Maybe you thought it was the weather I was talking about but you would be wrong. I am writing a blog post!! And as always I always mean to do this long ago but never get the chance. But as of late...I just haven't wanted to. I have been dealing with an injury and that had taken a toll on my mental drive. I wanted to train so bad but was being smart and taking it easy. Last thing I really wanted to do at the time was sit and talk about it. Not that I think the injury was something to hide but I tended to get frustrated.
this all came about when I was doing a bootcamp. I love these bootcamps!! The day the injury occurred, we were doing lots of spinning and running. I am a triathlete, you would think this would be my happy day. I was on the spin bike and noticed my knee didn't feel quite right, not major, just not right. Throughout the 90 min class I ignored it and finished the class.
Soon after the class, my knee felt tight and I knew something was not right. It wasn't painful at this point and there was no swelling. Later that night it started to feel unstable and was locking and popping. And then eventually I developed an area that hurt when pressed. I did the usual RICE treatments and took a day off work. After 2 weeks it felt better, slightly. I could swim and bike but running was another story. The first day I ran I made it 2 or 3 steps and knew I wasn't going to be able to. I had some definite pain after the first heel strike on the affected knee.
The good thing about working in a Trauma ICU is the abundance of orthopedic surgeons we see. I was able to grab one and say "hey what do you think". He very quick answer was "your meniscus". Obviously I would need a proper workup to be sure. He advice was to take it easy and see how it felt (and come see him if things didn't get any better).
Soooo fast forward a week and the knee did start to feel better. I could no longer induce any pain and their was much less popping in the knee. So I got on the treadmill and did a whopping 5 mins, lol. It felt good but I knew not to push it. Next day I did 10 mins!!! Day after that it was 20!! I took a few days off and now I am up to 40 but it is a hard 40 now.The last 2 kms of my run I was able to hold down some 4:45 Km's and felt good.
There is still some occasional knee locking but I have had that before this injury. Well, not exactly the same issue, I had some cracking when I walked. I did have issues from previous sports injuries. But I am just happy that I can train again. I know you will read this Keith, so thanks for the support and info that you passed along, it helped.
I am back and I feel really good right now. I am starting to push it but I am going to be smart. Any pain and I will back off. I don't want this to be a nagging long term thing. I am just glad the hunger is still there and is showing no signs of going away.
Friday, November 25, 2011
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Learning to hurt all over again.....
When I made the decision to get healthy I knew that I wanted to be able to run. Why you may ask..simply because I could not. I was never a runner and it showed. The ability to run represented fitness to me. After I started I quickly learned to like it. I started off with a 10km race and followed it up with a second. I then set my sights on the half marathon distance.
My first goal for the half distance was to simply finish, even though in the back of my mind I wanted to be sub 2hrs. On my first half I didn't make it under 2 hours. On the occasion I ran the first 10km in 51 minutes and then suffered for the next 11!! I was 2:06 but I was happy with that...very happy.
It wasn't much longer that I had my second chance. I did make it under 2 hours this time...barely but still under (1:59:15). But I wanted to get faster...and I did. I eventually ran a 1:53! But then I started to get slower and I hated it. Why you ask...triathlon is the answer.
When I was a single sport person I could devote more time and make bigger gains in that area. But the reality was that I needed to learn to swim and throw some cycling in there too. So that meant a little less time for running.
I remember when I was "just" a runner how I could push through the hurt much easier. I think seeing the reduction in my race times got me a bit discouraged. I was losing the mental game in my head. I think I forgot what it was like to hurt when running.
I was making gains in my swimming and cycling but the running was slipping. Throw in lots of endurance training and then I had little time for much speed work for the run. But now that IM training is done with, for now, I have a little more flexibility with this.
Since I resumed activity post IM, I have been focusing on strength and speed. I have been consistent in weight training and building up the muscle groups that I have ignored. But one of the big things has been the speed work in a bootcamp that I do. It is put on 3 days a week and is an hour long class. I am learning to hurt all over again. One of the benefits of this class is the group environment. It is great motivation to keep going when you want to slow down. I push myself into the hurt zone each day I am there.
We do lots of running and that is fine, I can do running. But when you throw push ups, burpees, sit ups, and squat jumps in there it makes it a bit more difficult....just a bit ;). Now you have to learn to run tired and hurting. Much more so than in a triathlon. My first day back at bootcamp hurt more than Ironman...and that is not joking.
I haven't been doing a whole lot of endurance training as of late but I am going to get back into it real soon. But I am hoping that feeling the hurt again will help me when I need it the most. I am going to work on getting faster this year. I am going to hurt and I will love it.
My first goal for the half distance was to simply finish, even though in the back of my mind I wanted to be sub 2hrs. On my first half I didn't make it under 2 hours. On the occasion I ran the first 10km in 51 minutes and then suffered for the next 11!! I was 2:06 but I was happy with that...very happy.
It wasn't much longer that I had my second chance. I did make it under 2 hours this time...barely but still under (1:59:15). But I wanted to get faster...and I did. I eventually ran a 1:53! But then I started to get slower and I hated it. Why you ask...triathlon is the answer.
When I was a single sport person I could devote more time and make bigger gains in that area. But the reality was that I needed to learn to swim and throw some cycling in there too. So that meant a little less time for running.
I remember when I was "just" a runner how I could push through the hurt much easier. I think seeing the reduction in my race times got me a bit discouraged. I was losing the mental game in my head. I think I forgot what it was like to hurt when running.
I was making gains in my swimming and cycling but the running was slipping. Throw in lots of endurance training and then I had little time for much speed work for the run. But now that IM training is done with, for now, I have a little more flexibility with this.
Since I resumed activity post IM, I have been focusing on strength and speed. I have been consistent in weight training and building up the muscle groups that I have ignored. But one of the big things has been the speed work in a bootcamp that I do. It is put on 3 days a week and is an hour long class. I am learning to hurt all over again. One of the benefits of this class is the group environment. It is great motivation to keep going when you want to slow down. I push myself into the hurt zone each day I am there.
We do lots of running and that is fine, I can do running. But when you throw push ups, burpees, sit ups, and squat jumps in there it makes it a bit more difficult....just a bit ;). Now you have to learn to run tired and hurting. Much more so than in a triathlon. My first day back at bootcamp hurt more than Ironman...and that is not joking.
I haven't been doing a whole lot of endurance training as of late but I am going to get back into it real soon. But I am hoping that feeling the hurt again will help me when I need it the most. I am going to work on getting faster this year. I am going to hurt and I will love it.
Monday, September 5, 2011
Ironman Canada
As usual it has been a long time since my last post. The last few months has basically been IMC training and then the actual race. I now feel like i actually have the time to sit down at write a blog entry.
Leading up to IMC I was lucky in the fact that I had no injuries or colds. Sure I had some minor aches and such but nothing that really affected me. It seemed like earlier on in the year I was getting cold after cold but luckily I stayed healthy.
My wife, son, mother in law and I had made the drive out to Penticton on the Wednesday before the race. The weather was just awesome, quite a change from the year before. The drive was a nice and relaxing. I went for a 20 minute run after we arrived at the motel. Wow it was hot!! Didn't take long and I was sweating my ass off. I was glad it was only 20 minutes.
On the Thursday I went and did a quick swim to get out some of the long drive stiffness. I was surprised at how warm the water was...almost too warm. I had to break the seal on my wetsuit to let some cool water in. Right after the swim I headed on over to the expo and registered for the race. Felt very weird when they put my athlete bracelet on.
Friday was an optional bike ride or a rest day. My son did want to sleep the night before and was up crying for a large portion of it...I opted to rest ;). Friday really was a non eventful day.
Saturday was set to be one last "training day". I was meeting up with my coach and 2 other of his athletes for a 10 minute swim, bike, run. We swam out for a little bit and then talked about some last minute tip and headed back on in. After a relaxing transition we headed out on the bikes.
Once we got out on the highway we started to do some short pick ups and I felt so good! We were just approaching our time turnaround when I heard a loud ping and then banging. After a quick WTF I was able to slow down and see that I had blown a spoke on my back tire. Not good when you are planning to check your bike into transition an hour from then. I opened up the rear brakes and made my way back to our vehicles.
I decided that it was best to skip the run and headed over to the Bike Barn to see what they could do. I walked in with my wheel and was immediately helped by one of their staff. I was so impressed that the day before a major race like this they promised it would be done well before check in time. Granted it may not take them long to do but I am sure I was not the only person needing some repairs. Having said all of this my race was not in jeopardy. My coach was clear to point out that I could have used his wheels or use my own race wheels like he wanted me too, lol. Yes I did have my race wheels with me but was reluctant to use them because I was unsure of how I would feel coming down the descents with winds kicking up. Worst case scenario I would have threw them on. But all was good when the Bike Barn texted me about 1pm and told me my wheel was done. I looked at this whole thing as better now than tomorrow.
I popped my wheel on, did a quick test ride and then headed on over to the bike check in. All I can say is I wish I had a portion of the value of all the bikes in T1....wow! It was actually a very quick process, quicker than I thought anyway. I deflated the tires a bit and said good bye to my bike until the morning.
Race day
I woke up at about 4:15 on my own and since I was planning on 4:45 I just got up. Had my usual toast breakfast and a diet coke...mmmm sweet caffeine. One of my friends that was doing the race was staying at the same motel in Summerland. I walked over to his room and we made the short trek into Pentiction about 5:30 am.
Arriving at the transition area was very inspiring. I saw one of my friend just before body marking and she gave me a big hug and well wishes. Turns out I would see her many a bunch of times on the course today! The lines for body marking were quick and the volunteers were so cheerful for that time of morning, lol.
There was a parade of athletes headed into the transitions area. This place was hopping!! Once I got in, I headed over to my bike, dropped off my nutrition and pumped my tires up. Luckily one of the guys I know from indoor spin classes was right bedside me and had a pump. This was good because then I didnt have to waste time.
After dropping off my dry goods bag, I got into my wetsuit. Just as I finished I ran into my coach. It was nice to get a last minute pep talk and advice. I quick zip up and I made my way to the beach. It was was very surreal standing in the water and looking at all the athletes there. I saw a few people I knew but I decided to keep to myself. I wanted to just get in my zone and to enjoy the moment. The pro's were off a few minutes later and then the countdown was on for everyone else. And in what seemed like seconds the horn blew and it was the start of IMC for me.
The Swim - 1:38:58
It seems like everyone has their opinions and thoughts on were to start the swim. Far left, far right, etc... I decided on mid right and quite far back. Once the race was underway I walked until I was mid thigh and then went horizontal. Their was no big cold water shock like in most races I seem to do. Like I said before, the water was almost too warm. I did see one guy doing the race without a wetsuit! Not much contact as the race got under way. I did notice that I was actually running into people, maybe I should have started a few rows further ahead.
Things were relatively calm until the second buoy. It seemed like this is were the full contact sport began. I do think I lost some time trying to navigate around others and fend off "attacks" but that is part of open water swimming. For some reason it seemed like the trip out to the first turn took forever. I did, however, make the turn quite clean. The trip to the second turn came up quick and I was surprised to make that one clean too. The home stretch was nothing but thinking about the rest of the day. I was feeling quite good and was just going from buoy to buoy. Once the buoys went from the color orange to red I had a harder time spotting them for some reason but I just kept looking for my landmarks and that helped. Before I knew it I was scooping up sand in my hands and I knew it was time to pop up and get the legs moving. I exited the water and was happy to see that I was under 1:40 for the swim. I really wanted to be under 1:30 but I was still happy with 1:38 because of how good I felt coming out of the water.
