Midnight Sun

What is there to say about a 5k that starts at midnight on a Friday night?  Sprinkle in some perfect weather, and my first attempt at this local classic was going to be fun. 

Pre-Run

I made it down to Canal Park around 10:00 pm so I could register. With two hours to spare, the only question was where to drink prior to the race. There was a big group meeting at Canal Park Brewery so James and I wandered over. Knowing I had to run, I went with the Jameson instead of a beer.  The low volume approach to my drinking so it wouldn't slosh in my gut...  We had a big group and it was clear we would be having a fun run. After one more Jameson, it was time to run. 

Let's Run

The course utilized the lakewalk, with the start on the dirt horse path, we had to be careful in the dark of the uneven footing. Once we turned onto the paved portion of the lakewalk, it was time to settle into my pace. Running in the dark was interesting, especially with about half of the street lights not functional. I managed not to trip and just focused on running hard. With about a mile left I was thinking, this is beer mile practice. I could feel the Jameson in my stomach, but I kept pushing the pace. When it was all said and done, I just missed breaking 20 minutes for the race. 

Post Run

With my solid time, I managed a second place in my age group, and with that came a prize of a growler of Brewhouse beer. Sweet!  

Garry Bjorklund 2015

Heading into Grandma's weekend this year I had put in some solid run training. With that in mind, a PR should have been in the bag. The hard half iron the week prior was the one caveat in the plan. Well that and the weather...  Leading into race day the weather forecast was for steady rain at the start and heavy rain during the run. 

Pre Race

With a 6:15 start, I set the alarm for 3:30. Damn is that early. I got up, had my toast for breakfast and rolled out. I had to pick up Serena at 4:30 prior to hitting the DECC. She would be running her first half, so I was hoping to make the pre race challenges a bit easier for her. As we approached the DECC we passed by the long line and swung into the parking lot by the Irvin with no wait at all. Score one for having done this before. We grabbed our clothes bag and final snacks and got ourselves in line for a bus. 

No drama on the ride and we were happy that it was not raining as of yet. We both had a throwaway warm shirt on the stay warm at the start, and snacked over the short ride. When they dropped us off, we slowly wandered towards the gear trucks where we dropped our bags. We looked for fellow DRC group runners and said hello to a few. We then hit the porta potty line and took care of business. 

We found a couple runners that she was planning on starting with, and I found Brian and Dave so we wished each other luck and went to our respective areas of the corral. Our plan was for 7:00 flat to start and see where it went. 

Race Time

Off we went and I tried to get in a groove quickly. Mile one went by in 6:50 so a bit quick, but not worried. At about mile 2.5, the light rain started. Not pouring, but rain none the less. We kept rolling along and soon we were approaching London Road. At the Lester River, I started to notice my legs feeling a bit tired. Last weekends race was coming back. I tried to keep steady and see what I could do over the next couple miles. 

As we approached Lemon Drop Hill I was starting to struggle. The uphills were real tough. I really focused on taking advantage of the downhill after Lemon Drop because I knew the small hill at Super One would be tough also. By now my mile splits were in the 7:10 range, but a PR was still an option if I could keep it together on the flats through downtown. 

After passing DRC I really focused on turnover. After we passed Wells Fargo and turned onto 5th Ave West it was just one mile to go. Muscle up the hill and use the downhill to get my speed back. Around the DECC, by the Irvin and onto the homestretch. A PR was going to happen, and I ran strong through the finish line. All in all, a good effort. 

Post Race

As it was still sprinkling, I grabbed my clothes bag and changed to stay warm. I was looking for friends to see how everybody's space went. I caught up with Kris, Skeeter, Tiffany, Noah and Halie who all seemed pleased. I was really looking for Serena as her sprained ankle was a big question mark for her. I finally saw her in the crowd and she gave me a big hug. I was so happy for her to be able to get a great time for her first half marathon. She even got that time running with a really sore ankle. 

Early Tri Season Recap

Tri Season Kick Off

I signed up for my first ever indoor tri this year at the Essentia Health Indoor tri. This race runs with an equal time format where you spend 30 minutes at each discipline. For the swimming and running, this would be pretty basic. For the bike, the exercise bikes we would ride rewarded high rpm spinning. Not my forte, and with total distance being the goal I was pretty sure I had no chance at the overall. 

For the swim, I had a goal of 1600 meters and I ended up hitting it exactly. That was a solid start and I worked to change quickly and get to the bike as they only gave us five minutes. When the bike time started, I gave it my best shot. I held close to 125 rpm for most of the time which was very uncomfortable for me. However, the wide seats lead to some even more uncomfortable chafing. After thirty minutes of torture, it was down to the treadmill. At this point, I was .5 miles behind my buddy Ryan Dewey for our personal bet for breakfast after the race. With this in mind, I set the treadmill to 6:15 miles and off I went. 

When it was all said and done, I could not make up the last .2 miles. Although my 4.7 miles ended up being the best run effort, and my swim was third for overall distance. Not a bad start to the season. 

GW Du 

I had been doing some good run training so I was curious to put it to good use at Gear West. I had not been out cycling as much as I had wanted, but still felt I could ride hard. With this in mind I challenged tri studette Lisa Lendway to a heads up beer challenge. With her swim, I figured a duathlon would be my best chance against her. She has rocked some great times early this season, so I hoped the fact that I have raced this course would help me out. 

Mother Nature thought a good dose of rain as we setup would make for a fun race course. I chatted with buddies Nick and Mike (IM Wisconsin race mates) and we all predicted our finish times for a beer. Soon we were off on the soggy cross country run. I ran fast, but a touch reserved as I knew the second run would be tough. On the approach to the final sharp hill I saw Lisa (started a couple minutes back with the ladies wave) and made a mental note for the second run. 

On the bike, the gusty winds made for some mildly sketchy moments. First time this year with the disc cover and I need to remember to keep the power down and relax. I felt confident with my effort, but was unsure if I had ridden hard enough. When I hit T2, I moved quickly into my shoes and onto the run. I was able to get into my goal pace and roll. I saw Lisa about the same place on the second run and was not sure if that was good or bad. In the end, she got me by less than a minute!  Nice effort all day by her. 

