IMC or Bust!

New beginnings

2008-11-05T22:50:00.000-08:00

Well folks, it's been a while. This blog pulled me through my Ironman training for IMC 2007 and yes, I did actually finish. I hope to write a race report someday but so far, it has eluded me.

This blog has mainly been my cathartic outlet for training highs and lows and when I was finished... I had no strength left to write. I made several attempts but was never able to finish. Again, I hope to do that soon.

But here I am. A little over one year since I finished my first Ironman Triathlon. Staring that beast in the face again. Call me a sucker for punishment. Call me crazy. But whatever you do, call me committed to this sport. I don't like triathlon, I love it. I toy with the idea of giving it all up so I can surf... at least until I get back on my bike or back in my shoes. I haven't been in the pool yet but I'm looking forward to it the same way that a kid looks forward to Christmas. Ok, maybe that kid doesn't have the same apprehensions about being way too fat for his speedo (one of the many nice things about Christmas is that you don't have to wear a speedo!) but I'm excited nonetheless.

Three days into the training and I already need to talk about it. Yes, athletes are neurotic. You don't have to be fast. Just committed to your sport.

This time around, it's different. I've looked that beast in the eye, took it on

And survived.

But the beast still lives. The beast still requires that I step up and be excellent - or perish. That is its blessing. That is its curse. So as I stand in the foothills of this great mountain, I will begin with the same awe and wonder that I began my first season. That humility served me well and I plan to hold on to it. Here is how I began last season. May I continue to remember:

I believe that there is a primal instinct inside each of us that is only satisfied by wrestling with adversity. Our momentary enjoyment of any achievement is fleeting compared to the time spent in the struggle. Ironman is not just about the race. It’s about preparation. It’s about getting out of bed when you’d rather be sleeping to hit that morning workout. It’s about going home after a tiring day at work and throwing your shoes on for a run. It’s saying goodnight to your friends at 10pm on a Saturday night because you need to get enough rest. Ironman is about having the discipline and the consistency to be ready when that terrifying beast is staring you down... and to face it with a smile.

And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count.
It's the life in your years.

-- Abraham Lincoln

Wednesday Night

2007-08-22T20:38:00.000-07:00

I arrived in Penticton today with less than a week remaining between me and Ironman. It's been a long journey to get here and only a little bit further to go.

Strolling around town can be a little overwhelming. Athletes are running, biking or swimming just about anywhere you look. If you manage to ignore all the people, it's hard to miss the Ironman shwag plastered across every billboard, store wall and any other available surface. "Welcome athletes", etc., etc. This town certainly gets behind the sport.

I just feel small. I forget that I'm one of those athletes that they're welcoming with open arms. Well, it's only my first night here. I'm sure I'll feel a little more comfortable once I have a workout tomorrow.

We would never learn to be brave and patient if there were only joy in the world.

~Hellen Keller

I guess that's why they call it the blues

2007-08-13T22:16:00.000-07:00

Wait... I thought you didn't get depressed until AFTER the race. What's with this head start?

I've felt a general sense of anxiousness building over the last few days but it took me a while to see the pattern. These aren't random occurrences. It's a steadily building sensation of excitement, fear, exhaustion, anticipation and dread. What if I'm not ready? My knees, my back and the constant threat of illness have made the season very difficult.

I don't want to be left behind. I've worked too hard to get here.

I stand up to put my ice-cream bowl in the sink (comfort food is king today) and my back screams at me. I refuel with cottage cheese and grapes and sit back down. If I was a car, I'd be a quarter tank below empty.

Somewhere in this process of wallowing in self-doubt, it all becomes very amusing. I guess my blood sugar is coming up.

I need to remember that for race day.

I’m looking for an interruption,
Do you believe?
You looking to dig my dreams
Be prepared for anything
You come into my little scene
Hooray, hooray, hip hip hooray
There’s one thing I can guarantee:
You won’t have to dig, dig too deep
Said leave me to lay, but touch me deep,
I don’t sleep, I dream
I’ll settle for a cup of coffee, but you know what I really need

~ R.E.M.

Who made who

2007-08-12T10:22:00.000-07:00

Training

def: To prepare physically

I don't know that I'm sick of it so much as just plain exhausted. I love the exercise. I love getting out and discovering new capabilities within myself. But today I can't get off the couch, so I'm writing instead of running.

[... ok, that didn't last. I soon as I said I can't ... something inside me kicked into gear and asked but what if you did? and before I could argue, my running shoes were on and I was out the door. 10k later, I'm finishing this blog entry.]

Yesterday I drove out to meet some friends at Thetis for our long ride - only to discover I'd left my front wheel at home. I zipped home to get it but missed the gang as they passed by the spot I was supposed to wait at. As such, I rode alone. I used to always train in groups because I didn't think I had the discipline to train by myself. Exercise has become so much of a habit, that I now head out whether or not I'm with anyone.

The funny thing about all this is that I think I'm training my body for Ironman. As of late, I begin to wonder if it's my body that runs the show because even when I can rationalize away why I can't work out today, I still find myself out there as if my mind had no say in the matter.

So who's training who? I guess it doesn't matter.

I believe that what you sing to the clouds
will rain upon you when your sun, has gone away
And I believe, that what you dream to the moon
Will manifest, before you rest, another day
So stay strong, and sleep long when you need to
let the mornin' take you right on through the day
And when you find you're at the end of the road
just lift your head up
Spread your wings and fly away

~ Michael Franti

Back in the saddle

2007-06-14T21:35:00.000-07:00

I took my bike in for a tune up recently and they gave me a new seat post... one that's almost to big for me. I tried it out at the transition practice and I don't think I was moving my hips so maybe it'll be ok. Tonight was the first time I got to try it and I think the extra height gave me a bit of an edge.

