O.K., so here's a race report on the Iroquois Point Triathlon.  To my devoted readers (Hi Mom!) I apologize that I haven't blogged the run-up to the event very thoroughly (or much at all).  To be honest I've been a little busy and, sort of unmotivated to blog over the last several days, for various reasons.  But the race deserves coverage (and if I don't post soon I'll lose the 6 readers I have) so here goes...

 

The Lead Up...

So in the weeks leading up to the race I had been focusing on running, but also knew that I had to do something about my swim.  Traditionally the way my triathlons go is fairly predictable: I struggle in the swim a bit and get out of the water at the back of the pack.  Never last...but often well back.  I get on the bike and hammer...passing quite a lot of people.  Then on the run some of those I passed on the bike pass me again and I end up finishing somewhere in the middle or towards the back of the pack.

A couple of weeks ago I started working out with Joe, one of the Masters swim coaches at "The Oahu Club", to see if he could do anything with my stroke.  I haven't had any professional swim coaching since I was 9 years old at the YMCA trying to get my "Tadpole" card.  Somehow I don't think that counts.  A year or three ago I read Terry Laughlin's book "Total Immersion" which I found very helpful but the book doesn't really give you any live feedback on your stroke.  So I wanted a pro coach to watch me swim and try to help me correct my many deficiencies.

Joe's been relatively gentle.  He says my balance is good and praises other elements of my stroke, but wants to fix my timing, wants me to roll better and to swim more elongated by not starting my pull stroke too quickly when I breathe. (What Laughlin might call "Front Quadrant Swimming" or "Lengthening My Vessel").  So we've been working on that and I've been doing some drills on my own.  Of course all of this training has been taking place in the pool - remember that, it gets important.

I haven't spent as much time on the bike because, at least in part, the bike is my strong segment so I didn't figure I needed as much work on it.

I didn't do a brilliant job with my pre-race planning and nutrition but I did have fried rice and get my gear laid out the night before (thanks Michelle for your assistance and delightful company!).  Not great, but o.k., especially for a relatively short race.

I also took the bike over to IT&B for a tune-up and to fix an issue I was having with my front chain ring.  James did a brilliant job of getting it straightened out and by the time I left the bike was running just as smooth as can be.

One thing I discovered that was a little awkward was that I had missed packet pick-up.  I had expected it to be on Saturday before the race.  Turns out it was on Friday.  Oops.  Guess I'll have to get to the race a little early and pick-up there.

The Morning Of...

Bike was already in the truck, so I just had to get dressed, pack up the rest of the gear and get on the road.  I got a little later start than I'd planned to, but still got to the race in plenty of time.  Picked up my packet, found a transition spot for the bike (after a lot of looking) and started getting ready. 

One of the unique experiences of triathlon (and biathlon I guess) is having your number written on.  I have to admit - I like it.  There's just something about having them take that black marker and scrawl your number on your arms (and sometimes legs) that makes you feel like a real participant.  Moreso than just clipping a paper number to your shirt somehow.

Ooops - Didn't realize initially that I had to use THEIR swim cap and left it in the truck.  Planned to just wear my own.  Well...they wanted me to wear theirs, so with 10 minutes until start I had to jog back to the truck and get theirs.

Ooops 2 - Got halfway from my transition area to the water when I realized I'd left my swim goggles hanging on the bike.  The swim was going to be tough enough without forgetting those.  Had to go back and get them.

And They're Off - The Swim

The swim at Iroquois Point is a 750 meter ocean swim.  It's a clockwise course out from the beach, around a pyramid buoy, parallel to the beach to a second pyramid buoy, then a right turn back towards the beach for the exit.  I always start at the back of the pack in the swim - I know I'm not a fast swimmer and I don't want to have to deal with a dozen other guys swimming over the top of me.  I'd just assume let them go ahead.

I was really curious to see how this swim was going to go for me.  Swim is my weak segment, always has been, but hopefully my work with Joe and recent pool drills would start to pay dividends.  They did...a little.

One thing that's important to realize is that pool swimming and ocean swimming are very different animals.  For one thing, on the ocean swim you have to contend with waves and currents - which the pool doesn't prepare you for.  Maintaining a steady pace is a lot harder when you're getting tossed around.  Breathing is sometimes tricky if you happen to breathe when a wave breaks over your head.

Iroquois Point's swim course is a little wavy-er than I'm used to.  It's not exactly rough, but it's aggressive.  One nice thing is that the water is clear and not super deep so you can see the bottom during most of the swim.  Being able to watch the coral go by helps give you a nice sensation of movement that is reassuring when the waves make it feel like you're not making any progress.

Out to the first buoy I was doing o.k.  I have to admit that the unfamiliar ocean conditions and some "first race back" nerves meant that some of Joe's technique work went out the window and I fell back into some of my old habits.  I rounded the first buoy and headed for the second.  Looking around I could see that, as expected most of the pack was ahead of me, but I was reassured to see at least a few yellow swim caps in the water behind me and a glance at the beach showed that nobody was out of the water yet.

