One man's failure is another man's warm-up. Or dry run. Or dress rehearsal.
I'm calling a mulligan for September. Tomorrow is October. New beginnings; new opportunities.
.....but this time, maybe it's time I get some help, too.......
Monday, September 30, 2019
Sunday, September 22, 2019
Another Month, another Triathlon (but little else)
It's only been a month since my Ironman 70.3 race, but today, my wife and I decided to run the Westchester (Olympic Distance) Triathlon. It was.....not my best decision.
To recap the last month - I had a typical post-event recovery, in that I stopped exercising vigorously for a week, but continued to eat like I was working out hard every day. The few workouts I got in over the next two weeks were uninspiring, usually short and / or slow, and squeezed for time, so my head was never fully in the game. Add to that the stress of reorganizations at work, which meant a bit of extra effort required on my part, and it was an expectedly low-effort month. I justified it by saying I was trying to heal my foot, so I could get back to 'normal'.
But when my wife said she was registering, I was in. I mean, we were trained for a 70.3; this was only half that distance, so our 'leftover' training should be fine, right? I can get by and run a 3-plus hour race without any time or specific training.....
And the truth is, I could. Kristen had a mission to beat last year's race time, so she kept her training up, but I had nothing to prove, so I could just get out there and do my best, with no loss if I didn't. It was clear to me days ago that my time would not be good - if I kept up my paces from IM Maine, I would come in at 3:20; I'd be happy with 3:30, I figured.
Well, the race started, and I forgot to start my watch. During the swim, I managed to mis-sight a buoy, and had to get re-directed by a lifeguard (again). So I added some distance to the swim, adding a few minutes. transition went okay, but the hills on the bike seemed to sap all my energy, and about halfway through, I was ready to stop, and seriously considered not running the third leg. My speed was slow, and I was getting annoyed by every little obstacle, so this was not going to be my best race.
And that was before the run leg. That seemed to go bad from the start. I could *not* get my heart rate down to a normal level, and every time I ran, it would spike into the mid-160s (not a good place for me). Even walking, I struggled to get it below 140, and I prefer to get it below 130 before running again, as that helps me keep the spikes in check. After running the first hill (which my wife had said didn't exist), I knew this was not going to end well. After about 3 miles of a terrible run/walk, this became a walk/walk, and even that, I struggled to do.
But, I finished. That's the silver lining. I took over 3 1/2 hours to finish, but I got it done, set a benchmark for improvement, and learned *a lot* about myself. First, I am not recovering as well as I used to. Second: I have what it takes to do hard stuff. Third (and most important): I need to get myself back in shape. My stamina level is weak, my enthusiasm is low, and I'm putting more stress on my body than I need to.
It's time to change. I'm taking the next three months off of racing (ok, maybe a turkey trot 5K) and focusing on good nutrition, strength, and stamina. I'm going to try and get some speed back, while building up my long runs and rides again. My plan is to blog throughout this journey, but we'll see what happens.
To recap the last month - I had a typical post-event recovery, in that I stopped exercising vigorously for a week, but continued to eat like I was working out hard every day. The few workouts I got in over the next two weeks were uninspiring, usually short and / or slow, and squeezed for time, so my head was never fully in the game. Add to that the stress of reorganizations at work, which meant a bit of extra effort required on my part, and it was an expectedly low-effort month. I justified it by saying I was trying to heal my foot, so I could get back to 'normal'.
But when my wife said she was registering, I was in. I mean, we were trained for a 70.3; this was only half that distance, so our 'leftover' training should be fine, right? I can get by and run a 3-plus hour race without any time or specific training.....
And the truth is, I could. Kristen had a mission to beat last year's race time, so she kept her training up, but I had nothing to prove, so I could just get out there and do my best, with no loss if I didn't. It was clear to me days ago that my time would not be good - if I kept up my paces from IM Maine, I would come in at 3:20; I'd be happy with 3:30, I figured.
Well, the race started, and I forgot to start my watch. During the swim, I managed to mis-sight a buoy, and had to get re-directed by a lifeguard (again). So I added some distance to the swim, adding a few minutes. transition went okay, but the hills on the bike seemed to sap all my energy, and about halfway through, I was ready to stop, and seriously considered not running the third leg. My speed was slow, and I was getting annoyed by every little obstacle, so this was not going to be my best race.
And that was before the run leg. That seemed to go bad from the start. I could *not* get my heart rate down to a normal level, and every time I ran, it would spike into the mid-160s (not a good place for me). Even walking, I struggled to get it below 140, and I prefer to get it below 130 before running again, as that helps me keep the spikes in check. After running the first hill (which my wife had said didn't exist), I knew this was not going to end well. After about 3 miles of a terrible run/walk, this became a walk/walk, and even that, I struggled to do.
But, I finished. That's the silver lining. I took over 3 1/2 hours to finish, but I got it done, set a benchmark for improvement, and learned *a lot* about myself. First, I am not recovering as well as I used to. Second: I have what it takes to do hard stuff. Third (and most important): I need to get myself back in shape. My stamina level is weak, my enthusiasm is low, and I'm putting more stress on my body than I need to.
It's time to change. I'm taking the next three months off of racing (ok, maybe a turkey trot 5K) and focusing on good nutrition, strength, and stamina. I'm going to try and get some speed back, while building up my long runs and rides again. My plan is to blog throughout this journey, but we'll see what happens.
Monday, September 2, 2019
A (somewhat) eventful month
When last we tuned in, I was struggling with an injury, one that I was completely sure was going to sideline me for weeks. And this happened right when I was about to take a vacation from work for two weeks (something I haven't done in 25 years), which was supposed to be a key time for me to train hard, do some epic stuff like hike the Appalachian trail for a few days, and walk a marathon distance. All of that looked like it was out of the question, and I was worried about making it to the starting line of my Half-Ironman. ACK!
