Fat Clam Tri

After Blessing, it really wasn't fun to think about the fact that I had a tri the next day. I went to bed much later than I should have and didn't get much sleep for the 1st Fat Clam Triathlon in Coventry. Last year it was called the Crabman and was in Matunuck near the Kerri course, but they changed the name, the course and the location of the race. I was really glad about it because I wasn't a huge fan of crabman- the two loop bike, all the turns in the run, and wheeling your bike out on a grass field didn't make it a lot of fun for me. As much as I just wanted to sleep in, I had to get up and prepare for the tri Saturday morning. Normally, I like Saturday races much more than Sunday ones, but not when I have a 10-miler on Friday. We made the trip over, got our stuff, and prepared to  race the triathlon.

The Swim: The race started eventually, and the first wave, pink caps, 45+ (or something like that) went off. I jumped before starting, and it was nice and warm. Which makes sense, because it was in a lake (or pond), not the ocean. The waves went off 5 minutes apart, so I had plenty of time before I went. I waited around with the other white caps because we were the second wave. I started in the middle of the pack. It started and we all ran towards the water. As soon as I started swimming, I noticed that water was in my right goggle and I couldn't see out of my right eye. After a few minutes, I paused, stood up, and opened it up to get the water out. I made sure I pushed on it before swimming again. I started swimming and the water flowed in again. It was awful. I using just my left eye for sight. I tired my best to ignore it and soon I noticed that I was swimming really wide. The course was swimming around a square of buoys then back to the shore. I had passed the first buoy and now I was swimming diagonally back on course. The rest of the swim went by quickly. During the rest of it I still swam wide of the course and the water stayed in my goggles. It was such a relief to finish. I was 114th in the swim, and my time was 13:28.

T1: My first transition went like it usually does: taking forever to get on my socks and shoes, then taking a little longer for my shirt and helmet.

The Bike: The bike started out well. Maybe there were a few minor hills, but it wasn't too bad. Around mile 5, we turned onto a narrow road and soon I saw a giant hill with people ahead of me struggling to get up it. There were even a few walking their bikes. It seemed to take forever, but I finally reached the top. To my relief, there was some downhill right after. About half a mile later, there was another giant hill just as bad as the first. It seemed like a cruel joke. I passed some more people going up it. I don't really remember the rest of the bike. It was rolling hills but the downhills covered less distance than the uphills because they were steeper. I did pretty well on the hills. I would pass people on the uphills and they'd pass me back on the downhills. It was a brutally hard bike and I was glad to finish it. I was 92nd in the bike with a slow time of 47:02.

T2: My second transition was probably my fastest ever. I dropped my bike and helmet, and off I went.

The Run: The run was pretty disappointing. The one part of the tri that I really cared about my time was also the one where I caught the most people. Yes, I was passing left and right, but not that many people and I felt really slow as I did. It went by quickly. It started out as an out and back but took a trail detour at mile 2.2. I didn't like the trails because it had too many turns, it was hard to pass people and it really slowed my already slow pace. As soon as I got out the trail- I picked up the pace from a slow 7:30 to 6:30. I kept increasing and increasing and my pace at the finish was 4:30. My average pace was 6:37, which is pretty slow for a 5K, even for a tri. My run time was 19:52, I placed 6th.

I think I could have taken a minute off in the swim and run if I had pushed a lot harder. In the bike, maybe two minutes. I was second in my age group.

Weekly Log: July 27 to August 2

Monday: 0

 

Tuesday: 6.5 Miles, Stonington Fun Run.
3.3 mile warm-up followed by another easy and comfortable fun run at 7:24 pace.

 

Wednesday: 4 Miles, Westerly Fun Run.
Felt weak and tired, but was happy with my 5:51 pace for the 5K.

 

Thursday: 7.5 Miles.
Humid Around-the-Pond Loop with Dad

 

Friday: Groton Fun Run, 6 Miles.

Fun trail loop at a good pace. Ran around 7:15 for first 3 miles and was in third place. As it started to go downhill, I picked it up a lot but wasn't able to catch the winner, who I finished right behind. Last half mile was at 5:02 pace.

 

Saturday: Block Island Tri, 4.5 Miles running.

Results

 

Sunday: Run4Kerri, 5 Miles Total.

