My 1st Race Video & Race Reports (video fixed)

This weekend I manage to complete two different races. A sprint triathlon and a 5 mile run race. I have to admit I was pretty excited to try completing these races. I knew I could finish both races, but I did not know if I could meet my goals and still like I was being competitive.So I looked at this as a way to measure my fitness levels and really try to push myself. So here is my race report for the Sharpshooter Sprint Triathlon and race video!

Sharpshooter Triathlon:

This is always a fun race for me. It is short enough (400 yd swim, 11 mile bike and 2 mile trail run) that you can really push it. And that was my attitude with this race, let's see what I can do. I was shooting for under an hour on this race. I have gotten close in the past, but never under an hour.

The Swim:
 The swim went well. I had zero nervous energy for this race and the swim. I spent too much time standing around talking to other people that I almost missed having a chance to swim before the race! I was able to get in my pre-swim, so I felt ready. the cool thing about this swim is that we get to dive off a dock, which I though was a lot more graceful than it appears on video. I felt like I got into a great pace and was passing people quickly. I never realized how bad my heads seems to come up out of the water while swimming! I pushed the pace and finished strong. Time: 9:29 to transition.

T1:
I decided to go ahead and put on socks in T1, which went pretty well. I had some trouble getting my shoes strapped in and then trouble getting clipped in. Other that that, T1 went fine.

Bike:
My legs felt very heavy right off the bat and I am not sure why. I took a couple good drinks from my aero bottle hoping that would help. I kept on pushing trying to get my legs feeling right. I knew there were some hills at he end of the course, so I wanted to have something left. I kept an average around 20 mph. I came out of my shoes easy and had an easy transition to my run. Time: 34:02

T2:
Only thing I will say is that due to my spending to much time talking before the race, I never got my shoes setup like I wanted them to be and that cost me a few seconds.

The Run:
I started the run feeling well but soon my calf starting twitching, so I was worrying about a cramp coming on. I grabbed some water at the first water stop and continued to push through it. I hate trail runs and never seem to run well on them. I really started feeling well with the last 1/4 mile to the finish line. Time 19:49.

Overall I finished in 1:05. 4th in my Age Group and 31st Overall. Here is the video that my oldest son Jacob took with our camcorder!




The MRTC RRS 5 Miler

This race was the following day at 7 AM. A 5 mile run through my city Bartlett, TN. This is part of a race series I am doing to prep for the marathon. I was really unsure about how I would do since I was feeling tired from the day before and my stomach was not feeling the greatest that morning either. My goal was going to be 45 minutes, anything under and I would be thrilled.I did do a little jog before it started but I was still not feeling confident.

Again, I ran without my Garmin or iPod. I started further back than normal also. Once the race started, I weaved my way through people, running steady. I checked my stopwatch at mile 1, saw it said 9:06. I was feeling pretty good now so I decided to step it up some. Mile 2 marker read 17:45, so I knew I was on pace to beat 45 minutes, but I was still feeling good, so I sped it up even more. Mile 3 and 4 felt great, I was running steady, passing lots of people and feeling great. I was almost passed with about 100 yards to the finish, but I did not feel like being passed, so I sprinted it out. Nearly killed me, but I held him off. I was expecting somewhere in the 43's, but finished with a new PR. 42:43! 23rd in my AG and 300th out of 1084 runners overall. This also moved into the top 20 in the series for my Age Group.

Overall, it was a great weekend for me racing wise. This gave me more confidence and showed me that I am improving. I have a new fire for the last couple of weeks of training for the HIM and I am looking forward to running the marathon in December!

Thanks for reading!

Make It A Double...

This weekend I am doing my first back to back races. A sprint triathlon on Saturday and a 5 mile road race on Sunday. To be honest, it is really a super sprint race on Saturday, so it is a shorter race, but a fun one.

The Sharpshooter Super Sprint Triathlon at Herb Parsons Lake kicks off at 8:30 AM Saturday. This race consists of a 400 yards swim, and 11 mile bike and a 2 mile trail run. So basically it is a "redline event" race, meaning balls to the wall, no holding back, a true sprint to the finish! I have been trying to hit under 1 hour at this race for the past three years. I have gotten 1:06 before, and I have gotten 1:02 before, but I can't seem to get under an hour.