By the time I reached the second buoy I was pretty tired, and sure that my time on this segment wasn't going to be good.  But I was surviving.  And still not last.  I was hoping that rounding that second buoy we'd get a nice push from the waves on the way back into the beach.  Boy was I in for a surprise.  In fact, the rip tides coming off the beach meant that the coral down below didn't move a bit for long seconds.  It started to feel disturbingly like a swimming treadmill for a while.  I tried to refocus on my swimming technique and I could almost hear Joe bellowing from the pool deck ("When in doubt, catch-up stroke it out!").  So I focused on trying to elongate myself and not surprisingly it did feel a little more efficient.  Before my next race I need to get a lot more time in the water in order to try and make these techniques more intuitive so that I don't have to think about them so much.

Navigation on the way back in was tricky and many of the athletes were wide left of the exit.  Normally the tactic for the water exit is to keep swimming until your hands touch bottom.  Then get to your feet and run out.  Honestly I was too tired at that point and didn't feel like I was swimming very effectively, so I stood up when the water was hip deep and waded ashore from there. 

Clearing the water, I trotted up the sand.  A large crowd of spectators applauded as I ran over the mats and into the transition area.  I smiled and gave them a small wave of acknowledgement.  There were still quite a few bikes in the transition area which was surprising and reassuring.  A glance at my watch revealed that my time on the segment wasn't quite as bad as I feared, though certainly much slower than I'd like.  Something to continue working on...

T1 - Swim to Bike

At several points on the morning I felt like my experience in the sport really helped me out.  Getting from the sand to my bike was one of them.  I had paid attention to the route before the swim so I jogged easily and confidently thru the area right to my spot without any problem.  A few other athletes looked like shoppers in a mall parking lot - jogging up this lane and down that one trying to remember where they parked.

The T1 transition is the more complicated one - in addition to the basics of getting your helmet on, bike shoes on, and so forth there is also the matter of rinsing off your feet (and maybe drying them just a bit) to get the sand off them before you get into your bike shoes.

Tip: Don't bother with socks.  Bike shoes are designed to be comfortable in bare feet and socks just waste a lot of time.

Bike jersey on, helmet and sunglasses on, bike shoes (but no gloves; too short a ride) I headed for the exit, just behind another athlete.

 

My Turn - The Bike Segment

The bike segment has always been my strong suit.  I always felt like the swim was just a warm-up to get me to the bike and once I got there...it was all good.  Today's race was on a flat course that I knew well (since it's just a mile or so from my house and I ride it frequently as part of my training) and it was my first race on the new bike.

From the very outset one thing was apparent...the new Felt F5 is FAST.  I could feel the wind drying me off as I flew into the first turn.  Looking up I saw the backs of some of my competitors ahead.  I felt at home on the bike and confident.  I settled into a comfortable gear that allowed me a good cadence without too much effort and got down onto my aero bars.   The ride was VERY smooth, I even felt comfortable taking most of the turns down on the aero bars.  Out of Iroquois Point and onto the navy road we went...about 13 miles in all.  It was a little windy which, to be honest, gave me an advantage.  Down on the aero bars and being conscious of my tuck I was probably more aerodynamic than most so I didn't have as much trouble with the wind.

As I rode I felt myself being very tactical.  I evaluated each upcoming turn in the road and attacked the course well.  I know where most of the potholes are on that road and deftly avoided them.  I sized up each of my competitors in turn as I approached: evaluating their cadence, track, listening to their bike and their breathing.  I felt like by the time I got up on each one I knew pretty well what their situation was.  An inconsistent cadence; an awkward track showing fatigue and lack of control.  One guy's bike was making a noise that made it clear that he wasn't cleanly in gear - that means he's losing a lot of efficiency and working harder than he needs to.  Also meant he'd have a harder time shifting gears to come with me if he chose to after I passed.

I chatted and encouraged each cyclist as I passed.  One fellow chirped back that he was doing pretty well for a first timer.  And he was.

I can honestly say that during the bike segment I probably passed more than 40 competitors and was never passed by any.   I really couldn't have asked for a better bike segment.   I felt fast, comfortable, confident.  The Felt performed great, and I thought I had a strong time with very little effort.  I never had to press or strain; never came out of the saddle; rarely shifted gears.

The bike is my turn.  Those other athletes might kick my butt on the swim, but they'd better get moving out of T1 because I'm coming for them on the bike. :-)

Unfortunately for me the race doesn't end with the bike...

T2 - Bike to Run

One of the big challenges of this transition is getting your legs back after the bike.  After a fast ride your legs tend to be a little rubbery.  One trick for that is to pedal backwards as you enter the transition area.  I did some of that this time and I undid my bike shoes as I glided in.  I didn't manage to step OUT of my bike shoes, unfortunately, but that's something to work on for next time.

