Back From 24/9

The racing was great. The race itself....not so much. Horrible storms bookending the event caused confusion to the end of what could have been a killer event.

Howie was great putting in a solid 4th place run. I'm still not 100% that he couldn't have gotten on the podium if the race was allowed to continue. As always Howie, you're my friggin' hero. I never have to look further for inspiration. It's an honor to work in your pit with Cindy and Kels. The partial PAMBA team did well also. It was great seeing Paddy again as well and meeting his wife Naomi. Both of whih are incredible cyclists.

Unfortunately the last storm claimed the life of my camera so there will be no pics for awhile. I'm breaking down and getting an I-Pod before a camera.

As for me, I took today off and have spent some much anticipated time with the Tiffster. I had to "educate" her so we watched Clerks so that she would have a better understanding if we so choose to see the sequel. I think she liked it.

Tomorrow I'll get a nice flat 40 min. run in out on one of my old routes around HC. My bike time has been minimal so far. That will change starting Wednesday. I'm VERY ready to get the bike back out for some solid efforts. Temps are still in the mid to upper 90's so fluids and electrolites are at a premium.

Last day of July. September 16th will be here soon.

Back to the Drawing Board

For September 16th for the Chaleston Challenge Du. This race is a traditional run-bike-run with mileage of 2.1/20/2.1. My understanding is that the bike course has 7 good hills. That said, my tempo ride course has been selected and I'll start those later this week.

Well, let me back the truck up. My results are in from last week's race and it painted a good picture of what I need to do. First off, I'm happy with my results. I finished 52nd in the overall men out of 113. I was ranked 102nd in the run and 38th on the bike. I see a huge opportunity to improve my run and a big shot at improving my bike as well.

The overall plan is this. Because my runs in the next race are shorter and will be at a faster pace, I see no reason with doing many long runs. In fact I'll be doing more 5K's between now and then and a lot of tempo and interval work.

My bike stuff will include more hill intervals and my temo rides will include more hills also. Again, no real long stuff for now. I see no real reason in doing anything over 60 miles between now and then. Lastly, my brick sessions will focus on more bike-run because it is a harder transition to make.

Last week was nice. I kicked back, ate stuff I haven't had in a bit, had some beer and got ready for the Jubilee race yesterday. I'm fresh, I'm relaxed and I'm ready to get going again. Tomight I meet with Howie so we can make our list for 24/9 next weekend. I'm his pit guy and I want him to do well. He's already qualified for the World's in his age group but this is the race he's geared up for all year. I need to stay sharp in the pit and keeping track of how the race goes. It's also huge motivation for me.

Race-Re-Cap

Well, I did it. I'm still not sure how well I did it because no results have been posted and I never checked at the end of my race. Where do I start?

I drove down to Horshoe Lake State Park on Saturday and set up my camp for the night. It was hot, but I stayed in the shade and kept hydrated. I pretty much read and stayed off my feet. The night was hot as well, but I feel like I slept well leading up to the race. This whole camping thing may have been a mistake, but I don't regret the decision right now. I was racing on a budget and $8 seemed o.k. My next one won't be on a budget.

I was up at 5:30 on race day and tore down camp. I had some cheerios and yogurt for breakfast and drove the 20 minutes to Fairview Heights. I was there to register at 6:35. After pisking up my bag I began setting up my very first transition area. I kept it simple: 1 towell; a cooler to keep my 3 bottles(2 Heed, one water) cool; my bike shoes and a headsweat in my helmet. This transition was pretty easy. My run-bike-run race will take a bit more organization and thought.



I then got ready to roll. I stayed calm and kept my warm-up to a minimu because of the heat. Race time temps were already nearing 90 deg. The run was decent enough with one big climb. It made me apreciate my runs I've been doing at Bradley Park. I finished the run smooth and calm and that's all I wanted from it, to get through and make it to the bike.

After a very smooth/fast transition I was off on the bike. I took the first 5 minutes easy, letting my legs come to me and then I started to fall into a groove. I felt like I was moving well and was passing a lot of people. Unfortunately, my computer wasn't workin so I have no info about my bike leg except that I felt good throughout. I felt really strong all the way through the 15 mile mark. I didn't bonk, but I did drop some speed. My pace stayed steady though. At about 2 miles out, I went across some tracks and it screwed with my rear der a bit, unfortunately at the base of a climb. The climb took some wind out of my sails. I got passed by a few people after the climb, but I sson fond my legs again and finished strong. I even managed to out-sprint two guys at the finish.

All in all. I had a blast. I raised my confidence. And I'm looking forward to the next one in September. I'm back at the drawing board today putting a plan together.


Pre-Race


Post-Race

Hot!!

That's my one word description of my first du. I left with a smile on my face and more confidence in what I can accomplish. My times weren't exactly what I was hoping for, but I doubt anyone's was in that heat. I'll give a more detailed update with some pics tomorrow.

Three Days Out........

