Manatee Mentors 2015.2 CLOSED (Poptarts? Pet pics?) (Page 44)

Pacing is still important in a short race.  I think you can afford to take more chances in a spint than an HIM because if you are wrong the pain is not like two or three hours.  A sprint takes a pretty hard effort but you do not want to spike your heart rate and burn up too early.  That's a pretty short swim but again you don't want to do it like a solo 300m time trial and be so out of breath you are wobbling over to your bike.  Like Ben said, look at some of your paces from your workouts and see what fits for a hard effort but not redline.

In a sprint, transitions are very key.  They are also good practice for your HIM.  Thinking about where you rack your bike if you have options, how you lay your stuff out,  what is your sequence of movements.  I have seen people waste minutes in transition.  Think about the effort difference on a 5k to make up a minute and try to get that minute in transition.  Practice your transitions like it is a dance. 

In a short race where you are pushing higher speeds you will burn more energy overcoming wind resistance.  I really focus on good tight aero position and I look for opportunities to legally draft even if it's just for a few seconds to catch my breath a little.

The run is going to hurt.  Prepare mentally for that.  Keep a bubble around yourself.  By that I mean focus on your own thing especially early in the run.  If people pass you let them go.  I'll let someone draw me a little but don't get pulled out of your bubble or zone.  I'll start about 10k pace until my legs loosen up and then crank it up a tad and hold steady as long as I can.

Good luck.  I am sure that you will do great.  Gutting it out is good but being smart along the way will save you time.  

Stacey, I love that you told the auditors what color underwear you were wearing.   Way to keep a sense of humor through the whole PITA.  As for your boss, at least the Board sees that she's failing to step up and is encouraging you to let her flounder.  That can be really hard to do, especially when you see it affecting others.  On the other hand, the sooner she washes out, the sooner the Board can find somebody else who can hopefully be more effective.

Sean, Steve and others, your comments about sprint pacing got me to thinking.  In my races last year (my 1st year), I was so worried about blowing up that I ended up not leaving everything out on the course.  In fact, my run in my 2nd race was my fastest 5k ever, including in standalone races.  Clearly, I wasn't pushing myself hard enough.  Then again, last year I was focusing on simply finishing rather than on time.  This year, I'm going to focus more on pacing, pushing myself to the limit, and speeding up my glacial T1 time!!  Wrestling with my stupid wetsuit has been my nemesis to date.  Steve, your comment about losing minutes in transition was definitely me last year.  My 1st T1 was an abysmal 8+ min. because my wetsuit got stuck on my timing chip.  I cut that time in 1/2 for my 2nd race, but I definitely have some work to do to drop that time!

I'm sitting here thinking about pacing and strategy for a marathon this weekend.  Figuring out target pace is so important because so much of the race is run at a pace below what you are capable of running.  You really don't know if you got it right until the latter stages of the race.  My current goal is relatively modest compared to the running calculators based on my last half marathon but I do not have the miles to back up the calculator.  I'm contemplating throwing in some short walks breaks as additional bonk insurance?  I'm also wondering how much some of the half marathon races I've done over the last weeks make up for lack of long runs if at all? So calculator +10 minutes, +15 minutes?  I wish Janyne could just jump in and pace me.  I'd love to have her marathon time from last week.

The course is deceptive in that it is mostly gradual downhill with a massive 2 mile hill between 21 and 23 miles that has been my nemesis (this is my fifth year here).  Then the last three miles are fairly steep downhill.  I used to think all this downhill running would equate to a great time but your legs take such a pounding that it hasn't really worked out that way.  Hopefully, my super cushiony Hoka's will help this time.  Here is a profile of the course.