Weekly Total: 33.5 Miles, low but better than last week (and again, I'm okay with it because I had two races)
 

Blessing of the Fleet

History with the Blessing

I tried it first in 2012, finishing around 1:18, and then again in 2013, about 10 minutes faster. I disliked it at the time, so I opted out of it in 2014. I returned to the event Friday night.

Pre-Race and Goal Times

I planned a goal and two backup goals for my return to the race.

	Time	Pace
A Goal	1:01:40	6:10
B Goal	1:03:20	6:20
C Goal	1:05:00	6:30

I figured I'd finish in between my A and B goal. I would be satisfied with running under 64 minutes.

The warm-up was just over a mile with 6 WTAC members. After bathroom visits and waiting, it was time to head over to the start. Dad, Jonny Eckel and I lined a few rows back and awaited the start when top 100 bib numbers were announced to moved the front spot. The new spot was much more comfortable and less crowded.

The Race

I had watch errors during the race and not every split is accurate.



The First Four: It went out fast and crowded. I saw a few high school runners I knew, around me or in front of me. I hung near Dad and Jonny Eckel the first quarter mile. After half a mile went by very quickly, it wasn't extremely crowded anymore and you could get into a spot you wanted. Now, Dad was 5 seconds ahead and I was right near Jonny Eckel. I saw my pace was about 5:40, and I didn't want to go too fast that early in the race, so I backed off a little bit. Jonny went ahead of me. At the end of mile 1, I could see Dad maybe 10 seconds ahead of me and I was a few seconds behind Jonny.
 Mile 1 was 5:49, a little fast. By mile 2 it's spread out enough that it's easy to pass people but also easy to see most runners ahead. I spot a group of La Salle runners and a few other high school runners up ahead. Most of them were taking it easy and could race much faster if they wanted to. At the end of mile 2, I'm right behind that pack and catch back up to Jonny. I pass Jonny as one of his teammates catches back up to him. Mile 2 is 6:01. I've finished one fifth of the race and I feel really good. Mile 3 and 4 fly by. Not much happens. I take my first water somewhere in mile 4, pass a few people, one of them being Norm Bouthillier, a cross country and track coach. The first four miles are around 24 minutes total, and I felt great. Mile 3 is 5:56 and Mile 4 is 6:10.

The Highway Miles (5 and 6): I was feeling great at the end of mile four, but soon we turned onto the highway. I heard the stories about how awful the highway was, and even though I had running Blessing before I couldn't remember the experience. I still feel fine at the end of mile 5, which is when I realize that my watch is having errors. This is only mile split I remember looking at during the race, and it was 5:33. Of course, that wasn't right, especially on the highway. I'm guessing it was around 6:15, and I think the first four were around 6 to 6:05. I was at about 30:30 at the mile 5 clock. Mile 6 was awful. It was probably my slowest mile and I kept waiting for it to be over. I can definitely say now that I hated the highway miles. Mile 6 went by slowly, but it did go by. Mile 6 split was 6:25. At the end of mile 6, it started to rain.

The Next Three (Trees, Passing the School, and a Rare Downhill): I still felt strong after turning off the highway, but the next three miles became tough. Turning into the trees, seeing lightning flashes and cooling off with the raining was cool, but I was too eager to finish my race. I was on pace for my A goal, and I had to hang in there to make it happen. Mile 7 and 8 went by quickly. I remember being passed by one of the top girls, seeing La Salle runner Dan Paiva waiting for the bathroom and passing a few runners in those two miles. (The problem with waiting to blog about a race is you don't remember the details.) The walkers weren't much of a problem, but there were a few times they got in the way.  Mile 7 was 6:14 and Mile 8 was 6:08. Mile 9 started around the starting area, and we were repassing the school. Since mile 4, I didn't really know the people I was running close to. At this point in the race I was tired and completely soaked. Towards the end of mile 9, I was passed by a La Salle runner, DJ Principe. I was so shocked by it, because he started out with the La Salle pack which I had lost sight of early on, and I didn't remember passing him. I figured it out, and he must have been the person Dan Paiva was waiting for in the bathroom line. Mile 9 ended with a downhill. 6:10 for mile 9.

