Keep the Winter Fire Burning

The below advice is provided by F4 Coach Pam Landry:

With a taste of cold temperatures, snow, and less than ideal conditions underfoot recently, (and the option of a fire in the fireplace…) you may have found your motivation lagging to consistently get out there and adhere to your workout schedule. While we often think that motivation comes entirely from within the individual, it’s important to recognize that motivation is actually a function of both the individual (you) and the situation (the environment)… To enhance your motivation over the winter months you’ll want to not only address the ‘You’ part of the equation (i.e. Why do you exercise/train/compete?…What can you do differently to stay on track, etc.) but to also examine situational factors (for example, training partners, the environment or facility where you train, or gear choices to name a few), as these can play a role in your motivation as well.

Here are a few strategies that address both the personal and situational aspects of motivation that may help you to “Keep the Fire Burning” during the winter months. I figure that there are two ways to approach difficulties….Change the difficulties, or change yourself to meet them.

*Look Around You…  Are there things in the environment that can be changed to enhance your motivation?…It may be that simple changes can be made that can have a positive influence on your drive to adhere to a healthy lifestyle…Some examples to get you thinking:

*No Excuses: Just Solutions–

*If you’re not a fan of the winter weather elements in general, seek out and surround yourself with those who truly love the snowy, cold winter conditions… (These folks are typically skiers, snowboarders or skaters)…Their passion for their sport and love of the season can truly be contagious….And you may just find yourself discovering a new sport yourself thanks to them!

*Plan ahead and always have a hefty stash of healthy pre/post-workout snacks in your car for those days when you’re running late…Take care of yourself to avoid letting hunger or low energy derail your plans…(Bonus…No refrigeration needed!)

*While you’re at it, pack a small travel bag for your car as well….Fill it to the brim with additional layers of winter gear choices and accessories, so you’ll always have options on hand to choose from if weather conditions change over the course of the day.

*Save your pennies and invest in just a few pieces of high quality winter weather gear…When you’re comfortable, safe and warm out there, you’ll be able to focus on the workout and enjoy it…which leads to consistency.

*If you tend to get completely wrapped up in your work projects, set an alarm on your phone or watch to prompt you to wrap things up with plenty of time to spare so you can arrive on time for a group workout even in slower winter driving conditions.

*Pop your hat, gloves and socks into the dryer for a few minutes before you head out the door to jumpstart your warm-up on cold days…Comfort leads to happy times out there.

Although there’s a wide range of changes that can be made on the personal level to enhance motivation, one stands out from the crowd during the winter months especially:

*Flexibility with Workouts and Goals—At this time of year it’s helpful to rid yourself of ‘Black and White’/ ‘All or Nothing’ thinking and to realize that the purpose of many workouts may need to be adjusted depending upon the conditions, but that there’s no need to blow off the whole session in its entirety. Icy footing and temps in the teens for example aren’t conducive to a solid speed work session….So let it go, but enjoy a longer, slower base run instead where you can focus on the beauty of the season around you and perhaps enjoy some reflective time alone. Regardless of whether adjustments are needed or not, you can still keep things on track by consistently identifying your daily training or workout goal with the purpose of every workout and how you’re going to benefit from it before you even head out the door. Once you know where you’re going, how you’re going to get there, and why, it’s a done deal!

Growing up, my Dad used to tell us…

“To be successful, you have to accept all of the challenges that come your way….Not just the ones you like.”

True indeed, Dad…….I think The Man was on to something…

Saturday Post Run Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser

Following this Saturday’s F4 run, let’s help out a friend in need and head right over to this pancake breakfast fundraiser only a few minutes away.  Here are the details:

 

The Heiman family, Timothy, Tracy and two young sons live on North Cedar Brook Road and experienced the unthinkable some time ago.  Their youngest, Klaus, now six, contracted a rare form of cancer called a sarcoma. The operation has been performed in a New York City hospital and Klaus is back in school.  However, as one might expect, this family’s insurance company has been reluctant to pay the costs of the procedure and medical bills that have accumulated.
Please join us for a Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser for Klaus on Saturday December 5th from 7:30am to 11:30am. We’ll be serving pancakes, side dish with coffee and juice at the Pine Brook Hills Fire House (link to map) 1907 Linden Drive.
We hope that you will place this benefit on your calendar and invite others, Pine Brookers or not, to attend.  It’s uncommon to have the chance to assist a family directly.  Here’s your opportunity.  Hoping to see you there!

Planning your next racing season.

Here are some great general tips for planning your 2010 training and racing season… courtesy of F4 Coach, Simon Butterworth.

 

I thought I might give some ideas on planning next years race season.  I am in the early stages of doing the same so it is on my mind.  If you follow any of the F4 plans and do the races  associated with each then planning is rather simple.  Some people however squeeze in a few more races than that, especially the Type A personality triathletes.  The secret in doing more is to prioritize.

Most amateurs cannot expect to PR, or come close to that in more than 3 races a year.  If you try to do more the first one or two will probably go as planned and then things will go downhill, perhaps fast.  To do well in a race as you probably know you need to taper.  This involves at least a week and perhaps two where you reduce the volume of your training but maintain the intensity, you will see this in any F4 training plan. If you do too many races especially ones longer than a 5k, and they are top priority races (A Races), then you are doing a lot of tapering.  And, the week after you are recovering.  This plays havoc with a good training plan.  Add to this the stress on your family and things are not likely to go well all season.  Last but not least there will be a temptation to start training hard right after a race in too busy a season.  An injury is then very much in the cards.

