This was awful. And I am actually happy it's almost over. This was it, my 52nd year on this planet, & it's been horrible. It's been so bad that all that I can point to over the last 300 and 50 odd days, is a had full of bike rides, I actually spent more time on my mountain bike this year then i did on my TriFelt, and my Cannondale never made it outa the garage! Swam a grand total of about an even dozen times, the wetsuit never made it outa the basement,except, well, to the garbage can where it now sits.
No marathons, no triathlons, a few runs, a couple of fun runs, wow even an organized 10K, a wonder, 1 wonderful 5 Peaks run, but that was it.
It has been a tuff 1, and it's about to get tuffer. But i guess I've got to look at this as a challenge. Maybe.
It's weird. I thought as time went by, well,I'd have more time. But it hasn't worked out that way. Not at all. It has become just tuff.
Tuff to find the time to train. It's been frustrating. Understandably so, that's just the way life has become, and has to become.
Along with that no time to train as i would like, I became a stubborn pig, a frustrated pig, and used every excuse to not train,or race, or to get fit.
I screwed around. I don't know if it was residual stuff after doing Ironman in Penticton, but I just have not felt like much of anything for a really long time. Long runs, long bike rides, weights, yoga, anything. I've drug my ass out a few times, if running 5 to 10 k on a consistent basis is something to brag about, well, i might be able to brag about that, but i won't.
I seriously, have just missed my life for a very long time. For a few years I lived the life. Ran, swam, biked, did lunch, and, well, enjoyed life. Now not so much.
Kids, house, work, a need to sleep, a little depression, actually a lot of depression, that seems to make me want to sleep all the time.
This year ends in about 14 days. I'm going to try and focus on one thing at a time. I'm going to attempt to focus on making myself better and fitting what I need to do, in with what i have to do, one day at a time.
The focus is to just get out of the house right now, even more so, just out of bed every day, and that goal will extend to just getting out of bed, remaining out of bed, and then getting out.
onward and upward,i can only hope
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Monday, October 10, 2011
i was supposed to be in victoria, but, well, here we are......
So this is sort of how all of this year, and most of last has gone.
was supposed to be doing the victoria marathon, um, yesterday (that would be about 10 races i was registered for, and ended up doing the DNS thingie)...but well, i never trained-well not enuff for a marathon, nor a half), and even after changing my registraition to the 1/2, there was no way this was gonna be good, so yet again i bailed..-.i just kept hopeing my head would get scrwed on straight -
it otherwise turned into a good can-con kanadian weekend otherwise , a couple of good runs, a good friday night swim, and a great saturday morning on the mountain bike. so nothing bad, but not what was intended.
so as i've said, and as i figured after finishing IMC in penticton just over a year ago, this was gonna be a year of no races, just trainin' and getting repaired, and having fun. so that's kind of what happened.
okay, well, maybe not always the fun fun fun, but it's been good at times, frustraiting during others, but over all okay. and i'm sort of looking towards 2012.
yep, the great white north triathlon in stony plain in july is something to look forward to, am sorry i missed it this year, but volunteering showed me the other side of that race, and that on it's own was great. i learned a lot, especially that i never wanna volunteer again, it's way too much work.
and i am thinking a spring marathon might be in order, and give me an early goal. they've changed the route for the vancouver marathon in may, and i like how it looks. seriously i have an urge to dig into it again, but no major hills, which, for vancouver seems weird. but it'll be a trip to vancouver, a weekend in vancouver, and though it'll mean lots of running in the cold and snow here in edmonton, i need a goal, a do-able goal, so that may have to be it.
actually the weather is not going to be my biggest hurdle. it'll be my free time to train. with the number one autistic son around the house still searching for work experience and not really sure where he's headed to next, i can sneak out for some runs and rides, and with winter coming i can always spin inside, but my free time away from home will be limited. so the gym, yoga, and swimming will be an issue, that i'll have to work around.
but i guess that's the whole thing about training when i can as i can. i'm seriously not sure how to do this, but, well i'm gonna have to figure it all out......i have no idea how, but i'll just have to find some way around this stuff...oh yeah.and SOON!..like beginning 2morrow!~
onward and upward
was supposed to be doing the victoria marathon, um, yesterday (that would be about 10 races i was registered for, and ended up doing the DNS thingie)...but well, i never trained-well not enuff for a marathon, nor a half), and even after changing my registraition to the 1/2, there was no way this was gonna be good, so yet again i bailed..-.i just kept hopeing my head would get scrwed on straight -
it otherwise turned into a good can-con kanadian weekend otherwise , a couple of good runs, a good friday night swim, and a great saturday morning on the mountain bike. so nothing bad, but not what was intended.
