Hey look a Velociraptor!

During my "long" run this weekend, I was reminded of one of the most annoying things about running...the Horn Honkers. It has been quite a while since the two of us crossed paths during my runs; maybe the holiday weekend brought out all the wackos. Whatever the cause, I realized it's still obnoxious. The interaction is so quick how am I supposed to have any clue what you're trying to say: “You're hot,” “Get out of the street,” or “I just wanted to scare you.”

The only time it is acceptable to honk your horn at me while I'm running, is to alert me to impending danger. For example, it is okay to honk your horn if a velociraptor is on the other side of the road, eying me as a mid-day snack; however, honking your horn at me to alert me to your presence on the road is not acceptable. I already know you are there. I'm fully aware that most drivers have no idea what they are doing and that my next step in the street could be my last.

I'll admit I'm slightly flattered when an attractive young woman honks her horn at me while I'm running past. I like to think she is honking because she finds me attractive, but I'm sure anyone who has seen me while running will dismiss this idea as absurd, knowing that is not one of my most attractive moments. Assuming for the moment this was the case, what good does it accomplish. Did honking your horn somehow place your phone number in my cell phone? Did it get you a date? No! Maybe you should try talking to me the next time you see me out in public.

I'm not even going to comment on the idiots who just honk their horn to scare runners. In fact, due to people's compulsive need to honk, I've actually gotten pretty good at not reacting to it. In fact, if you see me running down the street and you honk, I probably wouldn't even know it was you until you mention it the next time I see you, so don't interpret it as me ignoring you. If you want me to acknowledge you, call out my name while you drive past. You're more likely to get a response.

Unraveling the Conundrum

Yesterday I answered the question that has been sitting on the edge of my consciousness since the Ashbury 5K. Am I a runner or am I a triathlete? The answer: I am a runner. Of course, I have a swimming and cycling addiction. For the last month, I have not gotten into the swimming pool and logged laps, I have not jumped on my bike or a trainer to grind out some miles, and through all of this I have been fine. Flashback to when I injured my knee. Not being able to run was driving me crazy, no amount of swimming or cycling made me feel better. On days where I need to release stress, clear my mind, or think things through I find my answers in running. In fact, my long run this weekend help me sort through my race schedule for next year.

I'm currently looking at following the FIRST training plan to race the Chicago Marathon, hoping to push myself closer to qualifying for Boston. On paper, the FIRST plan looks a lot like my training plan for Ironman Wisconsin in 2005. It calls for three days of running and 2 days of cross training. One minor difference is my triathlon training called 3 days of running and 3 days of cross training. A major difference is the three days of running need to be quality workouts (speedwork, tempo, and long distance). When I was training for Ironman, many of the days were there to log mile and make sure I had the endurance to finish a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, 26.2 mile run in under 17 hours, and in the process become an Ironman. In the past, I wanted to know how far I could go. Now, I want to test my limits and see how hard I can push. I'm sure I could race the Chicago Marathon ("A" priority race) and run Ironman Arizona ("B" priority race) six weeks later, but I don't want to run Ironman; I want to race Ironman. I also have no idea how my body is going to react to such demanding training. I'm currently running 5 days a week with some serious workouts and everything is looking good for the Walt Disney World Marathon in January. Of course, the last time I was training this hard was in college and every year I wound up with some sort of overuse injury.

This year turned out to be a successful racing season after coming off of my injury. I would have never imagined that I would be running at the level that I have all year. Most of my running this year has been structured to achieve my goals (even if many of my races were added to my schedule 1-2 weeks before the race), but my triathlon training was haphazard. With all of this in mind I have decided not to race an Ironman distance race next year. The fire is still burning it has not been extinguished, but I think it would be better to have a season where my triathlon training is more structured before returning to Ironman.

Hot Chocolate 15K - Race Report

Packet Pick-Up and Expo
No real complaints, took about 5 minutes to get my bib, test the B-tag, and receive my "running jacket" or should I say hooded sweatshirt. The expo was small but not really all that surprising since this wasn't the marathon. Stopped by 2XU to learn about compression calf guards didn't purchase them at the expo, but did order them online that night (saved about $15).

