An Open Letter to......

An Open Letter regarding the Annette Street Bike Lanes

2008-10-22T06:30:00.001-04:00

Ms Toft:

It was with sadness and anger that I read about the decision not to install bike lanes along Annette Street through the Junction. I moved to the Junction in March of 2007 from an area just west of Little Italy at College and Dovercourt. I had been riding my bike to work at Adelaide and Spadina for several years and wondered how the move would affect my ability to bike commute. I began bike commuting again in May of 2008 and it became quickly apparent to me that there is really no safe way to get from the Junction to downtown. Dundas is extremely busy with traffic often moving at an unsafe rate of speed. It has also recently been dug up by the gas company (Runnymede to Quebec St) and given the state of Roncesvalles (with a similar patch job that is obviously several years old) it is unlikely to be repaired any time soon. Annette, is also busy with high speed traffic and the area between Clendenan and Runnymede should be safer given the presence of several schools and a community center, but the traffic moves extremely quickly along there despite the curve in the road.

The community was consulted regarding the bike lane installation and at the September 15, 2008 meeting 81% of respondents supported full bike lanes and city staff endorsed the bike lane proposal. A great deal of work, time, and attention went into consulting those affected by this decision and to have what was clearly a well supported idea overturned at the last minute by a city Councillor acting on behalf of a Councillor that couldn't even be bothered to show up is insulting to those that gave their time and energy to their community.

I would like to take the time to remind you of the following:

- Staff studies taken at 3 different times (daytime, evening, overnight) show that even with the reduced parking capacity, there will be sufficient parking capacity to meet the demand.

- It is likely that parking will not be quite as convenient as without the lanes. However, we feel that it is no longer practical in the heart of a big city for drivers to expect to always find a parking spot within a few steps of their destination, when sufficient parking does still exist mere steps away.

- Many of the shops on Annette – including those we understand are most upset by the proposed Annette lanes – are unique in terms of the products and services they offer. They should not feel threatened by this proposal.

- Cyclists are consumers too, and keeping cyclists on a route with shops and services will benefit local businesses.

I sincerely hope that the decision to downgrade the cycling plan for Annette St to a 'shared roadway' will be overturned at the October 29, 2008 meeting and the original plans for the bike lane will become a reality. The Junction is an area undergoing a wonderful revitalization right now and new, young families seem to be well represented. Many of them cycle, many of them cycle with their small children. I would like to see their safety a priority and their decision to leave their car at home taken seriously.

Please forward this email to all Councillors regarding the above item for the Oct. 29/30 Council meeting.

An Open Letter to Miss Lily's Cafe in Picton

2008-10-05T20:29:00.000-04:00

It really was the most delicious latte that I have ever had. Really.

An Open Letter to the Mechanic at Curbside Cycle

2008-10-03T06:52:00.003-04:00

Dear coffee drinking mechanic at Curbside Cycle;

Thanks for repairing my bike one whole day earlier than you had predicted. You're the best. Thanks for finding the source of the squawking noise coming from my drive train and getting rid of it. Riding home in a hail storm wasn't so much fun, but with my bike back early I was able to ride to my knitting group after dinner.

Thanks!

An Open Letter to the Anonymous Police Officer

2008-10-02T08:17:00.001-04:00

Dear Police Officer Driving the Unmarked car;

I saw you cut off that commuter on their folding bike on Adelaide Street West when you swerved impatiently around a semi making a wide left turn. Thanks for making that persons decision to ride to work a little more difficult.

An Open Letter to the Parking Space Stalker

2008-10-01T08:52:00.002-04:00

Dear Person Looking for a Parking Space,

This morning, while traveling eastbound on Grenadier Road I thought you were the most polite driver ever as you drove slowly behind me obviously trolling for a parking space. I felt so safe and so respected as a cyclist.

Why then, a mere 25 meters from the stop sign did you pull in front of me, turn on your right turn signal and come to a stop to back into a parking space?

An Open Letter to the Horn Honkers

2008-09-30T17:30:00.000-04:00

Dear noise polluters,

If your car is too big to maneuver around me and my bike while we are stopped at a red light, you have two options:

1) Be patient and stop honking your horn
2) Buy a smaller car

Thank you

I'm the worst blogger ever

2007-04-19T15:46:00.000-04:00

But I did move. That's my excuse. Towards the end of March I moved from the apartment that I had lived in since I moved to Toronto (tenant since 1998!) into a really amazing, lovely house. It is a detached house with a main floor, second floor, and a partially finished basement. It has everything we were looking for (except maybe a jazzuzi). We are still renting, but that is OK as this city is really too expensive to consider buying. So, moving took a bit of time, and then, the worst part, unpacking. Things are pretty much unpacked now, but there will be some shifting going on as we discover what works and what doesn't.

The best part of the new place is that there is a great space in the basement for the Computrainer. Now, with a concrete floor under it, and no neighbours, I can finally ride early mornings if I want.

In training news, things are moving along. It is finally time to start getting outside on the bike, which means that the long rides are going to get LONG. I have my first metric century on the schedule for this weekend. I ran the Hartwell half marathon on Aurora on the weekend. My coach Derek met me there and paced me to a 1:56:27. That's about 30 seconds slower than last year, but much faster than I thought I would be this year. This is a pretty tough course, quite hilly and the hills are fairly constant. There isn't really any section that flattens out, but there are some 'false flat' sections that feel flat after all that climbing. It was fun to run with someone else. I have acted as a personal pacer for others in the past and I know it can be a hard thing to do. You are there to help someone achieve their best, but you have to also keep an eye on any difficulties they might be having etc. Thankfully Derek wasn't/isn't too rah-rah, sometimes when you are suffering, the last thing you want is a cheerleader. He just kept a good pace in front of me and offered small bits of encouragement as we went along.

So no racing now until the Ottawa Half Marathon. Hopefully this year won't be a heat-fest because I'm ready to have a really great race.

In the past couple of days the reality of another Ironman is starting to hit me. In the middle of the day, on the streetcar, or the subway, or sitting at my desk at work a wave of panic will come over me. On one hand, I feel a bit calmer than I did last year (probably because I know what the training entails) but the panic is still there occasionaly when I think about the enormity of it!

Hope this blog post finds everyone else healthy, happy and ready to get outside and enjoy the sun!

Bring on Spring!

2007-03-01T12:53:00.000-05:00

Hello March! We made it out of February and I didn't go insane. But it looks like March will come in like a lion. Last night it took me almost twice as long to get home as it would normally. Needless to say, last night's run didn't happen, so I hopped on the Computrainer for an hour when I got home.

Here is a little video that I shot out my back door last night for fun:

I really should have done it looking out onto the front of the house as the back of the house is sheltered from the wind. Now, imagine today, it is +1 and was raining. What a mess.

OK, so since it is the beginning of March, here are my training stats for February:

Swim 13.12 kilometers

Bike 401.5 kilometers

48% Zone 1
30% Zone 2
4% Zone 4

Run 125.5 kilometers

40% Zone 1
26% Zone 2
22% Zone 3
4% Zone 4

37 Hours, 17 Minutes training time in total

Oh yeah, and one race, the Peterborough Half Marathon.

Hopefully I will get to the Toronto Bike Show this weekend to look for a new commuting bike and a new saddle for my road bike.

Why is Friday always so hard?

2007-02-23T15:34:00.000-05:00

My whole week has just been one slower day after another.... each of them getting slower and slower and slower. It is a cruel trick.

Was up this morning for a 7:40 AM appointment with my chiropractor/ART guy. I don't know what he did differently this time, but somehow he made the ankle pain magically disappear. I no longer have to hobble along the first five steps or so every time I get up out of a chair. The real test will be what happens when I get out of bed tomorrow. He also said he would take a look at my bike for me via video analysis because when I ride the left side of my body still doesn't feel right... like, if it were possible to 'limp' on a bicycle i feel like I would be doing it. I shift around trying to make my left side feel comfortable and it just never happens.

I'm going to take a shot at the Peterborough Half Marathon this weekend. I think I will aim for a time of around 1:56:59 (yeah, not to precise). I think it is a bit ambitious, but what the heck. It could quite possibly be very cold and windy, in which case, I will just be happy to finish and get a 21.1 km long run in for the day.

Taxes and coffee...

2007-02-21T16:38:00.000-05:00

Decided not to go to yoga class this morning. The class often leaves me stiff and sore well into the weekend and I don't think I want to be running a half marathon with lingering yoga stiffness. You would think that would mean I would sleep in, but no, I was wide awake at 5:15 this morning so I decided what better way to spend my morning than in front of my computer with a cup of coffee and my tax documents. Yippee. But I got my T4 entered and some other documents. Now I just have to wait for the RRSP statement from my plan from work. If you haven't made any charitable donations, now is the time. Mine meant the difference between getting about 25$ back and getting over 100$ back! Looking for someone or somewhere to donate to, you could donate to my Ironman Lake Placid fundraising efforts!

Today is also the start of Lent. I'm not Catholic. I'm not even a lapsed Catholic. But my best friend went to Cathloic school if that counts. But, since the whole idea of mindful sacrifice is kind of an interesting idea, I figured I would give a non-religious go. So I have decided that I will give up take-out beverages (read: coffee). Strangely enough, my friend Jon informed me this morning that was exactly the same thing he was doing! So no Starbucks (not even on laundry day!), no Tim Hortons, no nothing. Although Jon informed me that you can indulge in what yu are giving up on Sundays because Sunday is a feast day. So maybe something to celebrate on Sunday post half-marathon.

So, the only thing between me and the couch right now is a Computrainer ride!

Mystery Flat #2

2007-02-20T17:07:00.000-05:00

Well, I bailed on the computrainer ride last night. Got home and remembered that on Sunday Shayne had commented that my rear tire was flat. This is the second flat I have had on the trainer (or, to be more precise AFTER riding the trainer as it never happens while riding). When I have changed them and checked the tube, there is NOTHING wrong with it. So maybe the valve is faulty and it is leaking slowly. Who knows. But I went to the neighbourhood MEC today and picked up a stash of tubes just in case.

Also, when I was in there, the vest that I have been after for a while was on sale, so I picked one up. Of course, this recent bit of warm weather won't be enough for me to wear it, but it might be useful for the half marathon this weekend!

Off to the gym this evening. Despite the warm temperatures, there is still no where suitable for a speedwork so I will hop on a treadmill.

New episodes of Gilmore Girls and Veronica Mars to look forward to!

My Week in Review

2007-02-19T17:03:00.000-05:00

Not a bad week. No missed workouts, but a few that were a struggle.

11 hours, 51 minutes of training

Monday
Walk to work
18k recovery spin on the computrainer

Tuesday
AM - 1900 yard swim - a tough main set of fast 100s
PM - 9.4 km treadmill run with 5 x 3 minute cruise intervals with 2 minute recoveries

Wednesday
AM - 1500 yard easy swim and 45 minute yoga class
PM - 37 km computrainer ride - 8 km warm up, 24 km zone 3 ride, 5km cool down

Thursday
AM - 2250 yard swim with a main set of 3 x 500 at t-pace which felt tough
PM - 6.74 km easy run

Friday
PM - 6.9 km run home from work. Felt BRUTAL

Saturday
80 km ride on the computrainer - just over three hours

Sunday
12 km taper long run with the final 5k at half marathon pace

Totals
Swim - 5650 yards
Bike - 135 km
Run - 35 km

When I did my long ride on Sunday I listened to a book on my iPod. It actually seemed to help the time go by much more quickly and pleasantly than just music. Sure, I zoned out a few times but I was listening to a non-fiction book so it wasn't such a big deal. I listened to half on that ride, and I can listen to the other half next time.

This week looks pretty much like last, but with a little less running as I plan on running the half marathon in Peterborough this weekend.

Last Week In Review

2007-02-12T13:42:00.000-05:00

12 hours 30 minutes of training

Monday: 18K very easy zone 1 spin on the computrainer

Tuesday:
AM - 2194 meter swim (my log converts from yards) including the first IM pace swim of 1500 meters
PM - 7.5 k easy run with the group I lead

Wednesday:
AM - 914 m swim followed by a 45 minute yoga class
PM - 39 k on the computrainer: 11K warm up, 22k zone 3 ride, 6k cool down

Thursday:
AM - 1920 meter swim
PM - 7k run with the group including taking them for their first hill workout

Friday: 27.5k on the computrainer. An interesting workout:

12:00 in Zone1 @ 90rpm
12:00 in Z3-4 @ 80rpm
8:00 in Z1 @ 90rpm
8:00 in Z3-4 @ 80rpm
4:00 in Z1 @ 90rpm
4:00 in Z3-4 @ 80rpm
2:00 in Z1 @ 90rpm
2:00 in Z3-4 @ 80rpm
5:00 Cd EASY

The heart rate graph for this one looks really cool.

Saturday: 19k long run with the final 7k at half marathon pace. Got to run this one with dgrant. Fun!

Sunday: 70k long ride on the computrainer. was supposed to be followed by a 30 minute run, but I didn't get off until dinner time, so I bailed on that. the only missed workout of the week.

The good news is that on Sunday evening, while I halfheartedly watching Batman: The Beginning, I managed to get the final row of increases done on the ribbing of the body of the sweater I am working on. Now it is just a couple of inches of 4x2 ribbing and the body will be finished!

The need to knit

2007-02-09T15:27:00.000-05:00

It has been a busy couple of days. Wednesday I didn't get off the bike until close to 8:00 pm and was beat, and had to get up at 5:15 the next morning, so it was all I could do to stay awake long enough to relax for a bit in front of the teevee. Last night I was grumpy because I didn't want to run in the cold, wind and dark, but was a trooper and met my running group for a hill workout. I got home and this time spent some time napping in front of the teevee. So it has been a rather unproductive week on the knitting front. I'm going home to another hour on the bike tonight, but I hope to spend the balance of the evening getting some work done on the cardigan.

This weekend is looking like it is shaping up to be a busy one. My runningmania.com friend Dave was whining about the cold weather and even looking to do something crazy, like run on a treadmill for three hours. So, I told him I would run one way to the east end, he could meet up with me part way and we could run the rest of the run together, thus forcing him to stay out for the duration of his run. Coffee on me if he manages to brave it. So that is Saturday morning. Then get the groceries done. Sunday morning my parents are coming in to town for breakfast and then I have to get on the bike by about 2:00 PM so I can get a three hour ride in before I collapse on the couch behind a giant plate of nachos.

Stood Up

2007-02-07T16:49:00.000-05:00

Well, I managed to get to the pool this morning and in the water by 6:25 AM. My coach usually swims for 30 minutes on Wednesday morning and then goes to a Yoga class at 7:00. So the plan was to possibly meet up there. Well, he was a no show (not that we had firm plans or anything) but I did manage to do an easy 1000 yards and then head up to this yoga class. The instructor said it was a "soft" class, but if that was a soft class, I fear I am not ready for his not-soft-class.

I ran last night for just under an hour with the group that I lead. One of the participants has been wearing an older heart rate monitor of mine and we have been running based on her effort level, trying to build some base mileage at an easy pace. I have to say that it is amazing how quickly improvement happens. We now only take maybe 5 walk breaks to keep the heart rate down, and our pace is decreasing. So that is exciting. It was pretty chilly last night, but we all warmed up pretty quickly, except my fast was cold. I need to dig out the balaclava. I think starting Thursday we will start trying to do some hill work.

Tonight I am scheduled to do the Computrainer challenge ride. We are into the 'zone 3 rides' now (which are supposed to be a bit tougher than the earlier rides). We rode the second test ride a few weeks back and my power increased and my HR was down (which means improvement!). But the funny thing is that while the zone 3 rides are supposed to be harder than the earlier set of rides, because my HR went down on the second test, my goal heart rate for the zone 3 rides is now only about 5 beats higher than the previous earlier rides. Kind of strange.

Didn't get any knitting done last night. Since I increased my stitches the other day I just aim to do at least two rows a night. So hopefully I can get at least that in tonight after my ride.

Goal Achieved!

2007-02-06T12:48:00.000-05:00

Today was the first of the IM pace swims. Every couple of weeks I get an IM pace swim, that gradually gets longer as my training program progresses, and usually ends in one or two swims of the full IM swim distance of 2.4 miles. So today was 1500 yards. I had hoped to swim each 100 yards in 1:48 seconds, which, if all things were equal, would result in a 1:15 IM swim time. Well, I made it! Every 100 yard split except two were 1:48. The other two were just slightly faster. I felt like I was working, but I was comfortable and my stroke was relaxed. When I got back to swimming after a bit too much time off I thought I would never feel comfortable in the water again, but it seems like it is coming back to me.

