One foot in front of the other.
My trip to Louisville, Kentucky began at about 6 o’clock AM on August 26, 2010. Since I had so much stuff to bring, including my bike, helmet(s) and all my other race gear, some of which is quite bulky, I had decided to drive down rather than fly. From New York City, where I live, it is about a twelve hour drive. To be completely honest, the drive was rather boring and uneventful.
Upon arriving in Louisville and checking in to my hotel, I immediately headed to a nearby Wal-Mart super center to pick up some groceries. I was trying to keep my meals as on track as possible leading up to the race and, say what you want about Wal-Mart, but they had everything I needed to have the meals and snacks that Coach Jeff prescribed. After eating dinner and taking a bit to digest, I got right into bed and went to sleep.
The next morning, I didn’t have a very strict schedule of anything to do. So, after eating breakfast, showering and such I headed down to check myself in to the race and to visit the expo. Checking in was relatively painless and went by in about 15 or 20 minutes. The check-in process went like so:
After doing the check-in thing, it was on to the expo. A quick side-note on that; I think WTC (Ironman‘s parent company) is making a huge mistake by only having themselves as the sole vendor of general multisport “stuff” at these events. There are of course, other companies at the expo selling their products, but not really any multi-sport retailers other than Ironman. For instance, I needed two extra eight ounce Fuel Belt bottles. The Ironman store in the expo only sold Nathan products (that I could find) which do not fit in my Fuel Belt. So, I had to drive across town to what was actually a really great local multisport store, VO2 Multisport to find the bottles I needed. My point is, unless Ironman/WTC can somehow manage to have fewer exclusive deals and carry a wider range of products in their “store”, I think they’re hurting themselves and the athletes by boxing out stores that might be able to provide some of the things they cannot.
In the expo, I made my way through the companies that were there to visit Pam, Ian and the crew from Newton Running (I’m sure you’re completely shocked that I spent time there!). It was really great to hang out with them for a few and to talk about everything from shoes to the challenges of running (and hiking and biking and…) with babies, toddlers and beyond. I had put out the call for a tweet-up lunch thing meeting at the Newton booth at noon, so in the time I had before then, I ran back out to my car to take care of a couple of errands and to scope out the area. On my way out of the Galt House Hotel, where the expo and such was being held, I got recognized by a racer named Alvaro (I’m pretty sure). I’m constantly shocked when this happens, but he was such a nice guy and I truly hope his race was everything he’d set out to accomplish.
I got back to the Newton booth right at noon and waited around until 12:30 for people to show. The tweet-up ended up being just me, but that’s OK, because I like me (most of the time)! I think that a lot of the time, people are a bit shy about crossing the bridge between the virtual and real worlds and don’t want to speak up. So, if you’re reading this and you DID show up, but you just weren’t sure what to do next, SAY SOMETHING TO ME!! Chances are you know what I look like, but I probably don’t know what you look like!
After I had my lunch, I went back to my hotel to rest a bit and to shower and such as I’d be heading to the athlete’s dinner and meeting that evening. The meeting itself was the usual stuff; the directors of each portion of the course, and the race director went over rules and cautions, helping to give us the safest and best race experience.
Afterward, I headed back to my hotel. My plan was to begin to get my gear together and into it’s assigned bag. Below is the video of those details:
After all that, I headed to bed with my alarm clock set to wake me up and get down to the practice swim the next morning.
The practice swim was pretty uneventful. The race was NOT wetsuit legal as the temperature was about 86° F. I took the swim to feel out how I would react to the fact that we would begin the race by swimming upstream and against the current of the Ohio River. I also wanted to feel the downstream current as I was expecting to feel more pull than I actually did. The swim felt good and the water was MUCH better to swim in than the Hudson River!
After the swim, I took my bike to the Ironman wheel rental counter to get my race wheels put on (special thanks to @Indianabackdoc for helping facilitate this). I then had a short, easy bike ride of about 30 minutes in order to get my legs spinning. This was followed by a short, roughly 15 minute run. Both of these felt great and I was really beginning to get excited for the next day.
I went back to my hotel and got my gear together to check in. In Ironman races, you are required to check in your bike and transition bags the day before the race. Generally, you will have access to them on race day, but it pays to be ready ahead of time. I got my stuff all checked in and that pretty much ends the preparation!
After taking a short nap and lounging around my hotel room for the afternoon, I met up with Trevor and Kristine (Twitter friends and teammates on Team PRS Fit). We went to Lynn’s Paradise Cafe and had an awesome dinner with excellent conversation. It was so amazing to have met these two and to get to spend some really amazing time with them (more on this later). They really and truly made my trip without my wife and daughter that much more bearable and I cannot thank them enough for all they did for me.
I got back to my hotel at about 8:30 and set my alarm for 3 AM. I closed my eyes, and surprisingly, sleep came easily.
To be continued…
My Top Ten Tips for Beginner Cyclists
Baker’s Review of the Catlike Whisper Plus
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Sole Dual Layer Performance Socks
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Sole (AMAZING SOCKS, and sandals….)
Smith Pivlock V90 Max Sunglasses
Smith Pivlock V90 Max with Prescription lenses
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Stuffitts Winner @Ironsunflower!!
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I headed out my door this morning at 5:30 AM. At that time, it was 80 degrees Fahrenheit and 85% humidity. My run was to be:
Keep heart rate in zones 1-3 on a rolling course. Allow heart rate to gradually rise to zone 3 as pace builds, but don’t force it up. Duration 1:30:00
As I began, I felt decent if a little tired from waking up at 4:30 AM. I started on my favorite route and by the time I got about 1.25 miles into it I noticed that I was literally pouring sweat. This continued until I got about 27 minutes into my run when I decided to turn back. Up to this point, my sweat rate had been epic and this is considering the fact that I am a heavy sweater to begin with. My heart rate had also been jumping far higher than it should. Basically, my effort was far more than it should have been.
