As the title suggests, I am at a training crossroads..
Since recovering from December's knee fracture, I have been working to get my running fitness and times back to normal while improving my cycling fitness in parallel. Even after three months of training, I am still not "feeling it" with my longer distance running paces. It is a very odd feeling..
For example: at last year's Huntsville Half Marathon, I was comfortably and consistently holding a 7'20" to 7'30" per mile splits until a back flare-up (about mile 10) forced me to slow down and interval myself to the finish. As of yesterday, the same 7'20" per mile pace has consistently been around the pace that I've held in my last few 5k races. While this may be good enough for age group awards, it is not good enough for me. I am a perfectionist.. I can't help it.
In parallel, I can seemingly run 9' to 9'30" miles perpetually with zero pain at all; which is a very respectable pace for ultra-marathons. I love to run long, so this is a good sign! Also, I have ZERO pain or issues when cycling regardless of distance or intensity -- this is also great news!
My in-between running paces are currently what is suffering. When I try to hold my full race pace for distances longer than 5k, my back starts to give me trouble and flares up. My only guess about why this happens is that my cadence is higher for a longer period of time -- forcing the quick-twitch muscles around my rebuilt spine to spasm. Other than this, I have no explanation for what is happening. My back and arthritis are very weird creatures and offer no explanation at all.
This has forced me to make a decision regarding my running regimen. After next weekend's 10.2 mile race, I am going revamp my training plans for running while continuing my cycling routine. My new running focus will be gaining speed for the 5km and shorter distance events while gaining endurance in preparation for ultra-marathon season.
After enough miles on this regimen, I think my other running paces will fall back into place. I sure hope so..
Until next time, happy racing!
-Randall
Sunday, June 21, 2015
Friday, June 12, 2015
It's official.. I have a Sponsor!
Hello everyone! I hope that you are all doing well.
As many of you know, 2015 is the year that I will be adding cycling races, duathlons, and triathlons to my racing schedule. I am working hard to get back to race weight, exceed my cycling goals, and have currently logged over 1,800 miles this year. I am really looking forward to my first cycling race/event and I will do everything in my power to ensure that I am prepared to race hard and be competitive!
Since my recent cycling addiction, I have done 100% of my business with one of our local small businesses, Bicycles Etc., in Huntsville, Alabama. Bicycles Etc. is a premium dealer of Trek bicycles, has a large in-store supply of gear and accessories, and has a TOP NOTCH service department.
The owner, John Price, provides excellent service after any sale and I want to bring his dog Christopher home with me each time I am there. The Service Manager, Brooke Pate, is a top notch bicycle mechanic who performs excellent work at VERY reasonable prices. He does all of this with a quick turnaround time too!
As if this wasn't a good enough situation for a cyclist to be in, it gets even better.. Bicycles Etc. is now my official sponsor! Thank you John for trusting me with your brand; I will do everything possible to represent your business with integrity and hard work!
As many of you know, 2015 is the year that I will be adding cycling races, duathlons, and triathlons to my racing schedule. I am working hard to get back to race weight, exceed my cycling goals, and have currently logged over 1,800 miles this year. I am really looking forward to my first cycling race/event and I will do everything in my power to ensure that I am prepared to race hard and be competitive!
Since my recent cycling addiction, I have done 100% of my business with one of our local small businesses, Bicycles Etc., in Huntsville, Alabama. Bicycles Etc. is a premium dealer of Trek bicycles, has a large in-store supply of gear and accessories, and has a TOP NOTCH service department.
The owner, John Price, provides excellent service after any sale and I want to bring his dog Christopher home with me each time I am there. The Service Manager, Brooke Pate, is a top notch bicycle mechanic who performs excellent work at VERY reasonable prices. He does all of this with a quick turnaround time too!
As if this wasn't a good enough situation for a cyclist to be in, it gets even better.. Bicycles Etc. is now my official sponsor! Thank you John for trusting me with your brand; I will do everything possible to represent your business with integrity and hard work!
My training / race kit!
I couldn't resist wearing one of my new kits on my 24 mile training ride today and only one word describes this kit: WOW. The kit is premium Louis Garneau shorts / jersey and is all-day comfortable. The shorts in this kit are the real showstopper. After 24 miles, I felt as if I could ride 100 more miles, moisture wicking was phenomenal, padding was top notch, and with the padding design, you do not need to lubricate to avoid chafing! I had to refrain from riding longer because I have a cross-country race tomorrow. But.. I can't wait until my long ride on Sunday!
Check out a plain version of these shorts here or if you like the Bicycles Etc kit shorts, you can email John directly at: johnp
Until next time, happy racing!
-Randall
Monday, June 1, 2015
My Improbable Return to Racing and 2015 Season Opener
My 2014 racing season ended rather abruptly in December after I fractured my right knee. This was painful for multiple reasons. First, it hurt! Worse than this was that I could not race the rest of the season. To add insult to injury, I would not be able to complete the Huntsville Grand Slam. I had already finished the Dizzy 50's 50k, but the Rockey City Marathon, the Recover from the Holidays 50k, and the Mountain Mist 50k were out of reach for me to even walk them. Walking the Mountain Mist is not even an option due to time cutoffs at select checkpoints. I had trained to perform well in these events and all of this was being flushed down the drain.
Worst of all, my doctor told me at this time that I would not be able to run again. My knees have been shot for over 10 years, but I am being told that I cannot run again now?? You. Have. Got. To. Be. Kidding. Me.
This injury led to two months of almost zero activity; the third month, I began "kneehab" by cycling at the gym. It was pretty amazing that my back could actually handle the saddle again, so I was stoked! I am still stoked and I cycle as often as I can now (on road).