I'm still fighting a cold, but I decided to get on the Computrainer last night and do the recovery spin that was on the schedule. It was just an easy 45 minutes. Nothing special. But the light sweat cleared some of my congestion.

While watching Corner Gas last night I saw an ad for a new episode of Law and Order: Criminal Intent, one of my favourite shows. I have had to give up watching it because it is on at the same time as Veronica Mars and well, Veronica always wins. But, a new episode was on Monday night. Shayne and I argued because I wanted to watch it, and he wanted to watch Heroes. Well, Shayne found our small second teevee (I thought we had gotten rid of it) and, for the ultimate form of luxury, set it up in the bedroom where I watched Law and Order tucked warmly in my bed. Now, don't get me wrong, I don't think teevees have any place in the bedroom. But every once in a while the luxury is just too much to pass up, especially when suffering from a serious head cold.

I managed two more rows of the modified rib pattern on my cardigan. For some reason it just doesn't look like I am doing it right, but I don't think I have enough rows yet to make that decision.

Got a call out to my run group for this evening to see who is going to brave the 60kph winds tonight!

One should never be cocky...

2007-02-05T11:30:00.000-05:00

So, last week I was off work for two days sick. I wasn't terrible, horrible, bed ridden sick, but I had a sore throat that was like I was swallowing a tennis ball that was coated in glass. So, I stayed home hoping that a) I wouldn't spread it to my co-workers and b) if I rested early I would ward it off. Well, Shayne got sick at the same time and he got taken down fast - sore throat, stuff nose, general congestion. By Friday I felt well enough to go back to work and I was pretty sure I had the thing beat. But, last night over my Sunday night pizza dinner I started getting the icky stuffy nose. Oh well, nothing some Tylenol Cold won't fix.

So training last week was kind of on hold. I ran on Tuesday night with my running group when I thought I just had a minor sore throat, but then I didn't do anything else until I got on the Computrainer on Saturday. I knew I was still fighting something because my heart rate while riding was higher than it should have been, so I just took it easy. Same thing on my long run on Sunday. Sunday was a real treat, about -17 (-27 with windchill). I bundled up and with the exception of a couple of minutes of cold fingers, I was actually OK. When I got home (despite having shorts over top of my running tights and wind pants on top of it all) my thighs and butt were cold and the skin was red. Hot shower never felt so good.

I ran early on Sunday (out the door by 8 am) as a friend was coming over to ride my Computrainer and I wanted to be there to help set her up. It was kind of wierd to be eating breakfast at 10 am and realizing that I had the whole day ahead of me with NOTHING to do! I got a bit of knitting done. I am working on this Something Red cardigan (which I am doing in a nice dark grey). It is my first top down sweater and I am LOVING it. It is amazing to see a sweater actually appear fully formed as you knit, and, as a short person, really great to get to try the thing on as you go along. Hopefully I can post some pictures soon. When I am done the body I have to pick up the sleeve stitches and knit the sleeves in the round. The last time I had to pick up stitches was for the neck of the Banff sweater and my mom did most of it, so it will take a bit of leanin'.

I really thought we were going to get away with it

2007-01-16T11:52:00.000-05:00

I really truly thought that we were going to get through this 'winter' without any snow. The thought made me positively giddy. But, overnight Sunday we got some precipitation that was kind of like snow, but more like ice pellets, which became freezing rain, which became snow. So, let the gumbling begin. I have no issues with the cold. I just have issues with footing. As someone that does not drive and tries not to take the TTC (I'm cheap!) getting around starts to become difficult. Of course, it wouldn't be difficult if people would just shovel their freakin' walks.

As someone who is able bodied, I shudder to think what getting around in this city would be like if you were elderly and required a cane, or were trying to push a baby stoller, or you were blind...

I managed to stumble/run to the gym this morning and swim 1600 yards. I was pleasantly surprised when I got there and saw that the set I thought was 4 x 400 yards was ACTUALLY 4 x 200 yards.

Meeting my run group for a slog through the slush this evening.

Stay warm everyone!

Someone stole my kidneys!

2006-12-13T08:45:00.000-05:00

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

2006-12-06T12:39:00.000-05:00

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?

2006-12-01T11:52:00.000-05:00

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.

Operation Frequency - Phase Two Complete

2006-11-14T13:03:00.000-05:00

So, after my Niagara half marathon I took a week off. All I did during that week was walk back and forth to work each day. It was nice. But a week is enough for me to be ready to get on with it. So I decided that I would start running to and from work each day. On Mondays I put all my clothes and food for the week in a back pack and walk to work. Then I run home Monday night. Then Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday I run to and from work. Friday morning I run into work, and then Friday night I walk home with my dirty clothes.

This nets me 7 kilometers of walking each week and 28 kilimeters of running for the work week. Pair that with my weekend long run and leading a run group twice a week and I am managing to get in about 55 kilometers work of running each week with very little effort and time :)

The 2007 Schedule

2006-11-08T16:53:00.000-05:00

The schedule for the winter of 2006 and into 2007 is looking like this:

December 10 - Chilly Willy Half Marathon (Mississauga)
February 25 - YMCA Half Marathon (Peterborough)
March 11 - St Patricks 5K (Toronto)
March 25 - Around the Bay 30K (Hamilton)
April 7 - Spring Run Off 8K (Toronto)
May 27 - Ottawa Half Marathon
June 16/17 - Muskoka Long Course
July 8 - Peterborough Half Ironman
July 22 - Ironman Lake Placid

After that? Hopefully just enjoy the rest of the summer!

The Report Version

2006-11-07T14:34:00.000-05:00

First, thanks to everyone that sent me encouraging emails (I managed to check my email before the race) and I apologize to everyone that sent me emails after the race worried about what had happened. There wasn't internet at the cottage and not all of the Info Centres around the area had internet terminals for use. Besides, by Monday afternoon I was just a little bit sick of thinking about Ironman and was just ready to enjoy a few days of vacation.

So, unfortunately I didn't manage to make it to the finish line of my first Ironman. I managed to complete 92% of the 140.6 miles. Not too shabby. The short story (for those pressed for time) is that I had a better than I hoped for swim, an even better than I had hoped bike, the run started off great and just very gradually went downhill. At the half way point I threw up just after crossing the timing mat. I felt better after that and decided to walk a bit and see how I felt. At about the 15 mile mark I threw up again and felt a bit dizzy. I sat down at the side of the road and when another racer asked if I wanted first aid to come I decided that would probably be best and that was the end of my day.

The longer version (for those enjoying a cup of coffee and some free time)............

Thankfully race morning dawned calmed. The water on Friday morning was ROUGH due to some higher than normal winds and I was really worried that the swim was going to be very very difficult in those conditions. The locals kept assuring us that the winds were not normal and that things would calm down.

The water was indeed calm with wind from the south at 5 kph. We all stood on the beach and watched the Pros start at 6:45 and then at 6:55 we enjoyed the Canadian National Anthem and the canon went off at 7:00. I started very wide and also started very far back. How far back? Well, lets just say that the start line is in the water a bit and I was not only on the beach, but almost on a stair that led from the beach up to the road. I was talking to another woman with the same strategy: wait a bit until everyone was off and then head for some clearer water. It seemed to work. I didn't really have any difficulty. It was crowded and sometimes hard to find a clear place to swim, but I was never swam over, or clobbered or anything like that. So the swim was pretty uneventful. It is a single loop swim, so it really does feel like you get a long way from shore. When I got to the beach I glanced at my watch which said 8:13. I was shocked. My official time was 1:14:02. I had originally hoped for a 1:30, but after two distance swims at the pool in 1:16 I decided to change my goal time to 1:20. So I was thrilled with 1:14. I felt calm and relaxed during the swim so I knew the 1:14 wasn't due to working harder than I should have.

I will say that the wetsuit strippers are the best. I highly recommend them. You just lay down on the ground and they pull them off. I had never seen a wetsuit come off a body so fast. I walked the row of transition bags, and there was someone half way down the row to hand me my bag. The women's changing tent wasn't too busy and a volunteer was right there to give me a hand. She dumped out my bag for me and started handing me things. I changed my shorts, put on some socks, my cycling shoes, my helmet and my camel bak and I was good to go. I walked over to the racks to find my bike. It was here that I realized I had to pee. Too late to hunt down the port-a-potty, I am embarrassed to say that squatted down, pretending to look at something on my bike, and peed on the ground. Not a good start to the 112 miles to come!

The bike goes right along the main street of Penticton and eventually leads you south out of town. There is a very slight uphill grade as you head out of town, but really (with the exception of one short climb) the miles between Penticton and Osooyos (the start of Richters Pass) is flat. Wonderfully flat. It is a great time to just relax and save some energy as the middle portion of the course is the toughest.

There were crowds out in every little town we passed through: OK Falls, Oliver, Osooyos... and then lots of people up on Richters Pass. Having trained in and around Toronto where there isn't alot of hill climbing to be had, I was nervous about Richters. But it really wasn't all that bad. Sure, I was in my last gear available to me and I was turning the pedals slower than I might have hoped, but really it is just a long gradual climb and you just have to put your head down and keep going. Which is basically what I did. After you summit there is a nice stretch of downhill that if you continue to spin your pedals (even if there is no resistance) your legs feel quite fresh at the bottom.

After Richters the 'rollers' begin. I am trying to figure out why I have no memory of these rollers. Maybe because they were 'hills' I just kind of lumped them all together in my head under the heading 'Richters'. Maybe all I could think of at that time was getting to my Special Needs bag because I had a really bad headache from the swim and I wanted the Tylenol that was in there. Either way, it seemed to take a long time for the turn off for the out and back section off the highway which was where Special Needs was. But it finally came. I stopped for my bag, took the Tylenol and my fresh (colder) bottle of Perpetuem drink. Having Special Needs at 120km (instead of the usual 90km) is a bit like taking your lunch break at 2:00 pm; it makes the other side of the day go faster.

Really all that was left of the ride was the climb up to Yellow Lake. Like a few others that drove the course, my response to the climb at Yellow Lake was "That's it!?". It didn't seem nearly as horrible as everyone made it out to be. Well, it's pretty horrible. It's hot, you're good and tired. But the crowds there are huge and they do more than just cheer. They walk beside you a few steps and offer words of wisdom... to total strangers. It's pretty amazing. And then, as promised, after Yellow Lake there is a wonderful, glorious, 20km long descent into town. I am a bit of a nervous rider going downhill fast and I thought I would be sitting on my breaks during this time, but I got down in my aerobars and just let the weight of myself and my bike take me down as fast as possible. It was a riot - it was fast, it was a bit twisty and just good fun. Again, if you keep your legs moving here you can hit the bottom feeling fresh. When we got into town and headed east towards downtown the crosswind hit and I realized then how strong the wind was from the south. I had to actually turn my bike slightly into the wind to keep from being blown around.

I arrived in transition feeling happy with my bike time of 7:03:59. I had figured it might take me about 7:45 and I would have been really happy with 7:30. So I was thrilled. Almost everyone I know that has done an Ironman has told the volunteer that takes their bike from them "Take it, I never want to see it again". So I took it as a good sign that I didn't feel this way. I figured I must have planed the ride just right. Again, the change tent wasn't all that busy. There was a free chair and a volunteer right there to meet me. She helped me off my cycling stuff and helped me get my running stuff in order. This time I stopped at the port-a-potty and had a good long pee. I also took this as a good sign; I was reasonably well hydrated.

I stopped at the aid station just inside of the transition area and drank a cup of water and a cup of gatorade and then started out onto the run course. I felt good. I felt fine. I was just plugging along and I felt no better or no worse that I had doing a run after my long training rides and no better or no worse than when I started the run on my half ironman. So I just kept moving forward. The plan was to run between the aid stations, and then walk for one minute through the aid stations to get what I needed. I would take an Endurolyte capsule at every third aid station and a gel at every fourth. This was working great. But at mile six or seven I started to feel a bit of fatigue and by mile nine or ten I was feel nauseous. I was trying different stuff at the aid stations but I couldn't figure out what I wanted or what I needed. I was walking more frequently waiting for my stomach to settle.

I got to the Special Needs bag and took the one thing I wanted (a note from my best friend which I had saved to open). I went around the cone at the turnaround and then moved over to the side of the road and threw up. Someone from the aid station came by and asked if I wanted anything. But I felt better after throwing up, and walked on after having a cup of water. At this point I knew something had gone wrong and I was trying to figure out what it was. But I knew that I just wanted to keep moving forward. So that's what I did. I was careful to power walk (no strolling for me) and just keep on moving. But as I approached the 15 mile marker the nausea was coming back. I stepped to the side of the road and threw up again, but this time I also felt a little dizzy and unsteady. I crouched down a bit and threw up again. Another female racer stopped and asked if I wanted assistance and I decided at that point it would probably be a good idea.

There are first aid people at every aid station, and it was this guy that came to check up on me. He checked my heart rate (using my Polar monitor) and asked me some questions. He brought me some water and told me to sip it, but after just one sip I felt nauseas again and eventually threw up again. I told him then that I was done. I don't think he was surprised. Eventually the paramedics come by because they will be the ones to transport you off the course. They take your blood pressure etc. The worst part is they have to wait until they fill their vehicle to leave, so you spend a lot of time waiting around feeling ill. Eventually we had two others (that seemed in worse shape than me) and were good to go. I turned down the IV in the transport vehicle as I was feeling a bit better.

In the medical tent I tried to drink some water again but couldn't keep it down. The doctor that was looking after our section of beds suggested I try an anti-nausea medication before resorting to the IV. They give you a shot of something in the arm and it is supposed to work in about 15 minutes. So in 15 minutes I drank some Pepsi and felt fine (except at this point I felt very tired). The doctor then forced chicken soup on me since that was what he wanted me to drink in the first place (for the sodium). Once my blood pressure had come up they were prepared to let me go (even though I still hadn't peed).

I have to say that from the time I accepted help on the course until the time I left the medical tent, everyone was absolutely amazing. The first aid guy and the doctor in the tent were congratulating me. I said, "But I didn't finish!" but they said that to be at mile 15 at the time I was was something to be congratulated. Despite how busy that medical tent is, no one is rude or cold or in too much of a hurry to be kind. In fact, I rarely get that nice of service from my family doctor's office. My ONLY complaint with the procedure is that your family and friends have no way of knowing that you are there if you don't cross the finish line. So when I left the medical tent I had no way of finding Shayne amongst all the people at the finish area. I was just let go out of the medical tent into.....nothing but a crowd of strangers. I managed to borrow someone's cell phone and call him, but he didn't answer. We had agreed to meet outside a certain building on Main Street so I decided to just head there and hope for the best. After waiting about 15 minutes a couple stopped to see if I was OK (I was still wearing the shiny Mylar blankets they give you to stay warm). They let me use their cell phone and this time I got an answer. When Shayne came to get me with the car I just wanted to go home to bed.

When I woke up Monday morning I felt OK. I talked to John (our house mate) and I felt OK about the race, and not finishing. I tried to call Derek (my coach) but didn't get an answer and decided I wanted to wait and talk to him anyway. We went into town in search of greasy diner breakfast and one last meal with John before he caught his flight home. It was hard to see everyone downtown in their Finishers shirts. It wasn't until Tuesday that I woke up in the morning with the realization that I didn't get to see the Finish Line. I was sad then. I'm still a bit sad thinking about it, but really, it is just another race - a longer one than most, sure, but just another race.

The plan right now is to possibly vacation around Penticton again next year (it is a really beautiful location) and register for a second attempt in 2008.

Some analysis...

What do I think went wrong?

