Need more practice at riding my bike

Every other year the team heads to Penticton for the May long weekend to ride, run and swim portions of the Ironman course. This year was no different.  I had only been out for group ride once this so far this spring as I took a few weeks off of riding while on vacation in Italy so I was really looking forward to getting in some quality time on the bike.  I packed up my gear in the car and headed west through the mountains for a 12 hour drive to Penticton. It was shaping up to be a great weekend, great weather and close to 2 dozen teammates started arriving. The plan was to do three rides over three days a lake swim and a run of some sort.

The first ride was on Friday,  up, out of town on the Narmata Bench.  This was about 50 kms with a few climbs.  A nice warm up...

The bike I ride has very tight geometry.  We were along Lakeshore Drive as we finished up. I am guessing I was going 15 - 20k when I lifted my arm in the air to celebrate a great ride,  In an instant I wobbled left, cranked my wheel left and was body slammed over the the front wheel and onto the pavement.  I did not even get to put a hand out to stop the fall.  My helmet did its job.  My right shoulder and ribcage absorbed the major part of the energy. 
I was winded and felt dizzy.  I thankfully have so many wonderful team mates that helped me get to the hospital and home afterwards.

The first thing the surgeon said is that I will not be doing Ironman this year.

I was not prepared for that news, not to mention that surgery was required.  

The X-ray shows that my right collar bone is fractured and if I get a plate put in, I could make a full recovery. I went in the next day.
They do a lot of cyclist reparation in Penticton so this is a good place to get this kind of work done. 
The surgeon said the I do not have brittle bones. He put in a plate to reconnect the collar bone and started me on the road to recovery.
Two weeks in a sling and 6 weeks before I can expect to lift 5lbs with that arm. I obviously need more practice at riding my bike.

April fool!

I woke up to a blizzard... and I don't mean the ones from Dairy Queen.  I had entered to race in a short local race called the Spring Run Off.  We have had such great weather lately and I have been able to run outside and enjoy the above average weather. Today was a bit different. A heavy snowfall warning rolled though the city in the morning.  

This is the scene outside at racetime. 

I decided to opt out of doing the 8k race because it was really only supposed to be a mid winter fun run and I didn't think it was going to be much fun.  I can't help but feel a bit of a sissy for not running but that's the way it is.  My focus for this year is Ironman Canada and I need to be healthy and ready for a hot weather race. Period.  

I have been working out on a regular basis and faithfully getting to the group spins almost without fail.

The photo below shows some of the team after a two hour simulated indoor hill climb. 

 Note the array of cooling fans.  

The spin training been great and every workout has been very good for pushing me to get ready for this summers race. I also have been in the pool lately (perhaps not as much I should be or running as much as I should be).  It seems the struggle for the number of hours in a day are the biggest challenge.  Finding a balance between family vs work vs sleep vs training is the biggest challenge. My wife now has a road bike,  I hope we can we can spin and do a some rides together. 

Heading into spring and I am feeling healthy and looking forward to race season... without the snow.

251 days until my next Ironman race

I sure am enjoying the off season.  There is 251 days until my next Ironman race and it is time for me to get back to a regular training schedule.  I have been on the bike on the weekend and doing a few runs but that is about it.

I was on a vacation to Maui and I managed to do a couple of short runs in the heat.  Because I was only going for a short run, I didn't think I would be necessary to take water, boy was I wrong.  Even with water I am not used to running in 82 degree heat.

The holiday season is here and I will need to kick it up a notch or two.  I think I need a mid season motivator race. stay tuned.

This is the team doing an indoor spin.

This time it was much different.

After Deb's race started I went back to the hotel to change and get a bit of breakfast before the start of my race.  I ate a small bowl of Kashi Go Lean with skim milk, then readied my water belt with two bottles of orange Gatorade and three gel packs.

I wore a light long sleeve shirt and running shorts with an old cotton shirt on top for an extra layer due to the cooler morning air this time of year.  Three Ks into the run I had warmed up and tossed the top layer.

I moved along pretty good and started knocking off the miles. It is such a pretty course, it starts up through downtown Victoria and weaves along the ocean, up into Oak Bay then back along the ocean.
I hit the halfway point with a 2:02 split.  Everything was feeling right, the legs, the lungs, the heart, I was at running at about 156 bpm and keeping pace with the people I started with. The race starts now I thought.

This was a different race for me than the one I ran here three years ago.  Back then I did not have enough mileage on my legs so they were not up to the punishment that the marathon distance throws at them.  Last time I had shooting pains in my shins that stopped me from running the whole distance. I managed to finish the race, but it was long and painful. This time it was much different.

I smiled the whole way around the 42 kilometer course. I talk to people, I thank volunteers and I totally enjoyed the run.

The last seven kilometers were tough, but I knew I was going to finish. I picked up speed and felt strong.  As I ran across the finish line I raised my arms for the victory photo, shook hands with the race director and bowed my head to have a beautiful metal placed around my neck.

 I crossed the finish line at 4:08:54.  A personal best.

I could feel the energy

The post Ironman recovery went pretty well.  I seemed to get through the race without any injury or health issues. In the weeks following I didn't do much for workouts, a few easy rides and the team had a wrap up ride and tail gate party to kick start the new season.

Five weeks later on the thanksgiving weekend I ran a Marathon.  A marathon in Victoria B.C.

Deb and I arrived on Friday to sunshine and 12 degree weather, perfect for running.  I did not really do much running in the last month as I was recovering form the Ironman race.  Work was pretty busy so I never did get a chance to do any long distance runs.  I was not sure how this marathon was going to go.

