Just Shuffling Along: 2022 Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle Race Report

Usually heading into at race there are two things I know with certainty: (1) what my target is for the race; and (2) a reasonable expectation of what I am capable of. Going into today's Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle I knew neither. While my fitness level was fairly decent, my left knee has continued to be balky for the past few weeks, preventing me from doing any significant speedwork. In addition, I could not completely rule out the possibility the shooting pain that had led me to abandon a couple of runs a few weeks ago would not return mid-race. I actually considered just skipping the race, but given the fact my last several runs have been relatively pain free (including six last week), I decided to go for it.

I arrived in Grant Park about an hour before my wave was supposed to start, giving me plenty of time to warm up, hit the bathroom a couple of times, check my stuff in, stretch, and head to the start line. I was in the first wave after the elite runners and positioned myself toward the middle of my start corral. The first mile felt relatively comfortable, although I was surprised at how slow I was running (according to my Garmin it was 7:03, but I passed the mile marker at least five seconds before). I quickly realized I was once again overstriding and focused on shorter, quicker strides in order to increase my cadence. It worked like a charm and my second mile was 6:44 (having my body warmed up probably helped as well).

The next two miles went by pretty quickly. According to my Garmin they were 5:53 (highly unlikely) and 6:32 (fairly reasonable); at that point I knew I could no longer trust those splits, as there was little correlation between when my watch said I had run a mile and the actual course markers. I felt like I was passing and being passed by runners on a fairly regular basis, which made sense to me given the fact I started with racers fairly close to my ability level. Before I knew it it was time to crest the final hill on Roosevelt Road before turning onto Columbus Drive and heading to the finish line (the last couple of streets are the same route as the Chicago marathon, which is pretty cool). I picked up the pace considerably and overtook several runners in the last few several hundred meters.

I crossed the finish line in 33:34, which placed me 19th in my age group (top 3%) and 715th overall (top 5%). I also beat my time from the only other time I did the race 15 years ago by 1:38. All in all I am happy that I ended up doing the race and with my results, especially considering all of the uncertainty I felt going into it. Thanks for reading!

We Did It!

In 2004 I trained for my first marathon. Originally the goal was just to finish, but as I realized how fit I was it continued to get progressively more ambitious—first to break 4:00, then 3:30, and by the end to qualify for the Boston Marathon, which would have meant 3:10 or better. Well my training was ultimately inadequate and I failed to respect the distance, and after running the first half in 1:35 I hit the wall hard and limped home to a 3:25:52. Ever since then my goal has been to qualify for Boston, and last weekend I finally achieved it at the 2021 Chicago Marathon, my fifth marathon and 17 years after my first.

Going into the race I felt very confident. My training had gone exceedingly well and I was 100% injury free. My only concern was the weather forecast—mid-60s at the start with a forecasted high for the day in the low 80s. That said, I knew there was nothing I could do about it and just focused on controlling what I could control. I arrived in Grant Park about an hour before the race, had a light breakfast, hit the bathroom twice, and headed for the starting line.

I hit the first mile in 7:35, which I could not have been more pleased with. After a quicker than I would have liked second mile I settled in to keeping every mile in the 7:30-7:40 range. I also made sure to hit every water stop, during which I would pour one cup over my head and drink the second. I was surprised by the number of people I was passing throughout the first half of the marathon, including several that were already walking. I guess the first sign the weather conditions were impacting me was when I hit the halfway mark in 1:39:15, my second slowest first half of the marathon split ever. In addition to the heat and humidity, the wind was blowing pretty strongly. That said, given the fact I knew I was as fit as I had ever been, I was still reasonably optimistic.

I continued to focus on banging out 7:30-7:40 miles, which I was able to do pretty consistently until the 30K mark. That is when I had my only major setback of the race. As I toed the starting line I really needed to go the bathroom (I drank a 20-ounce bottle of Gatorade during breakfast, as I was really nervous about getting dehydrated). I was hoping I could hold it until I finished, but it was getting more and more difficult with each passing mile. I finally could not take it anymore and hit a porta potty right after mile 19. Given all of the fluids I had taken in it was not a quick stop by any stretch of the imagination.

Once I got out of the porta potty I was laser focused on not stopping again or walking at all and finishing strong. I was definitely starting to slow down, but was not falling apart. Eventually I started counting down in my head the number of minutes I still had to run based on the mile and kilometer markers, a tactic I employed many times during my training runs. I was still passing a ton of runners, more and more of which were walking or trying to work out cramps by stretching on the side of the road. Before I knew it the final hill approached. The first two times I ran the Chicago Marathon I walked up most of the hill, and had promised my coach I would run up it if it was the last thing I did. I then pushed through the final few hundred meters before crossing the finish line in 3:23:50. I had stopped my watch when I went to the bathroom to keep accurate mile splits, and my bathroom break cost me almost exactly two minutes.

I have to admit that although I had comfortably qualified for Boston I was initially upset that I had missed my "A" goal of breaking 3:20. But the more I learned about how the conditions had affected everyone, the better I felt about my performance. For example, only the top three men's finishers broke 2:08, and only the top five broke 2:10. And the top woman faded from a 1:07 first half to a 1:15 second half. So I feel like it is a reasonable assumption that with better conditions I would have finished several minutes faster, although this is obviously just conjecture.

After taking Monday completely off I rode my bike on Tuesday and eased back into running on Wednesday. I am not sure what the future holds for my “running career,” but I can finally say I am a Boston Marathon qualifier, and I have to admit that feels darn good. Thanks for reading!

I'm Back...On The Podium!

Two Sundays ago I competed in my first race in over two years, the New York City Duathlon in Central Park. The following is my race report.

