The Wash Out and The Race! Degray Tri Weekend!

My big weekend of racing was all set to go on the weekend of August 18th and 19th.  I had registered for the Degray Olympic and Sprint races.  The Olympic was to take place on Saturday and the sprint on Sunday. 

Both races were to take place around the Spillway area of Lake Degray outside of Arkadelphia, AR.  I decided that week that I would go ahead and stay in Arkadelphia the night before the Olympic race since the race site is about 1.5 hrs away.  I drove down to Arkadelphia after work and checked into the Hampton Inn.  Since I've never really stayed in Arkadelphia, this would give me the chance to try a little local restaurant in the area.  The choice of the restaurant was Little Italy.  I saw decent reviews and thought I would give the place a shot.  It turned out to be a good place to eat pre-race.  The garlic rolls that were served before dinner were excellent and the salad was good also.  The seafood alfreado was ok.  It large chucks of crab and shrimp, but was disappointed in the taste of scallops. 

I headed to the race site after dinner to pick up my packet and then it was back to hotel for a little rest.

The Wash Out
Pre-Race
I woke up around 4:45 for the race.  I got some coffee going with the in-room coffee maker and hit the shower to wake up a little.  The shower was then followed by a small breakfast which was a Cliff Bar and a banana.  I usually don't eat too much before a race of Olympic or Sprint length.  After this I decided to check the weather, and saw this!

This is not good!  Of course, behind all that is even more rain!  I was hoping that maybe it would off before the swim.  I've ridden in storms before and was ready to do so if I had to, but with all the rain behind and about to hit the site. It wasn't looking good.

I headed to the site and went to pick up my chip, but didn't really consider setting up transition because as soon as I picked up my chip it started to come down.  It started to rain and thunder around 6am and with a 7am start things were not looking good.

Well for the next 2 hrs, it was go visit with the race director and other athletes under the tent or hide out in the car.  Finally about 9:30 they decided to call off the race.  The rain and lighting was continuing and didn't look like it would end any time soon.  The race director moved everyone in the race from the Olympic to the Sprint at no charge.

Post Race
I decided to head back to Conway and relax at home. Of course, by the time I got back to Conway, I had clear skies and was so pumped to do the race I had to do something, especially after the big dinner the night before!  I chose to go to Beaverfork for a mini aqua bike.  I was able to swim for 30 minutes and then did the CATS sprint bike course. 

Now for the Race - Degray Sprint

Pre-Race#2
With the race starting at 8am, I got up around 4:45 and was on the road by 5:30.  I usually like to get there early, so that I have everything setup and ready.  Also, allows me time to get a warm up swim in and just talk to people I know.  The breakfast for the morning was another cliff bar, banana, coffee, and orange juice.

I was one of the first people there, so I was able to get a prime spot up front for the race.  Easy to find, easy to get in/out and plenty of room since I was at the end of the rack!

I did about a 200 yard warm up swim and then got ready for the race to start!

Swim
On to the swim, a 500 yard swim, my worst part of any race!  I've been working hard on improving this and only more experience will allow me to get better!  Here is another attempt, at glory!  I lined up on the far right side away from most of the crowd and start began.  I'm feeling good and comfortable through the first 175 yards which is where the first turn is and realized that once I got there I would be in  the pack and had trouble getting through the turn.  I keep swimming and felt good throughout, but still my time came out a little slow! 

Swim Time - 10:48.60 AG: 10/15 OAM - 61/117
T1: 1:18

Bike
After the 100 yard run to transition it's onto the bike!  I had trouble getting clipped in right away, but eventually got going to the first hill of the day.  The bike is 16 miles compared to the 13 miles for the Spillway Triathlon in June.  This extra 3 miles adds another hill/downhill to overall course. With the first part uphill, I try to take it easy.  After, the turnaround it's time to put on the speed.  As I was heading back in, I had to avoid drafting because I had two people that would pass me, slow up, I would pass them get away for second get caught, and do again.  Finally with about a mile to go, they speed off and I didn't want to catch them at that point.  I was feeling good as I rolled into transition. Once, in transition, I had a little issue putting on my socks.  I'm thinking I may go sockless for the next shorter race.