I will probably never know. The medical people called it dehydration. But I was not so sure of this having peed substantially before heading out on the run course and then being very careful to hydrate at every aid station. Right now the only think I am thinking it might have been is the Gatorade. I trained with Gatorade on my runs in the last month or so knowing that I would rely on the aid stations during the race. It is possible that it was mixed poorly. If there is a next time I will either opt to be self supported on the run or will stick to gel, water and endurolyte tablets. It is also possible that the Tylenol had something to do with it. Tylenol can effect your liver and kidneys when you are overheating which can effect the way your body processes liquids.

list of things to remember when attempting an Ironman (in no particular order):

2006-11-07T13:07:00.001-05:00

Enjoy the training. If your race attempt is unsuccessful, and you look back on how unenjoyable the training was the whole thing is going to feel like one big miserable failure. I can honestly say that I enjoyed the training. If I count January 1, 2006 as the start of my training, I trained 318 hours and 45 minutes to prepare to race up to 17 hours. 318 hours is a lot of time to waste if you aren't happy during that time. So despite not finishing, it doesn't feel like wasted time. It was time I spent with myself doing something I really enjoyed, even on the days it felt tough.
Don't take finishing for granted. While I will be the first to admit that I had my doubts about finishing, I also will be the first to admit that I entertained all kinds of fantasies about finishing: what the finishers chute would be like, what kind of music would be playing, how I would feel... But over the course of 17 hours, just like any other day, a lot of things can happen. In a race of that distance what might normally be a small error can take on mammoth proportions.
Enjoy the area you are visiting. I honestly believe if I had flown in on Thursday, prepared to race, then failed to finish on Sunday and flew out on Monday I would have been very very sad. But we stuck around for three full days after the race. We had rented a cottage for a full week so we were in a beautiful setting. We took a 200 kilometer driving tour through the mountains. All of this helped me feel like I was on vacation and that racing was just one part of the trip. This did a lot to soften the blow of not finishing.
Don't give up racing. I did a lot of hemming and hawing about racing while training for this Ironman. Training takes a lot of time and mental effort and racing just seemed to be the farthest thing from my mind. But I am glad that I squeezed in two half Ironman races so that when all was said and done it didn't feel like all of that training had been for something that didn't turn out the way I wanted or expected.
Not everyone can finish an Ironman. Leading up to the race, anytime I expressed doubts, people would say to me, "Really, when it comes down to it, anyone can finish an Ironman". On August 27, 176 people did not finish an Ironman. There are probably 176 different reasons why. No matter how prepared you are, finishing is not guarenteed. I probably missed less than five training sessions over eight months of training. I hit every milestone you would expect to hit in training: two 3.8K swims, a decent number if rides over 100 miles, and two runs at or around 3 hours. But as I said above, 318 hours of training for a race of 17 hours or less means all of that work comes down to whatever happens during that 17 hours; some of that is within your control and some of it is not. You get what you get on the day that you race. You get the weather that you get. You get your body is whatever condition it is in when you wake up. And you deal with that.

This turned out pretty good...

2006-08-08T15:15:00.000-04:00

This year at the MS Bike Tour they had a photographer at the lunch stop taking photos. He wrote down your bib number and your email address and then they sent the photos via email after the tour. Mine just arrived to my inbox today and it's pretty good. I hope they do this for more of the tours, it's nice to have a little souvenir.

How happy do I look?

2006-07-10T21:11:00.000-04:00

Race photos from the weekend:

Bike

Finish

Finish

My First Half Ironman race

2006-07-10T16:39:00.000-04:00

Nice thing about the first time, it's a Personal Best no matter what.

The Short Version:
Swim - Goal: 00:45:00, Actual: 00:38:12
Bike - Goal: 3:55:00, Actual: 3:15:05
Run - Goal: 2:20:00, Actual: 2:13:21
Total - Goal: ~7:00:00, Actual: 6:14:38

The Long Version:

I went to school in Peterborough, so I have been doing the Sprint race there for a few years as as way of visiting friends and going back to the town to stay in touch. So we went up the day before. First stop was the race venue. I bought a new Sugoi jersey from the Swim and Sport tent to wear for the race. Something with more ventilation than the one I have. Then I pulled on the wetsuit and went out for just a little swim. Wind had picked up and was a little bit choppy, but not bad at all. Wetsuit seems fine. Picked up my race kit, visited with a few other racers, met some new people, it was a nice way to spend the early afternoon. Then I went downtown to find a friend and have a snack. Did some grocery shopping. Went to the motel where we learned that we had been upgraded to a jacuzzi suite. Went to a steakhouse for dinner with a friend and his daughter, then to a bar downtown for a bit of socializing. A lovely evening. Soaked in the jacuzzi, and got into bed and watched the Tour de France.

I felt pretty calm until I was trying to go to sleep. then the nerves set in. Had a hard time sleeping and woke up to the people next to us blaring their TV at 3:30 in the morning. Woke up at 5:00 feeling like I didn't sleep at all.

Unfortuanately couldn't stomach much for breakfast. Drank as much Boost as I could stomach. Got to the race site around 6:30. Tons of people already there. Set up transition, mixed bottles, took care of last minute details.

LESSON NUMBER ONE: figure out how much time you need for pre-race, and add an hour. I still felt rushed. I ran into people I hadn't seen in a while and would chat... etc. all of that added up and with about 20 minutes to race time i was scrambling to get sunscreened and get my wetsuit on.

Swim:
The swim is a rectangle, going counter clockwise. you start on the beach, seeded by expected swim finish time designated by the colour of your cap. the swim to the first bouy was crazy. Lots of people, got kicked a bit, nothing serious. the swim around the first bouy, also a bit crazy. after that, i managed to get to the outside a bit and into clear water and finally found a happy place. second lap, same thing. I tried not to be bullied (ie, not give up momentum if someone was coming at me), but i also tried not to make this 12% of my day any more stressful than it had to be. I saw the clock when I exited the first lap and it said 17:something. I was giggling. When I came out of the water on the second lap it said 36:something. I started laughing. I couldn't believe I had finished the swim that quickly. It was probably closer to 37 minutes, but that is still quick for me. I guess there is something to be said for wearing a wetsuit and not having to stop to turn at the wall of a pool!

T1 pretty uneventful. no real issues with the wetsuit. chatted to the people around me. took my time just to make sure I had everything I needed.

Bike:
I was expecting hilly. I have always found the sprint race to be hilly. The first 5K or so were difficult, letting people pass me. But it is good practice to learn to swallow your ego and race your own race. It is a long day. Sun was out, but I was feeling happy after such a great, unexpected swim. Course rolls, with only a few steeper climbs. As I was setting up my transition I cleared/zeroed my PT bike computer and realized the battery was going. Well, the time was fine on the ride, but the cadence and power information were not correct. I would be pushing up a hill and expecting to see 190ish and i'm getting readings of 107. While i was disappointed that I was going to lose valuable data, it was a good lesson in what to do when something goes wrong. so, just switched over to paying a lot more attention to my PE and kept truckin'. I was pleased to see the OAT officials out in full force on the bike. Saw two women (or it might have been the same woman) get drafting penalties. I was always about 20 meters or so behind this large group of riders. no one drafting intentionally, just people not able to make up their minds about passing and not paying attention to where they were in relation to other people. But interestingly enough there are no penalties listed in the results even though twice i saw an OAT official hold up four fingers to riders.

LESSON NUMBER 2: always, always always put a fresh battery in the power meter on race day.

After the bike turn around it was pretty much a good headwind until the final 10-15K or so. I wished i had the power meter info then. It can be hard to guage effort into the wind. Course felt a bit hillier on the way back.

T2 again, uneventful. took my time making sure I had everything. Wore my amphipod fuel belt as a test. Wanted to see if i would actually use it, or if i would prefer to take what i need from the course. unfortunately the portapotty was on the OTHER side of the timing mat, so my pee break is included in my run time

Run:
Stopped at the port a potty to pee. and then, as planned, walked the first two minutes to get my head together and just settle after the bike. then started an easy run, just paying attention to my breathing. I hit the split on my watch every kilometer, but didn't look at it. The run course is pretty constantly rolling, with maybe two steep hills that you hit twice. I know understand what people mean when they say an IM run is just about not slowing down. I passed a lot of people in the first 5K that were walking, and not just walking, but STROLLING. I just kept up a gentle trot. Walked the aid station and took water and gatorade. My stomach was definitely off but i think it was just plain and simple hunger. I tried a Hammer Gel, but it didn't do the trick. I told myself to walk the aid stations and then after the turn around, if things were tough, i would walk the hills. I ended up just walking to steep hills. by the last half I was drinking and thouroughly enjoying the flat pepsi. Stomach was still a bit off, but it was pepping me up. For me normally 15K to the end of a half marathon is tough. That feeling this time didn't come until about 18K. The final 2K i just kept thinking about how close the finish line was. The final kilometer of this race is nice, along the park, and then through an ecology garden with the finish on the grass amongst the trees. Despite being in the bottom quarter of finishers, there was still a good crowd of people cheering us on. I heard my name, and looked to the side to see my boyfriend and his two little cousins (all that was left of the family group at that time as everyone was off at the picnic). It was so sweet that his little cousins INSISTED on sticking around to see me finish. I was touched.

I must have done well with my endurolyte consumption. i had zero cramping on the bike and the run.

Crossed the finish line with a smile on my face and headed straight to the lake.

Post Race:
It took a while for my stomach to settle. I was trying everything to get some calories but nothing was doing it for me. I had bought some Hammer Recoverite to try and that actually seemed to settle my stomach a bit and got me started on some calories. I finished around 2:15 in the afternoon. at about 6:00 the boyfriend had to pull the car over so i could eat half of the mcdonald's menu.

Finally, I have to say that the volunteers at this race are absolutely amazing. Every year I am impressed at how well they treat the racers, they are really friendly and want to make sure you have everything you needed.

Some Milestones

2006-06-27T13:21:00.000-04:00

Last week on Thursday I swam my first 3000 meter/3 kilometer straight swim set. Most weeks my swim is made up of shorter intervals with varying amounts of rest and I will swim a total of 2500-3200 meters in a session. But every couple of weeks I get a straight swim set. The 3000 was my longest yet and is about 800 meters less than what the full Ironman swim will be. It took me exactly one hour to swim the 3 kilometers, which was just about as long as I thought it would take.

This weekend I came very close to riding my first every century (100 miles) ride. I ended up being about half a mile short! But, close enough. I went from downtown Toronto north into Inglewood and close to Forks of the Credit. It was a nice ride, scenery was great and as I get more North I get to practice some hill climbing. This coming weekend I will try and do a similar route.

Taking the rest day...

2006-06-16T13:34:00.000-04:00

Today's schedule had an option: rest day or a swim. I decided to take the rest day. I haven't been sleeping well (waking up often in the night) and just felt so crappy on my ride yesterday that I decided some time off would be appropriate.

So I slept in. Walked leisurely to work. Hopefully tonight I can tidy the house a bit. Run this weekend is short and my ride is a bit shorter as well. So looking forward to some time to myself.

City Blues

2006-06-15T09:59:00.000-04:00

This morning was the day that I officially felt like I was just plain sick of riding in the city. Since I ride early in the morning, traffic isn't really an issue. It is mostly that I am sick of the state that the city is in. As a cyclist (both commuting and training) I am disgusted at the state of our roads. I blame the surge in condos, especially along King St. The heavy machinery required to build them sags the ashphalt and the roads never get repaved. The result is a pretty teeth jarring ride on your bike, especially a road bike.

Even the good news of the Waterfront Trail revitalisation project isn't really good news right now. The majority of the work was supposed to be done by the end of April. It is now mid June and various sections of the trail have been closed off for all kinds of different construction. Places left open for trail access are dangerous with gravel sections often appearing quickly and with no warning. Alternate routes are the sidewalk or Lakeshore Blvd. Neither of which are very appealing.

So this morning I did a Run/Bike/Run combination. A run for about 20 minutes, then 50 minutes riding and then a 15 minute run after the ride. In the middle of the ride I just wanted to lay the bike down on the grass and be done with it. Not because I was tired, but just because I was fed up with riding in the city being such a hassle.

Oh well, home tonight to melt into the couch for the evening.

Alive and well...

2006-06-14T09:28:00.000-04:00

I disappeared (virtually) at least for a while there. Life got busy. What has been happening in the past little while? Same old, same old pretty much. Some highlights, in no particular order:

rides have been getting steadily longer. I'm up to about 140K (~86 miles).
runs are also getting longer. Longest so far has been 24K (~15 miles)
I had a horrible race at the Ottawa Half Marathon. It was HOT. People were dropping by the side of the road.
I bought a Power Meter for my bike which I am really enjoying so far.
I rode with an online friend last weekend. Someone that I had never met in person. She was great company and a perfect match pace wise (or at least she didn't complain about me being too slow!).

World Cup Fever has truly hit our neighbourhood no. No sleeping for us for a while. Where I live we are surrounded by a Portuguese neighbourhood, the area they call 'Little Italy' and a very healthy and vibrant Brazilian community. So we are really in trouble no matter what happens! So last night when I went out to run they had one block of the street closed down as the Brazilians were out blowing whistles and having a party. Thankfully by the time I went to bed things seemed to have quieted down. This weekend both Portugal and Italy play. Should be interesting.

Sorry, Sorry, Sorry, Sorry, Sorry.........

2006-05-19T08:53:00.000-04:00

Did I say that I was sorry?

I haven't managed to find the time to update this. I used to be able to squeeze about 15 minutes or so in the morning at work on a bit of a coffee break. But I have a new job at work and things are pretty crazy busy. There is a lot of 'catch up' work to do, so I am trying to do that as well as stay on top of all the new stuff that is happening.

But, I got to the pool this morning at 6:30 to find it closed (again!) and so here I am at work way too early with some time on my hands after visiting the Starbucks.

So things have basically just been clipping along. My running and swimming are coming along nicely. The bike still has me scared to death. I am consistently doing a long ride of 100K+ but I'm still slow. I am most worried about things I can't control. Not in a 'paranoid' way, but in a 'what if' way. I know that my bike time is going to be slow. I am not a very good hill climber. So I know that I will be keeping an eye on the time for the bike cut off. I worry that if it gets windy or we get any other kind of weather that might affect speed that I just might not make it. I know tht the possibility of not finishing is just part of the risk you take, but I know that it would be disappointing.

Last weekend I rode with some people as part of the Toronto Triathlon Club. That was kind of fun for a change. My only complaint about it was that everyone left at once. So the crazy fast riders lead this charge of people in a huge group. The slower riders were in with this group, keeping up (because of the draft) but the pace was still a bit too much. I wanted to keep up (despite being outside my comfort zone) because I knew that once the slower riders got spit out the back the would otherwise be too far ahead for me to catch them. So it would have been nice if the slower rides left a bit earlier to get a head start and set their own pace. But after I hooked up with three other women at my pace we had a lot of fun. There was only one section (on the way back to the meeting place) where the traffic was bad. The rest of the roads were quite nice.

So this weekend I'm on for 120K of riding and about 18-20km of running.

I'm ready for my rest week...

2006-05-02T09:05:00.000-04:00

Most training plans work on some kind of on/off schedule where you work hard for 2 or 3 weeks (increasing your distance over those weeks or working at high intensity) and then you take an easy week. During that week you give your body a chance to recover (and you can finally catch up on the house work and your TV watching!).

So this week is my rest week and I feel like I earned it and I am ready to take it!

Last week ended up looking like this:
Swim: 5000 meters (two sessions)
Bike: 168K (two sessions)
Run: 38K (three sessions)
Total: 12 hours 55 minutes

(And, as always, just for fun, this time last year I did 4600 meters, 78K, 28K, 8 hours 30 minutes)

My long ride on Saturday I followed a map from a charity ride site (they post training maps for their riders) that took me up to Inglewood. The ride up was great except part of their north bound route was closed due to construction, but I found an alternate. I actually got far enough that I saw FARM land. Once I turned at the half way mark I hit the wind and this is where things started to go downhill. It got tough. I was getting tired. I had to squat in a ditch and pee. I was getting hungry. And then the south bound route back into the city was closed also for construction. Thankfully I just invested in a cell phone. I called Shayne to get on google maps and find me a 'safe' route home. Safe meaning tell me which road to take that won't have any exits for the highway. He found one for me while I was stopped at the Tim Hortons shoving donuts (yes plural!) down my gullet. The south bound route turned out to be really good as eventually I found a route that was one of the signed bike routes. Toronto has put up 'route' signs for suggested streets to ride. Very helpful at a time like this. I finished up coming through High Park which was nice after so much traffic. I stopped at the Starbucks near my house and ordered a cinnamon dolce latte which was the best tasing coffee ever. In the end I covered 123km. It took me longer than I thought it would.