Pre-Race
Going into the race I felt cautiously optimistic. I had been training for months upon months and was really happy with my fitness level. I did have a nagging pain in my left knee, but nothing I was too worried about. Race morning I threw my stuff together, packed up the family, and headed down to the Path station. Once I arrived in New York City I jumped on my bike and headed up to Central Park, stopping at a Duane Reade drug store for pre-race granola bars and Gatorade (this was truly an urban race). I had plenty of time to set up my transition area, practice transitions a bit, hit the bathroom, warm up, stretch, and head to the starting line.

First Run (2 miles)
I seeded myself towards the front of the pack, as I felt pretty good about my run fitness. The course consisted of an out-and-back from 72nd Street to 96th Street. The run began on a fairly long and steep uphill, and I reminded myself to shorten my stride and just grind through it. I would then lengthen my stride on the downhills and try to maintain a steady pace on the rare flat sections. I was passed by a few people in the first half mile or so, but passed most of them and more the rest of the way. One last thing--there is NO DOUBT in my mind the run course was long. When I got back into transition and saw my time I was shocked--hills or no hills, given my perceived effort level, there is no way I ran that slow.

Bike (12 miles)
After a fairly efficient first transition I was on the bike course, which consisted of two loops around Central Park. I must say if there was one portion of my race I was not pleased with, it was the bike. I was passed by several racers, and in just about every case it was like I was standing still. Maybe I am just trying to justify my subpar performance, but I felt like I had brought a knife to a gun fight--just about everyone that raced by me had deep dish aero wheels and/or a rear disk. It may be time for me to seriously consider getting some aero wheels again to fight fire with fire. I also had a very difficult time getting into any sort of rhythm given the myriad hills throughout the park. After what seemed like it took longer than it should have, I was back in the transition area.

Second Run (2 miles)
After a lightning-quick second transition I was back on the run course. My legs definitely felt a bit dead on the initial uphill, but once I got through that I realized I still had a fair amount of gas in the tank. I started to pick up the pace and focus on reeling in some of the guys who smoked me on the bike. I passed one about a half a mile in, and another just past the turnaround point. At that point I could not even see the next runner in front of me, and just focused on "downshifting" my stride on the uphills and "upshifting" on the downhills. When I hit the last downhill I went into a full out sprint. I hit the finish line feeling really good about my race, knowing I had not left much out on the course.

Post-Race
So I decided to stick around with my family (my wife and son were out on the course and I got to see them six times, which was amazing!) for the awards ceremony, as based on the limited number of people in the transition area when I finished I thought I may have podiumed in my age group. Lo and behold I was correct! This is now the fourth straight race in which I have been on or near the podium. I attribute it to my "rate of decline" being much more gradual than other people my age, as I am certainly not getting any faster. More importantly, it was nice to be racing again. That said, it will feel great to take a couple of months off, relax a bit, start lifting weights regularly again, and get my knee right. Thanks for reading!

Race Splits
Run 1: 15:11 (7:35 pace--there is NO WAY the run course was two miles)
Transition 1: 0:42
Bike: 38:08 (18.9 MPH--in a word, BRUTAL)
Transition 2: 0:25
Run 2: 15:48 (7:54 pace, allegedly)
Overall: 1:10:13 (25th overall, 3rd M40-44)

If You Can't Take The Heat, Get On The Podium!

This past Sunday I competed in what is likely to be my final race of the season, the Metroman Triathlon in Asbury Park, New Jersey. Below is my race report.

Pre-Race
Going into the race I was feeling fairly confident. My training had been consistent all year long and I was really pleased with my performance at the Queens Biathlon in May. The day before the race I spent extra time getting all of my gear organized and packed, as I had to wake up at an ungodly hour (3:30 A.M.) to make sure I made it to packet pickup in time. The drive down to Asbury Park was quicker than I thought it would be, leaving me with ample time to pick up my race packet, set up my transition area, use the bathroom a few times, and even warm up in the ocean a bit.

Swim (750 meters)
The swim was in the Atlantic Ocean, my first ever ocean swim in a race. It was also a run-in start, which I have always been a big fan of (it just somehow seems more "authentic" to me). After diving underneath a few breaking waves I was able to get into a decent swim rhythm. Given the choppiness of the water (and my general rustiness) I decided to abandon my usual bilateral breathing and took a breath on every other stroke, as well as sighting every few strokes. It seemed like I hit the first buoy very quickly, and soon after was passing people from the prior wave (which is always a great feeling). Before I knew it I was heading back to shore--usually I feel like I am in the water forever, but in this race it felt like I barely got wet! When I hit the shore my watch said 14:3~, but my official time included a good 150 meter or so run to the transition area.

Transition 1
My first transition was fairly uneventful. Unfortunately the way the transition area was set up I had a really long run to my bike, but once I got there I felt like I was organized and efficient.

Bike (10.5 miles)
The bike course winded through the roads of Asbury Park, including several fairly sharp turns. I focused on staying down in the aero position as much as possible, while being aggressive (but safe) on the myriad turns. From the second I got on my bike I was passing people constantly--I had forgotten how much I love wave starts! I must have passed 50+ people over the course of the bike leg, and was passed by only three. The one mistake I made was not getting in enough fluids--between the turns and somewhat uneven asphalt, I just did not feel like I had enough time to pull my water bottle out of the cage, open it, take a drink, and return it to the cage (man, do I miss my Profile Design Aerodrink). I am fairly certain the bike course was long--even the fastest splits of the day were in the 21-22 MPH range, and given the strength of the field (more on that later) and the fact it was a fairly flat course, that just does not add up.

Transition 2
As always, I pulled off my "shoes in the clips, flying dismount," and sprinted back to my transition area. I racked my bike, slipped my racing flats on, and was off. At one point an official yelled that I had to wear my race number (I forgot to put on my race belt), and after hesitating for a second decided I would risk the penalty rather than head back to retrieve it.