I re-racked my bike, pulled on my socks (a luxury I allow myself for the run), running shoes, clipped on my race belt with my number, took a sip of water from my bottle, and away I went. 

Run Forrest Run - The Run Segment

Out of the transition area we passed our first aid station and headed across a small grass lawn onto a nearby street.  Iroquois Point has one of the prettiest run courses I've ever seen.  The run is not a true 5K; it's actually 3.7 miles, but virtually all of it is either along the beach or past the lagoons.  What isn't is thru a nice neighborhood of quiet houses.

I had already decided I wasn't going to exert myself too much today.  I didn't have a target time to beat (it has been more than 7 years since my last Tri) and I just wanted to get back into the flow. So I strode out on the run at a fairly easy pace.  I didn't have my GPS on but I'd guess I was just slightly under 10s as my legs loosened up.  A few of the stronger runners that I had passed on the bike caught up to me and passed, but for the most part I felt like I held my own on the run - especially since I wasn't working hard at all.

At one point we passed the finish area (something to look forward to) and there was a big crowd of people cheering.  Some of them were seated in comfortable looking beach cabanas and for just a moment I thought "Gosh, I'd like to change places with you.  Sitting comfortably in the shade, sipping your drinks and cheering for these crazy people running by."  But then I realized...no, I wouldn't like to change places.  As nice as it looked in those cabanas I would much RATHER be the guy running by, with my race number inked on my shoulder, getting cheered for like a hero.  There are lots of spectators on the curb, but only a relative handful of us who strapped up and got out there doing it.  It was way cooler to be the athlete they were cheering for.

The run was pretty uneventful really.  I chatted easily with a few other racers as we went.  Marveled at the beauty of the course and what a perfect day we had, and tried to focus on the positive things in my life instead of those things that were causing me sadness.  This too shall pass.

With about half a mile to go I found myself running alongside a young woman competitor.  She was working pretty hard and her breathing was labored.  Still I chatted a bit with her as we went.  As we approached the finish line there was a final left turn and then just a 40 yard charge to the finish.  Rounding that turn I started to run harder, and turning to her encouraged her to come with me.  She did.  We ran shoulder to shoulder the last 40 yards, me exhorting her the whole way ("Come on, let's get it!  Strong finish!  Let's go!").  At the last moment I backed off just slightly, letting her cross the line first before applying a congratulatory hand to her shoulder.  "Great finish!"  She thanked me profusely and staggered off to find refreshment and perhaps her friends.  I never did get her name, but she did great.

Yep, Finished That

The finish area was compact but efficient.  A food tent held water and Amino Vital along with muffins, brownies, and a little fruit.  Across the street was a tent where they were doing massages and passing out finisher's t-shirts.  A DJ was spinning music and announcing the names of folks on the loudspeaker as they approached the finish.  I didn't hear him announcing mine when I finished with the mystery woman, and sort of wished I had listened.

Suitably refreshed I took my new t-shirt and started the quarter mile walk back to the transition area to collect my bike and other gear and head for home.

I did what I wanted to do.  Accomplished what I wanted to accomplish.  Learned what I wanted to learn.  A big success.

Lessons Learned

• Mostly I just wanted to assess where I was.  Sure enough -
• The swim is still my tough segment.  The coaching from Joe helped a little and will help a lot more with time.  I need more time in the ocean and I need to swim longer stretches - the 50s, 100s and 200s Joe has us do isn't enough to prepare me for 750, 800 and 1800 meter swims that I'll have to do in triathlon.
• The bike is still my strong segment.  The Felt F5 is worth every penny and my confidence in that segment is still very high.  I'm looking forward to seeing what my bike split actually was when those numbers get posted.
• My run has improved.  I felt strong and comfortable the entire run - never really pressed and still turned in a split I'm happy with.
• There are some little things I need to do a better job of:
• Pre-race nutrition in the days before.
• Sleep - this was a little out of my control.  Some stress in my life and other factors resulted in not getting quite as much sleep as I would have liked in the days before the race.  Before Tinman I need to be aware of that.  It wasn't a critical factor - such a short race and I had so much adrenaline going anyhow.
• I should have brought a basin for rinsing my feet.  I always have in the past, but just didn't take care of that this time.
• I should have brought a bottle of Gatorade for my transition area.  Didn't really hurt me much, but I should have known better.
• I forgot the water bottle for my bike.  The ride was fast and cool so I think I got away with it, but in the future it would be good to be able to hydrate if I need to.
• Not wearing gloves on the bike was fine and saved me a few seconds time.  For the longer rides, like Tinman, I probably will wear them.
• I didn't bring my visor for the run, which was fine - again short run and not too hot.  For Tinman I will wear it.