I was trying to not to push it to hard since my legs were still a little stiff from last night's run but there were people in front of me riding slowly up hills! Anyone who's ever ridden with me knows I can't let that go. So here I am at the bottom of that incline by Oak Bay golf course and I saw some guy 3/4 of the way up STANDING on his peddles! I started to wonder if I could make it to the top before he did. Only one way to find out... I clicked into a harder gear, dropped into aero and punched it. We tied and I was glad when I passed him that he didn't know how far back I was when we started "racing". I probably come off as a cocky bastard (and maybe I am) but I don't actually want to make people feel bad. I'm just always looking for a challenge that will make me dig deeper and go faster.

The best ride I've had this year was at the Shawnigan Sprint because I got to race a friend of mine who's got similar ability on the bike. He's faster going up hills, I'm faster going down. We passed each other a few times and I had to work really hard to earn my 30 second lead at the end. I should do more time trials.

Anyways, the focus for the evening was really to get a good spin to flush out my quads. All the same, I was loving attacking the hills. Coming back, I shot up King George in my 4th gear (3 up from easiest) and was pleased to see that my climbing is getting better. That's been a bit of an Achilles-heal for me so hopefully it won't hurt me too bad in the race on Sunday. I can't wait to get back to Shawnigan in the upcoming weeks... I miss riding up the Malahat!

All in all, I'm getting excited about the next few races. I've been really discouraged about the back pain on the bike and the leg pain on the run. It all seems to be coming together this week and I've got renewed enthusiasm about the 10 weeks I have left until Ironman.

It is only with the heart that one sees rightly;
what is essential is invisible to the eye.

~Antoine de Sainte-Exupery

Burn baby, burn

2007-06-13T20:33:00.000-07:00

This hasn't been the warmest of summers but at least it stopped raining!

3 days until the 1/2 Iron and I'm loving the taper week. After constant (knee, back, hip, shoulder) issues, everything is starting to come together and I've had a couple of really encouraging workouts in the last few days. I was only supposed to run for 35 minutes last night but I couldn't bring myself to stop.

I haven't been running much due to my knee so I pushed myself to do pickups every time I had the energy. 1/2 of the way through the run, I started to get thirsty. Hamsterly Beach came and went so fast that I forgot to stop at the fountain. Well, that and there was a group of triathletes there so I couldn't wuss out and stop running!!! Besides, I only had 3.5k between me and Chris' car, where my eload was waiting for me. It was funny. The more I thought about it the more excited I got.

I remember someone telling me to have a treat in your special needs bag that you could look forward to. That way you could quit thinking about the finish line (that might be hours away) and focus on some tasty morsel that is waiting for you in the more immediate future. Yes, long distance racing is all about patient endurance but you still need little bits of encouragement along the way. My bottle of eload gave me the focus to push through and force myself to suffer a bit more. (Yes, I know it's a taper week! Decrease the volume but keep the intensity up...right?)

The lake was so warm, it was almost a waste of time to go for a post-run-wade... but I did it anyway. I'm not too big on ritual for most of my day to day activities but I'm fanatical about my recovery procedures. A guy who gets injured as frequently as I do has to be if he wants to stay in this sport.

The race is long and in the end it's only with yourself.

~ Mary Schmich

May flowers can kiss my...

2007-04-09T20:36:00.000-07:00

Because I've had enough of these April showers!

My two favorite things in the world right now:

1) My iPod
2) Hot showers

My least favorite thing in the world right now:

-> Going out for a ride on a beautiful evening and getting caught in a Monsoon!

It's getting to be something of a running gag these days. I skipped my long ride on Saturday because it was so gross out. So Sunday (after my long run), Jer and I jumped on our bikes and headed out to Central Saanich. We ended up getting rained out but at least it was bearable.

Tonight was another matter. It was sooo beautiful when I left the house. I was so pumped with the good weather, I ended up doing something of a time trial. Since it's a rest week and I'm only supposed to ride for 1:05, I wanted to see just how far I could get in 30 minutes. I was pretty excited to have made it 1/2 way along that little road that leads from Arbutus to Queenswood Dr. I'll have to try again in a month (on my winter bike again) and see how far I get.

Now, it's possible that the wind was at my back because it was certainly in my face for the ride home. And what's with those dark clouds it's pushing towards me? It didn't take long to find out. I turned a corner and hit a wall of wind and pelting rain (hail?) that stung like hell. This is where the iPod came in. When I'm riding solo, I usually put in one ear piece to keep my spirits up and keep one ear open so I can hear the traffic. I tell ya, it's tough to get too upset about the weather when you're listening to "Hella Good"

You've got me feeling hella good
so let's just keep on dancing...

Or biking in my case. Follow that up with Cake singing "going the distance", well... what could I but start hammering back? Ok monsoon, is this the best you got? Just try and keep me from scaling King George. Well, it came back with a vengeance but that didn't matter. It's funny how you don't feel the cold the same way when there's fire in your belly. And every other cyclist you see, you have a bit more respect for than usual because they have the stones to take on the storm with you.

All the same, I was grateful to arrive at home. It was like the weather seized a final opportunity to taunt me as it cleared up right as I reached my door. F*ck you!

I brought my soaking bike in, took the stuff out of my jersey pouches and jumped into the shower with all my clothes on. They're not going to get any wetter. There is a special form of bliss that is reserved for being freezing cold and having the luxury of a hot shower. I realize you're supposed to eat within 1/2 hour of exercising but I just couldn't get enough of that glorious heat.

In fairness, I guess it was the ugly weather that makes me appreciate the good parts more. But I'd still be happy to leave winter behind for a while.

He said: "Now you just fought one hell of a fight
And I know you hate me, and you got the right
To kill me now, and I wouldn't blame you if you do.
But ya ought to thank me, before I die,
For the gravel in ya guts and the spit in ya eye
Cause I'm the son-of-a-bitch that named you "Sue.'"

I got all choked up and I threw down my gun
And I called him my pa, and he called me his son,
And I came away with a different point of view.
And I think about him, now and then,
Every time I try and every time I win,
And if I ever have a son, I think I'm gonna name him
Bill or George!
Anything but Sue!

~Johnny Cash

The only thing harder than running

2007-03-19T08:25:00.000-07:00

A good friend of mine recently hurt his calf. He's training for a pretty hardcore race so he's finding it very difficult to stop training and give it the rest it needs. Sound familiar? If you're into distance racing, you've probably been there too.

