JustKev.in  •  From Lazyman to Ironman, one inactive guy's journey to triathlete (and everything else under his beer helmet.)
May 9th, 2010 | 101 views | 2 Comments »

2010 Tri the Rock Race Report

This race marked the “anniversary” race of my first triathlon.  It was also my first tri of the year and I had not been training the way I should due to a very busy schedule.  So I did not know what to expect, but I hoped to beat my times from last year.

The swim:

I was running late to the race due to a faulty alarm clock (or perhaps it was my faulty hearing?) and arrived at the race with less than 5 minutes before they were to close the transition area.  Good thing I had picked up my race packet the day before and had my numbers on my race belt, helmet and bike.  I got my transition area ready in a hurry and went to get body marked and my timing chip.  Luckily there was not a line at this time and I was able to get in and out of there.  After that, I hit the bathroom to christen another special place and then headed to the pool side.

They were midway through the pre-race meeting, so good thing I had raced this event before and pretty much knew what to do.  I waited for my swim start (this year 57th) and the race was on.

I actually felt pretty comfortable in the water, as opposed to last year, and went at a steady pace for the 500 yards.  I must have seeded myself a bit fast as there were a few people that needed to pass me along the way, which required me to stop at the walls a few times to let them.  That slowed me a bit, but no big deal.

Swim time: 12:09

Last year: 12:06

The bike:

As always, after the swim I am glad to be heading out on the bike.  I had a relatively quick transition and hit it.  I was soon to find out that the weather conditions were windy and that wind was pushing against me on the way out.  This made for a very tough bike, but relented a bit on the way back.  I also realized that they extended the bike course by about a mile or so, which the extension was uphill and into the wind!  I didn’t beat my bike time from last year, but the conditions and extended course could explain.

Bike time: 51:42

Last year: 50:24

The run:

After the tough bike, I was tired.  I headed out on the (also changed) run course hoping to finish strong.  Early into the run, I had calf cramps.  I stopped and stretched.  I went on with a run/walk program for most of the remaining run.  I also didn’t beat my run time from last year.  I attribute that to under preparedness in addition to the tough bike.

Run time: 32:11

Last year: 29:40

Total time with transitions: 1:39:20

Last year: 1:32:09

Complete reults here.

Overall this was a very fun event again, and will most likely race this one every year.  Also, Jenn, Mia, Sadie and Melissa came to cheer me in!  Oh and remember my brother-in-law, Alex, who said he wasn’t ready for the race because he hadn’t run or cycled since Christmas?  He freakin’ won his age group.  Told you he would win it anyway!  Go Alex (aka The Machine!)

I will post pictures once I am able to get my hands on some…

Thanks Melissa for the pictures and for being there!!!

P.S. see Keith, I really did do it and have the pictures to prove it!

Categories: Race Reports, Triathlon Training, special places
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May 7th, 2010 | 12 views | 1 Comment »

tomorrow’s tri and 100 posts

Tomorrow is my first triathlon of the year, Tri the Rock in Rock Hill, SC.  About 1 year ago, I raced my first triathlon, which happened to be the same event.  Not too long after, I started this blog.  I think it fitting that my 100th post be the day before I race this triathlon for a second time.

I only hope I can beat my times from last year:

Swim – 12:06

Bike – 50:24

Run – 29:40

I picked up my race packet at lunch today, and guess what?  Dry-fit event t-shirts!  More and more events seem to be moving away from cotton t-shirts, which is great so the participants can actually use them while exercising!  Plus it works for the event because it works as advertising.

As always I am looking forward to the support of my friends and family.  Jenn plans to bring Mia and Sadie to cheer me on (Mia already told me she wants to bring her pom-poms :) ), Melissa said she wants to come and my brother-in-law, Alex, who convinced me to race this triathlon last year will be racing as well.  He says he won’t do well, but I think he will win it in spite of the fact he hasn’t ran in months.

I will report back and let you all know how it goes!

On another wonderful note, I will be racing my first triathlon as part of a relay team!  Sally will tackle the swim, I will take the bike portion and Melissa will run to the finish!  We will race at the Ballantyne Triathlon on July 10th.  We are currently throwing around team names, so what do you all think?  Check out some of the names suggested on Melissa’s post today.

Categories: Race Reports, Triathlon Training
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May 4th, 2010 | 14 views | 5 Comments »

taper week

With my first triathlon coming up on Saturday, typically this week would include a tapered training schedule, but can I really call it that when I haven’t been training on a schedule?  Oh well, I’ll call it that anyway.

