Guru Crono Arrives - Black Beauty!

Six weeks after being fitted by the great Mark Cesal from the Trek bike store in Naples, my new Guru Crono has arrived. It looks incredible. All black with florescent lime green logos. Lime green tape. Black saddle.

To summarize, I went with the Bontrager carbon handle bars, Bontrager race lite wheels, Bontrager saddle and Ultegra SL Gruppo. I love this bike.

I took it out on Saturday on its maiden voyage and boy what a difference! The first difference is the vibrations. Somehow this bike picks up vibrations almost as if there were shock absorbers on the bike. Next is the feeling I get in aero position. It just feels "right"...like I am "in the bike" vs. "on the bike." Third is the acceleration at about 20 MPH...with any tail wind, it feels as though it accelerates must faster than my old Scott Road Bike. But most importantly, it holds speed much better.

My normal 40 mile bike is usually 18 MPH depending on the wind. On Saturday, I did it in 21.1 MPH with heavy wind conditions. I had a little more head wind but not much more. And the best part was my legs weren't shot when I got off the bike. I did a transition run (5K) in under 22 minutes.

This bike gives me a whole new set of confidence. I feel with hard work and more miles, the bike will soon be a strength, not a weakness. I feel as though a 20+ MPH bike (56 miles) in New Orleans is definitely possible.

I did another 40 miler today in under 20MPH due to wind. I would say there was a head wind for 30 of the 40 miles. Stayed in aero for 95% of the ride. It was hot today as well...88 for most of the ride...which is good as I know it will be blazing in Louisville.

Mile Swim test yesterday after an 800m warm-up...Did it in 26 flat with no anaerobic bursts...Felt great...that's tracking for a 31 minute half Iron-man so long as I don't flake on the siting. Followed that with a 5 mile interval session on the track.

Strength tomorrow. 42 Miler on Saturday with a TR of 3 miles. Open Water swim in the ocean and 10 mile easy run on Sunday...

Training hard as I head in to Lake Louisa on Feb 15.

Naples Half Marathon - 1:34:43 - PR!

Another great day. Another great race. Another pleasant surprise. Ran for a half hour yesterday with some accelerations mixed in and my legs were, well, dead. I had a nagging knee throb and an aching ankle.

Needless to say, I tossed and turned last night with the "expectations" of a PR working me over. I really wanted to do well in this race and to "validate" my triathlon training. If I could beat 1:37:54 without running nearly as much as I was running in 2006 when I PR'd, that would certainly validate this new tri training. But the nagging aches and pains and dead legs were creating doubt. At one point yesterday, I thought that maybe the smart thing to do would be to pack it in, sleep in this morning and start fresh on Monday.

But I set the alarm for 5:00 AM and did what always happens on race morning. I woke up at 4:56 with no need for the alarm. Downed some coffee, yogurt and banana and off I went. New tradition. Find a hotel about 5 miles from where the race venue is and do you your business in the hotel lobby bathroom. No lines. Hotel lobby bathrooms crush the 7-Eleven or even the Starbucks bathrooms...nice light, rarely any remnants from past users and in this case, some good reading material.

Got to downtown Naples with some time to warm up. Put in a good half mile warm-up with a couple accelerations. Legs felt good. I can always count on Race Day Adrenaline. Went to the starting line and after an awesome Star Spangle Banner, the gun goes...Great race vibe here. About 10 men and women Kenyans and 20 other out of town elites tow the line up front. About 1,300 total racers. Flat course. 50 degrees at the gun which is unusually cold for Naples.

Went out in 6:45 mile 1. Felt good...Miles 2-4 were "flat" but I stayed right at 6:55-7:00. I had my mind set on 10 miles of putting time "in the bank" which meant sub-7:15s all the way. I held strong through Mile 8. At about Mile 9, I started to struggle a bit. It was a scary struggle because last week in the River, Roots and Ruts, I felt strongest at Mile 9.

So now the pyschology comes in. I say to myself, "one more 7:15 this is a guaranteed PR." Mile 10 was about 7:17 and I hit the 10 mile mark at 1:12 flat. I knew I had it. A 24 minute 5K for 1:36 would be a slam dunk...