Bike - 47:33, 20.2mph AG: 4/15 OAM - 19/117
T2 - 1:00

Run
Now it's my time to shine for the 3.5 mile run, the run is 1/2 mile longer for the Degray Sprint.  The run is uphill for the first half before turning around heading back downhill.  Again, the plan is to take it easy for the first half and increase the pace till the end.  I start off feeling pretty good.  About half way, I feel side stitch start to come on, but know that I can push through it.  At this point, I have not caught up to anyone and was pretty much alone on the run course.  At the turnaround, there was someone about 45 seconds again of me and another about 10 seconds behind me.  I try to push the pace to catch the person in front of me, but to no avail!  I was passed by 2 people which was disappointing, but I still felt good on the run.

Run - 24: 52, 7:06 per mile, AG: 7/15, OAM: 36/117.
Total Time: 1:25:33, AG 5/15, OAM: 30/117

Quick Thoughts
1.  Another strong bike on this day
2. While I felt good on the run, the run times appear to be pretty fast, shows some fast runners showed up
3. Still need to work on the swim, maybe try to start off faster and then settle into a pace
4. Work on transitions.
5. Run faster!

Up Next: Toad Suck Triathlon International Distance September 9th, Conway, AR

Providing a Quick Update

Well it's been almost a month since the last post, so thought I'd provide a quick update!  Things have been going well with training throughout July, but work came up at the end of July and into the first of August which required lots of travel!  I left from Conway on July 23rd and went out for installations throughout Florida, SC, PA, DE, NJ, and DC.  I returned 5700 miles driven later on August 8th!  It was a long work trip, but it was good.  We completed the items that needed to be done.  While, I didn't get any time off during this, I did get a few runs in. However, there was no swimming, biking, marital arts, or sight seeing.  The only sight seeing was from the window of the truck! 

It's good to be back and the big happening this weekend is the Degray Triathlon weekend.  I decided to go ahead with the Degray double.  I will be competing in the Olympic distance tri on Saturday and then the Sprint distance on Sunday.  I've been wanting to do the double, but wasn't sure after all the travel.  After thinking about this week, I thought why not.  Plus, I would be doing something on Sunday anyways, so why not another triathlon.  So far, the weather is looking great for the weekend with temperatures mid to low 60s in the morning reaching into mid to upper 80's during the afternoon.  It will be cool weather for this race which is usually pretty hot and humid!

One last note,  I like to look at the stats and see where people visit from. It's cool to see what countries the traffic comes from.  The leader in visits is of course the US, but a surprise second is Russia.  So welcome!  I don't have a lot of traffic, but it is fun to look at.  Here are the current standings.

United States	1483
Russia	109
Germany	45
United Kingdom	23
Hong Kong	20
India	17
Latvia	17
Netherlands	16
Indonesia	14
Canada	13

Never too late Spillway Triathlon Report

Well this sprint triathlon took place on June 23rd, so this post is only a couple of weeks late!  I still remember the event clearly, so I figured I would go ahead and write up my report on this event!

The Spillway Triathlon is put on by DLT Events and the race is at Lake DeGray, which is just north of Arkadelphia.  Transition is located at the Spillway rec area.  This is also the same area and similar course for the Tri-Arkansas Olympic and Sprint distance triathlon in August.

The race is a 450 yard swim, 13 mile bike, and a 3 mile run.

Pre-Race
The nice part about this race was the start time at 8am!  That meant I only had to wake up around 4:30 for the little less than 1.5 drive to the race site!  I was able to leave my house around 5:30 after a small breakfast of PB sandwich and banana.  I arrive on site around 6:15 and found that it was already started to pack out.  I choose a different spot this time.  Most of the time people choose somewhere near the bike out/bike in, but I instead chose the place close to the swim in and run out.  Plus, most of the the good spots were taken up front and I didn't really want to be in the middle.  I racked my bike and then went out for a pre-race swim.  I swam for about 15 minutes and then wait began for the start!