The Last Mile: I was definitely tired after mile 5, but Mile 10 was the most brutal. My legs were hurting and I could feel how tired I was. When I had about half a mile to go, I picked up the pace, and with a quarter mile, I was nearly sprinting. I passed Abdullah Kaba, a Cumberland runner who had started out with the pack but must have dropped off, with about 0.1 to go. Finishing felt great. I remember seeing that I was in 1:01:40 to 1:01:50 range, so I had pretty much made my A goal. I ate lots of fruit immediately after. Mile 10 was 6:02.

Passing Abdullah Kaba before finishing

Checking the results later, I found my official time and place. 53rd overall and a finish time of 1:01:42, which pretty much made my A goal. I was 12th in my age group, which proves what a stacked field it is.

See Results Here

I was sore and felt funny walking afterwards, and wasn't excited about the triathlon I had the next day. Overall, I think I had a great race and was disappointed about my watch errors. (That's why it's labeled as a walk on strava: Garmin connect read that mile 5 was 5:33 and I ran 10.2 miles at 6:02 pace, but on Strava mile 5 was 2:35, and I ran 10.7 miles at 5:44.) My new blessing PR means I can probably PR by several minutes in a half. (Current PR at 6:35 pace). I

Upcoming Races:
Block Island Triathlon (August 1)
Run 4 Kerri (August 2)
Bobby Doyle (August 9)

Weekly Log: July 20 to 26

Monday: 0

Tuesday: 6, Stonington Fun Run.
Usual 3 mile warm-up and easy fun run, 7:29 pace.

Wednesday: 6.5, Westerly Fun Run.
Two-mile warm-up through the setting sun neighborhood was a different route for me and I saw eight turkeys on one person's lawn. Usually, I take the fun run hard and try to run 5:50 pace, but today I took it easy and ran 7:00 pace to take it easy for Blessing. I ran with Jonny Eckel this week and we raced the last 0.1 of it. I lost by less than a second in the final stretch. A mile and a half beach cool-down finished up the day of running.

Thursday: 3
Blessing Shakeout, 3 miles down in misquamicut with Dad.

Friday: 11.5 Miles, Blessing of the Fleet and Warm-Up.
Separate Write-Up coming soon.

Saturday: 3 Miles, Fat Clam Triathlon.
Write-Up coming soon.

Sunday: 0

Weekly Total: 30 Miles (Pretty low but excusable because of races 13 hours apart)

Weekly Log: July 13 to July 19 (Vermont)

Monday: 6 Miles.
Decided to do what would be my only chance for a local fun run this week, and will probably take the day off next time. The usual warm-up and cool-down, plus a 2nd place in the mile with a 5:35 close behind the winner, Dad, and an easy pace in the 3-mile for a 4th place finish, far behind the top three and not much ahead of the next three.

Tuesday: 6 and a half miles.
Replaced the usual Stonington fun run with a weekly race series at the Catamount outdoors center in Williston, Vermont. We didn't know what to expect of it, and Dad and I were both surprised at elevation gains on the trail course and the big turnout of runners. After a half mile warm-up, it started. It seemed that most runner chose the 5K option, but we had chosen the 10K. Unfortunately the 10K was two loops of the 5K course, something I wasn't a huge fan of. I was thinking at the beginning that I would try to race at a 6:30 pace, and at the beginning, it seemed possible. The first half mile went by quickly and was fast. Then it turned off the grass and onto trails, which is where it got trickier. The rest of the mile wasn't too tough, but the rest of the loop got harder and harder. With constant twists and turns, rocks, and plenty of hills to tire everyone out, it wasn't an easy race. It certainly didn't help that it was another hot day. Throughout the race, I passed a few people but a few passed me. I kept Dad in my sights the first lap, but lost track of him the second. The results say I finished 7th, but it felt like tenth. It was a hard but fun race.

Wednesday: 5 and a half miles.
Explored the Burlington Bike Path which had great views of Lake Champlain. The scenic parts of it were cool, but the narrow parts near train tracks or the road crossings weren't/

Thursday: 5 Miles.
Another tough run with plenty of elevation gain, we ran through Montreal to a park with many trails. It was hard climbing and climbing, but getting to the top was worth it.

Friday: 5 Miles.
The hardest run of the trip, we actually ran straight up Bromley mountain for a mile. I struggled to finish my least favorite run of the trip.

