Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon 10K training - Week 20

As I write this we are now under 14 days till the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon.  I hope everyone's training has gone well this Spring and for you endurance runners.  I hope the taper craziness hasn't been too bad.

Despite what has been an abnormally cool Spring.  I've continued to get in some strong work this past week.  I've been sticking with my same program of rides and runs.  It's continued to provide a good benefit to me as I lost another 2 pounds this past week.  Bringing my training total to 18.  I'm looking forward to this year and seeing what benefits the lighter weight will provide.  I also added some hill work into my runs this past week.  If you're not adding it to your training routine, then you should.  As its a great way to add power.

The weatherman keeps promising a warm up this week.  We'll see if it actually happens.  Hopefully everyone is finishing strong with their training.

I got another run in this week with Mack.  He's now up to 3 miles and doing great!

Monday:  22.23 mile ride

Tuesday:  16.41 mile ride / weights

Wednesday:  23.11 mile ride / 4.30 mile run

Thursday:  11.79 mile run / 2.50 mile run

Friday:  Rest day

Saturday:  6.25 mile run

Sunday:  Rest day

Total Miles:  86.60

Calories Burned:  7,574

Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon 10K Training - Week 19

The countdown to race weekend keeps getting smaller and smaller.  This was probably our best weather week yet in 2014.  My fingers are crossed that we've finally turned the corner.  I'm pretty happy with how this week went.  I was off this past week and took advantage of the free time to get in some solid training.  How do I know it was solid training?  I lost 5 pounds this past week, which makes for a total of 16 pounds lost this training cycle.

My primary focus this week was both brick work and weight training.  Doing this type of training provides me with several benefits.  Not only does it help me prepare for multi-sport races, but it also helps a lot with my running.  My plan of attack for this coming week is to begin extending some of my runs.  I will be focusing on the 10K distance and finishing endurance for miles 5-6.2.  Hope everyone's training is going well and you're taking advantage of this nice weather.

Mack joined me for part of my run this Sunday.  He's getting really good and is ready for more miles.  Maybe even a 5K someday. 

Monday:  Rest day

Tuesday:  22.13 mile ride / 3.19 mile run

Wednesday:  5.29 mile run / weights

Thursday:  4.22 mile run / 16.30 mile ride / weights

Friday:  3.25 mile run / 18.23 mile ride

Saturday:  6 mile run

Sunday:  6.23 mile run.

Total Miles:  84.84

Calories Burned:  8,581

BEAL

Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon 10K - Week 18 training

Rejoice people of Northeast Ohio.  I looks like Spring is finally here, or atleast judging be the end of last week.  It was a rough start with rain on Monday and snow on Tuesday, but I was able to get outside to train the rest of the week.  I've begun to focus on a few different things in my training.  Not only is the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon approaching, but also a couple duathlons.  For those of you who are not familiar with a duathlon.  Its like a Triathlon, but instead of swimming the first leg.  You do a run.  So, it's typically a run/ bike / run.  I've also started lifting again to help with my races and also to get ready for a vacation I have shortly after the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon.

This was a good block of training.  It's a little different from those of you who are training for the marathon as when taper begins, those of us doing shorter races are ramping things up.  Hopefully everyone's training is going well and your excitement for race day is starting to build like mine.  My plan for this week is to continue to build on last week.  

Meet my running buddy last week, Mack.  He's the new girl's 9 month old Golden Doodle.
Excuse the alien eyes as those are from the camera's flash. 

Monday:  4 mile run.

Tuesday:  4.50 mile run.

Wednesday:  6 mile run / 30 minute weights

Thursday:  4.50 mile run / 30 minute weights

Friday:  22 mile ride

Saturday:  22.23 mile ride / 30 minute ride. 

Sunday:  4.13 mile run. 

Total miles:  83.74

Calories burned:  7,790

2014 Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon 10K Training Recap

This month began with a lot of excitement.  I had hoped the worst of winter was over and that it was time for some warmer temps.  Well, that's how March usually is around here.  Instead we had another month of freezing temps and snow.  I had hoped for  two "50+ degree" days a week, but it felt like we had two all month.  Apart from the crappy weather, my training went really well.   As I was able to string some solid runs and rides together.  I had been fighting some slight discomfort in my hip, but I dialed things back a few times and I do feel better now while riding and my stride seems to be much smoother when running.