T1
After getting my suit stripped, I grabbed my transition bag and headed to the change tent. I didn't plan on changing clothes but I decided to head in and have a seat while putting on my gear. I seat for a minute and just looked around, it was quite busy and everyone seemed so focused. I put on my helmet and shoes and headed on out to get some sunscreen. Quite the experience getting sunscreen applied but girls with rubber gloves and large pans of sunscreen. I was nothing but white streaks from head to toe, lol. But now it was time to ride.
THE BIKE - 6:48:58
I was feeling awesome as I hopped on my bike and started to peddle out of town. It was quite an experience riding out of town with that many people cheering you on. I passed by my wife and was quickly able to acknowledge her. My plan was to take it fairly easy until I hit Mclean Creek. It was already warm and sunny along Lake Skaha. I started to take in small bit of Perpetuem and began to enjoy they day.
Pretty soon we hit the first climb and up we went. I don't mind Mclean Creek, it is short and steep but really not bad. Once the climb was over we headed onto the flat section and we quickly told to get off the shoulder by a race official. Some douche bag had put tacks on the edge. I saw probably 15 or so people on the side of the road getting tired change, and this was in a very short area. I was lucky to avoid any tacks. The decent was nice and quick, road was in good condition too. As I made the turn by O K Falls I saw Heather in her pink outfit, was nice to see someone I knew!
OK Falls to Osoyoos is so fast. It was nice to just get down into the bars and peddle. It is easy to just hammer through here but that was not my plan and I stuck to it. I did have some nice speed going through here but that wasn't from working hard. I knew that Richters was coming up and I was being smart about the race.
Before I knew it I was turning at the Husky and headed up Richters Pass. I had done training rides through here and I knew what to expect. I really did not have a hard time with the pass. I did however start to get some muscles twinges that let me know that cramps were going to hit me. I stayed mostly in my saddle but would occasionally stand it up just to change position. I passed people, I got passed and I rode with a few people the majority of the way. Had a few short conversations with people as we changed positions. I passed a mother and daughter pair that were very close to each other. The mom was trailing and told me she was gonna catch her daughter. When I passed the daughter I told her that her mom was talking smack about her, she laughed. I was getting close to the crest and I increased my cadence to head right into the descent. Normally I am a chicken shit descender but I was far more aggressive than normal. Like most, I took the road vs the shoulder down. The road was smoother and there was not much traffic. I was actually peddling down hill and passed people!! I made it to the bottom and was ready to hit the rollers.
My goal for the rollers was to use momentum as much as possible and that is what I did. I got as much speed as possible going down and carried myself up as far as possible. I was glad when they were done and we were headed to the "out and back". For those of you who do not know, the "out and back" is just that. You head out away from the course and then back to continue on to the finish. Special needs it located at the turn around point. At this point in the race it is HOT!! I tried to cool myself but dowsing myself with water at every aid station and it helped. I started to get some leg cramps down the out and back and was just trying to keep them at bay. I was changing up my position, taking endurolytes, and increasing my fluid intake. But there was no stopping them :(. Luckily they were not severe so was able to keep peddling. I had no need to get anything from my special needs bag so I bypassed it.
I was so glad when the out and back was over with. I was looking forward to getting to Yellow Lake to be honest, I wanted to get the hard stuff over with. As I approached the start of the climb my legs were really starting to cramp. The good thing was the road was lined with people so it was good motivation to keep the legs moving and suck up the discomfort. I was on my way up when I passed by my coach and got a few words of encouragement. Then it was back to the grinding.
Pretty soon the last part of the climb was approaching and I thought I was in the Tour de France, lol. There was people lining both sides of the road and on the road just cheering and calling out your name. Talk about feeling like a rockstar!!! My legs were cramping but the top was just ahead, no relaxing just yet. Once I did peak, I got my legs spinning and the cramps let up a bit.
Most people were stopping at the aid station but I kept on going. I just wanted to get down to the run at this point. Once I got to the actual descent I tried to lay off the brakes as much as possible but the winds had kicked up a bit. There are a few nice curves thrown in there as well. The over all descent was good but I was glad to be heading back on into town. I pulled up to the dismount line and was lucky to not cramp and fall getting off my bike. Overall I was happy with my time given the cramping issues. I was aiming for 6:15- 6:30 but it wasnt in the cards today.
T2
I had decided to wear actual cycling shorts for the bike and my plan was to change to tri shorts for the run. I knew this would cost me a few minutes in transition but in the grand scheme of things it wasn't going to hurt me. I was sock less for the bike so I put body glide on my feet , threw on a pair of socks and then my shoes. I was so glad to be out of my biking shoes. I had developed a nice hot spot on my right foot and it was pretty uncomfortable. Once I headed out of the tent it was time for my sunscreen, lol. I walked up to the transition timing mat and the started the run.
THE RUN - 6:14:58
I started out feeling pretty good on the run and was holding 5 min km pace. My legs felt ok but a bit tight. Again I ran into my coach and gave him an update and he gave me some advice. I made it to about 4 km and then I started to cramp. I knew this was gonna be a looong run, lol. I started with my run, cramp, walk, run, cramp repeats. A few minutes later one of my good friends pulled up bedside me and was running with me. My friend Detlef has done just a few Ironman races, this years IMC was number 38, lol. I had passed him on the bike but I knew he would catch me on the run. He was the one who actually helped my transition into triathlon. He said that he was having a rough day but I think it was a load of BS. I am pretty sure he sand bagged the bike to run with me. I have a feeling he wanted to make sure I finished. I appreciated the gesture but in a way I wish he had just kept running, I hated the feeling of holding him back (and I did tell him that). I was determined to finish and was going to do it at my pace, so I really didn't need him there. He didn't really pace me, he ran when I ran and walked when I walked.
Along the course I ran into people I knew, competing and spectating. My friend Donna (another multiple Ironman finisher) was watching on the road, yelled my name and came up and gave me a huge hug. Very brave considering it was about 11 hours in at this point, lol. I think it was the 5th time I saw her that day, lol. It was so nice to see friend on the run course making their way back into town. I was so impressed to see how some of them were kicking ass!! One of the cool parts of the day was talking to different people and finding out more about them, so many different stories!!
One of my strategies for the run was to break it down to aid station to aid station. At each aid station I grabbed a sponge and soaked myself, took some electrolytes, took in some gel and then water and then a sponge. By the turn around point I really had my fill of gel. I had carried my gel flask with me but decided at the special needs to leave my second flask in my bag. I grabbed my electrolytes and tossed the rest.
It was nice to be heading back into town!! I had passed one of my team mates as I approached the turnaround and she was heading back into town. It was nice to see her smiling and looking so good. I knew she wasn't far ahead so I was hoping to catch up to her on the way back.
The run/cramp/walk cycle continued. For nutrition I switched to pepsi and the occasional chicken broth when it became available. The kms were counting down one by one. The cramps were manageable but my feet were hurting. Mostly my right foot where that hot spot developed. I could tell there was a large deep blister was developing. I think it was about 9km left when I felt a couple blisters popping...nasty feeling. But I was getting close, I am not sure at what point I knew I was going to finish but I do remember how good it felt.
As I got close to 7km to go, I came upon my team mate. She was cramping bad and was hurting. This girl is ALWAYS smiling and she was now a bit teary. She had been good up until 34 km and then started to cramp. At that point I made a decision, I was gonna stick with her like my friend Detlef stuck with me (he was still with me). I told her that we would walk it in if we had to but we would get there. I still could have did my cycle but I did not want to take off and leave her. I was already past my goal time and it wasnt like I was chasing a Kona spot, lol.
We walked for the next 4 km and talked about what it was gonna be like to finish. We were approaching 2km left when I told her that she was going to run the last 2k or I would make fun of her at the next training camp (really I would not have but she didnt need to know that). Just before the 2k left mark we started running. I was running a bit faster but I was cramping and needed to stop, she was consistent but slower. My friend Detlef knew she needed support so he stuck with her, although I was not far ahead.
We were so close and you could hear the announcers so clearly. People lining the route were just calling out your name and just so encouraging. Once you make the turn and head back toward the finish you see the bright light off in the distance. I cannot explain the feeling. I was rapidly approaching the light and then all of a sudden I was on the blue carpet. I had quite the rush of emotions but didn't cry like I thought I was going to, lol. I crossed the line and I WAS AN IRONMAN!!!
It was so surreal to finish. I really didn't have time to enjoy it before I got the mother of all cramps in my left calf. Very quickly 2 catchers were at my side and helped me take a few steps to walk it off. I told them I was fine and wasn't going to fall but they didn't buy it. I really wasn't going to fall, I just couldn't walk at first due to the cramp. After a few steps the cramp was gone and I was ok. My coach had snagged a VIP bracelet and was at the finish as I was lucky enough to have him place my medal around my neck. After a quick hug, I got my shirt, hat and then photo. I was happy to be done.
OVERALL TIME 14:55:43
My friend Detlef and teammate had crossed the line 12 second behind me and then we all had a celebration. We decided to head on over to the food and then get our family to the meeting area. As we got some yummy pizza, my coach was busy contacting our family members and bringing them to us. I was happy that I was able to eat...in fact I was starving.
Not long after I was hugging my wife and thanking her for all or her support. I really could not have done it without her. While we were standing around and I was eating pizza, I saw a flag from St. Francis Xavier University (the school I graduated with). They funny thing was, the people holding it up were the mother/daughter combo that I had saw on Richters. It was hilarious when I went over and told them I had gone there too. It is a special bond when you graduate from there. Next thing you know we were all getting pics taken and laughing.
After a few more minutes of taking in the post race activities I knew I was done. We headed into transition and picked up all of out gear. I was tired and I wanted to get back to the hotel to see my son. I did see him when I started the run and got to scratch his head when I ran but but I wanted to hold him. We made the drive home and I was so ready to sit down. My wife had picked up some food for me to eat just in case and I was so thankful. After a brief visit I went to bed, happy to be done but more thrilled with the accomplishment.
So...the after math.
My recovery has been good. The first few days I had some bad insomnia, sleep for a few hours and then awake the rest of the night. The expected muscle soreness was absolutely gone by Thursday. The absolute worse part of the recovery was the gastrointestinal cramping that I had. A couple days after the race I woke up in the night with bad cramps and nausea. This went on for almost 2 days and I was so uncomfortable. I was pretty happy when I was over that. I lost a few layers of skin on the bottom of my right foot where I developed a deep blister. Overall I feel back to normal.
No all asepects of the race were perfect. Multple aid stations ran out of water and I heard some actually ran out of all fluids! I was severely disappointed buy the finishers medal. A couple of days ago NA sports sent out a letter of apology. They said the miscalculated the fluid needs. Also, after the design approval of the medal, the dimesions were mistakenly changed by the manufacturers. The water/fluid shortages were not a big deal to me as I was always ahead on my fluid needs. As far as the medal goes I cant really do anything about it but I am not happy with the "we screwed up and all we can do is say we are aorry atitude" I think the company that made the medals should redo them correctly and be offered to any finsher that would like one. Oh well, life will go on.
I remember reading Leana's blog and she has ansswered some common questions that most people seem to get asked so I will follow suit.
Did I sign up for next year.....no I did not.
