St. Luke's Half Marathon Race Report

The St. Luke's Half Marathon is one of the oldest running races here in the Lehigh Valley. When I first started racing 20+ years ago this was known as the Lehigh Valley Half Marathon, took place in the middle of March, and would have 800 participants, most all from the surrounding area. Fast forward to 2015 and the race has 2400+ finishers from all over the country and a 5k race attached to it with another 800 participants. A lot of change, but for the most part the race course has remained consistent throughout the years.

The familiarity is nice. But what I like even more is the sheer number of people from the local running community who either participate or come out to support the runners. It's a chance to test your fitness while chatting it up with your running friends.

In 2014 I was signed up to run but was forced to sit it out due to injury. Once I recovered enough to get running again I was full on into Ironman training. If you have ever gone through an Ironman training cycle you know the emphasis is on aerobic pacing, not speed. With the constraints of training for that  specific event, for the first time in I can't remember how long I didn't run an open 1/2 marathon. In fact, it has been almost 20 months since I raced this distance.

Originally, I had it in my head that a realistic goal would be a 1:30. That is a pretty fast time - especially for an "old" guy - and a nice round number. Closer to the race I started thinking more pragmatically and less emotionally about what I wanted to accomplish.

Realistically my run mileage in 2015 has been extremely low. How low is low? 18-20 miles per week in a big week, which may sound like a lot to some, but not what I have done in the past. I have always responded to volume. Back in the day volume would be 60-80 miles per week (and all the food I could shove into my pie hole). Once triathlon took over as my racing passion that dropped to the 40 mile per week range. So reality #1 was my mileage just hasn't been there.

Nice heal strike. 

Reality # 2 was a bit of a calf issue that cropped up the weekend before the race. Darn thing tightened up on me after a run. All week I wasn't even sure I would be racing. After taking the week off of running and getting it worked on by the best darn massage therapist in the Lehigh Valley, Joe Przbylowicz (Pro-bill-o-wick) I was feeling good. (Seriously, he's really the best, always keeping me going. If you need some help with a niggle here or a tight muscle there, give Joe a call. His office is in Bethlehem and his number is 610-865-1418.)

Keeping my lack of serious run racing and a less than optimal physical issue during race week I set my new, more realistic race goal at 1:35. And if something felt off with the calf I would either kick back the pace or walk off the course. No need to ruin a race season. There's always another race.

On Saturday morning The Mayor and I tested out my calf with a pre-race 4 mile run on the tow path. The first two miles things were tight but once it loosened up things were all good. After a quick breakfast we hit the race expo for packet pickup. I never find that there is much interesting at this expo so we were in and out of there in a flash.

On race morning I parked at a friend's house who lives in Allentown and walked down to the race start with her. This worked out perfectly. The walk was long enough to loosen up the legs and the weather was picture perfect. I had 30 minutes to hang around, talk to friends, and get to the start line. There may have been a little dance move as well. Just after 8:10 am the gun went off and so did we.

Pacing this race is always a challenge. The first mile can really screw with you as it is downhill and fast. I held myself way back, still crossing the mile mark in 6:58. From there I settled into a steady 7:00 - 7:05 clicking off the miles at a comfortable heart rate. As I was getting close to the turnaround on MLK Drive I passed Lauren who was out ahead of me, looking incredibly strong, and running 2nd female overall. After making the turnaround I saw so many familiar faces, including The Mayor, Kevin, Kari, Kate and the Lehigh Valley Crossfit Crew. Everyone was looking fan-tastic!!!

After passing through the 10k mark in 43 minutes I started to prepare myself for the park. I hate that park. Don't get me wrong, it's very nice, very well kept. But those cinders are just slow. Too slow for my liking.

Little Lehigh Parkway (Source - Discover Lehigh Valley)

Once into the park I did manage to keep my pace up for a few miles. After passing the Lehigh Valley Road Runner's clubhouse the trail starts to get a bit hilly, which is normally fine. I wasn't feeling bad, but once the trail started to rise I began to feel my calf. I pulled back on the pace, deciding to just get up and over the inclines to not risk causing an issue. This slowed me down a bit, which was fine. Whatever. Certainly better than hurting myself trying to save a few seconds.

After passing over Bogert's Bridge I was determined to keep my focus and simply carry on. The only concern I has was the short and steep climb at the 10 mile mark. Last time I ran this race that bugger of a climb cooked me. This time, I slowed it up a bit and made it over without issue.

From there I continued on, not feeling great but not feeling bad. Around mile 12 1/2 Cassie, Danielle and the rest of their crew were screaming their heads off. Perfect timing. Once onto the track I realized I had a chance to make it in under 1:35 if I picked it up. I did, making it in in an official time of 1:34:59.

Overall I am happy with how I performed. Going sub-1:30 would have been awesome, but at this point in time was far fetched. After such a long period of time without racing this distance, my result was a good first step back. I now have a baseline for Runners World Half Marathon in October, and maybe R&R Philly 1/2 Marathon in late October.

Thanks for reading.

Train hard. Stay focused.
Jon

2015 Race Schedule and a Training Update

There's a good reason why I haven't talked about training all that much lately: since Ironman I haven't done a whole lot of training. Yes, I have exercised. But very little of what I have done since November 1, 2014 could be considered training.

And to be completely honest it has been a great thing. Getting ready for an Ironman is a huge task, taking up not just massive amounts of time, but also major amounts of mental capacity. I have done enough long distance racing to understand the need to give it a break. As someone with a long-term perspective on sport, I always pick and choose what I do with the big picture in mind.

Source

I raced my first race in 1995 and have been around the Lehigh Valley scene ever since. I have witnessed many fine athletes come and go for a variety of reasons. Most leave the scene because they either physically beat their bodies up to the point where they can no longer do it, or they burned out so bad they just flat out quit. And here I am 20 years later, just like the Energizer Bunny, still going and going and going. Not the best athlete you will ever meet, but consistent.

The difference has been my ability to kick it back and embrace not always being "in shape." My off-season has never included a race schedule. Yes, I have done races - specifically xMas City 5 Miler - during my down time, but always as a fun run, never pushing the envelope.

Right now, I am not "in shape" for much of anything. I am weighing in 7-8 pounds heavier than my race weight with my longest workout this year being an 11 mile run with The Mayor two Saturday's ago. Hard to believe I ran a marathon off the bike just 3 1/2 months ago.

