"Today"

Well tomorrow brought more of yesterday....hot, hot hot!

Remember the winter that wouldn't end?  It ended.

While riding in the heat and humidity is actually not too bad as long as you hydrate properly, running is a slightly different animal.  Primarily of course because you don't get the benefit of air passing over you like you do on your bike.  Poor hydration can become a life altering event.

On top of the weather threat, I once again struggled through a dream filled night that left me listless.

But without excuses I headed out to see what would happen.

It was slow!  It was torturous!  It was fun!

I did pretty well staying hydrated, losing only 7 pounds, and feel pretty good about my 36 kms!

Like I said, slow as molasses in January, but it was totally walk free!  I stopped 3 times at the mailbox for refreshments but that was it!

Coming just 2 days after my Ironman distance ride, I think it speaks volumes for my overall endurance level.  Last time I checked, Ironman is a pretty long undertaking.

I'm most proud of the patience I showed today in controlling my speed.  I was at least a half minute per km slower than I would typically be on a long run, but I had no doubt that it was the only way anything good was gonna happen today.  Yeah me!

And the best part of all?  It's now recovery week!  For 7 whole days I get to act like a normal idiot!  That still means lots of workouts, but much shorter.  Game on!

run 36 kms

"Endurance is patience concentrated."---Thomas Carlyle

Love
Peter

"Tomorrow"

I'm not sure what the day will bring, but when can we ever truly say that we know.  We'll find out when it gets here.

"When you can think of yesterday without regret and tomorrow without fear, you are near contentment."---Anon

Love
Peter

"Thank You For Not Speeding"

Unfortunately I had a rough sleeping night last night, and my resulting lack of enthusiasm meant I didn't get out of the house until almost 10 o'clock.  Unfortunate because the temperature was already climbing quickly by then, and I knew I was in for a hot, mother freakin, day!  Regardless, or perhaps because of the bad night and the late start, I was determined to keep my speed in check for the entire ride.  I really wanted to feel good on the day, and hopefully have a good transition run.

About 12 kms into the ride I was heading into the village of Port Stanley which is at the bottom of a nice little kilometre long hill.  Because of the slope most cars are still flying along pretty good when they hit the 50km/hr zone.  Today, just as you entered the town they had one of those automated radar machines set up that report your speed on a big electronic sign.   If appropriate your speed would also be accompanied by a warning to slow down!!  I seen the thing well in advance, and so I decided I was gonna see if it would get a reading on me.  Sure enough I got radared!  But instead of a speed reading all I got was, "thank you for not speeding"!  Damn!

Oh well.  It was good motivation for me to stay focused on my commitment to keep things in check.  Regardless, the next time I came to the same spot I decided I was gonna show that sign who was boss.  I tucked low into the aero position and gave it all I had, only to get absolutely nothing!  Damn again.  I think I was too close to the car in front of me for the thing to have a chance to reset.

Anyway, on I went, and the heat continued to build.  I had water stashed by the mailbox, but even that ran out and I had to head home a bit early.  Not to end my ride early mind you, but only to get some more hydration.  The resulting route change however meant that I was gonna see the radar machine one more time, and despite being pretty tired by them (170 kms), I tried once more to get the 'slow down' warning.  To no avail!   I actually managed to trigger a reading this time (57 kms/hr), but that was it.  Apparently that's not fast enough to get into trouble.  Damn again!

Anyway, I finished my 180 kms uneventfully, except for the first flat of the year.  That was good anyway because I needed the practice.  I think it took me close to 10 minutes, which tells me I still need more practice.

The data says that I rode at an average speed of 28.8 kms/hr, an average power output of 138 watts, and that the average air temperature was 31.5 degrees!  I can also tell you that I hydrated fairly well because I only lost about 4 pounds.....after ingesting almost 20 in fluids!!

Of course I still had my transition run to do, and while it was not perfect it was damn good considering the weather.  The plan called for 8 kms of which I ran the first 6, and then walked/jogged the final two.  I'm pretty happy with that.  And now I'm tired, but not exhausted.  That's a damn good sign!  Game on!

Oh, by the way.  My withdrawal symptoms are all gone.  :)

ride 180 kms, run 8 kms

"Life is like a ten speed bicycle. Most of us have gears we never use."---Charles M Schulz

"Just remember, once you're over the hill you begin to pick up speed."---Arthur Schopenhauer

"I have one speed, I have one gear: go!---Charlie Sheen

Love

Peter

"Withdrawal"

Been edgy as a cat in a cage all freakin day.  I'm gonna fix that tomorrow.  It will be the full Ironman distance of 180k.  Gonna be a hot one!  Wish me luck.

"Through loyalty to the past, our mind refuses to realize that tomorrow's joy is possible only if today's makes way for it; that each wave owes the beauty of its line only to the withdrawal of the preceding one."---Andre Gide

Love
Peter

"Listen To Your Body"

This morning when I woke up it said "Whoa!"

And despite the pleasure I took in yesterdays addictive workout I knew already then that I was on the edge.  Just the fact that I started out so sluggishly told the story.

So I headed out the door towards the hills this morning, but only because my feet seemed to take me that way.  It turned into a lovely 2 km walk!

I'm probably running too much but I have a bit of a mental block around that.  I need to think very seriously about my remaining long runs.

And instead of hills I went to the pool.  Despite the luxury of swimming in the 50 meter outdoor pool in London I barely had any energy there either.  My swimming has now officially gone from bad to worse!!  And with the way my shoulder feels it ain't gonna get any better!  Such is life eh?

So tomorrow's a complete day off.  I'm gonna sleep in!  Maybe take the kids out for breakfast since apparently school's over for another year!

swim 2000 metres, very slow

"Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen."---Winston Churchill

Love
Peter

"It's No Wonder It's Addictive"

You may be very surprised to learn that the week following my Ironman crash last year was one of the most pleasant of my life.  And yes I was on vacation in the RV with 3 of my favourite people, but while that certainly helped offset the feelings of anger and frustration I was experiencing, it was not the sole reason.