Swim
The swim for this race was a 450 swim in the clear for a lake water of Degray.  The swim was an in water with the course running clockwise in the shape of an elongated triangle.  You swam out for probably 150-200 yards, then turned right for another 150-200 yards and the swim in was only around 50-75 yards.  I lined myself up to the far right and away from most people.  The announcement is made for the start and away we go.  I've been start my swims slow to allow myself to get comfortable and then increase the pace as the swim goes.  I was feeling good and reach the first buoy where it was somewhat crowded.  I was not able to make a great turn on the buoy or the next one either.  I'm usually on the outside, but this time I ended up more on the inside of the buoys.  I was keeping close to the crowd and just off the back.  I get into the swim exit and run towards transition.  Overall I thought my swim was pretty good.  The sighting was good, pace felt great, and was comfortable overall.  The only issue with this race was there were no timing chips, so I wouldn't know my exact swim time since I didn't have my 310xt on for the swim.

Swim Time plus T1 - 10:42 - 9/14 AG

Bike
The bike is where I was hoping to get back in the race, and see how fitness has improved since Memphis in May and Hot Springs Village.  The course is an out and back along Skyline drive.  The ride starts out with a somewhat steep and short up hill to the spillway and continues over the spillway before a gradual uphill till about 1 mile before the turnaround.  You have a quick downhill, back up hill, and then downhill to the finish.

I was feeling pretty good on the bike.  The first half I was holding back just a little to allow myself a strong run.  The only issue was slowing down a little before getting back to the spillway due to a truck having to take a turn. It was a little disappointing to lose that downhill momenteum, but it wasn't anything that I could deal with.  I came into transition feeling pretty good.  I did run to the wrong side of the rack!  Overall, biking is going really well.

Bike Time - 39:19 - 5/14 AG

Run
Having completed a couple events out here already, I knew what to expect for the 3 mile run.  The first 1.5 miles is uphill followed by a fast downhill finish.  The first mile is hardest uphill portion.  After a good bike, I was going to take it easy pace wise through the first mile and then start to increase the pace all the way back to the finish.  I was feeling great and holding a steady pace. Since this is an OAB, it gave me a chance to see where I was in standing with some other people that I knew.  I figured I was about 2.5 minutes down by the time I reached the turned around.  I knew that it would be tough to catch them, but I increased the pace as much as possible into the finish.  I was really happy with the run.  I think I may have left a little out there, but not much. 

Run plus T2 time - 22.49 - 4/14AG
Overall - 1:12:50 - 4/14 AG

Another great event completed!  I've been keeping up the training for my next event which will be Tri-Arkansas and the Degray Sprint on the weekend on August 18th!

Tri the Village 2012 Sprint - Hot Springs Village, AR

Before starting out with my report, I would like to thank all the volunteers for coming out and supporting this race.  For a small sprint with close to 125 athletes, there were probably well over 100 volunteers for this race.  Great support from the residents of HSV.

Now to the race!  This was the first year that this event was being held at Hot Springs Village.  Hot Springs Village is a very large gated community located just NE of Hot Springs.  The area has a few golf courses and lakes inside the community.

The race was setup as a 500 yd swim, 13.5 mile bike, and 3.5 mile run.  The swim was located in Lake Balboa.  We then biked around Lake Balboa before finally ending the race with a 3.5 mile run on the Magellan golf course.

Pre-Race
The Village is located about 70 minutes from my house.  I got up around 3:45 am ate a small breakfast of PB sandwich, banana, and some OJ.  I then packed my truck and was out on the road by 4:45.  I arrived at the race site plenty early and racked my bike and waited around for the start of the race at 7:00 am.  The weather was nice for an Arkansas summer day.  The humidity was low and the temps were in the 70s to low 80s.  With the heat and humidity down this could make for a fast race.