Will I do it again.....f#*k yeah, 2013 I will for sure. I would be greedy to ask my wife to commit to it so soon again. She wants to have another child I I think I owe her and my son some time. This was not a bucket list checkmark for me.
Am I going to get the tattoo....already did. I will post a pic when I take the bandage off. There are many thoughts and feelings on this. Many people like it while others think it is cheesy. In love it and I dont care what others think.
What am I going to do next year...I will start formal triathlon training in maybe a month or 2. I plan to take some snowboarding lessons this winter. I will do some half mary's, half IMs, short distance tri's, an Xterra tri and the Spartan race. I like to race, what can I say. I am going to focus on some good speed development too.
This was a great experience and was truely EPIC! One of the best parts of the day was sharing it with family, friends and other competitors. It was lots of hard work and dedication but in the end it was so worth it. I didnt get the overall time I had thought of but I am not in any way disappointed!! I am a proud to say I am now an Ironman.
Leading up to IMC I was lucky in the fact that I had no injuries or colds. Sure I had some minor aches and such but nothing that really affected me. It seemed like earlier on in the year I was getting cold after cold but luckily I stayed healthy.
My wife, son, mother in law and I had made the drive out to Penticton on the Wednesday before the race. The weather was just awesome, quite a change from the year before. The drive was a nice and relaxing. I went for a 20 minute run after we arrived at the motel. Wow it was hot!! Didn't take long and I was sweating my ass off. I was glad it was only 20 minutes.
On the Thursday I went and did a quick swim to get out some of the long drive stiffness. I was surprised at how warm the water was...almost too warm. I had to break the seal on my wetsuit to let some cool water in. Right after the swim I headed on over to the expo and registered for the race. Felt very weird when they put my athlete bracelet on.
Friday was an optional bike ride or a rest day. My son did want to sleep the night before and was up crying for a large portion of it...I opted to rest ;). Friday really was a non eventful day.
Saturday was set to be one last "training day". I was meeting up with my coach and 2 other of his athletes for a 10 minute swim, bike, run. We swam out for a little bit and then talked about some last minute tip and headed back on in. After a relaxing transition we headed out on the bikes.
Once we got out on the highway we started to do some short pick ups and I felt so good! We were just approaching our time turnaround when I heard a loud ping and then banging. After a quick WTF I was able to slow down and see that I had blown a spoke on my back tire. Not good when you are planning to check your bike into transition an hour from then. I opened up the rear brakes and made my way back to our vehicles.
I decided that it was best to skip the run and headed over to the Bike Barn to see what they could do. I walked in with my wheel and was immediately helped by one of their staff. I was so impressed that the day before a major race like this they promised it would be done well before check in time. Granted it may not take them long to do but I am sure I was not the only person needing some repairs. Having said all of this my race was not in jeopardy. My coach was clear to point out that I could have used his wheels or use my own race wheels like he wanted me too, lol. Yes I did have my race wheels with me but was reluctant to use them because I was unsure of how I would feel coming down the descents with winds kicking up. Worst case scenario I would have threw them on. But all was good when the Bike Barn texted me about 1pm and told me my wheel was done. I looked at this whole thing as better now than tomorrow.
I popped my wheel on, did a quick test ride and then headed on over to the bike check in. All I can say is I wish I had a portion of the value of all the bikes in T1....wow! It was actually a very quick process, quicker than I thought anyway. I deflated the tires a bit and said good bye to my bike until the morning.
Race day
I woke up at about 4:15 on my own and since I was planning on 4:45 I just got up. Had my usual toast breakfast and a diet coke...mmmm sweet caffeine. One of my friends that was doing the race was staying at the same motel in Summerland. I walked over to his room and we made the short trek into Pentiction about 5:30 am.
Arriving at the transition area was very inspiring. I saw one of my friend just before body marking and she gave me a big hug and well wishes. Turns out I would see her many a bunch of times on the course today! The lines for body marking were quick and the volunteers were so cheerful for that time of morning, lol.
There was a parade of athletes headed into the transitions area. This place was hopping!! Once I got in, I headed over to my bike, dropped off my nutrition and pumped my tires up. Luckily one of the guys I know from indoor spin classes was right bedside me and had a pump. This was good because then I didnt have to waste time.
After dropping off my dry goods bag, I got into my wetsuit. Just as I finished I ran into my coach. It was nice to get a last minute pep talk and advice. I quick zip up and I made my way to the beach. It was was very surreal standing in the water and looking at all the athletes there. I saw a few people I knew but I decided to keep to myself. I wanted to just get in my zone and to enjoy the moment. The pro's were off a few minutes later and then the countdown was on for everyone else. And in what seemed like seconds the horn blew and it was the start of IMC for me.
The Swim - 1:38:58
It seems like everyone has their opinions and thoughts on were to start the swim. Far left, far right, etc... I decided on mid right and quite far back. Once the race was underway I walked until I was mid thigh and then went horizontal. Their was no big cold water shock like in most races I seem to do. Like I said before, the water was almost too warm. I did see one guy doing the race without a wetsuit! Not much contact as the race got under way. I did notice that I was actually running into people, maybe I should have started a few rows further ahead.
Things were relatively calm until the second buoy. It seemed like this is were the full contact sport began. I do think I lost some time trying to navigate around others and fend off "attacks" but that is part of open water swimming. For some reason it seemed like the trip out to the first turn took forever. I did, however, make the turn quite clean. The trip to the second turn came up quick and I was surprised to make that one clean too. The home stretch was nothing but thinking about the rest of the day. I was feeling quite good and was just going from buoy to buoy. Once the buoys went from the color orange to red I had a harder time spotting them for some reason but I just kept looking for my landmarks and that helped. Before I knew it I was scooping up sand in my hands and I knew it was time to pop up and get the legs moving. I exited the water and was happy to see that I was under 1:40 for the swim. I really wanted to be under 1:30 but I was still happy with 1:38 because of how good I felt coming out of the water.
T1
After getting my suit stripped, I grabbed my transition bag and headed to the change tent. I didn't plan on changing clothes but I decided to head in and have a seat while putting on my gear. I seat for a minute and just looked around, it was quite busy and everyone seemed so focused. I put on my helmet and shoes and headed on out to get some sunscreen. Quite the experience getting sunscreen applied but girls with rubber gloves and large pans of sunscreen. I was nothing but white streaks from head to toe, lol. But now it was time to ride.
THE BIKE - 6:48:58
I was feeling awesome as I hopped on my bike and started to peddle out of town. It was quite an experience riding out of town with that many people cheering you on. I passed by my wife and was quickly able to acknowledge her. My plan was to take it fairly easy until I hit Mclean Creek. It was already warm and sunny along Lake Skaha. I started to take in small bit of Perpetuem and began to enjoy they day.
Pretty soon we hit the first climb and up we went. I don't mind Mclean Creek, it is short and steep but really not bad. Once the climb was over we headed onto the flat section and we quickly told to get off the shoulder by a race official. Some douche bag had put tacks on the edge. I saw probably 15 or so people on the side of the road getting tired change, and this was in a very short area. I was lucky to avoid any tacks. The decent was nice and quick, road was in good condition too. As I made the turn by O K Falls I saw Heather in her pink outfit, was nice to see someone I knew!
OK Falls to Osoyoos is so fast. It was nice to just get down into the bars and peddle. It is easy to just hammer through here but that was not my plan and I stuck to it. I did have some nice speed going through here but that wasn't from working hard. I knew that Richters was coming up and I was being smart about the race.
Before I knew it I was turning at the Husky and headed up Richters Pass. I had done training rides through here and I knew what to expect. I really did not have a hard time with the pass. I did however start to get some muscles twinges that let me know that cramps were going to hit me. I stayed mostly in my saddle but would occasionally stand it up just to change position. I passed people, I got passed and I rode with a few people the majority of the way. Had a few short conversations with people as we changed positions. I passed a mother and daughter pair that were very close to each other. The mom was trailing and told me she was gonna catch her daughter. When I passed the daughter I told her that her mom was talking smack about her, she laughed. I was getting close to the crest and I increased my cadence to head right into the descent. Normally I am a chicken shit descender but I was far more aggressive than normal. Like most, I took the road vs the shoulder down. The road was smoother and there was not much traffic. I was actually peddling down hill and passed people!! I made it to the bottom and was ready to hit the rollers.
My goal for the rollers was to use momentum as much as possible and that is what I did. I got as much speed as possible going down and carried myself up as far as possible. I was glad when they were done and we were headed to the "out and back". For those of you who do not know, the "out and back" is just that. You head out away from the course and then back to continue on to the finish. Special needs it located at the turn around point. At this point in the race it is HOT!! I tried to cool myself but dowsing myself with water at every aid station and it helped. I started to get some leg cramps down the out and back and was just trying to keep them at bay. I was changing up my position, taking endurolytes, and increasing my fluid intake. But there was no stopping them :(. Luckily they were not severe so was able to keep peddling. I had no need to get anything from my special needs bag so I bypassed it.
I was so glad when the out and back was over with. I was looking forward to getting to Yellow Lake to be honest, I wanted to get the hard stuff over with. As I approached the start of the climb my legs were really starting to cramp. The good thing was the road was lined with people so it was good motivation to keep the legs moving and suck up the discomfort. I was on my way up when I passed by my coach and got a few words of encouragement. Then it was back to the grinding.
Pretty soon the last part of the climb was approaching and I thought I was in the Tour de France, lol. There was people lining both sides of the road and on the road just cheering and calling out your name. Talk about feeling like a rockstar!!! My legs were cramping but the top was just ahead, no relaxing just yet. Once I did peak, I got my legs spinning and the cramps let up a bit.
Most people were stopping at the aid station but I kept on going. I just wanted to get down to the run at this point. Once I got to the actual descent I tried to lay off the brakes as much as possible but the winds had kicked up a bit. There are a few nice curves thrown in there as well. The over all descent was good but I was glad to be heading back on into town. I pulled up to the dismount line and was lucky to not cramp and fall getting off my bike. Overall I was happy with my time given the cramping issues. I was aiming for 6:15- 6:30 but it wasnt in the cards today.
T2
I had decided to wear actual cycling shorts for the bike and my plan was to change to tri shorts for the run. I knew this would cost me a few minutes in transition but in the grand scheme of things it wasn't going to hurt me. I was sock less for the bike so I put body glide on my feet , threw on a pair of socks and then my shoes. I was so glad to be out of my biking shoes. I had developed a nice hot spot on my right foot and it was pretty uncomfortable. Once I headed out of the tent it was time for my sunscreen, lol. I walked up to the transition timing mat and the started the run.
THE RUN - 6:14:58
I started out feeling pretty good on the run and was holding 5 min km pace. My legs felt ok but a bit tight. Again I ran into my coach and gave him an update and he gave me some advice. I made it to about 4 km and then I started to cramp. I knew this was gonna be a looong run, lol. I started with my run, cramp, walk, run, cramp repeats. A few minutes later one of my good friends pulled up bedside me and was running with me. My friend Detlef has done just a few Ironman races, this years IMC was number 38, lol. I had passed him on the bike but I knew he would catch me on the run. He was the one who actually helped my transition into triathlon. He said that he was having a rough day but I think it was a load of BS. I am pretty sure he sand bagged the bike to run with me. I have a feeling he wanted to make sure I finished. I appreciated the gesture but in a way I wish he had just kept running, I hated the feeling of holding him back (and I did tell him that). I was determined to finish and was going to do it at my pace, so I really didn't need him there. He didn't really pace me, he ran when I ran and walked when I walked.