Because of the added time commitment in triathlon, this sport has focused more on this issue than pure running.  When I coach a triathlete I ask them to pick up to 3 A priority races (runners note- especially if the races are short and the season long, you could have a couple more A races).  This does not mean that you cannot do more races but they are not A priority and expectations are dialed down a bit.  B priority races might get a 3 day taper, basically just an extra easy day leading into the race, and a C priority race would have no taper at all.  You still have to deal with the recovery from B and C races but if they are not a max effort (and not too long a race) then recovery should be shorter than an A.

An example of a good plan might be as follows:  Assume a goal of qualifying for a major race such as Boston or NY City Marathons.  The qualifying race would certainly be an A race as would the end goal race.  You could then consider one other A race.  A good distance in this case for the third A would be a 1/2 Marathon. Depending on the timing you could do the Half as a build up to either the end goal or qualifying race.  I would not have an athlete do the half closer than 5 weeks before the full Marathon.  Closer than that does not give enough time to recover from the half, while still getting in valuable final peak training and a taper.  I would not do any race less than 5 weeks out from a major race such as the ones above.  When racing, the risk of injury goes up and it would be very silly to wreck a good race in Boston because of a local 5k.

This advice is certainly generalized.   If you are the kind of person who can run in a race without racing (AKA running hard when your friend and rival passes you) then doing a race close to a big A race should not be a problem.  If you have a Triple A personality then be extra careful.  Have a great 2010!

F4 Coach Adam Wins The Stinson Beach Trail Marathon!

Stinson Beach Trail Marathon

Nov 7 2009

60 degrees and sunny

 

Travel went well, I felt OK but a little sluggish as I hadn’t done much since Denver Marathon on Oct. 18. I planned to go out and run my own race, estimating a 3:30 would be a pretty good day on this course. The course started at the beach, with marathoners starting 10 minutes before 25km runners, and the 7 mile runners 10 minutes after them. The course consisted of a base 7 mile loop. Marathoners and 25 km runners then added an 8 mile loop in Muir Woods before rejoining the 7 mile course. Marathoners added an additional 5 mile out and back closer to the finish.

 

Immediatley the we started climbing. I was quickly in the front group with about 4 other guys. The climb was steady and runnable and I went at what felt like a sustainable pace, with a heart rate of around 165 bpm. One guy went off the front and I let him go, I figured if he could keep that pace up I wouldn’t beat him, not really expecting to see him again. I ran solo in second place for the next 3 miles. The course continued climbing on a wooded trail beside a small brook. It was humid but cool as I crossed many foot bridges, and eventually a 10 foot ladder! There were a few times where I wondered if I had gone off course as course marking was pretty minimal. The third place guy caught me just before the ladder and assured me we were on the right trail. I ran with Adrian for the next few miles, talking about running and Life. Adrian is a software analyst for Adobe working in San Francisco, his wife is an attorney. He had run the 25 km the prior year and knows the course. This proved fateful. We ran through the Pan Toll aid station at about 3 miles into the course in around 30 minutes. We started descending into Muir Woods, a gradual descent, quite smoothe, so we were flying. After a few switchbacks with me leading the way we blew by a sharp right turn. Luckily Adrian realized our mistake only 100 or so feet down the wrong trail (after ducking under some low hanging trees and jumping over others). We turned around and I decided to stay behind Adrian until we finished the loop in Muir Woods so as not to risk a wrong turn. We ran along, talking, and making good time. The trail was lined by gorgeous redwoods, very shady and beautiful. After a 4 mile descent we started climbing again, this would be a 4 mile climb taking us back to the Pan Toll aid station. On the climb I took the lead because I felt good climbing. Eventually I heard a voice and footsteps behind us. I thought this meant that we had been running too slowly and someone was catching up so I made the decision on a steep switchback section to make a move and drop Adrian, and hopefully avoid being overtaken by the other runners. I pushed my HR up to 170 bpm (much higher than I could maintain at altitude) and put some time on Adrian. With every switchback I could tell that I was gaining time. Eventually Adrian was gone, but I still heard footsteps. One of the 25km runners had made up the 10 minute stagger and caught me at 9. He said I was flying and told me he was running the 25km and that I should go with him. I was already pushing pretty hard, but I decided to go with him. I picked up the pace and stuck on him on a gradual downhill section, but once the course started climbing again I let him go to preserve some energy for the rest of the race.

 

My quads were burning on the uphill leading up to the aid station at mile 11, 1:30 into the race. When I got there I started passing runners in the 7 mile race and a Boyscout troop who had chosen today to hike this narrow trail. Runners and hikers alike responded to my requests of “excuse me” and “on your left” and I descended without impedance. I felt good descending, felt like I was solidly in second place and happy with that. At mile 13 the marathon course split to run a 5 mile out and back along a ridge. I was half way done with the race and my time was 1:43ish, on pace for my 3:30 goal. According to the course profile this was supposed to be a flat out and back. As soon as I turned on the Coastal Trail I saw the lone runner ahead of me. This was a boost as I didn’t expect to see him again. The Coastal trail was tough, it was surprisingly hilly, slanted to the downill side, narrow, and overgrown with grass. I wanted to hang back a little bit and recover while maintaining an even distance behind first place, and then make a big move to pass later in the race. But as luck would have it he looked over his shoulder and saw me coming, so I decided to catch up to him and run with him for a while. We ran and talked for a bit before I decided to pass him and try to drop him. I put in a little surge, hoping to distance myself and lead the last 10 miles of the race. After putting in this effort and getting a small gap I took another wrong turn and ran up a hill missing a sharp right. Luckily my competitor yelled to me and I turned around. My wrong turn put me back in second place and I worried that I wouldn’t have the energy to regain first, but I quickly started gaining ground. I was back in the lead by the aid station at mile 17, in a time of about 2 hours. from there it was 1.5 miles out to the turnaround and I tried to push the pace to lengthen my lead as much as possible before reversing direction and meeting my chasers head on. Upon turning around at 2:15  I calculated I had about a 1 minute lead. I ran another 5 minutes before seeing third place. The trail was gradually going uphill. My quads were really burning, I walked some of the steeper parts and this provided enough of a break for me to continue running.

