May 2025 Race Recaps

I have had an incredible couple of weeks both training and racing. I raced 4 times in 9 days and was very happy with how well my body held up and what I was able to do. As I've said in past blog posts, I try really hard to not compare myself to 2019 Patrick because I'm older and not in the same shape. However, I've made so much progress in the last month that I feel that I can accurately compare myself to Patrick in the fall of 2023. The progress has almost been unbelievable and I'm very excited to see what I can do with the remainder of my season. 

Race for Hope DSM 5k

On the morning of Saturday, May 17, Adam picked me up to head for Water Works Park in Des Moines. It was cloudy, windy, and very cold so I kept going back and forth on whether or not I was going to wear my sweatshirt for the race. Right before race time the sun started to come out and it felt warmer so I opted for no sweatshirt and was glad I did. 

The plan for the race was to run well but not too hard to make sure I had some left in the tank for the DMCG Triathlon on Sunday. I felt really good from the start and kept a very consistent pace throughout the very flat course. I came through mile 1 in a time of 10:32 which really surprised me. My legs felt really good and I didn't feel like I was pushing too hard so I just kept going. I finished with a time of 33:02 with my watch showing 3.17 miles. That means my pace was sub-10:30/mile. I looked back over all of my past races and got all the way back to the Quad Cities Triathlon in June 2019 before finding a 5k that I ran faster. That's right, we are at a point where I can start comparing myself to Patrick of 2019. 

Des Moines Corporate Games Triathlon Duathlon

A first for me in all of my years racing Triathlon. The air temperature on the morning of Sunday, May 18 was in the low 40s so the race director decided to cancel the swim. There was already a duathlon happening alongside the triathlon so all racers competed in the same event. My biggest worry that morning was that the 400 yard swim was now replaced with a 2nd 5k run. I didn't feel prepared to run that much, especially after racing on Saturday. 

They divided the field into 3 groups and allowed us to self-seed. I opted to join the 3rd group to start because I was planning to run the first 5k at a very easy pace to ensure that I had enough left for the bike and 2nd run. Shortly after crossing the start line, I looked behind me and realized that I was officially in last place. I didn't panic and settled in to a very steady and easy pace. I was able to pass 5 people during the first run and finished with a time of 37 minutes. It felt a little strange going into transition with only a couple of bikes left on the racks, but I quickly got through T1 and out on the bike. 

My cycling has not been where I want it to be, but I knew from the start I was going to give it everything I had on this short bike course. I passed someone as we headed out of the park but then was stricken when I looked as far as I could down the road, about a half mile, and didn't see another cyclist. I knew that my run was slow, but I did not expect that. I tried to stay focused and settle into a hard but comfortable pace. Before I knew it, I started to catch other cyclists. I ended up passing 30 people on the bike and averaging 17 mph. Certainly not my best bike time but much better than I had expected. 

As I headed out of T2 back onto the run course I was able to pass a couple more people, but then was also passed back by 6 other people. A quick glance at the back of each runner's calf revealed that 5 of the 6 people were members of team relays meaning they had fresh legs. That was a little depressing. I was very happy to finish the 2nd 5k in a faster time of 32:29. My time was good enough for 3rd place in my age group. A podium finish that scored bonus points for John Deere. 

TRI Clear Lake Sprint Triathlon Duathlon

That's right, for the 2nd weekend in a row, the swim was canceled due to cold temperatures. The big differences this time was they announced it on Thursday and the 500 meter swim was replaced with a 1 mile run. I drove up to Clear Lake on Friday afternoon in time to pick up my packet, have some dinner, and chill in my hotel room. I had a good week of training but my legs still weren't fully recovered from last weekend.

I got to bed early and was up at 5:00 am and headed to the race by 5:30 am. I was able to get a parking spot just a couple blocks from transition and was able to get everything set up very quickly. I did some walking to check out the start/end of the bike course and the run course. Similar to the previous weekend, they started us in waves and I was in the 2nd to last wave. Unlike the previous weekend, I had no intention of holding anything back during the first run. 