Along the course I ran into people I knew, competing and spectating. My friend Donna (another multiple Ironman finisher) was watching on the road, yelled my name and came up and gave me a huge hug. Very brave considering it was about 11 hours in at this point, lol. I think it was the 5th time I saw her that day, lol. It was so nice to see friend on the run course making their way back into town. I was so impressed to see how some of them were kicking ass!! One of the cool parts of the day was talking to different people and finding out more about them, so many different stories!!
One of my strategies for the run was to break it down to aid station to aid station. At each aid station I grabbed a sponge and soaked myself, took some electrolytes, took in some gel and then water and then a sponge. By the turn around point I really had my fill of gel. I had carried my gel flask with me but decided at the special needs to leave my second flask in my bag. I grabbed my electrolytes and tossed the rest.
It was nice to be heading back into town!! I had passed one of my team mates as I approached the turnaround and she was heading back into town. It was nice to see her smiling and looking so good. I knew she wasn't far ahead so I was hoping to catch up to her on the way back.
The run/cramp/walk cycle continued. For nutrition I switched to pepsi and the occasional chicken broth when it became available. The kms were counting down one by one. The cramps were manageable but my feet were hurting. Mostly my right foot where that hot spot developed. I could tell there was a large deep blister was developing. I think it was about 9km left when I felt a couple blisters popping...nasty feeling. But I was getting close, I am not sure at what point I knew I was going to finish but I do remember how good it felt.
As I got close to 7km to go, I came upon my team mate. She was cramping bad and was hurting. This girl is ALWAYS smiling and she was now a bit teary. She had been good up until 34 km and then started to cramp. At that point I made a decision, I was gonna stick with her like my friend Detlef stuck with me (he was still with me). I told her that we would walk it in if we had to but we would get there. I still could have did my cycle but I did not want to take off and leave her. I was already past my goal time and it wasnt like I was chasing a Kona spot, lol.
We walked for the next 4 km and talked about what it was gonna be like to finish. We were approaching 2km left when I told her that she was going to run the last 2k or I would make fun of her at the next training camp (really I would not have but she didnt need to know that). Just before the 2k left mark we started running. I was running a bit faster but I was cramping and needed to stop, she was consistent but slower. My friend Detlef knew she needed support so he stuck with her, although I was not far ahead.
We were so close and you could hear the announcers so clearly. People lining the route were just calling out your name and just so encouraging. Once you make the turn and head back toward the finish you see the bright light off in the distance. I cannot explain the feeling. I was rapidly approaching the light and then all of a sudden I was on the blue carpet. I had quite the rush of emotions but didn't cry like I thought I was going to, lol. I crossed the line and I WAS AN IRONMAN!!!
It was so surreal to finish. I really didn't have time to enjoy it before I got the mother of all cramps in my left calf. Very quickly 2 catchers were at my side and helped me take a few steps to walk it off. I told them I was fine and wasn't going to fall but they didn't buy it. I really wasn't going to fall, I just couldn't walk at first due to the cramp. After a few steps the cramp was gone and I was ok. My coach had snagged a VIP bracelet and was at the finish as I was lucky enough to have him place my medal around my neck. After a quick hug, I got my shirt, hat and then photo. I was happy to be done.
OVERALL TIME 14:55:43
My friend Detlef and teammate had crossed the line 12 second behind me and then we all had a celebration. We decided to head on over to the food and then get our family to the meeting area. As we got some yummy pizza, my coach was busy contacting our family members and bringing them to us. I was happy that I was able to eat...in fact I was starving.
Not long after I was hugging my wife and thanking her for all or her support. I really could not have done it without her. While we were standing around and I was eating pizza, I saw a flag from St. Francis Xavier University (the school I graduated with). They funny thing was, the people holding it up were the mother/daughter combo that I had saw on Richters. It was hilarious when I went over and told them I had gone there too. It is a special bond when you graduate from there. Next thing you know we were all getting pics taken and laughing.
After a few more minutes of taking in the post race activities I knew I was done. We headed into transition and picked up all of out gear. I was tired and I wanted to get back to the hotel to see my son. I did see him when I started the run and got to scratch his head when I ran but but I wanted to hold him. We made the drive home and I was so ready to sit down. My wife had picked up some food for me to eat just in case and I was so thankful. After a brief visit I went to bed, happy to be done but more thrilled with the accomplishment.
So...the after math.
My recovery has been good. The first few days I had some bad insomnia, sleep for a few hours and then awake the rest of the night. The expected muscle soreness was absolutely gone by Thursday. The absolute worse part of the recovery was the gastrointestinal cramping that I had. A couple days after the race I woke up in the night with bad cramps and nausea. This went on for almost 2 days and I was so uncomfortable. I was pretty happy when I was over that. I lost a few layers of skin on the bottom of my right foot where I developed a deep blister. Overall I feel back to normal.
No all asepects of the race were perfect. Multple aid stations ran out of water and I heard some actually ran out of all fluids! I was severely disappointed buy the finishers medal. A couple of days ago NA sports sent out a letter of apology. They said the miscalculated the fluid needs. Also, after the design approval of the medal, the dimesions were mistakenly changed by the manufacturers. The water/fluid shortages were not a big deal to me as I was always ahead on my fluid needs. As far as the medal goes I cant really do anything about it but I am not happy with the "we screwed up and all we can do is say we are aorry atitude" I think the company that made the medals should redo them correctly and be offered to any finsher that would like one. Oh well, life will go on.
I remember reading Leana's blog and she has ansswered some common questions that most people seem to get asked so I will follow suit.
Did I sign up for next year.....no I did not.
Will I do it again.....f#*k yeah, 2013 I will for sure. I would be greedy to ask my wife to commit to it so soon again. She wants to have another child I I think I owe her and my son some time. This was not a bucket list checkmark for me.
Am I going to get the tattoo....already did. I will post a pic when I take the bandage off. There are many thoughts and feelings on this. Many people like it while others think it is cheesy. In love it and I dont care what others think.
What am I going to do next year...I will start formal triathlon training in maybe a month or 2. I plan to take some snowboarding lessons this winter. I will do some half mary's, half IMs, short distance tri's, an Xterra tri and the Spartan race. I like to race, what can I say. I am going to focus on some good speed development too.
This was a great experience and was truely EPIC! One of the best parts of the day was sharing it with family, friends and other competitors. It was lots of hard work and dedication but in the end it was so worth it. I didnt get the overall time I had thought of but I am not in any way disappointed!! I am a proud to say I am now an Ironman.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
The road to recovery and ass kicking
Luckily my time being sick is over. It has been a while since I was hit that hard by an illness. But it is now gone and I have been back to training for a week now. I really, really hate losing that training time but not much I can do about it. I am just focusing on the goal now. The first few days back started off pretty slow and now I am pretty much back into a normal routine.
Today's ride turned out to be a day all about ass kicking. I didn't kick any...I got mine kicked. A 3 hour aerobic ride. Usually not a problem but today there was just a little bit of wind. I decided to head out towards Cochrane on the 1A and then planned on heading up Horse Creek Rd.
As I left my house I made a quick U turn to grab my arm warmers..the wind was a bit cooling. I knew right away that the tailwind I was riding was going to kill me on the way back. Know this I decided that I was going to plan for it and turn around earlier than I had planned. Going out I was easily doing 37-45 km/hr. Going down Cochrane hill was a little sketch due to the wind, so hard to keep control.
Not long after I was on Horse Creek Rd. I really enjoy this ride. I have done a few races that have included it in the course. It is usually pretty quiet and the roads are in pretty good shape. There were only a few others riders out here today too. It wasnt long before I hit my turn around and was heading into the wind.
The free ride was over and now it was time to work. I don't think I was in my bid ring at any point of the ride back. I tried going aero a few times but I just could not keep comfortable control. I stayed up and just kept the legs moving. I was not having too much fun at this point, and jokingly thought about calling my wife for a ride home, lol.
When I hit Cochrane hill I had a "you have got to be kidding me" moment. Headwind going up that hill. Can't avoid it so might as well just suck it up. It wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be, again I just kept the legs moving. One I crested the wind just kept coming. The road construction on the 1A has not affected the cycling really but today it made it a bit of a PIA. The machinery was just kicking up lots of dirt/dust and the wind was blowing right at me. Another not so fun moment.
I was pretty glad to roll into my hood. I did 63km in just under 3 hours. That sucked considering at Great White North I did 90km in 2:46. Totally different conditions so it may be comparing apples to oranges. At times I was in my easiest granny gear, trying to keep a cadence of 80-90 and only managing 15 km/hr! As hard as today's ride was I am definitely looking at it as a positive. It was just a hard training day that will help me at Ironman this year. Did I enjoy it...hell no. But I do see the value in getting your ass kicked every now and then.
Next week I am off to Penticton for the May long training camp. I have taken a huge liking to that place and can't wait to get out there. Gonna be lots of training in a short time but that is what I am hoping for. I am praying for lots of sun, no rain and definitely no wind.
Today's ride turned out to be a day all about ass kicking. I didn't kick any...I got mine kicked. A 3 hour aerobic ride. Usually not a problem but today there was just a little bit of wind. I decided to head out towards Cochrane on the 1A and then planned on heading up Horse Creek Rd.
As I left my house I made a quick U turn to grab my arm warmers..the wind was a bit cooling. I knew right away that the tailwind I was riding was going to kill me on the way back. Know this I decided that I was going to plan for it and turn around earlier than I had planned. Going out I was easily doing 37-45 km/hr. Going down Cochrane hill was a little sketch due to the wind, so hard to keep control.
Not long after I was on Horse Creek Rd. I really enjoy this ride. I have done a few races that have included it in the course. It is usually pretty quiet and the roads are in pretty good shape. There were only a few others riders out here today too. It wasnt long before I hit my turn around and was heading into the wind.
The free ride was over and now it was time to work. I don't think I was in my bid ring at any point of the ride back. I tried going aero a few times but I just could not keep comfortable control. I stayed up and just kept the legs moving. I was not having too much fun at this point, and jokingly thought about calling my wife for a ride home, lol.
When I hit Cochrane hill I had a "you have got to be kidding me" moment. Headwind going up that hill. Can't avoid it so might as well just suck it up. It wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be, again I just kept the legs moving. One I crested the wind just kept coming. The road construction on the 1A has not affected the cycling really but today it made it a bit of a PIA. The machinery was just kicking up lots of dirt/dust and the wind was blowing right at me. Another not so fun moment.
I was pretty glad to roll into my hood. I did 63km in just under 3 hours. That sucked considering at Great White North I did 90km in 2:46. Totally different conditions so it may be comparing apples to oranges. At times I was in my easiest granny gear, trying to keep a cadence of 80-90 and only managing 15 km/hr! As hard as today's ride was I am definitely looking at it as a positive. It was just a hard training day that will help me at Ironman this year. Did I enjoy it...hell no. But I do see the value in getting your ass kicked every now and then.
Next week I am off to Penticton for the May long training camp. I have taken a huge liking to that place and can't wait to get out there. Gonna be lots of training in a short time but that is what I am hoping for. I am praying for lots of sun, no rain and definitely no wind.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Being sick...the good and the bad!
Lets start with the bad. I have missed a week of training...this is killing me. But right now I have no choice...I have to heal and get better. Missing work...good and bad (lol). I have had to take 4 sick days in a row!!! Luckily we accumulate sick time...I have over 500hrs banked. I have some pretty caring coworkers calling and making sure I was ok. I went to take my first sick day and my charge nurse TOLD me I was taking at least 2 shifts (she was was ready to take me off all 4 right there).