Race Day
Arrived downtown about 6:45 before the 5K and hung out at the Hilton like I usually do on cold race mornings, not sure what the temperature but it was below freezing. Weather Channel said we should hit 32 by 8:15, right around race time. Once it drew near to the start of the 5K I started heading over to gear check. Turned out to be an absolute disaster. Tables were assigned for every 1000 numbers of course all the 15K runners had numbers from 1-15000 so it was jammed. After standing around for 20 minutes trying to check gear someone said we could check our gear at any table so I headed down to 25000ish and everything thing went smoothly. This happened about 8:00 so I rushed to get to corral B for the start.

Poor corral management, about 3 minutes before the race started the open corral started invading the B corral. Sorry but with a chip timed race there is no need to have the corrals out of place. Once I realized the open corral was in the B corral I moved to the edge of the A corral. Eventually the race started and I tried to jostle my way through the pack to my correct location. When I registered I said I could run 7:39/mi and today I wanted to run 7:12/mi. Somehow to my surprise about 400 meters into the race I hit a 3 wide group of walkers, I have no idea what the walkers were doing in the A corral! The rest of the first mile involved me dodging and weaving. Once I made it through the first mile things started to thin out for me and I was able to lock in to my pace although it was a bit faster than I intended. After we got off the roads and through the McCormick place tunnel we were on the running path headed south. I was thankful to be toward the front I can only imagine how crowded it was in behind me. After the turn around we ran a section on gravel, not the crushed limestone trail gravel but gravel with rocks. Didn't really have to much of an impact on me but I would have hated running in Five Fingers at this point. Maybe this information should have been communicated along with how many pounds of chocolate there wasw going to be at the finish, not really sure which is more important in a race. :-) The rest of the race was pretty typical keep moving one foot in front of the other and eventually you'll find the finish. About 50 yards from the finish my hat flew off and I almost turned back for it but with the finish in sight I couldn't do it. The announcer said good choice you can go back for the hat once you finish. Which I did, don't want to loose the Timex hat I got at Ironman.

Eventually made my way through the post-race grabbed some Gatorade and chocolate. Unless I missed the plain chocolate everything had almonds. Which surprised me in today's hyper-paranoid world of nut allergies. I don't suffer from this condition so I had a couple of pieces. Would have been nice if there were bananas or oranges at the end but I survived. Made my way back to gear check which was much quicker this time and then headed down toward the hot chocolate to find Boy Scout Troop 1441 which was volunteering at the event as part of an Eagle Service project. I changed clothes and then grabbed a cup of hot chocolate. Eventually I made my way to the fondue which was excellent and then sat around and listened to Maggie Speaks. I've heard about them from a few friends but this was my first opportunity to see them, if you haven't seen them they are a great cover band to check out.

Would I recommend others to run this race? Not unless you are fast enough to get ahead of the crowds (where I was running) or are happy with a leisurely early morning run (I don't speak about this from experience only from what I have read and comments made post race). I might recommend this race if they changed the cap or even implemented a wave start to eliminate congestion.

Race Weather:
Temperature: 32 Degrees F
Wind: 5.8 WNW
Cloud Cover: Scattered

Race clothing:
Hat, Headband Ear Warmer (took them off around mile 2-3), Sunglasses, Long sleeve Dri-Fit shirt, T-Shirt (Might have been too much), Gloves (took them off around mile 3-4) Tri-Shorts, Dri-Fit Running Pants, WrightSocks, and Saucony Hurricane 12.