so as i've said, and as i figured after finishing IMC in penticton just over a year ago, this was gonna be a year of no races, just trainin' and getting repaired, and having fun. so that's kind of what happened.
okay, well, maybe not always the fun fun fun, but it's been good at times, frustraiting during others, but over all okay. and i'm sort of looking towards 2012.
yep, the great white north triathlon in stony plain in july is something to look forward to, am sorry i missed it this year, but volunteering showed me the other side of that race, and that on it's own was great. i learned a lot, especially that i never wanna volunteer again, it's way too much work.
and i am thinking a spring marathon might be in order, and give me an early goal. they've changed the route for the vancouver marathon in may, and i like how it looks. seriously i have an urge to dig into it again, but no major hills, which, for vancouver seems weird. but it'll be a trip to vancouver, a weekend in vancouver, and though it'll mean lots of running in the cold and snow here in edmonton, i need a goal, a do-able goal, so that may have to be it.
actually the weather is not going to be my biggest hurdle. it'll be my free time to train. with the number one autistic son around the house still searching for work experience and not really sure where he's headed to next, i can sneak out for some runs and rides, and with winter coming i can always spin inside, but my free time away from home will be limited. so the gym, yoga, and swimming will be an issue, that i'll have to work around.
but i guess that's the whole thing about training when i can as i can. i'm seriously not sure how to do this, but, well i'm gonna have to figure it all out......i have no idea how, but i'll just have to find some way around this stuff...oh yeah.and SOON!..like beginning 2morrow!~
onward and upward
Sunday, October 02, 2011
an awesome week followed by an awful week followed by a nice weekend
today was great, well at least.
sure it was only a 5K fun run, the Run For The Cure.
but after a week of doin' nothin' it felt sweet. did i need a rest?
a couple of hours of mountain biking yesterday help save a week of sleeping, of watching TV, of doing nothin'
but today felt, nice.
one of the best things about doing this stuff is doing it with other people. sure there's something to that loneliness of the long distance runner/biker/swimmer, but we all don't live alone, and as social animals, well, sometimes it feels okay to run like a social animal.
but back to today, i seriously needed today, and yesterday too.
a day. a morning of mtn biking with friends (okay so i ditched the friends and went off on my own for a bit, but we started out together, that's the point) was amazing. finding new (to me/us) single track, getting some exercise almost indirectly, dodging dogs and dog walkers, and then blasting through hills, down hills, streets and yet more trails was so much fun. maybe too much, i sort of screwed up even more my screwed up forever healing right knee, but once the riding got hard, i seriously didn't feel a thing.
also unexpectedly running into some dear old friends was so cool, racing thru some trails with a couple of people i didn't know (man they were quick) then passing them up the keeler road switchbacks was just, well, just what i needed.
then today's 5k felt effortless. in fact it was a fun run.
after a year of missed and skipped races, never feeling completely rested, i need something, maybe a bunch of stuff to get my mojo back up and working.
I've had a few bits of ups, and then a bunch of downs, the ups were great, and felt great, but just never being able to recover afterwards has been, in a word frustrating.
i need to get over this soon. a bit of focus maybe, or maybe not.
i have started to look towards 2012, next year already, maybe to soon, but again, i guess you have to have something to focus on, too.
so, well, a marathon. the Vancouver marathon is 31 weeks away, so why not?
but, well, I've got this knee...
so focus? back to the physio, into the gym, yoga, and a bunch of running.....
but, well, there's the question of a 1/2 ironman in July, the ride to conquer cancer ride in June...and well, this getting older thing too.
how do i get back at it, how do i pick out what to do and why?
marathon training and triathlon training do not mix. the reality is, to do a triathlon is that you have to train to do a triathlon, not like a swimmer, a biker, or like a marathoner, but like a triathlete. and well, a marathoner doesn't train like a triathlete, so how on earth do you train for one and incorporate training for the other.
i guess that's what I've got to figure out...i guess I'll let you know how it goes?
onward and upward, one footz step at a time.
w
sure it was only a 5K fun run, the Run For The Cure.
but after a week of doin' nothin' it felt sweet. did i need a rest?
a couple of hours of mountain biking yesterday help save a week of sleeping, of watching TV, of doing nothin'
but today felt, nice.
one of the best things about doing this stuff is doing it with other people. sure there's something to that loneliness of the long distance runner/biker/swimmer, but we all don't live alone, and as social animals, well, sometimes it feels okay to run like a social animal.