It takes a lot of mental toughness to participate in any form of endurance exercise. When you start to get tired, your mind will throw everything it can find at you to convince you to stop. After all, your mind still needs to be convinced of that which you already believe in your heart - that you have what it takes to reach your goal. And so when the going gets tough, we shut of our minds and "just do it."

For the most part, this stubborn determination is extremely helpful. Like any strength, however, it can become dangerous if overdeveloped. I tried to "work through" a sore shoulder and ended up with tendinitis. Now I have to see physio once a week and am not allowed to swim for a while.

I guess you could say pain is the reality check that says we need to start listening to our heads again (briefly!) and get whatever's causing us grief checked out.

It's still hard to stop training though.

The only thing harder than running
is not running

~ Unknown

Community

2007-03-17T22:28:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine told me recently told me that she's moving away. Apart from the fact that she's single and beautiful, I'm also sad because she's a good friend. All the same, I managed to talk her into coming to the tri party tonight to say goodbye to everyone.

Back when I was a youth, they used to have this show called "Cheers" about a local bar whose main appeal was that everyone knows your name. There's a lot to be said for that. The Hebrews (yes, we need to look waaaay back in history) said that your name wasn't simply a handle but a reference to your character. To do something in someones name was to do it in the same character that they would do it in. Combine that understanding with the "Cheers" motif and you've got a tri club. We all have different lives with different needs and desires ... but we all seem to be fueled by the same desire to see what our bodies are capable of. I used to be kind of so-so about going to tri parties but since I've been training for Ironman, I've really felt a need to be around people who understand the desire to push the limit of what we think we're capable of. I love tri parties because (in the Hebrew sense) everyone has the same name. We never need to explain why. It's just understood.

Sometimes you want to go
Where everybody knows your name
And they're always glad you came
You want to be where you can see
Our troubles are all the same

You want to be where everybody knows your name

~Gary Portnoy and Judy Hart Angelo

How many workouts does it take to do an Ironman?

2007-03-12T22:34:00.000-07:00

Short answer: lots.

At this time last year, I was thinking I needed to start getting my act together if I was going to do the 1/2. At this time, this year (yeah, that'd be now) it's a whole other story. The clock hits 10:30pm and I ask myself why I'm not in bed yet. Tomorrow's Tuesday so that means it's a yoga morning. I have a dinner with a friend at 6:30pm so I'll do the 5:15pm run with the Y instead of my usual Tuesday 7pm run with the running room. Heck, it's even becoming the norm to run home after a group run, grab my mp3 player and keep going for another 6k or so. I never thought I'd use my bike trainer as much as I have. Let me tell you, I can't wait for it to get nicer outside. Indoor biking (apart from the freewheel class I had tonight) is for the birds.

In short, it's only March and with 5 months to go before the big day, my life revolves around work and training.

Thing is, I love it. I don't know if you could do an Ironman if you didn't love the training. Well, I suppose you could but why would you? Life is long enough to do everything we ever wanted but not long enough for us to waste it on things that make us miserable.

A number of years ago, I got to watch Simon Whitfield race after he'd just come back from winning the gold at the Olympics. As he glided across the finish line, he started jumping up and down and hugging everyone in sight. The first words out of his mouth was: "that was fun!" At the time, I was mystified. I'd just had a really hard race and was contemplating giving the sport up. That was fun? I realized that I was doing something wrong and made a commitment that if I was going to race, I was going to finish every race saying that. So far, I've succeeded in that endeavor.

This year, I seem to be saying it after every workout! (Ok, maybe not the indoor bike sessions!)

Life short, call now

~ Bruce Cockburn

Maintenance day

2007-01-24T07:58:00.000-08:00

I woke up this morning with a sore shoulder. I don't know why it is that I seem to get injured more than any other triathlete I know but I do know that I am determined to reach the start line of Ironman without any reason to keep me from finishing. They say that the three components of training are: exercise, rest/recovery and nutrition. I've traditionally neglected point #2 if it meant missing a workout. I don't want to do that this year. I skipped the swim and went to yoga instead.

When I was training for the NB 1/2 last year, I started the season doing hot yoga 2-3 times a week as pre-hab. I guess it was working because I didn't start to get injured until I decided I didn't have time for it because those time slots needed to be used for workouts.

Bad mistake.

And one I don't intend to repeat. The owner of the studio that I go to is an MD and she says that yoga is both therapeutic and diagnostic. This morning, my body was telling me that my whole chest and upper back was tight. Hmmm. No wonder my shoulder got hurt. I've been told that with all ankle/shin/foot injuries, tight calves is always a factor. Keep the calves limber and avoid the injury. Why should it be different for any other part of our body? Lots of muscles get tight but perhaps the key to injury prevention is making sure they get loose again.

Another flaw in the human character is that everybody wants to build and nobody wants to do maintenance.

~Kurt Vonnegut

We might be vampires

2007-01-22T07:50:00.000-08:00

After the swim this morning, I was greeted by an old acquaintance in the locker room. He said it'd been so long since he'd seen me at the pool that they'd held a memorial service for me.

Hardy har har, funny man. Did I mention that I don't get up at 5:30am in the off season?

Leaving the pool, I recognize a few other faces that I've seen around. They were commenting on how it was hard to see each other outside because they were wearing black and it was so dark out. So I'm pondering the fact that it's still so dark **AFTER THE WORKOUT** when I bump into my coach who's looking chipper as she heads into the gym. I can't help but wonder,

why aren't we all still sleeping?

Come see the vampires of New York
Come lose your mind in Central Park
But don't leave your soul behind

~ Marcy Playground

I love the smell of chlorine in the morning

2006-12-09T15:22:00.000-08:00

Smells like... fitness.

Someday this boy's going to be ready for Ironman.

Found

2006-10-24T20:35:00.000-07:00

It's easy to get lost. I don't mean in the sense of stranded in the wilderness and struggling for food so much as I mean in the sense of a man who has lost his bearings but is too proud to ask for directions, lost. Preoccupied with the stone and weight of living, distracted by daily monotony, lost.

