Dallas Half Marathon 12/9/2012

"Can I improve half marathon speed by 5% in 9 months?"  I stared at the Runner's World training program.  I would cross the 7-minute-mile mental barrier.  Why not?  Ironman age groupers routinely ran sub 7:00 for their marathon.  All I needed was good weather and a healthy spine.

_milestones
A: 21k PR: 95-minute.
B: 10k PR: 43:00.  I always had doubts about holding sub 7 for over 10k.
C: 90 GPS minutes.  If I hit this goal, I'd upgrade GPS.

_training
18-week SmartCoach peaking at 47 miles per week.  In contrast, ultra runners went over 150 miles.  Karnazes averaged 300+ miles running coast to coast.

I had difficulties with tempos the first weeks with Texas summer weather.  I usually went straight into pool after a run before reaching for nutrition.

I skipped sessions due to Taiwan trip and A2A.  Speed struggled the week following Asia trip.  I took a page out of Kenyans' playbook and reduced recovery and long runs pace.

The program called for 15-mile long run 7 and 14 days before race.  I shortened them.  It seemed crazy to train longer than race distance < 3 weeks to go.  Maybe the software mistaken me for a 18-year-old.

I didn't stick to the training schedule as closely as 2011's marathon preparation, yet I felt more confident.

_injury
Heel pain that started April 2011 stabilized by January.  I only felt the pain getting out of bed and during slow runs.

Lower back pain hadn't stopped me from running after Jack's Dr. introduced me to the bench stretches.

Inside left knee became unhappy after a 15-mile training run in LA using torn PI Streak.  All was good after using fat shoes for 3 weeks.  The running shoe collection had been a worthwhile medical investment.

_crash
I routinely trained on uneven grass fields and stumbled on regular basis.  Not a big deal.

Then it happened.  My left foot tripped over a few blades of grass 15 days before the race during easy run—much like my 3 crashes in November 2011.  As a spine patient, I had no solution for drop foot.  I accepted the limitation and tried to be thankful for working parts.

I was listening to Mr. Crash Tyler Hamilton's book when tripped.  I had laughable pain tolerances compare to Tyler.  The book connected many dots from Floyd Landis, Mark Zeigler, et al.  I enjoyed learning about bag & Edgar logistics.

_diet
I complicated nutrition by introducing blender into my training day meals.  The frozen drinks were motivational for summer workouts.  The shakes reduced processed food consumption.

Body weight was challenging this racing season.  4 weeks before race, I asked mom to reduce yummy food production.  This was hard for both of us.  I felt ashamed of my will power, considering my weekly 4000 exercise calories.

I ended up lighter than previous years.  This was indicative of my reduced quads and glutes from lack of skating.  I still felt fat by watching Athens Olympics marathon.

Tyler was right: endurance sports at top level are unhealthy.  I drew a line in the sand: I would go no further in reducing muscle or fat.

_final 10 days
Taper went as expected: battling urges to run more and eat less.

With cool temperature, racing flats, and reduced body weight, I cranked out previously unthinkable speed.  4x1600 intervals did wonders for confidence

Final long run was the worst 11-mile in memory.  It reset confidence.

Things didn’t go well 24 hours pre-race.  The plumber chose to show up to install the RO filter 3 weeks late.  He left the job half done after introducing a new leak.  I aggravated the nerve bending over under kitchen sink.  I was pissed.  “Simplify your housing.”  I made another mental note.

I felt full from meals before race—an unfamiliar sensation.

Traffic to the event was infuriating.  I arrived downtown 2 hours before the gun and had to sit in traffic on interstate for an hour.  The organizer’s solution was for each runner to arrive earlier than other runners.  “Really?!”  It’s a 25000-participant annual event on established roads.  Somehow we screwed it up for 3 straight years.


_race
Short version:
• Didn't go as planned <= warm, humid + tougher course.
• GI didn't like 1 gel @ mile 1, either.  Will stop experimenting with on-course food @ short races.
• Dehydrated.
• Beat my PR by 85 seconds instead of 5%.  Concurrently satisfied and disappointed.
• Will give sub-7:00 pace another shot in March.
• Will try an online coaching program.


Wordy version:

63F, 95% humidity--a typical winter race morning if this were Taiwan.  I debated whether to adjust race goal during the 15 minutes behind the start line.  I chose to err on aggressive side.  I crossed the start line without the usual throwaway cloth.  It would be a tough run.

The new course naturally incorporated the new MHH Bridge, which required going over an additional bridge to reach the other side of Trinity River.  My quads were unhappy at mile 4 after bridge crossings.  Majority of DFW runners and I sucked collectively with the minor elevation change.  Many started walking between 5k and 10k.

I felt the red line coming up before mile 6.  "Do I back off?"  Without a clear deadline like Boston qualifying standard, I took the easy way out.  If I held 7:08, I could average sub 7:00 pace.  The legs didn't like 7:08 either.  I was disappointed at this pace.  I was proud to acquire basic pacing skills 6 years after first marathon.

_nutrition experiment
1 pack of gel at mile 9 hurt my last half.  I tried mile 1 this time.  I could feel the side stitch ready to burst.  It proved carbo-load was the way to go at this heart rate.

Runner density reduced after the half/full-distance split.  I saw my competitions behind the barriers: some looked great; others were gorgeous.  Long distance running was alcohol at singes' bars.

Heart rate settled at 7:16 pace; legs became the bottleneck.  I fell apart at the uphill after mile 9.  The worst split was 7:58 at mile 9.5.  Runners passed me left and right.  I wasn't hurting exactly; legs just wouldn't crack out the speed.  I took it one stride at a time.