Swim
I got a small warm up swim about 10 minutes before the start and lined up to the right side and up from of all the swimmers.  My wave was 39 and under male/female and relays.  The gun goes off and away everyone swims.  The swim is by far the weakest part of my events.  Usually, I just hoping not to have any anxiety and just get through the swim.  I start off swimming well and swimming to the right of most the group.  I was able to get a pretty open water for myself and swam very nicely.  The only time I'm just counting strokes and sighting.  I have quit wearing a watch during the swim so that I don't get down on a bad swim.  My swim time end up being just under 11 minutes

Swim Time - 10 min 56 seconds - 63/123.
Transition 1 - 1:02

Bike
I jump onto the bike and head out for the hilly ride.  The ride starts off with a quick downhill followed by a short uphill.  This how the course ended up being for the entire 13.5 miles.  I could feel my legs were a little tight when I first started to ride, but after a couple of minutes they loosened up and I was riding really well.  I know that the key to a course with rollers like this is that you can't take a break on the downhills.  You need to push the downhills to allow yourself to fly over the uphill sections.  Around mile 7, there is a larger hill that required you to get out the saddle if you wanted, but overall the course hills you could stay aero and get overhill.  I was feeling really strong on the bike by the end and felt that I had pushed it just enough to all for a good run. I ended up averaging 20.0mph on the bike with a good time.

Strava course profile - http://app.strava.com/rides/10491512
Bike Time - 40 min 36 seconds - 21/123
Transition 2 -1:02

Run
Feeling good off the bike I throw my shoes on and head out to the run. The run was not talked about much before the race.  I'd assume that it would be a little hilly, but nothing to diffcult. The run starts with a short up hill before heading downhill and towards the entrance to the golf course. Upon entering the golf course, you could see the hills upcoming.  The run starts uphill in the golf course, before heading back downhill.  The run ended up being more of rolling course with uphill sections followed by downhill sections.  The hard part about some sections of the course where the small quick downhills followed by an uphill that was short and steep.  Following this, you then headed towards a very short uphill that was steep and "long".  The course then finishes with some rollers in the golf course before heading back to the finish.  I was pushing the run most of the way, but towards then end I was starting to feel the legs start to get tired.  I pushed through and finished however with a decent run.  I wouldn't call it my best run, but I was happy with my combined with my bike.  Another hard part about the run was, that I was passed by one person and after that didn't have any really behind me or ahead to really challenge myself. You can always get a little extra energy when you are chasing someone or feel someone is chasing you.

Run - 28 min 30 sec - 20/123
Strava File - http://app.strava.com/activities/10491651
Finish - 1 hr 22 min 07 sec - 21/123 OA - 3rd AG 30-34

Post Race
I was really happy with my first sprint of the year.  I felt that my bike and run have come along pretty well since Memphis in May.  My swim is still slow but I'm feeling really comfortable in the water.  Next year, I will know what to expect on the run, so hopefully I will get a little more speed.  I ended up 3rd in my AG finish 1 min behind second place and 3.5 minutes behind 1st.  If I can cut, my swim to around 9 minutes, I would have been challenging for 1st in my AG.  I also could have moved about 8 places up overall.

The other great thing about this race was the post race food.  The food was provided by Newk's out of Hot Springs.  They had the grill fired up where you could hot dogs, chili, and chicken.  They also had sandwiches, pasta salad, chips, salad, and desserts. I would call this one of the best post race meals for a sprint triathlon.

I will be doing this race again next year and recomeneed it to anyone looking a sprint next year.  The volunteers, the course, and the post race made this for a great race.

One last item that was posted from Arkansasoutside.com is this video below from HSV.  Nice video.




Thanks to EVERYONE! 

2012 Rock Run 8k and Upcoming Events

It's been a week since the Memphis in May triathlon and it is onto the next race the Rock Run 8k.  This was the third year in a row that I've run this race.  The race is held the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend.  It is run along the Arkansas River Trail near Rosenbaum Golf course just east of the Big Dam Bridge.  The course is flat, but the last two years it has been hot and this year was no different with the early heat. 

In years past, the course and gone to the east and under the Big Dam Bridge before turning back to the finish.  This year, we started to go east for about a 1/2 mile and then turned towards the east for about 4 miles before heading back to the finish.  The course was still flat and fast.  The goal for this race was under 37:00 minutes.  Last year, I went 37:08. 