So this year is the year I feel. I know my biking and running are stronger and I think I have finally learned how to race smarter. I have already looked at last years report and numbers and I plan on driving the course on Friday to remind me of any hills. I just need a decent swim, a good bike and a good run, which I have never had on this course.

Sunday morning at 7 AM is the second distance race in the Memphis Runners track Club Road Race Series. A 5 miler.  Last year I completed this course in 45:57, so obviously, that is the new goal to beat. I would like to be closer to 43, but we will see. I think it will depend on how hard I go Saturday. Anyways, I think the back to back races will be fun!

TOPIC CHANGE:

I recently out my last 5k time into the McMillan running calculator in preparation for my marathon coming up in December. I have to beat that time as well. Last year, I was happy to just finish my first marathon, but now I want to finish it better. I should not be a 6 hour marathoner in my mind, so I went to the site to see what my pace should be based off my 5K time and running 25 miles a week. According to that calculator, I should run the St Jude Marathon in 4:00. WHHHAAAATTTTTT??? I am suppose to go from 6:08 to 4:00? I know my running has improved, but I can't see it improving that much!   Let me be clear, I would love a 4 hour marathon, but I do not see that big a jump happening. I still need to figure out what all the print out is saying to me, so that may be a future post in itself. It is giving me my "Equivalent Race Times" and "Optimal Training Paces" and is a lot of digest and figure out. So let me know if you have ever used this calculator and if it was accurate.

69-10,000-250-42

Yes, I will explain the title...

I just recently finished the Sharpshooter Sprint Triathlon on Friday night. It was a 437 yd swim, 11 mile bike and 1 2 mile trail run. This is one of my favorite races I do each year. I was kind of bummed with my time since I was 4 minutes slower than last year, but I know what I need to fix in order to get faster. I need to fix the same thing I have been griping about for months. My run. I had a great swim (6th fastest in my AG), a great bike (10th fastest in my AG), but another sub par run. I finished 14th in my AG, which I am happy with, but I know I could have been a few places higher. Here are a few race photos my wife took:

As I have in the past, I was issued race number 69...again. This is the 4th time I have been number 69 in an event. It is awkward to have because everyone cheers for good ol 69!

Daily Training hit a milestone this week. 10,000 hits!! Who would have thought? This blog started out as one thing and turned into something else, and I am glad that a few people actually take the time to read what I scribble. I would like to thank my mom and dad and myself for driving up the visitor count!

Branson HIM is soon coming. I have really started focusing more and more to beat this course. In July I had 3 races and still managed to bike 250 miles and run 42, which are monthly highs for me. I feel like I am on the right path from Branson and then on to the marathon in Dec, providing I stay healthy.

Congrats to three of my training buddies for their wins this weekend. Dave B, Greg H and Chris B all either won or placed in the their AG on the podium. Someday, I will get there!

Last thing, I have a FaceBook page called Daily Trainings and I would love to see people add some of their race shots to the page, so please feel free to add a picture or send it to me and I will add it for you.

I'm Getting There...

My training has been great this month. I am feeling a lot better about Ironman Branson than I was a couple of weeks ago. Last weekend I hit a good 40 mile ride and felt pretty good afterwards. In fact, I am on track to meet and exceed all my monthly goals. I have also had three races this month. 1 5k, 1 Sprint and a super sprint on Friday evening. I have had over 200 miles biking, 40 miles running and 10,000 yards swimming. My runs and bikes have gotten longer in distance which has really helped my confidence.

This Friday, I am racing the Sharpshooter Super Sprint Triathlon. It is a 437 yd swim, 11 mile bike and a 2 mile trial run. This is a very fun race. My PR on this is 1:02 and this year I am shooting for under an hour. The only concern for me is that the race time is Friday night at 6PM, and the Memphis heat could definitely be a factor. This will be the last triathlon I have until Branson and I really feel prepared for the race situation. The distance is another story, but I am working on it. I will have about 6 weeks after this race to get everything together, which is doable.