_neocortex activities
Back half of this 10000-runner half was unexpected lonely.  Garmin 305 reported my progress every quarter mile.  I tallied the seconds and lowered my expectation with each update—I was Mitt Romney at election night.

I thought about the Tyler Hamilton.  "How would this run differ if my hematocrit were 50%?"  Weeks after finishing the book, the only lingering emotion was the sadness from his divorce.

I thought about John Updike's Rabbit series and tried to recall my reaction from the first read 12 years ago.  I felt it’s time to re-watch Woody Allen’s old works.

_struggle
I futilely tried to reach a small group in front but couldn't bridge.  I played with different arm swings; I was grasping for straws.  “Maybe I need brighter cloth to do better?”  Everyone seemed labored.  "How do the Kenyans seem effortless?"

I recalled passing few and was passed by many runners.  The perception was proven skewed by the timing system: I passed 14 and was passed by 10 during last 3.8 miles.

I wanted to take on liquid—anything to break the pattern of discomfort, but hydration wouldn’t help at this stage.  I didn’t feel I was having a bad day.  I couldn’t hold 8:30 pace just 7 days ago.  “Maybe my race goal is unrealistic?”  The downhill slowed me down further.

With final turn in sight, some dude passed me.  I passed him back.  We raced, not acknowledging each other.  My heart rate skyrocketed disproportionally to actual acceleration.  Our final mile was 6:32.

#’s
Gun Time: 01:33:43
Chip Time: 01:33:31     Pace: 7:08/M
GPS (Garmin 305): 13.23 mi@7:04/M

Overall Place: 138/9872
Gen Place: 116/4344
     5K : 21:26
     10K : 42:53
     15K : 1:05:46


_afterward
The winning time was 1:09:45, slower than 2011 (1:06:53).

I visited Casa Bailey.  Biff roasted me a batch of coffee; Sam and Sidney gave me artwork.  I recalled their impact on my life since 2006: Ironman, 24-hour event, family, housing, and career decisions….

Priority that afternoon was to stop the kitchen faucet leak.  Delaying wasn't an option with house guest.  One minute my life focus was celebrating 18 weeks of preparation; next minute my worth was based on my ability to identify and install a $3 part under kitchen sink.

24 hours and a sushi buffet later, all body parts functioned well except sore quads.  Humidity was 35% with 40F air temperature.  Timing is everything.

A2A 38-mile race + 49 mile cool down. 10/7/2012

Casey skipped another A2A due to life curve balls; Candy's supposedly final racing season was ruined by crashes; I skipped the final 5 key training sessions due to family illness and weather.  Can't plan for everything.


_training
In 2011, my weekly skate consisted of 10 hilly miles.  I skated flat twice: 100k in August HHH and in September NYC.  12-day EuroRoll involved a lot of time in skates but not high mileage.

I continued to lower the bar for mileage required prior to A2A.  My 2012 weekly hill skate doubled in August but stopped 4 weeks prior to the race.  I skated 50 miles at Hotter n Hell then skipped NYC.  I counted on cross training to stay in shape.

During the Taiwan trip, skating was replaced by ad hoc hill running, hiking and biking.  Traveling also meant losing base of my calorie control.  I failed my weight goal for the first time.  I felt at peace with my decisions leading to my unpreparedness--I was at the part of the life journey where a race event took a back seat.  I cherished sharing my brother’s training for his Ironman.

My quads were weak after all the Taipei mountain funs.  I let them rest.  4 weeks prior to A2A, I totaled 15 miles of skating—just enough to keep blisters away.  On non-taper weeks, I ran 35 ~ 40 miles.


_plan
Racing 38 miles with 49-mile cool down had been my MO.  I wanted to skip the cool down for 2012.  Candy offered a ride—“but you have to get to Dacula quickly.”  She needed to support Morgan.

15 minutes before the race, all I hoped for was an injury-free skate and not to break down by the final 2 hills.  Hanging on to Lenny felt like a long shot.  I told Candy not to wait if I didn't show up with Lenny.  I packed cash for brunch while waiting for Dacula-Atlanta bus.


_start
A2A start suited my strength.  I took it for granted I'd end up in the lead pack and would have plenty of chances to decide what group to go with.  My legs felt great after first few turns.  Confidence soared: “I'll skate in chase pack and attack the final hill!”

I followed a dozen skaters behind the lead police car into a wrong turn.  I came to a complete stop before getting back to course.  I sprinted and got within 50 meters as Lenny pack crested a hill.  I knew chasing a group downhill was futile but did it anyway.  Legs fried.  My race was lost before mile 1.

The 3rd pack included familiar faces: John Charbonneau, Penny Streicher, Larry Griffin, Sam Fistel, JT, and my roommate Linchen Xiu.  Everyone worked well together.  I tried to stay positive.  "Just enjoy the day."

photo by John Charbonneau


I was frustrated having so much left on the final climb with no one to attack.  Alex, Oswald, and Susie smiled and invited me to the row of chair at finish line.  I didn't want to sit.  I felt robbed of an opportunity.

photo by Brian Geisel

#’s
38 miles
Time: 2:28:24
Avg speed: 15:36 mph


Candy’s support vehicle was long gone.  All I wanted was getting to Atlanta hotel and sulk.  The 3 top finishers were heading back to Athens.  Bus to Atlanta would leave in 3 hours.  Sandy offered to take me to Atlanta; I didn’t trust myself to contain the negativity.  I picked up nutrition and roll toward finish—Might as well lose a little weight for the December foot race.