The race starts at 7:30am, so all the runners lined up at the start and away we go.  I have been trying to force myself to hold back a little at the start, so that I don't start off too fast. Of course, I'm feeling really good for the first mile and was able to hit a around a 7:10. 

Still feeling good

 Somewhere around a mile and half, I start to feel a sloshing in the stomach and realize that maybe I had a little too much water before the start of the race, but no worries though.  I feel my pace has settled down a little and hit the second mile around 14:30.  I'm averaging a 7:15 pace and still feeling good.  At this point, the wheels come off quickly.  I try to hold back a little more and save a little towards the end, but I average around an 8:00 min/mile pace for the 3rd mile and then around 8:10 for the 4th mile.  I'm now just begging for the end to come.  With the race flat, you can see the finish off in the distance.  Just keep going, I think to myself.  The 5th mile was the toughest where I average close to an 8:25 pace.  I was able to finish the race in 38:28.  This was a tough race for me, I was hoping for the 37:00 mark, but my fitness still is not where it was at earlier in the year.  I still enjoyed this race and will back again next year assuming I have no other plans.

Upcoming Summer Events

As usual, summer time is a very busy time of year with races and general summer activities.  The last two weekends have included the Memphis in May triathlon and the Rock Run 8k.  Also, spent a day at Greers Ferry Lake. 

This weekend and next are no different.  I have the The Ranch Ride planned for this weekend.  This is a charity bike ride that starts in Conway and includes a 34 and 54 mile route.  I will completing the 54 mile route.  On June 9th, I should be racing in the sprint triathlon in Hot Springs Village.  So I'm keeping myself and challenged so far this summer.

Memphis In May Triathlon 2012

Well here is the race report from my race last weekend for the Memphis in May triathlon.  This was the second straight year that I have raced this triathlon.  Last year the race was moved to Tunica and the Harrah's casino is the host of the event. 

This has come to be one of my events of the year so far.  You can stay at the Verranda Hotel which is located off site from the casino, so it's still a quiet hotel.  You can then walk down to transition from your room, which makes it real nice come race morning to have a place to relax before the race started.  I arrived on Saturday afternoon and checked in.  From there, I have not had the opportunity to swim much lately due to work trips, so I swam for 30 minutes.  Open water swimming is not my strong suit, so more chances to swim in the open water the better for me.  After the swim, I cleaned up and then met some friends for dinner.  At first, we were going to go the Paula Dean buffet, but after seeing the line that was over an hour long, we decided that somewhere else may be better.  We tried the 37 restaurant, but couldn't get in there until 9!  So, it was onto the 3rd choice which was the Blue and White restaurant which was 10 miles away in Tunica.  There I had some chicken alfredo.  The meal did take awhile to get.  It turned out to be an ok meal.  Next year, we will make sure to make a reservation at a restaurant or go somewhere earlier before the dinner crowd arrives.

My goals for this race were around a 30 minute, 1 hr 8 min bike, and then a 47 minute run.  I didn't get a lot of training in April due to travel and work, so this was reach, but I had set a goal somewhere.

Race Morning

I woke up around 5:00 and took a shower and ate a banana, peanut butter sandwich, and a gel.  Being a 1500ms/40kb/10kr, I usually eat lighter before the race.  I went down to transition and set out my stuff and aired up my tires.  I then relaxed in my room for awhile and then headed out to the swim start.

Swim

The great thing about the swim for this race is that it is a time trail start.  It allows for a less hectic start.  A racer was sent off every 3 seconds which allowed the field to spread out a little bit.  I was number 355, so I had to wait about 16 minutes before the start which comes faster than you would think.  I was off and my swam began.  I started feeling pretty well.  I was able to site the buoys well and was actually able to swim with no contact until the first turn buoy.   There was a little contact around the first and the second which came up quickly.  After about half way through the swim, I could tell that I was getting tired.  No long swims over the past 4 weeks caught up to me.  I was slowing and hips were dragging.  I pushed through on the second half.  I came out of the swim in 37:55 min.  Oops already off my goal time! 