but back to today, i seriously needed today, and yesterday too.
a day. a morning of mtn biking with friends (okay so i ditched the friends and went off on my own for a bit, but we started out together, that's the point) was amazing. finding new (to me/us) single track, getting some exercise almost indirectly, dodging dogs and dog walkers, and then blasting through hills, down hills, streets and yet more trails was so much fun. maybe too much, i sort of screwed up even more my screwed up forever healing right knee, but once the riding got hard, i seriously didn't feel a thing.
also unexpectedly running into some dear old friends was so cool, racing thru some trails with a couple of people i didn't know (man they were quick) then passing them up the keeler road switchbacks was just, well, just what i needed.
then today's 5k felt effortless. in fact it was a fun run.
after a year of missed and skipped races, never feeling completely rested, i need something, maybe a bunch of stuff to get my mojo back up and working.
I've had a few bits of ups, and then a bunch of downs, the ups were great, and felt great, but just never being able to recover afterwards has been, in a word frustrating.
i need to get over this soon. a bit of focus maybe, or maybe not.
i have started to look towards 2012, next year already, maybe to soon, but again, i guess you have to have something to focus on, too.
so, well, a marathon. the Vancouver marathon is 31 weeks away, so why not?
but, well, I've got this knee...
so focus? back to the physio, into the gym, yoga, and a bunch of running.....
but, well, there's the question of a 1/2 ironman in July, the ride to conquer cancer ride in June...and well, this getting older thing too.
how do i get back at it, how do i pick out what to do and why?
marathon training and triathlon training do not mix. the reality is, to do a triathlon is that you have to train to do a triathlon, not like a swimmer, a biker, or like a marathoner, but like a triathlete. and well, a marathoner doesn't train like a triathlete, so how on earth do you train for one and incorporate training for the other.
i guess that's what I've got to figure out...i guess I'll let you know how it goes?
onward and upward, one footz step at a time.
w
Friday, August 19, 2011
A year since IMC. Where am i now, and where am i going
Hard to balieve it's been a year.
This time in 2010 I was in Jazper, chilling out b4 continuing on to Penticton for the 2010 Canadian Ironman Triathlon.
It was an interesting time. After not finishing the race in 2009, pulling out of the race after swimming 3.4 kilometers, and biking 180K, I pulled out, I'd barfed my gutts out while on the bike course, near the end of the bike course, and said enuff. So upon my return in 2010, I knew whatever happened, even if I had to crawl I WAS GONNA FINISH.
Long story short, even though I hardly trained, I finished. It took me 14 hours and 50 minutes to cross the finish line after, well, almost crawling the final 42 kilometers.
I was hurt. There was a lesson there, TRAIN DAMMIT!....but at least i was done. My 1st thought after finishing was, "I need some time off!"
Two years of sort of training. 2 trips to Penticton, and a trip to the NYC Marathon in 2009, my body was yelling at me, ENUFF!
I was hurt. I had an issue, and on going issue with a right knee problem that had been bothering me forever, an issue with my left shin and ankle, and well, I had a bathroom that I'd been working on for 3 years that had to get done. So as I drove away from Penticton 2 dayz after the race, I was thinking one thing, I need a year away, I need a year off.
Also I was stupid. I was doing all this stuff hurt. I hurt myself in the spring of 2010. Okay, way B4 then, but things just got worse at that time. And I know, I know, everybody knows, everybody that knows me knows, that any injury should be looked at and dealt with ASAP, or else, well, that injury will stay with u 4 ever, it bcomes chronic. But, well, Ironman was a big deal, okay a huge deal. Not so much the Great White North 1/2 Ironman triathlon I did 2 months B4 Ironman, but I had 2 do that as well. Well I just did, so there.
So where is this leading, well oddly enuff, now that it's almost that back 2 school time, September is almost here, that means, hmmm, 2011 is almost done, I am still working on that injured thing, but that thing seems to b getting better, and I've got 2 start looking at what comes next?
This year has been weird. I've been seeing a physio, doing my stretches, and some training, but hardly any. Struggling to run, hardly biking at all, and well, I think I've almost forgotten how to swim. It's been a struggle. I'm finally starting to run further, I haven't fainted 4 a few months, my right knee feels okay, my left ankle and shin feel even better, or else I'm just ignoring them better than ever, so now what?
Well, do I have to decide now? Well duh? Registration for the 2012 Ironman is in a couple of weeks, for the Great White North Triathlon is also in September, and well, do i do Death Race in Grande Cache in 2012? The Vancouver marathon, what?
