Yes it was obviously staged, but I felt the need to capture the moment. The highly delineated goggle tan will be appreciated by skier and non-skier folk alike. Only one of those groups will truly understand its full glory.
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Winter Training of a Ski Bum
Yes it was obviously staged, but I felt the need to capture the moment. The highly delineated goggle tan will be appreciated by skier and non-skier folk alike. Only one of those groups will truly understand its full glory.
Friday, January 25, 2013
Somewhat Eccentric Practices and Gear
If there's one thing true about triathletes it's that we all have our personal and unique quirks when it comes to training as well as come race day. In no particular order I would like to share some of mine. A few of these might have some scientific basis/rational, some are obvious and most are just interesting. In no particular order...
1) Pancakes (or Waffles) and Michigan Maple Syrup- This is my standard breakfast four or five days a week. Homemade of course (Recipe here). Pancakes are filling and have quality carbs. Maple syrup provides some added minerals and tastes infinitely better than Aunt Jemima.
2) B-Nuts Trail Mix- If you're unfamiliar, this is my business I started two years ago. I must say I eat it by the handful on a daily basis. My go to snack any time of day (especially after second dinner). Packed with varied and quality nutrition on top of being delicious. It's hard to go wrong.
3) Sufferfest Videos- Hands down the best cycling videos I've encountered. Between Michigan and Colorado seasons there's lots of time on the trainer. I typically just watch movies, but Sufferfest vids keep it interesting and keep the motivation for the harder workouts. I must say that "Local Hero" is my favorite, but "Hell Hath No Fury" is a close second and Extra Shot: "The Long Scream" is a good motivator.
4) Naps- No cutting edge genius here. Naps are good for you. Nothing like a 20-35 minute powernap to recharge the battery before or after a workout. Sleeping 8-9 hours a night on a regular basis is also helpful. Getting HGH the natural way (Google it if you don't believe me).
5) Music/ Ipod Shuffle- Just see my previous post. One of the best motivators out there for me. I mean if every album in the world got destroyed except for Licensed to Ill, I wouldn't be happy. But I'd survive.
6) Talladega Nights and Top Gun-Face it the list of movies I could put on here is exhaustive. In fact neither of these make my "Top 3" movie list. But they do make my "Best movies to watch on the trainer" list. If you don't automatically put out 500W watching either of the above videos, there's something wrong with you.
7) Ensure Plus, Strawberry Pop Tarts and one No-Doze- My standard Pre-Race breakfast. Quality? No. Simple, portable, calorie dense and easy to digest? Yes.
8) Workout Log- Chalk this one under obvious and essential. You can't see your improvements and make adjustments to your training if you don't have a history.
9) Thermal Underwear- Either side of the spectrum on this one. You either completely expected it or it wasn't even on the radar. Maybe you really didn't even want to know. But if you're going to be doing outside activities in the winter, then a pair or two is your best friend. I'll let you imagine the details.
10) Maltodextrin-What you ask? Basically sugar, but in a slightly different form than your standard table sugar. Why you ask? It's cheap calories, less expensive than any other commercial drink out there. Granted you don't get the electrolytes, etc. You can add to any other drink base (or water) for long rides, up to 1000 calories in a bottle. Plus people ask why you have gallon bags of white powder around your house. Where you ask? Iowa. 50# Bag. Google Maltrin QD 500.
11) Chocolate Milk- You may be sensing some of my priorities lie in the food department. That is a true statement. Most of us have heard chocolate milk is a good post-workout option. I was on that bandwagon long ago. Not because it is a good recovery drink. Just because it is delicious.
12) Short Shorts and plenty of socks- Anything less than 6" inseam is my preference, depending on the weather and how many "thigh" comments I want from my sisters. Split on the side is optional. Inner liner is a must and to be honest the best thing about running shorts. Freedom! You can't have enough socks. Synthetic or wool are the only reasonable options. I bring four or five pairs to any given race.
I'm sure that there are a few things missing from this list. Next week I'll probably think of one or two. But that's it for now.
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Songs to Run Too
This is a post you won't want to miss. You'll probably scour it multiple times looking for secret clues to improve your musical taste and get the edge on the competition. In no particular order her's a list of songs to add to your Run/Bike playlist. For your viewing pleasure I've included links to the videos. I highly suggest watching them all.
