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Going into marathon training this fall, I was wondering if all of the miles I put in on the bike this summer were going to help my running. They did.

I began training the week of September 22nd, with 13 weeks to get ready. I developed a schedule based on 3 weeks of build followed by stepdown weeks. In the beginning, I did ramp up the mileage fairly quickly, which is not the best, but I backed off on the cycling so I think it balanced out. My running regime was based on the Furman First program, with 3 key workouts (long, track and tempo) plus recovery runs and/or cross-training. I also started getting weekly massages in November. I was able to put in 4 runs of 18 miles or longer, including 2 twenty mile runs. A PR in the Outback Half on Thanksgiving and a strong run nine days later in a warm OUC Half boosted my confidence.

The week before the marathon I was extremely anxious. The weather forecast was not good and it looked like it was going to be hot and humid. I took in a lot of water during the week, so much my wife started making fun of my frequent trips to the restroom. Tapering is not easy because you have trained your body to expect a pattern of work-outs.

The morning of the race was somewhat cool, but it still was not optimal running conditions. The only hope I had was that the skies would be overcast to keep the sun off. I had mentally prepared myself the days leading to the race, envisioning running strong in the heat.

The beginning of the race was comfortable. The goal was to do even 8:00/mile splits. There was a group I was hanging with that was doing 7:50. I decided to remain with them, because I knew in my head that if I dropped back I would find myself pressing to catch them again. Plus, according to McMillan, I was capable of running 7:37 miles for a marathon. I decided that even with the heat, 13 seconds over projected pace would not destroy me. Somewhere along Mandarin Road, between miles 8 and 10, I dropped that group and started passing folks. Running miles 13 through 15 is a blast because of the crowd support. After 15, I was still passing folks. Through 18, my average was a 7:52/mile and on pace for a 3:26 marathon. Unfortunately, this is where the happy part of the race report ends.

Because of the heat and humidity, I was sweating quite a bit. However, for some reason my bladder filled up. I needed to go as soon as mile 6, but could never find a port-o-let that was empty or didn't have someone waiting. Finally, at mile 18 I had my chance. My body felt really good after the pit stop, but I think my legs locked up a bit. After making the turn onto Scott Mill, my body started slowing down. There is less shade on this part of the course, and there were no clouds, so it started to get really warm. At the water stops, I took in a lot of fluid because I knew my body needed it, but it made my stomach gurgly. By the time I got to the next stop, I would be in dire need of fluid again and would feel like I was overindulging. I wish I had a water bottle at this point to sip on.

I continued to slow down and was eventually walking through water stops after mile 21. I saw Rick Patterson at 23.5 and he told me to pour water over my head. That felt good and gave me a boost. I started doing the math in my head to determine what it would take to still finish under 3:30. Once I realized that wasn't happening, I started doing the math to beat my PR. I still had a chance. However, with each passing mile, that goal also became unattainable.

In the end, I finished in 3:39:29, two minutes off of my PR that I ran in my first marathon ever in 2004. The weather in 2004 was absolutely perfect. I consider this year's Jacksonville Marathon to be on par or better than the 2004 because of conditions.

In the past, after a bad marathon I would immediately start looking for another race to redeem myself, but in the end would decide that would be a bad idea. This year is different. I know I am in really good shape and I owe it to myself to find another marathon and hope for good conditions. After talking with numerous folks, I think I am going to do the Tallahassee Marathon February 1 to go for that PR. Traditionally, the weather is very cool for the race and it is a pretty fast track. Apparently, it is even flatter than Jacksonville.

My recovery has been very fast. I ran 3-4 miles 2 days after the race, then did a 30 mile bike ride last Friday. I ran 5 miles Saturday morning, and another 5 miles this morning. Jenny Lindley gave me a great massage this morning and I feel like I am back to pre-race form. I'm shooting for 15 miles this Saturday morning. That will be 4 weeks before the race. A couple more long runs during the first half of January and then a stepdown week followed by a taper week and I should be ready for that PR.

It may sound weird, but my body is now conditioned to expect marathon training every fall. It craves the long workouts. I enjoy the experience, spending time on the road and track with friends. I am also thankful to have the support of my wife and daughters to allow me to be selfish and take the time to do the training (although they are rarely awake when I leave for my runs).

| Posted by Marshall M. Butler at 3:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

No races as training runs for Marshall.

Tried to reign it in, and I did for the most part, but I still averaged 12 seconds per mile faster than plan. The first 5 miles I started at 7:20 and descended to 7:14. At that point I made a conscious effort to not be an idiot.

I pulled back and ran very consistent and smooth 7:23 splits for the rest of the race except for the 9th mile, which was a slow 7:29. Finishing time was 1:37:18.

It was warmer and more humid than the Outback, but for the most part conditions were very nice.

I don't think I destroyed the legs. Even though the competitive nature of racing made me run harder, I am glad I was able to shut it down and not run as hard as I could have.

So, 2 half marathon in 9 days with a 20-mile training run sandwiched in the middle. I am ready to start tapering and run a strong Jacksonville Marathon!

| Posted by Marshall M. Butler at 2:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Didn't think I had the goods going into today's race. Perhaps I have more fitness than I thought, and coupled with great weather, had one of my best races in 3 years.

I'm especially happy about the negative splits. Started out in control, and slowly racheted up the effort. The only bump in the chart is a 6-seconf differential for mile 12 that was probably caused by a congested water station that services people going two different directions.

If we have weather like today for the Jacksonville Marathon, I might have a chance to drop another PR. My marathon PR is 4 years old, and it came in my first marathon. Based on today's time (1:34:38), the McMillan calculator projects a 3:19 marathon. That would drop my PR 18 minutes. I would be satisfied coming in under 3:30.

Great race. Great weather. Great time with family. Great food. Great day. I am very thankful.

| Posted by Marshall M. Butler at 8:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Participated in the Marineland International Distance Triathlon yesterday.

Kevin Cofran, Jay Strates, Steve Matson, Clay Bruce, Lacey, Peter King and I left the condos a little before 0700 for the 0800 race start. This is a fairly small race, and transition was completely open. You could rack your bike wherever you wanted. Besides the International distance, there was a sprint tri, a sprint du, and an international du.

Everyone made their way to the beach for the start. A few pre-race instructions and then the national anthem. The national anthem CD skipped so badly, it must've been gouged with some deep cuts. This would prove to be a creepy omen. . .