By March of this year, I had already decided that I would return to running or get knee replacements trying. They have been shot for this long -- making them do their job a little longer isn't going to kill them. What's the worst that could happen? Knee replacements? They already need to be replaced! I am going to run until I can no longer do it (again).
By April, I was building my mileage base steadily and a little speed was starting to come back (fast for me). I started scouting for an opening race and decided it would be..
The Kiwani's River Run 7km
A 7km race? That's an odd distance.. Why not add one kilometer to make it a 5-Miler? But, they never asked my opinion :).
This race is part of the Run Lincoln County Grand Prix series and the Race Director is a very nice, cool guy who hosts well organized events. This is the main reason why I chose this event as my season opener.
The course itself was a mystery though. I could never find a route or elevation map for the event - probably because it was being held on private property. I knew that this was a hybrid style race on asphalt, pavement, and cobblestone sections -- that was about it. My last speed workout before the race went really well: 1.5 miles x 1.0 mile x 0.5 mile fast finish instead of the normal 3 x 2 mile 10km workout. I was able to split this workout at 6'42"/mile, 6'44"/mile, down to 6'29"/mile respectively without frying my system and this was actually pretty fast for me. This workout gave me the confidence to believe that I could reasonably hold a 7'-7'05"/mile pace for the duration of 4.35 miles.
On race day, I remained true to my routine and did nothing different. My lovely wife drove me to Fayetteville, TN to watch me race, we arrived early, and I got a two mile warmup in prior to the start. I was feeling pretty good. I still had NO CLUE what to expect from the course though!
We lined up for race start and were off shortly afterward. I was using my normal strategy by trying to get out of the pack to choose my lines wisely. Then, the race route was no longer a mystery!
As soon as we started climbing and I was able to see what I would be facing, I knew my 7'/mile plan was not realistic. I normally LOVE to climb hills, but I hadn't been able to train enough of them by this time. From the elevation graph below, you can probably understand why I had to change my pace plan for the race considering that I had only returned to running one month before.
I started to adjust accordingly and everything was going fine until a cobblestone section twisted my ankle about halfway in. My ankle rolled and almost came out from under me! This did not feel good! From the pace chart below, you can see my pace slowing and eventually having to interval myself in. My ankle was killing me!
The good news is that I finished pretty strong and my ankle did not take long to heal up afterward. The bad news is that I missed out on my expectations for my opening race with respect to time. Final results:
Kiwanis River Run 7km; Fayettevillle, TN
Until next time, happy racing!
Worst of all, my doctor told me at this time that I would not be able to run again. My knees have been shot for over 10 years, but I am being told that I cannot run again now?? You. Have. Got. To. Be. Kidding. Me.
This injury led to two months of almost zero activity; the third month, I began "kneehab" by cycling at the gym. It was pretty amazing that my back could actually handle the saddle again, so I was stoked! I am still stoked and I cycle as often as I can now (on road).
By March of this year, I had already decided that I would return to running or get knee replacements trying. They have been shot for this long -- making them do their job a little longer isn't going to kill them. What's the worst that could happen? Knee replacements? They already need to be replaced! I am going to run until I can no longer do it (again).
By April, I was building my mileage base steadily and a little speed was starting to come back (fast for me). I started scouting for an opening race and decided it would be..
The Kiwani's River Run 7km
A 7km race? That's an odd distance.. Why not add one kilometer to make it a 5-Miler? But, they never asked my opinion :).
This race is part of the Run Lincoln County Grand Prix series and the Race Director is a very nice, cool guy who hosts well organized events. This is the main reason why I chose this event as my season opener.
The course itself was a mystery though. I could never find a route or elevation map for the event - probably because it was being held on private property. I knew that this was a hybrid style race on asphalt, pavement, and cobblestone sections -- that was about it. My last speed workout before the race went really well: 1.5 miles x 1.0 mile x 0.5 mile fast finish instead of the normal 3 x 2 mile 10km workout. I was able to split this workout at 6'42"/mile, 6'44"/mile, down to 6'29"/mile respectively without frying my system and this was actually pretty fast for me. This workout gave me the confidence to believe that I could reasonably hold a 7'-7'05"/mile pace for the duration of 4.35 miles.
On race day, I remained true to my routine and did nothing different. My lovely wife drove me to Fayetteville, TN to watch me race, we arrived early, and I got a two mile warmup in prior to the start. I was feeling pretty good. I still had NO CLUE what to expect from the course though!
We lined up for race start and were off shortly afterward. I was using my normal strategy by trying to get out of the pack to choose my lines wisely. Then, the race route was no longer a mystery!
As soon as we started climbing and I was able to see what I would be facing, I knew my 7'/mile plan was not realistic. I normally LOVE to climb hills, but I hadn't been able to train enough of them by this time. From the elevation graph below, you can probably understand why I had to change my pace plan for the race considering that I had only returned to running one month before.
I started to adjust accordingly and everything was going fine until a cobblestone section twisted my ankle about halfway in. My ankle rolled and almost came out from under me! This did not feel good! From the pace chart below, you can see my pace slowing and eventually having to interval myself in. My ankle was killing me!
The good news is that I finished pretty strong and my ankle did not take long to heal up afterward. The bad news is that I missed out on my expectations for my opening race with respect to time. Final results:
Kiwanis River Run 7km; Fayettevillle, TN
- Time: 32' 24"
- OA Placement: 12th of 106, Top 11.32%
- AG Placement: 4th of 8
Until next time, happy racing!
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