I took a nice steady ride at on the RIT today. I tried to keep it easy, but steady with a HR of 145-155 or so. I'll follow it up with a rest day tomorrow and start getting all my gear washed and packed up. Saturday the plan is to take a nice short ride here in the morning before I leave, then get a short run in after I get to Fairview Heights and check out the course. I'll spend the remainder of Saturday evening just resting and trying to stay off my feet.

The temps are still looking hot so I need to hydrate, hydrate, hydrate in these last few days. My diet has been good all week and I can really feel it energy level wise. My weight is a bit lower than I would have liked, but it's not the worst, 203 lbs. seems a little light for me. Actually, I haven't been that small since high school.

I also appear to have some type of poison ivy thing or something going on that is driving me crazy. It might be drying up a little now and I expect it to not be an issue at all by Sunday. I'll give one more update right before I leave.

Last Speed Session

will be tomorrow morning. I plan on getting in a short, 20 minute session of alternating hard/easy running at one minute intervals. This should keep my legs nice and snappy, but not so much work that I'm having to "recover" from it. I just need a nice solid effort. I missed my running this morning due to the weather outside and I don't have a treadmill at the new house. I save most of my treadmill work for when I stay with Tiffany now.

I really started to feel good today as the day went on. I know that I wasn't feeling as good after my run yesterday. I attribute that to poor eating and beer over the weekend. As I got back into my regular eating habits yesterday and on into today, I really strated feeling my body responding and feeling fresh again. I just have to stick to my plan as my man Howie said.

Temps look like they will be on the warm side on Sunday with an expexted high of 93. I suppose race time temps to be in the 80's. E-caps, Elete and plenty of fluids throughout the week. I'll need to have plenty of Heed at the race with me also. The only thing I wish I had was a nice lightweight running hat to keep the sun off of me during the run. I may pick one up. On the other hand, my UA Gear skully and my Pedros Headsweat have served me well so far.

I spend my evenings running the race in my head, planning out my transition and such. I'm rambling. I'll stop now.

Almost Here

I'm growing more and more excited all the time about the Touring Cyclist Bi next weekend. I've also gained some confidence the last week so that should bode well for me. I hope to get another brick in today and a tempo run on Tuesday. After that it will be some shorter easier efforts with a few short intervals thrown in to keep my legs feeling good and fresh. Logistically, everything is set. I'll actually head down late Saturday morning and give myself a chance to drive the courses and get a short run and/or ride in. Then it will be a good dinner and off my feet. Probably watching some TV. I'd like to hit some of the local shops too.

Tiffany and I went to Moline for a WBG show Friday night. We had fun. We walked along the river and had a nice dinner before the show. The show was a bit off. The crowd just sucked and it was hard to get anything goin' energy wise. To top it off, Pete, the drummer, was sick as hell. What a stud though, he just kept going with a waste can next to the drum kit. I won't go into detail, but the "old Midz" kicked in briefly as well as I grabbed a guy by his shirt and drove him into a wall for being a dick. He ran into Tiffany one too many times and was heckling the band......Not on my watch Bitch! Nobody pisses with the Woodbox Gang while I'm around to stop it. Anyway, I was upset that Tiffany saw that side of me, but she also dug the fact that I was coming to her rescue.

I never tell enough probation stories here either, so.....Tonight while working I came across a guy stumbling in the street. As I pulled up to check on him, he turned to infor me that he had been beaten and robbed. The guy was a bloody mess. I immediately called dispatch on the radio and got an officer and an ambulance in route. I just missed the actual incident and wish I had been able to prevent it. The poor guy was walking home from his shift at Steak N Shake and got his head kicked in for ........one friggin' dollar! Don't take shit for granted!

She's A Brick............House!

Finished my first brick session today. I did a 20 inute run and a 40 minute ride. My "transition area" was the back of my Jeep, but it worked out well. I actually felt pretty good. I'll get one more in before the race. My only problem was my aero bars came a little loose and shifted on one side thowing me a little off. No worries though, that's the reason for doing brick sessions. Everything else was pretty good. I just have to make sure I'm drinking enough on the bike. Tomorrow it will be a tempo or EZ run, depending on how I feel in the morning. AS of right now, all systems are GO!

The Final Push Is On

July 16th is now less than 2 weeks away! I am getting more and more pumped avery day. The bike is tuned with some new tires, my gear list is being made and I even ...dare I say......shaved the legs today. My workouts this week will be short with some intensity and a brick session tomorrow. Everything I do from here out will have an impact on my race. My food, rest and training all has to be on point.

Saturday, Howie and I rode out to the Proctor road race to catch some of our PAMBA brothers taking a try at a road race. They all did very respectable and have nothing to be ashamed of. I think Tony is hooked and I expect to see him in some more roadie races in the future.

Did I mention how excited I am for the Touting Cyclist Bi on July 16th? I have to remember to be smart. I've done pretty much everything I can and I just have to get my legs feeling snappy again. The distances aren't a problem, I just want to be able to put them together and hold a nice pace for myself throughout. I'm not out to conquer the world, but I know I can beat down some of my own demons in the process. Hell, I already have.