Run (3.1 miles)
The run was a double out-and-back along the boardwalk. My legs felt great and I started off extremely strong, but within the first mile I knew that I was in trouble--there was little shade throughout the course, and the sun was beating down mercilessly. The fact I simply have not spent any time running outdoors this summer in these conditions certainly did not help. I ended up pulling off my tri top and heart rate monitor band, but nothing seemed to help--I was simply overheated (not drinking enough fluids during the bike probably caught up with me as well). I ended up taking 3-4 short walk breaks, but given my quick start and overall run fitness it did not kill my time too much (although I was passed by ten competitors or so). I crossed the finish line sweating like a whore in church and happy to be done!

Post-Race
Despite my walk breaks, I received a nice surprise when I saw the race results--I finished second in my age group! The other surprising thing was that I was only 42nd overall--which puzzled me until I realized this race was the official USAT Mid Atlantic Short Course and Youth Championship (which explains the eight competitors under the age of 20 who beat me, including a 15-year old girl who finished 8th). I guess I should have known something was up before the race when I saw the three kids wearing matching USA Triathlon singlets with their names on them...

All in all I have to say I was really pleased with my performance, especially finishing second in my age group. This is now three straight races in which I have been on or near the podium, so I guess that as I am getting older, I am getting better (or alternatively, everyone else is getting worse). As far as racing is concerned, this is it for a while--I am probably going to take 2011 off given the new arrival in the Chukumba family scheduled for late September. I will try and post every now and then, but I cannot promise anything! As always, thanks for reading!

Race Splits
Swim: 15:50 (top 42%)
Transition 1: 1:25 (top 13%)
Bike: 32:21 (19.5 MPH, top 15%--I am 90% sure the course was long)
Transition 2: 0:55 (top 26%)
Run: 21:56 (7:05 pace, top 26%)
Overall: 1:12:27 (top 22% overall, 2nd M35-39)

Queens Biathlon Race Report II

On Sunday, May 16th I competed in my first race of the season, the Queens Biathlon. Below is my race report.

Pre-Race

I felt confident but cautious coming into this year's race--confident because my training had gone well and I felt good about my fitness (especially on the run); cautious because last year I was way too overconfident before this same race, and was ultimately disappointed with my performance. Race morning I packed up my car and got to the transition area nice and early. I did have a relatively minor mechanical issue--in reattaching my rear wheel I somehow screwed up the sensor for my bike computer, and thus was forced to race without it working at all. I stretched, warmed up a bit, hit the bathroom a couple of times, and was ready to race.

First Run (3 miles)

I intentionally seeded myself in the middle of the pack, so I was passing other runners constantly during the first mile. I concentrated on running a nice consistent pace, shortening my stride on the uphills, and opening it up on the downhills. I also decided to simply trust my run fitness and resist the temptation to "race" the other competitors or push myself too hard. Once again, the last hill into transition was steep and painful, and I decided to take it fairly easy. As I came into transition and glanced at the race clock, I was happy to see a sub-7:00 minute per mile split--all of my run training had paid off, and I had taken 1:10 off of my time from last year.

Bike (18 miles)

My first transition was a bit clumsy (at one point I dropped my helmet), but the time was a wee bit faster than last year. I was off on my first race ride on my new bike! Unfortunately I quickly remembered my least favorite part of this race--the bike course, which consists of a double out-and-back on a major highway. Heading out the wind is in your face, and on the way back there is a long, somewhat steep hill right before the turnaround (which connects to an even longer one to head back into transition). I passed a few riders, got past by a few more, and generally held my own. With the exception of the really bad hills I was able to stay aero pretty much the entire time. The one issue was that I did not have an actual water bottle for the race (long story), and thus, ended up sticking a regular old bottle of Gatorade into one of my cages. Thus, I literally had to take the bottle out of the cage, unscrew the top, drink, screw the top back on, and then place it back in the cage every time I wanted to get a bit of hydration. The "Triathlon Nazis" would have been so ashamed! I ended up taking 38 seconds off my time from last year, which does not sound like much, but given the conditions, I was pretty happy.

Second Run (3 Miles)

I had a very smooth second transition (17 seconds faster than last year) and was off on my second run. My legs felt SO MUCH BETTER starting out this year than last year--once again, all of my off-season running had paid off! I quickly caught up to a duathlete who I had been trading places with all through the race and asked if he wanted to pace off of each other, which he agreed to. Within the first mile we passed one racer and very soon after got passed by another. Aside from that, everyone ahead of us had too much of a head start for us to make up much ground. I faded a bit on the final hill and he opened up a small gap, but I was extremely happy with my time, which was 1:07 faster than my second run last year (and nearly as fast as my first one last year).

Post-Race

Needless to say I was very happy with my performance. I raced smart, raced hard, and left it all out on the course. I also learned from the mistakes I made last year, and improved in every single one of my splits to beat my 2009 time by 3:12. I ended up finishing 4th in my age group, which makes this two straight races in which I have been right around the podium. I could not have asked for a better start to my 2010 season, and am excited for the races ahead. Thanks for reading!

Race Splits

Run 1: 20:57 (6:59 pace)

Transition 1: 0:54

Bike: 53:33 (20.2 MPH--not amazing, but it feels nice to have a 2 at the start of my bike split again)
Transition 2: 0:30

Run 2: 22:14 (7:25 pace)

Overall: 1:38:08 (21st overall, 4th M35-39)

Podium!

Yesterday morning I competed in the Hoboken University Medical Center 5K Run. The following is my race report:

Pre-Race
Going into this race I really was not sure what to expect. I have been running 2-3 times a week since my last triathlon, but have not been doing any type of speed work. This was also my first open 5K in several years. Based on the 6:30 per mile pace I ran at my last triathlon in late August I was cautiously optimistic, but definitely was also mindful of the fact I often run better off the bike than completely fresh because my body is nice and warmed up. I arrived at the race start early, checked in, stretched, warmed up for a while, hit the bathroom a few times, and was ready to go.

