The Lion and the Lamb

One of my favorite people to talk to about triathlons and training is a local Chapel Hill-ian fella- Dan Lehman. He is real solid. Nothing flashy, just consistent and smart. I am getting better in the consistency area, but there are many days when I know for sure that I still need to train "smarter".
After a day off on Friday I hit the bike on Saturday for what could easily be described as PERFECT weather. It was just amazing outside. So, with the warmth on my back and fresh legs underneath me it was easy for me to feel like superman. I was just killing it on the road. Smooth and very fast. Average speed was way up and I was psyched.
Turning the coin over- On Sunday my son Ben and I went for my long run of 8 miles. We headed out with him bobbing along on his bike for a hilly run through the town of HILLSborough. I knew about 10-minutes in that this was going to be no fun. My legs felt, um, dead. I gutted, groaned, spit, snarled and made it through. My time and heart rate was right where it needed to be, but this was a less than comfortable run. Ben had a great time, so it was not a complete loss.
Back to Dan Lehman. He told me once that you usually feel your best right before you feel your worst. Ah. I get it.
Thanks Dan.

So next time I feel like cooking it on Saturday, I need to remember the sun will come out tomorrow and I might be out for a run.

The postman delivers!

I have had my fill of distractions lately. That is for sure. Ups and downs...Been spending a ton of time looking inward. Frankly, my training has been keeping me together.
They say we have rough patches in our lives. Well I feel like I am on some dirt road in the Ukraine...
So on Sunday I had a half marathon in Williamsburg, which I was very excited to tackle. I had a focus to go and just give everything I had. The game plan was to start at around 165-bpm and push up from there and see where I could function without feeling like I was going to crack.
I have never done this before. I have always erred on the side of being protective and not wanting to blow up. But this time out, after a real solid period of training, I decided to go for it.
I am pleased.
And, I found out two things-
1) I am in good shape and physically stronger than ever before.
2) My race threshold HR is 185. I averaged 180 for the race, with a peak of 189. Up over hills it was above 185, but for the last six miles it was right at 185. I had no idea I could sustain that level.

Time- 1:46:07 on a hilly, challenging course. ROCK ON!




Now- the funny part of the race- the weather. We started in a cold rain. 39/40 degrees, cloudy, rainy-Pretty crappy!
Around mile four the sun came out and, BAM!, we had a nice day. "Well all right!"
Zooming along----Mile 9 the sun runs away and we are hit with a nasty mix of rain, sleet and wind. Oh Yuck! This meteorological vomit continues on and off till the end of the race.
What really had to be a sharp stick in the eye for some runners was the "white out" style storm that hit about 10-minutes after I finished. It was really snowing. If I was a newbie out there chugging along in my first half marathon just hoping to get to the finish...I might be looking for a coffee shop to duck into for the next 15-minutes.

Great race. Super effort. And, by far, the CRAZIEST weather I have ever experienced in any sort of race.