Gosh, so, the Thanksgiving weekend came and went… FAST!
(I really can’t believe it is already Thursday, in mid-October. Yikes).
Anyway, I held strong and did not end up entering the Victoria Marathon at the last minute (however, I did enjoy the expo – but alas, no free hair elastics this year). On race day, course conditions were pretty perfect, and well, I probably should have raced (and kind of wish I had), but I didn’t, so it’s time to move on.
That said, I did fill my role as clothing sherpa pretty well I think. I spectated, I cheered (and cowbelled) and hopefully even put a smile or two on a few people’s faces.
I opted not to bring my bike down, realizing it would be more of a hassle then it was worth. I also, unfortunately, forgot my carefully prepared 'spectator race plan' spreadsheet at home with the course map. Luckily I’ve run this event a few times, so I still knew what spots to hit (and when to hit them).
We (me, Shane, the rest of the fam) got into town with about 30’ to go before race start and began the 10min-ish walk from my parking spot, along the waterfront, to the race-day madness and the start line.
Kirsten of course had to pee. So we all waited while she stood in the porta-potty line. We saw a few other runners we knew, chatted… and waited.
About 5’ before the start, Shane seemed to be getting a bit anxious, so the two of us walked over to the start line. I ran into my friend Erin (haven’t seen her since her return from Paris). Gave hugs and wished Shane good luck, before running back to find the rest of my family and get the remainder of their warm clothes to put in the bag.
And just like that, they were off… (and so was I).
Since “Spectator Reports” are probably kind of boring, the quick and dirty is this…
I dashed from the 1k mark to 6k. Since there is a nice loop through the park, I also got to see 8k and then made my way up to 17k. Here I saw Kirsten and Shane. They were both moving much quicker than I had anticipated, so I then busted my ass to run (read: sprint!) back to the finish line (approximately 2km away), where about 60 seconds after arriving (and breaking into a massive amount of sweat), I heard Kirsten’s name over the loud speaker!
A quick congrats to her as she made her way through the finish chute to the food tent and then before I knew it, Shane was crossing the line too! For his first half marathon, he did AMAZING! So awesome. Like, I’m kind of pissed at him he did so well (just joking of course).
Next came Dad, then Mom (and a few others we knew in between) and before I knew it, the race was done and my duties as pack-mule were complete.
And yeah, my family totally and completely rocked it.
It was a great morning, that saw new PBs set (Kirsten, Shane, Dad - and I’m sure plenty of others) and course records broken, followed by a great evening of delicious food and many reasons to be thankful.
Monday was race day for me and my first actual Cyclocross race – the Condo Cross at Topaz Park.
What to say.
Well, first, CX is SO.MUCH.FUN! And hard. Like, really hard.
As for the race, well, in short, I accomplished my goals of not finishing last and not getting lapped by the leader – woo hooo!
Now, the long version…
I got to the park fairly early to do a beginner’s clinic. Really, that meant I got to ride the course once with a bit of instruction from one of the guys who has been doing this whole CX thing much longer than me (which doesn’t take much considering this was only my second cross ride ever). I think I picked up a few good little pointers and by the time the beginner women’s race rolled around, I was 2 parts nervous and 1 part raring-to-go.
The beginner women’s race started one minute after the beginner men’s race and was 3 laps. Each lap was about 2.5-3k. I started out really tentative, and just kind of let half of the field get away from me (there were only 11 of us beginner ladies). I don’t love having other people right around me and didn’t want to crash into anyone, so, admittedly, I was just being a big old wuss.
As the first lap progressed, I started to get a bit more confident. I started to push a little harder and my lungs started to burn.
Then came a nice technical section, and my first wipeout. It happened so fast, I’m not entirely sure what actually happened, but what I think, went something like this…
I was excited to be gaining on other people (I think I had actually just passed one?), which also made me really nervous. It my excitement/panic, I did not take the corner properly and totally forgot that the uphill and corner combo I was now coming into pretty much doubled-back on itself (hard to explain).
[I think] my tire turned sideways and I went over the handlebars. I landed flat out in a belly flop on the side of the hill. My shoes came unclipped in the crash so I was able to pop back up in about 0.001 of a second (this had nothing to do with my total embarrassment for my massive bail), run to the top of the hill and try to get back on my bike to keep going. My parents, who were watching, may have a different version of events.
