Strass Marathon
Training 2004

26.2 MILES TO GO!!! The challenge is pure and simple: complete the 26.2 mile course before passing out. Since I am also the new father of Jack, my other main challenge lies in not letting the training consume my entire life. I am very much a family man who loves spending my free time with Suzy, Jack, Sydney and Buster. That will not change. This is simply a way to continue to increase my fitness level, by working toward a new goal. By viewing my journal you will see that I am taking a somewhat level-headed approach to my training. I know that I will continue to look and feel great.

October 10, 2004 - A date that will be repeated, remembered and relived forever. A date that will be passed down in stories, included in pictures, emblazoned on a medal and engraved in my memory. But more than that, a date that forever adds a line to my list of life accomplishments: MARATHON RUNNER.

HERE IS MY JOURNAL ANY COMMENTS, QUESTIONS OR SUGGESTIONS ARE MUCH APPRECIATED!!!

August 31st
Back in the saddle today after the big Chicago Triathlon. Ran the 4 mile Wydown loop at 6am.

August 30th
Day off - recovering from the triathlon yesterday

August 29th
CHICAGO TRIATHLON

August 28th
CHICAGO TRIATHLON

August 27th
Did not work out today. Stopped by Maplewood Bike to pick up a new pair of goggles and then drove to Chicago in the afternoon for the big race Sunday.

August 26th
Did the 4 mile Wydown loop solo in the am. Went back to Wellbridge at 9pm and swam 40 laps to re-assure myself that I would be okay during the swim. Happy I did because my goggles broke.

August 25th
The weather has not cooperated this week. The ran has been tricky and with the Wellbridge pool under construction it is not easy to swim. Work was also busy today. Did not exercise. The forecast for Chicago this weekend is not great. High of 70 degrees on race day with rain showers. Should be wet and wild!

August 24th
Ran 8 miles at 6am. Left Wellbridge and went to Taylor and back. Felt good considering everything that I did last week.

August 23rd
Day Off.

August 22nd
Took Sydney to Forest Park for the Crohns & Colitis Walk-A-Thon.

Sydney and I opted to walk the 5k course - we finished in about 51 minutes. If this was not enough, I then went and played Ice Hockey for an hour over at Brentwood. This completed a very, very busy week.

August 21st
17 mile ARCH run today!!!

Met at Wellbridge at 6am to run down, touch the arch, and head back!!! Six of us made the long, long trek. Felt pretty good today - much better then when I did the long run of 15. While I was happy to finish, I now have a higher level of confidence. Went out and played 18 holes at Algonquin immediately after and went to the Cardinal Game in the evening. This was a FULL DAY.

August 20th
Rest day after a tough week of training. Getting ready for the long run Saturday.

August 19th
Met TPR at 615am - we biked from Wellbridge to Forest Park - went around twice and then headed back. Got a total of 15 in on the bike. We then ran the 4 mile Wydown loop to complete the brick workout. This was a tough workout.

August 18th
Crazy day. Took Suzy to the airport at 630am so I was not able to run this morning. Went to DOC to get contacts fitted (2 hours) and then went and ran Forest Park at lunch. I did the loop +2 to get a total of 8 miles in today. It is tough playing catch up all day long - much easier just to get the time in early in the am before work. Oh well.

August 17th
4 mile run at 6am. Scouted distance yesterday after swim - WYDOWN loop. Felt fair today.

August 16th
Wetsuit Practice Day.
Swam 30 laps at Shaw Park after work

August 15th
Alligator Creek Triathlon (O'Fallon MO)
300 yard swim - 18 mile bike - 3.1 mile run

This was my second year doing this race. Weather was actually cold. Swim started at 7am (I went off at 7:21:45) and it took a while for the temps to rise. It was a serpentine swim through the 25 yard pool. I got hit with a log jam and lost a little time. This is a hilly 18 mile bike course that winds through a residential neighborhood first, then through a pothole-laden service road and finally out through rolling farmland before returning to T2. The run has some hills to it as well. Luckily, the weather cooperated much better this year then the blazing temps last year.

