Living in a northern climate, running in the winter can bring with it some challenges. There can be bitter cold, snow, ice, dark, biting winds; well you get the idea.
Of course, there is always the option of the treadmill if you have access to one. I do take advantage of the treadmill when it is cold and windy and dark. I have a hard time running more than 5 or 6 miles on the treadmill though.
So for me, having access to the Lakewalk in Duluth is a great advantage for winter running. Even if the weather is less than ideal, you can count on the Lakewalk to be clear of snow and have good footing. Couple that with the fact that it has very few road crossings and it makes for a great running option.
This afternoon I had a nice 9 mile long run in perfect winter running conditions. The few inches of snow that fell early in the week were cleared so the path was perfect and radiating the sun back up at me. So the upper 20 degree temperatures were beautiful for running.
With spring closing in, I should rarely feel the "need" to run on the treadmill anymore. Even after work it is staying light out long enough to easily get a good run in without it being too dark.
I hope everyone else is having a wonderful start to their 2012 season preparations no matter what your goal race may be.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
2012: Looking Ahead
Triathlon
As of right now, I have three races that I have signed up for. I registered for Timberman (Grand Rapids, MN) and Northwoods (Nevis, MN) as soon as possible as they tend to fill early. I also signed up for the new Superior Man Tri to take advantage of the early bird discount.
I will be trying to focus my training to have a solid race at Superior Man in late August. I should be able to throw down a hard effort at Timberman also as it is in mid July, but Northwoods will be more of a fast training effort as it will be two weeks prior to Superior Man.
The rest of the race season will be made up of races as they fit into my schedule. I will find a few that sound like fun, like the Moose Lake Tri and Burrito Union. I will try to work on my biking this year. I would like to put a few more miles in this season so I can put down a good bike split at Superior Man without killing my ability to run well also.
Running
I have my slot for the Garry Bjorklund already, and will try to get into the TC 10 Miler also. I will most likely run the Park Point 5 miler, and as many of the NMTC Spring and Fall races as possible. I am even looking at running in the spring trail 25k race.
I am trying to put a solid early effort at building my running base again. I am following a similar progression to what I did last year as I had a season worth of PR's at almost every distance I ran. On top of the progression of runs I will be focusing on running the majority of my early season miles easy with only one run a week having any speed at all.
As of right now, I have three races that I have signed up for. I registered for Timberman (Grand Rapids, MN) and Northwoods (Nevis, MN) as soon as possible as they tend to fill early. I also signed up for the new Superior Man Tri to take advantage of the early bird discount.
I will be trying to focus my training to have a solid race at Superior Man in late August. I should be able to throw down a hard effort at Timberman also as it is in mid July, but Northwoods will be more of a fast training effort as it will be two weeks prior to Superior Man.
The rest of the race season will be made up of races as they fit into my schedule. I will find a few that sound like fun, like the Moose Lake Tri and Burrito Union. I will try to work on my biking this year. I would like to put a few more miles in this season so I can put down a good bike split at Superior Man without killing my ability to run well also.
Running
I have my slot for the Garry Bjorklund already, and will try to get into the TC 10 Miler also. I will most likely run the Park Point 5 miler, and as many of the NMTC Spring and Fall races as possible. I am even looking at running in the spring trail 25k race.
I am trying to put a solid early effort at building my running base again. I am following a similar progression to what I did last year as I had a season worth of PR's at almost every distance I ran. On top of the progression of runs I will be focusing on running the majority of my early season miles easy with only one run a week having any speed at all.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
2011 Wrap-Up
Swim - 31650 yards
Bike - 1502 miles
Run - 1055 miles
Those are the totals good or bad... Pleased with my overall run mileage. I made a concerted effort to start the year with a good run focus. I kept this up for a good portion of the year. Really happy about that. During the summer I got out on the bike a good amount. But I know if I could find a little more time for the bike I could make some improvements there. And the swim... It is no secret I do not like the pool at all. So I tend to avoid swimming outside of race day. I might need to try to hit the pool a little more this offseason to see if it helps much.
Overall I had a decent season for racing. I had multiple PR's running: 5 mile, 10 mile, and half marathon. And all were big improvements over previous PR's. For my tri season, I had a lot of fun and raced well. No new PR's, but I had some very good races that I enjoyed.
Now it is time to look forward to 2012. I have already signed up for the new Superior Man Tri half iron distance at the end of August. I will also be racing in Grand Rapids at the Timberman Triathlon in mid-July. My first big race of the season is the Garry Bjorklund half marathon in June. I am still putting together the remainder of the season, but I have a couple of big races to train for at least.
Let me know if there are any really cool/unique/fun races out there that I should take a look at while I finalize my race season.