After that first crash, I wasn’t really afraid of wiping out anymore. My bike was still working, and I didn’t hurt anything (although I do have some pretty glorious bruises now). So, the next two laps, I totally pushed harder, definitely gaining confidence on each one.
I had a few more minor spills (nothing as spectacular as the first one) mainly due to pushing too hard into corners and not really thinking about the degree of corner that was coming up.
I managed to catch and pass two women (well, one woman, one young girl) in front of me (and one guy – although, he was like 12 years old, so let’s maybe not talk about that) and just really had a blast.
By the time I finished, my legs were screaming and my lungs were burning, but it felt oh-so-good.
I had a really great time, and honestly think that if I wasn’t such a big chicken at the start, and rode all 3 laps like I did the final one, I would have been closer to the front… Something to strive for next time I suppose.
My only disappointment with the day is that I didn’t discover cross racing earlier. The season is almost done and I’ve only just begun! (and apparently I'm a poet).
And well, I think that is that... Until next time.
Thanks for reading.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Friday, October 7, 2011
Things you do when every person you know is racing, but you are not…
1) Reformat the blog, over and over and over and over....
I think I finally like this look. I think. Ahhh, who am I kindding, I am not totally sure. It is a work in progress at this point. I welcome feedback.
2) Devise a “Spectating Race Plan” in Excel and email to race participants for feedback.
[Yes, I really did this, see picture below. Oddly, I have not received any feedback from said race participants. What up with that?]
3) Carbo-load… because, well, why not? It is race week afterall.
4) Make a first attempt at Cyclocross.
[SO MUCH FUN! I was super slow (but not dead last, maybe second or third to last) but never crashed and really just had trouble wiping the smile off my face. Second attempt at CX is this coming Monday, and then third attempt on Wednesday night. Maybe I can move up to fourth or fifth from last, haha. If you don’t know what Cyclocross is, check out the video below.]
5) Have an awesome tempo run on Tuesday night.
[I headed out on an ‘out and back’ route after work on Tuesday night that I haven’t run in a while. In the past, this route would take me about 45’. On Tuesday I felt super relaxed and strong and my legs were just ticking. I made it back to the finish in about 37’ feeling awesome – and with that, I found my proof. I really did get faster this season.]
6) Carbo-load.
7) Read other blogs from people racing this weekend and get exceedingly more jealous.
8) Go to the race Expo to pick up your husband’s race package (because it would just feel wrong not to pick up a race package this weekend), renew Canadian Running subscription at the Expo (it’s tradition) and hopefully get some free Goody Stayputs (also tradition, plus, I desperately need some new elastics, but hate buying them).
9) Try to remember there is a reason you have decided not to race this weekend and stay strong in that decision.
I think I finally like this look. I think. Ahhh, who am I kindding, I am not totally sure. It is a work in progress at this point. I welcome feedback.
2) Devise a “Spectating Race Plan” in Excel and email to race participants for feedback.
[Yes, I really did this, see picture below. Oddly, I have not received any feedback from said race participants. What up with that?]
3) Carbo-load… because, well, why not? It is race week afterall.
4) Make a first attempt at Cyclocross.
[SO MUCH FUN! I was super slow (but not dead last, maybe second or third to last) but never crashed and really just had trouble wiping the smile off my face. Second attempt at CX is this coming Monday, and then third attempt on Wednesday night. Maybe I can move up to fourth or fifth from last, haha. If you don’t know what Cyclocross is, check out the video below.]
5) Have an awesome tempo run on Tuesday night.
[I headed out on an ‘out and back’ route after work on Tuesday night that I haven’t run in a while. In the past, this route would take me about 45’. On Tuesday I felt super relaxed and strong and my legs were just ticking. I made it back to the finish in about 37’ feeling awesome – and with that, I found my proof. I really did get faster this season.]
6) Carbo-load.
7) Read other blogs from people racing this weekend and get exceedingly more jealous.