 

I blew past the last aid station at mile 20 at 2:24, started to see more folks coming toward me. Oncoming runners were great! They shouted words of encouragement and yeilded the trail to me. I tried to give some encouragmenet to all. I chanced a look back a few times and saw no one behind me. When I got back to the main trail I had about 4 miles of downhill to go. I was confident that no one would catch me on a downhill, unless I fell or something.

 

I reemerged on the Matt Davis Trail, mile 22 (I thought) at 2:40 or so. I figured I’d run the last 4 miles conservatively, stay safe and win.  As I started descending I immediately started passing 25km runners. One yelled, 2.5 miles to go when I went by. If there were in fact only 2.5 miles to go I could break the course record (2:58 I think). I hammered down the Matt Davis Trail, a technical mix of switchbacks and wooden steps, Tarzan swinging around corners. The 25km runners were also great about yeilding. They heard me coming because I was grunting and making primal noises to ease the pain in my legs as I flew downhill.When 2:58 passed I thought how cool it would be to break 3 hours on a hard trail marathon and kept pushing. Eventually I emerged at beach level on the road. I had no idea how far it was to the finish so I kept running fast, finally crossing the finish line in 3:04:57. What a great feeling!

 

I started the race with 100oz of fluids (60 water and 40 concentrated 1^st endurance drink) I finished with 40 Oz (30 water, 10 drink). Meaning I consumed about 400 calories and 60oz during the race. I was unable to eat much of my Hammer Gel flask because it wouldn’t come out when I squeezed it (DIA security took my 1st endurance gel flasks and the local bike shop in Mill Valley only carried Hammer Gel). All in all, I raced smart, I was surprised at how hard I was able to push for the duration of the event. It was awesome!

Tim Smashes his PR Amidst The Giant Redwoods

Submitted by F4 athlete Tim Burcham

Race Report – Humboldt Redwoods Half Marathon

About 3 weeks out from the race, I was feeling good, but had 2 issues: I hadn’t done a time trial earlier in the season to get a dialed pace plan, and I had some mid-back tightness from running and work that just wouldn’t quit.  I also know that I typically have trouble with our longer taper plans, as I don’t ever taper well.

So, at 3 weeks out, I went and ran a 5k — ran a good race, a few seconds off PR, but didn’t really race all out.  Took the finish, plugged it into McMillan, and then did some estimates based on if I had run it all-out.  This got me to somewhere around a 7:25 pace, which I used as a target pace during our pacing workouts.  I noticed during the pacing workouts that I had some drift down to 7:15 or so, that didn’t feel completely sustainable, unless I was very, very warmed up.

For the back tightness, I waited until after the 5k, and started with both massage and some acupuncture courtesy of Tyler Stroebel.  I worked 2 massages and 2 acupuncture sessions in ahead of the race, and by the last few days, the back tightness was gone.  However, the taper ‘phantom pains’ really picked up the last few days before the race, and I had a fair amount of low back tightness even coming in to Eureka.

On top of all of this, I decided going to see the Rockies in 29 degree weather would be part of my pre-race strategy — I have a hunch that this may have triggered the low back tightness.

Lots of hydration, deep breathing, eating well leading up to race day.  Shifted from 2:1 protein:carb to 1:2 in the last 2 weeks, as well.

Stephen, John and I all travelled together, and went out on the race course on Saturday.  Driving out on the course, it felt downhill for huge stretches on the way out.  I was worried about a sustained uphill on the way back.  We drove out, hit the visitor center, where we ran into some ‘sister’ fast-forward marathoners, who didn’t train with the group, but are well known.  We kept coming back on the course, and I kept checking the odometer for the ‘start’ of the hill, to get a sense for where it was — and it never happened.  In fact, it felt downhill on the way back, too.  We later learned from Scott that the trees create an optical illusion, and that, it indeed felt downhill both ways when he ran this race.

More rest, and a good time at ‘Peppers’ with the group — we had a waitress wondering if the group were marines, as we had Scott, Wayne L and Ron all sitting next to one another with shaved heads or short cuts, and a ‘Marine Corps’ shirt on Wayne. 

Generally good sleep the night before the race — all gear setup ahead of time, and the timezone difference and late start helped get the right amount of sleep, rather than having to cut it short.

Morning comes, a quick getting dressed and a Starbucks, and we’re on our way.  I found Dr. Mark at the hotel breakfast, and made sure he could get a ride to the start.  We head out to the course, hoping to beat some traffic, and it works — we’re able to park about 1/4 mile from the start.  It’s also quite nice out, in the upper 40s, so a jacket and sweats suffice as we warm up.  Warmups, dynamics, and some strategically timed porta potty stops, and we’re all on the line for the race.

At the start, we’re under highway 101, and literally can hear nothing from the bullhorn.  We notice a huge amount of runners who look like they’ll be darn fast.  Indeed, we’ve learned that this race is the Northern California championships for the half marathon, and it shows in the field.

Gun goes off, and we start in with our run.  Stephen, John and I all plan to run around 7:30, with John running NYC in a few weeks, and Stephen running maratthon pace.  However, at mile 1, we’re at 7:15.  No big deal, just early mile jitters.  Mile 2, 7:15.  Mile 3, same thing.  Somewhere in there we get a good downhill, I get my form right, and cruise quick down the hill.  Now I’m worried – my Denver full marathon last year was too fast in the early miles, and I imploded later — I don’t want another race like that.  However, even at 7:15, breathing and effort feel relaxed.  We’re having conversations, breathing is fine, no effort in the legs.  We keep running.