Acknowledgements

• Thanks to all of the friends and family who sent along words of encouragement.  Especially Michelle, Patricia, Sonya, Regina, Janeen, Brian, John, Craig, Mike, Lori and Sue-Baby.
• Thanks to Brian and Joe, my running and swim coaches respectively, for all of their counsel and enthusiasm.  We're getting there!
• Thanks to James at IT&B for doing a great job on getting the bike in racing shape.
• Thanks to Shoko for her race-day assistance on-site.

Next Up

The Ford Island Bridge Run.  Next Saturday.  A 10K.  I ran the very first Ford Island Bridge 10K back in...1997?

-B-

Here's a few random food tips for those of you interested in losing weight (you've probably heard these before) -

Water- Drink plenty of water throughout the day.  Sometimes when you think you're hungry you're actually just dehydrated.  Drinking water can help you feel fuller, can prevent you from drinking less healthy drinks like sodas, and of course drinking water has general health benefits in flushing toxins and waste out of your system as well as keeping you well-hydrated.

Least Bad Choice - If you have to choose from several unhealthy options - such as at a ball game concession stand, etc., opt for the choice that has the most protein - like a hot dog, instead of pizza or ice cream.

No Carbs? -  Trainer Bob on The Biggest Loser had a great little rant that perfectly echo'd my feelings on the "No Carb" diet craze.  Contestant Jay had been using this routine where he wouldn't eat any carbs for a day or three before the weigh-in but that technique had stopped working for him.  Trainer Bob said that "No Carb" only works for SEDENTARY people.  That athletes and people who are working out vigorously and regularly need FUEL so they can have the great workouts they need to build their bodies the right way.  And I agree completely.  Some friends who do the "No Carb" thing always look askance at me eating pasta and rice and bread but I have to point out that I workout often TWICE a day and I need the fuel.  And the results are undeniable.

Read Those Labels - You might be stunned to find out what is (and isn't) in the food you're eating.  Compare the labels at the store - look at calories and calories from fat, look at the other nutrients (especially Iron if you're an athlete).  Pay attention to serving size - the box may say that each serving has 100 calories and 10 calories from fat but if what YOU think is a serving is actually THREE servings by their measurement then you're going to get three times as many calories as you think you are.

Fat Loss Fact:  To lose one pound of fat you need to burn 3,500 calories more than you consume.  If your weight is currently steady and you maintain your current activity level but cut 500 calories per day you will lose about a pound per week.  Or you could cut 250 calories and burn an extra 250 calories.  For most people that means cutting out 20 ounces of Pepsi or Coke per day and walking an extra 30 minutes per day at an easy pace. 

How much is 500 calories?  A Big Mac from McDonald's is about 600 calories (300 of them from fat). A large order of fries from McDonald's is almost 600 calories.  If you have to eat the Big Mac, skip the fries (or vice versa) and you've just cut more than 500 calories out of your day.  Better yet have a 6" Turkey sandwich from Subway and you'll get a bit under 300 calories and a LOT less fat.

-B-

Finally home from Chicago, I can't remember the last time I was so glad to get home.  Only spent a week away, but it sort of felt like a month.

I'm busy catching up so it may be a day or two before I do a regular blog entry.

Quote of the Day:

"Never give a sword to a man who can't dance."
   -Confucius-

-B-

Since yesterday afternoon I'm in Chicago to present at ABA TechShow 2008.

I'll be mostly blogging it on our company LawTech blog so if you're really interested check it out there!

-B-

So today I'm at K-Mart buying toilet paper (forgot to get it last time I was at Costco and won't be back at Costco for a few more weeks), razor blades, and a few other miscellaneous household items.  It's a warm day and I'm thirsty.  So I get to the checkout counter and they have a cooler there full of cold drinks.  No problem - I'll just get a drink from there for the road.

First thing my eyes settle on is the 20oz bottle of Coca-Cola.  Hmmm.  It does sound good.  Oh, they also have Sprite.  Hmmm.  I open the door.  Then I reach to the bottle shelf and pluck up a bottle of water.

Same price.  Nice and cold.  Quite refreshing.  But was it really the same price?  No, because it was zero calories and no sugar. 

Bonus...

...I deliberately parked at the far end of the parking lot, even past a bunch of empty spaces, just so I could walk the extra hundred feet or so to the store.  Easy exercise, easy to find my car and since there were a dozen empty spaces on either side of me I didn't have to worry about somebody dinging my car door.

Next time somebody asks me how I lost the weight...there's two easy reasons right there.

-B-

O.K., last night I did my first run since Marathon.  It was an easy short-course run, a bit less than 3 miles I guess. I didn't bother with a watch since I didn't care about my time.

It was a pretty easy cruise which is just as well because even though I'm barely sore any more my legs did feel a little heavy.

