Beautiful Sunday am ride

Recovery is all very well, and necessary, but I've been feeling pretty good lately. My theory is that the only way to find out your limits is to try to pass them. Cautiously of course, with suitable thought given for the attempt and possible consequences.

I had mapped out a nice 110 K loop out 22x, down 762 to Millarville, across 549 to the Road to Nepal and back home. The Millarville General Store is about the 70 K mark; a good place to rest a bit and water up for the hills to come.

Starting out about 8am today I promised my legs that I'd pay attention to any messages and modify my route accordingly. It wasn't long before I got the message loud and clear that I was ok for easy spin and the flats, but I wasn't up for big hills. My calves are still tired. As long as I was smooth, things were good. Push too hard and I'd get into a pre cramp feeling. It's odd though, I still felt strong, within my limits. I was comfey on the bike, though my toes were going to sleep a little.

So that ruled out Road to Nepal. You can see my actual route to the right. My goal thought was, high cadence easy spin, low heartrate, no concern about pace. I'm actually pretty pleased. It was a beautiful day for a ride. I got out before it got hot, and it's only when I was almost home again that the heat started to soak in. The mountains were stunningly beautiful.

I took along lots of nutrition, since I was hoping for 110 K. 4 Cliff's bars, 2 bananas, 2 energy drinks, and a water bottle. I finished all but a bit of the energy drink and there was a Cliff's bar left. For a 3.5 hour ride, I think that's right in the ballpark.

There weren't all that many people out riding on the out leg. Waved at most of them. Oddly enough, even though I didn't need to go, much of my thinking was about the mechanics of peeing while riding a bike. I'm just assuming that riders don't go in their pants. I tugged a little at my shorts leg. There is no way that is coming up high enough. That leaves dropping the top, and here things get interesting. My assumption is that correctly done there isn't any on you, your bike, or anyone else. You've got one hand to manipulate the material, and the junk. It seems to me that you drop the pants enough to moon the world, sit sort of sideways, and away you go. Lets hope nobody is behind you. That's the out the bottom model. Just for comparison, I considered the "over the top" model, where the front of the shorts comes down, and you twist sideways somehow. This might work if you're much longer than average, but the odds aren't good. It passed the time.

So there I was at my turnaround spot, thinking about bio pressures, or the lack thereof, and decided to eat my banana first. Just as well. You know how it sometimes happen where you go from being all alone to being surrounded by company almost instantly? That's what happened. I wasn't two bites in when a guy pulled over, hopped out, and asked nice where Millarville was, and how to get there. Gave him directions. A small herd of motorbikes thundered by. Just as I was finishing the banana, two more riders came to the intersection coming down from Bragg Creek. We chatted a bit, then rode to Millarville together. They were going to turn around and go back, and I kept on going.

There was a guy way ahead of me, so that became my goal. Pedaling steady, try to reel him in, as the saying goes. It took a long time, but I finally caught him near Red Deer Lake school. The winds were light, and there were a bunch of times I was surprised how fast I was going. There are days I think I need to check my bike computer and make sure the wheel size is set right.

Here's the numbers for those who want to know. My spoke magnet fell out to the rim a few Km from the house, so the numbers aren't totally accurate.

94 or 95 K distance
26 Kph average speed
3:31 bike time, 3:41 stopwatch time
79 Average cadence
127 Average heart rate
3574 calories.

My weekly totals essentially consist of this ride, and a bit of swimming. Looking to get back on the training bus tomorrow.

Shameless rumour mongering

I'm being lazy this week on the training front. Legs are feeling better, back to just normally tired today, thank you very much.

I'm also eagerly awaiting news of Susi's race, and need to do something to burn off some energy. So I'm going to speculate.

Have you noticed how neither Susi or Greg have posted anything yet? It's been 84 hours since the end of her race. What CAN they be doing???

What does Julie look like with her new 'do? And Kelly wanting to get a 'do before her race? What's up with that? By the time you've got your wetsuit on you've worked up a sweat and the hair is plastered to your head anyway, to say nothing of the swim cap, then the bike helmet, then the running cap.

