Slow & steady does NOT win the race

So apparently this has become an annual blog.  You're welcome.

I had a double-header weekend. Saturday was the Bicisport Suffer Like a Dog Time Trial in Dog Pound (where else?). The 16.3km course is a hilly one.  Going into the race having spent minimal time training on the Flying Scotsman and still trying to drop vacation weight (I can assure you it's a half-assed attempt) my sole goal was to beat last year's time on the same course.  Coming in a minute faster than last year didn't translate into a great performance, but it was decent enough.  Getting my first upgrade point of the season was even better. No, that's not a typo. Point is singular.

Heading into today's 83km Stampede Road Race back at the same location, the legs were burning but I was feeling ready to go. After a conversation with JVD yesterday about trying to make something happen in races rather than just sitting in and not really contributing, I had my most combative race of the season.  A small break went on the uphill at the start of lap two but I didn't jump as I thought it would be brought back after going that early. Big mistake.  So with a chasing group of about 10 or 12 guys, we started to pull back a few of the breakaway that fell off the pace.  Unfortunately most of our chase group was content to sit in without doing any work. I've never pulled so much in a race.  A few others started to contribute after my Bici teammate Noah told the group to start working, but it wasn't until one lap to go with the second group down to 9 guys that we started to see more rotation (I think this was as much a result of guys realizing we weren't catching the break and a focus on the sprint for minor placings). As we hit the uphill towards the finish line, I had to fight myself out of a box in and found some open road.  Coming around 3 guys, I managed to get second in our mini-sprint. Having no idea how many had remained in the breakaway, I was happy to see I'd taken 8th.  Another single upgrade point. So it looks like the legs are starting to come back after Europe.  And that JVD guy kinda knows what he's talking about. 

24 Hours of Adrenalin

Nine years ago, as I rode back along the 1A from Cochrane to Calgary on an 8-year old second-hand GT Aggressor, I debated with Annabelle if I should by a new mountain bike or go with a hyrbrid. Someone along the way...or maybe it was a few weeks later...I decided to buy a road bike instead. Since I bought Cabra, skinny tires were my sole (soul) ride. But last weekend I got lured back on to some fatties. Mick lent me his Specialized Epic full-suspension and I email transferred $300 to Chad. After a 9 year hiatus, I had a one-night stand with mountain biking.

24 Hours of Adrenalin was a hella good time. Not surprisingly, my technical skills on single-track are useless. But fitness from the road translates over to the dirt. The 17.5km course at Canmore Nordic Centre was a tough one - lots of climbing and some technical descents. I held my own on the way up, but got left in the dust (literally) on my way back down. Riding on a 5-man team, I got in 3 laps including one night lap. Riding 17.5km in 1h 30 minutes is not what I'm used to, but as I told Chad after finishing my night lap:
1. I suck at this sport
2. This sport is so much fun.

Fortunately no one on our team ended up with a serious injury nor a trip to the hospital (I can't say the same for our campmates and biggest "rivals"). Our bikes didn't fare quite so well.

So will it be another 9 years before I ride bike built for the mountains?  Highly unlikely.

Just the Bike

I got my butt kicked this weekend. Like, really kicked. Hard. 

It also feels like I got my quadriceps kicked. Really, really hard.

It was awesome. 

As you may know, I've put triathlon aside this year to focus on bike racing. (My sole foray into tri this year will be Challenge Penticton as a relay team with Kilah & Rick. In other words, I  just have to run a marathon). My decision was partially based on just wanting a physical and mental break (although some may argue bike racing and training for a marathon doesn't warrant much of a physical break), with my coach moving to hot & humid Houston certainly making the decision easier. 

The first night I rode with my new club Bicisport - a one-hour session in April - I realized triathlon does not prepare you for bike racing. Pace-lining. Punchy accelerations. Seeing that gap extend to a couple of bike lengths when you're already red-lining and then watching those riders in front of you get smaller and smaller, And smaller. 

