Iowa Games/Des Moines Corporate Games Cross Country Race

This morning I participated in the Des Moines Corporate Games Cross Country 4.4K race. The race was held in conjunction with the Iowa Games on the Iowa State cross country course in Ames. With Erin out of town (running the Bix 7 actually), I dropped the girls off at my sister's house and headed for Ames.

I don't think the weather could have been any more perfect for running, especially considering the time of year. There were fewer runners then last week for the road races but it was still a great turn out. They had a longer, 8K race that started at 8:00 am followed by the 4.4K at 9:00 am. Many of those who ran the first race opted to run in the 2nd race as well. The Pioneer runners had a great showing in the first race with many runners taking home both Iowa Games and Corporate Games medals.

Dupont Pioneer/Corteva Cross Country Team

As we lined up for the 2nd race I had flash backs to high school, which is the last time I ran in a cross country race. The course was a little damp, but other than that was in great condition for running. As we approached the back half of the course there were some pretty good hills that posed a bit of a challenge but it flattened back out nicely for the finish. I had forgotten my watch at home so I had no clue what my pace or time were until I approached the finish line. I crossed the line with an official time of 27:01, an average pace of 9:54 per mile. Last week for the 5K road race, I averaged 10:20 per mile so I was very happy to see that improvement. I ended up finishing in 2nd place (out of 2) for my age group scoring 85 points for Pioneer. That brings my total points contributed this year up to 140, fairly insignificant compared to our company total but I was really proud to represent my employer for the games. 

Dug this gem out of a tub in the basement, this
was from junior year of high school and the last
time that I would have run a cross country race

I have a few weeks off of racing as I build up to the Bluff Creek Triathlon on August 19th. Due to my back injury, I am not able to spend time on my bike, which is very disappointing. I'm hoping to get some good training for the swim and run in prior to that race to help make up for that and to keep my overall fitness level up.

I only have a few races left for the year as I am planning to wrap up my season by the end of September. I think that my body is in need of a couple months rest to heal up and prepare for what lies ahead in 2019 so the timing should be perfect.

Des Moines Corporate Games 5K

The Des Moines Corporate Games 5K and 10K road races were held this morning in conjunction with the Clive Running Festival. After originally signing up for the 10K race, I decided to switch to the 5K this past week due to the issues that I have been having with my back.

It was a beautiful morning for a race and I ended up with an official time of 32:16 which I was happy with. I was disappointed, however, that I placed 5th in my age group which is just one place out of scoring additional points for Dupont Pioneer/Corteva. No worries though because the 10 participation points that I did receive contributed to a HUGE day for Pioneer that grew our 1st place lead over Pella Corporation who is currently in 2nd place.

Garmin Race Overview

Leader board after the 10K and 5K Road Races this morning

Next up, I will be participating in the Des Moines Corporate Games Cross Country Races next Saturday. I will be racing in the 4K and it will be my 3rd weekend in a row representing Pioneer for the Corporate Games. 

National Triathlon Week 2018 - Run Day

I'm a couple of days late with this post because run day was on Wednesday, but I wasn't feel well the past couple of days.

For me, it is very appropriate that the final leg of a triathlon is the run. I absolutely love running and have for several years. I've been a runner dating back to middle school and high school but really hit my stride about 4 1/2 years ago when I started competing in road races. Running is so many things to me, it is time to think, relieve stress, and build confidence. It makes me feel good and gives me a way to continually challenge myself.

It felt like a natural progression to switch from road races and running into triathlon but I think that running will always be my favorite. The challenge of running is much greater in a triathlon when you always start your run on tired legs. The feeling of transitioning from the bike to the run is one of the strangest feelings that I have ever experienced. My legs feel like they are stuck in mud for probably the first half mile of the run.

Heading out on the run at the Hickory Grove Triathlon in May 2018

It goes without saying that the longer the triathlon, the more challenging the run can be. Not only are my legs already tired from the swim and bike, but the sun is usually getting higher in the sky and the temperatures are warming up by the time the run starts.

6 miles into the half marathon run and just a couple
miles away from my legs completely giving out on
me at the Legend Ad Adstra 70 in September 2017

On the flip side, when I manage to put a complete race together and feel strong on the run, there is no greater feeling. In my short history with triathlon, I have had only a few races that were paced well enough to have a strong run. Just as with road races, I aim to have negative mile splits during the run portion of the race and that is how I measure success on the run. 

Less than 1 mile to go on the 10K run and running
strong at the Des Moines Triathlon in September 2016

Finishing the 5K run of my best race to date at the Bluff Creek
Triathlon in August 2017

The other special part of the run, and quite possibly my favorite part, is that it leads to the finish line. No matter what race that I am in, there is no greater feeling of accomplishment then finally crossing the finish line. Of course, just like with every other aspect of triathlon, the finish line has it's own uniqueness. Most races start with separate waves or with a rolling start which means 2 things. The first is that you never know how the time of the athletes around you on the course compares to your time until the end meaning that the focus is on racing the clock. Second is that the race tends to be a lot more spread out on the course then a typical road race, in fact, depending on the size of the field and length of the race there may be times where you aren't even near another athlete which can be a challenge mentally. 

