[RACE REPORT] Rookie Tri Mistakes: The Maple Leaf City Triathlon

When I started doing the Hy-Vee Triathlon in August/September, preceded by the Prairie Punisher Duathlon in July, slowly but surely late summer became the unofficial multi-sport season for me, just as cycling season was starting to cool off. Last year, with my cycling season...truncated...two added duathlons in August drove late summer's unofficial multi-sport season in to official status. And this year even more so: between July 12th and September 1st, I would have one team duathlon, two team triathlons, two solo duathlons and two solo sprint triathlons -- almost one a week, with only two weeekends' "breaks" between.

The Danisco Prairie Punisher Duathon two weeks ago passed with flying colors, including gold, taking a four-for-four first place in likely "Team Staples'" final relay running of the event (next year we plan to each go it solo). The UCP Shawnee Mission Triathlon ended in a wash-out (but not without nearly three hours standing in the rain during delays). And now with "cycling season" (if you can call it that) officially in the rear view, multi-sport season can officially commence with this weekend's Maple Leaf City Triathlon, a sprint triathlon offering in Baldwin City, Kansas.

This would be my third triathlon (if my LifeTime indoor triathlon counts, that is), and my first since May, when I suffered a kick to the face during the swim portion, although still taking 3rd in-category. Though the face-kick still feels fresh in my mind, I would go in to this weekend with high ambition. The Maple Leaf City Tri is by no means a large event, and attracts athletes from across the entire spectrum of ability, making this another great opportunity to stand on-podium. Let there be no mistake about it: I'm still a fair bit nervous. But entering race weekends with said nervousness always give prime opportunity to take that anxious energy and convert it into powerful race day efforts.

Enter the Maple Leaf City Triathlon, starting first with the typical course preview.

Course Preview
          Swim Leg
Like all other sprint triathlons I have this year (because I'm still not sold on swimming in lakes), the swim leg is held in an outdoor pool, at the Baldwin City Pool. It appears there are six 25-yard lanes, so I'm not quite sure how swim is going to be run (perhaps two per lane rather than swim-in/swim-out option??). Either way, participants will be competing - presumably - 6 laps, followed by running out to the parking lot in front of the aquatic center where transition will be held. Not much information was posted prior to race day, so it will just be one big happy surprise!

The bike route, with one of a few of the offered mini-climbs highlighted.
(Image courtesy of Google Earth) (TrainingPeaks course profile HERE)

          Bike Leg
The bike leg, however, is a touch more transparent prior to race day. Though the specifics of where transition starts and stops wasn't available in time for course preview, the route itself was. Like this year's Kansas Time Trial Championships, this route would be difficult to get lost on. The city pool -- and thus, transition -- is on Fremont Street. A short pedal west to 6th street offers the first of two turns (three, if you count the turn-around). A left turn on 6th Street and it's a straight-shot out to the intersection at Shawnee Road where the turn-around is. Inbound is the reverse of outbound: north on 6th Street (which is called "Ohio Road" on the outskirts of town) with a right-turn back on to Fremont where transition is. Easy peasy.

Also like the Kansas Time Trial Championships, the course is pocked with the rolling hills that are so-common to the Eastern Kansas countryside. Though there are no "categorized" climbs, several mini-climbs mark the route, including at miles 4.68, 5.85, 8.00, and 11.00. Each are between 50 and 100 feet climbing, with the longest at the 8-mile mark, and the steepest at the 5.85-mile mark, right out of the turnaround. This should require a few out-of-the-saddle quick pips, although a seated position would be preferred. Also common to most all Kansas countryside rides, wind will be the biggest factor. Any gusts will be immediately felt on the bike, so the lowest-possible profile will reap the largest benefits.

This course is short and relatively shallow, so the most competitive cyclists will have the aerodynamic advantage. Climb specialists won't really get much a chance to work their advantages, and those with large surface areas (including the lengthy, like me), will need to find the most aerodynamic tuck as possible almost immediately out of the gate. Weather forecasts approaching the weekend are calling for the possibility of rain, which will not likely affect the ride much, given the lack of cornering.

          Run Leg

The run course, with Orange Street Hill highlighted and placemark'ed.
(Image courtesy of Google Earth) (TrainingPeaks course profile HERE)

Unlike the bike leg, which claims to be just short of 20k (it's actually only about 11.7 miles), the run leg is a true 5k on the dot. The route should give athletes a nice tour of Baldwin City, as the route treks east out of transition to the east side of town by the track and football field before turning north on 2nd Street to the north side of town. Nearing the highway in the northeast corner, the run turns left again heading west on Chapel Road, through Baldwin City's neighborhoods. Once the route reaches the north-central part of town, it heads south through the city center, including past City Hall and through downtown, all along Eighth Street. At the southern edge of town, runners will turn east on Newton, which turns into Orange Street as it passes 6th, intersecting with the bike route (given the relatively small participation numbers, collisions I'm sure will be rare). On eastbound Orange, runners will face their only significant climb before turning north on 3rd Street back in to town. A right on High Street, followed by an immediate left on 2nd Street, and athletes will spill on to Baldwin High School's oval track. The finish line is on the track itself after nearly a full 400m lap of the stadium.

The run out of transition is a slow ascent over the first mile before increasingly descending on the southbound run along Eighth Street. Turning east on Newton/Orange Street gives the route it's only rated climb, a quarter-mile run up 67 feet and at a 4% average gradient, with some places reaching nearly 10%. There are three non-rated ascents on the inbound approach towards the finish, which may shove athletes a bit further in to redline territory.

With the Orange Street Hill, the slow ascent out of start, and the slow ascent in to finish, runners may feel like they are climbing the majority of the route, and the run course climbs a full 241 feet over it's short 3.1 miles. Competitive run leg times will likely be with the more seasoned of sprint-distance triathletes, and those that can reach deeper in their "suitcases of pain" than the average. A good fueling strategy during the bike may also help propel tired legs through the run.

Pre-Race

The weather forecast as of Monday afternoon.
(Courtesy of NOAA)

The Monday before race day, the forecast would call for a 30% chance of thundershowers with temperatures in the lower- to mid-70's. Humidity would be high, topping out at near 90%. That afternoon would bring a heat index, so if there were any motivation to finish quick, it would be to avoid the afternoon onslaught of steamy conditions. As of now, the swim would likely be a touch chilly, the bike comfortable (albeit a bit humid), and the run possibly overheating. With the added humidity, drying off out of the water would probably take a fair bit of time.

