2009 Whirlpool Ironman 70.3 Steelhead

I know this is more than a couple days overdue and I apologize. I really would have liked to have gotten it done Sunday upon returning home, but that was not to be. But it's here now. So, without further ado, I would like to present for your viewing and reading pleasure, my Ironman 70.3 Steelhead race report!

Pre-Race

Race weekend began on Friday as we needed to travel to Benton Harbor and pick up my race packet, get body marked, and put my bike into the transition area. I was looking forward to actually sleeping in Friday morning, but a persistent project at work required me to head in there for a couple early hours. Once back at home it was time to pack, load, and hit the road. We were underway by 1:30, which turned out to be a little too late for my comfort. I never actually checked how long the drive was going to take, and things got a bit tight that evening. Our GPS brought us right to Lake Michigan College, where packet pick-up was being held.

There was a decent expo with all things tri to look over. After getting my packet I found my new vacation hat: A 2009 Steelhead running cap. It's by HeadSweats, which is the same maker of my old vacation hat, except that it's nice and clean and new. Body marking followed. It was nice to get all this minor stuff out of the way the day before.

After body marking it was time to find my swim wave start. I was hoping to go early, thereby giving myself as much course time as possible. Remember, I was worried about making the time cutoffs for the swim and bike. 35 - 39 year old's went off in Wave 15. There were only 18 Waves. OK, I'll just need to swim faster. And that was the last I worried about it.

After finishing up with the Expo, it was time to find the park and get my bike into transition. Once again the GPS brought us right where we needed to be. Although we did drive through some very undesirable neighborhoods on the way. I wasn't expecting to find the whole urban blight thing happening here. Oh well. Jean Klock Park was PACKED. I was worried about finding a parking space within decent walking distance. But upon rounding a bend there were quite a few parking spaces available. My biggest trouble that day turned out to be deciding where to mount the bike number. Because I was carrying a seat bag with tire repair materials, it made mounting the number on the seat post awkward. I finally decided to leave the bag on overnight and have the number partially wrap around it.

With the number taken care of and my orange race participant bracelet on, we headed towards the transition area. Bikes needed to be in by 8:00 PM. We had plenty of time but it was getting late. We were very hungry and still needed to check into the hotel.

On our way to the transition area.

As I'm walking along the sidewalk, notice how calm and inviting the waters of Lake Michigan look.

The finish line: My target destination for the following day.

Again, notice how nice the water are, and remember that when you see the photos from Saturday morning!

The Transition Area was HUGE! You don't even want to try to imagine how much money is invested in all the bikes. Mine was one of the less expensive ones.

Still calm.

Here I am, done and making my way out. Will I have the same look on my face when I cross the line the following day?

Back at the Jeep we were ready to leave when we were temporarily blocked in by a classic car cruise. Who in there right mind scheduled two major events for the same time and place? I mean, really?

But there were some really nice cars, so we enjoyed the parade.

There were some restored oldies.

And lots of muscle!

Starsky and Hutch were even there!

And then there was this guy. Would someone please tell him there is a distinct a point when the rims get TOO large!

We eventually made it to the hotel, the Courtyard by Marriot which was about 15 minutes away. After checking in we went down the street to gas up at the Meijer's and stopped for dinner at an Applebee's. The restaurant turned out to be the worst major chain restaurant we've ever eaten in. The customers were a mix of locals and athletes in from out of town. The locals were loud, rude, and very disruptive. The service there was horrible, with some of the employees making an attempt at good service and others not caring, like our waitress. Don't eat there if you ever find yourself in Benton Harbor, MI. In fact, don't stay at the Courtyard either. For what they were charging per night, the condition of the room and location should have been much nicer. Having never stayed at a Courtyard before, I don't know if they're all this way or if it was just this particular location. We will not be staying there again.