Sprinting in for a high five just before the finish
line at the Iowa Games Triathlon in July 2018

National Triathlon Week 2018 - Bike Day

It is commonly said that a race cannot be won on the bike, but it can be lost. The bike split of a triathlon is the most technical leg and is also the place where the most things can go wrong. Flat tires, a break down, or a crash can lose a lot of time or end your race entirely. If you bike too easy you can lose a lot of time since the bike is usually the longest leg of the race. If you bike too hard, you can easily use up your legs and not have enough left for the run.

Finishing the bike leg of the Legend Ad Adstra 70 in September 2017
I pushed too hard on the bike resulting in a poor run

As if that is not enough to think about already, the bike is where most of the race rules come into play that can result in penalties or disqualifications. A couple of examples are needing to have your helmet clipped from the time you leave transition until you return, mounting and dismounting at the correct locations, and following the proper no-drafting and passing rules on the course.

Although I do enjoy cycling, I would probably say that it is my least favorite of the 3 disciplines and also the one that I spend the least amount of time training for. That being said, it was apparent from my first race that I had some natural ability on the bike and it turns out that it is BY FAR my strongest discipline. While my swim and run splits often fall in the bottom 25% of all racers, my bike split is almost always in the top 50%. 

Ready to hit the bike course in my first triathlon at the Des Moines
Triathlon in September 2016

When I signed up for my first triathlon in 2016, my original plan was to just ride my old mountain bike and see how it goes. However, it turned out that my uncle Jeff had a road bike sitting in his garage that he had been trying to get rid of for several years. He sold it too me at a "family member discount" and after getting some new wheels and tires on it that first year, it has done extremely well for me. I am now looking into purchasing a triathlon bike within the next year to help take me to the next level on the bike. 

My original training strategy for the bike was to put in miles and get used to riding a road bike. I followed this strategy with quite a bit of success early. That strategy evolved last year as I started to include more speed training and longer brick workouts. That strategy paid off in late summer when I was able to set a PR during the bike leg of the Bluff Creek sprint triathlon.

Heading into T2 after my PR bike split at
the Bluff Creek triathlon in August 2017

I came into this year planning to focus on my swimming and running and with that I conceded that my bike splits might suffer, and they have. I am already planning some big things to bring back the bike going into 2019 though and really look forward to building on what I have already been able to do. 

Heading out on the bike at the Accel Triathlon in July 2017

Flying by at nearly 25 mph at the Hickory Grove triathlon in May 2018

Hustling out of T1 with my bike at the
Iowa Games triathlon in July 2018

National Triathlon Week 2018 - Swim Day

In honor of national triathlon week, I'm going to try to post something each day this week. Day 1 is swim day. When I started out a few years ago, swimming was the one discipline that I had no experience with and I decided to teach myself. My first few trips to the pool were very awkward and I couldn't even make it farther then a full length of a 25 yard pool without stopping for a break. It took several months before I was even able to figure out how to breathe properly. From there I worked on body position in the water and then my stroke.

I have spent countless hours at the Urbandale pool over the past 3 years

Once I finally started to build some confidence in the pool, I decided to tackle an open water swim. That experience was something that I was not prepared for and the panic nearly broke me. I remember that day at Big Creek very well. The combination of not being able to see in the water along with having to sight while swimming got in my head. Luckily, over the next several months I forced myself out to Big Creek a few more times and was able to at least tolerate the open water. 

Another open water swim at big creek

Of course swimming in open water was one thing, doing so with other people hitting, kicking, and swimming over top of you is something entirely different. During my first triathlon in 2016, I learned quickly how to stay calm in that exact situation (I also learned to swim wide around the turn buoys). There are 2 kinds of swim starts for most triathlons. The first is a rolling start, which is my favorite, and involves letting a couple of athletes start every few seconds. The Second is a wave start, where athletes are grouped together in groups of 50+ and sent off in waves all at once. Usually there is a few minutes between each wave to allow for the swimmers to spread out.

Swimming in my first tri at the Des Moines Triathlon in 2016

Ever since that first race I have continued to work on increasing both my endurance and speed in the water. After a few more races, I also became comfortable swimming with people around me. Although I still have a lot to learn and plenty of room for improvement, I am continuing to improve. That first race I averaged 2:45/100 yards (that is very slow), but my race this past weekend I nearly broke 2:00/100 yards. In the past year I have completely overhauled my swim stroke as well and am expecting even more improvement over the next year. I am determined to turn my weakest discipline into a strength, it just takes time and a lot of work. 

I have come to learn that it is swimming that keeps many people from competing in a triathlon. If that is you, I hope that my story might give you the confidence that you need to give it a tri. 

