tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9468545416758034422024-03-13T19:36:41.150-07:00AWAD triathletePC Ironmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10258593589387927140noreply@blogger.comBlogger85125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-946854541675803442.post-1916594580026650992012-05-25T07:37:00.000-07:002012-05-25T07:37:26.785-07:00Portland Rock and Roll Half MarathonA couple months ago, I was asked if I wanted to do a half marathon and I said, sure, what the heck. Its only 13.1 miles, how hard could it be? I mean, I'm an Ironman, twice over, I should be able to knock out a few less miles, right? Unfortunately, I had been training for sprint distance triathlons so my run volume was a little lacking. I managed to slip in a few longer runs during my training week but the longest was 8 miles and that included many potty stops for my dog; he has a big bladder.
Race day came up quicker than I anticipated and before I knew it, I was picking up my race packet. I met with the folks from Team Refuel they gave me my running shirt....."What's your after?" was on the front. The first thing that comes to mind for after a race is a burger. My body craves protein after a hard effort and all the latest research has shown that chocolate milk is one of the best recovery foods out there and that is what Team Refuel is all about. I learned a little more about the combination of protein and carbohydrates that chocolate mile offers and how it helps to replenish the glycogen your body uses for energy. Sounds easy, its tasty and refreshing, so from my view point, its a slam dunk.
During my trek through the expo, I met another athlete wearing a similar brace to mine. I recognized her from the home page of my brace manufacturer, Allard USA. She has foot drop like I do but she runs a lot faster. Anyway, she was very excited to meet me as she is on a US tour of 20 Rock'n Roll Half Marathons to raise awareness for people with our disability. I immediately identified with her and her plight and offered to help in any way I can. Here is a link to her blog: http://getbackuptoday.blogspot.com/p/about-beth.html
Sunday at oh-dark-thirty, I was up and at 'em, ready to rock (and roll). I parked at Lloyd Center (joking I could always bail in the last two miles and drive to the finish) then rode the Max with a bunch of other athletes. I was wearing my Challenged Athletes Foundation sweatshirt and hat and with my massive blue brace, I had a few people looking at me. One guy asked what the brace was for and being the smart ass I am, I said it was a shin guard because people always kick me...... I did tell him the truth after the look on his face said he actually believed my answer. Sometimes explaining my injury gets old so I will just say I have an ankle injury or something simple. At the 9 mile mark, a guy asked if I had "bad shin splints" and I said, no, I'm disabled and the brace helps me from falling on my face. He said "you don't look disabled" to which I replied, "yeah, I get that a lot", then I upped my pace so I didn't have to answer more questions. At that point in the race, around the 2 hour mark, I had no desire to explain anymore. Its not that I was trying to be a jerk to him but sometimes I get emotional when I talk about it, particularly when I'm two hours into a race with a ways to go.
Things went very well. I was pacing myself to run at least 10K before I walked at all, however, the long, gradual hill on Hawthorne was a little much so I walked sooner than I wanted. I had a salt packet and foolishly (oxygen debt?) I ingested some before I got to the next water station. I won't do that again. I probably didn't need it but I did not want to cramp as I had a goal to meet. The bands along the way were great, although the DJ at the top of Hawthorne probably didn't need to have his music that loud, my ears still hurt. It was a great course and running along the Hawthorne and Steel Bridges was very cool. The finishing straight was LONG. I walked for a minute or so after getting off the bridge because I wanted to save some energy for running the final 1K. I looked at my watch and figured I had time to make my goal but I think the world starting spinning faster because before I knew it, my goal time was there. I upped my pace, ignoring the pain in my big toe and my shin (my AFO brace rubs on it), and crossed the line. I forgot to stop my watch right away but when I did, it read 2:47.
My goal for the race was 2:45. I was with the pace guy for the 2:30 group for 6 miles but with the long trek up Hawthorne, I lost him. I came in at 2:46.10 but I am going to say I had 2:44 and change due to the fact that I was stopped twice by the PD while they let some cars go across the course and the minute or so I talked to the paramedics, trying to get some Vaseline for my sensitive, chafed non-runner nipples. Either way, my time was a PR for me. Although I had never done the distance as a stand alone run, but I had done 3 half iron distance events in the past, the fastest 13.1 being 3:10, the slowest was 4:06 which was 2 years to the day after my injury, so I was very happy with the time.PC Ironmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10258593589387927140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-946854541675803442.post-60906683327369511862012-03-10T17:33:00.002-08:002012-03-10T18:12:20.023-08:00Triathlon Canada High Performance Paratri Training Camp, 2012I was lucky enough to be invited to the first training camp of its kind for Tri Canada, the winter paratriathlon training camp in Clermont FL. We were sent the schedule a couple of weeks prior to the camp and the volume was huge. Approximately 33 hours of training for me, over 7.5 days, including 30,000 yards of swimming, 15+ hours of riding, and 4.5 hours of running. I was very excited about attending the camp and spending my time doing all the training with no other distractions. <br />I arrived at the Orlando airport the night before camp was to start and after a night at the Kissimmee FL Ho Jo's, I was picked up by our coach Vince, and a representative from Tri Canada, Larry McMahon. Larry's son, Brent, is one of Canada's elite triathletes and may be representing Canada at the London games this year. <br />We stopped at Panda Express because the boys were hungry. We had a run scheduled later in the day and I needed some calories so I joined in. I shouldn't have. We stopped at Walmart, shopped for the basics of food, got to our rental, unloaded then suited up for a run. <br />We were only scheduled for 30-40 minutes easy but we got talking and I ended up going out a lot faster than I was used to and as I said earlier, I shouldn't have eaten at Panda. My gut started acting up about 2 miles in and I stopped a couple of times because I thought I was going to barf..... TMI? Anyway, our time was about 35 minutes but that included a little walking to shake the feeling I had. <br />After the run, we had dinner, talked a little about the camp, and then headed to bed. Another athlete came in later that night, Grant, an above the knee amputee, who I have known since my first World Championships in 2008.<br />Day 2 was a late start due to Grant's late arrival. We were on the slate to swim in the morning and ride in the afternoon. We checked into the National Training Center in Clermont and did a 3000m long course swim. I had not been in a 50m pool for many years and I was really looking forward to it. At least I was until mid way through the swim when I started getting very fatigued. My longest swim in a couple of years was 2000m and usually I do a main set of 3-4x250m with a warm up and cool down. This swim was 800m warm up, 800m drills (I learned a few things about my stroke that were very helpful), 8x100m, and 400m cool down. Arms were BEAT! Shoulders a little sore but nothing really bad. <br />After swim we had lunch, loaded up our bikes, and headed to Lake Lousia State park. The roads there are very quiet and we were able to do 45km doing 5 laps. It has a couple of hills but very short and not very steep but it was a good first time out for Grant and Vince, neither of who had an out door ride for a while. <br />We had a great dinner courtesy of Vince and a glass of wine to celebrate the first full day of camp. Afterwards I regretted having the wine because I did not sleep very well considering the workouts we had for the day. <br />Day 3 was an early start as we had 3 workouts scheduled. We were on our bikes at the NTC by 845am and headed to Lake Minneola. We had about 35 minutes on the road before we started our intervals. 10 x 1 minute with 1 minute rest. After that, we had about a 10 minute rest and did 6 more intervals. That took a lot out of me and we had a steady 5-7 minute climb to finish off to get back to the NTC. As soon as we were off the bikes, we headed in for another 3000m swim. This one was painful for me. It took the entire warm up for my shoulders to loosen up. I do not ever recall feeling this bad from swimming. Our swim set today, 800m warm up with 300m easy, 100m hard times 2. Our main set today, 40x50m. 16x50m on 55 seconds, 3 easy, 1 hard. 12x50m on 60 seconds, 2 easy, 1 hard. 8x50m 1 easy 1 hard. 4x50m all hard. Ouch. My 200m cool down was almost entirely on my back kicking as my arms had nothing left. After an extra long shower we went home for lunch and waited for the arrival of our last athlete, Jenny, from Ottawa. We had a couple hours off before our run which was an easy 40 min with 6x100m strides at the end. <br />I made it through day 3 and am looking forward to tomorrow: Swim in the morning, 3500m, a track run session for 55 minutes, then an hour on the bike to cool down. I have never done a track workout before so this should be fun.<br />As my boy Vince says, 'a demain'. Until tomorrow.PC Ironmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10258593589387927140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-946854541675803442.post-33773553254718600282012-02-13T12:59:00.000-08:002012-02-13T13:36:53.138-08:00Canadian Para-Cycling Nationals 2011Every year I say I will update more often.....It doesn't happen so here is one from last season.<br /><br /><br />My first experience in Paracycling at the national level was an eye opener. There are some very good cyclists out there with varying disabilities and it was an honour to compete with them. <br /><br />The time trial was a new experience. I looked at the course before I registered and I knew I was in for a hilly course. I opted not to bring my TT bike and figured I would fair better with my road bike and clip on aero bars. I knew I was going to have a different seat position for the TT as there are UCI standards with regards to seat/bottom bracket measurements but I did not know about aero bar standards. Lesson number 1 was learning that the aero bars had to be lower than the saddle. When I arrived at the TT area, the CCA referees were available to do a bike check. My saddle was within the rules but my aero bars were quite far above the saddle level. They are the hockey stick bend type and stuck up at least 3 inches beyond the legal limit. Thankfully I had almost 2 hours before I was off so I tried flipping my stem and went back for another measurement. They were still about an inch above the legal limit. I was running out of time so I just yanked them off and did my warm up. I talked to Steve Burke, a coach out of Calgary, and he said with what I had, I should be about as aero as I could be in the drops versus the aero bars the way I had it set up anyway. I rolled up to the start line and found out I was going to have at least 20 minutes as they were behind. I could have used that time to work out the aero bar situation but I used it instead to warm up. <br /><br />I felt good, I felt ready, I had an aero helmet, a disk, and an aero front wheel so I had all I needed minus the aero bars. They juggled the order and before I knew it I was off. They had a start house with a ramp. Something I had not used before but as a mountain biker, coming down a hill wasn’t a problem. Seconds before I started I realized I was in my small ring but it was too late. I hit the ramp, rubber met the road, and I was off. 10 meters from the ramp, a guy walked in front of me, looking up the road, and I screamed at him, “coming through, move, move”. He didn’t even flinch, just went about his business. I went past him and went about the task at hand. <br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lWu2hRqM9K4/Tzl74FaoSQI/AAAAAAAAALI/1b5RnWVjhzs/s1600/natsTT.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 229px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lWu2hRqM9K4/Tzl74FaoSQI/AAAAAAAAALI/1b5RnWVjhzs/s320/natsTT.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5708730206125574402" /></a><br /><br />After the start, it’s at least a 2km climb, stair stepping up between 2-4%. I saw my 1 minute guy and said, “That’s my carrot”. I hit a big bump in the road and felt the nose of my saddle tilt down. Since I was still climbing, it was not bad enough to distract me so I left it. <br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BoicD74_F4c/TzmCKvSKVhI/AAAAAAAAALU/E07jl_kEETg/s1600/nationals%2Bsaddle.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BoicD74_F4c/TzmCKvSKVhI/AAAAAAAAALU/E07jl_kEETg/s320/nationals%2Bsaddle.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5708737123671758354" /></a><br /><br />After the first climb, it was rolling downhill, not very steep but I managed to maintain a decent speed. I had to stop pedaling a couple of times to pull the front of the saddle up but each time I leaned forward to try and get more aero, it would tilt down again.. As I hit the first turn, I was concentrating on catching the next rider in front of me. Around half way to the next turn (it was a rectangle), I was passed by the guy that started a minute behind me. I tried to chase him down but on the rolling terrain, I was unable to maintain the same speed as him and he pulled away. I managed to catch and pass my minute guy just before the second turn. As soon as I made that turn, the course went up and seemed to go up for a long time. <br /><br />I heard a disk wheel coming up behind me, nothing else that sounds like that. A Quebec rider went past me like I was standing still. I didn’t know him but he had all his limbs so I figured he was their one C5 rider, not in my category. The climb kicked up and my pace slowed down and the rider I had passed came around me. I upped my pace again and went to go around him but he seemed to speed up and I was unable to pass him on the climb. I didn’t want to get a drafting penalty so I backed off and settled in 5 meters behind, off to the side. <br /><br />The saddle kept moving and seemed to be tilting down easier. I finally gave up on pulling it back to level. I wanted to up my cadence so I shifted from my big chain ring to the small on one of the steeper pitches and my chain locked up. I still had momentum so I was able to try and work the cranks but I quickly had to stop and unclick from the pedals and get my chain back on. When you’re in the middle of a race and you have stopped for a mechanical, time seems to go faster. I don’t know how much time I lost but at the end of the day/race, I don’t know that it would have moved me up to 3rd. <br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lyvszCWrALM/Tzl7qBe4ckI/AAAAAAAAAK8/MjSV0JXRtX4/s1600/nats%2BTT.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lyvszCWrALM/Tzl7qBe4ckI/AAAAAAAAAK8/MjSV0JXRtX4/s320/nats%2BTT.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5708729964551500354" /></a><br /><br />I got going again and up over the last part of the steepest section of the climb and spotted my carrot again. He was on a flat section and I upped my pace again to make the pass. With about 2 km to go, I went by and kept my speed high all the way through the finish line. <br /><br />By the finish line, my saddle was pointing so far down I wasn’t able to sit on it. I heard the race announcer say my time, 28:55. I was pleased with it but knew I would have been faster without mechanicals but that’s racing. Anything can happen and well, to me, it did. No sense crying over spilled milk, I had another race to get ready for. The road race was two days away.<br /><br />Road Race<br /><br />The day after the TT I went out for a couple of laps on the road course and do some openers. The course was a rectangle like the TT course but flat for the most part. On the back straight it was a false flat but it was very slight. <br /><br />On race day, I went out a couple of hours early and went for a few miles with some others from Team BC. We talked a little strategy since it was us three against the three from Quebec. No other provinces were represented. It was going to be tough. Two of the three QC riders were already on the national team and had done this dance before at World Cup events and the World Championships. We were supposed to get matching jersey’s for our BC riders but the jersey was too small for me so I was able to wear my Project London kit.<br /><br />The race was started late because the OPP (Ontario Provincial Police) hadn’t shown up yet. This seemed to be the way things were going with the event so far. I wondered if the elites and U23’s had issues the week before. <br /><br />The tandems were off five minutes or so before us, then it was our turn to start our 72km. Right away, the pace was pretty high. One of my BC teammates was pushing the pace til he realized no one else was behind him then he slowed. About half way through the first lap, one of the QC riders tried a break but I think it was just a test to see the reaction. Each QC rider was sitting on one of us. If they saw no reaction, the rest would take off. This is how it went for about 20km. <br /><br />Just before the start/finish line, the pace went up to the 27-28mph range. I tried to get on the last guy’s wheel but I wasn’t able to hold it and I got gapped. It wasn’t substantial at first but it was enough, into the headwind, that I slowly fell further behind. I waved the referee and neutral cars past me. When the neutral car got alongside, it was the CCA development coach, and he told me I would catch back on, so I tried to swing around behind him for a draft but he wasn’t having any of that, and I was again caught out in the wind. <br /><br />We turned the corner and I could see them slowing. We rounded corner two, and I was sure I was going to get back on but luck was having a laugh that day and it was not meant to be. My steering felt kind of funny and I looked down to find a flat front tire. I got off, quickly removed the wheel and held it up (saw that on the Tour de France, I thought I was so pro) as the next set of riders, the men’s tandems, went by me. I didn’t even get a second look from their neutral support, they went flying by. The second group of tandems, the women’s field, went by and I got a shoulder shrug from their neutral support guy. Finally, at least 7 minutes after I had stopped, the C1-3 group went by and my old buddy, Steve Burke from Calgary went by as the neutral driver. He went by but realized it was me and he jammed on his brakes and reversed, ran out and got me a wheel. I looked at my watch and figured I was about 13 minutes down and I would get lapped within a short time and be pulled anyway, so I threw my bike in the back and got in the van. <br /><br />Sure enough, after I was dropped at the start/finish, my group rolled through only a few minutes later. I felt lousy for my DNF but it was a learning experience. Yes, I could have taken the wheel and stayed out there, likely on my own for 53km but my reason for being there was to try and take home a win or at least podium and that wasn’t going to happen after my flat. I still have a lot to learn about bike racing. There are times when I think that if I had to swim before a bike race, I would do better (that’s the tri-geek in me). You can’t prevent mechanical problems and sometimes stuff just happens but I’m going to make sure I do all I can to ensure it happens less often or not at all in the future.<br /><br />Thank you to Project London, Rubicon Orbea, Speedplay Pedals, Chamois Butt’r, First Endurance, 2XU, and Challenged Athletes Foundation, for helping me get to Toronto so I could compete at Nationals. Without you, this journey would be a whole lot tougher.PC Ironmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10258593589387927140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-946854541675803442.post-27030049447969878852011-05-05T15:49:00.001-07:002011-05-05T15:56:20.612-07:00Defi Sportif 2011<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PH7ck7t4xm4/TcMqTMiRBxI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/l7esb2u52PA/s1600/jbb398.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PH7ck7t4xm4/TcMqTMiRBxI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/l7esb2u52PA/s320/jbb398.