January had two goals: 1. Start the process of getting strong again and 2. Train consistent.

Win! Win! The first four weeks of the year I stuck to an unaggressive training schedule with what I consider to be low volume. Monday's were no-cardio days and I was lifting weights 2-3 days per week. Some of the strength training has been done in a traditional sense with functional strength workouts thrown in on a regular basis. Long workouts have been limited to 1 hour.

The first two weeks of February have been a continuation of January with a slight increase in what a long workout looks like. In the pool I have not done more than 3000 yards in any one session, no run longer than the one 11 miler, and there is no way in hell I'm spending much more than an hour sitting on my trainer.

Six weeks into the year I can honestly say I am in nowhere near competitive race shape ... which is perfect. If you are in race shape in February, come June you could be in trouble. And by October ... maybe you are more hardcore than I am, but I would be physically and/or mentally wrecked.

Been there. Done that. Not going back.

Anywho ... I have always felt that racing is a personal thing. When I choose to do an event or a distance I choose to do it because I want to do it. Yes, I will race with friends, sometimes even to just help them reach their own goals. But even when doing that, I am there by choice.

Which brings us to 2015. After so many years of racing long I am taking a much different year for myself. One thing with racing long is you can only do so much of it. When I was running marathons I would do 2 or maybe 3 each year. Ironman years are dedicated to one or two races at the most. For a few years I have been talking about changing things up and racing bike and racing shorter events. This is the year.

For triathlon my goal race is the TriRock Philly Triathlon in June and the NJ State Tri in July. In Philadelphia I am looking to grab a PR at the Olympic distance and (finally) win my age group. I know you can't control who shows up, but I still want to win my age group at this race. It is one of my favorites and I have come so close in the past. In NJ I want to put together a great race. The bike is long (25.5 miles) so it is not a true Olympic distance. I always love racing in my native New Jersey as the competition is always high quality and it feels like being home.

There is also the possibility of a September Ironman 70.3. I haven't made a commitment to it yet. Honestly have to see how things go and if I want to commit to the work necessary to be in shape. Right now I'm leaning yes. Getting ready would be committing to long runs of 1:45 and long rides in the 3 hour range, not 3 hour runs and 5 hour rides.

On the bike there is a Thursday night crit series in Trexlertown. My plan is to start riding these races on a regular basis and try my luck at one or two of the local time trials that are held in the Summer months. It is time I test my bike and see what I can do without the need to run to the finish line.

Current 2015 Tentative Race Schedule:

March, 22 - Warm Hearts 5k (paid)

April 12 - Emmaus 4 Mile Classic (paid)

April 26 - St. Lukes Half Marathon (paid)

May 16 - Jerseyman Sprint Triathlon (paid)

May 31 - Black Bear Triathlon (OLY) (tentative)

June 28 - TriRock Philadelphia (OLY) (paid)

July 19 - New Jersey State Triathlon (OLY) (paid)

August 9 - Steelman Triathlon (OLY)

October 16-18 - Runners World 10k or Half Marathon (tentative)


And there you have it. For the first time in years I plan on racing more and racing short.


Train hard. Stay focused.
Jon

Ironman Florida - Game Plan, Goals & Thanks

Ironman distance (and longer) racing is unlike any other distance a triathlete will race. With shorter races it's all about speed. The Half Ironman (calling it a 70.3 still feels awkward) distance is more about pacing than the shorter races, but still has that element of speed to it and poor race-day nutrition can ruin your day.

Ironman is a different beast.

When you are lining up for 140.6 miles you need to be fit. To race "fast" you need to be super-fit. If you don't put the miles your best-case scenario is a long day of hurt and struggle. If you are fit you will still have periods of hurt and struggle. Why? Because it's an Ironman.

As my training cycle progressed I had a general idea about my fitness level and what I should, in an ideal situation, be able to accomplish. I'm not talking about what I think I can time trial 112 miles in without a marathon to follow, but about a time I can realistically step off the bike and have my run legs under me. Same for the swim. Same for the run.

I have some numbers in my head for each of the three disciplines as well as an overall time goal. And yes, I know, we shouldn't have time goals, even as we all have them in some form or another. Those times I have in my head, however, are not really relevant.

My PR at this distance is a 12:06:xx, which is nowhere near my physical capabilities then or now. Ironman is about being physically fit, but also about race day execution.

At four attempts at the Iron-distance my execution has been for shit.

Goal number one for tomorrow is execute my race plan. Here's how that breaks down ...

Swim: Over the years I have become a respectable swimmer. As a late starter I will never be able to hang with the big boys and girls, but I certainly can post a respectable swim time/placing. Tomorrow's swim is in the Gulf. Execution of my plan is to get into the water in a good position to find feet that are a bit faster than mine and use the draft for a comfortable warm for the day. While I am not the fastest swimmer in a pool, I have developed the open water skills to conserve energy but still swim fast (for me).

And because it is a mass start, goal #2 in the water is to not get kicked in the face.

Bike: Here in lies both my strength and my Achilles heal. There is a saying in triathlon that you "ride for show, run for dough." Me likey show ... and that stops tomorrow. At my four previous attempts at the distance I have rode respectable and ran for shit. Coming out of T1 I need to hold myself back. I need to listen to my own advice. When someone goes by me I need to let them go. Truth be told, dude is either going to blow himself up or he is flat out better than I am. Either way, that's his (or her) race, not mine.

After settling in I need to find my effort level and stick with it the entire ride. I train with power and heart rate but race with heart rate only. After settling in, I have a heart rate cap I plan on sticking to.

Nutrition on the bike is vital for my success. My advice to others is always that their job on the bike is to get the liquids and calories in. You are fueling on the bike to not only get 112 miles of riding in, but also well hydrated and fueled to run. A good bike ride will have me coming off the bike feeling ready to run. Bad fueling = bad ride.

On my best half and full Ironman rides I have always found a group to legally ride with. Sitting at a legal distance you get a small drafting effect. More important, I find it easier to follow a steady wheel than a completely solo time trial. Think about the strategy the pro men use when they race. With this being a flat course I expect to find guys to ride with. While there will surely be drafting out there, I promise it won't be me.

