I actually started out today to tell you what my goal time is for the race, a temptation I have so far managed to resist. I will put it off for at least one more day. I want to make it public so as to pressure myself into working hard for the next 3 months and yet I'm afraid to tell you because I'm not sure I can do it. When in doubt procrastinate.
Today I had a decent swim with my wetsuit. Instead of just swimming I did 3 ssts of 500 metres trying to go a little faster each time. My sets were, 9:09, 8:56, and 8:40 so mission accomplished. Then I thought maybe I could do 250 metres in 4 minutes and I managed that as well. It would have been a challenge to do it in 5 minutes 'au naturel'. I will swim more and more in my wetsuit even if people look at me funny. Today a guy said, "come on, it's not that cold in here". I didn't bother to explain, just smiled and got in the pool.
I had a fun moment this afternoon as well. I went to the track to fool around a little and after doing some 400 repeats was ready to go home. But just for the heck of it I thought it would be fun to see how fast (slow) I could run 100 metres. There was a young lady there maybe 12 or 13 years old training with a coach or a parent and so I was about to forego my test run so as not to embarrass myself. Then I thought what the heck, and aked her if she wanted a race. I had been watching her and didn't think I could keep up but I thought it may be fun for her and for me. So off we went to the starting line and got the go signal from her coach at the other end. She had me for the first 30 metres but then I caught her and was moving slowly past when guess what....she did a Michael Johnson on me! Yup...she quit! I don't know what her coach/parent said to her later but at the time she was definitely getting some grief.
I never did get an accurate time so I'm gonna have to do it again another day. All I know for sure is that this old grampa smoked that little kid...lmao!!
I wish to dedicate day to Bruce Burns who set the Ironman canada course record for men aged 50-54 in a time of 9:36:27....wow!!!
“Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone."---Pablo Picasso
“Do not put off till tomorrow what can be put off till day-after-tomorrow just as well."---Mark Twain
love
peter
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Saturday, May 30, 2009
"The Last Trimester"
Exactly 3 months to go! I figure this whole deal must be like a first pregnancy and I have the 3 long hot summer months to go. Maybe some of you can relate. It seems like I have forever to go while at the same time I don't feel anywhere ready. My lower back hurts all the time, I feel fatter and slower, I wake up hungry in the midlle of the night, and I have to pee all the time. I'm tense and irritable and my loved ones are getting fed up with my whining. I'm alternately excited and scared half to death. I read all kinds of stuff and it all seems contradictory. I find myself daydreaming a lot, and my emotions are always close to the surface. I want it over with and yet I'm not ready for the pain! YUP...I think I'm gonna have a baby!!
It was a good and bad kind of workout day. I rode for 128 kms (29.4 kms/hr) despite having planned on 150. Unfortunately the new drink formula I tried did not sit well in my stomach and I had to cut it short just to get to a bathroom. After my potti stop however I had a very nice 7 km run (34:25) and I felt strong and fresh. I'm ok with the day as the books tell me that thats enough at this point.
I wish to dedicate day 255 to one of me favorite moms....my Grandma Rooyakkers
"If nature had arranged that husbands and wives should have children alternatively, there would never be more than three in a family"---Lawrence Housman
love
peter
It was a good and bad kind of workout day. I rode for 128 kms (29.4 kms/hr) despite having planned on 150. Unfortunately the new drink formula I tried did not sit well in my stomach and I had to cut it short just to get to a bathroom. After my potti stop however I had a very nice 7 km run (34:25) and I felt strong and fresh. I'm ok with the day as the books tell me that thats enough at this point.
I wish to dedicate day 255 to one of me favorite moms....my Grandma Rooyakkers
"If nature had arranged that husbands and wives should have children alternatively, there would never be more than three in a family"---Lawrence Housman
love
peter
Friday, May 29, 2009
"No Time"
I spent the last 4 hours cleaning my bike and getting ready for my long ride tomorrow. I am trying to simulate race day from the perspective of nutrition, hydration, clothing, shoes etc. I look forward to telling you all about my success tomorrow night.
I wish to dedicate day to John Ferguson, not the hockey player but the guys who sells me shoes and gives great advice on anything related to running.
“The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once."---Albert Einstein
love
peter
I wish to dedicate day to John Ferguson, not the hockey player but the guys who sells me shoes and gives great advice on anything related to running.