Bike - 1502 miles
Run - 1055 miles
Those are the totals good or bad... Pleased with my overall run mileage. I made a concerted effort to start the year with a good run focus. I kept this up for a good portion of the year. Really happy about that. During the summer I got out on the bike a good amount. But I know if I could find a little more time for the bike I could make some improvements there. And the swim... It is no secret I do not like the pool at all. So I tend to avoid swimming outside of race day. I might need to try to hit the pool a little more this offseason to see if it helps much.
Overall I had a decent season for racing. I had multiple PR's running: 5 mile, 10 mile, and half marathon. And all were big improvements over previous PR's. For my tri season, I had a lot of fun and raced well. No new PR's, but I had some very good races that I enjoyed.
Now it is time to look forward to 2012. I have already signed up for the new Superior Man Tri half iron distance at the end of August. I will also be racing in Grand Rapids at the Timberman Triathlon in mid-July. My first big race of the season is the Garry Bjorklund half marathon in June. I am still putting together the remainder of the season, but I have a couple of big races to train for at least.
Let me know if there are any really cool/unique/fun races out there that I should take a look at while I finalize my race season.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
New Duluth Half Ironman - Superior Man Tri
This post has literally been a few months in the making. It really started around late August when Clint Agar from Duluth Running Company first gave hints of a triathlon he was working on putting together for the Duluth
This race is going to be a classic half ironman distance that is based out of the
Swim
The swim for the Superior Man Tri will be in the Duluth Vista fleet of boats that they will then jump off of to start the half ironman journey. I would suggest enjoying the ride and the views of the Aerial and Blatnik bridges now, as once you are in the water you will tend to be more focused on getting to shore as fast as possible. The water in the harbor will not be as cold as the main lake, but it will most likely be anything but warm. This will be one of those races where wetsuits will always be legal.
From the course description, the swim will start 1.2 miles southeast of Bayfront park which should be right around 19th Avenue if you were on Park Point, or just short of the channel to go under the Blatnik bridge in the harbor itself. Racers will jump off of the Vista boats and then swim straight northwest towards Bayfront park. This should be nice with the sun at your back and the dominating fixtures of the Amsoil Arena and Bayfront bandshell to sight off of. If you go off course during this swim you should see your eye doctor before getting on your bike.
Bike
The bike course is a single loop that heads towards Two Harbors and then follows the majority of the Grandma’s marathon run course back. The weather of late August in the Duluth Duluth
Based on Clint’s description and the website, the bike course will start out a little technical as it attempts to get out of the downtown area. In a half ironman I think this will be fine. Much like the Ironman race in Madison Lake Superior should give everyone something to take their mind off of the potential grueling nature of the race on the back half of the bike. The return into town will share the slightly technical nature as the start, but once again this can be a good opportunity for everyone to change things up and get out of the pedals to stretch before hitting the run.
Run
I need to talk to Clint a little more to understand the details of the run course a little better (the exact turn around point and stuff). I have a general feel and it will be a very spectator friendly course. Three laps will make that a given, but the fact that the course loops around Canal Park will also make it easy for spectators to jog around and catch athletes at multiple spots if they are up for the walk. For the runners, the William A. Irvin, Aerial Lift Bridge , Lake Superior , and the Boardwalk will be interesting sights as they make their way around the course. The finish of the run is set for the Bayfront Festival Park
Overall
As I think about the overall potential for this race I believe it has a lot of things going for it. From a pure racers standpoint, the unique swim is a draw. The bike course will be challenging enough for the experienced racer, but not too intimidating for a relative newcomer to a half ironman distance race. The run will allow for great spectator support in an interesting area to help keep the motivation level high.
TheCanal Park
The
For spectators the Canal Park
So, if you were looking for a half ironman distance race close to the end of the season, this one should be on your list as a potential race.
I plan to find out all of the little details that make a race for the average racer such as what kind of items will be available at aid stations, where will the aid stations be, etc… As I find them out, I will post that information here. If anyone has any questions, I will be more than willing to try and find them out just put them in the comments. Hope to see a great field in Duluth
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Moutain Biking and Hockey...
Elm Creek Park Reserve Trails
Over the long holiday weekend, I was able to take advantage of the unseasonably warm weather. While in the Twin Cities area I got out and rode the new mountain biking trails at Elm Creek Park Reserve.
They have three loops that are basically singletrack through the trees with some open field singletrack also. While in the trees, the majority of the technicality of the trails comes from tight trees and corners with trees. The advanced loop had a few technical features thrown in that were always optional with a way around them.
The first time around the loops, I was keeping the speed in check as I was making sure to not hit a tree. On Friday, I went around half of the intermediate loop and the complete advanced loop twice. On the second trip around, I was able to hold little more speed as I was more familiar with the tight spaces and corners.
