Hoka Stinson 3 ATR- Sorry, But I Really Tried!

For Christmas, I got some Christmas money and I wanted to get some new running shoes. I have been hearing all these great reviews about Hokas, so I thought I would take a chance and I went to the mall and tried a pair on. I admit they felt pretty good and made me stand about an inch taller than normal, but I just couldn't will myself to pay that high a price for shoes. (I know running shoes aren't cheap, but the ones I was looking at were top dollar).

So I waited, and waited and finally broke. I went on to the net and purchase a pair of Hoka Stinson 3 ATR shoes. I was really excited for them to come in the mail.

The STINSON 3 ATR features signature category-defining HOKA ONE ONE cushioning and support, and has been redesigned from the ground up. Updates include a more precise late-stage Meta-Rocker for improved forefoot support, and tuned underfoot geometry for improved ride and stability off-road. The upper features ComfortFrame in the heel and midfoot for improved fit, and light padding on the tongue for increased comfort. The Stinson 3 ATR is designed to be durable enough for the roads while providing ample traction on the trails.

That was the sales pitch from the web.

Now I know it usually takes a few runs in a shoe to really know if you like them or not, so I really tried to take my time in determining if they would work for me. And I really, really wanted them to be the best shoe I had ever ran in, but that is just not the case for me. Here are the issues I had:

• The heel really slipped pretty bad on me. I tried to re-lace them several times and finally got it laced right, but it seemed to always be on my mind that my heel slipped. It wasnlt a good fit for me.
• It actually made one of my feet hurt after running. Now this may be a "that's the way God made me" issue, but the shoe never really molded to my foot like other shoes did and I think it made me alter might stride or footstrike, which is never good.
• The shoe felt tight on one foot vs. the other foot. Not sure how to explain that and again I went in search of different lacing methods to help, but I never got the right shoe feeling "right"
• Knee pain. Now I cannot say this is 100% due to the shoes, but I did do an experiment. I ran with my Hokas, and then I came home and changed into my Brooks shoes. My knees did not bother me in the Brooks shoes like the Hokas.
• To be fair, I did put about 30 miles on the Hokas before I made my decision.

So I am going back to my Brooks shoes that I love. I should have asked my buddy when I asked him about Hokas, he response to me was to "stay in what got you where you are". I wish I had listened to him and stayed with Brooks. I really did want to love those shoes, but they will not be my running shoes.

Runner Pick up Lines for V-day!

Me and my bride trial running...

So here we are at Valentine's Day and I thought I might help you out with some good runner themed pickup lines that I searched the Internet for. Feel free to use them  and take credit (or blame) for them!
 

1. Good thing I have GPS, cause I am lost without you!!
2. Did you get lost on your run? Because Heaven is a long way from here.
3. Your pace or mine? (winner)
4. You can stop running after your dreams, I am right here.
5. I am not sure if it's the run or you, but that took my breath away!
6.  Do you like speedwork? Cause I am down for a quickie!
7. Do you run track? Cause I relay want to date you!
8. My love for you is like an ultramarathon, it goes on and on.
9. Are you tired? Because you have been running through my mind day!
10. What's your personal record (PR)? If you'd go out with me, then you'd be mine!
11. Do you believe in love at first sight? Or should I pass you again?
12. Now that I know your bib number, I think I should be able to get your phone number.
13. Coach told me to bang out an easy 6, but you look like a 10!  #BOOM!
14. Coach told me not to get my HR over 160, then I saw you!
15. On a scale of 1-10, you're a 26.2!

Let the Lovefest begin and have a Happy Valentine's Day!

I want a BIG MONTH...

So I was looking over my logs in BT.com for the last few months and the numbers aren't that great. Do you ever feel like you have been more active than you really were? Well this is one of those times. And this is the reason I think that logging your workouts is so important. If you look at my running numbers, I am almost embarrassed to call myself a runner!

May-12.4 miles
June-38.6 miles
July-26.12 miles
August-27.01 miles

Those are my big training numbers for the last 4 months. It's not good. I know of a guy that recently had over 300 miles in one month!  That's more than I did in a 1/4 year! So I do not care what I think I did this summer, I in no way did what I am capable of and that is why I am having trouble being as fast as I think I should be.

Simply: I am not running enough to be the runner I want to be.

I have about 2 months to prep for Ragnar TN. Plenty of time to get up to speed I think, but I am going to have to get a plan. Apparently just thinking about running does not translate into actually running.