Saturday's long run was really quite lovely. Nice weather (although windy again). I did 20K, the final 5K were tough as my legs started to remind me that I had ridden over 100K the previous day.

So, I'm ready for the rest week. I might tackle some sewing with all my spare time. I have a dress I made a few years back that needs to be altered. It has never been worn. So sad.

Banff Sweater Disaster!

2006-04-25T10:20:00.000-04:00

So I finally finished the Banff sweater this weekend. I had to go to the yarn store last week and buy a smaller needle to finish the neck but on Sunday I finally finished and all that was left was the binding off. The neck is 2 x 2 ribbing and I knew that I would need to maintain some of the give/elasticity. So I consulted my trusty book of techniques. There was an invisible bind of explained but it was for 1 x 1 ribbing and I couldn't see how I would get it to work with the modified 2 x 2 ribbing that I had. So I decided to go with the bind off I normally do which gives a firm edge, but keeps the selvage from being too tight. I bind off, I weave in the ends, I get excited and pull it over my head. The ONLY part that won't go over my head is the bound off edge! I was so disappointed. So now I have to find a way to pull it out and figure out a different technique.

Training last week went well. I didn't miss any workouts and had some tough ones that I managed to come through with flying colours. Wenesday I had a tough high(er) intensity ride (on the Computrainer) and then Thursday I had a higher intensity run. Saturday I was scheduled for 110km on the bike. It rained. I rode the Computrainer inside for 4 hours and 20 minutes. The first half was OK. I got off after 2:10 and mixed some more bottles to drink. But the second half was torture. I got off again to pee, and then I just started getting off out of boredom. I will be praying hard for good weather this weekend as I have 120km on the schedule. I ran 17.5km on Sunday. It was raining lightly, but I don't mind that so much when I'm running. Had a great run with a tailwind on the way back.

Totals for last week:
Swim: 5400 meters (two sessions)
Bike: 150km (two sessions)
Run: 40km (three sessions)
Total: 12 hours, 27 minutes

2006-04-17T14:20:00.000-04:00

The good news coming out of Easter weekend is that the Banff sweater is on the verge of being finished! I was aiming to have all the pieces stitched together by Saturday so that I could take it home to my mom and she could show me how to pick up the stitches around the neck to add the turtleneck collar. Friday afternoon and evening, when we were at the boyfriend’s parent’s house I managed to get the final seams done and weave in the ends that weren’t related to the neckline. So the next day my mom got me started on the neck. It is knit in the round (which I am familiar with) but let me tell you, it is difficult to do when the thing attached to the circular needles is a sweater that feels like it weighs five pounds! I only have 22 more rounds to knit and then it will be finished. Hopefully I can take a picture (but we don’t have the digital camera anymore, since it actually was a Christmas gift for my parents!).

Easter weekend was full of visiting and two fabulous Easter meals. I ate way too much. Friday before we left I did a short 12K run in the rain. I was supposed to ride but I figured 1:15 in the rain running was better than 4+ hours on the bike in the rain. So I swapped the two workouts. Sunday I was up at 5:30 for a quick breakfast and out the door at 6:30 to ride 100K. I was going to try just going north from Mississauga up Mississauga Rd. This was actually pretty great until just north of Streetsville. After that it just gets scary with traffic and lanes exiting to the 401 and the 407. So unless I work at finding an alternate route (maybe going east a bit and then north again on a quieter road) I will have to stick to just going west towards Oakville. But I like the trip north because the terrain is more varied. The west route is just flat flat flat. I need more hill work on my rides. So I finished up with 99.4K. I had an optional swim on the schedule but none of the community pools were open on Easter Sunday.

Tonight is committed to grocery shopping!

Training Week in Review

Swim: one session - 2250 meters
Bike: two sessions - 139.5K
Run: three sessions - 29K
Total hours: 9:39

And for kicks, this time last year: 2900 meters, 75K, 26K

Race Recap

2006-04-10T13:24:00.000-04:00

I ran the Bob Harwell Half Marathon on Sunday. I found this great little post race review thing in an article I read a bit ago, so I thought that I would try it out for this race.

Was this the first time you raced this event? Yes
What were the course conditions? The weather was perfect. About 2 degrees and sunny at the start. Felt a bit chilled waiting for the start but took no time at all to warm up. Terrain wise this course was tough (for me). It was hilly all the time. Not a flat section in sight. There were equal downs and ups, but the hills were pretty relentless.
Was this an improvement or PR? I would say that this race was an improvement, but it wasn’t a PR. It was about a minute slower than my 2003 time from Ottawa (different course), but that race was poorly executed (started too fast and took many unscheduled walk breaks trying to recover). So I feel like I improved in the sense that I was able to exercise the discipline required to start slower and build to my pace.
What was your race time and splits for each leg? Took splits at each 5K marker: 5K - 29:30 (average HR 166), 10K - 26:59 (average HR 172), 15K - 26:54 (average HR 173), 20K - 26:52 (average HR 169 - just after the 15K mark there is a crazy 1.5km-ish downhill, that would explain the lower average HR), final K - 5:43 (average HR 172)
What were your mile splits for run? See above.
What was your average speed and cadence on the bike (wattage)? n/a
Heart rate data. See above.
Race fueling and hydration. Race time was 9:00 am. At about 6:00 I had a slice of toast with PB. A cup of coffee with cream. At about 8:00 I drank a can of chocolate boost. I mixed up some Sustained Energy for the race and carried two bottle on my Amphipod fuel belt. I mixed it 16 oz of water and 300 calories (total) and divided it among the two bottles. I only drank one of the bottles and had a few sips out of the second. So that means over almost two hours I consumed about 150 calories and only drank 8oz of water. Doesn’t seem like a lot to me.
What was your pre- and post-race weight? unknown
Do you feel positively about the race? I do. Now that it is over I can admit that I would have liked to have come in closer to 1:55:00, but knowing what I know now about the terrain I am very pleased with the outcome. I met my goal of a negative split and managed to finally have a positive half marathon experience.

Some interesting things I noticed during the race... As you can see from my recap, my goal was to start slow and build in order to have an even or negative split. So I had to exercise quite a bit of discipline at the beginning of the race as people passed me. But at about the 5K mark I started picking people off. 5K!!!!!!!! That is only a quarter of the way into the race! So these people must have started out WAY too fast. From about 5K through to 15K I just slowly picked my way up the field of racers. After 15K the only people I was passing were the walkers who had an early start. The field was thin and I was pretty much alone most of the time, with other racers in sight ahead and behind. But I was surprised how early I started passing people.

So I'm feeling positive about my upcoming half in Ottawa.

a bit late on the week in review........

2006-04-06T17:12:00.000-04:00

But here is what went down last week:

Swim: 1 session - 2000 meters
Bike: 2 sessions - 63K
Run: 4 sessions - 36K
6 hours, 54 minutes

One of the bike sessions and run sessions were combined into a brick workout (where you bike first and run right afterwards). I love brick workouts because I find running of the bike really easy. I love the fact that my legs are already warmed up and ready to go. So the brick workout was a 60 minute ride followed by a 30 minute run.

The pool that I use is still in some kind of perpetual state of closure. I am not exactly sure what is going on, but I am getting impatient. But I did manage to find a pool in the east end that is pretty decent. The water is a reasonable temperature and it wasn't crazy busy. But I will be glad when the other one opens up again.

This week I am racing a half marathon on Sunday. I haven't raced a half marathon since 2003. Last September I was a pace bunny for my beginners group that ran a half marathon, but that isn't the same as racing. My previous half marathon attempt in Ottawa in 2003 was a bit of a disaster. I paniced in the crowd at the start line and went out way too fast trying to get out of the crowd. So I crashed in the final half and was just disappointed that I didn't run a very well executed race. So this weekend I don't really have any time goals. It is just important to me to have a positive experience. Next month I will attempt Ottawa again and will think about setting a time goal for that one.

Glimpse of my log...

2006-03-31T13:46:00.000-05:00

This time last week I wrote in the comments section of my training log, "There is nothing redeeming about this pool!". Today, due to the extension of the maintence phase at the pool I usually use, I was forced back to the 'bath tub pool'. And, once again, there is nothing redeeming about this pool. OK, maybe one thing: it's real darn close to my house. But that's it.

Bath tub pool: It's 90 degrees. It's only 25 yards. All of the showers only stay on for 5 seconds at a time.

Regular pool: it's cold to get into, but perfect once you start swimming. It's 25 meters. There is one shower that stays on for like three minutes at a time.

Oh well, I got the 2000 yards done. The main set was supposed to be a faster set with kicking in between to recover. But I just swam the main set at an easy pace otherwise I would just over heat. Schedule for this evening is a 60 minute ride followed by a 30 minute run.

Hopefully this weekend I will get the Banff sweater pieced together.

I will try and be diligent...

2006-03-28T08:40:00.000-05:00

Last week I took a look at a blog I usually read and saw this. I do not know LeAnne. I have never met her, but I got to her blog through another woman's blog that I read. Turns out she is a knitting fiend and training for Ironman Canada. So I sent her an email suggesting we were some kind of blogging twins. So I was heart broken to read that her plans for Ironman Canada have come to such an abrupt end. But I am in awe of her positive attitude... not one little bit of complaining on her blog. So I know she is now living a little vicariously through me, so I will try to give her something to read while she rehabilitates at home!

So last week things looked like this:

Swim: 1900 yards
my usual pool was closed so I had to go to the pool that is 90 degrees. So just one session and it was mostly drill and technique work because one can not over exert themselves when swimming in a bathtub. It makes you feel gross)

Bike: 110 km
two sessions. Wednesday was 3 x 10 minute intervals, Saturday was a long ride on the IM New Zealand course on the Computrainer. I was much happier with the long ride this weekend than last. Last weekend I started out at 110 watts, and by the time I was half way I had to keep dropping the watts to keep my HR under my 145 limit. So I ended up with an average wattage of 104 and the second half of the ride was 6 minutes slower! So this week I pegged my watts at 105 and stayed there for 2:45. Worked out perfectly. A nice even pace (even if it feels too easy for the first 30 minutes) is way more rewarding than feeling like you have to keep slowing down at the end.

Run: 36 km
Three sessions. Tuesday I took the small group that I lead over to High Park to run the 8K Spring Run Off race course. This course has two great down hills and two pretty nasty uphills. So it was a good workout, and the woman that is running the 8K now has a better idea of what to expect. Thursday I did about 40 minutes with the group and then I did about 20 minutes of tempo work on my own. Sunday was long run day. I have been struggling a bit with the long run. It just doesn't seem to be getting any easier even though I have been running 18K pretty consistently for a few months. I am just working on finding a running groove rather than trying to be too much of a slave to the HR monitor. This run still felt a bit hard (or harder than it maybe should) but my pace was consistent, so no complaints.

So a pretty good week.

Today I was up at 5:30, out the door by 6:20 and at the pool at 6:50 only to find a sign saying they were extending their maintence closure. So I arrived at work a 7:10 (about two hours earlier than normal)... this is going to make it feel like one long day!

GOOD NEWS on the knitting front. I finished the sleeve of the banff sweater last night!!! It is done! The whole sweater is done! Now it just needs to be 'sewn' together and then the neck is worked on a circular needle at the end. I have never done this before, so I am hoping that my mom can show me when I am home for Easter dinner.

Work on the blanket continues...

Last Week In Review

2006-03-22T13:43:00.000-05:00

5550 meters of swimming
105 kilmeters cycling
34 kilometers running
10 hours total

and for fun, as always, here was what I was doing this time last year:

5700 meters
77 kilometers
29 kilometers running

Knitting wise I am closing in on the end of the Banff sweater sleeve and I finally got around to casting on the blanket again.

I Love Swim Fridays...

2006-03-17T12:12:00.000-05:00

It seems that every swim on a Friday is a swim where I meet some goal that I have set for myself. The other week I took some serious time off my 1000 meter time trial. Today the main set of my swim was a 2000 meter swim at Ironman pace. So not an all out effort, just a comfortable, even, steady pace. I was hoping to finish in 40 minutes. That would mean that an average of 2:00 for every 100 meters. The 2:00/100 meters is kind of a goal of mine. I am used to swimming in pools that are 25 yards and 2:00 then felt like a bit of work, so 2:00 for 25 meters would be excellent. Well I finished the 2000 meters in 39:19, and every 100 meter split was under 2:00. Most of them were in 1:57. I was very excited. Excited enough to have some McDonalds breakfast! I'm feeling confident in my swimming these days. I'm not gaining any kind of crazy speed, but I am pleased with the pace that I am able to maintain and still feel really really comfortable. The goal for the Ironman is obviously to come out of the water feeling like you really did nothing at all.

Last night I finished up to the point on the sleeve where I need to start decreasing. I didn't have it in me to do any difficult purl-two-together-through-the-back-loop action, so I watched CSI rather than knit through it. I'll start on the decreases tonight or tomorrow.

I bailed on my two hour ride on Wednesday, so I might try and get that in tonight.

My life got away on me...!

2006-03-15T11:12:00.000-05:00

I got busy.

*insert any excuse here*

I was however using my spare time to knit, so there. I ready to start decreasing the sleeve for the sweater, which means only about 60 rows to go! I started a baby gift for a co-worker, but made some mistakes and tore out what I had. I was disheartened and haven't gone back to cast it on again, but would like to have done so by the weekend.

Training is still moving along. I'm being very consistent, not missing workouts, and as my coach tells me, "Even if I gave you a crappy plan, a crappy plan done consistently is still better than a great plan done inconsistently". But for the record my plan is great!

Last weekend in the freak warm weather I actually GOT OUTSIDE to ride! It was a small, much needed miracle and I enjoyed it. But it is back to the Computrainer for the next while at least.

Sunday I ran the annual St Patty's 5K. I have been running this race every year since 2000 (which was when I started running a bit more seriously). So it has been a great way to track my training progress, and a great way to start to get into the spring and summer racing series. I didn't have huge hopes for the race on the weekend. Given that I am training for an endurance event I haven't been doing any faster paced run work. But at the start line I just decided to let whatever happened happen. I had a great race. I felt strong and in control of my pace the entire time. Obviously a 5K is difficult, the pace and effort are high and you have to be prepared to be a little uncomfortable. But this still felt easy. I ended up crossing the finish in 23:30. I didn't even expect to break 24:00 so I was very pleased. It was a nice confidence boost.

Oh, in other news, I got a promotion at work. I am an admin assistant in the Industrial Relations department. I mostly give assistance to the management here, but also do work for the people that enforce our collective agreement. Well, I am about to become one of the enforcers. They are getting ready to fill my position, I will train the new person, and then onward and upward.

Week In Review

2006-02-28T10:02:00.000-05:00

Monday - Rest Day
Tuesday - 2500 meter swim in the AM ; 6km run in the PM
Wednesday - Started to ride the computrainer challenge ride, but part way into the ride I heard these strange, what sounded like electrical, noises. Finally determined that it was tire melting on the drum of the CT. Brought a quick end to the ride.
Thursday - 9 km rum
Friday - 2100 meter swim. Was going to attempt to re-do Wednesday's ride, but by the time I got home, mounted a new tire, fished out a new tube ... it was late.
Saturday - Rode and easy hour on the CT, then did the Challenge ride, and rode an easy cool down watching my spin scan trying to even out my pedal stroke
Sunday - 14 km run

TOTAL
Swim: 4600 meters
Bike: 52 km
Run: 30 km
Total hours: 7:00

Good news for today is that I finally finished the sleeve on the Banff sweater!! After a lot of procrastination (mostly laziness) I finished it last night. Since it is a raglan sleeve is just got faster as the stitches decreased. I will hopefully cast on the second sleeve this evening. I might just finish this thing yet. I have eye on a knit 'coat' for my next project, but am also considering socks.

Week in Review

2006-02-21T12:42:00.000-05:00

I know, review is usually a Monday activity, but, well, ....

Monday - Yoga Class
Tuesday - Morning: 1800 meter swim ; Evening: 7.25 km run
Wednesday - Blood Lactate test on the CT
Thursday - nothing, ditched the run due to freezing rain
Friday - 2350 meter swim
Saturday - the first 70 km of the Ironman Canada course including Richter's Pass
Sunday - 17.75 km run ; first go at the stretching DVD

4150 meters swimming
70 km of cycling
25 km of running
10h 30m total training time

I didn't get as much knitting done as I had hoped. I had even planned out how many rows I needed to do each day to finish the sleeve. But Friday night I felt like I was coming down with another cold. It never really turned into anything, but made me feel a little wiped out over the weekend. So I didn't accomplish as much as I had hoped.