As sprint folks lined up near the waters edge for their start, the fellow operating the inflatable boat being used to monitor the swim course hit a wave and was tossed out. Because he didn't have the kill switch attached to his life vest, the boat started doing doughnuts in the water at full speed. Right in the middle of the swim course. You just can't make this stuff up. But it gets worse.

A couple of folks decided to wade towards the boat to stop it. They were soon talked out of making such a foolish decision by lifeguards on long boards who were nearby. The boat was at full throttle and bucking like a mustang. At this point, a race participant decided he could no longer be inconvenienced by this delay started wading out to the boat armed with a life vest. In waist deep water. He got close enough to hit the steering wheel with the vest but missed the throttle. The boat spit the vest back at him. He must have been encouraged by his near success so he went in closer. Folks were either yelling at him to get away, or turning around to avoid witnessing the macabre inevitability. Like I said, you just can't make this stuff up.

The boat lunged at him and he disappeared. Then the boat slowed down considerably. After that, we saw someone in the water begin yelling and dragging a body through the surf towards the beach. Folks with medical backgrounds ran towards the victim with first aid equipment and calls were made to 911. The tension on the beach was overwhelming. We were told by a friend who is a physician that the outboard's prop had ripped through his thigh and almost severed his manhood. He was stable and talking, but in pretty bad shape. The ambulance arrived and I saw him as he was loaded in. He had gouges all over his legs, chest and back.

By this point, the out-of-control boat was heading north with the current and out of the way of the swim course. We were told the race would now start at 0900.

A couple of minutes after 0900 the race did indeed start, with the sprint wave. Two minutes later we were off with the international wave. The swim course was a 2-loop course, meaning we would be swimming with the current and against the current. New rules were also in place that were a deviation from the swim course used in April and May. In the past, once you swam around the northernmost buoy of the three buoys, you could immediately head for shore and run to transition. This time around, you had to swim back to the middle buoy and head for shore. Now I understand why the swim splits were so fast for previous races.

The swim was OK. I've never done a 1500 meter swim in the open ocean. Without a wetsuit, I knew my split was going to be in the high 30s and I didn't disappoint. Swim time was 38 minutes.

The run to T1 requires you to run up a sand dune and then through a parking lot. Once at my bike, I tried to pull my jersey on. I forgot my race belt, so I pinned my number to the jersey. Unfortunately, I pinned number without much give and had a time getting the jersey on. I ended up ripping the bottom of the number as I pulled it down. I had my shoes clipped in and ran out of transition. They didn't have a mount line marked so I wasn't sure where to hop on. I ended up jumping on in the middle of A1A. As I put my left foot down, my shoe immediately unclipped. Grrr. I finally was able to start pedaling and get my feet in. Surprisingly, T1 only took a mniute and 48 seconds.

The bike course was a 2-loop out and back. Based on conventional wisdom, I assumed we would have tailwinds one way and headwinds the other. Nope. The wind seemed to be more of a cross-wind, and occasionally in front or behind us. I immediately cranked it up to 22 and tried to maintain a cadence of 85-95. I was never passed on the bike. My heart rate stayed in the 150-160 range, although at one point it dropped down into the 140s. I immediately cranked it back up to the 150s. There was a considerable amount of roadkill up and down the course, so we were frequently treated to the stench of rotting flesh.

I passed Jay on the way down on the first loop. I saw Steve, Peter and Clay heading the opposite way on both loops, but was never able to catch them. I saw Kevin behind me for both loops. I was waiting for him to overtake me near the end of the bike leg but he never did.

T2 was a bit faster. I was in and out in 64 seconds.

The run course was another 2-loop out and back on a sidewalk running alongside A1A. There was a water station at each end of the course offering only water. It appears all of the sprint participants used up all of the Gatorade. It could have been worse, I heard a lady say that when she reached the far point of the course for her second loop, they were out of water. I remember getting my water at that point and thinking there would be nothing more for me until the end of the race. I can't imagine not getting that last sip of water.

My pace was stuck between 8:00 and 8:15. I wanted to run 7:45 splits but it wasn't happening. The run course, like the bike course, had zero shade. I only stopped for a couple of steps at each water station to make sure I got my water, but ran the entire course very consistently. I was picking people off at a pretty good clip. I passed Clay on the leg back of the first loop. He mentioned how ugly my Tri-Gator race suit was. On the last leg back, I could see Steve in front of me. I could tell on each leg of the run that I was gaining on him. With a mile to go he was maybe 200 meters in front of me. Every time he passed a road sign, I picked up the pace until I got to the same sign. I was really gaining on him and was planning on hanging back and pouncing right at the finish because I knew I had little left for a kick. He heard the footsteps and turned around and saw me with about 200 meters to go. He yelled at me "Oh no you don't" and kicked. I tried to hang on but was spent. He opened another gap on me that I couldn't make up. I finished 9 seconds behind him. Turns out we were racing for 2nd place in our age group. I'm disappointed my tactics didn't work, but still ended up with a third place finish.

According to the results, I ran a 49:06 for a 7:54 pace. However, I think the run course was short (my Garmin agrees) and when I calculate the pace for only 6 miles, it turns out to be an 8:11 pace. That's more like it.

Kevin was with Steve's wife near the finish cheering for us. He dropped out after the bike. We all congregated near the finish and cheered as Peter and Jay finished.

Like the run course, the sprint participants ravaged the post-race goodies. I was able to snag one of the last 2 cokes to replenish some energy. The oranges were gone and the remaining bananas were all green.

I am satisfied with my bike and run. I just need to work on the swim. Sounds like a broken record.

And what an interesting day it was.

Update:
From the St. Augustine Record:

Stephen Denny, 47, of Jupiter, was participating in the event and saw Rodriguez's boat circling in the ocean with no apparent driver. Denny swam over to try to stop the vessel, but the boat's Yamaha motor propeller cut both of Denny's legs and his chest, Hill said.

He was taken to Halifax Medical Center in Daytona and remained in satisfactory condition Sunday evening, a hospital spokeswoman said.

| Posted by Marshall M. Butler at 10:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Sunday morning at 0530 Kevin, Steve, Tony, Clay, Jay and I were shuttled to the transition area by Clay's girlfriend and Rob. Around 0615, after body-marking and setting up transition, everyone headed to the swim start. Everyone except for Kevin and me. Our waves didn't start until after 0700. Instead of waiting in line for nasty toilets, we decided to catch the bus and retreat to nicer potties, namely the ones in our cabins. A much more pleasant experience, although Karen and Julie probably would have preferred to not have their sleep interrupted. A quick bus ride back (folks were looking at us like we were nuts. . ."Shouldn't you be at the race start?") and we still had to wait 20-30 minutes for our waves. Of course, I had been pounding water, so my nervous bladder forced me to use a stinky port-o-let at the start.