I am not far off from where I want to be regarding distance. I wanted to be at a solid 5 miles by Sept 1, and that is doable at about a 10:15 pace. I want to be around 8 by the end of Sept under 10 min. My legs on Ragnar are around 5-6 miles apiece. Only problem is that I am having a hard time finding a training plan for this like I would for a triathlon, which means I will make it myself.

I am not sure I will set  specific number for mile in Sept, but I guarantee you I am looking at more than 27 but less than 300.

DAY 15 of the Streak...

Yes, I am 15 days into the streak and I thought I would give an update on how it is going. Before I started the streak, I posted on the BT forum that I was going to start streaking and asked if people had done one and if so, what did they get out of it. Most people seemed to be worried about injuries more than anything else. Some were concerned about burning out and some thought a streak was a great way to have active recovery. Well, after 15 days, here is what I think about it.

I am actually enjoying the streak. I admit it has been tough some days to work it in, because I am also sticking to my sprint triathlon training plan, which looks like this now (7 days run, 2 days swim, 3 days bike). On the days where my plan does not have me running, I am still running a 1.1 mile course around my house. So in the first 15 days of June, I have already covered 26 miles running!

I will admit, that some mornings it is tough to get up and run, but other days I feel awesome running to the pool, swimming and running home. My 1.1 mile run is usually taking me less than 10 minutes, so it is really more of a scheduling process than anything to get it in and get to work on time. I am really aiming at getting through June.

I also agree with the group on the BT forums about the 1.1 mile run being a great way to recover and loosen up those legs after a tough workout. My 1.1 mile runs are never meant to be fast, but I am finding that I am running them faster than when I began, and I am not even trying to run them fast. Go figure!

Another benefit I am seeing (along with some watching what I am eating) is the fact that I am losing weight. I am down to 188 lbs. Early in the year I was pushing 200 pounds, which was not good for my knees! So now I am comfortable running without a shirt, and believe me in Memphis, it gets hot and humid! It was almost 80 degrees the other morning here.

I said shirtless! I'm not totally streaking!

Will I continue the streak after June? I am not sure, but so far it has been fun and it has brought back the joy of running for me.

11 Days Out...

So I am 11 days out from Redman. I bet you will not guess what the most common question I have been getting over the last two days is???


Are you scared to death about the race???

Scared to death? I can't say I am scared at all. I have concerns about the race, but I am really not scared. But if I am honest, there is one thing that I fear doing, and it is having to make that phone call about being a DNF.

It has happened before in Branson. My first ever attempt at a 70.3. 5 flats took me out. Stupid rim tape. I am the only one to blame since I was the one that change the rubber on my tires. This year I am having a bike shop change my tires!  LOL  I know, it's weak, but it will be one less thing to worry about.

I also hate reading about other people nutrition plan. Some of these people are so detailed that it makes me second guess my own plan!  Bradleyd3 from Brad's Ironman Journey has already told me to get off the internet and train! Which I am starting to think might be a good idea. Some of these people have their nutrition down to 3 spoonfuls of peanut butter and a cup of applesauce in the morning... Crazy!!!

My plan is so simple compared to that, and that freaks me out a little. I am looking forward to the swim and the bike somewhat (although I hear the road conditions might be a little rougher than desired) but I am dreading the run.

4 loop course. A little more than 8 5K's. It is going to be mentally challenging. I plan on some walking.

They also just announced bib numbers!  I am number 65 in the full distance triathlon!!

I am also just ready for it to get here and let me do this. It has been a long time in training. A long time thinking about it and I really want to just get it going! That's normal right? So I am gonna go old school on you...

LET"S GET IT STARTED!!!!

This Ironman Stuff is Tiring...