Like previous years, Luke Sawh picked me up with happy skaters.  52-milers joined us shortly after.  We were in no rush.  A few skaters hadn’t figured out the downhill; we gave them time to catch up.

The sun came out; air temperature was perfect; legs felt strong; I skated among friends.  I forgot about the wrong turn.  A few us demonstrated more talent in skating than singing.

_young 52-miler
15-year-old BJ came out of a shopping center and passed us on a climb.  His light frame was immune to gravity therefore lost much ground going downhill.  The group watched him in amusement as he stayed in sight.  We talked about inviting him to join us; no one was willing to deliver the message.  The group swallowed him before Silver Hill.

_45.7 mph
For the first time, I had more than 2 skaters willing to hull ass at top of the Silver Hill.  Luke had the helmet cam and graciously offered me the lead.  I wheel-wobbled big time and set the personal speed record.


_mile-71 check point
Bladder was full.  I could’ve asked the group for a team pee, but no one else seemed ready to stop.  I announced I’d use the porta potty.  "If I don’t catch up, I’ll see you at the finish."

I had fond memory of that rest stop.  I sat down there in 2011 defeated; Colleen offered me all ingestible in sight expect Guinness that I wanted.  I plotted but failed to steal a beer then hitch a ride to Atlanta that year.

I won the race to toilet before hugging Colleen without washing hands then started chasing Luke.  I heard Luke shouting behind me—BJ was the only skater who didn't stop at the check point.

 
_city skate
The group was down to Luke, Brice, and me.  We again watch in amusement as BJ tried to make it on his own.  We soon picked up BJ.  Brice wasn’t keeping up; we put him in front to go at his pace.  BJ no longer tried to break away.  The final set of little hills emptied everyone’s quads.

Once in the city, new challenges were headwind, gator surface, and city traffic.  I took the lead.  BJ, who climbed like god an hour ago, had difficulties keeping up.  He asked for mileage every few minutes.  “We’ve gone 0.4 mile since the last time you ask….”  A recovered Brice got impatient and took off with 7 miles to go.

BJ's struggled but didn't ask for help.  Luke and I left him.  I was envious of BJ's constructing his first A2A memory.  In a few years, he'd develop into a speed demon I had no chance of staying with.

Brice stayed in sight.  Luke and I thought it’d be funny if we chased him down, but it’s wasn’t that kinda race.  We enjoyed each other’s company and shared another good skate on the gentle Georgian hills.

photo by Brian Geisel

Luke's #’s
87 miles
Time: 06:28:33
Avg speed: 13.43 mph


_other results
Alex Van Duyne and Brian Oswald’s 38-mile title came down to playing chicken with a truck between the final turns.

Sam Fistel skated his usual A2A2A.  As he recounted his logistic issues with his 170-mile skate, I started to think of joining him after qualifying for Boston.

Candy put her 38-mile course record effort on hold after multiple crashes this season.  She brought large quantity of baked goods for the event.  I want t be there when she breaks the record.

Mike Pantelakis got the 52-mile title.  It was a lonely solo effort after dropping his teammate BJ.

Jarrett Paul beat Francisco at the line for men’s title.
Women’s top time were by Marcy and Jessica came in at 05:22:53 with Morgan.

Morgan’s 2008 race became a solo event after a pee break.  History repeated when 3 young punks attacked during a group pee break.  He needed to return with Stadium Pal (http://www.stadiumpal.com/).

John Charbonneau  and Peter Doucet made the same wrong turn before mile 1 and skated with slower groups than planned.  I felt small after learning Peter clawed his way through the field and ended up 10th.

Michael's Lin's Chicago marathon didn't go as planned.  33.5 min behind goal.

Photo by Lenny

Hotter n Hell 50-mile skate 8/25/2012

Something always got in the way of a solid 102-mile bike ride--bonking, crashes, injury, skating.  This year I put in so few bike miles I didn't bother reaching for the perfect ride.  50-mile skate was the logical choice given the circumstances.  (yeah, these were my identical words from last year)

_expo
I found 0 item on my shopping list:
1. Jersey with cool print
2. Iono or Aeon helmet for < $100
I still managed to drop $400.  With no foreseeable need for new 700c tires, I couldn’t resist 75% off.  Casey and I bought cosmetically challenged Perl Izumi running shoes for half price.  I stocked up on gloves, knee warmers, and other clothing items.  I failed to identify desirable bike shoes in the 75% off pile.  I wondered if my shopping habit would change when storage space disappears.

_dinner
I ate spaghetti with a former bike racer.  His best HHH time was 4:01.  When I sought advice on my bonking thresholds, he informed:
1.  I was too heavy.  Low body fat isn't enough.
2.  I rode mile 10~80 way too hard.  Can't expect to finish 100-mile ride with 100k speed.
This wasn't new info, but it's nice to have validation.

He laughed at my 6-bottle strategy.  What worked for him was going into deficit then finish the ride before trouble started.  He laughed harder when I said I'd skate it.

He was open about his reasons for not going pro: unwillingness to lose weight, uncertainty about PED, and general lack of courage.

I met pre-law and pre-med Stevie and Adrian at Ann's.  It's nice to make new young friends.

I was envious when I saw Roger's Grand Canyon photos.

_50-mile course
Casey led me out ahead of the official start in the dark before our heart rates became too far apart.

