Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Goals and Doubts...
I go into every race, big or small, long or short, with a goal(s). My goals can range from specific times and splits to training prep for other races to just having fun and finishing. With that in mind, I have an "A" goal for the Richmond Marathon.
To set the stage for thisall important goal I have included part of a real fake conversation between a seasonsed marathoner and me, the marathon virgin.
Seasoned Marathoner: So what's your goal for the Richmond Marathon?
Me: I want to qualify for the BOSTON MARATHON. [confidently]
Seasoned Marathoner: No, but really what's your goal...have you even done a marathon yet?!
Me: I want to qualify for Boston. And...uh...no...I haven't done a marathon before, but I've done a bunch of halves. [less certain]
Seasoned Marathoner: Wow. [sarcastically] Let me get this srtaight...you want to run a sub - 3 hour and 5 minute marathon and do it on your first try? You don't have a clue do you?!
Me: um...I think so...I mean...I've done some solid training. I know it's going to be tough, but I think I'm ready.
Seasoned Marathoner: Patience young grasshopper...much to learn you have...
Me: Crap! [dammit Yoda]
And so goes the conversations I've been having with myself over the past few weeks about my expectations for the Richmond Marathon. After some workouts I'm on Cloud 9, thinking "I'm ready" and I feel confident that I can execute on race day. Other days all I think about is "how in the world am I going to do this for 26.2 miles?!"
Despite these doubts, I'm trying to take them as a positive sign (water half-full) that I have set a worthy goal. I mean, if I knew that I was going to qualify then I would have sold myself short. I think this goal is just far enough out of reach that its going to take a special day to achieve it. I know it's going to hurt, it's going to be hard, it's going push my mind/body to their limits...and YET, it's attainable, I know it.
Guess there's only one way to find out...
To set the stage for this
Seasoned Marathoner: So what's your goal for the Richmond Marathon?
Me: I want to qualify for the BOSTON MARATHON. [confidently]
Seasoned Marathoner: No, but really what's your goal...have you even done a marathon yet?!
Me: I want to qualify for Boston. And...uh...no...I haven't done a marathon before, but I've done a bunch of halves. [less certain]
Seasoned Marathoner: Wow. [sarcastically] Let me get this srtaight...you want to run a sub - 3 hour and 5 minute marathon and do it on your first try? You don't have a clue do you?!
Me: um...I think so...I mean...I've done some solid training. I know it's going to be tough, but I think I'm ready.
Seasoned Marathoner: Patience young grasshopper...much to learn you have...
Me: Crap! [dammit Yoda]
And so goes the conversations I've been having with myself over the past few weeks about my expectations for the Richmond Marathon. After some workouts I'm on Cloud 9, thinking "I'm ready" and I feel confident that I can execute on race day. Other days all I think about is "how in the world am I going to do this for 26.2 miles?!"
Despite these doubts, I'm trying to take them as a positive sign (water half-full) that I have set a worthy goal. I mean, if I knew that I was going to qualify then I would have sold myself short. I think this goal is just far enough out of reach that its going to take a special day to achieve it. I know it's going to hurt, it's going to be hard, it's going push my mind/body to their limits...and YET, it's attainable, I know it.
Guess there's only one way to find out...
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Marathon Training
In preparation for Richmond Marathon I've increased my run volume a lot over the past month following the World Championships. It has been a little strange focusing on just the run and having the swim/bike take a back seat in the training cycle. I've never devoted this much time to just running and I've been trying to closely monitor any niggles that have crept up.
Because of the closeness of the World Championships to Richmond I have not been able to do the proper run build-up. I'm relying a lot on my triathlon fitness and hoping it translates well to the amount of running I need to do to adequately prepare for the marathon.
Below I have pictured two of my favorite training partners...The Stick and Trigger Point's foam roller. These two have been kicking my ass after workouts lately, but they seem to be doing a good job of keeping my muscles from breaking down as my running has ramped up:
I highly recommend any runner/triathlete use either of these for self massage and myofascial release. WARNING: they hurt!
As far as specific preparation, I have been loosely following following the Hanson's training program. Instead of just one day off, I have been taking at least 2 days off per week and cross-training with swimming, biking and some core work.
Each week I have been focusing on three runs: a track session, a marathon paced run, and a longer run with finishing miles at marathon pace. I then fill in the other days with easier paced runs. I have been doing the track sessions with a group from Final Kick and that has been very good for leg turnover and overall speed. In the past I have typically done most of my runs by myself, but having others to feed off of during the track sessions has been very positive and something I plan to incorporate more for next season.