I admit I have not been blogging much lately and that is because I have been early to bed, early to rise lately. I have all these great ideas I want to blog about and they always come to me out on the run or bike, but by the time I get back to the house, blogging is not a top priority. Here is just a sample of things I blog about in my head while I am running:

• July was my biggest training month this year, but I expect August to be bigger!
• The other day some random dude pulled up on my wheel while I was out riding without even letting me know. If I had not looked back, I do not think he was going to say anything. Not Cool
• The rain, we have had lots of rain lately and it makes it sticky hott here in Memphis.Many times I have said "screw it", I am running even though it is raining, only to have it stopped raining and get miserable, but I can't imagine running 9 miles on a treadmill now.
• I have determined that if I walk when I see people and run when there is no one around, I will get a lot more running done.
• An hour swim is nothing anymore, I already have hit over 4,000 yds in the pool, and while boring, it's not a big deal.
• My confidence is growing, not growing to the point of being on the podium or anything, but growing as in I can do this.
• I automatically wake up at 5:05 AM now days.
• It's weird that I am feeling leaner, but not really losing any weight, I am staying around 183.
• We dumped Direct TV and got U verse for cable TV recently
• School starts at 7 AM for my boys this year, that's a big change
• I am learning to become quite the mechanic. Me and a buddy have changed out a fuel pump and I recently learned to change my oil. Auto repair places are there to overcharge you, and I am not giving them any money anymore!
• I really want to look into an athlete tracker for my wife to use to track while I am racing.
• 6 weeks to go!!!!

So see, while I have not been putting things down on the blog, there is still a lot going on, but all I want to do is eat and go to bed. So don't forget me blogosphere, I am still around!!!

MIM Olympic Race Report 2013

This is one of my favorite races of the year, and also one of the first tris of the year, so it is always a good gauge of where my fitness stands. So, I was looking forward to having a great race this year.

The Day Before:

We got to the hotel on Saturday afternoon, and tried to check in but they had zero rooms ready, which was frustrating, but we made the most of it. This gave us plenty of time to hit the expo and get checked in and checked my bike into transition. By the time we finished all that, we had a room with a nice view of the pool. Since I had not been in open water all year, I really wanted to get the wetsuit on and jump in the lake (I also was curious about water temps). My wife and kids went down to the pool and I went to jump in the lake. I always like to swim both the start and exit of a swim, so I know exactly what to expect. The word about the race area was that the water was at 74 degrees that morning and would most likely be a wetsuit legal race, but after being in the water, I was not really sure if I would wear it or not. I wasn't sure if the time gain vs the time it took me to get out of would be better. I was not the only one that was considering not wearing it according to other racers I talked too. After my swim I went and joined the wife and kids at the pool until we decided to go eat and then hang in the room until bedtime.

I slept horribly that night, waking at 11:30, 1:30, 2:30, 4:00 and 4:58, right before my alarm was to go off. Not sure why though.

Pre Race:
I got up at 5 and went into the bathroom to wake myself up and not wake up the whole family. I ate a bagel and drank some water before gathering what I needed to take down to transition. This year I waited to get my kit on and went down to transition and body marking in shorts and t-shirt. This is one of the benefits of staying at the host hotel I guess! Transition did not take me that long to get everything set up, as I had only gone over it about 3 times that morning alone. So back to the hotel to get on my grab. I had decided to go with the wetsuit, I mean it would give me some speed, and I hardly get to wear it anymore, so why not. Back in the water and then found some friends, chatted it up and then before you know it, it's time to swim!

Swim:
27:56
1:41/100 yd Average
I dove into the water like a pro, only to have my goggles slip and I got some water in the left side. I thought about trying to tough it out and swim with it, but I had only gone like 10 ft, so I decided to stand up and fix it. Good choice! The swim went really well. There was limited bumping but I could tell there were a lot of new swimmers ahead of me because anytime I touched someone, they  would stop and look around. I felt like I passed a lot of people also. (My AG was the 3rd to last group in the water) I tried to stay consistent while swimming and not overdo it. As I was exiting the water heading for T1, I looked at my watch and knew I had PR'd the swim. I had high hopes for the remainder of the race.

Always nice to have a ton of bikes still in T1, especially after starting near the end of the swim line!

T1
2:45
Stupid wetsuit! I had a hard time getting it off my ankles, which was the one concern I had about wearing it. I also had issues getting my HR monitor on, so T1 was slower than I wanted, but I did not forget anything and that is the important thing right?

The Bike:
1:17:25
19.15 MPH Average

The bike course at MIM is extremely flat. I mean pancake flat, which is normally a good thing, but with it being so flat, there are always winds involved. usually you can count on a headwind for the 1st 13-15 miles, then it turns into a tailwind on the way back. This year was no different. The winds going out were very strong but I was able to stay in aero most of the time. I did get one massive calf cramp around mile 10 that almost made me stop, but after that I was fine. It was almost like I knew it was going to happen, so my body decided to get it over with all at once. It did not really seem very hot on the bike, but I still had two gels (one at beginning and one at mile 20) and drank my entire aero bottle and then refilled it at the bottle swap. So I felt good about my nutrition, and I felt fast when I was flying by people, another benefit of starting at the back of the line.