I was determined not to skate the rough surface between mile 20 and 30.  I looked for 50-mile cyclists at the rest stop then followed them passed the splitting point.

Middle section of 50-mile was a lonely route with lots of well marked turns.  The surface wasn't horrible by HH standard.  I kept HR around 70% max; speed stayed near discrete points: 7, 11, 16, 21 mph.  People were friendly and encouraging.  A cyclist shouted lewd complement when passing me.  She brightened my day.

A RV clipped the former Hell's Gate at the rest stop.  Volunteers went banana when the inflatable structure came down.

Casey caught up to me before the turn to Highway 44.  We shared our experienced at the rest stop.  We had a good day so far.  We didn't attempt to stay together.  100mm urethane and 700c rubber had incompatible speeds.  We knew what's coming.

_9 miles of headwind
The new course lengthened its usage of Highway 44, but the extra section had skater-friendlier surface.  I was content behind a triathlete averaging 11 mph before surface turned rougher.  I jumped behind a gentleman twice Casey's size.  He silently absorbed the attention as spectator hollered at the blader glued to his rear wheel--I thought he could be annoyed.  He later thanked me for keeping him going, "I would've stopped if you weren't there."  It felt good to make positive impact.

I spent extra time chatting with strangers at the rest stop before AFB.  I was in no rush.

_Sheppard Air Force Base
Beautiful pavement; tolerable crosswind; great weather.  I raced random dudes inside the base.  It was reckless and simple fun.  I loved going through the high-five tunnel of young soldiers.

The final 5 miles lasted 8 miles--mostly headwind on nice road.  A 100k cyclist insisted on going at my speed.  Marty had problem outputting consistent wattage but managed to inspire everyone around to squeeze out more energy.

A tandem bike passed us during the final mile, determined to beat the rollerblader.  Everyone smiled as the husband chanted "I think I can.  I think I can."  I stayed in his blind spot before hawking the line, beating him by a wheel.  The wife thought it was the funniest thing.


#'s
skates: custom Simmons, carbon Hopi frames, worn 100mm Street Fight wheels
GPS distance: 53.5 miles
avg/max HR: 138/178 bpm
avg speed (including stops): 10.9 mph

El Scorcho 50k 7/15/2012 midnight run

Casey found the midnight event after it sold out.  Unobtainability led to desire led to wait list led to 2 unprepared guys paying late fee to get in the race.  We didn't know how to prepare for

1.  Darkness.

2.  Nutrition for midnight start.

3.  Terrain.

4.  Pace.

This was a "D" race.  The priority was a good experience with no injury.  Trying new things and dropping out were allowed.

_Training

I received conflicting training advices for the 10-lap race.  I settled on a reduced version of a plan from Casey.  The key was a long run every other week, which was extended by 2 miles each time.  My longest run was to be 26 miles 3 weeks before the race.  I chopped that session to 20 miles.  It's better to be 10% under- than 1% over-trained.

During the week, the sessions were specific for A2A, Hotter n Hell, and White Rock Half Marathon.  I shortchanged each event.

I went to gym once a week: hamstring, hip abductor, and hip adductor.  3-machine wasn't a completed program but fitted my work schedule.  Research showed balancing these muscle groups minimizes chances of some injuries.

Casey's training went less well.  He changed to 25k race.

_Practice Run (6/15 Friday)

Petzl rep Martha encouraged  us to demo new products.  She offered me the  200-lumen headlamp that lit up raccoon eyes from unreal distance.  Other runners didn't appreciated it when I turn my head to answer the rhetorical questions.  It was hard to stay focused; the brain was deformed under the weight of the batteries. 

The 15k practice was a life saver.  Lighting, terrain, and pace became clear. 

_Race day

I woke up at 7am and felt lost.  All I had to do in next 12 hours were eating, resting, packing, and showing up.  I put Netflix subscription to good use: "Top Gear," "South Park," "Airplane II."  I tested manga apps on Android tablet to view graphic novels from Jiayu.  I shopped for pool sweep on ebay.  The house continues to be a money pit.

I felt overly rested and unequipped to run 50k.  The final training run--1 mile @ 7:00 pace--3 days prior was a distant memory.

_Nutrition

Caffeine:  Pre-race I usually took 200 mg pill + coffee, starting at wake up time.  This allegedly improved 2% time trial cycling in double-blind studies.  I doubled the dosage due to carelessness for 50k. 

Liquid:  I expected temperature to start in low 90 F then drop.  I decided not to carry a water bottle.  The organizer promised 2 water stops every 5k loop.  I hated carrying bottles.  We got lucky with air temperature; I never got close to be in trouble.

Calories:  Organizer was firm about its wishy-washy-ness on gel policy: "... limited number of gels.... You never know."  I decided carbo-loading would get me through at slow pace.  I arbitrarily decided 4 hours were sufficient between pho and start.

_Race

I started 10 minutes late for the 10-lap run jitterly.  I experienced caffeine overdose on a cool summer night on unfamiliar surface.  The 80-lumen headlamp shined on dust particles before I inhaled them.  Casey and I held 9:30 pace for 3 laps.  The number of participants and food trucks created festive atmosphere.  We slowed at inclines and walked water stations.  I wasn't used to the surface and could sense my changed gait; I worried about plantar.

_Issues

I had no rhythm on crushed limestone, concrete, grass, and asphalt.  I worried about footing throughout the night.  My heart skipped a bit every time I step on/into a crack/hole.  The right hamstring started cramp before 2nd lap.  I ignored it. 