Race Day

Race morning began with me waking up around 3:00 AM. To be honest, waking up was what I was doing all night. I didn't get a good night's sleep. But I didn't expect to, so I wasn't upset about it. Shuttle buses were running from an off site parking area to Jean Klock Park from 4:15 to 5:45. After finding the correct parking area, we climbed aboard a crowded shuttle for a short 1 mile ride. Upon unloading (and having the driver close the doors on me as I was stepping off the bus) I made my way to my bike in the transition area. Things on the to-do list included inflating the tires, loading water bottles, mounting and resetting the cyclometer, and arranging all my various transition area articles. That took maybe 20 minutes. Maybe longer because it was still very dark.

The flash gives a better perspective.

Bailey might look wide awake, but he really wasn't.

I like this photo!

An overview of the beach and transition area. The giant water bottle and arch on the left is the swim exit. Transition is to the right where the street lights are. It's about a 75 meter run from the beach to the pavement through deep sand. That's going to be tough coming out of the water.

All done getting things ready. Now all we do is wait. The pro's went off at 7:00. My wave? Not until 8:28!

The rising sun gives a little extra definition to the scene. Bailey occupied himself playing in the sand.

Eventually it was time to stop relaxing and get back to work. Sunscreen would be necessary today. At least for part of the day.

Then it was time to don the wetsuit.

And begin to make our way 1.2 miles down the beach to the start. The sand was cold to bare feet, but the 68 degree water felt great.

Not the same calm lake as Friday. The flag at the hotel and those at the race site where all unfurled. The swim was canceled at last year's race due to rough surf. This wasn't that bad and I didn't want it to be canceled. But it was getting worse.

A really cool house on the beach and an even cooler driftwood fort.

Someone was kind enough to offer to take a photo of the three of us. Note that Heather has wrapped a towel around her waist for warmth.

Scenic? Yes. But I have NEVER swam in surf before. The other two tri's were held in much smaller bodies of water with no waves.

Time to head in for a warm-up and get a feel for the water.

It actually wasn't bad. The water here is much clearer than in Erie, was warm, and I was able to get a feel for the waves. There were the occasional rogue waves that let out an incredible crash when they broke on the beach, but they weren't bad for the most part.

A look at the swim starting area from behind. The green swim caps are the wave set to go.

And there they go!

These lighthouses sit on a wall where the St. Joseph River empties into Lake Michigan. The race used to start on that wall with a dive into the water. The beach start is what is used now.

Swim

The swim start came pretty quickly. I was able to get in two warm-up swims before lining up at the starting area. What caught me by surprise was how many other guys were edging toward the back of the field. That's a tactic to evade the jostling for position that happens up front. No one wants to get dunked or popped in the face unless they think they have a shot at winning the age group.

Pink caps. That must mean my wave. I'll be one of the one's towards the back.

At the gun, there was more hesitancy than I expected. I must not have been the only one worried about the distance.

There we go!

My best times for swimming a half mile in the pool are around 22 minutes. One of my last training sessions saw times of 23, 22, and 22 minutes back to back. I was hoping to do at least that and finish in around an hour. The buoys we needed to swim outside of were located pretty far from shore. I had no idea exactly how deep the water was, and tried not to think about it once I got out there. The race info stated 12 feet of water, but there were large boats anchored there on Friday closer to shore than we were swimming.

I started to the immediate left of the buoys but somehow managed to make my way further out towards the line of boats that formed the outer line of the course. After a while I began having real problems spotting where I was going. And I had NO clue how far I had gone. Out where I was swimming there were no white caps. But there were big rolling swells. The kind that if you tried to spot between swells you couldn't see over the top. So I would time my attempts to coincide with being on the crest of a wave. But then, the rising sun combined with my fogging goggles prevented me from seeing anything. I was swimming blind. But I wasn't panicked. I was feeling good. Every once in a while I would spot the outline of what looked like a boat and I would swim to the right of it. I would occaisionally see a buoy after I had passed it. I knew I was going straight so I just concentrated on keeping it up.

Eventually I spotted a yellow buoy. That was supposed to be the last one and mark the turn towards the beach. But it seemed like I had come upon it too soon. There was a young lady in a kayak there, so I asked if it was indeed the final one. It was! So I turned towards the shore. I'm really going to need to buy some good anti-fog goggles!