An endurolyte at 20 in, a gel at about 45 — I stop for a moment to eat the gel and toss it.  Keep running, and the 7:15s keep coming.  The trees are amazing as we run through them, and it’s humid and not to warm or cold in the trees.  John and I talk to a local for a minute, who’s worried we’re marathoners passing him.  He points out ‘Joe’ up ahead — a 67 year old who can turn in a 1:30 half marathon, the local favorite for his age group.  We keep running.  A woman catchs up and asks about John’s Moab shirt, and we all chat through the turnaround.

Another endurolyte after the turnaround.  We keep running, but as we close on 9 miles, the pace is heating up.  I start to pull away, as John doesn’t want to lay it all out on today’s course.  I eat another gel somewhere around 9 or 10, stopping again for long enough to eat it.  Pick the pace back up, quick feet, quick feet.  The pain in the legs is starting to come, but my lungs are completely clear.  When the pain builds, I check my pace, and see that I’m well on track to blow a PR away.  I remind myself of grueling hill workouts, that this is nothing compared to those.  When my brain says it’s time to stop, I remind myself that I didn’t train all summer to walk on a half marathon — and I have the opportunity to crush my PR.

I take a lap at mile 12, and notice I’ve just dropped a 6:45 from 11-12.  That’s my 5k pace.  Wow.  I keep moving.  I have exactly one person pass me from 6.5 on, and he looks fantastic — beyond that, it’s me catching people, and passing them.  Short strides on the hills, recover on the top, pick it up on the bottom.

I come in to the finish, and pick up on the last stretch — nothing crazy, but nice and strong.  I cross the line, and I’ve just mowed my 1:39:15PR from Moab in the spring down, with a 1:35:15, a 4 minute improvement.

20 seconds later, ‘Joe’ the 67 year old crosses the line, too.  I congratulate him as well.  It turns out that a 1:35 in this race gets you 94th out of 450 or so — 1:09s have been turned in, there are 60 year olds running 1:28s, 82 year olds running sub-2 hours.  Just when you think Boulder is uber-competitive, you find another pocket of humbling, elite runners.

All in all, a well-executed race.  I feel that the training items that specifically helped were:
- ‘Overage’ miles — I felt like I was doing a ‘marathon-lite’ training for the half, and was bumping 15, 16 miles during the training.  This makes a huge difference for me for endurance.
- Tempo miles – Matt gave us some freedom on the longer runs to mix in faster miles, and I feel this also made a difference.
- Hills – I always appreciate the hills, and though i don’t appreciate it in the moment, any time we can do low-recovery, high-intensity hills, it helps me out.  We’ve had some sessions where we take our time in the recovery part of the interval — I’d like to see less of this, as the ‘drill sergeant’ approach hills makes a huge difference, IMO.
- Taking extra care in the 2 weeks prior to the race, and deliberately shortening my taper by ~ 1 week.  This made a huge difference for me.
- High altitude running — back at Labor Day, when I probably should’ve been using our recovery week, I instead went and ran about 26 miles in 3 days at 8000+ ft.  I followed it up a week later with an 8000 ft. 10k at half-marathon pace.  I feel like this made a huge difference, as well.   Perhaps we could find ways to mix higher altitude training in from time to time (meet at Magnolia, for example, on a Saturday)?

Thanks to all for another great season with FF!  I’ll see you again in the spring.

Tim

Running the NYC Marathon?

F4 Tech Adviser, Bobby McGee, shares his wisdom on running your very best race through the five burrows.

Click Here for the story

I learned today that it’s not about the time, it is about the accomplishment.

Kirsten’s Denver Marathon Race Report 10/18/09

I learned today that it’s not about the time, it is about the accomplishment.

What a great day to run my first marathon. The weather was perfect, I slept well the night before and my body felt fresh and ready thanks to the taper. My goal was a 4 hour marathon, which I knew was a stretch but I wanted to try. This was after all, the only marathon I will ever run due to my old basketball knees. I felt great and I was right on track through mile 19. It was great to see co-workers at mile 12 and my family at mile 13 & 15. I got to run with fellow F4 group runner, Michael Long for miles 13 & 14 which was uplifting to have someone familiar around me. At mile 16 I went past the F4 aid station and yelled to Jen who was very busy handing out water/Gatorade. At mile 18 I had a friend waiting to run with me. I knew I would need someone to get me through Washington Park miles since I was basically running alone by then. She just kept me company and I would look at her feet to remind me that my cadence was getting too slow. During this time my pace slowed down by 1 minute every mile. I knew I was not going to meet my goal time, so I took a minute to use the port-o-let and I felt so much better. My family was waiting for me at mile 22, coming out of Wash. Park and by that time I started slowing by another minute p/mile. I told them to meet me at the finish because I needed to focus on getting to the finish line. The next couple of miles were really hard and I just told myself to just keep running, do not walk. At mile 25 I started feeling weird and Liz, who had done the ½ marathon, was on the course at mile 25.5. I was barely running at this point and told her that I was starting to feel light-headed so she stayed with me. (Thank you Liz!) I started walking and weaving all over the road. Liz had to catch me a couple of times. When I was 200 meters from the 26 mile marker, I told Liz that I was going to pass-out. I have bonked once before and knew what was coming. I told myself in 2002 that I would never do that to my body again because it was a scary experience and can turn into a serious medical issue. I struggled with the decision to just walk the final ½ mile or stop and take care of myself. I would have finished sometime before 4:30. Instead I spent 25 minutes on the sidewalk laying down and getting water, gels and electrolytes in me. I still wanted to finish and my husband had to adamantly tell the EMT’s that I was not going with them.  Liz and Gwen took care of me and walked by my sides until the last 200 meters to the finish. I held my girls hands for those last steps and finished with them at my side.

