The TriathleteNut

Or… Why, Papa… why?

Some of you may think an extra 150 meters isn’t that far. Well, that’s the extra distance I have to do in Venice Beach on September 10th for my “A” race of the year – The 2006 Kaiser Permanante Los Angeles Triathlon.

Coming off a VERY challenging and fear based swim at the Imperial Beach Triathlon on August 27, gave me only two weeks to focus on a longer swim at Venice Beach. Am I scared? Hell no. I’M PETRIFIED!!! That swim was only… ONLY… 500 meters.

How much longer is the LA Triathlon swim? 150 meters. It’s 650 total meters or almost half a mile swim. It probably will be more than half a mile as I’ll be to the outside of the mass start. There are over 1,000 competitors for this race. Will I be kicked? Probably. Will someone swim into me? Most likely. Will I survive? I better! And to add injury to injury, its the longest swim in a race that I’ve ever done! 150 meters MORE than the IB Triathlon swim. Scary, scary, shit!!!

Follow this with a 24 mile bike ride which is 14 miles longer than any other Triathlon Bike Ride I’ve done. End this with a 5K run which starts up a Hill called “Hill” street. I have my work cut out for me in just ten days time.

But I’m not concerned so much about surviving the extra mileage on the bike. Nor am I concerned about the pain in my legs as I fight through the run to the finish where my family will be cheering me on. I’m concerned about the swim. The dreaded swim.

This is what I’ve been training for since that day in November when Stephen, my 24hr fitness trainer asked, “Do you think you can ride a bike for 30 minutes?” Uh – yeah, I just need a bike. “Do you think you can run 3 miles?” I could probably do that tomorrow but it’d take me a while. “Do you think you can swim for 20 minutes?” Uh… I think so? And as he said a month later as I struggled with a 90 pound bench press… “You go through the pain now, so you don’t have to later.” Thanks, Stephen. You made more sense than you know.

I ran a 5K in December to prove that I could do three miles. I bought a bike and rode two laps around the Rose Bowl (6.2 miles) in 35 minutes. And I got into the pool. I had to relearn how to swim. I had to commit to swimming in the ocean. This is where all the doubts came to play. And the doubts still come into play and its eight… nine months later.

Lets put this in perspective.

In January my training totals were:
Swim: 1:43:46; 2,900 meters; 0:03:55 per 100 meters.
Bike: 2:21:33; 30.3 miles; 12.84 average mph
Run: 3:15:43; 17.2 miles; 0:11:22 per mile average

Here’s August so far:
Swim: 3:46:31; 6,200 meters; 0:03:39 per 100 meters.
Bike: 3:08:32; 53.6 miles; 17.06 average mph
Run: 8:48:20; 54.7 miles; 0:09:39 per mile average

Decent improvement in Bike going from 12.84 mph ave to 17.06 mph ave at the same distance. HUGE improvement in run going 17.2 miles a month to 54.7 miles a month with 6.2 miles more to go on August 31 with nearly decreasing a full minute in an average mile pace.

But swimming…

Two hours more this month, 300 more meters in distance and only a 16 second improvement at a 100 meters.

UH… I’m kinda not where I should be.

So why the HELL am I going to do this? Why did I do the swim last Sunday? The LA Tri will be THE LONGEST swim to-date. It will be THE TOUGHEST race to-date. It will be THE SCARIEST, MOST CHALLENGING THING I’LL CHOOSE TO DO to-date.

So why? This is way too far for me. This is WAY too challenging for me.

Jake told me he didn’t want me to do ‘this’ anymore [swim in the ocean]. I asked him why. He replied, “Because it’s scary.” And I told him that I have to. He asked again, ‘why’, as any kid would. I replied, “Because if I keep doing it it’ll get easier and easier and if it gets easier and easier then I won’t be as scared the next time and the next time.”

That is what I said. That is not how I felt. I still feel scared. I still feel unsure. I still feel like I might not make it through. And I asked myself the same question… “WHY?”

That’s when I came across this quote yesterday.

“Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go.” - T.S. Elliot

Hmmm… I thought the 100 yard pool swim at my first Triathlon was challenging. I thought it was too far for only two months training. I questioned, “WHY?”.

On my next triathlon I did a 400 meter pool swim. The pool was deeper than the gym pool and the lanes were longer (50 meters). It freaked me out. I made it through. And knew I could do it again the next day and the next… this was in the pool. I wasn’t scared.

Then I jumped into the Lake at another Tri for a 400 yard swim. No waves. No riptide. No current. I suffered like I never suffered before. 400 yards PROVED to be too far. But if I had quit the swim I think I may have quit the sport. I barely made it and I questioned, “WHY?”