1) Don't Tell Me You Love Me-Night Ranger. What an amazing guitar solo. See also: Sister Christian
2) No Sleep 'Till Brooklyn-The Beastie Boys. A fantastic song off the album with the greatest collection of "favorite songs." Ever. (Licensed to Ill) See Also: Brass Monkey, Paul Revere, Fight For Your Right, The New Style, Rhymin' and Stealin'....
3) Night Train-Guns N' Roses. We never learn do we.
4) Mama Said Knock You Out-LL Cool J. Don't call it a comeback. LL doesn't lie. See movie: Deep Blue Sea
5) Rosa Parks- Outkast. Mr. Andre and Big Boi bring ya back to 1998.
6) Rock You Like a Hurricane- Scorpions. Possibly the best thing to ever come out of Germany. Humanly impossible to listen to without breaking into air guitar.
7) Panama- Van Halen. As a bonus it now reminds me of Superbad.
8) Kickstart My Heart- Motley Crue. Good thing you can't get a speeding ticket while running.
9) Take it on the Run- REO Speedwagon. Again, try not to air guitar during the solo.
10) Take Me Home Tonight- Eddie Money. If you only watch one video please watch this one. If you don't want to watch it please read my play by play below.
Intro guitar. Panning shots of empty arena seats. All in grayscale. Brief glimpse of sunglass wearing mulleted man in an indetermnable patterned jacket leaning on an aluminum ladder.
Luscious hair swinging as he begins crooning. Brief shot of 80s babe sitting at the makeup counter. "sexy" cigarette shot. Eddie starts singing the first verse for the empty stadium. Swings hips in manner that would even turn guys on, if there were any in the audience.
Sexy babe stomps out cigarette on floor and saunters off into a glowing doorway. As the crescendo builds toward the chorus Eddie throws his Ray Bans off. and pumps on chest as with hand as he can "feel your heart beat faster..." Shadowy woman approaches... Pans back to Eddie doing his best Roger Daltrey impression with the microphone and thrusts his pelvis around the stage as the chorus erupts. You can almost feel the invisible crowd reaching for his sexy body all the while singing along to the bombastic chorus. Brief glimpses of the shadowy lady dancing in the hall, ever getting closer to the stage.
Second verse shots are mainly focused on his beautiful hair. Sexy lady shows her sexy walk past the silhouette of the janitor sweeping the floor. As the verse builds back up the chorus, a large "garage" type door slowly lifts to reveal sexy legs emerging from a fog.
During the chorus the camera zooms in on some sexy swinging hips in the fog, which are accompanied by a silhouette of very big hair. We can feel the tension growing in Eddie (especially his tight pants). The silhouette gets closer as Eddie grabs his saxophone for the solo. Panning shots of the empty arena with spot lights on the stage.
Eddie uses his saxophone for brief "guitar" motion. Patterned shirt is torn off to reveal black wife beater as guitar power chords are played. We finally see sexy woman's face. Sexy woman keeps her distance and continues to dance in the isle. Eddie croons on stage with his mullet and saxophone. Sexy woman walks off into the fog as music fades. It is implied that everyone involved is exhausted.
I know that had absolutely nothing to do with running, cycling, triathlons etc. But sometimes we need a break from those things to humor ourselves. I hope you've been humored.
1) Don't Tell Me You Love Me-Night Ranger. What an amazing guitar solo. See also: Sister Christian
2) No Sleep 'Till Brooklyn-The Beastie Boys. A fantastic song off the album with the greatest collection of "favorite songs." Ever. (Licensed to Ill) See Also: Brass Monkey, Paul Revere, Fight For Your Right, The New Style, Rhymin' and Stealin'....
3) Night Train-Guns N' Roses. We never learn do we.
4) Mama Said Knock You Out-LL Cool J. Don't call it a comeback. LL doesn't lie. See movie: Deep Blue Sea
5) Rosa Parks- Outkast. Mr. Andre and Big Boi bring ya back to 1998.
6) Rock You Like a Hurricane- Scorpions. Possibly the best thing to ever come out of Germany. Humanly impossible to listen to without breaking into air guitar.
7) Panama- Van Halen. As a bonus it now reminds me of Superbad.
8) Kickstart My Heart- Motley Crue. Good thing you can't get a speeding ticket while running.
9) Take it on the Run- REO Speedwagon. Again, try not to air guitar during the solo.