As early as the next day, rain chances were further isolated to Friday overnight into Saturday very early morning, and throughout the week, would be removed completely. The rest of the forecast would remain, particularly the humidity, and temps were boosted to highs in the mid-90's. The temps at start time would stay near the same (low- to mid-70's), quickly climbing to near the daytime high, so finishing fast would be doubly-important for Saturday: the longer out there, the warmer it would get, and the more miserable the run would be.

Given the long drive to Baldwin City (about an hour from me), I decided to keep packet pick-up for race-morning.

Training this week was quite intense, with a triathlon-specific brick workout on Tuesday, hill-climb exercises on Wednesday, and a long tempo ride on Thursday. Going in to pre-race rest day Friday, my legs were still quite tired. The focus pre-race would be recovery and healthy eating (which I'd been struggling with quite a bit lately).

Race Day

With only three hours sleep and torturous allergies, I woke up race morning feeling as if I'd pulled an all-nighter. I was excited and nervous all the same, but unlike normal race days past, in a very dense fog. The 45-minute drive along country highways didn't help, nor did the sun, which by this time of year, was waking up later and later by the day.

Arriving in Baldwin City, parking was easy, located just north of our finish line inside Baldwin High School's football stadium and track. Though not immediately next to the city pool, where we would start, the walk was less than a city block. Closer to race time, the west side of the parking lot became inaccessible due to closures, but the east side of the lot remained wide open. Getting in and out by spectators would be easy throughout the race's entirety.

I grabbed my transition bag, bike, and headed to the city pool. The transition area was composed of eight racks, four on each side, lined up in rows where the city pool parking lot would normally be. Transition in was on the west side of the row, and transition exit halfway down the row on the north side. The east side of transition was capped off by barriers. Transition was non-assigned, so I opted for the most-open transition area I could find, right inside transition entrance, and only six-or-so steps from transition exit. The area around transition exit was way to crowded, and seemed a worthless sacrifice for only a few extra steps.

Once my transition area was established, I grabbed my packet. Baldwin City was too far away from me for early packet pick-up, and it seemed a good portion of participants felt the same. I grabbed my spot in line about seven back. Packets included a race bib with "sticky chip," the ankle bracelet chip (not sure why there were two?), a small drawstring bag from Novo Nordisk, a few coupons, a Kansas road map and Baldwin city map (which I though was a nice touch, actually!), and the race t-shirt (which is a cool design). Despite being six back, packet pick-up and body marking was quick, and volunteers were really nice and always smiling and chatting with athletes and spectators.

I finished preparing transition (and myself). I stuck my bib number in to my waistband number holder...and one of the bib number's holes ripped. Ummm -- is this an omen? I grabbed a safety pin from my bag and fashioned a new hole. Triathletes are notorious McGuyvers when they need to be. Running shoes? Check. Cycling cleats? Check. Running visor? Check. Helmet? Check. Sunglasses? ....ummmm sunglasses??? Uh oh. Omen #2. I have an extra pair in my car -- one that has been subjected to about 6 summers of nose-piece-melting sunlight, but it would have to do. And just in time for organizers to call "transition closing in 5 minutes!" Why is transition closing 45 minutes before start time?? Spare sunglasses...check.

I grabbed my goggles and swim cap and headed to the pool to ready for the start. Race instructions were already underway...What?? Turns out my Gcalendar was wrong -- race time was 7am, not 7:30 like I'd thought this whole time. So that's why transition closed at 6:45...it was only 15 minutes before start. Thank goodness for early arrivals. Omen #3? Is my life in danger here?

Swim would start in waves depending on estimated 300y time. Then athletes would start down the lane in roughly 30-second intervals. It would be important to stay left of the lane line, as the swim included an out-and-back before switching to the next lane. I grabbed a spot just short of the 5:30 time wave, about 12 people back or so. And before I knew it, the first swimmer was in.

I got nervous. Flashbacks to the face-kick from May's CGSC Triathlon kept cropping up, along with my thus-far 3 omens on the morning. A mere five minute later, and it was my turn. "GO!" and in I went.

If you've never shared a lane with someone at the pool, it's certainly an essential experience before going in to a race format like this. At the pool, lane ethics are usually adhered to. If lane-sharing is necessary at the pool, newbies often shy away, leaving the lane-sharing experience to the swim-experienced. This means, come race day, inexperience combined with adrenaline, and lane ethics go out the window.

Swim out. (Photo courtesy of SeeKCRun.com)

Such was the case for the swimmer behind me. I kept my pace the entire swim, meaning gaining no ground on the swimmer ahead, but no losing no ground on the swimmer behind, so I passed by the swimmer behind me a little more midway down each lane, just in time for his wall push-off. Apparently the "stay left of the lane line" instructions were lost on him, resulting in a near-collision with each lap. I would've thought the strong brush against each others' bodies would've been indication enough that an adjustment was needed, but apparently not. Luckily, I made it out of the water with no incident, maintaining my position, including the just-under-5:30 pace I'd estimated (5:22). Shoes on, crappy glasses on, earplugs out, HRM sensor on, and I was off. T1 was smooth, albeit a touch slow, but successful. No omens there.

Then, the bike. Which was...interesting. I have included the bike video part one and two below, but if not interested, the short summary goes as follows: Forgot to turn on camera until 2 miles in; 2.5mi...why are my legs so damn tired??; passed at 3 miles...what???; passed again and again; something starts squeaking on my bike around 4 miles...crap; a loose skewer? nope; THE BRAKES ARE OUT OF ALIGNMENT AND RUBBING AGAINST MY WHEELS! THAT'S why I'm struggling so much; open the brakes, and my speed rockets forward; I have a lot of ground to make up; average speed only 16mph at the turnaround...crap; northbound give me a tailwind...I'm flying; pass a few on the way back; in to town, mile 10, my average speed is just short of 19mph...I would've averaged this at the turnaround had it not been for my brakes; enter transition in 10th place.

         2014 MAPLE LEAF CITY TRIATHLON, BIKE LEG, PT. 1 (direct link)

         2014 MAPLE LEAF CITY TRIATHLON, BIKE, LEG, PT. 2 (direct link)

On the road north on the bike, I couldn't shake the disturbing amalgamation of absolute horror, sheer embarrassment, and crippling anger that came with such a mortifying mistake. A simple bike inspection -- a necessity before every ride, let alone race -- would've kept that from happening. A true rookie error -- and I wasn't even a rookie. All I could do was take my anger out on the pedals, attempting to make up as much lost ground as possible. Sure, I had a hilly run at the end of the bike that I should save some energy for, but I had to take the risk of bonking to make up for my mistake. Every pedal stroke was focused on picking up lost time.