(YRC.jpg)

Stacey, one thing I noted a while after I stopped working for myself and got a job with a "real" company is that I had to make an adjustment. And it took me nearly 10 years and nearly cost me the best wife ever before I got there.  But here is the thing.  If you left the job tomorrow, the company would still be there.  They might have issues replacing you, but I can almost gaurantee that the company will live on. So, how much of yourself should you be willing to give them?  Somewhere there is a balance between getting the job done and living your life.  And Phil and the vet are right. You need to find a way to de-stress.  I can tell you that running and biking came into my life when I needed them the most.  We went through a pretty good sized re-org, half of the sys admins in the company left, my work load went up, then I was asked to run the Item Processing department for a while, etc. During it all, I ran most mornings and rode the bike here and there, and swam when I wanted to.  And it helped me stay in balance. There was a period where I could have been doing 70 hours plus a week, but I didn't. I stayed the course, trained some folks in the department,, and kept a focused and consistent outlook.  I also looked for jobs outside of the company, but never found one that offered the same returns as this one.  Through it all, I knew in the end that it wasn't going to muck up my long range plan, which is to grow old with TW.  

So what I would suggest is that you find what truly matters and find a way to make all of the other stuff in life help you improve that one thing.

Steve, that sure looks like a rough spot to have that hill! Pacing certainly does look like a bit of a challenge, to say the least. I took a look at your race logs and it seems to me that you have the ability to bust out a pretty nice marathon. I threw out last year when you were fighting a cold. RnR Seattle last year you finished in 4:03 and it looks like the same sort of course in that a bunch of "fun" happens in the last few miles. You've blasted off a few real nice training HM's in the past couple of months, so that should help the confidence level.

I think that the 26.2 mile distance (which I've never run) really does lend itself to going out too early and too fast and then finding out just how bad an idea that is. Pacing seems crucial at that distance.  I really can't say what pace you'd be best suited for. I can bet there are some smarter folks then me in this group that can help you out.  Chime in here people!

Who put that hill in after mile 20?!

My last marathon I seriously trained for I was aiming a 3:15:

https://www.strava.com/activities/105581501

Outside of a restroom break at mile 17, I was hitting my pace like a metronome until a hill after mile 19.  It kept going and going, and I watched my paced go on a downward spiral towards the end of it.  I was in complete survival mode after that. 

I'm still scratching my head as far as what I could have done differently I had a great last long run two weeks before that
https://www.strava.com/activities/102654736/pace-analysis

Granted there was almost 3x the elevation in the marathon, and I ran it at a faster pace, but my long run was at the end of my biggest training week of my plan.  The only thing I could think is that I didn't run enough miles per week (I was hitting around 50 miles in my last few weeks).

I guess the only thing I can add to this discussion is that after mile 20 is a God awful place for that hill to be.  It doesn't take much to push me over the edge at that point, and that would definitely be a threat.  Sorry if I'm adding to anxiety, Steve! 

Stacey, I totally get where you're coming from.  I've been there and am kind of feeling like I'm falling back into that right now.  I set incredibly high standards for myself (probably impossible, really) when it comes to work, then get resentful that I'm always the one fixing everything and taking care of all the things that I think are necessary to present a professional image for our department.  People rely on me to take care of the details in part because I *always* do and I'll do whatever it takes to get it all done, especially where there's a deadline.  In some cases, that's meant that I've cut vacations short, worked long hours, and this week, did way more than I physically should have and am now paying the price.  It's really hard for me to ask for help because I think I should be able to handle everything.  I can't say that I've found a solution, but at least I'm aware of it and am getting better about setting some limits.  I had to learn that with my family too.  All my emotional stuff plays out in my body; when I'm struggling mentally/emotionally and feeling overwhelmed is often when I have the least motivation to take care of myself, which is when I need it the most.

Luckily this time, I'm going on vacation for a few days.  It feels like a really inopportune time but it's scheduled and the world won't end if the new employee doesn't have her office name plate there on her first day.

As for your dog, hope she gets back to her old self soon.  Another thing to consider is that not only has she been affected by Lizzie's death and Phil's illness, but probably also by your stress.  That doesn't mean blame yourself!!!!  Just something to consider.  Maybe some Traditional Chinese Medicine might help you too? 

(((Hugs)))  This too shall pass.

Stacey, I totally hear you on the work front.  