HERE ARE MY STATS ON THE DAY
Swim Time = 6:11 (136 out of 155 men) - 2003 Swim=5:35
I got stuck behind a bunch of swimmers in the pool and had no where to go. Could not get much rhythm here but was in and out in 6 minutes.
T1 & T2 = 3:53 (long way from pool to bike) - 2003 T1= 3:29
Too Long
Bike Time = 1:05:45 (92 out of 155 men) - 2003 Bike=1:05:00
Tough bike course - I was much better on the 2nd 1/2. Was at a training pace for the first 10 miles in stead of going race day.
T2 - need to calculate.
Run Time = 24:57 (71 out of 155 men) - 2003 Run=28:55
Strong run for me. I averaged an 8:03 mile. It took me about 3/4 mile to catch my breath and then I felt great.
TOTAL TIME = 1:40:46 2003 Total Time=1:43:30
Overall Place = 65th place out of 155 Men

What can I say? While I beat my overall time in 2003 thanks to a much stronger run, I got killed by Tommy Rosenthal who finished in 1:37:16 - 3 1/2 minutes better. He beat me by a minute and a half on the bike and the same on the run. I could have had a better bike and a better T1 but my run was strong - he had an awesome run. I need to get better at T1 - I am not transitioning quicky this year. I also need to spend more time on the bike if I am going to improve my results. Run felt great thanks to all of the extra mileage we have been putting in on a weekly basis.

August 14th
Golf was my only workout today. Shot 85 with Bob, Jason and Stan at Algonquin.

August 13th
This was a much needed rest day. I slept until 7am and moved slowly. I am still pretty stiff from yesterday's long run.

August 12th
Huge day. With family coming in town this weekend and Alligator on Sunday, we all decided to do the long run (15 MILES) today. My alarm went off at 4:20am so that I could be at Wellbridge at 515am. Tommy, Pepper, Brenden, Gerard and I headed out in the dark and made our way towards Kingshighway. Temperature was very cool - great running weather once we got going. Our turnaround point was 11th street (7.5 miles) and then we headed back. Legs got pretty tight with about 3 miles to go. Total run time was about 2 1/2 hours. This was a tough, tough run as it was the longest I have ever done. Stretched afterwards and made it into the office a little before 9am. I was fairly zapped for the rest of the day but thrilled that I got 15 miles under my belt. There is no turning back now!!!

August 11th
Traveled to Chicago today for our annual Fall Presentation to our buyers. Did not exercise.

August 10th
Started out at 545am with TPR and Gerard. We ran from Wellbridge to Kingshighway and back. Total mileage=7.4 miles. Legs felt tired for the first 2 miles then loosened up a little. My calfs were screaming today. I made the mistake of scouting Thursday's run. 15 miles takes us all the way down to 11th street and back - it looks loooong! My body feels like I am pounding out some mileage. Need to keep stretching, resting and eating.

August 9th
Took advantage of Shaw Park (Wellbridge is closed) and swam 25 X 50 meters. This pool is great for training since it is 50 meters. Water temp was perfect. Went at 615pm. This was suppose to be a day off but since I am in Chicago on Wednesday I made this my swimming day.

August 8th
2004 Babler Beast Triathlon
500 yard swim - 12.5 mile bike - 2.25 mile run

Early morning weather was cool but warmed up by the time my 10am start time rolled around. Thankfully, the pool temp was warm. Completed the swim in just under 10 minutes and then headed out to the bike course with includes a couple of the toughest climbs in any St. Louis area triathlon - and athletes have to complete 3 loops. There's one chance for athletes to catch your breath on each loop as I screamed down the one downhill at 39 mph on the nicely paved asphalt. The run course is a very short 2.25 miles, half paved, half cross-country, with a gradual uphill that becomes VERY steep just before the turn-around. The don't call it "The Beast" for nothing!! I could have shaved a little more time off if I didn't screw up my helmet and laces. Also lost a few seconds battling a bee. Here is the comparison to last year...

2004 Time: 1:23:13 Overall Place = 130 out of 239
2003 Time: 1:24:03 Overall Place = 129 out of 208

I took advantage of the sports massage therapists that were on site. I ended up getting a 40 minute massage after the race. Nice way to finish the day. Headed out to Mt. Pleasant with Jack, Suzy and Chris in the afternoon.

August 7th
10 Mile run today. Went from Wellbridge to McDonalds and back. Ran with Tommy and Sarah Handelman's husband. We got a later start so Suzy could spin at 730am. I was happy to get the extra sleep. Did not feel as good as last weekend but got the miles in. Weather was fantastic. Took Jack to the zoo in the afternoon.