8) Go to the race Expo to pick up your husband’s race package (because it would just feel wrong not to pick up a race package this weekend), renew Canadian Running subscription at the Expo (it’s tradition) and hopefully get some free Goody Stayputs (also tradition, plus, I desperately need some new elastics, but hate buying them).
9) Try to remember there is a reason you have decided not to race this weekend and stay strong in that decision.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Who’s tapering?
As mentioned in my last update, I have finally made a decision about October 9th and the Victoria Half Marathon. At the time, I mentioned my decision involves cowbell, and that I was not yet regretting the decision.
Some things have stayed the same. Some things have changed.
What has not changed is the cowbell. I have decided to sit the race out this year and I am sticking to that decision (no matter how incredibly hard it may be to stand on the sidelines this Sunday). My role will be that of "clothing sherpa" for all of my family members who are running, and also “number one cheerleader” (this is a self-appointed title of course).
What has changed is the regret. I am definitely starting to feel a little envious of everyone as they head into their taper week and gear up for the big day.
I’m really going to miss going to pick up my race packet and wander through the expo (although, I will still go to the expo, it just won’t be the same). No doubt, I will miss the nervous excitement as race day approaches and the pre-race carbo-load. Heck, I’ll even miss the achy legs on Sunday evening post-race.
That said, I do believe I have made the right decision.
Something that helped me with this decision was a pretty good chat I had with Kelly about a month ago. With his help, I was able to weigh the pros and cons of doing the race this year. It was close, but in the end, the fact that my desire to race wasn’t there and my heart wasn’t truly in it, won out. I don’t have to do something just because I’ve always done it, right?
Now, all that said, during this conversation, one thing that came up was the fact that I feel pretty confident that I could go out and run a PB at this race (which is definitely one of the reasons the decision to NOT race is so soo hard). Deep in my gut, I know I could go faster than last year.
So why don’t I run? Why don’t I prove it?
I've been asking myself this question a lot, but I suppose it comes down to the fact that I don’t feel like I need to prove it to myself... and why should it matter to anyone else? My goal for this past season was to get faster. I accomplished that and with this accomplishment came renewed confidence in my ability. I think that is a pretty good thing.
Also, I feel like by sitting this race out and watching, by allowing the envy and excitement to fill my body, my desire to get back into a regular training routine will be sparked.
Make sense? I dunno, I guess I’m just rambling now.
So, long story short, if you are running any event (8k, Half, Full) at the Victoria Marathon this weekend, look for me on the sidelines! I’ve recruited a small gaggle of girls (and possibly Ash) to join me. There will be cowbell, lots of WOO-WOOs and even perhaps some pom-poms and foam fingers. Yeah, that’s right – foam fingers!
Soooo, in closing... GOOD LUCK to all the lucky folks who are racing this weekend!!!!
p.s. As a major aside, the recent decision by the IAAF to only recognize women's marathon world records when set in all-women competitions is absolutely crazy to me (you can view a couple article’s about this here and here). I think it is awful that they can suddenly decide Paula Radcliffe’s world record is no longer that.
Maybe I don’t truly understand the rules around pacers, but my initial reaction is that this completely belittles her accomplishments, and in doing so, also sends a bad message to women in sport.
It simply just doesn’t make a lot of sense to me.
That said, I'm a good listener, so if anyone has a good argument for why this is a great new rule, please feel free to shed some light on it for me.
Some things have stayed the same. Some things have changed.
What has not changed is the cowbell. I have decided to sit the race out this year and I am sticking to that decision (no matter how incredibly hard it may be to stand on the sidelines this Sunday). My role will be that of "clothing sherpa" for all of my family members who are running, and also “number one cheerleader” (this is a self-appointed title of course).
What has changed is the regret. I am definitely starting to feel a little envious of everyone as they head into their taper week and gear up for the big day.
I’m really going to miss going to pick up my race packet and wander through the expo (although, I will still go to the expo, it just won’t be the same). No doubt, I will miss the nervous excitement as race day approaches and the pre-race carbo-load. Heck, I’ll even miss the achy legs on Sunday evening post-race.
That said, I do believe I have made the right decision.