Bike

I come into transition and head to my bike.  Grab the sunglasses, helmet, and bike and head out of transition with no issues!  I jump on my bike and head off.  The bike course is one 40k loop that heads south, then west, back, south, before heading back north to transition.  The bike is flat and fast.  I knew the wind was supposed to be out of the south on race, but was hoping that it would be light while heading south. I could feel the head wind going out.  I was able to average about 20 miles an hour going out.  I finally turn back north and now it is time to press forward.  I start to push the pace and was able to average 24 back into transition.  Coming in off the bike, in 1 hr 8 min 13 sec.  I was pleased with the result.  Now, can I hold a great pace for the run!

Run

After my great bike, it's time to run.  Shoes on, race number on, time to hit the run.  I start off and could already feel a cramp come on.  I was running around 7:30 pace for the first half of the run while trying to fight off the cramp.  Hit the second aid station and throw water on myself and get something to drink.  After the first mile, the wheels started to come off.  I hit around 8:30 pace for the next 3 miles.  The 5th mile was around 9 minutes!  I was hot and could tell that no long training was having an effect.  I'm still going to push through and finally on the last mile I start to feel better and finish with a 8:27 pace!  My final time was 53:10 for the run which is one minute slower than last year when the run was a 1/2 mile long! 

Even though I didn't reach my goal for the first race, I still really enjoyed the race!  I got to meet some new friends and learned what I need to work on before the next triathlon which will be Tri the Village on June 9th.  Which is a sprint triathlon.

Quick Update!

Been awhile since I've had the chance to post, but I've been busy with my new job.  Since April, I've been on the road 5/6 weeks so far.  I get to spend the next weeks at home before heading back on the road again for another 2 weeks after Memorial Day.  Although my training has dropped off, I did get the chance for a quick weekend visit to Boston and a mid day visit to Philadelphia!

Upcoming, is the Memphis in May triathlon this weekend.  I have no idea how this race will go with limited training since the beginning on April.  I'm hoping that the training I did from the beginning of the year will push me through this race! 

I'm planning some vacations for this summer hopefully and will be busy throughout the year which is always a great thing!

Work and Play

Here can be my day sometimes in two pictures.

Visit sites for work

Magazine Mountain Visit and Update

Been awhile since I've posted, but nothing exciting as of late.  I've been training and getting outside as much as possible!  I've ridden more than ever, but of course I have only one more week left before I start work.  So that's the short and quick update, now for the post.

On Monday, I decided that I would head out to Magazine Mountain in Arkansas.  Magazine is the highest point in Arkansas so with the weather being nice I went out there for some cycling and a short hike. 

Mount Magazine is located in Western Arkansas 10 miles north of Havana and 10 south of Paris on Hwy 309.  Hwy 309 is the only to drive to the top.  There are various trails that are available to hike and mountain bike up. 

One of the main reasons I wanted to go out there was to ride up Hwy 309 from the south.  I've done a couple of good climbs before around home, but nothing like this.  Hwy 309 from the south is also the steeper way to the top.  If you come in from the north, the climb is more gradual and longer. 

I parked at the visitor center and rode down to the bottom turned around and began the climb.  The climb itself is very nice.  Most of the road is shaded and in decent condition, but you need to be careful on the decent.  As you ride up, you encounter some nice streams and small waterfalls on the lower portion.  As you get to the top near the first lookout, the shade goes away, but you close to the top!  I used the first lookout as a turnaround point before heading back to the bottom for the second climb to the top.  The climb itself is not overall that difficult.  It is a very long climb, but there are not any steep sections.  I was able to stay seated throughout the climb and was very comfortable.  The only time I didn't was toward the end of the second climb and I wanted to see if I finish the second climb faster. 

After completing the second climb, I rode back to the visitor center, but decided to go ahead and ride around the lodge area to take in the views, before I would hike to the highest point in Arkansas.  When I was finished with the ride, I headed over to the lodge area where you can easily access the trail to the top. 

I hiked to the top and visited some areas around there for the views headed back to the car and back to Conway.

