Another OKC Marathon has come and gone and I have to say this was the most memorable one for several reasons. First off, I only did the Half Marathon. I know, I know. Throw the popcorn, heave the pop cans, and let the raspberry's fly. I really struggled with not doing the full and felt like a complete wimp for not doing so. So, here are my excuses or reasons why:
1) Easier recovery time to come back and maybe do a Half Ironman or other future races. Sounds like a viable plan.
2) I have been concentrating on short races and have not done many longer runs. That was because of my previous race schedule.
3) I have been running good lately and wanted to PR in the half. Why leave the race disappointed in my Full Marathon time when I could do a good half. Plus, it is a lot less painful.
Whether these are good plans or excuses, let me say that I was so glad that I did not do the Full and here is why.
Just imagine yourself sailing on the high seas with Captain Bligh en-route to find Moby Dick. A storm has blown up and the ship is rocking back and forth, the winds are howling, and it looks like the ship may go down. That is kind of how race day felt. When I got up at 4 am to get ready, the weather was perfect. 54 degrees with light winds. I checked the weather map and it looked like the rain may stay to south of us. After letting the dogs out of the hotel room and loading up the kids, we headed for downtown OKC. We parked in our usual spot. This secret spot is not to be revealed on this blog. I would have to hunt everyone down.
I made it to the corner of the OKC Memorial and got in the port-a-potty and guess what, it started raining. My plan at this point was to stay in the blue port-a-potty portal, hope the rain might pass, and maybe catch a nap, but I decided to brave the elements like a good warrior. As soon as I made it out of the funky, blue water holder, it started to pour rain. Lightning started shortly after and the cold front moved in. Mark Twain once said that everyone complains about the weather, but no one does anything about it. At this point I wanted let the people on the weather channel know how I felt about their great forecast. That language would not be suited for this blog.
We made it over to a Catholic church and found an overhang and tried to stay out of the elements at this point. The front had dropped temps at least 10 degrees and the wind chill felt like I was back in Illinois going around a corner of a building.
I waited my time out and hoped I was not committing some kind of offense against the Pope by using the Church grounds as shelter from the storm. I can honestly say that I never considered just loading back up and heading home. Now, all my family considered that, but I did not. I figured it was only a Half Marathon. That shouldn't be bad.
After waiting around for the start, I ventured out in the rain towards the start line and there was nobody lining up. Now either the race had been canceled or the rapture had just taken place. I was wrong on both accounts. They had moved the start back to 7 AM instead of 6:30, so it was back to an overhang to stay dry. I waited as long as I thought possible and started over to the corral at about 10 minutes till 7. As I started shedding layers of clothes to the Mrs. and headed to the "A" corral, they were just getting ready to shut the gate for the corrals. From that point it was like a Bugs Bunny cartoon to get closer. Excuse me, pardon me, excuse me, pardon me, until I got fairly close to the front. This was one of the longest 10 minutes I ever waited for the race to start. The cold rain was coming down, the wind was blowing, and I was cold. I was ready at this point to set something on fire. The wheelchair racers took off and 5 minutes later it was time for us to go.
I had chosen to wear a singlet and go with the arm panties, in case it warmed up. I can hear laughter from the readers at that thought. Not happening on this day. I had a hard time settling into a good pace. I don't know if it was the weather or watching this guy next me running without a shirt. I figured they would find him later frozen in mid-stride around mile 9.
I saw a local triathlete guy from Tulsa and settled in behind him and realized that he was pacing the 1:30 half group. I went through the first mile in 6:30 and I knew I needed to pick up the pace. In between mile 1 and 2 there are a few hills and that mile was a little slower than planned. Once I got on a flatter section, I sped up. At this point I was dropping sub 6:20 pacing and was really wondering if I was not overdoing it. My tendency is to go out too hard and hang on for dear life. I felt good at this point and decided to go with it. I managed to go through the 10K at around 39:30 and still felt good. The rain was still pounding us and at various points on the course we had a direct wind or a crosswind. It was so nice after the 10K point to turn to the left and head back downtown. I did not have to experience the loneliness of Lake Hefner, let alone the weather. Going out around Hefner always makes me feel like that I have been transported to a remote island and that I am being chased by the local natives. Definitively a creepy part of the race. Glad I wasn't there!
I hit Classen Blvd. and went through the 15K in 59:48. Sub 60 at the Tulsa run will be a piece of cake this year. I started to feel it a little bit in the last 5K, but I was able to maintain a good, solid pace. I knew I just needed to hang on and bring it in strong.
The last portion of the race has some smaller hills, so I kept my cadence up and finally made the turn onto the straight stretch towards home. There were several of us bunched up at that point and some started to take off to sprint towards the finish. I dug down deep and started picking up the pace. I was able to hit some sub 6 minute miles in this last section and when I got close I saw that I was getting close to breaking 1:25. I picked it up a little bit more and finished in a gun time of 1:25 and chip time of 1:24:55. Good enough for 1st in may age group and 28th overall out of over 7,700 runners.
The OKC Marathon is such a special race and the ambiance around it cannot be matched. The reason we run is to remember those who lost their lives during this evil act of terrorism on innocent men, women, and children. Even with the rain, I was glad I did the race and was proud of being a part of something that transcends all human comprehension. This race is ran with the body, but the Spirit is what really comes alive. God bless all the families that were affected on that tragic day.
