More Lessons Learned

Well, they say that you are never too old to learn and i am living proof of that since I am older than dirt and still learning something almost every day.

Last night I thought I was running in Montclair with a few other people I was wrong....MISTAKE #1...I was informed that one friend was doing the corporate Challenge tonight in NYC and had to pack for a weekend away in California so she could not run and the others apparently just bailed.

So what should I do...run alone in Montclair?...run alone somewhere else? try and find someone to join me at the 11th hour?? I decided I would run alone but in Ridgewood at the Duck Pond so when I finished I would be closer to home and in the words of a great philosopher...would create less stink in the car which can at times smell ? dirt dirty? So I changed in my office and away I went to Ridgewood...

Jumped out of the car with absolutely no motivation to run 9 miles by myself although that is usually something I enjoy tremendously....two gels in my pocket...hit the car alarm, stuff the car key in my shorts pocket and I am off...for those that know the Duck Pond...I went under the first bridge and headed towards the .2 mile marker when it hit me...go to the bathroom Bill and just get it over with...so I went into the office building to the side of the running path...real bathrooms...soap...toilet paper ...the works...and off again....the sky was dark and it looked like rain but that's OK I love to run in the rain...it made some of the path eerily dark almost like it was night and I was not seeing anyone else out there which is very unusual for the Duck Pond... jumping some puddles on the path from the previous nights storm...trying to get into a rhythm...passing the 1.5 mark and thinking 1/6 of the way done...finally see a couple bikers who must be fantasizing that they are leading a stage of the Tour de France and they are barreling down the path pedaling as quick as they can without regard for the fact that I am on the same path...no harm no foul and they are gone....turn right after the bridge and head towards Glen Rock...still seeing very few people...a guy on a bike passes me and says "almost done!!!" I am thinking yeah right I'm already 2 miles into my run WOW!!! only 7 or so to go...or was he talking about himself..still not sure...around the pond and back towards the bridge...pass the bridge heading into Dunkerhook park and I feel the urge to hit the bathroom again (big surprise huh?)...so head to the bathrooms and in and out quickly...pull a gel from my pocket and back onto the running path and up and over the bridge...3.8 miles down...start my calculating and realize that I have to go to the 3.8 mile marker so i can avoid going back around the Glen rock pond again so I can get my full 9 miles.....down the only hill and starting to feel a few raindrops...out into the open and see two guys kicking a soccer ball...boy i was more accurate than them when I used to play and I was not great by any stretch of the imagination but at who knows how well or if I could even kick a soccer ball anymore...it is now pouring and thunder and lightening ... pass the Keyhole (as David Leech used to refere to the loop just before the wobbly bridge)..over the wobbly bridge and I am totally soaked...3.6 mile marker almost there...finally...3.8 mile marker and now just 3.8 to go back to the car...it sis really thundering and i am counting in between the bolts of lightening and the claps of thunder...one! two! BOOM....one! BOOM!!...only 3.7 to go and now I am hoping that I am not struck by the almost continuous lightening...it is really poring and I am thankful for the trees to break it up a bit....did I say i love to run in the rain??? yes...I still do but concerned about the lightening..shut up Bill and keep running....Was it supposed to thundershower? I remember hearing something in the morning about that...MISTAKE #2...run in the rain NOT in Thunder and Lightening...I should know better...oh well...what are my are my choices stand still or keep running...Easy decision....still concerned but now 2.7 to go...2.3 and no one around not even the park guys who I thought would be driving the paths to close the bathrooms...they are obviously brighter than me and have gone home...Dunkerhook and turning for the bridge...up and over and decide at the 1.5 mile mark i am going to pick up the pace ...this was not supposed to be a hard timed run but since I ma picking up the pace might as well see how I am running..hit the watch and I speed up...the mile markers are not passing quickly that is of sure...can I run faster...yeah probably but do not want to just trying to run steady...1.2 and almost to the second to last bridge...huge puddles now and really running through some puddle almost continuously now...under the bridge and 1.0 to go ...see the blue house and remember that a guy was redoing the roof yesterday..boy just in time or they would be seeing the rain inside....3 tenths to go and under the bridge...AHHH finished and no lightening strikes...reach for my car key to unlock the doors and WTH!!! Where is my key???? must have just gotten stuck in my shorts pocket...search both pockets...NOTHING!!! Dang ( for the innocents that may read this)...no one around my cell inside the car and 3.6 miles from home (I ran home on Sunday from our run so yes I know how far it is now) MISTAKE #3 pulling a gel out of my pocket and probably the car key with it..OH one car...run over to the other side of the lot and I scare the daylights out of a young woman..i think she was changing and I startled her...she then pokes her head out and asks how she can help..she lends me her cell and I have a spare key on the way ..she leaves and I am all alone in the pouring rain standing in the parking lot with absolutely nothing to do but wait for Andrea to bring my spare key...she arrives ...I am in the care and decide to go look for the key...no luck...head home and into dry clothes...so boys and girls...in a matter of an hour and 15-20 minutes I made at least three mistakes on what should have been an enjoyable run....I survived and feel good today...longest run since Eagleman...I love running in the rain....

