A Weekend Re-cap (QW Half Marathon Race Report)

It's Monday morning, and I am happy to be sitting on the couch!  I got me some sore legs today, as I just put in a tough weekend of training and racing! Here's the play by play re-cap of how it all went down:

Friday:

Didn't get my speed workout (running) in until evening.  It was a busy day, packing the family for our trip to Belleville/Picton.  I headed to the indoor track with my parents, as they use it to get their walks done (and its not often you get to workout with your own parents.. cool!).  However, I wasn't long into my workout, when I realized this track was too small for fast running!  The corners were pretty tight, and it wasn't long until my inside leg was feeling very strained in the calf from making the turns. Regardless, I finished the 55 minute workout which consisted of 5x3 minute hard efforts, with 6 minutes easy jogging in between. (And mom and dad knocked off their hour walks easy peasy ;-)

Saturday:

Up and at 'em to meet a local riding buddy for a hilly 93km (aprox.), bike ride.  The tempo wasn't too crazy but the climbing was plenty (I think he said we did over 1000m of climbing), and some of the hills were nasty steep - You know the kind that put you in your easiest gear, and make you wish you had more as you grind up the hill pulling hard on you handle bars, barely turning over the cranks!?  Fun times for sure, and a solid 3:15 ride. I followed this up with a short transition run of 10 minutes, because that's the beauty of triathlon - running on tired legs! :-)

Sunday (race day!):

Woke up early and had my usual breakfast smoothie, with all kinds of fruit and some spinach thrown in.  Also had a small bowl of oats with some blueberries and maple syrup, and I was good to go.  I got all prepped, and rode my bike to the race site (Belleville to Trenton), which was about a 28-30 minute ride on a beautiful sunny morning! (I guess my coach and I wanted to be sure there was some fatigue in my legs before the race - mission accomplished! ;-)

Mom and dad were able to come to the race (which is always great!).  I had them bring my bag with running gear, made a quick change of clothing, put all my bike gear in his truck, visited with a few friends and before you know it, I was lining up at the start line waiting for the gun to go off!
The weather was absolutely perfect.  The sun was shining, and the temps were very comfortable. The course lay out was also pretty fun.  To start, athletes did a 1 km loop, that took us right back past the start finish area (kind of fun for spectators), and then the remainder of the course was a 10km loop (5 out and 5 back), that was a mix of trail and road, done twice.  This made for a great spectating course, and my parents took advantage of it!  I lost track of how many times they spotted me :-)

The race itself went pretty well.  Going into it, I had a tough time gauging expectations, as the last time I did a half marathon was Oct 2010, (about 5 weeks before Ironman Florida) and I have not done one with this much other training in the days leading up to a race! My PR (personal record), for a half is 1:24:34 (at that last one), but I did not expect to be breaking that.  I'd hoped that I could break 1:30, but even then, I wasn't sure and my sore calf from the Friday track session didn't boost my confidence!

There were 77 runners doing the race (and a couple hundred more doing the 10km and 5km races that would start later on).  At the sound of the gun, we took off, and about 6-8 guys shot off in front of me.  I did my best to let them go, as I did not want to make the mistake of going out to hard and be gasping for air 1-2kms into the race!  I went through the first km in 3:58 minutes, feeling pretty good and in control.  I knew this pace would break my PR, but I was doubtful my legs would want to maintain it and wasn't going to force the issue.

The next 5 km's were mostly on trail.  It was a mix of packed dirt, grass, and then some semi-crushed gravel later on.  These surfaces gave pretty solid footing, but there were a few random steps of lost traction or brief imbalance that cause you to loose fluidity (speed), albeit momentarily.  At about the 2.5 km mark two guys go past me.  A younger guy in a yellow shirt, and a older guy in an orange shirt.  It's still early on, so I just keep focused on settling into a sustainable effort.  In no time, I re-pass the guy in the orange shirt, but the yellow shirt guy stays in front of me by about 10 feet.  As we get onto the gravel section of the course, it twists and bends through a marsh area, that has a lake on one side and tall brush on the other.  I notice he is running the corners wide, and I remember to run the tangents (finding the straightest line on the course, without cutting it of course).  By doing so, we come out of the gravel section and on to the road side by side as I've closed the gap.  I say something like "good running"and he replies with similar thoughts.  We make the turnaround and then run shoulder to shoulder back to the start/finish area for loop 1.  (this was pretty cool, as usually you don't stay next to someone for long in a race, as either you or they have a faster pace).