I did manage to be within 40 seconds of my time prediction, but Mike was less than 15 seconds form his prediction for the win!  So in recap, a solid effort but two beer payouts when it is all said and done. 

Buffalo

We had a huge Duluth contingent heading to Buffalo for a season opening effort. Ryan Dewey and I cruised down together and bumped into Tiffany at packet pickup. Nick, Mike, Ryan Dewey, Skeeter, Clint, Kris, Tiffany and Michelle were all racing, so this was going to be fun. We put together teams for a beer bet and everybody put down a finish time estimate for another beer to the winner. 

Everyone was amped to get the season underway and we had perfect race weather. After swimming in Pike Lake on Tuesday, Buffalo Lake felt absolutely toasty. I got rolling and turned left into the waves after the fountain. On this stretch I took a few gulps of lake water, but had a solid draft for a good chunk of the leg. Around the farthest buoy and heading back to shore and I felt pretty good. As I stood up and started taking my wetsuit off, I looked down to see Kris swimming in. Only losing a couple minutes to her was a good sign. 

I made my way through T1 quickly and onto the bike. It turns out I should have left my shoes on the bike as the wet grass in T1 got in my cleats a bit and made clipping in a challenge. Once I got clipped in, I went to work. For the first 15 or so miles we would be going over rolling hills and into the wind. I worked hard and managed to pass Tiff early, and with her running ability I needed to bike hard to keep her behind me. As I turned onto the out and bike I passed Clint and Michelle in quick succession. I then caught Ryan Dewey and figured that was it for race buddies I would actually catch up to. When we turned for the final stretch with the wind, I actually ran out of gears. With the tail wind and flats to slight downhills I really could have used a 53 front chain ring. 

Through T2 and onto the run. The goal was to try running 7:00 pace and see what happens. Right away I was a bit slow as we were headed up a small hill. At the top a lady went by at a good clip and I figured let's see if I can match that pace. Between the down hill and my new pace setter I made good time to the short course turn. Now I started seeing the long course leaders and Mike came by looking good with Nick on his tail. After three ladies I saw another Duluth athlete Elaine Nelson. With only 2 miles to go I figured even her running ability would not be enough to win. As I approached the turn, I passed a guy in my age group and made a push to help it stick. 

On the way back, the heat was noticeable. Couple that with the hills and my pace was a bit slower but still pretty good. On the way back I saw Ryan Dewey, Michelle, Clint and Tiffany in order. Based on their pace, they would have a close finish between the four of them. I finished with a solid time and felt good for the first race of the year. I beat my prediction by a few minutes so I knew I would not win that beer, but I was cheering on the rest of my team for the group bet. Tiffany and Michelle raced well and finished strong, but our team lost by 26 seconds. So, I have now started the year with five straight losses in the side bet department...  I need to work on that. 

Liberty/Capitol City Double

One week later and my first big race of the season. I was using Liberty as a check on my prep for IM Canada and IM Wisconsin. The goal was a PR, and if things went well a sub 5:00. The race was also supposed to be a showdown with old race buddy Lou Hughes, but he pussed out and signed up for the Olympic race instead of the half. 

Race morning arrived to gray skies. The weather forecast was for clouds, but no rain and light winds with upper 60's as temps. Perfect for racing fast. Into the water and I tried to keep a nice steady pace. As I exited the lake, I felt like it was a bit slow, but focused on the trek to transition and getting the bike rolling. At this point I noticed it was raining.  Really, rain for the bike?!?  

Try to ignore the rain and got into my groove on the bike. I felt good and focused on keeping my effort level steady. The first loop went well and I was keeping a solid pace. For the second loop I was a bit slower to make sure I was ready for the run and also the last 9 miles which would be with the wind back to T2. As I turned onto the road heading back to Rockford, I made a point to pick up the effort a touch. I wanted to use the tailwind as much as possible. Once through Delano I knew I had about three miles left on the bike so I focused on getting mentally ready to run. At this point, I realized I needed to piss. This is not a normal issue for me in a half iron. Luckily, I racked next to the porta-potty in transition. Of course, wearing bib shorts and the rain made it a bit of a challenge. It is a lot harder than you think to get out of a singlet when you are wet. 

After a quick visit to the porta-potty was done, I grabbed my race number/hat/gel/mountain dew and headed out. I took the gel in the first mile and sipped the dew through the run. I checked my split at mile one and saw I was sub 7:30. Not quite sure I can hold that pace, but I felt good so I kept with it. As I ran I noticed that this run was going up or down a hill at all times. After mile one, the next two had a good chunk of down that would be a challenging finish to our run as it was an out and back. 

As I hit the turn around, I was still holding 7:30 or so every mile. With the clouds holding on, I was feeling pretty good still. I tried to stay steady and even reeled in another few runners in front of me. As I approached the final mile I started to try and pick my pace up a bit. With about a half mile to go, I saw one guy just ahead. I was catching him pretty easy, but would he pick it up as I approached/passed. At the .2 to go point I went by him. As I did, he noticed I was in his age group and he sprinted by me. I just held steady and bided my time. With about 100 yards left I picked up the pace to make my move. I was able to pass the guy again and make it stick this time. When it was all said and done, third in my age group with a half iron PR. Not bad. 

After a quick break, I packed up and cruised over to St Paul to register for the Capitol City tri. The legs were feeling good, so I figured why not. CC was a nice sprint distance and the weather was looking good. Plus I had the beer I owed Lisa from Gear West with me and she left Liberty long before I was done since I am a bit slow. With CC being a sprint I figured I could get her the beer before she had to head home this time. 

With a nice short swim, I was just focusing on smooth swimming and sighting well. It went well, and I was back to T1 soon. I was not sure how my legs would feel after the hard effort the day prior, but with a closed course and 13 miles I figured a strategy of just hammering as hard as I could would work. I caught a couple guys early, and then went back and forth with two guys the rest of the way. As I hit T2 my legs were a bit sore, but I figured it would be good to see how hard I could push the tired legs for three miles. Straight out of transition there was a nice hill that really tested me. Once on top, I tried to get to a nice pace of just under 7:00 per mile. Outside of the hills, I held that pace pretty good and brought it home to a good overall time. 