Run: Slow and steady out of T2. Get my legs under me, then find a steady rhythm. Continue to fuel at every aide station. Walk aide stations when necessary and keep the heart rate in check. A good run is one without extended walk breaks. A good run is one where I keep my head in the game. A good run = a great race.

My default when I race any distance is to push my limits and see what happens. Which is exactly how NOT to race an Ironman. In a real sense I will spend the day fighting my own inner instincts to just go. A good race will be well paced, well fueled, and include a respectable run. Do all that, and the overall time will work itself out just fine.

----

One of the things about racing in Florida is you need to be prepared for weather. the weather I expected to be concerned about - heat and humidity - is the furthest thing from what we will have on race day. Take a look at the weather forecast for Panama City Beach for Saturday morning and two things will pop out at you. One, the temperature. At the start of the race it should be in the mid-40s and a high of 61. Second, the wind. Right now they are calling for 20-30 mph sustainable with gusts.

Guess the crazy, windy rides the past few weekends will come in handy.

----

To get to the starting line of a long distance triathlon takes a lot of time and personal dedication to a goal. On race day it is you who is out there racing the race, challenging yourself on the day. If you have ever gone the distance, or live with someone who has, you know that it is not a solo journey. Getting to the start line is a team effort for sure.

Of course I have to start with The Queen who gives me the time to train and puts up with the large quantities of food necessary to train on a daily basis. She lives with a middle aged man with the eating and laundry habits of a 16 year old boy.

Speaking of training, it wouldn't be possible without my training partners. Between the Towpath Running Crew, Kenny's Wednesday Night Ride, and Char's Kick Ass Sunday Morning Ride I always have someone to push me when needed. Not to be overlooked are both Cassie and Danielle who let me periodically take them out for a ride and kick their asses. Hahahaha.

And speaking of training partners, I wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for Emily. More than a year ago she said she wanted to do an Ironman and Florida was the one. At the time my response was, "what the hell, I'll do it with you." And here I am, ready to roll.

Speaking of ready to roll, I must thank Dr. Robert Palumbo at OAA for making it possible to even make it to the start line. Coming into 2014 Ironman Florida was to be my second full Ironman of the year. After tearing my right meniscus IMCDA was off the table. Fortunately I had a great surgeon in Dr. Palumbo who had me back on the bike two weeks after surgery. Now just six months later here I am.

Finally I would be remiss if I didn't mention my parents - Bob and Hilda Soden - who think I'm crazy for doing this but still follow me to big races, as well as my partners at Magellan Financial, who cheer me on and let me slip out at times for a swim, bike or run.

Again, thank you to those who have helped me make it to tomorrow morning's start line.

Train hard.Stay focused.
Jon

Some Quick Thoughts on Saturday's Ironman Florida

Wow. Finally time to get 'er done. After a rather interesting year, my final race, my "A" race, is less than 48 hours away. After a full day of flying, then driving yesterday, Emily and I had a chance to get out for a quick bike in the morning and a few minutes swimming in the gulf.

Here's a few thoughts I've had since stepping foot in Panama City Beach yesterday afternoon:

From an accommodation perspective, we made the correct choice on where to stay. The host hotel (which could best be described as what you might stay at in Wildwood, NJ) has condos associated with them. After seeing the hotel rooms we opted for the condos. Turns out, great choice!!! Full kitchen, a lot of room, and a great view. If you do this race in the future, this is the way to go.

Seriously, how horrible is this view from out room?

Flying isn't fun, but hours in a car is worse.

You can get some really good food in some off the radar places.

Not the fanciest joint but good eats for all - Flamingo Joe's Grill and Seafood 

Ironman is not a cheap endeavor, but for the money you get a very well organized race experience. Both the athlete's pre-race meeting and check in this morning were smooth. With 3,000 volunteers for the event all the bases are covered.

Florida is really, really flat. We rode 17+ miles today and my Garmin showed a net elevation gain of less than 30 ft. The 112 mile bike course shows 620 ft of vertical, which I find hard to believe. Must be a bridge out there somewhere.

Swimming in open water can be just awesome. We spent about 20 minutes in the water this afternoon, looking to get used to the ocean. Took me about 10 seconds to get over it. Swimming straight out away from the shore in crystal clear water is pretty awesome.

Training can be grueling while tapering can be mentally challenging. After months of training big, slowing down to freshen up isn't as fun as it sounds. Healing legs tend to be sore or dead or something other than fresh. Now don't get me wrong, I am feeling good. Going through two weeks of getting to this point ... never feels good.

November 1 is late in the year to do an Ironman. Part of the challenge this time around has been staying motivated to get in the pool and get out on the bike. My last triathlon has traditionally been in September. Scheduling like this has allowed me to back off the swim while preparing for a running event. Even last year, when I did a half Ironman in early October, I cruised through September on lower swim volume. As for the bike, pre-work rides have been in the dark while weekend rides have been done in some of the windiest conditions I can remember.

Having a race-day plan is a must. Once you have the plan you must go over it many times to make sure it sticks. For an Olympic or sprint distance race it is simple - go as hard as you can until you hit the finish line. For a 70.3 I usually pull back a notch or two on the intensity and I'm good. Iron-distance is a different beast. It takes planning and focus on the plan.

For those who have an interest, my race number is 2696 and Emily is 1192. The event will be posting updates at www.ironman.com along with live video feed at the transitions and finish line. In the past Ironman.com has had issues with timely updates, but have no fear ...  The Queen will have possession of my phone and Facebook page for updates as well.

Tomorrow I'll have another post up with my thoughts on the race.

Train hard. Stay focused.
Jon

Why Ironman?

On July 23, 2006 I was in Lake Placid, NY racing Ironman Lake Placid. When we jumped into Mirror Lake that morning it was about 50 degrees with a light rain. By the time I started the marathon the sun came out and the temperature climbed into the 80s. From a fitness perspective I was ready to race. My big mistake that day had to do with nutritional intake, or more to the point what I didn't take in. The back half of the marathon took me close to three hours to complete. After crossing the bridge after the River Road out and back I thought about laying down on the big rock right next to it. Which would sound completely rational except for one thing - there is no big rock. Yeah, I screwed up my nutrition so bad I literally saw things that weren't there.

After the race The Queen took one look at me and said, I quote, "this isn't over, is it?"

I smiled that smile that says this is only the beginning. I was hooked.