This past Sunday, Melissa and I did our own “triathlon” at my grandmother’s house on Lake Wylie.  We swam in the lake (COLD!) with Jeff paddling in the kayak along with us to make us more visible to boaters.  Next we hopped on the bikes only for Melissa to get a flat less than 3 miles in.  Oh well, I rode back, got in the car and picked her up.  Then we went for a 2 mile run on the hilly road along the lake shore.  Could we call this a “quadrathon” since it included a car ride between the bike and run?  Read Melissa’s great write up here.

I felt pretty bad on the run, but I will chalk that up to nutrition.  See, we didn’t start until close to noon and I foolishly followed my normal “race day” routine of not eating prior to the event.  But the real events normally start at 7:30 AM, not at noon.  My energy level on the run was almost nonexistent.

On another note, I got a bit of cross-training in on Saturday.  I guess you can call it that.  I took a job helping a family unload a moving truck into their new house.  2 hours of work, but I went basically nonstop moving in heavy boxes and furniture, even a piano!  Ugh.

I will try to post again before the race, but I have been very busy lately with several areas of life, but that should be nothing new to me!

Categories: Triathlon Training
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April 28th, 2010 | 16 views | 2 Comments »

frustrated

I planned a cycle commute into work this morning.  I had a change of clothes in my office.  I had my bag packed with my running shoes to get a brick workout in once I got to work.  I aired up my tires and had my bike ready to go by the front door.  My helmet was there, ready to put on.  My bike shoes on the floor ready to go.  Water bottle filled and on the bike.  I checked the batteries in the lights.  All good to go.

So what stopped me?

Family drama unfolded last night, so I did not get much sleep and was completely exhausted when it came time to leave this morning. 

It is interesting how family I don’t even live with anymore can still get to me.

For those who may be wondering if starting a business with your family members that entails owning commercial real estate in an area that is an 8 hour drive away, take it from me:

DON’T DO IT!

Categories: Triathlon Training
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April 22nd, 2010 | 6 views | 1 Comment »

unorganized training

I am less than 3 weeks from my first triathlon of the year and I am in no way training like I “should” be.  I have battled back issues, lack of motivation and job stress this year, but those are all excuses.  I am extremely excited that the race is coming up and although I am not training correctly, I am fitting in workouts.  I wore my Garmin while we walked around the Greenway at Earth Day festivities and for mowing the lawn and walked a total of 4.41 miles.  I rode my bike to a pub last Saturday night to meet up with a buddy before he goes to Afghanistan with the Army (4.44 miles and 3.87 miles).  I ran at lunch on Monday (3 miles).  I wore my Garmin while I went to the zoo on Tuesday with Jenn, Mia and Sadie (6.31 miles).  I rode to work on Wednesday (9.79 miles) and back home (9.59 miles).  Since Saturday, I have logged 41.42 miles and burned 4,050 calories.  Again, this is not ideal training, but I am finding things to do that work with my schedule.

I hope to get some swimming in this weekend and possibly a “long” run of 7 miles or so.  Also, I want to get Melissa back on her bike!

Speaking of Melissa, she fired me up for Tri the Rock coming up on 5/8/10 with this post that includes a reference to one of my favorite stickers on my “new” 4Runner:

Categories: Triathlon Training
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April 13th, 2010 | 32 views | 4 Comments »

2010 Charlotte RaceFest 10K Race Report

This past weekend, I raced in the Charlotte RaceFest 10K.  It was a fun event and I was surprised at my finish time, coming close to a PR on a not so flat course.  Melissa, Chris and Scott also ran that morning; running the half marathon event instead.

It all started early morning.  I was going to ride with Melissa, Jeff and Chris, but Jeff had to go back to his house because they had forgotten to grab my race packet.  Melissa had graciously picked it up for me when she got hers.  No big deal, I drove Melissa and Chris and Jeff did me a favor and went back to his house to get my packet and met up with us at South Park.

We got ready with about a minute to spare before the start.  I had decided to run with the beer helmet again, like I did in the Athens run last year.  They had half marathoners on one side of the street and 10K runners on the other.  I guess it has to do with the timing mats.  Well, they had mislabeled which side was which and with nearly 3000 runners, this caused great confusion.  I went to my side and Melissa and Chris stayed on theirs.

getting costume ready

still getting costume ready

ready!

Chris was freezing!

Melissa

We started, and I made my way back to see if I could find Melissa and Chris and run with them for a bit.  We stayed together for a little while before splitting up.  I got Gatorade at the first water stop, but then started to cramp a little.  So, I decided that I would get some water at the next.  But when I got there, they had no water ready!  I grabbed an empty cup and just dunked it in the water bucket.  I didn’t want to complain to loud because these are volunteers, but this is a race; you have to be ready!