Here I am, having surfaced and trying to unzip my wetsuit.

I was a little tired.

Trying to get the top off while running through the surf.

This is a good one. Check out the expression on my face. My swim split from beach to beach was 50 minutes. Way faster than what I was expecting.

Here I am crossing the timing mat for a swim split of 51:47. That run up the beach was horrible! The sand was so deep. There was no footing to be had.

Bike

Transition went smoothly if not quickly. 5:12 to be exact. But I found myself ready to hit the road for 56 miles, back in one of my comfort zones.

Heading out of T1.

Heading north on M-63. This route paralleled the coast and we would see many miles on it both going out and coming back in.

Still heading out of town.

What can I say about the bike? I'm not as big a fan of it as I used to be. It's uncomfortable and hurts my ass. It's long. It sucks to be passed by someone going MUCH faster than I am. The bike leg was OK. The roads were in good condition, except for one spot where someone trenched across the road and filled it in with gravel. At least they warned us about it. It was a rolling course that wouldn't have been too difficult except for the wind. That is what I will remember about this ride. There was a wind out of the southwest that was killer. It just sucked the energy and hope from your soul. A triathlon dementor of sorts. Going out you didn't notice it too much because it was kind of going in the same direction. But once we passed the point when we started heading back in, you noticed it. It was impossible not to. You could feel it pushing against you. You could hear it. And when the gusts came, the noise would get louder. And the resistance would increase. An all-out assault on the senses. But what amazed me was that guys were not riding in the aero position, but tall in the saddle. That just increases the area for the wind to hit. So I rode smart. Knowing the bike was not my strong event, I just tucked as low as I could and pedaled evenly, not over doing it. I didn't want to blow my legs out trying to gain a few seconds to minutes on the bike. My time would come later.

It was the low and easy recipe that brought me back to M-63 from the countryside. But the winds were worse closer to shore. And so were the hills. Ups and downs, no flat sections. But I was passing people. I really didn't understand what was going on. Then, I had a pain in my stomach. Not internal, but on my skin, like a hair had gotten caught in my shirt. Pulling my shirt away didn't relieve it, so I ran my hand across the area. I felt a lump. Something had flown down my shirt and was now biting or stinging me. Finding the lump again I squeezed it hard. I never did see what it was, but I had a welt forming and it hurt. I didn't see a stinger and it wasn't large enough to be a bee anyway. That thing hurt the rest of the day and into the next! Once the pain left it began to itch like a mosquito bite. In fact, the thing's still red tonight!

Not far from the bike finish.

So, the wind and the bite were the two most eventful things from the bike. I saw many an athlete repairing a flat tire and was glad to not have to do that. It was still sunny arriving back at transition, but the clouds were on the doorstep. And they didn't look too nice. Total time for the bike: 3:25:38, averaging 16.34 mph. I was hoping to ride better, but considering the wind, I'll take it.

Run

Heading out onto the run course, with a gel in hand, giving my best Forrest Gump wave.

Bailey fell asleep waiting for me. I guess I took too long on the bike.

Heather found our new summer home!

I guess he didn't sleep as well as I thought last night.

I wouldn't be lying to say the run went well. I didn't overdo the bike so I was in very good shape for the run. Much like the previous two triathlons, I was passing people. I was passing people like a madman! The aid stations were awesome. I was carrying Gatorade, water, and gels, but didn't need them. Everything was on the course. They had ice and sponges to cool off with. I was able to stay cool and loose for a good while. I drank a lot and took three of my four gels. There was only one guy who passed me, and he was a lap ahead of me on the two loop run course. I kept passing guys with wave 15 on their leg, and it made me push harder. There was only one spot where everyone was walking, including me. A hill that we needed to climb twice along the course. Learning from running the trails, it wasn't worth the effort to run up.