Second Triathlon of my career

Not much to report...weather was hot and humid BUT there was shade and the race was only a sprint tri so I knew I would be on the course less than 2 hours (or I hoped). A bit nervous Friday afternoon, kept thinking I was forgetting something...never remembered what it was so it could not have been that important....went to a friend's son's 1st Bday party Friday evening..it was fun and it took some of the tension away...no alcohol but plenty of water and gatorade....left the party about 9:45....home at about 11PM...ran around for at least a 1/2 hour checking my stuff for the morning and making up my water bottles...off to bed...finally feel asleep at about 12:30 or so...alarm off at 4:25 AM...begin my prep..out the door at 5:15 and arrive at the race site at about 5:30...I love local races!!!...unpack the bike...pump up the tires and off to transition...rack my bike...lay my towel down and set up the cycle and run shoes. etc...see some friends and BS a bit...its time to put the wetsuit on and get down to the water ...waiting for the start...elite wave is off...I am wave three ( last week I was wave 6 so I like this better)...a bit nervous due to lack of swim training but hey its seven tenths less than last week..we're off.... try to get into a rhythm quickly...doing ok but its so crowded can't get a good flow...hit the first buoy and a couple guys cut to the left of the buoy...not much distance but they saved time because it was so bottle necked...same at the next buoy and I am headed for shore...feeling the lack of swim training but feel much better than last week...actually not last in my wave and passing a few of the prior wave swimmers....out of the water and off to the bikes....long run to transition and trying shake off the swim...SWIM SPLIT 18:06 for 1/2 mile (278th out of 754)...very slow out of transition 3:25 but now on the bike and trying to get rolling....1 mile and turn right ...starting to work the gears and feeling ok....first big downhill and hitting over 30 mph ...then have to jam on the brakes for a 90 degree right turn that in the past has been the scene of many pileups (according to friends some of whom have done this race 20+ times)...now heading uphill but doing ok....hit the flats and going past transition area.....moving well and have a sharp left coming up...one guy just in front and one to my left...guy in front turns and I hear BAMMMM!!!!!..his back tire blows out..he goes straight into a guardrail and falls back into some grass but his arm falls into the road and I just miss running it over....working up hill again knowing that the downhill is at the top...flying again ...passing more people than are passing me..one guy on a Cervelo P2C keeps flying my me and then without any increased effort I blow by him again and again (he was annoying me..I know that's a petty annoyance )....make a left and now heading up the final long stretch...flat and then two steeps climbs...out of the saddle and the first hill is done...the second is right after it and is longer and steeper..tougher time..legs burning...hit the top and heading downhill...want to fly but remember some advice.....ease up in that last two miles to rest the legs for the run...final left coming BUT the cars are still driving thru the intersection!!! Just several of us hit the turn traffic is stopped....1 mile to go!! (did not worry about that turn but it turns out that a friend and the guy who would have won my AG...was about to make that turn earlier but a cop pulled out in front of him and he ended up in an ambulance...bruised shoulder but otherwise ok...turn into transition and run(???) my bike back to my area..BIKE SPLIT 46:00...19.6 MPH....#168/754....could not get my laces tight but I am off ...feeling ok...one runner comes flying by me maybe 1/2 mile into the run ...probably on 6 min pace....one woman passes me but no one else until a 1/2 mile to go...passing people although not pushing with the big hills coming up..no mile markers made it tough to pace myself .....up the longest steepest hill and feeling ok.....up a cul de sac...two of these kind of kill your momentum but its the same for everyone...make the turn for home and realize its shorter than I thought so kick it in and pass one guy just miss the other...would have kicked earlier knowing I was so close...apparently alot of people were surprised by the shortness of the last stretch...DONE.....finish time 1:45 ...finished 157 out of 754 ...ok but know I can do better...RUN SPLIT 36:09...7:14 pace...only split that really disappointed me...maybe the heat and the distance of the previous week took more out of me than I thought...not sure..enjoyed the race and looking forward to more tris in the future...definitely need swim and transition practice...very slow in transition....it was great to see so many TNT triathletes out on the course...87 participants I beleieve.....and thanks to Andrea for getting up early and cheering her lungs out for me and everyone else before running off to a supermarket fundraiser in the hot sun and to the TNT Staff out there...Jessica, Sandra, Melissa B and Gail and CONGRATS TO LYNN B FOR A GREAT FINISH IN HER FIRST TRIATHLON....so thats a wrap!!!!!