August 6th
Day Off. Suzy went spinning at 6am - I slept in with Jack.

August 5th
First time running since Sunday. We started at 545am and ran from Wellbridge to Kingshighway and back. Total mileage=7. Weather was perfect.

August 4th
Inspired by the final episode of the Lance Chronicles which features Lance scouting Alp Duez, I got up early and headed out to Babler to ride St. Louis' version of the Alps. I got out to Babler a little before 6am and was greeted with rain. I drove the course a couple of times making mental notes as to where I could attack and then headed home disappointed. When the rain stopped and the sun came out (about 1130am) I went back out. I rode the 4 mile loop 3 times at lunch before heading back to the office. Beautiful time to ride - nice change of pace. This is a hilly little course. It takes the wind out of you right at the start.

August 3rd
Change in plans this morning. Instead of running Tommy and I did 19.25 (Jack's birth length) on the bike. We met on Clayton road at 545am and headed out and back. Gave the legs another day off of the running. Looking at 7 miles on Thursday and 10 miles on Saturday followed by the Beast on Sunday.

August 2nd
Much needed day off - my legs are shot after 2 races this past weekend.

August 1st
Welcome to the dog days of AUGUST.
Actually, the summer has moved along pretty quickly. Today is part 2 of the weekend double header. Headed out to St. Charles this morning for the flat 5. Legs were very tired for the first 2 miles but then felt better for the last 3. Finished 75th place - 41:53.