Once my race did start, sometime late Sunday morning, the swim felt comfortable. In my mind, I was making adequate progress. I checked the watch several times during the swim and felt good. The water was warm and didn't taste or smell of diesel nearly as bad as I remembered it last year. And just as sure as I though to myself on the way back to shore that the jostling was at a minimum, it seems like everyone wanted to be where I was swimming. As I neared shore and looked at my watch, I realized that my swim was going to be a bit slower than last year. In training, I didn't do enough interval workouts and it was showing. The swim was ultimately around 47 minutes, 2 and a half minutes slower than last year.

The run to transition is a little bit of a haul. Much of it is carpeted but the last bit is through mulch and mud. My feet were pretty nasty by the time I got to the bike and I didn't leave a water bottle to rinse them. I ended up using the towel I had everything laid out on. I did put on socks, which last year I didn't do until before the run. I'm glad I did because it rained on transition while I was on the bike and trying to get wet socks on later would have been a chore. Another longish run to the bike mount line and I was off. T1 was just under 5 minutes, a full minute slower than last year.

At the start of the bike I took a hit of Hammer gel out of my flask and washed it down with water. For the bike, I determined that I was going to keep the HR at 150 as much as possible to save my legs for the run. Even with the lower cap, I was passing lots of people (good swimmers but poor cyclists?). My speed fluctuated between 20 and 21 mph. We had some favorable tailwinds in spots and some nasty headwinds as we headed west on 192. Much of the bike was under overcast skies, and when we took a 5-mile spur on Porter Road the rain came. I found myself out of the aero position a bit to maintain control. At one point, I thought I was having some GI issues and stopped taking my Perpetuem. I had mixed up a 3-hour bottle and was nursing it with water out of my aero-bottle. Turns out, my race belt was a little too tight and was squeezing my gut. By the way, I hate having to wear the race number while on the bike. I guess having my race number on both arms, on my helmet and on my seat post just isn't enough? I moved the belt down around my hips and immediately felt better. Unfortunately, I had backed off nutrition for a while so I was a bit worried.

Surprisingly, on the bike course, I didn't see any crashes, but did see a number of flat tires. There was one little stretch as we left 535 to go to Overstreet Road where there was construction and we had to ride single file in a no passing zone on a temporary sidewalk made out of plywood. Some chick up front thought 10 mph was the prudent thing to do. That sucked. Then a little later there was a clown in a mini-van that decided to be part of the race and not give any room and DRIVE THROUGH THE AID STATION. All in all, the ride felt very comfortable. My Garmin did show the bike course to be 57 miles, and this was confirmed by several others. My bike split was 7:33 slower than last year, but this was part of the plan. My average heart rate was 148.

Back to T2, I found my wet shoes and cap. I guess I wasn't sweating fast enough and had to make a quick pitstop at the port-a-potty in transition. Transitions took a bit longer this year, and I think I just was a little too lackadaisical in my approach to transitions. T2 cost me an extra 2:22 this year, taking four and a half minutes.

Out of T2 and into the run, I didn't feel I had the same stomach issues I had last year. The only nutrition I carried with me was a gel flask. I tried to slow down the run but still chalked up the first one in a little over 8 minutes. I saw Karen and the girls for the first time during the first mile. Feeling good. I did start to slow down, but even with walking through aid stations to take ice and water my pace was ~9:00/mile through the first 6 miles. Then the wheels fell off. The overcast skies were gone and it was clear and sunny. And folks started baking. I kept trotting along, but was getting slower and slower. Then a tactical mistake. At the last 2 aid stations I chugged some flat Coke. Oh sweet nectar! I was hoping the sugar and caffeine was the jolt I needed to finish this run. After the race I saw the Coke again. Yecch. Never again. I finished the run a little over 2 hours and 18 minutes. Almost 8 minutes faster than last year. Unfortunately, that only compensated for the extra time on the bike. The longer swim and transitions resulted in me finishing almost 6 minutes slower than last year. My finishing time was 6:03:49.

I remember at parts of the run calculating that I could still beat my time from last year. And then that goal slowly slipped away. And then I just wanted to break 6 hours. And although the bike course was an extra mile long, that only accounts for 3 minutes.

As I look back at the race, I made a few observations. First, I always dismiss the effect of my poor swimming ability on my race. Just get through the swim and then hammer the bike and run. I'm a terrible swimmer and that isn't changing. But in retrospect, if I want to avoid the heat of the run later in the day, those 10 minutes less I spend in the water sure would help. Second, focus should always be maintained in transition. I got a little too comfortable and wasted time. Third, I remember during the run thinking to myself that I would never do another half. Well, a couple of hours after the race that mandate was forgotten.

Of course, my daughters had a great time at the race and at Disney. Emily suggested we come down for the race with our friends again next year even if I don't do the race. I told her I would be doing the race again and she looked at me like I was crazy.

At least my 7-year-old has sense.

Here is a quick overview of the race. Complete race report after I finish up my Breast Cancer Marathon Report. . .

| Posted by Marshall M. Butler at 10:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Low expectations. That's what I had going into this year's race. Looking at my logbook, my running mileage is down 100 miles from last year, and I haven't run nearly as many races. I have spent a lot of time working on the bike and swim, and really have neglected the run. A lot also has to do with the hip problems I had earlier this year.

With that caveat out of the way, I really was surprised with my overall performance. The format for the race is a series of 3 different races within 24 hours. First up is the 4-mile run on the beach Friday night, followed by a 5k road race Saturday morning, and finishing up with a 1-mile out and back sprint in downtown Jacksonville Saturday afternoon.

Combined, I only lost 4 seconds in the 4-mile and mile races. Last year, my 4-mile time was 29:10, this year it was 29:11. Last year's mile was a slow 6:18, this year was a bit slower at 6:21. The 5k is where the destruction occurred. I lost 41 seconds over last year. This year I finished in 21:39. Yecch. Overall time was 57:11, 45 seconds slower than last year.

Still,with the emphasis on things other than running, I can't be too disappointed. Hopefully, I will still be faster on the run at the HOT if I pace myself correctly on the bike and have fresher legs for the run. I should be able to go a bit faster on the bike and still accomplish that goal.

The other thing that bugs me year over year is my dismal mile performance. I was once fast at short distances, but it seems that is history. I lost two places this year because the guys 4 and 9 seconds behind me going into the last race creamed me. Both went under 6 minutes. Might need to rethink some of my track workouts.