Somewhere between caffeine and dinner, my gut chose to dump its content.  Casey waited for me.  I was proud of my efficiency going though the short delay.

My time tested race shorts were 2 spandex pairs.  This night I experimented with Zoot compression shorts wrapping high-dollar Under Armour underwear.  The combination could've worked if better lubricated.

Casey exhibited pacing issue at lap 5.  His PR half pace was in the mid 7:00's.  It's unpredictable how running speed are affected by environment.  Casey toughed it out and managed each lap in sub-10:00 pace.

_Second Half

I regrouped during the first solo lap: long pee break, futile shorts rearrangement, and unfruitful Vaseline search.  I swallowed the mid-race nutrition: SportLegs, Endurolyte, and Gu. 

My cardio heart rate hovered around 70% max but both quads cramps.  Maybe I should've practiced on non-paved surface.  I was concerned the legs would lock up while the bonk line felt forever away.

Holding pace became difficult during lap 7.  It was more mental than physical.  I couldn't find anyone to run with.  I got passed by shirtless non-Kenyan guys.  I promised myself food trucks after 3 more laps.  I wanted quit.  Casey cheered me on from a folding chair.

Runners were no longer ubiquitous after 25k runners departed the course.  I was concerned I'd run off the course.  The visual cortex had difficulties processing shadow created by my headlamp.  I kept pushing the nonexistent glasses up my nose.  I turned the lamp off whenever I could.

Life's problems felt distant--house, cancers, work....  Reality was to finish next lap without crashing.  I desired stopping yet wished the night wouldn't end.

I finally found partners during the final lap.  Pacers made a huge difference.  I wondered how many more laps I could've run.

_Post race

The anticipated food trucks left.  The advertised party peaked for the 25k'ers.

Casey took care of transportation between his house and the race.  This simplifies my logistics.

We postponed the celebratory breakfast.  We wanted to finished the chores, clean up, and get some sleep.

I didn't anticipate the joy during the short drive home.  I got away with another new experience.  The feet barely hurt.  I earned the shower and comfort food.  The beautiful sky smiled at me. 

I came home to find newly installed siding on ground.  I longed for simpler life.

Quads and hamstrings were stiff.  The core was inflexible.  I visited chiropractor Monday.  My calves were unexpectedly symmetrical.

I would take next 4 weeks easy: Skate Boston 2012, Veloway climb, and Nicole promised beautiful trail run. 

upcoming events:

8/25 Hotter n Hell.  102-mile bike.  "C" event.

10/7 A2A 38-mile skate.  "B" race.

12/9 White Rock Half Marathon.  "A" race.

_#

GPS/official distance: 31.10/31.07 miles

GPS/official pace: 10:03/10:04

avg/max HR: 143/169

parcipants:50k: 142; 25k: 307

splits/lap pace:

     5K       9:20/M

   10K       9:28/M

   15K       9:37/M

   20K       9:32/M

   25K       9:59/M

   30K      10:50/M

   35K      10:37/M

   40K      10:38/M

   45K      10:33/M

   50K       9:59/M

Bath House Duathlon, White Rock 5/20/2012

2 + 9.5 + 2 miles

$75 is expensive for the distance: $60 reg + $12 lic + fee
but this one fits my schedule.

_start
I looked at the small field and decided to start up front--it took little effort to hold 6:00 pace for 200 meters.  I asked big-bicep to my left how fast he would run.  "Slow."  Next thing I knew he and a shirtless kid led the race.  I hovered around 5th place.  Tracking placement was easy at such small race.

_T1
Everything went as planned except I forgot to hit Garmin's button.  I felt top-5 was mine to lose despite my weak bike.

_crash
I remembered to leave the bike shoes clipped and unstrapped but unclipped the left shoe in effort to wiggle the foot in.  I decided to take it safe and came to a complete stop but forgot to unclip right shoe and crashed at 0 mph.  The chain came off.

I lost 110 seconds while competition flew by.  My multi-sport bike crash rate was now 50%.  Sigh....

I was racing against athletes with uneven strength.  We pass each other at the few hills around the lake.  The lap around the lake made it easy to spot each other.  I was confident in reeling in more runners at the final leg.

_T2
Barefoot hurt running on rough surface.  I had 2nd thought about my decision to park near transition exit--parking near entrance would involve higher downhill difficulties.

_2 miles to go
Running out of transition was easier than expected.  Maybe I didn't bike hard enough.

I passed a few runners before counting the leaders at the out-and-back run.  15-year-old Zach had the race in the bag.  30 seconds behind him was a 30-year-old making no progress.

I thought about Seth's sub-6:00 running pace again.  I was inspired watching him at Frost Fanny.  There's no reason I couldn't run like that.

Biff got his cowbell out telling me I was doing OK.  This time he wasn't lying.  Biff could've done well at this race, but family obligations came first.

I timed the final pass before 1-mile mark such that Jamie Pennington had to take an extra step at the turnaround.  I thought I got him for good.  Then he sneakily re-took the lead.  It was maddening that I couldn't close the gap.  Jamie had eyes on his back and responded to my surges.  He eventually beat me by 2 seconds @ 11th over all.

Post-race was poorly run: award took a long time, the advertised recovery fruits were missing, splits will probably never be available, email communication was frustrating--David Hartwig felt like one of those MIT bots who pretend to be human.

result:
Goal:  < 1 hr.  7:00 pace run + 20 mph bike + transition.
Actual: 58:16

Per Garmin 305, the final mile was in low 6:00's.  I want be in the low 5's.

fantasy speed:
   400m: 56 seconds (Duane's best)
   5k: 19 min (20-minute seemed too realistic)
   marathon: 3 hr (Lance Armstrong first marathon)

Katy 5k Thursday 5/10/2012

I trained through this annual race.  The only change to weekly routine was replacing Tuesday Yasso 800 with 1 mile tempo.