I've been watching my kilometer splits as I'm racing and know by this stage, that I am not on PR pace, but have managed to put myself on target to go under 1:30 bench mark that I was hoping for.  As we head out on to the trail section for the second time, I am just focused on staying strong and not loosing concentration.  Me and my shadow (AKA - yellow shirt guy!), have stayed side by side throughout the second loop.  As we come out of the turnaround and head for the last 5km stretch, he say's "well, this is like deja-vu eh!?"  I say, "no kidding", and we carry on, side by side, because its time to work now.  I was hoping to lift the pace around the 19km mark and cause some separation between the two of us.  There was a slight incline on the road, and I thought this would be a good spot to attack.  Unfortunately, he had similar ideas, and at the 18km mark, he lifted his pace a bit.  I briefly tried to counter, but at this stage my legs were feeling the work load from the weekend and I couldn't go faster and hold it, this far out from the finish.  Soon his margin was 10 feet, and then 20.  The move was made, and I knew I wasn't getting him today.

There was another fellow though, in a blue shirt that had been in front of us both the whole race.  In the early stages he probably had a 500 meter lead on us, but we had been closing on him slowly, but steadily for most of the race.  I watched as my yellow shirted friend soon went by him, and that gave me hope, that I too would do the same. Around the 19km mark I made the pass and hoped it was enough to get a gap, and avoid a nasty sprint in the closing kilometer!  The other runner tried to stay on my shoulder, but thankfully my effort was enough, and I was able to just steadily push through to the finish line.  I crossed the line in 1:28:23, 8th place overall and under my 1:30 mark that I'd hoped for!

Overall, I'm very pleased with race, especially in the context of the whole weekend.  Training is really paying off, and to run within 4 minutes of my PR with tired legs and no taper is a good boost going into this race season.  I'm looking forward to some easy efforts in training this week to get recovered, and then I'm anxious to keep pressing forward and finding some more speed, as race season continues to unfold.  I really can't wait for the triathlon season to get rolling... it just isn't the same doing races without a swim and bike first! ;-)

Strive On!
Jon               
 

Epic Weekend Ahead! (Tri Training Update)

Ok, so I'm not just all about food these days, promise!  Training has been moving along - day after day, week after week, month after month.  As always, consistency is key, and I've stayed the course and am really starting to see the returns! :)  It seems like forever ago, that I began my personal campaign to return to racing fitness, but its only been about 6 months.

The last month or so, has really made the previous 5 all worth it.  Sometimes its hard in the earlier stages to just keep your head down, and stay after it (you feel slow, weak, tired, etc., I've felt them all!).  When you go after a physical fitness goal of any kind, you want to see the improvement ASAP!  But it takes *some* time (but NOT forever).  I have been reminded again over this time frame just how adaptable the human body is. It really is amazing how it responds to consistent positive habits (of course the opposite is true as well, make bad choices - in diet or not exercising, and you'll see those adaptations as well :(

I'm pretty pumped as I look ahead to this weekend!  The cherry on top, is an early season race, in Trenton - as I'm doing the Quinte West Half Marathon.  Here's the game plan my coach and I have laid out as an early season "test":

Friday - 55 minute Run speed workout
Sat - Long Bike 3:30, with a short 10 min transition to follow
Sun - 60-80min Bike ride to the race and then Race the Half Marathon! :)

Its not what you would do to get your fastest race time, but it should be a challenge to say the least!  The goal at this time of my training year, is not to get a fastest personal "race time", but to build Ironman specific strength and endurance, and this will certainly help show how that is coming along.  I really have no idea how fast I'll go on Sunday.  I'll do my best, and see what my legs have on the day.  The good thing is that the past few weeks have been so rewarding, as each key workout has shown faster/stronger fitness week after week, and usually you don't see those adaptations, that frequently! 

Ok, that's all from me for now!  Thanks for following along.  Soon it will be June and then I can do some races the proper way, with an actual taper and some rest before hand! :)  Until then, there is more fun "work" to be done!

Cheers,
Jon

Proudly Plant Powered! :) (A WFPB Eating Update)

Ok, so here we go...

As most are aware, I set out with an experiment trying a whole foods plant based eating plan for the month of April. In a nutshell, the verdict is, that it has been a great success!  Perhaps the best testament to this, is that I have already decided to continue eating this way until June.  It was really a no-brainer decision, that I was feeling ready to make after week 2.

Simply put, I am feeling fantastic!  My body is recovering well after hard workouts, and while I'm not crediting my eating with all the success of what has been a great 3-4 week stretch of training - it certainly has not hurt, and clearly is helping.  My body weight has continued to slowly go down.  In 3 weeks (since starting), I am down another 7lbs.  I have no doubt, this clean eating will take me to a "new" body composition, I never really thought I could achieve.  The best part though, is that I really don't feel like I'm trying.  Within my guidelines (no meat, no dairy), I eat whatever I want, whenever I want, and as much as I want.

So there you have it.  So far, so good!  Here are some other random points I've observed in the journey and a few food pics of yummy dishes I enjoy!