You see I had drugs!  While I didn't whine to the doctor about the level of physical pain I was experiencing, he must have had a pretty good idea, because he gave me 10 days supply of the mother of all painkillers, oxycontin!!

So while I avoided taking them during the day when we were travelling, once we settled in somewhere I would immediately head to my little bottle of magic.   Not just did it make my specific, injury related pain go away, it also immediately alleviated every other little ache and pain that my old body routinely experiences.  No more hip pain!  No more radiation related, mouth and throat pain! No more eye strain, etc etc.  Just blissful, relaxed, groginess.  It's no wonder it's addictive.

But that's not half of the story!

I don't know how or why this is, but the real serious impact of the drug was not on my body, but rather on my mind.  Within a half hour of taking those 2 little candies all my cares and troubles would simply evaporate.  No worrying about children, money, health etc.  Just plain magic! It's no wonder it's addictive.

Fortunately I am blessed with a personal situation that would make getting more of the shit a difficult task, other wise I may have considered it.  The primary aspect of that situation is of course my wife, who once before caught me trying to get hooked on something....that time it was primarily hydromorphone.  I suspect my own bit of drug phobia may play into that a little as well, so I'll take some credit too.....

Anyway, I survived all that happiness in a bottle, and here I am, almost a year later.  Of course my throat hurts like it does every day, but I also know it's the lesser of 2 evils.

And speaking of today, I wish to tell you about my workout.  Since the skies were looking very troubled I decided to start out in the basement.  I chose a moderately hard ride, since I expected to still be a bit tired from my 34 kms, and it worked out well  Just tough enough to tax me, without going over the edge.  Then of course I still needed to do my little transition run outside, which is always the toughest part of these double workouts.

But out I went, slow as molasses, not too motivated, staring at the ground.  My first km took almost 6 minutes, but the worst of it was that my achilles started acting up right away.  Immediately all the alarm bells went off.

" I need to stop right away"
"There is no way I will be able to do hills tomorrow"
"What about my 8K transition run on Saturday?"
"That's the end of long runs again!"

But I didn't stop, and the next km was a wee bit faster, and a wee bit less painful.

Then by km 3, I was suddenly straightened up, going a bit faster again, and lo and behold my heel was getting way better, not worse.

Kilometer 4 was completely pain free!

And for all of kilometer 5 I just experienced the pure, unadulterated joy of running.  No worrying about children, money, health etc.  And after I got back home and had a shower I had trouble staying awake.  All I felt was a kind of blissful, relaxed, groginess.  It's no wonder it's addictive.

And while I don't pretend for a second that exercise provides the same kind of short term euphoria that a good chemical can give, there are of course some other advantages.  Funny enough though, drugs and exercise share one common side effect, in that in both cases you build up a physical and mental tolerance.  For the first that means you need more of it, and for the other it means you can do more of it!!  I love it!

No wonder it's addictive!

And this knowledge is what keeps me doing it, and doing it, and doing it!  And will keep me doing it, for as long as I can do it!!

Here's my splits by the way.

5:51
5:33
4:58
4:43
4:25

basement ride 75 mins, transition run 5kms

...I like this...

"Beware of addictive medicines. Everything in moderation. This applies particularly to the Internet and your sofa. The physical world is ultimately the source of all inspiration. Which is to say, if all else fails: take a bike ride."---Aaron Koblin

Love

Peter

"Feelin Good"

A little tired and a little sore, but very good mentally.

It was a day of dog pens, self propelled lawn mowers, wild rabbits, and book stores.  You can tell I have an eclectic taste in activities.

swim 1000 metres

"The essence of the beautiful is unity in variety.---Felix Mendelssohn

Love
Peter

"No Regrets"

Like most things in life, regrets are a decision.  I decided in advance of my run that I was not gonna have any doubts after the fact, no matter what transpired today.

And it worked.  Certainly that attitude helped me to relax, and take it one proverbial step at a time.  By 4 kms I was pretty sure it wouldn't last long anyway, as I had the tightness in my chest and shortness of breath that I've learned to recognize as a bit of overtraining.  This prompted me to slow down even more from  my conservative start, and furthermore I decided I was gonna take a short walking break every 4 kms or so, starting right then.  As well, I decided to stay close to home so that if I totally bonked I wouldn't be stranded.  I kept my breaks to a maximum of 1 minute, and used the time effectively to get lots of water down. That seemed to calm everything down, and by 7-8 kms I had found a slow but steady rhythm.

Still, staying close meant that I would pass the mailbox every 8.5 kms, and thereby allow me to use the wisdom I committed to in case of exhaustion, or what I really expected, which was to be beat by my achilles problem.

Once around was 8.5 kms, twice was 17, three times was of course 25.5, and the last tough loop made it a perfect 34 kms!!  It was the slowest 34 kms I've ever run, and in the end I took 10 walking breaks,
 but I have no regrets!!

Beyond that,  in regards to my endurance I am pleased, and in regards to my achilles, I'm amazed.  I have never experienced an injury that came on so fast, and  then at least retreated to a functional level, again so quickly.  As a matter of fact I would say that 6 hours later my traditionally problematic right heel is worse than the left.  It's kinda nice actually when they both hurt, because I don't limp! ha ha

And as to cause, while I acknowledge that it had started to be a problem before the race, there is no longer any doubt in my mind that the major culprit was the shoes!  And although they are a fairly light shoe, I think the biggest problem was the lack of laces.  They use a velcro closure which I suspect simply didn't provide enough snugness, and when combined with the absence of socks resulted in a great deal of friction, that in turn caused serious inflammation, even over a short 7.5kms.  In contrast, the shoes I ran 34 kms in today, are your typical middle of the road running shoes, brand new, straight out of the freakin box!

I rest my case!