Race
I seeded myself right behind what appeared to be the fastest runners (based on their running singlets, latest edition Garmin GPS watches, and racing flats). When the starting gun went off, it seemed like everyone took off like bats out of hell -- I was immediately passed by dozens of runners. I just focused on keeping a nice, relaxed pace and not getting caught up with the people streaming past me. In about a half a mile I began to pass plenty of runners who had obviously gone out way too hard. As I approached the first mile marker and saw that just over six minutes had elapsed, I stopped worrying about whether I had started too slowly (which is sometimes a problem for me in open running races).

As I neared the turnaround point for the race, I was definitely starting to labor a bit. I concentrated on shortening my stride and increasing my leg turnover, and kept telling myself that the pain would be over soon enough. One really nice thing about the race was given the fact it literally takes place in my back yard, I was intimately familiar with the course, having run on these very same roads countless times. I continued to occasionally pass runners, and was pleased that aside from the first quarter mile or so, no one returned the favor.

When I caught my first glimpse of the finish line with about a half a mile to go I definitely started to dig down, determined to leave everything out on the course. As I approached the final turn before the finish line, I noticed the runner in front of me glanced back to see how much distance he had on me. He was moving pretty quickly so I knew that I really did not have a chance to catch him, but I also glanced back to make sure I had a decent gap on the guy behind me (I was in no mood to get passed in the final sprint). As I crossed the finish line and looked down at my watch I was pleased -- 20:09. While my "stretch goal" was to break 20:00, given my relatively light training load and lack of speed work, I really do not think that I could have run much faster.

Post-Race
Well it turns out that my decision to make sure the guy behind me did not sprint past me before the finish was a wise one -- I ended up placing 3rd in my age group, and he was 4th! Needless to say I am really happy -- I have not placed in my age group in a race since I was in high school. This was definitely a fitting way for me to end my 2009 racing season (and this time I really mean it), as well as providing me with momentum as I head into next year. Thanks for reading!

Race Splits
Mile 1: 6:21
Mile 2: 6:30
Mile 3: 6:36
Final Time: 20:09 (6:29 pace)
Placement: 24th (top 6% overall, 3rd Male 35-39)

New York Triathlon Series - Race #2 Report

Two weeks ago I completed my final race of the year, the New York Triathlon Series - Race #2. The following is my race report:

Pre-Race

The night before the race I gathered all my triathlon equipment and decided to put my bike into the car so that I would not have to deal with it at 5:30 in the morning. Unfortunately I discovered that I could not fit my bike in the trunk or back seat unless I took both of the wheels off. The next morning I placed my wheel-less frame in the back seat of my car, and when I arrived at the race site the next morning, discovered that I had two kinks in my chain! I tried to no avail to work them out myself, and unfortunately found the race organizers did not have a bike tech on site. I was literally about to just call it a day when I approached a serious-looking triathlete (expensive bike, aero helmet, 0% body fat) and asked him if he could help. He fortunately agreed, and after working on my bike for about 15 minutes (including almost completely disassembling the rear derailleur), was successfully able to right my chain (incidentally, he ended up winning the entire race by eight minutes -- if you somehow stumble across this, thanks Chris from Nyack!) I had just enough time to set up my transition area, use the bathroom, throw on my wetsuit, and head to the starting line.

Swim (1/2 mile)
I definitely was a bit nervous going into the swim -- I literally had not been in a pool or open water in nearly a year. That said, I knew that my overall fitness level was pretty high, and I was fairly certain that I had not forgotten how to swim. The swim was an out-and-back with a run-in start (which I honestly love -- for some reason it makes me feel like more of a serious triathlete). As the gun went off, I ran into the lake and settled into a fairly comfortable pace. I used my normal bilateral breathing technique in which I catch a breath every third stroke, but definitely threw in some every other stroke breathing as needed. I also sighted a fair amount -- I was not interested in making this swim any longer than it needed to be! There was some contact throughout the swim, but nothing too terrible. It seemed like I reached the turnaround buoy in no time at all, which is the exact OPPOSITE of how most of my race swims normally seem! I coasted back to the shore, and was pleased when I saw 16:08 on my watch as I exited the water -- not bad for a guy who had not swam all year!

Bike (16 miles)
My first transition was fairly smooth -- I got my wetsuit off quickly, put on my bike shoes, helmet, and sunglasses, and was off! I must admit I really was not very confident as I started the bike -- given my crash in May, all of the mechanical issues I endured this summer, and my pre-race chain issue, I was kind of just waiting for the other shoe to drop. Well, it turns out that I did not have to wait long. The bike course started on a fairly steep uphill, and given the fact I was still a bit winded from the swim, I shifted into my small chain ring. Big mistake -- within seconds, my chain seized up. My initial thought was that I was done -- this was God's way of telling me to call it quits. I turned around and started walking my bike back to the transition area.

After walking for about a half a mile, I had an epiphany of sorts -- I had prepared since November to race this season, had woken up at an ungodly hour this morning to get here, and posted a decent swim with zero training! In addition, I simply did not want to end my 2009 season with my second DNF in two years. I decided to see if there was any way that I could complete the bike ride. I discovered that as long as I kept my chain in the big ring and rode small gears, it seemed like I would be O.K. Thus, I re-entered the race and was on my way!

The rest of the bike ride was uneventful, aside from some FRIGHTENING, extremely long downhills (I spoke to a couple of racers afterwards, who both said they had hit 47 MPH during the race). I basically rode my brakes the entire way down the really steep hills, and caught most of the people who bombed past me on the ensuing inclines. Oh, and since I was riding really small gears, I must have looked like Lance Armstrong with my incredibly high cadence! My chain was also skipping almost incessantly, so whenever I had a chance to coast and not pedal at all I did, as I reasoned the less I pedaled, the fewer opportunities for my chain to lock up or come off. Needless to say between the lost time, extra distance, and low gears I rode, this was by far my slowest bike ride ever. But I knew there would be one benefit -- I was going to have really fresh legs for the run!