Does Curtis really only get flats because he rides with Darryl? I'd like to see a statistically valid sampling here.

Is Jenna going to give IG a swim lesson during his visit?

Linda has wanted to go to Stoney Plain to visit Country Register shops for a while now. Will her and Keith go the weekend after Canada Day? And no, we already know that Keith is not going to go shopping. What COULD he get up to?

Did you notice that the Chinook Half results were up to see just how awesome Kelsey rocked the bike? Go to www.resultscanada.com.

Chinook followup

I still haven't seen the results posted yet, and now I'm starting to get a bit curious. So I actually looked at my stopwatch times, and here they are for you.
38:39 out of the lake, Linda thinks maybe 40 people were out of the water ahead of me.
43:55 out of T1 (5:16)
4:29 off bike into T2 (3:46:xx) (96K, don't know why it's not 90K) Well back of the pack.
4:31 out of T2 (2:36)
7:37 finish (3:04) I think only 6 people finished after me, and I've heard of a few DNF's.

Heart rate numbers were always about 10 bpm too high for what I thought it should be based on my breathing, and it says I burned 8200 calories.

We went for a nice slow walk Sunday about noon, on still sore legs, mostly calves and hams. Monday I was into the pool for a relaxing swim. I didn't count lengths or time myself, just swam easy. Then into the dive tank for some stretching.

This evening KS came over and massaged me. OMG. I've already paid her for another 6 sessions. She is good. Tomorrow if I'm awake in the morning I'll go for a walk, but if I sleep till the alarm goes off that's fine too. Later this week I'll probably do some easy spin and yoga. Not at the same time; I'm not that talented!

I got to thinking yesterday and today about how incredibly fortunate I am. I'm married to someone that is still amused to be around me, although sometimes I think she hangs around just to see what's going to happen next. I've got a job I like a lot. I've got the physical abilities to do the training and haven't had a serious injury. From my office window I see all sorts of handicapped people coming and going from the facility on the first floor. Some of these people can't even stand up and walk across the room. I can walk, run, swim, bike and to some extent do almost any of the sports that people do. I've gone from being a blob to being what most of the population would call quite fit, though to lots of the people I'm coming to know I'm just getting to the point where I can begin to properly train. I don't have physical health issues (IBS, allergies, wonky knees, bad back, excess pronation, ect) that many people have to take into account. All I needed was the impulse to get off my fat ass and do it. I have no excuses whatsover.

Susi knows this story. I used to give her and her running buddies at Skystone a bit of a hard time about it. Couldn't understand why you'd do that. Then one day as a bunch of us were playing foosball at lunch, someone said "Look, there goes Susi." We all waved from inside the office, but she didn't notice. She was in her own world. She was going through some tough times then. We watched as she ran along. We were just turning back to the game when someone said, "Man, you can just see the frustration boiling off behind her. That is one determined girl. I don't think I'd want to get in her way." Sometime after that she learned to swim, then started doing triathlete stuff. We know the story from there.

I had lots of time to think last summer when I took a package from a job, and had a good chunk of the summer off. Sure, I looked for work pretty regular after the one I thought was flanged up came unbolted. But you can't do that all the time. I started swimming and biking almost every day. I started losing weight and started feeling better. Then I watched IMC 2007, and remembered how I could run a really really long time ago. I watched one girl who could be charitably described as chubby come running out of T2 while Susi was still on her bike. I knew how much time Susi had put into training, and I thought she was quite fit. And here's this girl that didn't look fit at all that was way ahead of her.

Somewhere about then I set myself the goal of completing a half ironman in the allowed time. I've done that. I know I can accomplish the goals I set myself. Remember in one of my first blogs I said that success was carefully choosing goals? Now I'm thinking about the next goals. Stay tuned.

Chinook Finisher!

This is a major life achievement goal I set for myself last year accomplished. I am so pleased.

First thing is some thank yous.

My wife Linda has supported me, made me put on sunscreen, and put up with the 4:30 am runs. She's helped in a million ways I can't begin to describe. Her scrubbing my feet this afternoon, for example. First of all she didn't put on rubber gloves. Second, it felt great!