Recap

Overall, I was pleased with how he season started. Specifically I felt I had strong efforts at Buffalo and Liberty. The PR and really good run at Liberty left me feeling good for the rest of the season. Now I need to get the miles in so Canada goes well in a month. 

Fall Running and 2015 Schedule Thoughts

With the tri season all wrapped up, my fall switched over to trail running. I made it out to all but one of the fall northland runner trail races this fall. I missed the Bull Run when I was out in Vegas playing Broomball.  

This past weekend was the final run of the season and was held at Hartley Park. I had not run this course before so it was all new as the run went on. When we hit the single track section less than a mile in, I tried to maintain a solid pace but not too fast. The previous week at Roughrider I went out too fast and faded at the end. So this week with the distance being similar I wanted to be a little smarter.  

Once on the single track I realized how slick the trail was going to be also. Maybe wearing my road shoes was not such a good idea...  Right about this time, Leslie passed me and I figured it would be worth trying to keep up with her. I know she is a good trail runner so I figured I could simply follow her and think less.  Now my biggest worry was the downhill off camber corners. I had to grab a tree or two to keep from slipping off the trail every now and the.  Some of the uphills I felt like a cartoon character running in place at times. 

In the middle of the run, we came upon a sharp but short uphill that was very slick. I was still trailing Leslie at this time and she almost did not make it up the hill, and I just about ran right over her. Luckily she made it over the hill without any help from me. 

The rest of the trail section was not too bad. I managed to not fall and did not fall off the pace either. At the end when we hit the wider trail, I even managed to pick up the pace as it was ever so slightly downhill. Overall I was pleased with my run and it was a great way to wrap up the trail running series. 

2015

So IM Wisconsin is the elephant in the room of my upcoming summer. Nick and Mike will be making their IM debut, and I will be returning to the scene of my only DNF ever.  I really expect both Nick and Mike to absolutely crush it. They both have some serious speed, and have knocked out a good half IM time. 

We have been trying to find some good prep events for Wisconsin. We are looking at Liberty as an early season half, and I know Mike is looking at Chisago Half in July. He has had good results there and wants to do it again. I am debating on another travel race: ironman Canada and the Honu Half are high on my list but I cannot decide right now. We have also talked about Burrito Union as they moved it up to mid August. It could be the perfect timing being four weeks prior to Wisconsin. 

All in all, 2015 is shaping up to be a fun year. I will be trying to put together a good training plan and execute a smart race at IM Wisconsin. If that works out, my goal of a PR should happen!

EMMA's

Made the trek to Gear West last night to attend the Oscars of the Minnesota Tri season. Clint had asked if I wanted to join him as Superior Man was once again up for race of the year. With Nick up for Rookie of the Year, I figured it would be fun.

The evening was fun, and Nick and Superior Man both brought home some hardware. Two years in a row as athletes choice race of the year for Superior Man. Watch out for Nick to make some waves next year on the regional race scene. No lead into T2 will be safe with his run speed, although I bet he is coming into T2 closer or even ahead of some of the fast guys next season. 

The evening was capped off by a beer chugging contest to settle the EMMA bingo winner. It was Matt Payne's only loss of the night...

Loony Challenge 2014

Similar to last year, I signed up for the loony challenge to get myself a guaranteed entry into the TC 10 miler. Last year I decided that after my late September romp through the Sierra Nevada mountains that running training was done. Instead I focused on finishing some important weatherproofing things on my house. So I showed up at the 10k Saturday morning not having done any exercise in two weeks. 

I figured this year could only go better as I was running a reasonable amount this fall. Should have been more, but it was better than zero. Included in this training I was showing up for the weekly trail runs that NMTC was putting on. On the Wednesday prior to the loony challenge, the weekly run was at Bagley Nature Center by UMD. Just to make life interesting, I found a way to roll my ankle at the race. 

So, limping around on Friday collecting my packet had me a little worried about the weekend events. Since it was paid for already, I figured I would show up and see how things rolled.

10K

At the start line I figured I would take it easy at the start to see how it felt. I also knew that running uphill or downhill was rougher than flats and the race started with a good climb. After a nice easy first mile I started ramping it up. The foot felt ok, and I finished in a decent time overall. 

5K

Less than 45 minutes to wait for the next go round gave me enough time to get something to drink and re-assess my race wear. I then decided to head back to the start line and get ready to run again. Waiting to start I bumped into Stacie from the DRC running group. We chatted about our goals and got ready to go. She was shooting to go a touch faster than I wanted to so she went a couple rows ahead of me just before the gun. I took the start a touch faster than the 10k, but still a touch easier than I might really have been able to. At the top of the hill I once again picked up the pace and held it through the finish. 

Recovery

Last year I did not do a good job recovering from the Saturday runs in preparation for Sunday. This year I made a point of getting my legs ready. I rode the exercise bike at the hotel for a bit to get some lactic acid out, and then used my compression socks for a bit too. 

10 Miler

So this year I stayed at the Courtyard at the corner of Washington Ave and 35W. This was about 3/4 mile from the start line. With no Metrodome this year, I figured I would simply jog over from the hotel as a warm up and arrive with 20 minutes before the race started. Perfect plan. I packed up my clothes for after the race, got into my race clothes and jogged over. I then threw my bag onto the UPS truck (best race sponsor ever; UPS as the bag transfer folks!  Genius!). I then bumped into Tiffany and Leslie, two killer fast ladies from the Duluth area also running the ten miler. They were looking ready to rock, and when I talked to them after the race they both had nailed good times and seemed happy with their race. 