Lots to look forward too in April.  Depending on the weather, I hope to get in some solid outdoor workouts and maybe a race or two.   I need to log some outdoor workouts to get ready.  I also need to focus on getting to my race weight by Spring.  The best news of March is that I'm down 6 pounds for the month.  Hopefully we have some dry weekends

Running:  42.13 miles

Cycling:  201.10 miles

Total:  243.23 miles

Calories burned:  27,598

We have a winner.

Last Monday I started my contest to win free entry into the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon.  I am happy to announce that Kelly Heller won the contest!!!  Congrats Kelly and thank you to all of you that have entered.

Training continues to go well despite the weather.  I competed recently in St. Malachi 5 miler.  This was my 4th year doing this race, but it was extra special to me as the new lady was cheering me on at the finish line.  It was hard for her to be there to support me and it meant so much to hear them cheering me on at the finish.

Despite Spring beginning last weekend, it continues to feel like winter.  This past block of training,  I've been focusing on running and riding.  Those are my two favorite workouts to combine and it seems to help with my running.  According to our 10 day forecast,  we should see a warm up in a couple days.  Hopefully this forecast holds true as I am sure we are all anxiously awaiting Spring.  It won't be too much longer before we are cheering on those Cleveland Indians.  So, hopefully mother nature gets it together and the weather improves.

Today marks 54 days till the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon.   It's time to finish strong with your training and not to get your head down with these inclement weather conditions.  Lots of fun things to look forward too as race day approaches like taper, picking out your race outfit, new race shoes, and seeing everyone on race day.

Win free entry to the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon

Hey everybody

I hope everyone's training has been going well.  This has probably been the most frustrating winter I can remember.  Good news is that we've had a couple 50 degree days recently and a few more coming up in our 10 day forecast.  Speaking of news, lots of big news recently from the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon.  For those of you who aren't aware.  This year's race will feature all new routes!!!  Recently, the organizers for the race reach out us runners for on feedback on route changes.  It was an overwhelming response that the race switch to an all Westside route.  It was really nice of them to take our opinions and change the route based on our feedback.   I'm a 2-time Rite Aid Cleveland Marathoner and admit there will be pieces of the Eastside portion that will be missed, but I think everyone will be pleased to see more of what the Westside has to offer.  I've been a resident of the Westside for 17 months now and know that it will be an amazing setting to host the 2014 Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon.

To celebrate the new routes, the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon has graciously awarded me to opportunity to give away a FREE ENTRY to either the 5K, 10K, Half Marathon, or Full Marathon!!!!!!

This contest will last until Monday 3/24/14 and is only open to those who have not registered.  To enter:  please leave a comment with your name, direct message me @Beal88 on twitter, direct message me on Facebook, or leave a comment on my Facebook post.

I had wanted to post some route photos, but my phone is being a jerk and won't upload them to my computer.  So, below is a link to the website where you can find the routes.  Hopefully I can get them uploaded and add them later.  I also hope to bike ride these routes prior to race day to provide some feedback.

New routes

Good Luck!!

Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon Training: Weeks 5 and 6.

This was another decent block of training for me.  The good news is that I was able to get outside for some runs.  The bad news, its still been entirely to cold to ride outside.  In my breakdown you can see that i've been focusing more on running lately as it is what the weather has been dictating.  Hopefully in March  I will be able to get outside full time running and riding.  Plus, the local high school will be done with the pool and I will have more access to swim.

This really has been a frustrating winter.  Hopefully things get better soon.  So far it doesn't feel like I am getting behind as I was pretty satisfied with my transition from treadmill running to outdoors.  Each year I've used March 1st as a date in which you can get outside pretty regularly.  Hopefully that holds true again this year.

Week 5

1/20:  25 mile ride

1/21:  6.48 mile run.  

1/22:  6.34 mile run.

1/23:  6.43 mile run.

1/24:  6.50 mile run.

1/25:  6.22 mile run.

1/26:  30 mile ride.  

Week 6

1/27:  6.78 mile run. 

1/28:  6.54 mile run.

1/29:  rest day.

1/30:  6.46 mile run. 

1/31:  rest day.

2/1:  6.86 mile run. 

