Tag Archives: PR

Racine 70.3 Race Report

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After 2 not so hot races (1 Sprint & 1 Olympic) I needed a good race before Ironman Wisconsin.

In the weeks between Bigfoot and Racine I decided that if this HIM didn’t go well, I was going to pull out of Wisconsin. I only told two people, my wife and my friend Adam who is racing IMWI with me.

I’m excited to say Racine went very well. I got to the course super early race morning so I could make sure to have every detail in order and get a nice warm-up in.

One thing I started doing this season is depriving myself of caffeine the week prior to a race. It was a tip I got from Pro Logan Franks a few months back and I have to say it works really well. Since the CilfBar SHOTS I use have caffeine in them, you really get a good surge of energy after each one. That something you don’t usually notice if you’re as caffeine dependent as I am on a daily basis.

I got to the swim start with an hour to spare before my wave went off. That gave me the chance to get in the water get a little swimming in.

I was racing in the TYR Freak of Nature wetsuit, which was also exciting. The swim course was point to point and the water was perfect. I started right in the middle of the pack and stayed there for the majority of the swim. Coach Jen said she would be happy if I broke 40 mins in the swim (I told her I wanted to be mid 30′s).

The whole swim felt great. I enjoyed the point to point course because there didn’t seem to get beat up as much loop courses.

As I exited the water I checked the time and saw 39 minutes and change. I was pumped! If that was accurate (and it was) it was an 8 minute PR!

My first transition was slower than I wanted but soon enough I was on the bike course.

The roads were pretty bumpy and it seemed like we were constantly riding into a head wind. But it was mostly flat so I was able to keep and 18 mph average speed. The nutrition plan Jen and I worked out was on point which made the ride feel pretty effortless.

I didn’t go sub 3 hours on the bike, but it was another PR! Now it was time to run!

The plan was to build into the run. The sun was really beating down and it was hot, but I didn’t feel like I was going to be a major issue.

I was wrong. After the first 3 miles it turned into more of a run/walk. My pace was about 13:00 and I was pushing to go faster but it wasn’t working, it was just too hot.

By the end of the first loop the aid stations had run out of ice so everything I was drinking was hot… Gross.

On the second loop I made sure to run through every sprinkler and get in the shade as much as possible. The last mile felt like a real fight, but I could hear the finish line. I pushed hard and did a jumping heel click for a 30 minute PR at the HIM distance.

BOOM!

I felt trashed. Walking through the athlete tent I nearly passed out and decided to hit up the medical tent. I stayed in there for 15 or 20 minutes laying on ice and drinking water.

Once I cooled off my whole body felt better.

Today my legs pretty beat up and I have a blister the size of Kentucky on my foot, but it as totally worth it!

This race was exactly what I needed before Ironman Wisconsin. There is still a lot of work to do in the next 8 weeks, but I’ll be ready!

Shamrock Shuffle: a disappointing PR

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The last few years the Shamrock Shuffle 8K has been my first race of the year. It marks the unofficial start of the running season in Chicago, so it seems fitting.

I like running it because each year I PR which makes me feel good about the training I’ve done in the off season. I finished the 2011 Shamrock Shuffle in 46:56. It was my biggest PR, 4 minutes faster than 2010! FOUR MINUTES!!

This Shuffle I of course set a big goal for myself. I wanted to hit 40 minutes.

I felt off from the second I started yesterday. My legs didn’t seem to want to move, my knees felt soft and I just couldn’t seem to shift myself into high gear.

The weather was perfect, I was hydrated, ate well and did my warm-up as prescribed by Coach Jen. So There should have been no excuses as to why I wasn’t going faster.

I hit the first mile in 8:49, it wasn’t on target but in the back of my mind I thought MAYBE I could speed up and get close to 40mins.

At the 5K marker I was at 28:12… there goes my goal. It was then I remembered Jen’s note in Training Peaks… “Suffer like a pig!”

I wasn’t sure I could PR at all at this point. Still feeling subpar, I tried to pick up the pace as best as I could. After turning the corner on to Michigan Ave I was fighting to keep a 9 minute or better pace. Finally turning on to Roosevelt, up that stupid hill and on to Columbus I was as “suffering pig-like” as I could be.

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I PR’d by 1:04.

I was really disappointed. The whole race felt like a failure and immediately got me wondering how Florida 70.3 was going to go if I couldn’t destroy an 8K?!?!

I’m still confident I can PR at the 70.3 distance. Florida is flat unlike the Mooseman 70.3 couse I raced last year!

With 55 days until race day, its just time to focus and train HARDER! So if you’ll excuse me, I need to get on my bike!

Want to run a longer race? You need a coach.

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2012 is a whole new season and you want to move up in distance.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a runner or triathlete taking your training and racing to the next level is a great challenge, but you need to do it right.

When I started training for my first marathon I looked up a training program online, found one I liked and started running. At first everything seemed awesome, I was building endurance and increasing my distance like a champ… Then I got injured.

When you use a cookie-cutter training program there is no “sub-program” to help you recover from injury or deal with any “what if’s”. Trying to figure it out for yourself can be dangerous. Plus you have no one to turn to with your questions and concerns.

After the marathon, I wanted to jump into triathlon but I didn’t know the first thing about it. So I looked in to coaching, and it was the best thing I could have done.

So how do you find a coach?

Well again I went to the internet first. There were already a few coaches I followed on Twitter. I emailed them and asked about their programs and pricing.