In thirty days I will be in Panama City Beach, Florida for my fifth go at the Ironman distance. I am older and, hopefully, wiser. This year hasn't panned out as I originally planned, but that doesn't really matter. My fitness is solid and I have some big goals for November 1. In 30 days we go and get 'er done.

But why? Why Ironman?

When asked, I tend to blow it off with an "I don't know, it's just something I do." Really. I don't think anyone buys it, but that's my usual response.

Truth be told, everyone who toes the line at a full Ironman-distance race has a reason for being there.

For some people they do an Ironman for a cause. Others do it to reach a life-long goal. The professionals do it for the paycheck. There are as many reasons as there are Ironman finishers.

For me it's more complex. It's been said that the Ironman is the worlds hardest one-day endurance event. I don't know if racing 140.6 miles of swim/bike/run is the hardest one-day event, but it certainly ranks right up there. I like that.

The Ironman is not something you can just wake up one morning and say, "I think I'll go do an Ironman today" and then go out swim/bike/run 140.6 miles. You could try, I guess, but even the fittest among us would have a tough go of it. To go 140.6 it takes time, persistence, discipline.

Just getting to the start line of an Ironman is something I find impressive. It takes work ... lots of work, over an extended period of time to get ready to complete the distance. I like that too.

My training for Lake Placid in 2006 started on January 2 of that year. For almost four months I trained almost every day just to get my body ready to specifically train for the race. Then, for the next three months I swam, biked and ran more than I did the previous four months. Waiting on the small beach area of Mirror Lake I felt confident I would end up in the speed skating oval slapping spectators hands as I headed to the finish line.

But unlike single sport athletes, the work you do is not so straight forward. If you are a runner, you go outside and run; If you are a cyclist, you hit the road and ride; If you're a swimmer, you spend your time looking at the black line as you go back and forth. To excel, or just improve, at any of the three sports, you put in the time, you do the interval work, you work on the technique. As a triathlete you need to do this for all three sports, all at the same time. This takes work and discipline.

Just to complete a full Ironman distance race you need to have at least a base level of competence at three separate sports. You may be able to get away without swimming and doing a sprint or Olympic distance tri, good luck with swimming 2.4 miles without putting in the pool time. Or for that matter, biking 112 miles or running a marathon without a certain level of fitness specific to those sports, let alone on a whim.

Once race day comes you need to have patience, discipline and focus for the 9 - 17 hours it takes to complete the event. I admit is a challenge for me. The swim is about getting through without getting kicked in the face or punched in the nose while burning as little energy as possible. Biking 112 miles requires one to stay well within your means while properly fueling for the run. The run is about pacing, then survival. Sounds easy in theory. It works in practice. But damn is it hard to execute (at least for me) on race day. But that's what makes it appealing - having the ability to stay within myself so that my fitness can be reflected in my final results. Haven't done it yet ... but I will.

So while I would like you all to believe I don't really know why I do it, I know exactly why I'm out there: It is the pursuit of the patience to build fitness, the focus to do the work, and the discipline to keep from doing something stupid that will ruin my day so my fitness level reflects my performance. Over the years I have been able to figure out how to get to the starting line rested, injury-free and fit. As for race day, that continued to be a work in progress. The plan on November 1st is to make the 5th time the charm.

For you, my friend, if you are doing an Ironman in the future, or are thinking about doing an Ironman at some point, you really need to know why you are out there. When training gets hard you need to remind yourself of why you are doing it; When the racing gets hard (and it will, I promise) you need to remind yourself of why you are out there.

Do you have an Ironman on your schedule or do you want to do one in the future? What's YOUR motivation?

Train hard. Stay focused.
Jon

Why We Race

In late 1994 I woke up early on a Sunday morning, drove over to the Lehigh Valley Mall area with my buddy Matt, and ran the Chili Pepper 5k. I have no idea haw fast (or slow) I ran that morning, but I clearly remember eating Chili and drinking free beer at 9 am. For my efforts I received a thick cotton t-shirt that could keep you warmer than any Goretex jacket that hangs in your closet. I still own that shirt.

I had been doing some running along with the heavy squats and deadlifts that were a more typical part of my normal fitness routine in those days. I'm sure I had something to prove to myself, but 20 years later the free beer is what I remember as the compelling factor. You can bet it wasn't the free t-shirt.

Over the last 20 years my reasons for racing have changed. Free beer is nice, don't get me wrong, but that is no longer my driving force. No, today things are much different.

There was a time where my sole focus was simple - go longer, get faster. It started with short running races - 5k, 10k  - which soon led to half marathons and marathons. During the late 1990s if I toed the line and didn't return home with a PR I wondered what I had done wrong ... and I did a lot wrong. Truth be told, I really didn't know what I was doing. I have a lot of stories from those days, most ending with me blowing up or doing something stupid. The longer the race the funnier the story.

IMCDA: June, 2008

Over time I talked to people who knew more that I, read some books on running, and learned a thing or two. I got fitter and I raced faster. As I applied what I was learning to my training the race became something different. Yes, I wanted to be faster. Yes, I wanted to "kick ass," whatever that meant to me at the time. Yes, I wanted to place as high as possible. Yet with more knowledge racing became more about the process leading up to the race. If the process built more fitness and the results were not what I expected, I could deal with it. Figure out what happened, modify the system and move on.

I went through the same process in the early 2000s with triathlon - race for performance only while training without a clue, do my homework, then focus on process. With the help of a coach (thanks Bill), on July 23, 2006 I did my first Ironman in Lake Placid with one goal - finish. The process worked great and I met my main goal of hearing Mike Riley call me an Ironman.

No matter what my focus there were two things that always remained at the core. Racing has always been about stretching my boundaries, seeing what I am capable of at any given time. Most of those blowups come from pushing my personal limits, not stupid in-race decisions (although I have my fair share of those as well). I would much rather have 10 races in a row not go as planned in order to get that one great performance in race number eleven.

Racing safe is hard for me to do and I can count the number of races where I played it safe. I don't honestly understand it. Racing safe gives you the best chance of being successful, assuming your definition of success is completing the race in a reasonable (for you) time. Sure you keep from that big blowup, that big failure, but you never get the chance to truly test the limits of your ability.

Since that first Ironman there have been many different goals and many more stories of blowing up. Some of them for really stupid reasons. One year at the Philadelphia Triathlon I killed it on the bike before the crash around mile 3 on the run. Why did I ride so stupidly fast? There was this guy in my age group who passed me and I didn't like his attitude.