Mile 11 and 12 hurt because I kept pressing and it was straight and into the wind. Those were two endless miles. Picked it up a bit for the last 1.1 and just LOVED seeing the clock turn to 1:34...I know I had 1:35 broken easily...Some quick mental math and I knew if I picked it up a bit, I could beat my PR by MORE than 3 minutes.

Hit the finish at 1:34:43...PR!

This is 3:14 faster than my previous PR which I did with T-Bart in 2006.

Absolutely thrilled by this time and effort. This is a complete validation of my triathlon training. I have been spending about the same amount of time training but the running results are getting better and better. My body is feeling stronger. My endurance is unbelievable. My speed has improved. The diversity of training between swimming, biking and running makes all the difference in the world.

The swimming delivers active recovery and helps maintain my weight and good cardio. The longer bike rides build the engine. Two hours at HR 130-140 strengthens the overall core and builds up the leg muscles. The running tunes up the engine and builds both the cardio and the core. The mixing and matching of the disciplines minimizes the chances of over-work and injury.

I feel a major difference when I hit mile 9 in these longer races. Instead of thinking, "my God, get me to the finish line, I am done..." I feel solid from a cardio and strength stand-point. Still need to add the miles on the bike. But I am a true believer in multi-sport training for overall strength, speed and endurance!

River Roots and Ruts - Podium Finish!

Great race this morning.

The drive out to Alva was breath-taking. It really reminds of me of the African Serengeti. Just miles and miles of open pasteurs with grazing animals and haze coming off the earth. This morning was COLD - about 50 degrees. It was a beautiful sunrise with no clouds in the sky. Super spiritual.

Everything about this race rocks! The shirts are bio-degradable. The medals are made from recycled glass. The volunteers are friendly. The course is super-challenging and changes every year. There are miles along the Calloosahatchee River. Single switchbacks. Big Berms. Flat final mile finish for a good kick. They announce your name, place and home town at the finish. Love it.

I would say more than 3/4 of the 300 racers fall in the race with dozens of injuries that draw blood. One guy bit it bad and split his head open. Most common injury is losing concentration and catching a root on a down-hill berm which sends you flying.

I twisted my ankle twice and tripped once but never went down. I tried to take it easy but the competitive juices took over. Opened with a moderate 7:17. Tried to keep it at or under 7:30 pace for as long as possible...Started leaking oil at about mile 4 but not due to my endurance...more due to the difficult course...Once again, because of the triathlon training, my cardio was strong.

At about Mile 8, I felt great but that is when the course became the most difficult. I mean, really difficult. There were 10-15 foot berms that you almost had to climp on all fours and walk down to prevent a fall. Then, switch-backs and situations where you had to duck under the banyon trees.

At Mile 11, I caught the 2nd place woman (she was a master) and told her to draft off me so we could try to catch the first place woman. In first place was 23 year old Amy Plotkin who was about 150 yards ahead. I went in to a 7:15 mile pace for the last two miles which was too fast for my Master's friend. At Mile 12, I separated and then PASSED the 3rd place runner in my age group...although I did not know that at the time. Felt really strong in the end.

So I came in 26th overall and 3rd in my age group for a Podium finish - 2nd year in a row. I beat 4th place by about 25 seconds which is awesome considering I out-kicked him. Awards were "Petrified Wood" which I pasted above.

A really great day...Two of my tri team members finished a half marathon for the first time so I was really proud of them. Then the Eagles took care of business in the Meadowlands and are going to the NFC Championship. Then I gave a talk to the Youth Ministry at my Church. Topic was Setting Goals and Reaching our Dreams...My theme was "Find your Passion"...

Life is really good today...Mind, Body and Spirit in balance. Very grateful. Now some smart training and rest/recovery this week before we push for a PR at the Naples Half this Sunday!

Make Up Your Mind!

Two of my favorite running races are scheduled over the next 10 days.

First is the River, Roots and Ruts Half Marathon. Beautiful drive out to Alva, FL at dawn. 8 AM start. 55-60 degrees at the gun. 100% trail running including several single track switch-backs where we run over BMX and motor-cross tracks. Very technical race and sometimes dangerous. In the last two years, I have seen several finishers come in with bloodied knees and twisted ankles.

Definitely NOT a PR course.

That's me in the gray tank - number 51 at the start of last year's race. Last year I completed it in 1:46 (8:10 pace). I believe I was sick and on a serious dose of DayQuil. But I finished in 2nd in my age and podiumed. This year, 1:42-1:45 would be nice. 7:45-8:00 Pace.

