magiciansampras

LOL, good memory! I called the race director twice, left two messages, and never received a call back. And then I gave up.

So no, I didn't run it.

(For everyone else, there was this "women's only" race in Maine that looked like a really good course so I wanted to see if they would put aside their discrimination and let a man in.)

dhuey

I like that -- two decision points. If you're like me, you need to think this out ahead of the race. As one triathlon director once told me, "during the race, you're not a rocket scientist. You're just the rocket."

aztimm

Friday Oct 25, swim with the team, ASU Mona Plummer Main Competition Pool, Short Course Yards
Air temp at start lower 80s...water around 77.
600 warm-up
12 x 25 @ 35 sec, 2 fast/1 easy (did the fast all breast)
100 easy
8 x 50, best average @ 2:00.
--did them all breaststroke. held mostly 39/40 for the first 7 (one 38), was holding a smooth stroke, trying to keep my stroke count per 25 around 7 or 8. On the last, I threw caution to the wind and just cranked (stroke count was 9), but I did it on 36....close to my fastest ever.
(did an easy 25 in between each)
100 easy
4 x 100, best average @ 4:00
--times were 1:23, 1:24, 1:24, 1:21. I felt the fast 50 on the first 100 (especially the back half). On the last 100, when I turned at the 50, I glanced over at the clock (my time was :39), the coach made some noise that scared the cr*p out of me (I told him after there may have been a brown streak trailing me)....but it worked, did that in 1:21. Held around 8 stroke count (per 25) for most, but that last one I think I slipped to 9 or even 10.
(did an easy 50 after each)
200 warm-down

--What a difference ~12 hours and/or switching strokes makes!!! I also didn't do as much easy stuff in between, I think that may have held me back in the morning. Plus in the morning I didn't know the set, and kept expecting to end with a 200 fast (I held out)....but in the evening I knew it wasn't happening (after my last 100 I could hardly move).
I'll have to find my old meet times, I'm getting close, especially that 50. With a taper and a block start, I could probably get that down to a 33.

blort

Hopefully magiciansampras is opening up the throttles right about now!

Perfect morning here in NYC for a quick run. 50F and everything feels "clean" after the rain yesterday. NY Road Runners had a five-mile marathon kickoff run in the Park -- I ran 8:05-8:15 for the first four and then 7:40 for the last mile, for an overall pace of 8:05. One of these days I'll break 8.

Wasn't really sure what to do out there today since it was my first run since Chicago two weeks ago. I hadn't planned on taking two weeks off, but between traveling last weekend and everything going on in the markets, the shoes collected some dust for a week longer than I anticipated.

Anyway, it felt a little weird at the beginning. The first part of the course felt like I was learning to walk again, but before I knew it we were at mile 2 and the race was 40% over. Everything felt fine at that point but I didn't want to push too hard after taking all that time off. Finished strong up the hill toward the finish line and felt great.

Funny how inconsequential a five-mile race seems now.

magiciansampras

LOL, almost.

I have to hit the shower because I stink, but very briefly I started the race out masterfully, but too fast. I was with the damn 3:30 pace group and they went too fast. Should have just done my own pacing or hired dhuey to fly out and pace me.

Anyway, was feeling really good through 10 and then my right hammy started acting up. By 20 I was in full cramp mode and doing the run/walk thing to try and stretch it out. It wasn't too pretty. This is the first training cycle where I've had cramping issues.. I probably need to look at my nutrition when it comes to the race. I don't eat anything because it tends to mess with my stomach, but the result of that is likely that my muscles aren't getting what they need.

In any event, finished in 3:40 and change. Not a PR, not the best race in the world, but I felt like I persevered even with the cramping, so I'm pleased. It's also good to know that I was on good pace and feeling great for awhile (cardio wise I was pretty good the entire race). Positive stuff for the future. ^

OK shower time. Then some laying on the couch and watching football.

dhuey

Look at the bright side, magiciansampras, your off-day performance is beyond the reach of probably 95% of men your age.

aztimm

Congratulations magiciansampras, sounds like a good race. Maybe not the best, but hope you had a good time through it all.

Just got back from about a 15-mile run here. My iPod froze up around the 7 mile mark. Rather than stop and reboot it, I carried on; Nike+ was still somewhat functional and telling me my distance. It felt strange not having music to push me, but I guess that's what most runners go through. I synched my iPod, and the run is lost...
Took about 2 hours 5 min, that includes 3 water stops and 1 bathroom break (I pause my iPod when it is properly functioning for some stops). Temp at start around 60F, at finish around 70.
Did weights yesterday; somehow pulled my left shoulder somehow but carried through anyway. Hopefully swimming tomorrow will stretch it out a bit.

magiciansampras

Same to you my friend! Not your best day in Berlin, not my best day in DC, but we both did ourselves proud. ^

magiciansampras

Thanks! I was cursing at about mile 20 when I was cramping, but overall it was a good time.

You know, I never quite get over just how long a marathon is. You get to about mile 15 or 16 and feel like you've had a good enough workout for the day and low and behold, you still have 10+ to go!

Sounds like a good run similar conditions to what we had. Started in the low 50s and 70 by the finish, according to the PA system.

blort

Those were my thoughts exactly after the marathon. Onward and upward!

I need to start thinking about which marathon to do in 2009. Unfortunately I'm not eligible for guaranteed entry in NYC until 2010.

Now we need to get aztimm on board. 26.2 isn't that much more than 15. (don't listen to that guy in the previous post)

magiciansampras

Yes yes and yes!

I really want to do NYC. I want to run that sucker in a fast time with my Red Sox hat on. I think it would be great to have the boos on me the entire time!

And I think we've already convinced aztimm to join us at some point.

How great would it be to do a FT marathon DO? (We tried it in Berlin and also the relay out West, but the timing didn't work out for us all.). We should get on that.

dhuey

NYC 2009 will be my third lottery after two rejections, so I'll get 2009 or a guarantee for 2010. If I get 2009, I might forfeit the reg. fee and defer to 2010.

magiciansampras

It'll be my 2nd rejection!

AZ_MISMAN

I didn't see it mentioned anywhere, but suggest the following websites if you are trying to track your exercise...

www.mapmywalk.com
www.mapmyrun.com
www.mapmyride.com

They're all basically the same website, just with different focuses. And, if you are tracking yourself on the run website and decide to walk that day, you can track it on the run website.

IAH_FLYER

Way to make good out of a tough day, m/s!

Half marathon PR for me today...by almost 11 minutes.

This part of the warm-up series in preparation for the full in January. My goal was sub-2, but I finished in around 1:51:00 and 8:28/mi pace. Weather was clear and cool-ish (50s-60s).

Assuming weather is good and I stay injury-free, I think my goal of sub-4 in January is attainable!