Once I turned around, these things were only compounded by my mental state and the fact that I even found myself walking a couple of hills (not sure if the walking was an effort thing or a screw it thing). Once I got home, it took me ten minutes of standing in a cold shower with my clothes on to get my heart rate under 100 and to get me to a point where I didn’t feel like I was going to overheat. This run officially ranks as #2 on my list of all time worst runs (just behind my first marathon) and is certainly my worst ever workout run (that I can remember, I’ve never walked part of a workout).
This brings me to my question. How do you mentally recover from a bad workout? I’m not worried about the physical part, I don’t have time for that. It the mental thing and the fact that I can’t say, “well, I’ve had worse runs”, because I haven’t had worse runs. So what do you do?
Leave a comment on this post and win a pair of Stuffitts for free! (it takes 2 seconds!!)
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New York City Triathlon Results (I’m bib number 4788)
Me on the Official Newton Blog!
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This coming Monday, July 5th, will mark the 100th episode of IronBrandon’s Podcast! to celebrate, I would like to invite any and all those who can make it to join me for a short run in Central Park followed by a drink. It won’t go terribly long due to the fact that I need to get home and actually record the 100th show! Here are the details:
Who: Me and all of you! Bring a friend!
What: Short-ish run in New York’s Central Park
When: Monday, July 5, 2010 at 4:00 PM EST
Where: For the Run: Meeting at the entrance to the parking lot of the (former) Tavern on the Green (where the lot meets West Drive). [MAP] For Drink(s): Dive 75 (75th & Columbus) [MAP]
I certainly hope to see many of you there! Please don’t worry about pace as we will be taking it easy so as to include everyone who comes!
Win a free entry to the Salinas Valley Half Marathon!
Stuffitts (Comment on this post and win a free pair!)
Know your body’s quick-cooling spots
IronBrandon’s Podcast: Episode 99 (player temporarily being stupid. Click here to play)
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Win a free entry to the Salinas Valley Half Marathon!
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I want to begin by saying that whoever wins this, I AM SO JEALOUS! Now, on to the contest…
The First Annual Salinas Valley Half Marathon is a race that struck me as one that has so much to offer. From taking place in beautiful Northern California along Monterey Bay to finishing by running through the vines at the Pessagno Winery, this race promises to be one that many may have trouble “racing” because they’ll be distracted by their surroundings. The course is USATF Certified (certification # CA10002TK).
So, I have ONE (1) entry into this race that I am giving away to one of you guys! Here’s how the contest works:
Hey there guys! I am so excited to share some news with you all. Much has been made over the past year of what exactly defines ‘good’ running for and/or technique. Many, like myself, believe in allowing your body to do what it is meant to do naturally rather than allowing an overbuilt, over-cushioned shoe get in the way. With all that said, there is an awesome clinic on natural running form coming to New York City on June 15! See you there! Here are the details:
What: Natural Running Form Clinic with Newton Running
When: Tues., June 15 at 6:30 pm
Where: Meet at The Boat House, Central Park NYC (See map below)
Why: Join Newton Running for a free, open to the public event featuring
Newton’s co-founder and running form expert Danny Abshire, as well as
Newton’s R&D/Education Director and adventure racing world champ Ian
Adamson. Danny and Ian will lead a clinic to demonstrate how proper running
form can improve speed and efficiency, and decrease the risk of injury.
*NOTE* Do not feel any pressure to be a Newton wearer in coming to this clinic! This is for ALL runners who want to improve their form and efficiency.
June 12th: Newton Running Form Clinic & Symposium, Newton Running Lab, Boulder, CO 9-10am Running Form Clinic, 5:30-7:30pm Natural Running Symposium
June 16th: Newton Running Symposium, The Track and Field Store (997 Madison Avenue, NYC) 6:30-8:30pm Symposium, Q and A
June 17th: Runner’s Edge, Farmington, NY 6:30-7:30pm Symposium, Q and A 7:30-8:30pm Form Clinic
Continued from: 2010 Ironman Mooseman 70.3: Race Report Part 2 – Race Morning…
Beach starts in triathlon tend to be a full contact affair. This is especially true just behind the front of the pack. If you’ve placed yourself in that spot, there’s a decent chance that you’ll get kicked in the face by the guy in front of you and/or punched in various parts of your body by the guys on either side of you and/or dunked and swum over by the guy behind you who may be faster than you. All accidents, of course.
Since I expect to be one of the faster swimmer in any race I enter, I always place myself at the front of the pack in both water and beach starts. In triathlons I’ve done that have pool swims it is incredibly frustrating to be relegated to swimming behind people who’ve WAY overestimated their speed, and having to pass them. So, for this race I was at the front of the pack when the horn sounded.
The run into the water was fairly smooth with the bottom dropping off to swimming depth in probably about ten feet. The pack broke up quickly and myself and a few others pulled away off the front. The swim course itself was a rectangle (see picture) and was protected from and waves kicked up by wind by the shoreline to the East. As we reached the first turn, quite a few waves appeared, I have to assume because we had come around from the lee side of a point of land, and the wind was now kicking up a bit.
