Big shout out to Track Club star Andy, for completing his first 100M ultra marathon over the weekend. I must admit, when he told me about this last week on his way to SD, I thought he was nuts, but man, what an accomplishment. Would love to get some details, Andy. Take a well deserved rest!

Lean Horse Hundred

As we have mentioned, I have been running with The North Face now for a good bit. Carmichael Training Systems has provided some great information

Below are some great slideshows and a little about each one.

Energy Systems – A very in-depth discussion on how we use food and turn it to energy.  A good bit of info also about threshold basics and the kinds and types of things to eat for different events.

Running Workouts – A great presentation on strategies for workouts from Recovery Runs, Tempo Runs, and Endurance Runs to Strides,  Hill work and interval work.

Transitioning from Road to Trail – A great presentation on the pro’s and con’s of trail and road running and how to get more into trail running.

Surviving an Ultra and Race Day tips – For those of you looking to do an ultra this is a must read guide!

The Atlanta North Face Coach...

For those of you following along reguarly with us, you will notice we added several weeks ago runs on Wednesday nights starting from The North Face store in Buckhead. I would love to say that The North Face found out about ChadandDavesTrackClub.com and realized they needed Chad or Dave to help them start a running club, but I do not think that was the case

I applied to be the weekly run coach for the new running program they kicked off that helps promote the endurance challenge series races they are doing this year. I am sure after thousands of resume’s, rose to the top of the pile. However they came about it, I was offered the gig and figured if we were running anyway, why not start over there. It also seemed like a good way to get more exposure for our group and get our current members some free stuff maybe!

So check out the program The North Face is doing. They offer some great benefits for signing up, like 15% off purchases, seminars, special in-store shopping nights, happy hours, give aways, and VIP access at the Endurance Race. Cost is not steep, $45 bucks. If you want to sign up for the Flight Club (not Fight Club) and become a Flight Member click here.

Back to the Endurance Challenge Series. I think this is a pretty cool event and plan to run in the Atlanta race. As you know Chad enjoys trail running and I have never been. The Endurance Challenge Series is a trail race of multiple distances, so its perfect for the track club members! The Atlanta race is October 16-17 and they offer a 50 Mile, 50K, Marathon, Half-Marathon, Marathon Relay, Kids Run, 10K and 5K. (I know so many choices). The race will take place in F.D. Roosevelt State Park out near Pine Mountain.

So I look forward to seeing everyone on Wednesday nights in Buckhead! Check out this video about the race in Atlanta. MAN IT LOOKS FUN!!!  What distance are you going to race on October 16-17th!

SingleTrack Goes to Georgia

Keep on!

I am happy to announce that I was selected to be part of the 2010 Snickers Marathon Team! I am not sure exactly what I got myself into, but from what I can tell we are about to get more than our fair share of Snickers Marathon bars! I am excited because I think this will be a great opportunity to spread the word about a pretty good tasting bar, get free ones for track club stars, and keep me very motivated to race. Part of being on the team requires me to wear branded gear (which if you know me, you know I would probably sell space on my kids if it got me free running or bike gear).

I will keep you posted as things progress, I am waiting on my official welcome kit to arrive the first or second week of June! So do not be surprised if we start having Snickers Marathon Bars at some of our meet-ups!

With everything going on right now (working on some new businesses, running, family and just general summer time fun) I thought it would be a good idea to figure out what my race calendar should look like between now and the fall. As I have dove more and more into running/biking/swimming, I have started planning things around races.

For example, I have always liked the idea of camping, but never had the reason to go. With many of the triathlons at state parks, why not make it a weekend and camp. I noticed they have camp setup areas and from what I have researched, I am a great candidate for “car camping”. You know not the hard core backpack in and only bring what you can carry, but drive up and throw up the tent near the car and use the showers/bathrooms around the bend.

June 5th – Tri the Parks Sprint Distance Triathlon – Newnan, GA
July 4th – Peachtree Road Race – 10K – Atlanta, GA
June 13th – Westpoint Lake Olympic Distance Triathlon – Newnan, GA
July 11th – Chattanooga Waterfront Olympic Distance Triathlon – Chattanooga, TN
August 14th – Tri the Parks Olympic Distance Triathlon – Elberton, GA
September 11th – Tri the Parks Sprint Distance – Carrolton, GA
September 26th – IRONMAN 70.3 – Augusta, GA
October 8-10th – 200 Mile Relay – Southern Odessy
October 16-17th – The North Face Endurance Challenge – Distance not decided yet – Pine Mountain, GA

So, as you can see I have my OCD in full throttle. I have left open some time in late July and early August, so if anyone has any good race ideas around that time let me know!