On Sunday I'm doing the Johnny Farber 10K and while I'm not planning to race it I do have to admit that I'd like to get it in under an hour.  I guess we'll see.

Back to the Multisport Life

This week I officially registered for Iroquois Point Triathlon on March 30th.  It'll mark my return to Multisport - my first Triathlon in about 7 years?  I have to admit that I'm really looking forward to coming out of the water and into T1.  That's when I think it will really sink in. :-)  When I'm rinsing my feet, pulling off my goggles, slipping into my bike jersey, pulling the new F5 off the rack and heading out onto the bike course....  ahhh...  I can't wait!

Food

After L.A. Marathon I let myself indulge a bit.  Steak, pizza, lots of In-N-Out Burger.  I'm feeling it a bit now - my body does feel a little sluggish and uncomfortable.  It's nice to be home; back to my pasta salads, tea, veggie stir fry and other relatively healthy meals.

I think I'll slide back into training fairly easily and resume my weight loss and improvement straight away.  Good thing too - I already have my eyes on San Diego Marathon, June 1st. (and the Metric Century Bike Ride on April 27th).

-B-

O.K., by surprisingly popular demand, here are the March Life Changers.  Sorry they're late -- I guess you'll have to rush since you have 5 fewer days to get these done...

1. Greet By Name - Make an effort to greet a service person by name.  Be it the cashier at the grocery store, your lunch waitress, the bank teller...  Not somebody you already know.  Somebody whose name tag you have to read.  Somebody who is normally somewhat invisible/anonymous.  Not the bank manager but somebody working for low wage; maybe a high school student in their summer job.  At some point during or at the end of the transaction smile at them and call them by name.  "Thanks Dave."  "Have a good day, Amanda."
   
   Bonus Points - Learn their name and try to greet them by name every time you shop or eat in that establishment.
   
   The point?  People love to be recognized by their name.  It could really make the day of a person working in what they probably consider to be a menial job just to have somebody smile at them and recognize them by name.  Plus it helps to build that connection in your community.
2. Pick Up Litter - Pick up 3 pieces of litter, on public ground, that are not yours, and dispose of them in the trash.  It can be as simple as bending down to pluck up that candy wrapper in the store parking lot as you walk by and dropping it in the trash bin by the door.  If everybody in your neighborhood tried to pick up 3 pieces of litter this month it would be hard for some of them to find any litter to pick up.  Wouldn't that be nice?
   
   Bonus Points - Take a trash bag and go for a walk around your block.  Pick up every piece of litter you can find and toss the bag in the trash when you get back home.
   
   The point?  Seems obvious.  Keep our communities clean.
3. Have Lunch with a Coworker - Have lunch with a coworker that you don't usually lunch with.  Doesn't have to be a fancy restaurant; can even just be brown bag in the lunch room.  During lunch try not to talk about work or office politics.  Chat about baseball, the weather, your kids, where they went to school, the TV show they watched last night.  Get to know a little about them.
   
   Bonus Points - Organize a group get together for your coworkers.  Can be during lunch or after work.  Try to make it fun and social.  Doesn't have to be a big deal - just a "Let's all go to Starbucks at 5:15 on Thursday" thing would be great. 
   
   The point?  Get to know your coworkers as more than just the guy who loves his red stapler.  Maybe if you see each other more as people you'll enjoy your jobs more.
4. Write a Letter - In this e-mail, IM, text message world the art of the written letter seems to have died.  Write an actual letter to somebody.   A friend, family member, school chum...whomever.  Just get some paper and a pen and write them a letter.  Doesn't have to be epic or deep.  Address it and mail it.  Don't forget the stamp.
   
   Bonus Points - Send a letter to a deployed soldier.  If you don't know any you can find one by going to http://www.anysoldier.com/.
   
   The point?  There's just something nice about receiving a written letter.  Let's not let that form of communication die.
5. Keep a Food Diary for One Week - For at least one week keep a list of everything you eat or drink.  You don't have to weigh everything or count calories.  We're not going to do any extensive analysis of it.  It can be as simple as:
   
   * Monday: Scrambled egg, couple pieces of bacon, large glass of OJ, 2 cups coffee, handful of M&Ms, crispy chicken sandwich, large fries, large Coke, can of Pepsi, small bag of Fritos, another can of Pepsi, bottle of water, another handful of M&Ms, apple, plate of pork fried rice, 2 egg rolls, 3 glasses of Pepsi, 2 glasses of water, one scoop of vanilla ice cream.
   
   At the end of the week look back over the diary just to see what you're actually eating.  You might be surprised.  IMPORTANT:  Keep your diary with you (it can be as simple as a folded piece of paper) and write down EVERYTHING you eat the moment you eat it.  Don't wait until the end of the day and then try to remember what you ate.
   
   Bonus Points - Figure out approximately how many calories you're actually consuming during that day.
   