“The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once."---Albert Einstein
love
peter
Thursday, May 28, 2009
"Rain Rain Go Away"
Well maybe not. While I certainly don't like riding in the rain, I actually enjoy running in it, but more importnatly the rain makes my trees grow. They still haven't had enough to get off to a really secure start so I'm hoping for another wet day tomorrow.
I was absolutely devestated by another "rain" issue however. I had it in mind to use part of Blind Melons song "No Rain" as part of my blog so I looked up the lyrics. My favorite and what I thought the most brilliant line in the whole song was not what I thought it was at all. And now that I see it in print I think what I was hearing would be much better. Tell me what you think. The as written line goes...
And all I can do is read a book to stay awake
And it rips my life away, but it's a great escape
And what I was hearing was this...
And all I can do is read a book to stay awake
And enrich my life away, but it's a great escape
Is that not much. much better?
Anyway, enough about rain, since it didn't slow me down at all today. What a difference a Canadian maple donut, 2 sausage & egg mcmuffins, and a large bottle of gatorade can make. I had a very good training day led off by the donut, then right on to my massage and then right to the pool for an easy 1000 metres. Then after the 2 mcmuffins I was out on the road doing the same 31.3 kms as yesterday except today I took my bike. I finished it in less than an hour compared to yesterdays harrowing 3 hours, and from there moved right into a nice 5 km run in 23:30. But wait....after some more calories I also did my weights successfully, to finish off a gratifying day. I have consumed over 4000 calories which still scares the heck out of me, but maybe that's what I have to get used to. Believe it or not I still worry about gaining weight.
Better nobody has touched my Haagen Dasz in the freezer though!
I wish to dedicate day 253 to Rob Knight who always treated my kid fairly, and then some!
"Rain is grace; rain is the sky condescending to the earth; without rain, there would be no life."---John Updike
...and my dad would have appreciated this one...
"The best thing one can do when it's raining is to let it rain."---Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
love
peter
I was absolutely devestated by another "rain" issue however. I had it in mind to use part of Blind Melons song "No Rain" as part of my blog so I looked up the lyrics. My favorite and what I thought the most brilliant line in the whole song was not what I thought it was at all. And now that I see it in print I think what I was hearing would be much better. Tell me what you think. The as written line goes...
And all I can do is read a book to stay awake
And it rips my life away, but it's a great escape
And what I was hearing was this...
And all I can do is read a book to stay awake
And enrich my life away, but it's a great escape
Is that not much. much better?
Anyway, enough about rain, since it didn't slow me down at all today. What a difference a Canadian maple donut, 2 sausage & egg mcmuffins, and a large bottle of gatorade can make. I had a very good training day led off by the donut, then right on to my massage and then right to the pool for an easy 1000 metres. Then after the 2 mcmuffins I was out on the road doing the same 31.3 kms as yesterday except today I took my bike. I finished it in less than an hour compared to yesterdays harrowing 3 hours, and from there moved right into a nice 5 km run in 23:30. But wait....after some more calories I also did my weights successfully, to finish off a gratifying day. I have consumed over 4000 calories which still scares the heck out of me, but maybe that's what I have to get used to. Believe it or not I still worry about gaining weight.
Better nobody has touched my Haagen Dasz in the freezer though!
I wish to dedicate day 253 to Rob Knight who always treated my kid fairly, and then some!
"Rain is grace; rain is the sky condescending to the earth; without rain, there would be no life."---John Updike
...and my dad would have appreciated this one...
"The best thing one can do when it's raining is to let it rain."---Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
love
peter
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
"CRASH!"
You should have been able to hear it about 11 am Eastern time, it was so loud. But before you start worrying that I was injured it was more of a physiological crash then a physical one.
I have learned that there are 2 ways to form or change habits. The first is through repeated experience, and the second is through a significant emotional event. Today was a significant emotional event and as such we should find out if there's truth to the theory. I certainly have not learned through repeated experience.
Here's the story. It was long run day so I had some breakfast(2 toaster struddles and a coffee) and headed out, my fuel belt loaded with more than a litre of water. I had planned on doing the 4 different blocks around our house for a total of approximately 30 kms, but as soon as I got out there, the idea of going around in circles made me dizzy. So, since I had my water with me I headed due east on our road, intending to run to Aylmer and back for a similar total run. I felt great all the way out, so much so that at the turnaround I was surprised to suddenly feel a little tired. By the time I was halfway back I was starting to drag more than a little, and my heart rate was rising quickly. Meanwhile the wind had shifted and freshened as well. When I was within a couple of kms from home I didn't know if I was going to make it. Somehow and for some reason I stayed on my feet and when I got back to the driveway I almost lost it totally. I was pretty close to sitting down. I spent most of the afternoon in bed recovering.