And, well, LIFE? There's always that life thing. Will I have the time to train. I have a house and yard to look after, a full time job. I also have 2 kids still at home, both autistic. One heading 4 one last year at hi school. The other, well we're not sure. So that's gonna make me push the pause button at least once. So the question is, training. So that's life. So like life on a hi-way, I've got 2 figure out what I'll be able to do, with the time that I have.
The stranger thing, is, well, I've got a few things even more pressing 2 figure out. Remember that year off I mentioned way B4 the last TV commercial, well, I'm signed up, flight and hotel booked for the Victoria Marathon in about, hmm, 8 weeks!!!! EKKKKKKK?
Why did I do that? Well cause I need something in my life Bsides wine and ice cream. The stupid thing is, I haven't really trained. I feel strong-ish, and well, okay I have been running, but my long run up to this point has been one 15K, a few hill repeats have crossed my paths, and I have done a ton of 10Ks. So, um, is this an insane thing. Yep. But there's always a way to make choices, to make a change.
So what does that mean. Well, I'm gonna look at where I'm at. Which may be the point of this blog, 2Dayz blog. I can always switch 2 the Vic 1/2 marathon, and just enjoy the trip. I can always just go, do 10 and 1s (run 10 minutes, walk 1) and struggle along through the 26 miles, there's always choices. I know a friend once told me that I am an experienced marathoner, I know what I need to do. and how to do it, but, well, what do I want and what is my goal?
Actually my goal is to have fun and to enjoy myself. So now what?
This weekend is what.
2morrow I'm gonna go for a spin on the bike with some friends, Sunday I'm gonna run a half marathon (21K) to kick myself in the butt, and 2 C how I feel after 2 hours on my feet. A test. Testing the knee, testing my heart, and enjoying myself doing it. Spending time with friends that are heading off next week to do that Ironman race in Penticton, and then when I wake up Monday morning, decide on a bunch of stuff, but most importantly decide on Victoria, and then sort out what I think I can accomplish in 2012.
But that's life. I guess it's all about making choices, and there r a massive amount of choices.
onward and upward
This time in 2010 I was in Jazper, chilling out b4 continuing on to Penticton for the 2010 Canadian Ironman Triathlon.
It was an interesting time. After not finishing the race in 2009, pulling out of the race after swimming 3.4 kilometers, and biking 180K, I pulled out, I'd barfed my gutts out while on the bike course, near the end of the bike course, and said enuff. So upon my return in 2010, I knew whatever happened, even if I had to crawl I WAS GONNA FINISH.
Long story short, even though I hardly trained, I finished. It took me 14 hours and 50 minutes to cross the finish line after, well, almost crawling the final 42 kilometers.
I was hurt. There was a lesson there, TRAIN DAMMIT!....but at least i was done. My 1st thought after finishing was, "I need some time off!"
Two years of sort of training. 2 trips to Penticton, and a trip to the NYC Marathon in 2009, my body was yelling at me, ENUFF!
I was hurt. I had an issue, and on going issue with a right knee problem that had been bothering me forever, an issue with my left shin and ankle, and well, I had a bathroom that I'd been working on for 3 years that had to get done. So as I drove away from Penticton 2 dayz after the race, I was thinking one thing, I need a year away, I need a year off.
Also I was stupid. I was doing all this stuff hurt. I hurt myself in the spring of 2010. Okay, way B4 then, but things just got worse at that time. And I know, I know, everybody knows, everybody that knows me knows, that any injury should be looked at and dealt with ASAP, or else, well, that injury will stay with u 4 ever, it bcomes chronic. But, well, Ironman was a big deal, okay a huge deal. Not so much the Great White North 1/2 Ironman triathlon I did 2 months B4 Ironman, but I had 2 do that as well. Well I just did, so there.
So where is this leading, well oddly enuff, now that it's almost that back 2 school time, September is almost here, that means, hmmm, 2011 is almost done, I am still working on that injured thing, but that thing seems to b getting better, and I've got 2 start looking at what comes next?
This year has been weird. I've been seeing a physio, doing my stretches, and some training, but hardly any. Struggling to run, hardly biking at all, and well, I think I've almost forgotten how to swim. It's been a struggle. I'm finally starting to run further, I haven't fainted 4 a few months, my right knee feels okay, my left ankle and shin feel even better, or else I'm just ignoring them better than ever, so now what?
Well, do I have to decide now? Well duh? Registration for the 2012 Ironman is in a couple of weeks, for the Great White North Triathlon is also in September, and well, do i do Death Race in Grande Cache in 2012? The Vancouver marathon, what?