I ran hard from the start coming into T1 with a time of 10:03! Transition was on the road in a long horseshoe. My rack was close to the run in/out but very far from the bike in/out so I had to run a long ways in my bike shoes making both transitions take a little over 2 minutes. Just like with the run, I hit the bike course very hard. The course had rolling hills but no real climbs and I knew that I would have the wind at my back on the way out but be biking into the wind on the way back. With both and Olympic and Sprint distance duathlon, the racing field was huge and I was constantly passing people throughout the entire course. I made quick work of the bike course finishing in a time of 40:18, for an average of 18.5 mph. That was a big improvement over last weekend. 

Coming out of T2, I was still feeling good so I decided to give the 5k run everything I had. I ended up running a time of 35:39 with negative splits for all 3 miles. I was extremely efficient throughout the whole race and finished with very little left in the tank. I felt so good after the race and was excited to see that I placed 2nd in my age group. My 2nd podium in as many weeks. I packed up transition and then braved the cold to stick around for the awards ceremony. 

Hometown 10k

I'm still not quite sure what possessed me to sign up for a 10k the day after a triathlon, but that is exactly what I did. After making it home from Clear Lake, I spent the rest of Saturday resting as best I could. An early start time on Sunday meant that I was picking Adam up at 5:45. The race was on the Trestle to Trestle trail to the Neal Smith Trail which is a course I've never raced before. The race included a half marathon, 10k and 5k which meant it was a pretty big field to start.

The gun went off at 7:00 am and we were off. My legs were extremely sore and tired so I wasn't sure what to expect. I came through mile 1 in 12:09 and mile 2 in 11:52. Starting at about 2.5 miles I decided to kick it up a notch. I ran negative splits for the whole race and mile 6 was 11:02. The course ended up being a little long at 6.56 miles but I still finished strong finishing in 1:15:19 (11:29/mi). That time was good enough for 3rd in my age group. My 3rd podium in the last 3 races and 7th podium of the year so far. 

Wrap Up

I haven't just been racing well, I've been seeing a lot of progress in my training too. Looking at my average running pace over the last 3 months tells the story very well as I progressed from 13:40/mi in March, to 13:01/mi in April, and 12:06/mi in May. The mileage is a little lower, but the improvement is very similar to what I did at the end of 2023.

With how well I've been progressing, I've decided to set a new stretch goal for the year. I spent some time trying to decide if I wanted to target a half marathon later in the year but decided to go a different route. With how well I ran the Race for Hope 5k, I've decided I want to try for a 5k PR by the end of the year. My current PR is 27:51 set at the Kickoff 5k in February 2019. It is going to take a lot of hard work AND staying healthy but I have confidence that I can do it. 

Grand Blue Mile and Training Updates

This post is a little bit delayed, but life has been a bit crazy with kids activities and both of my daughter's birthdays. It is hard to believe that I have a 14 year old and an 11 year old in the house now. Over the last month I have made some huge leaps with my training and stayed healthy and injury free. I'm extremely excited headed into a busy race schedule over the next 2 weeks. 

Grand Blue Mile

On Tuesday, April 22nd, Adam picked me up after work and we headed downtown for the Grand Blue Mile. It was my first time ever running the race and only the 2nd 1 mile road race in which I've participated. I had gone several days without hip pain, but of course my hip was hurting that afternoon and evening. I spent some stretching it out before the race and luckily it didn't bother me while I was running. The race is broken up into various waves based on your estimated pace. I am slow, so I was in the largest wave of recreational runners and walkers. 

The race field was so crowded that it took about 1/8th of a mile before I could actually open up my stride and run. I pushed as hard as I could, and as I turned back towards the finish line I just kept my eyes up and my arms pumping. I crossed the finish line in a time of 10:49 and was extremely happy with that time. 

Training Updates

The first couple weeks of my triathlon training schedule were very rough but I kept on grinding through my workouts and eventually all of the hard work started to pay off. For the last 3 years, Adam, Kyle, and I have taken a bike ride on Good Friday since John Deere gives us the day off work. That ride landed on April 18th this year. It was a cold, rainy, and windy day but we met in Bondurant that afternoon for a 20 mile ride on the Chichaqua Valley Trail. That ride absolutely kicked my butt, and I had a 30 minute brick run afterwards. I averaged under 14mph on the ride and over 14:00/mi on the run. It was discouraging but I still had fun since I was with friends. 