This week is a bit lighter. About the same amount of swimming, but a slightly shorter weekend ride and run. So there is hope for me yet.

bruised fingers...

2006-02-16T13:47:00.000-05:00

Last night I was the lucky receipient of a blood lactate test. What is that you ask? Well........ It is a test that determines what level of exercise intensity (by HR) corresponds to your body's ability to get rid of lactic acid. Lactic acid is that substance that makes you 'feel the burn'. Your body always creates lactic acid, even at rest, but at lowe intensity activity it is produced and flushed from your body in lovely equilibrium. But as your intensity increases, and more LA is produced eventually your body can no longer flush it out at the same rate. If you keep pushing the intensity eventually fatigue will set in and you will no longer be able to continue.

So if you can determine where (intensity wise) in the point at which your body moves from coping to not coping you can peg the intensity at which you should persue aerobic exercise in order to reap the benefits of a strong cardio-vascular system. This is obviously the number one goal when training for an endurance event. In order to find this tipping point you have to examine the lactate in your blood at various levels of intensity.

The test has two parts

1) The ramp test. We set the wattage on the computrainer to 75 watts and started pedaling at 90 RPM. At set intervals the person running the test ups the watts by 5. You keep at this until you can no longer sustain the set RPM. Your heart rate is recorded at each interval. Basically what you are doing is gradually flooding the body with lactate. As soon as you hit your peak (the point at which you can continue), the watts are dropped way down and a blood sample is taken via a finger prick. Obviously at this point your lactate is high.

2) The steady HR portion. For the next part you ride based on Heart Rate. So if your peak HR was 180, you pedal easy until you drop 40 beats to 140. Three minutes pass while you enjoy the fact that things have gotten a lot easier. Then another blood sample is taken. You can compare this one to the first to see how much lactate your body has managed to flush now that the stress has been removed. For the next three minutes you ride at a heart rate of 145. Another sample is taken. Then you ride at 150 and another sample is taken. As your heart rate (intensity) increases, the lactate will begin to increase again.

If you charted the lactate amounts from both tests you would see a kind of U shape where the lactate was high, then drops and then goes back up again. When you plot the results you will be able to find the point (or heart rate) at which that lactate accumulation began. If you exercise below that point, lactate won't accumulate and cause fatigue. So if you are training for an endurance event and want to say, ride for 4+ hours, you can aim to maintain your HR below this point to fend off fatigue.

It really was all kind of fascinating. I am sure that I have made descriptive errors in the science, but that is the best way I can describe it. If you feel the need to get techno-geeky you can read all about the procedure here.

Knitting? What's that. Sadly my knitting has fallen to the wayside a bit, but I did manage one row on the sleeve this morning. Hoping for some more tonight, and DEFINITELY more this weekend. In fact, you heard it here first, but I am going to finish that sleeve this weekend if it kills me!

Twisted Stitches

2006-02-14T15:39:00.000-05:00

When learning to knit, the first thing one should really learn how to do is fix mistakes. I never really learned to fix mistakes so making mistakes when knitting really stresses me out because sometimes it seems easier just to start over. So I started on the first sleeve of the Banff sweater. It has the same wide ribbing at the bottom as the body. Except it does this kind of funky hourglass shape thing at the cuff. So there is some decreasing and increasing within the pattern of the ribbing. I miraculously made it through the decrease unscathed, but when I made my increase I did it the way that leaves you with a hole. So it looked icky. So I had to tear it back. When I put the stitches back on the needle they got twisted, so now there is a noticeable defect along one row of the cuff. But I don't have the heart to tear it all the way out.

Weekend was fairly uneventful but felt busy. Did a three hour ride on Saturday. Rode a computrainer course call "The Big Dipper". It is basically a nice 1% downhill section, then a long 2.2% uphill, a very small downhill, another long 2.2% uphill with the crest of the hill at 3%, a small downhill, another 2.2% climb, and then a lovely 15% downhill with a bit of flat to the finish. The whole thing is 11.23km. I rode it 6 times. The climbs aren't really climbs, they are just 'inclines', but the load is enough to give you a bit of strength work and work at keeping your HR in check. After the ride I headed out to buy some new running shoes.

Saturday I did my long run of 18km. I can now safely say that eating McDonalds for breakfast before your long run is not a good idea! Even if you wait three hours afterwards. For the first half of the run I had a cramp in my side, and it was hard to eat/drink on the run because I was still feeling so icky full that the thought of ingesting anything was just making me feel ill. Never again, not even if we have coupons for free breakfast sandwhiches!

Monday was my last yoga class. While I am a bit sad not to be going back for the next session, I feel like I want to save a bit of money. I bought a stretching DVD that I will do instead. Maybe next session I will go back to the yoga.

Finally, I started this week off with my sports medicine guy telling me I have cuboid syndrome. I know, sounds more like a math problem than a foot pain. After wearing some heels (I NEVER wear heels) I started to get some pain on the outside edge of my foot. It got better, than worse, then better. My chiropractor was a bit stumped. So I went in to see the other guy and this is what he told me. He seems to think it will go away quickly.

The universe took me down a notch

2006-02-10T14:27:00.000-05:00

So I had a great swim workout this morning. Did some warm up laps with some swimming, some kicking and some drills. Then the main set was 5 x 100 fast, 50 kick. Repeat this 3 times. Focus was on strong swimming with solid form, not fast arms. Well, I did all of the 100s in under 1:50. Which for most is not fast, but for me is excellent. I was very pleased and feeling very confident. I showered and got dressed and when I got outside it was snowing. There was a light dusting on the ground and the roads looked a little 'greasy'. So as I am riding to work I am reminding myself not to pick up any speed and be cautious when braking. And I am. Until I am like 2 blocks from work and I guess I just braked too hard or too fast and sure enough my rear wheel slides under me and I go skidding a little ways on my knee and elbow. This has happened to me a few times this winter, so I just pick up up the bike, hop back on and get moving. I managed to skin my elbow despite three layers of clothing (it's like the clothing version of rug burn!) and my knee is going to have a nice bruise. Well, at least it isn't skirt weather!

Tonight is my blessed night of rest. I'm going to knit and watch more Sex and the City. I am still working the ribbing on the first sleeve. It's been a slow week of knitting due to some busy evenings. The ribbing on the sleeve also decreases and then increases again so I have been slow on the pattern because I have to keep slowing down to make sure I am making the right stitch. Hopefully I will get some solid knitting time in this weekend.

Well, now I have a vest

2006-02-06T10:34:00.000-05:00

Yes, I finished the front of the Banff sweater! It looks great and miracles of miracles it matches the back! So I cast on the first sleeve yesterday. Since the decorative decrease on the front and back (for the sleeves) had stitches that were purled through the back of the loop, I now know this to be possible. So when I worked the first row of the sleeve in ribbing I knit and purled into the backs of the stitches. Surprise! No holes! I wish i had done that for the front and back, but it is too late now. The holes aren't that big and are only on the purl stitches of the first row.

Had a reasonable full weekend of training. On Saturday I rode the computrainer for 2 hours and 45 minutes. I did a loop and a half of a course called "Coeur D'Alene triathlon". I don't think it has anything to do with the Coeur D'Alene Ironman, but I could be wrong. The course was made up of three decent sized hills with some nice downhill sections. On Sunday I ran 16K in some not-so-nice windy weather. But at least I got out there and got it done. Runs are getting progressively longer, next weekend the schedule calls for 18K. I'm hoping for some nice weather.

One Goal Down...

2006-02-02T10:51:00.000-05:00

I have been trying to make sure I fill in the 'Weekly Goal' section of my training log on Sunday or Monday of each week. This week my goals were:

Practice bi-lateral breathing (breathing to left and right when swimming, as in every three strokes) during warm up and cool down
Doing some form of strength training three times in the week
Drinking at least a litre of water at work each day

So I completed goal number 2 today. I lifted weights at the gym twice and then this morning I went and did a stability ball class. The bi-lateral breathing thing is sort of happening, I just find it so hard! The water thing is not too much of an issue.

Last night I was scheduled to ride the Escape from Alcatraz bike course on the computrainer. Escape to Alcatraz is a triathlon known for it's very cold swim from a boat in the middle of the water, a pretty hilly bike course and the infamous 'sand stairs' on the run.
Well, the bike course is indeed hilly. The computrainer was registering inclines above 20% on some sections. Unfortunately I don't really have enough gears to climb well above about 6.5%. So this was a challenge. You basically just pedal really really really slow. If I were actually on the course I would have likely fallen over from lack of momentum! But the downhill sections were pretty sweet.

I'm scheduled to run with the group tonight and then do a little bit of speed work on my own - 2 x five minutes at 5K effort. Hope the weather holds!

Road Rage and yoga...

2006-01-31T13:45:00.000-05:00

Many of the Toronto newspapers are featuring a story today about car vs bike road rage. This is pretty crazy. While I will admit that maybe keying the guy's car was a bit of a bad idea, some of the other photos I found on the internet clearly show this is guy had some kind of rage going on. He outweighs this woman easily. Just crazy. While I will speak up if I believe I have been treated badly I really do try not to give bad behaviour back to someone that gives it to me. I do hope she at least presses some assault charges. I'm also not quite sure why this guy is driving his car through Kensington Market. Anyone that WALKS through there on a regular basis can tell you that taking a car through there is just a bad idea. Pedestrians rule there, as it should be.

Last night's yoga class was very very difficult and painful. We did a lot of butt/outer/inner hip work that is so hard on those of us that run and then don't stretch properly. I really wish I had a pen and paper in that class with me. My instructor really does say the best things. She is a 'true' yoga practitioner. She studied in India, and really enjoys the spiritual side of yoga. But she is the first instructor I have ever had that manages to pass on these teachings without ever sounding flaky and insincere. Last week and this week she has been reminding us (in light of the election!) that 'Your sense of calm has absolutely nothing to do with outside circumstances' ... a good lesson in every day life, as well as in yoga class when noise outside the studio can distract you. Yesterday was also about: 'Yoga, like life, means sometimes you don't always get what you think you should. Today might have been about embracing pain. Next week might be about embracing joy. You just never know. The best place to be is right in the centre, that is contentment.' I always try to remember what she says but it is one of those things that when she says it I think how perfect it is, and then I can't remember an hour later!

Had a decent swim this morning, but was a bit sore from lifting some weights yesterday. Did another 1000 meter time trial. Average pace was 1:58 per 100 meters, about 4 seconds per 100 faster than my last go at it. The lane was crowded today with people that probably should have been in the slow lane, so maybe I might have managed a bit faster if some of those 'obstacles' weren't there. But passing etc. is good practice for open water swimming with 2000 of your friends.

Will meet my run group this evening for a nice hour long easy run and then hopefully I will get the rest of the armhole decreases done for the front of the Banff sweater. Then it is on to the sleeves. I looked at the sleeve instructions and there is a lot of increasing and decreasing at the cuff part. I guess maybe to give a bit of grip in such a bulky sweater. Hopefully I can muddle my way through. When the whole thing is done I will have to invite my mom over for tea and crumpets so she can help me figure out how to put the thing together. This will be my first project that actually has 'shape' when it goes together (as opposed to a single seam on the shrug or poncho). I'm hoping the raglan sleeves won't be too tough.

A disruptive weekend...

2006-01-30T16:16:00.000-05:00

But not in such a bad way. We have a (great) deck off our bedroom in our apartment. There were french doors that opened out onto the deck which were made of wood. I have lived in this apartment for 6 years and the doors have been there for all of them (and who knows how many before that). They are really nice doors, each square with an individual pane of glass. But the glass is not thermal and they aren't sealed. Basically they are nice 'antique' doors for someone that lives in the south of France. Eventually after many seasons of rain the doors warped. This winter they wouldn't close all the way and we were left with a small gap which let the cold winter wind through. We pulled the curtains in an attempt to keep it warm, but many nights I went to bed with the north wind licking my face as I drifted into dream land.

Toronto is in the middle of a condo boom and a crazy house buying market. So it is VERY difficult to find people to do small jobs as many of them are working on full scale remodels. But our landlords found this great guy that is working on a bed a breakfast remodel on their street. So this weekend they finally got over to replace the doors. It took them pretty much the whole weekend. The cat spent all of it huddled in the closet. But last night I went to bed a room that felt just about the right temperature and getting out of bed this morning finally wasn't torture.

I took advantage of the great weather on Saturday and did my run that day (14K). It was nice, but my heart rate is still high as I am waiting for this cold to go away. Sunday I rode the computrainer and worked at catching up on the challenge rides I missed when sick. Ride number 8 was just silly/crazy. The climbs didn't look that bad on the profile, but they got close to 10% grade. I didn't have enough gears and was pedalling at about 50 revolutions per minute (normally I ride at 88-90). It was a bit crazy, and a rude awakening after coming back from time off.

Had some great swims last week, so I look forward to that continuing this week. Yoga tonight.

Opted for the rest...

2006-01-26T11:08:00.000-05:00

Didn't get on the bike last night, which was fine, it was listed on the schedule as an easy bike ride or a rest day. I think I had a bit of a sinus infection or something because my eye hurt yesterday whenever I coughed or blew my nose and let's just say that that was most of the day. Seems to be gone this morning and I am feeling better. I'll run with my running group this evening and see how I feel.

Did a bit of knitting yesterday but haven't been able to sit down to more than two rows lately. We are still watching Sex and the City in chronological order and we are into a lot of episodes I haven't seen, so I don't knit during those episodes. Last night was also a very exciting new episode of Veronica Mars. So exciting that I fell asleep half way through. But really, it was exciting, I was just tired.

I didn't disappear...

2006-01-25T10:48:00.000-05:00

... but I did get really sick. I was out for pretty much all of last week with a terrible cold. Spent a lot of time on the couch with multiple seasons of Sex and the City on DVD. While I am feeling more like myself now I am still a little bit sick.

Tuesday I managed to get back to the pool and do 2000 meters. Depending on how I feel tonight I might get on the Computrainer for an hour.

Didn't knit at all when I was sick, but I am about halfway done with the front of the Banff sweater.

The video game is eating my mind

2006-01-11T15:07:00.000-05:00

I have been so focused on this Uru game lately (playing every evening pretty much) that I have neglected knitting. But last night we actually forgot to tune in for the first new Gilmore Girls episode in like 2 months! What betrayal. We have satellite at work, but alas, it is not being replayed any time this week. We will have to wait for more repeats. I vow not to miss Veronica Mars tonight. Uru will have to wait.

Had a great swim workout yesterday morning. Main set was 3 sets of 5 x 100 meters. The first set was slower than T-Pace (the pace determined by my time trial last week), the second set was at T-Pace and the final set was 5 seconds faster than T-Pace. I like the variety and the opportunity to try to get a feel for different paces.

I need to get back on my Wednesday pilates class as this is the second week that I didn't go. But yoga started again this week which was great.

Tonight it is Ride 7 of the Computrainer Challenge. I haven't won one yet, but I've been consistent! Haven't missed a ride in the series yet.

Well, here's to Veronica Mars and hoping sometime in that hour I can cast on the front of the Banff sweater.

Week in review

2006-01-09T12:59:00.000-05:00

Training Week In Review
8 hours and 50 minutes of training
3100 meters swimming
100 kilometers cycling (all on the computrainer)
32 kilometers running

Did a 1000 meter time trial in the pool. I have lost a bit of swimming fitness, but not too much. Really focused on technique for this time trial rather than speed. When I felt my technique falling apart I forced myself to slow down. I average 2:00/100 which is pretty slow. The 1000 took me 20:02. I would like to try this year to get my 1000 at or just under 19:00.

Long ride this week was 2:40. Rode the Ironman Florida course which everyone says is flat, but really, it isn't. No steep climbs, but lots of small terrain changes. It is actually a nice course to ride for a long ride.

Knitting Week In Review
I didn't get much knitting done this week. My parents bought me a Myst sequel game a few years ago that my computer wasn't powerful enough to run. Now that the boyfriend got his new computer we can finally play it. It has been eating alot of my free time! But Friday night I did finish the back of the Banff sweater. Yea!