T2:
1:25
Not a lot to say here. Everything went about as well as I could expect. Not sure if I would have done anything differently expect maybe run faster to my spot!

Running out of T2! See the hands of my wife and kids trying to give me a high five? Well, I did not and I ran right past them!  Sorry everybody, but I was on a zone!

Run
1:03:17
10:12 mile pace

This run is the worst. It is one of the more mentally tough runs I do every year. I always think I have it figured out, but I have yet to actually have a good run on it. Somewhere between T2 and the run course, the temperature always shoots up about 400 degrees! This year the freshly paved black asphalt did not help things as far as the heat goes, but there is zero shade anywhere. The first mile seemed long, but I was doing better than I thought I would, but somewhere between 2 and 3 it started slowing down. It got to the point where I was counting the traffic cones to try and keep my head occupied instead of thinking about the heat and the struggles I had. I did get an extra bit of motivation from the guy I caught cutting the course (I blogged it here). The funny thing about this course is that the last stretch always catches me by surprise! It's like Oh we are here!! I told the one guy running next to me that I was running it out, I might puke, but I was running it out! I knew my PR was gone at this point, but I wanted to finish strong.

Finish :
2:53:19
330/872 OA

Me and my Boys, Jake, Jared and Jesse, and yes, jake is rockin a RUN DMC shirt!

Some highlights:

• I finally got to use my Timex Global Trainer in a race. It worked beautifully, even the GPS worked on my swim. Only issue was a user issue and I did not get it into multisport mode before I left out. My fault.
• I was happy with my bike, especially for logging so many trainer hours instead of road hours.
• PR'd my swim. I know it was wetsuit, but 1:41/100 is awesome for me. Top 20 AG in swim
• My Zoggs goggles really gave me no problems at all, no fogging either. Just wish I had put them on better at the beginning.
• My 2XU wetsuit still fit me like a superhero!
• My Brooks Glycerins were awesome all race.
• Was great to hear plenty of people cheering for the Warriors Team!
• Stella, my Specialized Transition Elite bike, was great. I had zero issues. I always work about a flat tire after IM Branson!
• This sounds like a NASCAR post race interview.
• Loved hearing my wife and kids cheering as I ran down the final chute, my middle son even ran along side me, and thanks for all the pictures Babe!

My cheesy Olympic medal biting shot!!!

Now I can turn my sights towards Redman and start preparing for that race. This race is going to be tough and quite the challenge!

We Are That Guy/Girl...

This is a re/re/repost that I like to post prior to the start of every year. I think it is worth reading every now and again! It is always good for me to read before the season officially starts, which is soon for a lot of us. This is not something I wrote, but I came across it somewhere and I like it, so please, take the time to read it.

THAT GUY

That Guy. You know him. He can also be That Girl, and often is.

It is that guy (or girl) who you see at every race. He's at every one. Everywhere in the country.

He is always more tan than you are. He is usually a good bit thinner too. His calves have those mysterious vertical striations that define each individual muscle; as if to say, "I have spent hours training each individual muscle in each calf- each individual muscle fiber in fact."

He/she has triathlon clothing that is super cool that you've never seen before. You have no idea where it came from. If you were to ask him- if you mustered up the courage to approach him- you would get some vague answer like, "Ahh, well, I know Dave McGillicutty at Sweetass Trisports and he got these samples, prototypes really, that he….. blah, blah, blah…." And you just wanted to know where you could buy a pair of those cool trishorts he has. Maybe they would make your ass look like Michalangelo chiseled it too. Prolly not though.

So this guy (or girl): His bike is clean. It is also weird. It has parts you think you may have seen in a magazine and, is that what carbon fiber looks like? Half the stuff he has, no, all of it, is stuff you've either only seen in magazines or never even heard of.

He's wearing sunglasses. But he didn't buy them. They just kind of "got there". He drives a special car just for doing what he's doing now: Getting ready for a ride, a run, a swim workout or the triathlon you're at now. He has stickers all over it.