Something that helped me with this decision was a pretty good chat I had with Kelly about a month ago. With his help, I was able to weigh the pros and cons of doing the race this year. It was close, but in the end, the fact that my desire to race wasn’t there and my heart wasn’t truly in it, won out. I don’t have to do something just because I’ve always done it, right?
Now, all that said, during this conversation, one thing that came up was the fact that I feel pretty confident that I could go out and run a PB at this race (which is definitely one of the reasons the decision to NOT race is so soo hard). Deep in my gut, I know I could go faster than last year.
So why don’t I run? Why don’t I prove it?
I've been asking myself this question a lot, but I suppose it comes down to the fact that I don’t feel like I need to prove it to myself... and why should it matter to anyone else? My goal for this past season was to get faster. I accomplished that and with this accomplishment came renewed confidence in my ability. I think that is a pretty good thing.
Also, I feel like by sitting this race out and watching, by allowing the envy and excitement to fill my body, my desire to get back into a regular training routine will be sparked.
Make sense? I dunno, I guess I’m just rambling now.
So, long story short, if you are running any event (8k, Half, Full) at the Victoria Marathon this weekend, look for me on the sidelines! I’ve recruited a small gaggle of girls (and possibly Ash) to join me. There will be cowbell, lots of WOO-WOOs and even perhaps some pom-poms and foam fingers. Yeah, that’s right – foam fingers!
Soooo, in closing... GOOD LUCK to all the lucky folks who are racing this weekend!!!!
p.s. As a major aside, the recent decision by the IAAF to only recognize women's marathon world records when set in all-women competitions is absolutely crazy to me (you can view a couple article’s about this here and here). I think it is awful that they can suddenly decide Paula Radcliffe’s world record is no longer that.
Maybe I don’t truly understand the rules around pacers, but my initial reaction is that this completely belittles her accomplishments, and in doing so, also sends a bad message to women in sport.
It simply just doesn’t make a lot of sense to me.
That said, I'm a good listener, so if anyone has a good argument for why this is a great new rule, please feel free to shed some light on it for me.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
My favourite new accessory…
Looking at my blog, I [once again] realized it’s been a while since my last update… so I started jotting down all the ideas and things that have been happening over the last couple weeks.
Then the phone rang, and it slowly turned into “one of those days.” What felt like bad news, after bad news, after bad news, just kept coming.
My poor little pooch is sick and I don’t want to face the fact that he is getting old. I honestly don’t know how parents cope when their children are sick [see Mom, this is why I’m not ready to give you grand babies].
Bad picture, but he looks cute anyway.
Better picture :)
Anyway, I kind of just wanted to sit down and have a little cry until my tears washed the sad feelings and bad news away.
Instead (since I think my co-workers might be a bit concerned if I just started randomly bawling in the middle of the office) I decided it was time to just think about all the good and focus on some of the stuff that I should be thankful for today…
And then!
Shane sent me a great text that went a little something like this “Yeah and we can run tonight. And no problems follow u when your running.” He has bad texting grammar, but I love him anyway. Also, his statement is very true - most problems vanish for the duration of your run. Part of me does wonder if some wise man who likes to run has hi-jacked Shane’s phone though ;) [I joke, I joke].
So, enough rambling.
Without much further ado, some thankful thoughts…
I’m thankful I’m eating a Hernandez Burrito Clasico right now – it is flippin’ delicious!
I’m thankful I just read one of my favourite new blogs: Ali on the Run. Ali just ran a marathon for the first time, and well, I kind of want to be her friend.
Oh, also, admittedly, I may have stolen this “Thankful Things” list idea from her. Oh, oh, and just because… this is another of my favourite new blogs: Sweat Once a Day.
I’m thankful (and excited) that I’m going to try out Cyclocross really soon. Because of this, my lovely little “Blue Steel” is going to get a cross makeover tonight.
I’m thankful I started Yoga Teacher Training. The first weekend (which was last weekend) left me a little overwhelmed, but I think it is going to be really fun and all of the girls in the program seem really nice.
I’m thankful Kirsten’s qualifying time held strong and she has been accepted to run in Boston!!!!! I’m really really excited for her and can’t wait to go to Boston to cheer her on.
[Note to self: I really really need to start saving some money].