Hot Chocolate 15K Results
Pace: 6:53/mi
Overall: 174/12356
Age Group: 28/825
Sex: 154/4218

Splits
Mile 1 - 6:36
Mile 2 - 6:45
Mile 3 - 6:56
Mile 4 - 6:49
Mile 5 - 6:55
Mile 6 - 7:10
Mile 7 - 6:52
Mile 8 - 7:00
Mile 9 - 7:01
Mile 9.32 - 2:07

State of Mind

I've recently begun wondering just how big of a role mental attitude has in performance. After running the 2002 LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon, I realized that anyone who "wanted" to run a marathon could do it. I also had this surprising realization after crossing the finish line at the 2005 Ford Ironman Wisconsin. At the time, I was sure that covering the distance was possible if you put you mind to it. Struggling through that brutal day, I found a voice in my head that said "Constant forward progress." When the hills on the bike killed my quads I would walk up the hills and when I could no longer run during the marathon I would walk. I'm sure if I would have reached a point where I could no longer walk I would have crawled as long as I was making progress toward the final goal - 140.6 miles from where I started that morning. But does this same mental attitude also affect speed?

Maybe it does! When I used to talk about running I would classify myself as "slow." Sure I wasn't blazing fast, but I wasn't extremely slow either. A couple of friends mentioned that I was posting some pretty decent runs. Of course, I attributed those to having a good day, having a better running cadence as a result of my cycling, any excuse I could come up with. One day I actually looked at my running and quietly said to myself, "You are fast(ish)!" Next thing I know, I ran a 1:40 for a half marathon. This only re-enforced the idea I was fast, and I started to train like I was fast. The result, I demolished my 5K PR. I have even started to use the word fast when talking about my running. The real question now is "Am I fast because I have always been fast? or Am I fast because I started to believe I'm fast?"

Triathlete's Singles Ad

I take no credit for writing this, I found it on the Internet years ago. The scary part is how you can find a little truth to each of these. It wouldn't take much effort to rewrite this to be a Runner's Singles Ad.

I am outdoors type of person.
Really means: I train in any type of weather. If it's raining, snowing, 90 degrees w/100 percent humidity, or winds gusting at 30 mph. I don't want to hear any complaints because I will still train in it and you're just a big wuss for complaining about it.

I enjoy riding my bike.
Really means: With or w/o aero bars, alone or in a peleton, I don't care. If you can't do a spur of the moment 30 miler than you're not my type. I will let you draft, but if you can't hang and I drop you - I will see you later. I am a capable mechanic, but don't expect me to change your flats or tune your bike. You need to learn that on your own.

I enjoy jogging.
Really means: Let's run hills until we puke. I have just as many shoes as you only mine are better because they are functional and all look the same.

I enjoy dining out.
Really means: I enjoy eating out, in, or anywhere else I can find food. Don't be shy because with the amount of food I eat, you can have that main entree instead of a salad and you will still look as though you eat like a rabbit in comparison. Don't get your limbs too close though as I may take a bite out of you. Most importantly don't expect any taste off my plate unless you can bring something to the party, like more food. Eventually though if your not burning 4,000 calories a day your going to plump up and have a terrible complex due to watching me eat deserts and not gain any weight. Friends and family will eventually decide not to dine with us anymore due to my horrid table manners. Oh, and don't ask me any questions during breakfast, mid-morning lunch, lunch, afternoon lunch, dinner, or recovery dinner as it does not lend to efficient food intake.

I enjoy quiet walks on the beach.
Really means: Walks on the beach warming up into an 8 mile run and then plunging myself in the ocean for a 2 miler. If you get in my way you're going to find out what mass start is and let me assure you that you don't want to find out.

I find fulfillment in charitable work.
Really means: If I am not racing, I am volunteering and I expect you to be there along side me as I stand out in 90 degree weather for 8 hours handing out sports drink to cyclists going 20 MPH. Just stick the ol' arm out there and hope it doesn't get taken off.

I enjoy sharing quiet moments together.
Really means: It's taper time. Just back off because I am strategizing and in a pissy mood because I am worried about my "A" race and can't workout.

I am an active person.
Really means: Aside from my 40 hour job, and the 8 mandatory hours of sleep a night, 10 hours a week are devoted to me during the off-season and 20 during race season. Leaving us 4 hours. 2 of which are spent inhaling food and you not talking to me, so let's make the best of the 2 hours we will spend together on average each day. If you are a licensed massage therapist of doctor this would make the most optimal use of our time together. Nutritionist is also acceptable, but I probably already know just as much as you.