10) Take Me Home Tonight- Eddie Money. If you only watch one video please watch this one. If you don't want to watch it please read my play by play below.
Intro guitar. Panning shots of empty arena seats. All in grayscale. Brief glimpse of sunglass wearing mulleted man in an indetermnable patterned jacket leaning on an aluminum ladder.
Luscious hair swinging as he begins crooning. Brief shot of 80s babe sitting at the makeup counter. "sexy" cigarette shot. Eddie starts singing the first verse for the empty stadium. Swings hips in manner that would even turn guys on, if there were any in the audience.
Sexy babe stomps out cigarette on floor and saunters off into a glowing doorway. As the crescendo builds toward the chorus Eddie throws his Ray Bans off. and pumps on chest as with hand as he can "feel your heart beat faster..." Shadowy woman approaches... Pans back to Eddie doing his best Roger Daltrey impression with the microphone and thrusts his pelvis around the stage as the chorus erupts. You can almost feel the invisible crowd reaching for his sexy body all the while singing along to the bombastic chorus. Brief glimpses of the shadowy lady dancing in the hall, ever getting closer to the stage.
Second verse shots are mainly focused on his beautiful hair. Sexy lady shows her sexy walk past the silhouette of the janitor sweeping the floor. As the verse builds back up the chorus, a large "garage" type door slowly lifts to reveal sexy legs emerging from a fog.
During the chorus the camera zooms in on some sexy swinging hips in the fog, which are accompanied by a silhouette of very big hair. We can feel the tension growing in Eddie (especially his tight pants). The silhouette gets closer as Eddie grabs his saxophone for the solo. Panning shots of the empty arena with spot lights on the stage.
Eddie uses his saxophone for brief "guitar" motion. Patterned shirt is torn off to reveal black wife beater as guitar power chords are played. We finally see sexy woman's face. Sexy woman keeps her distance and continues to dance in the isle. Eddie croons on stage with his mullet and saxophone. Sexy woman walks off into the fog as music fades. It is implied that everyone involved is exhausted.
I know that had absolutely nothing to do with running, cycling, triathlons etc. But sometimes we need a break from those things to humor ourselves. I hope you've been humored.
Winter Relocation to Steamboat Springs, CO
So for some time I had been planning on moving back to Steamboat Springs for a winter of ski instructing and training. Having a previous history there (Post and Video) resulting in injury, I was going in with the motto of "keeping it on the ground." I was returning to the job of Chirdren's Ski Instructor at the mountain. A gig where most of the time you get to act like a child and go skiing, while teaching some techniques (and safety. Children need to learn safety.). Unfortunately the job also comes with the "you name it" scenarios that come up in dealing with kids, a list of which is much to lengthy to include here.
So the first adventure started when I left Michigan on December 19th. There just so happened to be a blizzard moving across the Plains which I drove straight through, starting in Iowa. I survived the worst in Iowa and made it to Nebraska (previously dubbed "The Worst State in America."). The weather improved and the sun even came out. I came upon Lincoln, Nebraska and was directed off I-80 and learned that it was closed across the entire state, mainly for cleanup (see pictures below). Thus I had to drive HWY 34 and 30, two lane highways that parallel I-80. Average Speed over half of 'Braska-<40MPH. Worst trip ever.
Eventually I rolled down Rabbit Ears pass into Steamboat at 6AM on the 21st. The stars were out and my thermometer read -10 F. I got to my temporary place of residence and took a nap.
So now I'm moved in and do little more than work, eat, sleep, run, swim, bike and free ski on days off. The plan is to get fast for IM Lake Placid next July. I'll be returning back to Michigan come mid-April.
I chose Steamboat for several reasons. The historical ski town is not full of pretentious people, most being super friendly. The reputation of the children's ski school is fantastic. Of course the nearly 350 inches of super light powder is a dream. Training wise there is a great facility right downtown-Old Town Hot Springs complete with 25yrd outdoor lap pool. That's right you can comfortably swim laps while it's 10 degrees and snowing. Living at altitude is a plus for aerobic conditioning as well. This winter I also plan on improving my Nordic skiing skills, of which there are also great facilities. Check out the US Olympic Nordic Combined team if you need confirmation.
 |
| That's a car in the middle of a Nebraska country road. |
 |
| There were numerous big rigs in the ditch. |
So the first adventure started when I left Michigan on December 19th. There just so happened to be a blizzard moving across the Plains which I drove straight through, starting in Iowa. I survived the worst in Iowa and made it to Nebraska (previously dubbed "The Worst State in America."). The weather improved and the sun even came out. I came upon Lincoln, Nebraska and was directed off I-80 and learned that it was closed across the entire state, mainly for cleanup (see pictures below). Thus I had to drive HWY 34 and 30, two lane highways that parallel I-80. Average Speed over half of 'Braska-<40MPH. Worst trip ever.
