TriRock NY Race Recap

May 5, 2012 --

Hello all!!! I am sorry for keeping everyone waiting for this post, but I have had a busy few days.  Saturday I spent driving to Rhode Island, Sunday I ran a half marathon and drove back home to Long Island.  Monday I had baseball practice and was watching the Ranger Game! Tuesday I had a baseball game, and here I am today.  Practice cancelled due to rain, workouts taken care of before and right after work so I have a few minutes before the Ranger game starts tonight! So here goes...

And so triathlon season is upon us; well, kinda.  This past Saturday was TriRock New York a sprint triathlon in Harriman State Park in Stony Point, NY.  The park is about an hour away from my house, so with an 8 am scheduled start time, Amy and I decided to wake up at 5 and hit the road no later than 5:30.

We stopped quickly at Dunkin Donuts, because no one should be up before 6 without a coffee.  Sad story here, the coffee was absolutely disgusting.  Disgusting to the point that we couldn't even force it down just for the sake of caffeine.  The bagel I got however, was awesome!

Awesome Bagel!

As we neared the park, we began to encounter some fog, but I really thought nothing of this.  If I remember correctly, there was fog as we arrived to last year's triathlon at Harriman.  Anyway, we pull into the parking lot and unload the car.  There was a little bit of fog, but it didn't really seem too bad in the lot.  I walked my bike over to transition and began to set up.  I set up my regular transition and can remember thinking "Hmm I wonder which way the beach is from here"  After I finished setting up transition, I threw on my wetsuit and went to find Amy.

Amy and I were hanging around a few minutes before I went to take care of some pre race restroom appointments.  I think that races are one of the very few places you will ever find a line for the men's room.  I take care of business and am ready to get into the water to start my first tri of 2012.

Remember that thought of where the beach was, as I walked out of the bathroom, I finally got my answer.  I walked down a path and finally began to see sand.

This was my view of the water from about 200 yards away. Terrible fog cover.  So bad so that the race coordinators are making an announcement that they are going to push the start of the race back a half hour in hopes that the fog lifts, and they do not have to cancel the swim.  I turn to Amy and ask if I heard right...that they might CANCEL THE SWIM!  I was less than happy with the notion that the swim portion of this triathlon could potentially be cancelled.  Well long story short, after almost an hour of waiting in which hope was given and taken away as the fog rolled in and out, the swim leg of this race was cancelled, and I was now racing "DuRock New York."

At this point I am pretty upset.  I did not want to take of my brand new TYR Hurricane Cat 5 wetsuit

and put on my run gear.  I tell Amy, "Well there goes any shot I may have had at the podium today."  The swim is one of my strongest disciplines of the triathlon, and I usually have one of the better/best swim times in my age group...and one of the worst run times.  I just knew that adding an extra run leg would allow my competition to open up an even bigger gap on me when normally I would be ahead or neck and neck after the swim leg.

Now that I have expressed my sadness over the lack of swim...lets get to the recap!

Run 1- 1.2 Miles


Okay, so the race started in the same waves we would have been in had we done the swim and I was in wave 4.  The waves were sent off in three minute intervals, so some of the runners from wave 1 returned and were out of T1 before my wave even started.

Here's what we saw from the start line...a big group of runners heading into a foggy abyss, not knowing what was waiting on the other side.  The first run leg went by pretty quickly.  I stayed with the main pack of my wave, and finished the 1.2 miles just under 10 minutes with a pace of 7:41 min/mi.  One small hill up and one coming back down.  It was nice to have run this, because we would be repeating this same loop two more times for the second run leg.

Run 1 - 9:59 7:41 min/mi.

T1 - 1:22

Bike - 11 Miles

The bike leg was an 11 mile loop with some rolling hills.  Some of the hills were a little rougher than others, but nothing compared to the hills on last year's course.  My top speed was in the mid 30s on a down hill, and my minimum speed was around 12 MPH on one of the steeper uphills.  My bike performance has increased since last year.  I think a variety of factors has led to this increase.  Simple strength increase in my legs is certainly something that can be thanked.  Having to push less weight on the bike can also be thanked.  And I feel my conversion to bike shoes and clip less pedals has certainly helped.  

