I'm baaaaack...

So, I suppose I lied in my last blog post when I said "Next post from the Southern Hemisphere!" because that obviously didn't happen.

 

I was much too busy having a blast in NZ and pretty much just went "off the grid".

 

No cell phone. Limited internet. Barely any Facebook. Only the odd email check and, well, no blogging at all (obviously).

 

While I'm totally nosy and love checking out what other people are/were up to, for the past 4 weeks I've pretty much only thought about myself and the people I was with in real life, and you know, it was kind of awesome. I seriously considered never turning on my Blackberry again (although, I have totally failed at that and am now again a slave to that little "gong" noise).

 

That said, I did keep a journal of the trip and may share a few excerpts. As well, I will likely post my race report in the coming days, although that will be more for myself then anyone else (the main reason being so that in a year's time I know where it is if I want to reread it - as I likely will have misplaced my physical journal by then).

 

In the meantime, one of my fave photos from the trip. Zorbing with my Dad. It was indeed "a good giggle."

This may not be the most flattering photo, but it sure captures the moment :)

More to come....

Random Friday Facts: “It’s Almost NZ Time” Edition

1) I've realized that when I say "I have a day off" most people assume I'm talking about work, but in fact, I'm talking about training. If I have a day off from work, I will specify that I have a day off “from work." Do all people who crazily train for endurance sports do this?

2) I watched a great little Canadian movie on my flight home from San Diego in August. The movie was called One Week. Who doesn’t love Pacey Witter? Anyway, you should totally watch it if you get a chance. Oh, and Gord Downie makes an appearance. [And now anyone reading this that is not Canadian is like “Who is Gord Downie?”]

3) I don’t really swear a lot, but the times I can’t seem to control ‘the swears’ are usually when I’m participating in some sort of athletic event or when I’m stuck in traffic. During athletics, I think it is because my focus is on the task at hand and I don’t have enough energy to devote to coming up with more eloquent words. In traffic, I dunno, maybe I’m just really tired of the long commute each day.

4) I often still time how long it takes me to pee and when I don’t, and it is a particularly long one, I’m always like “damn, I wish I would have timed that!” Then I laugh at myself.

5) I raced the 8k at the Victoria Marathon last weekend. Since then, I have not felt the urge/need to write an in depth race report (the blogosphere cries, I know). So instead, here it is in bullet points:

• Shane dared me on the Saturday before the race to run without a watch. No Garmin. No Timex. No splits.
• I did it!
• I went out a bit too fast and definitely slowed down as the race progressed.
• I think I may have pushed a bit harder if I had my watch and knew what my time was – or maybe I would have just beat myself up for going too slow. Who knows? Don’t care.
• I thoroughly enjoyed the out and back course and spent a lot of time looking for all my friends on the way ‘back’. It was a nice distraction.
• I technically PB’d (according to Shane and Kirsten) but did not actually PB (according to me).
• Chip time: 37:29. Good enough for 9th in my age group.
• I know I can run faster (because I have before) but I was actually pretty happy with this outing.
• I felt like I ran strong and somewhat comfortable the whole time and it left me feeling pretty good mentally leading into Auckland (even if I am having minor “impostor” freak outs).

6) Shane and my Mom are considering skydiving while we are in NZ. It’s one of those things I feel like I will regret not doing when they land safely back on the ground, but I’m not sure I could physically do it. I think I would pass out the second that I was pushed out of the plane.

7) I bungee jumped when I was 17 (or was it 18?). I will (most likely) never do that again.

8) Last night I was doing some hill repeats at the end of my workout near my parents’ house. I ended up walking down the hill after one of the repeats with a young boy (about 10 years old I would guess). He looks at me and says “I wish my Mom would run up and down the hill like that.” My initial thought was that of confusion “does this boy think I’m as old as his Mom” then about a split second later, the realization hit me “oh gawd, I am old enough to be his Mom!” The whole scenario really made me laugh, but it also made me feel kind of old.

9) A long but interesting read: Marathon Man. I can’t imagine going to so much trouble to have a fast marathon time. It seems like it would be easier (and more satisfying) just to train hard rather than cheat.