I am about 3 weeks out from the race and looking forward to tapering here shortly. My body was definitely worked over after yesterday's long run with final 4 miles at marathon pace.
Because of the closeness of the World Championships to Richmond I have not been able to do the proper run build-up. I'm relying a lot on my triathlon fitness and hoping it translates well to the amount of running I need to do to adequately prepare for the marathon.
Below I have pictured two of my favorite training partners...The Stick and Trigger Point's foam roller. These two have been kicking my ass after workouts lately, but they seem to be doing a good job of keeping my muscles from breaking down as my running has ramped up:
I highly recommend any runner/triathlete use either of these for self massage and myofascial release. WARNING: they hurt!
As far as specific preparation, I have been loosely following following the Hanson's training program. Instead of just one day off, I have been taking at least 2 days off per week and cross-training with swimming, biking and some core work.
Each week I have been focusing on three runs: a track session, a marathon paced run, and a longer run with finishing miles at marathon pace. I then fill in the other days with easier paced runs. I have been doing the track sessions with a group from Final Kick and that has been very good for leg turnover and overall speed. In the past I have typically done most of my runs by myself, but having others to feed off of during the track sessions has been very positive and something I plan to incorporate more for next season.
I am about 3 weeks out from the race and looking forward to tapering here shortly. My body was definitely worked over after yesterday's long run with final 4 miles at marathon pace.
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Marathon Virginity
I am a marathon virgin. There, I said it...it's out in the open and I feel better.
I pulled the plug and signed up for the Richmond Marathon on November 10th with a buddy of mine. I have been thinking of doing one for awhile, but have come up with a host of good reasons not to.
One of thosegood reasons is that I have been enjoying the triathlon scene so much and I just couldn't didn't fit the required run volume into my training. I tend to err on the side of lower run volume in my training because I find I pick up little nagging injuries when I increase it too much. That said, I have noticed that over the past few years my body has slowly adpated to my increased run training. Nevertheless, my body still balks some along the way, which has given me pause to sign up for the marathon.
The second reason (aka excuse) is that frankly, I don't like being mediocre or unsuccessful at something, so the best way of not letting myself fail at the marathon has been to avoid it. Sometimes though you must throw out all that "proper preparation" attitude out the window because if you always wait for that "perfect time" you will likely never get your feet wet.
On that note...as mentioned before, I plan to lose my virginity (marathon) in front of thousands of people on November 10th....wish me luck.
Journey on...
One of those
The second reason (aka excuse) is that frankly, I don't like being mediocre or unsuccessful at something, so the best way of not letting myself fail at the marathon has been to avoid it. Sometimes though you must throw out all that "proper preparation" attitude out the window because if you always wait for that "perfect time" you will likely never get your feet wet.
On that note...as mentioned before, I plan to lose my virginity (marathon) in front of thousands of people on November 10th....wish me luck.
Journey on...
Monday, October 15, 2012
Ironman World Championships 2012 - Stay the Course
Triathlon's "Super Bowl," the Ironman World Championships, took place this past weekend in Kona, Hawaii. After religiously following all the lead-up coverage and tweets, I was like a kid on Christmas as Saturday approached.
As I consumed every picture, interview and video on the race some common themes emerged. Here are a few:
So for now...Stay the course...these things take time! Journey on....
As I consumed every picture, interview and video on the race some common themes emerged. Here are a few:
- be patient in your training because success rarely comes overnight
- you must be willing to adapt to race day unexpectancies
- your mental approach is extremely important
So for now...Stay the course...these things take time! Journey on....
Cardboard Bike...$20...really?!
Thought this was pretty cool article about a new bike made almost entirely out of cardboard costing $20!
Strap on a set of aerobars and then we're talking. Not sure what the seat is made off...but it sure doesn't look that comfy!
Strap on a set of aerobars and then we're talking. Not sure what the seat is made off...but it sure doesn't look that comfy!
70.3 World Championship
WOW!! That about sums up my experience at the 70.3 World Championships in Henderson, NV on September 9th. This was by far the most competitive race I have ever been a part of (and no...it had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that I was participating). Everywhere you looked, no matter the age, you found super fit people. Normally, triathlon attracts a very fit crowd, but this made other races seem like the local county fair. I sure hope I can look that good when I grow up.
I was lucky to have my mom join me for the trip and it was great having her there to support me. Thanks Mom!!
We got to check out the expo and see the pros talk before the race. It was like hollywood for me...seeing so many "triathlon celebrities" in one spot was amazing!! We also saw the Hoover Dam, which was pretty incredible.