2/3:  15 mile ride. 


Totals

13 workouts

147.61 miles

15,547 calories burned. 

 

Snow?!?! Again!! Tips to stay on track despite this weather.

Lets face facts.  This is the point of our training when it's time to ramp things up a bit.  Unfortunately, Mother Nature has been doing the same.  2014 has been nothing but below zero temps and snow storms every weekend.  It has been easy this year to get frustrated and even behind in our training.  As a Triathlete, winter can be a hard time.  So we get creative to keep workouts fresh and exciting.  All while doing most of the work indoors.  I thought it would be fun to share some sample workouts of mine that would translate well to running.  Adding some of these will help keep your training on track while keep things fresh in the gym.

Swimming
A dip in the pool can be a great way to improve your running.  You don't necessarily need to know how to swim either.  All you need is a pool and a kick board.

I've found that kick drills can be a great way to improve your running.  It builds strength in your hips and can provide you with that extra umpth when tackling hills in races.

All you need to do start at end of the pool.  Put your kick board in front of you like the video below and kick 25 yards to the other side.  You can stop with a 15-30 second break before heading back.  Repeat these for 30 minutes.

Spinning
Spin classes can be a great way to break up the monotony of indoor training.  You can find these classes at your local gym or a private spin studio.  I prefer the private studio as they tend to be more fun.  I get asked a lot about spinning during the winter.  I lot of people are curious about spinning, but are apprehensive about it being too intense.  Let me be the first to tell you, spinning is really only as intense as you make it.  Essentially, you dictate the resistance on the bike.  It's up to you to push yourself.  So, if you're new to it.  Don't worry about making it through class as you can dial back the resistance, but the only way you'll get better is if you keep it on or go harder in your next class.  Another benefit of studios in our areas is they are private, lights are off, and it's not a race.  Many studios are a sanctuary for your work out.  Not a place that fosters competition.  Spinning can help your running as not only do you keep fit, but your heart rate will be elevated like running.

Running
I'm sure everyone reading this has there own ways to deal with running indoors.  I keep things interesting with changing my runs up during the week.  I like to do 1 speed work session during the week.  Essentially, it consists of a 15 minute warm up at easy pace.  Then I do 6-8 intervals of 800 meters at slightly above my 5K pace.  I take a 400 meter rest between intervals and then do a short cool down afterwards.  If you want to add speed during the offseason.  This is the best way to do it.  Another change of pace I do is week is I start the treadmill at a decent pace and then increase the speed slightly each half mile.  I've found that adding these works to my treadmill routine spices things up from just logging miles away at the same pace.

I hope some of these sample workouts help if you are finding yourself in a rut or falling behind in your training.  There's no exact science behind these workouts.  They are just a sample of some things that have helped me with running and training.

Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon training: Weeks 3 and 4.

If I had a quarter every for time that I was thankful this winter for not doing a Spring distance race.  I'd be rich.  This continues to be the worst winter for training that I can remember.  I've managed to still be productive despite the conditions.  Look for a post later this week on ways you can still improve fitness while training indoors.  

My goal each block of two weeks is to build about 10% over the prior block.  Once I can get outside, I'll start to focus more on speed.  The past 2 weeks I did a much better job balancing running and riding, but I need start fitting in some swims.  I also need to mix in a day off once in awhile.  

Class photo from last Saturday at Psycle.  It was the instructors 1st and she's only 17!  Such an inspiration. 

Week 3

1/20:  6.66 mile run followed by a 18 mile ride brick.

1/21:  23 mile ride. 

1/22:  6.66 mile run.

1/23:  21 mile ride.

1/24:  21 mile ride.

1/25:  Speed work:  15 minute warm up.  6x800 at 7:53 pace.  400 rest.  10 minute cool down.

1/26:  23 mile ride.  

Week 4

1/27:  18 mile ride. 

1/28:  22 mile ride.

1/29:  4.23 mile run.

1/30:  20 mile ride. 

1/31:  Speed work:  15 minute warm up.  6x800 at 7:53 pace.  400 rest.  10 minute cool down.

2/1:  25 mile ride. 

2/3:  27 mile ride. 


Totals

15 workouts

246.46 miles

15,258 calories burned. 