Here are the HR graphs for the first 2 races:

2007 Tour de Pain 4 miler

2007 Tour de Pain 5k

James ended up on the podium after a heated battle in the mile. He was tied for 3rd going into the race and shadowed his competition to the 1/2 mile mark and then turned the screws of pain. According to the official results, he tied Chris Brock in the mile as well, but the race was that close at the finish.

Mike had a very strong performance in his first TDP, finishing 7th in our age group. He turned in a blistering 5:40 in the mile.

Erin and Josh ran the 4-mile race bandit, and Josh also ran the 5k (actually, he started the 5k and took a shortcut to the finish).

Looking forward to 2 hard weeks and then a one week taper to prep for the HOT.

| Posted by Marshall M. Butler at 9:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Go team! Great race today for the relay team.

James and I left the neighborhood at 0600. Got checked in and body marked. Saw Freddy (the registrar) and confirmed I was doing the whole race as a relay. Yep.

Great swim, although it seemed like every time I got into a rhythmn I was banging into someone. Swim was 7:23 and T1 was 2:08. T1 seemed to take longer than in the past but I think they moved the timing mats. I don't remember timing mats on the beach before the sand path in the past.

The bike was pretty good, and I passed a ton of people. Since I was a relay team, I had to start in the next to last wave with the Clydesdales, Athenas, Physically Challenged and all of the other relays. The only group to start after my wave were the novices. No one passed me on the bike. There were some pretty good groups of congestion, and several instances of folks riding 2 abreast. Coming into T2, I was taking my feet out of my shoes when one of the shoes came unclipped, after I had taken my foot out. Grrrr. I had to circle back towards the shoe and a volunteer picked it up and tossed it to me. I had to run the last 30 yards before the dismount line pushing my bike. The bike section took 27:31. T2 was a snappy 42 seconds, only because I was ticked about losing time at the end of the bike.

The run felt comfortable, maybe too comfortable. I think I should have pushed a little harder. I passed a bunch of people on the run, and was only passed by a couple of guys I had already passed a quarter of a mile before the finish. The run was a pedestrian 22:55. Definitely could've done better.

The goal was to break an hour, and I came in at 1:00:38. It was a close call, and the shoe mishap would've made it even closer.

This was also the first time I have raced with the Tri-Gator uniform. It's a lot of fun to hear folks yell "Go Gators" as you go by. This includes spectators and other racers.

Karen, Molly and all of the girls showed up shortly after I finished. Did a little socializing with Chris Neri, Richard Fannin, Greg Umberger, Lyndon Box, Doug Skiles and Lori McLamb. I went to check the results and immediately started laughing. I had won the men's relay division. During the awards ceremony, one of the volunteers gave me a little guff when I went to pick up my award. Not my fault, my runner cancelled.

I laugh when I think about Freddy telling me to keep it quiet that he was letting me do the entire race. Oops.

UPDATE: Here are the full results.

| Posted by Marshall M. Butler at 4:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

My cell phone rang at 2 AM. Who the heck was calling me 3 hours before I was supposed to wake up for my first half Ironman. It was Nunu. There was a problem with my Dad. He was sick and there was something wrong with his heart. Mom had told him not to call me but he did it anyway because I needed to know. I'm glad he did. Mom got on the phone and told me to stay put and not get on the road at this time of the morning with her granddaughters. She said the were going to do a catheter and determine if he needed open heart surgery. She would call me as soon as she had news. By this time, Karen had woken up and come into the living room. I was sleeping on the murphy bed that night so I wouldn't wake everyone up as I got ready for the race. I explained the situation to Karen. I remember laying there trying to take it all in and not being able to go back to sleep. I think between 2 AM and 4:30 AM I got 15 minutes of sleep. The phone rang again at 4:30. Again it was Nunu. They had put a stint in Dad's artery and he had been stabilized. Again, Mom got on the phone and told me to do the race and then come home. So I was going to do the race, but would I be able to do it?

I stayed in the bed for the next 20 minutes with my mind racing. Finally, I got up and started eating breakfast and getting ready. I ate a Clif Bar, a yogurt, and drank some Gatorade. I ran out the door to meet Kevin Cofran's friends in front of their cabin. They were giving me a ride to the race start. I hopped on the back of the cart with Tony. Robert was driving and Jay was up front with him. We started chatting and then Tony asked me how my night was. Bad question. I didn't want to unload on new friends, but I needed to get it out. They were really great. I appreciate the support those guys gave me before the race. It really helped me get through a lot and get ready for the race. Robert dropped us off and was going to circle back around in 15 minutes to pick up our bags. When I got to my bike and started setting up, I realized my aero-bottle was back at the cabin. I finished getting ready and ran back to meet Robert. When he arrived, I explained the situation and asked him if he would give me a ride to my cabin to get the bottle. He gave me the keys to the cart instead because Jay had not yet arrived and told me to go get it while he waited for Jay. I scurried home and got the bottle and used the bathroom one last time. What a relief!

The waves were spaced pretty well, going off every 4 minutes. Our wave was announced and we gathered on the beach in the starting area. As always, I stayed near the back and when the gun went off I walked into the water. I think I'm getting comfortable enough that I might run into the water one of these days. I started swimming, and breathing every stroke. The first couple of hundred meters are always the toughest until I get in a rhythmn. Finally, I found myself in an open space and started swimming faster. I never had an anxiety attack and felt great throughout the swim. I did find myself off track on several occasions and worked my way closer to the buoys. The turns were a bit hairy and I got clocked in the left eye by some clown as I turned to breathe. Fortunately it didn't knock off my goggles. I remember thinking I was really moving and then looking at my watch and realizing maybe I wasn't going as fast as I thought. I did feel better earlier this week when quite a few people posted on Slowtwitch that the course seemed long. Someone even posted the swim split times of the top pros, and they were about 2 minutes slower than last year. Swim time was a bit over 44 minutes, with the goal being somewhere between 38 and 40 minutes.

Out of the water I ran and headed for T1. Not everyone was in the mood to run and there was quite a bit of congestion on the path. I sprinted, ducked and weaved my way to my bike. When I got there, Karen, Emily, Maggie and Pete were at the edge of the transition area and started yelling for me. The adrenaline was really pumping. The mount line for he bike was down another path, and then you had to push your bike through some deep sand. Not ideal, but I clipped in very quickly and took off. T1 took 3:46.