We put so much pressure on ourselves on our work life that you sometimes forget that it's actually YOUR life - and you work to live, not live to work.  The ONLY other person in our office that did the same thing as me got fired almost 2 months ago and so I've now had my workload doubled as they're not hiring anyone else for patent prosecution for our office.  Trying to stay on top of everything and make sure everything is done properly has definitely taken a toll in all areas of my life and there have been so many days that I've been bitter or angry or upset, until I realized that this is what I do so that I can enjoy the rest of my life.  For ME, that meant that as soon as my work day is done at 5pm, that's it, I'm DONE.  I've made it known to all the lawyers and my supervisor that we have emergency systems in place for last minute filings, etc., and I'm not it.  It also means not checking work email at home, not talking about it with Tony (besides, it's pretty boring stuff), and not doing any work past my quitting time.  

One thing I really do need to work on, is my training.  I always feel better after doing something active, but after my hour-long commute home, I tend to forget that in lieu of the couch because the couch can just be soooooo comfy...  

We have a people-eating couch and our bed is in an extra-high gravity zone.  It's been proven over and over, usually by me.

Short swims I might just go at a strong main set pace. Like on a 10-20 x 100 set. It's close enough. If the run is sorta close to a 10k pace and is hard to do then you probably did ok. I'm not sure about bike pacing just yet as I don't know how the harder work has been done yet. Power is available now, but without the experience it'd be better to just take the data for afterward. Still, if you see like 400 watts or more, you're going too hard. I want to say many could lower that to near 300, but I'm not sure where you're at. I think Matt & Matt might touch it once in awhile, but I average over 300.

Transitions are the 4th discipline of short course. Nutrition is the 4th for long course. Think of what Steve said and set things up to be efficient. Move along, but don't rush. 5 extra seconds to make sure you got everything is ok. An extra 5-30 seconds for every single item you deal with is wasting time.

Haha, yeah, ever single one of them has hurt!

I meant to add some of this last night after the workout, but 1. It was taco night and 2. Game of Thrones had come in.

When I finished up on Sunday, I let my coach know how I did.  A few hours after that conversation, she texted me and asked how I was feeling.  I said, "I feel good now.  I was pretty ragged in the finisher chute.  The last 2.5 miles were though!"  She replied, "They often are!" 

Jen - I hope that you are doing well.  I was thinking about you when I was riding my bike yesterday.  When did your GI problems start?  Before or after wrist surgery?

Stacey - We've used homeopathic stuff with our four leggeds for years.  Well before I used it for me ;-)  We had rescue dog that was about 7 yo when she moved in with us.  Towards the end of her life, we started taking her to the homeopath.  If nothing else, we wanted her to be comfortable.  The homeopath did not know Penny's history at all and she told us some things that we had kind of guessed at but didn't know.  She had neck problems due to jerk and pull training methods, among other things.  Anyway, it was interesting to have a doggie chiropractor/homeopathic vet tell us some of these things.  Also sad because Penny clearly missed her first family and was clearly very devoted to them (I won't love you because last time I loved people, they moved and 'couldn't take me') -- these same people who abused her.  Anyway, that's just a long way of saying that I totally going the non conventional route with your dogs.  It also makes sense to me that treating the whole dog, not just the symptoms, makes the most sense.

Happy Birthday, Matt!

Janyne, great marathon!

It's been a busy week at work. Sitting in a small room with the US Green Building council...

And speaking of work, Stacey, I think you have already gotten a lot of great advice. I guess at the very bare bones of it, you just need to really think of you priorities in your life and make tough decisions based on that. Priorities are  going to be different for everyone and there is no one right answer. But once you have a clear idea, I think it's a little easier to cut out chunks of time and say no to some things. Finally, find something that helps your manage stress. For me it's running (Notice,I run a lot! ) 

In looking at last years results, you should be one of the faster swimmers.  You might want to seed yorself a little on the aggressive side.  My expereince has been that most people tend to be overly optomistic with seeding and having to pass many people would kind of suck.  Your bike times look pretty good too.  That should put you in the company of some pretty speedy runners.  Be careful there.  And finishing at a brewery is never a bad thing.