As my sore body sits down and reflects on the race I think about the words I used to describe myself on the first day of training with Coach Scott Gurst and our running group. (What a great group and coach!) I said that I was “goal oriented”. Without the goal of doing a race, I tend not to work out. Without an aggressive goal, I tend not to train hard enough. As I passed through mile 19 and realized my time goal was out of reach, I just thought about finishing. It’s funny how you train towards something for 4 months and then realize that getting to that finish line is just as important. When I sat down on the sidewalk, it was probably the clearest decision I had made in the last 4 miles. I chose my health over my time goal. My finishing time was 4:51:29, but as you know, it doesn’t tell the whole story. My friends and co-workers reminded me today that yesterday was all about the accomplishment.

Final Race Weekend Tips

Thanks to Coach Scott G for these very helpful final tips for those F4 athletes racing this weekend in Denver, Moab, or Humboldt:

We have traveled a long distance together, my friends.  In fact, if you’ve done most of the workouts, I estimate you’ve probably run between 200 and 250 miles since we first met back in June.  And a good portion of those miles were uphill.  J

As you know, however, having done all that training does not guarantee success on race day.  All the training does is stack the odds in your favor, and increase your potential for success on race day.  But now that you have the potential, can you turn that potential into concrete success?  Put another way, you’ve painstakingly worked to plant the seeds, foster the growth of the trees, and harvest the lemons.  Now, can you make lemonade?

Bobby McGee often says that on race day, 90% of athletes race below their potential, 9% race at their potential, and 1% actually race above their potential.  The difference between your potential and where you actually perform is what sport psychologists refer to as “performance loss”.  The factors that can contribute to performance loss are, among others:

Leading up to the race

• Poor nutrition
• Poor hydration
• Too much stress
• Not being fully rested

On race morning

• Not eating proper breakfast
• Not eating far enough in advance of start time
• Stress of getting prepared and getting to start on time
• Improper warm-up

During race

• Going out too fast
• Not sticking to race plan (or not having one)
• Poor nutrition
• Poor hydration
• Being overdressed, underdressed
• Negative attitude
• Unnecessary stress
• Lack of belief in oneself
• Lack of toughness

Obviously, there are others.  The challenge is to do everything you can to eliminate as many of these as you can, if not all of them.  If you eliminate all of them, you should be able to run to your full potential, which is a great feeling.  There’s nothing better than finishing a race and knowing that you couldn’t have done it any better.  In fact, success on race day is more about removing obstacles to the great race that’s already inside you, waiting to be released.  Your main concern over the next few days should not be whether you are capable of running well.  Your main concern should be eliminating anything that might stand in the way of that happening.  So, with that in mind, here are some thoughts on things you might want to consider over the next few days to help you be in the top 10%, those that perform to, or even above their potential on race day.

The Next Few Days

Really pay attention to what you put into your body.  You’ve tuned it up really well, and it’s like a race car waiting for the green flag to drop.  But it won’t be able to perform if you put low grade fuel (food) into it over the next few days, and don’t keep it lubricated (fluids).  Even one bad meal in the next few days could cost you.  So really be diligent.  If everyone is going out tomorrow from the office to have Twinkies and deep-fried lard, you might want to politely excuse yourself.  Everything you eat and drink for the next few days is fuel for your race.  Choose the high-octane stuff.

Likewise, hydrate well over the next few days.  Keep a bottle nearby, and continue to sip throughout the day.  By race morning, you should be peeing clear and copiously.

Try to do everything you can to go into the race well rested.  The purpose of the tapering period is to allow you to be completely healed and recovered from all the workouts.  Resist the temptation to do anything that will jeopardize that.  Now is not a good time to be pulling weeds, going to the rock gym, moving your barbells up to the attic, pulling the transmission on your pick-up, painting the house, hiking Sanitas, going for long bike rides, etc.  Make smart choices, and certainly avoid the temptation to get in one last hard workout.  It definitely won’t help, and will probably hurt.  Save your energy.  You’ll need it.

The Night Before

Do as much of your race preparation as possible the night before your race.  Set out everything you’ll need so you won’t have to go on a frantic scavenger hunt in the morning.  Put on your race clothes to make sure you have everything.  Pin on your number.  Set out your bottles and food.  Clear the memory on your watch.  Make sure you have your Body Glide, sun block, and anything else you’ll need.  The idea is that you should be able to wake up the next day and have everything prepared.  Have a good healthy dinner on the early side, which will help you get to bed early.  Set two alarms, and leave yourself 15 minutes more than you think you’ll need to get to the start.  As you go to sleep, visualize success on race day.

Race Morning

When you wake up, smile.  It’s race day!  Take a moment, and a deep breath before you get out of bed.

Your morning meal should be completed at least two hours before start time.  This will give your body the proper amount of time to digest and process the food.  If you eat less than two hours before start time, you run the risk that there will still be blood in your stomach processing your food.  If you start running before this process is complete, you force your body to choose between sending blood to your stomach to process your food, or to you legs to help you run.  Either way, you lose.  Note that it’s OK to have a very light snack about 10-15 minutes before the start to top off the tank.

Before you leave your room, look in the mirror, and remind yourself that you’ve done enough.