May God rest their soul.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Spring Fever Tri 2011 Race Report
When I was a kid the old timers at the pool hall used to say, "better late than never". That may be a good saying for getting to church or maybe a funeral, but I am not sure how it really applies in life. As the minutes go by so are the days of our lives. Or was it like sands through an hourglass? This is bringing back a flashback to my youth of being tortured as a child by this giant hourglass and having to endure an hour of television torture. With three channels to choose from and not much else going on, I went outside. What does this have to do with anything? I am not for sure. All I know is that this is my overdue race report. Better to have finally penned my experience than to have forgotten the times that have passed. That saying would not have went over in the pool hall.
I have done this Sprint once before, but I skipped it the last several years due to doing the OKC Marathon. The races are only a few weeks apart and falls about the same time I need to get my last long run in. This year, the Owasso Tri club had several members participating and had built a lot of excitement around it, so I thought what the heck, I will sign up and do it and maybe just do the half at OKC this year.
The race takes place at the Claremore Rec. Center and starts with a 400 meter swim, followed by a 12 mile bike, and a 2 mile run. This is really too short for me as my swim is my weakest link and it would not leave me enough time to make up on the bike and run. I figured I would give it my best shot and see if I could at least land an age group award. I knew my run would be strong, but I really had no expectations for the swim other than get on dry ground.
Here we are discussing some pre-race strategy before the swim. Really we were just watching the other swims ahead of us and thinking, my swim is not that bad after seeing some of the others.
The race starts a swimmer every 10 seconds based upon what you estimate your swim time to be. I put down 8:40 and thought that was being aggressive. I had not really swam that much over the winter and thought I would be somewhere close to that. A lot of people either don't time themselves or they just lie when they put down their swim time as we saw people ahead of us doing side strokes and back strokes to complete their swim. The swim is a snake swim and you have to duck under the ropes after every lane is completed until you finish. It usually ends up as a cluster somewhere as people bunch up sooner or later.
If you look behind me as I am going up the ropes, their is a guy walking. My understanding was that he walked the entire thing, except where he could not touch and then he did the breast stroke. All I know was that I kept kicking him and told him to go around. I would have thought he would have got tired of me kicking him, but maybe he thought it was part of some weird triathlon ritual. Either way, I think he needs to learn to swim.
Finally made it out and time to head to tranistion area in 9:01. A little over the 8:40 mark. Must have been the King Fu kicks I had to use on my opponent in the pool.
Transition this year was in the shed on the tennis courts. The area itself was quite long and it made our times a little slower. I am not the best at getting in and out fast, so I will need to work on this if I am going to get better.
Made it out on the bike and it was time to head for the hills. Immediately after you leave the expo area, you have a huge hill that goes up by the University. Nothing like making you cry for your Momma before you have a chance to dry off.
On the way out to the turnaround, I was flying past people who had faster swims and I made it to the 6 mile turnaround in 14 minutes. I turned around and all I can say it was like being in a wind tunnel. No wonder I was flying on the way out. The bike times started to drop. I was still able to pass others and did not get passed by anyone. My return to the transition took me 22 minutes. It went from 14 to 22. Brutal winds.
Transition number two heads out the other door for a short 2 mile run. I was feeling good going out and knew I had a pretty good clip going. I didn't have my Garmin, but had a stopwatch on and I did not know how fast I was going. When I made the turnaround, it looked like I hit the first mile in 5:40.
This is the fast and furious Eddie James heading out on his run. Eddie rocked the course and represented the Owasso Tri club well.
Here I am heading back into the finish. I knew I was going to be close to have a 12 minute even split and I came across the line in 12:01 for the 2 mile run. Not bad for an old guy.
Here is Eddie's better half, Sharon heading out on the run. She also rocked the course and got an age group award. I need to get an Owasso Tri suit instead of my Tulsa Triathletes one. Nothing against them, just need to update.
After it was all said and done, I managed a 2nd in my age group and finished 23rd overall in 1:00:54. 22nd best bike and 8th best run. I won't mention the swim.
I had a great time and it is always nice to get an award. The weather overall was nice, but a little too breezy for the bike. That is part of the fun of things of racing no matter what the elements throw at you. I am glad I did the race and hopefully represented the club well.
I now I need to figure out what to do next? I am torn between concentrating on running or maybe do some more Tris? I might even do some cycling? Prayerfully I will figure it out soon as race season is definitely upon us. Results can be found here.
I have done this Sprint once before, but I skipped it the last several years due to doing the OKC Marathon. The races are only a few weeks apart and falls about the same time I need to get my last long run in. This year, the Owasso Tri club had several members participating and had built a lot of excitement around it, so I thought what the heck, I will sign up and do it and maybe just do the half at OKC this year.The race takes place at the Claremore Rec. Center and starts with a 400 meter swim, followed by a 12 mile bike, and a 2 mile run. This is really too short for me as my swim is my weakest link and it would not leave me enough time to make up on the bike and run. I figured I would give it my best shot and see if I could at least land an age group award. I knew my run would be strong, but I really had no expectations for the swim other than get on dry ground.
Here we are discussing some pre-race strategy before the swim. Really we were just watching the other swims ahead of us and thinking, my swim is not that bad after seeing some of the others.