And here comes Imperial Beach. I was on the verge of backing out before even starting. I was already in the water before the race started and I was ready to just go home and sleep. I remember 100 meters into it thinking about religion and God. You’re at your absolute weakest when you do this - that’s what I believe. Which means, only 1/5 the way through the swim I was at my absolute weakest point and I still had 400 meters to go. I made it. And JACOB questioned, “WHY?”

James asked my sister why I had to always do these ‘extreme’ things.

Why?

Because I said I was going to do it. Because I want to do something not many people have done. Because this is a life-changing thing: a commitment, a goal.

Because I said it 9 months ago back on Dec 15, 2005 – “Ironman in 2007” -

2007… not realistic. But still a goal to…

BECOME AN IRONMAN!

I WILL SWIM 2.4 MILES, BIKE 112 MILES, AND RUN 26.2 MILES and say… I AM AN IRONMAN - ‘all in a day’s work!’

And I will get the M-DOT tattoo on my calf as the first tattoo I’ll ever get. It will symbolize EVERYTHING: the pain, the hardships, the suffering, the low points, the high points, the accomplishments and the question… “WHY?”

So on September 10th, 2006, another step will be made to get that tattoo. Another milestone in my life that I accomplished because I said I would accomplish it. Another answer to the question “Why?” and the next one will be further, maybe scarier but again…

“Because if I keep doing it it’ll get easier and easier and if it gets easier and easier then I won’t be as scared the next time and the next time.” - Father to son.

VENICE BEACH… BRING IT ON!

KONA, HAWAII… here I come… Someday… somehow.

“Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go.” - T.S. Elliot

After this… too far may not be far enough.

JACOB – You are my inspiration.
BELLA – You are my love.
JESSICA - You are my motivation.
DONNA – You are my life.

The official results can be found here: Imperial Beach Triathlon Results 2006

The bike time absorbed both transition times. There was a run from start line to the water and a long run from the water to the transition mat and then another run a block away to the transition area. So the swim time is not the actual time I spent swimming.

From my Garmin, here’s how the Transition Times break down and how I calculated the bike segment. The Swim and Run times are straight from the official results.

Swim (500 meters): 0:20:56 = 4:11 per 100 meter
T1: 0:04:19
Bike (9.56 miles): 0:31:09 = 3:16 per mile / 18.41 mph ave speed
T2: 0:01:50
Run (3.3 miles): 0:30:48 = 9:20 per mile / 6.43 mph ave speed

Final Time: 1:29:02

Here are a few pictures of the weekend taken my cousin in-law Jenny!

The awesome young married couple: James & Jenny T… Thanks for letting us stay in your home! More cookies please!

Guys - she IS NOT single so don’t start emailing me for her number. James lucked out with this one. Jenny can, well, she can say the same thing about James. She lucked out. (she can say it but…) J/K

Isabella trying to think up another way to torture poor little Maddie.

Maddie thinking, “Maybe if I don’t scare Jake he’ll protect me from Bella!”

Three minutes before my wave I had to give my wedding ring to Donna. You know, just in case I drowned and my body was unrecoverable. (J/K) I noticed it slipping off during my ‘practice swim’ due to the FREEZING COLD WATER and I kept having to use my thumb to push it back onto my finger. I DEFINATELY did not want to lose that.

Oh - the GREEN swim cap meant - WATCH ME I MIGHT DROWN. A few Triathletes (mainly kids and me) had these green caps on their heads!

That’s TOM my Swim Buddy on the far right with the yellow Swim Buddy cap on. He’s also an official IronMan!

I’m out there somewhere. The first bouy - 200 meters out. Doesn’t look that far from the beach, but once you are in the water you can’t even see it.

Tom heading back South to help another swimmer - next up was the above the knee amputee!

Me, overwhelmed (and tired) with emotion - heading to T1 to get onto my bike. Jake in the foreground cheering his papa on!!! I LOVE THAT PICTURE!

Me, moments after snapping into my pedals. My legs were still wobbly from the ocean swim.

The final ‘kick’ so-to-speak.

It’s hard to describe the feeling when your family cheers you on at the end of a one and a half hour race. That mixed in with other people cheering you on just for finishing really builds up the emotion. I had a lump in my throat.

Can you tell Jake was happy I didn’t drown?

Three of the four children - Maddie stayed at home.

It’s like an adopted child finding his biological parents! Well, maybe not, but kinda…

After the Imperial Beach Triathlon I “Googled”: Tom - Swim Buddy, Imperial Beach Triathlon, etc. I had no luck finding my Swim Buddy who I wanted to thank. I had written up my race report at www.beginnertriathlete.com like I normally do and had a lot to say about Tom and what a life changing event the Triathlon was and how he was a big part of it. Then somebody who raced in the Triathlon replied and mentioned that Tom was a member of the website!