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5603368870649857810" border="0" /></a><br /><br />In the weeks before my first UCI race, I went from nervous to calm and back to nervous again. I knew that some of the athletes I would be competing against race Cat 2 on the road. I knew there were some National and World Champs in the mix. After reassuring myself, knowing I had a great coach who had prepared me well, and the fact that I have a decent pedigree in triathlon, I felt better.<br /><br />TT Race day: I arrived at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal about 5 hours before my race. I wanted to get an idea of what I was in for. I took a few easy laps and felt great. The course had a long straight section with a wicked headwind. As race time got closer, the butterflies came back. I chatted with a few people as they arrived, ate my lunch, and checked in for the race. As I wandered around, I ran into a few familiar faces. Two of the guys I knew are paratriathletes from Quebec that I went to Budapest with. They were also doing the TT but on their handcycles. I saw one of the few UCI classifiers in the world who happens to be from my home province of BC. She was going to do my technical evaluation while I did my TT. I also met a couple of the US National Paracycling Team that I knew via Twitter. Social media is awesome!<br /><br />I was hanging out by the registration tent and a guy rolls up in a Guinness kit. The only place I had seen that kit was Portland, so I introduced myself. Turns out Mark Gyulafia is from Portland, is a Cat 2, and works at River City Bicycles. I had no idea there was another paracyclist in Portland. Looks like we might be doing some rides together.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bd-2VJehJoM/TcMp18Y3rfI/AAAAAAAAAKI/O-nhiEsBvug/s1600/jbb377.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bd-2VJehJoM/TcMp18Y3rfI/AAAAAAAAAKI/O-nhiEsBvug/s320/jbb377.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5603368368099274226" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Anyway, race time rolls around, with riders off every minute. I started right behind a Colombian, an above the elbow amputee, and right in front of a fellow Canuck. My two minute guy was US National Team member, Sam Kavanagh. He is in my paracycling category, C4, but he's a Cat 2 (I'm a Cat 5). I had two goals, not to get passed by my one minute guy, and catch the guy in front of me. I achieved both goals, however, I was passed by Sam towards the end of my last lap. The headwind on the long straight had turned into a tailwind which made my first lap approximately 7 minutes. The headwind caught up with us at the only elevation on the course. My speed never dropped below 20mph which was another small goal of mine. It turns out, during my first lap, I took the wrong lane, and it might have been a little longer than it should have been since my second lap was 6:30.<br /><br />I was very happy with my performance. I finished the 17.6 KM in 26:53, averaging 39.27 kph, which is 97.68% of the national standard. All of the times were compared to the national standard and listed on the results in the order of highest percentage instead of the time. I finished 6th in my category, 18th overall, which was not where I wanted to be but not much I could do, I had the road race to think about. The winner was Sam, who started two minutes behind me. He's a fast kid.<br /><br />The road race was a little more stressful for me as I had not done many prior to this. All 23 riders, regardless of classification, were racing together. The C1, 2, and 3's were doing 11 laps and the 4's and 5's had to do 15 laps. The first lap was pretty slow and we only hit 20 mph because of a tail wind. The next five laps were like a typical Tuesday night 4/5 race at PIR. Every time someone took a flyer, everyone would chase it down. The peleton yo-yo'd every time but I hung on. The advice from Coach Abers was to stay at the front so when the accelerations came, i could drift back but still have wheels to follow, then make my way closer to the front again. The US National team worked well together and every time I tried to grab a wheel belonging to a red, white, and blue jersey, i would lose it because they would open up a spot for that person to come in. At the end of lap 8, after going around the 180 degree turn near the start finish, the speed went from 15 mph up to 32 mph. I was caught without a wheel to follow and was quickly gapped. I tried to chase but even at 30mph, I couldn't get back on. I slowed to a more manageable speed and was able to catch another rider that was dropped and we worked together for the next two laps. Since he was a C2, he had to do less laps than I did but I did get him for one extra lap as the officials forgot to pull him after his 11th lap. I did the last two laps on my own and finished with an average of 23 mph.<br /><br />Overall, I was happy with my performances on the weekend. I had a PR for my TT average speed and I felt that I did well in the road race, considering I had not done any road races other than PIR. I had a good chat with the National Team Development Coach, and I know what I need to do to achieve my goal of being a team member. With the coach I have and my desire to succeed, I think my chances are good.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--kZTOewtw6g/TcMq0I45g-I/AAAAAAAAAKY/G1Zb3RW0jnk/s1600/oz%2Bat%2Bdefi.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--kZTOewtw6g/TcMq0I45g-I/AAAAAAAAAKY/G1Zb3RW0jnk/s320/oz%2Bat%2Bdefi.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5603369436606727138" /></a>PC Ironmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10258593589387927140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-946854541675803442.post-49666887394394298342010-11-30T17:17:00.000-08:002010-11-30T18:19:47.881-08:00"The first-a rule of Italian driving.................what's-a behind me, is not important". My favourite line from the movie, The Gumball Rally (1976). Right as he is saying that, the driver rips the rear-view mirror off and tosses it out the window. <br /><br />I was-a thinking about that as I was taking my first ride with my new coach, Brian. We were talking about training, his philosophies, power meters, etc, and he said, you can have all that data (ie looking in the rear-view mirror) but the only important thing is when you cross the finish line. It's not whats on the computer on your bars or stem. It's not how many watts you're putting out. It's not how many beats per minute your heart is pumping. It is only about when you cross the finish line compared to the other guys.<br /><br />It is not that he is against having that data, actually, he would like as much input as possible, its just that he feels there are more important things on race day. Having said that, I cannot wait to get a power meter. I'm anxious to find out how many watts I actually put out during a 20k TT or triathlon. I feel like I'm hammering, putting out huge numbers but I am betting that its not as big as I think. I am working on a product sponsorship or pro deal from one of the companies that makes power meters but as of yet, no answer. Worst case scenario, I borrow one for a few rides to find out what my 1.5 legs are capable of.<br /><br />We are working on some strength training ideas too. When I did my initial evaluation with the strength coach, my leg strength and balance were not that great. I'm a little worried about lifting on my own without a spotter, especially with the squat. The overhead press and dead-lifts should not be too bad though. <br /><br />I'm in for a wild ride for the next few months. I know I will make some positive changes in my riding. The first TT of the season will be Jack Frost in February, somewhere between 20-24KM. This will give me an idea of how well my training is going. Usually when I do Jack Frost TT, I am not as prepared as I plan on being for the 2011 edition. After that, my next test will be at the end of April in Montreal, at Defi Sportif. There will be a road race, a TT, and a crit, and this will be my first time competing in paracycling and my first opportunity to obtain UCI points. <br /><br />I'm very excited and nervous about the upcoming season. I know I'm not getting any younger but I'm determined to work hard. Although I have represented Canada in international competition, my goal is to be fitter, stronger, and faster as a paracyclist than I have been as a paratriathlete, and proudly represent the red and white in London in 2012.PC Ironmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10258593589387927140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-946854541675803442.post-17782085439577936322010-09-15T10:03:00.000-07:002010-09-15T10:06:00.360-07:00Budapest World Championships Race ReportBudapest World Championships Race Report<br /><br />After a short training camp with some very cool and inspirational people, all with different stories, I was very ready to race on Sept. 11, 2010.<br />My alarm was set for 0400 but I was awake at 0300. I lay in bed thinking about what I had to do. I was pretty much finished my preparation and only needed to mix my morning breakfast drink and get my kit on.<br />We met in the lobby at 0445 and had cabs waiting for us. When we got outside, it was drizzling a little. Enough to be called rain I suppose but what could we do, it was race day and as I have been saying, “it is what it is”. We were dropped off right at the entrance to the Expo/transition area and had a 200m walk to the main transition area.<br />Wandering through massive puddles and muddy grass, we finally arrived at our bikes and began the prep to get our T1 and T2 gear ready. I brought two large bags from the hotel and they were very handy. I asked the nearest <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">ITU</span> person if my ‘handler’ would be able to get my gear out of my bag for me after I finished each leg of my race and was told normally no, but today, yes. By this time it was full on pouring too, making our wet transition area even soupier.<br />I could not find my handler, MC, who said she would be at the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">TZ</span> by 0530. I was getting antsy so I asked our coach, Carly, to help me find someone. I feel bad that I cannot remember his name but he was an ex-pat Brit. I told him my needs and everything was in order. I only needed him to yank off my wetsuit and then pull my gear out of the plastic bag so I could transition with somewhat drier gear. There’s nothing like pulling on wet shoes.<br />I was already soaked so I just got my wetsuit on and put my jacket and shirt into a plastic bag and began the 100m trek to the start of the swim. My helper was right next to me the whole way. I looked at my watch to see that I had only 15 minutes to the start and I debated making a short <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">trip</span> to the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">porta</span>-potty. I quickly decided that it was probably a good idea and I ran over, unzipped my wetsuit, and did what I needed. As I was walking back toward the start, I pulled my wetsuit zipper up on my own (before, my helper did it for me). This would come back to bite me as I exited the water.<br />I went down to the pontoon for the start. We would have a deep water start so I was kind of bummed that we <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">couldn</span>’t dive in but I guess some of the para’s <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">wouldn't be able to</span>. I sat down next to my team mate, Kimberly, gave her a hug, wished her luck, and slipped into the water……DAMN it was cold! I only had a short sleeve suit. I had been in colder water with that suit but I knew it was going to be a torturous 13-15 minutes.<br />They counted us down from 2 minutes every 30 seconds or so and before I knew it, 87 <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">paratriathletes</span> were off. Man, there are some fast swimmers in the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">paratriathlete</span> division. A couple times I felt someone pulling on my thigh and hitting my feet, probably trying to draft me, but either they went around me or I dropped them. Either way, after the first turn, I had free water.<br />I finished the swim in under 14 minutes but by the time I cleared the water and hit the timing mat, it was an even 14. I was happy with that but not ecstatic. I sort of “gorilla hopped” (to me, somewhat sideways with my weak leg to the back) to T1. As I was running, I was attempting to undo my wetsuit zipper. Apparently, my <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">tri</span>-top zipper lanyard was stuck in my wetsuit zipper and it was not going well and my transition time was slower than I would have liked.<br />By the time I got to my bike, I had undone the zipper and had it off my hips just in time for my helper to yank it off me. I quickly dried my feet and put my shoes and helmet on and I was running out of the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">TZ</span>.<br />Running in the wet grass with road shoes <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-error">wasn</span>’t too bad however, we also had a 50m run on pavement. With the grass and mud plus the pebbles on the pavement it made for a difficult time clipping into my pedals. On the way out, I almost got hit by a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-error">handcycle</span> and while I was trying to get started, two others passed me, one guy in my category.<br />By the time I was clipped in and up to speed, I had caught one of the guys and was gaining on the other. Within five minutes, we were at the first 180 degree turn. I got to the turn immediately after the guy directly in front of me and I stood up and powered out of the turn, passing him and never looking back. My next mission was the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-error">handcycle</span> but man, those guys are FAST!!!<br />I picked off him and 5 other <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" class="blsp-spelling-error">handcycles</span> before the next U-turn and passed numerous others. I got passed by two tandems but otherwise, held my own. Coaches Carly and Vincent later told me I looked great on the bike and was flying which made me feel pretty good.<br />On my last lap, with about 2km to go, my buddy Joel from Portland passed me and I <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" class="blsp-spelling-error">didn</span>’t see him again til the finish. He did well but there were a lot of fast guys in the arm injury/<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_15" class="blsp-spelling-error">TRI</span>4 category. He said he was happy with his bike and run but said his swim and transition put him back a bit.<br />By T2 the rain had all but stopped. I got to my chair and my helper had all my run gear out, ready for me to have a fast transition. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_16" class="blsp-spelling-error">I'm</span> not sure how long it took but I felt that I had a quick transition. As I left T2, I was passed by 2-3 others, one I know was in my category. Charles and Jody passed me around 2km and Pierre rolled by at 3km. A few others passed me, mostly people in other categories but there were at least two <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_17" class="blsp-spelling-error">TRI</span>5’s as well. I felt great for the first 3.5km or so then I started to fade but after I got on to the bridge leading to the finish, I upped my pace and had a very good last 750m.<br />As I was on the downhill portion of the bridge, I looked back and saw a few age groupers coming up behind me. I wanted to beat them to the line so I picked up my pace again. There was a 180 degree turn around 75m from the finish and when I made the turn I all but sprinted as only a 1.6 legged man can sprint, very awkwardly.<br />I crossed the finish line and stopped my watch. I was too exhausted to look at it. I was given my finisher medal and wandered out of the finish area to find my friends that had already finished. I found Joel, Craig, Jody, and Devin. No one knew where they had placed but most people were happy with their performance. Devin said he cramped on the bike but he felt good overall.<br />I finally looked at my watch…..1:27:20. Wow. I had started my watch around 20 seconds before the swim so I figured I was sub 1:27. I had never gone that fast before, even before my injury. I beat my Nationals time from 3 weeks before by 8 minutes and my previous PR was 1:31:58 at Blue Lake in 2002.<br />Overall: 1:27:01<br />Swim – 14:00<br />T1 – 2:19<br />Bike – 34:22<br />T2 – 3:45<br />Run – 32:36<br />I cannot complain too much. I had a good race and even if I was classified as a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_18" class="blsp-spelling-error">TRI</span>3/Les <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_19" class="blsp-spelling-error">Autre</span>, I would have come in 6<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_20" class="blsp-spelling-error">th</span>. I need to re-read the rules and see if I can get classed as a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_21" class="blsp-spelling-error">TRI</span>3 for next time. While I might have quicker transitions than most of the BK amputees, I surely cannot keep up with them on the run as most of them (warning, stereotype ahead) have strength all the way to their stump, including their knee and hip muscles while I have some weakness there.<br />The description of the lower limb categories are not those of amputations but rather “moderate” or “severe” leg impairment. Given that I have weakness in my hip <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_22" class="blsp-spelling-error">flexors</span>, knee <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_23" class="blsp-spelling-error">flexors</span>, and knee extensors, I feel I fit in with the AK’s more so than the BK athletes. My run and bike seems to be more on par with those guys.<br />Anyway, as I said, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_24" class="blsp-spelling-error">I'm</span> happy with myself and my performance, I believe I did my best and represented my country well.<br />I hope to post some pics later so if you are reading this and want to see some, check back at a later date.PC Ironmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10258593589387927140noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-946854541675803442.post-15070159199175433722010-09-08T12:50:00.000-07:002010-09-10T01:38:36.742-07:00Budapest 2010 ITU World Championships<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Georgia">After a long flight and then a 6hr wait in Heathrow but I made it to <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:city st="on">Budapest</st1:City> <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Hungary</st1:place></st1:country-region> around midnight. I got a very expensive cab ride to the hotel where all the other Canadian paratriathletes were staying. I was pretty wired so I unpacked all my gear. I thought I was going to be sharing a room with another athlete but when I got to my room, I was the only one in it. After unpacking, I realized I had forgotten my pedals and my swim goggles in my other back pack. I frantically searched twitter and facebook for people that I knew were coming to <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Budapest</st1:place></st1:City> and messaged them. I received a message from a friend from <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Portland</st1:place></st1:City> and he was already en route but he had an extra set. Whew, one thing already fixed. I went to sleep happy after that.</span></p><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Georgia"><?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></span> </p><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Georgia">We had a meeting at 9am to head out to swim. The pool was very interesting. It was not very obvious what we were supposed to do. Most people don’t speak any English and none of us speak any Hungarian. When we finally got to go inside, the change room was co-ed but with individual stalls. Our pool was outside and the place was so huge that we had a difficult time finding a 50m pool, hard to believe I know. We had rented 4 lanes plus had to pay for each of us and the bill was somewhere around 20,000HuF which is around $100. Nothing is cheap here, especially food. Afterwards, myself and a team old timer went walking around. I got a few pics of some of the old buildings and some of the scenery. Lunch consisted of a bun, some yogurt, some almonds and some water. We were supposed to have a meeting to talk about some mental skills but I got a message from a friend about lending me his spare pedals. I figured that was much more important. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Georgia"></span> </p><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Georgia">I asked my hotel front desk where the Marriott was and they gave me directions and I decided to walk. It was a little longer than I expected and my hip was starting to bug me. I got to the Marriott and found out it was the wrong one. I got directions to the next one but I decided to cab it. I was able to run in, grab the pedals, and get in the same cab, and get back to my hotel, right around the tune of 5000HuF. That was one less thing I had to worry about. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Georgia">In the later PM, we had a one on one session with our coaches, Vincent and Carlie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We talked about our goals for this event and our camp.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We also discussed any help I might need in transition or any motivational cheering along the race course.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I am pretty self-sufficient so I really don’t need anything but I always love a little cheering.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Georgia"></span> </p><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Georgia">We had a great team dinner that night and it was nice to get to know my fellow team mates.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Towards the end of dinner I was starting to fade due to the face that I just arrived at 1am and had 6hr of sleep in the past 48hr.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>When I got to my room, however, I turned on my computer and watched some videos til almost midnight.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Georgia"></span> </p><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Georgia">Wednesday was supposed to be an 8AM bike to run transition practice but at dinner the night before, we decided to ride at 6AM as there are fewer cars on the road at that time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We rescheduled the T2 practice to mid afternoon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The ride down to the TZ took a little longer than normal due to the hand cyclists and some of the obstacles we had to go around to get there.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Georgia">Three of us went on our own way mostly due to the fact that we lost the others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We met up again at the TZ and looked around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We rode part of the bike course but the traffic was starting to pick up so we headed back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Georgia"></span> </p><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Georgia">After breakfast, a group of us went back to the event expo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I found everything to be much more than I was willing to spend on an event tee shirt so I went home empty handed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We were able to watch the men’s 40+ Aquathon and one of the competitors took almost 45 minutes to do the 1000m swim so we stayed at the swim exit to cheer him on as he exited the water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I think all of us knew what it was like to finish dead last at least one time since our prospective challenged athletic career so it meant a lot to us to be there for him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>He was an Aussie and he made a point of smiling and thanking us as he went to his run transition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Georgia"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Georgia">Afterwards, I went back to the hotel for nap time and a 6PM mental skills session.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Georgia">Most of the others had eaten before that but I wasn’t hungry so I went afterwards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The mental skills session included visualization practice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I had not done this since I attended UVIC in 1987 and I remember how well it worked.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Georgia"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Georgia">I went back to dinner at the same place as Tuesday night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I brought my lap top but it was for not as they had no wireless.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I ate a great dinner called “paprikash” which was veal in a spicy sauce and what looked and tasted like the German pasta type dish, spatzle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The dinner was great but it seems that everyone in this town smokes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Two ladies next to me at the restaurant lit up as soon as they sat down and continued to do so all throughout my meal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It was kind of disgusting but I guess we are lucky at home where it is not allowed in bars and restaurants anymore.</span></p><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Georgia"><o:p></o:p></span> </p><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Georgia">When I was done, it was pouring out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Luckily there were many overhanging ledges that offered a little protection from the rain but I was essentially soaked when I walked the 3 blocks back to the hotel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I watched more videos and then had a great sleep.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Georgia">More to come.....</span></p>PC Ironmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10258593589387927140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-946854541675803442.post-14169840289079256472010-07-28T21:47:00.000-07:002010-10-18T06:55:44.228-07:00XTERRA Vashon Island, July 2010<div>This was my favourite race of last season and i was really looking forward to it this year. I went up early and got to the transition area in time to pick up my race packet and kit up for a pre-ride of the bike course. I figured it would be the same as last season but wanted to be sure. I met up with my friend Alexia and we headed out. I was convinced I could ride the first section no problem but alas, it was not to be. I hit the first switch back and pulled my front end off the ground, then hit the ground. My bike landed on the drive side and after a few minutes of trying to put my chain back on the crank, I realized my rear derailleur was stuck in my spokes. This would have been a good discovery before I reefed on my crank to get what I thought was a stuck chain. </div><br /><div>Anyway, some new road rash to add to my already dinged up legs. I walked the rest of the way up the hill which was some pretty fun single track and went I went to ride again, I realized either my derailleur was bent or the hanger was bent, either way, it was skipping a lot when I went into granny gear and the next two so I ended up walking again. I tried to fix it but my mechanical ability is limited. I was able to get it to the point where I could pedal in some easy gears but the course leveled out and there was limited climbing after that. </div><br /><div> </div><br /><div>I fell again, not sure why, but I suggested Alexia and our other companion go on without me and I would just see them at the camp site but they said they were cool with a slower pace. Anyway, two falls, and 45 minutes of riding later, we go back to the cars. I wanted to scope out my camp site so I headed straight to the ranch, paid my fee, and then went back into Vashon for some food. I met up with a few friends and ate with them. </div><br /><div> </div><br /><div>When I got back to the campsite, I ran into another buddy that is a bike mechanic and I talked him into checking my bike over and seeing if he could fix it. As I was taking it off the car, I found my rear tire was flat. If its not one thing its another. I had a spare tube but then I wouldn't have one for the race so I borrowed one from one of Alexia's MelRad team mates, Jo. Jeff was able to sort out my shifting problem pretty easily but he did say I needed a new bike.....I concurred since my beloved Rocky is 15 yrs old but its just not in the budget this year. </div><br /><div> </div><br /><div>I didn't get much sleep in the back of a Passat wagon and I was up and rolling at 530am. I didn't have much to do so I went to the transition zone and got the best parking spot for a speedy getaway. I got everything set up and went for a short ride with Alexia. I had seen a guy with a BK amputation and wondered if he was in the race. I lost track of him but after the ride I was able to talk to him only to find out he was just pulling his boat out of the water. I was disappointed because I had hopes that I would not be the only PC athlete in the race. </div><br /><div> </div><br /><div>At the pre race briefing, I found out I would be racing with the clydesdales and the over 40 men. Everyone made their way out to the dock where we would be starting. I dove in and swam around to where the start was, probably around 150m warm up. The first wave left just as I got there and I floated around for a bit.</div><br /><div> </div><br /><div>My swim was uneventful, but save for the long run out of the water to T1, I had a good time. the long run to transition was very muddy as the tide was out, and it had heaps of shells embedded. </div><br /><div> </div><br /><div>I had a very slow T1 which has been the case lately, I'm not sure why. Unlike XTERRA Solstice, I didn't forget my amelback this time but I did neglect my gloves which would come back to haunt me later.</div><br /><div> </div><br /><div>I got out of transition and immediately dismounted for the switchback climbs section. I tried to run up but my HR went up into the 180's so I walked. By the time I hit the top of the climb, I was out of breath and immediately felt the need to stop and rest but kept on. I rode more of the course after that first section than I had in the past couple of years. I used my wicked cyclocross skills to mount my bike after walking and made a little bit of time up vs walking those sections. My shifting was working OK but I was unable to get into a few of the top gears and this only came into play during climbing. <br /><br />I love the single track sections of this course, lots of roots and stumps to make it more challenging. After the first single track section, there is an old road section. This is where the gloves would have come in handy. It was warm and I was sweating a lot. I kept wiping my hands on my shorts but obviously, they were still wet so it was for not. Since I was on a "road" I went to grab a gel packet that was taped to my stem. In the middle of it, I changed my mind and started to grab my handle bar but in the blink of an eye, my bars went sideways and I hit the ground. My front tire went deep into a sandy pothole. I think if I had my gloves on, this wouldn't have happened but alas, that wasn't the case and I sat on the ground, stunned. <br /><br />I got up and immediately felt a sharp pain in my knee. I looked down and was bleeding profusely around my knee cap. I got on my bike again and started riding the somewhat flat section but as soon as I hit the and increase in elevation, the knee pain became very intense. Thankfully, there wasn't much of it and I made it through the rest of the lap, spinning at a higher cadence than I would normally to see if I could get over the knee pain......I dont know why I thought this but it must have worked because when I got to the paved section that wound around to the beginning of the next lap, I stood up to test it again and the pain was gone. Endorphins?<br /><br />Anyway, I rolled through the next two laps with no further incidents but really regretted not having my gloves. I got to T2 a little more tired than I should have been and while walking through the TZ, I heard a rubbing sound. I looked closely at my front brake and noticed the rotor was bent. That would explain my increased fatigue. I guess I rode the remaining 2.5 laps after my crash with a rubbing brake. Oh well, no time to worry about it, time to run.<br /><br />I had forgotten about my knee as I left T2, thinking only of my stupidity for crashing unnecessarily but one of the volunteers asked if I was OK. She had a very pained look on her face as she looked at my knee. I looked down and my shin to my sock was bloody and dirty. Hmmm, I thought, that doesn't look good. Oh well, Im fine, I said, thanks for asking, and I went about the business at hand, getting up this hill to the flatter section of the run course. <br /><br />I felt pretty darn good, impressed with myself as I ran slowly up the hill to the single track. I actually passed another runner. That made me feel very good as I don't often pass anyone during this part of triathlon. More than one volunteer asked if I needed help when they saw my knee but I was just happy to be still running after my bike mishap and riding with a rubbing brake. <br /><br />The run course wasn't as dusty as I remembered it from 2009. There were a couple of sections that I recall sliding down, through a bit of deep loose dirt but they were not that bad this year. I ran down the hill, onto the pavement, across the road to the trail and through the finish line. I can't explain how great it felt as I saw my time, quite a bit faster than 2009. <br /><br />I went directly through the transition area to the back of the ambulance that was sitting there. I asked if the medic could clean up my wound. He said, and this part blew me away, "if I work on you I have to do a bunch of paperwork". I then asked if they could give me some thing to clean it with. He then said, "they should have something over at the race trailer". I kept standing there, stunned, looking at this guy thinking he was kidding. Apparently, he was dead serious and I walked away. I had my own wet wipes and water in the car. <br /><br />I went to my transition area, packed up my gear, and left. I drove straight to the ferry and cleaned myself during the short ride to the mainland. My wound was not as serious as all the blood may have indicated but I did have a pretty good sized gash just under my knee cap. Not enough to require stitching but it would have been nice to have a surgical brush to get the dirt and rocks out of it. <br /><br />Overall, other than the crash, I had a great race. Forgetting my gloves was a negative as was crashing while pre-riding (and bending my rear derailleur) as well as during the race but everything else was a positive. Looking back, the only thing I would have changed was staying around after the race and talked to the race director about the lack of medical care. I understand that the medics were likely there for emergencies but a lot of races have a medic to take care of things like road rash and other non-life threatening issues and have an ambulance on standby. I also would have been able get my award. They ended up mailing it to me. One of my favourite awards to date. A home made trophy with a cassette cog embedded in a piece of 2x4 and a chunk of chain with an engraved plate. Very cool trophy.<br /></div>PC Ironmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10258593589387927140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-946854541675803442.post-51511677993541067232010-06-22T11:27:00.000-07:002010-06-27T15:49:07.425-07:00XTERRA Solstice, June 19, 2010This was a race that I was intimidated by for the past three years. I always wanted to do it but there was always some excuse. The website for the race let you know that it is not an easy race and there are always DNF's and the course is not for the faint of heart. Lots of ankle breaking rocks along the run course, a steep downhill called "Suicide" hill, and a swim that will take your breath away, mostly because its so cold.<br /><br />I signed up on the Monday before the race and just so I wouldn't wimp out, I posted on Facebook that I was doing it.<br /><br />I talked to a couple of pro guys that wanted to do it so we ended up car pooling together. They had just done Boise the weekend before and I was surprised that they wanted to do this one. We got to La Grande around 4pm and went to pick up our race packets. This was the first time I had ever done packet pick up in the garage of someones home. I thought that was very cool.<br /><br />After a quick stop at Safeway, we headed up a very steep road to Morgan Lake. I was intimidated AGAIN. If the climbs were anything like this on the bike course, I was in for a very long day.<br /><br />We found a spot to camp and rode a little of the course. We ran into a few others that Damian knew from Bellingham. We went to town for dinner then back up the long, scary hill to our campsite. I got all my things together for the next day but realized I only had a little water. The guys wanted to head into town for hot coffee in the morning anyway, so I figured I was safe. Our start time was 9am. We would have time.<br /><br />I set up my gear in the back of my truck and packed it in for the night. I read for a bit but mostly just thought about long, steep hills. I finally got to sleep but was woken up a few times by some people partying on the other side of the lake.<br /><br />I set my phone for a wake up call but didn't really need it. I was wide awake at 5AM. I got the rest of my gear ready then we got coffee. We still had almost 2 hr before the start when we got back and that time was spent setting up transition and chatting with people about how cold it was and whether I should bring my arm warmers and long sleeve jersey.<br /><br />the last thing I did before locking up the truck and finishing up transition was fill my Camel Back with water. I had a very concentrated bottle of First Endurance EFS, Grape flavour. My plan was to have my calories in that bottle and dilute it by drinking from my Camel Back.<br /><br />Keep that tid bit in mind for later<br /><br />I got into my wetsuit and wandered into the very cold water. I heard it was 54F but I'm not sure of the official water temp. It didn't matter, I was wearing a very nice Blue70 wetsuit provided by my team sponsor, Athlete's Lounge. I had borrowed a neoprene cap from Scott at AL but didn't end up wearing it as it was a little small and was choking me. I went for about 20m out and back again then stood on top of a large rock with only my lower half under water. I heard them say we had to line up between the two buoys behind me so I went over and chatted with Damian and Chris. I jumped on top of the buoy and floated for a while til they said 1 minute to go.<br /><br />I heard what was probably an air horn but it sounded more like a sick elk, then we were off!<br /><br />My swim was uneventful, I concentrated on a steady stroke and was under my goal time of 20minutes, 19:15. I believe that at least 1-2 minutes of that was me trying to stumble my way out of the water, tripping over rocks and other athletes, but they didn't mark my time til i was completely out of the water.<br /><br />I got to transition, easily shed my wetsuit, and sat down to put on my socks and bike shoes. On the road, I rarely wear socks but because of the mud and the fact that my MTB shoes are a hair big, I chose socks for this race. Unfortunately, some thoughtful person had dumped their wetsuit on top of my shoes and one of my socks was already soaked. Thankfully I had another pair for the run and grabbed them.<br /><br />I grabbed my lid, my glasses, and forced my bike out from between two others and took off. I pulled my gloves on with my teeth as I was riding down the easiest part of the course; the first 400m. I was about 2km into the ride when I saw someone go by me with a Camel Back and it was then I realized I had forgotten mine. I wasn't sure where the aid stations were but i was hoping that it wasn't very far away. My new plan included drinking my First Endurance EFS and then topping off with water at the first aid station I came to. This didn't happen either. I am very impressed with the FE electrolyte drink. Even though it was very concentrated, I didn't get any GI distress. When I came to the aid station and just grabbed a couple cups of water and it was perfect.<br /><br />There was about a 1K stretch where we went on some single track, a bit of road and a wicked downhill section called the "pipeline". I found that out on the way back when I had to climb back up it. Anyway, after the long downhill, there was a 5K section of uphill. It was probably average of 6-8% but had a few short steep sections. The dirt road was fairly well maintained til the top section but overall, it was better than some roads I have raced on. After the road came an uphill section of single track which was pretty tough in sections due to the ruts and rocks on the path but I cleared most of it on the bike. Only when I let someone go past me did I have to unclip.