Now, that brings me to the title of this post and my favourite new accessory ~ the cowbell. It’s awesome. I love cheering at events that I’m not racing at and the cowbell makes it that much more fun. Also, I just saw the classic “More Cowbell” SNL skit the other day and it made me happy. If you haven’t seen it, Google it.
So yep, the cowbell, I’m thankful for the cowbell.
I’m thankful I had a good swim this morning and pretty much had the whole lane to myself the entire time. I’m also thankful that when I did have to share the lane for a brief period, it was with a super-fast guy and I was able to draft off him. Awesome.
I’m thankful for blue-sky and sunshine this afternoon.
I’m thankful I finally made a decision about the Victoria Half Marathon and that I’m not regretting that decision (as of yet). My decision involves cowbell. I will elaborate more in another post.
I’m thankful for prune plums. I ate two this morning with my yogurt. They were delicious.
Umm, and well, I’m sure there is more but I should probably get back to work. I don’t feel like crying anymore, so I think this list may have helped after all.
Then the phone rang, and it slowly turned into “one of those days.” What felt like bad news, after bad news, after bad news, just kept coming.
My poor little pooch is sick and I don’t want to face the fact that he is getting old. I honestly don’t know how parents cope when their children are sick [see Mom, this is why I’m not ready to give you grand babies].
Anyway, I kind of just wanted to sit down and have a little cry until my tears washed the sad feelings and bad news away.
Instead (since I think my co-workers might be a bit concerned if I just started randomly bawling in the middle of the office) I decided it was time to just think about all the good and focus on some of the stuff that I should be thankful for today…
And then!
Shane sent me a great text that went a little something like this “Yeah and we can run tonight. And no problems follow u when your running.” He has bad texting grammar, but I love him anyway. Also, his statement is very true - most problems vanish for the duration of your run. Part of me does wonder if some wise man who likes to run has hi-jacked Shane’s phone though ;) [I joke, I joke].
So, enough rambling.
Without much further ado, some thankful thoughts…
I’m thankful I’m eating a Hernandez Burrito Clasico right now – it is flippin’ delicious!
I’m thankful I just read one of my favourite new blogs: Ali on the Run. Ali just ran a marathon for the first time, and well, I kind of want to be her friend.
Oh, also, admittedly, I may have stolen this “Thankful Things” list idea from her. Oh, oh, and just because… this is another of my favourite new blogs: Sweat Once a Day.
I’m thankful (and excited) that I’m going to try out Cyclocross really soon. Because of this, my lovely little “Blue Steel” is going to get a cross makeover tonight.
I’m thankful I started Yoga Teacher Training. The first weekend (which was last weekend) left me a little overwhelmed, but I think it is going to be really fun and all of the girls in the program seem really nice.
I’m thankful Kirsten’s qualifying time held strong and she has been accepted to run in Boston!!!!! I’m really really excited for her and can’t wait to go to Boston to cheer her on.
[Note to self: I really really need to start saving some money].
Now, that brings me to the title of this post and my favourite new accessory ~ the cowbell. It’s awesome. I love cheering at events that I’m not racing at and the cowbell makes it that much more fun. Also, I just saw the classic “More Cowbell” SNL skit the other day and it made me happy. If you haven’t seen it, Google it.
So yep, the cowbell, I’m thankful for the cowbell.
I’m thankful I had a good swim this morning and pretty much had the whole lane to myself the entire time. I’m also thankful that when I did have to share the lane for a brief period, it was with a super-fast guy and I was able to draft off him. Awesome.
I’m thankful for blue-sky and sunshine this afternoon.
I’m thankful I finally made a decision about the Victoria Half Marathon and that I’m not regretting that decision (as of yet). My decision involves cowbell. I will elaborate more in another post.
I’m thankful for prune plums. I ate two this morning with my yogurt. They were delicious.
Umm, and well, I’m sure there is more but I should probably get back to work. I don’t feel like crying anymore, so I think this list may have helped after all.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
"Does this bike make my butt look fast?"
My brain has been feeling a bit tired the last couple days, and then today as I was trolling the internet, I came across a bunch of fun triathlon quotes, slogans and one-liners. So, rather than coming up with my own words, I figured I'd share a few of the quotes that made me snicker or smile....