   The point?  Most people don't realize what they actually eat in a given day.  Ask the average person what they ate yesterday and they'll probably overlook several things.  If you're more aware about what you're eating you can start to think about making smarter choices about it.

O.K., gang, there's the list for March.  Get out there and do it!  As with last month there is a Border's Gift Card to the first person who finishes all 5.  And don't be shy about posting your experiences as a comment here on the blog for others to enjoy and learn from.  A number of you e-mailed me with your February thoughts and experiences and I greatly appreciated that - but better that you post them as comments so that others can benefit as well.

-B-

O.K., time to blog the race.  I've had a good night's sleep and breakfast and I'm ready to try and tell the tale.

Pre-Race Prep

The day before was fairly typical for me for a road marathon - which is to say a marathon I had to travel to get to.  Took it easy, ate a breakfast high on fruit and carbs, then had a late lunch/early dinner of light pasta.  Lots of iced tea/water, some light stretching, a visit to the jacuzzi.

The L.A. Marathon was slightly different in that it's a relatively late start: 0815.  Normally I do races that start closer to 0600 which means I have to get up closer to 0300.  Which can mean a 6PM or 7PM bedtime.  But L.A.'s late start, and the fact that my hotel was literally two blocks from the start line, meant that I could get an 0600 wake-up call.  And that meant that when I went to bed, at 10PM, I was actually pretty happy - 8 hours of sleep the night before a race is great!

0600 found me rested and ready.  I didn't eat breakfast (I never do before a marathon) but drank some water, made use of the bathroom, got dressed and ready to go.

About 7:30 we headed down to the start area for the race.

And Away We Go

The gun goes off, Randy Newman's "I Love L.A." blared from the speakers and we were off and running.  25,000 runners pounding along.  I have to say that the L.A. crowd seemed a little more subdued than some of the other marathons I've done.  Not quite as much whooping and hollering.  But still, a festive and excited atmosphere.

The first 1.5 miles is uphill and I focused on just trying to keep my effort right so as not to blow too much energy.  Even so I found myself passing a lot of folks on the hill.

Heard: A guy telling his female companion "It's all about the pain, that's my motto!  The more it hurts the harder we'll go!"  Ummm...dude...you're at mile ONE.  Tell me your motto at mile 21.

Around the 1.5 mile mark we crest the Cahuenga Pass and start the descent into Hollywood.  This was a recognized danger zone for me.  Normally I love me some downhills, but Richard's advice was ringing in my head and I knew that I needed to try and keep it easy here so I kept my stride reigned in a bit, allowed myself to enjoy the downhill, but didn't run as hard as I might have and tried to be aware of maintaining an efficient stride that minimized the load on my body as much as possible.

"Stay within yourself" is what I reminded myself to keep my stride a little shorter and not stride out down the hill too hard.

At the bottom of the hill we got to the Hollywood Bowl and turned down onto Highland Ave. 

Heard (from the spectators): "Welcome to Hollywood!"

At Highland and Franklin we passed the Methodist church where my scout troop (Troop 31, BSA) used to meet.  It's also where the "Under the Sea" dance scenes from the Back to the Future movies were filmed.

I gave a quick scout salute in acknowledgement of my scoutmaster, George Underwood, and continued on my way.  Past the Kodak Theater where the academy awards are held and down to Hollywood Blvd where we made a left and headed for Vine Street.

The course wound through Hollywood, down Vine, onto Rossmore.

My first 10K was actually a little disappointing, as far as time.  Too many bathroom stops!  Even though I went TWICE before the race started I still had issues with bathroom stops in the first 6 miles.  I don't know if I over-hydrated or what, but that's an issue I'll have to address before San Diego.

Heard (on Olympic): "YAY BEN!"  It was M!  She had taken the Metro from the start line, hopped off there by mile 9 and was waiting along the side to cheer.  It was the first time I've ever had my own cheering section along the course and felt great.

At Mile 10 I looked for a big pink sign, but no such luck.

Great crowd support the whole way.  Eventually we got down onto Normandie which is perhaps the longest straight stretch on what is a fairly turny/twisty course.  To be honest the frequent turns are kinda nice - they help break things up and keep it more interesting.  Long straight stretches can get a little tedious and make the race feel longer.

Halfway There

Towards the bottom of Normandie we reached the halfway point.  For me that was at the 2:40 minute mark.  Notable...yes, because that would be a new PR for me over the half-marathon distance.  What's amazing about that is that I PR'd the half-marathon distance at my marathon pace!  That validates what I've been seeing on my training runs and really gives me encouragement for my Disney Half-Marathon in August.

The turn into Exposition Park was welcome as we cruised past the L.A. Coliseum and mile 14.  All along I was holding pace in the mid-11s.

Cruising along I got to mile 18 and still felt good...but...I always feel good at mile 18.  I know that the danger zone for me is between 18 and 23.  In the past that's always where problems have started, so I'm staying very aware of my body and my stride.