A few days ago, I quit my (well paying) job that I really like. Rather than go to a higher paying job, I'm going to one that pays me nothing. Yes folks, I'm starting another company. And it scares the shit out of me. It also has me running around wondering if I'm saving enough money. And of course there are the other stresses in life: a sprained ligament in my back that's been preventing me from exercising, trying to do well in a marketing course I'm taking, a highly active social life and a very confusing love life - and one day you turn around and realize you're running that rat race as fast as you possibly can.

This evening, I met a friend for a spin class and found when I got there that he'd also invited a couple of girls that I know through training. We had an amazing workout and afterwards we all agreed to meet on Sunday for a run and brunch. I don't know what it was but it struck a chord with me.

A few years ago, I was on a Sunday club run and we ran past a group of church goers. One of the guys I was running with turned to the group and said: "this is church for us!" And he was right. There's something highly meditative and grounding about distance exercise. Especially - and this is the part I don't understand - when done in groups. And after each of these workouts, all those concerns that weighed so heavily before seem to lose their grip. Before you know it, you're on track again. In a sense, you're found.

Locke: I'm not lost any more.
Sun Kwon: How did you do that?
Locke: The same way anything lost gets found - I stopped looking.

~ TV Series: Lost

It takes a village

2006-09-06T19:29:00.000-07:00

There's an african proverb that says "it takes a village to raise a child." As an athelete and more importantly, as a human being, I'd take that a step further and just say that "it takes a village."

At what point did we grow up so big and strong that we ceased to need each other anymore?

I am an athlete, which means that I think I'm strong or at least capable of being so. And while that might be true (time will tell) it helps to know that I can be even stronger with a little help from my friends.

I got an email from my Running Room coach today, asking how things were going. I excitedly explained all the specialists I had helping me with my back and how fast I was recovering and maybe I'll even do the Seattle marathon in November. Two months isn't a lot of time, she reminded me. It's better to be healthy.

Oh yeah. Why do I keep forgetting that?

Some people read my blog as it chronicles my way through my various injuries and suggest that I might want to rethink doing Ironman next year. Maybe they're right. I realize that I am frequently injured but sports have always been that way for me. It'd be easy to say that I'm just not built for this and quit. Easy to say but hard to do. I keep trying to explain to everyone why I want to do this and all I can come up with is, "I'm just going to do it."

I know that Ironman is going to be a tough go, if it wasn't, it wouldn't be such a huge accomplishment. I believe I can finish because I'm surrounded by so many fantastic people who I can train with, who will patiently remind me that I'm not invincible and who will help fix me up when I forget.

It takes a village and I'm very fortunate to have one.

Two are better than one, for their partnership yields this advantage: if one falls, the other can help his companion up again; but woe betide the solitary person who when down has no partner to help him up. And if two lie side by side they keep each other warm; but how can one keep warm by himself? If anyone is alone, an assailant may overpower him, but two can resist; and a cord of three strands is not quickly snapped.

~Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

At the foot of that great mountain

2006-09-01T14:33:00.000-07:00

It's been 4 days since I found myself in Penticton, rubbing my eyes in the early morning sun and wondering when we'd reach the end of the signup line. We'd been told that everyone who lined up was going to get a spot but we didn't want to take any chances. We arrived at 6am and came to a small field where the line was spiraling inward. I could only assume that the people lining up in the ever dwindling space where in more desparate need of a coffee than I was. Someone in our group got people organized and we moved the line out of the circle and it soon trailed down the street past the unopened coffee shops. I went looking for a Starbucks. Surely they'll be open...

They were but the line went all the way out to the street. All I can say is that it was worth the wait. I bought an extra coffee with the intention of selling it but ended up drinking it as well.

A few hours later, the line started moving. 15 minutes after that, I had a piece of paper in my hand with my registration info. We were given two weeks to decide if we really wanted to do an Ironman but I signed up as soon as the online registration opened (today.)

I get asked a lot, why would you want to pay to do that to yourself? and I never really know how to answer. Responding with something like because it's really hard only gets me blank stares. The irony is, I don' t see the race as a form of punishment I'm putting myself through.

It's a test of how well I've prepared myself for the challenge.

Yeah, it's going to be a tough slog but if I've put in the time, I'll survive. Perhaps my best answer for why I'd attempt this is that I want to see if I have what it takes to finish. I want to see if I'm able to pull out all the stops and get it done.

Do or do not. There is no try.
~ Yoda

When the body says no

2006-08-13T22:29:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to write about my last triathlon of the season (Sri Chinmoy/Self Transcendence depending on who you ask) that I was in last Sunday but have been having a hard time finding the words. It's not that I have any shortage of ideas, it's just that I've been wrestling with some difficult questions that I still don't have answers to. The race was a lot more challenging than I'd expected and even though I finished, it beat me.

After the race, a friend of mine asked me (twice) how the bike section went. Both times I answered "fine" but I had to inquire on why he kept asking.

"You weren't smiling when I saw you. You always smile on the bike."

I guess I wasn't this time. Actually, I was in a world of pain but didn't realize anyone else could see it. I was so focussed on pushing through that I didn't realize how big a toll it was taking on me. I had thought that it was just lack of nutrition that caused me to bonk on the run (for the first time ever) but that's the easy way out. Sure it was a factor but it shouldn't have stopped me dead in my tracks like that. I've never had to dig so deep in a race just to keep moving (not even in the 1/2 iron!)

The reality is, my back's been tight for a while and even though it's been cause of my sore knees and various leg pains, I've only been treating the symtoms. I suppose it eventually had enough and decided to slam on the brakes... hard. Since the race, I have trouble getting in and out of cars. Running is out of the question.

I've started to read a book (that shares it's name with this blog entry) in which the author's hypothesis is that we can ignore our bodies for so long but eventually, through illness or fatigue, they'll force us to listen.