Also, speaking of prioritization...

As you all know I have more or less dedicated the next 6 months or so to mountain/trail running. So, I have used that as a filter for making decisions.

Anyway, a big track meet is coming up this weekend. My coach called me to ask me to race. He framed it at first as, "You probably aren't 100% recovered from your half marathon a few weeks ago. Perhaps you might want to try something shorter"

After googling "how to steeplechase" I quickly responded that I didn't really want to compete in the meet (I have a trail 10K) unless maybe I could try the steeplechase  He quickly killed that dream stating that "enough people with a lot of experience have some major issues/injuries." and that I "should probably at least have a technique session before entering a race"

Pssssshhhhhh. Whaaaateeeveerrrrr.

So then he goes in for the kill saying, "Well, you could always run the 10,000. You DO have a title to defend"

That was cold! 

I did, however, manage to say no. At this point, I really do think the trail 10K is a better fit for my overall plan. Not to mention a little less pressure and a lot more fun. But it wasn't exactly easy to keep that exact perspective...

Been thinking on this a bit.  As usual, I agree with a lot of what was said, but I'll avoid "x whatever" and give a couple data points from my last sprint and some HIM comparisons.  Warning - longish post and prolly only of interest to the more geeky/data driven types! 

TLDR version - what Ben said... again, like usual. 

I went back and looked at my last sprint.  It was 9/15/13, so about a year and a half ago, a month after my first HIM and a heavy racing season and right after a pulled hammy (so I had an enforced taper!).  Plan was to swim hard, bike hard and jog to the finish. 

Swim pace was 1:07/100 for 440.  Fast for me, and I was swimming... Right. On. The. Rivet.  For the whole swim.  Kept telling myself that any faster and I'd die before shore, any slower and I'd be pissed.  So, this was as hard as I could go for that distance.  HIM the month prior was 1:21/100 with a couple good drafts.  (wetsuits make me a lot faster than my poor form and open turns do in the pool!)

Bike was 250W AP, 256 weighted average, so a pretty consistent effort across 14.5 hilly miles.  Almost 21 mph on a hilly course (had the KOM for a while, actually).  Again, just about all I could handle for that distance.  HR was 156 on average and my bike 20' test HR was about 161 or 162 and FTP was high 250W's at that time.  Moderately hilly HIM the month prior (my first) was 207AP/212WAP, HR of 140.  Maybe I had a couple more W in me at the sprint, but not many.  Could barely take a sip once or twice the whole ride, tongue lolling out like a fat Labrador on a hot summer day. 

Run pace was 6:49/mile (again, a bit hilly) over 3.4 miles, which was almost exactly my 10k open pace from earlier that season.  It was slow enough not to be "speedwork," so my hammy didn't bark, and I was able to hold that, but JUST.  HR was 162 on average, actually pretty close to the HR I can hold across an open HM when in shape, with my max being ~179.  HR at the HIM run the month prior was 155 and pace ~8m/m.

It was my best race on that sprint course (4th OA that year), so I could not have gotten across the line much faster.

All in, I swam hard but steady (didn't blow up in the first 50, as I'd done on this course previously).  Biked hard, but steady (very few spikes, close to FTP).  Ben and Matt could probably hold a higher percentage of their calculated FTP, but this was what I could put down on the day.  Ran well and consistently at my 10k pace, but felt again like I would die if the course had been 3.4000000001 miles long.

So, without having set it up that way, "What Ben said" worked for me in that sprint.

Remember to have fun (even if it feels like something very different DURING the race)!

Matt

That would seal it for me, but I don't have a title to defend! 

Perspective is always easier as retrospective, so, good on ya' for keeping your head about you.

Enjoy. 

Yikes, fixed barriers are cruel and unforgiving.  I think you are wise to not go there.  Plenty of good trails waiting for you to conquer.  Good luck.