Braking for dismount. (Photo
courtesy of SeeKCRun.com)

Entering town, visualizing transition wasn't an option.  I had to keep pounding out a rhythm. Dismount line ahead --  The final miles of the bike should be spent visualizing transition, but I was too busy beating myself up. Dismount successful. Run to transition...and suddenly every volunteer starting yelling. WRONG WAY, WRONG WAY! I was headed towards transition out. damn. Another rookie error. I ran back towards transition in and hooked my bike. Another few seconds lost. Visor on, shoes on, and off on the run I went. damn, damn, DAMN! 

I found my run rhythm fast, finding a threshold 7:30 pace, slightly faster than my usual duathlon pace. My legs were exhausted from all that wasted energy...wasted through the brakes! Ugh...I had to put it out of mind, though. I was able to pass several to jump back in to 10th (who knows how much higher in the standings I'd be if I hadn't made my mistakes! ugh), and saw one up the road that, if I kept stamping out this pace, could catch by mile 2. I tried to enjoy the run a bit, as the course worked its way through the pretty neighborhoods and downtown streets of Baldwin City, but my focus was fierce. I kept my eyes fixed on the back of the runner in front of me, who himself appeared to be approaching a runner in front of him. If I could catch him, I could leapfrog past him up two spots in to 8th.

The southern stretches of road are where the hills come in to play. My heart rate began to tiptoe upwards, but it was my legs that were really telling me to slow down. I ignored, narrowed my focus, and put in a quick surge to overtake 9th. Then came the Orange Street Hill. This is where I would have to show strength at a time when everyone else was tiring. I pushed to my limit, overtaking 8th halfway up Orange. Cresting the top, my legs were running on fumes. They wanted to give out underneath me. Just a short mile to go. My body wanted to go in to survival mode, but I had to assure my 8th place and keep at this pace.

100m to finish, neck-and-neck for 8th place. He's starting his sprint,
and I'm trying my best to respond. (Photo courtesy of SeeKCRun.com)

1km to go, and the stadium was just up ahead. In the distance behind me, a runner was approaching, one I could remember passing way back on the second half of the bike. I tried to put in an effort, by my legs wouldn't let me. On to the track, and less than 400m to go. Only a few short seconds later, a quickly-approaching 9th place would step on to the track as well. Around the track's last bend, 200 meters to go, I hugged the inside line as much as I could without disqualification. By the time I reached the final straight, he was right in my slipstream. I waited for his sprint until it came at 100m to the finish. He kicked -- strong -- and I tried to respond...but my legs wouldn't allow it. Nothing left, I could only hold pace. He took 8th, and I coasted across the line a few seconds later in 9th.

The result of my sprint attempt: losing by 25m. My
furious attempt to make up time on the bike resulted
in having no legs left for the end of the run, or else I
might have been able to contest the sprint better.

Looking back, I can't help but feel that something was telling me to focus and double-check everything
before toeing the start. Too ominous to be purely coincidental, a simple 5-second adjustment of the bike would've saved upwards of 5 minutes off of my bike time, possibly putting me as far up as a top-3 placing, or at least a top-5 for sure.There are morals in this story, but it should go without saying. Luckily I would have 4 races in the next six weeks to make it up, but I would no doubt lose sleep over this one.

Let's just say I'll be double-checking my brakes from now on.



A huge thanks to the event organizers and volunteers of this incredible event. In only its second year, the event ran like clockwork because of everyone's amazingly hard work. If interested, visit the event's Facebook page HERE.

Also a big thanks to SeeKCRun, who always provides great race photos free of charge at a variety of events across the KC area. If you ever see them at your event, say hello to Ross...dude is a rockstar. You can visit their website at SeeKCRun.com.


Race Metrics: 2014 Maple Leaf City Triathlon
          SWIM LEG
Distance: 300y                       Time: 5:22
Pace: 1:40/100y                     kCal: 80kcal
          TRANSITION 1
Time: 1:32
          BIKE LEG
Distance: 11.70mi                  Time: 36:59
Avg. Speed: 19.0mph             Max. Speed: 31.9mph
kCal: 588kcal                        Elev. Gain: +535ft
Avg. HR: 160bpm                  Max. HR: 171bpm
Avg. Cadence: 86rpm            Max. Cadence: 118bpm
TrainingPeaks Activity Profile HERE
          TRANSITION 2
Time: 1:00
          RUN LEG
Distance: 3.02mi                    Time: 22:16
Avg. Pace: 7:27/mi                 Max. Pace (1/2mi): 7:18/mi
kCal: 367kcal                        Elev. Gain: +180ft
Avg. HR: 167bpm                  Max. HR: 176bpm
Avg. Cadence: 164spm         Max. Cadence: 174spm
Avg. VO: 11.4cm                   Avg. GCT: 260ms
TrainingPeaks Activity Profile HERE


Keep R/B/S-ing. -tds

~~__o

  _-/<,_

@/   @

[COURSE REVIEW] UCP Shawnee Mission Triathlon

SHAWNEE MISSION PARK, Kansas -- As crazy as it may seem, the weekend of July 12th would not only include the high-target race Prairie Punisher Duathlon, but would also include, only 24-1/2 hours later, "Team Staples'" first running of the UCP Shawnee Mission Triathlon. The Prairie Punisher Duathlon is always a key race in my (and my sister's) year's schedule. However, given Team Staples' late-August run in the Hy-Vee Triathlon, and my jam-packed August of duathlons, a solid tune-up race would be ideal in preparation for these events. The UCP Shawnee Mission Triathlon would be the perfect opportunity.

Course Preview
     Swim Course

The swim leg, courtesy of Google Earth.

True to the race's name, the entire triathlon takes place at Shawnee Mission Park in Shawnee Mission/Lenexa, Kansas. The swim, as it were, take place in Shawnee Mission Lake. There are two course options for the triathlon: a 1000m/18mi/4.5mi long-course, and a 500m/9mi/5k short-course. We would be running the long course, including the 1000 meter swim. The swim starts and Shawnee Mission Beach on the north side of the lake, swims out roughly 600 meters, and back 400 meters to Shawnee Mission Lake Marina, also on the north side of the lake. Transition is in the marina's main parking lot, uphill from the swim exit point. In fact, the whole transition area sits tilted on a hillside, which may add to any out-of-water vertigo suffered by participants.

