Training for my first marathon

My triathlon season ended but I still have one more race this year.  A couple of months ago I signed up for the Philadelphia Marathon so I really have to focus my training on running with biking / swimming saved for the days when I do cross training.  I only have nine weeks to prepare my body for the marathon, I hope I have enough time.  The marathon training plans I've found on the web are typically for a twenty week training program so I jumped right into week eleven of the training plan.  Running four miles or eight miles on a weeknight wasn't a big deal.  Yesterday I ran sixteen miles and I felt really good during the run.  I had a minimal amount of soreness after the run but Monday afternoon is when I really started to feel the stiffness in my legs.  Today is a rest day so hopefully the soreness will diminish quickly. 

"The woods are lovely dark and deep, 
but I have promises to keep, 
and miles to go before I sleep, 
and miles to go before I sleep." 
- Robert Frost 

Marshman Triathlon 2012

've never done back to back triathlons before this week but the Marshman Triathlon was just seven days after the Nation's Triathlon.  The Marshman Triathlon is 10 miles from my house and it's just a sprint distance triathlon so I figured "what the heck, why not do the triathlon?"  I went over to the Marsh Creek State Park on Saturday to pick up my race kit; I drove the bike course and then I went for a practice bike ride.  There is a very steep downhill section that has a sharp turn and could be the scene of many bike crashes.  The flat road along the lake only lasts for a couple of miles before we have a long slow climb around the other side of the lake.  Then it's a small downhill ride back into the park.  Seems like it will be an easy bike ride but it does seem like I shouldn't ride a triathlon bike.

  

For the second week in a row I had to set the alarm clock for an early morning wake up on Sunday morning.  The transition area opened at 5:30 AM and I wanted to be in the park before 5:30 AM since the parking is very limited.  When I got to the park at 5:15 AM there was a long line of cars waiting for the rangers to open the gates.  Eventually we were allowed in the park around 5:30 AM.  It was a beautiful morning, cool with low humidity but the grass was wet and my shoes might not dry out before the triathlon starts.

 

The transition racks were the low kind and if you rack the bike by the nose of the saddle you have problems getting the bike off the rack.  I have a TorHans Aero bottle mounted between the aero bars so there is only a couple of inches of the aero bars available to lay on the transition bike rack.  That was my best option so that is how I racked my bike.  The water temperature was 74 degrees and I debated not wearing the wetsuit but in the end I wore the wetsuit.  I finished setting up my gear and grabbed my wetsuit before walking down to the lake.  

There were four swim waves and I was in the second wave.  The first wave swam out to the first buoy and waited for the triathlon to start.  We were still standing on the boat ramp when the triathlon started and right away a couple of swimmers wanted to quit the race.  I don't think I've ever seen so many people quit so quickly.  My wave was given the go ahead to enter the water so I took my practice swim and lined up at the buoy.  There was only one buoy and the staff kept yelling to have people move back.  I hope next year they have two buoys so we can tell where the imaginary starting line is located.

The swim course had a slight turn at the first buoy but it was mostly a straight line across the lake.  Unlike in the Nation's Triathlon I was able to swim a straight line in this triathlon.  The exist from the lake was a sandy beach that was easy on the feet as I left the lake and ran for my bike.

I started up the wrong row and had to double back to find my bike.  I put on my sunglasses but they were fogged up so I lost valuable seconds wiping off the lenses.  I reached for the bike computer to turn it on and knocked my bike off the rack.  More seconds lost picking up my bike.  Sunglasses on, helmet on, chin strap buckled, I grabbed my bike and ran out of transition.  It's an uphill run to the mount line and then an uphill bike ride.  Did you notice that my bike shoes are clipped to the pedals and I ran out of transition in my bare feet? 