Mine seems to be telling me to stop. So what does that mean for the October marathon? Would the attempt to complete it do more bodily harm than psychological good? Why do I continue to vacillate between apathy and exhilleration when thinking about the marathon? I'd gladly welcome the rest but I really want to do the marathon and think it would help me to have one under my belt. Do I need to give into the age old rivalry of "the flesh desires what is contrary to the spirit" or is there a way to bring the two into harmony?

That, I suppose, is my grail quest.

I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority.

~ E. B. White

Swimming, biking, running and all that jazz

2006-07-03T16:00:00.000-07:00

Went out for a solo ride the other morning. I declined on a 140k group ride because I didn't want my legs to be overly tired for my long run the next day. With no one around to keep my pace reasonable, my easy 40k quickly turned into an interval/race pace ride. Lance Armstrong says he loves rides that are just suffering contests so I thought I'd try one on for size. I wanted to see how badly I could make my legs burn and how long I could bear it. The funny thing is, I'm not really training for anything.

On the way back, I saw a friend of mine out for her long run. I rode alongside and discovered that I was not alone in my plight. We both had the 1/2 ironman (2 weeks ago) as our goal race and now she was wrestling with the same question that had been on my mind:

What now?

For her, it's the Calgary Marathon (next week) and for me it's the Victoria Marathon (October) with a few Olympic distace tri's in between and maybe a swim out to Saltspring. My friends have been giving me a hard time because I'd promised to slow down on training and see them more after the 1/2 ironman. I tried but after a week of recovery, I'm back at it. Why is it so hard to slow down?

I guess I counter with, why would I want to? I love everything about this sport! On a hot sunny day like today, I just want to take my wetsuit down to the lake and do a long swim. The big thrill for tomorrow will be heading out to Mt. Work (after work) for a hill run. Given the number of triathletes you see doing the same thing, I don't think I'm alone. We may never win any money, get sponsered or even see our pictures in the paper but we'll still be out there doing what we do simply for the love of doing it.

Maybe those of us in the semi-competitive racing category (read: non-elite but more than weekend warrior) sign up for races so that we can give our friends and families a tangible reason for all our hard work and hope they don't notice when we keep training after our goal races are finished. Could it be that "what now?" is really just short for "what do I tell people I'm training for now?"

The real reason is less obvious and unless you've been bitten, you may never know.

If you don't know what jazz is, I can't tell you.

~Louis Armstrong

The big day

2006-06-18T20:46:00.000-07:00

If it wasn't difficult, it wouldn't be much of an accomplishment.

You really don't appreciate the magnitude of a 1/2 ironman until you've done one. I'd done a lot of training to get here so I was prepared for the challenge but being ready and actually doing something are entirely different things. I'd told myself that if I couldn't do it due to the sickness I'd been fighting, I'd still be the same guy. And I would have been... but the struggle to complete this event has changed me.

Three things really set this race apart from any other race I've ever done. The distance, how much I enjoyed it and the overwhelming amount of support from all my friends and family who came to cheer me on.

Swim

I've never been a fan of open water swims because I've never been a fan of getting bashed around by all the other swimmers who are also eager to get a good time. Today, I got the thrill of the open water and also the benefit of everyone spreading out far enough that I could relax and think about my stroke. Coming out of the water, I was greated by several friends who's only connection to the sport was me. I don't think I've ever experienced that before (and may not again) but it was great!

Bike

On the bike for 5 minutes and passing people already... nice! About 10 minutes into the ride, my leg started to cramp up, hard. I'd given myself so many outs leading up to the race that I considered pulling out but I've trained too hard for that and I had friends come all the way from Vancouver to cheer me on. No excuses. I put a pedal down, stretched my hams as best I could and kept moving. (I had to keep doing this for the rest of the ride!)

The first loop was tough. It was a very hilly course and I was feeling the lack of hill training but I started catching people on the flats and downhills. Ok, that's how I'm going to stay in this. Near the end of the second lap, a guy started to catch me on a hill and I wasn't going to make it easy for him. To my surprise, I beat him. I think I like this sport. The best part of the whole ride was all the friends who were cheering on the course. My buddy Jim and friend Lara (independently) kept popping up at different spots on the course to keep things fresh. Man, did that ever help! My mom, Lynn, Amaya and Vytes were also all stationed on the course, thanks guys!

I kept loading up on gels at the aid stations and would also replenish the water in my aero bottle. It was a real treat to have water available when you're getting sick of the constant taste of sugar in your mouth (from all the goo that keeps you going.) I didn't bother with my clif bars, preferring to stick with gels. That seemed to work fine, at least until I had a stubborn gel that wouldn't open and then covered my hands, jersey and aero bars. It's something trying to change gears when your arms are glued to your bars. Once again, I was happy for the water that I could spit on my bars to clean them off.

Run

Geez, I might actually finish! Out of the chute, I saw Jim again and it wasn't long until Jarhead showed up to keep me company on the run. Sweet!

They say you should never do anything on a race that you haven't done in training but all the same, I had forgone my trusty running water bottle in the hopes that I could avoid the discomfort of having the strap dig into my stomach. That and it's still in my bad books for the loose water bottle incedent on the Oak Bay 1/2 marathon.

Whatever the case, I was just hoping there'd be enough aid stations to keep me moving. I only got water at the first station because I was so thirsty and tired of the sugary beverages. Jarhead reminded me that it's probably the sugary beverages that are keeping me moving. Good point. That and they're probably my best protection against hyponatraemia. I think my race plan called for me to stop at every second aid station but I needed all the help I could get and stopped at all them (for gatorade) and had a gel every 5k, which I figured was about every 30-40 minutes.

I finished the first lap and was thinking, "hey, this is actually quite manageable." Then things started to get really tough around the 14k marker. I took a couple ibuprofen and was getting a little dopey from exhaustion. Jarhead suggested I break it up in my mind and just think that I have 2 3k's to go. I was falling apart but somehow, I was enjoying how hard it was. Made it feel like I was really earning this.

I reached the 17, one down, one to go. About the time I thought I should find the 18k marker, I found the 19 instead! Yippee! I kept a steady pace but as I came into the main area (with masses of friends cheering for me) I kicked it up a few notches and gave it everything I had.

And I was done.