I headed over to the start line and got ready to roll. With the road construction, the first three miles were going to be all new until we joined back up to the standard course at the three mile mark. When we hit the flag markin one mile, my watch said 0.86 miles. Based on the reaction of everyone around me, I was not the only one thinking it was short. We proceeded over to the east bank or the river and the U of M campus. It was pretty with the leaves, campus and the river. When we met up with the standard course at mile three, my watch still read over 0.1 miles short. 

At this point we were on the only real sustained flat portion of the course so I tried to maintain a nice even pace and assess how my foot and legs were feeling. The ankle/foot was doing ok as long as I did not step on uneven ground. The legs were doing pretty good also. I think the clown shoes (Hoka's) I wore for all three races were helping out in that regard. 

Back to the hills with the long slow climb up Summit and I was trying to stay focused. I was able to stay pretty consistent and soon enough I was on the flat portion of mile 9 getting ready for the big downhill to the finish. I kept a smooth and relatively good pace down the hill and the foot still felt ok. Through the finish and I was happy with my time and the weekend of races overall. 

TBW'15

So a couple Tri buddies were talking about IM Wisconsin as a possible race road trip for 2015. These are the same guys I road tripped to Spicer MN to race the Green Lake Tri with this past summer. You know, an Olympic distance race that is about two hours of fun. Now they are talking about an Ironman...  

A little back story here, IM Wisconsin and I have a little history with each other. It is the site of my only DNF ever. It is also the site of my only puke and rally episode in a race also (my personal worst Ironman time was in this race). In over 100 Tri races, I have never failed to finish what I started except for IM Wisconsin 2009. After collecting an IV in the med tent, I pretty much swore off the race and seriously doubted I would ever try an Ironman again.  Well, since I got back on the proverbial Ironman horse last year at Lake Tahoe... Why not take another swing at IM Moo.

So, if I am going to race there I want to exact a little revenge on that course. I plan on nailing a good race, with a PR being the result. There is absolutely no reason not to go sub 12 hours. There, I said it. Well, wrote it at least. 

2014 Tri Season Review

So I should have been blogging more, but I slacked off. So, I will wrap up the entire 2014 multistory season in one blog post...

Tinman (Morris, MN; 1100 yards pool swim, 18 mile, 6.2 mile)

Good start to the season with no hiccups. 

Blaine Triathlon (Blaine, MN; 0.25 mile, 16.7 mile, 3.5 mile)

51 degree water. Enough said. 

Gear West Duathlon (Orono, MN; 5k, 28k, 5k)

Good weather and ran the second run well for a good day. 

Grand Rapids Triathlon (Grand Rapids, MI; 1.2 mile, 56 mile, 13.1 mile)

"A" race for the year. Terrible swim, solid bike and solid run for a half iron PR in 5:04:xx. Did not earn a spot to worlds in 2015, but still happy with my race. 

Lake Waconia (Waconia, MN; 0.5 mile, 20 mile, 4 mile)

Tired legs from the Garry Bjorklund the previous weekend, but still a fun day. Lost my heads up race bet with Lou, but I will get that as soon as he gives me a rematch....

Z Tri (Grand Rapids, MN; 1/3 mile, 14 mile, 3.2 mile)

Great weather and a fun way to start the Fourth of July. Really happy with my run here as biked hard and ran sub 7:00 still.

Duluth Tri (Duluth, MN; 1.2 mile, 56 mile, 13.1 mile)

For all that went right at my last half iron, it all went bad here. Could not find a good rhythm on the back half of the bike, and the heat crushed me on the run. 

Moose Lake Tri (Moose Lake, MN; 0.4 mile, 12 mile, 5 mile)

Great weather to start. Solid swim with a decent bike to follow. Ran a little slower than I wanted but ended up with my first overall win ever. 

Brewhouse Sprint (Duluth, MN; 820 yards, 12.4 mile, 3.1 mile)

Signed up the night before for the sprint as a bunch of buddies were doing it. We split into teams for a beer bet with Nick and I taking Mike and Ryan down when Ryan crashed coming into T2. Biked well and once again kept my run pace sub 7:00 to have a solid race and set my age group record. 

Green Lake Tri (Spicer, MN; 0.75 mile, 22 mile, 6 mile)

Rolled down to Spicer with Nick and Mike for Tri road trip. Kris, Skeeter and Meirs met up with us so we put together another beer bet for the day. I had an average swim, and hammered the bike.  On the run I still ran decent for a good race overall. However, Mike, Kris and Skeeter won our bet this time. Great race road trip overall. 

Superior Man Tri (bike course director...)

Completely different outlook on race day. Tiring and busy, but had a good time. 

Burrito Union (Superior, WI; 600 yards, 12.4 mile, 3 mile)

A fun race to end the multisport season with. 

Overall ten triathlons, one Duathlon and one Tri as a course director. 

Burrito Union 2014

For this years running of BU, I thought I would try the one-and-done version. One swing though the race course and get a beer to watch all of the 5&10 hour competitors still rolling.

Race morning dawned and it looked nice, although a touch cool with the temp in the upper 40's. 

I cruised over to Pattison State Park just south of Superior Wisconsin and got my stuff setup in transition. Pretty basic setup with it being a sprint course. I then figured I should check out the start of the bike course since it has changed since two years ago. I jogged through the start and saw the grassy and gravel sections we were warned of. Nothing to bad, so it was time to get going. 

Swim

63 was the stated water temp as we watched the ten hour competitors take off. I then slipped into my batman costume, aka wetsuit and waded into the lake. 

Shorter hair, and no beard but you get the idea...

A quick countdown and off we went. Things were going fine until the second buoy. There we turned directly into the sun making the next buoy impossible to see. Swim in the general direction of the woods and hope I was not too far off. Finally into the shade of the trees and I can see I took an amazingly good line. I will call it skill, you can call it luck...  Around the final buoy and out of the water. No watch and no clock so I don't have splits, but it felt ok for time. 

Bike 

Came onto the bike right behind a couple folks, so I had to be patient through the campground as they told us it was a no pass zone. Once on the road I ramped it up. Slight tail wind on the way out, so had to keep pressing hard. By the time it was done, I managed to catch all but one person from our wave.