My coach Iron Greg Bradley. Let us not understate what he has done here. He took a guy turning 50 soon, about 50 pounds overweight, that hadn't run since high school. Just about my first words to him were "I haven't run in 30 years, and I want to do a half ironman next summer, am I smoking dope?" I will be forever grateful he didn't burst out laughing. Greg has been great, building a plan, bringing me along slowly to avoid injury and over stressing an aging bod. Thank you Greg! Lets have a big round of applause!

My friend Susi. You couldn't ask for a more helpful and enthusiastic person to have around.

There's a ton of others as well, blog buddies, friends, and co-workers who have all been supportive and encouraging.

Finally the number you are all dying to read. It's less than 8 hours, so I'm happy. That was my goal. To finish.
Swim, about 38 minutes, then out on the bike course at 45 min.
Bike, about 3. 75 hours, into a headwind on the way back, which is a bit unusual
Run/Walk, the better part of forever, except for where my new friend Kelly and I essentially walked the last 3/4 of the last lap together.
Total time 7:40 or so.
The official results were posted at the banquet, but I didn't look at them. There will be time tomorrow, or later, when they're actually posted on the web.

I'm really pleased with the swim. There was a tough time just after the start where I was getting squeezed a bit. The second lap was much better, though I had a bit of a nasty cramp in left calf coming out of the water after the first lap. I don't know how the heck you're supposed to seed yourself when nobody was talking about times. I probably went out just a little hard at first, since my second lap was about 2 minutes slower. My friends Sean and Lori joined Linda to see me into the water, and cheer me onto the bike! Thanks! There were a ton of bikes in the transition area when I got there. Then most of them passed me throughout the course.

The bike went pretty well as expected. The time is dialed right into what I've done on my training rides. I DIDN'T EAT THE PASTE! I rode my pace, passed a few people anyway. Kelsey caught up to me at about 33 K after a tough swim, I passed her on the down hill again, then she passed me and was gone. Chatted with Kelsey's buddy Graham at the half way point. Good ride back into a headwind, feeling reasonably strong. There were lots of bikes in the transition area again. My buddies Gord and Gail were there to see me in, which was a nice surprise. Thanks!

I ran most of the first loop, getting passed a lot by people doing their second lap. Hot. EFFING HOT! Poured lots of water on my head. Did the first lap in just under 1.5 hours, then pooped out. My run times started getting shorter and shorter. I'd promised my feet if they got to the end of the first lap in good time, we would walk as much as they felt like in the last lap. Kelly caught up to me at an aid station, and power walked me through. We had a great chat. Thanks! And actually, the second lap was only a little slower than my first.

Linda was there for the finish. Classy medal. Drank cold choco milk. Went for a bit of a dip in the lake. Packed stuff. Walked slowly back to the car. Showered, did a bit of stretching, and humped Estela and stuff out of the car. Not a second's problem or worry with Estela, she was a total champ! Sunscreen missed a couple spots, the back of my calves, and the back of my right arm. That's not so bad.

Lastly, the event itself. If you missed a turn, or got lost somehow, then you might as well kill yourself now because you're to stupid to function in the modern world. You couldn't ask for better signage. Every corner was marked, lots of straightaway signs even. The volunteers were EFFING AWESOME!!

So in summary, I had a good day. I've proved to myself I can do this. I had a good time, and I'll do more. I probably won't do Sylvan, though I'll discuss with Greg. I think I'd prefer to put the energy that could go into Sylvan into more training. I've got to leave for the banquet in a few minutes, but maybe I'll come back later and add more detail, and see what photos exist on the camera, and what the finisher photos look like.

This is really the only finisher shot that I liked, and the other is of the medal. It's actually pretty classy, sort of an etched pewter. The girl in the photo with me is Kelly.

I'll be watching for Susi on the internet at IMCDA tomorrow. GSG!

I'm as ready as I'll ever be...

