A Little Tardy

The title either means that I'm slightly late, or slightly special. Who says I can't be both?

Getting back from an extended weekend get-away, so I'm a little behind here. We'll have to see if we can dodge the storms this afternoon and get our run in. Now that the Corporate Challenge is over, I'm not sure what is on the docket. We will huddle before the run and come up with a plan. (With a few of us getting ready for the Boilermaker, longer speed work makes sense, but for others of us not doing the Boilermaker, should probably go back to 1/4 milers. Heck, Sue even did speed work on her own last night, so we should probably commemorate that somehow!)

Wait!

From what I heard and saw about the Corporate Challenge, it seemed like a lot of TRYers got a PR or were pleased with their performances. Nice! The crowd shots online at syracuse.com were crazy -- makes the approximately 7000 people look like a huge race. And all the team shirt colors mixed together help to make the photos really pop. Here is a shot where Brian (and Bill and Brian) are clearly visible in the fore. I'm sure there are other people in there if you know where to look:

Speaking of knowing where to look, in this video you can see Grabby right away, Tim finishing up his race about 3/4 of the way through, then Catherine right after that is the star of her own segment. And once again, if you are good at crowd spotting, I bet there are a couple other TRYers visible in the background shots.

It was great having some personal race support there this year, so thank you to the rowdy cheering gang from TRY that supported the runners and made it more fun for us! (And gave it more of TRY feel to the whole night, even though there was no TRY for a night.)

There Is No TRY

For one Tuesday every June, Yoda was right -- there is no TRY. The Chase Corporate Challenge takes over OLP and TRY is put off for a week. Most TRYers are able to participate so it's not a big deal. For those of you who aren't on corporate teams, I hope you find another place to train tomorrow or enjoy a slightly easier running week and use the night off as part of a step back week in your training.

For those of you new to the CC, it's as boring of a race course as you'll ever run. Despite being next to the lake, it just comes across as awful. I think it's partly to do with the four lane road, that is almost perfectly flat and mostly straight. And it's never fun when the turnaround is just a cone in the middle of the road that almost brings you to a stop as you come around it. And the finish drags on forever as it's 3.5 miles instead of a 5K and the way that the road curves away from you (and the width of the road plays a part as well) makes it seem like the finish will never get there.

But you can use some of this knowledge to your advantage. Look for your teammates, friends, and fellow TRYers as you cross each other on the out-and-back course. Give them a shout of encouragement! You'll notice that it gives you a boost too. And as you get past the low bridge, start to turn it on. You can rest when you are dead. And a lot of beginning runners fade at that point because it is longer than a 5K and because the finish is a bit of an optical illusion. So, get your drink just before the bridge (last drink break), get under the bridge and start to slowly use up whatever energy you have left. There is plenty of ground to cover, so pick someone a ways ahead of you and slowly reel them in. Nice and relaxed. Long comfortable strides. Deep, steady breathing. Most of the people around you haven't been doing speed-work. So, let your experience kick in and feel your body respond. You've done this before. They haven't. Now is the time to show it. Another big thing with this big of a race is to not burn out your energy at the beginning dodging traffic. Start a little slower than you want to. Let it open up a little. Then use that energy to run and make up for the little bit of lost time...not to dodge people. At the end, use the road to your advantage. Don't be out in the middle as you are doing the long, slow bend to the right. Be on the right hand edge. The shortest distance between two points is a straight line. And race courses are measured from the inside edge of turns. So, every corner that you take wider than you have to is wasted steps. Run smart. Run hard. And the most important thing to do in any race: Enjoy yourself! This is supposed to be fun. Make sure you remember that. And for goodness sake, if you hear a cowbell, be sure to smile. Every time a cowbell rings, a cow gets it's wings. Remember that. It's important.

After the race enjoy your company tent and any amenities it may provide. Go around finding your friends at other companies (always a fun thing to do the CC) and then as things are winding down, walk on over to the Retreat and join in for what is always an informal after hours gathering. Various people will be wearing their companies' shirts or the CC shirt and it makes for a simple, but festive post race atmosphere.

Good luck everyone! :-)

Weather forecast is mid-to-high 80s with the chance of a storm. Perfect CC weather! We lucked out there, so be thankful for that.

Flag Day

Following through on our incredibly long 3 week build-up to the Corporate Challenge, we will be doing 1 mile long repeats tonight. For the intermediate/advanced joggers, shot for 2 full ones:

1 mile warm-up, 1 mile at race pace, 1/2 mile active recovery, 1 mile at race pace, 1/2 mile cool down.

For the beginners, shoot for 1 full mile, with a shorter interval or two added:

1 mile warm-up, 1 mile at race pace, 1/2 mile active recovery, 1/2 mile on, 1/4 active recovery, 1/4 on, 1/2 mile cool down.

That way the two versions overlap pretty well. There is still a week til the CC, so let it all hang out tonight. Then, if you want to optimize your race day performance, take it a little easier this weekend.

Speaking of this weekend -- some of you new TRYers might not have any idea about "Relay For Life" coming up on Friday night. If you have any interest in staying up late and running in the dark, with a high likelihood of tripping, talk to Ally. She wants to talk to you about the event and how unique, interesting, and fun it can be. (It is even for a good cause.) And let's be honest, now that Ally is married, this is probably your only chance to spend the night with her! (Most likely, it is, anyway.) So, talk with her tonight. You won't be disappointed.

That's it. I'm tired.

A Well Oiled Machine

This week we will continue the plan from last week, building up to the Corporate Challenge in 2 more Tuesdays. For those who are able:

Week 2 (June 7th): 1/2 mile intervals. ("800s") Beginners 2-3, Advanced 4.

For people that aren't up for speed work, you don't have to do it, of course. But keep in mind its the optimal way to get the best workout, in the quickest amount of time and shortest overall distance ran. And since it teaches your body to perform under duress, it will help you in your races as you fatigue near the end. So, it really is a workout to strive for once a week. And doing it with the group on Tuesday lets you share your misery.

Speaking of sharing your misery -- "The Centipediatricians" defended their crown in the Paige's Butterfly Run on Saturday morning. They were a "well oiled machine" and somehow turned running leashed together into something that felt comfortable.

Congratulations on the feat and for all of the entertainment you brought to PBR 2011.

Upcoming days of note:

In two Fridays -- Relay for Life.

In two Tuesdays -- Corporate Challenge.

In five Sundays -- The Boilermaker.