I had a really nice run. I was tired, but not in pain. Not yet, anyway. The pain hit around mile 11 when I tried to pick up the pace a little bit. The leg cramps set in. But they weren't as bad as the one's at Rite Aid so I just pushed through them.

Rounding the last corner and onto the home stretch.

Crossing the line! No, my expression isn't the same as the previous day.

Not glad it was over, just happy to be done!

My run time was 1:48:01 averaging 8:14 per mile for the half marathon. Not my best time, but certainly not my worst! I knew I was feeling better out there than 90% of the other athletes. My finish time was 6:13:58. I was happy.

The tiredness caught up with me later that afternoon.

We stopped by Notre Dame on the way home Sunday.

We found a swarm of angry bees while searching for the Grotto. Yes, all the little spots are bees and they were shooting all over the place!

We finally found the Grotto.

Thanks to Heather for taking just about all of these photos!

Now what? Are there more half Ironman's in my future? Yes, I think so. Would I like to go longer? I'm thinking yes about that as well. 2010 might be shaping up to be a very interesting year.

Four Days and Counting...

Three days and some hours is more like it. I'm definitely at the nervous point, second-guessing my training, wondering if I'm going to be able to finish. Let me correct that: Wondering if I'm going to be able to finish by making all the time cut-offs. That's my main worry. I know I can do the distances. I've done them and more already this year. My main worry is that because I'm such a slow swimmer and a moderate cyclist, I may not make the cut-off for finishing the bike leg. If I can just make it onto the run course I'll be fine. My fears won't be relieved any until check-in and packet pick-up on Friday. That's when I'll find out which swim wave I'm in. If it's one of the early waves, I'm good. If it's one of the last waves, I'm going to be in some trouble. I'll have to hammer on the bike for 56 miles to make up for the swim split, which will in turn leave me exhausted for the run. But I'll need to wait till Friday afternoon to find out.

Other than that, preparations are proceeding. I picked up a new tire last night. Now I just need to find the time to install it. I'm deciding what food to bring with me on the bike and what to have for breakfast race morning. It will be early and we'll be in a hotel so my choices will be limited. I'll need to wait a couple more days for the most accurate weather forecast, but I'll bring enough different clothing to hopefully deal with any August weather conditions. (No snow, please.)

Training has tapered for race day. No more brick workouts. Just some swimming and running. Not enough cycling. I wish it were easier to get out and ride. Saturday I joined Ladd, Chuck, Charles, and Frank for 17 miles on the Towpath. We had a nice comfortable run with about 3 miles of trails and 20 minutes of rain thrown in. Ladd and I really picked up the pace for the final two miles. I've heard through the grapevine that that's the way to train for a marathon: really pushing it on the final miles of the long runs.

I'll be heading to the track for some light speed work tonight. Nothing too hard or too long. This will be one of my final workouts before Saturday, followed by a swim tomorrow and a last run Thursday.

It's approaching even quicker because I've been absolutely slammed at work lately and the days are just flying by. I haven't even had the chance to think about vacation in two weeks yet!

A Quick Recap of the Week

Somewhat busy this week. Both at work and in training. I'm slammed at work trying to have parts done for 18 prototypes before I go on vacation in two weeks. I'm tapering, but still training hard, as I approach Steelhead next weekend.

At Tuesday's speed work we did 3 X 5:00 with about a three minute recovery. Then it was 1 X 4:00 / 3:00 / 2:00 / and 1:00. With warm-up and cool-down, a total of 8 miles.

Wednesday I hit the pool for 3/4 of a mile. I had only a limited amount of time, so I tried to do some "speed" intervals in the water. They weren't as successful as the one's I run at the track.

Thursday marked my return to the trails. I joined Connie, Roy, and Bob for a nice tour around the Hinckley Reservation. We were out for a little over two hours, so I'm guessing about 12 miles. Having rained all day, the single track trails were very muddy, and I made a mess of my shoes. Unfortunately the rain stopped before our run. We really could have used it to cut the humidity.