Run (3 miles)
My second transition was very smooth -- I did my normal "leave the pedals clipped in, flying dismount," quickly got my race belt and running shoes on, and I was off! The run course was essentially an out and back, with most of the first mile and a half uphill, and the second mile and a half downhill. As I suspected, my legs felt great, and I was passing a fair number of people immediately. I started to feel even better as the run progressed, and once I hit the turnaround point, I really started to pour it on! I was now passing people in droves, and as I approached the finish went into an all-out sprint. When I crossed the finish line and looked down at my watch I did a double-take -- I was expecting to run sub 7:00 per mile pace, but 6:30, not so much! My run split was actually my fastest ever in a triathlon -- at least something good came out of my ridiculously-slow bike time...

Post-Race

Despite my mechanical problems on the bike and my worst overall placing ever (by a wide margin), I took more good than bad from this race. I was really happy with my swim given my non-existent training, my transitions were smooth, my run was extremely strong, and I was proud of myself for not packing it in after how my pre-race and early part of the bike went. I now know that I am not getting any slower as I get older -- with the right training and preparation (including mechanical), I still can be plenty competitive. I enter the off-season with a new resolve -- I am going to continue running straight through next year, and am replacing my bike frame (which was probably the main reason for my recent bike problems -- my old frame is bent, which is causing my derailleur and chain issues). Thanks for reading, and I promise to at least try to update this blog every now and then during the off-season!

Race Splits

Swim: 17:10 (includes 200 yard run to transition)

Transition 1: 1:21

Bike: 1:05:52 (14.6 MPH -- I lost at least ten minutes with my mechanical issues)

Transition 2: 0:29

Run: 19:29 (6:30 pace)

Overall: 1:44:20 (136th overall, top 53%)

Rising To The Challenge

Last night I completed the JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge in Central Park. Going into the race I was not sure what to expect. I felt pretty good about my fitness level (including a few recent short training runs in the low 7:00 per mile pace), but having done this event two years ago, I knew the course was fairly challenging, with a number of rolling hills. I ended up seeded in the middle of the 7:00 per mile pace group, which I knew was a bad omen, as I would have hundreds (if not thousands) of slower runners to dodge and weave through in the first part of the race. In addition, the actual starting line was a few hundred yards in front of me.

I literally ended up walking up to the starting line after the gun went off, and then spent the first mile ducking, swerving, and at times sprinting to avoid competitors that had seeded themselves in front of me (why people who are planning to run 10:00 miles feel the need to line up with the 6:00 pace group is a complete mystery to me, but the same exact thing happened two years ago). After a mile or so the crowds started to thin out, and I was able to run a much more steady pace (having said that, I was basically passing runners the entire way). I worked on attacking the uphills and opening up my stride to coast the downhills, as well as pushing myself the entire way -- this was definitely not going to be a training run!

After I hit the second mile marker I was definitely starting to hurt a bit, and shortened my stride while continuing to push myself as much as possible. Passing the three mile marker definitely gave me a shot of addrenaline -- it was time to bring this race home! As I made the sharp turn to head towards the finish, I took my pace up to another level. As I crossed the finish line and looked down at my watch, I saw that I had taken 1:01 off of my time from two years ago, which was definitely a good feeling. I was also the top finisher from my company's small team for the second time in a row, which I was happy about given the fact I was the consensus favorite in the office betting pool (which actually became quite serious). Most importantly, after my mediocre showing at the Queens Biathlon, this was exactly the confidence booster I needed.

Race Splits
Mile 1: 6:50
Mile 2: 6:33
Mile 3: 6:53
Final Half Mile: 3:28 (6:56 pace, but for whatever it is worth, my Garmin Forerunner 205 said it was 0.55 miles, which brings the pace down to 6:15)
Final Time: 23:44 (6:47/mile pace)

Queens Biathlon Race Report

Yesterday I completed my first race of the year, the Queens Biathlon. The following is my race report:

Pre-Race
Coming into the race, I really did not know what to expect. I felt fairly good about my fitness (with the notable exception of a few extra pounds), but given the fact I had never really done a duathlon before, I was not sure how I would perform. Race morning I woke up at 4:20 A.M., was out of the door by 5:00, caught a 5:30 Path train to Manhattan, then a subway to Queens, and rode the final 5-6 miles to the race start. I arrived in plenty of time to check in, set up my transition area, warm up, meet a fellow Slowtwitcher in person that I had traded a few messages with (he actually ended up winning his age group--congrats!), and then it was time to race.

First Run (3 miles)
The race was fairly small, and thus we had a mass start. When the gun went off, I felt like everyone took off like bats out of hell! I just focused on keeping a nice steady pace and not killing myself. The run course consisted of an out and back through a mostly wooded area of Alley Park with rolling hills (aside from the hill back into the transition area, which was fairly long and steep). I ran pretty slowly on the uphills, and opened up my stride on the downhills. I also took the last hill pretty easy, figuring that I wanted to have nice fresh legs for the bike. My first run time was a bit slower than I had anticipated, but much more importantly, I did not feel terribly winded when I finished it.

Bike (18 miles)
After a relatively decent transition I was on my bike. The bike course consisted off two laps of an out and back along a major highway. On the way out the headwind was BRUTAL--I remember riding into some strong winds during past Chicago Triathlons, but this was much worse. I just concentrated on staying aero as much as possible, while shifting gears maniacally as the wind gusts ebbed and flowed. Needless to say, once I hit the turnaround point each time I was flying. I definitely got passed more often than I passed other people. I just focused on my own race and keeping something in the tank for the second run.

Second Run (3 miles)
My second transition was a bit clumsy (my bike actually fell off the rack, but fortunately a race volunteer righted it for me), but not terrible. Starting the second run, I was honestly surprised at how dead my legs felt! After the first half mile or so I started to feel better and my stride began to widen. I passed one person in the first quarter mile or so, but aside from that, everyone else was simply too far ahead of me. As I made the final turn towards the finish line, I saw there were literally about a half a dozen racers right on my heels, which was all the motivation I needed to really work the final hill. As I crossed the finish line, it felt good to have my first duathon under my belt.