Special thanks to Jim for popping up absolutely everywhere on the race course, to Jarhead for keeping me moving on the run, to Adam, Pom-star and Kevy for coming over from Vancouver and to everyone else who came out to cheer me on. Your smiling faces and cheers gave me incredible amounts of energy.

Thank you.

My body's aching and my time is at hand
And I won't make it any other way

~James Taylor

Day before the New Balance 1/2 Iron

2006-06-17T09:50:00.000-07:00

Didn't sleep much last night. I still haven't gotten over this nasty stomach bug and it's added a huge load to an already scary race.

I rode down to Oak Bay bikes today to get it checked. First time I've been on my bike in a week and I couldn't believe how dizzy I was. Riding back up Rockland I was fighting for consciousness... I wasn't even going that fast. That passed in a few minutes and the rest of the ride was fine.

I'm so tired of being sick. Should I even race tomorrow?

It's easy to get lost in this haze of fear and doubt. I've worked really hard for this and don't want to walk away from it if I don't have to. My body seems to be telling me not to race but I don't think I'm willing to listen. The question is, can I get away with it?

Let us not look back in anger or forward in fear, but around in awareness

~Jame Thurber

Blue 70.3?

2006-06-15T22:15:00.000-07:00

Read something today that didn't make a lot of sense to me: The half-ironman is having it's name changed to Ironman 70.3

Doing the math, I found that I had correctly assumed that this silly name had come from the distance (in miles) for a half ironman. Readers of Fred Sommer's blog had some alternate ideas on where 70.3 could have come from:

"The average water temperature at an Ironman race"

"WTC's net worth in millions"

"The IQ of the marketing genius that came up with the 70.3 name"

"The number of people out of 1,000 surveyed that may embrace the name"

For anyone who was wondering (as I was) WTC stands for World Triathlon Corporation, who are the fine folks who own the "Ironman" label. It seems that WTC hasn't always had the best relations with the International Triathlon Union (ITU) and ITU runs a bunch of half iron races. So maybe this whole Ironman 70.3 is a way of saying, hey, WTC owns this race. (Ironman is no longer a race distance, it's a brand!)

Speaking of name changes, Ironman wetsuits have also just changed their name... to Blue Seventy. This time we're told that it's because 70% of the earth's surface is covered by water, yada, yada, yada... Could it be that it just became too expensive to license WTC's Ironman brand? Good thing water doesn't cover 70.3 percent of the earth's surface...

What is this sport coming to?

What I would love is to have any boy in the world who thinks of pirates to think of…Disney pirates.

~ Robert Iger, president, The Walt Disney Company

Frog in a kettle

2006-06-02T17:40:00.000-07:00

Usually, I'm a pretty happy-go-lucky guy but just about everything has been irritating me for the last few days. That should tell me something.

At first I thought it was just that it was just all the stunned drivers who don't have any regard for people on bicycles... ok, that's an irritant at the best of times. My body aches a bit but that's probably just the hard workouts. Did I wait too long to get my first cup of coffee? Yeah, but I should have started feeling better after I finally got some. Food? Same story.

4pm rolls around and a buddy pops his head into my office to see if we're still on for sampling some cask beers at Spinnakers this evening. For some reason, I'm really resistant to riding there. I've been looking forward to some delicious brews but I can't seem to get through this fog. When I get headaches, they usually come on so gently that I don't realize I've got one until my head is splitting in two. 5pm, it hurts to move. I load up on aspirin, cancel plans for tonight and go home.

Between the mental fatigue, lack of sleep and next to zero downtime, this really shouldn't come as a shock.

It is not good for all our wishes to be filled; through sickness we recognize the value of health; through evil, the value of good; through hunger, the value of food; through exertion, the value of rest.

~Dorothy Canfield Fisher

Oak Bay 1/2 marathon

2006-05-28T22:30:00.000-07:00

Tough race today.

Recently, I picked up one of those angled water bottle holders that are supposed to make it easier to get the water bottle in and out. It seems that getting the bottle is so effortless that I don't even need to use my hands. 5 minutes into the race, my bottle did it's best superman impression and lept into the air. The sea of people behind me were not impressed when I turned around to collect it. Rather than face another escape attempt, I ran with it in my hand for the next couple k until I'd had enough to make it less top heavy. Ditching the bottle entirely did occur to me but I wasn't sure about drinking the Gatorade the y supply on the course (instead of the eLoad that I usually run with.)

Just for kicks, I thought I'd try the Gatorade and wound up with some pretty nasty stomach cramps. I was just about that over that when my knees went on strike for more walk breaks and less overall mileage. They hurt so much by the 11k marker that I wondered if I was going to DNF (did not finish).

I slowed it down, took some ibuprofen and walked whenever I had too. I started to feel better and thought I'd try some Gatorade again at the 18k marker since that's what they'll be serving at the 1/2 iron and I wanted to avoid carrying my stupid water bottle with me.

Bad mistake.

The stomach cramps came back with a vengance and I spent the next two kilometers just trying not to throw up. Carolyn, my coach, caught up to me on her bike and helped keep me moving for the last painful kilometer. I got to the top of the big (and did I mention, poorly placed) hill and got caught up in the noise from the finish line. I'd intended to take the end slow but I'm a sucker for a fast finish. I kicked it up and passed two people in the last 20m.

In the end, I was about 10 minutes slower than my 1st (and only other) 1/2 marathon but I quickly got over being bummed out about that and instead was just pleased to have a second 1/2 marathon under my belt.

It's a long road to a long race. But today, I got a little bit closer.

Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence.
Talent will not; nothing is more common that unsuccessful individuals with talent.
Genius will not; unrewarded genius Is almost a proverb.
Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts.

Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.

~Calvin Coolidge

First 20k of the season

2006-05-17T21:46:00.000-07:00

I ran my first 20k of the season tonight. My schedule actually called for a 25k but hey, I've been sick...

It was a beautiful day and the early evening was equally spectacular. I started from Hamsterly Beach because I wanted to do the 1/2 Iron route. The plan was run two laps of Elk lake and then maybe another 2k and back, depending on how I was feeling. Given that my feet had been giving me a bit of feedback in earlier runs, I also was prepared to cut it short if that's what it would take to avoid an injury. Turns out, I did neither.