Being pretty much confined to my house and having no energy was pretty lame. ONly so much TV you can watch and internet you can surf. At one point the whole family was sick and that is rough. I hate seeing my little boy sick but THANK GOD he did not get as sick as me.
Pretty much the only good thing was the amount of time I got to spend with my son Logan. Between work and training I sometimes feel like I dont get to see him enough. Had he not been sick we probably would have sent him to the day home so I would not have to worry about him. AT one point I had a 41 Degree fever and was trying to give him a nighttime bottle and change him. I felt so weak and I was dripping sweat as I was doing it. As sick as I was his needs come first. I am not saying we played cars right after that but I made sure he was clean and fed. But for the most part we sat on the cough, drinking our fluids (neither of us wanted to eat) and took our tylenol on the same schedule. We started to play a bit as we both felt better. Good when you can laugh even when you dont want to.
A week ago I was doing hill repeats on my bike and today I am on the cough. Feeling a bit better each day. Just need this cough to fade away and get more energy back. I have a training camp coming up May long and I need to be healthy for that. I am pumped!! But I am gonna work on getting me better hour by hour.
Being pretty much confined to my house and having no energy was pretty lame. ONly so much TV you can watch and internet you can surf. At one point the whole family was sick and that is rough. I hate seeing my little boy sick but THANK GOD he did not get as sick as me.
Pretty much the only good thing was the amount of time I got to spend with my son Logan. Between work and training I sometimes feel like I dont get to see him enough. Had he not been sick we probably would have sent him to the day home so I would not have to worry about him. AT one point I had a 41 Degree fever and was trying to give him a nighttime bottle and change him. I felt so weak and I was dripping sweat as I was doing it. As sick as I was his needs come first. I am not saying we played cars right after that but I made sure he was clean and fed. But for the most part we sat on the cough, drinking our fluids (neither of us wanted to eat) and took our tylenol on the same schedule. We started to play a bit as we both felt better. Good when you can laugh even when you dont want to.
A week ago I was doing hill repeats on my bike and today I am on the cough. Feeling a bit better each day. Just need this cough to fade away and get more energy back. I have a training camp coming up May long and I need to be healthy for that. I am pumped!! But I am gonna work on getting me better hour by hour.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Calgary Police Half, the pre and post.
The Calgary police half has been one of my favorite races. This year marks my third running this race. The route is nice with a great combination of scenery and difficulty. Lots of reasons to like this race.
This year I have mixed emotions. When I woke up this morning it took everything I had to get out of bed. I seem to have a bit more motivation when it is a triathlon vs a pure running race. But after a few minutes I made it over to the window, parted the blinds and let out a string of bad words. I am so done with winter. But whatever, since I can't change the weather, I just changed my goals.
I had talked to my coach and told him about the forecast (bastard is in Maui ;) ) and we both decided that this would just be a long training run. So I wasn't surprised when I saw the snow that was on the ground this morning. I was hoping for clear paths to try to give it a solid effort and see where my run fitness is.
I got to the start around 7am and just relaxed until it was time to line up. When the gun went off I was ready to go! I felt good as soon as I started running and was full of confidence. I think it was 400-500m into the race and there was a right turn approaching. I saw a bit of ice that was covered by some loose snow and slowed down to go over it, and proceeded to take a nice spill on it. I was lucky that I was able to get my hand down and land mostly on my hip/thigh. I popped back up and was on my way, no ill effects.
The race had it's usually initial congestion and I was weaving in and out making some good time. I was holding a 5:10-5:30 pace and was pretty happy with that, felt good. Once we crossed over Glenmore trail the conditions were a bit worse. There were a couple times I almost bit it again. I learned very quickly to run on the sides. I did see a few others going down here and there. I can say that my shoes were not mean for this!! KSwiss blade light shoes are a poor choice for snow/ice!!! Zero traction! I had though about wearing my old Saucony Triumphs but did not want to blister up like the make me do.
The route had changed up a bit and we stayed on the pathways vs heading out to the road. Not really a big issue, the road has a slight incline and the path is pretty much flat. Later on the path dips down into the Weaselhead and that hill was no so fun. Again I almost bit it here. Had to hold onto the rail for dear life, I was glad to get to the bottom. Here is where it kinda turned into single track. There was a good base of snow and it was easier to stay single file. Although, I was passed her and did some passing, just wasnmt optimal.
Then not much farther it was time to come out of the Weaselhead. For some reason I never let myself walk this hill and today was no different. I don't care how hurting I am I run up this one. It is great to see all the volunteers and supporters at the top, especially on a day like today. Kudos to all those people! Not far up ahead was the next aid station. I had to pull off my glove to get a gel out of my pocket. When I was putting my glove back on, I felt my garmin strap loosen. I looked over and the pin holding the strap and loosened up. It was still in the strap but no longer attached to the body. Kinda pissed my off but I just carried it in my hand from here.
About a km from here I started to get some mild GI cramping, kinda like I had to go. Seems to be a common thing when I do this race. It definitely slowed my pace...alot. I ended up taking walk breaks to let the feeling pass. About 2km left and I was taking alot of walk breaks. I knew I wasn't going to crap my pants but it was still pretty darn uncomfortable.
But I pushed on and was soon at the finish. Nice to see so many people at this finish despite the weather. I was glad to hit that finish and then stop, lol. I got my medal, a bottle of water and then hit the washroom. Whew! I was headed to the food area and ran into one of my friends Mark. He is training for the Canadian Death Race...crazy mofo!! After running the half, he was now getting ready to run home...another 21km, lol.
I grabbed some munchies and then was out of there. My running shoes have these nice drainage holes in the bottom which allow for water drainage in the warmer months. Unfortunately they allow for water intrusion in the colder months. My feet were wet and were going to start getting cold. I quickly drove home after stopping at McD's for a couple of cheeseburgers and a McFlurry. Race days are always "amnesty" days meaning I eat whatever I want. I figure McD's was perfect recovery food. When I got home my wife and son were asleep and I at my meal. My wife had a poor sleep last night because my son had a poor sleep (funny how that happens). So when he woke up I grabbed him and let my wife sleep some more. I brought him down stairs, cuddled up with him and gave him some milk. Not much longer and he was out! He slept in my arms for another 2 hours!! I had wanted to get up and walk around but I just did not want to wake him up. Plus I love when I get to relax with him.
Right now I am feeling pretty good. The quads feel some minor "tiredness" but over all I am good. I have had some time to think about the race and my overall thoughts and here is what I have come up with.
My time was 2:07-2:08 ish I think. Definitely not my fastest time on this course but I am ok with it. I think I could have pulled out a sub 2 is the roads/paths were clear. But that we will never know. My time is just that, my time. The clock doesn't take excuses. And the weather is not something we can change, not even the race directors ;).
This year the race swag included 2 shirts. The first was a black tech T with green writing that said "training 4 Calgary police half" or something like that. Not a bad shirt and I will wear it. The second was a long sleeve tech shirt that we got at race package pick up. When I was on my way to pick up my bib, I saw a woman walking out with a gawd awful green shirt. I was hoping it was for the 5km....nope. The shirts in the past have been a favorite of mine but this one was just bad. I just did not like the colors or the design.
And then there is the medal. I am very disappointed but this years medal. The previous 2 years the medal was not a large one by any means but was still sharp. It was nice having it placed around your neck as you crossed the line. This year the medal was handed to you, covered in a plastic wrap. The medal itself was small and thin!!! And since I did not like the design on the shirt, turns out I did not like the medal for the same reason, they were the same!
I don't do races just for the shirt or the medal but I have to admit they are a nice touch when done right. I will DEFINITELY do this race again! It is still one of my favorites. I think it is well put on overall. The volunteers are great (as usual) and even more so this year for being out in this weather. But I think I will pass along my personal feedback to the event organizers about the shirt/medal. I am not sure how many people feel the same or even care. I don't think I am alone though.
So there it is, my race day. I don't think my next race is until June....the Joe's Team triathlon fundraiser for the fight against cancer. I will include the link if any one wants to donate ;).
This year I have mixed emotions. When I woke up this morning it took everything I had to get out of bed. I seem to have a bit more motivation when it is a triathlon vs a pure running race. But after a few minutes I made it over to the window, parted the blinds and let out a string of bad words. I am so done with winter. But whatever, since I can't change the weather, I just changed my goals.
I had talked to my coach and told him about the forecast (bastard is in Maui ;) ) and we both decided that this would just be a long training run. So I wasn't surprised when I saw the snow that was on the ground this morning. I was hoping for clear paths to try to give it a solid effort and see where my run fitness is.
I got to the start around 7am and just relaxed until it was time to line up. When the gun went off I was ready to go! I felt good as soon as I started running and was full of confidence. I think it was 400-500m into the race and there was a right turn approaching. I saw a bit of ice that was covered by some loose snow and slowed down to go over it, and proceeded to take a nice spill on it. I was lucky that I was able to get my hand down and land mostly on my hip/thigh. I popped back up and was on my way, no ill effects.
The race had it's usually initial congestion and I was weaving in and out making some good time. I was holding a 5:10-5:30 pace and was pretty happy with that, felt good. Once we crossed over Glenmore trail the conditions were a bit worse. There were a couple times I almost bit it again. I learned very quickly to run on the sides. I did see a few others going down here and there. I can say that my shoes were not mean for this!! KSwiss blade light shoes are a poor choice for snow/ice!!! Zero traction! I had though about wearing my old Saucony Triumphs but did not want to blister up like the make me do.
The route had changed up a bit and we stayed on the pathways vs heading out to the road. Not really a big issue, the road has a slight incline and the path is pretty much flat. Later on the path dips down into the Weaselhead and that hill was no so fun. Again I almost bit it here. Had to hold onto the rail for dear life, I was glad to get to the bottom. Here is where it kinda turned into single track. There was a good base of snow and it was easier to stay single file. Although, I was passed her and did some passing, just wasnmt optimal.
Then not much farther it was time to come out of the Weaselhead. For some reason I never let myself walk this hill and today was no different. I don't care how hurting I am I run up this one. It is great to see all the volunteers and supporters at the top, especially on a day like today. Kudos to all those people! Not far up ahead was the next aid station. I had to pull off my glove to get a gel out of my pocket. When I was putting my glove back on, I felt my garmin strap loosen. I looked over and the pin holding the strap and loosened up. It was still in the strap but no longer attached to the body. Kinda pissed my off but I just carried it in my hand from here.
About a km from here I started to get some mild GI cramping, kinda like I had to go. Seems to be a common thing when I do this race. It definitely slowed my pace...alot. I ended up taking walk breaks to let the feeling pass. About 2km left and I was taking alot of walk breaks. I knew I wasn't going to crap my pants but it was still pretty darn uncomfortable.
But I pushed on and was soon at the finish. Nice to see so many people at this finish despite the weather. I was glad to hit that finish and then stop, lol. I got my medal, a bottle of water and then hit the washroom. Whew! I was headed to the food area and ran into one of my friends Mark. He is training for the Canadian Death Race...crazy mofo!! After running the half, he was now getting ready to run home...another 21km, lol.