Bike - 37:09 18.8 MPH

T2 - 1:24

Run 2 - 3.1 Miles

Run 2 I knew was another two laps of the loop we had already run for the first run leg with a small addition about half way through the loop.  I got off the bike, and was ready to run.  Grabbed my hat and slipped my run shoes on and headed out on my way.  I felt pretty good running the whole time...which tells me I probably could have pushed myself a little harder.  (Things to keep in mind for my next Tri) I have to say in my past triathlons, I never walked, but I ran pretty slow and was passed by a lot of other people.  It was a great feeling to be on the other side of that situation on Saturday.  I was running hard and moving past several people on my run leg.  I have greatly improved my running abilities and speed over the winter which was exactly what I was hoping for!

Run 2 - 25:26 8:29 min/mi

Total - 1:15:22

Total - 1:15:22

Overall, very happy with my performance at DuRock NY.  I plan on being a force to be reckoned with this triathlon season!

Weekend Expectations

April 30, 2011 --

Good evening, I hope everyone had a happy and productive Monday.  This coming weekend is the first in which I will be running two races.  Saturday, I will be running in TriRock New York at Harriman State Park, and Sunday I will be competing in the first leg of the United Health Care Triple Crown Race Series.  

Friday afternoon I will be heading into the city to pick up my race packet for TriRock, and I must say I am so excited for this race this year.  This will be my first tri of the season, and I can't wait to show off the new speed in the run leg of the race.  This will also be my first opportunity to get in the water in my new TYR Hurricane CAT 5 wetsuit!  

I am not sure exactly what I expect my finishing time will be, but I do plan to have a competitive time and hope to finish top five in my age group.

After TriRock, I will head right up to Rhode Island to the race expo for the Providence Race.  I have a time I am shooting for, but do not want to let that information out of the bag just yet.  I do not know how I will feel after the triathlon Saturday, and do not want to be disappointed if I am unable to hit my time goal after I posted it here.  As far as I am concerned, the Triathlon on Saturday is my top priority of the weekend and the half marathon is secondary.

I am very excited to be getting back into the heart of race season! It truly is the best part of the year!

Also, I am a huge New York Ranger fan who are in the middle of their playoff run!  Let's Go Rangers!!!

Training Updates

Saturday, April 21, 2012 --

A few updates to mention today.  First off, Thursday night was a Team Bicycle Planet training session dedicated to working on T2, the bike to run transition.  We set up a bike rack in the corner of the parking lot...racked our bikes, set up our transition areas and got to work.  We talked a lot about how to get through transition as quickly as possible and some of the big dos and donts of triathlon transition.  One big hit of the night for some of my teammates were elastic laces for the running shoes.  About half of us, myself included, already had elastic laces on our shoes and in a matter of seconds had convinced the other half to make their way to the shop after practice to pick up elastic laces of their own.  It's no secret that having elastic laces shaves precious seconds off of a transition, but more than that I really like how they can never really be tied too tight or too loose.

After some chatting about how to speed up transition, we put our newly learned skills to the test; starting about fifty feet away from the transition area, running in as if we were entering T1, taking out the bike, riding a few hundred yards, and returning to test our times for T2.  It was a lot of fun, and there are really some great people to learn from and offer tips to on Team Bicycle Planet.  With my first triathlon of the season only two short weeks away, I really want to spend some time at home working on transition at home.  One big area I'd like to work on is mounting and dismounting the bike.

My last big tip for transition...keep it simple.  A good transition set up has only the essentials.  There's no reason to unpack every piece of triathlon gear you own just in case you need it.  This comes mostly with experience, but eventually you will be able to figure out exactly what you need for transition, and have a nice routine down to get in and out quickly.

Aside from my triathlon two weeks from today, I am also running a half marathon two weeks and one day from today.  Training for that has also been going great!  Today I went out for my long run and was very happy with my 10 mile run in 1:26:50.  I ran with a pace of 8:41 min/mi. which for me is very fast.  It appears that all of my winter work on my running is really paying off, and I could not be happier!!!

I am super excited to get out on the road in race conditions to test out these new legs!

On another note, I am seriously disappointed with how the New York Rangers have played the last two games, and really hope they can turn it around first in game 6 to force a game 7 and then really give it everything there.  Lets Go Rangers...I still BELIEVE!

