Running Data!

I've admitted several times before in previous posts that I'm addicted to data. I don't get the shakes or cold sweats if I'm not looking at charts and graphs showing me my daily training, but knowing that there is relatively cheap technology out there that I can use to help me train more efficiently and effectively keeps me saving my pennies. When I started running, I stepped back in time in terms of training aids. The best that I had was my old Timex Iron Man watch that was replaced after the previous one got ruined while swimming in Italy (Good story here about "Naked Lady Cove"). As for heart rate, pacing, mileage, I was taking a non-approach to training and just winging it which after being so heavily involved in power based training on the bike felt very foreign.
I needed to look for something to help me out. As with the bike, there were also lots of options here, watches, heart rate monitors, GPS Systems, etc. I quickly narrowed in on the GPS but decided that for the high dollars that these systems cost, I couldn't justify it....yet. It wasn't until I visited my local running shop Second Sole that I learned about another option, the Nike+ Sportband. For a moderate $65, here is a device that is supposed to tell me current time, duration, pacing, mileage and calories burned. Everything that I was looking for and for the right price. So how did it go? Test run number one was 13 miles long. It said I ran 2.5 miles. Test run two was a 6 miler, ended up recording only about a mile and a half. I started keeping an eye on it and noticed that it was recording my pace at accurately one second and then in the next second it would be something crazy like a 45 minute/mile pace. Frustrating to say the least. I ended up taking it back and exchanging it for another, hoping better results would come on the second one. How did this one do? Yesterday was a 14 miler....and it recorded 14 miles. I'm hopeful that this thing is close but I still plan on taking it to the track this week to make sure its calibrated right on. So what did I learn from this technology? Well primarily that my pacing is way off. On my long runs I'm trying to run about an 8minute, 30 second pace. I ended up averaging 8'17 seconds overall but that for over half the run I was running at 7 minute pace. I'm happy that I've now got something to help me out and I'm glad I've still got some time to get the feel of running all dialed in. It's a bit week in terms of graphics but here's what the data looks like from my run. (Note that all the dots represent the miles. On the website where my data is listed, each of those dots are active points that give me info for the run at that point in time. Helpful there, not so much here :)

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Miner's blog, jr?

Last night Nicholas started racing his bike. This process started a few months ago when he asked me when he could start racing like me. After I explained to him that he was still a bit too young at only 5 years old to start road racing, I let him know that there was an alternative and that was BMX racing. He seemed interested in seeing what it was all about so we ventured over to the Akron Derby Downs BMX track. His good friend Gavin Parr has been out there a few times so it was a good opportunity to ease any fears that he might have about the sport. Wanting to make sure that he really wanted to do this, I took him out there multiple times, just so he could get a good feel for what he would have to do to make it from the start line to the finish line, and to make sure he was sure he wanted to do it. Sometimes with kids, their opinions can change fairly quickly on what they want so before we made any financial commitment on equipment, race license, etc., I wanted to make sure he was serious. Tuesday night when I asked him if he wanted to go to swim lessons or race his bike, it was a quick decision...race his bike.


Once we got to the track last night, we quickly got Nicholas registered and almost immediately found that the volunteer staff out there is absolutely amazing. It was really cool to see how everyone there was so helpful to Nicholas and I. He quickly found a mentor named Greg who had two sons also racing who took him up to the start gate and helped him around the track several times until he could get the hang of it. I'm really thankful for him being there because it took a few turns before he realized how much speed he really needed to have to get up and over those big ramps. I always thought Nicholas was a big kid until I saw him out there. He looked as small as the day he was born. What impressed me most about Greg and the other volunteers out there who make the races possible, is that they love the kids and the sport, and are willing to do whatever they can to make sure you have a positive experience. Not sure I've seen that kind of expression of interest in any of the local races that I've competed in. Not saying I've had bad experiences because for the most part, they have all been positive. I'm just saying it was totally different.

Nicholas did well, I can't really give a good race report and let's face it, you probably don't want to hear one from me. I was just happy to see that at the end of the evening he was thrilled with the trophy that he won (he slept with it) and that he's anxious to go back again.

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Back at the Races!

When rolling across the finish line at the Race for Alex almost a month and a half ago, I had hoped that between my running and my commuting to work via bike, that I'd have some type of fitness to participate in the annual Chapel race. I always look forward to this race as it's close, cheap and lots of fun. With being off the bike for so long I was also looking forward to seeing and racing with all my teammates again. Rolling up to the start line, I really had no expectations for the day but to hopefully stay with the pack. I thought if I could do that, then it would be a successful day. Quickly into the day, Tim pushed the pace to try to get off the front. He didn't have much luck but than Marshall came up and tried the same thing. I figured that I'd give it a shot as well. We had the field packed so I thought I could at least make the race difficult for as long as possible, even if that meant my day would be early. As it turns out, I'd be good for a few more attacks along the way and surprisingly, I felt as good as I ever have on the bike. They say rest is important, apparently I need 6 weeks! In all honesty, I never felt good to go solo for the distance, but if any of the breaks that I was trying to initiate would have been successful in working, I think I could have made it stick. With 5 to go, I knew it was most likely heading down to the bunch kick so I restrained myself for the finish. With a half lap to go, I let it all go and attacked one last time on the backside of the church. I went through the final few turns still up in front but not with enough power to hold on. I ended up rolling in for 7th place for the night but with the satisfaction of making the race difficult and hopefully setting up some success for my other teammates. I'm looking forward to racing again this week.

Unfortunately I'm having some issues with my PowerTap computer as Cycling Peaks had some issues saving the data for me. From a quick glance, I remember seeing a normalized power of 305 W for the approx. 39 minute effort. This really surprised me that my power output would still be that high after so many weeks at sub-threshold riding. Maybe there really is something to this rest thing :)

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Commuting Woes

I suffered what I'm sure will be the first of many flat tires on my commute home yesterday. I was riding the cross bike with the knobbies on it but I guess those do little to protect me from what seems like endless miles of broken glass and other sh%t along the streets of Akron. It really is amazing to see how much trash is along the sides of the road here. Maybe that's part of Akron's problem, if the citizens who live and work here can't have enough respect for their own neighborhoods to at least keep their sidewalks clean, what hope is there to attract new talent, businesses, etc. into the area; guess that's just my philosophical self talking. Just call me Bri-istotle. Is there something really fun about smashing glass bottles? I'm just not sure that I really get it.

One thing that I've learned is that 700c x 32 cyclocross tubes aren't successfully replaced with tubes that are for 23mm road bike wheels. I rode the rest of the ride along the towpath home really slow as I couldn't put enough volume of CO2 into the tube to fully inflate the tire. Lesson learned I guess. Better hit the bike shop this weekend for some new tubies and patch kit.

I'm looking forward to the long weekend which will hopefully allow me to get some bike riding in. I've got to take it easy because I don't want to compromise my running schedule but I'm hoping to get at least a bit of feeling back in my legs so I can race in the upcoming Chapel Series. I don't have any expectations of even staying in the field until the finish, but for those of us who drop off the back of the main field....I will so kick your butt for the sprint for 25th place! :)

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