.........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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Budapest World Championships Race Report
Budapest World Championships Race Report
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.
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.
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.
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 ITU 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.
I could not find my handler, MC, who said she would be at the TZ 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.
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 trip to the porta-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.
I went down to the pontoon for the start. We would have a deep water start so I was kind of bummed that we couldn’t dive in but I guess some of the para’s wouldn't be able to. 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.
They counted us down from 2 minutes every 30 seconds or so and before I knew it, 87 paratriathletes were off. Man, there are some fast swimmers in the paratriathlete 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.
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 tri-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.
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 TZ.
Running in the wet grass with road shoes wasn’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 handcycle and while I was trying to get started, two others passed me, one guy in my category.
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 handcycle but man, those guys are FAST!!!
I picked off him and 5 other handcycles 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.
On my last lap, with about 2km to go, my buddy Joel from Portland passed me and I didn’t see him again til the finish. He did well but there were a lot of fast guys in the arm injury/TRI4 category. He said he was happy with his bike and run but said his swim and transition put him back a bit.
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. I'm 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 TRI5’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.
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.
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.
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.
Overall: 1:27:01
Swim – 14:00
T1 – 2:19
Bike – 34:22
T2 – 3:45
Run – 32:36
I cannot complain too much. I had a good race and even if I was classified as a TRI3/Les Autre, I would have come in 6th. I need to re-read the rules and see if I can get classed as a TRI3 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.
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 flexors, knee flexors, 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.
Anyway, as I said, I'm happy with myself and my performance, I believe I did my best and represented my country well.
I hope to post some pics later so if you are reading this and want to see some, check back at a later date.
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.
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.
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.
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 ITU 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.
I could not find my handler, MC, who said she would be at the TZ 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.
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 trip to the porta-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.
I went down to the pontoon for the start. We would have a deep water start so I was kind of bummed that we couldn’t dive in but I guess some of the para’s wouldn't be able to. 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.
They counted us down from 2 minutes every 30 seconds or so and before I knew it, 87 paratriathletes were off. Man, there are some fast swimmers in the paratriathlete 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.
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 tri-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.
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 TZ.
Running in the wet grass with road shoes wasn’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 handcycle and while I was trying to get started, two others passed me, one guy in my category.
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 handcycle but man, those guys are FAST!!!
I picked off him and 5 other handcycles 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.
On my last lap, with about 2km to go, my buddy Joel from Portland passed me and I didn’t see him again til the finish. He did well but there were a lot of fast guys in the arm injury/TRI4 category. He said he was happy with his bike and run but said his swim and transition put him back a bit.
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. I'm 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 TRI5’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.
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.
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.
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.
Overall: 1:27:01
Swim – 14:00
T1 – 2:19
Bike – 34:22
T2 – 3:45
Run – 32:36
I cannot complain too much. I had a good race and even if I was classified as a TRI3/Les Autre, I would have come in 6th. I need to re-read the rules and see if I can get classed as a TRI3 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.
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 flexors, knee flexors, 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.
Anyway, as I said, I'm happy with myself and my performance, I believe I did my best and represented my country well.
I hope to post some pics later so if you are reading this and want to see some, check back at a later date.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Budapest 2010 ITU World Championships
After a long flight and then a 6hr wait in Heathrow but I made it to
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.
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.
In the later PM, we had a one on one session with our coaches, Vincent and Carlie. We talked about our goals for this event and our camp. We also discussed any help I might need in transition or any motivational cheering along the race course. I am pretty self-sufficient so I really don’t need anything but I always love a little cheering.
We had a great team dinner that night and it was nice to get to know my fellow team mates. 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. When I got to my room, however, I turned on my computer and watched some videos til almost midnight.
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. We rescheduled the T2 practice to mid afternoon. 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.
Three of us went on our own way mostly due to the fact that we lost the others. We met up again at the TZ and looked around. We rode part of the bike course but the traffic was starting to pick up so we headed back.
After breakfast, a group of us went back to the event expo. I found everything to be much more than I was willing to spend on an event tee shirt so I went home empty handed. 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. 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. He was an Aussie and he made a point of smiling and thanking us as he went to his run transition.
Afterwards, I went back to the hotel for nap time and a 6PM mental skills session.
Most of the others had eaten before that but I wasn’t hungry so I went afterwards. The mental skills session included visualization practice. I had not done this since I attended UVIC in 1987 and I remember how well it worked.
I went back to dinner at the same place as Tuesday night. I brought my lap top but it was for not as they had no wireless. 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. The dinner was great but it seems that everyone in this town smokes. 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. It was kind of disgusting but I guess we are lucky at home where it is not allowed in bars and restaurants anymore.
When I was done, it was pouring out. 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. I watched more videos and then had a great sleep.
More to come.....
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
XTERRA Vashon Island, July 2010
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
XTERRA Solstice, June 19, 2010
This 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Keep that tid bit in mind for later
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.
I heard what was probably an air horn but it sounded more like a sick elk, then we were off!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Keep that tid bit in mind for later
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.
I heard what was probably an air horn but it sounded more like a sick elk, then we were off!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Classification 101
Today is my classification evaluation. To let you all know, its only an examination on where to place me in the paracycling classification.
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
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.
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.
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.
Hope that clarifies the classification process for you. Have a great day.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
Hope that clarifies the classification process for you. Have a great day.
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.
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