     Bike Course
After negotiating out of transition, the long-course bike route is four laps around Shawnee Mission Park (to the short-course's two laps), equaling just short of 18 miles. There are sixteen total climbs on the route, although in reality it's four climbs repeated four times over. Shawnee Mission Park has always been regarded as a great place to practice repeated short bursts of effort up climbs, over and over again. Come race day, it will serve as a pain factory, with nearly 1,500 feet of total climbing.

The bike course, with dreaded Lookout Hill highlighted.
(Image courtesy of Google Earth)
(TrainingPeaks course profile HERE)

The first climb, starting just at the end of Shawnee Mission Lake's Johnson County Dam, is the nastiest of the four, and can really be split in to two section. The first half of climb #1 (what I affectionately refer to as "Lookout Hill") is by far the most painful, an almost-7% average ascent up 51 feet, before leveling out slightly in to the second half, at 4%, up towards lookout tower. Overall, climb #1 is a half-mile at 5% average and 10% a the initial foot of the climb. After lookout tower, a fast downhill leads straight in to climb #2, a quarter mile at almost 6%. Another drop in to Climb #3, this time only 0.15 miles, but still at 5.6%. The final climb comes just before turning back west towards the lake, and again is split in two, the first half also more steep, and averaging under 5% over a scant tenth of a mile.

The north side of the lake provides some wonderful respite in preparation for the next lap, and with some
power on the pedals, can produce some lightning-fast speeds. A few minor up-ticks pop up on approach to the transition area before heading back out on to Johnson County Dam. On the road along the dam, wind will likely be the biggest factor, as the road is perched up on a hill with zero shielding from any gusts.

Over the course as a whole, the repetitiveness of the hill-climbs will be the largest factor, and a rhythm will have to be established right from the start. As my own personal training grounds, I'm very familiar with each climb, and have found standing on the pedals for the first half of climb one, followed by sitting, then standing on the pedals for all of climb two, sitting for climb three, and standing for both parts of climb four, to be the easiest to manage. Again, take advantage of the speed allowed by the north side of the lake, but don't completely bomb it, as the last flat spot across the dam doesn't provide the same amount of respite with faces to the wind. And break out the compact cranks: the small ring will be needed for most of these climbs.

     Run Course

The 4.5-mile long-course run course, with the longest
Climb #2 highlighted (Image courtesy of Google Earth)
(TrainingPeaks course profile HERE)

Accomplishing T2 involves a slight uphill run out of transition to actually get on-course. Once on course, long-course participants will start the 4.5-mile run leg on the northwestern corner of the bike route, including the first half of Lookout Hill, a quarter-mile at 7% grade. Then the looooong fall from the wall -- about three-quarters of a mile to be exact. Though it sounds welcoming, the harsh pounding of the pavement will no-doubt absolutely trash quads. The fall leads in to the back multi-use trails of the Mill Creek Streamway trail. Once on the main trail -- which takes nearly 2 miles to get to -- the course is pancake-flat. Just before the finish line is where it picks up again, and throws the most difficult climb (less steep than Lookout Hill, but much longer) of the run route: a 0.30-mile, 5.5% ascent back up towards the lake. The finish is at the end of a short-yet-very-steep mini-climb, adding insult to likely injury.

Race Day Rainout

I awoke Sunday Morning with brief flashes of lightning off to the north. "It's off to the north," I
thought. "It will stay off to the north." I checked out the weather: 60% chance of thundershowers. Damn. The radar: Showers all over the place, many bearing down on us. Damn.

The transition area beginning to buzz. Storms to the west are creeping in.

No delays up to as late as 15 minutes before the first wave start. It was sprinkling, but just sprinkles. Definitely something that could be competed in. Then, 5 minutes before the start, delayed. At first temporarily. 30 minutes later, athletes started filing in to the transition area. The word: 2 hour delay. Almost on cue, the rain started falling harder. Then pouring. A few flashes of lightning. I sought shelter.

For an hour I stood in the rain under a tree, soaked and freezing. The announcer came over the loudspeaker, explaining that another line was to the west, and they were monitoring whether or not it would hit us. If it looked like it would, they would cancel. If it wasn't, 9:00 (2-hour delay) should be the start time.

I decided to seek out warmer climates, and hitched a ride on one of the buses that were being offered to spectators to and from the parking areas. I decided a few winks of sleep in a warm car would be nice. I set an alarm for 20 minutes, after which I would head back down to the start and get the latest update. Only two minutes after I started my alarm, a car drove by with loudspeakers on the top, the driver shouting instructions. I shut off my car's heater so I could listen in: "Once again, today's triathlon is cancelled."

Weeks upon weeks of course-specific training, a 4:30am wake-up, over an hour standing in the rain upon wait...only to be sent back home. A damn shame. The rain was heavy for a while, but by now had slowed, and the skies were clearing. Was this line of thunderstorms to the west really that bad? This imminent? I slipped on my Zoot running shoes and went for a run down to the transition area (had to get some bit of an exercise in -- I fueled while I waited and had to burn off the excess calories). I grabbed my bike, rode it up to the car, drove home, laid out my transition bag in the living room to dry its contents out, and went back to sleep.

Waking up two hours later, the sun was shining, the air was warm. Storms never moved through -- they would pass off to the south, leaving only sunshine in its wake. A damn shame.


Keep R/B/S-ing. -tds

~~__o

  _-/<,_

@/   @

[RACE REPORT] 4-for-4: The Danisco Prairie Punisher Duathlon

GARDNER, Kansas -- My very first "cycling" race was actually a team duathlon back in 2009. This is when I got my first taste of competition. Sure, our team (I did the cycling leg of the run-bike-run race) wasn't the most competitive, but that taste was enough to get me hooked. The preparation, the anticipation, the speed, the spectators... Beyond the sentimental value I had assigned to it over the years, the Danisco Prairie Punisher is always well-run and an absolute blast, and would be an event I would visit over and over again.