Lost a 1 pounds and only 22 till 2014 race weigh goal. 

Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon training: Weeks 1+2

Two weeks of training are already in the books and The Chase is off to a good start.  I stumbled out of the blocks a little due to an issue with a frozen lock and allergies.  Who knew allergens would survive a -40 degree windchill.  I managed to finish strong in week 1, but was disappointed in it being too ride focused.

Week 2 was a pretty solid training block.  I kicked it off with a 2 hour spin class on Monday.  I made a mistake on Tuesday and went to hard on my run, so I spent Wednesday doing a recovery ride to get my legs back.  I finally got back on the speed work bandwagon this past Friday.  I had been doing them on Wednesday's, but got out of sync with the holidays being on that day.

The best news is that I've lost 6 pounds already.  My goal this year is to race 20 pounds less than I did in 2013.  I hope this will help pick up some run speed and with cramping.



Week 1

1/6:  22 mile ride

1/7:  Gym was closed due to Polar Vortex

1/8:  Forced off day due to allergies

1/9:  27 mile ride

1/10:  25 mile ride

1/11:  4.16 mile run

1/12:  27 mile ride

Week 2

1/13:  2 hour spin class

1/14:  4.08 mile run

1/15:  10 mile recovery ride

1/16:  21 mile ride

1/17:  Speed work:  15 minute warm up.  6x800 at 8:00 pace.  400 rest.  10 minute cool down.

1/18:  6.67 mile run.

1/19:  25 mile ride.


Totals

13 workouts

218.55 miles

12,275 calories burned.

Lost a 6 pounds and only 23 till 2014 race weigh goal.

My 2014: The Chase

For most of the year we are very busy and often don't see friends who are training for different disciplines or on different training cycles.  So, the holidays are always a great time to catch up with everyone.  You can always script conversations.  They are divided into 2 parts:  How'd last year go and What are you up too this year?  This past year has been really good to me, except for a horrific bike wreck.  I put my main focus on completing a half ironman and I am happy to say that not only did I survive it, but I finished 2nd in my age group.  I will spare you further details on last year, because I want to talk about 2014 today.

I was lucky enough to be asked to share my Spring training experiences for a 4th year now for the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon.  For those reading my blog for the first time, I'd like to introduce myself.  My name is Matthew Beal.  My friends know me better as "Beal" and a few who don't know me, probably think my name is Bill.  A few years back I weighed over 330 pounds and almost drowned because I was too out of shape to swim to safety.  It was the wake call I needed and began living a healthy lifestyle.  Since that day I have lost over a 100 pounds and have completed in over a 100 races.  Marathons and Triathlons used to be things that were only dreamed about, but with hard work and dedication.  I now do them regularly.

My 2014 Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon blogger profile.

Enough about the past.  Lets talk about the future.  My plan for attack this year wasn't an easy decision.  I was targeting an Ironman in 2014 for the past 2 years, but after doing a half last year.  I needed a break.  Training 15+ hours a week crushed my social life.  I don't want to fall into that same trap this year and I want to keep my New Year's resolution of putting myself out there.  Unlike last year.  So, I will be pushing off the Ironman till 2015 and focusing on shorter races this year.  

2014 will be "The Chase" for me as I will be chasing the HFP Racing Age Group Championship this year.  I'm stealing the whole "The Chase" motto from the Ohio State football team, but it really fits.  We are all chasing something.  Some of us are chasing a goal, some a new distance, a personal record, weight loss, or a healthier lifestyle.  Regardless of what your intent this year is.  Chase it down.  Don't let anything stand in your way of what you set out to do.  

Ok, back to the HFP Championship.  There are 6 pre-selected events and I will need to compete in at least 4.  I will get points for where I finish in my age group.  The final race is in Akron this September and pays double points.  I can't think of a better way to finish off the year than head to my hometown and compete for a championship.  

I will be doing a lot of racing this year and have listed a schedule of events I plan to attend.  I will also be doing the 10K this year at the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon as it will fit in better with my program.  So, much last like year. I will be talking about running, cycling, and swimming.  Focusing on  how those activities will help you for your race experience at the Cleveland Marathon.  

Who else is ready for 2014?  Are you ready to join me in The Chase?  If you're ready to lay it all on the line this year and work harder than you ever have before to achieve your goals.  Then join me in The Chase this year.