Happy New Year

2006-01-06T11:22:00.000-05:00

I have almost survived my first week back to work after the holidays. The office was closed from December 23 until January 3, so I had a good chunk of time off. It's always hard coming back. I get back at my desk, look around and think to myself, "What is it that I do again!?"...

I did pretty much nothing during the week after Christmas. We traveled to Ottawa and I took my running gear so that I could run with my boyfriend's cousins, but they went out when we were getting ready to go visiting. When we were at home, I managed to ride the Computrainer. I ate three Christmas dinners during that time and ate every morsel of chocolate that was given to me as a gift. We got a BBQ from the boyfriend's family which is very exciting. Now we can grill on the back deck come summer. Mmmmmmm steak. We got a great footstool storage unit from my parents, one that I have been meaning to buy for about two years now. I also received an entire box of individual serving sized bags of Combos which I hear are one of the best bike riding snacks. Lots of other stuff too including some money for the Ironman fund. I'm pretty spoiled every Christmas.

We were invited out for New Year's but Shayne was not feeling well so we just stayed in and watched a movie and on New Years day went out for our traditional breakfast at the Diner. I got quite a bit of knitting done and I am almost finished the back of the Banff sweater. I needed some clarification on the pattern so I was waiting to ask the expert knitter in our office. So I should finish the back this weekend. I finished the funnel neck sleeveless shell, but I think it is too big. Since it knits up so fast I may just take it apart and knit a smaller size.

As I mentioned, training was pretty quiet until this week. Over the holidays I finally rode the final leg of the IMC course. In total (over four sessions) the full 180.25 km took me 7 hours and 22 minutes. Yoga starts up again next week and hopefully my swimming will become more consistent.

Pictures finally...

2005-12-19T11:28:00.000-05:00

I finally posted some pictures of my finished knit projects, just click on the thumbnails along the right to see some larger photos.

Quiet weekend. Saturday I rode kilometers 84 to 144 of the Ironman Canada course on the Computrainer. Only 36 more kilometers to go before I can say I have ridden the whole thing. Of course it is a different thing all together to ride it over the course of four weekends than it is to ride it in around 8 hours and then get off and run a marathon... Sunday I did a 14 kilometer run. It was fairly cold, but 95% of the sidewalks are clear so footing wasn't too much of a problem.

I finished the back and one side of the little baby sweater. But I am out of yarn and am hoping my mom will pop into the store where I bought it and find more and then I can finish the other side. I am practicing my buttonholes as I have never done them before. It is harder than it looks. I will practice a bit more more I finish the other side of the sweater.

Ugh, I got lazy again...

2005-12-15T16:29:00.000-05:00

It's been a full week since I put anything up here... so let us take a look backwards shall we?

Today: ~8K run at lunch in the snow and wind.
Yesterday: A little wipe out on my bike on the way to pilates class. A really boring pretty much flat 30K ride on the computrainer for the challenge.
Tuesday: a very easy run with the group I lead including a new beginner that just joined
Monday: Yoga class. Lots of hip and hamstring work. Enjoyable but difficult
Sunday: a 12K run, slipped and fell on some ice on the hill around the corner from my house
Saturday: 2 hours on the computrainer. Rode kilometers 36-84 of the Ironman Canada course including Richters Pass.
Friday: bailed out of swimming because I had to leave my bike at the office Thursday night because I had a flat tire

So that's about it in a nutshell.

I am working on a little baby sweater for kicks. I don't think I have enough yarn to make the whole sweater, but I wanted to see if I could figure out how to follow the pattern so I cast it on with some left over yarn I had. If I do manage to finish it I have no idea what I will do with it. It is for a very young baby (like 1 year or less) so I am not sure who I could give it to as most of the babies I know right now are coming up on (or just past) one year. I am still working on the funnel neck top. I made a mistake and I am thinking about how I am going to fix it.

I have a work Christmas party this evening. The snow is REALLY coming down so we'll see what the turn out is like.

What's been going on...

2005-12-08T10:57:00.000-05:00

Not much I guess or otherwise I might have been compelled to write something.

Monday night yoga class, Tuesday night a chilly run, Wednesday morning pilates class (which is getting tougher!) and Wednesday night CompuTrainer challenge ride.

The CompuTrainer challenge has me feeling a little bit depressed. I am dead last with the slowest time every week, and even people with slower times on the lactate test are kicking my butt. I am trying to remain upbeat about the whole thing. I am sure some of it just the plain old stuck inside winter blues, but being last every single time starts to get really depressing. With the speeds I have been averaging on these rides (and my long rides on the weekend) I find I am constantly concerned about making the bike cut off time in Penticton next year. One part of me thinks it will all be OK and the other part of me thinks that it is a long way to go and a lot of money to spend to miss the bike cut off. But I guess racing means facing the possibility of 'failure'.

What am I looking foward to today? The Swiss Chalet Festive Special delivered to my office!

Busy Weekend...

2005-12-05T10:41:00.000-05:00

I think I was out of the house more this weekend than I was for all of November combined... and what that really says is I guess I am not a very social person...

Friday night Shayne gave me one of my Christmas presents early and took me to see Sarah Harmer at Harbourfront. The show was amazing. It was just her and her acoustic band (mandolin, banjo, violin, accordion, piano...). She played a good variety of stuff from her past three albums as well as some cover tunes. She has been touring the area to raise money and awareness for a Niagara Escarpment cause, trying to stop development in an area where her parents also have a farm.

Saturday night we went to see the new Harry Potter film. We had been putting of going for the past few weekends, waiting for the crowds to die down and just out of laziness really. But I am glad we managed to go and see it on the big screen. The scenes/settings were just amazing, especially the World Quiddich cup stadium and the Triwizard tournament settings. The teenage angst that is all pervasive in the book has been toned down just enough to be heartbreaking (but without the whinging that I found annoying in the book). So it was well worth the almost $12.00 (!!!!!!!!) to get in.

Training wise, Saturday I rode the CompuTrainer for 1:30. I did the first 36K of the Ironman Canada course. Pretty uneventful. Sunday I did a 10K that was actually quicker than I thought it would be. So that was a nice surprise.

Knitting wise I didn't accomplish much. I am knitting another umbilical cord hat (although I don't know for whom, mostly just to use up some yarn I have laying around). I am working on the back (or front, whichever, they are both the same) of the funnel necked sleeveless shell. So maybe I will be ready to piece that together by the end of the weekend.

Now for something a little more seasonal...

2005-11-30T11:02:00.000-05:00

Temperatures have dropped again, so if any more precipitation falls it will likely be in the form of snow.

Had a really great run last night. Slow, but great and one of those days when slow doesn't matter. I ran for just over 40 minutes with one of them women I usually run with. I haven't seen her in a while as she was out west visiting her brand new (and first) grand daughter. Then when she returned home she had to deal with the death of a friend. So it was nice to see her after so long. After we parted ways at the Y, I ran for another 20 minutes on my own. The pace was a bit quicker, but I just felt very relaxed and the running felt effortless. Because of that it meant that I was free to think about other things. What those other things were I can't remember, but I do remember that I was almost home again when I realized that I hadn't been thinking about running or being tired or how slow I was going, or anything like that. Maybe it helped that it was eight degrees, no wind and no snow.

Woke up this morning to get to pilates class at 7:30. I have started making sure I sign up for the class the day before. Since I have been going regularly I don't usually sign up because I know she expects me there, but I find if I sign up the day before I am less likely to roll over and go back to bed. Anyway, today's class was tough, but really great.

Tonight I ride the first of the zone 2 trainer rides in the Computrainer Challenge.

I'm thinking about building an ark...

2005-11-29T10:42:00.000-05:00

Man. It rained for the latter part of yesterday and I woke up to rain this morning. Wet ride to yoga class, then, after class I had to put my wet clothes on again to ride home. Yuck. Wet clothes from riding into work this morning. Hope they dry by the end of the day. Looks like it is supposed to let up in time for me to run this evening.

Was back at the gym yesterday doing some strength training. Worked my way through the exercises that my chiropractor gave me last year. Now this morning my butt is killing me. Last night at yoga we rolled on tennis balls (think: giving yourself your own fairly painful massage). So I am sure those things combined have resulted in my pained state.

I am almost finished the front part of my sleeveless funnel neck top. One thing I noticed when looking at it on Sunday is that where I bound stitches off on a purl row, the shape is not 'definined', while where I bound off stitched on a knit row, the shape is clear, like steps. I hope this won't affect the shape of one side of the garment when I stitch it together. I am really hoping it will fit as it seems to measuring a bit smaller than I figured.

First Serious Snowfall of Winter

2005-11-24T11:33:00.000-05:00

I made it home last night on my bike before the snow started to fall. By the time I went to bed last night there was snow on every surface outside and this morning there was a good coating of it including a fair bit of ice and crustiness. So I walked into work this morning. This weekend I will swap out the slicks on my commuting bike for the fatter mountain bike tires with a bit better traction. Of course I will do that just in time for it to be 12 degrees at the beginning of next month. I swear, at this race the world is likely to explode in some kind of environment disaster before the year is up.

I rode my test session on the Computrainer last night as part of the winter Challenge I am participating in. I was faster than I had thought I would be, but am bringing up the very back of the pack with one of the slowest times compared to everyone else. I have no where to go but up, right? But the test gives you some valuable information that can help you determine training intensities for other types of training, so the torture is worth it for other reasons.

Will probably go out for a run with the group this evening, but have told them to take cover if the wind picks up. So we'll see what happens. I think I will run home from work at the end of the day to get in a bit of extra running time.

Back to Slow...

2005-11-23T10:45:00.000-05:00

With the end of the racing season comes the start of base training. Base training is a time to slow down and work at much lower intensities than you were when preparing to race. So last night I headed out in -11 with the winds gusting to 65 km/hour and attempted to keep my heart rate under 153. I was mostly successful, but old ladies with walkers were passing. It is kind of strange double state. On one hand there is a sense of frustration because your pace is so much slower than during the height of race season, but on the other hand the pace is slower and therefore the workout is more relaxing. There is more time to look around and just spend some time relaxing and thinking. So I am trying hard to let go of the speed judgements and just enjoy being outside.

I haven't mentioned the yoga class I started taking. Monday was the second class of six in a restorative yoga course that I am taking. I had started taking a yoga class at the gym, but many of the poses were making my back sore again, so I found this restorative class that is designed to address students with problem areas. It is a lovely class. It is 90 minutes long and all of the poses are supported in some way (with pillows, rolled blankets etc). So you get to enjoy being in the poses without all the stress of trying to hold your body in the proper alignment. It is not easy, and you are still working at gaining range of motion, so it can be uncomfortable. But it just feels safer and it is easier to let go. So I am really enjoying it. I am taking it at The Yoga Space if anyone is looking for a studio. The location is really beautiful.

Tonight I am scheduled to do my test on the computrainer. A tough 35 minute or so all out effort on a fairly easy course. This test determines your training parameters for the online 'competition' I am participating in over the winter.

Two Finished Projects!

2005-11-22T10:46:00.000-05:00

Well, part of operation-do-nothing meant I had some spare time to knit. So this weekend I managed to finish both projects I had going. I finished the poncho first and it turned out great! It is very light (in weight), but quite lofty and warm. I was worried that it seemed a bit big (which meant the neck opening was big), but it just meant that I could fold the neck down like a turtle neck. It actually makes the piece look nicer, and a bit dressier. I'd be tempted to make another one of these in another colour. I was also surprised that I did a decent job on the seam. I thought it might be 'stretchy' because the knitting is pretty loose. But it looks nice and firm. Then I finished the shrug. I had previously torn some of this out because it was too small (as made per the pattern). But using some grade nine algebra I managed to use my arm span measurements, and measurements of what I had already done, to figure out how to get it to fit, and it worked. So I sewed the sleeves together on Sunday and it was finished. Both projects have gotten good reviews at the office. Although the bell sleeved shrug makes me feel a little bit like a wizard :)

Back to a light training schedule this week. I will run with my running group on Tuesday and Thursday and then a run on my own on the weekend. I am doing the 'test' ride on the computrainer this week for the computrainer challenge that I am participating in. It is basically an online competition of people riding the same courses on the computrainers. The test is supposed to be a time trial, so ridden as hard as possible. Should be interesting. I am looking forward to having something to compare my progress to over the winter.

The other neat thing about the computrainer is now my coach can tell me which courses to ride for different training rides. Takes the guess work out of what kind of 'terrain' to ride. This weekend I get to do a few loops of Central Park.

Last week I also went to check out my chiropractor/ART practioner's new office. He opened his own business with some other health care providers. It is a great office. They are offering personal training, sports medicine, massage, chiropractics, spinning... etc. If you are in the GTA and looking for someone for this kind of thing his new website is at The Urban Athlete. The website content isn't up yet, but the location and phone number are there. I can't say enough this chiropractor (Dr. Jardine). His holistic approach to injury treatment includes not only soft tissue manipulation, but exercise prescription as well (various strength training suggestions). Most of the exercises he prescribed for me were ones that he 'invented' himself to specifically address my issues. Highly recommended.

The Fine Art of Doing Nothing...

2005-11-16T10:22:00.000-05:00

I am practicing the fine art of doing nothing. After racing on Sunday the instructions for the week were to do whatever I felt like doing (after taking two full days off). As of right now I have chosen that to mean 'do nothing'. I am still riding to work, and the days that I don't ride to work, I walk. So I am getting some light activity. But when I get home in the evening the couch and I become one. Don't get me wrong, I don't veg out completely. I knit, or read or book or whatever. But I am enjoying coming home and staying home instead of rushing home to rush back out the door again. I must admit that the doing nothing coincided nicely with some VERY crappy weather.

Now the race... It didn't go as planned. But every time things don't go as planned it is a chance to take something away from the experience. The number one learning experience is that I am still unable to stop myself from starting too fast. I don't get caught up in the excitement (it was hard to feel that with such a small number of racers!), but I think that I am unable to judge how fast others are going and just hang out with those around me. So my first mile was 8:00 (when the goal pace was 8:35). It was hard to adjust on the next mile because the marker was off. I hit the half way point about right on schedule. At that point I took a little bit of Hammer Gel. About three minutes later I got a terrible stitch in my left rib cage which forced me walk a little until it went away a bit. But it never really went away, it was like a little dull ache there. The terrain also took me by surprise. This is a rolling course, but it is pretty constantly rolling. Nothing terrible in terms of hills, but just a constant up and down. So it was hard to find a rhythm. Well, the goal time was 1:26 and I finished in 1:29:16 (chip time). I was happy to come in under 1:30 given the windy conditions and that the course was more difficult than I anticipated. Hopefully in the spring I will get a chance to run a half marathon or two and try to solve my 'going out too fast' problem.

In the realm of knitting, I am about 15 rows away from finishing the shrug. I draped it over my shoulders yesterday to see if it was getting too long, but I think it is going to be perfect. I finished the poncho, but it was too big for my tastes, so I pulled out some rows and need to cast it off again. I didn't mind that it was long, but because of the way it goes together, the length also affects the neck. So I thought the neck was a bit gapey. So I am going to try it a bit shorter and see if that works.

Not getting caught this time...

2005-11-07T16:52:00.000-05:00

I'm not getting caught this time. I registered for my ten mile race, I have the receipt, I am ready to go. I have heard there is a decent sized hill on the course and it can get quite windy. So I'm just going to get out there and give it my best shot and see what the day sends my way. Training has been going well. I have been working on some pace type running in the past few weeks and I have to say that my concept of pacing on the road (as opposed to the track) really stinks. I seem to have two speeds: slow-warm-up-pace and race-pace. So I am working at trying to find the pace that is closer to a solid 'intensive aerobic' effort. I think I need to learn to let go of worrying about the pace. By that I mean that I have to realize it is OK to miss in training. I think I tend to run the kilometers too fast because I know that the prescribed pace is faster than an easy jaunt and so I think it should be HARD. So I pick up the pace too much in fear of wasting a kilometer going too slow. I need to stop looking at a 'miss' as a waste and see it as a point of comparison instead. How zen.

The Saturday of that weekend a co-worker and I are going to check out the the Body Worlds exhibit at the Science Centre. It is a display of human bodies that have been plastinated. It should be really interesting. I have heard that many places that have run this exhibit have had to keep their doors open 24 hours near the end of the run in order to accommodate the number of visitors trying to see the show. I haven't been to the Science Centre since I was a kid, so I'm looking forward to visiting again.