Saturday: 8 Miles.
A new 10K PR. Vermont Susan B. Komen Race for the Cure 10K. 38:32. Can definitely run faster. Next 10K wont be until next year. 2nd Overall, had difficulty in last two miles. Results.

Sunday: 7 Miles

Weekly Total: 42 Miles

Sailfest 5K

July 12, 2015

I got a good night's sleep for this race, which is something I don't do for every race. This was an event I had been awaiting for a while. I felt that I could run in the 17:10s for a 5K, and this would probably be the last chance to do it before cross country. So, I guess my plan coming into the race was around 17:15, or at least a PR. That all changed the day of the race. The heat was on, and it would certainly slow me down. I was still hoping to PR, but I wouldn't be too disappointed if it didn't happen. Last year, we were in Europe which caused us to miss it, and it ended up having quite a good turnout (I wouldn't have placed as high last year). I started to get nervous during the warm-up and the moments before. I saw a few fast guys around the start line- but no one who seemed like they could challenge me for an age group win. Eventually, the gun went off.

The Start

Mile 1: It went out fast, with Nicholas Magani quickly taking the lead and making a big gap between him and the second runner. I started out in 8th or so, near Dad and behind a bunch of teen runners, and a few other fast ones we knew. The first half mile went on that way. I starting breathing hard and looked at my watch often, it was around 5:20 pace. Soon, the group of teens dropped and I pulled into 6th. I could no longer see Dad since I had pulled ahead of him, and I was now going back and forth with a kid in a blue shirt, probably a few years younger than me. I passed him and pulled into 5th, despite his efforts to keep up. This happens towards the end of the mile. Now, Magani has a commanding lead, and 2nd and 3rd are a ways from me. 4th place, a kid about my age wasn't too far off. Soon I approach the first mile mark: the guy calls out 5:11. What? It's actually a little early, and my real mile split is 5:31.

Mile 2: The pace had dropped quite a bit since the speedy start. I was slowing down and I kept looking at my watch. I was tired from the first mile, and I wasn't sure how I'd hold out. As tired as I was in mile 1, Mile 2 was twice as brutal. Right after finishing mile one was the first hill. There was a sprinkler to the left and one to the right. I was going for a PR here, so I was taking extra distance on the left. I ran through the one of the right. Surprisingly, it didn't help or even feel that good. I finally finish the hill, and my pace has taken quite a punch. It's down to around 5:38 now, which is my PR pace, and I was still slowing down. Next came a long street with maybe some slight inclines. I started to close the gap on the kid. As much as I slowing down, he was even more. Now I've lost track of the leader and I can see 2nd and 3rd, with a good 30-second lead on me. By now, I've slowed down by so much I no longer expect to PR, and am hoping for a sub-18. I catch up to the 4th place guy and slowly pass him, before making a turn onto another street. Mile 2 is much slower, 5:50.

Mile 3: The turn is onto a busy street that we went onto in mile 1. Cars are passing me, I'm trying to put distance on this guy, but he's staying right with me. Soon comes another turn which is onto a hill. Fortunately it's not too long or too steep, but it certainly slows me down. We pass an intersection and I don't know where to go. I take a guess and go straight, which would make the most sense at an unmarked intersection. Fortunately I'm right and I don't go off course. Halfway up the hill, I'm not looking forward to going the rest of the way up. The pace actually hasn't been as slow as mile 2. Some people are at the turn and it's actually a right turn. I get excited that I'm no longer going up the rest of the hill. Next is a downhill. The pace increases and increases even when I finish the hill. I keep waiting and waiting for the final turn, but it doesn't seem to come. I finish mile 3, 5:35.

The Final Stretch: I'm going fast again and finally the turn comes. I didn't know how close the guy behind me was, and I just start sprinting. When I'm close enough to see the clock, it reads 17:18. I'm shocked. I had no idea I was that fast. My pace picks up when I start sprinting even faster and the last thing I read is 17:25. I finish and the guy behind me isn't even close. The pace for the last 0.1 is 4:38.

Final Result: My PR was 17:27, my watch said 17:27. I've either tied my PR, beat it by a second, or was a second slower. It's pretty obvious which I was hoping for. And I don't find out for a while, either. After soaking myself under the giant water hose several times and catching up with a few other runners, Dad and I head over to the results. It's hard to see from behind the crowd gathered around the results (and the people sticking their heads in front of it), but it looks like it was 17:26. When I get closer, I confirm it. 4th place, 17:26. It's great news. Another PR, if only by a second.