The race starts a swimmer every 10 seconds based upon what you estimate your swim time to be. I put down 8:40 and thought that was being aggressive. I had not really swam that much over the winter and thought I would be somewhere close to that. A lot of people either don't time themselves or they just lie when they put down their swim time as we saw people ahead of us doing side strokes and back strokes to complete their swim. The swim is a snake swim and you have to duck under the ropes after every lane is completed until you finish. It usually ends up as a cluster somewhere as people bunch up sooner or later.
If you look behind me as I am going up the ropes, their is a guy walking. My understanding was that he walked the entire thing, except where he could not touch and then he did the breast stroke. All I know was that I kept kicking him and told him to go around. I would have thought he would have got tired of me kicking him, but maybe he thought it was part of some weird triathlon ritual. Either way, I think he needs to learn to swim.
Finally made it out and time to head to tranistion area in 9:01. A little over the 8:40 mark. Must have been the King Fu kicks I had to use on my opponent in the pool.Transition this year was in the shed on the tennis courts. The area itself was quite long and it made our times a little slower. I am not the best at getting in and out fast, so I will need to work on this if I am going to get better.
Made it out on the bike and it was time to head for the hills. Immediately after you leave the expo area, you have a huge hill that goes up by the University. Nothing like making you cry for your Momma before you have a chance to dry off.On the way out to the turnaround, I was flying past people who had faster swims and I made it to the 6 mile turnaround in 14 minutes. I turned around and all I can say it was like being in a wind tunnel. No wonder I was flying on the way out. The bike times started to drop. I was still able to pass others and did not get passed by anyone. My return to the transition took me 22 minutes. It went from 14 to 22. Brutal winds.
Transition number two heads out the other door for a short 2 mile run. I was feeling good going out and knew I had a pretty good clip going. I didn't have my Garmin, but had a stopwatch on and I did not know how fast I was going. When I made the turnaround, it looked like I hit the first mile in 5:40.
This is the fast and furious Eddie James heading out on his run. Eddie rocked the course and represented the Owasso Tri club well.
Here I am heading back into the finish. I knew I was going to be close to have a 12 minute even split and I came across the line in 12:01 for the 2 mile run. Not bad for an old guy.
Here is Eddie's better half, Sharon heading out on the run. She also rocked the course and got an age group award. I need to get an Owasso Tri suit instead of my Tulsa Triathletes one. Nothing against them, just need to update.
After it was all said and done, I managed a 2nd in my age group and finished 23rd overall in 1:00:54. 22nd best bike and 8th best run. I won't mention the swim.I had a great time and it is always nice to get an award. The weather overall was nice, but a little too breezy for the bike. That is part of the fun of things of racing no matter what the elements throw at you. I am glad I did the race and hopefully represented the club well.
I now I need to figure out what to do next? I am torn between concentrating on running or maybe do some more Tris? I might even do some cycling? Prayerfully I will figure it out soon as race season is definitely upon us. Results can be found here.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Where Do I Start?
It's been about 2 months since I have blogged and a lot has went on. First off, I changed jobs and that adjustment has really taken up a lot of my time. I am still working for the same bank, but just in a new capacity. I have went from the night shift to day shift and it has really thrown my schedule off. Getting up at 5 AM to run really stinks. I am used to having my mornings free after getting the kids on the bus. Now I have fit it in where I can. This is after 6 years of working nights that I have to re-adjust. At least I am able to see my kids at night during the week. There is always a positive side to everything.
Since I have last blogged, I have done several races.
In Feb., I did the Sweetheart double run at Mohawk Park. I ran the 5K and then about 40 mins later, ran the 10K. I wanted to race the 5K hard and make the 10K a nice tempo run, but I know once they fire the gun, that all changes. Here I am running with the Kenyans. Not really.
My plan was to try and break 19 minutes in the 5K. As you can see, I barely made it, 18:58. That was the first time I have ever been under 19 minutes. It was an awesome feeling, but I couldn't rest too long as I had to get ready for the 10K. I took off in the 10K at a nice tempo pace and held on to it to finish in 6th place overall. Not bad for after running the 5K. The results can be found here.
Next up was the Post Oak 25K Trail run. I was on the committee for this race last year and was volunteering both days to help keep the aid stations stocked and was unable to run it. This year it was a really cold day with a low level mist raining on us all day. I took off too hard at the first and was in 2nd place for the first 5 or 6 miles. A couple of guys came up behind me and I settled in with them for several miles. After stopping at a couple aid stations, they dropped me and I ended up in 5th place overall. I was pretty happy with my time as it is a really hard course and challenges you throughout.
One of the challenges of the course is that if you get off the trail, you will pay for it. Towards the end of the race, I caught up to some slower 10K runners and had to go off course to get around them and this is what happens. This is part of trail running whether you like or not. Overall it was a great race. The results can be found here.
Next up I did the St. Patrick's Day 5k, but I have no pictures. This one of my favorite races put on by the best running store in Tulsa, Runnersworld. I am fortunate to be on their race team and was glad to be a part of it. This race benefits the Special Olympics and kind of kicks off the Spring racing season. I ran a really good race and set a new PR, 18:45. Can I get closer to 18? Hmmm. Not bad for an old guy. The results can be found here.
The next day I did the Tall Chief Cove Road Race in Skiatook. Not a running race, but cycling. Cycling is a totally different animal and I have experimented a little with it in the past. This was a very hilly course, but I thought I would try it. I am not the lightest guy and I pay for it on the hills.