Coming out of the water at the Accel Triathlon in July 2017

In the middle of a 1.2 mile swim at the Legend Ad Adstra 70
in September 2017

Coming out of the water at the Hickory Grove Triathlon in May 2018

A good depiction displaying the chaos of a wave start at the Iowa Games
Triathlon in July 2018

Iowa Games/Des Moines Corporate Games Triathlon

This morning I participated in the Des Moines Corporate Games sprint triathlon, held in conjunction with the Iowa Games triathlon. I'm going to just come right out and say that I had my best race of the year so far and I am VERY happy with how I raced today.

I arrived at Big Creek shortly after 6:00 am. The temperature wasn't too bad but it was extremely humid. It was clear at the time, but shortly before start time some fog set in forcing them to delay the race about 15 minutes. The extra time before the race didn't bother me at all, however, because I used the time to warm up and spend time chatting with the 20, or so, other Dupont Pioneer employees that were racing.

Set up in transition

Waiting out the fog with my coworker, Chris

The race consisted of a wave start (my least favorite kind of start). I was in wave 4, which turned out to be the largest wave. The water was very warm and the 1/4 mile swim seemed extremely short. I ended up setting a PR swim pace of 2:01/100 yards which put a smile on my face as I came out of the water. 

My swim wave heading into the water

Out of the water and heading to T1

Abigail got a lot of chuckles holding this sign as
racers got out of the water

I made it through T1 in under 2 minutes which is a great time. The bike course was 20 km (12.4 miles), which is quite short. With low winds and few hills, I was able to log an average pace of 18.4 mph which is my best pace this year and tied for my 3rd fastest pace ever. The one downside of the bike portion was that it was the only time that I experienced some back pain. Getting off the bike was the worst part and I'm happy to say that the pain subsided as I headed out on the run course. 

Heading out of T1

Finishing up the bike course and heading towards the dismount line

My time in T2 was just over 40 seconds which is outstanding and another PR for me. I headed out on the run course feeling pretty tired but I just kept moving. With the air still and sun beating down, I got quite hot on the run course and just never got into a good rhythm. I felt great as I finished strong across the finish line and knew immediately that I had run my best race of the year so far. It also helped that Erin and the girls were waiting for me at the finish line after cheering me on all morning. 

Heading out on the run course

Bridget all wore out from cheering

Coming in for a high five during my sprint to
the finish line

Finishing strong

Proud finisher with my beautiful wife

My official time was 1:2739 and I finished 175/251. I also finished in 4th place in my division/age group for the corporate games which brought home 35 points for Pioneer. 

Official Results

So many things made this race one of my favorites. I was very pleased with my performance today especially coming off a back injury and with little to no training for the past 2 weeks. With how much training I do out at Big Creek, it sort of felt like it was my "home course". It was also great to spend time before and after the race with some coworkers.My favorite part, however, was that Erin and the girls came to watch me race and cheer me on.

My next race is the Des Moines Corporate Games road race in Clive next weekend. I will be running the 5k and hoping to bring home more points for Pioneer. I am 5 weeks away from my next triathlon, which will be at Bluff Creek. My race at Bluff Creek last year is the best triathlon performance that I have ever had. I'm not expecting to replicate that this year because my fitness level is just not at the same level that it was a year ago, but I am planning for a solid performance. 

I Am So Over 2018

Lack of motivation...

Lost confidence...

Regret...

Injury...

These are the running themes for my 2018 season. The plan this year was to fill my schedule with short distance races and to have lots of fun without the large time commitments for training. The truth is, I just haven't been having much fun at all. It is far too early to write off the entire year as a disappointment but it has proven difficult to refocus myself.

All of these struggles were present before I managed to injure my back a little over a week ago. I'm not even sure what I did to injure my back, but I woke up one morning starting to feel some pain in my lower back and 3 days later I could hardly move at all. With the help of some prescription meds from the doctor and some days of rest (including a week with absolutely NO training) my back is feeling better but is still not 100%.

Last night I tried a short 5 mile bike ride followed by a 1 mile run just to see how my back would handle it. Although my back did feel a little sore during the workout I didn't experience any muscle spasms or shooting pain so I'm considering it a success. It was a little stiff this morning but actually felt pretty good after my swim workout and for the remainder of the day. I am definitely not pain free but would say I am at about 80%.

Next weekend I was suppose to race in 2 triathlons, a sprint distance triathlon in Waterloo on Saturday and another in Des Moines on Sunday. The following Saturday I was scheduled to run a 10K road race for the Des Moines corporate games. I have decided to sit out the Accel triathlon in Waterloo and have changed to the 5k road race the following weekend but am still planning to attempt the 2nd triathlon next weekend.

I guess this post is just my way of venting frustrations. Right now I am feeling so many emotions that I don't know what to do with myself. I just want to go to sleep, wake up without any pain, feeling the confidence that I felt just a few months ago, and get back after it. For now, I'm going to do whatever I can to get on the road to recovery and get back on track for the year.