The start of the ride was uneventful, but my heart rate was up around 150 and I couldn't get it down. I think it was up for the first part of the bike because of the excitement, and then later on because it was taking a bit of effort to fight the headwind. I was maintaining my 21 mph pace, and was doing my best to avoid drafting. Not a lot of people passed me, but the ones that did were really moving on very fancy bikes. I encountered quite a few packs of people. It didn't seem like they were trying to avoid drafting. The course really was uneventful, which is a good thing. Based on what Drew Johnson told me, I didn't take a spare tube. If I had a flat, my race was over. There were a couple of trying times on the course in terms of cars. One was on County Road 545 when a car and some motorcycles were nearly forcing people off the road, and another was on 535 before we turned onto Reams Road when there were a bunch of cars in the lane and no shoulder to ride on. The problem on 535 was especially troubling because there was nowhere to go and some of the cyclicts were riding down the center of the road. Towards the end of the bike leg, a guy came up behind me and asked me what 'RRB' was for. I told him it was my Dad and he had just had a heart attack. He yelled "God bless!" and kept going. The emotions were pumping again. As I entered Fort Wilderness again, my stomach started feeling funny. I didn't like the feeling at all. I remember dismounting and having to push the bike through that thick sand again. Grrrr. Total time for the bike was 2:41:31, a little slower than I wanted, but not too bad.

I ran into T2, but not quite as fast as I ran into T1. Again, Karen and the girls were there along with Pete. I racked the bike, slipped on my running shoes and ran to the fence real quick to kiss the girls and get an update on Dad. Karen said she had spoken to Mom, and Dad was stable and OK. What a relief! Time for the run. T2 took 2:13.

My stomach was really starting to act up, and my legs were feeling wobbly. Shortly into the run, I saw a girl holding a poster that said "Put me in your race report." There you go. (By the way, I just Googled that with no returns. I must be the only one.) Shortly before the first mile, I saw the Cofran clan and their friends. They gave me a huge shout-out that helped immensely. At the aid station just after a mile, I peed at the aid station to see if it would help settle my stomach. Not really. I downed quite a bit of ice water on the run, and would put ice in the bottle of HEED I was carrying. In the past, if I drank as much water at an aid station as I was in this race, my stomach would start sloshing. It never felt like that in this race. Did I become dehydrated on the bike? I couldn't force myself to down a gel, in fear of an explosive eruption. In retrospect, I wish I had dared my stomach to puke by taking a gel. Instead, I resigned myself to a slow, post-bonk trudge. The second lap seemed to be one of my strongest laps, but I think I might have taken Coke at a couple of stations. I can't believe I was dumb enough to think I could run a half-marathon at the end of a Half Ironman without taking more fuel than a bottle of HEED. Then again, I think I completed the first two parts of the race on a lot of emotion and had so much on my mind, I neglected to think rationally as my body ran out of juice.

I finally dragged across the finish line. I saw everyone lining the chute and yelling for me. I made it under 6-hours. Unfortunately, I didn't meet my goals for the race. I might have been able to make the stretch goal of 5:30, but the 5:45 should have been easily attainable. The "run" took me 2:26:00. Ouch!

It certainly was a learning experience. I found Peter King and Kevin Cofran and told them this was the hardest thing I have ever done. At the time I couldn't imagine doing another one. Now I'm ready to avenge this poor performance.

Heart Rate Graphs:
Bike

Run

UPDATE: For posterity, even though I have them via my Garmin, I wanted to save the course maps. Here they are:
Bike course
Run course
Transition area

| Posted by Marshall M. Butler at 8:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Greetings from the hurt cellar. Actually, I am no longer in the hurt cellar, but I spent 70 minutes there yesterday. Seventy freakin' minutes. Two minutes and 54 seconds longer than last year. It was bad. It was ugly. It was no fun.

The morning was uneventful. Mike and Lori picked up Pete and me around 7:15. Once at the race Pete and I headed over to the Team Gate hospitality area, got ready, checked our bags and used the potty. It was around 8:15 at that point and I wanted to get to the start area before they dropped the rope to let everyone move up. Slight problem at this point. . . I didn't do any kind of warm-up. Not sure if that matters. Met up with Erin and Josh in the starting area. The gun sounded and off we go.

Mile	2007
1	7:12
2	7:13
3	7:19
4	7:30
5	7:28
6	7:34
7	7:40
8	8:21
9	7:20
Finish	2:27

Erin and I passed the first mile marker with a 7:12 split. Pretty good. The goal was 7:10, right on target. However, I didn't feel good, but attributed that to the lack of warm-up. The second split was 7:13. Still felt like there was no need to panic, but I still didn't feel comfortable. Maybe it was just the exertion from the Main Street Bridge. Unfortunately, Mile 3 wasn't any better, clocking in at 7:19. At this point, we were back in the neighborhoods of San Marco and I was hoping the shade would help speedup the pace. Last year it was warm and humid, but we had cloud cover to prevent the sun from beating down on us. No cloud cover this year, and even the tree cover of San Marco could help. The split for mile 4 was 7:30. This race was going downhill in a big way. Somewhere in the fifth mile, I started to feel a little better. Maybe it was a short-lived adrenaline rush. Then Bill Rodgers passed me before we turned off of Belote onto Atlantic. He didn't pass me last year until the downslope of the Hart Bridge. Icontemplated taking a gel at mile 5, but held off until mile 6. It didn't help much. The slowdown continued through the neighborhoods of St. Nicholas. Erin and I stayed together until mile 7. Not sure if she picked up the pace or maintained her pace and I slowed down even more. Running up the bridge was as tough as always. The weird thing is usually the wind is really blowing on top of the bridge. This year, it seemed very still. A stiff breeze would have been welcomed to help cool things off. Running down thebridge allowed me to clock my fastest split since mile 3. The last three tenths took 12 seconds longer this year. Doesn't seem like much, but from a pace perspective that amounts to 40 seconds over a mile. Sheesh! I was crawling to the finish.

Split	2006	2007	Difference
1	6:44:00	7:12:00	0:28:00
2	13:37:00	14:25:00	0:48:00
3	20:39:00	21:44:00	1:05:00
4	27:53:00	29:14:00	1:21:00
5	35:03:00	36:42:00	1:39:00
6	42:25:00	44:16:00	1:51:00
7	49:50:00	51:56:00	2:06:00
8	57:55:00	60:17:00	2:22:00
9	64:55:00	67:37:00	2:42:00
Finish	67:10:00	70:04:00	2:54:00

Trying to look back and analyze the difference between 2006 and 2007 is difficult. It was hot, but I took water at every station. Unbelievably, my hip really didn't bother me. It just seemed like I didn't have it in the tank. Looking back at the training log, I'm only 29 miles behind last year. Not sure if I did more long runs last year, but endurance shouldn't be a factor based on the additional cycling mileage I've logged this year. The chart to the left shows the aggregate loss of time during the course ofthe race. A little over a minute for the first 5k, a little under a minute for the second 5k, and then another minute for the last 5k. Maybe I just chalk it up to a bad race day.