Race Day
I slept decently well the night before the race. My body was still on east coast time so waking up at 3:30am was easy. I ate my typcial breakie (as of late): PB&J sandwich and a banana. I sipped on diluted gatorade before the start. It was a beautiful morning and took up a spot across the lake to watch the pros start. My wave didn't go off for another 30min so I just relaxed.
The swim went pretty well, I felt comfortable for the whole thing. I never really found any feet to swim on, but stayed at good effort level the whole time. The water was super warm, something like 83 degrees, so it was a nonwetsuit swim. My time was 31:00, wasn't super happy about it, but based on the other times I looked up, it was pretty competitive with the field and age group.
From swim exit to T1 was a big of hike, probably 600m or so, but I made my way onto the bike with no issue. The bike was super challenging, constant rolling hills meant you had to focus on your effort levels at all times to make sure you were pushing too hard early. Combined with the heat and it was definitely the toughest bike course I had raced on. I felt pretty good early on and was taking my nutrition regularly without issue. I kept dousing myself in water to keep cool as the sun started to rise and that seemed to work well. I felt like I held a pretty good effort throughout the ride, but my time definitely said otherwise (2:43). Slow!!!
The last 10 miles are net uphill as you climb into the city of Henderson and looking back I definitely lost a lot of time in that section. Getting off the bike I still felt decent and like I had something left, but knew the bike had taken a lot out of me.
The run...was...a...death...march. I thought I had trained for the hills and heat, but I was sorely mistaken. I "ran" very slowly (1:47). I started off feeling pretty good, but by second uphill section my calves started to cramp badly. The run had no shade and the temps reached 105. Needless to say, it was a tough day!! The cramping came and went, but slowed me considerably. I did not bring enough salt tablets for both the bike and the run. This was something that I would definitely change for next time.
One good thing about the run was the last mile was downhill and I was able to close with a sub 6:30 final mile...haha. What a day!
I went out there with no real expectations (I did want to go sub 5hrs but missed that by 7 minutes) and mainly just wanted to enjoy the experience and push myself as hard as I could. I can honestly say that the lows on the run course were brutal, but the highs from finishing and experiencing this race were incredible. This is a championship race - tough course, tough conditions and therefore, extremely tough! I definitely think I was in better race shape than my times showed, but thats the beauty of racing...some times you have it, other times you don't.
This was a fantastic experience and makes me hungry to get back there and really compete. Short break, marathon training for Richmond, then back to the drawing board for next season.
I was lucky to have my mom join me for the trip and it was great having her there to support me. Thanks Mom!!
We got to check out the expo and see the pros talk before the race. It was like hollywood for me...seeing so many "triathlon celebrities" in one spot was amazing!! We also saw the Hoover Dam, which was pretty incredible.
 |
| Pro-panel |
 |
| Hoover Dam |
Race Day
I slept decently well the night before the race. My body was still on east coast time so waking up at 3:30am was easy. I ate my typcial breakie (as of late): PB&J sandwich and a banana. I sipped on diluted gatorade before the start. It was a beautiful morning and took up a spot across the lake to watch the pros start. My wave didn't go off for another 30min so I just relaxed.
 |
| Swim start area with hotel-bridge over Lake Las Vegas |
The swim went pretty well, I felt comfortable for the whole thing. I never really found any feet to swim on, but stayed at good effort level the whole time. The water was super warm, something like 83 degrees, so it was a nonwetsuit swim. My time was 31:00, wasn't super happy about it, but based on the other times I looked up, it was pretty competitive with the field and age group.
From swim exit to T1 was a big of hike, probably 600m or so, but I made my way onto the bike with no issue. The bike was super challenging, constant rolling hills meant you had to focus on your effort levels at all times to make sure you were pushing too hard early. Combined with the heat and it was definitely the toughest bike course I had raced on. I felt pretty good early on and was taking my nutrition regularly without issue. I kept dousing myself in water to keep cool as the sun started to rise and that seemed to work well. I felt like I held a pretty good effort throughout the ride, but my time definitely said otherwise (2:43). Slow!!!The last 10 miles are net uphill as you climb into the city of Henderson and looking back I definitely lost a lot of time in that section. Getting off the bike I still felt decent and like I had something left, but knew the bike had taken a lot out of me.
The run...was...a...death...march. I thought I had trained for the hills and heat, but I was sorely mistaken. I "ran" very slowly (1:47). I started off feeling pretty good, but by second uphill section my calves started to cramp badly. The run had no shade and the temps reached 105. Needless to say, it was a tough day!! The cramping came and went, but slowed me considerably. I did not bring enough salt tablets for both the bike and the run. This was something that I would definitely change for next time.
One good thing about the run was the last mile was downhill and I was able to close with a sub 6:30 final mile...haha. What a day!