Fellow marathon blogger, Jessica McCartney joined my in The Chase today.  Check out her blog to hear how spinning has helped her running.  Also, I regularly spin at Psycle and Harness Cycle if you'd like to join the pain fun. 

2014 Race Schedule

1/18:  Harmes Garage Sale 5K
1/25:  Blue Balls and Glass Cutters 5K

2/15:  Chili Bowl 5K

2/22:  Snowball 5K

3/15:  St. Malachi 5 miler

3/22:  Barry-Roubaix 36 mile bike race

4/22:  Buzzard Duathlon

5/10:  Nordonia Hills Duathlon

5/18:  Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon 10K

5/25:  Clays Park Triathlon

6/1:  Deer Creek Triathlon

6/8:  Sunday in June 100K

6/14:  Maumee Bay Triathlon

6/22 Bay Village Triathlon

7/6:  Lorain Triathlon

7/13:  Caesar Creek Triathlon

7/19:  Ice Cream Odyssey 100K

7/26:  Bay Village Triathlon 2

7/27:  Fairport Harbor Triathlon

8/17:  Vermillion Triathlon

9/14:  Portage Lakes Triathlon

My Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon Experience

The new 10K route

Wow, what a weekend.  I had a different plan for this year's race.  I had run the full marathon in 2011 and 2012.  This year I am focusing on preparation for a Half Ironman in September and was not able to run the full.  Early on in the process, I made the decision to run the 10K and blog about different aspects of running.  With running a shorter race, this gave me a unique opportunity to participate and enjoy more of the events surrounding the marathon weekend.

The whirlwind weekend began with a quick 20 mile ride followed by the Cleveland Marathon VIP dinner.  This was my first year attending the dinner and I am really glad I went.  I enjoyed catching up with fellow runners I haven't seen in awhile and got to meet some of my fellow Cleveland Marathon Bloggers who were in town.  Everything with this dinner was top notch and I really appreciate the race directors for inviting me.

2013 Official Cleveland Marathon Bloggers

The fun didn't stop on Saturday as I had a busy day.  Things began bright and early with a 1 hour swim and 2 hour bike ride.  This weekend happened to be the beginning of my major brick workouts for Revolution 3 Cedar Point.  My plan was to run the 10K with tired legs and to focus on maintaining pace while fatigued.  Later that afternoon, my sister arrived.  She was staying the weekend and running her first Half Marathon.  We went to the expo, which I think was one of the better ones I've been too.  There were lots of informational booths and retailers with some great deals.  After dinner we met with friends Ryan and Logo for carb loading at Dewey's Pizza.

Sunday morning came early.  As in 3:45 early.  I have a 60 minute pre-race routine and we were out the door by 4:45.  Shortly on my trip.  I realized I left my ipod at home.  I had considered running without music as all music devices are banned from Triathlons and I need to get used to running without it.  Another perk of being a Official Blogger is VIP parking, which is right next to the start line.  We arrived early and relaxed for a few minutes.

About an hour before the race, we made our way into Cleveland Browns stadium.  Having access to the stadium is really nice on race day.  Plenty of clean bathrooms are very welcomed on race day and everything was clearing marked for bag checks and starting line.  After a few photos, it was time for the Cleveland Marathon and Half to begin.  The 10K starts 30 minutes later.

For 2013, the 10K was a new route.  We started up West 3rd into downtown and then snaked around West 6th and across the bridge into the Westside.  If any one has ran St. Malachi, you would be familiar with this route out of town.  We headed west down Detroit till about mile 2.5 then hit the technical part of the course snaking through a neighborhood back to the Shoreway.

Elevation profile

As we climbed back up the Shoreway, we hit mile 5 at the top of the bridge.  The next 1.2 miles were some of the most scenic I've ever ran as you could see the lake to your left and downtown was straight ahead and right.  We then joined back up with the other races as we made our way to E. 9th.  A quick left and we were on the home straight.

I really enjoyed this new route.  It was challenging, but not overly hard.  With a couple small hills, technical turns, long flats, and great scenery.  This course has something for everyone.