Fast Approaching...

April 13, 2012 --

Happy Friday the 13th to everyone out there.  This is the second of three such dates penciled into the 2012 calendar this year.  The first was in January, and the third will come in July.  We are just about half way through April and for many, they will be competing in their first triathlons in three short weeks.

For me, I open my triathlon season in Harriman State Park at TriRock NY.  It's hard to believe that less than a year ago, TriRock was the first triathlon I ran.  It will be nice to return to a familiar race, but due to September's Hurricane Irene, the race will be taking place on a completely different course.  Last year the swim took place at Lake Sebago beach, but unfortunately the hurricane washed away the beach, and this year's race will take place at Lake Welch.

This is the first of many races I have planned this year.  I am not sure exactly what I was thinking when I was planning out the season, bur I am really looking forward to the excitement and the challenge of my season.  My main race this season is the half ironman in Maine at the end of August so that is what my training will be focusing on, but I hope to be competitive in my other Tri's.  I worked really hard on my run speed in the 'off season' and am looking forward to better times this season.  I am coming into the season down fifty pounds from from the Mighty Hamptons race.

UHC Triple Crown

April 7, 2012 --

Good morning, and welcome to the weekend!  It has been awhile since I have posted on here, and to be honest it has been a combination of a busy schedule and sheer laziness which has kept me away.  I did make a few small updates to the homepage, adding a new page for the UHC Triple Crown.

Many of you may be asking, what exactly this triple crown is, so let me tell you.  Last year, I ran the United Health Care half marathon in Newport, RI.  I absolutely loved this race, and immediately signed up to run it again in 2012.  Long story short, I soon learned two different things.  First, that Amica Marathon (@Amicamarathon) was offering an opportunity to bloggers to enter either the Amica Marathon or UHC half marathon in Newport, RI and blog about their training and experiences at the race.  Secondly, I learned of the triple crown series United Health Care was sponsoring.

The series, consisting of half marathons in Providence in May, Jamestown in July, and Newport in October is looking to "crown a half marathon champion of Rhode Island in 2012."  This series absolutely appealed to me for several reasons.  First, after the 2011 half in Newport, I have the utmost confidence that UHC will put on three fantastic races.  Secondly, Rhode Island is not too far of a drive from where I live on Long Island and is a beautiful state.

I am really looking forward to these three races, the first of which is just four short weeks from today.  I ran 8 miles yesterday in 1:06:41, and am looking forward to a big PR in Providence!

In the next few days I will post my 'insane race schedule' for 2012...Last I counted I think a total of 14 or 15 races.

Happy Easter!

Rock'n'Roll USA Marathon Report

March 18, 2012 --

Yesterday was the Inagural Rock'n'Roll USA Marathon and Half Marathon, and before I even begin sharing my experiences, I have to say a few thank-yous.  Thank you to Competitor Group and the Rock and Roll Marathon Series for putting on an Amazing Event!  From the Race Expo to the finish line the race was well organized, well put together, and very well run.  Thank you to all of the race volunteers! You were all amazing and your enthusiasm and hard work was very appreciated.  Thank you to all the performance groups along the course! You all make the race very entertaining and a lot of fun.  And finally, Thank you to the city of Washington DC! I felt very welcomed, and it seemed as if the entire city was out and in full support of the runners yesterday.  Absolutely amazing!!!

Also before I get started, let me share my 9.5 toenail story.  During my 18 mile training run, I somehow developed a blister under half of my toenail on my left big toe.  After a few days, the blister broke , leaving the nail detached from the toe.  I went to a foot doctor to have him check it out, and he simply removed the part of the nail which was unattached to the toe.  He said it will take some time, but should grow back normally.  Without the nail, I actually felt better, and had less pain and discomfort than I did with the blister and detached nail.

Now for what you've all been waiting for: my race report...

5am Friday morning, Amy and I woke up on Long Island and began our journey to Washington DC.  Five hours later, we arrived in DC and headed right to the race expo.  This was one of the biggest race expos I have ever seen, and even being the biggest I feel it was definitely one of the most organized.  You walked in and were directed right into packet pick-up.  Amy and I picked up our packets, and were then directed into the merchandise and vendor booth area.  We were both 'suckered' into buying jackets, which we actually both love!  We visited every booth, learned a lot, and got a ton of free give aways!