Eventually I rolled down Rabbit Ears pass into Steamboat at 6AM on the 21st. The stars were out and my thermometer read -10 F. I got to my temporary place of residence and took a nap.
So now I'm moved in and do little more than work, eat, sleep, run, swim, bike and free ski on days off. The plan is to get fast for IM Lake Placid next July. I'll be returning back to Michigan come mid-April.
I chose Steamboat for several reasons. The historical ski town is not full of pretentious people, most being super friendly. The reputation of the children's ski school is fantastic. Of course the nearly 350 inches of super light powder is a dream. Training wise there is a great facility right downtown-Old Town Hot Springs complete with 25yrd outdoor lap pool. That's right you can comfortably swim laps while it's 10 degrees and snowing. Living at altitude is a plus for aerobic conditioning as well. This winter I also plan on improving my Nordic skiing skills, of which there are also great facilities. Check out the US Olympic Nordic Combined team if you need confirmation.
Sunday, November 11, 2012
My First Cyclocross Race
So my DNF at Iceman left me unable to get the competitive fix I need every now and then. Luckily No Boundaries was putting on their second edition of the Challenge for Challenge Cyclocross Race. If you are unaware of what cyclocross is check out this video of how the REAL cyclocross racers do it. I don't even come close to qualifying. This low-key, fun event is a benefit for Challenge Mountain, which is sweet in itself, but the chill atmosphere is great. There's great variety, it's short, painful and also super spectator friendly. Plus there's beer when you're done.
So the day before the race I set up some mock barriers and practiced my dismounts/re-mounts. I kinda figured it out, but figured it would be a "learn as you go" experience. Race day arrived with perfect cyclocross weather. Forty degrees, breezy and active rain. It's funny because the style of racing invites the sense the nastier the weather is the more exciting the race becomes.
I went out for some practice laps and got the technique and handling down a bit more, as I immediately became wet and dirty. I think there were eight racers in the A race (10 laps). So obviously not a deep field, but it was perfect for my first race. We started, I was a bit timid and at the back. It was a bit sketchy at first as I almost crashed on the first turn and fumbled through the first dismount. I noted to another rider that we had 9 more tries to get it right.
Surprisingly I quickly became fairly comfortable with the race and moved up into fourth. I was watching the lines and techniques of the other riders (who were obviously experienced) and made some good adjustments. Maybe three or four laps in I felt I had the technique down and moved into third. Being less experienced at cyclocross plus having my Mountain Bike it was interesting to see where I would gain ground and where I would loose it; consistently every lap. I'd gain on the hills and through the sand, and loose it on the barriers and several turns (No surprise that triathletes lack bike handling skills).
It's full gas the whole time, with only a few seconds to recover on turns and downhills and such. I was inching closer to the second place guy and after three laps of trying I was on his wheel. As the race went on I noticed I really had to focus and think about what I needed to do to dismount, manuver, etc. It's interesting because I have the ability to go hard, but I can just get in the zone and "embrace the pain." But in 'cross I had to embrace the pain, while still trying to use higher level thinking so I didn't eat it. It's like having to multitask at it's worst.
I did loose focus for a bit, had some poor re-mounts and lost ground to the guy in front of me. I think there were three laps left, but it's hard to keep track. I wasn't closing the gap and didn't have more gas to give. Right before the last lap he crashed and I passed him. It doesn't feel as honorable as a "fair fight", but that's how racing goes sometimes. Anyway I finished second, didn't break myself, had a blast and won a six pack of Fat Tire. Plus it's a charity event. Win win for everyone! I definitely want to do some more races, but I don't think I'll be buying a 'cross bike just yet. Only looking.