At about the halfway point, I noticed that another swimmer from my wave (I could tell from his powder blue cap like mine) and I seemed to be staying right with each other. Shortly after I noticed this, my opponent disappeared and I assumed that I had dropped him. By this time, I had been swimming through swimmers from waves that had gone off ahead of me from about the 1/4 mark on. Every now and then, either I would accidentally run into one of these swimmers or they would run into me. This is when I noticed that someone kept hitting my heels. I snuck a peek back and saw that the swimmer with whom I had been dueling had taken a comfortable spot in my wake and was now drafting along and taking it easy. While drafting is illegal in the bike leg of a triathlon, there is nothing wrong with drafting in the swim. I guess I didn’t mind so much and I wouldn’t have even known the difference if it weren’t for the fact that my heels were getting tapped every thirty seconds or so. Annoying.
The concern I had coming into this race with regards to my neck never really came to fruition. To be honest, I was being a bit conservative (which is evident by my less than stellar time) and definitely felt fatigued in my shoulders more than I usually would, but true pain never affected me.
Swim time: 27:17
Swim pace: 1:25 per 100 meters (boo)
Age Group Place: 5th
Overall Place: 28th
Most of us are aware of the potential dizziness that comes with standing up too fast. I have even fallen over several times because of this. In a triathlon, the same thing takes place. You’ve been swimming for however long, thus you’ve been essentially laying down. All of a sudden, you ask your body to stand up! This problem can be compounded by the fact that your upper body is doing most of the work on the swim and so most of your blood is hanging out there to supply your muscles. Further, if you’re wearing a wetsuit, there is a bit of compression being applied to your lower extremities which keeps your blood even more focused in your upper body. So, when you then stand up to run out of the water, all that blood suddenly drops, and sometimes you do along with it!
As I stood, I was ready for the dizziness and I was not disappointed. Upon exiting the water, there was about a 20 yard (if I remember correctly) run to the wetsuit strippers. This is not some weird, wetsuit fetish exotic dancing area but rather, a group of race volunteers whose job it is to get you out of your wetsuit as fast as possible. All you have to do as a racer is flop on your back on the ground and they will grab your wetsuit and peel it off of you in a flash. The problem with this is the dizziness thing. You’ve just come out of the water, gotten dizzy and then after a few seconds, you throw your body back to being flat again for a few seconds (legs in the air, mind you) and then pop up AGAIN. This makes for a rather world-spinning few minutes.
I made my way into the transition area and found my belongings in fairly short order. By this time, it had been raining for about thirty minutes and everything was wet. I removed my socks from their dry sanctuary inside my cycling shoe, inside that grocery bag I spoke about. Now let me paint you a picture of what I was doing. I was trying not balance on one foot at a time, while my head was spinning, putting dry socks onto wet feet (try putting on sock directly out of the shower some time), while desperately trying not to step into the mud and puddles that now surrounded me. All this time, my head refused to stop spinning. Good times. I eventually got my crap together, even having to literally DUMP water out of my helmet, and was on my way out of transition. Slow.
Transition 1 time: 4:14 (Dear LORD, that’s awful)
To be completely honest, a lot of the bike portion of the race is a blur. It rained the entire time, often very hard. For the beginning six or so miles on the bike, I let my legs warm up well, pushing, but not pushing to the point of exhaustion. At about mile seven or so, the climbing began.
Leading up to this race, I had checked elevation charts and was not prepared for what I encountered. The first, largest and longest of the hills that we encountered was awful. First, we were climbing this hill in the rain, which gave you the appearance in spots of riding upstream in a river with an asphalt bottom. Second, this hill went to gradients of 16% for large sections at a time. To give you an idea of what a 16% grade is, the famous Mont Ventoux in the Tour de France has an average gradient of “only” 8.9%. Many people were forced to walk this hill and I must admit that I glanced at them with envy, but I stayed on my steed.
Several of the descents on the course were long and sweeping and gave you time to rest your legs. Other descents were so dangerous even without the rain that the officials had told us the day before that they would be strictly enforcing a 35 mph speed limit.
Apart from the 16% S.O.B. hill, there were a couple other climbs in excess of 10% as well as some deceptively “flat” sections that seemed to sap energy from the legs. The road conditions were only OK. You were forced to stay constantly aware of the pavement in front of you due to the fact that for 99% of the course there was a large crack (hastily patched but still pitted) meandering across both sides of the road.
Somewhere around halfway through the bike, my Garmin 305 went haywire. I went to take a peek at my heart rate and the screen was flashing from display to display, and not making any sense. I tried to turn it off and couldn’t. So I took it off and put it in my jersey. Now, for the rest of the race, I would have no idea where my pace of my heart rate were. I would be running purely on feel and perceived effort.
The toughest part of this bike course was grinding through it the first time and knowing you had to come back and hit it again. 16%’er and all. My nutrition, which if you know me, you know I have struggled in the past with this, was perfect. I had three hours worth of my “blend” from Infinit Nutrition in my Speedfil and rotated water bottles from aid stations in my one bottle cage. I finished my Infinit blend with about six miles to go on the bike, so, just to be safe, I grabbed a bottle of Gatorade Endurance Formula and dropped a bottle of water into my Speedfil. I also grabbed a banana at some point during the bike (can’t remember when) just because I knew it wouldn’t affect me adversely and it just looked good.
I didn’t do exactly what I wanted to do on the bike, in terms of speed, but I was consistent and I think that is just as important. I also learned a lot of what I need to do moving forward.
Bike time: 2:57:16
Bike pace: 19 mph
Age Group Place: 44th
Overall Place: 217th
By the time I hit T2, my feet had been soaked for over three and a half hours, but were holding up fine (I actually have a lot to say about my Sole insoles on the bike that I’ll write about later). However, I though it would behoove me to put on dry socks. This was frickin’ stupid. It was still raining and I was still surrounded by mud and puddles. I have no idea why I thought that changing my socks would make a single bit of difference, bu I did anyway, and again, I had a terribly slow transition.