Post-Race
I went into this race thinking that duathlons were perfect for me--no swimming (which is my weakest triathlon discipline) and more running (my strongest). What I failed to consider, however, is that people do duathlons because they are in the exact same position that I am! Thus, I did not place nearly as highly as I thought I would (the fact that I entered the race 5-10 pounds overweight did not help either -- particularly on the two runs). Will I ever do a duathlon again? Definitely--now that I know what to expect, I am certain that I can do better (plus there are so darn many of them in the area, and they are a lot less of a logistical undertaking than triathlons). Well, it is back to training for me--that, and figuring out what other races to do this year. Thanks for reading!

Race Splits
Run 1: 22:07 (7:22 pace)
Transition 1: 0:55
Bike: 54:11 (19.9 MPH--slow, but trust me, it was crazy windy!)

Transition 2: 0:47
Run 2: 23:20 (7:47 pace)
Overall: 1:41:20 (27th overall, top 19%)

2008 Accenture Chicago Race Report

On August 24th I competed in the Accenture Chicago Triathlon for the fifth time. I opted for the sprint distance primarily because of my limited training hours this year (plus you do not have to wait around as long for your start – which is important in a race with 8,600+ competitors). This race was unique for me because it was the first time I have ever really traveled to do a triathlon, as well as the first time I used someone else’s bike. All in all, I had a good time and was pretty happy with my performance.

Coming into the race, I truly did not know what to expect. On the one hand I felt pretty good (but not great) about my fitness level and was very familiar with the course having done this race before and lived and trained in Chicago for years. On the other hand my swim training has been virtually non-existent this year, I was using a friend’s bike (albeit, a really nice one), and spent most of the race weekend running around and reconnecting with old friends. My alarm went off at 3:50 A.M. race morning and I took a quick shower, collected all of my gear, and rode to transition. At 5:30 A.M. I had my transition area set up, met up with a couple of friends who were doing their first triathlon (they both finished – congratulations!), and headed to the starting line.

The swim was fairly uneventful. I lined up behind the first row of swimmers, and aside from the usual melee in the initial hundred yards or so, I avoided major contact with other triathletes. The one change that I made to my swim was to dramatically cut down on the amount of sighting that I usually do. My stroke is already marginal at best to begin with, and I have come to realize that I slow myself down even more with excessive sighting. The swim course is a straight shot north in Lake Michigan, so sighting was even less of an issue than in most other races. I just focused on keeping my head down and taking nice relaxed strokes, which seemed to work as I exited the water in just under 16 minutes. Not great, but considering the fact that I only swam six times all year, I was happy with it.

After completing the quarter mile run to the transition area (by far my least favorite part of this race), I had a fairly quick transition and was on the bike. As I mentioned, I borrowed my friend Tony’s Kestrel triathlon bike (thanks again!) Although we are about the same height, I had to raise the seat 4-5” and pull the aerobars forward 2-3”, but all in all I felt like the bike fit me fairly well. I also did not have my normal Profile Design aero drink, but was pretty good about downing most of the bottle of Gatordade I brought with me. While there was a bit of blocking here and there, most of the people I saw on the bike course seemed to be riding relatively clean, and any miscues seemed to be the result of inexperience rather than blatant cheating.

Heading north on Lake Shore Drive there was a decent headwind, but nothing compared to the gale force winds I have encountered in some previous Chicago Triathlons. I focused on staying aero as much as possible, although I did downshift and get out of the saddle to attack the few short uphills. I was maintaining a steady pace in the 19-20 MPH range, and while my heart rate was very high (180+ BPMs), from a perceived exertion level perspective I felt fine. When I hit the turnaround I knew my pace would pick up considerably with the wind at my back, and was I ever right – I rode much of the way back to the transition area at 25+ MPH! During the last couple of miles I deliberately dialed my pace back a bit in order to save some gas for the run.

I performed my usual “leave the shoes clipped to the pedals” flying dismount as I approached the transition area. I placed my bike back on the rack, grabbed my running shoes (I left the racing flats and quick tie laces at home) and was off on the run. My legs definitely felt a bit heavy, which I attribute to not being as consistent with my brick (bike/run) workouts as in past years. I did get a huge boost from seeing my friends Chad, Kim, and Ray cheering me on, as well as plenty of other spectators along the run course. I laughed out loud when Chad yelled “Come on, Anthony – there are people in front of you wearing COTTON!” (inside joke — when it comes to running I am a total wicking material snob). I forgot to press the split button on my watch in order to track my mile times, but felt like I was running around 7:15-7:20 pace – slower than normal, but completely expected given my erratic training this year. I grabbed a bit of Gatorade at each water stop, which kept me more than adequately hydrated. As I neared the finish line a spectator told me to smile because the race was almost over. I turned towards her and pointed at my exaggerated grin just before I began my final sprint.

I crossed the finish line in 1:22:08 feeling pretty good about my performance, particularly given all of the other “life events” (e.g., having my better half move in, getting married, buying a new condo, moving, etc.) that happened this year. But most importantly, after not doing any triathlons in 2007 and having my first ever DNF in the only other race I attempted in 2008, I truly feel like a TRIATHLETE again! Well, I am done with racing this season – it is time to relax, hit the weights a bit more, and start planning how I can get better (aside from more swim training, obviously) in 2009! Thanks for reading!

Race Splits
Swim: 18:16 (includes quarter mile run to the transition area, top 23%)
T1: 1:49
Bike: 38:01 (21.6 MPH, top 4%)
T2: 1:33
Run: 22:28 (7:14 per mile, top 7%)
Overall: 1:22:08 (top 5% overall, top 8% in M35-39 age group)

Old Race Reports

I thought just to give you a bit more background I would add some of my old race reports to this blog. I decided to just include races from my "breakthrough" 2006 season, in which I set PRs at the half Ironman and marathon distance, just missed my Olympic PR and got my first top-ten overall finish. Enjoy -- or not!