At 19 there was M again!  Shouting encouragement as I went by, still feeling pretty good.

By 21 I was feeling a lot of fatigue and was just barely holding pace, running with my head down and just watching the white lines flash by.

At 22 I was starting to pick it up again and noticed that my pace was (at least for a bit) sub-11.  That seemed a little fast and I was inclined to try and back off a little, but then I thought "Hey, if that's what you've got today then just go with it!"

Bringing it Home

My dream time for this race was sub-5:30.  In a recent interview on the SimplyStu triathlon podcast Ironman 140.6 Kona winner Chrissie Wellington said that she knew with 5K to go in the run that she was the world champion.  Samantha McGlone wasn't going to catch her at that point.  I got a little taste of that at 24.  That's when I looked at my watch and realized that I was going to break 5:30 (barring a total collapse).  What a feeling!

The last two miles I felt more energized, knowing that finish-line was coming up soon.

Just past 25 the crowds got thick again, cheering us to the finish.  I passed a fellow who was doubled over, hands on his knees, just soaking in one of those fire department hoses.  As I passed I put my hand on his back and said "Come on brother, just .9 to go!"  He looked up, took a deep breath, stood up and said "Thanks man, let's go" as he started to run again.  For the rest of the way he ran nearby, clearly struggling but pushing on.  I gave him frequent updates to keep his spirits up ("Just .6 more!") and he battled on.

At .4 there was M, cheering as I passed.  "Half a mile to go, Ben!"  "No, .4!"  I said back, with a grin.

At the end of the race there is a right turn onto 7th and a nasty surprise...it's uphill.  You battle up that hill for maybe half a mile, then a final right turn for the last 200 yards to the finish line.  The crowd is going nuts and that finish line looks like heaven.

The Results

I felt like I ran a very strong race tactically - I anticipated the turns, stayed on the better sections of road, considered my nutrition and pacing throughout. I'm very anxious to upload my Garmin data to the computer when I get home and analyze my pacing.

In past runs I've had trouble with my calves or hamstrings.  In this race I was aware of that and played around a bit with my stride in stretches to try and take the pressure off.  I was aware of my running motion and tried to minimize the stress on my calves.  On occasion I would lean forward a bit and try to lower my center of gravity slightly and take more of the load on my quads.

What I Did Without

Much to my surprise there were three things I did without during this race.

1. Spiz.  I've never done a marathon without it before but I've recently started to suspect that maybe the Spiz was somehow impeding my water uptake.  So I packed two little ziplocs of Spiz in my pouch and resolved not to take any until at least the halfway mark.  Well, things were going so well, I decided not to take any there.  And when I got to the finish line I still had two ziplocs of Spiz in my pouch.  I never did have any.  I still like the stuff, but I'm rethinking my consumption.
2. MP3 player.  I had it with me but never put it on.  I considered it around mile 22 but never did put it on.  5-1/2 hours with my own thoughts is a scary idea, I know, but it worked out fine.
3. Knee sleeves.  I had them down around my calves the whole time but never pulled them up.  That's a pretty big deal for me - getting thru 26.2 miles with no significant knee issues.

Random Thoughts and Acknowledgements

• The race instructions emphasized that I had to fill out the back of the race bib with my name and other information.  The last question on there asked for the name of my physician.  Didn't really know what to put there as I don't have a personal physician currently so I wrote: "Dr. Ashley Huddleston."  (Come run Disney Ash!)
• Fantastic crowd support on this race.  For most of the race there are residents and shopkeepers lining the course.  An amazing number of unofficial "aid stations" folks standing out along the course with baskets of cold oranges, pretzels, candy, water and other such for the runners. 
  
  At mile 18 one guy was serving Eggnog.  Eggnog?  On a marathon?  Yeah, I don't think so. 
  
  At several locations the L.A. Fire Department had hoses hooked up to hydrants and were spraying down the runners (the runners who wanted to be sprayed.  I avoided the hoses directly because I didn't want to get my shoes wet, but the spray felt good on my hands and shoulders.
  
