Mission Accomplished

I plan to write a much longer race report....which I'll post in a few days, but here's the low down:  I had a solid day out there.  I kept to my power and heart rate numbers all day.   I had to overcome a few hurdles out there....both mechanical and physical.  I came off the bike in 10th place in my age group and ran myself into 3rd place with a 3:07 marathon (my IM PR).  I finished 21st overall and 8th overall amateur.  It's kind of funny...going into the race I figured (hoped) that my friend Tim Tapply, who I shared accomodations with, my friend/teammate Matt Pokress, and I would all be battling for age group podium spots.....and we did.  Tim finished first, I finished third and Matt finished fourth.  Not too shabby that three Boston guys took 3 of the 5 podium spots.  Not too mention, all three of us are heading to Kona in October.

Like I said, longer race report to come....

Almost Race Day

Okay, so I'm here in Lake Placid (LP), and have been since Wednesday, but I haven't really been posting because our service here is so bad.  Anyway, race day is tomorrow...and other than a bit lacking in sleep, I'm ready to go....I just hope my bike is!  Yesterday, while my friend, Pat Wheeler, was doing a quick adjustment on my bike, he realized that the derailer hanger is cracked....ie., my bike frame.  He doesn't think this will be an issue tomorrow, but obviously it's on the back of my mind.

As much as I'm trying to stay relaxed, I'm a barrel of stress right now.  I can physically feel it (thus the lack of sleep).  I'm just going to try to stay as relaxed as possible through tomorrow morning.....then I get to battle the demons that this race course threw at me in 2006.  The one thing I'm not looking forward to tomorrow is the swim.  It's going to be a complete battlefield.  There are 3000 people registered for this race...and it's a mass swim start.  I'm going to need to go out fast.

Well....that's all for now.  I'll post a race report following the race.  Now I get to head out to eat a breakfast for 3.....this is my biggest meal of the day.  If you want to follow me tomorrow, you can go to www.ironman.com and go to athlete tracking.   My number is 899.

-P

Finally....I get to transform from attorney to full time athlete!

The last week or two have been stressful....trying to get physically ready to race Lake Placid, while trying to prepare to leave my office for a week.  Well, I finally punched out today....and will leave the fate of my firm in the capable hands of those I employ!  Now I get to put my full focus on LP....my seventh ironman.  Two weeks ago I was ready to roll...but now...I'm just hoping to run.  Sunday I had an ez run scheduled...so I decided to save the legs and do it on the soft surface of the Battle Road in Concord.  I was running very ez...but about halfway in, I felt a tweak in the right calf muscle.  It was slight...but it was there.  Now it's really got me nervous.  I've been icing, and massaging....and today I saw my fantastic chiropractor, Peter McManus, who did some Graston and ultrasound on it.  All I can do is keep my fingers crossed. 

Anyway, at this point, I'm just about packed up and ready to go.  I leave early tomorrow morning....solo.  Jenn isn't coming up until Thursday night.  I'm eager to get up there....just to shift focus away from my everyday stresses.  I've been a little neglectful posting recently...but I'll try to do a better job once I'm up there.

-P

Old Colony Race Report and other ramblings....

Yeah...I know, I haven't posted in a while.  I just haven't been motivated to post.  Oh well.  I'm into my taper now.  Only 9 days to go.  Bike is in the shop getting final tuneups.  The body has been to the chiropractor and massage therapist for final tuneups.  It's getting close!