After the expo we headed to our hotel and checked into our room, unpacked, and headed into DC to walk around and see some of the sights.  We met one of Amy's former roommates and had a pretty low key evening.  We struggled to find my lucky pre-race meal, penne ala vodka with grilled chicken, but were finally successful and chowed down on some delicious, extra spicy pasta!

Saturday morning we were both up at 6, got dressed and walked the 3 blocks to the metro in order to make it over to the start.  The first train passed us by and was so packed that we couldn't even get onto the train.  We waited for the second train to come by, hopped on and arrived at the Armory to check our bags in by 7:10...stopped in the rest room (so nice to have flushing toilets!) and headed toward the start to find our spots in our respective corrals.

The first wave went off at 8 AM, and I waited in wave 17 with the 4:25 pace team.  I had planned to run with them for as much of the race as I could.  Around 8:25, my wave had made their way to the start line and were on our way to 26.2 miles!  The first half of the marathon went by great!  The temperature was in the high 50s/low 60s and I was feeling great.  The first half was incredible with great sights and views of the city.  We ran by the capitol building, white house, Washington monument, and other major landmarks!  My half marathon split was 2:12:50.  The race went downhill from there.

After the half split, the course went into a more open area with much less shade from the sun, and the temperature had risen to about 80 degrees.  This temperature was what I was not prepared for.  All of my training runs in New York had been done in temperatures which never broke 45 or 50 degrees.  All of them had been done in leggings and long sleeve thermals.  I was taking in extra fluids because of the heat, which did not make my stomach very happy.  I was cramping up bad in both the gut and the legs with the heat and excess sweating.  I began to run/walk around mile 14 or 15, and I saw my goals of 4:25, 4:35 and even 4:50 slipping away; but I was determined to finish.  Amy had told me afterward that she saw numerous people wearing marathon bibs, who had half marathon medals meaning they stopped at the half way point.  

I just told myself to keep moving and never stopped.  After mile 15, they began handing out cups of ice to cool the runners down at all of the aid stations, and even at random stops along the course.  It was awesome that the race directors reacted to the heat as well as they did beginning to hand out ice and things of that nature.  

Around mile 25, I realized that I had only 1.2 miles to go, and began running, and told myself not to stop until I had crossed the finish line.  I saw Amy at the mile 26 marker wearing her half medal, and cheering me on.  At that point, I turned on the jets and whatever fuel I still had in me propelled me to the finish line.  My finish time was just shy of 5 hours and 19 minutes, i think 5:18:52.  This was considerably slower than I had hoped for, but that just gives me tons of room for improvement for next time.  I am extremely proud of myself for finishing the marathon and have no regrets about my time or my efforts during the race! 

I do have some pictures and some stories to share in a later post, so check back for that in the coming days.

Rock'n'Roll USA Goals and Expectations

Good Afternoon! For those of you at work, it's FRIDAY!!!!

Here is what's been going on lately for me... Running running running.  Training has gone really well, and tapering went well as well.  I feel I am as well prepared for this race as I could be, and am very excited to have my chance at 26.2 tomorrow morning.  Sadly, I will only be running with nine and a half toe nails (more to come on this in the race report), but it will not stop me or slow me down!

Okay here are my expectations for the race:

1- I do not expect it to be easy, but I will be giving 110% percent on the course, and expect to be running the entire 26.2 miles with only walk breaks for eating/drinking if necessary.

2- I expect the course to be amazing! I drove past some of the monuments earlier today and was mesmerized, so I can't wait to run past them tomorrow!

And my goals:

My A goal is to finish sub 4:25.  I will be going out with a 4:25 pace group, and anticipate being able to hold a steady 10:00/mile pace.

My B goal is to finish sub 4:35.  This would give me an average pace of right around 10:30/mile

My C Goal is to finish sub 4:50.  Giving me an average pace of around 11:00/mile.

My D Goal is just to finish.


Hope everyone has a great St. Patrick's Day, and I will be sure to let everyone know how these 26.2 miles go for me!