I grabbed all my gear, which wasn’t that much after I got my shoes and dry (dumb, dumb, dumb) socks on. This included my new Fuel Belt H2O, which was holding two bottles of my Infinit blend, each with an hours worth of nutrition. As I ran out of transition, my shoes were wet and muddy within thirty seconds.
Transition 2 time: 3:26 (Oy to the vey)
I was really looking forward to this run. I have been running really well off the bike and I planned to make no exceptions on this run. The course itself was quite beautiful, albeit seen under cloudy skies that were still ridding themselves of any moisture they held, much to our detriment. It was fairly flat to rolling. The biggest obstacle(s) came in the form of a nasty little hill that was about 1/3 of a mile long at about mile 2 or so and again at about mile 8.5.
Because my nutrition and hydration had been so good on the bike, I had to pee almost as soon as I began to run. I waited until the first aid station at mile one and stopped to answer nature’s call. I actually ended up having to pee twice, and it bears mentioning that it went well (it bears mentioning due to my previous experiences during races when I’ve stopped to pee).
The course was two loops of an out and back that had as it’s outside turn around point, about a half mile of dirt (read: mud) road that ended in a cul-de-sac. On this stretch of “road” there were some incredibly nice and supportive volunteers and even a barbershop quartet in one of the driveways serenading the runners as we went by.
I felt great on this run. I did struggle a bit with not being able to tell my pace of heart rate. Because of this, I laid off a little on the third quarter of the run, before picking it back up a bit on the home stretch. I didn’t want to wind up completely gassed for the run in. I passed a lot of people wh had passed me on the bike and that was quite good for my morale. The rain never really let up, but I felt solid nonetheless. I truly think I would have been able to do more on the run had I known where I was in terms of pace.
Run time: 1:35:08 (1/2 marathon PR by 12 seconds)
Run pace: 7:15 per mile
Age Group Place: 22nd
Overall Place: 104th
(more detailed splits to come once they are available)
Overall Time: 5:07:21
Age Group Place: 34th
Overall Place: 132nd
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Carl Lewis to Run the Houston Marathon
Triathlete Attacked by Alligator
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Now that we’re officially in race season across the country, and the world for that matter, I wanted to give a shout out to some friends who’ll be racing soon.
Kevin from KC Tri’s (and fellow Newton Running devotee), whom you may remember was a massive help to me and my wife during Ironman Wisconsin last year, is about to do his first ever marathon! Kevin will be running the Cellcom Green Bay Marathon this Sunday and his bib number is 929 (race tracking HERE). Kevin has been and continues to be a huge supporter of me and my show and I could not be more excited for him to take this huge step toward his first Ironman (Ironman Wisconsin 2011)!
Also racing this Sunday is my friend Ari from Run Ansky Run! Ari is always an amazing supporter of my site and show and he’ll be running the Pocono Mountain Run for the Red Marathon! Ari has been coaching with my coach, Jeff, and ALL signs are pointing to him busting out a huge PR!
Finishing out the across the country marathon weekend is Colin from Resurrected Runner. Colin is also about to do his first ever marathon this Saturday in the Windermere Marathon in Spokane, Washington (for those from the South, like me, that’d be “Warshington”) Colin has been a tireless supporter of me and my site, always in the live chat for my streaming shows. I have a sneaking suspicion that Colin is going to completely destroy his expectations in this race and I cannot wait to see the results!
On the triathlon front, I am so excited to see Incredible Jane go kill it in the UBC Sprint Triathlon this Sunday! I’ve been following Jane since day one of her quest and through ups and downs and finding that “life happens” more than we can ever expect, Jane has been an amazing force of positive energy. Also coaching with Jeff, Jane has seen herself crossing the finish line at the Rock ‘n Roll Las Vegas half marathon and starting a regular running group and training session with the awesome folks at Sugoi! I’m so excited to see what she can do!
Not this weekend, but on May 30, Lam of The Running Laminator fame, is debating running the Buffalo Marathon. His original spring marathon had him running the New Jersey Marathon a couple of weekends ago, but alas, the bubonic plague or something saw him shivering in bed for the week leading up to the race (though, I assume he lost several brain cell due to his illness as he STILL found the balls to run the half marathon at the same event!). As you may or may not know, Lam is a very fast and very smart runner. He is aiming for a sub-3 hour marathon this year and I, for one, think he’ll have no problem attaining that time. His body (for the moment) may have other ideas according to him. In any event, I look forward to seeing Lam kick some more ass.
I’m positive I’m missing people, and if you’re of of the missing, please don’t be offended. Send me your information (name, race name and bib number) and I will be more than happy to put the word out!
Salinas Valley Half Marathon ($5 off with discount code: “IronBrandon”!!)
Pittsburgh Marathon Bomb Scare
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Date: 3/26/10
Consecutive Days Run: 85
Runner: Brandon Wood
Shoes: Sir Isaac Guidance Trainers
Location: New York, NY
Type of Run: Quickie
Time of Day: 6:57 PM EST
Distance Run: 1.38 miles
Time Run: 00:10:01
Average Pace: 07:14 per mile
Weather Conditions: Chilly (43 degrees Fahrenheit), Breezy
Disposition: Good
Link to Run Detail: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/28103923
About the Run: This morning, at about 1 AM, the very early stages of labor began for my wife! I am so excited I can hardly focus on walking, much less anything else. My run today was a quick one, that I waited to go on until my mother-in-law got here to hold down the fort. I’m sorry this post isn’t so interesting, but I only have one thing on my mind! Stay tuned!