So while I know I'm gonna be a bit sore for a few days, and while I know I have to continue to work hard on my achilles improvement program (bilaterally), I have absolutely no regrets about today's effort!

Game on!!

run 34 kms

"We must all suffer one of two things: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret or disappointment."---Jim Rohn

"I'm living with every step. I can't live with regret. The past is the past. I'm not worried about it. I can't change it. I can't fix it. It is what it is. I'm just living."--- Ryan Sheckler

...and while this one doesn't really fit the post, it had the right word in it, and I quite liked it...

"Has this world been so kind to you that you should leave with regret? There are better things ahead than any we leave behind."---C S Lewis

Love
Peter

"Today We Built This"

The good Lord may have rested on Sunday, but it's the only day of the week that I have time to do anything!

Me and this guy!

And anyone that knows us knows that Jon and I share a special joy in all things technical.  There is not much in life that I appreciate more than a day spent on a project with this man.  Thanks as always son, for your unreserved and unhesitating help.

Phase 2 done.  Phase 3 is the transparent (solar grey) roof.  Soon!

And my achilles continues to amaze me.  I expected it to get worse with the construction work but that fear never quite materialized.  Yes, it's a wee bit sore now, but not enough to stop me from trying a "longish" run tomorrow.  I will go into it with a completely open mind, and try to remain wise if it starts to be a problem.  Oh, and trust me.  I will not be wearing the shoes of the triathlon day!  I already tried giving them away but to no avail.

"Be true to yourself, help others, make each day your masterpiece, make friendship a fine art, drink deeply from good books, build a shelter against a rainy day, give thanks for your blessings, and pray for guidance every day."---John Wooden

Love
Peter

"No More Days Off"

After all it didn't help any.

Then again, maybe it did?

I was not elated with my workout today, considering that I've had it fairly easy lately.  Never the less, my learning of yesterday motivates me to avoid  analyzing it, and just accept it for what it is.

The ride itself was not too bad as I kept it in control the entire 170 kms, and I ate and drank well.  I actually felt pretty good heading out on my run, but still ran out of gas half way through my planned 7 kms.  I wobbled through the rest of  in a walk/jog format.

The big question however was how the old achilles was gonna react, and I gotta tell you it was about what I expected.  I felt it almost right away, and it never went away.  I had very little optimism about running again within the week, and I couldn't even imagine a long run.

The crazy thing is, that when I got home and took off my shoes and the brace, it almost immediately felt better.  I expected it to start swelling right away, and as usually happens with these things, start hurting seriously within an hour or so.  It's now 4 hours since I got home, and while it's a bit tender, it is not anywhere near what it was after my triathlon!!  I feel a wee bit of hope that I may be able to keep training, and keep it in check.  I will continue to ice this evening, and tomorrow morning will probably tell a lot of the story.  We shall see.

Anyway, I feel pretty good overall and I think it's more of a mental thing than anything.  I know I will complete this Ironman in 8 weeks, and that's all I ever signed up for.  World records will perhaps be in the cards for my next incarnation.

ride 170 kms, 28.8 kms/hr    run 7 kms, 5:40/km 

...and it really is all in the attitude...

"If you have a body, you're an athlete"---Bill Bowerman

"The only disability in life is a bad attitude"--Scott Hamilton

"Everything is hard before it is easy"---Goethe

"The good lord gave you a body that can stand almost anything.  It's your mind that you need to convince"---Vince Lombardi

Love
Peter

"Gave Myself A Gift"

The problem with this Ironman stuff is not just the hours you need to commit to the training, it's also about how you schedule those hours such that they fit into the rest of your life.  And it's not a simple as just scheduling it around other activities, but scheduling it so you still feel like doing the other stuff.

Today was a case in point. I wanted to spend time on my patio roof project because I plan on going to Guelph on Sunday for phase 2 of the installation.  I knew I had a good days work ahead of me, but I also needed to get a good swim in.  The problem is that Friday morning is crazy at the pool, so my only option was to work for half a day, then go swimming, and then come back to finish up.

But I knew that once I got into the measuring and sawing groove I wouldn't feel like stopping, and if I did manage to drag myself to the pool, that I would no longer feel like sawing afterwards.

So I gave myself a gift.

A day with no Ironman thinking, training, or whining!

I had a fantastic day.

When I thought about anything, sore achilles, sore finger, sore shoulder, I rejected every one of them.  The truth is that not one of those aches is worth mentioning outside of the context of how it might affect my Ironman.

My life is a little out of balance.

Eight weeks to go and then I'm gonna take that balance back.

Today was an eye opener for me.

But just like my commitment to the patio project I need to finish what I started, and so tomorrow is one of the remaining 4 long workouts.  Of course this one is complicated by uncertainty around my achilles, but that too will be over by this time tomorrow.

"Life is a gift, and it offers us the privilege, opportunity, and responsibility to give something back by becoming more."---Tony Robbins

Love
Peter

"Home Alone"

And liking it so far.  I have 4 whole days with no sweetheart, and no grandchildren.  I'm sure the novelty will wear off very quickly, but it's quite nice to just be responsible for your's truly for a few days.  The only task I was left with was to take daily picture of Roos rabbits.

Here you go dear.

Yup!  Six little bunnies right outside our back door.  I think Kylie has them all named.  As for my part, aside from taking pictures, I'm gonna let them live.  Unlike the stupid chipmunks, they don't try to chew their way into my house!

And my body is feeling a bit better again today.  I hope it's a trend.

easy 50 km ride

"I long, as does every human being, to be at home wherever I find myself."---Maya Angelou

Love
Peter

"The Spirit Is Willing"

Yah, and you know the rest of it.  My body is hurtin!!

I had an easy swim today and I'm afraid that getting to the start line of the swim will be an accomplishment in itself.  I continue to lose mobility in my shoulder, and I struggle with decisions around how much to swim.  I'm afraid that if I do too much I will totally seize up, and yet if I don't do enough how can I possibly be prepared to swim 4 kms??  I may have to go see a freakin doctor, damn it!!