Also if anyone wants to sign up for any of these races, click the links and do it! Let me know and we can train together! ** Keep in mind most of these races will sell out, so that is why I register in advance vs road races that you can usually register for the week of. So register early and use that as motivation to get going on your training.

I would love to hear from everyone else what your race schedules are this year!!

One of the things I have found that makes racing even funner than it is already is when you know people at the race and when you train for race with other people. I have posted below the races I signed up for so far this year. This is not to say I might add another, but I figured like anything else, if you post and share it, you have to do it right?? I picked these races because they fit my schedule, I had friends that were racing in them, they were pretty close (driving distance) and were a variety of distances. You might notice I did not list many (only 1) road race. This is because I tend to sign up for those at the last minute based on how I feel, who is racing in it, and how my training is going.

Me on lap 3 of my Ironman 70.3 in May 2010

Well I ran my first Ironman 70.3 distance and lived to talk about it. What an experience. I have been training all year for this race and felt I nailed it. The race was at Fort Wilderness Lodge at Disney World. I initally thought I would get to see the parks and run through them, but nope, we never made it in to a park on the race. I did however spend a week after the race at Disney World with the family and had a blast (more on that later).

As my first Ironman 70.3 i was excited and did not know what to expect. The registration was very smooth and the volunteers were great. I checked out the Ironman store (and got out with only a water bottle purchased), the transition area and the swim start area on Friday.

Saturday the family and I went out to the Magic Kingdom and spent most of the day standing in lines, riding rides, and chasing the kids. I made it back over at 4PM to the bike check in. I was worried because my rear tube busted due to sitting in a hot car all day (yep, should have let some air out). I put a new tube in, only to have it get pinched and go flat also. I took my bike to the Ironman bike shop and of course I was not the only one with issues. That made me feel better, but then got the news that I would have to wait around till almost 7PM for them to help me out. I know I could change the tire myself, but after 1 failed attempt decided to wait it out. I was worried because I was out in the sun all day, was going to push back my dinner plans, and with my OCD about scheduling, this was all messed up.

I made it through getting my bike fixed, bought the guys at Ironman Bike Shop a pizza for some good karma (Thanks to bike tech Steven!) and checked my bike in. I headed off for some pasta and got to bed by 10:30PM

The day of the race I was up and ready at 4AM. I had called a cab company for pickup, but at 4:45 they were still not there. I started thinking, man this is a bad sign, but just as I started to think negative a radom cab came by and picked me up! I made it with enough time to get my gear set up in transition. The one thing I did was bring a pump. A very good idea. The one thing I forgot was that you can not see in the dark and at 5:30AM its pretty dark, so in the future I will bring a flashlight. The best idea I saw was the ones that go on your head. Perfect to give you light to set up your gear.

My wave was the last one to go off, so that means I got to wait nervous for about an hour while others took off. Needless to say I hit the bathroom a few times for good measure, applied sunscreen a good bit (although i forgot to re-apply at T1) and cheered on the others from Dynamo Multisport that were racing. When we got to take off, it was 7:24am and already warm and sunny. The swim was probably my favorite part of the entire race. As the last wave there was not a big crowd. I also took the advice of Matthew Rose, one of my coaches, who said to line up opposite the first bouy and just say a little wide. It might be a little longer distance, but no fighting for space on the swim. All the practice and whippings by Maria (my other coach) in the long pool paid of as I exited the swim feeling great.

The bike was pretty uneventful and what I considered to be fast, however after looking at my time, this is the area i can improve the most. I hydrated well and followed the coaches advice by fueling up on the first part of the ride. I was at a crossroad however around mile 25 as I had to pee bad! It took me 5-10 miles to figure out my plan. I figured I could not make it the other 30 miles back to transition area, and wondered what others did. I seriously thought about just going while on the bike, but that was gross and probably just plain dumb. At mile 35 there was water station and low and behold 3 porta johns! I figured hmmm those are there for a reason, so I took 3 mins and hit them up. That was the best decision I made on the bike. I felt so much better and figured I could make up the 3 mins now that I was not in pain!

The run was a 3 loop march of death for most people. It was great because you could go by spectators 3 times, it was bad because you felt like you were on a track. I got off the bike and my right food was sore on the outside edge, something with not pedaling right I am sure. It took a few miles to get that out of the way, but I kept my pace slower than I wanted to make sure I did not burn out. (Another tip from Coach Maria and Matt.) The race had plenty of water and ice stations, which helped with the insane heat. The worst part of the run was a mile or more stretch off road in a grass field with a stream. It was easy 10 degrees hotter with no shade. I saw several people collapsed with medical folks all around them.