So hopefully I've finally learned my lesson. Somehow I considered 30 kms just an easy run and clearly did not prepare properly. The toaster struddles had less than 200 calories each and apparently the 3 ice cream bars I had before going to bed didn't cut it. From now on, no more of that cheap hershey ice cream! Its only Haagen Dazs from here on in. Maybe I'll try to eat a little better before my run as well, and start drinking a sports drink instead of water. No kidding!
The worst part of a bad day like today is that I really didn't achieve much. A lousy workout like that does nothing to add to my fitness, and in actual fact may be counter-productive. I can't afford to let it happen again. So stupid!
I need a good rest tonite as I have a busy day planned tomorrow. A badly needed massage first thing in the morning followed by a 1000 metre swim, and then hopefully a 30 k bike, a short run , and weights in the evening. I need a confidence boost after todays debacle.
I wish to dedicate day 252 to Mr Sandy Wansbrough, my high school gym teacher who first got me into running. He'd be proud of me today.
...and so on yours truly...
“He was born stupid and greatly improved his birthright"---Samuel Butler
...and maybe true but not for endurance running...
“People need dreams, there's as much nourishment in 'em as food."---Dorothy Gilman
...and hopefully it's been given and I will take it...
“Lessons are not given, they are taken."---Cesare Pavese
love
peter
I have learned that there are 2 ways to form or change habits. The first is through repeated experience, and the second is through a significant emotional event. Today was a significant emotional event and as such we should find out if there's truth to the theory. I certainly have not learned through repeated experience.
Here's the story. It was long run day so I had some breakfast(2 toaster struddles and a coffee) and headed out, my fuel belt loaded with more than a litre of water. I had planned on doing the 4 different blocks around our house for a total of approximately 30 kms, but as soon as I got out there, the idea of going around in circles made me dizzy. So, since I had my water with me I headed due east on our road, intending to run to Aylmer and back for a similar total run. I felt great all the way out, so much so that at the turnaround I was surprised to suddenly feel a little tired. By the time I was halfway back I was starting to drag more than a little, and my heart rate was rising quickly. Meanwhile the wind had shifted and freshened as well. When I was within a couple of kms from home I didn't know if I was going to make it. Somehow and for some reason I stayed on my feet and when I got back to the driveway I almost lost it totally. I was pretty close to sitting down. I spent most of the afternoon in bed recovering.
So hopefully I've finally learned my lesson. Somehow I considered 30 kms just an easy run and clearly did not prepare properly. The toaster struddles had less than 200 calories each and apparently the 3 ice cream bars I had before going to bed didn't cut it. From now on, no more of that cheap hershey ice cream! Its only Haagen Dazs from here on in. Maybe I'll try to eat a little better before my run as well, and start drinking a sports drink instead of water. No kidding!
The worst part of a bad day like today is that I really didn't achieve much. A lousy workout like that does nothing to add to my fitness, and in actual fact may be counter-productive. I can't afford to let it happen again. So stupid!
I need a good rest tonite as I have a busy day planned tomorrow. A badly needed massage first thing in the morning followed by a 1000 metre swim, and then hopefully a 30 k bike, a short run , and weights in the evening. I need a confidence boost after todays debacle.
I wish to dedicate day 252 to Mr Sandy Wansbrough, my high school gym teacher who first got me into running. He'd be proud of me today.
...and so on yours truly...
“He was born stupid and greatly improved his birthright"---Samuel Butler
...and maybe true but not for endurance running...
“People need dreams, there's as much nourishment in 'em as food."---Dorothy Gilman
...and hopefully it's been given and I will take it...
“Lessons are not given, they are taken."---Cesare Pavese
love
peter
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
"Slower and Slower!"
I did the IM distance in my wetsuit again this morning and again I was slower than last time. I was 1:17 compared to a previous 1:14 compared to a previous 1:11. But believe it or not I'm not stressed by it at all. I think it's only a matter of timing, no pun intended, and in this case my arms were still a little tired from my weight workout on sunday evening. Most of my anxiety about the swim is now behind me I think. Today was just a long boring swim!