Finally, this afternoon, I hit the pool again for a long swim. I went for 1.5 miles in 1:08. My half mile splits were: 23:28 / 22:15 / and 22:12. I felt great during the swim, finding my rhythm quickly and holding it throughout. My splits really show that too. Each half mile interval was quicker than the one before it. I hope I'm ready for the swim at Steelhead!

Meeting Ladd and Chuck in the morning for a long run of 17 miles. Should be a nice morning for it. Rain is moving in, but not until later in the day. It's time for me to start thinking about marathon training again!

2009 Columbus International Triathlon

I've done a few Olympic distance races before, but yesterday was my first Olympic triathlon. All the others have been duathlons. And while I've had good results on this particular course in the past, the longer events have taken their toll on me. Because of that, I didn't know what to expect. On one hand, I'm better trained and in better condition. On the other, I'm swapping an additional run (which is my strong sport) for swimming, which is my weakest. So I decided not to expect anything and just go with what the day would present me.

What the day first presented me with was a beautifully clear July morning. Below average temperatures made it feel a bit on the chilly side. It was going to be a cool day. Definitely not a scorcher like we can so often get. Cooler temps make for better running. A good sign.

The scene from my point of view as I was prepping the bikes.

Mrs. P was trying to squeeze in some extra z's so she missed admiring the moon.

While Mrs. P slept, everyone else arrived.

We were the first ones in line to pick up our race packets at 4:45 AM. I guess that means the line formed behind us! After picking up our timing chips, we headed back to the Jeep where I promptly got to work removing the bikes from the car rack, inflating tires, attaching numbers, mixing Gatorade, and putting the finishing touches on my transition bag. Mrs. P promptly reclined the front passenger seat and went back to sleep.

Soon it was time to take everything over to transition and get body marked. Nap time was over.

Transition was a busy place.

View looking out of transition at the run in/out.

Mrs. P carefully walking down the hill that goes up to transition from the swim and run 1 of the duathlon.

The walkway under Rt. 315 leading to the lake and the run course. Swimmers get to run this barefoot once out of the water!

Sunrise over Antrim Lake.

The 75 degree water was steamy in the early morning air. It cleared out pretty quick though.

From triangular buoy to the one way in the distance formed one side of the triangular swim course. Sprint racers did one lap. We got to go around a second time.

Mrs. P still doesn't look awake yet.

But I was! Notice the timing chip already in place. That sucker wasn't coming off today!

These guys had no idea a pack of runners would soon be heading their way.

Back at the Jeep so I could transform from Mr. P into Captain Orca!

I thought I heard the announcer calling everyone to the starting areas.

This race was a time trial start, no waves. We lined up from high number to low, with the Olympic distance athletes going first followed by the sprint racers. In one long single file line, we inched forward to the starting mats laid out on the water's edge. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get into the water to do any warm-up swimming. I was going to be hitting the water cold. All I could think was, "This is going to be interesting." To keep my mind off of what was coming, I was able to chat with #481, the guy behind me, and listen to the woman ahead of me, the defending women's champion.

Upon hitting the water, the first thing I thought was that it was warm. The second being it was somewhat clear. You could actually see more than a few inches ahead. A few feet in fact! It was kind of eerie. having just seen Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince on Thursday night, I kept expecting to see hundreds of Inferi appearing out of the dark depths. Fortunately for us, there were no enchanted dead corpses waiting to pull us under to our doom.

The first lap of the swim was tough, as I expected it to be. It takes me a good half mile to find my rhythm and I was having trouble breathing and sighting the buoy. Alternating between front crawl and breaststroke, I made my way steadily forward. I was being passed by a lot of swimmers. I tried not to think about that, but to just keep moving forward. Coming down the third side of the triangle, I realized that I needed to be on the inside of the course and not the outside. I was mixed in with the sprint athletes and they were going to be exiting on the right. I needed to round the next buoy on the left. Spotting a gap in the field I angled and swam hard to cross over and not get in anyone else's way. Eventually I made it to the turn and rounding it, I headed back out for lap number two.

