Some great tips here from Andy Potts.
Friday, September 28, 2012
Monday, September 03, 2012
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.
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.
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.
Wednesday, August 08, 2012
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."
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.
Sunday, July 15, 2012
The Race That Shocked the World
Set aside an hour and watch this. Fascinating stuff.
I still remember this race like it was yesterday.
I still remember this race like it was yesterday.
Thursday, July 12, 2012
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/
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/
Friday, July 06, 2012
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
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
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
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.
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.
Monday, June 04, 2012
Friday, June 01, 2012
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
Sunday, May 27, 2012
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.
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.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
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
Friday, April 20, 2012
Macca on Aussies Abroad
A must watch in my opinion. Lots to learn whether you are a fan of Macca or not.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
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.
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.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
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
If you feel inclined, please feel free to donate to the cause - The Inside Ride.
Thanks
Monday, April 16, 2012
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.
Thursday, April 05, 2012
More Hall & Oates - The Greatest Duo of All Time!
A variety of stuff from the greatest duo of all time.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
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
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
Thursday, March 22, 2012
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.
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.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
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.
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