It just so happens I’ve read his (Tom’s) Ironman Triathlon race reports in the past, we’ve commented on each others posts, and knew each other by our forum names (me: TriathleteNut; Tom: madcow). I looked at his website pictures and verified that this was the guy! This was my Swim Buddy! I was so happy!

Many people replied with the same sentiments to this great Triathlete and person named Tom. Some have become Swim Buddies because of him. And to top it all off, he was THE GUY who started the Swim Buddy program in San Diego two years ago!!! I chose the right guy!

I was able to send him a message and thank him over and over about what he did for me.

Tom read my race report and replied with: “Wow, I am still in shock. I had the pleasure of Swim Buddying another BTer (TriathleteNut, Glenn) this weekend and didn’t even know he was a BTer. I still can’t believe all the cool things he had to say in his Race report and the PM’s. Made my day/ Season”

(BTter = www.BeginnerTriathlete.com member)

He just so happened to help out TWO OTHER Triathletes that day. ONE was an above the knee amputee! WOW!

Here’s what he wrote about his Swim Buddying for Sunday:

madcow wrote:
“2 loops of the Imperial Beach triathlon course. Swim Buddying, of course. The waves weren’t too bad the first time I went out, but they were HUGE for the last wave. I went out with a guy who was an above the knee amputee. He was a strong swimmer but needed help getting his crutches to his wife. He wanted me to go with him past the breakers, then swim in his crutches to his wife, then swim with him along the course. It took us at least 5 minutes to get past the break because we kept getting killed by the huge waves. We couldn’t jump over them or dive under them so we would stand there and I would put my hand on his back and brace ourselves as we got swamped. Finally another swim buddy showed up and we got past the break, then I swam in his crutches, but couldn’t catch up to them. I cut the course to catch them but I noticed another swimmer behind them so I hung out until she caught me. She said “Are you Tom?”. I said “yep” “Oh, thank God, I was hoping someone else would be on the course”. She was a good swimmer but was tired from trying to get past the break. After that we were fine until we were heading back. She was scared of the waves getting us from behind. I swam in front of her and would look behind us and tell her when there was a swell coming. We finally made it to the break and she wouldn’t go any further. She kept saying “the lifegaurds think I’m lame” I had to keep telling her she wasn’t the only that was worried about the break. I told her the waves were breaking in only 3 feet of water. We could stand and dive back under them. That seemed to help. We got to the break and luckily made it with only a small wave crashing on us.

All in all, another good swim buddy day.”

The guy is a hero!

Here is are some other responses written in response to my race report (posted here) and on the www.BeginnerTriathlete.com website:

CVSurf wrote:
Great report. I went out about 2-3 waves after you. The water temp had dropped alot since Friday. Way to fight through you fears. It only gets better after this. BTW the swim buddy is aka Madcow on BT. I hope to see you at the LA Tri, it should be fun. Also if you want to do a fun race which does not have any waves, try the Jamba Juice Mission Bay Sprint. Its a huge event but it is in Mission Bay which is smooth as glass. Plus its a swim start which means no running into the water.”

Good luck at your next race….triathlete.

Here’s some responses to another post I wrote (here) and on the www.BeginnerTriathlete.com forums:

possum wrote:
I love that story! I love Tom! Now I love you! What the world needs now, is love, sweet love…

Congrats on harnessing that demon and becoming a TRIATHLETE, woo woo!

mcbill98 wrote:
Wow! What an awesome post! Congrats on conquering the OWS and completing your race! And Tom (madcow) you rock, man!!

Larry

Renee wrote:
Tom is da bomb - Boom! An explosion of kindness that radiates across the country and inspires others.

LukeTX04 wrote:
Congrats on powering through! I had my first tri Sunday as well as my first OWS and it was tough! I got way off course and got discouraged but when I got close to the the end my wife was on the side of lake yelling for me and I could hear her and that helped! I know what a help Tom must have been to you! Congratulations again and take my advise, look up every now and then to make sure you are not swimming away from the pack!

And some replies to what Tom wrote (see above) in his race log:

DB8 wrote:
That’s so awesome that you swim buddy… You really make triathlon possible to a lot of guys who wouldn’t make it past the swim…. awesome! Major madprops to you today!

BikeB wrote:
Nice job this weekend (to Tom). It’s a very small world indeed. Those were amazingly nice words and to think he (Glenn) never thought you would even get to read them.

Cool huh?