Date: 3/25/10
Consecutive Days Run: 84
Runner: Brandon Wood
Shoes: Newton Gravitas
Location: New York, NY
Type of Run: Tempo
Time of Day: 2:24 PM EST
Distance Run: 9.80 miles
Time Run: 01:09:57
Average Pace: 07:08 per mile
Weather Conditions: Pleasant (58 degrees Fahrenheit), Breezy
Disposition: Decent
Link to Run Detail: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/28035947
About the Run: My assigned run for today was: Warm up in zone 2 for 10 minutes. Then run 55 minutes at your 1/2 marathon pace. Cool down for 10 minutes with an easy jog. Whenever I see that I have a tempo run like this, I get a bit leery of it because it’s a lot harder for me than a really long run. In any event, it had to get done, so I went.
The weather was really beautiful today which was good and helped my eagerness to run. I took the first ten minutes easy as assigned, but as I look at the data now, I am shocked at how fast I was running! The first “easy” ten minutes were at a 7:19 pace, but felt more like 8 minutes plus. I am finding, recently, that my general pace has picked up quite a bit. That’s a really good thing but it forces me to reassess my levels of perceived effort.
The run felt good and was faster, once again, than I thought I was. Now, I just need to figure out if I can put up those numbers off the bike!
Date: 3/24/10
Consecutive Days Run: 83
Runner: Brandon Wood
Shoes: Sir Isaac Guidance Trainers
Location: New York, NY
Type of Run: Quickie
Time of Day: 7:43 PM EST
Distance Run: 1.42 miles
Time Run: 00:10:48
Average Pace: 07:37 per mile
Weather Conditions: Cool (50 degrees Fahrenheit)
Disposition: Good
Link to Run Detail: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/27959258
About the Run: With this run, I completed an inadvertent, broken triathlon for the day That is to say that I did a swim at about 2 PM today, then when I got home from work, I immediately went for my assigned hour and a half ride and upon returning from my ride, I headed out on my quick transition run (unassigned).
The ride went well, but on the way back from the out-and-back route I had taken, I was met with a headwind strong enough to be kicking up some pretty good whitecaps on the Hudson River. This felt like it was taking quite a bit out of my legs. However, when I went out on my run my legs felt kind of numb and moved far faster than I expected! I made sure to keep my shoulders and such very relaxed on my run, which is a challenge it turns out due to the fact that I spent the large majority of my ride in the aero position, thus keeping my back stretched out.
The run felt really good by the end, and I had no idea that my pace was as fast as it was!
Date: 3/23/10
Consecutive Days Run: 82
Runner: Brandon Wood
Shoes: Newton AW Trainers
Location: New York, NY
Type of Run: Endurance Build
Time of Day: 7:55 PM EST
Distance Run: 9.75 miles
Time Run: 01:14:44
Average Pace: 07:40 per mile
Weather Conditions: Cool (53 degrees Fahrenheit), Muggy
Disposition: Good
Link to Run Detail: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/27875922
About the Run: I got home later that I wanted. My left, lower leg was tight. I was hungry. I was tired. Then, I went outside and had an absolutely incredible run!
All those thing are very true. Today was a long day, as they all seem to be in this whole, “waiting for baby” thing. I know the actual due date is Friday, March 26, but I want her to be here NOW! Anyway, back to my run. I was tired coming home and really did not feel like running at all. I made a promise to myself before I even left home this morning to get dressed and go run as soon as I got home. Done and done.
I began the run, which was eighty minutes in an easy zone 2, very slow and easy. Quickly, I found myself remaining relaxed but with a much quicker pace. I kept reminding myself to keep my cheeks, shoulders and wrists relaxed. I don’t know why my wrists and cheeks, but it just seemed that when I relaxed those things, the rest of my body followed suit. Anyway, I kept a quick, light cadence that seemed to just flow. This was by no means my fastest run ever, but it just felt so amazing! I hope to take these lessons and have many more runs like this.
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Date: 3/22/10
Consecutive Days Run: 81
Runner: Brandon Wood
Shoes: La Sportiva Wildcat GTX
Location: New York, NY
Type of Run: Quickie
Time of Day: 5:56 PM EST
Distance Run: 1.37 miles
Time Run: 00:11:14
Average Pace: 08:13 per mile
Weather Conditions: Nasty (54 degrees Fahrenheit), Muggy, Raining
Disposition: Meh
Link to Run Detail: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/27789266
About the Run: Quite honestly, today was a “getting it done” day. The weather outside combined with my mood being off because the pool was closed for my workout earlier this afternoon, made for a kind of “blah” mood. I got home, once again in the holding pattern that my as yet unborn daughter seems to enjoy, and walked the dogs with my wife.
Back from the walk, I suited up in what I thought would be good attire considering the rain. I was a bit off. It was pleasantly cool out, but the humidity lingering in the air quickly let me know that, even though I was in shorts, the long-sleeved top I was wearing was not the right thing to be wearing. Clothing is a tricky thing for me due to my sweat production. I would almost always rather be too cold than too hot.
The run itself was fine. Nothing special, though I must say that my lower legs were far more tired than I expected after yesterday’s 18.6 mile run. I sure hope this weather breaks soon!
Date: 3/21/10
Consecutive Days Run: 80
Runner: Brandon Wood
Shoes: Sir Isaac Guidance Trainers
Location: New York, NY
Type of Run: LSD
Time of Day: 11:02 PM EST
Distance Run: 18.59 miles
Time Run: 02:22:54
Average Pace: 07:41 per mile
Weather Conditions: Amazing (60 degrees Fahrenheit)
Disposition: Good
Link to Run Detail: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/27638963
About the Run: In my opinion, there are few days each year that are so perfect as today. The sun was shining, there was a light breeze out of North and the temperature was holding right around a perfect-for-running sixty degrees. While I was jealous of the many friends I had running races yesterday and today; Shamrock Marathon, L.A. Marathon and the New York City Half-Marathon to name a few, I had my own, pretty hefty workout to attend to.