And I'm also afraid that a regular day at the farm, sawing lumber, and changing oil and such, has left my achilles very sore.  I'm not quite so optimistic about a saturday run.  Again I struggle with strategy.  Do I just sit on may ass with my feet up while it gets better?  I have stuff to do, damn it!!

But I'm pretty sure I'm just aging.  Every one does that at their own pace, and although I expect to live many more happy and healthy years. I also believe that my clock is ticking fairly quickly.  And I'm totally okay with that, except for the fact that it's affecting my training, damn it!

The good news is that my retirement plan should work out ok.  The finance guy told me I'll probably outlive my money, but I'm not worried.  Woohoo!!  Game on!!

swim, 1500 metres

"The purpose of training is to tighten up the slack, toughen the body, and polish the spirit."---Morihei Ueshiba

Love

Peter

"Almost Normal!"

No not me.  That ain't ever gonna happen.  What's nearly normal is my walking.  I'm working the therapy real hard, and after tonite I think I can back off the icing and the drugs, and focus on stretching and massage.  I still have to be very patient mind you.  I haven't jogged one step yet.

Thank goodness it  doesn't limit my riding at all, and despite very unpredictable weather conditions I got out for a nice joy ride today.  It was extremely windy but as I discover over and over again, riding with a power meter takes so much stress away.  I simply don't care how fast I'm riding, as long as I know how hard I'm riding.

Some interesting data from my ride today, which kinda highlights my point.  After a warmup of about 30 minutes I rode hard into that ugly wind for 10 kms.  I averaged 201 watts and a speed of 25.7 kms/hr.  Than after a 10 km recovery session, I did the same hard 10 kms, but in reverse.  This time I averaged 206 watts, and a speed of 43 kms/hr!!!  Pretty cool eh?  The wind made a difference of over 16 kms/hr!

Without the power meter I would have rode too hard on the first interval (against the wind), and would never have been able to duplicate my effort on the second (with the wind).  Actually you may say that I rode even harder for the second leg, but the truth of it is that I took me 9 minutes less....14 vs 23!!  Holy cow!

Anyway, I was happy with my effort.  I love my bike and I love riding it.  I went just over 55 kms total, and loved every mother freakin moment of it.  Woohoo.

Tomorrow's pool day and while I don't look as eagerly forward to that, I still want to become a real swimmer some time in my life.  I know I've probably said this before, but after this Ironman I'm gonna find someone who can help me.  I know I have some significant physical limitations that will prevent me from ever getting fast, but I still want to do better within those limitations.  We shall see.

ride 55 kms

"Maybe your weird is my normal. Who's to say?"---Nicki Minaj

Love
Peter

"Walk Slowly"

And carry a big stick!

No wait!

That's walk 'softly' and carry a big stick!  Remember Buford Pusser?

Regardless, I'm not very good at either soft or slow, and I don't even have a big stick to carry.

I had a whole bunch of errands to run today, and I found myself looking for close parking spots whenever I arrived at a new stopping point.  The only way I could get around reasonably well was to walk very slowly, and there's not much that tests my patience more than "walking freakin slowly."  Every once in a while I would get frustrated and determine that I was gonna go faster regardless of the pain, but that never worked out.  My un-cooperative calf muscle would just start to cramp in an effort to protect the achilles, and it invariably worked, in that I always slowed down again.

So I gave it up, stopped trying to park close, and just walked slow. And for some strange reason, I enjoyed my errand run in ways I normally don't.  I bought a few things for my wife (which I don't do often enough), and actually browsed around one of my favourite stores (Lee Valley Tools) for a half hour.   Usually I get anxious within 5 minutes in any store, and need to move on.

And somehow that whole deal is a metaphor for my life.  Go like freakin mad, never slowing for anything.  Then when something blows up, have a look around, think a little more about those around me, and even take a few moments to smell the proverbial roses.

And so the cycle goes eh?  Such is life.  I'm pretty sure that I'm gonna be all cranked up again by the weekend!

And as to that stick, I could probably have used one to lean on today, but that would go against the grain for me.  There are many people out there who truly need one and heaven help me I don't envy them, or begrudge them their stick.  I also see some people who seem to take pleasure in effecting the need for a stick, and that's an attitude I can do without!

And the recovery while slow, is indeed in motion.  It is definitely better today than yesterday, and I still remain committed to my plan to run by Saturday.

"It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop."---Confucious

Love
Peter

"More Determined Than Ever"

You can't always control what happens to you, but you can always control your attitude in response to what happens.  That doesn't mean it's easy, and depending on the circumstances it is sometimes very hard to maintain a positive outlook when shit happens.  I suppose it depends primarily on the amount of change the issue forces on your life.  And even with a commitment to fight the adversity with a positive outlook, for most people there is at least a  grief period, or a period of adjustment if you will.

With my latest woes I never particularly set out to limit my grief period, but it turns out I was all done in 24 hours.  I refer to my very, very, sore left achilles, which finally motivated me at 5 am to pack up my stuff and go home.  After another sleepless night, and much hemming and hawing, I  gave myself permission not to injure myself further.

There is no doubt in my mind that I would have tried to run if I had started the race, and even aside from that there was the unavoidable 400 km run-up from the water to the transition area....in bare feet, on concrete!!  As a matter of fact that was when I first sensed a problem in yesterdays race, and in hindsight where it all began.  And as to why this relatively minor problem flared up so quickly, the only explanation I have is that, and perhaps a poor shoe choice.  I wore a very light pair of shoes that I was considering for my Ironman, with the intent of trying them on a short course, and then if okay, moving them up to the half today.  Hard to believe that shoes could be the culprit over such a short distance (7.5 kms), but I can tell you that further to the discomfort I felt barefoot, I also felt some pain immediately upon heading out on my run.  As even more evidence, I ran 32 kms just 5 days prior without any serious problems.