I grabbed some munchies and then was out of there. My running shoes have these nice drainage holes in the bottom which allow for water drainage in the warmer months. Unfortunately they allow for water intrusion in the colder months. My feet were wet and were going to start getting cold. I quickly drove home after stopping at McD's for a couple of cheeseburgers and a McFlurry. Race days are always "amnesty" days meaning I eat whatever I want. I figure McD's was perfect recovery food. When I got home my wife and son were asleep and I at my meal. My wife had a poor sleep last night because my son had a poor sleep (funny how that happens). So when he woke up I grabbed him and let my wife sleep some more. I brought him down stairs, cuddled up with him and gave him some milk. Not much longer and he was out! He slept in my arms for another 2 hours!! I had wanted to get up and walk around but I just did not want to wake him up. Plus I love when I get to relax with him.
Right now I am feeling pretty good. The quads feel some minor "tiredness" but over all I am good. I have had some time to think about the race and my overall thoughts and here is what I have come up with.
My time was 2:07-2:08 ish I think. Definitely not my fastest time on this course but I am ok with it. I think I could have pulled out a sub 2 is the roads/paths were clear. But that we will never know. My time is just that, my time. The clock doesn't take excuses. And the weather is not something we can change, not even the race directors ;).
This year the race swag included 2 shirts. The first was a black tech T with green writing that said "training 4 Calgary police half" or something like that. Not a bad shirt and I will wear it. The second was a long sleeve tech shirt that we got at race package pick up. When I was on my way to pick up my bib, I saw a woman walking out with a gawd awful green shirt. I was hoping it was for the 5km....nope. The shirts in the past have been a favorite of mine but this one was just bad. I just did not like the colors or the design.
And then there is the medal. I am very disappointed but this years medal. The previous 2 years the medal was not a large one by any means but was still sharp. It was nice having it placed around your neck as you crossed the line. This year the medal was handed to you, covered in a plastic wrap. The medal itself was small and thin!!! And since I did not like the design on the shirt, turns out I did not like the medal for the same reason, they were the same!
I don't do races just for the shirt or the medal but I have to admit they are a nice touch when done right. I will DEFINITELY do this race again! It is still one of my favorites. I think it is well put on overall. The volunteers are great (as usual) and even more so this year for being out in this weather. But I think I will pass along my personal feedback to the event organizers about the shirt/medal. I am not sure how many people feel the same or even care. I don't think I am alone though.
So there it is, my race day. I don't think my next race is until June....the Joe's Team triathlon fundraiser for the fight against cancer. I will include the link if any one wants to donate ;).
Monday, March 28, 2011
Joe's Team Triathlon donation page
I just finished signing up for the Joe's Team Triathlon cancer fundraiser. Please donate if you can. I promise to bust my ass to raise money now and I promise to bust my ass on race day.
http://albertacancer.ca/page.aspx?pid=1079&tab=0&frsid=3141
http://albertacancer.ca/page.aspx?pid=1079&tab=0&frsid=3141
Life is Beautiful
You can't quit until you try
You can't live until you die
You can't learn to tell the truth until you learn to lie
You can't breathe until you choke
You gotta laugh when you're the joke
It's nothing like a funeral to make you feel alive
Just open your eyes
Just open your eyes
And see that life is beautiful
Will you swear on your life that no one will cry at my funeral
I know some things that you don't
I've done things that you won't
It's nothing like a trail of blood to find your way back home
I was waiting for my hearse
What came next was so much worse
It took a funeral to make me feel alive
Just open your eyes
Just open your eyes
And see that life is beautiful
Will you swear on your life that no one will cry at my funeral
Alive
Just open your eyes
Just open your eyes
And see that life is beautiful
Will you swear on your life that no one will cry at my funeral
Just open your eyes
Just open your eyes
And see that life is beautiful
Will you swear on your life that no one will cry at my funeral
Nikki Sixx
I guess it is somewhat unusual to start a blog post with words to a rock song. But there is a reason behind it. Sometimes it does take being at your worst to make you be happy for what you have. Right now it is not "me" that is at my worst, it is my cousin.
Over a year ago he was diagnosed with testicular cancer. A young male, prime target for that particular cancer. After a "minor" surgery he was thought to have a relatively good chance at being cancer free. I just got a call from my Mom that it is back and this time it has spread. He now has lymph node involvement with metastasis to his stomach and lung. My experience as a nurse put a knot in my stomach, I know how bad this diagnosis is and what he is going to go through. No one is giving up but the treatment is going to be brutal. I have seen what it will do to him and what complications can develop. I am by no means religious but I am praying it works. He is 30 years old! He should be worrying about what kind of grades his children will get, not if he is going to live or die.
Things like this make me super thankful for what I have...my health, my family, my job and so many other things. So many times we let stupid things drive us crazy with worry when in the grand scheme of things, they really aren't that important. When I was playing with my son before his bedtime, I could not help but think of my aunt and uncle and what they must be going through.
If I could cure one disease, cancer would be it. Since I cant do that I am going to do what I can. I am going to sign up for the Joe's Team triathlon in June. After you pay your registration fee you must raise $500 in order to participate. All the proceeds go to the Tom Baker Cancer Center. I had actually been thinking about doing this for a while but hearing about my cousin is just more motivation. This triathlon is not about the race itself. This one is all about the cause.
I generally try to keep a positive tone to my blog but this is something that I feel is very important to express. It can always be worse and we need to remember that. Good luck Shawn and I love you! Stay positive and beat it for good this time!
You can't live until you die
You can't learn to tell the truth until you learn to lie
You can't breathe until you choke
You gotta laugh when you're the joke
It's nothing like a funeral to make you feel alive
Just open your eyes
Just open your eyes
And see that life is beautiful
Will you swear on your life that no one will cry at my funeral
I know some things that you don't
I've done things that you won't
It's nothing like a trail of blood to find your way back home
I was waiting for my hearse
What came next was so much worse
It took a funeral to make me feel alive
Just open your eyes
Just open your eyes
And see that life is beautiful
Will you swear on your life that no one will cry at my funeral
Alive
Just open your eyes
Just open your eyes
And see that life is beautiful
Will you swear on your life that no one will cry at my funeral
Just open your eyes
Just open your eyes
And see that life is beautiful
Will you swear on your life that no one will cry at my funeral
Nikki Sixx
I guess it is somewhat unusual to start a blog post with words to a rock song. But there is a reason behind it. Sometimes it does take being at your worst to make you be happy for what you have. Right now it is not "me" that is at my worst, it is my cousin.
Over a year ago he was diagnosed with testicular cancer. A young male, prime target for that particular cancer. After a "minor" surgery he was thought to have a relatively good chance at being cancer free. I just got a call from my Mom that it is back and this time it has spread. He now has lymph node involvement with metastasis to his stomach and lung. My experience as a nurse put a knot in my stomach, I know how bad this diagnosis is and what he is going to go through. No one is giving up but the treatment is going to be brutal. I have seen what it will do to him and what complications can develop. I am by no means religious but I am praying it works. He is 30 years old! He should be worrying about what kind of grades his children will get, not if he is going to live or die.
Things like this make me super thankful for what I have...my health, my family, my job and so many other things. So many times we let stupid things drive us crazy with worry when in the grand scheme of things, they really aren't that important. When I was playing with my son before his bedtime, I could not help but think of my aunt and uncle and what they must be going through.
If I could cure one disease, cancer would be it. Since I cant do that I am going to do what I can. I am going to sign up for the Joe's Team triathlon in June. After you pay your registration fee you must raise $500 in order to participate. All the proceeds go to the Tom Baker Cancer Center. I had actually been thinking about doing this for a while but hearing about my cousin is just more motivation. This triathlon is not about the race itself. This one is all about the cause.
I generally try to keep a positive tone to my blog but this is something that I feel is very important to express. It can always be worse and we need to remember that. Good luck Shawn and I love you! Stay positive and beat it for good this time!
Friday, March 18, 2011
Commitment
Today is another day closer to Ironman Canada. Lately there has been no stress when I think about it...right now I am too motivated to be stressed. I actually can't believe how motivated I am. I have gotten into a pretty slick routine and it is working great. I do admit that training on work days is not so fun but I still do it.
It just seems like at this point everything is progressing so well. When I am swimming I just seem to feel the water better. I am aware of how it is flowing by my body and how my position changes that. My cycling is doing well but I am looking forward to getting out on the road!! My running had been a source of disappointment for a while but I am making some big gains here and am much happier! I had a 2 hour run the other day and felt great!
Last year at this time I did blow off the occasional workout. Winter training is no fun (well for me anyway). But this year I have been pretty consistent and have been putting in the effort. Any rare time I have had to miss a workout I have felt huge guilt. Maybe I should not , because real life is more important, but I still do. But like I said that is rare. My coach gives me a time range for the duration of each individual session. I always do the longer option nowadays. I have said it once and I will say it again....I don't want to just survive the race, I want to do well. Skipping workouts wont help me do that...maybe guilt is a good thing ;).
Things that have helped......
1) Early workouts - Getting them in early has helped alot! Although there is still the rare day that I am on the bike trainer at midnight.
2) Music - Revising playlists, finding new music, having my alarm waking me up to motivation music etc... I find it hard to stay unmotivated when "lose Yourself" is playing.
3) Mental imaging - Thinking what it is going to feel like when I cross the finish line at IMC (I WILL FINISH!!!)
4) Routine - Get up with my son, take him to dayhome, eat, spend a few minutes on the computer, workout # 1, eat, errands if needed, workout#2, pick up son, play time with son, make dinner, do house work and then relax, repeat.
5) Get adequate sleep - Not always possible being a shift worker. When I work nights I really only get about 4-5 hours during the day. I try to make sure every day shift or day off I do get a proper sleep. I have incorporated the occasional short nap.
6) Keeping track of progress- I am much better at keeping track of my actual workout volume. Nice to see the progression. Never thought running a half marathon would be just another training day.
So there it is. I know there will be some dark days thrown in there at some point. But right now I am living in the moment and doing everything I can to keep my head in the game and my eye on the prize. It will be worth it.
It just seems like at this point everything is progressing so well. When I am swimming I just seem to feel the water better. I am aware of how it is flowing by my body and how my position changes that. My cycling is doing well but I am looking forward to getting out on the road!! My running had been a source of disappointment for a while but I am making some big gains here and am much happier! I had a 2 hour run the other day and felt great!
Last year at this time I did blow off the occasional workout. Winter training is no fun (well for me anyway). But this year I have been pretty consistent and have been putting in the effort. Any rare time I have had to miss a workout I have felt huge guilt. Maybe I should not , because real life is more important, but I still do. But like I said that is rare. My coach gives me a time range for the duration of each individual session. I always do the longer option nowadays. I have said it once and I will say it again....I don't want to just survive the race, I want to do well. Skipping workouts wont help me do that...maybe guilt is a good thing ;).
Things that have helped......
1) Early workouts - Getting them in early has helped alot! Although there is still the rare day that I am on the bike trainer at midnight.
2) Music - Revising playlists, finding new music, having my alarm waking me up to motivation music etc... I find it hard to stay unmotivated when "lose Yourself" is playing.
3) Mental imaging - Thinking what it is going to feel like when I cross the finish line at IMC (I WILL FINISH!!!)
4) Routine - Get up with my son, take him to dayhome, eat, spend a few minutes on the computer, workout # 1, eat, errands if needed, workout#2, pick up son, play time with son, make dinner, do house work and then relax, repeat.
5) Get adequate sleep - Not always possible being a shift worker. When I work nights I really only get about 4-5 hours during the day. I try to make sure every day shift or day off I do get a proper sleep. I have incorporated the occasional short nap.