*BTer = www.BeginnerTriathlete.com member
*OWS = Open Water Swim
*madcow = Tom

I have really been questioning my commitment to Triathlon lately. I had one scheduled on Sept 10 and I’ve been back and forth on should I or shouldn’t I do it. I’ve actually stayed away from the BT forums because I was so nervous about it - it was like: out of sight (forums) out of mind (Triathlon). (The commitment question is due to FEAR and not lack of interest!)

Normally I’ll sign up for a Tri which means I’m committed to it. A ‘no turning back’ attitude. I was contemplating the Imperial Beach Tri on Sunday but DID NOT sign up for it.

I tested the waters the day before and thought… I could possibly do this thing so I signed up.

Well… the day of, in the water for a little dip, I panicked. I questioned it all over again. I’ll stick to running and biking… Duathlons are a safer option. I don’t even care about getting a refund. I’ll suck up and accept the embarrassment from family and friends and just come out and say it - I’m too scared.

That’s when the Race Official announced a Swim Buddy option.

I didn’t know who he was, I didn’t know he was a BTer, I didn’t even know what a Swim Buddy was but I went up to a guy named TOM and asked if he’d be my swim buddy.

It was incredible. I was a little stressed throughout the beginning part of the swim BUT once I was in the water with Tom I wasn’t scared. I heard his voice every minute I had to catch my breath. EVERYTHING was encouragement and support. “Good job”, “You’re almost there”, “Don’t worry about your legs”, “Relax”, “You’re doing great!”

How often do you hear these words while you train? Almost never (at least for me)! It got me through the whole swim. I was overwhelmed with emotion as I walked onto shore. My wife and family were overwhelmed with emotion. My wife cried when she saw me hug Tom. Yeah, sounds cheesy, but that’s a HUGE hump to get over. HUGE! It was more than a thank you.

I have enough confidence to actually look forward to the next open water swim instead of the ‘out of sight out of mind until it happens’ concept.

What a small world it is to be swimming with a fellow BTer and not know it. What a large contribution a simple concept like a Swim Buddy at a Triathlon can do for yes… a Beginner Triathlete.

The swim was so surreal – it was like a Guardian Angel was at my side the whole time. Seriously. That’s how it felt.

Thanks Tom (madcow)!!!

Imperial Beach Tri - Thank God for Swim Buddies!

SATURDAY
I tried the open water swim for the very first time on Saturday. I talked to a lifeguard prior for testing the water and they gave me some helpful tips. There was a S-N current so I made my way to the next lifeguard station south of the pier and informed her that I would be out there and to be watching me. She was very cool and encouraging.

I swam out, did some diving under the white water as told, and got past the break and did some open water swimming. I didn’t get that far out, maybe 100 meters (or less), then made my way back in to the applause of Donna, Jake, Bella, James and Jenny. What an audience!

I figured that the swim was doeable - yet scary and uncomfortable. I don’t think I would have signed up if my family weren’t there to encourage and support me. That was a huge plus. I don’t think they realize it.

SUNDAY
At 7:00 AM they closed the transition area and I rushed to the beach. I had 15 minutes before the first wave would start. I tested the waters once again.

But it WAS NOT like it was on a sunny Sunday afternoon. It was colder, it seemed rougher, and it was darker. The report is that the temp went from 63 degrees on Saturday to 58 degrees on Sunday morning.

I swear, I stood there feeling like I’ve never felt before - like a failure. I was going to quit. I couldn’t do it. I just could NOT do it.

I looked out to the first buoy. Then to the second. They were far. FAR!!! They didn’t look that far from the beach, but when I was in the water they looked miles and miles away.

I panicked and headed to the start line trying to convince myself to do this thing that I’ve been training for.

The sun started to peek in the east and I figured by the time I head out into the water, at least there would be the comfort of more light.

But the brightest light shined when…

They announced SWIM BUDDIES!

I immediately shouted, “I NEED ONE!” causing some laughter by some athletes and their support groups - my support group wasn’t there. I believe my Swim Buddy was named TOM. I was in a daze but that’s what I think he told me. I was scared. I was nervous. But at least I had a new friend, a new buddy! A Swim Buddy!

Four minutes before my Wave started my beloved family showed! And I believe this is what motivated me even more! I had a boost of self-confidence. A few moments ago I was going to tell them NOT to come. And now, they were here, and I was moments away from the dark open waters they call… THE PACIFIC OCEAN!

And at 7:30 AM my SWIM BUDDY and I walked into the cold, dark, open water of Imperial Beach.

Getting out past the waves was a struggle. I stressed, I tensed up, I tried to relax.

But Tom talked me through it. We dove under two or three waves and then he told me to swim. I managed about 20 or so strokes before gasping for air.