<br /><br />I was keeping my eye out for a section called "suicide hill"; a treacherous bit of downhill that I was not particularly looking forward to. It certainly lived up to its reputation. I got to the top and as I was beginning the descent, I decided that I wanted to live. I walked it down which was no easy feat either. There was an ATV at the midway point and he said that I was about 1/3 of the way through the bike course and about half way down the hill but I just did the hard part...... um, not from where i was standing it wasn't. There was still a lot of loose steep downhill left. I came across a photographer and i was bummed because I wanted to be on my bike when she took the photo, which I told her, but then I said I was just going to flex for the camera. Right after I passed her, I got on my bike and rode the rest of it. The downhill was still tough but not as steep.<br /><br />For the next few miles i rode with another gal, Robin from Bellingham. I let her get ahead of me for the single track ahead. We wound around a little meadow, over a cattle fence, through a lot of rocky sections, and out to an uphill section. We both walked up it, I walked faster, and figured she would catch me later. I hit the road section that we came up and went down it as fast as I could. I tried to use that section to rest but it wasn't much of a rest. I hit the pipeline climb and just decided trying to ride up it wasn't worth it. I started walking it. I turned around and Robin was riding up behind me but after we hit a steep pitch, she was walking too.<br /><br />There was a gal in front of us, I watched her leave the trail. I figured she was just going to find some privacy to attend to the call of nature but when i got up to where she left the course, I saw her walking up the hill. She had cut the switch back section of the course, missing about 200m of it. I pointed her out to Robin and we both were wondering why she would do that. The climb she did may have taken less distance but it was much harder than the switch back section she cut. Oh well, we just pushed on.<br /><br />robin ended up passing me walking up the steepest section and I said bye. At the top of "pipeline" it was only a short ride back to T2, going back in the same way we came out. There were also runners on that section. I didn't get slowed down by any, some of these guys were pretty fast and they maneuvered that section faster than I could ride it. I thought about trying to catch Robin so I wouldn't have the slowest bike time but I felt I needed all the energy I could muster for the run.<br /><br />T2 was slow for me. I sat down and washed off my left leg so my ankle brace didn't have too much grit to grind into my skin. I hit T2 at 3hr on the nose and 4 minutes later, I was on the run course. I ran past the truck where Damian and Chris were getting cleaned up. I ran past them, they wished me good luck and asked if I needed anything but I was all set.<br /><br />I looked at my watch and with a plan of run/walking at a 2min/2min ratio, I started walking. It was mostly a gradual uphill all the way out of the Lake area and I got to the first water station. I filled up my water bottle and started running again. I ran most of the way down a steep road and then had to walk again. I settled in to walking and figured I would run any down hill or flat sections. I was pretty tired. I had 2 gel packets with me and a water bottle. I ate at 630AM so I was starting to get hungry by this time.<br /><br />I passed the second water station and passed through without stopping. The road went down the side of a hill and sort of degraded into a barely used cart path. I was looking around at where the trail might go, foolishly, and rolled my left ankle. Without my ankle brace I'm sure i would have hurt it to the point where I would not have been able to continue. I didn't stop because I knew the pain would subside in a few minutes. I started walking with my left leg rotated outwards so it would be more difficult to roll it again. At the bottom of the hill was a jeep and a guy wearing a skirt, a wig, and holding pom poms. He cheered me on and warned me about the next section which was basically a path made by one of the ATV's and the 60+ athletes ahead of me. He also told me I was OTB which really sucked but hey, I was out here and I was going to finish. I think on the day, there were 4 DNF's, not sure why but I knew I wasn't going to be one of them.<br /><br />The man/machine made trail had a few sections of mud, lots of rocks, and I passed an elk rack, or half a rack actually, a leg and hoof, likely off some sort of deer or elk, which was stripped clean, and a large snake which slithered across the trail in front of me. I didn't see much of the snake but it was bigger than any type of snake we have near our house. Do they have rattlers in La Grande?<br /><br />It seemed to be longer than 10K but then again, I had not done 10K since the US Championships in September. I climbed up some switch backs, got onto a road, and got back to the water station I had passed almost an hour before. They refilled my water bottle and I took a gel, said thank you and started jogging down the slight hill towards the BIG hill I had come down.<br /><br />After the last aid station, I jogged again to the trail that led back to the TZ. I walked most of the single track trail section and when I got to where I could see the finish line, I started running again.<br /><br />the announcer saw me and I was cheered in by all the folks that stuck around for the awards. Damian and Chris were right there and after I crossed the finish line, they helped me back to the truck with all my gear. They said they had calculated how long after I left T2 and when they would come and find me should I not be at the finish by a certain time. Just as they were about to venture out to rescue me, I came in. Good guys to travel with!<br /><br />I finished the run in 1:46, longer than any 10K I had ever done, and overall, just under 5 hours. I was satisfied that I had finished given my limited MTB training but it just served to show me how much more I need to train for XTERRA Nationals in Sept.<br /><br />It was a fun race and I look forward to doing it again in the future. Thanks to Mary Ellen and the XTERRA Solstice crew of volunteers for a great but tiring day.PC Ironmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10258593589387927140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-946854541675803442.post-19621309189458044582010-02-12T07:33:00.000-08:002010-02-12T07:35:42.592-08:00Classification 101Today is my classification evaluation. To let you all know, its only an examination on where to place me in the paracycling classification. <br /><br />I have been previously classified in triathlon as "les autre" which basically means they dont know where else to put me. Unless you are an amputee or in a wheel chair they have a category that puts spinal cord injuries (SCI) with athtletes that have MS, CP, and things like that. With<br /><br />Cycling its a little different. Even more different than last year. This year they have 6 total categories (except hand cyclists) for all disabilities. Last year they had 2 sub with four sub categories each. I used to be very familiar with the categories and had a good idea where they would place me but now, Im not so sure. <br /><br />Depending on the outcome of this evaluation, I will have a rough idea of the minimum standards that are necessary to become part of the paracycling national team and with this new information, I will be able to figure out if those times are within my grasp. <br /><br />I usually dont let a little thing like meeting a goal stand in my way but Im 44 now and things like dropping 20 seconds MINIMUM off my kilo time might be tougher than it sounds. Not that Im not going to try but those are things I have to contemplate whilst working on my new practice and training. I have a wealth of experts around me that I can consult with to help me attain such goals but first, I need to finish this eval. <br /><br />Hope that clarifies the classification process for you. Have a great day. <br /><br />PS I love being in Canada while the Olympic games are getting started, there is a huge amount of patriotism, flags on cars, people clad in Team Canada jerseys and this will go a long way to making me strive to meet my next challenge.PC Ironmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10258593589387927140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-946854541675803442.post-82793759386496721442009-12-27T14:52:00.000-08:002009-12-27T15:30:20.844-08:00One step closerJust before Christmas, I had a meeting with one of the tri coaches I am contemplating working with. I told her of my tri goals and by the end of it, we both thought we could work well together. Just before we departed company, I talked to her about my other cycling goals and how I had little luck getting in touch with people at <a href="http://www.canadian-cycling.com/cca/home.shtml">Canadian Cycling </a>via email and she asked if I had called them.....um, I never thought about that. In the electronic age, I have always relied on email.<br /><br />So, when I returned to the office after lunch, I called the person that would probably be <a href="http://www.sportabilitybc.ca/">classifying </a>me. I spoke to her for about 20 minutes and while I was on the phone with her, I sent her an email, and she sent one back and by the end of the day, we talked about my coming up in January. So, hopefully my next update will be about my quick trip up to Vancouver and have an official classification for cycling. Wish me luck.<br />Merry Christmas to all.PC Ironmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10258593589387927140noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-946854541675803442.post-71087166324304834852009-11-25T16:50:00.000-08:002009-11-25T17:13:14.588-08:002010 Goals, what are they?I have been researching races for next year and trying to figure out my focus so I can have my training peak at appropriate times......hehehe, Im laughing as I write that, I can honestly say, I am not sure I have ever peaked at any time, let alone appropriate times. So, with the comic relief out of the way, I truly want to do well this year but Im not sure where I want to do all this peaking. I want to do XTerra, I want to race on the track, I want to PR at a 70.3 race, I want to PR my 20 and 40km TT's, and I would like to go to World's for ITU Olympic distance as well as XTERRA World's. <br /><br />To accomplish any or all of these items, I require TOTALLY different training. Power training for the track, a maximum race time of 1:25minutes, endurance training for 70.3, a maximum race time of 7 hours (hoping for 6.5hr), a mixture of the two for XTERRA races, average race time of 4 hours, and I would like to get my TT times to around 31min for the 20km and 1:03 for the 40km. <br /><br />I dont think I can do all of it.....well, I CAN do all of it but something is going to suffer. If I can get classified sometime late this year or early next year, I will have a goal time to make for the track and I will most likely just focus on that and making the paracycling team. If I cannot, I suppose I will more than likely work on the Oly distance/Xterra races, which in turn will help my TT speed (my thoughts, not one of a coach, perhaps I can be schooled on why or why not that is a good idea). The 70.3 would probably be a June race so if I choose to peak for that, there are also a couple of XTERRA races around that time that i might be able to do one as a training race. Im waiting for the XTERRA CUP schedule to come out sometime in the next thrity days to finalize my decisions. <br /><br />I have been told that if I am going to be a kilo track rider, I need to focus on nothing but however I am a challenged athlete and I can do more, just need the direction first. If any of this makes sense, great, Im still confused, hasta la vista baby.<br />Happy American Thanksgiving to all my peeps south of Canada, gobble gobble.<br />DS outPC Ironmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10258593589387927140noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-946854541675803442.post-47059828633055007902009-11-08T17:06:00.001-08:002009-11-08T17:41:51.622-08:00Cross Crusade at PIRWhat I did on my bike today was not as much fun as looking forward to it. Like all 43 year old boys, I love play in the mud and today was a perfect day for it. It rained almost an inch over the last 24 hours so the course at Portland International Raceway was soaked and muddy. I had forgotten to pick my cross bike up at the shop yesterday and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">didn't</span> think I would be able to race but thanks to Twitter, my good friend Gary from Athletes Lounge let me know he would be there early. <br /><br />I picked up my bike around 820am and made my way to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">PIR</span>. I got dressed, signed in, paid my money, and did a little warming up then lined up to race. Because of my number I started in the back. This suited me fine as I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">wasn't</span> feeling all that great about my fitness anyway. The horn sounded and we were off. Around 55 heavy weights rumbled out of the starting chute and onto the course. Each lap was 2.5 miles and pretty flat. There were two or three run <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">ups</span>, depending on your bike skills, but that was it for hills. <br /><br />My legs were tired quickly due to the amount of mud that made up the course. There was a nice puddle section which got deeper and deeper each successive lap. I tried to ride that section on the bank of the puddle but I ended up riding through the thick mud. <br /><br />Upon starting the second lap, I began to realize that I was <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">DFL</span>, dead <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">freakin</span> last, and I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">wasn't</span> even half way through that lap when I got lapped. I was having a lot of trouble getting back into my pedals when I had to remount after clipping out. I have ridden with these pedals a lot but have not raced with them until today. I also had not been on my new bike in a race yet either. <br /><br />Upon trying to remount after a short run up, I tweaked my ankle again, rolling it on the soft surface. I got on again but <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">wasn't</span> able to clip in on the left but I did manage to swing my crank around, smacking my tibia with it. I started walking again, along the course but kept rolling my ankle. <br /><br />I decided to pack it in and walked across the course in time to see the finish of the race.<br /><br />On the drive home, I was thinking if I should even be doing this. I have fun, to a degree, but its no picnic. I enjoy the time on the bike but not so much the getting on/off all the time. Too bad Stacey <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">isn't</span> taller, i would just give her my bike and I would stick to events that I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">don't</span> have to mount/dismount as part of the course. <br /><br />Falling asleep, guess that means I should sign off. Not too exciting and I know I had more to say but for now, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">that's</span> it.PC Ironmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10258593589387927140noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-946854541675803442.post-4189414555570086052009-10-12T15:25:00.000-07:002009-11-25T17:24:46.798-08:00Cross Crusade Series, Races 1 and 2<div>Last year, after finishing a long season of training, I hung up my bike. I really didnt want to get on it again after Ironman Canada. I did, however, continue running and I thought I might attempt a marathon (without having to swim and bike beforehand, what a concept!). After a couple of weeks of that, I decided I didnt want to continue with that either. </div><br /><br /><br /><div>Sooooooooo, at the beginning of October 2008, I got this great idea of stripping my rain bike of its fenders, the bottle cages, and computer and putting cyclocross tires on it with the intention of doing some of the Cross Crusade races. Cyclocross is very popular in the NW and the kids at Cross Crusade put on a great show. I posted an email on the Oregon Bike Racing list asking what category I should race in: Beginners, Clydesdale, C, or Masters C. Various people said Beginners so I signed up for the Alpenrose race as a Beginner, took my converted steed out for a couple rides on the trail near my house, and decided I was ready to race.<br /><br /></div><br /><br /><div>My first ever race was Alpenrose, Cross Crusade #1 of the season. It was a 2.1 mile loop around the velodrome and other parts of the dairy. It was also the biggest turn out of all time at a CC race, something 12oo riders all day and over 130 beginners. I finished around 80th, had a blast but after I saw the clydesdales racing, I decided I wanted to ride with the heavy horse!</div><br /><br /><br /><div>I did 3 races last year and didnt train a lick between each race. It was not a good idea but doing a 35-45 minute race at very close to my AT took a lot out of me considering how many years I had been doing road triathlon and not going much near AT.</div><br /><br /><br /><div>Fast forward a year. October 4, 2009. I revisited Alpenrose Dairy for the 2009 Cross Crusade series. This time, I felt better prepared. Only two short weeks before, I had raced XTerra USA Championships and had been mountain biking most of the summer. Something a little closer to cross racing than Ironman training had been plus I wasnt burnt out from riding my TT bike for hours on end.</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><div>This time I entered the Clydesdale class. Last year we max'd out at around 40 guys, this year at Alpenrose, we ended up with 58 starters. I finished in the mid 40's, one lap down from the leaders but I felt great and was passing guys on the last lap. It was a great course for me with a lot of flats and some technical stuff but not a whole lot of climbing. </div><br /><br /><br /><div>I was excited because I felt so good and of course I wanted a cross bike afterwards. I had a busy week after that and didnt get to train much. I had one road ride and one 5 km run as well as a stress test that I had to run on the treadmill. </div><br /><br /><div>Yesterday I paid for not training. The CC#2 was at Rainer High School and it had a few hills. I dragged Taggy out of bed at 630am and we did some racing. My race lasted 3 laps and after getting passed by the leading Clydesdale, I packed it in. I thought they would give me a DNF but they scored me as dead last (except for the one DNF) and gave me 3 laps (winner had 4). </div><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ucsku0j-Nsc/Sw3YjaKEl9I/AAAAAAAAAJM/-q3UMf44sr0/s1600/ccx+rainer.bmp"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408216830370420690" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ucsku0j-Nsc/Sw3YjaKEl9I/AAAAAAAAAJM/-q3UMf44sr0/s320/ccx+rainer.bmp" /></a><br /><br /><div>Taggy and I waited around for his race, ate some fries, watched some racing, and talked to some peeps. He finished his fries, wiped the ketchup from his face, jumped on his bike and did some laps of the kids course. He was having trouble with the barrier given that his bike was abouut 25lb but he was dismounting and getting back on like a champ. When the time came for his race, the kids were given the choice to do a lap of the adult course or a few laps of the kiddie cross circuit. He chose to do a full lap.....</div><br /><br /><br /><div>I tried to keep up with him, running alongside but I was beat from my race and I didnt have my ankle brace so I tried to cut the course and see him along the way. I got a video of him coming down a hill and then I ran over to the start/finish so I could help him through the second section of hills. I saw him coming out of the trees, he had a bit of a pout on his face and I could see him covered in dust. I asked him if he crashed, he nodded, almost crying, but then I asked him if he wanted to continue and he nodded again. So, I jogged next to him, helped him over the two barriers, and encouraged him along. </div><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ucsku0j-Nsc/Svhxgh1OMQI/AAAAAAAAAJE/_evKE6METzY/s1600-h/taggy+ccx+rainer.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 240px; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402192556682260738" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ucsku0j-Nsc/Svhxgh1OMQI/AAAAAAAAAJE/_evKE6METzY/s320/taggy+ccx+rainer.