As we lined up for the start, one of the race officials walks over and says that one of my teammates has his number pinned on wrong and I need to fix it. No problem, I start to fix it and they start telling everyone to line up. What? I just get the last pin in and they start the race. The peloton ends up taking off up the hill before I can even get going. I end up behind the truck and trying to play catch up. I pass a few people on the hill, but the main group is already turning towards the downhill and my race is over before it starts. Once you get out of the draft on a cycling race, it very hard to get back in. A common phrase talks about getting spit out of the back and that is just what happened to me. Needless to say, I was not happy and headed home as soon as the race was over.
Next up was the Lake McMurtry 25K trail run over by Stillwater. I have done this race at least 5 times and look forward to it every year. It is put on by TATUR and is a great time to enjoy the woods and meet up with old friends.
Here is good friend Aaron Ochoa coming in to the finish. Aaron was going to try and run the first loop with me, but once we got to the gravel road, I left him behind. He is a great runner, but he went out too fast on top of his injury.
All the years we have gone to Lake McMurtry, Julie has never ran the race. She signed up for the 12K with the goal of not finishing last and she smoked that easily. Great job!
I have been fortunate enough to be a part of the Owasso tri club and several of the members came over and ran the race. Here is Sharon James and John Stanfield coming in for the finish.
My overall race went well other than a face plant, getting lost, and cramping a bit after the first loop. My goal was to break 2 hrs., but I managed a 2:01:02. This was good enough for 3rd overall and entitled me to a cool trophy. After the race, it was time to relax, eat, and talk about the day. What a beautiful day and race. Results can be found here.
Next up is the Spring Fever Tri in Claremore tomorrow. 400m pool swim, 12 mile bike, and 2 mile run. I am going to try and get under 1 hr, but I think the swim will decide that. I am not the fastest swimmer, but I can get through it. If this goes well, then I will decide what races to do next. Hopefully, I will do better at blogging after this race.
Since I have last blogged, I have done several races.
In Feb., I did the Sweetheart double run at Mohawk Park. I ran the 5K and then about 40 mins later, ran the 10K. I wanted to race the 5K hard and make the 10K a nice tempo run, but I know once they fire the gun, that all changes. Here I am running with the Kenyans. Not really.
My plan was to try and break 19 minutes in the 5K. As you can see, I barely made it, 18:58. That was the first time I have ever been under 19 minutes. It was an awesome feeling, but I couldn't rest too long as I had to get ready for the 10K. I took off in the 10K at a nice tempo pace and held on to it to finish in 6th place overall. Not bad for after running the 5K. The results can be found here.
Next up was the Post Oak 25K Trail run. I was on the committee for this race last year and was volunteering both days to help keep the aid stations stocked and was unable to run it. This year it was a really cold day with a low level mist raining on us all day. I took off too hard at the first and was in 2nd place for the first 5 or 6 miles. A couple of guys came up behind me and I settled in with them for several miles. After stopping at a couple aid stations, they dropped me and I ended up in 5th place overall. I was pretty happy with my time as it is a really hard course and challenges you throughout.
One of the challenges of the course is that if you get off the trail, you will pay for it. Towards the end of the race, I caught up to some slower 10K runners and had to go off course to get around them and this is what happens. This is part of trail running whether you like or not. Overall it was a great race. The results can be found here.
Next up I did the St. Patrick's Day 5k, but I have no pictures. This one of my favorite races put on by the best running store in Tulsa, Runnersworld. I am fortunate to be on their race team and was glad to be a part of it. This race benefits the Special Olympics and kind of kicks off the Spring racing season. I ran a really good race and set a new PR, 18:45. Can I get closer to 18? Hmmm. Not bad for an old guy. The results can be found here.The next day I did the Tall Chief Cove Road Race in Skiatook. Not a running race, but cycling. Cycling is a totally different animal and I have experimented a little with it in the past. This was a very hilly course, but I thought I would try it. I am not the lightest guy and I pay for it on the hills.
As we lined up for the start, one of the race officials walks over and says that one of my teammates has his number pinned on wrong and I need to fix it. No problem, I start to fix it and they start telling everyone to line up. What? I just get the last pin in and they start the race. The peloton ends up taking off up the hill before I can even get going. I end up behind the truck and trying to play catch up. I pass a few people on the hill, but the main group is already turning towards the downhill and my race is over before it starts. Once you get out of the draft on a cycling race, it very hard to get back in. A common phrase talks about getting spit out of the back and that is just what happened to me. Needless to say, I was not happy and headed home as soon as the race was over.
Next up was the Lake McMurtry 25K trail run over by Stillwater. I have done this race at least 5 times and look forward to it every year. It is put on by TATUR and is a great time to enjoy the woods and meet up with old friends.
Here is good friend Aaron Ochoa coming in to the finish. Aaron was going to try and run the first loop with me, but once we got to the gravel road, I left him behind. He is a great runner, but he went out too fast on top of his injury.
All the years we have gone to Lake McMurtry, Julie has never ran the race. She signed up for the 12K with the goal of not finishing last and she smoked that easily. Great job!
I have been fortunate enough to be a part of the Owasso tri club and several of the members came over and ran the race. Here is Sharon James and John Stanfield coming in for the finish.