I arrived Reverchon Park 2.5 hrs before the start and went apartment shopping.  The high-rises on Turtle Creek were a different world than West Plano suburb: concierge, porter, valet, dog walkers.  I fantasized high-cost but low-maintenance living.  This is opposite of what I worked toward.

I warmed up and stretched in the rec center.  Everything below the neck felt flexible--a good spine days.  Pain-freeness is wonderful and addictive.

I missed the staging that started at 6:30 pace.  I climbed over the barrier and position myself next to a nurse from England shooting for 20:00 finish.  I set my GPS pacer for 20:33.  Close enough.  33 seconds seemed trivial to overcome; yet 10-second-per-mile felt unbridgeable.  Weird.

First mile went as planned.  I gained then bled just enough distance at end of the climb near halfway--amazing considering my limited experience with 5K.

Final mile was a struggle.  I was afraid to hammer.  I finally picked up the pace when 3-mile mark came in sight.  I had too much left at the end.  I recalled being more of a real man when paceline skating was a semi-weekly ritual.

I missed Timo while yapping with the nurse I failed to chase down.  Timo finished couple minutes behind me.  We missed each other.

Luke's Locker held a Nike Free 3 demo.  Nike lasts still didn't like my wide feet.  It reminded me of Micah True (Caballo Blanco)'s autopsy.  I wondered if I had cardiomyopathy.

It was ChihYang's birthday.  I thought about how his diabetes influenced both of our athletic lives.  I thought about Candy's big race in 3 days.  She was living out my dream.

Weather was great.  The buffet was great.  I had 3 goat cheese soft tacos.

#'s
morning weight: 141 lb.
result: 20:28 @ 6:34 pace.  PR
shoes: Green Silence

Texas Road Rash 04/22/2012

 I didn't skate pace line in 2012. I was anxious to see how the body would handle skating with only cross training.

_friends
Half the Texas Flyers are missing: Mike and Brenda stayed in Waco, Timo and Casey stayed home with their South Asian SO’s, Jerry didn’t make it.

Renee introduced her friend Jeff who had a big camera lens. 

I finally met Christine and car-racing husband. Mike from Wisconsin joined us for pasta dinner.

Tom got off the Myerson gig unexpected early and made it to hotel by 10pm; this was an imrpovement over sleeping couple hours in car before the race.

 Ryan McGee showed up with his Justin Bieber hair cut.

I realized I left my Garmin on top of the car as the pros took off. Sigh....

 _wave start
Without the pros, I got in the lead pack with little effort. My glut started to hurt couple minutes into the race, I waited for the next pack.

Wisconsin Mike accelerated. He seemed unclear 90% of the race was ahead. I shouted some advice but let him go--after meeting Lawrence Pelo, I no longer thought pack speed was always higher than solo.

Full distance chase pack skated half-heartedly. Half marathons lead pack passed us. Half the full-distance jumped pack. I sat at the back behind Renee, having no incentive to push the pace. I felt great. I love this sport.

We swallowed Mike and a few pro skaters before half marathoners' finish.

Steven, Jeff and I took our time. We just had to keep the gap behind us.

1.5 laps to go. Pros lapped us. Steven wanted to skate with the pro. I was skeptical but attached behind Simmons' Alex as pros dilly-dollied anticipating the final surge. I considered the best case scenario: we hanged on the lead pack for couple miles. The big guns would jump to a speed beyond my capability with 1.2 laps to go, legs fried. I let pros go.

3 of us reformed our pack, continuing lacking motivation to go faster. I could sense our chasers approaching. Maybe they'd catch us and force a sprint finish. That'd be fun. We picked up Doug and a few others with half lap to go. Steven pulled for the final section, unconcerned about the finish <= different age groups. 

_pros
Mantia no show.

Bont dominated with Justin Stelly, Harry Vogel, and Briana Kramer.

Rob and Alex made some tactical error and were out sprinted at finish. Ryan Chrisler won mater.

_post race
Eva led me for 5-mile trail run @ 9:09 pace. I ran another 5k chasing rec skaters.

 I was relieved to see a road rash-free Candy. She had 1 more hard week before the big race.

I was shocked with lack of outside edge in the photo (Thanks, Allen). This partly explains my blister issue in Mojos.

_lazy half day
Austin bike shops were less intimidating than RBM and Plano Cycling. I sipped cappuccino and shopped Nixon watches at Mellow Johnny’s. A clerk had a hard time calculating cost of my swapping tri bike frame. It’s tempting to upgrade the tri-bike frame, but it’s hard to give up the overly flexible but pretty Lucero. Sometimes vanity worked toward my financial advantage. Austin tri-Cyclist sold me the sample Zoot Ultra Race < 50% MSRP. It pays to have the standard foot size.

I was impressed and annoyed by Salt Lick's 1-hour wait at 6pm.  Ray, Jenny, and I ate the take out at restaurant's playground picnic table watching Asher playing with older kids. I wished I could derive that much joy out of swinging a twig.

My body let me know which parts were out of shape. The quads never got comfortable after the race. The glutes were on fire during the 3-hr drive north.