I had another great Cleveland Marathon experience this year.  I want to thank the Cleveland Marathon for the opportunity to be a Official Blogger for a 3rd year.  I'd also like to thank everything for checking out my blog.  Most of all, I would like to thank all of the volunteers this race weekend.  Without you, we wouldn't be able to race.

I also want to mention the security presence this weekend.  I think the city of Cleveland and Marathon directors did an amazing job giving everyone a sense of security.

Post race photo with my sister. 

April Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon 10K Training Recap

I'm really sure if April's weather was that great or did it seem better because the weather this Spring has been horrendous.  We had some spot days this month that were pretty good, but most of them were rainy and very gusty.  It was hard to build any momentum.  Hopefully, May is much better.  Apart from the weather, it was a pretty good month for me.  I had my highest swim total ever in April and I should exceed my total swim distance from 2012 sometime next month.  I'm feeling pretty good about my work over the winter, but we'll see when I do my first open water swim in about 2 hours.  I'm  currently in Knoxville preparing for tomorrow's Revolution 3 Triathlon.  Since it will be raining all weekend, I decided to bring my laptop to catch up on my Cleveland Marathon Blogging and my blog reading.

I've been looking forward to May as it will kick off racing season for me.  This month I will be doing the Revolution 3 Triathlon on 5/5, Nordonia Hills Duathlon on 5/11, Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon 10K on 5/19, and Clays Park Triathlon on 5/25.  Hopefully everyones training is going as well as mine has been.

Greetings from Knoxville Tennessee 

Swimming:  11.11 miles

Running:  58.11 miles

Cycling:  297.80 miles

Total miles:  367.01 miles

Time training:  34 hours 41 minutes

Calories burned:  34,652

BEAL

Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon - March Training Recap

This month began with a lot of excitement.  The worst of winter was over and it was time for some warmer temps.  Well, that's how March usually is around here.  Instead we had another month of freezing temps and snow.  I had hoped to get in two "outside" rides a week, but only got out twice before last weekend.  Apart from the crappy weather, my training went really well.  I had my best swim month yet with just over 10 miles.   One interesting thing I learned this month was that my right leg was 10 mm shorter than my left.  My hips had gone out of alignment to compensate for the discrepancy.  I wasn't experiencing any pain and this was a complete surprise.  The good news is everything is back to normal with 2 visits to the chiropractor.  I do feel better now while riding and my stride seems to be much smoother when running.  I'll still go back for some follow ups to make sure everything is staying aligned.

Lots to look forward too in April.  My next big race of the year is May 5th.   I need to log some outdoor workouts to get ready.  I also need to focus on getting to my race weight by the 5th.
Hopefully we have some dry weekends.  So, far it looks like I will get some great work in the end of this week.

Swimming:  10.11 miles

Running:  47.03 miles

Cycling:  222.10 miles

Total:  279.24 miles

Calories burned:  27,598

Time spent training:  30 hrs 27 min.

BEAL

Week 1 of training.

This week kicked off my 27 week training program for Revolution 3's half ironman at Cedar Point.  For those of you not familiar with long course triathlons.  Its a 1.2 mile swim followed by a 56 mile bike and then a 13.1 mile half marathon.  So, i'll be pretty busy over the next few months preparing for this event.  Of which, i'm using the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon 10K event as training race.

Overall, things went pretty good this week.  I learned that doing a 30 minute run after an hour swim is absolutely no fun.  Those were probably the 2 hardest workouts of this week.  I'm still having issues staying high in the water on my swim, but I am thinking its because i'm not keeping my head down.  The hardest part of swimming is trying to do so many things correctly that its easy to focus on one or two things and let other things slack.  Its easy to pick up some bad habits.  We were pretty luck this weekend and finally had some warm temps.  I was lucky enough to get all my runs and rides in outside this weekend.  I'm really pleased with me bike speed this early in the year.  I was able to hold 25 mph on my road bike through several flat areas, but I am slacking on my climbing.  I'm still carrying my winter weight and need to get down to my race weight.  I'll be focusing more on diet this week.  I need to cut back on my eating out.

This coming week will be pretty similar as last week and I will bump my training time from 9 1/2 hours to 9:45.  Plus, I will be running the St. Malachi 5 miler on Saturday.  So, if you are there.  Make sure to say hi!

Monday:  1 hour swim / 30 minute run.