This past weekend I raced the Old Colony olympic distance race.  I hemmed and hawed over doing it.  But my coach said that an olympic distance race would be fine 2 weeks out.  So, I did my obligatory Saturday workouts...then got ready to race on Sunday.  When I woke on Sunday, I just wasn't feeling it.  I really wasn't motivated to race.  I'm not sure why...I just wasn't.  But, we drove down, registered and got ready.  Since my new sleeveless suit isn't in yet, I wore my old QR wetsuit that has holes and rips all over it.  The swim went okay.  I came out 4th in my wave.  Since I really didn't know the guys in front, I have no measuring stick.  I got on the bike and went to work.  Racing short is really a different animal.  You just have to go hard right out of the gate...which I'm just not used to doing.  It took me a good few miles to really get going.  I caught 2 of the 3 guys in front of me before the end of the first lap (4 laps).  After the first lap, the course starts to get congested with athletes.  And, being that this wasn't an "A" race, I was careful w/turns and passes.  However, with all the athletes, I couldn't tell if I ever caught the guy in the lead.  I came into transition and realized that I was still in second.  Hmmm.  I really didn't want to have to run all out.  Fortunately, as I exited the trail from T2 to the road, I realized the leader was only 150 meters in front of me.  So, I just kept my pace and reeled him in.  I passed him at about a mile....then put some distance between us.  Once I had lost sight of him, I dialed it back slightly (no need to fry myself).  I came across first...about 3 minutes ahead of second place.  It was nice to get the win....but I was happier w/the way I felt on the bike and run.  It was also great to have a large contingent of BTT teammates out racing and on the course.  It's just a prelude to the big one in 9 days!  Again...in my taper....and energy is low....so I digress.....

My Holiday Weekend Vent!

Okay, once in a while I need to vent.  This is one of them times.  I'm a fairly cautious cyclist.  I always try to be aware of my surroundings....especially cars.  So, here I was on the Monday following Independence Day....riding through Concord, Massachusetts....a very well know cycling town.  I'm riding over by a place called Verrill Farms....fairly wide roads and decent shoulders.  There are hardly any cars on the road, mind you.  I'm riding close to the shoulder...as per usual....and not even in my aerobars.  Then I hear it.....beep, beep, beep.  I'm thinking, there's no way this car is beeping at me.  There aren't any cars coming in the opposite direction...and I'm hugging the shoulder.  BEEEEEEP...I turn around to see this 40-50 year old woman in a Mercedes laying into her horn and yelling at me through closed windows.  Of course, those who know me know I took the high road and said nothing;-)  Umm...I may have let a few explicatives fly!  I mean....what did she want me to do?  Where did she expect me to go?  Ride on the grass?  I literally had no other place to go.  Oh....and here's the ironic part.  All of this happened as I passed the "Share The Road" sign....which Concord officials put up for cars to share the road w/cyclists!  NICE!!!!

A nice enjoyable holiday weekend....yeah right.

While most were out enjoying the awesome weather that we're having, I was enjoying my last "big" training weekend before LP.  Saturday was rough....a 6 hour bike and 1:30 transition run was on the schedule.  I hit the road around 7:30am.  All systems were go for a while....then I started having some issues with my hamstrings...making it difficult to get comfortable in the aerobars.  I did my best to stay in them.  I hydrated well...but didn't quite hit my nutrition (need to straighten that out quickly).  I finished up the ride with just over 5 and a half hours (I decided that I'd had enough).  I really think that my previous training weekend in LP was catching up w/me.  Anyway, I put my run stuff on and headed out the door.  The plan was to run 45 minutes out...where Jenn would be waiting w/fluids (I also hit a water fountain on my run...2 times).  I made it about 150 meters and then started walking.  I was hurting.  I thought about turning around.  A 1:30 "transition" run just seemed daunting.  But, I said "F" it....keep running.  I figured that if I felt awful, I could hop in the car at 45 minutes (but even that felt really long!).  As I started running, I got into a better groove.  I said to my self that maybe I could do an hour...then stop.  After about 20 minutes I told myself "F" it again....I'm doing this.  About that time, I was running well.  It's amazing....first 200 meter I don't know how I'm going to finish.  Then, 20 minutes into it...I'm running low 7 minute miles.  Lesson learned....just keep moving.  The promising thing is that I could have kept going (w/fluid and some nutrition).  I finished up my 7 hour day strong. 

