Lemond... I can't quit you

I have a problem. And the problem is not new.

The problem started back during the summer... and at first it wasn't much of a problem at all. After years of cycling alone or with one or two other people, I found not one, but three groups that I enjoyed riding with. So I started to ride on both Saturday and Sunday.

That was not optimal when I was training for triathlons but not too far off the mark.

But now... it's running season. I have Marathons, Ultramarathons and even this crazy RATS thing on the horizon. http://geminiadventures.com/DesertRATS.html

My motivation is there... training is going well... especially during the week.

Problem is I still want to ride on Saturday *and* Sunday...

So far I've been doing okay... last week I ran 18 on Friday night... I ran my 18.5 yesterday afternoon having ridden for 2.5 hours in the morning...

Love'll make you do crazy things I guess... but I think I may have to scale back the riding a bit for a few months.

Pumpkin Run 10 Mile

This race was actually a couple of weeks ago... but It's one of my favorite road races and I wanted to record my thoughts...

It had been a hot week... in the 90s almost every day... and Saturday was no different.

I went for the Saturday group ride... and sweated to the point that my socks were squishy in my bike shoes... at 0900 in the morning.

I was therefore surprised when I walked outside on Sunday to a slight chill in the air ~60 F temps.

Warm-up and port-o line and I'm ready to go. I did not get a chance to line up as close to the front as I would like... I was basically hanging out talking with friends until the gun went off... Being near the front is extra important in this race because it takes place in a cemetery... and the roads are single lane... between the graves...

In the first mile I did run alongside the road for the most part trying to find some elbow room... hopefully I did not disturb anyone "resting in peace"... No iPod or Garmin just a Timex... saw 8:0X on the clock at the first marker.... Settled in to whatever pace I was on and kept going...

Mile 2 has an out and back so I got a chance to see some of the costumes... the Banana guy, the gladiator, and some idiot running in tightie whities and a motorcycle helmet took my silent top 3...

http://randylefko.eventpictures.com/app/event/zoomPictures?eventInstanceId=19059&picture=4825231

At the mile 3 mark the 5k and 10 mile courses split... and my companion, big-dude-in-princess-Leah-wig

http://randylefko.eventpictures.com/app/event/zoomPictures?eventInstanceId=19059&picture=4825263

and I parted ways.

For the next few miles I tried to just relax and stay with the folks around me... I found it interesting that one lady would pull away from me on the straight-aways and I'd close on the turns... thanks again Coach Mike for the "run the tangents" lesson.

At around the 7 mile mark she caught me... Her name is Elfrieda... she has fiery red hair... quick turnover, and is the fastest 65-69 year old female in these parts... and she has beaten me plenty... I tried to stay with her... and found that I could... With 2 miles to go I decided to pass her... I did and decided to just keep going at that pace.

Finished up with a couple of 7:30s.. Final time of 1:17:20... good enough for a 6 minute PR for a 10 miler.

Quote of the Day

"Deep in the Sea are riches beyond Compare
IF you seek Safety it is on the Shore"
-Saadi

The hard look

I have some friends... hard to believe but it's true :-)

They have a purist veiwpoint of training and racing... Sometimes they tick me off... rub me the wrong way... but sometimes... make me take a little bit harder look at myself.... Sometimes make me want to be... despite myself... more like they are.

Sometimes that look was unpleasant...

When I started this endurance sports thing... oh... 15 years ago almost... I thought that I could be good... I was motivated... I liked to train... I figured if I put forth some effort I'd be up near the front in no time...

Well... that was not to be...

I found out that I'm not a natural... or extraordinary when it comes to endurance sports.

So... I figured well... I'm stubborn so I'll go long... I can be good at that just because it's far... and I like to train... I won't quit..

Still... not to be... I was not really that good... successful... MOP to BOP...

I kept going... doing stuff... because I liked it... never getting any great results or improving. This lasted a decade.... I'd gotten older... into my 40s and I figured my best years were over. But I was still out there "doing my best" Oh, I persevered... always put the best I had into the race.. I gave my all.

Then one day I called my beliefs into question... why couldn't I go faster?

And I started analyzing my answers:

1. I'm a big guy - at 5'10" I had been around 215# for a decade or more... that's a lot of weight to carry around... It was a lot of muscle... some extra fat.... but do I have to be this big? No I do not...

