Someone stole my kidneys!

From Training and ...

Remember those internet hoaxes where people were claiming that they woke up in a bathtub full of ice beside a note claiming someone had stolen their organs? Well, here's the proof!

Actually, this is what you get for overdressing for a half marathon. I had wind pants over top of running tights. My wind tights have an elastic waist and my water bottle belt was sitting on top of that I guess. So the elastic in the waistband appears to have removed a lot of the flesh from my back. Yes, it hurts. But not as much as it did when I got in the shower after the race.

The race was really great. Weather was perfect (resulting in me not believing it and overdressing) if a little windy and the course was along the quiet bike path in Mississauga. I was disappointed that I didn't come in under 2 hours in Niagara, so this was my chance to proof to myself that 2 hours should be possible for me. I came in at 1:58:09. About three minutes faster than Niagara and WAY more comfortable. I ran with one guy for almost the entire race and in the final 5K I remarked to him that this was the most relaxed I had ever felt in the final 5K of a half. Normally the final 5K is a real struggle. It wasn't easy, I was getting tired, but I felt calm and relaxed.

So, success. Time to get on with the Ironman training!

Bruised Fingers - Take Two

Last year I had my first blood lactate test done on my bike. The information was useful for setting the intensity of my long rides on the computrainer through the winter. So, I just had my first test of the winter done last night, and I have the bruised fingers to prove it. That needle may be small, but it leaves some marks.

My coach is the one that does the tests for me. He comes by my house and I do it on my own computrainer. He is using a different testing protocol this year, so unfortunately I may not be able to make a good comparison to the test from last year, but I will be able to make comparisons to subsequent tests this year. So this one is kind of like a bench mark test.

This week has still been about resting up a bit as I get ready for this half marathon on Sunday. Winter weather is definitely setting in, so I just have to hope for little to no snow and light winds. I can deal with the cold, but bad footing in the snow and crazy winds always make for a tough day.

When did I move to Vancouver?

So, it is December 1 and we are in for another 30 mm or so of rain. The west coast is just getting over a huge snowfall. What's wrong with this picture? From my point of view, nothing. I don't really like the snow. As someone committed to human powered transportation (walking, running, cycling) the absence of snow means it just easier to get around in a city where home owners and renters don't believe in clearning their sidewalks of snow and ice.

Operation Frequency is still in effect, but it has been scaled back a little bit this week (and more next week) as I get ready to run the Chilly Willy half marathon on December 10. I was feeling a little tired yesterday (or at least tired in the legs), so took the TTC in today in the rain. I hope to run home the long way tonight and get in 10k or so.

I'm hoping to unveil my fundraising web page this weekend, so check back.