Seriously. That actually happened.

Totally blown up at IMCDA, June, 2008

The other thing that remains is I always have, and always will, race for myself. I ran on that cold day in 1994 without a care of what anyone else thought. I did the event and earned my chili and beer. In 2006 my family and friends were in Lake Placid cheering me on, but it was all about me. The drive came from within. If you had a problem with it, so be it. I race the races that make me happy, and I race when I want to race. You don't like it, too bad.

Point is, goals of training and racing change over time, but the fundamental reasons we race should remain. As an almost 45 year old triathlete I am much different than the 30 year old marathon runner I used to be. Beyond defining the type of athlete I am (triathlete vs. runner), I have a different perspective on racing. I suspect in 10 years time my perspective will be different than it is today.

In the end it comes down to doing what is best for you and what you enjoy doing. If that's jogging a local 5k great. If it's qualifying for the Ironman World Championships ... well that's great too. No matter what you race just make sure you are doing it for the right reasons.


Thanks for reading.

Train hard. Stay focused.
Jon

Race Report- Rev3 Pocono Mountain

Rev3 Pocono Mountain is a new addition to our local race scene in Eastern Pennsylvania. Just 40 minutes north of Bethlehem, this race is new, but not so new. In 2010 and 2011 there was a race on a course very similar to the one we raced on Sunday, but it was put on by WTC as an Ironman branded race. I didn't race either of these events for one reason - the race was in the Pocono Mountains on the first week of October. While I am not a fan of crazy hot conditions, there was a legitimate chance of race day temperatures in the high 30s or low 40s which I just didn't want to deal with.

After a year with no race, Rev3 decided to put the race back on the schedule, offering up two race distances - Olympic and 70.3. I raced the 70.3.

Pre-Race

Packet pickup was on Saturday afternoon. The Queen and I jumped in the Prius and headed north a little after 11 am. The trip was easy, mostly on major roads. We arrived shortly before noon to a steady rain. The expo was small and packet pickup was simple and fast. The staff were helpful in eliminating my confusion about the race course. Unlike most races, Rev3 Pocono Mountain features two transition areas between a point-to-point bike. But we'll get to that latter.

We hung around waiting for the pre-race meeting, talking with friends and goofing around. See, Rev3 is a bit different than other race production company. Before races they have an iPad set up for pre-race pictures. Some people take it serious, and other people do this:

Didn't even stick aroundfor the meeting.

Instead, me and The Queen headed over to the lake to race my bike in T1. Other than some rain, everything went smooth.

Pre-race on a cold morning. Source: Rev3 Pocono

On Sunday morning I woke at 4:20 am, loosened up, had my normal pre-race meal, and cleaned the pipes before hitting the road around 5 am. I arrived around 5:40 am and easily parked close to T2. After chatting with Danielle, I quickly set up my T2 and headed for the bus over to the lake. Philippe ended up on my bus, which worked out well for both of us. It gave me someone to talk, while my chattiness appeared to help clam his nerves.

I arrived at the lake about 30 minutes before my 7:05 swim start. Being the almost too laid back pre-race guy that I am, I still had my pants on 10 minutes before I entered the water. After Philippe zipped up my wetsuit we headed down to the shoreline where Danielle, Cassie and just about everyone else were waiting for their turn in the water.

Swim - 1.2 miles 32:16

Men 40+ and Aquavelo were in the second wave, scheduled to go off at 7:05 am. The 1st wave (men 39 and under) started a few minutes late, so we did as well. From the chatter in transition I got the impression the water was 70 degrees. Getting into the water told a different reality and a water temp probably closer to 67. With the air temperature around 44, not bad. Personally I prefer cold to hot so no big deal.

When the gun went off I worked to stay on a pair of feet. Unfortunately for me, the feet I tried to draft were faster than I expected. There were a few guys who just hit the gas pedal and there was nothing I could do about it. Spent the rest of my swim in a place I find myself a lot at smaller races - swimming alone. I'm not fast enough to hang with the speedsters, but too fast for everyone else. Oh well.

After the first turn it became hard to see as we were swimming directly into the sun. Fortunately I had started to swim through the first wave, giving me people to sight off of. I swam steady while purposely staying a bit to the outside to avoid contact. Such a strategy gave me a drama-free swim and a slowish time of 32:16.

Source: Rev3 Pocono

The only complaint I would have of the swim is that it had to be long. Unfortunately, I don't have very good Garmin data. For the first half of the swim I kept feeling the watch buzz, meaning it was losing connection and reconnecting with the satellite. Then, I didn't hit the button until after I ran into transition and was at my bike. I know it wasn't the 1.97 miles my watch said it was, but swim times were generally slow on the day, as the best swimmers on the day were in the 29:xx range.

T1 - 4:03

Slower than one would hope for two reasons. First, with this being a two transition race, all participants were required to pack up everything into a bag before exiting for the bike. The bag would be brought up to T2 and placed at your station there. Second, I wanted to make sure to stay warm on the bike, so I took some time to dry myself off and put on a long sleeve shirt.

Bike -56 miles 2:27:57

A very interesting bike course with the most fun I have ever had during the first four miles of a bike section of triathlon. After a short jaunt away from the lake we started a 4+ mile descent down to route 209. Because of the previous day's rain a bit of caution would be necessary on the descent. But just a bit. Honestly, it is just too fun balling down a winding road with, in some spots, as much as a 9% decline, to ride with too much caution. So I went fast, but not stupid. I passed a half dozen people and was passed by one.

At the bottom of the hill we made a right hand turn and rode a short ways to the first turnaround on route 209. After the turn it was a 20 mile out-and-back before the final 10 miles to T2, located at Shawnee Resort. The final 10 miles were mostly on Community Drive.

The 40 miles on rt. 209 were rolling and, for me, a bit lonely. After the first turnaround I had only a few people around me, all of whom I passed except for one relay cyclist. When he passed me around mile 8. I thought about going with him, but opted to race my own race (I have a bad, recurring habit on the bike of racing whomever comes by me that I have been working on). Really glad I did as the rollers were a touch more of an energy drain than I had originally anticipated.

After the turn around I did see people coming at me but still no sight of those in front of me. Until ... around mile 38 I see a cyclist who appears to be struggling. Turns out relay guy went out too fast and was now paying the price. A few more miles up the road  I passed another rubber legged cyclist.