The 1st 5k were extremely easy. I was keeping my heartrate ~155 so I was a good 7 bpm off my aerobic max. I hit the 5k mark and wanted to kick it up a few notches but decided to hold off until I hit it a second time. After all, I'm only 1/4 the way into this. There were lots of people on the trail for the first loop and it was fun to watch the rowers on the lake.

I hit the 10k feeling strong and thought "24k, here we come baby!" However, I didn't seem to be running any faster and my heartrate had crept up to 160. There's a little hill just past the boatlaunch as you're approaching Pumphouse Road and my heartrate alarm was going off like a kid with an annoying new noisey toy. Looking down, I was at 170 (it was set to go off at 166) and there wasn't much I could do to get it to come down. Finally it quieted down but I realized I might be starting to get tired. My next walk break, I broke into the sharkies and would put two in my mouth to suck between each break. The weird thing was, my heart rate stayed pretty high for the next couple k, even though it was pretty flat. Suspecting that it was the sugar, I figuredI'd run without and just keep sipping on eload instead.

That seemed to do it.

Suddenly I found that I was really able to focus on my run. I hit the 15k mark and was excited to think that this time, I'm 3/4 done. However, I was getting a weird shooting pain in my knee and started taking more frequent walk breaks whenever it was bugging me. That went away but I was moving into the general joint pain that tells you, you're approaching that runs max distance. Checking the next marker, I'd gone 18k.

The next two were a bit of work as I was getting tired and sore. The funny thing was where I was getting tired. The various sorts of fuel were keeping my legs moving but my head was getting really heavy. I can't say that's ever happened before. 1.5k until I'd done two laps and it was clear that was all I was going to do tonight. Approaching the beach, I was out of water and finishing the workout so I could get to the fountain was what it took to keep me focused.

And just like that, I was done. I'm sure it's going to be a lot harder on race day but It's nice to have it under my belt and especially when I'd had a good time doing it. I would have liked to have run further but I still feel great about what I got done.

Life is hard. Fleeting moments of glory are often mingled with the sweat, tears and blood that it takes to get there. But at least you get there.

It's just work.

~Jon Stocks

I love this sport!

2006-05-15T20:36:00.000-07:00

It was a hard ride on Saturday. Not because it was long (it wasn't) and not because I was going fast (I wasn't) and not because the weather was bad (it was pretty nice out.) I guess I was just tired and didn't have the patience for the careless drivers who were trying to kill me.

Whatever the case, I sure didn't feel like racing on Sunday.

My alarm went off at 7:30am and I dutifully got up and had some boost and a banana. I'd read the night before that your pre-race meal needs to be 3 hours before your race so that you don't have an excess of insulin in your blood stream. Since the race wasn't until 10:30am, that sounded about right. The in-house tri is a great place to try out new race day strategies. If it blows up in your face... who cares? They don't even time this race (though you can bet that I did!)

As usual, I thought I'd take it easy on the swim and just use it as a warm up. I was a little tired from not having swam for weeks but after a couple hundred meters, I found my rhythm. I was pretty impressed to see James jump out of the pool a full 50m ahead of me. Man, that guy's getting quick.

I had an ok transition and figured I'd forgo the shorts this time. As I was putting my gear on, I observed a guy in a full tri suit run in (and out) of the transition area in much less time then it was taking me. Note to self:

1) get tri suit
2) use a race belt (those freaking pins always up undone)

I hadn't thought too much about race strategy ahead of time but I got onto the bike and put the hammer down. In the past, I've always saved something for the run but not today. The only thing that mattered was kicking some serious ass on the ride. And I kicked hard. My stomach was in knots when I tried to take some eload but I forced it down. I didn't want to drink too much because that's when I got passed in sooke. It's a short race and I figured I'd tough it out. Note to self: use aero bottle so I don't have to slow down to drink!

For the most part, my aggressive riding paid off. Only two riders were able to pass me (on King George) and I played cat and mouse with them for the rest of the ride. One of those riders was just ahead of me as we entered the transition but I had already taken my feet out of my shoes before we dismounted our bikes. It was quite a rush to be starting my run and hearing the other guy undoing his shoes.

It was short lived.

I started running and I was sure I was going to bonk. My fine friend from the transition passed me as I struggled just to move my feet. Running has never been my strong event but I'm working on changing that. Right now, I just had to find some way to keep moving. Left, right, left, right, lengthen the stride and BREATHE. It's amazing what having friends on the course with cameras will do for your posture. Just when I'd be sucking some major wind, I'd see someone else I'd know and I'd straiten up and power past them. And every time I did, I gained speed and momentum. Before I knew it, I was throwing water on my face at the halfway point and was ready to pick it up for the last push.

Even though it was mainly downhill on the way out, I took 3 minutes off my split on the way back. By the time I hit that big hill on Quadra, I was singing Fatboy slim's Ya Mama to myself: push the tempo, push the tempo, push the tempo, push the tempo...

Around the corner, into the parking lot and through the IMC finish line! Nice touch.

God, that was fun!

You're only given a little spark of madness
You musn't lose it

~Robin Williams

It's not about the bike (yeah, whatever)

2006-05-12T07:30:00.000-07:00

I've heard a number of times that it's not so much the bike but it's the engine that matters. In the words of Bill Lumberg, "I'm going to have to go ahead and disagree with you on that one."

Just for kicks, I took the heavy bike out for my morning ride. It's funny that I think of it as heavy since it used to be my fast bike. In any case, I downgraded my KHS's status when I bought my (all Dura-ace) Cannondale that's 5 lbs lighter. Couple that with lighter shoes and helmet and it's quite a lot of fun. But I wasn't (entirely) after fun this morning. Rather, I thought I'd take all the heavy stuff out and have a bit of a strength training session.