Good thing I had the bike in it's lowest gear.  I climbed the first hill and the rolling hills to the first turn.  I passed a number of riders on the next hill and really cranked up the speed on the next down hill.  At the next turn I backed off the speed, stayed upright and grabbed the brakes and hung on for dear life.  I survived the hard turn and the bump where the road transitioned to the bridge.  Then I turned onto the long flat section of road and hit the biggest gears I could find on the bike.  That section went well but on the next section I was standing on the pedals climbing a hill when I heard a "ping" sound and the rear wheel started to wobble.  I didn't know if I had a flat tire or a broken spoke or some other issue.  There was a driveway up ahead and I debated (briefly) stopping to check out my bike.  Instead I decided to slow down and see if the wobble would go away or lessen.  I found out going slower lessened the wobble so I just kept going.  I'd have crossed my fingers for good luck but that's not a good idea when you are riding a triathlon bike.  There was one more issue on the bike ride.  I saw a car up ahead on the left that pulled out ahead us.  The driver of the car could not pass the rider ahead of us and the car couldn't move over to the left to let us pass on the right.  Eventually two of us decided to squeeze past the car and continue on with the race.  We climbed another hill and then we had a downhill ride to the dismount line.  I was able to pull my feet out of the shoes and coast to the dismount line.  

I raced down the hill; racked my bike and dropped off my helmet.  I always wear socks with my shoes but today there wasn't time to put on socks.  I pulled on my shoes, and put on my hat and race belt as I ran out of transition.  I passed two guys who slowed down for water and I just kept chasing down anyone running in front of me.  This was a two mile run and there wasn't time to stop for water or small talk with the other runners.  I made the turn around the orange code and headed back to the finish line.  Along the way I passed a friend and I yelled hello.  A girl ran past me and it dawned on my that she was the first girl to pass me today.  There was a narrow path to the finish line, a barrier on the left side and orange cones on the right side didn't leave much room for passing.  I managed to pass two more runners as I ran down the narrow path.  I never even looked at the clocks and I almost forgot to stop my watch after I crossed the finish line.

Carol showed up a couple of minutes later and we walked over to talk to my friends.  Tom had already checked the race results and he told me I finished in 24th place.  We hadn't seen each other since the triathlon boot camp in January so we had a lot to catch up.  Tom's wife was still running so we waited for her and another one of my friends to run across the finish line.  When I walked over and checked the race results I discovered I had finished 3rd in my age group.  Finally, after two 4th place finished I made in 3rd place.  I packed up my gear and waited for the award ceremony.

I'm on the podium for the first time.

Photos by Carol Gannon

Nation's Triathlon

I went to Washington, DC for the 2012 Nation's Triathlon on September 9, 2012.  This was a qualifying event for the USAT Age Group National Championship so I wanted to place high enough to qualify for the 2012 AGNC.  This is my second time in Washington, DC for the Nation's Triathlon and the one constant is the humidity.  If it's this humid in September it must be really bad in July and August.

We drove to Washington, DC on Friday and stopped at the expo to pick up my race kit.  How do you like my cover shot for Triathlete magazine?

We are required to rack our bikes on Saturday morning and just like last year I was one of the first people to drop off my bike.  Last year the racks were not numbered and it was first come first served if you wanted a good spot on the bike rack.  This year the racks were numbered but I still had a great spot on the end of the rack next to the main aisle.  The weather service was calling for a front to pass through the area Saturday afternoon so I covered my bike.

 My wife Carol was checking out the museums while I was dropping off my bike.  After lunch we walked around the Washington monuments and made it back to the hotel about 15 minutes before the storm arrived.  The storm brought lots of rain and high winds and maybe even some hail.  The storm blew away the heat and humidity so it should be perfect weather on Sunday morning.  There were messages posted on Facebook about bikes and bike racks blown over during the storm.  I hoped my bike wasn't damaged but there wasn't anything I could do except wait until Sunday morning to check out the bike.  

These very large buoys will be placed on the river every 100 meters so it shouldn't be too difficult to follow the swim course on Sunday morning.