Run

They had changed the run course since the last time I did this race also. It was still a trail run, so it was a matter a running hard and trying not to trip and fall. There are a lot of steps and a couple times I came at them a touch fast but I managed to stay upright. I ran hard, but could not catch the one guy in our wave ahead of me. 

Recap

In the end, the guy ahead of me was a 5 Hour competitor so I took home the win. It also happened to be a course record. Since I raced the Duluth Tri and the Brewhouse Sprint in addition to the Burrito Union I got a golden growler to go with my finishers pint glass and winners bowl. 

ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

Here you go Craig Vork.  No puny bucket either, a nice five gallon pail...

2014 Preview

Running

Garry Bjorklund

Loony Challenge - 5k, 10k, and 10 miler on TC Marathon weekend

Those are my big races for the year. I will start with some fun stuff like the pub shuffle next weekend. I will also hit local races like the Park Point 5 miler and others. 

Triathlon

USAT long distance nationals

???

Trying to put a good race down at nationals in Grand Rapids in early June. No other nailed down plans right now. I will do some local MN races, and might try and find a cool fall race also. This year will see me on the other side of the fence at Superior Man.  I will be directing the bike course instead of racing. I am excited and look forward to helping make Superior Man an even better race. 

2013 Review

I know this is a little late, but I am trying to get back to blogging so here goes. 

Running

Early season running had me knock out a PR at my pre Grandma's 10 k in Barnum. I also hit my PR at the Garry Bjorklund half. My fall running suffered though. After Tahoe I had no drive to train and went into TC Marathon weekend with no training at all. The loony challenge proved to be painful but interesting. Interesting enough that I signed up again for 2014. 

Tri

I made a big focus on long distance races in 2013. I started with a promising race at the Duluth Tri. I followed that with a PR at Boulder in tough conditions. Superior Man was equally tough, and I felt pleased with my effort. My season finale ironman at Lake Tahoe left me happy with my effort even though I did not get the time I was hoping for. Overall, a decent season. 

Ironman Lake Tahoe

Ok So after suffering through two very hot half iron distance races in August, Lake Tahoe had something else in mind. 

Snow was falling as everyone was dropping their bikes off in transition the day before the race. The last Tri I did, Superior Man, the race morning temp was 79 degrees as I showed up for the race. The race morning temp as I pulled into T1 at Lake Tahoe was 25 degrees. Today will be an interesting day. 

Pre Race 

I started off by my race morning by getting in line to get my tires pumped up.  After that, I double checked my transition bag and added some food that I would need for the ride. I then headed over to the building they had open for the athletes to slip into my wetsuit while staying warm. I took my time and got my self all prepped for the 2.4 mile swim that was coming. 

Swim

I knew from my pre swim two days earlier that the water in Lake Tahoe was quite chilly. It was not the coldest water of the year (the second DRC Aquathon takes that award), but when you add in the cold sand on the beach it would be chilly throughout the swim.  The first thing I noticed as I crossed the starting mat was the fog on the water that was obscuring the buoys. For the first lap, it was very hard to find the buoys to sight off and I found myself going off course and adding distance. With the new start method WTC used, the swim was well spaced out.  

As I hit the beach after the second lap I looked down to a very solid time for myself of 1:20:04. Now, how to get dressed when my fingers and toes are numb???

T1

22:22. No, I did not take a nap before heading out on the bike. Coming into the transition tent, there was no room anywhere. Between the cold water we were coming out of, and the cold air we were heading out into, I knew I needed to dry off and get a total change of clothes. I usually simply throw on socks and shoes and go with wet shorts and a wet Tri top, but that would not work today. I dried off and somehow managed to pull on dry shorts, compression sleeves on my calves, socks, a thermal Under Armour top, a tri top, a cycling jacket and gloves. 

Bike

The temp at the start of the bike was still hovering around freezing. We had a couple easy miles before we hit Dollar Hill for the first of three ascents. Dollar Hill was not too long, but it was steep enough to take notice. On the back side downhill the cool air was very noticeable. After Tahoe City, we had about 15 miles of slightly downhill to Truckee. I made a point of getting into a groove and staying smooth. As we approached the Squaw Valley turnoff I passed an athlete who was talking on his cell phone...  

Once we hit Truckee, the hills really get going. There was a short tight climb on a bike trail followed by a quick little descent. Then we turned off of onto the road that would take us into Martis Camp.  We so passed through the gate of this very exclusive private community and the. We started heading up.  The Martis Camp climb was a series of stair steps with little quick downs here and there. At the aid station I needed to pee, so I made a pit stop. I also grabbed a fresh water and had some of my Gatorade chews.  

The Martis Camp climb was steep enough in sections that I needed to stand for brief moments. I knew I was going slightly outside of my power goal, but I made sure to take it as easy as possible going up the hill as possible. Soon enough the Northstar Resort was upon us and I had to prepare myself for the twisty descent coming. 

Now it was time to climb the Brockway climb. This one was steep and straight. No twists or stair steps this time. Basically it was settle in and keep chugging. Even on lap one there were a couple folks walking their bikes. At the top and it was time to prepare for a very quick descent. This time it was open and the only reason to brake was personal lack of confidence. While I stayed off the brakes, I did stand up to modulate speed a couple times. At the bottom and we were at T1 and starting lap 2. 

After Tahoe City they had setup the special needs station. At this point I was still chilled and felt it would be a good idea to stop and consume my energy bar and bottle of Mountain Dew while warming up in the sun. After a couple minute break, I was back at it.  Lap 2 was pretty smooth with no big surprises. Coming up to the Martis Camp section I was mentally getting myself ready for the climbs. 

I could feel the miles as I was climbing the second time. I was close to my personal limit, but I kept it rolling. As I made my way up Brockway, I was really sucking for any and all oxygen I could find. I made a point to stop for a water at the aid station at the top of the climb. Now I was focusing on one last time up Dollar Hill and just mentally getting ready for a marathon...

T2

Nothing special here. Hand off the bike, grab my bag and start stripping off the layers. I decided I wanted a long sleeve as it was only in the upper 50's, and it would cool off quick as the sun sunk behind the mountain. Once changed, I tried to muster a slow jog and out I went. 