Every time I looked up, the buoy was getting closer! And I managed maybe 10 strokes for every break to relax and catch my breath. Every time I popped my head out of the water, TOM was encouraging me.

Tom talked to me as I took time to relax, to get on my back, to catch my breath, and finally… I made it to the first buoy.

The current helped me move toward the next buoy and we got there in what seemed no time at all. The sun was now shining in our eyes and it was really hard to see the shore. But he pointed it out to me, “See that yellow thing? That’s the finish line.” I struggled to get a look and sure enough, I saw it. The shore was visible.

The swim back to shore seemed harder. It felt like I wasn’t moving at all as I used the pier as a distance marker of some sort. The next thing I know Tom is yelling for me to swim hard - to catch a wave.

Then I heard the lifeguards and Tom yelling to look out!!! “Wave-wave-wave!!!” I looked back and saw a big one and I tried to get ahead of it and ride it in. It caught me and tossed me. I flipped, held my breath and finally broke the top of the water. Tom asked, HOW WAS THAT?!? I was like, that was scary BUT MY FEET WERE ON THE SAND!!! We walked the rest of the way. I was fatigued. I had expended A LOT more energy than I ever expected - although Tom kept reminding me to forget the legs. GET SOME LONG STROKES! KEEP YOUR ELBOWS UP AND STAY PARALLEL!!! All through the swim my SWIM BUDDY talked to me, assured me everything was okay, and kept telling me what a good job I was doing.

What a guy.

I miss him already.

All through the day I kept imagining what it would have been like without someone there next to me. I would have had a serious panic attack. I would have… I may have… quit.

I never felt that scared before. I’ve said that before – but this is different. It keeps getting worse and worse and I only expect after it gets to the absolute scariest moment, things will and only can get better. I knew that I could get out there because of Saturday practice but when that water bit into my feet, hands and face I literally stood there frozen from both fear and the cold. I kept looking at the buoy and telling myself “Come on! Just do it. Just do it!”

I decided to yes, do it no matter what, no matter if it took an hour. I also knew once I got to the first buoy the current would help.

But imagining myself out there without a swim buddy after the fact, I just don’t know how I would have made it being alone in the dark water without encouraging words.

I’m still apprehensive about LA Tri but maybe it’ll be easier. I’ll check out the beach this weekend and maybe do the ride through Hollywood, etc.

The bike leg was fun. I clocked my best average speed of 18.33 mph (I’m usually under 18!). I was more fatigued than I expected to be as I got on the bike but the ride was flat and fun!!!

I started my run a little too fast and finally settled in. I was off my pace by quite a few seconds but did reasonably well considering everything else so I was very happy.

I dragged my family up so early in the morning to watch my race. It’s so funny how ALL of them (cousin, his wife, and my wife) said “I’m so tired.” I just looked at them and replied, “You’re so tired?!?” They realized how silly they sounded!

From the starting line to the timing mat after my swim, the approximate time I clocked was 21:25.

So here are my approximate times.
Swim: 21:25
T1: 4:51
Bike: 31:09
T2: 1:06
Run: 30:31

Final Time: 1:29:02

Are there Swim Buddies at the LA TRI!?? Because if there is… “I WANT ONE!”

If TOM is out there reading this, my family and I would like to thank you!!! THANKS TOM! You’re the best!

Help! I’m drowning!

I was TOTALLY unmotivated to workout last night. I’m contemplating a Triathlon on Sunday in Imperial Beach but am fearful of the open water swim. BUT… I have a two and a half weeks before an open water swim at the LA Triathlon. So… I should be OVER that fear NOW and not in two and a half weeks.

Yes, I was going to sit at home and veg. Donna didn’t feel like working out so I decided not to. But then guilt set in. A tri in five days, the LA Tri in nineteen days, and a swim hump I need to get over.

I did 500 meters non-stop on Saturday. It felt good to do it non-stop. But I didn’t swim freestyle all the way through. I spent a lot of time on my back. The goal – make it. And I did. But the ocean is different. I’ll be expending energy fighting for space, I’ll be fighting a current, I’ll be fighting riptides possibly and I don’t know how to body surf. HELLO! Am I doomed? Am I just crazy?

Well, I tried to do 500 meters last night. I felt like I was suffocating in the water. At every wall I’d stop and gasp for air. I couldn’t relax. I couldn’t do it. I managed to swim a ton of it on my back and occasionally found a freestyle rhythm with a few meters left to the wall. I panicked, I stressed, I did EVERYTHING you’re not supposed to do while swimming. So I quit early. 500 meters with a ton of stops in 17 minutes and 07 seconds. That’s my first UGH of the night.