A lot of the people on my floor at the hotel were with Team in Training and Saturday night their doors were decorated in purple with happy messages and best wishes.  The first bus from the hotel left at 4:30 AM and last year I was the only person on the bus that wasn't wearing purple.  This year it was just a handful of athletes and staff on the first bus.  I was able to borrow a bike pump and use my headlamp to illuminate the gauge.  The music and announcements started and we were informed that wetsuits would not be allowed.  I finished setting up my gear and headed over to the swim start without my wetsuit.  I must admit I was anxious about the swim start.  I had never done a swim start where every seven seconds six swimmers jump off the dock and start swimming.

It was finally time to close down transition and start the triathlon.  As each wave was headed towards the river he inched our way up the street.  At the top of the hill there was someone reading off bib numbers and another person punching the numbers into a machine.  I hope that guy works in accounting because he had to quickly enter those numbers.  We were told to keep moving and once we got on the dock it was lined off with stips of tape for each athlete.  I picked my sport and hung my toes off the edge of the dock.  The they said "go" I was gone and in the water before anyone else in my wave.  I zig zagged my way up the river and rounded the turn buoy.  I really need to learn how to swim in a straight line.  My downstream swim was much better.  I forgot to start my watch so when I made it back to transition I had no idea how long it took to complete the swim.

I didn't have any issues finding my bike in the transition area even though none of the bikes on my rack were missing.  I guess that meant I was the first person in my age group out of the water.  Since I didn't have to strip off a wetsuit I was fairly quick getting out to the bike mount line.  Last year I almost ran into the back of a bike that stopped in front of me.  I had to pull my foot out of my shoe and ended up scraping my toes on the street.  This year I practiced mounting the bike with my shoes attached to the pedals and the mount went well.  I was down into the aero position and shifted into a higher gear.  

I do love the bike ride in the Nation's Triathlon.  There are a few small hills but overall the course is flat and fast.  The turnaround uses the off / on ramp of the highway which is faster and safer then the typical orange cone on the double yellow line.  I passed, was passed and re-passed the same couple of bike riders for the entire 24 mile bike ride.  I never realized how many Cervelo bikes were used in triathlons until I bought my bike.  It's sort of like buying a new car and you discover every third car is just like your new car.  I need to customize my bike.  I slipped my feet out of my shoes and jumped off the bike ahead of the dismount line.  I ran past some other riders on my way into transition and then I racked my bike.

I took off my helmet and pulled on my socks and shoes then I put on the race belt as I ran through transition.  I'm trying to improve my transition times and putting the belt on while running does save a couple of seconds.  My goal was to chase down the runner ahead of me and that plan worked well.  Every time I passed a runner I focused on chasing down the next runner.  This is a program I recommend everyone use.

 I ran my own race and I finished well.  In fact I was elated to find out I finished with a new personal record and fast enough to qualify for the 2013 Age Group National Championship.

2012 USAT Age Group National Championship

I was in Burlington, Vermont USA on August 18 for the Olympic distance USAT Age Group National Championship.  This triathlon brought the best athletes from North America to Burlington, Vermont.  Carol and I checked into the hotel on Thursday August 16 and then we went to the expo to pick up my race kit.  There was a mechanic setting up a bike for one of the athletes and the bike had Zipp 808's front and rear.  I spoke to the athlete about the wheels and he recommended the 808's for front and rear wheels.  I was planning to put a 404 on the front and an 808 on the rear but now I'm thinking about putting 808's all around.  When we left the expo Carol and I drove down to the lake to check out the transition area.   

 

On Friday August 17 we had breakfast at the hotel.  The restaurant was very busy and we shared a table with another couple.  Tom wasn't in my age group which was good news because it sounded like Tom was very competitive and very fast.  After breakfast Carol and I went to North Beach for the open water swimming.  What a difference a day makes, on Thursday the lake was calm but today the lake looked like the ocean.  The wind was blowing off the lake and there were waves and white caps everywhere.  I pulled on my wetsuit and walked into the lake.  The water wasn't cold and once I made it past the breakers I was able to swim.  I could see a sailboat towards the harbor and I used the boat as a sight line.  Since I only breath on the right side I had some difficult swimming towards the harbor but once I turned around and swam back it wasn't difficult to swim.  I finished swimming and came on shore to speak with Carol.  