I am also doing a road race series, which is helping me to prepare for the run and the marathon I signed up for in December. I am very excited about doing the marathon. I will have more to say about that later on, as my main focus is Branson. It still bothers me that I did not finish Branson, and this is ne demon I am looking to get rid of.

I picture the finish line at Branson often. I see my family waiting for me. I se me running to the finish and stopping about 20 ft from the finish line and just standing there, taking it all in. My wife hands me the wine glass they gave us last year and I finally get to drink out of it, before I run across that line. I am still trying to pick the theme music that will be playing as this happens!

Sharpshooter Race Report

Triathlon - Mini Sprint
Total Time = 1h 02m 41s
Overall Rank = 41/146
Age Group = 35-39
Age Group Rank = 8/26

Pre-race routine:
Got up and made sure my bag had everything I needed, loaded up my bike. I hit the restroom a few times and then kissed the wife bye (she would come later) and headed out to the race site.

Event warmup:
Mainly just got in the water and swam alittle, nothing intense.

Swimming
08:09 437 yards 01m 50s / 100yards
Age Group: 6/26

Comments:Again I was very calm before the swim. The time trial start helps with my nerves, but my plan was to get into a good pace until the first buoy, then gradually start rockin and rolling to the end. The swim was a dive start off a dock. Alot of people gingerly stepped off the dock in the water, but I went for a dive. It wasn't the most graceful looking dive, but I passed the guy ahead of me right off the bat. After the first turn, about mid way through that section, some guy swam across me! He was way off course and I was unsure of where he was heading. It actually made me stop for a second to get my bearings, then I was able to get back in my pace.

What would you do differently?:
Maybe go a little harder at the start. I did not want to burn out. Also I think I need to work on my diving! I thought I nailed it, but as you can see from the splash, it was actually more like a belly flop than a dive!


T1
Time: 00:54
Comments:
I came out of the water feeling really good. I made it to my bike, easily got shoes, helmet and glasses on and off I went. The bike mount line was up a little hill, so I was not able to run and jump on the bike, but I was happy with my transition. I did feel a lot better than the guy in the blue shirt looks!

What would you do differently?:
Nada

Biking
33:28 11 miles 19.72 mile/hr
Age Group: 7/26

Comments:
I went out to crush this course. I figured since it was only 11 miles, I might as well go for broke. I felt like I was doing great until the last 3 miles where there are some significant hills, at one point downhill, I topped out at 37 mph and then heading up the next hill I crapped out at 12 mph. I was happy with my effort on the bike.

What would you do differently?:
Take my aero bottle. I took no liquid on the bike due to the length of the ride, I figured I would have been ok, but I think next time, I definitely need something.

T2
Time: 00:55

Comments:
The longest dismount run EVA! It was downhill and a gravel road and I have the tenderest feet around! Trying to slow down bare footed while running with my bike was tough!

What would you do differently?:
Maybe run in my bike shoes, and then change shoes?? Once I got to the bike rack, everything went smooth, running shoes on quickly and I grabbed my race belt and I was out.

Running
19:22 02 miles 09m 41s min/mile
Age Group: 8/26

Comments:
The 1/4 mile levy run seemed awfully far for a 1/4 mile! Once you got into the woods, it was hot, sticky and humid. I just tried to keep moving and to not lose my footing. Twice I thought I had really twisted an ankle, but I was able to continue. The 1 mile sign seemed like it took forever to reach. It was pure joy to come running out of those woods, only to see the long levy run in front of me. I just kept plowing along. I was surprised to learn that I ran the same time as last year!

What would you do differently?:
Still need to work on running after the bike!

I definitely enjoy doing this race. The short distance of it makes it a challenge in itself because you really want to go all out. Save nothing for later, empty the tanks, go for broke! My goal time was an hour, and even though I did not achieve that goal, I was still over 2 minutes faster than last year. I was also happy with my first Top 10 finish in my age group! I can tell I am getting faster with each race, which always makes it more fun. My wife and son did an awesome job again taking some great pictures!