunteers at the aid stations so even if there's no crowd it might take you a little longer than you want.  If a few seconds here and there don't matter, skip the handheld.  If you are on the edge, I think the tradeoffs favor a handheld for that race.

FB: Congratulations on that safe BQ!  As I said to Pesto, that's a good race on a warm day.  It sounds like kind of a fun race.  I've done Paris, London, and Berlin, and European marathons are just... different.  There's a race going on but there's other stuff too, and unless it's an A race (kinda stupid for an American in Paris/London/Berlin/Rome) it's fun to enjoy those other things.  And it's 42.2km, just like the .2 in miles.

McB: Definitely sounds like you are set up for PR.  Good luck with that...

Brew: Thanks for the NeRP update.  That guy is going to hate me when he grows up and realizes that NeRP is not a typical name.

Keen: Congrats on your 10k.  I love those paces that I only see when I'm running 1 minute intervals or strides.

Finally cancelled the airplane tickets to Biddeford today.  We were offered a ride from the airport to our friends' place.  And we'd been upgraded to first class - first time that's ever happened to me on a long flight when I'm with DW.  Salt in the wound.  But I ran for 12 straight minutes today at 11+min/mile, so I'm practically healed.

FB: Yes, it's your age on race day, not the day you qualify.

NOAA is showing 7-8mph winds from the south in the morning and early afternoon.  It shifts to a tailwind late in the day.  It's still too early though.  I'm pretty sure it will be a tailwind and perfect weather, because I'm not running.  You're welcome.

Barstow Stupid town in Southern California famous for being in one of the Fast and Furious movies, and being the end of a highway. Not somewhere I'd want to live and my MIL grew up there as a kid. I'll be tracking all you fine folks using tailwind...and those of you using gatorade and beer.

Max I'm sure he will use the hate for you to fuel his triathlon career telling us (you) ultras aren't as demanding because the weather is better. Too funny you got upgraded. DW, SIL and I flew to AK once together. Attempted to get on the same flight. DW and SIL were upgraded to first class. I was upset, and still am, that they both slept and left me in the emergency lane. All that free beer.

Keen The R pace was just hard enough to get enough rest in the "2-3 times R time" that it was possible to get them done. The I pace, which is apparently 6 seconds slower, might be harder but then again almost all I running is hard to me...even if I hit all my paces very nicely. Good thing the Fajitas are now a thing and BADASS week. I agree with max seeing interval and repetition paces for race paces.

Ace USUALLY I'm the one who doesn't get sick "due to my healthy lifestyle" liek oregon but occasionally it comes through. Currently I'm having the same GI issue I had when NeRP first came home. Google reminded me it was potentially a gall bladder issue but mine isn't removed and I don't have chrones or celiac.  Yay bacteria.

Chicago skipped the AirBNB/VRBO thing because I didn't want to plan for people who might cancel and it's about the same to stay at a hotel. I'll remember where we're staying but it's like a mile from the start. I'm sure fly will want to grab a beer after.

rlk If you want some good burritos in Morgan Hill check out Super Burrito. They're a personal favorite of mine and they're located on the south end of town. Pretty easy freeway access from there as well. Beer...well El Toro is the only one I know in town.

I'm slowly learning how much "free time" I have to do stuff in the morning, like unload the dishwasher instead of watch the news. I'm also realizing how little I'll care about things previously annoying to me in the near future. It's awesome...I thinkk.

brew- i like your analysis of tasks/free time! i've always felt this way - our "stuff we have to do" is a gas that fills (or compresses into) the space we give it. i chat with my retired dad - "what are you up to today?" "oh, busy day. rode my bike, did laundry, went to the grocery store." ... like, okay, i do that same thing (basically) plus work 10 hours, etc etc. people are not busy, objectively, they just choose their priorities to compress into the time they have.

i don't remember asking for morgan hill recommendations (did i? lol), but my last race of the season is there - a 4th of july 5k (maybe i'll see jim there?) - so i will write these things down.

barstow- i'm snickering at all the people complaining about "carwash conditions". totally agree w dwave - i'd take a carwash any day over last year's long, slow, heated death.

so excited for you all!!!

we're gonna need bib numbers.

west coast benefits: gonna roll in to work late on monday morning .... because the elite race coverage starts at 6:30am! woot!

last night's workout: "sundevil 400s", so i'm assuming this is something that came out of Arizona? 12x400@5k pace, except that a random 3 of those 400s - coach tells us as we step onto the start line - are at 1500 pace instead. good race mimicking, changing gears, etc. i'm racing my first 5000m on the track this saturday (has anyone done this? will take any and all advice...) so it was a good workout to do ahead of that - just shy of 5000m total and at approximately the same pace. my 5k pace reps were 89-91 (a hair fast) and 1500 pace reps were 80-81. it felt great.

 I'm pretty sure it will be a tailwind and perfect weather, because I'm not running.  You're welcome.

Hey, that's my line!

CDR K ~ Great job on the 10K.

Barstow is nearest town to the Army National Training Center, aka the most desolate hell-hole possible, especially when it is like 121 degrees.

rlk ~ I've done a lot of 5000m on track, albeit a long time ago (and some 10,000m too), but several 3000m in recent years, 4 points I'd make: 1) It is a little easier to go out too fast; 2) it is very easy to let your attention (and therefore pace) drift; 3) be careful about getting boxed in or pushed to lane 2 on a turn -- both will disrupt your pace; and 4) have a plan for getting lapped and lapping people (i.e., who stays inside and swing wide). Good luck. Enjoy.

DWave - Thanks! You don't know how excited it made me when I read that comment. While in absolute terms our PRs might be identical, once you take age-grading, etc. in to account you're still far ahead of me. It gives me something to work towards, though. Given my competitiveness, that's always good in my book.
Here's hoping your breathing improves before B-Day.

Katia - Hopefully your asthma clears up as well. And thanks!

Brew & RLK - I do agree with you about time and priorities. It's amazing how much time there is when one looks at what really matters.
Also: carwas condidtions. lol. Hadn't heard that one before.

Dad - Thanks! Would I be correct in assuming you have a personal history with the ANTC?

 

I was reading that. I guess I figured that oral use of beta-2 antagonists are illegal, it was as well? I could be wrong on what it is and what's legal/illegal, though. It was prescribed as an addition since I'm already using symbicort and and albuterol and having issues. Damn colds. I don't even take symbicort 365 days a year because it seems I only really need to after colds/during allergy season/when we have crappy AQ.  I always have a rescue on me as well, since you never know who has cats or something, and I'm pretty allergic.

 

I'm mostly annoyed since I just haven't dealt with flares of asthmatic symptoms in a long time (like, since pregnancy) and it's happening now. Oh well.

Good way to check what is and is not legal: Global DRO.  Very user friendly - they did a good job with this website.

Brief summary for asthma drugs:

• Corticosteroids are legal when inhaled, taken nasally, or applied topically.  If taken orally or rectally, or injected, then they are allowed out of competition but banned within competition.
• Beta-2 agonists are banned, with three exceptions, when those exceptions are inhaled in limited quantities.  Those three exceptions are albuterol/salbutamol (our rescue inhalers), formoterol (part of your Symbicort) and salmeterol (part of my Advair).
• Leukotriene receptor antagonists (Singulair), IGE inhibitors (Xolair) and anti-histamines are allowed.

(for the record, today was 7 miles very easy (8:58) plus drills, strides, light injury prevention work, and DIY yoga.)