Annual Good Friday Bike Ride

I followed that horrible ride up with a really bad long run in Bettendorf on Easter Sunday. I only managed to pound out a little over 4 miles during my almost 1 hour easy run. I came off that weekend feeling extremely out of shape and exhausted. 

Things started to turn around after running the Grand Blue Mile on April 22nd. It has always amazed me at how much confidence I get after a good race and that confidence really started having an impact on my training. I did my long brick workout with Adam the following Saturday and the ride went MUCH better than the previous week. We ended up riding 40k holding a 15.2mph average and I really didn't struggle until the last 5 miles. The 30 minute run felt good as well as we averaged 13:21 per mile. It is always funny to me when Adam and I run together because he barely has to run at all to keep up with me. 

On Tuesday, April 29 I finally had a break through running workout. My workout was 60 minutes with a 15 minute heart rate zone 4 interval at 40 minutes into the run. For those 15 minutes I was able to average the same pace that I ran at the Grand Blue Mile and averaged sub-12:00/mi for the full hour. I was stoked when I finished. 

The smile says it all

My 60 minute easy run on May 4 was another indicator that my fitness is improving very fast. Only 2 weeks after a disappointing long run in Bettendorf, I was able to pound out 4.58 miles with an average pace of 13:07 while keeping my heart rate in zone 1 & 2. That is 1:14/mi faster than the same effort run in Bettendorf. The success has extended farther than just a few specific workouts. My weekly averages over the last 3 weeks have improved as well. 

It is great to be peaking at the right time in my training cycle. The next 2 weeks my training will be a lot lighter as I navigate 4 races to close out the month. I'm excited and ready to see all of my hard work and commitment pay off. 

• Saturday, May 17 - Race for Hope 5k
• Sunday, May 18 - DSM Corporate Games Sprint Triathlon
• Saturday, May 24 - Clear Lake Sprint Triathlon
• Sunday, May 25 - Hometown 10k

April Race Recaps

The 2nd weekend of April meant 2 races in 1 weekend. On Saturday, April 12th I ran the Beer & Bagel Run at Jester Park and Sunday, April 13th was the DoNot Stop 5k in Altoona. It is extremely rare for me to schedule multiple races in the same weekend but this will be the 2nd time I've done it this year. These races were #7 and #8 of the year. Below are my recaps of each race. 

Beer & Bagel Run

This was my first ever trail race and will openly admit that I did absolutely 0 training on trails leading into this race. I really didn't know what to expect out of myself going into this race, which wasn't helped by the fact the race route wasn't published ahead of time and didn't have a specific distance (the race just said 4ish miles). My friend, Adam, was racing as well so he picked me up and we headed out to Jester Park. It was a beautiful morning for a race. I got a short warm up jog in and then stretched out my hip. Before long the announcer called for us to line up and the National Anthem was played. 

I positioned myself towards the back of the field and had decided before the race that I wasn't going to push hard, instead saving my legs for a good race on Sunday. I felt a bit sluggish out of the gate but we did start in grass and with a slight up hill. After the initial hill, the remainder of mile 1 was pretty flat and I logged a time of 13:10. As we started on mile 2, the hills showed up. They weren't really long hills but they were pretty steep and there was very few flat sections. I wasn't very conscious of my footing on the dirt trails, making sure to miss any sticks, roots, rocks, and mud and wasn't able to hit the downhills as hard as I wanted. One thing I did notice is that most of the racers around me were walking the uphill portions so I was consistently passing people throughout mile 2. Mile 2 came in a little slower at 13:12 but I was really happy that I kept my pace through the hills. 

Mile 3 took us down to the sandy beaches of Saylorville Lake where we finally got some flat sections of trail before heading up the biggest hill of the race. I had no intentions to walk at all during the race but there was a large group of people that started walking in front of me without enough space to get around them so I walked a very short section at the top of the hill. Once at the top, we hit some smaller rolling hills again and I came through mile 3 with a time of 13:30. I was fading, but just kept my legs going. It was around this point that Adam, after finishing, had made his way backwards through the course to find me and run with me to the end. Before I knew it, we were coming out of the woods and onto the campground roads just below the finish line. I made my way up the last short hill and through the chute. 3.44 miles with a time of 45:30. I collected my medal, got a donut and bagel and then waited for the results. As usual, Adam made the podium in his age group and I was just as proud of him as I always am. 