10) My wave start in Auckland is at 7:09am and will be combined with the F25-29 age group, for a total of 127 scratching, clawing women all fighting for position in the pack. Somehow this makes me more nervous than the start of IMC where I was only swimming with, what, 2600+ of my closest friends. Go figure. That said, I’m pretty confident I can hold my own.

11) My furbaby Rusty turns 7 on Monday. At times he is such a curmudgeonly old man, then without a moment’s notice, he’s just a playful carefree little puppy. I sure love that wiggling, drooling, handsome little beast.

Next post from the Southern Hemisphere!
Peace Out.

Impostor

It is almost time to leave for NZ, which means it is almost the time when I will compete with the maple leaf across my chest (and my butt) and get to represent Canada at the Age Group World Championships.

It is all very exciting (and slightly nerve-wracking).

I’m not going to lie; I have these moments where I feel like a total impostor. It’s like this weird nightmare where I’m going to land in Auckland and “they” (I don’t know who “they” actually are) are going to figure out that it’s all a big mistake and I shouldn’t actually be there.

It’s a totally silly feeling, I know. I qualified. I am actually competitive at short course. I’m capable of going out there and working hard and laying down a good race… and yet, I’m still oddly waiting for someone to call me out – “IMPOSTOR!” they will shout across a crowded airport and/or race expo.

I keep joking with my family that I hope I don’t come last. As I say, it is a joke. I am pretty confident I won’t be last (but you never really know what can happen race day – and so I am currently knocking on wood), but even if I do come last, I’ll still be happy with the day so long as I cross the finish line knowing that I gave everything I could possible give.

I actually feel pretty ready. I know I’ve got a good race in me and I’m ready to push into that pain zone and see what my body is capable of. I’m ready to leave it all out there.

That said the nerves of the unknown have hit. It’s all so new; from having to pack my bike in a bike box, to not knowing how my body with handle the jet lag after a 14 hour flight, to racing in a foreign country, to… well, you get the idea.

*BIG SIGH* (I’m not feeling overwhelmed or anything, haha).

Regardless, it is happening. It is going to be a great adventure and while nervous, I am so excited and thankful for this experience and can’t wait to proudly represent Canada.

In just a few days I will travel through time. I hear they have “extreme roundabouts” in the future ;)
(Extreme bonus points if you get the reference).

Victoria Race Weekend

So, I rode my bike yesterday morning and it didn’t suck. Granted, it was just an easy aerobic 90’ on the trainer, but still, I’ll take it as a win after last week’s bike blues.

Anyway, that isn’t what this post is about…

Nope, this post is about my favourite Thanksgiving weekend tradition ~ the Royal Victoria Marathon [I know it is actually called the Goodlife Victoria Marathon now, but I will probably always think of it as the RVM] and the wonderful race weekend atmosphere that comes with it!

In one way or another I have been spending Thanksgiving Sunday along the Victoria waterfront – either racing or cheering – for the past 5 or 6 years. It has become as much a staple in my Thanksgiving weekend as Tofurkey and mashed potatoes.

This weekend I will be taking on the 8k – short and (hopefully) fast is on the agenda for me in this final push to Auckland.

I have some time goals (which I have reassessed slightly after a painful and somewhat slow 5km time trial this past Sunday), but more than anything, I’m looking to try and run strong and relaxed, and just to generally have fun with it. I want to go into Auckland feeling good mentally. (Of course, setting a new 8k PB would most definitely help with that good feeling).

So, the time goals:
My previous best in an actual 8k race was at the Vancouver Marathon in 2011 (38:43). Not terrible, but I know I can do much better, as my best 8k split in a race came this year during the TC 10k (36:32). Unfortunately, because it wasn’t a true “8k race” (even though the split was officially timed) Shane and Kirsten won’t let me count this as my PB. So, my goal for Sunday is to be in that 36:xx range and finally, really and truly, have a solid 8k PB in my record books.

Other than that, it’s going to be a pretty cool event with lots of friends to cheer for. Shane, Kirsten, Dad, Tyler and my good friend Laura are all running the Half. Mom will be tackling the 8k with me, and in a very cool turn of events, 4 of our friends who came to cheer us on at Ironman (who were not previously runners) got inspired during that wonderful Ironman week in Penticton, and are running the 8k! It’ll be their first race, which is super awesome. Good luck Matt, Evelyne, Sean and Justin!