And, well, LIFE? There's always that life thing. Will I have the time to train. I have a house and yard to look after, a full time job. I also have 2 kids still at home, both autistic. One heading 4 one last year at hi school. The other, well we're not sure. So that's gonna make me push the pause button at least once. So the question is, training. So that's life. So like life on a hi-way, I've got 2 figure out what I'll be able to do, with the time that I have.
The stranger thing, is, well, I've got a few things even more pressing 2 figure out. Remember that year off I mentioned way B4 the last TV commercial, well, I'm signed up, flight and hotel booked for the Victoria Marathon in about, hmm, 8 weeks!!!! EKKKKKKK?
Why did I do that? Well cause I need something in my life Bsides wine and ice cream. The stupid thing is, I haven't really trained. I feel strong-ish, and well, okay I have been running, but my long run up to this point has been one 15K, a few hill repeats have crossed my paths, and I have done a ton of 10Ks. So, um, is this an insane thing. Yep. But there's always a way to make choices, to make a change.
So what does that mean. Well, I'm gonna look at where I'm at. Which may be the point of this blog, 2Dayz blog. I can always switch 2 the Vic 1/2 marathon, and just enjoy the trip. I can always just go, do 10 and 1s (run 10 minutes, walk 1) and struggle along through the 26 miles, there's always choices. I know a friend once told me that I am an experienced marathoner, I know what I need to do. and how to do it, but, well, what do I want and what is my goal?
Actually my goal is to have fun and to enjoy myself. So now what?
This weekend is what.
2morrow I'm gonna go for a spin on the bike with some friends, Sunday I'm gonna run a half marathon (21K) to kick myself in the butt, and 2 C how I feel after 2 hours on my feet. A test. Testing the knee, testing my heart, and enjoying myself doing it. Spending time with friends that are heading off next week to do that Ironman race in Penticton, and then when I wake up Monday morning, decide on a bunch of stuff, but most importantly decide on Victoria, and then sort out what I think I can accomplish in 2012.
But that's life. I guess it's all about making choices, and there r a massive amount of choices.
onward and upward
Saturday, July 30, 2011
explaining myself to myself and trying to figure out the way i am the way i am
I'm weird. Yeah, i know most every1 thinks that, but i am. But i'm beyong that, i mean, weird. Like i know also, everyone thinks this on and on, why i am, what i am, and why am i, well, me?
Late night thoughts last night about some of this swirled around my head for most of the nite and this morning. I'm 52 - way too close to 53 to say i'm 52 - and i'm kinda sort of training for yet another marathon, the victoria marathon, in, well victoria, on sunday october something or other, and i thought to myself, i guess i should actually start training. well, duh?
but there's the dilema. this isn't the 1st time i've done this, planned on doing something, a marathon, a triathlon, whatever, and never actually sticking any kind of training program or regiment. i begin with honest intentions, and then, wel, life happens.
i've done a bunch, a few marathons (kelowna, edmonton, edmonton, victoria, vancouver, victoria, victoria and new york) and have been in 2 ironman triathlons, finished the 2nd one, and got through 2/3rds of the 1st....and can honestly say the only thing that got me through, was, well me. it certainly wasn't the training.
last year's ironman canada triathlon in penticton. a little known secret, the longest bike ride i completed before that race was the 1st day at the ride to conquer cancer, a 115k ride, and i did do the tour de albert 100k ride, but that was it. my running training was no better, i may have had a couple of 10k, and maybe even a 15 k in there something, but nothing close to a marathon distance. and that sort explains my results, a great swim, a fanatastic ride, and a 26.2k walk...okay, not totally a walk, i ran exactly 3 times (out of penticton, back into penticton to the finish line, and once because i was tired of following some shmuck during my walk)...but, wow i finished that sucker! how i have no idea, but i did.
marathons have been no better. i've never beat 4 hours in a marathon. close, but never under. WTF! not sure if that's just stupid, wrong, or just what it is. i love marathoning, i love running, but ttraining towards a goal, i guess, not so much, i know i know, it's an excuse to blame other stuff, u know life, but well life does get in the way.
and now a return to victoria.