Overall, I loved the area.  I would like to do some more hiking/running/riding up there.  Too bad it was a little hazy, but still had some great views.  Also, they have hotel and cabins up there which could make for a nice weekend or you could also camp.  Some pictures are below.

Warm and Windy February Day

Well the temperature today reached 80f! The problem was that the wind was blowing around 20mph out of the SW! Do I hit the roads or the trail with a bike? The winner?

Why - Video

Cool video on a few athletes on why they do what they do!  Also, take a look at some of Corey Rich's other videos.  The role models one is pretty awesome as well.



WHY - Nikon D4 Release Video from Corey Rich on Vimeo.

Cadron Trail Run

On Saturday Feb. 18th, the Cadron Trail Run race took place at Cadron Settlement Park just outside Conway, AR.  This trail run is part of a series of trail runs run by DLT Events as part of the Arkansas Trail Run Series.  The series includes 4 races at distances between 3 and 4 miles.  It is meant to introduce people to trail running.  Most trail runs are usually at longer distances and DLT wanted to put on some shorter distance races to allow all people to be involved in trail running.  The series involves the following races below.

Cadron - Conway, AR - Feb. 18th
Spa City - Hot Springs - Mar 17th
Scout Trail Run - North Little Rock - Apr 7th
Degray Trail Run - Arkadelphia - Jun 24th

This was the second time I've run this race and the second year of this race.  The nice thing is that the start time for this race is 10am.  I woke up around 7:30 and ate some cereal and OJ for breakfast.  I headed out to Cadron on this cool and cloudy morning.  The weather was around 44F and the rain was just going to hold off for the race.  My goal for this race was to beat my time of 34:31. 

The course is a two lap 2.1 course around the trails of Cadron.  The Cadron Park has around 6 miles of total trails for MTB, running and walking.  The course is not flat!  The course starts off uphill before a slight flat and then going back up hill towards the pavillion.  The trail then dives back downhill before a short a short section of flat and winding trails.  The final section of trail heads back up hill before a series of small quick uphills and downhills.

We lined up at the entrance to the park and started the race.  I knew I wanted to get at least a little towards the front.  Last year, I was stuck behind a couple of slower people and took awhile to pass them after the first uphill.  I get through the first uphill feeling pretty good and head towards the second climb and start to feel it a little.  The quick downhill gets me going and work on moving up the field in the flats.  I pass a couple of people and settle in.  I don't see anyone in front of me for awhile now and have a couple of people a few second behind me.  I work through the quick up and down section and towards the second lap.  I see two people ahead of me heading back uphill and realize I'm about 30 seconds behind them.  I work myself back uphill and now my legs are starting to burn and the walking demon is talking in my head.  I say to myself to get to the pavillion because the downhill is after that.  I have someone about 10 seconds behind me and feel them getting closer as we head towards the pavillon.  Back downhill we go and at that point I put some distance between me and the guy behind me.  I keep the pace up though the flats, but not to hard knowing the up down section is coming.  I'm gaining on the two guys in front of me.  We then hit the flat section and I'm about 10 seconds behind one guy.  I try not to go to hard, but he adds some distance between me on the downhills.  I fall about behind and know that I'll probably not catch him as the finish approaches.  I see him in front and try to sprint as hard as possible to the finish but still finish 7 seconds behind.

I was really happy with this race.  Last year I ran it in 34:31 and this year I was able to finish in 31:57.  My goal was 32:00 and I just got under it!  The only thing I could have done better was to push myself a little harder towards the end, but I gave it all I could.  I ended up finishing 8th overall out of 32 people and 1st in my age group!  In terms of series points, I will be second in my age group because the 3rd OA was in my AG.  This is a good way to start the series.

The next race is the Spa City which I will be run.  Looking forward to it!  The pictures and video below were taken by Arkansas Outside.  Thanks for the pictures.

First Two Races 2012

Well my first two races of the year are complete!  The two races were the hour track in Russellville on Jan 22 and the River Trail 15k in North Little Rock on Feb. 4th.  I have had really consistent training this year since the day after Christmas slowly building mileage with running, biking, and swimming.  I have not completed a lot of interval training so far, but still was interested to see how both of these races would go.