You know when he talks about "Hawaii" he isn't talking about the state as a vacation destination, but rather, an event that you've only seen on TV. He is either talking about getting into it, having already gotten in, or why his last race there wasn't as good as it should have been. It had something to do with some chemical in his body you've never heard of. "Too much polychondrotineospandoplasm in my maldochondriacts during the last ten miles of the run. I should have know better." Yeah, an obvious mistake for someone like that guy (girl). Another thing that guy knows that you don't. Polywhat in his maldowho?

So you get to the race and there is that guy. Setting up all his stuff in the transition area like he's done probably a thousand times before, or so it seems.

And that guy is the reason why so many people are afraid to give this sport (and many others) a try. Because you know you are not That Guy (or girl) and they will look at you and think "Oh, another novice athlete…." And maybe you are embarrassed by that. I know I have been.

That guy is experienced, dedicated, accomplished, fit, knowledgeable, well versed and respected in the sport. You are a beginner. So you are at the bottom of the food chain here. You may be the big woman or man at work and at home. But here you feel like the first day of kindergarten and you don't even know where the bathroom is but you have to go. It's been a long time since you felt like that.

And you'll feel embarrassed in front of that guy.

Consider this though: You are that guy. You are that girl. Don't understand? Let me explain.

On the hypothetical morning we're describing you got up early, loaded up whatever bike you have (the old mountain bike you've had since you were 16, that old ten speed from college, whatever), put the gear you scrapped together in your car and went to the race. You stood there in your sweats and registered, set up your transition area as best you could.

Welcome to the show my friend. You are walking the walk.

You made that monumental leap off the couch and into the realm of That Guy. And now you, to millions and millions and millions of people- you are That Guy.

The next time you go to work when the conversation comes up about what you did Sunday morning you will say, "Oh, ahh, well I did this little triathlon, my first one, I'm not really any good, I was nearly last…."

But to the people at work, and your family, and your friends, and everyone else not there on Sunday morning (and some that were…) you are That Guy. The guy who does those endurance races. Who works out all the time (even if you don't). Who eats right (even though you don't).

Pretty soon it will get around work, what you did Sunday morning, and someone will ask you, "Hey, ahh, have you ever done that one in Hawaii?"

And then you answer, "Oh, Hawaii, no, I'm not that good. I've never done Hawaii…" And to you now it is just "Hawaii". You are That Guy. To someone out there you are That Guy.

Everyone has That Guy. He's better, faster, smarter, luckier. The interesting thing about That Guy is, to someone- you are that guy. No matter who you are, there will be That Guy. Don't let him bother you. Do what you do. Remember, to someone, you are that guy.

Zoggs Winner!! And Tapering Thoughts

This morning I tallied up how many entries each person got and then numbered them 1 through whatever. I then went to the random number generator and had the computer come up with a number and the number that was matched to the list was deemed the winner! The computer spit out number 12 and that number matched:

Bradleyd3 from Texas!

I know Brad is fixin (ain't that the way they talk in Texas?) to run Ironman Texas in 12 days! Congrats Brad, and best of luck to you on the Ironman, I know you are ready and will have a great race!! Plus I will be able to know his time when I do mine, therefore giving me my time goal! LOL Thanks to Zoggs goggles and everyone who entered the drawing! 

As far as my next race, well it is 13 days away as of today. How do I feel about it? Uncertain.I feel like I know I will finish the race. I am not worried about the distance. I am not worried about the swim. I am just worried about my time. I really want to go sub 2:45 this year, and I think I can do it, but the unknown factor is my bike. True, I have logged over 40 hours riding my bike, or about 700 miles on it, but those have all been trainer rides. I am hoping that my bike speed will be faster once I am on the road, but part of me wonders. Does 90 minutes on the trainer really equal 90 minutes? Or does that equal more since I am constantly pedaling? Will it help me ride harder?  My goal time on the bike is 1:11 for 25 miles. In 2010, I did the bike in 1:18 2011, I did the mileage in 1:14, in 2012 I did it in 1:12:41, so a 1:11 or faster is in my future.

The real key to me having a good race will be the run. The 10K has to be under an hour. Simple as that. I have a goal of 56:30 for the 10K, which is achievable. I know I can go faster than 56 on a 10K, but after the swim and bike, this is will help me reach my goal. My wife put it in perspective for me when we were talking about this and she said to remember this is a warmup for Redman, your big race, so don't worry about the time. Which is good advice, but I want to always improve. the 1st time I ever did the MIM Tri, I finished at 3:56, and that was 4 years ago. Anything in the 2:40 range will be great, but sub 2:45 will be better!