i love victoria, vancouver island, the city, the region, and the run. what an amazing place to go for a run. pretty, beautiful, fantastic, amazing. i love it. but, would love to hhave a good run this year. i'd love to beat 4 hours. but, well i have to train for that don't i? i do have a training plan that i am following, well, sort of, but well i like sleeping in on long run sundays, and no matter what, missing a long run is hard to make up for, especially when you do that every week. so i make excuses, i try to make up for lost time with a couple of back to back long-ish runs, and i do do my speed and hill work, (honestly) but, well life is about to derail all of that (excuses, i know, i know)...next week, well, it's the edmonton folk fest, how on earth do i go to the fest, and also run a 2 hour run?......and then we're on our way to vancouver for a little family vacation, so family time, not exactly run time. and then there's work, house work, and llife.
anyway, the past 2 weeks have been amazing, actually june and july have been good. the training's been okay, well better then could, should be expected, but, well it's crunch grinch time. tomorrow is supposed to be either a 3 hour jog, or a 26k run...not sure which i'm a gonna do...but i guess i'll make the effort.....and keep this all senseable...and hope for the best once yet again...
onward and upward
w
Late night thoughts last night about some of this swirled around my head for most of the nite and this morning. I'm 52 - way too close to 53 to say i'm 52 - and i'm kinda sort of training for yet another marathon, the victoria marathon, in, well victoria, on sunday october something or other, and i thought to myself, i guess i should actually start training. well, duh?
but there's the dilema. this isn't the 1st time i've done this, planned on doing something, a marathon, a triathlon, whatever, and never actually sticking any kind of training program or regiment. i begin with honest intentions, and then, wel, life happens.
i've done a bunch, a few marathons (kelowna, edmonton, edmonton, victoria, vancouver, victoria, victoria and new york) and have been in 2 ironman triathlons, finished the 2nd one, and got through 2/3rds of the 1st....and can honestly say the only thing that got me through, was, well me. it certainly wasn't the training.
last year's ironman canada triathlon in penticton. a little known secret, the longest bike ride i completed before that race was the 1st day at the ride to conquer cancer, a 115k ride, and i did do the tour de albert 100k ride, but that was it. my running training was no better, i may have had a couple of 10k, and maybe even a 15 k in there something, but nothing close to a marathon distance. and that sort explains my results, a great swim, a fanatastic ride, and a 26.2k walk...okay, not totally a walk, i ran exactly 3 times (out of penticton, back into penticton to the finish line, and once because i was tired of following some shmuck during my walk)...but, wow i finished that sucker! how i have no idea, but i did.
marathons have been no better. i've never beat 4 hours in a marathon. close, but never under. WTF! not sure if that's just stupid, wrong, or just what it is. i love marathoning, i love running, but ttraining towards a goal, i guess, not so much, i know i know, it's an excuse to blame other stuff, u know life, but well life does get in the way.
and now a return to victoria.
i love victoria, vancouver island, the city, the region, and the run. what an amazing place to go for a run. pretty, beautiful, fantastic, amazing. i love it. but, would love to hhave a good run this year. i'd love to beat 4 hours. but, well i have to train for that don't i? i do have a training plan that i am following, well, sort of, but well i like sleeping in on long run sundays, and no matter what, missing a long run is hard to make up for, especially when you do that every week. so i make excuses, i try to make up for lost time with a couple of back to back long-ish runs, and i do do my speed and hill work, (honestly) but, well life is about to derail all of that (excuses, i know, i know)...next week, well, it's the edmonton folk fest, how on earth do i go to the fest, and also run a 2 hour run?......and then we're on our way to vancouver for a little family vacation, so family time, not exactly run time. and then there's work, house work, and llife.
anyway, the past 2 weeks have been amazing, actually june and july have been good. the training's been okay, well better then could, should be expected, but, well it's crunch grinch time. tomorrow is supposed to be either a 3 hour jog, or a 26k run...not sure which i'm a gonna do...but i guess i'll make the effort.....and keep this all senseable...and hope for the best once yet again...
onward and upward
w
Monday, June 27, 2011
the ride to conquer cancer the ride of a lifetime
What an amazing weekend.
2 days, 2200 other bike riders, 200+ kilometers.
Calgary, Chain Lakes Provincial Park, Longview, Turner Valley, Black Diamond, Spruce Meadows, friends, wind, rain, dust and way too much sun...and some fun even!
The Ride to Conquer Cancer.
That's what it was. I won't lie, there were points where I wondered what the heck I was doing, There were points that were harsh. As someone pointed out to me though, it is, what it is. And it was what it was. Memorable.
The beginning, the first day began with us, the riders, family, volunteers, and organizers gathering together at Spruce Meadows Park in Calgary. Yep the horse jumping place - and it was on this weekend too, which was really cool to see - but on Saturday morning, we were getting ready and prepped to ride.