At The Start

In the time leading up to the start, stay relaxed and focused.  Immediately terminate any negative thoughts that might pop up.  Stay away from anyone who is spewing negative, self-doubting BS, or complaining about one thing or another to excuse themselves in advance for not having a good day.  Decide that regardless of what comes up, there is nothing that can knock you off center.  Be the person that everyone looks at and thinks to themselves, “There’s someone who is really relaxed and confident …”

After The Gun

Settle into your pace as soon as possible.  Ignore the madness that is going on around you.  As people run by you, remind yourself that you there’s a pretty good chance that they don’t know what they’re doing.  More importantly, remind yourself that is doesn’t matter.  You have a plan, and nothing is going to sway you from doing what you need to do.

Pay attention to the things that matter and are under your control, and ignore the things that don’t matter, or are out of your control.  Stick religiously to your nutrition and hydration plan.  Continue to check in with yourself with respect to your form.  Are you relaxed?  Are you holding tension?  Is your cadence good?  By running with good form, you make the whole task easier, and increase the chances that you’ll have a lot left for the push at the end.

Each mile marker, check your splits, and remind yourself that it’s all “excellent”!  J

Look forward to the more challenging parts of the race.  You’ve probably trained more than anyone on the hills, and they are to your advantage.  Remember to push through the crests of the hills, continuing your effort for a few more strides as you go over the top.

At The Finish

If you’ve run a good race in an attempt at a challenging goal, you might experience a bit of discomfort as you near the end of the race.  This is natural, and not a sign that something is wrong.  Know that you can handle it, as you’ve had plenty of practice.  Think of the discomfort as an old friend.  Continue to ask yourself, “After all I have been through over the past 17 weeks, after all the work I have done, am I willing to do just a little more?  Am I willing to push for just a few more minutes?”

As you approach the finish line, regardless of whether or not it has been a good race for you, allow the last 100 yards to be a celebration.  Resolve to cross the finish line with a big smile on your face, and your arms in the air, because every finish line is cause for celebration.  There most likely come a time in the future when you will not have the ability to do things like this any more.  Running 13.1 or 26.2 miles is not a trivial accomplishment, and one that most people that walk this earth will never experience.  Whether or not you think you did it well, it is still cause for celebration, because one day, you will look back on that moment as one of the times when you were at your very best.  If you want to pick apart your race, wait a few minutes until after it’s over.  But during those last few yards, focus only on what you have accomplished, not what you have not.  Remember, it’s not just the end of a race, it’s a milestone on a much bigger journey.

Hope that helps.  Have a great race!

- Scott

Barb is all about the 364

Don’t ask me how my race was.

Why Am I Not Disappointed? This is the question I kept asking myself after IM Louisville.  I had missed my goal time by 20 minutes – what went wrong and why didn’t I care more?

Training had been great.  I am the most happy when I’m training – so for 6 months of the year I feel great, and for the other 6 months I look forward to feeling great again later – this is kind of creepy.  I have a weight problem (upwards of 200 lbs on a 5’4” frame at my heaviest) – which I am only able to keep in check by either incredible diet vigilance or massive amounts of training.  Diet vigilance is depressing.  I can’t describe how good it feels to someone who was at one time so out of shape they could not pull their child up a hill in a sled – to be able to do an Ironman.  I can’t begin to tell you how if feels to me to ride my bike to Jamestown, or to work, or to Cheyenne.  The feeling of screaming downhill with your BFF (thank you Jennifer) right behind you on a warm summer day – there is nothing like it!  Swimming in a lake at sunrise – running like a horse on a long trot…to me are some of the most intense pleasures in life.  So why do an Ironman?  Why not just train all the time?  Hmmmm….because its not the same….even I need the voice in the back of my head that says – “get up now and go to masters – THIS IS IRONMAN, THIS IS NO FOOLING AROUND!”

So we did the training, with fantastic teammates and coaches.  We did a road trip.  We suffered, teased and shared our most intimate secrets.  (Lots of time for this on an 18 mile run).

Race time – what an experience.  This was my third Ironman.  Each experience is different.  The fist one was absolute elation because I finished, the second one was absolute elation because I got faster, the third was just elation, why?…but I’m ahead of myself,  one thing about Ironman is that stuff is going to happen, it’s just how you deal with it that matters.

Fly to Kentucky – this was fantastic, I was not nervous at all this time.  No doubts about my physical ability to finish.  Enjoyed all the pre-race prep, all the energy, all the hype, in fact I kept running into Scott in the Expo when I was supposed to be “relaxing”.  Loved the pre-race swims and both dinners.  Had a great time doing Jennifer’s hair, writing really lame song lyrics in the middle of the night, and being proposed to by men on the street (twice in one day – not too bad for a prior fat girl in her 40s).

Race morning – got in line with all our teammates, this was a riot because the race organizers had neglected to have the sprinklers turned off, so in order to stay dry the guys picked up a blue room and moved it to block a sprinkler, the water pressure was quite strong so we though we were under attack every 45 seconds or so.  The sun came up, the seconds ticked off, we jumped in the river.  My swim went according to plan.  I stayed out of traffic, drafted when it was convenient and moved out into the channel a bit for the down current.  I came out of the water almost exactly when I predicted I would.  Ran to the tent, put on socks, shoes, glasses, and helmet.  Ran out and on to the bike, completely missing the sunscreen.  About ¼ mile into the bike my eyes began to itch and I began to sneeze, also my nose was running incessantly.  This lasted for about an hour – I think I was allergic to something in the river.  Started to see the F4 men as they caught up to me.  This was great. Saw Scott, Jen and Lida twice – a nice lift both times. Borrowed some sunscreen, ate and drank according to plan.  Had a very hard time using my power meter on the hilly course as the watts numbers were all over the place – in retrospect I rode too conservatively.  On the way back into town I got cramps in both my feet, incredibly painful – I just pushed through it as I knew I was almost done.  I know I usually get these on the bike if I stay on one foot too long when coasting down hill – I must have lost focus and forgot to keep even pressure on my feet when coasting. Bike time was off goal by about 16 minutes.