I awoke early as Deb had an early start for the half that she was going to run. The energy I could feel as we walked towards the starting area. 8000 people making their way a starting line is a pretty inspiring thing. Each and every person has a story to tell about their journey and how they got there. Deb has a story and I am so proud of her.


We met Kathrine Switzer , she was the first woman to run in the Boston marathon and was attacked by the race director for being a woman, running in a "mens only event".  He tried to tackle her and get her out of the race.  Thanks to some bystanders he failed. Now 61% of the athletes in this weekend's events are women.

I am looking forward to the race.

IMC 2011

The last month leading up to the 2011 Ironman Canada race has been very busy with work. I chose to work 23 days in August before the August 24th start of my travel on the Road to Penticton. So I had plenty of time to taper before the big race. I tried to keep my conditioning going by biking to work and running home. I even worked all day at the Edmonton Derby then ran a PB in a 10K after work. I felt ready to go, yet a bit under trained for the day.

We got into town on Friday and I went straight to the registration tent. It was a quick process and I was out and signed up for next year in less than an hour.

The sun was shining and race morning was beautiful. It is 18c at 6AM as I head in through the check in gate, I kiss my wife good-bye for the day. Body marking and bag check goes fast and and I get ready for the swim. It was so great to see a lot of people from my team who are not racing this year but are volunteering.

The temperature for the day is forecast to be hot, 32c hot. I started out on the swim andI was feeling great. I swam and swam, counted the buoys until I reached the first corner. As I past over the diver below I felt like I was making pretty good progress. The lake was choppy and I am not sure, but I think I was zig zagging more than I should have been. It turns out that I was going a bit slower than last year and when I finally reached shore I was close the the 2 hour mark. This was a half hour slower than last year. The shot at a PB was pretty much gone for this race.

I got changed and ready to head out on the bike. The temperature soared as I climbed up McLean Creek Road, I noticed that there were several people that had stopped to fix flat tires. A volunteer told me to stay away from the edge of the road because of tacks. It seems that one of the locals of this beautiful place is not happy about sharing the road with the cyclists so they threw out some tacks on the road in a futile and inhospitable attempt to discourage us from completing our journey. The support from the Bike Barn and other bike repair teams was fantastic and they seemed to help out all the cyclists that ran into trouble.

When I reached Osoyoos and started to climb Richters pass I felt tired and was thinking that this is crazy. I was pushing hard and it was so hot. To think I am doing this only because I want to and that I don't really have to do this. This could be my last attempt at the Ironman and I don't need to do this ever again. I kept pushing, standing on the pedals at times, sitting and pushing that bike up the hill. I finally reached the top and went on to climb up to Yellow lake and then the long downhill into town.

As I pass the Best Western I was greeted by a mass of happy people who had been sitting in the sun waiting for hours for me to pass by. Deb, Karen, Garnet, Rob and some other team members who were staying at the same hotel. On the ride through town I was passed by a wheelchair athlete. He is making his way on a trike that he cranks with his arms. Pretty amazing, pretty inspiring.

I reached transition and ran into the change tent. Wow! Was it full! I had managed to catch up to a whole bunch of people. I changed and readied for the run. A quick stop at the sun lotion station and I was on my way. Only a marathon left to go.

It was 4:30 and the hottest part of the day. Running was not easy, I was battling some serious heat and I wanted to stop. I made a deal with myself to run to the next aid station. So I did, then the next, then the next, then the next. I made a deal with myself to keep running and only walk at steep hills and the aid stations. My stomach was not too bad and even though my legs were tired they seemed to be working fine. My heart rate was good and I thought I can keep going.

As the sun set on Lake Skaha, I reached the city limits. I rounded the turn onto lakeshore drive and I can see the finish line. I saw lots of friends and teammates as I pushed through the final kilometers of the race.

It was a very tough day. I have many thoughts and ideas about this effort, I will share with you from time to time about this day and how the lessons earned are very valuable. I wear the finisher shirt very proudly and I now have the title of two time Ironman finisher. I have registered for the 2012 Ironman Canada Race and I am sure that the lessons learned from this experience will serve me well next year. Stay tuned!

The best place in the world.

Cypress Hills and it is hot! Very, very hot. Above 30 degrees hot. Today is my run day and I felt that I was ready to go for a longer run so I tried to get out before the heat of the day kicks in. I am on vacation for a week and I hope to get in some quality training while I am here. My mission was to run 25k more or less. I was dealing with some variables such as terrain and temperature. The Cypress Hills are (surprise surprise) quite hilly. This week they are also very hot. The run started from the cabin, around Loch Leven, onto the Trans Canada trail system through a forest of the very majestic lodgepole pine that are impressively abundant in this area.

This trail climbs up to the plateau of the Cypress Hills. I head west towards Lookout point and push on to Bald Butte.
Bald Butte is a big hill that perches on the north side of the Cypress conglomeration. On a clear day, one can seen incredible view of the Saskatchewan prairie. I pass the sign that indicates that I have made it to Bald Butte. The sun is out and I am feeling the heat of the warm prairie air. I continue without stopping and when I get to the end of the pavement the road turns to gravel so I turn around to start my journey home.

A few kilometres later Deb shows up with some more water and Gatoraide to top up my supplies for the run back. This is not a fast run, I am feeling the heat and the altitude. I finished off the run with a loop arrow the lake and after in 2 hours and 20 minutes and I was bagged.
It seemed to be a greater perceived effort than I expected I am not sure why, but even though it was a tough run I throughly enjoyed it. Even with all the challenges, this is possibly the best place in the world to go for a run.