Run

I saw my parents right away, and that was nice.  But now it was time to focus on running. The course was two laps, with lap one being about 18 miles, and lap two about 8. I got myself into a decent groove as I lapped around my hotel and onto the bike trail. As I continued down towards the turn at mile 10 I was hitting a little bit of a mental low. I started walking a little more than just the water stops. I needed to do something.

Special needs at mile 13 was the answer. I hit the port a potty, grabbed my extra shirt and my bottle of Mountain Dew. I carried it with me and sipped on it for the next 5 miles. That really got my energy back. So much so that after a couple miles I started running smoother.  As I entered the village to make the turn I was back to a smooth jog with only walking through the water stops. 

Soon after getting going on lap 2 they handed me a headlamp as it was getting dark. With the dark came much cooler temps too. I am glad I was running pretty good as that helped me stay warm. I really felt good after the second turn around. I knew I only had about three miles left and really tried to limit my slow down at the water stops. As I approached the final water stop we were in the parking lot for the village and could here the finish line. I grabbed a sponge to rinse my face off, and then grabbed one last water cup. It was time to run through the finish line now. 

Turning into the village for the last time was awesome. The fans were still out in force and cheering everyone on. As I rounded the final turn the finish line came into sight. I was not going to hit a PR, but I was very pleased with my overall effort. 

Summary

This race was epic. I highly recommend this race to everyone with the following caveats: if you are concerned with making the bike cut off, do not sign up. This bike course is not an easy course if it were at sea level, and it starts at over 6000 feet of elevation. If however you want a beautiful location with a challenging course and some of the most absolutely stunning scenery on a course ever, sign up. 

The snow capped mountains you gaze out on at the swim start, the mountains you look over at as you climb them on the bike, and the shadow of the mountain you get to run in are all beautiful. Sensing a theme, mountains. The run also has the Truckee river that you get to run along which also adds some great scenery to distract you during the marathon. 

Superior Man 2013 - aka Epic Heat Round 2

I remember saying last year that the high heat and SW winds for the inaugural edition of Superior Man were the worst weather conditions we could see for a late August Tri in Duluth. I was wrong. Very wrong...

Short Version

Swim - epic chop. Felt like we were swimming uphill at times. Toughest swim ever for me. 43:xx. Five minutes slower than Boulder. 

T1 - massive wrestling match with the right wetsuit arm on the run in.  Otherwise smooth and controlled. 

Bike - knew we had a tailwind to start so I went out fast but controlled. Hit Two Harbors in 1:10. Nothing exciting, which is good, and simply fought the headwind on the way home to a 2:32:xx.  

T2 - how much crap do I need to run?  Hat, glasses, race number belt, salt, GPS watch, cold water bottle...  Quick and efficient though.

Run - hot. Beer at Canal Park Brewery aid station, dip in Lake Superior, and lots of ice down the Tri bibs...  Did I mention it was hot?

Long Version

Pre-Race

Alarm at 4:30 and boy does that seem early...  Had a quick breakfast of toast and juice. Threw all of my stuff in my car and rolled out. As I pulled into the DECC the temp reads 79 degrees at 5:30 am.  It was fitting that the song "Hate My Life" came on at that moment...  Just remember, you paid for the opportunity to race today...

Setup my transition spot and chatted with everyone I knew doing the race, and plenty of random others. Lots of excitement, along with anxiety over the heat and wind. 

Swim

Boarded boat number two and headed to the top deck so I could once again jump off dead last. The chop from the wind looked rough and word was it delayed the take off of boat two. The Vista Fleet crew did a great job mooring the boat by Bayfront so we could get our race underway. 

Macarena?!?  That was the last song I heard prior to jumping in...  Thankfully it did not get stuck in my head for the ride...  As I got to the bottom of the stairs, I gave Clint the question and got the ok to dive in again. The one perk I get for going dfl.  And in I went!  

The water felt brisk but not too cold. I quickly got out and into a rhythm.  The chop on the south side was noticeable. About 1/4 of the way down the first leg, a kayak was right by me and asked if everything was ok.  Do I look that bad when I swim?  I kept plugging along and noticed I had a lady drafting off of me.  Not a problem, but I needed to pee and did not want to do that with someone right behind me so I waited. But she was on me like white on rice for the whole first lap.  I finally ditched her after seeing someone swimming the wrong way!?!  He was swimming well and I did not notice him until he was behind me so I did not say anything to him.  

On lap two the chop was even more apparent and it was like swimming uphill at times. There were strokes where my hand was still vertical as I was bringing it around and it would be hit by a wave and be totally under water. I drank plenty of Lake Superior and felt like a sock in the washing machine at times.  But finally the ladder was in sight. 

T1 

Once on dry land I started running because I was happy to not be getting tossed about.  Got to my bike and grabbed a gel while I put my helmet and socks on.  Threw my Gatorade chews in my pocket, flipped the camera and computer on and I was off.  

Bike 

Knowing we would have a strong tailwind up to Two Harbors (and a strong headwind home...), I wanted to make sure I took advantage without going too hard on the way out.  I also wanted to make sure I was drinking because it would be hot for the run and if I came in dehydrated from the bike, well that would suck...  

The chunk through town went by smoothly. I navigated the turns etc with no issues and soon enough was climbing the first hill on the expressway.  Maintain my pace while not going over my power threshold were my thoughts. With such an epically slow swim, I was passing quite a number of folks early on.  With the time trial start, there never seemed to be groups or drafting so that is nice.  

Just after the first aid station I came up behind my friend Caro.  This worried me a bit as I did not expect to see her so soon.  She was borrowing my Cervelo and I hoped it was not causing her issues. As I went by she was in good spirits so that was a good sign.  She would later pass me on the run on her way to third lady overall.  Rocking a great bike and run split using a bike she had never ridden that was less than ideal fitting (it was close, but she wanted her aerobars a little further away from the seat). 

