FTMM (post Thanksgiving) and Turkey Two-Miler Race Report

Well, you see I survived Thanksgiving and/or Black Friday (which wasn't too bad really), I wish the same could be said for my training.  The last two weeks took a turn downhill, which coincided with the weather as well.  But after two runs in about two weeks (both races; which I'll recap in a sec), I am getting back on the horse and staying there.

Since this is going to be long, here's the stats!

Last week:
SWIM: zip
BIKE: 30.7 Miles (Got nice weather finally)
RUN: ahem, nothing

This Week:
SWIM: 6000 yds (Since it will get nasty cold soon, Swim Sets!)
BIKE: 40 miles (All trainer, with a few commute miles)
RUN: 25 miles (I'll just suck it up and run in the single digit weather, if it isn't windy)

So I have a few things planned, so that is good.  But I'll recap the Turkey Trot 2 Miler I ran on the 23rd here on post, and it was a fun run (but I kept score!)

It was a cold 23* mid-morning, and windy, but not raining / snowing so I was good with that, more or less.  The real reason I was running this wasn't to stroke the ego, it was to try to win a turkey at the raffle just after the race, which sadly I didn't get one.  But I stretched out and was going to just let the run develop since I hadn't run much because of the cold (I know, HTFU), but I figured I'd be fine.  We lined up and this time I was at the front, unlike last time I ran this, I was behind a ton of kids, not fun dodging little ones.  I ran in a couple long sleeve shirts double tights and beanie, but no gloves.

The run was at the Riley Conference Center's running trail, a nice rolling 2 mile loop, but this time it was run clockwise, with the majority of the hills in the 2nd mile.  But I went out and hung out in 3rd to begin with, and couldn't feel my hands, which made them ache later in the run.  But a larger guy surged to the front after about 150 m and I passed the kid on my right in the picture and settled in behind the guy to my right in blue (2nd overall) and just kept with him.  At about 400m, guy in blue (GIB) passed the big dude, and I held his shoulder.  We were going fast but not unmanageable at all and I started to think out how I'd want to run this.  I hung with GIB for a while til about the 3/4 mile mark and put in a surge, just to check him out, and despite my heavy breathing, pulled a few strides ahead.  he came charging back and stayed with me, and I counted to 5 and put in another, longer surge and pulled away, since he was laboring hard just to catch me after the first one.  Luckily it was a nice downhill to the mile mark and by then I was all alone.

"All by myself, I was all by myself"

 

The 2nd mile started with a long, twisting uphill that ran right by the finish area, just to tease you.  That is when my hands started to hurt and feel like crap, mainly like they "locked" up, which was not cool.  I was trying to concentrate and run "scared" that I might get caught.  But I looked when I ran around a hairpin turn and saw no one for a while, only then I relaxed a little bit, and tried to pour on more speed to get this over with and back to my sweatshirt and moderate warmth.  That was the theme of the 2nd mile, run fast to get back to my clothes!

 

I ended up with a good 2 mile time of 12:31, but no turkey.  But it was a good test of race tactics in a shorter race as well as a test of fitness after a few days layoff (not that I wanted to skip runs, but I'm a wimp).

 

Finishing up!

 

Well, I need to get back on the ball, since I have only 132 more days to my first half-iron race, New Orleans 70.3, so can't waste too much of my time.

 

I'll write up the 5K from yesterday's race report tomorrow, along with pictures!  No puking for this guy!