Into transition – my feet were still cramped as I hobbled to get my bag, Fiona (Jennifer’s daughter) was there – how nice to see a familiar face.  By the time I changed my feet were back to normal.  Strapped on my Garmin – Low Battery – not sure how that happened since I had charged it right before putting it into the bag – oh well.  Started on the run, I had decided earlier (after many, many bouts of nausea, vomiting and diarrhea in races and on long training runs) that I would not consume anything that didn’t sound good.  I drank water, ate oranges, grapes, bananas and a couple of cookies – I never felt sick.  So that was a huge positive thing to learn.  I did feel sore though and very tight hamstrings kept my pace to a very slow jog.  I think this was because I had spent nearly the whole bike ride in my areobars, and the position was somewhat new to me, having got a new bike as a surprise barely a month before the race.  OPR (other people’s relatives) were all around the course and had the kindness to cheer for me – they can’t imagine what an uplifting feeling that is.  Also my other BFF Corinna was on the course – this is the first time I have raced without her, and she seemed to show up at just the right moments when mental and physical torment were about to take over.  My pace was slow but steady, the fastest I could manage.  Lida was very encouraging as I got close to the finish.  As I came into town the lights and the crowd and Scott and Jen at the finish were all too overwhelming, I was ecstatic.  My time was crappy (off by about 12 minutes on the run), I didn’t care…

The next morning at breakfast I was wondering why I wasn’t more disappointed, when Scott said “I know why”  I was thinking of all the positive things he would say about my race, all the things I learned, all the ways I would be better next time….but instead he said “You’re not about the race, you’re about the other 364 days of the year”.  Of course he nailed it….so… don’t ask me how my race was.  The race is just an excuse to train.

See you next year, and maybe someday Kona – by lottery or by ageing, I hope to get there.

Barb

Donna Does Not Fail!

Ironman Louisville 2009  “A day to remember’ –Donna Mitchell

So being a very experienced triathlete (one sprint and the bike leg for a relay), somehow I found myself in a training program for the Ironman.  It was actually an wonderful program filled with just great people.  Though the training was ‘well training’ , it was fun because of my training partners.   I had successfully stayed healthy and injury free, until the taper.   Ten days before, I became ill with some type virus and found myself barely surviving a day at work, let alone a day of Ironman, getting Iv fluids x 3 days and really getting worried that I would feel well enough to compete.  Ultimately, even arriving in Louisville, I still felt really bad, not eating well, and really concerned that I would get to start the race.  The good news is that by race morning with some drug therapeutics, I felt decent.  My head still really hurt but it was tolerable.

Race Day

We got up early, changed, ate a little bit (but ultimately the stomach really didn’t want food) took a Pepcid & meds and headed down to check the bikes and get in line as early as possible so to have as much of the 17 hours as possible to finish.  The morning was cool, and the high was to be in the low 80’s.  I kept thinking that this ‘totally abnormal’ August weather, must be a sign, an omen that it was going to be a good day! The waiting was the worst part, but with all of my F4 teammates around, somehow I had an inner calm.  Maybe it was because, I had repeated the mantra “I have trained enough’ (thank you Scott G) for the last 10 days and I also knew that I have spent a lifetime working 36 hours straight.  I knew I had endurance and could pace.  I was also happy that I felt well enough to compete.  It would have been a sad, very sad plane flight back to Colorado, to sit with 2 Ironmen and be an Ironman want-a-be.

“The Swim: did I bank enough good karma with the water gods?”

The hardest part of the whole day was that first leap into the river.   I found the swim to be actually good (a comment from someone who just started swimming freestyle one year before, so what do I know).  I liked the fact that it was easy to site and the water was warm. Other than getting beat up by some aggressive swimmers, I kept my goggles on and stayed in my bubble.  I wanted to check my watch, but kept hearing Michael’s words in my head (you can only lose in the swim}.  I kept my nice, steady pace (albeit slow).   When I got out and looked at my watch, my time was pretty much on target 1:52:19.   I survived the swim.  I knew in my heart that baring any major problems;  I would be an Ironman at the end of the day.  Life is good!

Transition I

I have decided that the Ironman is awesome, because they give you helpers and a tent to change.  Screw that little towel!  There, greeting me was daughter, Jessica and Lida who were volunteering.  Their hugs and smiles, made me feel so good.  Swimsuit off and bike attire on, I was now a cyclist.  I spent an extra couple of minutes to eat an oatmeal cookie and really cover myself with sunscreen.  Then off to the bike.  (Why don’t they let you run through a shower, as you come out of the water????)

The BIKE (How many tubes and CO2 cartridges will I use???)

I was familiar with the bike route, especially the part along the river.  We used to ride this a lot when we lived in Louisville.  I had a chart taped to my bike to help me stay on target (primarily, to make sure that I made the appropriate bike time cuts).  My plan was to bike conservatively the first 60 miles and then made the appropriate adjustments.  Most importantly, I was not going to ‘eat the paste’.  My bubble was set.  We had a whole lot of family/friends staked out on Hwy 393 at the high school.  They were great inspiration and I did take a few minutes to stop and give hugs and chat with them.  My sister had printed up T-shirts and they were all wearing the “Team Mitchell’ shirts.  Just awesome!   The turn at mile 60 to start the second loop came well in advance of the cutoff.  I kept my pace, stopped briefly with family for the last time on the bike then grabbed my special needs bag.  Took out my two York Peppermint patties, re-medicated myself, bathroom break,  re-applied the ‘butt butter’ (something you should never forget to do) and prepared a bottle of  Sustained Energy.  I knew I was 20 minutes off my pace, and I got a little panicky since I was starting into the last 50 miles.  I knew I still could make the cut off but didn’t want it to be at all close.  I pulled myself out of the river that morning, and therefore refused to not finish because of the bike segment.  Overall, I felt good and decided I could pick up the pace.   The new pace was fine, and as I rolled into T2 , I had made up my time and more.   8:03:01   I realized that I probably could have ridden the entire way at the faster pace.  I was very excited that I came in with time to spare for the cut off and with almost 7 hours to do the run.  Amazingly, no flats!  Life is good and maybe getting better!