E-Mail John Strassner Contact John..... We Conquered Chicago!!! Welcome To Strass Training Thanks for checking out my training journal. I am training for the 2004 LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon on Sunday, October 10th. If you want to join me and my teammates in Chicago then visit The Chicago Marathon Site. Why Am I Doing This? Thats a good question. I am looking for a major challenge and think that I have found one in Chicago. I love doing Triathlons but think that completing a marathon is a great accomplishment. After seeking counseling from fellow triathalete, Tommy Rosenthal and fellow marathoner/sister, Blair, I said "what the heck and signed up for Chicago." Contact Coach Blair..... Contact Tommy..... Training Program I am using the Hal Higdon training program as a guide. Of course, since we are in the middle of a very busy triathlon season, this will only be a guide. I plan to incorporate many triathlons into the overall training program. As long as I focus on getting the long runs in each week I think I will be okay. Hal Higdon's Training Program Archive May 2004 June 2004 July 2004 August 2004 September 2004 Strass Training Web Links The Chicago Marathon St. Louis Marathon Swim Bike Run St. Louis StrassTraining Active.com Nike.com Training Forecast Thanks For Your Support Strass Marathon Training has welcomed visitors to the site!!! Sponsor	Strass Marathon Training 2004 26.2 MILES TO GO!!! The challenge is pure and simple: complete the 26.2 mile course before passing out. Since I am also the new father of Jack, my other main challenge lies in not letting the training consume my entire life. I am very much a family man who loves spending my free time with Suzy, Jack, Sydney and Buster. That will not change. This is simply a way to continue to increase my fitness level, by working toward a new goal. By viewing my journal you will see that I am taking a somewhat level-headed approach to my training. I know that I will continue to look and feel great. October 10, 2004 - A date that will be repeated, remembered and relived forever. A date that will be passed down in stories, included in pictures, emblazoned on a medal and engraved in my memory. But more than that, a date that forever adds a line to my list of life accomplishments: MARATHON RUNNER. HERE IS MY JOURNAL ANY COMMENTS, QUESTIONS OR SUGGESTIONS ARE MUCH APPRECIATED!!! August 31st Back in the saddle today after the big Chicago Triathlon. Ran the 4 mile Wydown loop at 6am. August 30th Day off - recovering from the triathlon yesterday August 29th CHICAGO TRIATHLON August 28th CHICAGO TRIATHLON August 27th Did not work out today. Stopped by Maplewood Bike to pick up a new pair of goggles and then drove to Chicago in the afternoon for the big race Sunday. August 26th Did the 4 mile Wydown loop solo in the am. Went back to Wellbridge at 9pm and swam 40 laps to re-assure myself that I would be okay during the swim. Happy I did because my goggles broke. August 25th The weather has not cooperated this week. The ran has been tricky and with the Wellbridge pool under construction it is not easy to swim. Work was also busy today. Did not exercise. The forecast for Chicago this weekend is not great. High of 70 degrees on race day with rain showers. Should be wet and wild! August 24th Ran 8 miles at 6am. Left Wellbridge and went to Taylor and back. Felt good considering everything that I did last week. August 23rd Day Off. August 22nd Took Sydney to Forest Park for the Crohns & Colitis Walk-A-Thon. Sydney and I opted to walk the 5k course - we finished in about 51 minutes. If this was not enough, I then went and played Ice Hockey for an hour over at Brentwood. This completed a very, very busy week. August 21st 17 mile ARCH run today!!! Met at Wellbridge at 6am to run down, touch the arch, and head back!!! Six of us made the long, long trek. Felt pretty good today - much better then when I did the long run of 15. While I was happy to finish, I now have a higher level of confidence. Went out and played 18 holes at Algonquin immediately after and went to the Cardinal Game in the evening. This was a FULL DAY. August 20th Rest day after a tough week of training. Getting ready for the long run Saturday. August 19th Met TPR at 615am - we biked from Wellbridge to Forest Park - went around twice and then headed back. Got a total of 15 in on the bike. We then ran the 4 mile Wydown loop to complete the brick workout. This was a tough workout. August 18th Crazy day. Took Suzy to the airport at 630am so I was not able to run this morning. Went to DOC to get contacts fitted (2 hours) and then went and ran Forest Park at lunch. I did the loop +2 to get a total of 8 miles in today. It is tough playing catch up all day long - much easier just to get the time in early in the am before work. Oh well. August 17th 4 mile run at 6am. Scouted distance yesterday after swim - WYDOWN loop. Felt fair today. August 16th Wetsuit Practice Day. Swam 30 laps at Shaw Park after work August 15th Alligator Creek Triathlon (O'Fallon MO) 300 yard swim - 18 mile bike - 3.1 mile run This was my second year doing this race. Weather was actually cold. Swim started at 7am (I went off at 7:21:45) and it took a while for the temps to rise. It was a serpentine swim through the 25 yard pool. I got hit with a log jam and lost a little time. This is a hilly 18 mile bike course that winds through a residential neighborhood first, then through a pothole-laden service road and finally out through rolling farmland before returning to T2. The run has some hills to it as well. Luckily, the weather cooperated much better this year then the blazing temps last year. HERE ARE MY STATS ON THE DAY Swim Time = 6:11 (136 out of 155 men) - 2003 Swim=5:35 I got stuck behind a bunch of swimmers in the pool and had no where to go. Could not get much rhythm here but was in and out in 6 minutes. T1 & T2 = 3:53 (long way from pool to bike) - 2003 T1= 3:29 Too Long Bike Time = 1:05:45 (92 out of 155 men) - 2003 