The checklist is complete. The only things left to go in the car is me and things that are in the fridge overnight. Estela is nice and clean and ready to go. It's supposed to be hot (26 or 27) and mainly cloudy, so I've got lots of sunscreen. We found some corporate swag that Linda got. It's an insulated lunch bag. So I'm going to put a litre of chocolate milk in it, and a bike bottle of energy drink, and top it up with ice. That will sit in or near my tote. The energy drink is for the run, and the chocolate is for after, and the ice if any is left, is for whenever and where ever. Jenna, what is that recovery drink you gave me called? I looked around for it, but didn't see anything I recognized.

Before I put stuff in the tote, I laid it all out the way I will in transition, and walked through it. Putting down swim stuff, putting on glasess, tightening lanyard, drying feet, putting on bike shorts, putting on socks and bike shoes. SUNSCREEN!! Helmet, gloves, and away! I've got two bike bottles of energy drink and one of water for the ride, plus 4 Cliffs bars. At the aid stations they'll give us half litre bottles of water. I figure a couple good chugs of it, then pour the rest over self to stay cool.

Then coming back to take off helmet, gloves, shoes, bike shorts. Putting on running shoes. I even have extra socks in case I simply must change them. Cap and more sunscreen. Then we'll see how the run goes. I have no expectations for time. My goal is to finish in the alloted time.

The phrase of the pre-race meeting was, no peeing while riding please.

First wetsuit swim. PHOTOS!

I got my race package, with lots of goodies. I'm 118.

Tonight was the long awaited, much anticipated first swim with the wetsuit. I got into it ok. Another lady there was nice enough to help Linda get things flat and properly tucked in. The water wasn't all that cold. I was expecting much worse. Linda later said that a guy coming out commented that Arbour Lake was much colder, that this was a walk in the park.

The bottom is nice and sandy, not much seaweed at all. I started out a bit too quick, into the waves, and hadn't anticipated the full effect of the bow wave. Going into the wind I have to roll more. As I relaxed, and slowed my stroke down a little I felt more at home in the water. The suit felt pretty good, aside from the odd trickle of water going places it hadn't been yet.

Remember that I'm quite short sighted, with terrible astigmatism. Put two people in shorts and a T shirt at the other end of a 25 m pool, and I have a tough time telling gender. But sighting wasn't too bad. There's enough big blocks of colour that I think I'll be ok. It's a bit of a trick trying to keep my head up to do the sighting, since all my practice in the pool is to keep my head down. They didn't have the official buoys in yet, so maybe I'll just have to hope I can keep up with the pack.

Most people were swimming the course in reverse since we weren't starting at the same place the race does. I got out at my half way point and ran up the beach, around a volley ball pole, and back into the water. It was warmer than the beach. The swim back was smoother. Still, I swallowed a fair bit of water, and got a bit into my lungs during the 30 min or so swim. I'm trying not to think about that too much. Back to the house for a quick rinse, dinner, and posting this blog!

This is Linda commenting on 'the first wet suit experience'. Well, it wasn't as difficult as I thought it might be. Keith did the plastic bag trick to slide his feet in & after that things went quite well. I had had visions of my laughing hysterically at the sight..... However, I am convinced that seeing Keith in the wet suit will pretty much convince our cat Amelia that the end is nigh - she has this thing about strangers & I can't think of anything more strange likely to come her way. Swim cap & goggles a must, naturally - otherwise maybe she'd just think it was her human in funny smelling clothes. To really finish the ensemble, fins on the feet!

My big question, am I better off putting the goggles on first, then the cap, or the cap first and then the googles?

So Jenna, here are my photos to match yours.

Quickie tempo spin

Warm up
3 x 6 min tempo then 4 min easy
cool down

I interpreted "tempo" as meaning mid to upper zone 3, and nailed that. Pedaled about 100 rpm in a medium gear on small chainring. Could probably have kept going at that pace, but was glad enough to stop.

Nice hour on the bike. Stretched after. Could touch toes with knees straight! I'm always enormously amused by that, since there's probably fewer than a dozen occasions in my life when I could. I think that means legs are loosening up as I rest.