Foo Fighter Dudes and some other guy

Doggie Surfin'

I would say, I wish my dogs could do this, but I actually wish I could do this.

Lest We Forget

Apply to Team Running Free

Team Running Free is now accepting applications for the 2013 season.

It is a great Team and concept, and the store owners and staff are top notch as well.


If you have a great attitude, enjoying being active in the community, and want to participate
as a member of Team RF in 2013, DOWNLOAD an APPLICATION FORM (pdf). The deadline for submission is November 30, 2012.

Find out more about the team at www.teamrunningfree.com

Cycling's Dirty Truth

Quite interesting stuff!

Incredible Bike Riding

Maybe one day.........

Some Bike Training Tips from Andy Potts

 Some great tips here from Andy Potts.

Ironman 19 & 20 in the books

After an injury plagued year (left knee, heel, and right shoulder), training was pretty much non-existent this spring and summer. I can count on one hand the amount of long rides (anything longer than 3 hrs) that I've done this year.

Following my race at the Welland Half Iron Du (rode a decent 2:35 for 90 km but knee issues forced a long shuffle/walk for the half marathon), I stopped all run training and just ran on the weekends at the races. Not ideal Ironman preparation to say the least. It did no favours in the weight loss department either.

Knowing I was not going to set any speed records this season but I still had two Ironman races on the schedule - Ironman Louisville (my 19th) and the intimate Iron 226 (my 20th) in Ottawa - I just wanted to make sure I had enough fitness to get through those with my shoulder feeling worse than ever. Oh yeah, the other part, those races were within 6 days of each other.

Race week preparation for Ironman Louisville. Seriously.

Anyway, the plan was to enjoy the Ironman Louisville experience with my family and treat is as a long training day for the second one. And that I truly did. I loved Louisville. The people are great. So welcoming and friendly - to the regular people on the street to those working in the restaurants, hotels, and stores. Very refreshing. The race itself? Very enjoyable too.

The swim is not as bad a many make it out to be. I was one of the last people to jump into the water (a time trial start - I was not going to line up, I sat and relaxed as the line went down) and started 40 minutes behind everyone else. The water did discolour my swim suit but I didn't get sick and didn't hear of any others. A straight forward swim that is easy to navigate. I had a record worst swim of 1:55 but that was due to my shoulder dislocating. So I basically did one arm swimming with my left for 3+ km. Took a long T1 to get help and get it back in somewhat.

I really enjoyed the bike course. It had lots of everything. Flats, and lots of ups and downs. One of the best I've ever ridden. The heat beat down a lots of people though. I've never seen so many people laying at the side of the road trying to recover or waiting for help. I could feel my back roasting but a quick shower of water from my bottle took care of that.

The run was brutally hot but made better by the fact I got to plant a kiss on my one year one daughter at the start of the run. The run takes you through the heart of downtown and out to old Louisville and past Churchill Downs. Nothing special here except for the finish line in Louisville's downtown 4th Street Live area. I've never experienced anything that loud and packed. One of the best finish lines on the Ironman circuit for sure. I calculated to the minute what I had to do to finish in time and just strolled it in to save my "running legs" for the following week. Ironman 19 was completed. Aside from the heat, Ironman Louisville is a great race. The race organization is top notch, the volunteers are stellar, and it is a great place to visit. The race swag is sweet too.

All that time in the car driving back home from Louisville didn't help leg recovery but one day before driving to Ottawa, I got some ART and massage treatment from Brian Bennett of Balanced Living and got my right shoulder and legs feeling great. However, my wonky shoulder randomly decided to slowly pop out on the drive to Ottawa.

I didn't sleep much the night before the Iron 226 because the pain was horrible. When I did sleep I did so on my right side with the hopes the pressure would get it back in the socket somehow.

Race morning the shoulder was a bit better but not much. But at least I knew it was already out and I just had to deal with it in the water. I wore a sleeveless wetsuit and the top shoulder sections provided a bit of downward pressure with helped. I ended up swimming 1:35. And I will gladly take that given my shoulder and lack of swim training (this was my 4th swim all year).

Despite the lack of bike training I still wanted to bike in the 5:40's, knowing that I was probably not going to be able to run much of the marathon. The course is 12 laps (yeah I know) but it makes things easy to pace. The problem though is the constantly shifting winds. And the wind was kicking the butts of the Iron 226 competitors for the last 4 laps as the winds picked up. Only five of us rode sub 6 hrs. I rode 5:59, and had to push hard on the last lap to get that. But in reality I rode in the 5:40s if you factor in I had to pull over 3x (pee break, special needs stop, and to repair a chain).