I don’t want to do a long run this week because of the potential tri on Sunday. So a 5K on the treadmill was my goal. It was one of the hardest 5K runs I’ve had in a while. I was at an easy pace. After a mile I felt better and decided to do 5 miles instead of a 5K. That’s two more miles than planned BUT… at mile 2.5 I almost quit. I kept looking at the distance display and sprinted to the 3.1 mile mark and called it quits. That was a tough 5K run and I nearly didn’t do it under 30 minutes. 29:14 was my time. I wasn’t going for a personal best time, I was just trying to get my legs to move for 3.1 miles and it was tougher than normal. Maybe I peaked too early.

So up the stairs I go to do some light weight training. A core workout with a fitness ball. I did the normal 150 crunches then tried to do some pullovers with a 10 lb weight and hamstring curls with the fitness ball. I did a few, not my normal sets, and I managed 5 soccer ball pushups. FIVE!!! That’s all. I normally do 2 sets of 15 at the end of a workout but this time - I did FIVE! That sucked! I called it quits and went home.

Talk about discouraging! I’m totally insecure about this triathlon and of course my LA Tri. I’m probably going to just do the Tri on Sunday, suffer through the open water swim just to see what to expect in 19 days. I’ll use it as a prep race. If I can complete this one, I can complete the other one.

If I complete this one, I’ll be alive which means I can complete the next one.

If I can’t complete this one… I’ll probably be dead.

View my Beginner Triathlete Training log from 8/16/06 thru 8/22/06.

The weather was perfect. Nice and cool, but as the sun peaked over the mountains and through the trees, I felt the heat!

There were quite a few people at the Rose Bowl working out today. More than usual it seemed.

Today I decided to do a Brick.

It seems like forever since my last Brick. And it has. Nearly a month ago, July 30, I managed a run after a 20 mile ride. This time I decided to only do 12 miles and follow it up with a solid run.

There’s not much to say about the ride except I managed a pretty good average speed of 17.93 miles per hour.

Here are the splits:

Splits:
Mile 1: 0:04:06
Mile 2: 0:03:09
Mile 3: 0:02:44
Mile 4: 0:03:56
Mile 5: 0:03:09
Mile 6: 0:02:39
Mile 7: 0:04:07
Mile 8: 0:03:26
Mile 9: 0:02:30
Mile 10: 0:04:09
Mile 11: 0:03:35
Mile 12: 0:02:37
Mile 12.39: 0:01:21

TOTAL: 41:28 (17.93 mph)

I took my time during transition: 0:3:47.

During my last lap of my ride I contemplated a trail run. I had my Brooks with me but also new I had a pair of trail shoes in the back of the Odyssey. I decided to go ahead with a trail run since it has been a LONG while since my last trail run.

Why is trail running better for you? I was struggling through rocks and uneven ground I was afraid of hurting my ankle. And sure enough, I slipped and nearly fell around mile 2. I twisted my ankle with a loud, “SH!T!” and stumbled down a little decline at the very end of the trial. Ouch man. I crossed the street and did the normal ‘run it off’ thing and the pain went away after about 50 meters or so. Not too bad.

I transferred over to the grass area where the soccer players were and stepped on an uneven patch of grass with my right ankle. OUCH! Damn! It wasn’t THAT bad but bad enough for me to get back on the road.

95% of the run was a trail run, a short stint on the grass and back on the road. I guess it just takes getting used to. It was nice to get some miles on my trail shoes though. I wish I brought my Solomon’s but maybe sometime this week I’ll do a 5K on the trail.

It took almost 1.5 miles for me to feel comfortable in my pace. I took off fast then slowed down to a comfy pace. I forgot how it was to lift your legs after a bike ride. It’s obviously not as bad as before and after 1.5 miles I settled in and really had a great run. I thought maybe, maybe I could go for a Personal Best 5K but I just couldn’t pick it up. I did manage a PB 5K for a Brick though so that’s an accomplishment and a PB in average bike speed for the Rose Bowl.

Here are my splits.

Splits:
Mile 1: 0:09:37
Mile 2: 0:09:09
Mile 3: 0:09:00
Mile 3.1: 0:00:56

TOTAL: 0:28:42 (9:15 min/mile)

I’m in the mood for some serious food. Korean BBQ maybe?

View my Beginner Triathlete Log for Aug 11 thru Aug 17

My rotation of running has grown. I retired two pairs of UK PT-03 after only approximately 72 and 105 miles on them respectively. This is quite early for shoe retirement but I think they were not giving me the kind of support I needed and ever since I switched to another pair of shoes, my ankle has not been giving me any problems. I am not sure if it was the PT-03s but I’m not about to test them out in my rotation for fear of continued foot problems.