6) Keeping track of progress- I am much better at keeping track of my actual workout volume. Nice to see the progression. Never thought running a half marathon would be just another training day.
So there it is. I know there will be some dark days thrown in there at some point. But right now I am living in the moment and doing everything I can to keep my head in the game and my eye on the prize. It will be worth it.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Running out of movies to watch.
Today I had a 2:45 ride to get done on the trainer and a 30 min transition run. I usually watch a movie and/or listen to music while training in the basement. But I am finding out that you can only watch movies so many times before they no longer help pass the time. The training sessions are getting longer and therefore the need for stimulation is greater. We have a pretty good selection of DVD's but apparently not enough, lol. Just makes me want to get outside even more.
The bike was not too bad overall, the legs felt a bit tired on the longer sets but I just kept the legs turning. The surprising part was how good I felt on the transition run. I hopped off the bike, hit the treadmill and immediately felt good. I was able to pick up the pace very quickly. The pace I did settle into was quicker than what I normally have been running. I felt like I could keep running forever! I really feel like my running is coming back.
The only bad thing about today happened after the workout was done. I was sitting down in a chair holding my son and then they hit....cramps. My quads just seized up and the pain was rather uncomfortable...to the point of inducing nausea. I have has issues with cramping during races but cant remember having them after training. I dount it was due to electrolyes or dehyration. I had 2 bottle of HEED and one Perpetuem. Luckily they only lasted a couple of minutes. I had stretched after the worout but did another round to see if it would help. No more cramps and no abnormal feelings in the legs.
Tomorrow is a swim day so the legs will get a bit of a rest. I am actually really looking forward to the swim...who would have thought. After that I have to head to Ikea to pick up a mirror and a duvet cover. Not super looking forward to that but I promised my wife I would get it done. But for now I am going to have a shower and then enjoy some well deserved time on the couch.
The bike was not too bad overall, the legs felt a bit tired on the longer sets but I just kept the legs turning. The surprising part was how good I felt on the transition run. I hopped off the bike, hit the treadmill and immediately felt good. I was able to pick up the pace very quickly. The pace I did settle into was quicker than what I normally have been running. I felt like I could keep running forever! I really feel like my running is coming back.
The only bad thing about today happened after the workout was done. I was sitting down in a chair holding my son and then they hit....cramps. My quads just seized up and the pain was rather uncomfortable...to the point of inducing nausea. I have has issues with cramping during races but cant remember having them after training. I dount it was due to electrolyes or dehyration. I had 2 bottle of HEED and one Perpetuem. Luckily they only lasted a couple of minutes. I had stretched after the worout but did another round to see if it would help. No more cramps and no abnormal feelings in the legs.
Tomorrow is a swim day so the legs will get a bit of a rest. I am actually really looking forward to the swim...who would have thought. After that I have to head to Ikea to pick up a mirror and a duvet cover. Not super looking forward to that but I promised my wife I would get it done. But for now I am going to have a shower and then enjoy some well deserved time on the couch.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Missing....one blue/white pull buoy!
I was getting ready to head out to the pool and when I grabbed my swim bag I noticed my pull buoy missing!! I use that think every swim as part of my warm up. Although in the grand scheme of things it is not a bit deal, I could always use one of the pool's. But I just could not understand what happened to mine. I KNEW I had brought it home with me from my last swim. So what the hell happened to it?
It didn't take long to get a suspect. Description of the suspect is white male, approximately thigh high, with blue eyes and short sandy blond hair, approximately 15 months old. No tattoo's, scars or diaper rash. Sadly I think I was the victim of a crime committed by my own son!! After a brief interrogation, he admitted to nothing and was totally defiant. A few minutes of tickle torture did nothing except make him laugh. I knew I had to find it on my own.
One thing this guy is, is predictable. He is often found hanging out in the same location, near the toy box. I made my way over to this overcrowded area. After obtaining a warrant from my wife I conducted a intense search of the area. My suspicion was bang on. The little thief had tried to take away my precious pull buoy.
Given that this was his first offence, his sentence was light...curfew and lights out at 7pm. I was a bit concerned about his lack of remorse however. I will have to monitor this closely once he is paroled. Once again, justice is served.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Pump up the volume, pump up the volume!!
I am not talking about the song. I am talking about my training volume. Just finished a solid week of training...wahooo! My coach bumped up the volume a bit and I loved every bit of it. For the first time in a while it seemed like everything worked out great to help me. No one is sick, work was good (did pick up an OT shift) and things are otherwise normal at home.
This week included 3 swims, 4 rides and 4 runs (2 run only and 2 bricks) for a total of 14 hours. I have to admit that I am totally looking forward to my rest day tomorrow. I put in some good effort this week and my body was letting me know, lol. I am feeling tired but in a good way...I know that I have done something.
Unfortunately I go back to work tomorrow....booourns. Four days of work and then off for another 5. But as per usual lately I will probably try and pick up an OT shift. This year is going to be expensive with the triathlon plans and training and we are finally paying off the credit card debt we built while my wife was on maternity leave. An OT shift here and there makes a huge difference!
But as I said before, I am going to enjoy my training day off tomorrow. Nothing special planned, just come home and relax. My son will already be in bed so I will get to talk to my wife for a bit and then hit the hay. I am truly getting old, lol. But having said that I don't think I have hit my prime ;).
This week included 3 swims, 4 rides and 4 runs (2 run only and 2 bricks) for a total of 14 hours. I have to admit that I am totally looking forward to my rest day tomorrow. I put in some good effort this week and my body was letting me know, lol. I am feeling tired but in a good way...I know that I have done something.
Unfortunately I go back to work tomorrow....booourns. Four days of work and then off for another 5. But as per usual lately I will probably try and pick up an OT shift. This year is going to be expensive with the triathlon plans and training and we are finally paying off the credit card debt we built while my wife was on maternity leave. An OT shift here and there makes a huge difference!
But as I said before, I am going to enjoy my training day off tomorrow. Nothing special planned, just come home and relax. My son will already be in bed so I will get to talk to my wife for a bit and then hit the hay. I am truly getting old, lol. But having said that I don't think I have hit my prime ;).
Friday, February 18, 2011
Winter....you suck!
I really really dislike winter. I can't wait for the return of sun and warmth and longer days. Minus 20 weather just does not do anything for me. I often question why I moved back to Canada after living in Florida for 7 years. WTF was I thinking???? The snow was nice for xmas but I want it all to die a horrible death and melt away! Ok...rant over, lol.
Today I had a run and a swim on the schedule. I planned on getting the run in first and then heading to the pool for noon. My run was pretty good today. I got in 10km in 56mins but I was happy with the percieved effort. Lately it seems like my 10km runs have been just over an hour and felt like they required more effort. Today's run included strides and I felt so good! My form did not fall into the crapper which was a plus. A 56 min 10k is far from a personal best but I feel like I am getting back to where I want to be with my running.
The swimming is still progressing. But I have to admit that the arms were feeling tired today. I don't look at that as being a bad thing, it tells me that I worked them. But I am glad that they are going to get a few days rest now.
So far this week has been awesome. No one is sick in the house, at the moment, which is a big plus. Work has been good (managed to sneak in an OT shift too) and the training has been great. The next 2 days involves plenty of time on the trainer...I think 4.5 hours over the weekend and a transition run. Let the good times role!!
Today I had a run and a swim on the schedule. I planned on getting the run in first and then heading to the pool for noon. My run was pretty good today. I got in 10km in 56mins but I was happy with the percieved effort. Lately it seems like my 10km runs have been just over an hour and felt like they required more effort. Today's run included strides and I felt so good! My form did not fall into the crapper which was a plus. A 56 min 10k is far from a personal best but I feel like I am getting back to where I want to be with my running.
The swimming is still progressing. But I have to admit that the arms were feeling tired today. I don't look at that as being a bad thing, it tells me that I worked them. But I am glad that they are going to get a few days rest now.
So far this week has been awesome. No one is sick in the house, at the moment, which is a big plus. Work has been good (managed to sneak in an OT shift too) and the training has been great. The next 2 days involves plenty of time on the trainer...I think 4.5 hours over the weekend and a transition run. Let the good times role!!
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Git R Done!
Lately I have been going through a bit of a change on how I look at swimming. It is still not my favorite and I doubt it will ever be. But as things progress I find myself actaully looking forward to swim days on my schedule. So what has changed to make me come about?
The swim camp that I took a couple of weeks ago has helped. More tweaking of my technique was welcomed and helpful. My coach is now putting in the pool a little more and increasind the sets in the workouts. Better technique + more practice = results. I definitely think that seeing some good results and pulling it all together is helping mentally. I can feel the difference in the water, it almost feels smooth now.
I havent been worried about swim cutoff in a long long long time. Not since I first started swimming and even then it went away fast. I know I will make the swim cut off at Ironman Canada. But I would like it have a somewhat acceptable time and be feeling ok to get on the bike. Having said that, how much time do I invest in my swim?
Well that I will leave up to my coach. I would definitely not want to pull from the othe 2 disciplines. Given how much the swim portion accounts for in the whole day, I cant justify taking away from the other two. I will have to put in the effort that I need to when I am swimming.
This brings me to the title of this entry. For yesterday's swim I decided to head down to the Talisman to check it out. Other than the locker room, I didnt see too much change. I didnt explore much though. If it werent so much more expensive and far away I would swim here more often. They always seem to have plenty of open lanes so crowding is not a problem.
The sets for the day were warm up, the 10 X 100, 10 X 75, 10 X 50, 10 X 25, cool down. I had had a good swim a couple of days before and my shoulders were still feeling it a bit. But despite that I felt good in the warm up and then into the first set. Midway through I started to feel a bit tired. I think some of it was from getting up with my son at the crack o' dawn. what ever the reason I was just wanting to be done. There have been times where I called it a day and would just go home. But I decided to stick with it and "Git R Done". I have less than 200 days until IMC now!
In the end I was pretty tired but felt good about finishing the workout. I fueled up a bit, picked up my son from the dayhome, met my wife at our house and we did a family trip to costco. Then later on in the evening I got my run for the day in. I just ended up doing 40 mins on the treadmill. My left knee for some reason is giving me grief going up the stairs today, didnt hurt on the treadmill yesterday. Something I will watch.
Tomorrow is another swim/run day. My shoulders feel pretty good today so I am hoping for some good time in the water. But right now my bike is calling in I am going to go answer.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Sick....again.
Last week my little boy was fighting a cold. My wife and I both said if we could take his cold to make him get over it we would. Well maybe that happened, lol. I woke up with a sore throat yesterday and that is usually how my colds start. Sure enough by bedtime I was stuffed up and had a bit of a cough. Today (well through the night) I woke up to more of the same. Luckily his cold was short lived so I am hoping for the same.
I did have a pretty good ride on the trainer last night despite the start of this cold. I did get a good sweat going. I can always tell I am working hard when the sweat is running down the peak of my visor. I was busy during the day and wanted to spend some time with the family so it wasnt until 9pm that I got on the bike. I was shaking my head when I was finishing up after 11pm. I usually much prefer to get my workouts done in the morning but sometimes you have to get them in when you can.
I think today I might lie low and try to get some extra sleep in. I took my boy to his day home so it will be nice a quiet. I will pick him up at 4:30 and then will come home and make something for dinner. My wife gets home from work at 6:00 so I have plenty of time to come up with something. But in the meantime, bed it is!