For the run, I basically made a deal with myself where I promised to run (whatever lame pace that run may be) unless my body (and not my mind) gave me no reason to. I ran the first 10 km and felt pretty good. But I hit the wall for 15 km. I thought finally 2 ironman races in two weeks is finally catching up me -- I wanted to rip my shoulder out (the pain was brutal), my left knee and heel were shot, right foot numb, blah, blah. The timing worked out in some way as I got to chat for 2.5 km with fellow Running Free member Rob Shortis. He was on his final lap of the Half Iron and took some pics of him and his son finishing together. I slogged onwards, made a pit stop, and made the effort to run again. The body responded and I was running better than ever. I put in a really good 5 km+ lap, followed with two more solid laps, another wall hit with 2.5 km to go but I took in some liquid and talked myself into suffering just a bit more to get this thing over with and ran the final 2km in to finish. My 20th Ironman race done.

The Iron 226 is not a marquee race (32 of us this year), and is just one of many events being run at "The Canadian" on Saturday. Yes, it does have tons of laps but given it is a small budget race you can't expect tons of roads to be shut down. It is a nice little family feeling race that services the Iron 226 athletes well. The volunteer support is outstanding and all from the local Ottawa triathlon and cycling community. With the multiple laps these people see you a ton and it gets quite fun with each lap. The really cool part is the celebratory breakfast the next day. A friendly gathering with your fellow athletes and the race organizers, staff and some volunteers.



* Fast forward to 21:17.

The aftermath - my legs feel awesome. Call me crazy but I know that I can knock out another one of these things next weekend if I was so inclined. I am not. But maybe an Ultraman is in my future? 52 Ironman races in 52 weeks? I need a new shoulder first though. Stay tuned.

RIP Mike Phang

No long Olympic posts right now, instead I must dedicate time to someone I grew up with and was quite a great guy. We didn't see each other too often over the years due to different life paths, living situations, etc., but lots of fond memories. I was shocked when I heard of his passing a few days ago. I can't imagine. Mike gets diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and three weeks later he is gone. Tragic!

My condolences to his family. Especially his wife and two kids. Truly sad.

Hope this reaches some folks that might have known Mike Phang and did not hear about his untimely death.

Mike's obituary in today's Toronto Star:

"With great sadness the Phang family announces the sudden passing of Michael Phang on Monday Aug. 6, 2012, in his 42nd year. Beloved husband of Caril, proud father of William and Walter; loving son of Madge and Frank, caring brother to Michele (Tony), Francine, and Donna (Charles); much loved uncle of Jeffrey, Christina, Stephanie, Natalie and Leah; cherished by aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. Mike was the kind of person that you only encounter once in a lifetime. He was generous, intelligent, funny and so beautiful. He taught us to be kind, loving, supportive. His family meant the world to him. Mike was dedicated to all of us that were fortunate to have crossed paths with him, always there for us and never judging us.

Family and friends will be received on Thursday Aug. 9, 2012; 5pm to 9pm at the HIGHLAND FUNERAL HOME, 10 Cachet Woods Court, Markham. Funeral Mass - Saturday Aug. 11, 2012 at 10am at St. Thomas The Apostle Catholic Church, 14 Highgate Drive Markham.

Internment - Holy Cross Cemetery - Bayview/Hwy 7. The family thanks you for condolences. In lieu of flowers, please make donations, if you wish, to Pancreatic Cancer Canada - http://www.pancreaticcancercanada.ca/ to help fund Pancreatic Cancer research."

 

We used to write our own game programs and play a lot of games on the classic Commodore 64. Yes, we were huge computer geeks.

The Race That Shocked the World

Set aside an hour and watch this. Fascinating stuff.
I still remember this race like it was yesterday.

Congrats Simon!

Great news today. Simon Whitfield was named as Canada's flag bearer for the London Olympic Games Opening Ceremony.

This is the first time that a triathlete has done that for their country. Simon did carry the flag at the 2000 Sydney closing ceremony.

Here is one of the many stories floating around on the net.


http://triathlonmagazine.ca/2012/07/sections/news/simon-whitfield-is-the-flag-bearer-for-the-london-2012-opening-ceremony/

Sorry for the hiatus

Wow! I knew I hadn't posted here in a while but this is ridiculous.

Way too many things on the go plus a very active kid to keep up with.

On the racing front, I've been hampered by knee problems. So I have not trained as much as I've liked, especially on the run. So at this point of the season I am usually approaching good race fitness and dropped quite a few pounds of winter hibernation weight. Neither is the case right now.