The plan for the Hour Track Run was to run farther than last year's distance.  The track run is run a standard 440 yard track, and the goal is to see how many laps you can complete in 60 minutes.  Last year I completed 30 laps plus the extra distance for a total of 7.5 miles.  My goal this year was at least 31 laps, but I was really hoping for 8 miles.  I knew I had to maintain at least a 7:20 pace to reach my goal.  The run started on misty Sunday afternoon.  The temps were in the upper 40s, so the weather was pretty good for running. The first lap went by quickly and then I easily settled into my pace of just under 7:15 miles.  I was able to hold this throughout the laps and even was able to increase the pace over the last 10 laps.  I was able to complete 32 laps plus some distance for a total 8.12 miles.  A new PR for this distance!

The second race of the year was the River Trail 15k.  This would be the 4th straight year that I have participated in the race.  Last year I ran a 1:11:04.  My PR came two years ago with 1:10:24.  The goal this year was to go under 1:10.  The pack pick up was very easy and quick.  The weather for the race again started with a light mist, but the temps were in the mid to upper 50's making for really good weather.  I lined myself up in the middle and just a little short of the front.  I didn't want to go out to quickly, so I usually line up just short of the front.  The horn goes off and away we run.  The first mile is flat and fast.  I was able to go out in a 7:16 which was a little fast but close to the 7:25 pace I was hoping for.  The next couple of miles go by with 7:20, 7:29, and then a 7:27.  There are a couple of hills around this area, nothing too hard, but enough to slow me down a little!  The miles start to go up and I hit a 7:23 during a flatter section, but the next two miles become hard 7:37 and then 7:38.  Ugg, starting to fall off my pace, but I know the last two miles are pretty flat to the finish, so I'm hoping to finish strong!  Mile 8 goes by 7:31 and finally hit mile 9 at 7:24.  Knowing that the finish is coming up, it is time to push it until the end.  I ran the final .3 in 2:10 with a pace of 7:13.  Not bad, but wish I could have finished faster.  The final time was 1:09:21.  A new PR!  This was my longest run of the year so far, it was nice to be able to set a PR for this distance early in the year.  The training is coming along really well!  Now to prepare for the next race!

Womble MTB Trail Adventure from HWY 27

At the end of December, I decided that I wanted to purchase a MTB.  I had test ridden one a couple of weeks before I went to NZ and then rented one in NZ.  By the time I got back home, I was ready to purchase a new MTB.  I loved trail running before and enjoyed bike riding, so I was ready to step up to mountain biking.  I was also ready to explore more the trails that Arkansas has to offer.  My first long distance trip was to the Womble Trail!

Below is the trail map for the Womble Trail. The Womble trail is 37 miles with three places you can park to do some OAB.  After talking to the owner of the The Ride, he advised me to ride from the HWY 27 parking to HWY 270 as an OAB.  He mentioned that you can park at the Fisherman's Village and then ride across the street to the trailhead.  

Saturday morning I wake up and head down to the trail.  The trail starts with a quick and hard climb to the ridge that overlooks the Ouachita River.  The trail is single track and bench cut.  You have to be careful in some spots because it is a straight drop down.  The trail goes up hill before finally going back towards County Road 59.  Once you cross 59, it is single track with a pretty level track and a couple of small creek crossing.  I was able to make it just past CR61 before heading back to the car.  The ride back up the ridge is much easier than going out.  Of course, going it across it a second time I felt a little better. 

This trail is considered an IMBA Epic ride and I can see why.  I hope to get back down there again sometime and do some riding from HWY 270 trail head.  This would allow me to do a couple of outbacks.  Also, while researching this trail, you can call the Fisherman's village and they can arrange to drop you off at the far trail head at North Fork Lake and then you can ride back into the Fisherman's Village. 

Sh#$ Cyclist/Triathletes/Mountain Bikers Say

I saw these three videos today.  I may have said some of things in these videos.