"If you really want to do something, you'll find a way. If you don't, you'll find an excuse."
"Obsessed is a word the unmotivated use to describe the dedicated."
"If your relationship is working you’re not training hard enough."
"Inside every car is a cyclist."
"I'm not slow; I'm just enjoying the race longer."
"Anyone can work hard when they want to; champions do it when they don't."
"Athletes are ordinary people with extraordinary determination."
"If you think you can or think you can't, you’re probably right."
"There are really just two kinds of people. Those who say I can't. And those who say I can."
"If it doesn't hurt, you're not going fast enough."
"Swim, Bike, Run, Rinse, Repeat."
"The only easy day was yesterday."
"You do marathons? How cute!"
"Some people consider the marathon the ultimate endurance event. We consider it a cool down."
[truth be told, I think people who run marathons are crazy MoFos and I have the utmost respect - but I still thought the last two quotes were kind of funny]
"PR or ER"
"Your workout is my warm up."
"How do you spot the triathlete in a room? You don't have to; he'll tell you all about it."
"Speed Hurts. How fast do you want to go?"
"Success isn't the result of spontaneous combustion. You must learn to set yourself on fire."
"Triathlon: this much pain is expensive."
"Triathlon is Latin for HTFU."
"It's not about finding your limits. It's about finding out what lies just beyond them."
"Please help me learn how to pee in my shorts."
"Pain is temporary, quitting is forever."
"Don't drown ~ Don't crash ~ Don't walk"
"There are no atheists the last eight miles of an Ironman."
"It doesn’t get any easier; you just get faster."
"Pain is weakness leaving the body."
Now it's your turn... Tell me your favourite quotes?
"If you really want to do something, you'll find a way. If you don't, you'll find an excuse."
"Obsessed is a word the unmotivated use to describe the dedicated."
"If your relationship is working you’re not training hard enough."
"Inside every car is a cyclist."
"I'm not slow; I'm just enjoying the race longer."
"Anyone can work hard when they want to; champions do it when they don't."
"Athletes are ordinary people with extraordinary determination."
"If you think you can or think you can't, you’re probably right."
"There are really just two kinds of people. Those who say I can't. And those who say I can."
"If it doesn't hurt, you're not going fast enough."
"Swim, Bike, Run, Rinse, Repeat."
"The only easy day was yesterday."
"You do marathons? How cute!"
"Some people consider the marathon the ultimate endurance event. We consider it a cool down."
[truth be told, I think people who run marathons are crazy MoFos and I have the utmost respect - but I still thought the last two quotes were kind of funny]
"PR or ER"
"Your workout is my warm up."
"How do you spot the triathlete in a room? You don't have to; he'll tell you all about it."
"Speed Hurts. How fast do you want to go?"
"Success isn't the result of spontaneous combustion. You must learn to set yourself on fire."
"Triathlon: this much pain is expensive."
"Triathlon is Latin for HTFU."
"It's not about finding your limits. It's about finding out what lies just beyond them."
"Please help me learn how to pee in my shorts."
"Pain is temporary, quitting is forever."
"Don't drown ~ Don't crash ~ Don't walk"
"There are no atheists the last eight miles of an Ironman."
"It doesn’t get any easier; you just get faster."
"Pain is weakness leaving the body."
Now it's your turn... Tell me your favourite quotes?
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Marry the Man...
I have this amazing friend that is in love with Paris. She’s inspired some of my previous blog posts (like this one for example).
Recently, she unwittingly inspired another with a simple Facebook status update (which I really hope she doesn’t mind me sharing, as she is now on her way to PARIS, so I can’t actually ask her).
Anyway, it went a little something like this:
“Marry the man who lets you spend all day at the barn and never asks where dinner is; marry the man who never asks, "How much did that bag cost?"; and marry the man that has been secretly learning French for a dreamed about life together in Paris….”
My first thought when I read her post was:
“Marry the man that signs up to do Ironman with you when he’s never even done a triathlon before!”
Not quite as eloquent as my friends update, but you get the point.
Anyway, the question/comment I’ve been getting the most lately goes a little something like this: "Congrats on NZ, so Ironman again eh? [yadda yadda] Oh, AND SHANE SIGNED UP TOO???!!!”