I also asked some of my fellow runners for their input. Much like looking for a new doctor or dentist, everyone thinks theirs is the “best”, so you need to do some work to make sure you’re choosing the right coach.

First figure out what your budget for coaching is. Some coaches have different plans with varying prices.

Next you should make a list of all the questions you have about training. If there is one thing I learned, there are REALLY no stupid questions. Cause I feel like I’ve asked them all.

Set up a phone call with the coaches you’re interested in working with to discuss everything on your list to determine who would work the best for your situation.

I hooked up with Coach Jen Harrison, who was recommended to me by multiple people. We had and excellent phone conversation and she got me in to a training program right away. That was a year ago.

When you’re on a training program that is designed for you, the positive results come quickly.

I PR’d the first race (an 8K) I ran after working with Jen, I completed my goal of finishing an Ironman 70.3 (my first ever Triathlon), completed a 112 mile bike ride on a Computrainer and I PR’d the Chicago Marathon this year.

Working with a coach gives you the piece of mind that you have someone in your corner through out the long training season and on race day. You know you’ll never have to worry about what workouts you should be doing, and when you should increase the intensity.

If anything working with a coach will help you focus. It seems that every month I read an article in Runner’s World or Triathlete magazines that talks about “The Best” workout. While these magazines are great (want to hire a TV producer?), if there was one perfect workout these guys would be out of business. Your coach will tailor the workouts to meet the needs of the races on your schedule.

I have a big race season in 2012 including 2 70.3′s and Ironman Wisconsin (my first attempt at the Ironman distance). There is no doubt in my mind that I’ll be ready and perform well, and it’s all because I work with a coach.

I ran the Shamrock Shuffle… Now want to talk about it.

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Remember that 80 degree last Sunday when 45,000 runners look over the loop? Well I was one of them.


It was my first start of the season and I was pumped! I somehow qualified for corral B, which psyched me out a bit. Usually I’m placed in Corral Q or somewhere waaay back there. So it was a little intimidating at the start line.


When we kicked off the run I was being passed by EVERYONE… there was a point right off the bat where I tried to pick up the pace to keep up with my fellow “B” starters… But I heard coach jen in my head yelling at me “Didn’t I say don’t start too fast!?!”‘


Ok slowdown… Mile one 8:15… Oops that’s 1:15 faster than we planned, but I felt good… Let not slowdown too much.


All week I had been tweeting about how fast I was going to be, in my mind anything longer than 48 minutes was considered failure… I wrote that check now it was time to cash it!


The heat was getting to me around the 5k mark… But as I crossed that spot, I checked my time… 28mins and change.


There’s no stopping now. I tried to kick it up a gear as we rounded on to Michigan. The next turn as Roosevelt seemed 100 miles away… It felt like it took 20 mins to get there, I refused to look at my watch…


I made the left on Roosevelt up that damn hill… I hate that hill. Its my sworn enemy… I ran it constantly when I lived in the loop and I know it can’t stop me… I own that hill!


I tried to kick it up again…Made another left on Columbus. There was the finish, it’s time to go BIG!


I felt like I went in to a full sprint, I was passing people and as I approached the finish line I wanted to look at my watch… Nope not until I cross… Just a few more strides…


BOOM– 46:59!!! That’s 4 minutes faster than last year!!!!!


It felt awesome. I guess my running has improved.


Mild Disappointment

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If you follow me on Twitter (@PhilCastello), you might have noticed that I posted a tweet yesterday that says I had a new PR for my mile…. I was wrong… let me explain.

I recently transitioned from using my Nike+ Sportband to Nike+ on the iPhone 3Gs and I’m a big fan. One of my biggest problems running is that I’m constantly checking my Sportband to check my distance. With the iPhone, Nike+ talk to you and gives you updates about every half mile, and at the end of your run, it gives to a summary of that run. It’s fantastic really.
So after my 2 miles yesterday (yeah that’s all that was scheduled) it gave me my summary and then a woman says “Congratulations! You’ve recorded a new Personal Best for your mile”
HELL YEAH! So I tweeted about it and texted my Alaskan Training Partner, I was pretty excited…… until I uploaded my run and noticed that my actual PR was about 25 seconds faster.
Damn.
Yep at the Leprechaun Leap I recorded my best mile yet of 8:54… not the 9:19 I did yesterday. So I was a little bummed out, but it was only the 2nd official day of marathon training, so I have a lot of time to speed up my mile. And really the ultimate goal is to cross the finish line on 10/10/10.
I have 4 miles to tackle today then I’m off until Sunday where I need to do 8.
Happy Running.

Run away from stress.

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MAN am I stressed out today! It seems that around every corner I’ve run in to a problem both personal and work related which created the prefect storm of stress. This calls for a run. Since I did the Shuffle yesterday, I’m going to have to take it easy. So since I’m sure I’m not the only one with a case of the Mondays here are three quick tips for a stress reducing run.

1) Breathe properly while you are running. Your breathing is very important in the releasing of stress as well. Make sure you monitor your breathing and take proper breaths as you run.

2) Choose a path that you’d like to run on. If you do not want to run on a regular running path, then you can run in a park, across a field or on the beach. Choose somewhere where there is scenery for you to enjoy. (I’ll be at Museum Campus/Soldier Field)

3) Take it easy. I’m not a big advocate of going out to break your PR on a stress relieving run. Just go, don’t worry about your pace, distance or route.