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Yesterday was a strength/core workout in the morning and then in the evening my weekly tempo run.
I don't have any special program for my strength train, which as a runner drives me nuts! I need a plan to tell me what to do and for how long. Basically my current program is starting at the upper body row of machines and working down the line. There are about 12 different ones working just about every muscle I don't use. I do 3 sets of 13 on each. The weight varies depending on what I am working. Then I do some stretching and work a little with the ball. It feels weird that each exercise takes a short time. I am use to running, biking and swimming for hours on end. Almost like I am not doing enough, but I sure feel it the next day.
Tempo run was warmup 5 minute walk, 10 minute easy run. The main is 25 minutes at tempo. Cool down 5 easy then 5 walk. My pace times have been changing, not even sure my new paces are. Warmup is around 9:30. For tempo I try to hit 7:45. This week I hit a 8:06 avg pace for 25 minutes.

Been way to long

So much is going on lately, I feel that I never have time to blog. 

I am the first person in the first row.

First of all the MSbike point to point was so crazy awesome. My main goal of the ride was to have fun and ride my first century. Little did I know I had it in me to kill it! I finish day ones 100 mile ride in 4:51:00. That is a insane 20.89 pace. I would like to thank my group of riders that I road with, with out them I would of never made that kind of time. I learned a lot about riding in larger groups. Day two was a 80 mile ride home. I started out a little earlier than the 7:00am starting time because of the storms mother nature had planned for the day. When I headed out I was solo for the first 15 or so miles. I was still killin it time wise but was feeling the pain of riding solo. Then I was past by a group that was just hallin, two of the guys yelled out to me, they were in the group from yesterday. I didn't want to race it all the way home so I just waved. Two minutes later the racer in me put the hammer down again and caught up the the group and joined in mid-pack. The two guys looked over at me and said... ya thats what I thought, welcome back. When we hit mile 45 for the lunch stop it was only 9:00am so we decided to only take a 5 minute break and continue on. When we started back the rain finally caught up to us. I was a little worried at first riding this fast in the rain, the last time I road while it was raining I felt like i was going to eat pavement every 20 seconds. I finally felt at ease about 20 minutes into it. The only thing that bugged me was when your in a group, your front tire is about 4-6 inches away from the riders rear tire thats in front of you. When its raining there rear tire is shooting of a constant stream of water. so of course you got a stream of dirty road water in your face. I ended up finishing the second day 80 mile ride in 4:21:00 with a avg speed of 18.5. Our group was the second group to finish that day. I think they said in the top 25 riders. Not bad for rainy ride!

Greater Cleveland Triathlon Report!

This was my third triathlon of the season. This was also my first olympic distance triathlon. 1200 yard swim, 40k bike and 10k run.  I woke up around 5:00 and left for the race at 5:30am. The race was only 2.5 miles from my house so I was very comfortable with the course. I rode the long and short courses as part of my training for the last couple months. When I arrived it was still pretty dark, there was a nice glow of lights coming from the west side of the beach where transition was setup.  After parking and grabbing all my gear I headed to the numbers marking to get tagged. Everyone was super nice for being up at who's know what time they got there. "Thank you volunteers" I setup all my stuff in order t1 and t2. I really didn't know how the swim was going to go so I walked down to the beach to see if they had anything setup. 

When I got to the shore I was greeted by 3-5' waves and some heavy winds. Not what you want to see when you have to swim 1200 yards in a race. By then I got a text from my official photographer and cheer person Kirsten, she said it was way too early and she was on her way. When she got there we walked around some, stalking on a bigger gentleman carrying a cup of coffee from McDonalds. The first waves started at 7:30 and I was in the third wave at 7:36. As everyone started down to the beach I finally got a look where the starting line was and how far the swim was going to be. You started to see the fear in a lot of the people's eyes when they saw how ruff the water was. They said it was 3-5 foot waves, some said 5-6. Let me tell you, I have never in my life thought that I would ever go into that kind of water no less swim a race in it. When we got to what I thought was the start, a lot of people where still walking down the shore. That was just the sprint start. 700 yards down the beach was my start. The whole way down Kirsten and I were joking about how ruff the water was and how I needed to man up for this one. It felt like forever taking that walk to the start. 