Tuesday:  25 mile ride.

Wednesday:  1 hour swim / 30 minute run

Thursday:  25 mile ride

Friday:  4 mile run

Saturday:  1 hour run / 1 hour ride

Sunday:  90 minute swim / 30 minute ride

BEAL

Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon: January Training Recap

Wow, that went by quickly.  Hard to believe we are already 4 weeks into our training for 2013.  Lets hope February goes by just as fast.  Overall, this was a pretty successful month of training.  I continued to build on the foundation that was built over the holidays.  I've settled into the following training schedule:

Monday:  Speed work - I warm up for 1.5 to 2 miles then do a series of 6 intervals of 800s.  My pace for these intervals are slightly faster than my 5K pace.  I rest for 400 in between intervals and then another mile cool down.

Tuesday:  Spin class at Psycle Therapy

Wednesday:  Swimming

Thursday:  Spin class at Psycle Therapy

Friday:  Swimming

Saturday:  Cycling / Run brick training

Sunday:  Swike!!  Swim / Cycling brick training

I'm pretty satisfied with the results i've seen in my riding and running this year.  We were fortunate to have a couple 60 degree days here.  It was a gift from Mother Nature to get outside and see where I was at and I was very satisfied.  Swimming was another story.  My form this offseason has improved dramatically.  Unfortunately, my endurance in the pool hasn't improved.  I've narrowed it down to not sitting high enough in the water.  Its been a struggle keeping my butt high in the water.  To help counteract this, I've been doing more work in the pool with a pull buoy.  I really didn't want to do this as I wanted to swim the bulk of my training without it, but in the long run.  Its not as big of a deal as i'm making it as I will be racing again this year in a wetsuit.  I'm a bigger guy, so its hard for me to stay higher in the water.

Thanks to Bryan @TriDocB for this photo.  I was having a swim panic meltdown about my training and this helped a lot.

Here's the totals from this past month:

Miles ran:  53.53

Miles ridden:  484.24

Miles swam:  8.38

Total miles:  526.16

Calories burned:  37,548

Time training:  40:01

I hope everyone's training is going as well as mine.  February will be much more of the same for me. I may even sprinkle in some 5k's and Indoor Triathlons!!

BEAL

Heroes - My thoughts on Lance Armstrong and other Athletes of my generation.

From an athletic standpoint all the heroes from my generation cheated in some fashion.  Cycling, Baseball, Football, and even the Olympics.  Sure, I bought into the dream that Lance was an American hero who beat cancer then went on to defeat the best athletes in the world for 7 years.  I don't agree with cheating in any way, but I do understand that it was part of the athletic culture back then.  I hope we as a society can learn from the past and promote clean competition in all sports.  

I also hope as a society we make better choices in our athletic heroes.  I'm guilty myself of looking up to athletes who achieve success.  But what constitutes success?  Winning? Championships?  Being the best at what you do?  In the past I used these attributes.  Lately, I've realized I was wrong.  We should choose heroes like ourselves who manage to promote healthy lifestyles while managing careers, families, over come disease, illness, tragedy and deal with the daily stresses of life.  All while doing the most with the talents we were blessed with.  We are the true heroes and we need to support each other in what ever path we decide to take.  Too often we choose to tear down instead of building up.  So, the next time you see someone choosing to be "their" best.  Cheer them on as they are the true heroes.  

Back in Black: My plan for 2013

I'm fortunate enough to be selected to as an Official Cleveland Marathon for a 3rd year.  I'd like to thank the marathon staff for giving me this opportunity to promote your race and share my training experience.  Each year I feel more pressure to be more inspirational than the year before and I hope I can continue to do that this year.

For those of you how are new to this blog, My name is Beal.  Beal is my last name and has been my nickname for as long as I can remember.  I started blogging about 26 months ago to meet new people interested in living a healthy lifestyle and share experiences in my weight loss journey.  I used to weigh over 300 pounds and look like this!!!  Yikes!!

I have since adopted a healthy life along with loosing over a 100 pounds.  During that time I have swam, biked, and ran over 20,000 miles including multiple 100 mile bike rides, 13 half marathons, 3 triathlons, and 2 Cleveland Marathons.  I now look like this....