The 2010 running came, and by then I was a truly competitive cyclist, with a love for the time trial discipline. My teammate (my sister) and I took first overall in our category, an honor we would hold for the next three years. 2013 marked the first year I missed since my first running in '09, but only due to my suffering concussion two weeks prior. Our streak would stop at 3. As such, 2014 would mean that much more. It would be our time to take back our rightful spot on the top of our co-ed category (once again, with my sister), and likely for the last time, as my sister starts to foray in to cycling herself, and has vowed to "kick my ass" in the 2015 running (we'll see about that).

Alongside the Prairie Punisher, our "Team Staples" preparation for the 2014 Hy-Vee Triathlon would begin in the form of the Shawnee Mission Triathlon (and a great prep for my duathlon series, as I would be doing the bike AND run), only 24 hours after toeing the line for the Prairie Punisher. This weekend would be an exciting (and likely painful) one. This is where racing season picks up to my favorite pinnacle of the year.

Course Preview
     Run Leg #1 & #2

The run course, courtesy of Google Maps.

The Danisco Prairie Punisher Duathlon is a 5k run, 20-mile-ish bike, and 5k run. The 5k run course is the same for both run leg 1 and 2, and from what I've been told, is by no means an easy task. It starts and finishes at transition, which is in a parking lot at Celebration Park in Gardner, Kansas, and involves a run down Kill Creek Road and back, through some of the trails within Celebration Park. Of the main climbs is one that starts near the start, as runners are turning on to Kill Creek Road from 159th, with 0.35 miles at almost 2%. The run south and back north along Kill Creek is mostly flat, save for a few minor undulations. The largest hits at about 1.75 miles as runners turn left from Kill Creek in to the back entrance roads of Celebration Park, and though only lasts about a tenth of a mile, hits average slopes of 5%, with some spots at 10% grades. From there is a easy descent back in to the main park before a short and shallow quarter-mile climb up to the transition. Run #2 is the same, only finishing just before the transition area, saving runners a few extra steps of climbing before the finish line. By Run #2, each of the on-paper calm ascents punish the legs, likely the source of this race's moniker.

The Bike course, with steepest climb highlighted.
(Image courtesy of Google Maps)
(TrainingPeaks course profile HERE)

     Bike Leg
The bike leg of the Prairie Punisher Duathlon is about what you'd expect for a eastern-Kansas country roads bike course: rolling hills with a few steep ascents. Eight mini-climbs (the 'rolling hills' stipple the bike throughout, and one "categorized" climb.

For me I see the course as divided in to four sections. The first is the quick trek outward from Celebration Park on to 167th street east, then south on Waverly and back west on 175th, which is relatively flat until about the four-mile mark. Two quick rolling hills on 175th west finish out the first section, until diving in to the valley-like sector on north Four Corners Road. Though the descent continues, so do the rolling hills, and rare is a flat section of road. A left on 151st, right on South Dillie, another left heading west on 143rd and the course's minimum elevation hits at about the 10-mile point, and marks the start of section three. Turning south on to Edgerton road begins the slow descent back up the 'valley.' The course's one major climb starts the final fourth sector, a long 1.5-mile ascent at just over 2%, with several points reaching 6%. The final section starts as riders turn back on to 175th Street and includes a few rolling hills, followed by a mostly-flat run back in to Celebration Park the same way riders came out.

Packet Pick-Up & Pre-Race

My home away from home, Gary Gribble's. You can
see the packet pick-up area on the opposite side of the
store. No line, which means it was a quick in-and-out.

The packet essentials.

The Prairie Punisher Duathlon allows two different packet pick-up options at two separate locations, one on Thursday and one on Friday. Friday's is at Gardner's City Hall. I opted for the closer-by Thursday pick-up, at my home away from home, Gary Gribbles Running Sports in Overland Park, Kansas. Packets are pre-assembled, including all bibs and goodies, including commemorative t-shirts. Just grab-and-go.

Leading up to race day, the weather forecast look highly cooperative. Though afternoon highs would be in the low- to mid-90's, race morning would be lower 70's through to around finish time. The whole time we would be there, temperatures shouldn't peak above mid-80's. Winds would be out of the south-by-southwest at about 10 mph. Given the plains-of-Kansas race route, which means open roads with little protection, winds would by far be the biggest factor of the day (at least, on the bike).

Race Day

Toeing the start line.

Athlete check-in would be between 5:30 and 6:30am, so an early 4:45am wake-up for me, a few quick get-ready's, and I was out the door by 5:30am. From my home in Lenexa, it takes about 30 minutes to get to the race site in Celebration park (on the northwest corner of Gardner, Kansas). Race organization closes off all entrances to the park except for the north-side entrance just east of Four Corners Road on 159th St. Luckily volunteers are always on hand to quickly point you to the best parking spots.

I actually had a fair pit of trouble clipping in to my
pedals out of T1, losing about 6 seconds or so. But that
would hardly cause problems overall.
(Photo courtesy of SeeKCRun.com)

A quick walk to transition for transition area set-up, and check-in next door to get our chip and body-markings, and we were good to go. Legs felt great leading up to race morning, and the weather felt great, with a calm and cool breeze out of the south. I was jacked.

On the way in to T2.
(Photo courtesy of SeeKCRun.com)

7:00am was start time, including participants of the 5k and 10k runs (non-duathletes). All-told, the start line included about 80 participants at most, making for an easy start. Liz, my sister, and my running partner for our relay team, toed the line ready to go.

My sister would take the first 5k at 26:38, and entered transition us in first place. I had a watchful eye on my transition neighbor, who was sporting a brand-new Cervelo P5, the quickest bike in the Cervelo lineup, and likely the quickest on the road.

The finish. (Photo courtesy of SeeKCRun.com)

New for this race is video of the entire bike leg of the duathlon. From here, watch the following videos. I sped the videos up to x2 speed during the main bike segment to shorten it, but if you want to, you can use the YouTube plug-in settings to slow it down to half-speed (thus slowing the video down to normal speed). Although, doing that, you lose the wonderful music I added. Each of the videos are better-viewed (better quality, and image isn't cropped at the sides) straight from YouTube. Just click the little YouTube icon in the lower right-hand corner of the video window OR click the link I provided.

Video 1 of 3: T1 through Mile 10 (Open in YouTube)

Video 2 of 3: Mile 10 through Mile 19 (Open in YouTube)

Video 3 of 3: Mile 19 through T2 (Open in YouTube)

VIDEO CORRECTION: Obviously my blog is tylerdstaples.blogspot.com, not tydstaples. Whoops.