At this point I had two things going on. First, my legs were feeling less than ideal. Not cooked, but not what I wanted. Second, I had to pee. This is not a usual feeling for me, and one I embraced. Having to pee = proper hydration. So here I am happy to be hydrated, yet a little concerned because the legs are feeling heavy.

Bike Profile

Community Road changed all that. After making the turn onto this section you almost instantly hit the biggest climb of the day. Into the small chain ring, out of the saddle, I made my way to the top in as efficient a manner as possible. Totally forgetting about the need for a toilet, as I hit the modest descent my legs started to feel much better again. Apparently a nice little climb equals happy legs!!!

Back to the rolling terrain ... and the worst roads of the day. There were potholes everywhere. Not the fault of Rev3 by any means, but a problem none the less for two reasons. First, there was tree cover and, with the sun out, it because difficult to see exactly what the road looked like at times. Second, there is a section where the runners and cyclists shared the road, making it feel even tighter, especially with other cyclists around. Again, not Rev3s fault, but I would hope the local authorities would at least patch the road.

T2 - 1:33

Shoes and helmet off, shoes and race belt on. Other than nearly falling over while putting on running shoes, no drama here.

Run 13.1 miles 1:49:51

If you recall, I had to pee while on the bike but opted to keep running. With no port-o-johns in the transition area I had to take a stop just after entering the bike course. That stop took 2 minutes. I raced in a one piece tri-suit which I normally only do at shorter races for just this reason. My inner klutz took over. Long story short, I really had to go and I really had technical difficulty. Rookie mistake.

Once on the course I was feeling OK. My nutrition to this point had been good so no stomach issues while my legs were hanging in there. The biggest concern I had is the lack of run miles my legs had on them. The longest run this year had been just 10 miles. That 10 miles had been run on the flat towpath, not rolling or hilly terrain.

For the most part I hung in there until mile 9 when my lack of run legs showed up. By mile 10 it became a struggle. By 13.1 I was glad to be done running ... or should I say "running."

Run Course and Profile

Overall - 4:55:42 36th overall 5th in AG45-49

When I put this race on my schedule it was for the sole purpose of testing out my fitness in prep for Ironman Florida. Judging from my results I feel I am on pace, but with some concern when it comes to my run legs. With limited run mileage I need to step it up a notch over the next four week to make sure I give myself the best chance for the day I think I can race on 11/1.

As for Rev3 Pocono Mountains, it is a race I would recommend and plan on doing again. The swim venue is interesting, the bike is a nice challenge, and the run course can eat you up if you've overdone it on the bike. The venue is an easy trip with adequate parking. The two transition areas - something I had concerns about - turned out to be no big deal. In fact, it is a nice change of pace to ride point-to-point.

Just as important, the bike and run were accurately measured as well as well marked. I really can't stand an in accurate race (see here for an example). When you hit mile 10 on the bike, there was the 10 mile marker.

The run course we ran was not the original course, which turned out to be a good thing. What we ran was a nice combination of road and trails. If there were one thing I would change it would be to add a additional water station between miles 4 and 7. My hope is they stick with what worked this year.

You may notice there are no pictures of me racing. Appears I was a ghost as there was not a single picture taken of me by the on course photogs. Even for the free finishers photo, they got 10 of the guy in front of me and 10 of the guy behind me but not a single picture of yours truly.

One more thing worth mentioning: If you take a look at the picture below you can see what looks like a black dot just up the road on the side opposite the cyclist. I heard some rumblings about a bear out on the course but didn't know if I should believe it or not. That black dot ... yeah, that's the bear. I guess he was friendly enough.

black dot = black bear

 Thanks for reading.

Up next: it's all focus on Ironman Florida on November 11 with (maybe) the Runners World 10k as a fast workout on October 18.

Train hard. Stay focused.
Jon

Race Report - TriRock Asbury Park Triathlon

TriRock Asbury Park is a relatively new race to the Mid-Atlantic triathlon race schedule with Sunday's race being just the second running of the race. Last year I considered racing here, but raced the Great Six Flags Triathlon the weekend after instead for three reasons. First, the timing for this race didn't work out for me. Second, Asbury Park was only a sprint distance last year and I wanted to race the Olympic distance. Third, I got to race in and around Six Flags Great Adventure, which is one of the few places in the world you can be running on a dirt path with a roller coaster above you and a gang of monkeys behind a fence to your side.

With the addition of the international distance this year I took that as a sign to head to the shore for a race.

Before I get into my day, I want to state up front that I enjoyed this race and, assuming it works with my race schedule, plan on racing it again next year. The venue is great (who doesn't enjoy being at the Jersey Shore), the race course enjoyable, and generally well organized. There were some issues I had with the race, but they are easily correctable.

Really, the only problem I had with this race was the disparity between the posted international distances and the actual distance of the course. On many race courses there is a small disparity between the actual distance raced and the traditional distance. The reason for this is the course design. For example, at the NJ State Triathlon the bike course for the Olympic distance event is 25.5 miles long, not 24.8 miles (40k) because of bike course loop. There is nothing the organizers can do - it is what it is - except make you aware that the bike course is long. The race is still fair as everyone is racing on the same streets, but with that information you know what you are racing. You don't suddenly get to mile 24.8 and think WTF is going on here.

So what I will do is give a breakdown of what the official results were as well as the unofficial Garmin results. And, before you think it, yes, I know that Garmin is not an exact science. But as you will see, there was something off about this course.

Pre-Race

Normally for races 1-3 hours away from home I will either wake up early on race day and drive down or travel down the day before and spend one night in the area. Because this race was close to my parents house, I was down at the shore early. More specifically, I drove down Thursday evening and spent Friday in North Jersey with my folks watching the PGA Tour at The Barclays. We were fortunate to get a good weather day (overcast and relatively cool) and some good golf to watch.

On Saturday I headed over to the race site to pick up my race packet in Asbury Park, NJ. The race expo and transition area were at the famous Asbury Park Carousel Building. After a quick packet pickup, I walked the boards for a while checking out the sites while waiting for the athletes meeting. Normally I won't bother with the meeting, but after seeing the red flags out on the beach, it seemed smart to stick around and see how they would handle the rough seas. As it turns out, the race director was straight up about the situation and prepared us for a duathlon, not a triathlon.