On Saturday I was back and did the complete intermediate and advanced loops one time around. I was able to hold even more speed and I even tried a couple of the technical features. I tried the half-pipe looking feature and the bridge bypasses with success. When I tried the final log ramp over a tree branch, my chainring caught when I was at the peak and flipped me over my handlebars. No damage to the bike and I was fine to keep riding.
All in all, over 25 miles of mountain biking this weekend was a nice way to most likely end my outdoor riding for the year.
Hockey
Since the last time I wrote about hockey, the Wild went on a little bit of a run to the top of the NHL. They have been playing well during the stretch. It would be nice if they would start off their games a little stronger, but they are doing a good job of coming from behind.
The Gophers look similar to the start of the year. They are a little inconsistent. At times, they look like they are dominating every team they play. And at other times they cannot seem to get out of their own way. I really hope this team can continue to work out the kinks so they are ready come playoff time. They potentially have the pieces to make a good run.
I will be at the Wild's December 14th contest against the Chicago Blackhawks. Looking forward to seeing how they are playing in person again. I might have to make a trip down for a Gopher game at Mariucci some time this winter also. It has been a couple years since I have been to Mariucci...
Over the long holiday weekend, I was able to take advantage of the unseasonably warm weather. While in the Twin Cities area I got out and rode the new mountain biking trails at Elm Creek Park Reserve.
They have three loops that are basically singletrack through the trees with some open field singletrack also. While in the trees, the majority of the technicality of the trails comes from tight trees and corners with trees. The advanced loop had a few technical features thrown in that were always optional with a way around them.
The first time around the loops, I was keeping the speed in check as I was making sure to not hit a tree. On Friday, I went around half of the intermediate loop and the complete advanced loop twice. On the second trip around, I was able to hold little more speed as I was more familiar with the tight spaces and corners.
On Saturday I was back and did the complete intermediate and advanced loops one time around. I was able to hold even more speed and I even tried a couple of the technical features. I tried the half-pipe looking feature and the bridge bypasses with success. When I tried the final log ramp over a tree branch, my chainring caught when I was at the peak and flipped me over my handlebars. No damage to the bike and I was fine to keep riding.
All in all, over 25 miles of mountain biking this weekend was a nice way to most likely end my outdoor riding for the year.
Hockey
Since the last time I wrote about hockey, the Wild went on a little bit of a run to the top of the NHL. They have been playing well during the stretch. It would be nice if they would start off their games a little stronger, but they are doing a good job of coming from behind.
The Gophers look similar to the start of the year. They are a little inconsistent. At times, they look like they are dominating every team they play. And at other times they cannot seem to get out of their own way. I really hope this team can continue to work out the kinks so they are ready come playoff time. They potentially have the pieces to make a good run.
I will be at the Wild's December 14th contest against the Chicago Blackhawks. Looking forward to seeing how they are playing in person again. I might have to make a trip down for a Gopher game at Mariucci some time this winter also. It has been a couple years since I have been to Mariucci...
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Run Season Recap
With the finale of the NMTC fall trail season this past weekend, my running season for 2011 has essentially come to an end. I may get another holiday 5k in, but nothing planned right now. When the year started, my "A" run races were the Garry Bjorklund half marathon and if I got in, the Twin Cities 10 miler. I also planned on running as many of the NMTC events as I could.
Spring NMTC/Garry Bjorklund Prep
Early this year I was focusing on running often. In fact I was running 5-6 times per week. My plan was to build up the consistency of my running to see how this worked out. This worked out well as the spring NMTC series rolled in. I managed to make it out for all of the events but was not as fast running as I felt I should have been. I was focusing more on preparation for the Garry Bjorklund so I was not too concerned.
Garry Bjorklund Race Day
As the race approached, I was feeling pretty good about my prep. I felt I might be able to get a PR if I raced well. Race morning dawned and it was questionable weather. It was raining and windy. At least the wind was coming from the northeast. Standing around at the start line we were all getting wet and it was cold with the wind off the lake.
Once we got running, the rain stopped and we were able to take full advantage of the tailwind. I was keeping a good pace and came through the 10 mile mark in 1:11:XX which was a PR for that distance for me. I was able to finish with a 1:33:49 which was a more than 1:00 minute for me.
The race ended up being a great race with a combination of good fitness coupled with good race weather for a PR. If I want to break that time I will be hard pressed to do so.
Summer Running
As summer set in, I focused on hitting solid races at my multisport events. As far as running goes, I hit some really good times, and some that were less than stellar. Apple Duathlon and the Moose Lake Triathlon had pretty good run splits.
I also jumped into the Park Point 5 Miler during the summer. I was not really focusing in any way on this race and even got out to the point early and got in 16 miles of intervals on my bike prior to the Friday evening run. I ended up having a pretty solid race and knocking out a PR of 33:49.