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><div>It was time to start the next wave of adults so they had us cut the course, missing the last climbing section, and turned the rest of the kids towards the finish. I gave him a big hug, told him how proud of him I was, and took his picture. One of the adults that was helping out, came over to me and said he had crashed HARD but he got up and finished off. They said he got 10/10 for his crash and that made him smile a little. </div><br /><br /><br /><div>Afterwards, we went over to the area he went down and he described his crash. Apparently, a rock got in his way and he washed out his front tire. Right abouut that time, the B's came through and I could see how easy it would be for Taggy to go down right there as it was loose and rocky as well as downhill with a turn at the bottom. </div><br /><br /><br /><div>He is looking forward to next week as am I. Oh, and Im getting a new <a href="http://www.bikesale.com/images/products/detail/CXteam.1.jpg">Scott CX Team </a>cross bike next week, so excited.</div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div>PC Ironmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10258593589387927140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-946854541675803442.post-65187550460742710812009-09-29T10:17:00.000-07:002009-10-11T19:06:12.809-07:00XTerra USA Championships, Sept 26, 2009<div>"You can quit, and nobody else will care, but you will always know"<br />John Collins, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Ironman</span></span> creator.<br /><br />I read that quote about a week after I finished one of the hardest races of my life. I had thought about packing it in many times during that race but although I had never seen those words, I had the same feeling, no one would probably think less of me but I would always know that I <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">DNF'd</span></span>.<br /><br />I felt prepared for the US Championships as I got into Coach Grant's SUV and settled in for the long ride to Ogden Utah. My training had gone well in the weeks leading up to the race and I felt that I would have a good showing. We stopped for the night in Boise and thanks to Dr. and Mrs <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Folske</span></span>, we departed the next morning well rested and very well fed. My other two traveling <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">companions</span> were Rob Jackson and Justin Bernard, the race directors for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">XTerra</span></span> Portland.<br /><br />We got to Ogden, checked into our hotel, and I went for a short run. Ogden is a pretty cool little town and I was able to check out some restaurants for later. Dinner, TV, bed. Not all that exciting but it was a Thursday.<br /><br />Friday morning, Grant and I went up to Snow Basin to ride part of the course. This was when I realized just how much climbing I would be doing on Saturday. The single track at the base of the mountain was a lot of fun but it was basically all uphill. We rode for 30 minutes, went down to the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">reservoir</span> to check out the swim area, then hit this bike store for some supplies. It also had a cafe attached to it and I had an awesome lunch.<br /><br />That night was the "Night of Champions" dinner and along with 158 others, Justin and I were honoured as NW Regional Champions of our <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">respective</span> divisions. We were <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">lei'd</span></span> and got a shirt with our new title on it. After dinner, I finished preparing my gear and nutrition bottles and watched TV til around 11pm.<br /><br />As usual on race eve, I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">didn't</span> sleep well but felt pretty good when I got up. I changed my <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">tri</span></span> kit 2 or 3 times. I wanted to wear my Challenged Athletes Foundation kit but having just received it, and it being a little tight, I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">didn't</span> want to chance some major chafing during the swim. In hindsight, I should have worn it anyway as I chafed something fierce from my wetsuit and it was nothing to do with my choice of jersey.<br /><br />We headed up to T2, left our run gear, then drove down to T1. I had not done a point to point race before and I was nervous that I had not left something that I may have wanted later. Oh well, too late. I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">didn't</span> end up needing anything extra but I hate that feeling .<br /><br />Race time was 9am so I went for a short warm up ride around 815am. I got back and someone had taken my spot on the bike rack. Once I pointed out that my swim stuff was right there, he left.....no one takes my spot on the rack, no one.<br /><br />I got suited up and realized I left my body glide in Grant's truck. We were told we had to put all our swim gear and any other items into a bag before we left T1 so I put everything I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">didn't</span> need for swimming or biking away.... another reason I am not enjoying point to point racing. I borrowed some glide and went down to have a swim warm up. I ran into a couple of the other PC athletes, Andy May and Megan, both are BK amputees. The water was cool but just fine for a short sleeve wetsuit.<br /><br />At 9am, the horn blew and everyone, including the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">pro's</span></span>, were off. All the pro women were wearing pink caps so I guess for the first time in my triathlon career, I was responsible for ripping <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">someones</span> goggles off. Sorry for that pro woman triathlete, I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">didn't</span> mean to do it.<br /><br />I was feeling great physically and after checking my time right as I got out of the water, it read 27:20. There were no timing chips in this race and they included T1 in my swim time so I officially had a 34 minute swim. We had to run up a long boat ramp and part of the parking lot to get to the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">TZ</span></span> and that obviously took me a while. I was happy to see people I knew coming out of the water behind me and shouting encouragement because on a point to point, I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">wasn't</span> likely to see them again.<br /><br />I got out of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">TZ</span></span>, jumped on my bike, and departed on what turned out to be a very long day in the saddle. They teased me with a mile on the flats, then we entered Wheeler Canyon and began to climb, climb, climb, climb, and did I mention climb??? Holy crap, it was tough on me. I think I still hear "on your left" or some <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">derivative</span> of that in my sleep. I think I can honestly say I climbed for 1.5 hours before I hit the first of only two downhill sections. The first downhill was fun but my body was so tired I almost cooked a few of the turns a little too hot. After that downhill section, the course climbed up to Snow Basin Lodge parking lot and turned into a cool single track section that Grant and I had done the day before. After that, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">unbeknownst</span> to me, the course went up the ski hill, following part of the chair lift. I was exhausted and I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">didn't</span> want to go on especially after the previous 2 hours of hell I had just experienced.<br /><br />This is where my day got longer. I hit a very steep pitch and got off and started pushing my bike up the hill all the while trying to dodge the top age groupers that were flying down the hill on their way to finishing the run. Through the haze, I spotted an <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Ironhead</span> jersey steaming full speed towards me. I high <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">five'd</span> Matt as he ran his way to a 3rd place finish. <br /><br />I pushed myself harder, still hiking uphill, and crested the steep part of the climb and I sat down, stared downhill and for the second time, I talked myself out of quitting. While I was sitting there, one of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">XTerraTV</span> guys ran up to me with his camera. "How tough is this course?" he asked to which I replied, "a lot tougher than Vegas"....<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">WTF</span> I said that for, I will never know. I was so exhausted, I had nothing better to tell him. <br /><br />Right after I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">embarrassed</span> myself on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">XTerraTV</span>, I got up and pushed on. I got on my bike, granny <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">geared</span> up, and slowly climbed the next pitch of about 6-7% (last climb was at least 18-20%, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">I'm</span> sure of it!). Justin's dad passed me on his bike, giving me words of encouragement, Rob passed me, running on his way back to the finish, asking if I was OK. I smiled, gave them big props and stopped again. I stopped again, leaned on my bike, looked down the hill towards the finish line, and slowly my vision went bright white and I felt like I was going to fall over. I closed my eyes, took some deep breaths, drank some water, and waited for my sight to return. It seemed to take forever but it came back. <br /><br />I wandered slowly to the medical tent at the top of the hill and told them of my symptoms but they just told me to walk around a bit. They <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">didn't</span> seem to concerned. I was actually hoping they would pull me from the course for medical reasons but <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">I'm</span> glad they <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">didn't</span>. <br /><br />I got on my bike again for the last bit of climbing, looking forward to going downhill again. The rest of the bike ride was uneventful. I loved the downhill except for the fact that I was so exhausted, I almost bit it on some of the switchbacks. <br /><br />I rolled into T2 after about 3:10 on the bike, convinced that I was going to pack it in. I got my running gear on and walked out of transition. I stopped at the timing area and asked where the medical tent was. I was pointed in two different directions. I started up the hill towards the run course and I looked over and saw the med tent. I walked over to it and stood there for a couple of minutes before someone asked if I needed anything. I again, told them my symptoms but no one seemed concerned. If someone wandered into my med tent at a soccer tourney telling me they were dizzy, seeing stars or other visual disturbances, or any other heat injury type symptoms, I would have had them sitting down and getting some ice on them and some water or IV or other electrolytes into them. I almost had to guide them to what I thought was wrong with me. I wont bore you with details but eventually I just got up and walked out (something else i would not have let someone do). <br /><br />While I was in the med tent, I heard them announce the other 3 PC athletes finishing. I walked over, congratulated them, and told them I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">hadn't</span> even started the run yet. I also saw Grant, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">Kaytee</span>, Matt, and Rob in the food line. I told them I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">wasn't</span> sure I was going to finish and without hesitating, Grant said no one would think any less of me if I <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">DNF'd</span> because of the toughness of the course. That was all I needed to push me on, I knew I was NOT going to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26">DNF</span> after that. I saw Justin while I wandered towards the run course, he said "its not that bad". I had doubts again..... I found a shady spot, sat down, put my head in my hands, stared at the cones that marked the run course, and cried (yes, I did, call me what you will but <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27">that's</span> the kind of day I was having). I told myself that if I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_28">didn't</span> finish, I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_29">didn't</span> deserve to wear the Regional Champ shirt I won the night before so after getting control of myself, I got up and walked up the hill. <br /><br />Most of the course volunteers were coming down the hill. I got a couple cramps on the way up the steep section but otherwise, I must have gotten my second wind, because I felt pretty damn good. About the 5km mark, I ran out of water and food. My stomach was growling and I was wondering where the next aid station was. A volunteer on a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_30">MTB</span> came towards me and said the aid station was only a quarter mile away. I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_31">believed</span> him but HE LIED!!! By my calculations, it was at least a mile but it was something to look forward to. <br /><br />I got to the downhill section, the way home! I walked down the steep part and I could hear Whit announcing winners from the Sport race. He said there would be a 5 minute break and then they would present the pro winners and AG winners from the USA Champs. When I heard that, I broke into a jog. I really wanted to come across the line before he started announcing again. <br /><br />I came into the finishing chute and Whit spotted me and it was really cool. He had the whole crowd up and cheering for me. It was very emotional, not because of the crowd so much but for the few members of the crowd that came to the finish line to greet me. All the other PC athletes were there, Andy, Craig, and Megan, all my Portland peeps, Grant, Justin, Rob, Matt, and Phil. It was so awesome. I timed my run at 1:50, but with all the messing around in the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_32">TZ</span> and the med tent, my official time was 2:15. <br /><br />I have to say, I will never attempt that course again. Its just too much climbing for me, my size, and my weak leg. I learned from this course and will benefit from doing it. Next season, I hope to win a Maui spot in Vegas so I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_33">don't</span> have to try and make it on points plus I can skip the USA Championships which will be in Utah again. <br /><br />Almost three weeks later, I am still sporting the sunburned arm tattoo of my number so I have something else, besides pain, to remember the race by. <br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_34">Cyclocross</span> season in full effect! Having fun at that, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_35">Im</span> wondering if I will ever grow up.<br /><br /><br /></div>PC Ironmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10258593589387927140noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-946854541675803442.post-21271821531342867212009-08-26T20:32:00.000-07:002009-08-27T10:38:50.947-07:00Apple Triathlon 2009<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ucsku0j-Nsc/Spa--MxHRII/AAAAAAAAAIM/pdyUs11s9Os/s1600-h/taggy2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374693181101655170" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ucsku0j-Nsc/Spa--MxHRII/AAAAAAAAAIM/pdyUs11s9Os/s320/taggy2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ucsku0j-Nsc/Spa6UzIkyZI/AAAAAAAAAIE/W5ni4poyG4g/s1600-h/taggy.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374688071799589266" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ucsku0j-Nsc/Spa6UzIkyZI/AAAAAAAAAIE/W5ni4poyG4g/s320/taggy.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>For starters, I almost didn't get to race but my good friend <a href="http://meyrickjones.blogspot.com/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Meyrick</span> </a>worked his magic and got us both in (he was a late registration too). Its good to know Meyrick, not only for getting me late entry into races, but he's very good at motivating people.<br /></div><br /><div><br />Stacey, the kids, and I, spent most of the week in Salmon Arm with my parents and celebrated <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Taggy's</span> 7<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">th</span> birthday at a <a href="http://www.shuswapfamilyfun.com/">fun park in Scotch Creek</a>. I had not been there in at least 15 years and it has changed a lot. So, I trained, did a little water sliding, a little lake swimming, and had a few cold beers between Tuesday and Friday. <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ucsku0j-Nsc/SpbBWUPl1qI/AAAAAAAAAIc/TjvZBTsaZ8A/s1600-h/stacey.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374695794448651938" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ucsku0j-Nsc/SpbBWUPl1qI/AAAAAAAAAIc/TjvZBTsaZ8A/s320/stacey.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><br /></div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ucsku0j-Nsc/Spa_SNuLTZI/AAAAAAAAAIU/M3P9_4fF02M/s1600-h/kelton.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374693524955155858" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ucsku0j-Nsc/Spa_SNuLTZI/AAAAAAAAAIU/M3P9_4fF02M/s320/kelton.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />On Saturday AM, we got up early, sent the kids out fishing with Grandpa, and set out for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Kelowna</span>, a mere 90km away (or maybe 100km, I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">don't</span> recall). After stopping in Vernon and eating at one of the worst choices for <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">restaurants</span> we could find (The Pantry), we made it to our destination. I had forgotten to look up the details of the check in etc and we had to wait a couple of hours before packet pick up was open. In the meantime, I rode part of the course with <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Meyrick</span>, Ashley, and Chelsea, some <a href="http://www.innovativefitness.com/n/">Innovative</a> Fitness athletes from Vancouver. About 4 km into the lap, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Meyrick</span> blew a tire. <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">I'm</span> talking a huge gaping hole in the sidewall of his <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">spendy</span> Specialized tire as well. Of course, a little flat turned out to be an ordeal as <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Meyrick</span> had misplaced the extender for the valve, a very critical component for the type of rims he has. Thankfully, Ashley had a patch kit, something I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">haven't</span> carried for years (but will start), and he patched the tube and the tire. It took three times but he finally got it right.<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ucsku0j-Nsc/Spa4nFtzhlI/AAAAAAAAAH0/yUtdVffhR4E/s1600-h/MJ.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374686187001972306" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ucsku0j-Nsc/Spa4nFtzhlI/AAAAAAAAAH0/yUtdVffhR4E/s320/MJ.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />We finished the bike course, got to packet pick up, got our stuff, and Stacey and I went to our host's house. Marni was a professional cyclist for years and I worked with her team last year. She retired this season but her and her boyfriend, Corey, are part of Total Restoration Cycling. Actually, Corey is the director for the team. They usually do local BC races but have come to the Pacific NW for some as well. Their garage makes mine look empty, of bikes that is.</div><br /><div><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ucsku0j-Nsc/Spa4595ID8I/AAAAAAAAAH8/00FohI75yB8/s1600-h/MH+garage.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374686511319486402" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ucsku0j-Nsc/Spa4595ID8I/AAAAAAAAAH8/00FohI75yB8/s320/MH+garage.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><div></div><br /><div><br /><br /></div><br /><div>We got settled then went out to eat at the Pheasant and Quail, a little pub near the lake. After that, I dropped my bike off at the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">TZ</span> and we went back to our house for a rest. It was very strange to have the quiet. No dogs, no kids, just us, our books, and a fan.