- I do grocery shop more frequently then before.  This is mainly because I am also not eating hardly any processed foods either.  Fresh fruit/veggies, don't last as long, so 2-3 trips a week is what has happened.  2 trips a week is certainly sustainable, and doable most weeks, as I get better at buying this way.

- We are spending more money on food.  It is a bit more pricey eating this way, but I have read enough to know that this is a worthwhile investment.  IF we ever went this way as a household, it may not be as pricey, as now, I buy "my food" and still "family food".

- Your taste buds do/can change.  I am fortunate, I always did like fruits/veggies, but even so, I will not forget a day last week, when lunch time rolled around and I was craving another big yummy salad!  As I was making it, I was literally salivating.

- Our composting quantities have gone through the roof! :)

- I have very little to no ear wax anymore. (random I know, but I have read this from other accounts of people who eat like this, and its been true for me!).

Ok..  a couple some food pics.....

Below:  Red Rice and Lentil base.  Your choice of grilled veg.  I used Green Bean, Zucchini, Red Pepper, Kale, Mushroom, Green Onion, Sunflower Seeds

Sauce: (eyeballed from scratch). Soy sauce, Honey, Veg Broth, 1 clove garlic, Sesame seeds, Chilly flakes (for some nice sweat heat) - This was soooooo good!!

Below: Most days I enjoy a nice big salad for lunch! Spinach, Chic Peas, Mushrooms, Strawberry, Zucchini, Green Onion,  Mixed Nuts, Oil/Vin dressing.. Amazing!  (I also make hummus and put that on salads as well - can't remember if it was on this one or not :)

To Health!
Jon

WFPB Eating - Week 1 Update!

Well, it's been 1 week since I made the full switch and went to whole foods, plant based eating (WFPB).  I've had no meat, and no dairy products. The executive summary for those with ADD, or little time, or both is that it was a great week and certainly a success!

My main concern going into the week, was that I would run out of energy or feel flat during a training session.  So, to be certain, I ate often, and had as much fruits, veggies, rice, legumes as I wanted.  Also of importance, was having a good breakfast (which I never did skip previously, just wasn't always high quality).  Most days this week started with a glass of water (typical), and steel cut oats, with a mix frozen fruits and a bit of soy milk.

Because I am so new to cooking with these guidelines (not boundaries, as that insinuates restriction, when in fact I am learning there are plenty of food choices in WFPB eating; in fact, some would argue more variety), I kept it really simple to start the week.  I made a big pot of brown rice and green lentils mixed together. This "base" was used for numerous lunches and dinners, and was actually really handy as you could just pull it out of the fridge and reheat.  I would then fry up any mix of veggies and spices I wanted to try, and presto - a yummy, filling meal.  Here are two examples of what I did with that "base":

I am not "trying" to lose weight anymore (I was focused on it the past 5 months, and with good success dropped 40lbs and am back to a good weight).  That being said, over the past 7 days I lost 4lbs!  What is crazy to me about this, is that I ate whatever I wanted to, anytime, until I was full.  It wasn't the amount I was eating (there was no restricting), but the increased quality of food that I was eating, that has been making the difference.  Furthermore, these are the "harder" pounds to now lose - I am basically not carrying any substantial extra weight around, its just getting down to racing weight now, which can be tricky, but this has been very easy so far.

I also watched another food based documentary this week called "Hungry For Change":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-WWp9wlvwU

It is a 7 part series, free to watch on Youtube.  I didn't find it quite as "jarring" as FOK (see prior blog for summary), but this movie has some excellent points to take away from it, with many personal stories of people who changed their entire lives around through the food choices they made.

I am really pleased with the impact this has had on me so far!  I think those 2 films should be mandatory viewing; as education (how we think about food), is crucial to why we choose what we eat (and frankly, I don't think we have given it as much thought as it deserves, which is ironic, considering how often we eat!).

Another thing that has become a part of my routine are smoothies.  They are such a great way to get nutrients in quickly and delicious!  I purchased a good Vegan protein powder, and add it on days when I am doing multiple workouts or long sessions.  This one was soooo good! (I am using an almond yogurt, when I do put it into a blend).  

This has really been an enlightening experience, to say the least.  I don't yet know what I will choose to stick with "forever", but I am quite happy to carry on with this for April, as planned.  I have read so many good articles, and listened to some real life athlete interviews/videos who live this way, and it has been completely informative and amazing! 

I will close with this thought from "Hungry for Change".  It sums up the difference between how a regular person may view "poor or fatty or tempting" food when on a diet, and how an informed person who lives WFPB looks at them:

Typical view: "I want that, but I CAN'T have it"
WFPB: "I CAN have it but I don't want it"

Think about that... it's a big difference! :)  

EatStrong ;)
Jon