I picked up the knitting again this weekend. Spent the weekend working some more on the shrug. I am in the last 25 or so rows I think. I picked up the poncho again this morning, so hopefully I will make some progress on that this week. I'm on the last ball of yarn required for the project. Then I just have to figure out how to put it together. Since the gauge is so loose I am worried that the seam will look 'stretched'.

It's dark...

2005-11-03T17:06:00.000-05:00

Well, daylight savings time has come and gone for another year. While we are enjoying a bit more daylight in the mornings, it is now pretty much dark when I go home at the end of the day. By the time I meet the group to run it is definitely dark. Between the leaves on the ground and the darkness, it makes for some dubious footing. Weather has definitely been nice for running though. Still getting some warm days. So with one more week or so to prepare for this 10 mile race I will keep my fingers crossed for nice weather come race day.

I am enjoying what seems to be a bit of an increase in run speed these days. I haven't been using my heart rate monitor this fall, running instead on perceived exertion and pace (based on my Timex Bodylink). I have been a convert to heart rate training since about 2000 when I bought my first Polar. And I still believe that it is an excellent way to train. But with some of the improvements this fall I find myself wondering if their usefulness might be in their timing. It seems early in the season as you ease into your training plan and lay the foundation for your racing season, they are an excellent tool. But I wonder if when the time comes for more "sharpening' as your race approaches if training by pace doesn't have a benefit as well. I find I am terrible at feeling certain paces and even the track hasn't really fixed that. I feel like I need more work at feeling pace on the road. So this fall has been a chance for me to try this out.

I haven't had much interest in knitting this week. Not sure why, but when I sit down on the couch in the evening I just don't feel like picking up the needles. I am on the last ball of yarn for the poncho, so I wish I would have done a bit of work on it because I probably could have finished it by week's end. I will likely be finished with the shrug this weekend if I pick that up.

Tomorrow I will attend my first yoga class in about 5 years. I figured it is time for me to deal with the fact that I can no longer touch my toes!

Happy Halloween!

2005-10-31T16:58:00.000-05:00

On my way to work I pass about three different schools. Since I walked into work this morning (instead of cycling) I got a chance to see lots of kids in their costumes. Last year we didn't give away candy, but this year we are going back to it. It is kind of a pain with our apartment - we access our place by the front door, but live on the second and third floor of the house. The front door is a foyer that is about 5 feet wide where we keep our shoes, two bikes, our outerwear and the litterbox. So if we are going to give out candy, and we don't want to have to keep running up and down the stairs, you really have to just sit in that little foyer. I am hoping it will stay warm enough to sit on the front porch instead.

Since the half marathon I wanted to run filled up so quickly, I think I am going to try a 10 mile race in Ajax instead. I have never run a 10 mile race before so it will be a new experience and since it is my first time I am guaranteed a personal best time! I figured a 10 mile race is close enough to a half marathon that I won't feel like I wasted the training.

If you are looking for an endurance racing eating protocol, I saw this posted online the other day:

The issue isn't how many calories you burn, but how many you can digest and absorb. You will start the race with fuel stored in your muscles, liver, and bloodstream. You can't possibly replace the fuel as quickly as you use it (without an IV), but you start with a cushion of stored fuel. Below are my recommendations. More can be found in my book The Triathletes Guide to Run Training, available at www.Fitness-Concepts.com
Good luck, Ken

Race Day Breakfast
• Consume 10-12 calories per pound of bodyweight 4 to 5 hours prior to the start.
• Prioritize low glycemic index carbohydrates.
• Minimize fiber at this meal.
• Include about 1 gram of protein per 10 pounds of bodyweight.
• Choose foods that digest easily and do not cause gastric distress.

Pre-Race
• Eat regularly, but lightly, 100-200 calories per hour between breakfast and the race start. Emphasize low glycemic index foods with very little protein. Stay with liquid or very easily digestible foods.
• Drink a bottle of sports drink in the last hour before the race start.
• Drink a mixture that includes sodium between breakfast and the race. If you drink plain water, make sure to have a sodium source with it.

Bike
• Consume 2 calories per pound of bodyweight per hour throughout the bike segment.
• Carry all of the fuel you require, depending on aid stations only for water. It is fine to use fuel from the aid stations, but have enough with you that you don’t require fuel from any other source.
• Use solid food as little as possible throughout the race, especially during the last hour of the bike and during the run.
• Consume 1 ounce of water per 7 pounds of bodyweight per hour. Mixed drinks count as water.• Consume about 600 mg of sodium (1 gram of salt) per 150 pounds per hour on the bike and run. Getting too much salt is not a problem unless carried to excess. Remember to include sodium from all sources.
• Some athletes find that their minds wander, causing missed feedings. many are successful setting a watch to beep every 15 minutes as a reminder.

Run
• Consume at least 1.5 calories per pound of bodyweight per hour, using almost entirely carbohydrate.
• Use only plain water, not a sports drink, when consuming gels.
• Consume as much water as you can up to 1 ounce per hour per 7 pounds of bodyweight.

If you are really savvy you can put all of these great suggestions into a spreadsheet and do the calculations for your bodyweight. Then it is just a matter of figuring out which foods (and combinations of food) fit the bill and testing it out in training sessions.

Racing Bad News, Knitting Good News

2005-10-28T11:06:00.000-04:00

Well, the bad news is that apparently the race in Markham was MUCH more of a hit than they expected. When I went to register this week the online registration tool told me that they had closed registration early due to overwhelming response. This is their first year running this half marathon and 10K and so I am glad that it is going to be so well attended. And while I am disappointed that I will not be able to race I am also really happy to see race directors willing to close their registration rather than try to make some extra money cramming too many people onto a race course. This guarantees that the people that did manage to register will have the best possible race experience. So I'm hunting around for some other fall running possibilities since no one really likes to waste their training!

My knitting projects are clipping along. I spend my free time during the week working on the poncho (it requires zero concentration since it is just straight garter stitch with no increase or decrease) and the weekends working on finishing up the shrug. I just might get it finished (or very close!) this weekend. The poncho is looking good. The yarn is a nice brown with some flecks of berry and turquoise. It is very light (since it is acrylic) but seems really warm. After this I hope to move onto a funnel neck sleeveless number that I have had my eye on.

I am also having my first 'dinner party' this evening. I am not a very social person. I socialize at work, but once I am home I am a bit of a hermit. So I'm trying to change that a bit. So I am having a two friends over for dinner. I'm making some sweet potato biscuits and roasted veggies to start. The main course will be sweet potato black bean burritos. It's a prepare-for-winter kind of thing with all the starch :)

Five Weeks Running...

2005-10-19T14:05:00.000-04:00

I think it has been five weeks now that I have managed to be at pilates class at 7:30 on Wednesday morning. Five weeks. I enjoy the class, the instructor is very gentle and her classes have a nice flow to them. Plus, since it finishes at 8:15, and I don't start work until 9:30 it means plenty of time to sit in the steam room.

Ran with my running group last night. Hard to believe that it is now dark when we finish. We are certainly entering into the dark days of winter. I purchased a new pair of Adidas running tights yesterday on my lunch hour and ran in them last night. They are capri style and come just below my knee. It was about 12 degrees when I went out last night and they were toasty. So even though they are thin, I imagine they will be good in colder weather as well. I still need a new pair of full length tights, but I will wait a bit before I buy those. I am always shocked that I have no problem spending $75 on a pair of running tights, but I would never dream of spending that kind of money on a regular pair of pants.

Tonight I am working on having more of a social life and am going to see Goodness with an ex-coworker. The author of the play wrote a novel a few years ago that we both loved. So I am hoping that this will be just as good.

A day off...

2005-10-18T10:48:00.000-04:00

Monday is usually a day off for me (from training, not from work). So to stretch my legs a little bit and for a change of pace I often walk to work. On the walk home I dropped into the Knit Cafe and asked some quick questions about the glorious Fiesta Poncho. And so I learned something new yesterday... Even though the yarn gauge/weight suggested for the pattern calls for smaller than 12mm needles, it is the larger needles that give it the drape (like a scarf). So I picked up some 12mm needles and started in on the poncho last night using this:

http://www.bernat.com/product.php?LGC=solo

I chose the Earth colour. It is quite soft and has a little bit of kind of a brushed feel. The 12mm needles make me feel like a toddler learning to eat with a fork and spoon for the first time. You just can't hold them the same way as "normal" needles. So I am going to have to split my time between finishing the shrug and working on the poncho.

Meeting my running group this evening for about 9K. It is cooling down quite a bit now and I think that I will need to spend my lunch hour today trying to hunt down a pair of 3/4 length running tights to get me through the fall. I have my eye on a pair of REALLY nice and REALLY expensive full length tights, but I would like to get out to the store in Markham and try them on, rather than take a chance on an internet order. So I will wait until I hear from them about what they have in stock. Then I will have to convince myself to drop that kind of cash on a pair of running tights........

Monday, Monday...

2005-10-17T10:00:00.000-04:00

Looks like fall is really setting in.

During yesterday's run it was about 10 degrees and the winds were gusting at about 55 kilometers per hour. Staying in the city meant the wind was often broken by the buildings. I went mostly west so the wind from the north was definitely dampened by the houses. I ran an easy 5K to warm up, then the next 5K I picked up the pace a little bit. At the 10K mark I did 4K at race pace and then cooled down. The batteries in my GPS died at about the 14K mark, so I really am not sure that I covered the whole 16K, but I was out for 1:30 which is good enough for me. Note to self, always charge batteries the day before the long run. Next week is a 20K long run which I just might do on my birthday!

I finished the shrug, but it was too small! But like a good knitter, I just ripped it out (about half way) and picked up again. This time, I measured the bell sleeve part and made a little diagram to figure out how long I need to knit before starting in on the bell sleeve part on the other side. So hopefully the second time is a charm. I also picked up the poncho pattern from The Knit Cafe. Really simple pattern, but I am little confused about the gauge. It says 12 stitches per inch, but knit on 12mm needles. But the yarn they recommend for the project does not take 12mm needles. So I am not sure if they are using such large needles for effect, or what. I am going to give them a call today and ask.

Gale force winds...

2005-10-13T10:39:00.000-04:00

On my speedy bike ride home last night (aided by a strong East wind) I decided it was way too windy to get in a decent run. So I made the decision to ditch it (or at least move it). So I went home, helped with dinner preparation, then spent the evening knitting in front of the television. Thursday is Veronica Mars night, and it didn't disappoint. What an exciting life that girl leads. Although I wonder why no one is suspicious that people around her keep dying.......Being murdered no less........

Anyway, so tonight is a workout at the track - mile repeats. My running group is coming with me, so I have designed some introductory track work for them this evening. They are going to run the 10K that is part of the half marathon I am doing. I am glad to see that they really like doing races/events. It certainly makes planning training for them a bit easier :)

This woman at my gym yesterday had on this amazing little poncho/capelet thing. It was short and kind of asymmetrical with a great funnel neck. She told me she knit it herself using a pattern from The Knit Cafe and that is was very easy. It is made from pretty chunky yarn, so it would knit up quickly. So I am going to have to head over there and pick up the pattern and get going. The Knit Cafe is like 10 minutes walk from my house and they have twice weekly Stitch n Bitch sessions. They are also going to be setting up a session where you can take any project that you are stuck on and get guidance from their knitting experts. So hopefully this weekend I can get over there and see what they have.

Back to work...

2005-10-11T15:38:00.000-04:00

Well, that's it for long weekends until Christmas! Had one Thanksgiving dinner of roast beef, potatoes and veggies galore at Shayne's dad's place and then turkey dinner with all the fixings at my parent's place the next day. The best of both worlds!

Got lots of knitting done. I am almost finished the shrug and it looks like it is going to fit. Hopefully I can get to the Walmart and find the yarn I want for the next project.

I only ran on Saturday over the weekend - a long run of 16K. Sunday and Monday I took off for holiday and travel for Thanksgiving. Back in full force this week. Pulling my running group along as they want to do the 10K that is running at the same time as the half in November. So I whipped them up a little four week schedule to get them there.

I've been terribly negligent...

2005-10-03T14:56:00.000-04:00

Despite telling myself I was going to keep up to date on this thing, I have slacked off. The main reason is that I have started knitting again. When I start knitting I tend to let it take over my available free time. I think it is because I am impatient about the finished project. I know that it is supposed to BE something, and I want it to be what it is supposed to be.

Anyway, this is what I am working on:

I'm knitting it with variegated yarn that is very fall like. It is a Burgundy, forest green, dark tan combination. I am finished one of the sleeves and just moving onto the part that goes across your back.

In training news I am just starting to work towards hoping to run a half marathon in November. I'm just cycling on the weekends right now. Nice leisurely rides along the waterfront, nothing serious. So I'm running four days a week. A long run on the weekends, one day of speed work (kilometer repeats), on recovery run with my running group and one "moderate" pace run. I'm not currently doing any swimming which is OK with me. Swimming is the hardest thing in terms of logistics. Early morning pool times are best, but as it is getting darker and darker in the mornings it gets harder and harder to get out the door early. So I will let the swimming drop off for a while.

Not much else going on, except it appears that the CBC has reached a settlement in their lockout. This is a bit of a relief as I was really starting to dread the horrible music they were playing in the mornings and it would be nice to have something to knit by in the evenings. The agreement still must be ratified, so it will be interesting to see how it plays out in the next week.

My first experience as a pace bunny

2005-09-25T18:20:00.000-04:00

I have been leading a group out of my local YMCA for about 2 years and have been running specifically with two women during that time. They are amazing women in their 50s who were totally troopers running through the very best and the very worst of conditions with no fail! One of them decided to aim for a spring half marathon but was not confident she could do it. I put together a training schedule for them and the other woman decided to come along for the ride. I ran twice a week with them, and then the other two runs they did on their own (or together, but without me). I ran their final long run with them so we could run most of the course to scope it out and so that I could see what kind of pace I thought they could hold for the race. They were surprised with this long run that they had gotten faster just by running consistently.

While their goal was to finish, they thought 2:45 was doable for them. I told them 2:40 was definitely doable as well. I was going to run with them for company and to help them keep pace. so i made the pace band for 2:45 but with the expectation that we would likely be a bit faster.

despite the crowd (5000 runners) we were on pace from the beginning and built a 5:00 buffer. we lost this 5:00 at the 3K mark when we stopped for the porta-potty. but since we got some rest in the line, we didn't take the next walk break (we do 12/1). we made up time nicely and everyone was doing well except the usual aches and complaints that come with longer running. I had warned them in training that final 5K was going to be tough. that is when you go beyond what you likely did in training (long run of 10 miles) and will need to just grit your teeth a bit. By the 16 or 17th km mark we were making good time and I was doing a bit of silent inventory to see if they could keep the pace. I stopped telling them we were ahead of schedule because I didn't want them to slow down just because the could. so we keep plugging and just encouraged them to check their posture and not give away any energy that way. In the final two kilometers we played a game. in order to focus on the positive as things got tough i had both of them come up with 5 positive things or things they loved about training for the race. that was a fun diversion.

with the finish line in sight i told them to do their best imitation of someone running well and just go for it. when we crossed the line i asked them to guess the finish time. One said 2:42 and the other said 2:45. When I told them 2:35 they lost their minds. I had never seen anyone happier.

So if you ever get the opportunity to lead up a group (especially those doing it for the first time) take it. It was so much fun to watch these women gain so much confidence during training, and to be so amazed at their ability to cross the finish line. It was also a real experience for me to learn how to remain positive and upbeat for those around me that are starting to struggle. I am usually the kind of person that "clams up" when the going gets tough and often thinks negatively. so having to remain positive and to keep smiling the whole time was a lesson I can take away for my own racing.

Beginning of the week

2005-09-21T11:17:00.000-04:00

Monday I decided to have a little Computrainer fun. I had designed a course called "Spiral of Death". It is basically just a course that is 12K long and spirals in on itself. It is totally flat. So I decided to ride it as a bit of a ramp test. I started at a crazy easy HR and every five minutes I shifted gears to up the intensity. Basically I just wanted to watch my HR and wattage and see how the two match up. At the end, you can see the finish line coming up so I made a sprint for the finish. Probably the only time I will ever see 300+ watts.