2. I avoided training on the weekend mornings because I drank too much... I always had a hangover on Sat and Sun morning... getting a 30 minute workout in on Sunday afternoon to flush out the toxins had been a small victory.... I could train more... and smarter

So even tho I had been out there racing and giving my all... It was simply my all on raceday...

It's like the quote "The will to win means nothing without the will to prepare."~Juma Ikangaa

I was prepared to give my all on raceday... I was simply half stepping in my preparation....

Well... I have changed... lost 30#... quit drinking... Training harder... riding with the roadies... taken up bike racing.... posted a double handful of PRs.

So thanks to all of you who have made me challenge my beliefs... and challenge myself

It's like this quote from Gordo...

"The path to improvement from each step is simple. However, walking the path is challenging -- that's what makes it rewarding when we improve -- we _know_ how tough it was to overcome ourselves."__Gordo

I think that's all that we are all trying to do... I think we just need to get our perceived limitations out of our way.

I am yet... a work in progress... I am, however, making progress.

Together as one

Across the room
You catch my eye
I see your sparkle
I see your shine
We’ve not been together
(like *that*)
In quite some time

I straddle you
Yes straddle
And reach out
My hands find you
No glance required
I know just
Where to touch you
And how you will respond

With a firm
But gentle thrust
We have begun
The world around
Speeds by in a blur
My heart beats faster
Your frame flexes
Under my weight

I touch you again
You respond
Our pace quickens
This is it
What I’ve longed for
Us moving
Together as one

Philadelphia Running

I ran this route Tuesday night:

To view Plymouth Meeting 10/20/2009 Route, follow the link below:

http://www.mapmyrun.com/view_route?r=182125631316477087

it was dark in some places but all in all a nice trail and a beautiful run.

Leaf Peeper 1/2 Marathon

I do not often get the opportunity to race in faraway places.
Work and family obligations keep me close to home… and… Home is where I like to be…
I had an opportunity. Work took me to Syracuse New York… I found a little ½ Marathon put on by the local YMCA 30 or so miles south… on Sunday…

The race did not start until 0930… which I guess is just fine up north… the temps at 0700 had been in the high 20s… but by 0930 they had reached the high 30s… good running weather.

The race was pretty small by any standards… I guess maybe 300 participants… Before the race started a megaphone crackled to life describing the course… “It’s basically an out and back… on the highway for a mile… then past the dirty horses and then the muddy cows… turn around and head back”

What the race director left out… was the hills…
I seeded myself near the front and soon we were off… I wore my Garmin… since this was such a small race… and not really a planned or peaked for event I thought I would gather a little data and time myself etc.

I didn’t look at it tho… that was the deal I made with myself… I just started running… I passed a few people early on but soon we were pretty strung out. We ran along the highway… on the shoulder for a mile and a half or so… then turned on tho a country road… the road stayed pretty flat until about mile 4… and yes… lots of cows… horses… fields… farms… silos… Old McDonald… eie… freakin’… io

I knew that I had started on a pace that was right near the edge of my capabilities… but… I just put the brain in neutral and kept going… I didn’t have anything to think about anyway… I’d brought no gels… I had no splits… so I concentrated on the backs of the runners in front of me.Mile 5 brought the hills.. and there were about 4 of them… which it being an out and back course… we hit each twice. I don’t have any idea how to run hills I just tried to spin (short steps quick turnover) up them and kinda controlled freefall down them.

My brain dreamed up this idea… that I had 4 solid miles left in me… and I knew that with 4 miles to go the course was pretty much flat… just what my diesel engine needed… furthermore I decided to use my heretofore un-consulted Garmin to pilot me to 4 sub 8s to finish strong.

At the 9 mile mark I quickened my pace a bit… ran a couple hundred meters… then glanced at my pace… 8:05… and I was pretty close to my limit… not good news…. That little catch in my throat… the beginnings of an asthma attack… The last four miles which were to be my show of strength… were just the opposite… I fought hard but still got passed by a dozen or so runners and barely managed 8:30s…

As usual… my asthma stayed at bay until I stopped… Final time 1:48:54

No PR, No T-shirt, goodie bag, or expo but one of the most enjoyable racing experiences I’ve had.