4th Place, 2nd in Age Group, PR of 17:26
Results

Next Race: Most Likely the Blessing of the Fleet 10-Miler on July 24

Weekly Log: July 6 to July 12

Monday: 6 Miles
I normally take Monday off, but instead tried out another fun run. This one was the Chariho fun run, and it was the second week of it. Dad and I had done it last year and maybe a few years before that and it ended up being the same course. Jonny Eckel had tagged along for the ride and the three of us decided to race the Mile and go easy on the 3-mile. The main competition in the mile was Chariho high school runners and some graduated runners. The first lap on the track placed in in third, even with Jonny, right ahead of Dad, and behind two Chariho guys, one I didn't know and another who lived in Westerly. After the lap, the course moved to a grass field where I went of ahead of Jonny towards the beginning and passed one of the two Chariho guys and stayed right behind the other. We got to the end of the field, now it was still on grass. I'm sticking right with the leader, Jonny's sticking right with me, and on the turn back onto the track he pulls back and tells me to go ahead. I sprint the final 300 meters as fast as I can and finish in 5:05. Dad and I take the 3-mile easy together, while Jonny remains in the lead pack, about 20 seconds ahead of us and comprised of several Chariho runners. 4 Miles for the two fun run events plus mile warm-up and cool down make six for the day.
Tuesday: 6 Miles
Another hot 3-mile warm-up, followed by a hot Stonington fun run. I took it easy and I always did and possibly picked it up the last mile.
Wednesday: 6 Miles
Tried a longer warm-up so I wouldn't have to cool-down in order to make 6 miles. Saw a deer, a rabbit, a dog, and a chipmunk in the Ice pond neighborhood. Came back covered in sweat, as usual. For some reason, I just went fast during the 5K. Ran mile one with Dad and Jonny Eckel (a surprise appearance), then surged ahead (or they fell behind) and ran consistently in the 5:40s. I felt hot and dead so I was glad to finish. A course PR of 18:11 for me.
Thursday: 9 Miles
Ran in the evening with Dad out to Watch Hill and came back on oceanview highway. Felt good about running 7:10s for a longer distance.
Friday: 6 Miles
Got it done mid-morning. Slow pace, but felt good coming back on the beach.
Saturday: 5 Miles
Cranked out 5 hot miles mid-morning and was very glad to finish.
Sunday: 5 Miles.
Sailfest 5K+ Warm-Up and Cool-Down. Write-Up within next three days. Results.

Weekly Total: 43 Miles

Weekly Log: June 29 to July 5

Monday: Day off, 0 Miles.

Tuesday: Stonington Fun Run, 6 Miles Total. Explored new roads on a longer than usual warm-up, then took the fun run easy at roughly a 7:20 pace. Biked there and back again with a bigger group than usual, for a biking total of 20 miles.

Wednesday: Westerly Fun Run, 6 Miles again. Two mile warm-up on Ocean view Highway (and for some reason my strava map came out really weird) before starting the run. When I came back my singlet was already soaked in sweat, so today wouldn't exactly be great running conditions. There was a good turnout of people, and I was trying to factor where I would place in the run. For the first mile I stayed with Dad while two older teenagers took the top two spots. I settled into third right after the first mile and started to push the pace to catch the second place guy, who had fallen back from the leader. I slowly gained on him and caught him right after the uphill. The first-place guy had at least a 15-second lead with a mile to go, so I decided not to go for first. That gap quickly dropped due to him making wrong turns or waiting for someone to tell him where to go. I corrected him back on course several times and finished right behind him. One mile cool-down on soft beach.

Thursday: 5 Miles. Hot again and got it over with mid-morning.

Friday: 7 Miles, waited until 7 PM for this run. Tried a new route: an out and back on shore road with a loop turnaround in Weekapaug.

Saturday: Long run with Dad, 13 Miles. Mixed roads and single track trails. Tiring and my longest run so far this year, but managed to complete it.

Sunday: 5 Miles again with Dad, this time closer to home and road and beach combo.

Weekly Total: 42 Miles