Once again, Laminator and I made plans to meet up on the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway. I left my place at eleven AM, setting a nice relaxed pace. Lam and I met after about 5 miles or so and we held on to the same relaxed pace. In fact, for the whole run, I really focused on staying relaxed in my upper body. I’ve noticed that I sometimes tense up through my shoulders and only concentrate on keeping my legs relaxed. Today, I felt good, top to bottom. Lam and I had great conversation and a great time running! All in all, a really wonderful run!
Date: 3/20/10
Consecutive Days Run: 79
Runner: Brandon Wood
Shoes: Sir Isaac Guidance Trainers
Location: New York, NY
Type of Run: Quickie
Time of Day: 5:19 PM EST
Distance Run: 1.77 miles
Time Run: 00:12:17
Average Pace: 06:57 per mile
Weather Conditions: Amazing (73 degrees Fahrenheit)
Disposition: Good
Link to Run Detail: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/27545321
About the Run: This run came after my first ride to Nyack, New York of 2010. During my ride I concentrated on keeping my cadence high and spinning through any hills rather than “pushing a big gear”. After arriving home from my ride, I uploaded my Garmin data and then headed out for my run.
I expected my legs to be far more fatigued than they actually were. When I headed out the door, to be honest my legs were a bit numb to anything. Not sore, not tired, just kind of numb. I found though, that I was very bouncy and lively in my stride and I was pleasantly surprised by that! Upon getting home and uploading my data, I discovered that I had held down an average pace of 6:57 per mile! Granted, it was a short run, but a successful one nonetheless.
Date: 3/19/10
Consecutive Days Run: 78
Runner: Brandon Wood
Shoes: Newton Gravitas
Location: New York, NY
Type of Run: Recovery
Time of Day: 6:19 PM EST
Distance Run: 6.27 miles
Time Run: 00:45:33
Average Pace: 07:15 per mile
Weather Conditions: Amazing (64 degrees Fahrenheit)
Disposition: Good
Link to Run Detail: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/27445321
About the Run: After yesterday’s disaster of a run, I felt like I needed to prove something to myself. So, I may have slightly ignored my assigned effort for today’s run. Coach Jeff gave me a 45 minute recovery run. This calls for a nice, easy run with not much effort. I tried that for about two minutes and then decided to ramp it up a few notches.
My run took me on my usual route on a, once again, beautiful evening. It turns out that my body is a bit in shock about the sudden temperature shift, but I need to get over that ASAP. As I reached the turn around point of my run (I had no idea of pace or distance as I don’t watch those things when I run, only heart rate and total time), there was a runner ahead who would be behind me as soon as I did an about face. As I did, I heard his footsteps about ten feet behind me and relished the chance at an impromptu challenge. At this point, I was right about seven minutes a mile, and the other runner, who I thought was a bit faster than that, had dropped off my wheel in short order.
The run went very well, but did leave me wondering how I’ll stay hydrated for my LSD run of two hours, fifteen minutes on Sunday. You see, during the Winter, all or almost all of the water fountains in the parks of New York City are turned off to avoid freezing. I have a Fuelbelt, but it only holds two, eight ounce bottles. Maybe a four bottle version is called for!
Date: 3/18/10
Consecutive Days Run: 77
Runner: Brandon Wood
Shoes: Newton Gravitas
Location: New York, NY
Type of Run: Endurance Build
Time of Day: 2:04 PM EST
Distance Run: 6.34 miles
Time Run: 00:49:48
Average Pace: 07:51 per mile
Weather Conditions: Amazing (66 degrees Fahrenheit), sunny
Disposition: Started fine, downhill rapidly
Link to Run Detail: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/273712055
About the Run: Ok, first, the title of this post, “AWFUL” has nothing to do with the quality of the run really, it just has to do with the way I ended up feeling. I began my run on an absolutely incredible day, feeling good and ready to run. I didn’t have a tough assignment, but rather a one hour fifteen minute run in heart rate zone 2. I felt good heading out and found nice steady pace at right around 7:30 per mile.
Just before mile three, without warning, I felt my stomach go to pieces. I won’t go into too many details, so I’ll do what I can. I found myself doubled over in pain and wondering if I could even make it the three miles back to my office. I tried to run a bit more to see if it was just a fleeting pain. It was not. I turned and headed back and made it back, fortunately. My run ended up being just shy of 50 minutes, and I felt AWFUL. I don’t know why, but it just sucked…a LOT.
Date: 3/17/10
Consecutive Days Run: 76
Runner: Brandon Wood
Shoes: Newton Gravitas
Location: New York, NY
Type of Run: Quickie
Time of Day: 5:54 PM EST
Distance Run: 1.50 miles
Time Run: 00:13:12
Average Pace: 08:48 per mile
Weather Conditions: Amazing (62 degrees Fahrenheit), sunny
Disposition: Good
Link to Run Detail: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/27289205
About the Run: With a very small and tentative voice I will say that Spring has sprung here in New York. I hesitate to shout it due to our propensity for late March and even April snow storms that can blanket a very reluctantly springy city in white. In any event, today was a beautiful day to be outside. I got home and immediately headed out the door, taking my dog Bubba with me, for a quick run.
Our run began, of course, with Bubba trying to pee on everything not moving. We headed on our normal route, enjoying every ounce of warm sunshine. the run was quick and Bubba did well, mostly taking it slow, but putting on big bursts of speed every now and then.