I did have a pretty good ride on the trainer last night despite the start of this cold. I did get a good sweat going. I can always tell I am working hard when the sweat is running down the peak of my visor. I was busy during the day and wanted to spend some time with the family so it wasnt until 9pm that I got on the bike. I was shaking my head when I was finishing up after 11pm. I usually much prefer to get my workouts done in the morning but sometimes you have to get them in when you can.
I think today I might lie low and try to get some extra sleep in. I took my boy to his day home so it will be nice a quiet. I will pick him up at 4:30 and then will come home and make something for dinner. My wife gets home from work at 6:00 so I have plenty of time to come up with something. But in the meantime, bed it is!
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Swim Camp....how it went.
Being that swimming is by far my weak point I am always looking for a chance to improve. I decided to take a short evening swim camp with Jordan Bryden. If you don't know him, he is a local pro triathlete on the ITU and Xterra circuits and is quite the swimmer. I wasnt sure how much I could take in during one evening but I was willing to try.
The night started off with just some easy warm up laps and figuring out lane speeds. After that we started out with drills. Jordan did a good job connecting the drills with various parts of the stroke. We did do alot of fin work which I have not done in the past. One thing the drills clearly proved is just how bad I am breathing to the left. I knew I wasnt good at it but it was magnified on some of the drills. Definitly one thig to work on.
We got out of the pool for some dry land exercises. The exercises themselves helped pull a few concepts together for me. I will definitely be incorporating these into my workouts. It was nice getting feed back out of the water as well as in.
Then it was back into the water for some laps and analysis. It was kind of funny swimming over top of someone looking up at you from the bottom of the pool. The feedback that Jordan gave me from this point of view was that my head was all over the place. I needed to be breathing or looking down. Another bad habit that I was pretty much aware of.
The swim portion was done at this point and we all hopped in the hot tub and watched a couple very short videos on swim technique. Once we were all warmed up and after a quick change we reviewed our individual swim videos. I had never seen my technique before so it was good to see from that vantage point. Aside from the previously mentioned flaws, the only other thing that Jordan suggested was to shorten my reach about 1 inch. I should get more power in each pull if I do this. My catch was a little lacking but I had improved alot during the course of the session. I thought my analysis was going to be a bit painful and a hit to the ego but overall he said it was actually pretty good.
Overall I did get pick up some good info from this. It will help me build on what my coach has already taught me. I have been feeling better and better about being in the pool lately. It is crazy how when you work at something you can actually see results and maybe even enjoy it a bit ;) .
The night started off with just some easy warm up laps and figuring out lane speeds. After that we started out with drills. Jordan did a good job connecting the drills with various parts of the stroke. We did do alot of fin work which I have not done in the past. One thing the drills clearly proved is just how bad I am breathing to the left. I knew I wasnt good at it but it was magnified on some of the drills. Definitly one thig to work on.
We got out of the pool for some dry land exercises. The exercises themselves helped pull a few concepts together for me. I will definitely be incorporating these into my workouts. It was nice getting feed back out of the water as well as in.
Then it was back into the water for some laps and analysis. It was kind of funny swimming over top of someone looking up at you from the bottom of the pool. The feedback that Jordan gave me from this point of view was that my head was all over the place. I needed to be breathing or looking down. Another bad habit that I was pretty much aware of.
The swim portion was done at this point and we all hopped in the hot tub and watched a couple very short videos on swim technique. Once we were all warmed up and after a quick change we reviewed our individual swim videos. I had never seen my technique before so it was good to see from that vantage point. Aside from the previously mentioned flaws, the only other thing that Jordan suggested was to shorten my reach about 1 inch. I should get more power in each pull if I do this. My catch was a little lacking but I had improved alot during the course of the session. I thought my analysis was going to be a bit painful and a hit to the ego but overall he said it was actually pretty good.
Overall I did get pick up some good info from this. It will help me build on what my coach has already taught me. I have been feeling better and better about being in the pool lately. It is crazy how when you work at something you can actually see results and maybe even enjoy it a bit ;) .
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Saturday, January 22, 2011
You know you had a good bike training session when....
If you have read my blog, you would probably know that I love my bike. I always love the schedule days when it says BIKE. Today was one of those days. It wasn't a long work out but had some intensity.
After a warm up it was 5 mins of 15/15's followed by 5 mins of ez spin. Then the main set started, 90 seconds of big ring and holding 90 cadence. Followed up by 2 1/2 mins rest. In the beginning the 90 seconds seems short and then rest seems to be forever! By the end of the workout it is a much different story. It might not seem like much but do it enough and it is an ass kicker.
My leg strength is definately improved over last year. Doing these intervals I am pushing all the gears the bike has and keeping the cadence. I am excited to see how I feel on the roads in the spring. The plan was for 8 work/rest reps but I miscounted and added on another one. Better one more than one less right?!
In other training news, I signed up for a swim camp. Next Sat Jordan Bryden is putting on a 1 day camp with video analysis. I think this will help lots. My swimming is comming along but there is always room for improvement...and I have lots of room, lol.
In non training news....it was my 2 year wedding anniversary today. Hard to believe that we have been married for 2 years already! We had some good laughs talking about things today. Alot have things have changed since we were married but all for the better! We all had a great lunch at Salt and Pepper...mmmmm mexican. And then we god some shopping done that we needed to get out of the way.
Ohh and to finish off the title...you know you had a good bike training session when you barely keep you lunch down, when it takes you much longer to walk up that basement stairs than it should and when you seriously consider using the hand rail ;).
After a warm up it was 5 mins of 15/15's followed by 5 mins of ez spin. Then the main set started, 90 seconds of big ring and holding 90 cadence. Followed up by 2 1/2 mins rest. In the beginning the 90 seconds seems short and then rest seems to be forever! By the end of the workout it is a much different story. It might not seem like much but do it enough and it is an ass kicker.
My leg strength is definately improved over last year. Doing these intervals I am pushing all the gears the bike has and keeping the cadence. I am excited to see how I feel on the roads in the spring. The plan was for 8 work/rest reps but I miscounted and added on another one. Better one more than one less right?!
In other training news, I signed up for a swim camp. Next Sat Jordan Bryden is putting on a 1 day camp with video analysis. I think this will help lots. My swimming is comming along but there is always room for improvement...and I have lots of room, lol.
In non training news....it was my 2 year wedding anniversary today. Hard to believe that we have been married for 2 years already! We had some good laughs talking about things today. Alot have things have changed since we were married but all for the better! We all had a great lunch at Salt and Pepper...mmmmm mexican. And then we god some shopping done that we needed to get out of the way.
Ohh and to finish off the title...you know you had a good bike training session when you barely keep you lunch down, when it takes you much longer to walk up that basement stairs than it should and when you seriously consider using the hand rail ;).
Monday, January 10, 2011
Loving my pain cave right now....
There is nothing I love more than getting outside for a run or bike. But right now there isn't much motivation to get outside for either. I am fortunate to have a nice large basement that I can turn into a winter haven for training...a pain cave (I can't take credit for the name, I stole it off the slowtwich forums).
When my wife sold her condo and we moved in together, she told me that she wanted a treadmill. I teased her about it because I didn't think that she would actually use it. Turns out I was right, lol. But as fate would have it I would eventually be the one using it. I have to say that it is VERY convenient. On days that I work it is great that I can just come home, change and then hop right on the treadmill for a run. But now with this less than stellar weather it has been a good alternative to running outside. While I have run in colder weather, right now I don't feel the need to, lol.
And for any Canadian triathlete, a bike trainer is an essential tool. I am by no means a huge fan of it but it is what it is.....something to keep the legs going over those cold winter months. I have the trainer set up in front of the TV and usually pop in a movie. I purposely don't have a fan on me during my training. I guess I want to get used to the heat as much as possible. And besides, it is already pretty cool down in the dungeon.
I have some various weights, kettle bells, and resistance bands that I use for strength exercises for when I don't want to hit the gym. Although I do prefer to go to an actual gym it is all about the convenience sometimes.
An endless pool would be a great addition to the pain cave but that is sooooo not in the budget. I have never tried one but would love to just to see how it feels. I am sure my wife would divorce me if I even suggested getting one. Haha, who is kidding who...I am not that into swimming. I have said it once and I will say it again...the only reason I swim is to get to my bike.
Sitting here, typing and looking out the window I am looking forward to the warmth of summer and extra light that it brings. I miss shorts and t shirt weather. But for now I am going to have to continue my love/hate relationship with the pain cave.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Cue the "Jaws" theme....
Nothing makes me smile more than a nice empty pool. Yesterday was a swim day and I was actually looking forward to it. I usually hit the shouldice pool because it is reasonably close to home, cheap and usually not that busy. However I when I pulled into the parking lot I knew it wasn't going to be a "nice empty pool". I get inside and sure enough it is packed. All lanes are marked by speed...slow, med and fast (each has 2 lanes). But why bother, they all have slow people in them. As I keep saying, I am no Phelps or Potts but seriously people, judge your speed correctly!!
I jumped in the med lane because that is where I usually go. I was sharing the one lane with 3 other people and it was going ok until one woman broke out the kick board to do drills. Sure enough it ends up turning into a traffic jam. But as luck would have it, 2 people leave from the lane next to me. I decided to hop on over into that one since it only has one person. At this point the inner shark is coming out...thanks Keith for introducing me to that term!
Very quickly I realize that the person in that lane is slower than me. Whatever, I just assume that she will let me go by at the end....wrong. I am right behind her and she hits the wall, does an awful flip turn, heads towards the bottom of the pool and then just floats up to the surface. Super frustrating!!! I don't care if you are slow, just be considerate. But after 20 mins she left and I was able to get some good time in.
Enough of a mini rant! Training is going well otherwise. I had a bit of ankle pain on my left that seems to be resolving. Not super painful but enough to make sure I was aware of it. It did make running a bit annoying.
Unfortunately I go back to work tomorrow but al least it is a rest day. My mom flies back to Nova Scotia the next day so it is good timing. It will be nice to spend one more evening with her before she goes back. We had a great visit and it was so much fun seeing her get to know my son. She is going to miss him for sure!
It is time to hit the hay, need to get up early to save lives and stamp out disease.
I jumped in the med lane because that is where I usually go. I was sharing the one lane with 3 other people and it was going ok until one woman broke out the kick board to do drills. Sure enough it ends up turning into a traffic jam. But as luck would have it, 2 people leave from the lane next to me. I decided to hop on over into that one since it only has one person. At this point the inner shark is coming out...thanks Keith for introducing me to that term!
Very quickly I realize that the person in that lane is slower than me. Whatever, I just assume that she will let me go by at the end....wrong. I am right behind her and she hits the wall, does an awful flip turn, heads towards the bottom of the pool and then just floats up to the surface. Super frustrating!!! I don't care if you are slow, just be considerate. But after 20 mins she left and I was able to get some good time in.
Enough of a mini rant! Training is going well otherwise. I had a bit of ankle pain on my left that seems to be resolving. Not super painful but enough to make sure I was aware of it. It did make running a bit annoying.
Unfortunately I go back to work tomorrow but al least it is a rest day. My mom flies back to Nova Scotia the next day so it is good timing. It will be nice to spend one more evening with her before she goes back. We had a great visit and it was so much fun seeing her get to know my son. She is going to miss him for sure!
It is time to hit the hay, need to get up early to save lives and stamp out disease.
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