Hats off to Erin (Liger!) for smoking me in the last 2 miles. However, I think we can both agree that our performances were well below our expectations. Jay missed his goal of 60 minutes by 77 seconds. Mike McLamb was two minutes off of his goal and Pete was several minutes off of his goal. James was actually 9 seconds below his goal, but he's a sick puppy and actually likes the weather we had yesterday. Josh was about 4 minutes behind his expectations and John Womack was 81 secondsslower than his goal.

Meb won his 6th River Run title, but couldn't catch Deena Kastor for the equalizer bonus. The elite women started 5 minutes ahead of the rest of the pack and she finished 80 seconds ahead of Meb. She missed breaking her American record by 4 seconds.

As for me, it is now time to back off running for a couple of weeks to see if I can get the hip to heal. I will ramp up the cycling volume and ease back into the running after a couple of weeks. I might even go see a doctor or a therapist.

UPDATE: Google Earth file

UPDATE 2: HR data.

| Posted by Marshall M. Butler at 9:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Saturday was the perfect day for a race abd a race party. Nice and cool at the start. Beautiful sunny sky, no chance for showers. Folks starting arriving at the house a little before 8. We jogged easy over to the start and enjoyed running with some of the kids in the 1 mile fun run. Stood around and talked for 10 minutes and then hopped into the throng of 2000 for the start. I was standing in a sea of red as I was surrounded by the famous El Guapo Running Club. Really nice people.

Every year I tell myself I am going to start closer to the front for the Ortega River Run. This year it didn't seem so bad dodging folks. It also helped prevent me from starting way too fast. Ran the first mile with Erin and we clocked it a little under 7. She told me she had run the race a couple of years ago and averaged 7:15s. She said she would like to do that again. Little did I know she was sandbagging. Heh.

I was very proud of Woodmere. Lots of folks out, lots of Corrigan signs, and my cheering section at the end of Oleander. Gave Emily and Karen a high five on my way to a quick second mile split of 6:45. I was still running with Erin at this point and I made the decision to slow down and maintain a 7:00 pace. She maintained the faster pace and put some time on me. Running up the 17 bridge was a little tough. I had to keep reminding my self to lean forward. I would find my self running upright and would immediately look down at my shoes to force myself to lean into the incline. I cruised down the bridge, passing the 3-mile mark on the way. My third mile was a 7:15. Yikes.

The momentum from the bridge helped me cruise McGirts at a comfortable clip. I was maintaining the pace going up the little inclines and running down them hard. As usual, there was a terrific group of kids yelling on the last incline before the 4-mile mark. Like last year, they really helped me get up that last little climb. Mile 4 was somewhere around 6:50. I felt like I had a bit still in the tank and my hip wasn't hurting too terribly bad. Erin had about 100 meters on me and there was no catching her. She was running a great race. I kept pushing and when I hit the flashing lights at the Grand Avenue curve I knew I had a quarter-mile to go. I increased the leg turnover but kept it under control. I crossed the finish line in 34:49, my last mile was around 6:52. My finishing time was only 10 seconds slower than last year, even with the problems I have had with my hip and reduced mileage on the road.

Everyone met up near the finish line and we started a slow jog back to the house for our reward. Once we were home, there were lots of breakfast goodies and I think everyone had a terrific time. I really appreciate the work Karen put into hosting the party. I jokingly refer to the annual Ortega River Run party as my birthday party since I would rather celebrate a great race with friends than I would my birthday.

Finishing times of party attendees:
James Cardozo -- 30:37
Jay Millson -- 31:34 (PR!)
Josh Allen -- 32:26
Mike McLamb -- 34:15
Erin Moore -- 34:25
Greg Umberger -- 34:31
Leah Pust -- 37:36
Lori McLamb -- 40:08 (I think this is a PR)
Jane Mondadori -- 42:10
Marla Stearman -- 56:49 (running for two, no less)

A special bonus at the party was an appearance by Rodney Brown. Rodney and Kelly didn't run the race, they ran on their own earlier, but he still dropped in to visit. Rodney works for the Department of Justice and he returned from Baghdad this past Thursday. He assisted the Iraqi government in the trial of Saddam Hussein, as well as others. He was in the courtroom when Saddam was convicted. Rodney found himself looking Saddam face to face as Saddam left the courtroom. Wow! Rodney also ran the Baghdad Marathon and had his second best marathon ever, despite coming under small arms fire at mile 5. Amazing! It was great to see him at the party.

Now we have 2 weeks until the grand-daddy road race of them all in Jacksonville, the Gate River Run. Looking forward to a good race in the 15k.

| Posted by Marshall M. Butler at 10:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

What’s a gel worth?  A couple of minutes at the end of a 10–mile run?  That’s what I have to wonder as I look back at yesterday’s Winter Beaches Run. 

The goal was to run 7:30 splits, nice and steady.  Last year I shot out running 7:00 – 7:15 splits, only to explode and finish at a 7:36 average pace.  The first mile, as always, I got caught in the surge and ran a little faster than I wanted.  After passing the first marker in 7:10, I slowed it down a bit and did the next mile in 7:36.  Closer to the goal.  I stayed on pace until the 7th mile.  Then the slowdown began.  I have to believe if I had taken a gel atthe halfway point, I could’ve finished stronger.  My hip started to nag me as well, but I’m not sure if that was enough to sabotage my race.  I tried 15–second surges on the minute during mile 9 to try to reel some folks in, but couldn’t sustain the effort.  I finished in 1:16:33, 36 seconds slower than last year’s 1:15:57. 

I did run a much smarter race this year, but in the end, I think nutrition was the difference.  Aside from not using a gel, the only meals I had prior to the race included Grape Nuts for breakfast and a Clif Bar an hour before the race.  Although Karen and I had to keep nursery at church yesterday morning, I still thought I would have a chance to eat lunch.  I also thought the race started at 3 pm.  Nope, 2 pm start.