4-for-4! (Photo courtesy of  SeeKCRun.com)

So there you have it. First place. Four-for-four. My sister claims that this would be our final team run, as next year she is planning on taking on duathlons on her own. She also claims that I have some solid competition ahead of me. HAH! We'll see about that...

Race Metrics (Bike Leg)
Distance: 21.49mi           Time: 58:33
Avg. Speed: 22.02mph    Max. Speed: 32.42mph
Climbing: 732ft               Kcal: 867kcal
Avg. HR: 156bpm            Max. HR: 169bpm
Avg. Cadence: 98rpm     Max. Cadence: 117rpm
Weather: 78F/54%hum/Sunny/SSW12
Placing: 1st of 3 in-category
TrainingPeaks Race Profile: HERE

Keep R/B/S-ing. -tds

~~__o

  _-/<,_

@/   @

[RACE BRIEFS] Weekend Double: Putting the Boots to ALS 5k & CASA Superhero 5k

If you've been following, you know that I've become recently frustrated with my 5k times. The last PR I set was way back in late October of 2013. I have come close twice this year to breaking my 5k PR, once at the Easter Egg 5k in April, and the other at the Jazz in the Woods 5k last weekend (although, as far as the Jazz in the Woods 5k goes, the course was actually short of a 5k; so my 20:44 finish time, though close to PR for a true 5k, was nearly 15 seconds off pace for a PR if you consider the shorter 3.08mi distance that it actually was). As harsh as last week was on my legs (hard mid-week sessions, nasty two-a-day race day on Saturday), I decided to take a couple of days off going in to this week to let my body recover. I had not one, but two opportunities on the horizon to finally shatter my 5k PR (this time on separate days). Some rest, followed by a few high-quality training miles, should give me the boost I needed to finally achieve it.

The following are race briefs for both the Putting the Boots to ALS 5k in Kansas City, Missouri, and the CASA Superhero 5k in Leawood, Kansas.

Saturday, June 28th, 2014: Putting the Boots to ALS 5k, Kansas City, Missouri
3.11mi @ 20:53 (6:43/mi); 3rd of 13 in age-group, 10th of 234 overall.

This has been one of my favorite 5k's to do, and is a go-to every racing season. I have been racing Putting the Boots to ALS since my first year competitively running in 2011, and am a huge supporter of the cause as well. I've always gotten family to run this one with me. The event isn't very large-scale, but the coordinators and volunteers are always well-organized and extremely friendly.

The 5k Route, with the extra-long Climb #1 highlighted. (Image courtesy of Google Earth)
(TrainingPeaks course profile HERE)

I am very familiar with this course, not only because I am a long-time participant of Putting the Boots to ALS, but also because I am a long-time participant of Rock the Parkway. The Putting the Boots course is almost identical to Rock the Parkway; the only differences is that it starts/finishes at Rockhurst High School (instead of Burns & McDonnell) and turns around at Summit St (instead of Wornall) on the south end of the course, and 81st (instead of 83rd) at the north end of the course. Elevation changes are nearly identical, with its well-known straight-up-straight-down course profile. The second half is always fast, and granted you are a seasoned hill-climber, PR's are easy to come by.

The packet pick-up would take place on Friday afternoon at Gary Gribble's Running Sports in the Ward Parkway Shopping Center -- same as last year. Quick, easy, and the added benefit of shoe porn afterwards.

The weather forecast for this 5k weekend.
(Image courtesy of NOAA)

Going in to the weekend, the weather looked like rain possible for both Saturday and Sunday's races, with rain chances higher for Putting the Boots to ALS, at 50%. Temps in the low- to mid-70's with very high humidity would be a huge factor for both of this weekend's races (80 and 90%, respectively). This may be a wet one. Either way I was excited. I was ready to nail a PR, all on familiar running grounds (for both days!).

A quick few words before start time. Sponsors/vendors on the left in the tents.
(Photo courtesy of Ben McCall Photography)

As always, the race is small, yet large enough to be competitive. The event foregoes all of the bells and whistles of larger races (medals, huge start/finish line banners) in favor of the cause -- raising money for ALS research (which I am an enormous advocate for). Volunteers and organizers, as always, are incredibly helpful and dedicated. There's a reason I decide to come back every year -- besides the cause alone -- and they are it.

Toeing the start line. (Photo courtesy of Ben McCall Photography)

This race I tried to hold back off the start line, but was able to only just barely (6:05 first half-mile). Cadence and stride felt good for the first mile, but I had trouble finding a good breathing rhythm (very humid). I eventually got it.

And their off! (Photo courtesy of Ben McCall Photography)

I crested the first-half hill(s) and rounded the turnaround with good pace and in 7th place, but felt cooked. I was able to maintain 7th place through the turnaround. Even on the downhills on the way back in I was tired. Posted a negative mile-2-to-3 split by only a touch despite being all downhill, losing 7th, 8th and 9th to a small charging group. Almost grabbed back 9th, but was pipped in the final quarter mile. Crossed just short of 21 minutes at 10th overall and 3rd in my category.

Crossing in 10th overall. (Photo courtesy of Ben McCall Photography)

Now on to CASA.

Sunday, June 29th, 2014: CASA Superhero 5k, Leawood, Kansas
3.16mi @ 21:10 (6:42/mi); 9th of 635 overall (no age groups).

This is my first time racing the Superhero 5k, but am a huge supporter of CASA. The event seemed fun also, and runs in an area I was super-familiar with, thanks to the Mustache Dash 5k.

Course details, with the steepest grade highlighted (Image courtesy of Google Earth)
(TrainingPeaks course profile HERE)

The course is also very similar to Mustache Dash, with the key difference being that it skips running through Leawood Country Manor neighborhood and instead runs the entirety of the block, from Nall, to 119th, to Roe, and back to Park Place. The same major hills are still there, though -- particularly the steep incline from Roe to Town Center Drive on the way back to Park Place.

As noted by race day for Putting the Boots to ALS, the weekend held the possibility of being wet, if not by rain showers, by extreme humidity, which was more likely the case for Sunday's CASA race. Temperatures were forecast for mid-70's and a relative humidity of 90% (!!). Breathing may be a bit tough.

Packet pick-up was set for Saturday starting at 9:30am and ending at 4:00pm at the Town Center Panera in Leawood. Given the early start time, and my race on Saturday morning anyways, timing was perfect to grab the Superhero 5k packets on the way home (or to breakfast, as it were) from the Putting the Boots to ALS 5k.