So, let me answer that question. Yes. Shane signed up for Ironman Canada!
He will be an Ironman.
Shane has been putting up with my triathlon addiction for a few years now and I like to think that he’s finally been bitten by the bug.
He’s supported me and my endless desire to train (which is not easy, as I have this horrible compulsion that I must follow what is on my training calendar to a ‘T’ and if something gets thrown out of whack or I miss a workout, I can be a little hard to deal with… neurotic? maybe; obsessive? perhaps.)
He’s gotten up early countless times to come stand near the lakes edge, or on the side of a road to cheer me on, even if the course is not a multi-loop and he only gets to see me once during the whole long morning (and trust me, I’m not that fast, so there have been some looooong days).
He’s helped me drop off my bike and pick up my race packet on countless occasions; attended pre-race meetings and watched me ‘walk’ transition numerous times until I’ve got it down pat. (Neurotic and obsessive, remember?). He probably knows the inner workings of a transition area better than some triathletes.
He obliges when there is actually a race on TV and even lets me watch it without too much complaint. Shane’s words: “What’s more boring than watching triathlon in person? Watching it on TV.” (I did say “without too much complaint”). Oh, and for the record, I wholeheartedly disagree – neither is boring.
He even raced with me once in a relay (he did the bike leg) when I was coming back from my pulmonary embolism and wasn’t quite up to conquering the whole thing on my own… and let me tell you, that was a very very hilly and challenging 50ish km bike course. Especially when you consider the fact that he didn’t really train and decided to attend Beerfest the day before the race! Note to Shane: Pizza and beer is probably not the most ideal pre-race meal.
Anyway, as I say, I think he’s finally been bitten by the “crazy bug” that has sunk it's fangs into most triathletes.
I’m super excited for the next year of training, as not only do I have Kirsten as a training partner for the next leg of my triathlon journey, but I have Shane sharing the ride as well! I’m a lucky girl.
Oh, one thing though. Kirsten and Shane, let’s make sure this doesn’t turn out like that road trip we took down the Oregon Coast back in 2004 – mmm’kay? Thanks.
Recently, she unwittingly inspired another with a simple Facebook status update (which I really hope she doesn’t mind me sharing, as she is now on her way to PARIS, so I can’t actually ask her).
Anyway, it went a little something like this:
“Marry the man who lets you spend all day at the barn and never asks where dinner is; marry the man who never asks, "How much did that bag cost?"; and marry the man that has been secretly learning French for a dreamed about life together in Paris….”
My first thought when I read her post was:
“Marry the man that signs up to do Ironman with you when he’s never even done a triathlon before!”
Not quite as eloquent as my friends update, but you get the point.
Anyway, the question/comment I’ve been getting the most lately goes a little something like this: "Congrats on NZ, so Ironman again eh? [yadda yadda] Oh, AND SHANE SIGNED UP TOO???!!!”
So, let me answer that question. Yes. Shane signed up for Ironman Canada!
He will be an Ironman.
Shane has been putting up with my triathlon addiction for a few years now and I like to think that he’s finally been bitten by the bug.
He’s supported me and my endless desire to train (which is not easy, as I have this horrible compulsion that I must follow what is on my training calendar to a ‘T’ and if something gets thrown out of whack or I miss a workout, I can be a little hard to deal with… neurotic? maybe; obsessive? perhaps.)
He’s gotten up early countless times to come stand near the lakes edge, or on the side of a road to cheer me on, even if the course is not a multi-loop and he only gets to see me once during the whole long morning (and trust me, I’m not that fast, so there have been some looooong days).
He’s helped me drop off my bike and pick up my race packet on countless occasions; attended pre-race meetings and watched me ‘walk’ transition numerous times until I’ve got it down pat. (Neurotic and obsessive, remember?). He probably knows the inner workings of a transition area better than some triathletes.
He obliges when there is actually a race on TV and even lets me watch it without too much complaint. Shane’s words: “What’s more boring than watching triathlon in person? Watching it on TV.” (I did say “without too much complaint”). Oh, and for the record, I wholeheartedly disagree – neither is boring.