I've been able to crank out some good bike splits at some races, which I am happy with given my lack of training, but the run is nothing to speak of. I really do not want to push my luck with the knee.

After riding 2:35 at Welland and following that up with a 3 hr walkfest (knee was shot), I have not run for 2 weeks. I may keep going like this in training (running only in race) for a while and see how it goes. Not great preparation for Ironman but I am not planning on breaking records this year anyway. I can only try to keep my fitness up in whatever way I can and deal with it on race day -- you never know.

Check out the recent edition of Triathlon Magazine Canada, I've got quite a few articles in there -- another reason for not training.

Train and Race safe, smart, and hard.
Catch you again soon
RH

This stinks from a variety of perspectives

This certainly sucks for Lance and for the sport of triathlon.

http://triathlonmagazine.ca/2012/06/sections/news/lance-armstrong-levelled-by-doping-charges/

What happened to innocent until proven guilty?

Ban Lance from racing without any positive tests (500+) this whole time? What the heck?

The USADA is relying on the testimony of known liars and cheats? And offering immunity for testimony from protected sources? This is crazy. What kind of world are we living in?

What is the use of drug tests if it all doesn't matter anyway?

Anyway, Lance is a big boy and surely doesn't need me coming to his defense.

I just hope this nonsense and waste of US taxpayer money goes away quick so that Lance can get back to racing. Triathlon has never had this type of buzz before.

MmmmmmKFC

Jon Hein has one of my dream jobs. Now I've got a craving.

Just a quote today

I am not a quote guy but I love this quote:

“The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”

----Theodore Roosevelt

Train hard, smart, and safe.

RH

Bravo Brent & Ryder!

Another banner day for Canadian Sports. Love it!

Brent McMahon secured a third starting spot for Canada at the London Olympics today in Madrid.

Ryder Hesjedal wins Giro d'Italia! First Canadian to do so.

And a great Weekend of racing at Woodstock.

So inspired I had to get out for a wicked bike ride today. Thanks to my riding partners for the invite. I needed that after a cruddy race Saturday. More on that later.

Shop at Running Free on May 16 and 5% goes to help kids

May 16 is Running Free's Child Poverty in Canada Awareness Day

More than one in seven Canadian children lives in poverty today. Children who experience poverty, especially persistently, are at higher risk of suffering health problems, developmental delays, and behavior disorders. They tend to attain lower levels of education and are more likely to live in poverty as adults. Start2Finish - The Running & Reading Club program is currently operating within multiple inner city schools, servicing over 1,400 children across Canada, from Halifax to Vancouver, including several First Nations communities.

Running Free recognizes the significant impact the program has had on the lives of many and on May 16th will donate 5% of sales towards this important nation-wide program. To find out more, visit www.start2finish.org. Running Free is proud to have been a supporter of the program since its inception in 2004. Shop at any Running Free location or online. Find locations at www.runningfree.com

Vintage Canadian Cycling

I love this stuff:

Macca on Aussies Abroad

 A must watch in my opinion. Lots to learn whether you are a fan of Macca or not.

A Note to Chuckie V

I am a big fan of this guy.


On the Road with Chuckie V. from Anne Pazen on Vimeo.


He definitely brightened up the triathlon circuit. Beyond the mohawk he is a bright mind with some refreshing views on the sport - training, tactics, etc. I am pretty sure I've recommended visiting his blog on a few occasions to check out some incredible posts.

However, I just tried going to his blog and it is on lockdown for whatever reason. I know his last post did not make him a fan fave around his house - Angela Naeth (his athlete and partner--I believe). His twitter is gone too - as of this posting.

I hope he returns to the internet or somewhere where his thoughts can be read or heard. However, he is a guy who speaks his mind so I suspect if he can't do that then he might not do it at all.

I hope to see you back soon Chuckie V...... Censored or otherwise.

A bit of fundraising

I am doing some fundraising for Kids and Families with Cancer.

If you feel inclined, please feel free to donate to the cause - The Inside Ride.

Thanks

RIP Randy Starkman

Randy Starkman, one of Canada's top writers on amateur sports, died today.

Read more about Randy:  Toronto Star’s Randy Starkman dead at 51.

I regularly checked into his Olympics Blog.

His great journalism will be sorely missed.

My condolences go out to his family.

 

More Hall & Oates - The Greatest Duo of All Time!

A variety of stuff from the greatest duo of all time.

80's Pick of the Week #9 - Dance Desire ++

Here is a great band from our smallest province (PEI). Haywire.