2006 Spirit of Racine Half Ironman
There is an old saying that goes "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again." That pretty much sums up my experience at the Spirit of Racine Half Ironman on July 23rd. To say that I "failed" when I did this same race last year (which was my first half Ironman) is probably a bit harsh. I finished the race on a BRUTAL day (with the heat index, it was over 110 degrees), but I missed my goal time by a sizeable margin, mainly due to an awful run.

This year I kicked my training up a couple of notches – for example, I did a long ride and a brick every week, as opposed to every other week last year. I also had a couple of very high mileage cycling weeks (well, at least high mileage for me), as I reasoned that not only would I spend over half of my time during the race on the bike, but I needed to be able to finish 56 miles comfortably, without feeling completely spent. Last but certainly not least, I invested in a professional bike fitting, a used aero front wheel and a rear wheelcover.

O.K., on to the race. The start of the swim was a bit tough – tons of contact, although nothing too terrible. We started swimming away from the beach towards a buoy, followed by a right hand turn. Unfortunately the sun was right in our faces, which made it nearly impossible to see the buoy. I finally got to the buoy and made a right hand turn to swim parallel to the shore line. This was when things took a turn for the worse – I ended up WAY off course! I am a bilateral breather, and after a few minutes noticed that every time I breathed on my left side, I saw no one. Whenever I breathed on my right side, I saw plenty of swimmers – who were at least 50 yards closer to the shore than I was. Damn!

I then started swimming diagonally towards the other swimmers and the line of buoys and sighting much more often, which threw off my already marginal stroke mechanics. Oh, and the water was also incredibly choppy. When I got out of the water, I was not terribly surprised to see that my time was 3:24 slower than last year, when sighting was not an issue. While disappointed, I knew that losing three minutes and change was not going to make much of a difference in a five plus hour day.

After a quick transition (34 seconds faster than last year) I was on the bike. During the first ten miles or so, I passed a ton of riders. While my heart rate was a bit higher than I had planned, I felt fine from a perceived exertion level perspective. I just concentrated on staying in the aero position as much as possible, taking in calories (mainly Gatorade), and riding my own race. After 30 miles or so my butt really started to get sore, which is rare for me. I was also getting passed more often than I was passing other riders.

By 40 miles or so, I decided to get out of the saddle on most hills, just to give my backside a rest. I was still riding at a decent pace (20+ MPH) and keeping my heart rate at a manageable level, but the ride was definitely getting pretty old. In addition, I was having major problems with my aero drink – I use the Profile Design aero drink system and mounting bracket, and did not do a good job of securing the bottle on the bracket. Thus, I constantly had to push my bottle back towards my stem to keep it from falling off my bike. I saw my personal cheering section (my girlfriend and my buddy who takes all the photos) less than a mile from transition, which gave me an nice boost. Finally I made it back to the transition area, having cut 16:23 from my last year bike time.

After another decent transition (just five seconds slower than last year), I was on the run course. My legs actually felt pretty good, and I just concentrated on keeping a nice, steady pace. About a mile or so into the run, I caught up with Lance, a guy that I know from a group organized by my local running store. I asked him if he minded some company on the run, and he said no problem. Lance is a Boston Marathon qualifier, so I knew that we would sustain a decent pace.

Aside from an early bathroom break that I took, Lance and I ran together the entire time, which was great. I hit every single aid station, drinking a bit of water or infinIT, as well as literally pouring cups of ice down my tri jersey to keep cool. Nine miles or so into the run, I was definitely starting to hurt, but having someone running with me definitely helped. I looked at my watch for the first time since the second transition, and realized that sub-5:20 was a definite possibility. At mile 11 I was at 4:58, and knew sub-5:20 was going to happen. Right before the finish line, I looked down at my watch and saw 5:15 – and let out a yell like I had just won the entire race! My run time was 25:21 faster than last year, when I melted in the Wisconsin heat.

Afterwards I was tired, but not nearly as wiped out as I was last year. I was actually able to see most of my friends finish (including a friend doing her first half Ironman), which was nice. While it felt great to take 39 minutes off of my time from last year, it also made me realize that I am a short course guy – I will take suffering for less than two and a half hours over slogging through five plus hours any day of the week! Thanks for reading!

Race Splits
Swim: 41:13 (2:09/100 meters)
T1: 1:36
Bike: 2:44:31 (20.4 MPH)
T2: 1:08
Run: 1:46:45 (8:09 per mile)
Overall: 5:15:12

2006 Accenture Triathlon
Like the Rolling Stones famously sang, you can't always get what you want. That song lyric sums up my performance in my last triathlon of 2006, the Olympic distance race at the Accenture Chicago Triathlon on August 27th. Going into Accenture, my goal was to break 2:25. I had done a 2:29 and change at this same race last year, and given my earlier performances this year (first top 10 overall in a small sprint race, 5:15 at Racine Half Ironman), increased training volume, professional bike fitting and improved technology (new aerobars and race wheels), I thought it was a realistic goal.

On race morning I was excited, but not particularly nervous, as this was my fourth straight year doing this race. The swim start was the typical Accenture scrum for the first few hundred meters. This may sound perverse, but I have actually started to enjoy mass swim starts – they are kind of like underwater slam dancing. Once we passed the turnaround buoy, things spread out considerably. I focused on keeping a nice, easy stroke and sighting periodically, given the sighting problems I have had in my earlier races this year. As was the case last year, pretty early into the swim I was passing people from earlier waves, including a fair number of side, breast and backstrokers.