For some reason, as always, I always forget the most important part of a ride. FOOD! Yep there was food waiting for us, lots of it. Fruit, ham and egg sandwiches, juice, coffee, whatever. Me, I grabbed something, quickly, an egg mcmuffin type thingy, and a coffee, and that was it. What the hey, I was there to ride, not to eat. And, well, it's only 100K, food isn't all that important. Well maybe i should rethink that I guess, but I never do (someday, honest. Maybe after the next time I faint.)
From the start the ride, I knew it was gonna be special. My wife and 2 of my kids were there to watch me begin. Then I hooked up with 2 new friends that i met thru the ride - at a couple of training rides -at the start line.
I knew what was ahead. Of course I did. I'd studied the map of that course. A lot of it was familiar. I'd been on most of it in 2010, but still, I'd forgotten about some of the hills. Okay all of the hills. I guess that's why it's called the foot hills...hills, foot, hills....I now understand that whole Alberta's coat of arms so much better....ohh, foothills.
BUT, unlike 2010, this year, I was the total opposite of trained, untrained defined. In 2010, I was training for a full-on Ironman Triathlon, so I was riding my heart out. This year, well, I just took things easy, maybe too easy. But, well, I wanted a fun year, and I guess this was it. Fun. 200+k of fun. Seriously. Serious fun. This was fun.
The first stretch from Spruce Meadows thru Okotoks wasn't that bad. The weather was incredible, the scenery stunning, and the speed was great. I kept hooking up with different groups and justkept on hanging on to the train (I recall, I think I began with, Phoebe from St Albert), and we had at least one helicopter following us along for the first half of the ride as well. Spectacular.
Even down into Longview the ride was nothin' but cool.
I was in and done at 1:15, and with an 8-ish start, I was fine with that. Fine that I was able to get in and shower and get a massage with plenty of time to cheer my amazing teammates in, and everyone else. All incredible people that soon populated a great camp site. Wow! blue tents everywhere, semi trucks full of showers, and food food and drink everywhere (FREE BEER!)The weather on the end of day one was amazing, we couldn't have asked for anything better. Sure there was some wind, okay a lot of strong winds, but that's part of the joy of riding (no really), but the sun was shinning, it was warm way into the night, and, well it was the end to an amazing day. Maybe too amazing. Man did the sun did an amazing job on me, And lucky for me I went for 2 days without a mirror, cause most of me was sun burnt, beet red on red. Farmer tan red.
Of course we should have figured that didn't mean day 2 were gonna be the same. It wasn't OMG!
The first problem was, well, neither my tent mate, nor myself bothered to bring an alarm clock. I just figured, well, you know, I'd just wake up when everyone else did. Everyone else said they'd planned on being up by, hmm, 6:15 maybe. We could be on the bikes and riding by 7, didn't really have to be until 8, so i figured sure, I'd hear them. Good plan, great plan huh? I was in snore loudly village (the ear plugs helped a bit, but just a bit...a gun would have helped better, and would have been quieter!)
So, why was i awake at 5:30! I mean, that was okay, i woke up, looked outside, sure it was overcast, but it looked clear to the north (where we were headed), and fresh (and my head was wet, why was my hair wet?).
After a hot shower, a good small breakfast (that eating thingie again) and some coffee, well, baby the rain must fall. Must fall. And fall. It was rolling off of the top of food tents, and off of our tent. Being the big tuff guys we were, well, we went back to bed to wait for the rain to let up, and get some more sleep. Oh well, that was the plan, and well, plan b sucked.
And you know what? it wasn't half bad.
I started off slow, thinking I'd just get thru this, until I tagged onto a group of 4 or 5 riders from Calgary and just hung on until they slowed down for our pit stop back into Longview (and my Lisa, that is a cute bike!), and then clicked into another strong group all the way into lunch in downtown beautiful (even in the rain) Turner Valley. It was a challenge to eat in the rain, but I got over that quickly..and a turkey sandwich, a Naniamo bar and a cup of gatorade later, I was in out and gone baby, just gone.
The route to the next pit stop was great, and flat. Though the rain was coming down harder, it seemed to be slowing down a bit, and we could see the sun breaking thru.
The final stop had no name (it probably did, but it was a spot at the top of another hill!), and, well, we were only 25K from the finish.
An amazing 25k. I was all but dead coming up that last climb. I followed the wheel of Matthew from, Calgary, and then passed him so he could do the same...which is when I also noticed we were both riding the same gear, the last one we had. But as soon as I rode out of that stop, the sun broke thru, we turned eastward in Hwy 22x, a 4 lane black topped wonder, and just flew. And yep it was emotional.