And you know, I think that is all I’ve got for today… Happy Thanksgiving to all you crazy Canucks out there!

I love my bike, but…

For the past week or so, my motivation to get on my bike has been very low. I’m not sure why or how this came about, but lately I seem to be able to find any excuse and am able to justify to myself why it is okay to skip or slack on ‘this bike workout’ or ‘that bike workout’.

Take for example the past two days.

Yesterday (Wednesday) I had a 75’ aerobic ride on the agenda.

On Tuesday evening I decided that I would ride to and from work, as lately traffic has been making me very angry and each day I’m stuck in the car, I wonder why I’m not riding my bike (I’ve been quite road-ragey in fact. It is really not pretty). Anyway, once I drive down the Malahat, it takes about 30’ each way on my bike, so I figured I would ride easy on the way into work and then do the full 75’ after.

The ride into work was good. Cold, but uneventful. [Note to self: it is time for knee warmers in the morning – shorts are not cutting it anymore. Also, gloves.]

About midday yesterday, I decided it would be okay to only ride 45’ after work, justifying this by the fact that I would have ridden 75’ total on the day, even though it wasn’t all at once. Besides, I told myself, I swam immediately before my ride in to work, so that was about 75’ (or more!) of total aerobic activity this morning. 45’ on the way home was totally sufficient.

By 4:00 (30’ before departure time) I was both happy I had ridden my bike and sad at the same time. Happy I had ridden, because I knew if my car was in town, there was no way I would be riding for any length of time that evening. Sad, because I really didn’t want to ride, but had to if I wanted to go home (which I very much did).

The ride home was fine. My legs were tired and my heart wasn’t in it, but it too was uneventful (and warm enough for shorts and short sleeves, so that was nice).

By the time I got to my car (about 30’ into the ride) I decided to pack it in. My latest justification being that I had a “45-60’ aerobic on the rollers” ride on tap for the next morning (aka. today, aka. Thursday) and I would just make sure to do the full 60’, making up for the 15’ I was missing out on my 75’ aerobic.

Totally logical, completely reasonable and absolutely justifiable I told myself. Totally.

Fast forward to this morning. My alarm goes off. It’s time to get up and ride those damn rollers for 60’. I generally really like the rollers, but this morning at 5:30am, well, not so much.

So, what do I do?

Contemplate things for a few moments in a semi-awake state, then promptly set my alarm ahead one hour and go back to sleep.

My excuse du jour?

I’m tired. I’m just listening to my body. Rest is good for me. I can ride tonight when I get home from yoga and if I’m too tired, then I will ride Friday after work… or maybe Sunday. Yadda, yadda, yadda.

Yeah, you get the idea. That 45-60’ on the rollers probably isn’t going to happen.

So that’s where I’m at. Essentially 3 weeks out from one of the biggest races of my life and I can’t seem to get past this awful mental block about riding my bike. I only need to put in 3 more weeks of hard training and then I get some down time and a wicked long break exploring an awesome new country. Won’t it be so much better if I work hard for it? Gah, I’m not even tapering and I’m already freaking out. My mind is surely messing with me, right?

Okay, minor freak out aside and on a more positive note... I had a pretty good fartlek run the other night. I may have had (okay, totally did have) the assistance of gravity via some dowhills to help me, but managed to clock a few sub 4:00/km paces on the ol’ Garmin. Gravity assisted or not, it was a pretty good confidence boost.

Brain Dump

Some random thoughts for a random Wednesday…

1) This past weekend I participated in the 2nd Annual Fun Runners Super Sprint Triathlon presented by Westshore Triathlon.

The emphasis for the event was FUN and well, it delivered.

There were no timing chips, no race bibs (although we did get nicely body marked), no batons for relays, no awards, but there definitely was a great sense of community. (I think the number of volunteers actually rivaled the number of participants). Everyone brought a potluck item to share post “race” and there were even homemade finishers medals. It was pretty awesome.

Kirk and Stephanie (Westshore Triathlon) put on a great little event, bringing together everyone from experienced short course racers and Ironman finishers to triathlon virgins who completed their very first race!