So here’s my rotation of road and trail running shoes as of today (8/18/06) and a short review of each shoe sorted by road shoe miles ran and then trail shoe miles ran thus far:

Road Running Shoes
Saucony Grid Omni 5 (43.8 miles)
Brooks Adrenaline GTS6 (28.7 miles)
Mizuno Wave Alchemy 5 (13.3 miles)
Brooks Trance 6 (3.1 miles)

Trail Running Shoes
Saucony Grid Omni 5 TR (12.4 miles)
Salomon XA PRO 3D (2.0 miles)

Saucony Grid Omni 5 (43.8 miles)
Obviously, based on the miles, this is my shoe of choice – especially on my long runs. I’ve also owned it longer than the rest as I bought this pair to mix into the rotation of the two pairs of UK PT-03s that I was using. They offer great stability, they are comfortable all around, the cushioning is decent and they feel lighter as a trainer shoe. I wore these on my Central Park run and through most of my 10 hour walk around New York. It’s a popular shoe for runners and would work for most anyone who wants to get into a starter shoe. For those who don’t over-pronate, it might be too much stability so beware. I highly recommend this shoe for almost everyone where comfort and stability is a must. (back to top)

Brooks Adrenaline GTS6 (28.7 miles)
If I only had to own two pairs of shoes it would probably be this and the Saucony Grid Omni 5. Another go-to shoe for longer distances. Extremely stable without giving up too much comfort. It keeps my feet cooler than the Saucony’s and does the job for short distances as well. This is another popular shoe for runners and another shoe I recommend for those starting out. Make sure you can handle the stability or it may feel too stiff. I don’t know why ‘stability’ type shoes means less cushion, but these feel like they have enough cushion and yet are extremely stable. (back to top)

Mizuno Wave Alchemy 5 (13.3 miles)
I immediately took this pair out for a long run: 10K. I was 0.1 seconds off my personal best. The next day I took it out for a shorter run: 5K. I was 5 seconds off my personal best. A week later I ran 4 miles at an easy pace and I am still unsure how these shoes feel on me despite coming close to two personal bests. They feel very stiff compared to my other shoes and are made for moderate over-pronators. I’m probably a slight to moderate over-pronator. I will probably do a 4 or 5 mile run with them on my next run but may just reserve these for a 5K run and for shorter run rotations. (back to top)
EDIT: 2/22/2007 (Retired this shoe after 61 miles due to lack of comfort - shoe just didn’t feel right for me. Maybe TOO MUCH stability.)

Brooks Trance 6 (3.1 miles)
At first I thought they were as stiff as the Mizunos above. My first mile was a bit difficult to get into. I was at a normal 6.0-6.4 mph pace for me and after a mile I got into a faster pace: 7.0 mph. My goal was to hit a personal best 5K run. The shoes started to feel good. They have this new cushioning technology called ‘MoGo’ - midsole for a soft, cushy first feel that lasts, increased energy return, and incredible cushioning–without any sacrifice in stability. I’m not sure if I noticed it, but I did notice they were comfortable throughout the run (after mile 1) and eventually the stiffness disappeared. I’ve enjoyed walking in them and felt good on my run although they feel a little heavier than my other shoes. Oh, and hit a personal best 5K doing it in 26:53 (22 seconds better than former PB). Was it the shoe? Probaby not. But after my run I was quite pleased with the comfort it provided. Maybe the MoGo technology made a difference and maybe Brooks is right about their 90-day MoGo Guarantee: “If it’s not your favorite running shoe in 90 days, we’ll buy you a new pair – even a competitor’s shoe”. I’ll let you know in 90 days. (back to top)
EDIT: 2/22/2007 (Retired this shoe after 61 miles due to lack of comfort - shoe just didn’t feel right for me. Felt like I plodded around in them.)

Saucony Grid Omni 5 TR (12.4 miles)
Two Triathlons: UCLA Iron Bruin and the LA Tri Express #3 required me to run on trails. After the UCLA Tri my right ankle started having problems. I ran the LA Tri Express with a sore ankle 2 months later. Two weeks later I was scheduled to run another Triathlon – the San Bernardino Tinman which also required a trail run. Each of my Triathlon races I used the now retired PT-03 shoes. A week before the SB Tinman I purchased a pair of Saucony Grid Omni 5 TR and took them out for a trail run at the Rose Bowl; with a sore ankle. Then I used them for the SB Tinman a week later. I can say that it helped with stability as far as traction is concerned. I wasn’t slipping around as I did on the trail during the UCLA Tri and LA Tri Express. These shoes probably didn’t ‘cure’ my injury, but the combination of taking out and retiring my PT-03s from my running rotation directly after the LA Tri Express race is. These trail running shoes have great support as they are similar to the road shoes that I own, but it also provides comfort and traction that is needed for trail runs. I will always have them with me before a race if I find out the race is a trail run. The colors aren’t that appealing, but they’ll get dirty and dusty anyway right after your run. Out of the 5 Triathlon races I’ve run, two of them have been with this pair and the rest with the PT-03. For the LA Triathlon on September 10th, I will be running with the Saucony Grid Omni 5 road shoes unless my new Brooks Trance 6 works its way up to my favorite shoe category. (back to top)