Today was a solo swim at Mystic Lake.  I wore a sleeveless suit today since the last 2 times I've worn my full suit, I've been cooking, literally.  Not just hot....but almost sick.  When I get hot...my stroke slows a lot!  But, today was a different story.  I felt much, much better.  Unfortunately, my sleeveless is in BAD shape.  So, I'll probably invest in a new one for LP.  I'd still like to wear the full suit...if temps allow.  But, if they're questionable.....I'm going sleeveless.    I followed up my swim with a 45 minute run w/tempo and an hour ez on the bike (road bike). 

Tomorrow is another solo swim...and a 3 hour ride w/an hour of tempo.  Then, finally, a day off on Tuesday.  Less than 3 weeks away.  Time to start getting ready!

Funny story....most of you know my dog, Billie (my little girl).  She doesn't get spooked by much....not even thunder and lighting.  But, she's scared to death of fireworks.  So much so that last night she burrowed under the bed.  Not the covers....the bed!  Then she got stuck and couldn't get out.  Tonight (4th of July) should be fun.

-Pat

Update

Well, I found out a week or so ago that running long before riding long is not something I do well!  When I last reported, I had a 2 hour run planned, then a 5 hour bike.  The bike did not go well.  I only managed 3.5 hours before I bagged it.  I just break down too much physically when I run long to try to ride long after.  My hips, hamstrings, back...make getting in the aerobars almost impossible.  Oh well...lesson learned...and plan adjusted.  I was able to do another, more productive 3.5 hour ride on Sunday with fellow teammate Matt Pokress.

This past weekend I made a quick (okay it's not quick) trip up to Lake Placid for a one man training camp.  Jenn came with me.  We didn't arrive in LP until close to 11pm due to a late start and traffic.  Saturday's plan was a swim, then ride/run.  LP is like a training mecca leading up to the Ironman....athletes everywhere.  I was in the water around 8am, and the swim went well.  It would have been nice to swim with some others....but there weren't as many people out there as I had expected.  Maybe some went out earlier....also, I think some people did the Tupper Lake Half Ironman which was only a short distance away.  After the swim, I got ready for the long portion of the day.  I headed out on the bike...and felt pretty good.  Unfortunately, around 20 miles in my speed stopped working.  I messed around w/my SRM for the next 10 miles trying to get it to work....then figured it was probably the battery in my speed sensor.  I really wanted to have complete measurements for the ride...oh well.  I saw a couple of BTTers, Elaine and Meg, out on the course on the back section....and chatted with each of them as I continued on my way to finish the first lap.  As I was finishing, it began to rain.  I refilled my bottles...then decided to stop by the bike shop to replace the battery in my sensor (also hoping the rain would stop).  After 15-20 minutes, I realized the rain wasn't going to stop....so off I went.  It really wasn't that bad....not a downpour.  I rode the second half fairly strong.  I felt very good on the bike.  I didn't, however, completely hit my nutrition.  It didn't affect me on the bike, but did on my run.  I headed out on the run and was good for 4-5 minutes...the started to struggle.  Fortunately, I saw Jenn around 25 minutes in...who gave me my Powerbar Endurance mix.  I was bonking at this point.  The PB really helped...and I felt much better.  I finished my hour transition run strong.  Good day!  I then got an hour massage to flush the legs...then off to take my forgiving wife to dinner.  I highly recommend the Brown Dog Cafe.  It was very good (but not cheap).

Sunday was the long run.  I ran really well.  Jenn met me every 30 minutes with PB Endurance, water, salt caps, and gels.  I did an out and back....incorporating the run course for ironman.  I kept the HR low (under 150....but closer to a 143 avg) and managed an average of somewhere between 6:45 and 6:49....for a little over 17.5 miles.  Very happy with this....since this is only my second 2 hour run since Kona last year. 

This coming weekend is my last big weekend....then we'll start to dial it back.