Pre-Race

Tomorrow morning is the P.F. Chang's Rock'n'Roll 1/2 Marathon. I've picked up my race packet, laid out my clothes, and am getting ready for the race. This is so much chiller than a triathlon it blows me away. I'm not nearly as anxious as usual and am just looking forward to having a good time out there. A and I are running together and just aiming for a time under 2:00hr. Forecast is for a high of 77 degrees and sunny!

Weekend update

I had big hopes for this past weekend after a great training day on Friday. I took Saturday off to rest and I began the process of clearing out old junk and packing for the big move out West. Sunday I planned a brick workout (ride/run), but thunderstorms and all my junk in the living room put an end to that. I spent time with Amanda and my parents while I continued to sort through old pictures, papers, and mementos. It felt good to spend some quality time at the house; I’ll be missing that place soon enough.
Monday I jumped back on the wagon with a big swim workout in the morning and weights during lunch. Tuesday I hit the trail with Amanda and the dog for a great trail run. This morning we ate an early breakfast at Nashville’s classic Pancake Pantry to celebrate our wedding anniversary. I’m truly blessed to be married to such an incredible woman who is supportive of everything I do, no matter how eccentric I am.
I pick up the Rig from the shop this afternoon and then will hit the pool for a swim and then the track for a 600m superset workout. I’m getting excited about XTERRA Dawg Days and feeling like I can really make a splash at one of my last races of the year. The first goal for the race will to be the 1st AG out of the water for the second time this season. The next goal is to reach the podium and earn a solid amount of points in the US Points Series. Reading about everyone else prepping for the SE and E championships the next two weeks has me fired up during my own training. Thanks for reading….

2nd (20-29)! 11th Overall!

My first race of 2008 is in the books! Today I raced the Chickasaw 15k trail run in Columbia, TN with great results. Running is definitely my weakest area, but my training and hard work paid off in a BIG way.

• 1:16:00 (~ 8 minute miles, lots of elevation)
  
• 2nd in my age group (20-29)
  
• 11th overall

Pre-race dinner:We had a great dinner to celebrate Chandler's birthday at Nashville's new City House in Germantown. The half chicken and Frico appetizer went a long way towards today’s success.

Pre-race breakfast

Kept it simple and pretty small.

At the race

More rain last night and cooler weather meant a damp 45 degrees at the starting line. I tried to stay bundled up as much as possible waiting for the start.

Post-race

Back at the car with my 2nd place Chickasaw mug and new confidence from finishing my first 15k.

Post-race ice bath

Back from Columbia, I filled up the tub with ice and jumped in for 15 minutes. Nice and numb, I ate a great lunch and put on some recovery tights to get ready for tomorrow’s 30k MTB race.

I’ll post an in-depth race write-up next, but I am incredibly excited for the XTERRA season to get underway. If today’s race was any indication of my new level of fitness and running ability it should be a great year of racing.

The Day Before

Today is the day before my first race of the season. First “race” may be a little strong as I am using Saturday’s 15k trail run more as a training tool than an actual race. I haven’t tapered my training at all, and since next week is a recovery week, the volume and intensity of my training has been peaking the past two weeks. I’m pretty anxious about tomorrow’s event for a couple reasons. The first is that I’m not a huge fan of running. Coming from a background in swimming and competitive sports that involve running + other skills/objects, the concept of just running does not totally appeal to me. If triathlons started with a run I don’t think I ever would have tried one. The second reason I’m anxious is that I’ve never run a 15k in my life. I’ve done a handful of 5ks and 10ks, but considering the longest run in the XTERRA triathlon circuit is a 10k, this is more than a little overtraining at this point in my career. I am excited to push myself at the end of 10 hard weeks of training and see where I am in my fitness. It is also a great opportunity to try out gear and a nutrition plan. I know I’ll have great support from A (who is the natural runner) and there should be plenty of good pictures. More to come….

On the trail again

I got a good 60 minute trail run in at Lock 4 this morning before work. This was the first time I have tried hitting the trail before work and it worked out beautifully. I’d guess I ran about 6.5 miles including the same loop that is part of the XTERRA Lock 4 Blast held here in July. The temperature was 22 degrees when I started, so the only sounds on the trail came from a family of white-tail deer that I kept looking at me like I was crazy. The first 10 minutes were brutal as I tried to adjust to the cold. I kept thinking about racers like James Walsh who live and train in San Diego. I can’t even imagine. On one loop down by the transition area, I spent some time reciting some words of inspiration for this upcoming season of racing, come July I’m willing to bet those words pay off big. It was strange to pound away the miles by foot instead of by bike. This was probably only the 3rd time I’ve run out at Lock 4 including last year’s race. That is definitely about to change. After the run it was off to work at the college, a quick shower, and change of clothes at the gym - in my office by 7:59. Not too shabby. Happy Valentines Day, the wife and I are off to Indian food and The Frist Museum.