Next year I will have a gel and I will know what time the race starts!

| Posted by Marshall M. Butler at 3:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Ran the Matanzas 5000 on Saturday.  I was a bit cynical going into the race because I have been more focused on long, slow, endurance-building running workouts.  The race didn’t disappoint.  I ran the first mile in 6:40, and then promptly laid down consecutive 7:00 splits.  Final kick was OK, but man was I gassed.  Looking at the HR data, i jumped straight to the low 170s and stayed there for the entire race.  Also painfully apparent is my inability to start slow and run negative splits.  The race was fairly large with around 1400 runners.  I ended up finishing in the top 150.  James beat Josh by 45 seconds (but finished behind Mills, yikes!) and Mike McLamb ran 20 minutes flat.

After the race, we took the kids to the carousel and park to play for a while before heading home.  Karen and Molly took the girls home and Josh, James, Erin and I hopped on our bikes for the 50–mile ride home.  Riding along US 1 can be hairy, but for the most part cars gave us plenty of room.  The 1st Place Sports van and trailer heading back from the race actually gave us the closest drive-by.  Not a very nice way to treat customers!  From US 1 we went to Racetrack Road in St. Johns county, and then to Bishop Estates where we encountered another cyclist-hating rube. 

No traffic at all on the road.  This guy pulls up behind us, honks his horn at us, and then guns his engine and flies past us.  Just so he could pull into his driveway a quarter mile down the road.  Josh pulled up to the gate of his house and yelled for himto come out of his garage.  Wasn’t happening.  So we continued on.  Then 5 minutes later, he comes up behind us again and pulls the same stunt.  You really shouldn’t pull that garbage when you have a vanity tag and you let people know where you live.  Harry Madden, who lives at 3345 Bishop Estates Road Jacksonville, FL 32259 is a creep and needs someone to tell him about the recently passed Florida law. 

The rest of the ride was uneventful.  My back tire went flat with a mile to go.  I rode it in. 

Fun day of racing and training.

| Posted by Marshall M. Butler at 1:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I've now run three marathons, and I still can't beat my time in the first one I did. Granted, the weather was perfect in 2004 and I finished in 3:37:30. Last year I blew up at the halfway point and crawled home in 3:50:10.

This year the weather was fairly nice for the first half. Then the fog burned off and the sun started to bear down on us. It was pretty warm 2 hours into the race. I started out just like I planned. Very conservatively. My hip has been causing me problems the last month and I wanted to shoot for even 8:00/mi. splits. Earlier in the fall the plan was for me to run 7:40/mi. splits, but the hip forced me to revise the goal. I was golden for the first 15 miles, averaging somewhere around 8:00. The fastest mile I had was on;y 7:51. I was very happy with my self-control.

But then the wheels fell off. After the race, Rick Patterson told me when the marathon is on your back, there is nothing you can do to recover. He is right.

I started clicking off laps north of 8:10/mi. By mile 21 splits were over 9:00/mi. My finishing time was 3:42:00.

While it is easy to attribute most of the problems on the weather, I think the hip caused me to falter in terms of endurance. I was unable to finish a couple of longer runs over the past month, and I think that had a lot to do with it as well.

I was happy to see Karen and the girls, along with Beppy and Nunu at the 13 and 14 mile marks, as well as around mile 23, and finally at the finish. They were holding up signs and cheering for me. After mile 14, I was on the same side of the road as them so I was able to stop and give Emily and Maggie what they call "sweaty, runner kisses" on their foreheads.

Unfortunately, John Womack was hoping to qualify for Boston in this race. He has been running great and looking strong at the track. He needed a 3:15 and I think he finished somewhere around 3:22. Still a great race given the conditions.

The plan is to now take a couple of weeks off and go to a spin class here or there and maybe jump back in the pool.

Then, starting 1/1/2007 it is time to start training for my first half-Ironman!

UPDATE: Race photos have been uploaded.

UPDATE 2: Google Earth file (also viewable at Google Maps).

| Posted by Marshall M. Butler at 4:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Still recovering from the back issues, which have now become left hip issues. The back is fine, but I think I strained muscles in the left hip compensating for the recnt back problems. Went to the chiropractor on Friday and got some electrical stimulation, as well as some adjusting. Wasn't sure how I'd feel on race morning.

Race morning I woke up and took 600 mg of Motrin. Rode over to the race with James, Josh and Mike. Ran a short warm-up and did a little stretching. Doing 7 minute splits was the goal. Here are the splits:

Mile Split AvgHR LapHR
1      6:45 159    170
2      6:51 170    171
3      6:59 170    171
4      7:08 169    171
5      7:17 170    170
6      7:03 171    173
6.2   1:25 174     175

Went out a bit too fast. Backed it off a bit for mile 2 and 3. My hip and back felt fine, but during mile 4 I developed a stitch in my right side. I had to slow down a little to work it out. Picked it up again in mile 6 when I saw I was really falling off of the pace. Finished in 43:28, a new PR for me. Mike was right behind me, finishing in 43:37. I was his rabbit. I figured he was back there somewhere.

James finished in 39:33. Josh did 39:47. James was a bit disappointed with his time and vowed it was time to get serious about running. He has been spending lots of time in the pool.

View the race course and splits with Google Maps.

| Posted by Marshall M. Butler at 5:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tested out the back Saturday morning with an easy 2-mile run. Sharp pains the rest of the day. Karen didn't want me to leave the house Sunday morning with my running clothes because she was afraid I would do something dumb.

I ended up getting out of the house with my running stuff, but was reminded to "make good choices." I saw a bunch of my friends before the race and wished them all well. Once the race started, I decided I was going to only do the 5k as promised and not be tempted to do the 10-mile race. I caught up with Erin just before the one mile mark and ran with her. She was doing the entire race and shooting for 8:00 splits. We hit them all pretty close. At the 5k point I headed for the finish line and she kept going. Honestly, it was very tough not to do the entire race. But then I thought about the big picture.

After I finished, I grabbed a bagel and some Gatorade and found a spot to watch the rest of the 2-loop race. I cheered on a bunch of friends through the first loop and then when the leaders came by on the second loop I went to the finish line to see the finish.

Everyone I talked to had a great race. Conditions were perfect. I ran my 3rd slowest 5k ever and ended up with an age group award for 3rd place. Ha.

I haven't run since the race, but I think I'm going to be able to start training again tomorrow. The back is feeling much better.

Big picture, remember the big picture. . .

| Posted by Marshall M. Butler at 3:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Raced in the Hammerhead Olympic Triathlon (AKA "The HOT") this past Sunday. It was hot.

The race was held on Camp Blanding, a military base just south of Middleburg. There were a limited number of cottages available to rent, so I reserved one for us so I didn't have to drive 45 minutes the morning of the race. Worked out very well. Emily enjoyed swimming in the lake the day before and it was nice rolling out of bed an hour before the race started.