For me, it was a great chance to see how my body would respond to pushing hard and fast without the real pressure of racing… and well, it wasn’t too bad. I felt pretty pooped coming off the bike and bagged out a bit on the run, but it didn’t really matter. While I know there is definitely some work to be done as I build toward Auckland, it was great to feel that intensity again that comes with short course racing and it left me feeling pretty positive about where I am at. (Even if I was a tad sore the next day, haha).

2) Saturday’s “race” was followed on Sunday by a more aerobic set of workouts (bike and run). Both were to be kept in the easy aerobic range, but were to be “hilly”. I’ve got a lot of hilly workouts on the horizon over the next few weeks and at first I couldn’t really figure out why (as I believe the course in Auckland is rather flat), then I saw this picture and it all made sense.

You're not fooling me Kelly Guest.

3) I rode my bike to work yesterday. I’ve been doing this fairly often lately and every time I ride through one stretch of the Goose I think to myself, this is a roadie’s dream.

Fresh asphalt on a secluded trail...

... definitely one for The Book of Awesome.

4) As you can see from the quality of the above photos, the camera on my phone is pretty lackluster. I have one of the original Blackberry Curves (complete with roller ball). I drop this bad boy about 100 times a day and it is still keeps on working. It’s like a tank. A very small electronic tank.

That said, my contract has hit the point where I can now upgrade my phone and I feel torn. Part of me thinks I should just keep rocking the Curve until it goes kaput, but I am also tempted to upgrade to something with a fancier camera and more functionality (you know, something that can do more than text, email and brick breaker... although I do love me some brick breaker).

But now I have a dilemma: iPhone vs. Blackberry vs. Android.

What do I do?!

Which is better? Which will suit my needs? Which has a higher quality camera? Which one will stand up to being dropped 100+ times a day? Which can resist a small coating of sweat from being in my back zipper pocket while I run? Which one will stand up to being dropped 100+ times a day?

Oh loyal blog readers, please weigh in. What should I do?

5) While we’re on the subject of comparing things, I’d just like to state that in my opinion SPEEDO > TYR.

Why, you ask? Well, for years I wore this Speedo suit…

It was great; however, a little boring and the thick straps would cause some chaffing on my neck. Aside from looking like I always had a hickey, I didn’t really mind and I really liked the way the suit fit. Not to mention, in 5 years of triathlon-ing, I only had to replace it once.

While in Boston in April, I came across this Tyr suit…

I’m a sucker for anything tie-dyed and while it didn’t fit like a glove, it fit ‘well enough’ and was cheaper than I could buy a suit at home (or so I thought), so I bought it. I quickly discovered that the thin straps meant no chaffing on my neck! It was like a revelation. Unfortunately, the suit barely lasted the summer and is now so stretched out I can’t wear it without mooning the entire pool with each push off the wall. What up with that Tyr?

So, the other day, I went in search of a new swim suit figuring I might get lucky and find something on an end-of-season sale.

I ended up buying this bad boy…

I love it! As soon as I put it on, I could feel that trusty Speedo quality. The suit fits my body shape perfectly. Not to mention, it has a fun pattern and thin straps – so no neck chafing! Oh, and because it was on sale, it was actually cheaper than the Tyr suit I bought it Boston. Win Win Win. I’m hopeful (and confident) it will last just as long as my boring old blue suit.

6) I’ve totally been shopping for jeans this week. Apparently this is a no-no. I'll admit it, I am definitely having a hard time resisting the urge to dress my post Ironman body. I haven't bought anything yet, but today could be the day.

7) Last but not least. As I alluded to in a previous post, I am trying to win Sister of the Year honours for 2013. (See #2 here). And yeah, THIS is officially on tap for 2013 (I just threw up a little in my mouth). I’m still not fully talking about it (I need to get through NZ first), but I’m getting there. It’s going to be fun. Crazy, yes, but fun.

That said, this is what Shane thinks of Kirsten’s and my plans for next August.

And I think that is all for now... HAPPY HUMP DAY!

What is happening?

My legs hurt.

A lot.

Like, A LOT a lot.

I can feel every sinew in my adductors and hips and quads and when I squat I involuntarily let out a little groan.