But why I'm on the shelf now really doesn't matter beyond the knowledge I gained about these shoes. The reality is that I can not run a step right now, and even a natural walking gait is out of the question.

As to my aforementioned 24 hours it was during my bike ride today (at home), that it finally kicked in that feeling sorry for myself wasn't gonna add anything to my life, and furthermore would take away from the lives of those who need to interact with me.  I was at 21 kms when I realized that I can probably walk a marathon in 7 hours, that I could easily complete the swim and bike in 8, for a grand total of 15.  That would leave me 2 hours to spare, and have me still finish ahead of about 400 others, based on last years results.

And that's the worst case scenario.  I'm pretty sure that I'm gonna get this under control within a couple of weeks, primarily because it came on so quickly.  It doesn't feel that way right now, but I think the picture will be a lot clearer in a couple of days.  I'll keep you posted.

Meanwhile, I know I can ride without aggravating it cause I still did 90 kms when I got home, and it also leaves me without an excuse to focus on my swimming a little more.  Time will tell eh?

You know what's really crazy? The fact that the biggest hurdle I had to overcome today was an overwhelming feeling of guilt.  That's what I tossed and turned about all night.  I felt like a quitter, just for considering going home.  There is still a nagging sense of that, but fortunately it is slowly being displaced by the practical knowledge that if I had hurt myself even more, I would be deeply regretful.

And the truth of the matter is that at this point I haven't lost any serious training.  This was supposed to be an easy week anyway, and if I can get back to running in 2 weeks or less I will be fine.  Right now my goal is to be able to do my 7K transition run after my long bike next saturday.  That would be good!!

And that's it my friends.  Game on!  Nine weeks form today I will be competing in my 4th Ironman!!

ride 90 kms

...I had to think about this one...but then I liked it

"Meanings are not determined by situations, but we determine ourselves by the meanings we give to situations."---Alfred Adler

Love
Peter

"Waking Up In The Dark"

Literally and figuratively.

I'm pretty sure I woke up at least 20 times throughout the night.  I'm not sure why, other then maybe the fact that I've not been away from home for a long time.  As a matter of fact, I think that other than one night at Roo's trail race last fall, this was the first time since Tremblant.  And on those other occasions I wasn't away alone.  It's funny but when you think it would be nice to have a couple of days to yourself, it doesn't always turn out that way.  I was definitely a bit lonely.  It may also explain why I woke up in a dark mood, and the only thing I can say about that is 'thank god for my triathlon!'

Because of course once I got my act in gear and started prepping for the race, I felt much better.

As to the race itself I can call it  a huge success because at 58 years old, I can still swim 750 metres, bike 30 kms, and run 7.5 kms. all in succession.  I think that's pretty good.  The fact that I was quite a bit slower than expected needs to remain irrelevant.

The intent was to relax and enjoy the day, but certainly I relaxed a bit too much in the water.  I didn't think I was gonna set any records, but my wetsuit felt extremely good, and I thought I was doing okay til I got out.  Normal in the pool would be about 15 minutes, but today it took me almost 18.

The bike ride was fine as well although I froze my proverbial balls off, and the run was okay.  Age however is clearly taking a toll.

Despite all that "okay" news, I am a bit chagrined to report a very sore left achilles.  This issue has totally surprised me, because up until 2 weeks ago I have never to my recollection had any problems with the left foot/ankle.  As of right now it is very uncomfortable to even walk, and jogging is totally out of the question.  I am icing, and ibuprofen-ing, and stretching, and I even went to the drug store and bought a good compression sleeve.

Tomorrow will be a test of my resolve, and by that I don't mean suffering through the pain.  I mean, will I have the courage to quit if it's clear that it's the smart choice.  I considered asking if I could switch to the swim/bike option, but I chose not to do that.  If I were to switch then I would no longer even have the opportunity to do the run, and the worst that can happen if I choose simply to quit at that point, will be that I show up as a DNF.  The only thing that hurts is my ego, and as most who know me can tell you, it is robust enough to handle a few disappointments. :)

So that's the race report.  I finished 7th out of 16 in my age group, and 121/st overall out of 288, with a time of 1:55:34.

The one thing I have to remind myself of, is that although I may be slower in the short races, it does not necessarily equate to the same in longer events.  Let's see what tomorrow brings eh?  Whatever it is, I'm gonna be okay with it.  You know why?  Cause the only

swim 750, bike 30, run 7.5

"Faith is the bird that feels the light when the dawn is still dark."---Rabindranath Tagore

"Flowers grow out of dark moments."---Corita Kent

Love

Peter

"All Charged Up"

No, not me.  My technology.  My bike computer, my GPS watch, and my electronic shifters all use rechargeable batteries.  My pedals also use batteries, but they're not the rechargeable kind so I didn't even bother to check them.  They're not mission critical, and so I chose not to worry about them.  I suppose actually that the only one that is critical is the electronic shifters, because it would be a long freakin ride with a single gear bike!  But since the watch and the computer  tell me how much longer my pain's gonna last, I like having them functioning.  And even though I didn't bother with my pedals I'm pretty confident that the batteries are still good.  And although not mission critical I am quite interested in checking them out; not tomorrow so much, as for the half on Sunday.  They of course give me power output readings, and I'm damn curious to see how I feel on the 21 km run, if indeed I manage to keep my wattage in check.....and I will!!

I'm already sitting in Welland in the RV, not 50 metres form the transition area.  How sweet is that?  In the morning I will get up at 6:45, check in and rack my bike, and then I will have nearly 2 hours for a leisurely breakfast,  a leisurely dump, and a leisurely race prep.  At 8:30 I will saunter over to the water and take my place in line.  Tomorrow's race is a time trial start, wherein one person goes off every 5 seconds, and since they go by age I can saunter over very, very, slowly, as befits a senior person like me.