Dance Desire




Standing in Line




Black and Blue




Fire




I am breaking the rules with the next few (1992 releases) but I want to stockpile all of their stuff in one place.

Get Back




Wanna Be The One - probably my fave of theirs

80's Pick of the Week #8 - Heart of the City

I can't seem to break away from the Canadians.

Here is another, The Arrows. I remember them coming to play at my high school.



Heart of the City









Meet Me In The Middle









Talk Talk









You can see the real video here.

Quintana Roo

Yes, I am a Litespeed guy, but QR is part of the ABG (American Bicycle Group Family). That side of the company is the one banging out the most aero tri bikes right now.

QR is the original tri bike, so maybe it is only fitting that as a old school Ti guy, that I stick with the originators in this sport.

Is a QR is in my future? Hmmmm.

2012 QR Tri Bike Line up

Illicito - lowest drag numbers I've seen

CD0.1 - pretty darn close to the Illicito, but provides great value

Will get to ride and test out a few models. Stay tuned.

80's Pick of the Week #7 - L'Affaire Dumoutier (Say To Me) ++

I love Jean-Marc's voice and I remember having a tough time tracking down CD's from these guys. Thanks to YouTube I can not only find the songs but see the videos from back then too.
I will post more than one so I can come back and check it out from time to time.

Here is Montreal's The Box.

L'Affaire Dumoutier (Say To Me) - perfect for that video era.

Closer Together - some more signing here




Ordinary People




Inside My Heart - Not an official video. But a tough song to find.




Live Performance on French TV

Tennis Fun

I love this type of stuff. Tennis is supposed to be fun.

80's Pick of the Week #6 - My Girl

More Canadian content and from the first compilation albums I owned.

Chilliwack (guess from where) with "My Girl".



See you next week

80's Pick of the Week #5 - Dirty Water

Last week I posted a video from the Payola$. They eventually became Rock & Hyde.
Here is another classic.



Catch you next week.

80's Pick of the Week #4 - Eyes of a Stranger

I love the Payola$. I was captivated by this song, video, and Paul Hyde's voice.



Stay tuned til next week.

80's Pick of the Week #3 - This Mourning

I first saw these guys when they opened up for Tom Cochrane. I immediately went out the next day and got their albums. A great band. I will post more than a few of their videos in the upcoming picks.

Chalk Circle - This Mourning



Here are the lyrics too.

[Argh]

It's 11 o'clock and they talk of him
About the eve of destruction
And a new ray gun
For my defense
A mended fence

When my head hits the pillow
Am I looking up at ground zero?
For heaven's sake
I am wide awake

The morning comes soon
This mourning makes me blue

The morning comes soon
This mourning makes me blue

Left in the dark with fear and blindness
Certainty has left me helpless
The most the other dream
To see twilight again

If a man in the street can get to sleep
The city is busy digging graves for counting sheep

Then you'd blow him away
He won't see the day

The morning comes soon
This mourning makes me blue

The morning comes soon
This mourning makes me blue

Oh, [argh]

The morning comes soon (soon)
This mourning makes me blue (makes me blue)

The morning comes soon
This mourning makes me blue

The morning comes soon
This mourning makes me blue

The morning comes soon
This mourning makes me blue

Oh la la la la no na no
Ooh, no

Makes me blue now
Oh, oh
Makes me blue, blue, blue, blue, blue

RIP My "Bobo"

My sweet full of love Bobo (Bowden - named after Canadian Triathlon great Lori Bowden) died this morning.

The family all feels a little empty inside right now. It will be hard to get used to no more greetings at the door, lick attacks, and begging for kitchen scraps.

She will be missed and there will be no other like her.

Here she is "riding my bike", she always rode my bikes first before I gave it a go out on the road. I am not sure I want to find another to take over the tradition.

Goodbye Bobo

We lost a special friend today
the kind you can't replace,
and looking at her empty bed
we still can see her face.

We see the endless energy
the sparkling puppy eyes,
not the tired, fragile friend
we had to bid goodbye.

We know she's in a special place
our Lord has for such friends,
where meadows, fields & flowers
help make them strong and whole again.

We remember how she'd run to us
to greet us or play her favorite game,
and how her ears would perk right up
when she heard us call her name.

But as those precious years went by
and we both aged and grew,
we’d find her often slowing down
but-we had still so much to do.

We’ve noticed in the recent times
Her ears were not as sharp
There was a touch more white than black fur
The years have shown their mark.

She started sleeping on the floor more and more
was this her special clue?
Because she felt the end was near,
we only wish we knew.

Our Bobo was a special loving dog
we know she gave her best,
but as we looked deep into her eyes
we knew it was time, for her to rest.