The pickup area was shoehorned in to a back dining area at the Panera, with one individual checking people in, one putting together the "packets" (which consisted of coupons and the envelope with our race bib and chip), and what seemed like four others guarding the t-shirts which, apparently, only went out to those that signed up early (it stated on the website simply that registration included t-shirt -- nothing about early registration), although I didn't see a single person walk away with a t-shirt, including myself (even though I registered three weeks prior). The single-person check-in caused a line out the door. Though volunteers seemed nice enough, packet pick-up was far from organized. Something to re-visit next year -- it is in its first year, after all.

The set-up, minus the children's run course (was behind me in this photo).

Race day setup, however, was impressively organized for a brand new event. Registration was high, and by race time, the crowd looked to be at least 400-large, all donning any number of superhero costumes (even saw a Gumbi and a Ghostbuster). Not to mention the kids and their get-ups -- events for the morning included a kids race and a costume contest following the 5k. Fun!

On to the race itself: No one wanted to lead out the pack, so I ended up right at the start line, which I don't like to do. Once the horn sounded, I lead everyone out for  about the first tenth of a mile, until two made the break. Myself and three others followed, and without luck, grouped up ourselves. I took the rear, trying best to keep up with the rapid pace, in sixth place. I ended up holding a great pace over first 1.5 miles (had a 6:11 first mile). I eventually was dropped from the group, and then passed again from 6th to 9th at around 2 miles by a group of three. I held strong with good hard efforts past the 2-mile marker, almost taking back 8th place. However, I pushed too early on approach, and fell apart during final 1km, but was able to hold off the 10th place runner. STILL no PR, but better than yesterday and last week. Finished 9th overall (no age groupings this race).

My mom and niece crossing the line.

After the race I walked around a bit, grabbed a few goodies from the sponsors (they secured quite a few good ones!), checked out the kids races (check out those kids run in the video!!), and was on my way. By now, packet pick-up was only a minor speed bump in an otherwise well-put-together event.

(I'll get a better-quality video up once I open up a YouTube channel and stream it from there)

Fun weekend.

Race Metrics: Putting the Boots to ALS 5k
Distance: 3.11mi           Time: 20:53
Avg. Pace: 6:43/mi        Max. Pace: 6:06/mi
Climbing: 154ft             Kcal: 378kcal
Avg. HR: 180bpm          Max. HR: 189bpm
Avg. Cad.: 166spm        Max. Cad.: 178spm
Avg. VO: 11.7cm             Avg. GCT: 238ms
Avg. Stride Length: 1.43m
1mi Splits: 6:25, 7:05, 6:50, [0:33]
Weather: 75F/76%hum/Overcast, Light Rain/S15
Placing: 3rd/13 in age-group, 10th/234 overall
TrainingPeaks Analysis: HERE

Race Metrics: CASA Superhero 5k
Distance: 3.16mi           Time: 21:10
Avg. Pace: 6:42/mi        Max. Pace: 6:02/mi
Climbing: 108ft             Kcal: 371kcal
Avg. HR: 178bpm          Max. HR: 188bpm
Avg. Cad.: 168spm        Max. Cad.: 188spm
Avg. VO: 11.2m             Avg. GCT: 237ms

Avg. Stride Length: 1.43m
1mi Splits: 6:11, 6:43, 7:15, [1:00]
Weather: 77F/82%hum/MSunny/SSW9
Placing: 9th/635 overall
TrainingPeaks Analysis: HERE



Keep R/B/S-ing. -tds

~~__o

  _-/<,_

@/   @

[RACE REPORT] Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend, Pt.II: Background & Registration Process

Home > Race Schedules & Reports > 2015 > Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend, Pt.II: Background of the Race & Registration Process

This is part one of my six-part series on the 2015 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend. Part two covers the history behind the race series, as well as step-by-step instructions how to register (for the 2015 event).
Part 1 (Introduction) can be found HERE.
Part 3 (Training & Planning for the Event) can be found HERE.
Part 4 (Course Preview with Virtual Run) will be posted mid-October to beginning of November.
Part 5 (Travel, Event Expo, & Pre-Race) will be posted on Race Weekend.
Part 6 (Race Day & Post-Race) will be posted after Race Weekend.

The event's official website can be found HERE.

Welcome back! Now I'll walk through some background on the event's history, followed by the registration process point-by-point (which often feels like a daunting process).

Onward!

Background on the Walt Disney World Marathon

Surprising enough, other than results and records, the history of the Walt Disney Marathon is few and far between. The WDW Marathon's first running was in 1994 with just short of only 7,000 runners. Over the next two decades, the Marathon Weekend would actually struggle to meet registration quotas, forcing Disney Parks to reconsider. In 2012, Disney offered free admission to the parks on the Monday following the event for participants of any of the events of Marathon Weekend, which did help boost sales. 2013 marked the 20th running of the WDW Marathon, and, despite the incentive being removed, saw its largest registration year in the Marathon's history. Though official numbers for 2014 have not been released yet (that I know of), given the quickness with which registration filled up, another record year seems almost likely.

Due to the rise in popularity of marathons and half-marathons, registration across the US have spiked in the last few years. Not surprisingly, to match the rising demand, runDisney now hosts 9 event weekends at their two US parks. All races have kids-specific races if the offered 5k's may be too much for the little tykes. At the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, runDisney hosts the following, as of 2014 (and 2015):

• Expedition Everest Challenge - a themed "obstacle" 5k through WDW's Animal Kingdom park, which took place on May 3rd of 2014.
• The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 10-Miler Weekend - At WDW Resort's Hollywood Studios park, includes a nighttime 10-mile run of the same moniker, and the daytime Disney Happy Haunted 5k Trail Run. This one runs on October 3rd & 4th of this year, but is sold out.
• Disney Wine & Dine Half-Marathon Weekend - starting at WDW's ESPN Wide World of Sports on November 8th (also sold out), also a nighttime half-marathon that finishes with exclusive after-hours access to Epcot's annual International Food & Wine Festival.
• Disney Princess Half-Marathon Weekend - February 19th through 22nd of 2015. Includes a themed half-marathon, 10k, Princess 5k and the coveted Coast to Coast Medal for those that run both the Princess HM in Florida and the Tinker Bell HM in California. Registration opens July 15th at 11:00am Central (12pm noon Eastern). Soon!