Once we turned the corner at Two Harbors we felt the wind...  So that is why I was pushing 25+ on the flats with little effort...  Stay aero, and keep pedaling. Don't worry about a low speed number, everybody is seeing them...

The wind coupled with the rougher roads after Knife River had me in a little bit of a low spot.  Sore legs, sore lower back,  no energy...  All the things that can creep up on me in longer races. After the water stop I tried to drink a little more and get back into my groove. The wind decided to really smack us around by McQuade harbor. Flat road and 15 mph...  Ouch...  Finally got to London Road and got to ride "against traffic" (on the left shoulder) which is a little odd for a biker but fun too... 

As we approached 40th ave west I saw a guy running his fat tire bike because the tire was flat. Dude.  How on earth did you ride almost 50 miles on a fat tire bike that fast!?!  Thought about throwing him my flat repair stuff but quickly realized it would do him no good...  Yup, that is your brain at mile 50...  Heard later people saw him get back to T2...  Hope he finished.   He is hardcore!

T2 

Where did all of this shit come from?  Slip the bike on the rack, ditch the helmet, on with the shoes.  Pick up my hat, glasses, salt tablets, race belt, water bottle, GPS watch, kitchen sink...  You know it is hot out when a bottle of water frozen over night is not that cold when stored indoors out of the sun for six hours...

Run (Shuffle) 

My plan was to manage the run.  From the get go I panned on walking the aid stations so I could get in plenty of water. I would walk the uphills when that became an issue.  From the get go I kept a nice easy pace, if it was cool and I had not just biked 56 miles after swimming uphill like a salmon for over a mile.  At the aid stations I planned on ice and water at all of them.  Gatorade or Pepsi would be a station by station decision.  

The first lap was steady. Walk the aid stations grabbing water and ice from the great volunteers and staying as hydrated as possible.  The wind that plagued us for the last 27 miles was now going to be our friend at times. Whenever it was a head wind on the run, it did help cool you off.  Heading down railroad street it felt nice as a watched the string of runners ahead of me.  It reminded me of a bunch of semis driving up Thompson hill.  Nobody was moving fast, but we were all moving forward with purpose. At the end of lap one the stint through Bayfront Park was nice as the wind was coming off the harbor and felt cooler.  

Lap two...  I had a plan to dip in Lake Superior at the first aid station if it was really hot.  Well, it was really hot 5-10 degrees ago...  Below is the GPS track showing my little detour for my cool down.

As I approached the first aid station by the Canal Park Brewery, I grabbed my water and ice.  On a whim I asked for beer since it was mile 8 and all...  Low and behold they had Growlers and poured me a glass. I took it and headed for the lake. 

Jumping in felt great. Nice and cool all over. I got out and got back to the run. Same story, run to the aid station, grab ice and water, and get rolling. My mile splits were not great, but I was still running. As we headed back on the Lakewalk, I noticed my doctor volunteering and wondered what the official advice would be on completing a half iron race in high heat and humidity...  

After the final aid station, I got back to pace. Time to run it in to the finish line. I picked off a few racers in the last half mile, and finished with a hard earned 5:45 or so.  

Overall 

Not my best time of the year, but i was very pleased with how I managed the race based on the conditions.  The run in the heat was tough, but I felt like I handled it well.  Not exactly my best run time, but I was still running strong at the finish.

I have to give Clint and the whole Superior Man crew a tip of the hat.  They made some nice changes to the race that were noticeable upgrades; carpet mats for transition to keep us from slipping, taking the bike course off of the railroad tracks, and a new two loop run course.  On top of that, I have never seen a run course aid station setup handle that kind of heat with no problems so well.  They never ran out of ice and the volunteers were great.  

Garry Bjorklund 2013

In my preparation for the Garry Bjorklund this year, I tried joining the Duluth Running Company training group. With my solid PR I set two years ago, and the inevitable aging process I figured it would be a chance worth trying to see if I could coax a little more speed out of my running. The biggest advantage I found from the group was the incentive to get out early in the season when the weather was crappy because I knew there was a group waiting. 

Race Day

As race day dawned, the weather looked good. Not too hot and no headwind. My goal was to go out around 7:10 pace as my PR is right at 7:11 pace. As I waited for the start it was nice to chat with everyone I knew who was running. I have never been much for warming up, so it was a nice way to pass the time. As the start edged closer, I downed my gel and lined up with the 7:00 minute area towards the lake side. 

I got off to a solid start and felt good right away. My first few mile splits were low 7:00's with mile three being in the high 6:50's. I tried to back it off ever so slightly to make sure I was not going to crash at Lemon Drop Hill.  The middle few miles were right at 7:05 to 7:10 so I was happy. 

London Road

As we headed down London Road, a large group of college age girls started slowly passing me. They were a group of CC runners. At the same time I was passing a younger guy.  Everyone was chatting and I heard the guy was a senior at East. As the ladies pulled away, I tried to convince him to stay with them. He just did not have it in him. Too bad. 

Moment of Truth

Lemon Drop Hill...  I was still feeling pretty good as I approached the hill, but I knew that could all change as I went up it.  I made a point of taking it easy to not aggravate my calf and instead wanted to focus on getting back up to pace at the top.  Once over the top, I was able to get back on my pace quick. On top of that, I still felt strong. On the gradual decline into mile marker 10 there were some college age spectators with Stella Artois in cans. They offered so I took one. A little carb with my hydration...

Finish Strong

As we headed down Superior Street, I focused on keeping my pace solid. With only a couple miles left, I just needed to stay on my pace and I had a PR in the bag. When I crossed the line, I had a PR of 1:32:49, 7:06 per mile average. Overall it was a good race for me. 

Post Race

With the chilly temps, I did not stick around for too long. Basically I changed, got some snacks and bailed out. 

August!?! How did that happen.

So, I have not been blogging much this summer as I have been busy with everything.  I somehow managed to sign up for an Ironman in September of this year while simultaneously deciding to build a house.  When I say build a house, I mean build with the only contractors I am hiring are the well driller and the septic installer. 