Thats all I did today except for having a great discussion with my buddy Penticton Paul. We talked for close to an hour again and I learned so much about the race. An ironman is handled so much differently than any other race I have ever been in. It is very structured with very tight rules, but as I understand it with incredible support. For example, there are 11 places out on the bike course where they provide replacment water bottles or gatorade as well as bananas and pretzels. Believe it or not they even provide chicken soup during the run portion, and they do things like help you out of your wetsuit and hand you your glasses when you get out of the water. They even park your bike for you when you return from the mountains. As well they have these things called special needs bags, which they hand to you half way through the bike and halfway through the run. They are bags with your number on them that you have packed your self with anything you may think you need, food, aspirin, toilet paper or even a picture of your grandma if you like.
It all sounds like a great deal of fun to me!
I wish to dedicate day 251 to Vanessa the lifeguard, who un-seflconsciously, zips me into my wetsuit on a regular basis.
...on being slow...
“I have seen slower people than I am and more deliberate... and even quieter, and more listless, and lazier people than I am. But they were dead."---Mark Twain
...and this one as a metaphor for life...
"It's a question of spreading the available energy, aerobic and anaerobic, evenly over four minutes. If you run one part too fast, you pay a price. If you run another part more slowly your overall time is slower."---Roger Bannister
love
peter
Thats all I did today except for having a great discussion with my buddy Penticton Paul. We talked for close to an hour again and I learned so much about the race. An ironman is handled so much differently than any other race I have ever been in. It is very structured with very tight rules, but as I understand it with incredible support. For example, there are 11 places out on the bike course where they provide replacment water bottles or gatorade as well as bananas and pretzels. Believe it or not they even provide chicken soup during the run portion, and they do things like help you out of your wetsuit and hand you your glasses when you get out of the water. They even park your bike for you when you return from the mountains. As well they have these things called special needs bags, which they hand to you half way through the bike and halfway through the run. They are bags with your number on them that you have packed your self with anything you may think you need, food, aspirin, toilet paper or even a picture of your grandma if you like.
It all sounds like a great deal of fun to me!
I wish to dedicate day 251 to Vanessa the lifeguard, who un-seflconsciously, zips me into my wetsuit on a regular basis.
...on being slow...
“I have seen slower people than I am and more deliberate... and even quieter, and more listless, and lazier people than I am. But they were dead."---Mark Twain
...and this one as a metaphor for life...
"It's a question of spreading the available energy, aerobic and anaerobic, evenly over four minutes. If you run one part too fast, you pay a price. If you run another part more slowly your overall time is slower."---Roger Bannister
love
peter
Monday, May 25, 2009
"Faster Than Canada Post"
Well at least with a tailwind!
I was driving the mail lady crazy today. I was on the return leg of an out and back 30 km ride when I passed her while she was stopped at a mailbox. After I got by she pulled out and passed me but when she stopped again, I passed her again. Depending on how far away the next mailbox was she would have to repeat the same pass and get passed strategy, or simply hang behind me in the case of a nearer next mailbox. This went on for about 10 minutes before I finally pulled away from her for good. Alas, I suppose that faster then Canada Post may not be that fast anyway eh? But it feels very very good riding with a steady tailwind. I feel like I could ride forever.
I followed up my short ride with a short run (4.5kms) and for the rest of the day I felt like I hadn't done enough. That's ok too I guess as it left me with the energy to open the pool.
Oh, by the way, by the time I got back from my run the mail had arrived at our house.
I'm looking forward to doing my IM distance swim tomorrow morning, but since that's more than 300 lengths of this pool I think I'll still go to the Y. The water's a little warmer there as well. I'll be willing to bet that Colby is in the pool here as soon as it's clear and healthy, but I don't think you'll find me in there for a while....even with a wetsuit!
I wish to dedicate day 250 to Janice our mail lady, even if she never brings me anything I like!
“I get mail; therefore I am."---Scott Adams
love
peter
I was driving the mail lady crazy today. I was on the return leg of an out and back 30 km ride when I passed her while she was stopped at a mailbox. After I got by she pulled out and passed me but when she stopped again, I passed her again. Depending on how far away the next mailbox was she would have to repeat the same pass and get passed strategy, or simply hang behind me in the case of a nearer next mailbox. This went on for about 10 minutes before I finally pulled away from her for good. Alas, I suppose that faster then Canada Post may not be that fast anyway eh? But it feels very very good riding with a steady tailwind. I feel like I could ride forever.