Good Friday Long Run 04/06/2012 55 miles, 1q84, sub 7:00 pace

_Goal Jack shared his 100k experience. The running legs lasted 90k--almost done--but walking 10k took a long time. I ran a double marathon in 2011. 100k was a logical next step. If 2012 was anything like previous year, the last 10k would be mostly walking followed by a dinner with insufficient calorie followed by poor sleep. I reviewed 2011 mistakes:  Injury at mile 15.  Insufficient fluid and calorie throughout the day.  Unrealistic first 20-mile pace. Not wanting to make the run a dreaded annual event, I changed my approach when I watched Dara Torres ingesting recovery drink during workouts.  Start after sufficient sleep.  Moving speed slower than 11:00 pace for first 30 miles.  Finish within 24 hrs. Long breaks allowed.  Minimum 52.4 miles.  Last mile no slower than first mile. _7:15am I left the house after the sun came out. I was in no rush. I carried 400 calories of gel and beans. I came back to the house at least every 13 miles. _accident Kicking a concrete block was the highlight of 2011 long run. I thought the toe broke. This year I chose only well maintained streets. At mile 12.76, I stepped into a gutter and rolled the right ankle. I was looking at the GPS and didn't see the curved gutter around the fancy gazebo among the million-dollar townhomes. It reminds me of Candy's injuries. You can't focus on safety every second. The ankle didn't swell. Pain disappeared 72 hours later. _rest stops I stopped by RBM to check out Cervelo P4 and fortunately had no desire to upgrade. I went to Home Depot and haggled over LED light bulbs (yes, prices at clearance table are negotiable). I napped for 2 hour after 3-candybar lunch. I cooked instant noodle with egg at 5:30pm. I visited Pure Newtrition; charming but insufficiently educated Destiny tried to sell me her nutrition knowledge. Other fuels included gels, beans, and Blue Bell ice cream. I experiment with different shoes. Streak and Green Silence functioned as expected. Nimbus felt great at 10:00 pace--no wonder it outsold its efficient competitors. _mileage It was 11pm when I consolidated data from 3 Garmin Forerunner 305's. I still needed 6 miles to reach 100k. Last 8 miles was around 11:00 pace; feet hurt, but rest of the body felt great, cardio was under-taxed. I considered my Saturday schedule and late bedtime's implication on recovery. 100k was just a number. I quit at 55 miles. _1q84 I avoided thinking about my worries for the day: medical news from Asia unfinished lighting project at home ADA-compliant tax forms. This was the first weekend I didn't work or travel since Christmas. I would immerse in Murakami's 3-book novel at regular playing speed. I always found familiar elements in his stories. In _1q84_, the male protagonist was a sham math prodigy who practiced judo. Tengo communicates poorly with his father and move out of parents' house during early teens. He abandoned an academic career. He's a devoted novelist but all his effort only made him a superior technician. He made a living using a trivial skill acquired in school. It was a bit eerie. I fantasized movie version of the novel: Lynch directing Tengo and the teen writer; Tarantino directing assassin Aomame. I missed Robert Altman. _Boston qualifying time I read the details on the standard and realized the bar was raised by 6 minutes, not 5. The extra 60 seconds killed my desire to qualify this year. I considered qualifying on a faster course. The travel overhead made the experience feel artificial. I missed riding 35-mile RBM route with "A" group, which conflicts with optimizing training for December marathon. My half marathon experiences were mostly positive: the training allowed other sports; I always had fun. Goals: • sub 21-min Katy 5k • Yasso 800 x10 at 3:05 pace • half marathon at sub 7:00 pace • road cycling back to 2010 level • enough form for A2A 38-mile

Rock n Roll Half, Dallas 3/25/2012

I hadn't had a good running race in a year and felt the need to redeem myself after White Rock 2011, but I chose to make Rock n Roll a "B" event. Can't optimize every race.

_training
Runner World's Smart Coach 9-week.
Target: 1:34:49
The sessions felt easy. I feared Sunday 13-mile long runs less than 20-mile trainings for marathon.
I did minimum cross training this time of the year.

7:19 pace was my PR for 10k. 7:14 for half seemed unrealistic, but I felt that way about every race goal. Half the time I get away with unexpected performance. Looking back, I have fond memories of my meltdowns.

_plan
Hold 7:14 GPS pace for 7 miles.
Go fast within aerobic the final 10k, which hopefully is no slower than 7:14.
Go nuts after mile 12.
305 loses approx 1 meter per mile per experience=> electronic pacer would finish just over 95 minutes.

_race day
Woke up slightly under 141 lb; first reaction was to buy a more precise scale. I was such a geek. Maintaining 141 had been easy, as opposed the constant hunger associated with race weight of 137. Running at sub 7:30 pace was harder with the extra 4 lb.

Rock n Roll continues to be one of the best operations, contrasting the chaos at White Rock marathons. I found a quiet parking lot to warm up. The only other racer there was a little guy wearing bib #1.

I had a good start. I could see the pacing truck and couple hundred runners in front. Air was at high 50's and rising. No official pacer for sub 100-minute this year. My goal was to run 10k at super-PR pace, back to back. I could use a human pacer.

A Vibram runner passed me around mile 1 at 7:10 pace. He did not sound efficient.

I ran according to plan for 6 miles and was itchy to go faster. I felt great other than a hint of side stitch. After relay station, a small runner materialized, Kenyan-like. We were travelling at the same speed with same cadence; one of us seemed labored. I decided to run at his pace, which approached 7:00. We dropped runners going up the final 2 hills. I imagined he'd accelerate to 6:30 pace and became the fastest thing in sight. I fantasized leading bunch east African runners in a race, Ryan Hall-like.