The Asbury Park Carousel 

I arrived at the race site at 6 am on Sunday morning, scoring a parking space not far from transition. Body marking was a breeze. As I was setting up my transition area the official announcement was made - no swim. I put my running shoes on, hit the port-o-john, and eased into a short warmup on the boardwalk.

Swim Run: 1.3 miles 9:22 (Garmin - 1.45 miles)

Even as people complained, there was no way we should have been in the ocean. I'm a fairly strong swimmer and the thought of getting caught in a riptide crossed my mind. Cancelling the swim was the correct decision. That said, the run course wasn't even close to the distance they said.

The start of the race was a time trial start with four people going off ever 15 seconds or so. Being in the third wave, I didn't get started until 7:09 or so (7 am start). The course was a combination of tight sidewalks and open boardwalk. The only issue I had was passing at times was tight, but given the situation, no complaints. My run was controlled yet surprisingly fast. Overall I was happy with the effort.

T1: 0:57

Nothing to note here. Without a wetsuit to deal with it is a simple process of changing shoes and heading out to the bike course.

Bike: 20 miles 48:22 (Garmin - 19.17 miles)

I had been looking forward to this ride all week. Looking at the course profile I knew it would be a fast track with the "rolling terrain" being bumps in the road. Not as fast as I expected, the course is two loops with a 3 mile + straightaway on Ocean Ave. you ride four times. Apparently when I looked at the course I concentrated more on the fast straightaways and much less on the technical turnarounds. Still, not a slow track.

The plan was to get settled in over the first few miles, then push the pace the best I could, building the intensity on loop two. Which is basically what happened. After settling in I hit the straightaway at mile 2, taking note of the slight headwind heading north. The turnaround was at So. Lake Drive. From there it was back to Ocean Ave. for another three miles of straight before bobbing and weaving back to the transition area for loop number two.

Shortly after passing transition for the second loop I had a fast sprint guy pass me in the first turn. This was good as I had been riding alone up to this point. Over the next 9 miles or so we were around each other. I took his presence as an opportunity to sit legally behind him as we traveled north on Ocean Ave. Mentally it was nice to be able to just follow someone, knowing that even at 12 meters back I was able to catch a little draft action.

Back at transition I had a small problem getting off the bike. The final turn is not very far from the dismount line. Totally my fault, I got caught with one shoe off and one shoe on, awkwardly trying to get off the bike and onto the run.

T2: 0:48

Once off the bike nothing to talk about here.

Run: 6 Miles 44:36 (Garmin - 6.31 miles)

Coming out of T2 I knew that I had some ground to make up if I was to win my age group. Two weeks ago at Steelman I managed to meet my goal of a sub-44 run on sheer guts and stupidity. There, the goal was to run well and let the placing be whatever it is. Here, I decided to go for it the best I could, knowing I have had problems with the duathlon format in the past, and that injury has kept me from running to my ability.

I started out fast (for me at the present time) but in control. There was a water station at the one mile marker and the kid handing me water missed my hand. I figured no big deal, there will be another aide station in the next two miles. I continued to push the pace. My first three mile splits were 6:58, 6:49, 6:58.

I hit the first turnaround just after mile three and headed north into the wind. It felt good as the temperature had started to increase. My legs were starting to tire a bit and I still hadn't seen an aide station. Apparently that assumption about the water stations was wrong. There was no water until the four mile marker, which was actually more like mile 4.5.

After a 7:04 split I was clearly slowing I made the decision to walk through the water station to make sure I had some fluids in me. The result is I felt a bit better but mile five was my slowest mile of the day, clocking a 7:26. We headed north through the convention center, hit the turnaround and back south to the finish line. I finished off with a 7:20 mile 6 and a 6:45/mile pace for the final 0.31 miles recorded by my Garmin.

Overall: 1:44:07  10th Overall 2nd in AG45-49 

Believe it or not I signed up for this race and just assumed it was an Olympic distance course (because sometimes I don't necessarily read all the details, like, the actual distances). The goal was a PR at that distance. Once I realized my mistake, the goal became ride fast, run well and give it a good effort. On this level I would call it a success.

And while I really, really would like to believe that I rode the officially reported 24.8 mph, I think the Garmin data and 24.1 mph average is more in line with reality. Overall my bike split was 5th fastest on the day, about one minute slower than the fastest rider, so that's satisfying. But, there is room for improvement. I came to the realization on the second bike loop that I need to work on my technical skills on my tri bike. I'm racing on a new bike this year (Quintana Roo Illicito) and still am a bit jittery at times. Never gave this much thought until the second bike loop where I watched the Sprint guy pull away from me in almost every turn.

My run it is still a work in progress. My feel for pace is better than it was two weeks ago, but not quite back yet. Same for run specific fitness.

As for the race, I would recommend it to anyone who is new to racing or anyone looking to race fast. Racing at the beach is a nice change of pace. Even at the height of beach season access to the race venue and parking were not an issue.

TriRock does a good job with their races. The metal was impressive, the beer mug for placing was nice, and the post-race food was great. And, just down the road, all finishers had access to free beer!!!! Can't beat that!!!

I only have two complaints, both of which are easily fixable. As mentioned earlier, just tell me what the actual distance is I'm racing. If the run is longer and the bike is shorter than a standard International Distance, that's fine. Just tell me. Related to this is the really, really poor mile markings on the run. The first mile marker was long, the second mile short, number three either didn't exist or was so discreet I missed it, while mile number four was somewhere around the 4.5 mile mark. I didn't see a 5 or a 6 mile marker.  

Thanks for reading.

Up next: Two weeks of Ironman focused training then Rev3 Pocono 70.3 on September 14.

Train hard. Stay focused.
Jon

Race Report - 10th Annual Steelman Triathlon

This past Sunday was the 10th running of the Steelman Triathlon held at Lake Nockamixon in Quakertown, PA. While I haven't raced this every year, I have raced it eight times, only missing the two years I raced Ironman Lake Placid. For those of us in Eastern Pennsylvania it is a chance to get out and race against some of the best triathletes in the area.

Normally a great mid-season race, due to early season injuries this was my first triathlon of the year. And without much running at all this year the challenge would be holding it together for the 10k run. A nice challenge for Jon.