It will truly be a struggle
we don't know how we'll face each day,
we have to let her go--we know
but in our hearts she'll always stay.

This special place our Lord has made
Health and strength, wait for her there,
so with our very special friend
we are sending all our prayers.

We know she's watching over us
She'll be with us when we cry.
So with a few more rubs on her beloved head,
we whispered to our Bobo – “we love you and goodbye."

* Adapted from Christina Tronnes' - Special Friend

80's Pick of the Week #2 - Tonight I'm Yours

Here is pick #2, a classic by Rod Stewart.



Come back next week for another blast from the past.

Danny Hart Helmet Cam

This guy is an artist on the bike. Love this stuff.


Fox Presents Danny Hart Fort William Helmet Cam Run May 2010 on pinkbike.com

Bruce Dern on Ironman

Great stuff here. Bruce Dern, yes the actor Bruce Dern did this little story about Ironman way back. Check it out.

80's Pick of the Week #1 - You Make My Dreams

Okay, I love 80's music. It is my go to channel on Sirius Satellite Radio.

And after checking out a few videos today and reliving some memories. I came up with the idea of posting an 80's Pick of the Week.

I remember saving up my allowance and buying my first 45 single, "You Make My Dreams" by Hall & Oates. Curiously, my 5 month old daughter has taken a liking to this song and I have to bust out in song whenever I need to calm her down.

If you are a fan of REAL music, you need to tune into Live From Daryl's House to witness outstanding musicianship. I know I've mentioned it before but I will keep on plugging it because it should not be missed. Make sure to check it out here.


The music there is a lot different than what you will see in the video below. But I love it all.

Enjoy this classic hit and video.



Catch you next week for another blast from the past.

Great finishes

Enjoy these great finishes. Lots of lessons to learn here.



















Probably the most famous and important of all:

Freddy Proia

Freddy is an old pal from high school. We had lots of great times and I got the chance to see him work out his comedy routine in many classes. Among other things, like talent show tryouts, and sitting beside him in English class with him reading and answering Man of La Mancha in a Spanish accent for the entire class. It was hilarious because no one was expecting it (except for me of course - I kept encouraging him to do it), it came out of nowhere and no one knew if it would end. He followed through all the way.

Freddie is a funny guy and most importantly a great guy. I haven't seen him in while but I am a huge fan of his. He was named Canada's Funniest New Comic a few years ago - I believe he was awarded it by Joan Rivers too.

I've caught his show a few times and you should too if you get the chance. He has lots of great impressions and plenty of topical and situational stuff you can identify with. You will not be disappointed. Check out a sample below.

Great stuff all around

I really dig this. I thank my friend Paul for sending this to me. Stay with it til the end.

Run like this during the winter

What's the big deal? I run like this all the time.

Hoss TriYear in Review 2011

Hoss TriYear in Review 2011

I will do a quick rundown of the things that left an impression on me in 2011. Let me start with triathlon. I will do it in a top 5 format.

Top 5 Triathlon Performances

1. Paula Findlay’s 3 ITU World Championship Series wins.

- despite an injury plagued second half of the year, she served notice that she is a medal threat for London this summer. She is classy and humble too.

2. Craig Alexander’s Ironman & Ironman 70.3 World Championship wins.

- not much else to say here. It is extremely tough to pull off both but he did it.

3. Chrissie Wellington’s record breaking performance at Roth, and her 4^th Ironman World Championship win.

- I witnessed her race in Roth first hand and she is phenomenal. That course is not flat. And her 2:52:41 marathon in Kona proves she can run too (just 32 seconds slower than Mirinda Carfrae’s course record run).

4. Jeff Symonds third place at Ironman 70.3 Worlds.

- I met him in person for the first time while covering Ironman 70.3 Texas a few years ago and it has been great to see his progress. I’ve been waiting to see him use his run to break through and it happened it Nevada. Hopefully, it is a sign of more big things to come.

5. Three way tie: Heather Wurtele, Kyle Jones, and Brent McMahon.

- Heather defended her title at Ironman St. George and made the trek out east to win at Ironman Lake Placid – both course record performances. She is also one of the nicest persons you will ever meet.

- I’ve been a big fan of Kyle Jones and it was great to see him pull off 3 wins this year on the ITU circuit. He building up nicely heading into the London Olympics and he is back with Coach Joel Filliol.

- Great to see veteran Brent McMahon come back from injury (that almost forced his exit from the sport) to great some great results and his first World Cup win. I certainly hope he and Kyle earn team slots for the London Olympics.