I'm extremely proud of myself for trying something new and I feel like I did very well for my current fitness level. I will certainly be considering more trail races in the future. If I could go back in time, the only thing I would have changed was to not wear a sweatshirt. The wind was quite cold, but by the 3rd mile I was unbearably hot and I do think it affected my performance at the end. 

DoNot Stop 5k

Since Adam drove on Saturday, it was my turn to pick him up on Sunday morning. The race was earlier on Sunday, at 8:00 am, and we both needed to pick up our packets so we headed for Altoona at 6:45. The temperatures started out much more mild than Saturday and it was another beautiful morning for a race. Just like the day before, I got a warm up run in and stretched out my hip. My legs were feeling fresh and not like I had raced the day before, which was amazing. My plan for the race was to put in a decent effort the first 2 miles and then hit the last mile with everything I had left. 

The race included a 5k, 10k, and Half Marathon (Adam was doing the 10k) and we all started together. This is the exact same course that we ran for the Time Travel 5k back in January, so I knew what to expect. The race starts with a large downhill, then there is a small hill before getting to the bike trail. The bike trail has a gradual down hill all the way to the turnaround. This means that it could be very easy to go out fast but then struggle on the 2nd half when you have to gain all of the elevation back. I settled in towards the back of the pack at the start line and before I knew it, we were off. I kept things very conservative on the way out but managed to come through the first mile in 11:48. For some reason, in my head, that was too fast and I started to worry about losing steam so I kept my effort consistent for mile 2 where I came through in a time of  11:53. As planned I increased my effort going into mile 3, and even with the large uphill at the end of that mile, I came through with a time of 11:51. My final time for the 5k was 37:14, more than 1:30 faster than the 38:51 I ran on the same course in January. 

My time was good enough for 3rd place in my age group, so I earned another pin. Adam, crushed it again and took 2nd place overall in the 10k. While I'm happy with how I ran, after reviewing my Garmin data, I can see that I left some time and effort out on the course. I spent very little time in heart rate Z4 and almost none in Z5. I should have pushed harder on those first 2 miles, something that I will account for next race. 

Speaking of my next race, I will be racing the Grand Blue Mile on Tuesday, April 22nd. 1 mile races are quite rare and I'm looking forward to seeing what I can do at that distance. My adult 1 mile PR is 7:51, so I don't think I'll be touching that next week, but I am going to try to break 11 minutes. 

April Training Updates

I am almost 3 full weeks into my current triathlon training block and things have been going extremely well. I've remained committed to stretching my hip after each run and strength training 3 times a week, including hip mobility work each time. I can feel the jump in fitness over the last 3 weeks and have had some amazing training sessions. 

On March 29th I completed my first long brick workout with a 45 minute bike and 15 minute run keeping my heart rate in zone 2. I absolutely crushed this workout and it felt amazing. 

The PR3 set up in the pain cave

23.6 mph on the bike and 12:37/mi on the run

I followed up the great brick workout with an even better run workout the following Tuesday morning. The workout was 45 minutes in z2 with 5 x 1:00 pick ups. I ended up running 3.52 miles equating to a 12:47/mi average. In the spirit of documenting my journey better, I also started taking a selfie after my workouts each day. 

Extremely happy after a great run workout

On April 6th I completed my first outdoor bike ride as a part of a 60 minute/15 minute brick workout with Adam. It was a lot harder than I expected but I powered through and am better for it. 

On April 8th I had my best workout of the year so far. My morning run was 60 minutes in z2 with 7 x 3:00 in z4. It was so hard, but I absolutely crushed this workout!

The smile says it all!

This is what progress looks like

In addition to the triathlon training, I've been actively making other changes and commitments in my life. I already mentioned that I started taking a selfie after my training run each day. I also have committed to starting a 10,000 daily step streak in addition to my current run streak (which is at 255 days!). I also started to journal about my journey daily. My daily journal includes tracking my food intake, training, notes about how I was feeling or when I struggled, and setting daily goals. It has been great so far and setting daily goals keeps things fresh and has helped me to build in some consistency. 