<br /><br />Had some pasta for dinner at Mama Rosa's then back to prep my bottles for race day. I tried to go to sleep at 10pm but it was hot and the fan we had in the room <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">didn't</span> seem to work all that well. </div><br /><div><br /></div><br /><div></div><br /><div><br /></div><br /><div>Alarm went off at 5am, I drank my usual <a href="http://www.hammernutrition.com/za/HNT?PAGE=PRODUCT&CAT=SUPFUELS.HAM.NUTRI&PROD.ID=4047&OMI=10103,10082,10047&AMI=10103&uir=product.category,SUPFUELS.HAM.NUTRI,Sports%20Drinks%20%26%20Gels&offer=">700 or so calories </a>and ate a banana. I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">didn't</span> have my usual race day GI upset which was strange. I was very relaxed for this race I guess.<br /><br />Got to the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">TZ</span> around 6:15am, stood in line for about 15 minutes to get body marked, then set out my gear. The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">TZ</span> for the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">paratriathletes</span> is separate from all the other athletes. I kind of like this and kind of <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">don't</span>. I like that we have so much room and we get chairs and helpers, I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">don't</span> like that we stand out I suppose is the easiest way to describe it.<br /><br />Anyway, our coordinator, Tabitha, met us in the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">TZ</span> and she explained the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">Tri</span> Canada rules to Stacey regarding what she can do for me. Mainly I wanted her there to help me on the boardwalk so I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">don't</span> fall down like I did last year but she was told she could help me on the entire run and help me pull my wetsuit off, pretty sweet deal as that part can sometimes give me troubles.<br /><br />We were off at 740am. The water was perfect for a short sleeve but the wind was about 20kph at least which made for a choppy swim. The course was two laps of 750m. Last year I did it in 26 and change, this year, 31 min. I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">didn't</span> think I was that much slower but then again, last year i was swimming a lot more in preparation for <a href="http://ironman.ca/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">Ironman</span> Canada</a>. I swallowed a lot of water and got swam over a few times after some of the age groupers caught up with us but I survived.<br /><br />T1 was pretty typical except I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">didn't</span> have trouble getting my wetsuit off since Stacey helped pull it off. I think it was almost exactly the same as last year, around 3 minutes.<br /><br />Unlike at <a href="http://www.xterraportland.com/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26">XTERRA</span> </a>the week before, I felt great when I first got on the bike. Right as I got into <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27">aero</span> position, I passed Marni and Corey and it was great to hear them cheering for me. Around 1km into it, you hit Knox Mountain. Its not that steep but its challenging. I think its a little less than 750m long around 6-7% grade but I could be wrong. This year they had timing mats on the hill to stop cheaters I guess. I had a few people pass me on the hill but I passed my share of the sprint racers that had started around 25 minutes before us. I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_28">don't</span> care that they were on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_29">MTB's</span>, I passed someone dammit!!<br /><br />The bike course was the same as last year and on each <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_30">successive</span> lap, the wind gradually died down and I made around the same time for each lap. I was aiming for 25 min or less and I got 25:20, 25:15, and 25:04, for a faster bike split than last year. I ave 31.2 kph, almost 1k faster/hr than last year. Marni and Corey were on Knox Mountain for my last lap, the cocky kids had ridden their cruiser bikes up the hill. I would be lucky to get half way up to where they were but anyway, it was very cool again to have someone cheer me on personally.<br /><br />T2 was faster than last year and I had motivation this year. Stacey was running with me. We had talked the day before about my run strategy and discussed run/walking. I wanted to run the first 20-25 min then walk if I needed it. She pointed out all the obstacles and although I already saw most of them, I appreciated the heads up. Just before we got to the board walk where I fell the year before, there was a ramp which Stacey said she would run around it, making a joke about not wanting to be on it at the same time as me (guess it <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_31">didn't</span> look stable), and she almost bit it, catching her toe on the lip of the stair. Being a good husband, I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_32">didn't</span> laugh...hard.<br /><br />We got to the board walk and I grabbed her left arm. I guess people must have thought I was blind, they cheered our "team" a little more than the other athletes. I hope I was inspiring to them regardless. I ran around 37 minutes for that lap, felt pretty good. We ran past the transition area and back on the course for lap 2.<br /><br />Around 1.5 km into it, we started walking and some guy from behind us, asked if we were both in the race. I said I was and Stacey was my helper. He said she <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_33">couldn't</span> do that and I would be disqualified. As he passed us, I said, yes she could, he said no you cant, its against the rules, and to this Stacey held up the badge she was given and yelled, "<a href="http://www.triathlon.org/?call=TWpVMg==&sh=keep"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_34">Paratriathlete</span> </a>Assistant, YES I CAN!!". Of course, he kept running but he turned around and very sheepishly <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_35">said</span> sorry. I wanted to run after him and call him a few names and tell him to mind his own <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_36">freaking</span> business but I was polite. It did however give me a little more energy to begin running again, sooner than I was planning.<br /><br />Again on the boardwalk, I held onto her left arm, apparently <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_37">I sweat </span>all over it, and we made it to the finish area where I ran on my own across the line. Unlike last year, I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_38">didn't</span> start to hyperventilate or become short of breath, I calmly walked straight out of the finishing chute across the the Athletes Village, and tore into a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_39">PBJ</span> and a coke but not before giving my "handler" a big kiss and a thank you (had to do it before, shes allergic to peanut butter).<br /><br />My run was almost 20 min faster than last year and I placed second behind <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_40">Meyrick</span> but since he is in a different category, I guess I won my division, Les <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_41">Autre</span>. My total time, 3:09....last year, 3:16. <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_42">I'm</span> hoping to break 3 hours next year. I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_43">couldn't</span> stick around for awards which might have been a good thing because they <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_44">couldn't</span> find my results so I would have waited around for no medal or podium. They have the <a href="http://www.raceheadquarters.com/results/2009/multi/KAT2009OlympicAWAD.html">correct info now</a>.<br /><br />Its a fun race and I plan on doing it for as long as I can. I qualified again for <a href="http://www.triathlonbudapest.com/">World's in Hungary</a> next year. Hope I can make that one. Right now, I have to concentrate on getting my <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_45">MTB</span> legs under me so the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_46">TT</span> bike is put away until after <a href="http://xterraplanet.com/races/race.cfm?race_id=859">XTERRA US Championships</a>, Sept 26.</div></div>PC Ironmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10258593589387927140noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-946854541675803442.post-60884001484838571602009-07-14T15:28:00.000-07:002009-07-15T20:02:09.223-07:00XTERRA Vashon Island<div>Last weekend, I did my second XTERRA event on Vashon Island. Unlike the Las Vegas XTERRA, this was not part of the Cup Series so there is no automatic qualifying for Maui by winning this race, only points. I have two more XTERRA races scheduled this summer and I should get enough points to get to Maui should I be able to go. I have pictures and will try and post them later. </div><br /><div>I had never been to Vashon Island but I do want to go back, not only for the race, but its a great place to bike around, sight see, and get eaten alive by mosquitoes....okay, that last one is not on the list of good things about the island but nonetheless, its a nice place. </div><br /><div> </div><br /><div>I drove up in about 2.5 hours, drove right on the ferry minutes before it left the dock, and spent 15 minutes on the boat before it reached the island. I drove to the race site but the people from BuDu Racing had already packed up. After talking to a couple of people, I was a little nervous about the first part of the bike course so I parked and walked up the first 500m or so. I quickly realized that, although their description was fairly accurate about the conditions of the trail, they weren't very MTB savvy. It was steep in sections and it had some sandy sections but it was definitely ride able (except the first part with the switch back to the 26% hill). </div><br /><div> </div><br /><div>Satisfied with my reconnaissance mission, I drove to my accommodations for the night at the AYH Ranch. I chose, poorly I might add, to sleep in one of the dorm rooms of the hostel. I was going to be sharing with 5 other guys. I dropped my overnight bag off in the room and found out only top bunks were still available, this was not good for me but I could do it.</div><br /><div> </div><br /><div>I went back into the town, ate dinner then drove back to AYH for a late packet pick up. The people of BuDu were great. I was going to be their first PC athlete ever in one of their events so they were not sure if they needed to do much else for me but I assured them that unless something drastic happened on course, they wouldn't have to worry about me. </div><br /><div> </div><br /><div>A hostel is a very friendly place. I was chatting with a few other racers and got cornered by one guy from Portland that was either drunk, stoned, or both but either way, he was a bit of an ass. I was rescued by another guy from Arizona that was a former Pro in Motocross. Turned out he was also in my dorm room. During that time, the rain began to fall and I was wondering about the sandy part of the race course and if it was a good or a bad thing that it was raining. </div><br /><div> </div><br /><div>Everyone seemed to be disappearing and going to bed so I went to my room, grabbed my book and came back out to the common area to read. Another mistake as when I went back to bed, there were 4 other guys snoring very loudly. I should have gone to sleep sooner then I would have been one of those guys snoring loudly. Around 11pm I went to bed and shortly after that, our 6th room mate, the guy right under me, came in. He smelled like campfire and cigarettes. Within minutes, he was snoring even louder than anyone else in the room. Needless to say, I didn't get much sleep. Its amazing how much heat 6 guys can throw off. It was probably 80-85F in that room. </div><br /><div> </div><br /><div>I didn't need my alarm, the one I had set for 6am, as I was wide awake due to the person showering at 5am right next to our room. The walls were basically just plywood so there was no insulation from the sound. I drank my breakfast, packed my gear, and just went out to the race site. The mosquitoes seemed to be less prevalent there.</div><br /><div> </div><br /><div>My plan was to organize my TZ, then go back and rest in the truck. My start time wasn't until 9:07am and it was 7am when I got there. I got there, set up, then chatted with my new friend from AZ. I was on the first rack, closest to the bike exit, with two others. When I got there, they were just leaving for a lap of the course. I know its only a 5 mile loop but doing a pre-ride 1.5 hr before the start of the race seemed to be a little crazy. I decided to go on a short road ride at about 8am. I rode to where the bike course comes out to a paved road and back. I was looking forward to this part of the bike course as it was all downhill and it would be a good stretch of road to spin out the legs before the run.</div><br /><div> </div><br /><div>The race course had changed since the day before due to some pissy neighbours. Instead of two 7 mile loops, we were doing 3 laps of 5 miles. The run course had also changed but since I didn't usually get concerned about a run course, I didn't know what the first course had looked like let alone the new one. </div><br /><div> </div><br /><div>I had my short sleeve wetsuit on and in looking around, so did a lot of others. The water was around 62F, maybe a hair warmer but not much. The course was supposed to be 800m but when the turn around point was pointed out, there was no way it was going to be 800m. I swam it in 13 minutes and change which correlates to 1:40/100m if it truly was 800m and I know I'm not that fast. I only swam twice in the month prior to this race so I was looking at 1:50/100m or slower.....anyway, the water wasn't that cold and other than the few jelly fish that I saw, it was uneventful. </div><br /><div> </div><br /><div>The exit point for the swim was onto barnacle covered rocks but luckily only for a few meters before the stairs then the grass. My typical slow T1 ensued and I was off to the bike part, my favourite. </div><br /><div> </div><br /><div>The first lap didn't not go as I expected. I had to walk the entire first 3/4 mile or so. It seemed that each time I tried to mount my bike, my shorts got caught up on the saddle and I was not able to get clipped in and with the lack of momentum, I couldn't get going. Once I finally got on the bike, my legs were DEAD! It took about 20 minutes of riding to get them moving at a decent pace. One section of the course was not well marked and I went off course. Three of the lead women followed me, silly girls, but the race director was already aware of the problem and he was steaming towards us on his MTB yelling to turn around. There was some cussing from the ladies (bad girls), and it was back on course. I have to say, the bike course was so much fun that I wouldn't have minded doing another couple of laps. It was almost entirely single track and just technical enough to be challenging. I'm sure the pure road tri geeks were not as happy as me but I could look at this as an area I excelled in compared to them. </div><br /><div> </div><br /><div>I pulled over for the fast people that were lapping me and the not so fast swimmers that were faster bikers and only had one fall during that. On the last of the three laps I felt that I was going much faster. I guess my legs were finally warmed up. I hammered that lap and caught a gal that had passed me earlier. About 2/3 of the way through the lap, it began to thunder and rain. The thunder was very loud and I think the race organizers were concerned about the lightening because as I went by the rent a cops that were directing traffic, they were shouting to us that we needed to get back to the TZ, no more laps on the bike. </div><br /><div> </div><br /><div>T2 was shorter (according to my official times) than usual for me. I used a different ankle brace than any other race I had done and apparently, it was faster to get on than my lace up. </div><br /><div> </div><br /><div>Leaving the TZ, the course went uphill for the first 3/4 mile. I actually ran some of it before dashing into the bushes to pee, then I decided to walk the rest of the hill. After emerging from that first uphill section, you went on a paved road for 20m or so, past the aid station, then back into the bush for a rolling trail run. I surprised myself and ran most of it. When the second lap was finished, all we had to do was run back down the hill..... not so easy for me but it was a fun little trail. Would have been more fun on my MTB but I survived. I had to carefully walk down some steep stuff but otherwise, I sort of jogged down. Didn't trip once I am happy to say. Well, now that I said that, I had to sit down rapidly on the last part of the trail, just before we got back to the paved road. It was extremely steep and pretty much sand. I got ankle deep, started to fall, so I just let my knees give and sat down til I slid to the bottom. After that it was a quick run down a dirt road, then across the finish line. <br /><br />All in all, it was a great race for me. I had fun and I only fell down once. Since I was the only AWAD/PC/paratriathlete, obviously I got 1st in my division but as in all my races, my goal was to finish with a secondary goal of not being last....I'm not sure that's a good goal to have but they are my goals not yours.<br /></div>PC Ironmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10258593589387927140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-946854541675803442.post-14444322654132307932009-05-30T07:38:00.000-07:002009-05-30T08:36:32.875-07:00Track funGot my new track bike a couple of weeks ago. Its a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">KHS</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Flite</span> 100 with <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">custom</span> built wheels (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Miche</span> hubs, two sided, and some sturdy rims, not sure the kind), <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Tufo</span> S3 Pro tubular extra sticky tires, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">FSA</span> carbon track hubs with a 49 tooth ring, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Deda</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Pista</span> track bars, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Ritchey</span> stem, Terry saddle, and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Speedplay</span> pedals. Soon, I will be getting the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Speedplay</span> track specific pedals, that is providing I am good enough on the track to justify the expense. I have been fitted to the degree that the seat height is pretty good but I am heading out to the track to have the final fit done while being watched while actually riding versus doing it on the trainer. Not only are these tires extra sticky (my opinion, not something they advertise) but they are pretty <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">spendy</span> too so I would rather not do the fit on the trainer anyway. <br /><br />I have spent approximately 2.5 hours on the track so far. The first ride on it was a Friday night, the first "Fast Twitch Friday" of the season and we did flying 200m sprints....2 laps, then the third lap was timed for 200m. I thought I was going much quicker than my time showed,16:19, the fastest was 13:26, novice my ass ;) Oh well, I beat the fastest novice woman. My trusty mechanic, Dean, the one that built my bike for me, said he should have flipped the wheel to the smaller cog for the sprint (vs the warm up cog) but <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">c'est</span> la vie, next time. Normally on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">FTF</span>, they have 200m sprints where you go head to head with someone else. I am a little nervous <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">about</span> this but I would love to try it. If you have ever seen it done, its pretty much a chess game for the 2 laps <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">preceding</span> the actual sprint then you can use your <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">opponent</span> (if you are near enough) to draft and launch around them....in theory. My nervousness is only due to my inexperience and the fact that someone else would be on the track when I am and I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">don't</span> want to crash or have the opportunity to crash. I must say, it felt a whole lot different than when I went to Burnaby (wood track, shorter straights).