So the day before the race I set up some mock barriers and practiced my dismounts/re-mounts. I kinda figured it out, but figured it would be a "learn as you go" experience. Race day arrived with perfect cyclocross weather. Forty degrees, breezy and active rain. It's funny because the style of racing invites the sense the nastier the weather is the more exciting the race becomes.
 | |
| The Huge Stacked Field |
 |
| (Not) Perfect technique at the first barrier! |
I went out for some practice laps and got the technique and handling down a bit more, as I immediately became wet and dirty. I think there were eight racers in the A race (10 laps). So obviously not a deep field, but it was perfect for my first race. We started, I was a bit timid and at the back. It was a bit sketchy at first as I almost crashed on the first turn and fumbled through the first dismount. I noted to another rider that we had 9 more tries to get it right.
Surprisingly I quickly became fairly comfortable with the race and moved up into fourth. I was watching the lines and techniques of the other riders (who were obviously experienced) and made some good adjustments. Maybe three or four laps in I felt I had the technique down and moved into third. Being less experienced at cyclocross plus having my Mountain Bike it was interesting to see where I would gain ground and where I would loose it; consistently every lap. I'd gain on the hills and through the sand, and loose it on the barriers and several turns (No surprise that triathletes lack bike handling skills).
 |
| The Podium gets Beer. Cool. |
It's full gas the whole time, with only a few seconds to recover on turns and downhills and such. I was inching closer to the second place guy and after three laps of trying I was on his wheel. As the race went on I noticed I really had to focus and think about what I needed to do to dismount, manuver, etc. It's interesting because I have the ability to go hard, but I can just get in the zone and "embrace the pain." But in 'cross I had to embrace the pain, while still trying to use higher level thinking so I didn't eat it. It's like having to multitask at it's worst.
I did loose focus for a bit, had some poor re-mounts and lost ground to the guy in front of me. I think there were three laps left, but it's hard to keep track. I wasn't closing the gap and didn't have more gas to give. Right before the last lap he crashed and I passed him. It doesn't feel as honorable as a "fair fight", but that's how racing goes sometimes. Anyway I finished second, didn't break myself, had a blast and won a six pack of Fat Tire. Plus it's a charity event. Win win for everyone! I definitely want to do some more races, but I don't think I'll be buying a 'cross bike just yet. Only looking.
Iceman 2012
So after my inaugural Iceman experience last year (2:07 finish) I was excited for my second installment. Since I would now be in a seeded wave, didn't have a messed up knee and still had a reasonable amount of fitness, I was excited to see what kind of time I could put down (depending on course changes/conditions I was hoping for a 10+ min improvement). So I tuned up my bike, checking almost everything and was ready to rock.
I spent the night at Bob's house on his couch to save some time in the morning. Race morning I was surprisingly up and awake immediately,rather than my normal morning "zombie" state. The weather cold as usual (28 degrees on the drive over), completely overcast and reports of "measurable snow" on the ground in TC. Being a Northern Michigan native and ex-cross country runner the weather was...perfect. I think I wore fewer clothes than 95% of the other racers; bib knickers, long sleeve jersey, headband and wind proof long finger gloves. I did a decent warm up and made my way to the start line; keeping warm with a "disposable" sweatshirt. I was Wave 7; start time 9:18AM. From my experience last year I knew how hard everyone went out at the start. I also knew I was in better shape and wanted to be at or near the front of my wave. As the horn went off I was stuck mid pack, but as things opened up in the first quarter mile, I comfortably made my way near the front of the group. The pavement ended, two track started and I was going comfortably hard and feeling good.
There was little traffic, lots of room and I was with a loose group of 6-8 people. I moved up on some small climbs and was feeling good to "put it out there" for a good result. I began to notice a grumble from my bike and I thought maybe my quick release was loose. The grumbling was getting worse. I couldn't see anything specifically wrong but was getting a bad feeling. Suddenly there was a terrible grinding and my left pedal became free floating in the 6 o'clock position. Choice words were uttered and I knew my race was probably done. So I tried to pedal along for a few seconds with mild, awkward success and then pulled over to see if I could figure out what the issue was. Slightly low on oxygen to the brain I could tell my crank was busted, but couldn't deduce the details. I didn't have a multi-tool and just started beating on it to try and engage whatever was broken back together. It was not a very scientific approach.