First Triathlon...Lessons Learned

Well here it is......

First: I FINISHED!!!

Second: NO Results for me...apparently my chip malfunctioned so I have no finishing time or splits

Third: IT WAS HOT!!!!!!!! Over 100 degrees and no shade whatsoever or any breeze

Very nervous Saturday ...went over to the Choptank River to do a short swim with a friend ...water was perfect although we could not practice sighting at all since the fog was so thick you couldn't see more than 100 yards...nice swim maybe .4-.6 of a mile...then went back to the house (my friend has done Eagleman 10 years and rents a guest room next to a garage...set of bunks (got the top as the rookie) and a full for 4 guys...$80 total for the weekend..thats split 4 ways..how great is that?? especially since it is one block from the transition area.....then went out a rode the run course....went to Expo and then hung out and went to meet a bunch of other friends for a pasta dinner...could not sleep and laid in bed listening to the thunder and seeing the lightening....that ended by morning...up at 5AM and head to transition area to set up...sweating just walking one block....my wave went off at 7:32....sweating even worse in my wetsuit...we're off...my lack of swim training was evident (this should not happen since I was a competitive swimmer most of my life)...got through it, lost my cookies slightly about 1/2 way and actually beat a few of my wave out of the water and thank god that the river did not live up to its name it was almost mirror like although the first leg was into a current, the second a lsight or so they said tailcurrent and the final leg to land had a cross current that was pushing swimmers to the side...wobbled to my bike and took my time...so hot, all bets are off for a time goal...made sure I put a refresher layer of sunscreen on (of course missed a few spots) and I head out get on the bike and here we go...legs feel ok not great ...but starting rolling as best as I could...VERY NAUSEOUS ......well, mile 25 passes and I am riding alone...all of a sudden a brown blast flies from my mouth to the right (thank god I was alone and it was to the right...pull over and proceed to puke two more times......start riding again and feel better...WORD OF ADVICE...DO NOT drink Ensure between swim and bike in 100 degree temps UNLESS IT IS STORED ON ICE...very stupid on my part, was obviously was not thinking straight.....keep rolling through the blast furnace...kept drinking water and gatorade...because any thoughts of taking a gel were not pleasant ...did not eat anything the entire race just took fluids ......heading towards the bike finish, I am passing more people than were passing me...into transition and off the bike....again took some extra time to up the sunscreen and off to the run...legs feel good, moving steadily, not sure of pace but moving quicker than most......at mile 4 caught one of the Team in Training Tri coaches and she was really hurting so starting run/walking with her since time was not an issue today.....did so and picked up another woman who we encouraged to join us...felt good enough to run more than they were able to but since Sarah (Tri coach ) was hurting I stayed with them...a bit frustrating but could not just abandon her.....the blast furnace continued but the aid stations were awesome...cups of ice...ice water and gatorade with ice...and later cups of flat coke with ice...the volunteers were fantastic...and EAGLEMAN'S RACE DIRECTOR should call Carey Pinakowski and offer to do a seminar on preparing for an abnormally hot raceday.....they had those ice coolers that you see in the supermarkets for the bags of ice......finally could wait no longer needed to finish this race...so asked Sarah and the other woman (from Bethesda) if they were ok..they said yes...so I took off at mile 10...started my watch just to see what I could do the final 5k in.....passed 51 people over the final 5k......including two woman within the final 5 yards....I was done!!!!!! grabbed my medal and walked through the finish...spotted two friends, one took 3rd place in his AG..22 yo...great triathlete..turned down a KONA slot and then remembered to stop my watch...watch time 26:15...(8:27 pace without factoring in time from finish to stopping watch)...very happy with that pace.....back to the house...showered...hydrate, a banana... chilled out literally and figuratively in the AC....packed up...in the truck off to dinner..had some great crabcakes sandwiches which were devoured in short order and then on the road back to NJ..arrived home at about 12:30 am......feel great this AM except for the fact that I have no splits or finishing time...but I finished .......I can only estimate that I finished between 6:25 and 6:40...again very happy and I believe I will be back....now this weekend do a sprint tri.....Do I have this backwards??? First Tri = 1/2 IRONMAN ....second =Sprint....thanks everyone for your encouragement and thanks Lance for the tips....I was thinking of your race when I passed a guy from the prior wave hanging on one of the buoys and hoping he was alright!

Thanks to all of the TNT folks and all my friends and family that offered words of encouragement or had periods of concern because I was not coming up in the athlete tracking online...

Bill

REPEAT LESSON LEARNED....No warm Ensure!!!!!!! This prevents vomiting