I came to realize achieving Kenyan efficiency requires my losing a lot of weight.


My pacer refueled at mile-9 water station. I followed suit. Bad idea. Side stitch set in. I barely hung on to 7:30 pace for next 5k. I regained 7:14 pace at mile 12 and was 250' behind the virtual pacer. I went anaerobic the final 1000 meters and caught the electronic pacer.

_#'s
5k 22:28
10k 45:03
7 mi 51:20
10mi 1:12:23

Pace 7:15
Time 01:35:00

Overall: 241 out of 11312
Division: 39 out of 752
Gender: 211 out of 4258

_post race
Sammy Kiplagat and Samuel Kosgei got the top 2 spots. They both turned U. S. residents.

I thought I heard Ann Wessling but never located the announcer.
I saw Bob Babbitt but didn't get a chance to say hi.

_obsession
I still think about Boston qualifying time.
Half-equivalents of 3:15:59 marathon are
1:34:53 (vdot)
1:32:56 (McMillan)

Jack told me to forget Boston to let foot injury heal.
Others told me the foot will never heal completely; make the best of remaining years.

Frost Yer Fanny Du. 2/19/2012

2.1 mile run + 15 mile bike + 2.1 mile run

Biff mentioned this race on Facebook. My reaction was to skip it—I disliked what the name implied. I was also nagged by the not-ready feeling. In last 15 months I had fewer bike than run miles.

I thought about the 2004 pre surgery promise—I wouldn’t waste the chance to enjoy physical activities. It could be a fun experience. It would be an informative data point for my fitness.

_Preparation
I took the bike out twice for combined 15 miles within 20 days of racing. I sucked. I thought about skating the bike portion.
I lubed the chain.
I ran a few times in the lace-less shoes.
I unboxed the aero helmet that I was too lazy to sell on ebay.

_Goal for a “D” event
1. No injury
2. < 30 min run => sub 7:30 pace
3. 20+ mph bike, assuming dry road and mild wind
4. No preparation mistakes (e.g., forgetting shoes or helmet).
5. Transitions within 1 minute of fastest racer. 10+ min transition was no longer funny after Ironman.
6. No digging—I’m training for a half marathon.

_Gear
QR Lucero with Xentis front and Zipp ZedTech 8 rear. Tubular tires.
Single strap tri bike shoes.
Zoot Ultra Speed laceless shoes.
No socks.
Tri top.
Nike combat pro shorts + knee-length running shorts.
Zoot calf sleeves.
Garmin 305. No HR.

_Race
The day started out cold and miserable. The course was mostly wet from Saturday rain. Forecast said 0% chance of rain.

I paced by perceived effort and was surprised when first 400 meters was done in 6:30 pace. I was worthless without external pacers. I was no longer cold. I finished the 2 laps on motor race track and felt great—either the course was short or I was in better shape than I thought.

Having decent run and T1 implied I get passed left and right by real triathletes. I had fond recollection of complete the swim with 70-year-olds and seeing mostly empty T1.

I biked scared on the wet pavement. I had problem putting my feet into the shoes. Simple task like consuming gel felt out of control. Water bottle cage wasn’t where I expected. I changed the bike goal—stay upright.

I didn’t get in rhythm ‘til final lap. I held back so I wouldn’t spend first mile out of T2 walking.

I willed legs to run out of T2. It worked!
I used a bright green shirt girl as pacer and passed multiple disc-wheel guys.

I was in great mood celebrating surviving the bike ride. Looking back at my 3 triathlons, I focused on surviving the swim and didn’t respect the bike. Maybe I deserved to have 67% crash rate.

The left Zipp calf sleeves slipped. I stopped to fix. This pissed me to no end.

I took little effort to accelerate toward the finish to stop the clock before 80 minutes. What’s with this whole-number obsession!?

Biff didn’t have the ideal preparation but managed a good result of 1:22:30. Our transitions didn’t suck!
Seth continued to impress with 1:07:46. He finished 24th overall and got to bring hardware home.

_Mistakes piled up
I didn’t learn about the wave start; I had to ask the announcer at last minutes => I started at the line. Having the same gun and chip time didn’t hurt me, but several fast guys and 1 girl had to run around me. Sorry.

I didn’t practice fitting bike into the car. It no longer went into the trunk the same way after Biff shortened the front derailleur cable last July. Fortunately I found an angle to wiggle it in. I could overkill this problem by buying a new car with bigger hole between trunk and back seat.

I forgot to stop GPS timer entering T1 => I had no electronic pacer for run 2.

I forgot to turn on iBike exiting T1 => no accurate knowledge of distance and speed. Maybe I should forget about power meter and just get a simple computer.

I forgot to un-strap bike shoes in transition area. I chose not to stop while fixing the issue. A few racers let me know how they felt about by my wobbling form on the narrow course. In retrospect, that was really stupid not to stop given this was “D” race.

I didn’t preview the road entering T2 => moving too conservatively + prematurely taking feet out of shoes.

I misjudged the tank and ran too conservatively without electronic pacer out of T2.

_time’s
Total: 1:19:58
Run 1: 13:49 (6:55/M)
T1: 0:50
Bike: 49:57 (19.2 mph)
T2: 1:00
Run 2: 14:20 (7:10/M)

• 269 Men - 01:23:00 average time
• 116 Women - 01:33:00 average time
• 385 Total

_ranking
Run 1: 151
Bike: 166
Run 2: 127
Total: 149 / 385