As I started lap 3, I knew I had it in me to finish, and felt pretty good. As I was headed down the last half a mile, it was great to see other Dynamo team members cheering and great crowd support. My wife and kids were there and of course taking pictures. I finished with a time of 6:12. I wanted to finish my first race in under 6 hours, but felt good with my time as I was not in pain, to exhausted to walk, or sick. I felt good and know looking back I could have pushed a little harder on the bike and run.

Fireworks at Magic Kingdom

We spent the next week at Disney World exploring all the parks. It was days filled with walking and running around. I did a few small runs and rides, but the walking really helped. I came back rested (from an exercise stand point) and exhausted (from a kids standpoint). Since I did not put sunscreen on at T1 or T2 I am still rocking a nice bubba tan that looks like I wear a wife beater. Oh well, small price to pay for a great race.

Still happy on that march of death of a run!

Me and the Dynamo Ladies at Lake Lucy Swim

Well, you are almost there.  Two more weeks until the 5k.  Hope you have enjoyed the training so far.  Here is the schedule for this week.  Unsolicited tip — if vacationing at the beach this weekend, do yourself a favor and get up a little earlier than everyone else and sneak in a run.  I promise, you will thank me for it.  There is something very cool about being one of the first people out on the beach.  You will also feel better as you skin it up later in the day.

Have a great Memorial Day weekend.  God Bless the USA. =)

Beginner Program — Week 5

Mon Rest
Tue Run 9 mins, walk 1 min. Do 3 times
Wed Rest
Thu Run 12 mins, walk 2 mins. Do twice then run for 5 mins
Fri Rest
Sat Rest
Sun Run 8 mins, walk 2 mins. Do 3 times

Intermediate Program – Week 5

Mon Rest
Tue 25-30 mins easy
Wed Rest
Thu 10 mins easy, then 3 x 3 mins brisk with 3-min jog recoveries, then 10 mins easy
Fri Rest
Sat 25 mins easy
Sun 35 mins easy

Feeling stronger? Faster? Hope you guys are keeping up with the workouts. I assure you, it will pay off. Dave and I both have had a couple of firsts over the weekend and we look forward to sharing — Dave completed his first Half Ironman (way to go Dave!) and I completed my first Sprint Triathlon. It was a lot of fun and I am proud to say that the running leg was by far my strongest. I think it has something to do with the 5k speed workouts.

Here is the schedule for Week 4:

Beginner’s Program Week 4

Mon Rest
Tue Run 8 mins, walk 2 mins. Do 3 times
Wed Rest
Thu Run 10 mins, walk 2 mins. Do twice then run for 5 mins
Fri Rest
Sat Rest
Sun Run 8 mins, walk 2 mins. Do 3 times

Intermediate Program Week 4

Mon Rest
Tue 10 mins easy, then stretch, then 1 measured mile, timed, fast, then 10 mins easy
Wed Rest
Thu 10 mins easy, then 20 mins fartlek, then 10 mins easy
Fri Rest
Sat 20 mins easy
Sun 45 mins easy

Here is the schedule for this week. I have been recieving some great feedback, so you guys keep it up. The speed work has been a little tough — I am used to just running at a comfortable pace, but I know it will be worth it when I shatter my previous PR. Have a great week.

Beginner’s Program

WEEK THREE

Mon Rest
Tue Run 7 mins, walk 2 mins. Do 3 times
Wed Rest
Thu Run 8 mins, walk 2 mins. Do 3 times
Fri Rest
Sat Rest
Sun Run 8 mins, walk 2 mins. Do 3 times

Intermediate Program

WEEK THREE

Mon Rest
Tue 25-30 mins easy
Wed Rest
Thu 10 mins easy, then 20 mins fartlek (free-form fast and slow running)
Fri Rest
Sat 25 mins easy
Sun 40 mins easy

Sorry that I am a little late getting the program details out today.  Life called.  Hope your first week was a good one.  I had a new personal best on my 3.7M Buckhead run this morning, so this thing must be working.  Good luck.

Beginner’s Program – WEEK TWO

Mon Rest
Tue Run 3 mins, walk 3 mins. Do 4 times
Wed Rest
Thu Run 3 mins, walk 3 mins. Do 4 times
Fri Rest
Sat Rest
Sun Run 5 mins, walk 3 mins. Do 3 times

Intermediate Program – WEEK TWO

Mon Rest
Tue 20-25 mins easy
Wed Rest
Thu 10 mins easy, then 4-5 x 90 secs brisk with 2.5-min jog recoveries, then 10 mins easy
Fri Rest
Sat 20 mins easy
Sun 35 mins easy