Black Diamond Sprinter Headlamp
Newton Running Symposium in Boston
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Date: 3/15/10
Consecutive Days Run: 74
Runner: Brandon Wood
Shoes: La Sportiva Wildcat GTX
Location: New York, NY
Type of Run: Quickie
Time of Day: 6:28 PM EST
Distance Run: 1.71 miles
Time Run: 00:13:02
Average Pace: 07:36 per mile
Weather Conditions: Cool (46 degrees Fahrenheit), drizzle, WIND
Disposition: Good
Link to Run Detail: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/27124914
About the Run: This week seems to be one of waiting. Waiting for this frickin’ weather to go away (we are currently on day four of wicked, nasty weather and wind). Waiting for my daughter to decide to arrive! Seriously, these two things are not helping. I realized today that I am also itching to race. It’s been far too long since I’ve run a race and I’m eager to stretch my legs in some sort of event. However, with my daughter being stubborn and giving us a preview of things to come (know her mother and me), I can’t go anywhere without my phone.
Today’s run was pretty good considering the weather. I got out and pushed the pace a bit. I’m looking forward to my run tomorrow and pushing the pace in some of the first decent weather in what seems like an eternity.
Date: 3/13/10
Consecutive Days Run: 72
Runner: Brandon Wood
Shoes: La Sportiva Wildcat GTX
Location: New York, NY
Type of Run: Quickie (Part 2 of my brick workout, following a 3.5 hour spin)
Time of Day: 6:14 PM EST
Distance Run: 2.66 miles
Time Run: 00:21:22
Average Pace: 08:02 per mile
Weather Conditions: Cold-ish (45 degrees Fahrenheit) WINDY (Gusting PAST 50 miles per hour), Raining
Disposition: Good
Link to Run Detail: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/26907062
About the Run: My run today was the second part of a brick that began with a three and a half hour ride on the trainer. I also knew that the run would be taking place in some INTENSELY wicked weather. The rain was coming down hard and the wind was gusting far in excess of 50 miles an hour.
I geared up and headed out the door. My legs felt remarkably alive, not fresh, just really ready to run for having just gotten off a very long trainer ride. I headed on what has become my normal route toward Inwood Hill Park. The wind was already firing the rain at my face like a swarm of angry bees, but I just put my head down and went.
When I got to the park, I decided to go up into the hills to get in my assigned 15 minutes of running and to throw some difficulty at myself to see what I could do. I may have spoken about it before, but if not I cannot say enough about my headlamp. I use the Sprinter by Black Diamond Equipment, and were it not for that amazing little lamp (designed specifically for running), I would have been in some serious trouble with all the branches and several trees that had fallen into and across the path.
When I came down out of the hills, the portion of the park that runs right beside the water was, in fact, UNDER water. So, I had to backtrack around the loop I was on before heading home. The entire time I was out, the wind sounded like a massive freight train thundering by. Tomorrow, I fear, will be more of the same and so I believe that my long, one hour, forty-five minute run will have to be on a dreadmill.
Date: 3/12/10
Consecutive Days Run: 71
Runner: Brandon Wood
Shoes: La Sportiva Wildcat GTX
Location: New York, NY
Type of Run: Quickie
Time of Day: 7:33 PM EST
Distance Run: 1.46 miles
Time Run: 00:11:49
Average Pace: 08:06 per mile
Weather Conditions: Cold-ish (40 degrees Fahrenheit) WINDY, Raining
Disposition: Good
Link to Run Detail: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/26809642
About the Run: My assigned run for today was for an hour and fifteen minutes fairly slow. It was only a mile.
I knew early in the day today that this was a very distinct possibility due to the weather. Forecasters were calling for rain and high winds, and they were not mistaken. To be honest, as one who has been in them, this seemed very much akin to a cold weather hurricane. I let Coach Jeff know that this was a possibility and he understood. To be fair, I did have a good swim today already and this was more a recovery run than anything.
During the run itself, I was literally blown sideways several times and stopped dead in my tracks others. The weather for tomorrow is supposed to be even worse, with the rains coming in downpours and the winds reaching forty plus miles per hour. Fortunately, my workout for tomorrow calls for a 3.5 hour ride, which must be done on the trainer, followed by a 15 minute transition run to get my legs used to going from bike to run.
Date: 3/11/09
Consecutive Days Run: 70
Runner: Brandon Wood
Shoes: Sir Isaac Guidance Trainers
Location: New York, NY
Type of Run: Embarrassingly Slow
Time of Day: 2:23 PM EST
Distance Run: 7.11 miles
Time Run: 01:03:25
Average Pace: 8:55 per mile
Weather Conditions: Cool (50 degrees Fahrenheit), windy
Disposition: Good
Link to Run Detail: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/26742524
About the Run: I keep wondering what adjective Coach Jeff will come up with next to impress upon me just how slow he wants me to go. Last time it was “embarrassingly” slow and this time it was “painfully” slow. So, I ran slow.
There isn’t too much to say about this run other than it really did feel good to take time and have a nice recovery run. My legs have been dragging a tiny bit lately and Jeff has taken this well into account the past few days. I don’t really have too terribly much to say about this run except that it got done. It was quite windy on the way uptown, but since I wasn’t trying to do anything with speed I really didn’t mind. On the way back downtown, the wind at my back was barely there and actually made me feel really comfortable instead of borderline cold as I was on the way up.
The next few days will be very interesting as there is a wicked weather system heading our way that will bring downpours and heavy winds on Saturday and more rain on Sunday. So, I guess my friend the dreadmill and I will be seeing each other.