The swim was pretty good, I felt comfortable. My time was a hair under 35:00. Slower than a rough St. Anthony's this year, but that was a wetsuit race in salt water. Also, I heard a couple of folks saying that the course was a bit over 1500m. Not unusual for this race.

T1 was a quick 1:31, and then off on the bike. The course has a bunch of rolling hills and some false flats. Nothing super steep, but much of it is not very flat. I played a game of cat and mouse with Jay's friend Chris, who has comparable skills to me on the bike. It was fun to have a bit of back and forth to break up the monotony. Chris was nailed for a drafting penalty on the second loop. We finished within seconds of each other, my official time was 1:08:37, my best olympic bike split ever. Going into T2, I had already taken my feet out of my shoes, dismounted and starting to run into transition when a girl cut me off with her bike. Stopping quickly caused me to stub 2 toes and knocked a shoe out of my clips. A volunteer tossed me my shoe and I motored into T2, not looking forward to looking at the toes.

One was a bloody pulp. I remember thinking as I put on my running shoes that this was going to be a lot of fun. I had to get it out of my mind and just run. T2 took 54 seconds.

The first couple of miles felt pretty good. I was passing quite a few people, but soon after the 3rd mile, the wheels starting falling off. The fourth mile takes you up a pretty good hill and then you turn around and go back down. My stomach started rumbling and gurgling, and I couldn't tell if it was because it needed liquid or if it had too much. I hadn't taken on a lot of liquid, just a full Aero Bottle on the bike and a little out of another water bottle to wash down a gel. I wasn't taking in a bunch at the water stations, just a little at every one.

The last 2 miles seemed like a death march and I was passed by a few people. The last mile has some rolly hills that were no fun. Just before the turn to the finish line I saw Karen and Emily with Pete and Amy with their boys, and Mike and Susan.

After crossing the finish line, it took me forever to recover and "get it back together." It seemed like all of my body's energy was focused on my somach. I alternated squatting, walking, sitting, standing under the rain tent, drinking water, Gatorade and Coke. Finally, I pulled it together. I only used 2 gels in the race, one at the beggining of the bike and the 2nd halfway through the bike. Did my body not process those? I'm not sure what happened, but the run ended up taking 52:09.

All three splits were my fastest ever for the course, and my finishing time of 2:37:59 was my best in the race by about 12 minutes. I'm still disappointed with the explosion in the run, and wish I could pinpoint the root cause. The other variable was obviously the weather, but we had cloud cover and while it was hot and humid, we did have the searing heat beating down on us like last year. During the run I remember thinking "And I want to do a half ironman in October?" I guess the difference is pacing and not hammering the bike leg. Eight weeks until the Florida Challenge. . .

UPDATE: Race results

| Posted by Marshall M. Butler at 8:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Tour de Pain starts tonight with a 4-mile run on the beach at 7:30. Tomorrow morning at 7:30, we will run a 5k at the 1st Place Sports store in Baymeadows. The series concludes tomorrow afternoon at 4:30 with a 1-mile sizzler at the Jacksonville Landing. I've been drinking water all day to prepare myself for the hot conditions.

UPDATE: Finished the 4-mile run in 29:10. Very disappointed with my time. Wasn't as hot, but it was very gusty. Thunderstorms were rolling in and the wind was swirling. Although it was an out and back course, it felt like we had a tailwind for a brief time after the turnaround. The rest of the time it was either in our face or blowing from the side.

UPDATE 2: I broke the 21-minute barrier for the second time ever in a 5k with a time of 20:56. Folks have said the course is pretty fast. I have to agree. Splits were 6:34, 6:48, 6:57, and :37. My aggregate so far is 50:06. I would like to finish under 56 minutes, so I need to rip off a 5:54 mile tonight. Possible? I suppose. Likely? Unsure.

UPDATE 3: Sub-six wasn't happening yesterday afternoon. My legs were aching, and in a pre-race jog, we discovered how nasty the course was. The first quarter mile of the out and back course was a gentle decline. The second quarter featured a flat section and then a short gentle incline. Turn around and now you have a short decline, a flat section, and then a quarter mile running gently up to the finish. It starting raining lightly just before the start. After a couple of false readys, it was time to go. Our heat (men 39 and under) took off like a rocket because of the pent up anxiety waiting at the start. Just before the quarter mile mark, we came out of the shade of the buildings and you could feel the steam rising from below. The first quarter took 1:17. Way too fast. I turned around at the halfway point somewhere around 2:45. I was losing gas fast, and the guy I had a one second advantage over in my age group went past. I tried to hang on, but he surged and left me in the dust. I tried to dig deep, but there wasn't much there. I ended up finishing in 6:18. I finished 10th in the age group for the series. James won our age group and Josh took 4th in the 30-34 age group.

| Posted by Marshall M. Butler at 4:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Ran the Vestcor Bridges 5k Saturday night. Not a very fast course, especially for us flatlanders here in Florida. The race starts in front of City Hall, does a quick out and back and then heads over the Main Street Bridge to the Southbank. Then it's over the Acosta Bridge back to the Northbank and finishes in front of City Hall. The two bridges slow folks down, especially the Acosta. I think it's around an 8% grade for a half mile. Of course, it can be quick coming down, but when you hit the bottom you still have a little over half a mile to go.

I started the race too fast. At the first turnaround, James yelled at me to pace myself. I wasn't too far behind him. I clicked off the first mile in 6:20. Yikes, way too fast. The second mile takes you over the Main Street and to the top of the Acosta. That mile was obviously slower, a 7:10 split. Going up the Acosta was tough. I haven't been doing much hill work recently, and it shows. The mile coming down the Acosta and back to City Hall was a little faster, around a 7:04 split. I tried to pick up the pace for the last tenth of a mile, but it was a :43 split. Finishing time was 21:17.

Actually, that was a good time for me in this race. Last year I ran it in 21:56. It was hot this year, but right before the race started some cloud cover rolled in to keep the sun off of us.

I did the Saturday morning Open Road group ride the morning of the race just like last year. It was a fairly up-tempo ride. I think everyone was inspired by Floyd Landis and wanted to get home to watch the time trial.

James finished 2nd in our age group with a 19:05. My friend Richard Fannin finished 3rd. I finished 4th.

Also running was Josh and Leigh, plus my friends from the Y, Bill Bishop and Leah Pust.

Next race: Tour de Pain.

UPDATE: Race results posted.

| Posted by Marshall M. Butler at 6:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)