I have 2 races this weekend. Tomorrow I'm running my first ever trail race at the Beer & Bagel Run. On Sunday I will head out to Altoona for the DoNot Stop 5k. I'm really excited to put all of this great training to work and see what I can do. 

Injury, Race Recaps, and a New Training Block

The high school basketball season has officially wrapped up which has freed up a lot of my time to focus more on training and racing. The weather is also starting to get nice, which has me looking forward to outdoor rides and running in shorts and a t-shirt. 

Hip Injury

In mid-January I started a 10k Nike training program focused on increasing my speed. The program included 2 days of speed work each week along with a long run on the weekend. Things started out very well and I was very pleased with my progress over the first month of training. In fact, I credit this program for my great race performances in February. Late in February, I started dealing with a lot of discomfort in my right hip, and not just when running. Additionally, I developed a sinus infection during the first week of March that completely drained my energy. I broke down and scheduled a doctor appointment on March 13th where I came away with antibiotics for the sinus infection and a diagnosis of Bursitis in my right hip, caused by overuse. 

The combination of anti-inflammatory meds, stretching, and limiting my running milage has led to my hip feeling much better after only a week. I've taken some time to reflect on the injury and have identified 3 things that I could have/should have done differently. 

1. I hadn't been making strength training a priority for several months. Consistent work on strength and mobility is a big key for me staying injury free
2. I tried out a new high intensity training program without a willingness to give up my run streak. My body got further and further behind on recovery as the weeks went on
3. This was my first training cycle of 2025, and my focus on increasing speed without building a base was a mistake. I should have spent December and early January on building a fitness base before starting such an ambitious program

I've already started to increase my strength and mobility work and will be slowly easing my way back into higher milage training in the next couple of weeks. 

Race Recaps

The timing of both the sinus infection and hip injury were unfortunate as I had back-to-back races scheduled for March 15th and March 16th. Even though my doctor suggested taking a week off of running, he also said to just focus on not doing anything that made it hurt. With no intentions to end my running streak, I decided that I would run the first mile of each race at a very slow pace and decide what to do based on how I felt. I also changed my registration from the 10K to the 5K for the Time to Paddy race on Sunday. 

St. Paddy's Day 5K

This is my 3rd time participating in the St. Paddy's Day races in downtown Des Moines. The race has really grown over the years. I positioned myself at the very back to start to ensure that I wasn't tempted to go out faster than I should. I slowly made my way through the streets of downtown before crossing the river and heading south towards Principal Park. I hit the 1 mile mark in a time of 13:10 and was feeling really good so decided to keep going. My hip was still feeling fine at the half way turn around so decided to keep going. I came through mile 2 in a time of 12:58 and decided that I was feeling well enough to run the whole race. I finished the race with an official time of 40:06, but more importantly, without any hip pain at all. 

Time to Paddy 5K

I was disappointed to not be racing the 10K as originally planned, but was still happy to be racing. I decided to use the same strategy that I had used on Saturday since it worked out so well. It was extremely windy and much colder on Sunday morning so I dressed warmer than normal with a jacket over my normal sweatshirt. Just like on Saturday, my hip felt great so I ran the whole way. I did feel a little discomfort in the last half mile but nothing that rose to the level of pain and it went away immediately after the race. The last 1/4 mile was directly into a brisk wind that made it hard to breathe and caused a coughing fit at the finish line. 

I definitely pushed harder in this race, but still didn't put forth an all out 5K effort. My final time was 39:03, which was good enough for 3rd in my age group, and I was happy with that. 

New Training Block

Returning from an injury is never fun. It takes a lot of conscious effort to not come back too fast and to build back confidence and fitness that has been lost. Tomorrow I start my next 8 week training block leading up to my first outdoor triathlon of the year at the Des Moines Corporate Games Triathlon on May 18th. I'll be using a familiar training plan that I used in 2018, 2019, and 2023 with a lot of success. My hope is that the focus on training across all 3 disciplines (and adding in consistent strength and mobility training) will allow my hip to fully recover. 

Thinking about triathlon is really getting me fired up and I'm excited to make a comeback after a disappointing season last year. I have a lot of work to to, but I'm ready to get after it!