For a more in depth look at my weight loss journey and how I was inspired, check out this post Welcome

Enough talk about the past.  Lets look to the future!!!!  This year I will not be running the marathon.  After running my 2nd last year.  I felt like I had finished that chapter in my life and it was time to take on another challenge.  That challenge is Ironman.  Last June I began my multi-sport training with a plan to complete a half ironman in 2013 and full ironman in 2014.

I will have 2 main goals in 2013:

1) To complete my first Half Ironman (1.2 mile swim / 56 mile bike / 13.1 mile run) at Revolution 3 Sandusky on September 8th.

2) To qualify for the Revolution 3 Age Group Championship race.
      - I will be attempting to snag one of the ten available Clydesdale division slots.  

With these lofty goals, my Spring will be centered around one word...SPEED!!!  I've been laying a foundation of training the past two months and will be specializing on speed training during the next couple months.  Since I will not be doing much distance running, I will be competing in the Cleveland Marathon 10K event this year.  By training for a shorter distance.  I will be able to better prepare for multi-sport events this May.  My Cleveland Marathon blogs this will be more focused on the benefits of cross-training, speedwork and how they can help your running.  I'm excited for this year and looking forward to a different approach to training, blogging and racing this year.  I hope everyone joins in on the hard work as we will punish those who try to keep up with our SPEED!!!!

BEAL

2012 Akron Marathon Relay: Beal's B*tches

Post race beers with Angela, Molly, and Steph

This past weekend I competed in the relay division of the Akron Marathon.  Akron is my favorite race of the year for several reasons.  Before I was a runner, I would always admire how fast the leaders of the race were as I would watch them run through my neighborhood.  The race also special to me as I grew up in Akron and my first road race was in the half marathon event 2 years ago.  I can not recommend this race enough.  It is very well supported by the town, has a challenging route, highlights the whole town, and is extremely well organized.  If you ever get a chance to run this race.  I highly recommend doing it.

This past Spring I met with my sister and some of her friends for happy hour and a little Melt.  They were forming a relay team for Akron and asked if I would be interested in joining.  How can you say no to a bunch of good looking girls who like beer, running, and Melt!  So, I joined the team.  Jokingly I said we should name our team Beal's B*ches.  They loved the name, except for my sister who would be running her first race with us.  Sadly, due to a work conflict.  My sister had to drop out.  With an open space, I decided to reach out to someone who would fit in with our team and that person was the Logo.  The Logo has been fighting injuries since April and I couldn't be happier that she was able to make her return to racing with Beal's B*tches.

Waiting at the finish with Jess and my buddy John (who crushed his 1/2 PR that day)

I was running the 2nd leg of the marathon.  This leg starts downtown and winds through lower Akron and Firestone park then ends at Akron U.  I spent most of the summer working on running after riding for Triathlons.  My comfort and speed had improved a lot.  I figured that I would immediately switch to running only and be faster since I wouldn't tired from the bike.  Well, this wasn't the case.  I struggled mightily in the week leading up to this race with my run.  My pace was about 1 minute off from my brick workouts.  I was really worried I'd hold my team back with a bad run and even considered riding to the race to help warm up.  I decided to rest as the more I tried to get my run straight, the worse I felt and hoped it was just due to fatigue.

My route was 4.9 miles and I felt good at the start.  After taking the slap bracelet from Jess, I immediately began a climb up the on ramp back into the race.  Yes, the first exchange was under a bridge.  Nothing like kicking a race off with a climb.  This route is mostly uphill.  You only get two moments to catch your breath around Firestone park and on Brown.  I felt pretty good on my run except for a little shin discomfort.  I had a great run by making it through the 4.9 miles in 40:37!

After passing off to Stephanie, Molly and Angela jumped in and rocked this course.  Our team finished in 3:41:03!!!!  Good enough for 183rd place out of 1,224 teams!!!  Needless to say....My b*tches are fast!!  I had a blast running with this team and hopefully we get the chance to do it again.

The logo leading us off with SPEED!!!

The man in black returns!!! 1st run only race since the marathon.

Stephanie flying into the Valley

Molly is literally floating out of the valley. 

Angela is making it look easy as she flies to the finish.  

You can find Jessica's race report here:  Akron Marathon Relay

You can find Molly's race report here:  Akron Marathon Relay