I was able to run the whole time except for walking at the water stops.  I am proud of this because there were some good sized hills on the course and I was feeling it.  I ended up with a Garmin time of 56:54, a chip time of 56:54 (I actually remembered to stop it on time!) and a gun time of 57:28.  My time in Florence was 55:33, so this wasn’t a PR for 10K, but I was surprised to be close, given the lack of training and the hilly course.

After the run, I went looking for Jeff and my Dad (who came even before the start!) but didn’t see them.  I walked around, cheered some people in and got a free beer.  I was wearing a beer helmet after all!  Several people said they loved the helmet and one guy just started talking to me, cheered my beer and we ended up talking for a good 30 minutes.

I left and got my second free beer (hooray beer!) and looked for Dad and Jeff.  I saw them this time and I talked with them while waiting for Scott, Chris and Melissa to finish.  A guy came up to me and said he liked the beer helmet.  Then he paused and said, “Umm, I’m trying to figure out if this is creepy.”  I had no idea what to expect!  The he told me that he reads the blog and Melissa’s blog.  Then Jeff turned around almost on cue and took the picture below and said “Now you’re going to be on it!”  He said he ran Thunder Road ½ marathon in December and started to think about racing a triathlon.  Since he grew up nearby Cane Creek Park, he went online to find out more about the Cane Creek Triathlon and came across my race report.  Apparently it came up very quickly (thanks Jeff!)  He found Melissa’s blog through mine and is now a regular reader!  Thanks for reading Brian!  Now comment!  And let me know how I can help with your first triathlon!

new friend Brian

Scott came in first in the trio, then Chris and then Melissa.  She ran faster than she had expected too!  It must have been a great day to run!  After they finished, they made their way to the beer truck only to discover that they had run out of beer!  Tsk Tsk Charlotte RaceFest.  Tsk.  Read Melissa’s reaction here.

this pretty much says it all

Special thanks to Chris and Jeff whose cameras captured the pictures!

Categories: Race Reports, Triathlon Training
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April 8th, 2010 | 21 views | 2 Comments »

tapering

I am now in taper mode for this Saturday’s race.  I had signed up for the half marathon at the Charlotte RaceFest, but decided this week that it would be smart to only run the 10K to avoid injury.  I have not had the amount of training I feel is required to run the half.  I am a little disappointed in this change of events, but the last thing I need to do is get hurt again.  And with my first triathlon of the year coming around in 4 weeks, I need to stay injury free.

Looking forward to racing again though.  Plus, Melissa, Chris and Scott are running the half marathon, so I will get to cheer them in!

Categories: Triathlon Training
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April 6th, 2010 | 4 views | 2 Comments »

getting better

I was able to drag myself out of bed early this morning to ride my bike to work (9.74 miles in 36:12) and even had enough time to run (2 miles in 19:26) after the ride.  My first brick of the season!  It is funny how hard it is to run after the bike.  It feels like I am running in slow motion and it is pretty tough on the legs.  Luckily no cramping issues this morning though.  In all it took me just over an hour and burned 818 calories before work!

I will get to ride home in the heat this evening, so not especially looking forward to that, but it is a workout nonetheless!

Categories: Triathlon Training
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April 5th, 2010 | 0 views | No Comments »

running…harder than it should be these days

I had a great long weekend with my girls this past weekend.  We went to the mountains (my favorite place to be) for the holiday weekend.  I was able to go on a couple of runs, but it was so much harder than it should have been.  I am not in as good of shape as I had gotten prior to the marathon last year and I am not used to the heat we are experiencing right now.  Add to that, I was in the mountains and my first run on Friday was very hilly.  I went back out for another runon Saturday, but this time I found a relatively flat course at a nearby park.  On Sunday, we went for a hike to visit Tom’s Creek Falls and even that was tougher than it needed to be.

I have signed up for Charlotte Racefest 1/2 marathonthis Saturday, but I have decided to switch to the 10K race to avoid injury.  I will also begin cycling to work again to get extra cardio in.

Any other suggestions?

Categories: Hiking/Camping, Triathlon Training
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April 1st, 2010 | 1 views | 3 Comments »

April Fools

Today is April 1st, 2010 and I am stuck at work.  This weekend should be nice, as I have a holiday tomorrow for Good Friday and Jenn, the girls, our dogs and I are all going to our in law’s cabin in the NC mountains. 

I plan to get a couple of runs in over the weekend as well as a little hiking.  My training as of late has been lacking and I need to get it in gear with a half marathon coming up next weekend.  I was able to get some miles on the bike last weekend and I will try my best to ride to work and home some next week.  With my first triathlon coming up in a little more than a month, I need to get bike time in.  Is it bad that I haven’t been for a swim in 6 months!?

I hope this isn't me at Tri the Rock!

Categories: Hiking/Camping, Triathlon Training
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