Once there I threw on my swim cap and goggles to see how the water was. I guess all I could say was that at least the water was warm. Man was it ruff! In the final meeting for the triathlon the officials told us because of the conditions of the water all we had to do was swim out to the first yellow buoy then make the turn to head back up shore, if we wanted to we could swim as close to shore we wanted. We could even walk down the shore, as long as your ankles are in the water you were good. The only thing is when you got to the last yellow buoy you had to swim out and around it before you got out of the water. A lot of the guys got a smile on their faces... I sort of knew what they had planned. I don't know how a lot of other people feel but, I trained really hard and I wanted to try my hardest to complete the swim no matter how long it took. When I told Kirsten about how the swim was going to go down, I think the only thing she said was what the &$@!. You’re gonna swim it right? The first wave was the youngest, it was a beach start so everyone gathered in the coral, when the horn went off it was total madness. Either you ran into the water or waited to see how everyone else was doing. Less then 30 seconds into it you heard "help" a couple of people started to panic out in the ruff water.  I won't lie I as nervous, but I had to man up and get it done. I lined up towards the middle on the beach, I didn't want to be last in and also didn't want to the first. When the horn went off I hung back a few and hit then water. I knew it was going to be tuff within the first 15 seconds. I took in a lot of water the first few waves until I got out more in the water. I almost freaked out until I regrouped and told myself slow down and take it easy. After the turn I headed down the shore for the long swim. I noticed that there was a lot of orange caps still around me so I knew I was ok. I was trying to stay out into the water and not too close to the shore. What felt like an hour went by, fighting the waves and current I finally started to pass the sprint starting point. You can basically sum up the swim by two words, the f bomb and "help" the life guards were on over time today! Finally I saw the last yellow buoy in sight. When turning into shore I noticed that the number of swimmer doubled, different colored caps everywhere. When I could finally touch I tried so damn hard to run out of the water onto shore but my legs didn't have it to fight the current, so I just walk up to the beach. Once I hit the sand I started to pick up the pace and heard Rob from the bicycle hub yell out my name... It was a nice cheer that gave me an extra boost to T1.

When I ran into T1 I saw Kirsten, i was still a little dizzy from being in the water and I asked her how long I was out there. She said forever!!! She lost me and didn't  see me until I popped out of the water. I think she said like an hour... I felt a bit down on that time but I was so damn happy the swim was over. I took my time in T1 so I could catch my breath and get my bike on.

Heading out of the park I didn't get on it yet... They told us there was no racing until you hit the main road, so stay in order. I guess the guy that passed me missed that note. Once I hit the road I laid it down as hard as I could with out using up all legs for the run. The first part of the bike long course is a slight up hill for 4-5 miles. It's hard on the legs if you’re a grinder. I did pass a lot of bikes the first 6 miles, until the first downhill then the field leveled out and we all hung with each other until the big up hill climb. This climb hunts me in my sleep. The first time I ever tried it I ended up hoping off the bike and walking up. The second time I did it but I thought my heart popped out of my chest.  The more I did the course the easier it became. I just had thoughts of me in the middle of a pack of riders jumping off my bike to walk. Around a half mile before the the hill I notice a lot of people slowing down and getting ready. When I passed one guy I asked him if he was ready? He told me that last year he had to walkup the last part of the hill and he was hoping to make it this year. So when I got to the base I started spinning hard and gave it my all. Once I made it to the top, I thought to myself all that worrying over that? Ten seconds later I started hearing yelling of joy when a lady that I passed on the up hill made it to the top! Was a great feeling that I wasn't the only person that was celebrating the climb. There was only about 1.5 miles more of up hill and the rest was a fast paced down to the finish. I saw Kirsten one last time, she was taking pictures and smiling away.  I hung with the same people the last 5 miles of the bike. The last mile was a fast hard pace, i wanted so bad to pass one more rider before the cut off when  we reached the park. So once again i dug deep and sprinted on last rider, i think i was twenty feet from the park entrance. When I came into T2 I knew the run would be a death crawl.

 I tried so hard to run hard but I had nothing more  to give to the run gods. I thought as long as I could run 10 minute miles I would be happy. When I came up on mile three I notice one of the younger swimmers that had to be helped in the water and I started to talk to her, she really didn't want to talk about it. I told her it was really ruff and a lot of people were having a hard time. That's when I saw my photographer for the last time... She yelled out "you call that running!" I think I said that's all I got right now... I really didn't care on time anymore I just wanted to finish. The last three miles I felt like I might be able to push harder but the legs just won't go. Coming back into the park the only thing I could remember is my last training run. I knew I was so close to the finish, the strange thing was I didn't want it to be over yet. I am addicted to the feeling of almost passing out and pushing myself to new limits. I want to be in that moment forever. So I relished the feeling for a few more minutes and pushed on to the finish. I finished in 3:04:15 placing 10th in my age group. 

I have been bit hard by the triathlon bug this year, and I am so proud of myself for getting it done.

"My Goals" new and old

In two days I will be racing my third triathlon this year. This will be my first Olympic distance triathlon 1200 yard swim, 40k bike and 10k run. This race was going to be my "B" race for the tri year and my "A" race was going to be the Rev3 70.3 at Cedar Point. I have been training for the 70.3 for ever now, but It just wasn't in the cards for this year. So I decided to drop the 70.3 this year and make the Greater Cleveland Triathlon my "A" race.