My overall race went well other than a face plant, getting lost, and cramping a bit after the first loop. My goal was to break 2 hrs., but I managed a 2:01:02. This was good enough for 3rd overall and entitled me to a cool trophy. After the race, it was time to relax, eat, and talk about the day. What a beautiful day and race. Results can be found here.Next up is the Spring Fever Tri in Claremore tomorrow. 400m pool swim, 12 mile bike, and 2 mile run. I am going to try and get under 1 hr, but I think the swim will decide that. I am not the fastest swimmer, but I can get through it. If this goes well, then I will decide what races to do next. Hopefully, I will do better at blogging after this race.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Race Schedule
As I sit here at work, bored silly, as there is nothing to do but wait for work to come in as we have got almost two feet of snow. This something that people here in Tulsa have a hard time dealing with. Having grown up in Illinois and being used to dealing with this every year, I really don't mind the snow. Some of the things you learn are to drive slower, pay attention, and keep focused. The Tulsa way is to drive too fast, hit every Quik Trip, and leave your vehicle in the road for others to drive around. But this snow is just what I needed to put together most of my race schedule.
I have never sat down and tried to compose a race schedule before and focus in on key races. I have always been a person who trains all the time and just jumps into whatever sounds good at the moment. My first attempt at this was not pleasant as I wrote down so many races that I wanted to do, that it just frustrated me even more that I could not do them all. I know I need to have a plan and commit to some goals and races, but I have never really tried it. I feel like I am going to miss something. Maybe I need a coach to keep me focused? Who knows.
Any way, this is what I have come up with for most of the upcoming year, but not all of it. It is very aggressive and may still not be very realistic and I may have to back off of it. With the addition of being on the cycling team, this has added another whole new dimension to what races I can do. The good thing about cycling races is that you recover a lot quicker from those than Ultras. So here goes:
2/12 - Sweetheart 5K run. This is a goal race to run sub 19. If I don't achieve this, I may add some more 5K's, plus they are offering a 20K after the 5K. Double up time.
2/26 - Post Oak trail run. This is a real tentative deal, but I may run the 25K because of the next weekend plans. I am really struggling with signing up for this one.
3/4 -6 - 360 Sports Cycling camp. Weekend camp with the team for training.
3/12 - St. Patrick's Day 5K. Great race that ushers in the race season in Tulsa.
3/12 - 13 - Salty Cow cycling race in Mannford, OK. The Saturday race is the same day as the 5K, but I think the race is in the afternoon and I could do both. I know the race team will do it.
3/26 - Northwest Arkansas Spring Classic cycling race. Heard it is a great road race.
4/2 - Lake McMurtry trail run. Having done this race 5 times, I will probably do the 25K. Great race by the TATURS.
4/17 - Spring Fever Triathlon. Local sprint race that I may or may not do. Still on the fence about this one.
5/1 - OKC Marathon. I have ran this race 3 times and have never had a really good race. PR of 3:23 on this course. There a lot of special things about this race that keeps drawing me back.
5/22 - Sand Spring Crit cycling race.
6/10 - 12 -Tulsa Tough. Part of the USA Cycling NRC tour events and is a local great race.
6/15 - Speedwheel. Part of the Freewheel across Oklahoma event.
6/20 - Sapulpa Crit cycling race.
7/1 - TATUR Midnight Madness 50 miler. A big maybe. I might do the Leadville Marathon again.
7/24 - Chris Brown Duathlon. This depends on the previous events.
8/14 - 360 Sports Crit race in Owasso. This is a team sponsored event and I will be there.
The rest of the year is undecided, but I may do the Pumpkin Holler race. Also on that list would be the Tulsa Run, Route 66 Marathon, Redman Ironman triathlon, and Branson Ironman 70.3.
As I said before, this is very aggressive and I may have to scale back. It will be interesting to see how much I can adhere to it, let alone, do well at all of this. With my new day shift job, I will be able to run in the mornings and cycle in the evenings. Maybe even throw a swim in every once in awhile. Time will tell how I do, but for now, the sub 19 5K is next on the list.
I have never sat down and tried to compose a race schedule before and focus in on key races. I have always been a person who trains all the time and just jumps into whatever sounds good at the moment. My first attempt at this was not pleasant as I wrote down so many races that I wanted to do, that it just frustrated me even more that I could not do them all. I know I need to have a plan and commit to some goals and races, but I have never really tried it. I feel like I am going to miss something. Maybe I need a coach to keep me focused? Who knows.
Any way, this is what I have come up with for most of the upcoming year, but not all of it. It is very aggressive and may still not be very realistic and I may have to back off of it. With the addition of being on the cycling team, this has added another whole new dimension to what races I can do. The good thing about cycling races is that you recover a lot quicker from those than Ultras. So here goes:
2/12 - Sweetheart 5K run. This is a goal race to run sub 19. If I don't achieve this, I may add some more 5K's, plus they are offering a 20K after the 5K. Double up time.
2/26 - Post Oak trail run. This is a real tentative deal, but I may run the 25K because of the next weekend plans. I am really struggling with signing up for this one.
3/4 -6 - 360 Sports Cycling camp. Weekend camp with the team for training.
3/12 - St. Patrick's Day 5K. Great race that ushers in the race season in Tulsa.
3/12 - 13 - Salty Cow cycling race in Mannford, OK. The Saturday race is the same day as the 5K, but I think the race is in the afternoon and I could do both. I know the race team will do it.
3/26 - Northwest Arkansas Spring Classic cycling race. Heard it is a great road race.