Lap two was a much better experience. For starters, the field disappeared, leaving me nice calm water to swim in. I actually enjoyed it! But most importantly, I finally found my rhythm. With the breathing thing down, I started catching some of the swimmers ahead of me. I passed one at the turn to the back side of the triangle and nearly caught two more before the swim finish. I don't know how deep that little lake is, but it used to be a quarry, so I'm thinking it's pretty deep in the middle. Not something I wanted to think about while swimming.

My swim split was 45:10. Better than I could do in the pool but the 4th slowest swim split of the day. I was pleased with it as I was running along the walkway under 315 and up the grassy hill towards transition.

After a four minute transition from swim to bike I was out on the road for 5 five mile laps. The bike course is a clockwise rectangular route following Olentangy River Road, Rt. 161, Rt. 315, and Henderson Rd. There is some wicked speed to be found going down the entrance ramp from 161 to 315. The remainder of 315 is flat to slightly downhill. To make up for that, Olentangy River Rd. is rolling with a net uphill. The 25 miles took me an hour and 19 minutes with an 18.7 mph average. Not the best (for sure) but not the worst either. 114th overall bike split.

Upon finally finishing lap five, I headed back into transition only to find the opposite of T-1, everyone else was back already. And some people were packed up and heading home! After a much faster transition than the first one I was all business in running mode. When I get running, sometimes a switch flips and I become someone else. That happened yesterday, but to a milder extent. It's like I donned a "No Passing" sign when I got off the bike because no one passed me. And I made back some serious time. My run split was 46:14, 7:28/mile. Where I was 167 in the swim, and 114 on the bike, my run split was 28th fastest of 171. What a discrepancy! If I was any stronger a swimmer or biker I would actually be dangerous. And you can quote me on that!

Heading towards the finish.

Almost there. Can you sense the determination?

I was happy, not to be finished, but that I once again finished with a strong run. That "no passing" sign was on my back again.

Mrs. P going up to receive her AG award.

2nd of 4 in her AG. Nice job!

Our now obligatory photo from the hood of the car.

So, another race in the books. Another good experience. Some more tough spots to learn from. All to make me stronger for the big race which is now less than two weeks away, Steelhead. That one is going to be interesting. Hopefully I won't be left behind on the swim and bike, but chances are I will. That's OK, just as long as I can kick butt on the run. That's when people are hurting. That's when it feels good to put on a strong pass. Makes them wonder how you do it. I don't know how I do it. Probably has something to do with all the running I do.

That Snuck up Pretty Fast

I'm referring to the Columbus International Olympic Distance Triathlon on Sunday. And guess what, Steelhead is only two weeks away! Where has this year gone? Weather is calling for 50's Sunday morning with scattered showers. Columbus won't be much warmer. That's great! Just a little chilly in the morning and not too hot during the run.

This will be an interesting race. The swim is in a small body of water. I'm hoping the temperature of Antrim Lake is below wetsuit cut-off. I'm confident I can complete the 1500 meter swim without the help of the suit, but it sure does help with the confidence. I'm like a different person in the water wearing that thing. CAPTAIN ORCA!!! The bike is the absolute best bike course I've ever ridden. No joke. We do laps from the park north to Rt. 161. Then down Rt. 315, which is a highway! South to Henderson Rd. where we exit and turn back north on Olentangy River Road. For the Olympic distance we'll be doing 5 laps of 5.1 miles. Eating on the bike is obligatory at this distance for me. Otherwise I'll start to cramp pretty bad during the run. And the run on this course is awesome! I don't want to do anything to mess that up.

I will try to take as many photos of the course as possible, but because Mrs. P will be competing in the sprint duathlon that morning, there won't be many pictures of us racing.

Best of luck to all those competing in the Buckeye Trail 50K this weekend. That means you Patrick!

Note to Self

Can

not

eat

hot

wings

any

more.

We swung by the Winking Lizard yesterday for a lunch/dinner after Mrs. P got home from Atlanta. I ordered the Thai wings, number 3 on the heat-o-meter. Very tasty. Very hot! I'm paying for it today.