I kept thinking of the folks that donated cash to this effort, that supported me, and for the lady, that special friend, Jill, who inspired us to ride in 201o, and in who's honor and memory we rode again in, well this year.
What can I say about that finish. I passed a few people, and swapped encouraging words, and rode in with someone who said, over and over again, just one word, wonderful.
I heard that cheer, I heard my name, and that was that. My wife, 2 of my kids, and hundreds cheering us all in to the finish.
I have no idea what my future holds, I have no idea what my next ride will be, or will be like, or if I'll be back again for another serving in 2012. All i know is, this is one of those times, I'll never forget. This was special.
,
Thursday, April 21, 2011
fainting?????
what a beezar experience....fainting. better yet running and fainting. then fainting.
weird too, have no idea why, my md has a few ideas, and says it may be nothing to worry about, he had me do an ekg thingie just in case, but it may be just one of those things. funny? the weirdest thing is, when it happened, the 1st nor the 2nd time, it didn't immediately freak me out, i just got up and carried on.
but afterwards, well, wow? so what the f happened?
it was supposed to be a quickie, and quick 10k run, a quick and easy quick 10k run. i felt a little stuffed up, maybe allergy season is beginning to hit me a bit, but 10k, should be a piece of cake.
well, the start was okay, but then catching my breath became an issue, so i naturally did what all runners do, i started running harder. then felt a little dizzy, so i walked a bit more, and still felt a little lite headed, but nothing so bad. so hey, why not start running again? well, maybe i shouldn't have...cause that dizzy feeling returned, big time. so stopped, felt like maybe a i should sit down for a bit by the sidewalk, and well....then...i was lying down, wondering why my bed was so cold and since when did we have a tree growing next to the bed?....and where were my glasses?
well, i guess i passed out. and was lying down next to the sidewalk with my head lying on some snow next to the sidewalk.....what a weird feeling. sort of felt like waking up from a dream....
i kind of smartened up, as much as i guess i ever will, cause i turned around to walk back home. and that felt okay, i felt better, nade it a couple of blocks, and thought, why not try running a bit. yep stupid, but well....i felt a little dizzy still, but felt okay and started thinking about maybe running the longer way home. but, well, after maybe another block, that thought passed, because i was down again, just as quickly, this time, well, just as i was stepping off of a curb onto a road. and again, wow, just like that...what the f happened? looking up at the road, got up pretty quickly, but as ahzzy as ever......
so, a scare, a few cuts and bruses....now to figure out how to fix this...maybe i need to eat more, less, drink more...rest? sleep more...whatever...but well...a lesson to be learned?
onward and upward
w
weird too, have no idea why, my md has a few ideas, and says it may be nothing to worry about, he had me do an ekg thingie just in case, but it may be just one of those things. funny? the weirdest thing is, when it happened, the 1st nor the 2nd time, it didn't immediately freak me out, i just got up and carried on.
but afterwards, well, wow? so what the f happened?
it was supposed to be a quickie, and quick 10k run, a quick and easy quick 10k run. i felt a little stuffed up, maybe allergy season is beginning to hit me a bit, but 10k, should be a piece of cake.
well, the start was okay, but then catching my breath became an issue, so i naturally did what all runners do, i started running harder. then felt a little dizzy, so i walked a bit more, and still felt a little lite headed, but nothing so bad. so hey, why not start running again? well, maybe i shouldn't have...cause that dizzy feeling returned, big time. so stopped, felt like maybe a i should sit down for a bit by the sidewalk, and well....then...i was lying down, wondering why my bed was so cold and since when did we have a tree growing next to the bed?....and where were my glasses?
well, i guess i passed out. and was lying down next to the sidewalk with my head lying on some snow next to the sidewalk.....what a weird feeling. sort of felt like waking up from a dream....
i kind of smartened up, as much as i guess i ever will, cause i turned around to walk back home. and that felt okay, i felt better, nade it a couple of blocks, and thought, why not try running a bit. yep stupid, but well....i felt a little dizzy still, but felt okay and started thinking about maybe running the longer way home. but, well, after maybe another block, that thought passed, because i was down again, just as quickly, this time, well, just as i was stepping off of a curb onto a road. and again, wow, just like that...what the f happened? looking up at the road, got up pretty quickly, but as ahzzy as ever......
so, a scare, a few cuts and bruses....now to figure out how to fix this...maybe i need to eat more, less, drink more...rest? sleep more...whatever...but well...a lesson to be learned?
onward and upward
w
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