 

Another athlete was pulling on her swim cap and asked how the water temperature was since she wasn't planning to wear a wetsuit.  I answered her question about the water and we started talking about the triathlon.  It turned out she lives near me and we had been at the same triathlon boot camp earlier this year.  Another woman walked up and joined our conversation.  She also lives near us and had been to the same boot camp.  It's a small world.

Carol and I drove the bike course and went for lunch.  The bike course didn't look to be very difficult except I don't like having a turn around on a two lane road that doesn't have shoulders.  I hope when I make the turn there are no other athletes near me.  After lunch Carol and I took my bike down to transition.  The traffic was bad and so I just parked the car and rode my bike down to transition.  It started to rain as I pulled the bike cover over the bike.  We stopped at the local high school for the pasta dinner and we enjoyed the company of the other athletes.

I woke up at 4 AM on Saturday August 18 and made a quick breakfast of oatmeal with hot water from the coffee maker.  I was hoping the hotel room had a microwave but the coffee maker worked in a pinch.  I triple checked my packing list and we left the hotel.  We parked in a parking garage near the lake but away from the roads that were going to be closed for the triathlon.  I grabbed my gear and walked down to transition while Carol slept in the car.  Transition opened at 5:30 AM and my swim wave didn't go into the water until 7:48 AM.  I had lots of time to kill so I walked the transition area to learn the easiest way in and out of transition.  It shouldn't be that difficult to find my bike since I'm near a fence and there is a bike mechanic tent setup next to the fence.

Carol was able to locate me in transition and she helped me get my wetsuit on as we walked to the lake.  The water was choppy in the harbor; not as bad as it was on Friday at the beach but it would still be a challenging swim.  The swim waves were spaced far enough apart that there was plenty of time to jump into the lake and warm up before my wave.  I lined up on the inside in the last row of the swim wave.  We all turned and waved at the cameras then the horn sounded for the start of our triathlon.

The water was choppy and smelled like fuel from all of the boats.  I've never figured out how to continue swimming while sighting in open water.  So I switch to a breaststroke when I need to get my bearings.  There were two turn buoys in a row which seemed to confuse some of the swimmers but I didn't follow them and made the turns.  I was happy to get out of the water and on my bike.   

Carol took this photo of me after the swim, I'm the second person in the photo.

I thought I rode well on the bike it looked like I was going to have a penalty assigned to me.  After we left town and started riding on the highway I was passing a rider when two other athletes tried to pass me.  This was a slight upgrade and the bikes were bunching up.  Just then the motorcycle rode up and stopped next to me while the official started writing down the athletes bib numbers.  I didn't think I broke any rules but you never know until the race is over (I didn't receive any penalties in this triathlon).  We left the highway and rode on a two lane road out into the countryside.  The road didn't have any shoulders and the turn around was tricky since the road was narrow.  Not long after the turn around the rider in front of me drifted off the road.  The rider was lucky there wasn't any drop-off and he was able to get back on the road to continue the triathlon.  There were no more "events" during the bike ride and I made it back to transition.     

 

This is me returning from the bike ride.

My transition from bike to run wasn't very fast.  I like to wear compression sleeves when I run but I had problems getting them on so I might not wear them in my future triathlons.  Carol took this photo of me just outside transition before I had to run that big hill.  The hill was the worst part of the run and once we made it to the top of the hill the course was flat.  Eventually we left the road and ran in the shade of a tree lined trail.  Some runners in my age group passed me but I couldn't keep up with them.  There were mile markers setup along the course and I was feeling good so I started planning when I would sprint for the finish line. 

 Just a couple of more steps and it's in the record book.

After the race I was informed that someone in my swim wave was pulled from the water and might have died.  There was a well written article on the Slowtwitch web site about Limiting Deaths in Triathlons.

My finishing time of 2:39:44 was a new personal record for me.  You can watch the animated race recap on the ZumTri website after entering my bib number.