Let me tell you, weight makes a difference! I was amazed at how much steeper King George Tce. had gotten since Wednesday. ~ 3/4 of the way through the ride, I could really feel the burn. Between the tired legs and a body that had been partially frozen from the wicked headwind, I decided to skip the short, brick run that I'd been planning and went strait to the shower. I've got a longer ride planned tomorrow and I'll be sure to do the brick then.

Train hard, fight easy

~ Alexander Suvorov

I should be sleeping

2006-05-11T23:04:00.000-07:00

It's after 11pm and I have a 6am ride tomorrow. Why am I still awake?

My body is tired but my brain is alert. So much to think about. I've been sick for the past couple of weeks and have been doing minimal training. I was once told (by a runner) that the only thing harder than running is not running. I may pretend that I hate running but that sentiment fades quickly when I'm not actually able to run. The worst part is I can hear the clock ticking on every workout that I miss. As of this Sunday, I only have 5 weeks left until the 1/2 iron.

Will I be ready?

Maybe thoughts like that are what's keeping me from sleeping. From there, it's very easy to think that not sleeping will lead me to being sick longer and having to miss more workouts. I have a hard time facing obstructions of any sort. I'll sometimes take the long way to work just to avoid having anyone in front of me who may slow me down. I don't care if the overall trip takes longer, that's not the point. What matters is being free to set my own speed limit. And that, dear reader, is why it's so difficult to have an illness slowing me down.

You can't ride with a flat or you'll damage your rims. It seems that the only way to pump up these metaphorical tires is to get more rest.

And if I die without saying goodbye
I give you this:
you'll have lost a friend.

~ Bruce Cockburn

P is also for Pacing

2006-05-07T18:30:00.000-07:00

My definition of pacing is to pull back in the short term in order to do better in the long. My favorite example is the year I decided slow down my swim and conserve my energy for the hilly run. It worked. I added 30 seconds to my swim time, held my expected bike time and cut 5 minutes off the run. I was pleased, to say the least.

Everyone has told me that the ½ iron is an entirely different race from a sprint (or even an Olympic) distance triathlon. Rather than going flat out, it’s more about knowing your pace and sticking to it. The distances are long and a pace that’s too fast will eventually catch up and drag you down. I’ve found that if I’m having an absolutely shitty workout (usually a run) then I’m probably going too fast. When I slow things down, I often find myself enjoying the workout again, which is ultimately the reason that I’m doing this.

If slowing down isn’t helping and I’m still completely miserable, it’s better to call it quits than to push on. While my body may not be getting the distance it requires, I’m far more likely to attend the next workout if I haven’t decided I hate the sport. Doing a short workout is far better than doing no workout.

A couple of years ago, my training schedule was so intense that I lost all interest in triathlons. I’ve just gotten back into it this year and have been frustrated by constantly being either sick or on the verge of illness. It’s at that point I need to remind myself that pacing also applies on a season by season basis.

It takes time to work up to these things.

Nobody trips over mountains. It is the small pebble that causes you to stumble. Pass all the pebbles in your path and you will find you have crossed the mountain.

~Author Unknown

P is for Pre-hab

2006-05-07T16:30:00.000-07:00

In 6 weeks, I will be racing in my first ½ Ironman triathlon. And while I’d previously said that I’m going to wait and see how that goes, I’ve pretty much decided that I’m going to do IMC next year (or bust!) That means that I have 16 weeks until I need to be in Penticton to sign up and another 52 weeks to get ready after that. 68 weeks in total. While the distance scares me, what scares me more is my body crapping out on me while I’m trying to get ready for it.

When I first started doing triathlons, I discovered something that was relatively unknown to me until that point: sports injuries! Sure, I’d had my share of bumps and scratches but never anything that a few days of R&R couldn’t fix. How life has changed.

Shin-splints were my delightful introduction to running injuries which were followed by knee problems, compartment syndrome and a torn quad. Good times! I’ve also managed to wear the sheathing off a nerve in my foot (biking) and hurt my shoulders (repeatedly) while swimming. Fortunately, this was not all in the same season!

Everybody knows that many sports injuries are related to tight muscles and can be avoided by doing sufficient amounts of stretching. This year, I acknowledged the fact that I don’t stretch enough and took up yoga as pre-hab (beats the hell out of rehab!) That’s been pretty helpful but I still found that my calves were really tight. Since most injuries below the knee tend to be related to / aggravated by tight calves, I’ve started seeing a massage therapist whenever I’m unable to loosen them by stretching. Net result? In spite of higher training volume this year, I remain injury free.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure

-- Benjamin Franklin

The long road to IMC

2006-05-07T16:14:00.000-07:00

Ancient Chinese wisdom tells us that the journey of a thousand miles begins with one footstep. Nobody - not even Peter Reid - just does an Ironman triathlon. You can do a sprint on a whim. I’ve signed up for a number of sprints a couple days before, taken my bike in to get checked and I’m off. My results were never great when I did that but I always finished the race.

IMC is a different beast. Anyone, who has any intention of doing the race, needs to be in Penticton one year prior in order to pay the $600 CDN registration that sells out in a day.

I’m an okay swimmer but I’m not ready to swim 3.8k. I’m an okay cyclist but I still consider 180k a loooooong way. We won’t go into my running but suffice it to say, I’m better at the other two events. So why do it? I’m not going to win any money; I’ll be faced heatstroke, dehydration and exhaustion; and I will be passed by countless people who will complete the event with a much better time. Worst of all, I face the possibility of something horrible happening that would keep me from completing the race. To put in all that work and not finish would be heartbreaking.

So why do it?

I believe that there is a primal instinct inside each of us that is only satisfied by wrestling with adversity. Our momentary enjoyment of any achievement is fleeting compared to the time spent in the struggle. Triathlon is not about the race. It’s about preparation. It’s about getting out of bed when you’d rather be sleeping to hit that morning workout. It’s about going home after a tiring day at work and throwing your shoes on for a run. It’s saying goodnight to your friends at 10pm on a Saturday night because you need to get enough rest. IMC is about having the discipline and the consistency to be ready when that terrifying beast is staring you down... and to face it with a smile.

And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count.
It's the life in your years.

-- Abraham Lincoln