Bike=1:05:00 Tough bike course - I was much better on the 2nd 1/2. Was at a training pace for the first 10 miles in stead of going race day. T2 - need to calculate. Run Time = 24:57 (71 out of 155 men) - 2003 Run=28:55 Strong run for me. I averaged an 8:03 mile. It took me about 3/4 mile to catch my breath and then I felt great. TOTAL TIME = 1:40:46 2003 Total Time=1:43:30 Overall Place = 65th place out of 155 Men What can I say? While I beat my overall time in 2003 thanks to a much stronger run, I got killed by Tommy Rosenthal who finished in 1:37:16 - 3 1/2 minutes better. He beat me by a minute and a half on the bike and the same on the run. I could have had a better bike and a better T1 but my run was strong - he had an awesome run. I need to get better at T1 - I am not transitioning quicky this year. I also need to spend more time on the bike if I am going to improve my results. Run felt great thanks to all of the extra mileage we have been putting in on a weekly basis. August 14th Golf was my only workout today. Shot 85 with Bob, Jason and Stan at Algonquin. August 13th This was a much needed rest day. I slept until 7am and moved slowly. I am still pretty stiff from yesterday's long run. August 12th Huge day. With family coming in town this weekend and Alligator on Sunday, we all decided to do the long run (15 MILES) today. My alarm went off at 4:20am so that I could be at Wellbridge at 515am. Tommy, Pepper, Brenden, Gerard and I headed out in the dark and made our way towards Kingshighway. Temperature was very cool - great running weather once we got going. Our turnaround point was 11th street (7.5 miles) and then we headed back. Legs got pretty tight with about 3 miles to go. Total run time was about 2 1/2 hours. This was a tough, tough run as it was the longest I have ever done. Stretched afterwards and made it into the office a little before 9am. I was fairly zapped for the rest of the day but thrilled that I got 15 miles under my belt. There is no turning back now!!! August 11th Traveled to Chicago today for our annual Fall Presentation to our buyers. Did not exercise. August 10th Started out at 545am with TPR and Gerard. We ran from Wellbridge to Kingshighway and back. Total mileage=7.4 miles. Legs felt tired for the first 2 miles then loosened up a little. My calfs were screaming today. I made the mistake of scouting Thursday's run. 15 miles takes us all the way down to 11th street and back - it looks loooong! My body feels like I am pounding out some mileage. Need to keep stretching, resting and eating. August 9th Took advantage of Shaw Park (Wellbridge is closed) and swam 25 X 50 meters. This pool is great for training since it is 50 meters. Water temp was perfect. Went at 615pm. This was suppose to be a day off but since I am in Chicago on Wednesday I made this my swimming day. August 8th 2004 Babler Beast Triathlon 500 yard swim - 12.5 mile bike - 2.25 mile run Early morning weather was cool but warmed up by the time my 10am start time rolled around. Thankfully, the pool temp was warm. Completed the swim in just under 10 minutes and then headed out to the bike course with includes a couple of the toughest climbs in any St. Louis area triathlon - and athletes have to complete 3 loops. There's one chance for athletes to catch your breath on each loop as I screamed down the one downhill at 39 mph on the nicely paved asphalt. The run course is a very short 2.25 miles, half paved, half cross-country, with a gradual uphill that becomes VERY steep just before the turn-around. The don't call it "The Beast" for nothing!! I could have shaved a little more time off if I didn't screw up my helmet and laces. Also lost a few seconds battling a bee. Here is the comparison to last year... 2004 Time: 1:23:13 Overall Place = 130 out of 239 2003 Time: 1:24:03 Overall Place = 129 out of 208 I took advantage of the sports massage therapists that were on site. I ended up getting a 40 minute massage after the race. Nice way to finish the day. Headed out to Mt. Pleasant with Jack, Suzy and Chris in the afternoon. August 7th 10 Mile run today. Went from Wellbridge to McDonalds and back. Ran with Tommy and Sarah Handelman's husband. We got a later start so Suzy could spin at 730am. I was happy to get the extra sleep. Did not feel as good as last weekend but got the miles in. Weather was fantastic. Took Jack to the zoo in the afternoon. August 6th Day Off. Suzy went spinning at 6am - I slept in with Jack. August 5th First time running since Sunday. We started at 545am and ran from Wellbridge to Kingshighway and back. Total mileage=7. Weather was perfect. August 4th Inspired by the final episode of the Lance Chronicles which features Lance scouting Alp Duez, I got up early and headed out to Babler to ride St. Louis' version of the Alps. I got out to Babler a little before 6am and was greeted with rain. I drove the course a couple of times making mental notes as to where I could attack and then headed home disappointed. When the rain stopped and the sun came out (about 1130am) I went back out. I rode the 4 mile loop 3 times at lunch before heading back to the office. Beautiful time to ride - nice change of pace. This is a hilly little course. It takes the wind out of you right at the start. August 3rd Change in plans this morning. Instead of running Tommy and I did 19.25 (Jack's birth length) on the bike. We met on Clayton road at 545am and headed out and back. Gave the legs another day off of the running. Looking at 7 miles on Thursday and 10 miles on Saturday followed by the Beast on Sunday. August 2nd Much needed day off - my legs are shot after 2 races this past weekend. August 1st Welcome to the dog days of AUGUST. Actually, the summer has moved along pretty quickly. Today is part 2 of the weekend double header. Headed out to St. Charles this morning for the flat 5. Legs were very tired for the first 2 miles but then felt better for the last 3. Finished 75th place - 41:53.

Strass Marathon Training 2004

Strass Marathon
Training 2004