Right now I am in the peak of the training for the 70.3 so there won't be much of a tapper...

Somebody asked me what was my time goals for this race. I was kind of clueless. I have done all the distances during my training, also I have done bricks with the same distances. I have never really thought of a time goal for this race. I think that I want to race this race as hard as I can as long as I cross the finish with a smile. I don't want to push myself to the point where I am not enjoying it anymore.

I am also doing the MS Bike Point to Point ride next weekend. Its a 175 mile two day bike tour. First day 100 miles and second 75 miles. I was also bribed with food to run the Akron Half Marathon in Sept. Tho I would of done it anyways. Plus I want to start base training with my run. I have a date with a 50k in January that I need to do. I didn't finish it last year and its been bugging me a lot. After the 50k I would like to start to add some good speed training in. I also have one more date with the Cleveland Marathon, I really would like to hit that 4:00ish mark. Continuing on I would really really really love to run the Burning River 100 in 2012. I think with the right planning and a good base(I have a year) I could do it. Even tho I might have to put my two other loves (bike and swim) on hold or a least just use them as cross training.

How running changed me.

I have never really been a social person. A lot of people that know me to be a quiet person, if I didn't talk to you I hope you didn't take it personal. Its just that I didn't have much to say. Nor did I want to.
When I started running, I ran to improve my health. When the runs started to get longer I enjoyed it even more because it was more alone time for me. I didn't have to talk to anyone or listen to someones else. The first time I ran with other people was my first 5k race. I didn't even say one word to anyone. It wasn't until a local 5k race I met a old friend from high school. We chatted before the race, catching up on lost time and how we got into running. During the race I think I even made some slight small talk to him, not the usual me. There was something about running that made me want to talk about running. My first marathon training started soon after that race, not having many running friends to talk about running with I decided to start a running blog. Even if nobody read it, it would keep my non running friends happier because I wasn't talking about running to them. Towards the end of my training I had a friend that had a friend that was a runner and she was looking for someone to run with. I reluctantly said yes to meeting up with her for a few training runs. It was crazy, I never talked to a total stranger for more then 2 seconds no-less for a ten mile run.  I don't think we stopped talking the whole run. It was many about how we got into running and running itself,, but the point was I was being social. Time passed and she lost interest in running and I was a solo runner again. I thought my only venting about running would be to my two readers on my blog.
Something changed in me the first year of running tho, I now would wave or give a good morning to fellow runners as they passed by when before I gave a shrug of the shoulder and was annoyed when people said hi. I even would start up a conversation at a race to a perfect stranger. Even at mile 11of a half marathon when I felt crappy and worn out I would look over at the runner next to me and ask them how there doing.
Last week I ran another local 5k race with some friends. During the start I saw a running friend in front of me (he's always been faster) I ran up to him and we started talking about what races we have been doing and what are plans for the year are. It was funny, here I was in the middle of running a race at a 7:30 pace and all I wanted to do was talk it up...

Running has changed me in so many ways physically, mentally and socially and I am grateful for every foot step.

CROSSFIT AKRON Triathlon @ Munroe Falls Metroparks

After work yesterday, I started to pack up my gear so I didn't feel rushed in the morning. I never thought that I would need to bring so much stuff to one small race. 

The swim, not that much need for that right? I decided to wear my speedo jammers that I normally wear swimming. I thought about getting tri shorts, but they cost more than the race did, so maybe I'll get some later. I also read that some people just use there bike shorts. I did a small test in the shower and that was a no go for me. It felt like, well it felt like I was wearing a wet diaper. So it a was a thumbs up on the normal swim wear. The only other thing I needed was my googles. The race provided a bright orange swim cap to show my age group and wave I was in.  Some towels and a mat to set up on the ground to keep everything dry. 

The bike, well I needed my bike, cycle shoes, socks ( if I decided to wear any), cycle jersey, helmet, glasses, gloves and my water bottles. Also my garmin 305, I can't wear it swimming and the mount for the bike doesn't use the wrist wrap so I don't use it for the run. I just wanted it for the bike to make sure my cadence is up. I grabbed some small tools just incase along with my floor bike pump.

The run, all I really needed was my running shoes and a hat. To save time I'm going to run in my cycle jersey and swim jammers. I didn't really want or need any nutrition for the run, they would have G2 on the course.

All packed up I finally hit the hay after checking I had everything about 100 times. I was so afraid that I would for get my helmet and not to be able to race. Yes some guy next to me today was asking around for a extra helmet because he for got his... He did find one.