  The one area I wish there had been MORE crowd support was between miles 21 and 24.  Those are some long empty stretches and it's a tough go.  Without much crowd along those parts of the course mostly you're stuck listening to the pounding of your feet and the breathing (and muttering) of the other runners.
• Ironically the crowd support was also the biggest problem on the course.  Along Figueroa the crowd was thick and loud...and pushed so far out onto the course that it actually bottlenecked the runners!  It got tough to find room to get past slower runners/walkers because the crowd had funneled us into this "gauntlet" where the running course only seemed to be 15 feet or so wide.  At the finish area the crowd pressed forward so far that runners trying to exit the finish area were forced almost to single file.  When you really want to get some shade and get off your feet it can be a little frustrating to be stuck in a cattle line barely moving.
• I have to give some major thank you's to all of the friends and family who sent words of encouragement and congratulations
• Patricia's guess wasn't bad but John's was pretty damned good!
• My folks for their great hospitality, as always, and my Mom for a wonderful post-race congratulations message.
• JC: Keep your head up, this too shall pass.  Thanks for your warm thoughts; it meant a lot.
• Brian, Randi, Christy, my running team, Susan, Ashley, Richard, Annie...wow - I can't even count all of the folks who offered great encouragement.  THANK YOU all!
• The biggest thanks have to go to M, however.  She really went above and beyond and was a superb support crew.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.  I don't know if I could have done it without your help and if I had it certainly wouldn't have been as pleasant or fun.  You rock!
• No finisher t-shirt!  There is a t-shirt in your packet that you get at the expo, but no finisher's shirt apparently.  There is a nice medal and plentiful snacks (the apple slices from McDonald's were especially wonderful), the lines for the finisher's photos aren't bad.
• "Trust your training, trust your body" - I repeated that to myself on occasion when I questioned my pacing (too fast).
• The iPod ban made no difference whatsoever.  At least 2/3 of the runners seemed to be wearing MP3 players.
• The weight loss was probably a strong factor in my strong race.  I'm down under 210 and I think every pound less helps.
• Lots of music along the course.  Official bands yes, but also lots of private citizens with musical instruments or stereo systems entertaining us as we went by.
• Thanks, as always, to BC for his great coaching and support.  A few years ago I never would have dreamed I'd do a marathon.  This one was #5.

My next race...

The Johnny Farber 10K is next Sunday and I'll probably do it, gently, as a training race.  Then the Iroquois Point Triathlon on the 30th.  Next Marathon: San Diego on June 1st.

-B-

I'm fading fast and heading for bed after a lovely dinner with M and my folks.  So here's the short version and I'll try to elaborate tomorrow morning.

My previous best marathon was San Diego last June when I ran a 5:46.  Coming into L.A. my main goal was the same as always - be faster than last time.  So I wanted to break 5:46.  But something told me I might have a sub-5:30 in me so I was thinking that I'd love to try and get that.

Today's result: 5:25:10.  A new PR (Personal Record) by over 21 minutes.  Yes, I'm pleased.  And a little sore.

And going to bed.  More tomorrow.

-B-

Here we are...night before.  The Sheraton Universal has kindly provided (for a fee) a lovely room just two blocks from the starting line.  The weather conditions in L.A. today were PERFECT for me - 60s, overcast, breezy even a hint of drizzle.  Too much to hope for more of the same tomorrow?

I'm really tired so this will definitely NOT be one of my better entries.  And I realize that's not saying too much. :-)

Driving the Course

M and I started the day driving part of the Marathon course.

The course starts off uphill, then there's a dramatic downhill that extends into the city.  We stopped off to run an errand, then found ourselves back on the marathon course a few miles away.  I was sure we were pretty far down the course but a block further down...Mile 10.  Good grief.  I was expecting 18.  All in all the course looks pretty manageable.

The Expo

The L.A. Marathon Expo is what I like an expo to be:  Big, busy and full of booths that actually have something to do with fitness and running.

We wandered the aisles, did some shopping (I bought two new bike jerseys for me, and a couple of t-shirts for friends), picked up my packet and got some ideas for races in 2009 (and maybe a 5th Marathon in 2008 if I really lose my mind).

One thing I hadn't seen before: two booths offering 15 minute teeth whitening services.  They had plenty of customers too - folks plopped down in comfy chairs with bright lights being shone into their mouths.  TIP: If you're going to do to one of those booths, try to make sure that your booth attendants have white teeth.

Just before we left I spotted another guy wearing a 2007 Honolulu Marathon Finisher shirt and that led to a short chat about Honolulu Marathon and other running experiences.

"Laugh now, but someday you'll be driving a giant Cadillac and eating  dinner at 3 in the afternoon."

Well, our "Cadillac" was a Honda Civic but dinner was at 3PM.  We joined my parents and went to Cosmos Grill in Calabasas and enjoyed some delicious pasta (naturally).  I had the Capellini Marinara and a LOT of bread.  I was craving a Pepsi but opted for just water.

After dinner back to the Sheraton for a soak in the Jacuzzi.  We were joined by another couple and their young son.  Mom is doing the marathon tomorrow, dad is training for the San Diego Marathon June 1st.  Tomorrow is Mom's first marathon!  We chatted about running and wished them well.

Final Thoughts, Quotes, Questions and Acknowledgements

• "Is that a pet shop or a grocery store" - One of those questions you really don't want to think about too hard.
• Thanks to all of the kind words and thoughts from friends and family.  I've been getting e-mails, text messages and even the occasional phone call almost all day. 

O.K., I'm fading fast.  Off to bed.  Up at 0600, gun time is 0815.

Let's get this going!

-B-