4/2 - Lake McMurtry trail run. Having done this race 5 times, I will probably do the 25K. Great race by the TATURS.
4/17 - Spring Fever Triathlon. Local sprint race that I may or may not do. Still on the fence about this one.
5/1 - OKC Marathon. I have ran this race 3 times and have never had a really good race. PR of 3:23 on this course. There a lot of special things about this race that keeps drawing me back.
5/22 - Sand Spring Crit cycling race.
6/10 - 12 -Tulsa Tough. Part of the USA Cycling NRC tour events and is a local great race.
6/15 - Speedwheel. Part of the Freewheel across Oklahoma event.
6/20 - Sapulpa Crit cycling race.
7/1 - TATUR Midnight Madness 50 miler. A big maybe. I might do the Leadville Marathon again.
7/24 - Chris Brown Duathlon. This depends on the previous events.
8/14 - 360 Sports Crit race in Owasso. This is a team sponsored event and I will be there.
The rest of the year is undecided, but I may do the Pumpkin Holler race. Also on that list would be the Tulsa Run, Route 66 Marathon, Redman Ironman triathlon, and Branson Ironman 70.3.
As I said before, this is very aggressive and I may have to scale back. It will be interesting to see how much I can adhere to it, let alone, do well at all of this. With my new day shift job, I will be able to run in the mornings and cycle in the evenings. Maybe even throw a swim in every once in awhile. Time will tell how I do, but for now, the sub 19 5K is next on the list.
Friday, January 21, 2011
1-21-11
After being offline for over a week, due to some Malware that got on our computer, I am now back on line. It really irks me that these people, who have obvious great technical abilities, decide to use it for bad instead of for good. Instead of applying their talent to the greater good of society, they decide to use it for evil. Really a sad story about the demoralization of society. Pretty heavy stuff.
We had our first meeting for the 360 Sports bike team and we have a few races lined up for this year. Some are the obvious ones, like the Tulsa Tough, and some are new, like a new crit race in Owasso in August. I will still run during my time of cycling as my love of running will always be on the forefront for me. I will have to concentrate more on the cycling, but I will still run. I would like to sneak in a few races in this spring or maybe even an Ultra. I will do the Sweetheart run in Feb and attempt to go sub 19 in the 5K. I may also double up and add the 20K for kicks. I am still up in the air with the Post Oak trail run and then I may do the St. Patrick's Day 5K. Other possibilities are Lake McMurty in April or the OKC Marathon in May. We are having our first 360 Sports Tri/Bike club this Saturday and I may change my schedule based upon what the group is doing. I know they are looking at the Leadville 50 in August. That may go on the race schedule.
The biggest news is that I finally got a job to where I can be at home at nights with the family and lead a somewhat normal life. Whatever that is. I have always worked odd shifts throughout my career and for our last six years in Tulsa, I have been on second shift. I will be moving to the Mortgage division of Bank of Oklahoma and be embarking on a new adventure there. This is great news as my current position is slated to be eliminated this summer. God is so good that I do not have to worry about getting downsized, but instead I get a new day shift position with a pay raise. We are so blessed.
There have been some great reads on other blogs, like Geoff Roes, to where people are posting anonymously and are having to be screened. It is great for people to voice their opinions, but it is still hard to not take things personal or really limit who posts on your blog. I understand completely what Geoff has had to do. You check it out here.
This is just a quick update as we have been offline for awhile. Life is such an adventure and I relish what God has planned for us next. Maybe it is time to step out in the ministry? Hmmm.
We had our first meeting for the 360 Sports bike team and we have a few races lined up for this year. Some are the obvious ones, like the Tulsa Tough, and some are new, like a new crit race in Owasso in August. I will still run during my time of cycling as my love of running will always be on the forefront for me. I will have to concentrate more on the cycling, but I will still run. I would like to sneak in a few races in this spring or maybe even an Ultra. I will do the Sweetheart run in Feb and attempt to go sub 19 in the 5K. I may also double up and add the 20K for kicks. I am still up in the air with the Post Oak trail run and then I may do the St. Patrick's Day 5K. Other possibilities are Lake McMurty in April or the OKC Marathon in May. We are having our first 360 Sports Tri/Bike club this Saturday and I may change my schedule based upon what the group is doing. I know they are looking at the Leadville 50 in August. That may go on the race schedule.
The biggest news is that I finally got a job to where I can be at home at nights with the family and lead a somewhat normal life. Whatever that is. I have always worked odd shifts throughout my career and for our last six years in Tulsa, I have been on second shift. I will be moving to the Mortgage division of Bank of Oklahoma and be embarking on a new adventure there. This is great news as my current position is slated to be eliminated this summer. God is so good that I do not have to worry about getting downsized, but instead I get a new day shift position with a pay raise. We are so blessed.
There have been some great reads on other blogs, like Geoff Roes, to where people are posting anonymously and are having to be screened. It is great for people to voice their opinions, but it is still hard to not take things personal or really limit who posts on your blog. I understand completely what Geoff has had to do. You check it out here.
This is just a quick update as we have been offline for awhile. Life is such an adventure and I relish what God has planned for us next. Maybe it is time to step out in the ministry? Hmmm.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Two Wheel Fury
It's official! I have been accepted to be on the 360 Sports cycling team for 2011. 360 Sports bike shop is a locally owned bike shop in Owasso that is ran by a great guy, Jon Ray and his family. They been open a few years and have decided this year to sponsor a race team and when I saw that, I couldn't resist to throw my name in the hat. And to my surprise, I was picked to be on the team.