In the next few weeks I am going to try and write some post event blogs catching up on the various racing adventures I have had this summer. A little heads up, I have had a couple of PR's this summer so far. 

New Bri Tri - Season Kick Off

Short Version

Cold swim, flat tire, solid run. 

Long Version

So after some back and forth discussions with Mike and Clint from Duluth Running Co., we all decided to head out for the New Bri Tri as a season starter. The weather forecast was 50/50 on if it would rain, and in the end we had great race weather. No rain, and the temps were in the mid 60's for the race.

We all showed up early and signed up race morning.  I went to work getting everything set up for the race. Happily I did not seem to forget anything needed for a good race. Mike would be in the first wave, Clint in wave two, and I got to go off in wave three. With two minutes separation, I knew Mike would be up the road the whole time. I figured Clint would be seen on the run out and back, but most likely not able to be caught. 

Swim

Cold.  With our lingering winter around Minnesota, everyone knew the water would be brisk. The RD said 62 degrees. I was glad to have a full sleeve wetsuit for this one. The first few strokes felt a little chilly, but after a minute or two it was just another swim. Since I had not been swimming much so far this year, I focused on staying smooth and straight.  No sense swimming any further than I had to.  When I hit shore, I felt like I had a good swim.  As usual, I totally forgot to hit my watch for a split, but later saw in the results it was a 13:41 for a half mile. Solid for me overall. 

Bike

I have not been biking as much as I would like.  The poor weather has been keeping me from getting out some times. Being in the third wave, and also a little slower in the water, there were plenty of bikers on the road in front of me. Heading out of the park, I had to pass a minivan and got stuck behind a group of slower cyclists taking up the whole lane at one point. 

Once out of the park, I tried to settle in and get a good pace going. This course has a bunch of turns and it helped to have ridden the course last year. Knowing the corners before you got to them helped me carry a little more speed. Just after I passed the half way point as I was navigating the 170 degree corner I hit a pot hole with my back tire. I saw it in time to get the front tire up over it, but the back tire hit it straight on and blew. It was flat within one second. 

I set to changing my tire and in just over five minutes I was back on my way. I was now back in the pack and trying to pass people again. I once again got caught up behind a couple of bikers who would not pass a car that was stuck behind a slower biker. After getting by them, the remainder of the ride was uneventful. 

Run

I was feeling decent for the run, even if the legs were a little heavy. I was hoping that had more to do with it being the first race of the season and the fact that I had not run off the bike much yet this year. After about half a mile and cresting the first hill my legs started to come around. Now I started to pick off the other runners. SKINNYSKI.COM was at the race taking pictures and just after I started getting in my groove I came across the photographer. The following pictures show me coming up on the photographer with the final picture with me front and center looking pretty good for me. 

Far left in the distance.

Under the guys right elbow in the distance.

On the right.

I rarely look this happy during a run...

I kept the pace strong and tried to build as I hit the two mile mark. Right after the far turnaround, I had a lady behind me that helped push me for a half mile or so before she finally passed me, and then just as I came to the finish line someone made a push to pass so I had to give it one last sprint to make sure it did not happen. 

1:17:08 when it is all said and done. Take out the flat changing time and I would be really happy with that time. Bottom line, a good first tri of the season.

Trainer Time

Well, I skipped the run today and rode the trainer instead. With the weather as it is, I have been slacking on the bike workouts. I would rather be outside, but I put in some trainer time due to the continued snow.

I am potentially racing in the Gear West Duathlon in May as a team. I will be the biker, so it is important I get my biking legs ready in a hurry. My plan is to get outside for some riding prior to the end of the coming weekend. I might need to wear a few more layers than in years past, but I need to ride the road instead of spinning in place.

This week upcoming I need to make a point of getting to the pool at least once. Getting out for my runs has not been a problem, so I am not worried about that. I will need to find the best weather day to get my bike out. We will see how that goes.

Snowy Long Run

I just got home from my weekly long run with the DRC Training group. We ran 10 miles along the Lakewalk this morning. Luckily, the plow came along when we were less than 1/2 mile into the run. This made the footing relatively good for us.

The lake looked pretty neat with the ice and snow piled up from the northeast wind we had over the last few days. The eight ships sitting in the lake waiting to go into the harbor was a neat sight at the edge of the ice pack also. As we were heading back we even saw a tugboat pushing through the ice to presumably help one of the ships into the harbor.

Since we were running on packed snow, I chose to keep a nice tempo pace today. It seems a lot of people had the same idea and there was a group of us that we're pretty close together out to the 4 mile turn. A few turned back there, and the rest of us moved on to the 5 mile turnaround. On the way back Liz and I paced each other and chatted. A good way to spend the Saturday long run all in all.

The weather this week made me miss a couple workouts so I am glad I got out and nailed my ten miles early today. I will make a point of getting a run in tomorrow also, and I might even get a trainer ride in this afternoon. If Mother Nature won't make it easy to ride outside, I will just have to suffer through some more indoor rides.

Winter Snowstorm

I will start by saying I love snow, and winter in general. However, we just received a foot of snow with a forecast for more over the next week and it is almost tax day. I should be safely out riding on the roads by now, and instead I am making sure my shovel is in good working order...

I have been running pretty good lately. Joining the DRC marathon training group has helped get me out the door in the less than ideal weather we have been experiencing. So I do feel good about my running so far this season.

My biking is a bit behind where I normally am this time of year. Usually I have gotten the road bike out a few times by now. As of yet I have not had a bicycle out on the roads in 2013. I really want to get out on the roads. Soon... I have my bikes in good condition and am just waiting on the roads to clear up and the weather to get a little warmer.

My swimming started the year out ok. However I have been skipping the pool as of late. I need to make a point about getting to the pool at least once a week for starters. I am hoping signing up for the Point to LaPointe open water swim will give me something to focus on for the swim training.

As summer approaches I have a solid race season lined up so far: Boulder 70.3, Point to LaPointe, Superior Man, and Ironman Lake Tahoe are for sure. I am thinking about pulling the trigger on Chisago Lakes Half and maybe an early season duathlon.