This is where the conundrum comes in.

I want to race as hard as possible and podium, but not too hard where I get injured. My normal Sunday runs have been 11 miles @ 8:00 Pace and I have felt pretty good...My coach is begging me NOT to over-do it on Sunday because I have stated that I want to PR next week in the Naples Half Marathon.

Love the Naples Half. Perfectly flat. 2000 runners. Down-town Naples. Great finish. Mile 8 is in front of an Episcopal Church where we get "blessed" by a priest who showers us with holy water...Great weather. Very festive. Awesome atmosphere. Naples is a PR course...I did 1:37 in 2007 with T-Bart. I trained hard for that race and 1:37 feels a bit daunting. To beat that, I need 13 consecutive 7:30s and then a strider down the stretch.

Coach Angie believes that if I go as hard as I have this week, bike hard on Saturday and then run hard on Sunday, I will be toast. She has me "recovering" next week in anticipation of Naples.

I told her that I did not necessarily want to PR in Naples at the expense of my training for New Orleans 70.3. That's when she says, "C'mon John! Make up your Mind!" She gets mad at my indecision. Do I want to get my PR and prevent injury in running...or train smart and peak in New Orleans at the 70.3 half IronMan?

I of course want it all now! Podium this Sunday at R,R&R Half...then train hard next week...then PR at the Naples Half; I want to stay strong and injury free...

So what do I do? I will hold back a bit on Sunday and agree to an easier regimen next week. I'll go hard in Naples and hope for the best. I know that these hard, long runs have a way of making me a stronger runner...if I am smart and listen to my body...

Race hard. But be smart!

Happy New Year - 2009 Goals

I've always been goal-driven. But I never want to get overly consumed by "hobby-goals". Triathlon has taken over in terms of my free time focus and I am very serious about some day qualifying for the World Championships in Clearwater and for Kona, but let's face it - this is still a hobby. I want this year to be more about "fun" and "learning" and less about pressure and compulsive pursuits of goals that may or may not be achievable.

I have no idea how my body will respond to a 70.3 or a full-Ironman race. I am still overwhelmed by the mystique of finishing an Ironman. Who knows what will happen with injuries or burn-out or outside influences (family and work obligations). Who knows whether my body (or my mind) will respond on race day. I know I have serious anticipatory anxiety for any big event - major business presentation, dental work, even the last 2 Sprint triathlons...I love the rush and the action and getting through the nerves. But who knows!

At the same time, I don't think I should spend the 8-15 hours per week doing this without having some basic goals to pursue. So here they are, not in the order of importance:

1. PR in January in the Naples Half Marathon - 1:37:54

2. Go Sub 20:00 in any 5K (Current PR = 20:09)

3. Finish IronMan New Orleans (70.3) in under 6 hours

4. Finish IronMan Louisville in under 12 hours

5. Age Group Podium in one Triathlon that I enter (this is very aggressive!)

6. "PR" on how much $$$$ I can raise for good causes through my training ($3500 after the Marine Corps. Marathon for Hope Runs),

If I miss on Goal Number 5, a back-up goal would be to place 1/2/3 in one of the three events in any triathlon. I've gotta shot at this in swimming and running...but the Bike may continue to hold me back a bit.

Other "in-tangible" goals include:

1. Always be coachable. I wanted to keep my annual string alive and run a marathon in 2008. I did NOT based on the advice of my coach. She stressed "base training" in late 2008 and to avoid injury. I wasn't ready for a marathon. I must continue to be coachable.

2. Improve on transitions. I shouldn't be lame with transitions...practice, practice, practice...

3. Neutralize my bike weakness. This may not emerge as a strength...yet. But I want to eliminate any sense that it is a weakness. (Good start with the purchase of the Guru Crono).

4. Never let triathlon training and "Hobby Goals" get in the way of what's really important in my life - Family, Faith and "Balance".

There's some exciting races on tap including the River Roots and Ruts Half Marathon next week and then the Naples Half in 3 weeks. I then have the Escape from Lake Louisa Olympic distance triathlon in February. And then the Hooters to Hooters Half Marathon in early March.

Then, the BIGGIE...New Orleans 70.3...

So lots of cool races ahead. Here's to a safe, exciting and eye-opening 2009!