He even raced with me once in a relay (he did the bike leg) when I was coming back from my pulmonary embolism and wasn’t quite up to conquering the whole thing on my own… and let me tell you, that was a very very hilly and challenging 50ish km bike course. Especially when you consider the fact that he didn’t really train and decided to attend Beerfest the day before the race! Note to Shane: Pizza and beer is probably not the most ideal pre-race meal.
Anyway, as I say, I think he’s finally been bitten by the “crazy bug” that has sunk it's fangs into most triathletes.
I’m super excited for the next year of training, as not only do I have Kirsten as a training partner for the next leg of my triathlon journey, but I have Shane sharing the ride as well! I’m a lucky girl.
Oh, one thing though. Kirsten and Shane, let’s make sure this doesn’t turn out like that road trip we took down the Oregon Coast back in 2004 – mmm’kay? Thanks.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
The Queen of Indecision
Post-Kelowna I decided to take a short break from coaching – not training, but coaching.
I’m starting a 200hr Yoga Teacher Training program in 10 days, and figured that a small break from structured training might be a good thing (the ever-decreasing weight of my wallet also had a large say in this decision).
Deep down, I know that this “break” is a good thing for my mental state. Next year will be a longer season for me (what with IMC in August and then NZ in October) and I don’t want to burn out before the big day(s).
That said, roughly two-weeks into my coaching hiatus I find myself missing the structure, thinking of questions for Kelly that I really shouldn’t be bothering him with while he’s not on payroll.
So yes, I'll admit to feeling a little lost without having something written in my calendar for me every day, but – get ready for the indecisiveness here – I have also been enjoying just getting up and doing what I feel like. I've decided to give myself to the end of this week to carry on with this "do what I feel like" routine and then I am going to map out a few weeks for myself on the calendar so I have a bit of direction.
Another thing that is helping to secure my royal title as the Queen of Indecision… the Goodlife Fitness Victoria Half Marathon. This race has been a staple for me over the last 3-4 years and I do really enjoy it, but for some reason, I can’t get myself excited enough about it this year to actually bite the bullet and register.
I seem to change my mind every day from "race the half – go for a new PB" to "break out my cowbell and my cross bike and be the best cheerleader possible" to "maybe I should just run the 8k" back to "cheerleader" back to "half" back to…. Well, you get the point. Lather, rinse, repeat and all that good shizz.
Before I register - IF I even register - I feel like I should actually want to race, you know?
But, will I be disappointed if I don’t race?
*sigh*
So, that massive ramble aside, I guess I still have no idea what I will be doing Oct. 9.
I’m starting a 200hr Yoga Teacher Training program in 10 days, and figured that a small break from structured training might be a good thing (the ever-decreasing weight of my wallet also had a large say in this decision).
Deep down, I know that this “break” is a good thing for my mental state. Next year will be a longer season for me (what with IMC in August and then NZ in October) and I don’t want to burn out before the big day(s).
That said, roughly two-weeks into my coaching hiatus I find myself missing the structure, thinking of questions for Kelly that I really shouldn’t be bothering him with while he’s not on payroll.
So yes, I'll admit to feeling a little lost without having something written in my calendar for me every day, but – get ready for the indecisiveness here – I have also been enjoying just getting up and doing what I feel like. I've decided to give myself to the end of this week to carry on with this "do what I feel like" routine and then I am going to map out a few weeks for myself on the calendar so I have a bit of direction.
Another thing that is helping to secure my royal title as the Queen of Indecision… the Goodlife Fitness Victoria Half Marathon. This race has been a staple for me over the last 3-4 years and I do really enjoy it, but for some reason, I can’t get myself excited enough about it this year to actually bite the bullet and register.
I seem to change my mind every day from "race the half – go for a new PB" to "break out my cowbell and my cross bike and be the best cheerleader possible" to "maybe I should just run the 8k" back to "cheerleader" back to "half" back to…. Well, you get the point. Lather, rinse, repeat and all that good shizz.
Before I register - IF I even register - I feel like I should actually want to race, you know?
But, will I be disappointed if I don’t race?
*sigh*
So, that massive ramble aside, I guess I still have no idea what I will be doing Oct. 9.
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