Another summer run that was found was the Bay to Bay trail race on the Superior Hiking Trail from Silver Bay to Beaver Bay. This was a very challenging 10k trail race. I had a great time running the race and even won the $50 door prize after the race.
Prep for 10 Miler
Later in the summer I started my prep for the Twin Cities 10 miler. I was still running consistently and hitting really good mileage (for me). I was averaging over 100 miles per month so far this year. As race day approached I did a couple specific workouts I have tried in the past that I liked and did not hit them like I was hoping to. I was a little concerned that I might have been a little less prepared for the 10 miler this year.
I had thought my running was setting me up for a chance at a PR, but I was getting a little concerned. Once race day hit, I figured it was worth going for the PR anyway. I figured if I ran a smart race I had a chance. In the end I was able to pull out a great PR for myself of 1:09:56.
Fall Trail Running
For the fall trail running season I really wanted to make it out to all of the races so I could see all of the courses; especially the power lines. I was able to make it out every week. The start of the season went well, but after the TC 10 miler, I think I really lost my drive to race. I still enjoyed the remainder of the races, but was not knocking out times like I was hoping for.
Season Summary
All in all I had a great year running. At my two "A" races I knocked out solid PR's. I also had a PR at the 5 mile distance. So three PR's in one season. I doubt I will ever do that again.
For the rest of 2011 I will be just running when I feel like it. For the first time ever I have run more than 1000 miles in a year. As I look forward to 2012, maybe I will shoot for 1200... Already I have the Garry Bjorklund lined up for next season. I think I will have to find a couple of new races for next year too.
Spring NMTC/Garry Bjorklund Prep
Early this year I was focusing on running often. In fact I was running 5-6 times per week. My plan was to build up the consistency of my running to see how this worked out. This worked out well as the spring NMTC series rolled in. I managed to make it out for all of the events but was not as fast running as I felt I should have been. I was focusing more on preparation for the Garry Bjorklund so I was not too concerned.
Garry Bjorklund Race Day
As the race approached, I was feeling pretty good about my prep. I felt I might be able to get a PR if I raced well. Race morning dawned and it was questionable weather. It was raining and windy. At least the wind was coming from the northeast. Standing around at the start line we were all getting wet and it was cold with the wind off the lake.
Once we got running, the rain stopped and we were able to take full advantage of the tailwind. I was keeping a good pace and came through the 10 mile mark in 1:11:XX which was a PR for that distance for me. I was able to finish with a 1:33:49 which was a more than 1:00 minute for me.
The race ended up being a great race with a combination of good fitness coupled with good race weather for a PR. If I want to break that time I will be hard pressed to do so.
Summer Running
As summer set in, I focused on hitting solid races at my multisport events. As far as running goes, I hit some really good times, and some that were less than stellar. Apple Duathlon and the Moose Lake Triathlon had pretty good run splits.
I also jumped into the Park Point 5 Miler during the summer. I was not really focusing in any way on this race and even got out to the point early and got in 16 miles of intervals on my bike prior to the Friday evening run. I ended up having a pretty solid race and knocking out a PR of 33:49.
Another summer run that was found was the Bay to Bay trail race on the Superior Hiking Trail from Silver Bay to Beaver Bay. This was a very challenging 10k trail race. I had a great time running the race and even won the $50 door prize after the race.
Prep for 10 Miler
Later in the summer I started my prep for the Twin Cities 10 miler. I was still running consistently and hitting really good mileage (for me). I was averaging over 100 miles per month so far this year. As race day approached I did a couple specific workouts I have tried in the past that I liked and did not hit them like I was hoping to. I was a little concerned that I might have been a little less prepared for the 10 miler this year.
I had thought my running was setting me up for a chance at a PR, but I was getting a little concerned. Once race day hit, I figured it was worth going for the PR anyway. I figured if I ran a smart race I had a chance. In the end I was able to pull out a great PR for myself of 1:09:56.
Fall Trail Running
For the fall trail running season I really wanted to make it out to all of the races so I could see all of the courses; especially the power lines. I was able to make it out every week. The start of the season went well, but after the TC 10 miler, I think I really lost my drive to race. I still enjoyed the remainder of the races, but was not knocking out times like I was hoping for.
Season Summary
All in all I had a great year running. At my two "A" races I knocked out solid PR's. I also had a PR at the 5 mile distance. So three PR's in one season. I doubt I will ever do that again.
For the rest of 2011 I will be just running when I feel like it. For the first time ever I have run more than 1000 miles in a year. As I look forward to 2012, maybe I will shoot for 1200... Already I have the Garry Bjorklund lined up for next season. I think I will have to find a couple of new races for next year too.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)