Salomon XA PRO 3D (2.0 Miles)
Did I need another pair of trail running shoes? Probably not. But that’s debatable. Trail running is better for my body than road running so I was determined to do more of it. I just haven’t had the time to get to the trails as much as I like. I might do my long run on the trail this weekend and if I do, I’ll be running with these. They are extremely comfortable. They look cool. And they are built for stability which I desperately need. I’ve run 2 miles on a treadmill with them, have done quite a bit of walking with them, but I have yet to run with them on the trails. As of now I have no real review of what these shoes do for me. (back to top)

It was my determination, not the shoes. Although the shoes added comfort and stability to my run. I wore my new Brooks Trance 6 which I purchased at JackRabbit in New York. (Read my Brooks Trance 6 shoe review)

This was a Treadmill 5K run with a 1.0 incline. My treadmill runs are pretty accurate as far as effort and speed when I run at a 1.0 incline. Of course this does not take into account up hills and down hills but it’s a very good gauge of how fast I can run a 5K race.

My goal was not to do my average pace of 6.2 mph for a 5K run. I wanted to up it and really beat my personal best of 27:15 (8:47 per mile or 6.83 mph pace). I started off with a 6.0 pace to get my legs comfortable with the run and before I got to 1 mile I punched it up to a 7.0 mph pace. At the two mile mark I felt like slowing down and going comfortable but that would have defeated the purpose of a good, strong, fast run. So I didn’t falter. I prodded on and on. Finally, with a tenth or so of a mile to go I pushed the pace to 7.5 mph and was excited to see my time… 26:53 which is 22 seconds faster than my fastest 5K run!

This run nearly didn’t happen.

I was on my couch waiting for my mom to come watch the kids and I was contemplating a call to tell her I’d just stay home for the evening. Just when I was going for the phone she got to the house and that was all I needed.

I struggled to the gym… and I struggled in the pool for about 400 meters and then I turned it on! I ended my swim with 13 x 100 meter sets with 30-45 second rest in between. I did a total of 1300 meters in 43:36 then decided to do a 5K run.

I followed this with a 35 minute weight training session and consider this workout a great workout.

Funny, as part of my motivation to go workout I thought to myself – Every time I don’t feel like working out I churn out an awesome workout! And it ended up that the workout was awesome.

So if you ever feel like you’re just not in the mood or motivated to go out and run, go for broke and come back with a personal best!

View my Beginner Triathlete Log for Aug 11 thru Aug 17

I’m not struggling with a 10K run. But anything above that I’m really pushing it. So my long runs are now 7.5 miles and growing little by little. Last night I did a total of 7.6 miles and beat a personal best 10K running it in 0:58:29 along the Verdugo/Canada Blvd route. (total run time: 1:13:49 for 7.6 miles)

At 6.2 miles I checked my watch and was very excited to finally see improvement. I beat my previous best time of 1:01:52 by 0:03:23! But I didn’t stop there. I decided to get every inch out of this run that I could because I wouldn’t be running much with my upcoming trip to New York.

Around 7 miles I began to feel the pain. Not injury type pain, just the struggle to move, the fatigue and the suffering. I wanted to train my body to feel it, and get to the end without stopping. I didn’t stop till I got to my doorstep. It was an awesome run. The best run I’ve ever had. And I feel good about it.

Within two hours I was able to walk around normally, a little slow, but the aches and pains I felt right after were almost gone. It was awesome.

Here are my splits:
MILE - SPLIT
1 - 0:09:00
2 - 0:09:52
3 - 0:10:36
4 - 0:09:02
5 - 0:09:00
6 - 0:09:13
6.2 - 0:01:46 (10K mark @ 58:29 PB!!! – a 9:26/mile pace)
7.2 - 0:10:29
7.5 - 0:03:26
7.62 - 0:01:19

TOTAL: 7.62 miles in 1:13:49

Not only did I hit my PB in a 10K, I also hit it on distance. Going an extra tenth of a mile or so on my run. It’s not that big of a jump, but it’s a little more than my 7.5 mile run on July 23rd. I will plan a ten mile run when I get back from New York.

[Motion Based Data]

View my Beginner Triathlete Log for Aug 3 thru Aug 9