As most of the riders in my wave past my broken bike on the side of the trail, me going no where, I decided the best bet was to hop back on my bike, get to the next intersection and try and find a volunteer with some tools. So I was pedaling with one foot, while getting passed by other riders. I'm sure it was a sight to see. After only couple minutes of riding I got to some volunteers. After some more frustration I finally got my crank arms off. I have a Specialized crank, which is splined in the center and has a fixing bolt embedded in it, which required a full length torx bit to fix. Apparently it came loose. Needless to say I wasn't going to find that tool from anyone on course. Thus my Iceman was over less than 5 miles in. I hadn't really even started sweating and I hadn't even drank out of my water bottle. It was disappointing to say the least.
At this point I hadn't been generating any body heat for a good 15 minutes and was starting to shiver. A kind volunteer let me sit in his truck, with the heat on as I waited for the "extraction vehicle." I loaded my bike up in the extraction truck and was driven to a gas station where I was transferred to a van with another DNF racer. As we drove toward Traverse City we encountered snow and the landscape turned white. The first real snow of the year! A nice addition to my second (but first unplanned ) DNF in any (non-skiing) race. Obviously I was disappointed in my $15+/mile 2012 Iceman, however I was also grateful I didn't DNF via wrecking myself. While I wanted to perform well, it's not like the Iceman is an A race for the season anyway. Lesson learned: I will now add checking my crank bolts to my bike check prior to racing.
But the rest of the day was not a waste. I hung out and watched some other No Boundaries crew finish. I didn't feel I'd "earned" any beers, but had a couple anyway. But I did go for a nice trail run when I got home to get rid of some pent up frustration and energy. I even threw down a solid timed mile mid-run. Just another learning experience in my athletic career.
I spent the night at Bob's house on his couch to save some time in the morning. Race morning I was surprisingly up and awake immediately,rather than my normal morning "zombie" state. The weather cold as usual (28 degrees on the drive over), completely overcast and reports of "measurable snow" on the ground in TC. Being a Northern Michigan native and ex-cross country runner the weather was...perfect. I think I wore fewer clothes than 95% of the other racers; bib knickers, long sleeve jersey, headband and wind proof long finger gloves. I did a decent warm up and made my way to the start line; keeping warm with a "disposable" sweatshirt. I was Wave 7; start time 9:18AM. From my experience last year I knew how hard everyone went out at the start. I also knew I was in better shape and wanted to be at or near the front of my wave. As the horn went off I was stuck mid pack, but as things opened up in the first quarter mile, I comfortably made my way near the front of the group. The pavement ended, two track started and I was going comfortably hard and feeling good.
There was little traffic, lots of room and I was with a loose group of 6-8 people. I moved up on some small climbs and was feeling good to "put it out there" for a good result. I began to notice a grumble from my bike and I thought maybe my quick release was loose. The grumbling was getting worse. I couldn't see anything specifically wrong but was getting a bad feeling. Suddenly there was a terrible grinding and my left pedal became free floating in the 6 o'clock position. Choice words were uttered and I knew my race was probably done. So I tried to pedal along for a few seconds with mild, awkward success and then pulled over to see if I could figure out what the issue was. Slightly low on oxygen to the brain I could tell my crank was busted, but couldn't deduce the details. I didn't have a multi-tool and just started beating on it to try and engage whatever was broken back together. It was not a very scientific approach.
As most of the riders in my wave past my broken bike on the side of the trail, me going no where, I decided the best bet was to hop back on my bike, get to the next intersection and try and find a volunteer with some tools. So I was pedaling with one foot, while getting passed by other riders. I'm sure it was a sight to see. After only couple minutes of riding I got to some volunteers. After some more frustration I finally got my crank arms off. I have a Specialized crank, which is splined in the center and has a fixing bolt embedded in it, which required a full length torx bit to fix. Apparently it came loose. Needless to say I wasn't going to find that tool from anyone on course. Thus my Iceman was over less than 5 miles in. I hadn't really even started sweating and I hadn't even drank out of my water bottle. It was disappointing to say the least.
At this point I hadn't been generating any body heat for a good 15 minutes and was starting to shiver. A kind volunteer let me sit in his truck, with the heat on as I waited for the "extraction vehicle." I loaded my bike up in the extraction truck and was driven to a gas station where I was transferred to a van with another DNF racer. As we drove toward Traverse City we encountered snow and the landscape turned white. The first real snow of the year! A nice addition to my second (but first unplanned ) DNF in any (non-skiing) race. Obviously I was disappointed in my $15+/mile 2012 Iceman, however I was also grateful I didn't DNF via wrecking myself. While I wanted to perform well, it's not like the Iceman is an A race for the season anyway. Lesson learned: I will now add checking my crank bolts to my bike check prior to racing.