And at Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California:

• Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend - similar to WDW Marathon Weekend, but at Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, and without the full marathon. Includes a half-marathon, 10k, the "Dumbo Double Dare" (half-marathon & 10k combo), and Family Fun Run 5k.
• Avengers Super Heroes Half-Marathon Weekend - new for 2014, and one that sounds like a blast, the Super Heroes HM Weekend is on November 14th through 16th and includes the Avengers Half-Marathon and the Avengers 5k. This one sold out fast.
• Star Wars Half-Marathon Weekend - also new for 2014, and one that generated a huge amount of buzz. This take place January 15th through 18th of 2015, and includes the Half-Marathon, Star Wars 10k, Star Wars 5k, and the Rebel Challenge, which combines the half-marathon and 10k. This sold out quicker than the WDW Marathon Weekend.
• Tinker Bell Half-Marathon Weekend - a half-marathon, 10k and Never Land 5k offering that took place in May of 2014, and will be offered again May 7th through May 10th of 2015. Registration for this one opens August 12th of 2014 at 11:00am Central (12pm noon Eastern).

Finally, the focus of this race report series, the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend. For the WDW Marathon Weekend, eight running events are offered...

• The Walt Disney World Marathon
• The Walt Disney World Half-Marathon
• The Walt Disney World 10k
• The Walt Disney World Disney Family Fun Run 5k
• The Walt Disney World Goofy's Race and a Half Challenge, which consists of running each the Marathon and Half-Marathon
• The Walt Disney World Dopey Challenge, which consists of all four races over four days.
• The Walt Disney World Castaway Challenge, which consists of any of the single races, combined with a cruise to Disney's private Castaway Cay island in the Bahamas, and a 5k on Castaway Cay.
• Any number of kids races.

Again, this is the oldest of runDisney events, and one of the largest. The Health & Fitness Expo itself is a large draw for many, and given the nice beginning-of-year placement, is often great opportunity for health and fitness companies to roll out new products for the new year (I will be eyeing New Balance's runDisney Special Edition Shoes -- more on that during the Planning and Expo posts).

That's it for the background. Let's get in to the actual race (or at least, let's register for the damn thing).

For those that will be registering for the up-coming Tinker Bell and Princess HM Weekends, this should provide a great cheat-sheet on the registration process, as runDisney uses all the same portals for registration.

Registering for the Walt Disney World Marathon

Registration for any runDisney event is a popular demand, so spots fill up very fast. Sometimes, spots for the more popular events will fill up within minutes (seriously!), so make sure you are online as they roll it out. There are also some finicky website things that are important to note going in, so be sure to read on.

For the 2015 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend, scheduled for January 7th through January 11th, registration was set to be open on April 22nd, 2014, at 11:00am Central Time. I made sure to set an alert on my Google Calendar with a link directly to the Marathon Weekend home page.

To get to the specific event, all runDisney events are centralized around their runDisney website at rundisney.com.

The runDisney home page.

From there you can use the "Events" tab at the top of the page to find the specific event you are interested in. Be it the Disneyland Prices Half-Marathon, or Disney World's new Start Wars Marathon. I, obiouvsly, opted for their oldest-running Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend. I would run the half-marathon.

Hovering over the events tab with your mouse will show all of runDisney's events.

Once you arrive at the WDW Marathon Weekend page, you get a nice little ticker right at the top, including how full each of the offered events are at the present moment.

The Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend-specific runDisney page. In time for my page visit, all of
the offered events were sold out, except for the Goofy Race and a Half Challenge.

Clicking the "Registration" tab will take you to a list of each of the events (and combination of events) offered, with hyperlinks highlighting those that are still open to registration (aka not sold out).

The registration page for the WDW Marathon Weekend.

Now...here's the tricky part. Registration opened up promptly at 11:00am CENTRAL TIME on April 22nd, 2014, for the 2015 running. These are very popular events, so you can imagine that right at 11:00am, site traffic skyrockets. Clicking on an event may not work the first one or two (or twelve) times. I recommend clicking on the event, and if (and when) it displays an error message, just keep clicking Ctrl-R (to refresh the page) until you get through. Do not assume waiting for site traffic to slow will help! By the time site traffic clears, your chosen event may already be sold out (yes, they sell out that quickly).

After about 10-or-so refreshes, I finally got through to the registration portal, run by popular registration management website Active.com.

Finally got in!

I clicked in the "Register Now" button, Again, you may hit site traffic here. But don't worry -- once you finally get on the pages where you enter your name and registration deets, you shouldn't hit any more brick walls.

Three ways to register: 1. If you have an Active.com profile, 2. If you would like to open up a new Active.com
profile, and 3. If you'd rather skip all that jazz and just register as a guest.

After signing in with my Active.com profile, it's time to select my event -- for me, the half-marathon. Any events that are sold out will be noted here. 

Pick your poison.

Then you got your "we're not responsible if you die" agreement. Also known as the participant waiver.

Sign your life away.

Then, having signed in to Active.com already with my user credentials, most of my personal information (name, address, etc etc) is already filled out for me. If you sign in as a guest or are creating a new profile, presumably all of this will be empty for you (at least, I hope).

After your personal info, you'll have a few additional quiz items to attend to, the most notable being previous half-marathon history. In order to set up corral assignment, you must provide an anticipated finishing time, along with info on a previous half-marathon finish (or a marathon, if you chose that event), including the name of the race, the official distance, the city and state, the date, and the finish time. If you've never done a similar-distance event before, just enter N/A and move on. Likely, you'll be assigned to the last few corrals.

The "how slow are you?" portion of the quiz.

Then you got your common quick questions, such as t-shirt size, and you're ready to pay.

Once finished, you should receive an Active.com email within 24 to 48 hours (I think it took about 8 hours for me). If you don't a confirmation email within two days, email the event organizer using the runDisney home page's information...there may be a problem.

Not my official race confirmation, but rather confirmation of my commemorative pin purchase, which is
available on the registration page as well. The race confirmation will look the same, though.

Additionally, you may receive two emails that look similar, but in fact are not: One is your transaction confirmation, the other is registration confirmation.

And that's it! Print off the confirmation and bring it to the packet pick-up and expo. Electronic copies work, too, but you can never trust that you'll be able to pull it up on-the-spot. But all of that stuffs will be covered in my Packet Pick-Up and Marathon Expo post on race weekend.

That's all she (or I) wrote for now. Keep posted for Part III next, including info about training & planning. That will likely go up in a few months (late October-ish) once my training gets underway.

Keep R/B/S-ing.  

~~__o

  _-/<,_

@/   @