Race week was a bit different for me this year. With a late season Ironman on my schedule I would be training through this race, taking a three day taper to freshen up the legs. Those three days was coming off a higher volume 10-day training training block which included 300+ miles on the bike, some hard interval work on the run, and the heaviest volume swim work for the year. And just to spice things up, I changed around my training in the "taper" to experiment with a few things.

So how'd it go?

Pre-Race

Every year it's the same thing. About ten days out the barrage of emails from the race director (Dale) with two main points - read the athletes note and make sure you get to the park at 4 am to secure parking. I didn't get there at 4 am, electing to "sleep in." Due to my laziness I arrived to the park at 5:30 am and was forced to park 3/4 of a mile from the start line. Where the people who entered the park after me parked, I have no idea.

Note to Dale: while it is great that you are on the ball about just about everything is great, you really need to quit stirring the pot on parking. And yes, I am glad to see such great participation, you really need to cap the race at a smaller number of athletes. There is just not enough parking.

Moving beyond the parking situation, we had quite the day to race. Temperatures were in the 60s, there was no wind and the swim was wetsuit legal.

The race day packet pickup was quick, transition setup was smooth, and I found my crew in short order. The only problem was the relatively small amount of pot-o-pots available. The line was crazy long from the moment I got there until the start of the race.

Note to Dale: If you have more competitors you will have more fully hydrated people who need to use the facilities. Take some of the extra money and use it to rent a few more toilets.

Swim: 1500M 20:56

If there is such a thing as the perfect swim, this was pretty darn close. Starting in wave three with the 40-49 year old men and the aquavelo competitors, I lined up at the front and not far from the inside. Unlike past races I stayed in control for the first 100M and, surprise, surprise, I found a pair of feet to draft off. After a few strokes in the draft I looked ahead, we were swimming straight, and I was sitting in the third position. For the next 1400M I stayed on those feet and enjoyed the ride. The final result was a PR swim.

T1: 2:07

Uneventful with one exception - getting my wetsuit off. Never my strong suit, the problem was compounded by the oversized timing chip provided to us. Damn thing got caught on my wetsuit and I struggled a bit.

Note to Lin-Mark: I think I speak for many when I say that I would be more than happy to pay an additional $1 for each race I do next year if you promise to take the additional revenue and upgrade your technology. There are better options out there ... please.

Bike: 40K 1:04:58

This is a fun, but not the fastest, course to race. Normally you want to take the start of the bike to settle in and let your heart rate settle down before starting to push the pedals. Here, that is not an option, as you have a nice climb out of the marina out to the two loops on route 563. Key is to have your bike in a small gear coming out of transition and not overdoing it on this first climb. From there you can settle in, get your $hit together on the slightly rolling park roads ... which was exactly what I did.

Once out onto the main race loop I dropped it into a big gear and got to work.  Last year I burned too much on the first loop and couldn't push in from the final turnaround as hard as I would have liked. My plan this year was to push the first loop hard, then kick it up a notch for loop number two. Much to my surprise I held to plan, with a slight negative split. I rode fast but within myself, knowing that the true unknown was ahead of me - the run.

Note: Technically this is an easy course to navigate. The roads are closed to car traffic and the visibility is excellent. Best of all, Dale has a street sweeper come out and get the gravel off the road. Thank you Dale!!! However, there is little flat terrain. Thus, you are almost either climbing or descending so be prepared. It is very easy to over do it and not know it until you start to run.

T2: 1:16

Smooth and without issue.

Run: 10k 43:43

Photo Credit: Kevin T

Out onto the run and the real mystery of the day would unfold - how would I hold up on my first "real" run off the bike since last October. Still nursing my knee, with little running at all this year, I did manage to get two very short runs off the bike in, just to make sure it wouldn't be a total disaster.

This run course is a bit pesky. For some reason I always remember it as being flat. I don't know if this is because it is by a lake, or on trails, or my old age, but I just always do. That would be fine, if it was actually a flat course. After taking the quick left out of transition and completing the short out-and-back the trail turns from flat into just enough of a rolling terrain to make it a bit uncomfortable ... especially off the bike.

Coming out of transition the course I felt normal (legs a little heavy but coming around quick) but different (no sense of pacing). The lack of feel for pace showed when I hit the one mile mark in 6:55, a bit faster than I expected. The next two miles were a bit slower, but on target with both coming in right at a 7:02/mile pace. So far so good.

After getting some water at the aide station (big shout out to Endurance Multisport for the job they did) and some cheers from Kevin, I headed back in from the first loop, hoping to maintain my pace. With the trail now full with runners I made sure to be more aware of my surroundings.

All was well until it wasn't. Around 4.2 miles in my legs were calling for a short time out. After a short walk I picked it up again and continued on until I had another brief walk break around mile 5.5.

Normally, walking a part of the 10k would have me  upset with myself. Having to walk means I screwed up my pacing, either on the bike or out of transition. No worries for two reasons.

First, I paced the bike just fine. Coming into and out of transition my legs were where they should be, no questions. Second, the breakdown was a total muscular endurance issue. With the small amount of running I have been able to do I knew this could be an issue. Better pacing may have helped, but without having many miles in I don't yet have my feel back. But I will.

Overall: 2:12:58  10th Overall 2nd in AG45-49 

Men AG45-49 Podium

Every year my goal at this race is the same - place in the top 10 overall and have a top three bike split. Admittedly these are terrible goals as they are performance based, not process based, and you can't control who shows up to race. Still, this is our local race and these are the two things I want to accomplish every year. Competition be damned. Age be damned. From this irrational perspective success was achieved - only two guys out biked me as part of my 10th  place overall finish.

Back to the rational world of goals, I really wanted to have a good run. Prior to the race I explained to The Queen how I had no clue how my run would go. Realistically I thought I could go about 44 minutes, but would be happy with a 48. The 44 is the high end of what I have run the distance over the past few years. The 43:43 I ran certainly qualifies as a success.

More important, however, is the fact that I somehow managed to just miss an Olympic distance PR by a mere 2 seconds. I honestly did not have any expectations of going below a 2:14:xx so, while disappointed I couldn't find a few extra seconds of speed somewhere, really stoked to have such a great overall race.

The crew, post race, all blinged out. Photo Credit: Alison

Thanks for reading.

Up next: A week of solid training then TriRock Asbury Park on August 24.

Train hard. Stay focused.
Jon