Woke up around 4:30am and ate a bagel and apple and it the road at 5:10. The event packed pick up and transition area opened at 6:00 and it took around 1:15 to get there. When I got there there already was so many people there, the first parking lot was almost full. Not knowing what to do, I kind of followed the crowed and headed to packet pickup. There was several tables set up by male/female and age group. Grabbed my packet and headed into transition. The bike racks where set up by wave times, male 35-50 was my group. After setting up my bike and laying everything out, I there was about 1/2 hour before the first wave started. I walked around a bit to see how everyone else was set up and just to get a idea of how everything was going to go. You could tell there was a lot of first timers because they had the same look as I did. 

Ten minutes before the first wave started everyone headed down to the shore of the lake. The lake was about 500 yards long and 300 wide. Towards the center there was two lanes, first one was from the shore and 50 yards out, the second lane was only 15 feet wide if that, separated by what you would normally see in a pool. At each end there was a huge bright green ball that was the turn around and finish. We were to swim down the first lane, then turn at the end and return in the next. You forget how long 400 meters is when you only see it at 25 meters at a time in a pool. As the race instructions finished the first wave started to line up in the water. I was in the fourth wave and each wave started 6 minutes apart so I had some time to see how everything works. When my wave started to line up I stayed to the mid rear of the group to make sure I didn't get swam over or under. Oh ya this is the first time I swam with a swim cap on, crazy feeling! 

5-4-3-2-1 horn! Time to swim! Let me say this when 50 or more guys all start to swim at the same time and everyone's goal is to get to the finish line... It can get a little ruff. Not the ruff you think of, but you are gonna get hit, kicked, pushed and pulled in a fun way. For some crazy reason I was passing a lot of swimmers. The whole time I really never fell into a grove, I was sighting like crazy. I think it was the amount of people swimming with me. Half way threw it was time to turn around the buoy, heading back I notice a lot of people where standing up and kind of walking/swim. The lake was only 4-7 feet deep, I was kind of dumb founded that someone would be walking out there... Next thing you know I was at the exit point and headed up the beach and started to run to the transition area and crossed the first sets of timing mats. 

When I got to my bike I was a little dizzy from the swim, I started to dry myself of quickly and get my cycle shoes on. I decided on the fly to forgo the socks on the bike, trying to save some time. Then I started to TRY to put on my jersey for the bike. I was wet from head to toe and my jersey is on the tighter side to keep it from flapping in the wind. I was kind of funny I never thought of it but wet body+tight jersey = its not going on! I finally got it on then headed out of the T1 and got on the bike. The bike course is a lollypop course, you ride out to the loop and when down with two loops you come back in the way you started. The way out, once again I was passing bikes left and right. I didn't want to give it my all on the bike because this time out I had to run a 5k after my ride. The course was a lot more hilly then I thought and each time a climb came up I wanted to hammer it but the thought of the run slowed me down. On the second loop I was finally passed by two bikes, one was a sweet trek tri bike! the other just a fast ass rider. Towards the end I ended up passing the second guy that passed me, I got him on the last up hill, Ya me!!! 

When I got into T2 I was feeling pretty good about the ride. I mounted my bike on the rack and kicked off my bike shoes and threw on my socks and running shoes and headed out on the run. The 5k was a two lap course around the park/lake. As soon as I started to run I knew it wasn't going to be a record braking time on the run, so I just paced myself at a pace I knew I could finish strong. I wasn't passing many people or vise versa, I was mainly soaking in what I just did and how much fun it was so far. The last 1/4 mile was mainly down hilly so I picked it up a bit and ran strong to the finish.

My total time was 1:18:57.7 I placed 109 ,no 119, no 125 overall( not sure why it keeps changing?.  I am not sure the split times, I'll get those when there posted. I learned a lot today and I know next time out I'll do even better. The main thing is that I had tons of fun today and can't wait until the next on

Bike MS Point to Point

Dear Friends and Family, I am very excited and proud to say that I am participating in bike MS: Pedal to the Point Ride 2011! The Bike MS event will take place on August 13 - 14, 2011. I am asking you to join the movement by making a contribution to support my efforts. The National MS Society is committed to building a movement by and for people with MS that will move us closer to a world free of this disease. Donations collected for Bike MS continuously fund research for a cure, while also providing services and support for those currently living with MS. I am riding this year because I believe in the mission of the National MS Society. More than 400,000 Americans live with MS and every donation will help us find a cure. Please help by making a donation  or joining my team. Join me, and together we can create a world free of MS. I greatly appreciate your support and I will keep you posted on my progress. Sincerely, brianmorris Go to my personal page and make a secure, online donation.   MS doesn't wait. Neither should you! Bike to create a world free of MS.