<br /><br />Last week, I went out to the track twice. On Wednesday I spent an hour out there getting used to the bike. I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">didn't</span> have a clear plan when I got there and mostly it was going around and around. I warmed up for 20 minutes, timed my average lap which was not very good, around 30 seconds, then took a short break, drank some water and pondered my next moves. My coach had told me to try and do my sprint intervals on the track and see how I felt. The interval entails riding at my 40k <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">TT</span> speed for 1-4 minutes then sprinting all out for 30 seconds. Attempting to sprint while trying to hit the buttons on my watch was not in the cards so I just went for it after the watch hit 4 minutes and figured I could <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">gauge</span> where 30 seconds was in my head. Um, NOT!!! The first sprint I did 3 laps. I know my lap speed was falling off towards the end but this gave me an idea of how I need to race the kilo, when I get to that point. My HR was up around 189 (after I <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">DL</span> my data from my watch, I will have a better idea of the actual <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">BPM</span>) and I was breathing very heavy. Another thing about a fixed gear bike, you cannot really rest after the sprint, your legs have to keep going even though they might be going slower. Not to mention the fact that you need the speed to stay on the bank or go onto the apron with more speed than you might want.<br /><br />I rode on the track instead of the apron and kept my speed up just enough so I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">didn't</span> fall off the bank but all the while watching my HR come down. Unlike being on the road, my HR came down ever so slow because I still had to put out the effort to stay on the bank. I rode for 5 minutes like that then ramped up for the next <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">TT</span>/sprint interval. I decided to only do two laps for this one but that decision was made during lap 2 and I felt I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">didn't</span> have the gas to do three. Again, I have no idea what my time was but again when I looked at my <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26">HRM</span>, I was pumping 186<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27">bpm</span>. Another cool down for 5 minutes then another sprint session, this time only 1 lap. I did that one more time but with less rest for the last one. <br /><br />I noticed a scary thing that I did on a couple of the sprints. I was trying to do the "dog humping a football" thing that Jeremy told us at the Burnaby track, and in doing so, I pulled the front end off the track. At whatever speed I was already going, pulling the wheel up and slightly sideways was very dangerous. I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_28">didn't</span> lose control at all but it really made me nervous. I talked to coach and she gave me a few pointers as well as directed me to a video showing the proper technique. <br /><br />I went out again two days later without a plan again but I just wanted to get used to the track and the bike. I did a long warm up, around 30 minutes, and then some 200m sprints. The HR got up there again in the high 180's, but it came down quicker this time, not sure why. <br /><br />The track thing is fun but I still have heaps to learn. Tomorrow, I hope to get all the fit items sorted out and learn some techniques from some salty veterans of the velodrome. The folks at Bike Central are cool enough to let me come out to their track time/practice and I am eager to play. <br /><br />Nothing new to update on the classification side of things. I was hoping to go to Nationals and get classified but as was suspected, the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_29">French</span> seem to have the clout with the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_30">CCA</span> and they swiped track <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_31">nats</span> from Burnaby. What is truly interesting and almost makes me want to become a US citizen....almost, is the note I sent to USA Cycling regarding classification was replied to in 3 hours, inviting me to US <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_32">Paracycling</span> Nationals a short 3 hour drive from me and it also included an email address for one of the US team docs who is an international classifier. I emailed him and got a response from him the next day. <br /><br />I know there are more athletes etc in the US but I found it sad that in all the things i have sent to people that can help me within the Canadian system have been all but ignored (one response from a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_33">classifier</span> back in March but nothing since). I will head to the US <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_34">Nats</span>, not to race but to get classified, then I will work on the new coach/manager for the Canadian High Performance program. <br /><br />I often wonder if I am putting too much effort into this classification thing. I mean, I will be 46 by the time the next <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_35">Paralympics</span> comes around, is that too late? Ciao for now.PC Ironmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10258593589387927140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-946854541675803442.post-35403690604326911842009-05-04T12:09:00.000-07:002009-05-11T16:50:55.428-07:00XTERRA Las Vegas, West Cup<div>Saturday was my first <a href="http://sunsetracing.com/xterra-race-details/details/6-xterra-west-cup">XTERRA </a>triathlon. I have raced MTB for years and although courses longer than 15 miles were not my favourite, I endured them. I got to Las Vegas on Thursday and headed straight to the <a href="http://www.lasvegascyclery.com/index.htm">bike store </a>to rent my bike. It was a <a href="http://www.lasvegascyclery.com/images/rentals/sc_blurlt_lg.jpg">Santa Cruz Blur</a>, full suspension, XT drive train and Fox shocks. Pretty sweet ride.....for a TANK!! In its defence, I have beed riding my steel hard tail that only weighs 22lb for more than 10 years so I am spoiled. I think this thing weighed in at very close to 30lb. I dropped the bike off at my mom's place then went out to the race hotel to get things finished and go to the race briefing. </div><br /><br /><div>I orginially signed up for the XTERRA Cup race and after the race briefing, I was still convinced that was what I was going to do. I hoped I would get one of the Hawaii spots for the <a href="http://www.xterraplanet.com/worldchampionship/index.html">World Championships in October</a>.....not that I can afford it right now but you never know what can happen in a few months. Went home after that, had dinner, got my stuff prep'd for the following day, then had a much needed good night's sleep. </div><br /><br /><div>I got up early the next day and went out to the race site to pre-ride the course. There were loads of people in the parking lot and being the friendly lot that most MTB riders are, a few of us chose to ride the course together. I had orignially planned on riding about 2-3 <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ucsku0j-Nsc/Sgi47ae8-fI/AAAAAAAAAHs/iYEE28pU5HQ/s1600-h/vegas+road+rash.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334717089481292274" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 238px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ucsku0j-Nsc/Sgi47ae8-fI/AAAAAAAAAHs/iYEE28pU5HQ/s320/vegas+road+rash.jpg" border="0" /></a>miles of the course and skipping the hard climb and just checking out the bike and its nuances but peer pressure and all got me to ride the whole thing. I rode all the down hills and walked up some of the steep stuff. The toughest down hill was around mile 3 and it was steep and loose. I made it down 75% then locked up my front wheel when I was trying to turn, hit a big rock and over I went. I landed mostly on my right side (I know this because of the numerous scratches and abrasions on my right side). As I was getting up and moving my bike off the trail in case one of my riding partners was bold enough to ride it, I heard the air escaping from the front tire. The rock I hit caused a pinch flat but thankfully I had a spare tube and quick fill cartridges.</div><br /><br /><div>I had the front wheel off and was changing it when the others made it to the bottom. A long time ago, when I raced MTB, I could change a tire in under 5 minutes but it took a while longer. After I put the front wheel back on and headed down the hill, I could hear the disc brake rubbing a bit but not so much that I was worried about it. </div><br /><br /><div>After that little mishap, I told my cohorts I was going to head back to the car, which I could see from my crash site but once again, peer pressure and all that had me riding the course again.....the hard part was over we convinced ourselves. The course, by the way, was very wide open and you could see most of it from the <a href="http://www.onemillionrevolutions.org/maps/map.php?ID=1487">transition area</a>.</div><br /><br /><div>After my crash, I took it very easy and tried not to push my effort too much. There were two other hills I ended up walking up and I skipped the last portion of the single track. I had to leave my Chamois Butt'R at home because I took everything on the plane with me and I didnt want to give it up when they searched my luggage and I was beginning to regret that BIG TIME. My nether regions were sore and I knew the next day wouldnt not be happy after the race.</div><br /><br /><div>After the ride, I went inside to the registration area to pay for my USAT one day licence and decided that one lap would kill me and I didnt think I could do two laps and still walk the next day. It was a tough decision as I most likely would have got a spot for the World Championships in Hawaii if I could have finished (there were not many AWAD/PC/Paratriathletes entered).</div><br /><br /><div></div><div>I got back to my car around 11am and headed back to Mom's place. I had originally planned on stopping at REI and buying some trekking poles but since I had changed to the shorter course, I skipped that idea too. I went back to the house, put my Skin's compression pants on and fell asleep. The pre-ride really took a lot out of me.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>5pm, Mom wanted to go to Red Lobster for dinner.....otay Mom, sounds good. Had some scallops, rice, and chicken, drank a lot of water and skipped desert. We went to Target on the way home to get the boys something. AFter that, went home, got stuff ready, watched a movie, then went to sleep.....</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>I didnt really get much sleep. I kept reviewing the downhill where I crashed and my decision to go to the Sport race instead of the Cup race. Over and over, I kept thinking about my line down that damn hill. I woke up at 4am and downed my usual 720 calorie liquid breakfast and a banana. We were out the door by 5AM and at the race site by 540AM.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>The transition was about half a mile from the swim start so after dropping my bike and run gear at the TZ, Mom dropped me off at the Hotel for the swim start then went back so she could take pictures of me getting out of the water. I made my way to the swim start and chatted with a couple of people from Boise that knew one of my team mates then got in the water for a warm up. The water was probably 67-68 F but everyone was saying it was colder....they should swim somewhere other than Vegas Im thinking, it was nice enough for a short sleeve. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>I didnt expect my swim to be that great considering my lack of swimming over the past 4 months but I did expect to be able to get through the 750m fairly easily. Apparently, I did OK after seeing the results but it wasnt great by any means. I think it was longer than 750m but by how much, I dont know. My time was around 19 minutes. The wind picked up and after we turned broadside to it, the chop made it hard to breathe to the right. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>My T1 time was slow as the TZ was set up on dirt and running from the water along that surface made me take a couple minutes longer to clean my feet and put my socks on (road tri's I never wear socks). Because of the amount of walking I was going to have to do, I debated whether to put on my ankle brace or not but adrenaline was surging and I just wanted to get on my "tank" and ride. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>The bike ride was tough, coming straight out of the TZ into a lengthy climb then a short downhill followed by the climb called "Dave's Outhouse"....not sure why. It was around 23-28% grade and even some of the pro's had to walk it I heard. At the top of that 200m section (might have been 50m but it seemed long), you got to mount your bike for a short DH section then back up a 20% grade then down another short hill, very loose, to a 110 degree turn to the right and back up another hill. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>This was the section I had been up all night dreaming about. Should I ride it or shouldnt I? I got down most of the hill then saw heaps of people going SLOOOOOOOOOOOW down in front of me and I decided that I would walk the steep part which I think was around 20-22% grade.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>AFter that section, the really hard part was over and I settled in for the pain of the rest of the ride. A couple of steep hills which were rideable, a river bed which I didnt ride, and some fun single track right next to the lake. I wish they would have had more of this type of riding as it is what I am best at, technical single track with some rocks and roots, but alas, we were in the desert and that wasnt an option I suppose.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>T2 was slow. I changed socks, put my ankle brace on, and tied my shoes while standing ( I usually sit down but I didnt feel like sitting down in the dirt and my back was beginning to seize). I left T2 and was running but it was down hill so it was easy. I ran for less than 200m then walked up, up, and more up. The run course was pretty much up hill to the turnaround then all down hill to the finish line. It was pretty uneventful except I got to see some of the pro's and the fast age groupers descending one of the hills on the MTB course. They made it look easy. I walked from the turn around, down a steep hill, then started jogging down the less steep section, up another hill, then all down to the finish. There wasnt much fanfare at the line (at least not as much as I expected) but since there were only 350 or so competitors, I guess it was OK. I crossed the line, got my finisher medal and went back to the car. I dropped my MTB off with the place I got it from; Im happy they were a sponsor so I didnt have to get dear old mom to haul this monster back to the shop in Vegas. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>The host resort let the competitors use their pool which was very nice, so I got my gear, left mom with a book sitting in the shade, and I went swimming. The water was cold but welcoming as my feet were on fire. I had some gravel rash from the day before and this gal asked if I was OK.....truth be told, I was feeling very lightheaded and a little dizzy but I just smiled and said something about falling down while playing on my bike. I sat in the water for a few then sat down on a lounge chair and the dizziness was not going away. I got up, got dressed, and went and found mom. I needed food apparently.....first time this year, racing in heat and dry weather caught up with me. I thought I had enough calories in me but it wasnt til after I ate and had no more strange feelings, did I realize I was wrong.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Things I learned from my first XTERRA: a short MTB ride can be one hell of a lot harder than a long road ride; running up hill with foot drop, not so easy, running down the same hill with foot drop and a leg that doesnt catch up very quickly, really hard; racing in the desert requires more fuel intake than you think, especially if you train in the rain forests of the Pac NW; riding a rental bike isnt so bad unless it weighs 30lb but it was lots cheaper than bringing my own bike.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>I highly recommend it to all triathletes..... come on Meyrick, you know you want to try it. The only other PC athlete in the race was BK. He did the bike course twice in 1:40, I did one lap in 1:15.</div>PC Ironmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10258593589387927140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-946854541675803442.post-45586901846361976812009-04-21T22:23:00.000-07:002009-04-21T22:48:03.595-07:00Racing 105I recently wrote, Racing 101, so in the spirit of higher learning, the next course, entitled Racing 105, is not too advanced, but another learning experience nonetheless. <br /><br />Got to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">PIR</span> a little later than last time and still had to get dressed. Had not even put my number on. I got geared up and went out to sign in only to find a massive line up. I finally got to the front, after one of the officials called all of the Cat 4/5's up as our race was going to start in a few minutes. I found out that the team got a pass for the season so I wont have to pay for anymore races at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">PIR</span> this year. <br /><br />I got my bike and was going to do a quick warm up but they were staging us so I went to the line with "cold" legs. I started out at the front but before the half way point of the first lap, I was at the back. I tried to make my way up through the group but <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">every time</span> I got to where I wanted to be, there would be an acceleration. I took my coach's advice and started anticipating these surges and it worked great. On the second, third, and most of the fourth lap, I stayed on the wheel of the same guy who was on his team mates wheel. They looked like they knew what they were doing. The front guy kept making sure his buddy was behind him and he <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">wasn't</span> letting go of that wheel for nothing. Unfortunately, this guy, and a few other Cat 4's were using this race as a warm up for the Cat 3/4 race and before I knew it, the wheel I was following pulled off and I was on my own. <br /><br />Like last time, I hammered with the little gas I had left but to no avail. I looked around for others that got dropped but apparently, all the people that hung out at the back of the field with me were all Cat 4's and they were staging for their next race. I finished my second Cat 5 race of my career albeit last again but it was another learning experience. <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Today's</span> lesson, follow someone you know is a Cat 5.PC Ironmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10258593589387927140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-946854541675803442.post-48764867628666097872009-04-14T16:25:00.001-07:002009-04-16T10:47:08.567-07:00Racing 101So, March 29, my first road race of the year. It was called "Piece of Cake". They should name it "Stay with the pack or have fun riding by yourself in the WIND!". It was fun and all but I probably wouldn't race with the Masters 40+ again. The category is deceiving. These are just fast guys that got old I think. I am definitely not one of those people. Race was slated for 3 laps of 17 miles. On the advice of coach, I tried to stay in the front of the group but each time there was a corner, the front people would accelerate and I couldn't hang onto a wheel so I would keep losing my place in the group. About 13 miles into the first lap, with our average speed ranging from 16-30 mph, I looked behind me and heard the guy next to me say, "yep, we're last, but don't worry, its only the first lap...." Um, OK. Then we turned right onto another road that had a short slight downhill. The group accelerated to over 40 mph and I lost the last wheel of that group and that was the end of my race. I looked behind me and saw one other guy 20 yards back but he was losing ground too. I chased by myself for 2-3km at over 50 km/h but somehow kept losing ground. I crossed the finish line for the start of lap #2 and kept putting out to try and catch the group. I waited for the one guy behind me to catch up in hopes he and I could work together, maybe get closer. I followed his wheel for about a mile then I took my turn..... no sooner did I start my pull when I looked back, he was already 100m back. I said screw it and just went out on my own.