Over the course of the weekend I will be trying out all my Mont Tremblant gear, some of it old, but some of it new to racing.  The only regret I have is that I won't have new sunglasses.  That's another story altogether, that I hope comes with a happy ending soon, but that's also a story for another day.  For this weekend it's new tri suit, new helmet (broke the old one somehow :), new socks,  new running shoes, and new nutrition.  I'm especially interested  to see how "Pete's Ironman Magic" fuels the old bod under race conditions.  And yes, that's what it's called, because I named it that myself.  I may have told you about a company out of Windsor called Infinit Nutrition that custom blends your drink for you, and that it actually costs less than mixing up your own concoction.  And the best part of course is that you name it yourself, and it comes labelled that way!!  Pete's Ironman Magic!!  Too cool!!

And speaking of being charged up I must admit that I'm feeling a wee bit energetic myself right now. I'm not really nervous about the racing, I think it's just the inevitable result of having a few days off (good idea), and having consumed 3 cups of coffee today (bad idea).  Actually I must admit to a wee bit of nerves about the swim.  Because of all this global warming the canal is pretty cold, and when you combine that with my ongoing shoulder pain it leaves me at the very least, uncertain what to expect.  Oh well.  Game on!  I can always quit if I don't like it.

And lastly for this friday the 13th, I wish to tell you that I am immensely proud of Roo's youngest son today.  Not because it's friday the 13th, but rather just for who he is.  He doesn't read this, so it's safe for me to speak out.  You rock Adrian!!  The world is yours for the taking!!

Actually one more thing.  Hats off today to Kathleen Wynne.  I have no more confidence in her than I did in any of her predecessors, but her success points out one more time what an amazing country I live in.  Abso-freakin-lutely amazing!!  My parents made a wise choice when they set sail for Canada 60 some years ago!!

And your smile of the day comes at the expense of Tim Hudac.  My grandson told me this morning that he was glad the PC's didn't win because they wanted to get rid of the two school system in Ontario.  He was very worried that if that happened they would stop teaching science because the "Catholics taught all that God stuff instead".  I assured him that that the 2 school system is indeed ridiculous and unfair,  and that if there was only one system 'all that God stuff' would stay where it belongs...out of the school system!  He was relieved for his future.

...and from my idol...

"If we could just find out who's in charge, we could kill him".  George Carlin

Love
Peter

"The Troubles I Dream Up!"

This morning while driving the kids to school our impending Ironman/vacation trip came up in the conversation.  Colby gave me some advice on what to do if I see a stranded cyclist beside the road.  "Keep on riding", he said.  For some reason it triggered an awful emotional flashback.  I re-lived the moment in my mind, and some 11 hours later I can still feel the emotion of it.

Deep down inside I'm pretty sure that I have still not recovered from that day in August, and as much as that may seem a bit pathetic, it is what it is.  I have tried not to dwell on it, and I believe I will finally exorcise those demons in August this year.  In the mean time I will try to keep it all in perspective.

Which I can do fairly well when I'm awake, but until I can master lucid dreaming I am still at the mercy of the sleep monsters.  Night before last was another beauty.

I had travelled with some others to a marathon somewhere, only to find when we got there that we had a half hour walk from the parking area to the start line.  Oh well. what could we do but start walking. I don't remember the walk very well with the exception of the fact that it was quite complicated.  Never the less, we arrived in plenty of time for the race start.

But whoops.  I had no shoes!  No running shoes, no walking shoes, no hiking shoes....no freakin shoes of any kind!  I still remember looking down at my feet to discover nothing but the regular every day white socks that I buy from Costco.  The fact that I didn't notice this minor absence throughout the entire walk is no more mad than the fact that I briefly considered running the marathon in my Costco socks.

I think I must have realized how much that was gonna hurt because I quickly rejected the idea and decided to hightail it back to my car.  And this time I remembered the trip very well because it was an absolute tortuous obstacle course which somehow included invading numerous peoples kitchens, as well as a jumble of market vendors stalls.  A totally bizarre journey, intend solely to frustrate me.

But somehow I made it to may car only to discover some strangers hanging around.  I got my shoes out of the car, and then while one of the people distorted me, another person stole my laptop.  Or so I thought.  Turns out it was just hidden under some papers and I had to apologize for my mistake.  I'm not sure what the laptop nonsense was all about because it seemed totally unrelated.

Regardless I somehow made it back to the race in time and completed the entire marathon.

The weird part is that I didn't dream my way through the marathon at all, but I know I ran it, as the next thing I remember is telling big sister Cory that I didn't remember any of it.  Very strange.

What it all means, if anything, I don't know.  I do know that I'm getting ready for my upcoming race weekend so perhaps that's been a trigger.  Saturday will be my first post crash triathlon, and Sunday will be a half Ironman. I'm actually really looking forward to both races, especially the half, so if I have any fears they are all subconscious.  Crazy really, that a half Ironman distance isn't even worth getting nervous about.

And if I had any nerves at all they would have been put to bed today, as I spent a good part of the afternoon cleaning my bike.  I always find that a relaxing undertaking.  It wasn't too filthy, but I did find a bad tire and a loose bolt, both of which have been dealt with.

And that's it for today.  I did spend a little over an hour sitting on the trainer, but nothing serious.  I find it interesting how taking it easy seems to make me tired.  Tomorrow I will go for a very short walk/jog with a beginner running friend who I'm coaching through his beginnings, and then I'll be off to Welland with my RV.  Woohoo!!

computrainer 75 mins easy

"I've heard there are troubles of more than one kind;
some come from ahead, and some come from behind.
But I've brought a big bat. I'm all ready, you see;
now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!"---Dr Seuss

Love
Peter

"Ran Out Of Day"

Damn! And I had a good story to tell you as well.  Oh well.  It'll keep.  ttyt

Love
Peter

"Must Be The Speedo!"

If you have paid any attention at all you would know that I like to buy new workout gear now and again.  I don't make any apologies for it, because I think it's okay to feel good about what I wear, and how I look.  After all, it's my addiction!