I enjoy road trips and leisurely drive.
Really means: You have your choice of Wisconsin, Idaho, Florida, Arizona, Utah, Texas, New York, and Kentucky, but don't expect to do much site seeing. If I get enough support from you we might be able to include Hawaii in there.

I enjoy site seeing.
Really means: Let's grab a mountain bike and get our HR's up to 90%. There's plenty of time to look around on the descent as trees and bushes whiz by you at 40 MPH.

I like stimulating conversation.
Really means: While we are running, we can talk about food. Then we can talk about how we decided what to wear on this run based on the temperature at the start versus the temperature at the time we expect to finish, how horribly out of shape we are, how many miles we did last week, and how many we will do this week and next week. Then we can talk about food.

I enjoy relaxing soaks in the tub.
Really means: I'm going to stop on the way home and buy two bags of ice, throw them in the tub with some water, and sit in this torture chamber for 30 minutes.

I'm interested in photography.
Really means: My camera is permanently perched on a tripod in front of my trainer. I obsess over taking photos of my bike position and analyzing them to get the perfect setup.

I'm into technology.
Really means: My HRM and bike computer are my best friends. Until you can give me some hard data that can improve my training don't bother trying to buddy up to me. You could one day break into the top three if I find you as entertaining on long runs and rides as my MP3 player.

Racing Conundrum - Ironman or Boston

About a month ago I sat down and figured out what my 2011 race schedule was going to look like, at least the "A" priority race. At that point I had chosen in River to River Relay (April) and Ironman Arizona (November). Of course there were a couple of other races that were penciled in. I was looking at applying for a lottery slot to the Ironman World Championship (October) in Kona, HI. If I was fortunate enough to get selected I would need to complete a Half Ironman or longer by August so I also penciled in Rohto Ironman 70.3 Florida (May). These choices made sense back then.

When I plugged my half-marathon time from May (1:40:04) into the VDOT calculator it predicted a 3:28 marathon and McMillian predicted a 3:31. Both of which are around 20 minutes away from Boston Qualifying pace - 3:10. Of course last weekend a friend of mine at work suggested I run a 5K that is held in his subdivision so I could set a 5K PR that wasn't part of a triathlon. I completely exceed my expectations for the 5K and ran a 19:55, which is much faster than the predicted time from my half marathon. After punching this new data into the calculators VDOT now predicts a 3:10 and McMillian predicts a 3:14, both indicate the possibility that I could Boston Qualify. There is no need to remind me that a half marathon is a better predictor than a 5K, but my half-marathon was run in May and the 5K, 6 days ago.

This leads to the conundrum: Do I continue on my path to return to Ironman as a triathlete or do I change my focus and become a runner to qualify for Boston? I do see the irony in asking this question since my last post was asking the question if anyone can qualify for Boston if they make it one of their goals. I don't expect to qualify in my next marathon, (possibly Disney in January if I become a runner) but I can start heading down the path to qualify.

Nature vs Nurture

After gathering some heart rate data during a 5K on the treadmill yesterday, I started wondering just how fast do I need to run to qualify for the Boston Marathon. Since I am still young, I am cursed by having to run a 3:10:59 marathon to even step foot at the starting line in Boston. This equates to a 7:18/mi pace.

I finished my 5K in 21:44, which works out to 6:59/mi, but I couldn't imagine running anywhere near that pace for much longer. In fact, using The McMillan Running Calculator someone hoping to finish a marathon in 3:10:59 should be able to run a 5K in 19:35 (6:18/mi).

This lead me to the question, is qualifying something that is genetic or is this something that can be trained? Maybe it's a combination of both. I would like to think that qualifing is something that can be trained for, but how does one go about training to find that kind of endured speed? What combination of increased weekly mileage and speed work is required? Maybe the secret is mental, learning to endure the pain that comes with running at these speeds.

I would certainly embrace the chance to run the Boston Marathon, but it only holds the runner-up position of races I would like to run. The questions I pose are simple compared to the questions about training to qualify for the number one race on my list: Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii.

Once I figure out the answers I'll share my knowledge, but until then I'll be left pondering and constantly moving forward.