When I checked my watch at the end of the swim, I was shocked – my time was actually two minutes SLOWER than last year. My swimming has definitely taken a step back this year, due to a variety of reasons (i.e., did not take private lessons like last year, less swim volume, torn cartilage in my right shoulder), and I was definitely disappointed. But obviously the show must go on, so I started the long trek to the transition area. After a decent transition, I was on my bike.

I was hoping to make up a fair amount of time from my slower swim split on the bike, but once I got on Lake Shore Drive, I knew that was going to be a challenge. Last year I averaged 21.7 MPH on this same course in literally ideal conditions, and with 15-20 MPH headwinds as I headed north, I knew that I would have a tough time exceeding that effort. I just concentrated on staying aero as much as possible, and passing people without blocking faster riders (given the 3,700+ racers in the race, I was literally passing racers the entire way). My speed was generally around 19-21 MPH heading north, and on the way south I was around 23-25 MPH. I ended up actually beating my bike split from last year by 51 seconds, which I was happy with given the tougher conditions. My only concern was that I had pushed too hard on the bike, and would not have enough left to have a good run.

As I went to rack my bike and change into my running shoes in the transition area, I looked to my right to see fellow Slowtwitcher Jostein, who I had run into before the race. I asked him if he minded some company during the run, but he took off like a bat out of hell out of transition, so I ended up running solo. My legs actually felt pretty fresh coming off the bike – the weekly bricks this season really paid off! I completed the first mile in just under seven minutes, which I was happy with. At that moment, I decided that I was not going to look at my watch at all during the rest of the race. I realized with some degree of sadness that this triathlon season was coming to an end, and I was just going to enjoy the rest of the race, without worrying about mile splits, heart rates, or whether I would beat my time from last year (which I knew was pretty much out of the question anyway).

The rest of the run I just focused on keeping a nice, smooth, efficient stride. Somewhere between miles five and six I started to tire, but was still able to keep up a decent pace. Right before the six mile mark I reminded myself to leave it all on the course, and picked up my pace. As I crossed the finish line, I saw that I had missed my overall time from last year by one minute and one second, even with faster bike and run splits.

While I am a bit disappointed, the path for next year is as clear as day – I need to become a better swimmer. It is as simple as that. I can make all the excuses I want (i.e., I have no formal swimming background, it is a pain to get up early for masters classes, it is the shortest part of the race, I like running and biking so much more, etc.) but that's all they are – excuses. These races are called TRIATHLONS, not duathlons, and unless I can improve my swimming, I will never reach my full potential – whatever that may be. Anyway, there's no rest for the weary – I now need to start concentrating on my training for the Chicago Marathon in late October! Thanks for reading!

Race Splits
Swim: 34:08 (includes quarter mile plus run to the transition area)
T1: 2:13
Bike: 1:09:04 (22.0 MPH)
T2: 1:25
Run: 43:24 (7:00 per mile)
Overall: 2:30:17 (top 6% overall, top 8% in 35-39 age group)

2006 Chicago Marathon
There is an old saying that pain is temporary, victory is forever. I can not say that I won anything at the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon on Sunday, October 22nd, but I can say with absolute certainty that I was in plenty of pain afterwards!

Going into race day, I felt pretty confident. My training had gone well, and with the exception of a bad ankle sprain three weeks before race day, I was relatively injury-free. My only major concern was the weather. It was forecasted to be about 38 degrees at the start of the race, with highs for the day in the mid 40s. I dressed appropriately, with a long sleeve running top, tights, gloves and a light jacket that I later handed off to a friend early in the race.

The first few miles of the race went pretty well. Unlike two years ago, I did not have to do much bobbing and weaving to get around other runners. I kept my pace nice and easy, hitting the first mile in just under eight minutes before settling into 7:15-7:30 per mile pace. I was determined to not be a "first half marathon hero, second half zero" by blowing myself up early in the race. I also concentrated on taking in some Gatorade at every aid station to prevent the leg cramps that hit me in the last few miles of my 2004 marathon.

As mile after mile ticked off, I took a physical and mental inventory. My legs felt pretty fresh and I was not breathing particularly hard. I was running within myself and staying completely focused on the race. I made a conscious decision not to draw off of the energy of the crowds, as I knew that later in the race they would be much sparser. I was happy, however, to get cheered on by familiar faces along the course, including Brian and his wife, triathlon training partners Liza and Kim, my girlfriend's mother and my "personal photographer" Chad. I also ran into Jostein, a fellow triathlete who had smoked me in a couple of races earlier in the year, who was also doing the race.

I hit the half marathon mark in 1:37:18, which was a bit slower than what I had planned, but given how good I felt, I was not terribly concerned. I churned out a few more miles in the 7:25-7:40 range before slowing down to around 7:45 per mile pace for miles 17-20 and 8:00 per mile for miles 21-23. I was definitely starting to tire, and it felt like the mile markers were getting further and further apart. As I had warned him beforehand, I pulled my Chicago Area Runner's Association (CARA) pace group leader Flip out of the crowd to run the final three miles with me, which definitely helped.

Right after hitting mile 24, things started to get really tough. I had not hit the dreaded "wall" exactly, but I just did not have much left in the tank. My legs felt like they were on fire, and the every block felt like a 10K race. I walked through two aid stations and took a couple of short walk breaks along the way. I struggled up the only major hill on the course before turning onto the home stretch and crossing the finish line in 3:22:14. Afterwards I hobbled to the massage tent where I spent about a half an hour getting treated and warming up before meeting up with Chad and Kim, my girlfriend (who completed her first marathon that day) and her family.

In the final analysis, I beat my time from 2004 (my only other marathon) by three minutes and 38 seconds, but did come up a bit short of my goal of 3:15-3:20. Did the cold weather and winds affect me? Maybe. But at the end of the day, I honestly felt like I did the best that I could given my training and the conditions. I would like to thank my CARA training partners, my pace group leader Flip, and all my friends and family who have given me so much support and encouragement throughout my 2006 racing season. Thanks for reading!