The funny thing is that despite wanting to look nice, I don't really consider myself vain.  Case in point, the swimming pool.  That's one place where it's just about impossible to hide the reality of my aging body.  And I don't even try.  And I don't feel in the least bit self conscious in my speedo, despite all the lumps, bumps, sags, and discolourations.  And that probably explains why I've been wearing the same one for 6 years straight now!  Usually they don't last that long in the chlorinated water, but I rinse it and run it through the spinner every time, and then hang it to dry.

But it occurred to me today that maybe I could blame this old swim suit for my constantly degrading swim speed.  Do you think?

I wish!

The reality of my swimming is that it just ain't gonna get any better.  Swimming requires co-ordination, flexibility and athletic ability.  I never had any of these in any abundance 20 years ago when I first learned to swim, and sadly they have only deteriorated ever since.  The lack of flexibility is clearly my numb one curse.

And it's okay.  I've decided to accept it.  They let me swim with a wetsuit which at least allows me to take advantage of my fitness, and that's gonna have to be good enough.  Besides, with the money I save on speedos, I'm gonna buy something else!!

swim, 1000 metres

"Never forget that only dead fish swim with the stream."---Malcolm Muggeridge

Love

Peter

"Just In The Dick Of Time"

For a recovery week that is.

My run went fine until about 28 kms at which time the wheels fell off.  I was not however, too surprised.  It's been a pretty intense 2 weeks, and it's now time to absorb all that hard work.  Of course I punished myself through the last 4 kms of my 32, but I threw a few walks in at that point so I don't think I did any damage.

I'm also struggling with some soreness in my good foot, so I can let that heal up a little bit as well.  I'm seriously considering not running all week, in anticipation of my upcoming triathlon double header next weekend.

I think all is well, if I can only struggle through the week.  It's called an easy week, but in essence I will find it hard to back off.  Wish me luck!

run 32 kms, 5:38/km

"Time is but the stream I go a-fishing in."---Henry David Thoreau

Love
Peter

"You May Find This Bizarre"

I know I almost do, and I live with me every day!

Yesterdays workout was a continuous 6 hours from start to finish, and despite the gratification of a super workout I was of course tired last night.

This morning I was out running some errands (getting stuff for the chicks we're hatching in Ky's classroom), and I realized that I was already thinking about tomorrow's long run!  And thinking about it with a sense of anticipation, and imminent pleasure.

And while I don't know if it qualifies as bizarre, you must admit it is at least pretty unusual.  I tried to analyze what it is that draws me so, and never came up with a definitive answer.  It's not like the physical action of running in itself brings any pleasure (generally it hurts), so it must be  psychological.  And to think that it is the length of the run that particularly attracts me??

I was gonna suggest that I would try to analyze it while I'm actually running, but then it occurred to me that such attempt may fall flat.  Either I will get so zoned out that I won't be able to focus on the question, or trying to answer the question will actually negate my good feelings.

It's funny because although they're both attractive to me, I feel different while running than riding.  For example.  While riding yesterday I figured out to 4 decimal places what my speed was in kms/hr, based on having taken 17 1/2 minutes to ride the last 10 kms!!!  I could never do that while running, because I would continually get lost in the math.  Certainly my heart rate is a bit higher while running which typically means less blood to the brain (cause everything else is using it), but I think it's more than just that.  I somehow lose myself in the run.

I think that somehow the primal aspects of running kick in.  Running as a way to get from place to place, or as a way to catch food, or perhaps even as a means of escape.

Yes escape maybe?  From what?  Life?  Is that good or bad?  And does it even matter?

Who knows?  Who cares?  I'm glad I have this in my life and I will never give it up willingly.  I feel so immeasurably blessed to have two good legs!  I hope tomorrows run goes well, but even if it is mediocre, I promise to remain grateful.  After all, it occurs to me that as soon as I complete even the toughest long run, I start looking forward to the next one.  How cool is that!!

It also just occurs to me that perhaps I use my left brain while riding (it's more technical), and my right brain while running. That would explain the math, and the fact that I resolved another little problem I was having with Elly's roof!!  Woohoo!!

When I came across the following quote I had to look the person up because I had never hear of her.  Perhaps you have?  Turns out she is an English pop star, and is indeed an avid runner as well.  She ran a half marathon last year in 1:41, which is actually quite decent for a celebrity.  Like I said, I've never heard of her, but I now like her because of the running, and because she has a cool first name, even if she does spell it funny :)

"One of the most powerful feelings in the world is after a really, really long run."---Ellie Goulding

And when you look up quotes about running you often find them referenced as inspirational, with the idea that they inspire you to get out there.  I think that's totally backwards.  The run should inspire the thought...not vice versa!

"Methinks that the moment my legs began to move, my thoughts began to flow."---Henry David Thoreau

Love

Peter

"And Sure Enough"

It must be the power of positive thinking because as I had predicted yesterday, it was indeed a good day today!

To start with, what a gorgeous day.  When I headed out at 10 am it was 20 degrees, not a cloud in the sky, and not a breath of wind.  And while the breeze did pick up quite a bit as the day wore on, everything else remained perfect for riding.

I was determined to stay within myself throughout the ride, and I'm very proud of my efforts.  I managed my 160 kms in 5 1/2 hours at a nice 29.3 kms/hr, but much more importantly, at a reserved power average of 134 watts!!

And it worked damn it!  Woohoo!

Of course the only way to measure that is how I felt on my transition run, and I am happy to report a quick, head up all the way 6 kms, at a 4:47 pace.

What a relief after last weeks fall apart!

And it's pretty sad I guess that it's taken me 4 training cycles to finally figure out this not so secret, secret.  The fact is that if you leave it all out on the bike course then that is exactly where you are leaving it.  There is nothing left!

But learn it I did, and I'm pretty convinced I'll even remember it come race day.  I will probably be able to go a bit harder than today, but I will still err on the side of caution.  One thing I'm pretty good at is sticking to my plan and not letting race day adrenaline carry me along.