Oops, I Did it Again

I just registered for another marathon this year. But wait! This one's a little different. It's a trail marathon. It's also 3 weeks after Columbus. So, that will have me running 3 marathons within an eight week time span. Fun! Fun! Fun! This is the inaugural race and the field is limited to just 300 runners, so it should be a fun/different experience. Oh, did I mention the 2,000 feet of elevation gain and loss throughout the course? I didn't? I must have forgotten about that. I'm looking forward to this race come November 8.

In other news, had a decent time at the pool last night. It was pretty crowded when I arrived so I shared a lane with someone else. That really kept me from feeling comfortable and kept my times slow. I swam a mile with the first half in 29:48 and the second half in 27:12. Not great times, but I was happy to swim faster on the second half.

Tuesday night's speed work at the track was great. Somehow I busted out some fast times again. We did 800's and 200's this time. My 800 splits were: 2:57 / 2:54 / 2:57 / and 2:50. I still need to check my old times, but that 2:50 is faster than my fastest split last week by two seconds! My 200 splits were: :36 / :36 / :36 / and :33. I'm going to have to check on that last split and see how it compares to my old track times as well. I don't know where they keep coming from!

A Little Break

We arrived home late last night after a short July 4th visit to my grandmother who lives in the U.P. of Michigan. With no Internet access there, I had a little "break" from posting. But not from training.

Last Tuesday we had a welcome break in the heat for some speed work. Yes, I was running the evening before we were leaving. 3 X 800's and 6 X 400's were on order. All in all, a great workout. I still need to check, but I believe I ran my fastest 400 and 800 that night. EVER! I just need to check to make sure.

The drive takes all day so we like to leave early in the morning in order to arrive in the afternoon. It was a long cloudy drive with rain in Ohio. In fact, parts of northeast Ohio were getting dumped on with epic amounts of rain. Fortunately we didn't encounter any of that for our drive. Just wind and below average temperatures. And mosquitoes. Our first rest area break at the Michigan Welcome Center landed us in a swarm of mosquitoes. It was harsh.

The small town we were to stay in for the holiday puts on a 5 mile run every year on the morning of the Fourth. We've run it the past two years. It was my intention to run it again this year, but with everything that needs to be done that morning and only Mrs. P and I to take care of things, I thought it best to forgo the race for a long run. The kind of long run I haven't done since mid May and Rite Aid.

I mapped a course online before leaving and would let the weather help me decide if I would run it or just loop around town. The weather turned out not-quite-ideal, but bearable so I went with Plan A. The course was an out-and-back to the next little town. The road looked somewhat residential on the near side that slowly became less inhabited the further I went. And that's pretty much how things actually were. 9 miles out and 9 miles back. But I wanted 20 miles so I did a loop around and back to the house for 20 on the nose in 2:45. Not race pace, but certainly not bad. I was worried about running into bears but only saw two deer and a locomotive engine. It wouldn't be a bad road to ride on someday. Straight, flat, and very little traffic. That was Friday morning.

On the 4th I watched the runners head past the house and didn't envy them. I wasn't sore, but tired. And that was enough to keep me in check. We had a long day heading down to watch the parade and then over to the local festival. Then it was back to the house early to do some grilling and relax. I had a nice 2+ hour nap that afternoon. We watch fireworks from 3 communities from the beach across the street that didn't wrap up until 11:00.

Upon waking Sunday, I discovered I wasn't hungover. Not that I was expecting to be, but it's happened on the mornings of July's 5th in the past so I wasn't ruling it out. With some morning energy and a spring in my step, I was out the door again for 5 to 6 miles. During the run I decided upon 6.2, giving me the marathon distance split between the two runs. Again, not fast, but not crawling either. Just a nice recovery run.

Back to the track tonight for some more speed. Time to start building those 800s for the fall marathons. And speaking of scheduling, just three more training weekends before Steelhead. That's getting me more than a little worried today.