Man, what is happening to me?

Oh right, I took nearly two weeks off from training (the minimal amounts of swimming and biking were more just to keep me from going insane I think) and now that I’ve reintroduced some weight bearing exercises (think running and strength workouts) and am back at the whole two-a-day grind, my body is talking a little more loudly to me than it has in a while. (Although, I think it might just be asking for more cookies and grilled cheese, non?)

Don’t get me wrong, the two weeks of very little structure was absolutely needed. It was a perfect mental and physical break after Ironman and I find myself more and more excited for New Zealand. I’m happily looking ahead and no longer looking back.

So, even though I may groan each time I stand up from my desk at work, the stiffness in my legs is welcome. It is definitely a good hurt and I know by week’s end, my body will likely have reignited and things will be decidedly less painful.

That said, it does feel a bit strange to still have a race to focus on and train for. While most people in the Pacific Northwest are putting their tri-suits away for the season, my second ‘A’ race of the year is just around the corner. The air has a distinct fall chill to it and most Victoria area tri-geeks probably don’t have a lot of open water swimming on the horizon.

I however, have not packed up the wetsuit quite yet. I read recently the water temperature in Auckland on race day will likely be in the 14-16C (57-61F) range. Granted, I usually have no idea what the water temperature is around here, but well, 14-16C seems kinda cool, don’t cha think?

I believe Okanagan Lake measured somewhere in the 21-23C range this year for IMC, so I’m guessing 14-16C will be similar to the chill that we experience in Shawnigan each year in May (of course if anyone reading can correct me, please feel free). So yeah, Thetis (and perhaps even the ocean) will remain on my list of training facilities until at least October 14. Brrrr.

[Tangent Alert! Shane tells me that 14-16C is perfect “great white shark temperature”. I have a slightly irrational fear of sharks and can’t stop replaying (in my head) a story I saw on Shark Week about a guy in Australia’s Sydney harbour being attacked by a shark. The swim in Auckland just so happens to be in a harbour too. Eeek! Of course, this is good incentive to work on swimming really fast, so that I’m out of the water quickly. Besides, my odds are better in a big group right? I just need to make sure I don’t fall off the main pack, haha].

Another reason it seems a bit strange to still be focused on triathlon, is that last year around this time I discovered how fun cyclocross can be. Getting muddy and dirty and throwing yourself around a crazy biking obstacle course = awesome.

Part of me thought I would take part in the fall cross season again this year before heading to Auckland, but after a women’s only CX clinic on Monday night, I realized it is probably best to avoid the cross bike until after NZ.

Don’t get me wrong, the clinic (put on by the amazing Mical Dyck) was an absolute blast! I learned some great new skills (like how to dismount and mount while still wearing my shoes, how to properly carry my bike, plus much much more) and I don’t think the smile left my face the whole time I was there. Man, what a silly and thrilling sport!

[Fun fact: Mical hates bananas, but is an awesome teacher when it comes to all things CX].

That said, I also learned that the whole time I was trying to corner down a hill or slalom through some cones, the World Champs were in the back of my mind, and I was tentative. (I hit the chicken switch a lot on Monday night). I fell a lot last year as I attempted to learn to cross and I realized I was very afraid to fall and hurt myself before Auckland. I think injuries normally happen when you are tentative, so, mounting the ol’ CX bike is going to be put on hold until November – at which time I plan to hit the parks and trails and truly learn to get wild on the cross bike.

So, what lies ahead as I get back into training? Well, something I’ve not done a whole heck of a lot of this year. Sprinting. Speedwork. Hard~Steady~Fast efforts! A return to the PAIN ZONE.

It terrifies me a little. I find myself really nervous about the type of work that I need to put in over the next 5 weeks or so. I know I've got the fitness, but now I need to teach my body how to fire again and I need to embrace the hurt that I so often shy away from.

Thankfully, I read Katie’s Rev3 Cedar Point race report this morning and she posted the most amazing quote: “ 'My heart is afraid it will have to suffer,' the boy told the alchemist one night as they looked up at the moonless sky. 'Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams.' ”

I love this so much.

So yeah, if you see me out swimming or biking or running over the next little while and I look like I’m suffering – well, that’s a good thing.