<br /><br />It was a windy day, did I mention that? I was maxing out my HR and my legs were burning. I just kept going. AT one point, I could see the group but it was at the most windy spot that I saw them, maybe half a mile up the road. I also turned around once because I didn't think I was going the right direction and found the guy I lost back at the start of lap 2. He seemed to think we were going the proper direction so I turned around again. I then looked back and could see the women's field catching us. I told this guy I didn't want to be caught by the ladies before the finish of lap 2 so I took off, hoping I could stay away for 7 more miles. With about 4 miles to go, the Cat 1/2/3 women's leaders passed me. One of my friends, Lindsay Fox, was in the lead with one other gal and cheered me on. Their chase group passed me and I tried to latch onto them but realized I probably wasn't supposed to do that and even though i was going to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">DNF</span> anyway (a third lap on my own wasn't going to happen), I didn't want a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">DQ</span>. I stayed about 100m off the back of the group til the finish line, then I went back to my truck. I saw another one of my teammates and she <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">DNF'd</span> too. It was a good training experience. It proved I wasn't ready to race at that level just yet but I think I will give it another go at that race next year and with more training and more experience racing, I will do better.<br /><br />Last Tuesday I did another <a href="http://www.obra.org/flyers/2008/tues_pir.html">race</a>. It was at Portland International Raceway, our local auto race track, 1.9 miles long. This time I went with the regular Cat 5's (versus the Masters 40+ Cat 5's). Actually, it was a 4/5 race. My hope for this race was to finish with the group. The race was 6 laps and it was tough. I lined up at the start right at the front of the group. I looked back and there were maybe 40 other guys and a few women. I figured there were enough people that I could draft for the whole race and finish in the middle. Wow, was I wrong.<br /><br />Right from the gun, I went from the front to mid pack in less than 100m. For the first 1K, I was just getting used to riding in a huge group and being very <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">tentative</span>. I tried to stay on a wheel at all times. After each corner, the group would accelerate and I would lose a few places. I had a lot of trouble with each acceleration and I struggled to get back on. My HR was spiked the whole time. I averaged 179 for 20km and it was over in 27 minutes. We were told we would get a bell to let us know we were on the last lap and I had lost track of laps and went to the front at the start/finish line when I though we were heading into lap 6.....I was wrong again.<br /><br />When I got to the front of the group, I slowed right down, hoping others would follow suit and I could try and stay up there for the finish straight, 3km down the road. By the end of the front straightaway, I was already being spit out the back. I looked back and one more guy was behind me so I kept on my pace and rode the last lap and a half on my own. I finally finished a road race, learned a lot, and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">didn't</span> come in last. I was going to race this week too but it <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">wasn't</span> in the cards.<br /><br />It was fun and I am looking forward to doing much more racing at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">PIR</span> over the next few months and I am having a track bike built. Even if they <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">aren't</span> able to give me a para cycling classification, I am still going to go balls out on the track. Speaking of classification, should <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">CCA</span> not get back to me soon, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">I'm</span> looking into the British Cycling Federation. Maybe they can help a brother out, I am a dually you know. OK, ciao for nowPC Ironmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10258593589387927140noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-946854541675803442.post-71589312669599886302009-03-02T11:33:00.000-08:002009-03-10T14:09:59.574-07:00Last week........ reality sets inYou ever have one of those weeks where you just want to put your bikes on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Craigslist</span> and eat <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">bon</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">bons</span> instead of training? I usually <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">don't</span> have weeks like that but I often have days like that and I dislike the feeling.<br /><br />I have lofty goals this year, the biggest one being the national para cycling team. If I can be classified, I think I can make it. The only problem with it is I cant seem to get a return call or email from the only person I know that has the information for the two classifiers in Vancouver. Sent two emails and left a voice mail but to no avail. Yesterday, I emailed the British <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Paracycling</span> team to find out if I can get on their team. Haven't heard anything yet but <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">I'm</span> patient. I was browsing through old emails and found one from 2003. It was a response from the same guy I have been trying to get in touch with from the National Cycling Center. It too said he would be in touch with me after finding out something for me..... still waiting for that one too. I knew I heard his name before, just <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">couldn't</span> figure out where until the weekend.<br /><br />Anyway, over a week has passed since I began writing this so I forget where I was going with the first paragraph but <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">I'm</span> hopeful as I keep writing, I remember......<br /><br />Oh yeah, the bike thing. Last week, I only got in 108 miles over 6 hours. I felt pretty crappy about it. This week, however, started very well...... It started with a day off, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">HAHAHA</span>. Well, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">I'm</span> doing intervals now, unlike before when i was just riding to ride so my time on the trainer tonight wont be as boring. <br /><br />Still <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">don't</span> remember where I was going with this post but it will come. until next time, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">bubye</span>PC Ironmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10258593589387927140noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-946854541675803442.post-54043510580967774042009-02-23T14:00:00.001-08:002009-02-23T16:39:17.028-08:00Track junkieI think I am officially a track junkie. Short, fast races (for para cycling anyway, 3-4k max), and its what my body was meant for. I have been doing triathlon for almost 5 years since my injury and until last year, I only competed against myself. Granted, I did okay in my age group but I always wanted to compete against other athletes with disabilities. Having said that, I have yet to find another spinal cord injured athlete that <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">isn't</span> in a wheelchair. Triathlon is great but <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">I'm</span> loving going fast, even if its just for a few minutes.<br /><br />Last week, I went to Burnaby BC to ride in their <a href="http://www.burnabyvelodrome.ca/">velodrome </a>with some athletes from the <a href="http://www.canadiansportcentre.com/">National Cycling Center in Calgary</a>. All of these athletes are disabled in some way or another. We had four amputee's, one head injured, and me, spinal cord injury. Only two of us had been on a track before, me being one of them, and I had not been on a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">fixie</span> for almost 7 years. I must say, the first look at the banking on this track was a bit <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">worrisome</span> and I was nervous. We were told, any less than 30km/h and you will fall off the track. One of our gals did just that on her first lap. Right before that they said there are two kinds of bike racers, those that have crashed and those that are going to crash.... I went over, knocked on the wood track and said, I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">haven't</span> crashed yet. <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">That's</span> not altogether true either, I crashed a lot while racing my <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">MTB</span>, but so far, not on my road bike.<br /><br />We had three days, two hours per day, on the track. I have to say, I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">haven't</span> had that much fun in a long time. Our first day was just getting used to the track. Out of two hours, I probably only rode for a third of it not because I was tired but because we were still learning and we needed some alone time on the track. I took some time out to evaluate the knee of one of the other riders. He had fallen the week before and his "good" leg was hurting to the point where he had to come off the track. He definitely should not have been out there, he <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">couldn't</span> even pedal hard due to the amount of pain he was in. When I did a cursory exam and brief history of his problem, it was apparent that he had some <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">meniscus</span> damage and possibly some <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">patellar</span> injury as well. He was having an MRI, scheduled after his fall last week, today so <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">I'm</span> dying to find out what the official diagnosis is.<br /><br />The second day was a lot more fun. The only thing was my not feeling well. I woke in the morning and felt crappy physically. My legs felt great but my GI system was not happy with whatever I ate the night before and I was going to cancel my track time. I am thankful we had until 1pm so I rested until I had to leave for the velodrome. Once I got out there, I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">didn't</span> want to come off because I felt so good. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Meyrick</span>, Mark, JP, and I all got together and rode in a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">pace line</span>, each of us taking one lap pulls.... at least that was the plan, JP did a few extra pulls, but <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">that's</span> okay, he got it eventually. He was a little <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">squirrely</span> as well at first and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">I'm</span> just glad <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">Meyrick</span> was on his wheel and I was on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">MJ's</span>. I quickly learned, thanks to Mark, that moving up track, slows you down rather rapidly. you <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">don't</span> have to move that far but if you are drafting, you catch the wind, and you go up hill slightly and according to Mark, you slow 2-3kph when you move 1-2 feet away from the draft..... that sounded kind of strange, but if you got that, you know what <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">I'm</span> talking about.<br /><br />After our warm up of 25-30 laps, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">Meyrick</span>, JP, JP, and I all did some intervals. Those were hard especially considering how ill I felt earlier in the day. I thought I was going to puke so I had Brian bring a garbage pail closer to the track. <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">I'm</span> happy to say, I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">didn't</span> have to use it. The goal of the intervals was to be as <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">consistent</span> as possible. The plan was to do 3 easy laps then two hard laps. I averaged 17.4 +/- 0.3 seconds for each lap of my interval sprints. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26">Meyrick</span> pulled off a 16.1 first lap then fell off from there but he wanted to see what speed he could go. I was pissed (at myself, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27">I'm</span> very competitive) he beat me on that lap but I averaged better overall. I had done a couple of hard efforts earlier in the session so I was a little tired and I thought it would show on the last couple of my four intervals but it <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_28">didn't</span>. From there, we did about 25-30 lap warm down and then went for dinner. It was a great session and I felt pretty good about my new found passion for track racing.<br /><br />Friday was our last day on the track. I got on the track as soon as I got ready. It was cold in there and I needed to warm up. I probably rode 20 laps on my own and then we did the same <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_29">pace line</span> warm up we did the day before. We <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_30">didn't</span> do any sprints but we practiced our track starts. I was using a rental bike with a huge gear, 51-16, and I had a tough time getting out of the gate but once I was rolling, it was perfect. I think for a kilo, I might use a different gear but for the pursuit, I will use something like that. Again, we did a 25-30 lap warm down to finish up our session.<br /><br />Afterwards, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_31">Meyrick</span> and I talked to Stephen. I know he is not the guy responsible for the national team but he does know the system and the way to make the team. There are three people necessary for classification for para cycling. Two of whom live in the Vancouver area. While they cannot get me officially classified, they can give me an idea whether I will be able to be classified or not. I guess, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_32">until</span> then, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_33">I'm</span> in limbo as far as trying to make the National team. <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_34">I'm</span> waiting to hear from Stephen to get the classifiers info so I can make plans to go to Vancouver and get this taken care of once and for all. Technically, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_35">I'm</span> classified in triathlon, but cycling has different categories so, who knows, I might just have to race my bike in the masters category and forget about the other stuff. In the meantime, check out <a href="http://meyrickjones.blogspot.com/2009/02/burnaby-velodrome.html"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_36">MJ's</span> blog </a>for pics and his take on the whole velodrome thing.PC Ironmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10258593589387927140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-946854541675803442.post-44991000522846201222009-02-09T15:38:00.000-08:002009-02-09T16:11:33.889-08:00Week 1 on my quest to be a cyclistMy coach Melissa sent me my schedule at the end of January. I had probably been riding about 2-3 times a week on the trainer but when the weather permitted, I was out on the road. <br /><br />For week one, the schedule called for 4 days of riding, some spinning, some lower RPM pushing, some hill repeats, and more spinning. Interspersed in there somewhere was core work and stretching. I gotta admit, I didn't do as much stretching as I should have done on the prescribed days but I do try and stretch certain muscle groups all the time. <br /><br />My HR zone was 131-152, which I kept to for the most part. I say the for the most part because on the hill repeats/standing intervals, I could not keep the damn thing below 166. I would stand up, slowly turn the cranks, watching my HR rise. It would hover close to 152, then when I looked again, it was up past 160 so I would sit down and spin my HR down. I was amazed at how the rate would go down when I was climbing a hill but then again, I don't think I concentrated on lowering my HR before, hill or no hill.<br /><br />Energy level was pretty good. I expected to be tired but I was not. My first spinning session after my rest day was awesome. 90RPM for 2 hours and HR ave 142. <br /><br />Soreness. I feel no more sore than if I was training for IM. My glutes are tight and my calf has cramped a little while sitting, but overall, I'm feeling no pain. <br /><br />I tried out a friend's track bike the other day but alas, it is a little too short. When the saddle is up at the proper level, the drop to the bars is quite low, like more than 10cm and that will be way too uncomfortable. I'm thinking about buying one cheap and if it doesn't work out that I am on the track very much, I can sell it for what I paid for it or more. <br /><br />I'm on week two now, we go Sunday through Saturday, and so far, I have gone 33 miles in 2 hrs and change. Tonight's ride will be on the trainer but two hours on the trainer doesn't sound like much fun.PC Ironmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10258593589387927140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-946854541675803442.post-3560147463390748562009-02-01T16:53:00.000-08:002009-02-01T20:28:17.167-08:00Back to training with a coachI signed up to work with a <a href="http://wenzelcoaching.com/">coach </a>again. This time I am using a cycling coach because my focus is pretty much only on cycling. I will do a few triathlons this year but probably won't do much more than an Olympic. My new coach, <a href="http://melissasanborn.com/">Melissa Sanborn</a>, is an elite athlete I have worked with before when she was riding for Subway Express and I was a soigneur for them at Sea Otter. She is an excellent rider and someone I think I can learn a lot about racing from. <br /><br />Prior to my injury, I only entered one road race, the <a href="http://sites.google.com/site/bananabelt09/">Banana Belt</a>, and I DNF'd. The race was in March. I got dropped in the first 6 miles of a hilly course and after one lap, I packed it in. I had only done mountain bike racing before that and I never used a coach before. I did one other road race at the <a href="http://www.racemondaynight.com/blog/about/">Portland International Raceway </a>a couple of years ago, finished, but I was on my own when I did so. I think I lasted for 6 of 9 laps with the group, and that was in mid summer. I was training for IM Florida at that time so I had some base but had no idea what to do as far as race tactics go and for some dumb reason, I took a few pulls out front and blew up. <br /><br />Today, I started my new plan. For the most part, February will be base building. She is starting me at "base building 2" because I have been riding for a while and should be able to adapt pretty quickly to the program. I have to work on my cadence as my plan calls for 90+ RPM and almost all last year I was doing much lower. I did a 2 hour ride and I can say I did at least 90RPM for 95% of it. My HR target was 132-152 and I averaged 145 for 120 minutes. Unfortunately, I averaged 16.7 mph. I stayed in my 39 tooth ring and stayed in the 16 and 17 cogs. For some of the ride, I wished a 16.5 existed because at times, my HR went up in the high 150's in the 17 and with the 16, the cadence was up in the 100's. My butt was sore but overall it was a pretty good ride. <br /><br />Tomorrow is core strengthening day, no riding, but Im excited as I think this will be a great program and I am positive I will get stronger than ever on my bike.PC Ironmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10258593589387927140noreply@blogger.com1