Speaking of which....just 10 weeks til D-day.

Ride 160 kms, 6 k transition run

"If you plan on being anything less than you are capable of being, you will probably be unhappy all the days of your life.

Love
Peter

"Hmmm...."

I wrote today's post tomorrow, so I think that means that today is actually yesterday!

Or maybe we just got in from our night out at 1:30 am, and since it was already tomorrow, there was no longer any point in writing a post for yesterday.

Either way, I predict that tomorrow will be a good day, so please make sure to read my blog then.

Love
Peter

"Not Enough Time In A Day"

I was up at 5 am and never stopped all freakin day.  Quite a gratifying day actually, as full days usually are.  I just had more plans, to to more things, but so be it.  Things rarely go as we anticipate.

And speaking of anticipation I wonder if you spend as much time and energy worrying about things that never happen, as I do.  I was reminded one again today that I need to stop doing that.

After all, I'm pretty willing to bet that there are lots of things that 'almost' happened to me that I don't even know about!  I never worried about them, and they never happened either.

Today, while I was leaving the Costco parking lot I almost got hit by a runaway shopping cart.  Fortunately it buzzed right by me, but it was quickly picking up steam and headed right for a row of lovely parked cars.

I threw my car into park, whipped the door open, threw my 58 year old legs into gear, and by the time  the cart reached about 30 kms/hr,  I made a head long dive and everted a last minute tragedy for some poor unsuspecting Costco shopper.....who never worried once!

10 hills, 15 kms total

"Fear is pain arising from the anticipation of evil."---Aristotle

Love
Peter

"Home Alone"

No children, no grandchildren, no wife!  They're all off doing something, and I'm happy to have a few hours of solitude.  I think I'll take advantage, with my book, and my bed!

My workout went fine today.  I was very sore and very tired from shovelling, and from lack of sleep, but it didn't seem to hold me back any.  And now, although I'm still tired, I'm pretty well over the aches.

tempo ride-36 kms, 5 km run.

"If you are lonely when you're alone, you are in bad company."---Jean-Paul Sartre

Love
Peter

"Cross Training"

The three toughest post holes I've ever dug!!

But I like the 3 posts!

But they made me tired.

So this post will be short.

"Life is short and we have never too much time for gladdening the hearts of those who are travelling the dark journey with us. Oh be swift to love, make haste to be kind."---Henri Frederic Amiel

Love

Peter

"Perfectly Slow"

I think it's a sign of maturity that I can consider my workout a success because I went slow.  Like the old bull once figured out, you can do it for longer, if you do it slower!

I was out the door shortly after 8, and I knew right away that the only possible way I was gonna run 30 kms today was if I ran slower than I've ever done.  Not just was I still a bit tired, but it promised to get very warm, and very humid, quite quickly.  I was determined not to let the watch win the battle today, and in actual fact the main purpose of a watch should be to tell you when you're going too fast.

Typically I do my long runs at a 5:15 pace, but today after the first km I settled very nicely into about 5:37/km, and held it for the entire distance.  I had a few tough moments over the last 3 kms, but never enough to put the end in any doubt, and never enough to consider a walking break.  As a matter of fact, I did a little forward planning at some point, and realizing that since there were only going to be 5 more long runs after today, that it was as good a time as any to add a wee bit.  In the end I managed a perfectly slow, wonderfully reassuring, 31 kms, in a time 2:54:42.

The most important part of that reassurance is the knowledge that I can continue my strategy of long rides/ long runs, with just one day of rest between.  This is the first time I've tried that, and for me it is a good compromise between the two contradictory philosophies, of back to back long efforts (ride/run), and the other approach that calls for spreading them out as much as possible.

And as I mentioned that I have only 5 long runs left, the same is true of my long rides, and despite my struggles this past Saturday I feel like I'm on track.  It is actually 11 weeks  until race day, and so the other 6 weeks are made up of recovery weeks, and a long taper.  As a matter of fact one of those recovery weeks includes my first and only test race, which will be the Welland double header on June 14/15.  Day 2 of the weekend is of course the half Ironman, the primary purpose of which is to test all my race kit, and even to have a little fun.  Lat year it was no fun!!

So I think all is well.  Even though I had a decent run, if anything, it has  hardened my resolve to make my long rides easier.  I need good long rides, followed up by good transition runs, followed up 2 days later by good long runs.  And remember that as each week goes by the distance/duration for each of these elements continues to increase.

run 30 kms, 2:54:42

"Confidence is a plant of slow growth in an aged heart."---William Pitt

Love
Peter

"Let's See What Tomorrow Brings"

I've noticed a clear trend.  When I have done my Saturday long ride in the basement, I have consistently had a better transition run afterwards, and a better long run on the following Monday.  And furthermore, I know exactly why.  I ride easier on the trainer without the stupid pressure of the speedometer.  I think that part of my problem is that in the basement I usually commit to a certain time, where as on the road I commit to a distance, regardless of time.  And the distance requirement pushes me to ride faster just to get it over with.  Of course there's practical reasons for this since you gotta get back home somehow, but I could easily overcome it by doing the last 20 kms in my neighbourhood.  I'm gonna think about that.  By the way, all the books state both long rides and runs in terms of time, rather than distance.

Despite all this, and despite the tough ride I had yesterday, for some reason I feel confident for tomorrow.  Lets see eh?  I will take one last shot at 30 kms before notching it up a bit in the coming weeks.  I would like to get my runs up to at least 36 kms...or better yet...3 hrs, 15 mins!  Again, the experts recommend not going over 3 hours.

And if indeed my confidence is misplaced, I'm gonna promise you (and more importantly, myself) that next week I am going to ride as easy as necessary in order to allow for good runs!

I'll let you know how it goes.

"Be thou the rainbow in the storms of life. The evening beam that smiles the clouds away, and tints tomorrow with prophetic ray."---Lord Byron

Love
Peter