Last night I met up with the women I run with. This is race week, so the runs are dropping in duration. We did just under 50 minutes. Everyone is feeling a bit sluggish, so we will work on picking up the pace on Thursday to keep our legs fresh.

This morning I decided it was time to start going back to pilates now that the off season is here. So I went to a class at the gym at 7:30. It is led by an instructor that I often see giving private lessons on the pilates equipment. I really liked the way she interacted with her clients, so I knew that I would like her. The class was great. Challenging, but gentle. Despite having not practiced for quite a while I found it easy to remember many of the cues. Of course I am a bit weak from my lack of practice, so it will take some time to feel strong again.

The good news

2005-09-18T13:32:00.000-04:00

The good news is that it looks like there is nothing seriously wrong with my bike. The noise I was hearing was just sand and grit still stuck in the chain. The mechanic at the shop was kind enough to break the chain and put the whole thing in the "chemical bath" while I was at the shop. My attempts at cleaning just weren't thorough enough to get it all out. This particular mechanic (I believe his name is Nathan) is amazing. Sometimes finding a bike mechanic is like finding a doctor. You want someone that listens to you, takes you seriously when you propose what you think is wrong etc. He is really good a diagnosing what might be wrong with your bike and always takes the time to explain it to you.

So, still getting a bit of noise from the chain, but it just needs to be ridden a bit to work the rest of the grit out.

It's been a slow week

2005-09-18T10:59:00.000-04:00

Nothing official on the workout schedule (that is nothing set by the coach). Just taking some time off, relaxing and enjoying have a bit of time to myself. Or at least I was enjoying myself until about Wednesday and then I started to get a little bit restless.

Tuesday and Thursday I ran with the run group that I "coach". Their big weekend is next weekend when the two of them will run their first half marathon ever. Last weekend I paced them on their final long run (10 miles) and they did extremely well. The planned finish time is 2:45 for the half, so I set the long run pace accordingly. They came in with five minutes to spare consistently hitting each kilometer split 5-6 minutes ahead of schedule. So they are definitely good to go.

Friday I rode the computrainer for the first time since it arrived. I rode a test course and then rode the first 10K of the Ironman Couer d'Alene course. It is way more fun to ride than the fluid trainer. The changing profile as you ride (even if it is just slight changes in grade) makes riding feel so much more realistic. Also, on the fluid trainer you have to shift to a harder gear to simulate a hill (which is the opposite of what you do when you are climbing), but with the computrainer, the change in tension comes from the trainer, so you can shift to an easier gear like you would when you climb. This lets you also practice your shifting strategy, learning to shift gears at the right time when climbing. This is something I still need to work on. So it looks like this should make riding through the winter a lot more fun. I was however disappointed to see how little wattage I was producing. Just goes to show that I am a pretty weak rider. No where to go but up, right?

I had hoped to ride this morning, but I cleaned up my bike last night to get it ready (it was still dirty after the rainy ride in PEC). When I rode it down the road to check everything it was making a grinding noise. Sort of like the noise your chain makes when it is touching the derailleur. But that wasn't the problem. I installed compact cranks a few months ago and they are cartridge style meaning they are sealed. So I don't see how any water or dirt is in there screwing things up. I'm going to take it to the shop this afternoon and see if they can diagnose the issue. If it just needs more cleaning, I'll bring it home and do it myself. I am also hoping that the bottom bracket is still under warranty (if that is indeed the problem). So no ride for me unless I get it in me to get back on the computrainer, but why would I do that when the sun is shining??

PSST, mom, dad, I'm putting one of these on my Christmas list:

It's a bike repair stand. I'm sure any good bike store has some in stock. (hint hint).

Sandbanks to Bloomfield and Wellington...

2005-09-14T13:12:00.000-04:00

Alright, final report on riding over vacation.

Woke up Thursday morning to grey skies and a flat tire. Thankfully I found the flat before hitting the road so I could change it in the "comfort" of the camp site. We weren't sure if it would rain or not, the skies were grey but not really dark. With this in mind we left the towels on the windshield of the car to dry and took off.

Our first stop was going to be Bloomfield, but we did some touring of the sort of north west part of the park first as well as a residential area to the west of the main road. Back on the main road it was gentle grades all the way to Bloomfield with a bit of head and cross wind. Bloomfield was not yet totally awake when we arrived, but the coffee shop was open and had been open long enough to have sold out of muffins. But I did manage to get a delightful mini-loaf of banana bread. Sitting outside with my latte and my loaf there were hints of drops of rain. But we decided to go on towards Wellington.

Once on the road it started to rain a bit more heavily, but we decided to keep going as Wellington is only about 15K from Bloomfield. Entered Bloomfield and I had a near mishap on main street as I braked into a turn and fish tailed. Managed to stay upright on the slippery road, but I think I took a few years off my life. We ducked under a picnic pavillion just in time for the down pour and waited it out. We had planned on heading back to Bloomfield for lunch, but we didn't want to enter a restaurant soaking wet and dirty and get cold sitting around in wet clothes. So we by passed Bloomfield and headed back to Sandbanks to get a shower and some dry clothes.

Remember where the towels were? That's right, we left them on the windshield of the car. We tried to dry them in the campsite dryer but they were just too wet and we were racing the clock as they close the showers at 12:45 to clean them. Drying off with a hot, wet towel is pretty gross but at least we had dry clothes.

We opted to drive back to Bloomfield and we had lunch at JJs. Food was really good, service, not so much. After eating we walked along Main Street. For a small town, Bloomfield has some AMAZING stuff. I bought some maple tea at a little tea shop, we visited this amazing bike store and then headed to buy some ice cream. I had been waiting to try this ice cream. By the time we hit Main Street it had stopped raining, the sun had come out and it was getting warm again. But, despite the turn of the weather, the ice cream store still had a sign that said "Closed due to Rain". I was crushed.

Nothing left to do but get back in the car. Since we had missed getting out to Little Bluff the day before due to some road constuction that we weren't sure we wanted to takle by bike, we decided to drive out. It really is worth the trip. There is a cliff with an excellent look out as well as a wetland area and an amazing pebble beach. The entire beach is made up of greyish-white smooth, flat stones of different sizes; some are the size of a kiwi and others smaller than the nail on your pinky finger. The only wildlife we managed to see was a snake carrying dinner in his mouth. We obviously thwarted his plans to eat as he slithered off into the water waiting for us to leave.

IMNA must be reading my blog...

2005-09-14T13:10:00.000-04:00

The day after I posted the link to the participants list, they cashed my cheque. I'm sure they will put it in some high interest savings account somewhere and collect interest until the day of the race :)

Well, they haven't cashed my cheque yet...

2005-09-12T15:27:00.000-04:00

But THIS seems to have happened in the past few days.

It is really coming together today. I just got off the phone from booking my lodging for IMC. We are going to be spending seven nights here:

Click here for more pictures and info

Sandbanks and Picton

2005-09-12T13:36:00.000-04:00

After shopping in nearby Brighton, we arrived at Sandbanks provincial Park in the early evening, set up camp and prepared dinner. For the first week of September there were quite a few people still there, but many of the camping areas have closed for the season so anyone that was camping was placed in one area of the park. So it perhaps felt more crowded than it really was. Having not purchased any firewood, we spent the evening walking the beach in the dark and stargazing.

The next morning dawned sunny and seemed like a great day for cycling. We had a quick breakfast and headed out. Our first destination was Picton. We took a bit of a scenic route, checked out the millennium Look Out just outside of Picton and then hit yet another screaming descent into town. We checked out the large (and I believe first built) church in the town as well as the war memorial. Then the next order of business was finding a coffee shop for some much needed morning coffee. I knew of one place I wanted to try buy could not remember the name of it, so we settled on the Regent Cafe (inside the old Regent Theatre) and took up a nice spot on their front patio. When I asked the woman there how to get to the cheese factory she gave us a great tourism book that came in handy in more ways than one. It was then that I found the name of the cafe I had been looking for: The Bean Counter Cafe. Having my fill of coffee, I decided to try and find an excuse to come back to Picton to try it.

From Picton we headed south east to Waupoos where we stopped at the South Marysburg pub and had an excellent lunch. Shayne has what was probably the best hummus I have ever tasted and I had a BLT with peameal bacon that was delicious. Here we also met up with another cyclist. A retired man that had actually cycled in from Toronto and was touring the area as well.

From Waupoos we headed on to the Black River Cheese factory where we stopped to peek in the shop. Shayne bought some cheese curds and I tasted all the cheese samples. It was a hot day and there was no way any cheese was going to make it back to our campsite.

After the cheese factory we had intended to head to Little Bluff which has an excellent view and a pebble beach. But we found some of the road under construction and we didn't know how long the road conditions would be poor. So we turned around and decided we would drive out there when we had some time. So we headed on towards Milford and then back to Sanbanks provincial Park .

This particular area of Prince Edward County is definitely more hilly. Towards the end of the day the heat and the climbing was getting tougher. Swimming at Sanbanks provincial Park that afternoon was an excellent end to the day.

I think we covered about 75 kilometers or so this day.

Bond Head (Newcastle) to Port Hope and back...

2005-09-11T14:43:00.000-04:00

I have been MIA as I took the last of my summer vacation time to do some cycling and camping in central Ontario.

The first day we drove from Toronto to Newcastle and parked at the small Bond Head parkette at the shore of Lake Ontario. We got the bikes out of the car and headed east on Lakeshore Road towards Port Hope. The entire trip between Bond Head and Port Hope is signed as part of the Waterfront trail. The riding is surface is paved and mostly in good shape, although a good portion of the pavement is bumpy like paved gravel and was a bit jarring on a road bike. It is mostly flat with a few really good climbs. Rolling farmland and great views of the lake. There is one very old wooden train bridge that while a piece of history is a bit frightening to cross!

There is some construction going on on the very south west edge of Port Hope as they are building some kind of housing complex out there. They were laying infrastructure when we came through so there was a lot of gravel and sand to negotiate, but it was only about half a kilometer or so. After that, the entrance into Port Hope is (like every port city it seems) a screaming descent down to Main Street.

We pulled into the street with the information center, locked up the bikes and headed inside. When Shayne did he cross Canada bike tour in 2003 he visited this same info center and met a woman working in there that permitted Shayne to camp on her lawn over night. He had hoped to run into her again, but we learned that she had (just that day!) had her second child and was now on maternity leave. So Shayne left her a note, we got some tips on good ice-cream and headed out to take a look at the waterfront. It was salmon fishing season and so the waterfront area was busy with people fishing.

I then needed to satisfy my lust for ice cream so we headed to a little store called Little Lords and Ladies. It is a kids toy store with a penny candy counter and ice cream.

From there we took some residential streets back west, out of Port Hope and retraced our route back to the car at Bond Head. We packed up and head out east for Sandbanks Provincial Park.

First time for everything...

2005-09-05T13:33:00.000-04:00

Since starting to do running races in 2000 and triathlons in 2002 I have never had a DNF (Did Not Finish) in a race ever. But there is a first time for everything.

On Sunday I raced the Olympic distance race in Guelph. While I was feeling a little ho-hum about the race I was excited to try and go out on a positive note this year (I was sick for one race and my first Olympic race this year was a tough go). Swim went pretty well. My time was around 30 minutes (times include a HORRIBLE hill climb up to T1). I was relaxed and had no problems sighting.

I felt like I was working hard on the bike. But it was windy and it seemed to always be a head wind or a cross wind. i made the turn around and was feeling happy that I hadn't been begging for the turn around to come like I was in my previous Olympic race. After the turn around I had to stop and open my front brake. It has been rubbing on my rim forever. It seems the mechanics look at it, fix it, but then it starts rubbing again after I use the brake a few times. So I fixed that I realized cycling felt ALOT easier which made me wonder how long it had been rubbing. A few kilometers after that, after turning a corner, I heard that familiar rubber squeaking sound of a tire that is not quite tight on a rim. Stopped, squeezed the tire and sure enough it was getting soft. I rode a bit up the road to an intersection as it seemed a safer location to pull over and fix it. The police officer asked if I had everything I needed as I had just missed SAG. I said I did, and started changing the flat. I screwed in the CO2 cartridge, squeezed the trigger and nother came out. Checked the seal on the valve, tried again. Nothing. Unscrewed the cartridge and can see that the seal had not been punctured. The police officer tried to get some more force behind it. Nothing. So i sat and waiting for SAG that never showed. The police officer drove me back to the race site and I handed in my chip.

Maybe I should have headed out on the run course anyway just to complete the day, but I was a bit discouraged and i had been sitting for so long that I just felt like i was "done".

So my first DNF and at the end of the season with no more chances to "prove" myself.

Let the off season begin.

Better now than Sunday...

2005-09-02T12:34:00.000-04:00

Got an early morning massage before work. I haven't seen my massage therapist in quite a while as she was away for a bit doing the oh-so-hard job of being the massage therapist to the Canadian National Waterskiing team. Nice work if you can get it. I was glad to hear her say that I am not as much of a mess as I thought I might be.

Then I walked my bike to the bike store for a quick warranty tune up before this weekend's race. While I was on my way I heard the tell tale hiss that says your tire is going flat. Sure enough the air slowly leaked out of the tire as I walked to the store. When I got it there we found a big ole staple in the tire. My fingers are crossed that that got my flats out of the way for at least a few days.

Hoping to get in a bike workout after I pick the bike up. But I might decide to just head home and call it a day.

Busy cities suck...

2005-09-01T09:41:00.000-04:00

When I woke up yesterday morning it was raining so I went back to bed instead of getting up to ride. So after work, in the whipping winds with gusts to 50kph I headed out to make up for it. Just went into High Park to ride the loop there and climb some hills. I really dislike riding at the end of the day. Way to many distractions. People and dogs not paying attention, way more traffic. I Definitely prefer the early morning hours, but this is getting tougher as we lose daylight hours.

Swam again this morning in the hot tub pool. The pool that I have come to love is closed for maintence, so I decided to try one close to my house. It is fine in emergencies, but full of slower old people and the water must be about 95 degrees. Oh well, after racing this weekend the off season begins and swimming may drop off for a while.

Excellent racing words of wisdom from my coach:

"Don’t fear the run. Let the first k be easy and get your running legs back. The ‘despair’ was only because of the situation on the run the last race. This race will be different. POSITIVE THOUGHTS ONLY from now to the end of the race! Visualize yourself during workouts being smooth and strong the whole time in the race."

Free Advice

2005-08-31T09:48:00.000-04:00

A year away and the advice is already coming in. Got a great message from an online friend with these wonderful words of wisdom:

(1) swim 3.8K, OW or straight set in the pool, as often as you can bear. The goal is to come out of the swim without having spent anything.

(2) Do most, if not all, of your long rides ALONE. You'll thank whoever gives you this advice after you've finished. Trust me. This is even more important for your first. After your first, it's no longer an issue because it's what you do naturally.

(3) Do not do any speedwork for the run. Instead, take any time for speedwork and put it to hill running. Your leg strength is what will carry you the last half, and first half for that matter, of the marathon. And, if you want to know what your legs will feel like during the IM mary, go out and run 18 miles and then find a long downhill and run down it...that will come close. You have to be able to run on legs that don't want to run. It's got to be automatic, and that will come from doing hill running. I ran an 18.x mile route 10-12 times before IMAZ that had close to 2,000 feet of vertical gain. The mary at IMAZ was a breeze.

(4) Ride 180K as many times as you can bear, then do it one more. It's all about confidence, and this will build it.

Have started to look at possible accommodations and there are so many beautiful areas to chose from that it looks like it is going to be hard to go wrong on this decision.

I also made a big purchase yesterday. I bought a computrainer. Basically it is a bike trainer that you hook up to your computer. You can get various riding data from it including power (watt) data. You can also download courses to your computer and the trainer will adjust the tension to simulate the terrain. So over the winter I can ride the IMC course if I like, or ride parts of it. Should make winter riding a lot more fun this year.

This just in...

2005-08-29T22:14:00.000-04:00

I came home from work to this sitting in my Outlook inbox:

"Your entry for IRONMAN CANADA has been received and is pending approval. Please check the information that follows for accuracy and notify Ironman North America at admin@ironmanusa.com if corrections need to be made."

Not sure what "pending approval" means. Probably means waiting for the cheque to clear. But it looks like this is the jumping off point.

Thanks Jeff for waiting in line to register me.