But the rest of the day was not a waste. I hung out and watched some other No Boundaries crew finish. I didn't feel I'd "earned" any beers, but had a couple anyway. But I did go for a nice trail run when I got home to get rid of some pent up frustration and energy. I even threw down a solid timed mile mid-run. Just another learning experience in my athletic career.
Avast!-There's a pirate on our team?
So it's been a while since I've posted an update on my adventures. Since the Charlevoix triathlon I've been doing some average training, but nothing special. The original plan was to get in some solid run training in for the late summer/fall. My mother and sister had wanted to run the Detroit Half Marathon in October and I said I would run as well. Unfortunately I have been unable to have a significant period of time that was uninterrupted by minor injuries. I decided the year of no running, took more out of my running "durability" than I had thought. I just need to be more patient in getting a more solid base back.
So with the half marathon coming up I wasn't in race shape, but I didn't want to exacerbate any injury. However I still wanted to run and decided to have some fun with it, so I wouldn't get sucked into race mode. So I did the obvious. Since Halloween was approaching I decided to dress like a pirate. I had the basic materials from previous pirate costumes, but made a few additions. These included a cardboard and foil hook as well as my best attempt at a "peg leg". ("Wood" patterned fabric over a calf sleeve.)
On to the race. It started wayyyy to early-7AM. It was dark and cold but I made it to the start line and got a few stares regarding my costume. I saw two friends from college and chatted for a minute before finding my place in the starting herd. The start horn went off and I focused on running very conservative and relaxed. It was an interesting experience running through Detroit in the wee morning hours. We then ran over the Ambassador Bridge, which was the coolest part of the race. The sun was just coming up over Canada and there was a nice fog over Windsor, which gave some nice hues to the morning.
I ran through Canada for a few miles and the Canadians were either drinking Tim Hortons coffee or had solo cups (I assume Molson or Bloody Mary's). Coming back to America through the tunnel offered only the sounds of footsteps and slightly labored breathing. But the next mile upon returning to America was one of the rowdiest crowds I've ever experienced at a race. It was fantastic! The rest of the race was uneventful as I continued to get a few comments on the pirate costume and offered an "Arrrr!" and a "hook pump" in response. I finished in 1:26 and change, which was very pleasing. Of most importance was I did not aggravate any of my healing injuries. I would really enjoy participating in either the full or half being able to go into the race with sufficient training to leave it all out there. It was a great atmosphere with great crowd support.
So with the half marathon coming up I wasn't in race shape, but I didn't want to exacerbate any injury. However I still wanted to run and decided to have some fun with it, so I wouldn't get sucked into race mode. So I did the obvious. Since Halloween was approaching I decided to dress like a pirate. I had the basic materials from previous pirate costumes, but made a few additions. These included a cardboard and foil hook as well as my best attempt at a "peg leg". ("Wood" patterned fabric over a calf sleeve.)On to the race. It started wayyyy to early-7AM. It was dark and cold but I made it to the start line and got a few stares regarding my costume. I saw two friends from college and chatted for a minute before finding my place in the starting herd. The start horn went off and I focused on running very conservative and relaxed. It was an interesting experience running through Detroit in the wee morning hours. We then ran over the Ambassador Bridge, which was the coolest part of the race. The sun was just coming up over Canada and there was a nice fog over Windsor, which gave some nice hues to the morning.
 | |
| Such a menacing pirate face! |
 |
| Mom and Rebecca in our post-race picture. Note the "peg leg" attempt. |
I ran through Canada for a few miles and the Canadians were either drinking Tim Hortons coffee or had solo cups (I assume Molson or Bloody Mary's). Coming back to America through the tunnel offered only the sounds of footsteps and slightly labored breathing. But the next mile upon returning to America was one of the rowdiest crowds I've ever experienced at a race. It was fantastic! The rest of the race was uneventful as I continued to get a few comments on the pirate costume and offered an "Arrrr!" and a "hook pump" in response. I finished in 1:26 and change, which was very pleasing. Of most importance was I did not aggravate any of my healing injuries. I would really enjoy participating in either the full or half being able to go into the race with sufficient training to leave it all out there. It was a great atmosphere with great crowd support.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)