Date: 3/10/10
Consecutive Days Run: 69
Runner: Brandon Wood
Shoes: Newton Gravitas
Location: New York, NY
Type of Run: Quickie
Time of Day: 6:23 PM EST
Distance Run: 1.35 miles
Time Run: 00:11:13
Average Pace: 08:20 per mile
Weather Conditions: Pleasant (50 degrees Fahrenheit)
Disposition: Tired
Link to Run Detail: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/26686269
About the Run: Most if not all athletes will tell you that the single most important part of recovery is rest. I am included in this belief and have discovered a couple of things about how my body recovers.
IN the past, when I have not been training so hard or so focused, I found that I could deprive myself of sleep a little bit and not be terribly affected. However, when I found myself unable to sleep the other night and eventually falling into a restless nap sitting on my couch, I was unaware just how much I needed real sleep. It’s not that I need (or can get) an extremely long sleep, but rather I just need to be consistent. In other words, that one night of little sleep followed by two nights of eight solid hours still leaves me in the hole and recovering from my one night of restlessness.
I know that consistent sleep will become an increasingly difficult task with our little one on the way, but I feel like I am a very slight bit ahead of the game having realized this fact of my body before she gets here.
My run tonight was simply one that I got done. There was nothing special or fast about it. Having swum earlier in the day and with time on the trainer in the evening yet to come, I just wanted to get it over and done with. So, as soon as I got home, I was out the door again to run. It felt decent, but my body was just fighting fatigue so much that I couldn’t truly enjoy it.I was so tired, in fact, that I went to bed without writing this post (which is why it’s being posted the day after that run).
Today is a nice, easy, recovery run. I am actually looking forward to it, and to getting back into my sleep rhythm.
Date: 3/9/10
Consecutive Days Run: 68
Runner: Brandon Wood
Shoes: Newton Gravitas
Location: New York, NY
Type of Run: Build
Time of Day: 2:24 PM EST
Distance Run: 10.85 miles
Time Run: 01:18:47
Average Pace: 07:15 per mile
Weather Conditions: Pleasant (56 degrees Fahrenheit) Windy
Disposition: Decent
Link to Run Detail: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/26594839
About the Run: My run today was ironic because it hurt and did not feel any kind of good until I was done, but I did exactly what was assigned and I did it quite well. My assigned run was: Warm up very easy zone 2 10 minutes then run 60 minutes at your 1/2 marathon pace. Cool down and jog the remainder. Upon getting past the first ten minutes of warm up, I simply didn’t have the energy to move. However, I dug and literally said, “Screw it” out loud and got moving.
The sixty minutes at half-marathon pace hurt like hell. I did have to keep an eye on my Garmin because this was a pace specific run. For whatever reason, I could not get myself to lock into my actual half-marathon pace which is 7:15 per mile. When I tried knocking my pace back to that, it felt stilted and very uncomfortable. However, when I upped the pace, I felt ok. While my overall pace for the entire run, including the warm up and cool down, was 7:15 per mile, my pace for the intense part was 7:02 per mile. I’m happy about the run in general, I just wish it felt better!
Date: 3/8/10
Consecutive Days Run: 67
Runner: Brandon Wood
Shoes: Newton AW Trainers
Location: New York, NY
Type of Run: Quickie
Time of Day: 6:20 PM EST
Distance Run: 1.71 miles
Time Run: 00:17:43
Average Pace: 10:20 per mile
Weather Conditions: Cool (51 degrees Fahrenheit)
Disposition: Good, but with tired legs
Link to Run Detail: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/26505486
About the Run: Happy tenth birthday to our baby girl Annie! No, not the human baby girl, but the canine version of our baby girl. She is ten years old today and for her birthday, she wanted to go for a run with her dad and I was more than happy to oblige.
Whenever I run with either of my dogs, it really give me a chance and pause to see how they literally stop and smell everything. Even when they don’t stop, they’re still taking in everything around them. They aren’t jaded or oblivious to the incredible world with which they are surrounded, they are simply fascinated to be in it. This innocence always touches me. Even when I get upset with one of our dogs, they will always say they love me no matter how angry I am.
The run was good, but slow. Don’t be fooled by her age, Annie is fully capable of breaking down and going far faster than I am, but she just likes to take her time. My legs are a bit weary so it was probably a good thing to take it easy.
I rescued Annie from the Albermarle County, Virginia SPCA when she was just eight weeks old. Our other dog, Bubba was rescued from the North Shore Animal League two years ago. Danielle and I strongly support rescuing dogs and cats and other animals from humane shelters. Please consider donating to Me and the Road and helping to support the North Shore Animal League. You can donate by linking through Me and the Road or by going directly to the donation site located at: http://meandtheroad.bbnow.org
Thanks so much for visiting my site! My name is Brandon Wood and I am an opera singer living and trying to make it in New York City. This site and podcast follow my adventures on the way to competing in and training for all kinds of endurance events, especially triathlon and running. Click the "About Me" tab for more info!
Who: This contest is open to anyone and everyone in the U.S. and Canada (also APO)! Tell your friends!
What: Stuffitts! I have spoken about these simple yet awesome shoe savers in the past. Click here to read more about them. I cannot say enough how great they are!
When: Starting NOW! This is an ongoing contest that will be every month, or until every person on the planet has nice, fresh smelling shoes!
Why: Because Stuffitts are awesome! The folks at Stuffitts are being SUPER generous and I also want to give you guys something that I think is a great addition to any athletes arsenal!
How: On the last podcast episode post of each month (example: Episode 99 on June 28 HERE) entrants should leave a comment (however long you'd like). On the following week's show (the first show of each month) I will draw, by random number generator, one winner! That's it!
Good luck!