Transition 2

Once again that wonderful tent!.  Off with the bike clothes.  Wet ones to wipe down the face and arms.  Clean running clothes and socks. AAAH!  The simple pleasures of a ‘Ironman to be”. Then off I went for the run.

THE RUN

My plan had been to walk the bridge and get my legs moving again in a different plane of motion.  When I got back into the city, it was time to run.  I fell forward and let my feet catch me and off I went.  I found a pace that was sustainable and it was really amazing how quickly most of the aide stations came.  I walked them, drank coke and took additional salt tablets.  It was fun seeing other F4 runners along the way.  My family and friends were cheering from close to the turnaround.  It was exciting to know that I would see them soon.  I saw Stephen and Doug, hugs and kisses exchanged, and I continued to run.  Saw my family (including my parents now) and made the first turn.  Hugs to the family and then I continued back into town.  I was nearing the turn when I heard Lida screaming my name.  She saw me coming.  I made the turn towards the finish/turn around.  People are cheering, giving high 5s thinking I am finishing- but I had to make that right hand turn and head back out.  It was just getting dark, the lights on the mall were on and I told myself I would be back to finish.  To my right was Jen, she ran with me for a few moments and then off I went into the night.  It is interesting where we find some of our best moments.  Oddly, I had always presumed that I would walk a substantial part of the 26.2 miles, but I was running and it was actually feeling good.  Miles clipped by.  I saw Stephen, first.  We crossed the center-line and with a hug and a kiss told him to ‘go become an Ironman’.  A little later, I did the same thing with Doug.  More coke, an occasional gel and keep pacing.  I kept waiting for the ‘wall’ or the ‘line’ or the self-doubt.  It didn’t come.  I knew that after I made the turn and saw my family, I was 7 miles and heading home. My sister, Pam ran along the road with me.  We were talking and chatting about Ironman, the day, how cool to finish will be and time flew by quicker.  I thanked all the volunteers and tried to encourage all those who were struggling as I passed them.  I am slow, steady and most people pass me.  So it was incredibly enjoyable to be finishing an Ironman and passing anybody.  I passed 50 more  people, but  worried that they would not finish before the midnight hour.

THE FINAL APPROACH!

During that last ½ mile, my mind was a frenzy with thoughts.  What completing the Ironman meant for me, what incredible coaching had allowed me to complete this goal, how many times Scott Gurst’s comments about mental toughness and believing in yourself had gone through my head that day, that I ‘did eat the paste’, that I was proud of myself, that I had finally learned to swim, that coming back to my hometown to do an Ironman was extra special, that my family and friends were awesome,  that my kids were at the finish,  that I got the opportunity to train and do an Ironman with Stephen, that I didn’t fail.

I hugged my sister and gave her my ‘light necklace’ so it wouldn’t mess up the photo and slowly turned the corner allowing her to run through the crowd to the finish.  I wanted to take this moment in, the people, the music, the lights.  I glanced to my right and saw two Team Mitchell shirts,  worn by Doug’s sister  & brother -in-law and went to give them a very big and sweaty hug.

THE FINISH

I then continued down the cobblestone path, people were banging on the advertisement boards, the neon lights were brilliant and their geometric design led you in.  Extended hands everywhere asking for a gentle slap of mine as I continued to the finish.  Arms in the air and I was across!   Life is really good!

All I can say is that it is as cool as you can imagine.  There is no way that you can’t smile and feel incredibly accomplished.  As I crossed the line, there was Stephen, Doug and Scott.  Stephen placed my medal over my head and made me an Ironman.  What a memory!  I looked left and saw my dad, standing there with tears streaming down his face.  What a day this has been!  Surrounded by F4 teammates (there is a plus to coming in last), family and friends, it was a grand celebration.   Run time, a very consistent 13:40 pace for 5:58:07.

Total length of my call day:  16:25:12

Overall, I felt great!  It had been a good, correction great day, an awesome day!  Ultimately, I wouldn’t really change a thing.  Well maybe I would have biked a little less conservatively, but who knows, it may have meant I would have done a lot of walking.   I was actually the proudest of my run, only 39 minutes slower than my marathon PR.  As for my long call day, well I don’t think I could have done the ENTIRE day better!  Ultimately, it was a perfect day, a day to remember!

Important points!

Definitely put your times on your bike to keep you on task.

Sustained Energy (unflavored) totally rocks!!!  You get so tired of ‘sweet”

There is nothing better than Coke on the run.  Go caffeine!

Butt Butter always makes a long ride better!

All of that time in the Union and Boulder Res, makes for a better open water swim!

Nothing is better than training with your friends at F4!

There is no ‘race day magic’ so stay within your ‘bubble’, but race day can be magical if you do.

Changing into different clothes adds time, but makes you so much more comfortable for that segment of the day!  You got a tent and helpers, so why not?

Mental preparation is important to keep the Dementers (see Harry Potter) from sucking the ‘life breath’ from you.

Ironman registration $550; new tri-bike, F4 attire $3500; Ironman medal around neck with family looking on::::::PRICELESS