Fast forward 3 months and I finally got a taste of the action. Saturday was the Bicisport-organized Individual Time Trial in Dog Pound, AB. The hilly 16km TT was something I'm more used to. Except I had only been on the Flying Scotsman twice this season. I left something on the course because my legs didn't scream as much as they should have. Middle of the pack, caught my minute man, and didn't get passsed. Not a bad day. But at only 35km/h, it wasn't my best day either. The event itself was organized very well. You should do it next year (shameless plug).  

Next morning we headed out to race essentially the same course...but this time 5.5 laps for 114km. As I was looking down at my pedal trying to clip in with my newly shimmed cycling shoes, the race started. I never contacted the main group. Being Masters provincials, we were in with the elite guys. And it looks like the Lead Out Project team held true to their name, getting their Master's guy the win by setting a crazy fast pace from the word go. Rick held back a bit for me and we started to work our way up, grabbing on to our old TCTC teammate Jason and then eventually contacting another three racers to form a good group of 6. We worked well for a couple of laps and then Rick and I popped (well I popped, Rick had some minor mechanical). With each passing lap and each passing hill, I finally had the screaming in my legs I was looking at yesterday. I told them to shut up. I finished 39 minutes off first place, but was happy to hold on for the finish and managed not to get lapped. This will be my last race on Cabra (my Opus), so I certainly couldn't send her into retirement from competition with a DNF. 

Next up on the road will be the J-Lap weekend, with a little side exploration into mountain biking with 24 Hours of Adrenalin. Goal: don't get injured and mess up my marathon training. Sounds simple enough. I'll let keep you posted. 

Cheers,

D.

I thought this was gonna be "just" a marathon

11 years ago I ran my first marathon. I was in my mid-20s.  The race was mostly downhill and flat. At sea level. I ran over 4h30. I'm pretty sure both my knees almost fell off. I said I'd never do another (standalone) marathon again.

I love Penticton. I especially love Penticton at the end of August. Dezz and I had traveled to Penticton 7 years in a row during Ironman Canada - twice to race and the other times to enjoy the vibe and the wine. So when I heard that Challenge Penticton was offering the opportunity for a full iron-distance relay in 2014, I instantly texted Rick. He was the obvious choice for team cyclist, so I quickly planned to take on the run. All we needed was a swimmer. And if we were gonna do it, we may as well do it right. Cue Kilah. Looks like I was wrong about that standalone marathon.

Jump ahead 10 months and we were on our way to Penticton once again. Coach Grant had me on a program ready to run a 3:10 marathon (post-Brazil, we decided a 3hr race was a big ask). Confident Kilah could swim a sub-1 hour swim, Rick and I were ready to lay it down for a podium spot. Despite being a couple hundred metres long, Kilah was handing off to Rick in 57 mins; second fastest female out the water. A small transition error and some unnecessary duct tape later (really, officials?), Rick was out on the road. And I was heading back to the house for some breakfast and some rest. With regular updates from Dezz and Twyla, I was back in transition an hour early, finding some shade before warming up. Rick was back into transition a bit slower than he'd hoped, but he had a solid ride sending me onto the run as the 2nd overall team (1st mixed team).

If you've read any of my race reports before, you'll know one of my biggest enemies on race day is my stomach. I've spent the last 13 months trying to find an answer and hoped my strict diet the past week would be enough. And it was...for 10km.

The race plan was to let myself start fast for the first 1km, then settle into a 4:25 on the first half of the run and try hang onto a 4:30ish on the way back for a sub 3:10. The plan was on point until 8km in, when I first started to get a bit of stomach cramping. (BTW, I loved being that close to the front of the race, with eventual winner Jeff Symonds only being about 6km ahead of me at one point thanks to Kilah and Rick. I pushed on but by the time I saw Dezz and Twyla at the halfway point I'd fallen well off my pace. And then the fun began.Walking a hill, I saw Sheila, my Talisman teammate and, on this day, my biggest rival as the runner for another TC team, running the opposite way while yelling Hey no walking! Start running cuz I'm coming after you". Following that little push, I walked a few aid stations but tried to keep the legs moving in a run/shuffle. Nausea started to set in but I just focused on holding that podium position. Apparently on the last 2km Jordan Bryden, one of the biggest triathletes I know and a very hard dude to miss, passed me to move into 1st place for the mixed relay. I have no recollection of that pass. I kinda remember the finishing shoot, thinking I can't hold onto Rick and Kilah's pace as we crossed the line together. I heard Steve Kings voice. And then I sat down.

