March 2013 Racing and Training Summary

I actually have a race summary for this month, along with the usual training summary. 
I did the Irish for a Day 8K, previously the Human Race 8K, which I have done in the past.  This was my fourth time doing the 8K. It was unseasonable cold, but I still had a very good race.  I would say every year previous it has been above 50 degrees, I think last year it was in the 70s or 80s.  This year it was in the low 30s and a little windy.  It was definitely chilly. 
The race is run in the afternoon, typically starting around 1PM.  This year it started at 1:20PM.  This is unusual for most races, which as we all know typically start before 10AM.
It was my second fastest time at this distance, in this race. The course was slightly different from previous years.  It started further east, you went west for about half a mile and then east.  In the past it has started further west and it is a straight out and back course.  The course is run almost totally on Summit Ave in Saint Paul, you take a slight detour on a side road to turn around. With mostly uphill east, and then back mostly downhill.  I would say it is a challenging 5 miles, it is not flat.
Here are my results from this year, and my previous results:
2013 - 8K (5mi) - 38:10 = 7:40min/mi
2012 - 8K (5mi) - 39:11 = 7:53min/mi
2011 - 8K (5mi) - 38:49 = 7:49min/mi
2009 - 8K (5mi) - 36:40 = 7:20min/mi

In 2010 I did the 5k, coming off my stress fracture.  This year I am running more, and more intense, than last year, and I think it is paying off.  In 2009, I unknowningly ran this race on my stress fracture.  A week or so later I went to the doctor and found out I had one.  I remember having some leg pain after the race, I had been having pain up to that point, and thinking it was just shin splints.  I had dumbly been thinking this all along.  Anyway, maybe I will get back to that 2009 time, and run that fast without a stress fracture.  It appears that I am on my way this year.

Below are my comparison for this March to previous years, plus the usual YTD totals, and totals since 2007.  I am pretty happy with this month.  I got over 10 hours of cycling, almost 10 hours for swimming, and nearly 5 hours of running.  Good volume and I think I got the intensity that I need. I would say it is one of my best balanced Marches.  The end of April is my first triathlon of the year, so the beginning of April will be intense and I will taper down a bit as the race gets closer.

March Year-to-Year Comparison

Totals and Averages Since 2007

YTD Totals and Totals Since 2007

 



Walk for Talk 5K (Walk or Run) - Please Donate or Do It!

My nephew, my wife's brother and sister in-laws youngest son, Nolan, was born with a rare hearing disorder, and has no hearing in one of his ears. 
He attended Northern Voices, a school that helps hard of hearing children learn to speak.
Website is here: http://northernvoices.org/
They are having their 4th Annual Walk for Talk.  In the past, it was only a walk.  This year it is a walk and a chipped timed run around Lake Como in Saint Paul, MN.  It is Sunday May 4th.
 https://sites.google.com/a/northernvoices.org/walk-for-talk/

Registration for the run is on active.com

Please consider making a donation to Nolan's Walk Team and doing the run or walk.
Go here for the donation page: http://www.razoo.com/story/Leah-Paul-Fundraising-For-Walk-For-Talk-5k-Run-Kids-Fun-Run-2013?fb_action_ids=10200896331314792&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_source=aggregation&fb_aggregation_id=288381481237582

If you run, walk, or just donate, it is appreciated.  Thanks, Chris

2013 Race Schedule (Most Likely Schedule)

Below is my 2013 race schedule, also to the righ in the sidebar, most likely race schedule. Already one change, I registered for Lake Minnetonka, but just found out I have a wedding that weekend, so I will miss it. I have registered for Lake Minnetonka 4 times, I have done it twice. Both times family stuff as come up after registration and I missed the race. Oh well, that comes with early registration.
I will be starting the season for the 6th year with St. Anthony's in Florida. I will racing the Gear West Du for the 7th time in 8 years.  I have been there 8 years in a row, in 2009 I was injured and volunteered.  I will be doing Waconia for my 5th time.  I will be doing Maple Grove for the 4th time in four years, each time Oly distance, since it started.  I will be doing the St. Croix Valley Oly for the 4th time.  I did the sprint in 2009, on my bad leg.  If I do Dousman this year, it will be my 8th year in a row.  2009 I did it as a relay, all other years as an individual.  I am not sure if I will do Dousman this year.  I have a family wedding the weekend before down in that part of Wisconsin.  It will be a lot of driving in a 10 day period if I do the race the weekend after the wedding.  I will see how things go. 
I am thinking of adding 3 new races, I am registered for one of them, Graniteman St. Cloud.  I am considering, and will probably do, the other two Graniteman races.  All three races are sprint distance races.
Additionally, I am doing the "Irish for a Day" 8K in St. Paul next weekend, Sun March 24th.  I am doing a Friday evening 5K in May at Valley Fair.  I will probably do some, if not all, of the Salomon Trail Races in September and October.  Also, as usual, I will do as many of the Tuesday Night Time Trials (T'N'T) as possible.  The Tuesday Night Time Trials are one of the best, if not the best, bike workouts of the year.  The races are every other Tuesday starting in May and go into August.  I highly recommend doing these races.
An "R" means I am already registered. I have a "normal" schedule for this season, 12-13 races.

4/28/2013 - St. Anthony's Triathlon (St. Petersburg, FL)R
5/19/2013 - Gear West Duathlon (Orono, MN)R
6/9/2013 - Manitou Sprint Triathlon (White Bear Lake, MN)R
6/15/2013 - Lake Minnetonka Triathlon (Minnetonka, MN)R
6/23/2013 - Graniteman Triathlon (Saint Cloud, MN)R
6/30/2013 - Lake Waconia Triathlon (Waconia, MN)R
7/13/2013 - Graniteman Clearwater (Clearwater, MN)
7/21/2013 - Heart of the Lakes Triathlon (Annandale, MN)R
7/28/2013 - Chisago Lakes Sprint Triathlon (Chisago Lakes, MN)R
8/2/2013 - Graniteman Big Lake (Big Lake, MN)
8/24/2013 - Maple Grove Olympic Triathlon (Maple Grove, MN)
8/31/2013 - St. Croix Valley Olympic Triathlon (Hudson, WI)
9/15/2013 - Dousman Duathlon (Dousman, WI)

February 2013 Racing and Training Summary

This Feb was pretty average in terms of total time spent, when compared to previous Febs. 
My swim distance and time continue to grow since the end of 2012. 
I am keeping with the my training goal of increased intensity over last year.  The new Masters group I am in is definitely more intense and the distance keeps up.  I Swim has the intensity workouts, distance workouts, and form workouts.  Hopefully, the change up in types of workouts and coaching will translate to some extra swim speed.  I did a timed 100yd sprint off the blocks for the first time in a long time.  My legs were a little tired from a hard bike and run weekend.  I was able to pull out a 1:06 for the 100.  I was very happy with that. 
I am keeping my run and bike intensity up.  Not really much to say about Feb, except trying to be consistent and keep up my intensity.  Trying to hit those Sunday morning LA Fitness spin classes. 
Through the first two months of 2013 I am on pace to be where I want to be.
Below are my usual monthly summary tables

Comparison of Feb Time Year-To-Year

Totals and Averages Since 2007



Totals for 2013 and Totals Since 2007