I don't have a lot of racing experience on bikes. I have done a number of Duathlons and a few Triathlons just to prove that I can survive the water. I am more of a dry ground kind of guy, but I have been known to venture into the water. There is still something about Triathlons that intrigues me for the future. Maybe it is the lure of the Ironman?
I did do the Oklahoma Road Race Championships this last year and managed a 5th overall. This was only because a neutral was called towards the finish because of a crash. I was just getting ready to pass a guy to go into 4th and then go after 3rd, when it got called. Maybe next year.
There is something electric about being in a big group of bikes inches apart going over 20 mph. For me, it is really a big adrenaline rush. The excitement of going fast and the danger of being in a peloton all at the same time is exciting. Where as running is more of a solitary endeavor, cycling truly is a team sport.
So what does this mean for me for 2011, I am not for sure? We have our first meeting next week to discuss the 2011 race calendar and what key races we will target. That will help me plan what goals I will set for for this upcoming race year. My commitment to the team is for a minimum of 5 races to fulfill their requirements. That will not be a problem as I like to race.
So what does this mean, will I not be running this year? Not at all. Running is something that I can never see my self not doing. Even when I will have to concentrate more on cycling to get better, I will still run several times a week. I may even throw in an occasional swim just for kicks. Why, I am not for sure. Once we have the meeting and plan the year, I can make my plans around what commitments they require. In the mean time, this is going to be an awesome year and I look forward to trying something different. After all, that is how we grow to be better than we were the year before.
I don't have a lot of racing experience on bikes. I have done a number of Duathlons and a few Triathlons just to prove that I can survive the water. I am more of a dry ground kind of guy, but I have been known to venture into the water. There is still something about Triathlons that intrigues me for the future. Maybe it is the lure of the Ironman?
I did do the Oklahoma Road Race Championships this last year and managed a 5th overall. This was only because a neutral was called towards the finish because of a crash. I was just getting ready to pass a guy to go into 4th and then go after 3rd, when it got called. Maybe next year.There is something electric about being in a big group of bikes inches apart going over 20 mph. For me, it is really a big adrenaline rush. The excitement of going fast and the danger of being in a peloton all at the same time is exciting. Where as running is more of a solitary endeavor, cycling truly is a team sport.
So what does this mean for me for 2011, I am not for sure? We have our first meeting next week to discuss the 2011 race calendar and what key races we will target. That will help me plan what goals I will set for for this upcoming race year. My commitment to the team is for a minimum of 5 races to fulfill their requirements. That will not be a problem as I like to race.
So what does this mean, will I not be running this year? Not at all. Running is something that I can never see my self not doing. Even when I will have to concentrate more on cycling to get better, I will still run several times a week. I may even throw in an occasional swim just for kicks. Why, I am not for sure. Once we have the meeting and plan the year, I can make my plans around what commitments they require. In the mean time, this is going to be an awesome year and I look forward to trying something different. After all, that is how we grow to be better than we were the year before.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Ramblings
It's been awhile since I blogged about anything worth writing about. It is not that a lot has not happened, it is just things have become a blur. Life is so short and every moment so precious, that it becomes harder and harder to be able to do everything you want to do. This means that some pruning of things in my life needs to take place to make sure that the priority things get taken care of. TV is probably the biggest time waster there is. As I was walking by a TV on at the gym today, it said that the average American spends 34 hours a week watching TV. How sad. I know there are several other things that are time wasters, but I know TV is one of the biggest. But, that is enough of that for know as that will be a future blog. So what has been going on?
For the 5th year in a row, I ran the Route 66 Marathon here in Tulsa. With weather conditions here in Oklahoma, you never now what it going to be like. It ended up being muggy and very windy. Hurricane force is how one person described it. Not exactly, but strong enough to slow all the times down. The course was also changed once again this year. I think it is the 4th change in 5 years. I am not for sure why. At least this year they went to corral starts and that allowed me to get out early from the slower runners.
I really like how the new course winds through downtown and gives people an opportunity to see the sites of Tulsa. The actual worst part for me is on Riverside to where it is flat and boring. The problem this year was you hit Riverside going south directly into the wind at about mile 14.5 and had about 6 miles of strong winds. That really took the wind out of my sails or put it in. Pun intended.
I had went through the half at 1:31 and felt pretty good, minus the buckets of sweat pouring off of me because of the humidity. I had wanted to run at least a 3:05, but once I turned on Riverside, my chances started to drop. I tried ducking down behind some of the half marathoners until the turn around, but close to 41st, you are on your own. My splits started dropping down to 7:40 miles and slower at that point. At the turnaround, it was all hang on and just finish. The wind had really beat me up. I held it all together and pulled in a 3:14. Good enough for 18th overall and 2nd in my age group.
Wyatt ran the 5K that was held in conjunction with the Marathon. He managed a 2nd place in his age group. It was a good day at the races for the Dorothy family.
I was on vacation this last week and took the boys ice skating at the BOK Center before it closed for the season. Will had played ice hockey for 3 years and was not impressed with the condition of the ice. I guess they don't know how to use a Zamboni.