About half an hour later, after a visit to the med tent and throwing up all the liquid I'd just taken in (6 times for those who are counting...one less than coach Elmar), I started to feel a bit better. Emphasis on BIT.

Running a 3:50 instead of a 3:10 was a disappointment. Especially when we lost first place by only a minute. But knowing I honestly left it all out there for the team helps a bit. Big congrats to Darren, Felix and Sheila for making us run scared and keeping it close with a 4th place finish (Yes I got chicked by Sheila...big time).

As for Challenge Penticton itself, it left a lot to be desired. I was a bit put off by the disorganization from day one all the way through the race weekend. But with new race directors and a (hopefully) new business model for next year's race, I definitely hope to see this race become a premier event again. Just like in the IMC days. After all, the venue still rocks.

Now just please don't tell my body I'm supposed to be slowing down and my knees are supposed to be getting worse as I age.

Glutton for punishment? Nah, glutton for fun.

Anyone that's done an early morning swim session with me knows it takes me awhile to get going. The same thing seems to be true of my race season. I started this year with the Napa Valley Half on April 12, and I don't think my body really started going until the last 5 minutes...of the run.  The swim felt decent until Dezz told me how long I took. The legs snapped and crackled over the bike course, but they lacked pop. And the run - and I use the term "run" loosely - was the wrong side of two hours.  I could ramble off 4 or 5 excuses, but at the end of the day I didn't execute.  So the following day I turned my attention to the next goal. Ok that's a lie. The next day I turned my attention to eating and drinking my way through Napa Valley. And then the next day after that. (Thanks Dezz, Shannon & Chris). But once I was back in Calgary I sat down with Coach Grant and figured out a game plan for the BMO Vancouver Half Marathon.

This would be our 2nd annual trip to the race in memory of SweYen. One year on didn't make it any easier. Standing just behind the elite runners at the start line, I got uncharacteristically choked up as I chatted with SweYen. And then it was go time. Coach told me to go hard the first half and not rely on a negative split to reach my sub-1:30 goal. So that's exactly what I did.  I let the legs open up on the downhills and before I know it I was coasting down Cambie on 3:50/km. And then they just kept going.  Most athletes - runners, footballers, skiers, dancers - have experienced a day where they feel like they are floating.  That's how this race felt for me.  I skipped the aid stations (aided by the cool rainy day instead) and the stomach only threatened to slow me down at the 19km mark.  Knowing I would easily beat my goal, the mind told the legs job well done, you're starting to fatigue, let's cool it down now. But the heart was having none of that.  Life is too short to not give it your all. And as I crossed the line more than 10 minutes faster than I'd ever run that distance before (1:25:59) I felt a wave of emotion for the second time that day.  Part of it was the redemption after a disappointing Napa race. And the other part?

The other part was for SweYen. Not sadness, but rather happiness in her ability to continue to inspire. Dezz did her second running race ever (well, at least since elementary school), another sub-1 hour effort with Nat at her side. Carissa did her first ever half, with Shannon and Mindy (who'd just finished her first ever half one week before) pacing her home. Chris shaved 20 minutes off last year's time. And  the rest of the crew did the 8k...smiling. (After meeting SweYen's dad, I can definitely see where she got her gentle soul). I already can't wait for next year.

So what next? With a renewed confidence and a reminder that at the end of the day it's only a race, let the training begin (continue?) for Challenge Penticton relay.