This was a fantastic experience and makes me hungry to get back there and really compete. Short break, marathon training for Richmond, then back to the drawing board for next season.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Qualification for the Ironman 70.3 World Championships
Earlier this year at the 70.3 Mont Tremblant in Canada, I was fortunate enough to grab a roll-down slot for the Ironman 70.3 World Championships. I say fortunate because there were only 3 slots for my age group and I had finished 11th. At the roll-down they made their way down the list and guess what...my name was called! Actually, it was called 3 times!!! Talk about crazy, but there were two other "Scott's" ahead of me in my age group. Each time I thought I was being called only to find out that someone with the same first name finished in front of me.
I had put a lot of hard work going into the Mont Tremblant race and was definitely happy with my effort on the day. I went into the race hoping to qualify, but knew I would most likely have to get lucky and snag a roll down spot as I just don't have that top of the age-group speed (yet).
Typically, roll downs don't make it as far as 11th. This is especially true after the race was moved a couple years ago from Clearwater, FL to Henderson, NV (outside Las Vegas). This venue switch has made the race a true championship with a tough bike and run course in the desert heat. Needless to say, I was super excited about the opportunity to get out there and mix it up with the best in the world (by mix it up, I mean get passed by).
While I qualified for the world champs, in a sense I felt like I "snuck in." I want to be one of those athletes who earned their spot outright and not through the roll-down. I want to be at the front my age group, racing for a podium spot in the big competitive races. That is the goal.
I had put a lot of hard work going into the Mont Tremblant race and was definitely happy with my effort on the day. I went into the race hoping to qualify, but knew I would most likely have to get lucky and snag a roll down spot as I just don't have that top of the age-group speed (yet).
Typically, roll downs don't make it as far as 11th. This is especially true after the race was moved a couple years ago from Clearwater, FL to Henderson, NV (outside Las Vegas). This venue switch has made the race a true championship with a tough bike and run course in the desert heat. Needless to say, I was super excited about the opportunity to get out there and mix it up with the best in the world (by mix it up, I mean get passed by).
While I qualified for the world champs, in a sense I felt like I "snuck in." I want to be one of those athletes who earned their spot outright and not through the roll-down. I want to be at the front my age group, racing for a podium spot in the big competitive races. That is the goal.
Where I've been...
It has been a busy yet fun season thus far. I have raced a couple of 70.3s, a hand-full of local running races and some sprint and olympic distance triathlons. Overall it has been a pretty successful season and a definite improvement from last year. I've worked really hard over the past year and it's good to see that hardwork payoff.
I plan to use my next few posts to update everyone on the latter part of my season and my focus on the Ironman 70.3 World Championships, which took place on September 9th out in Henderson, NV. This was by far the highlight of my season and was such a great experience. I will try to include a race report and some pictures from the event in my upcoming posts. Stayed tuned for those.
I plan to use my next few posts to update everyone on the latter part of my season and my focus on the Ironman 70.3 World Championships, which took place on September 9th out in Henderson, NV. This was by far the highlight of my season and was such a great experience. I will try to include a race report and some pictures from the event in my upcoming posts. Stayed tuned for those.
What is the Endurance Sport Lifestyle?
Simply put, the Endurance Sport Lifestyle is a personal adventure. It is the lifestyle developed from involvement in endurance sports and all they have offer. It is the pain, dedication, hardwork, sweat, tears and fatigue. It is the joy, friendship, growth, knowledge, smiles and accomplishment.
The Endurance Sport Lifestyle can: (1) expand one’s physical and mental capabilities; (2) promote health, fitness and wellbeing; and (3) contribute to an enjoyable, dynamic and rewarding life.
The Endurance Sport Lifestyle can: (1) expand one’s physical and mental capabilities; (2) promote health, fitness and wellbeing; and (3) contribute to an enjoyable, dynamic and rewarding life.
I don't pretend to suggest that this is the best lifestyle for everyone or that it contains all the answers to life's complex problems. That said, I would definitely encourage anyone looking for personal growth or a change in perspective to incorporate aspects of this lifestyle into their daily lives. Who knows...it just might change your life. I know it has changed mine.
Journey on…
Intro
Welcome to the Endurance
Sport Lifestyle website.
My initial reasons for creating this website are threefold: (1)
I want to provide readers with interesting content related to swim/bike/run and
other endurance sport activities; (2) I hope to motivate others to get out there and push themselves whether it be in triathlon or life; and lastly (3) I want to chronicle my training
and racing.
I hope you enjoy the website and the posts that I include here. This website will be a work in progress, and as such, I welcome any comments or feedback that you may have.
Let the journey begin....
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