This was Wyatt's first time skating and he did really good. He only fell twice. He decided that was enough for the day as we had a race that night. Almost every year we do the Race into the New Year on Riverside. It is a great race put by Runnersworld running store. The best running store in Tulsa and one that I am honored to run for. The concept is to start running in one year and finish in the next. Unless you are Kyle King and run a sub 15 and finish in the same year.
I wanted to race it hard as I had been running good and thought that a sub 19 may be in the cards, but with the wind and the lack of being able to see, it didn't happen. The temps were around 20 degrees and the wind chill was in the low teens. Not bad for Illinois weather, but brutal for Oklahoma weather. At exactly 11:45 the gun sounded and we were off. I let the young guys go ahead and stayed at a steady pace with some of the lead women who were complaining that they could not see the road. Duh, it is almost midnight.
We start on the Westside trail, go up a little incline, head East across the Arkansas river bridge and head south to about 17th Street, turnaround and head home. I was running decent and from what I could tell, I hit the first mile in 6:09 and was feeling OK. On mile 2 is where we headed back into the wind and our times slowed again. Going across the bridge I think I hit the 4K mark at 15:33 and knew that sub 19 was gone. I ended up running on the Westside trail again while the fireworks were going off, so I knew I was still doing good. I ended up crossing the line in 19:26 by my Garmin. Good enough for 11th overall and first in my age group. Not bad for their being about 600 runners and the poor running conditions. I still believe that sub 19 is there for this Spring.
After resting up on Saturday and just riding the bike on the trainer for an hour, we headed to Turkey Mountain after church on Sunday and I went Mountain biking while the rest of the clan hiked and ran. I have had a love and hate relationship with Mountain biking, but yesterday was good day and it may be something to explore in the spring. I did a little over 10 miles in 1:16 and did not crash once.
Today was a 4X4 minutes interval workout on the treadmill at 6:03 with 3 minutes rest in between. Now it is time chill a little before going back to work. Have a great day!
For the 5th year in a row, I ran the Route 66 Marathon here in Tulsa. With weather conditions here in Oklahoma, you never now what it going to be like. It ended up being muggy and very windy. Hurricane force is how one person described it. Not exactly, but strong enough to slow all the times down. The course was also changed once again this year. I think it is the 4th change in 5 years. I am not for sure why. At least this year they went to corral starts and that allowed me to get out early from the slower runners.I really like how the new course winds through downtown and gives people an opportunity to see the sites of Tulsa. The actual worst part for me is on Riverside to where it is flat and boring. The problem this year was you hit Riverside going south directly into the wind at about mile 14.5 and had about 6 miles of strong winds. That really took the wind out of my sails or put it in. Pun intended.
I had went through the half at 1:31 and felt pretty good, minus the buckets of sweat pouring off of me because of the humidity. I had wanted to run at least a 3:05, but once I turned on Riverside, my chances started to drop. I tried ducking down behind some of the half marathoners until the turn around, but close to 41st, you are on your own. My splits started dropping down to 7:40 miles and slower at that point. At the turnaround, it was all hang on and just finish. The wind had really beat me up. I held it all together and pulled in a 3:14. Good enough for 18th overall and 2nd in my age group.
Wyatt ran the 5K that was held in conjunction with the Marathon. He managed a 2nd place in his age group. It was a good day at the races for the Dorothy family.
I was on vacation this last week and took the boys ice skating at the BOK Center before it closed for the season. Will had played ice hockey for 3 years and was not impressed with the condition of the ice. I guess they don't know how to use a Zamboni.
This was Wyatt's first time skating and he did really good. He only fell twice. He decided that was enough for the day as we had a race that night. Almost every year we do the Race into the New Year on Riverside. It is a great race put by Runnersworld running store. The best running store in Tulsa and one that I am honored to run for. The concept is to start running in one year and finish in the next. Unless you are Kyle King and run a sub 15 and finish in the same year.I wanted to race it hard as I had been running good and thought that a sub 19 may be in the cards, but with the wind and the lack of being able to see, it didn't happen. The temps were around 20 degrees and the wind chill was in the low teens. Not bad for Illinois weather, but brutal for Oklahoma weather. At exactly 11:45 the gun sounded and we were off. I let the young guys go ahead and stayed at a steady pace with some of the lead women who were complaining that they could not see the road. Duh, it is almost midnight.
We start on the Westside trail, go up a little incline, head East across the Arkansas river bridge and head south to about 17th Street, turnaround and head home. I was running decent and from what I could tell, I hit the first mile in 6:09 and was feeling OK. On mile 2 is where we headed back into the wind and our times slowed again. Going across the bridge I think I hit the 4K mark at 15:33 and knew that sub 19 was gone. I ended up running on the Westside trail again while the fireworks were going off, so I knew I was still doing good. I ended up crossing the line in 19:26 by my Garmin. Good enough for 11th overall and first in my age group. Not bad for their being about 600 runners and the poor running conditions. I still believe that sub 19 is there for this Spring.
After resting up on Saturday and just riding the bike on the trainer for an hour, we headed to Turkey Mountain after church on Sunday and I went Mountain biking while the rest of the clan hiked and ran. I have had a love and hate relationship with Mountain biking, but yesterday was good day and it may be something to explore in the spring. I did a little over 10 miles in 1:16 and did not crash once.Today was a 4X4 minutes interval workout on the treadmill at 6:03 with 3 minutes rest in between. Now it is time chill a little before going back to work. Have a great day!
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