Well, part of all of that came true. I am injured, and remain so today. The MRI showed no break, no stress fracture, but a 'stress reaction' and a ganglion cyst at a joint between my toes. that I can deal with later Net net - my foot hurt, but if I wear my orthotics, (which I never do) and train sensibly only to the level I need, I would be okay. So...hiking on the AT was out (stepping on rocks felt like being stabbed in the foot), and my heavy training would have to be cut back a bit, but with some care, I would make it to race day.
That was then - this is now. I took my vacation and turned it into a staycation. Relaxed at home, but did some training, some work around the house (OK, painted one side of the house), and was still able to get in my near-marathon walk, although with some plan changes. Got in 25 miles, and oh, boy, the foot hurt after that, but I got through.
After another month of training, last week, I stepped up to the incoming tide in Old Orchard Beach, Maine, and ran my 2nd 70.3 Half-Ironman, this time with my wife well ahead of me in the race. In short, despite choppy ocean waters, worry about foot pain and a good bit of under-training, I finished over a minute better than the same race two years ago. All of the benefit was on the bike, and a little bit in transition, as both my swim and run were longer than last time. (The swim was 5 minutes longer than last time, but that's understandable given the 2'-5' waves - no one was happy about those!)
In the last week, I've reverse tapered, and today I ran.a 9-miler with a big hill which actually was a bit too much for me :-). But I did get in a swim and a couple of short, slow-ish bike rides, so my legs are starting to come underneath me. In another couple of weeks, I'll be better, which is good because my wife has her eyes set on another triathlon (Olympic distance, thank goodness) in a few weeks.
So what did I learn? First, as Douglas Adams reminds us: Don't Panic. Yes, I was injured, and yes, that might mean I was out of.a race, but it would not have been the worst thing to happen to me. Second: Talk to your Doctor. I've gone to my podiatrist a few times, so he knows me and my priorities. He knew not to tell me not to run, but rather, he worked to figure out a way to let me run. Third: Listen to your Doctor. He'd been telling me to use my orthotics, but it turns out I was using them wrong, which made them uncomfortable, so I didn't use them. Once he told me the right way, they're actually perfectly comfortable for running.
Finally: I'm stronger than I give myself credit for. Working a massive-overtime job (60 hours/week normally, 100 hours/week once a quarter), and doing my civic duties, I don't have nearly as much time to train as others do, and I need it, 'cause I have no talent, nor do I have an athlete's body. So yes, I'm at the back of the pack (back 15%), and yes, I'm really slow, and I have no chance to ever be on a podium, even in my age group in a small race, unless I can outlast everyone and just not die....like, ever. [I have a vision of only coming in 4th in the 80-89 age bracket in a race.]
But I do, and I do well. And if I can inspire others, then I also do good.
Well, part of all of that came true. I am injured, and remain so today. The MRI showed no break, no stress fracture, but a 'stress reaction' and a ganglion cyst at a joint between my toes. that I can deal with later Net net - my foot hurt, but if I wear my orthotics, (which I never do) and train sensibly only to the level I need, I would be okay. So...hiking on the AT was out (stepping on rocks felt like being stabbed in the foot), and my heavy training would have to be cut back a bit, but with some care, I would make it to race day.
That was then - this is now. I took my vacation and turned it into a staycation. Relaxed at home, but did some training, some work around the house (OK, painted one side of the house), and was still able to get in my near-marathon walk, although with some plan changes. Got in 25 miles, and oh, boy, the foot hurt after that, but I got through.
After another month of training, last week, I stepped up to the incoming tide in Old Orchard Beach, Maine, and ran my 2nd 70.3 Half-Ironman, this time with my wife well ahead of me in the race. In short, despite choppy ocean waters, worry about foot pain and a good bit of under-training, I finished over a minute better than the same race two years ago. All of the benefit was on the bike, and a little bit in transition, as both my swim and run were longer than last time. (The swim was 5 minutes longer than last time, but that's understandable given the 2'-5' waves - no one was happy about those!)
In the last week, I've reverse tapered, and today I ran.a 9-miler with a big hill which actually was a bit too much for me :-). But I did get in a swim and a couple of short, slow-ish bike rides, so my legs are starting to come underneath me. In another couple of weeks, I'll be better, which is good because my wife has her eyes set on another triathlon (Olympic distance, thank goodness) in a few weeks.
So what did I learn? First, as Douglas Adams reminds us: Don't Panic. Yes, I was injured, and yes, that might mean I was out of.a race, but it would not have been the worst thing to happen to me. Second: Talk to your Doctor. I've gone to my podiatrist a few times, so he knows me and my priorities. He knew not to tell me not to run, but rather, he worked to figure out a way to let me run. Third: Listen to your Doctor. He'd been telling me to use my orthotics, but it turns out I was using them wrong, which made them uncomfortable, so I didn't use them. Once he told me the right way, they're actually perfectly comfortable for running.
Finally: I'm stronger than I give myself credit for. Working a massive-overtime job (60 hours/week normally, 100 hours/week once a quarter), and doing my civic duties, I don't have nearly as much time to train as others do, and I need it, 'cause I have no talent, nor do I have an athlete's body. So yes, I'm at the back of the pack (back 15%), and yes, I'm really slow, and I have no chance to ever be on a podium, even in my age group in a small race, unless I can outlast everyone and just not die....like, ever. [I have a vision of only coming in 4th in the 80-89 age bracket in a race.]
But I do, and I do well. And if I can inspire others, then I also do good.
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