I followed up my short ride with a short run (4.5kms) and for the rest of the day I felt like I hadn't done enough. That's ok too I guess as it left me with the energy to open the pool.
Oh, by the way, by the time I got back from my run the mail had arrived at our house.
I'm looking forward to doing my IM distance swim tomorrow morning, but since that's more than 300 lengths of this pool I think I'll still go to the Y. The water's a little warmer there as well. I'll be willing to bet that Colby is in the pool here as soon as it's clear and healthy, but I don't think you'll find me in there for a while....even with a wetsuit!
I wish to dedicate day 250 to Janice our mail lady, even if she never brings me anything I like!
“I get mail; therefore I am."---Scott Adams
love
peter
Sunday, May 24, 2009
"Iron Kids"
I went running today without a shirt in order to work on my tan. I have a naturally dark complexion and have never had any problem with exposure to the sun. I remember as a kid on the farm some of my brothers and I actually starting to turn a purple hue from day after day with no shirt. They say that's not good for you but what the hell. Am I gonna get cancer or something?
I was just a wee bit self conscious however and so I asked Claudette if I looked silly, and because she loves me she of course said no, and why should you be? And furthermore she said, and I quote, "you've gone running with no shirt when you were 3 times as fat!" Three times as fat?? Apparently that's called "hyperbole"...obvious and intentional exaggeration. Anyway, for some reason I was self conscious of the saggy wrinkles that I now carry around my middle where all this fat used to be. But I said what the hell and went ahead anyway. Im pretty sure that those wrinkles don't make me run any slower and I'm also pretty sure they don't make anyone love me any less. So, I'm old and wrinkled...thats me.
But today wasn't about me anyway. It was about this guy who doesn't have any wrinkles and doesn't even see mine. My "Iron Kid"
In this last photo he is showing off his medal and his time which is written on his hand. It was a proud day watching my grandson complete his very first triathlon. When asked if he would like to do it again he said, "Yes I want to do it forever, until I'm too old to do it!" I can assure him then that he's good for at least another 50 years. What a gratifying, gratifying day! Dear God, I love this little boy beyond any words I have to express it.
Briefly on my own training. I had a nice swim after Colbys triathlon, a pretty effortless 2000 metres, a decent 10 km run this aft, and then weights tonite. All's good I think. I still live in constant doubt but I think that's normal. I'll just keep on doing the training as best I can and we'll see what happens. I suppose that to be constantly driven by a state of fear is better than to relax out of a state of over-confidence.
I wish to dedicate day 249 to Pat Beers who taught my kids how to swim and now supports my grandchildern in things like todays triathlon.
“The heart has no wrinkles."---Marie de Sevigne
“Even with all my wrinkles! I am beautiful!"---Edward Everett Hale
“Years wrinkle the skin, but quitting wrinkles the soul."---Douglas MacArthur
love
peter
I was just a wee bit self conscious however and so I asked Claudette if I looked silly, and because she loves me she of course said no, and why should you be? And furthermore she said, and I quote, "you've gone running with no shirt when you were 3 times as fat!" Three times as fat?? Apparently that's called "hyperbole"...obvious and intentional exaggeration. Anyway, for some reason I was self conscious of the saggy wrinkles that I now carry around my middle where all this fat used to be. But I said what the hell and went ahead anyway. Im pretty sure that those wrinkles don't make me run any slower and I'm also pretty sure they don't make anyone love me any less. So, I'm old and wrinkled...thats me.
But today wasn't about me anyway. It was about this guy who doesn't have any wrinkles and doesn't even see mine. My "Iron Kid"
In this last photo he is showing off his medal and his time which is written on his hand. It was a proud day watching my grandson complete his very first triathlon. When asked if he would like to do it again he said, "Yes I want to do it forever, until I'm too old to do it!" I can assure him then that he's good for at least another 50 years. What a gratifying, gratifying day! Dear God, I love this little boy beyond any words I have to express it.
Briefly on my own training. I had a nice swim after Colbys triathlon, a pretty effortless 2000 metres, a decent 10 km run this aft, and then weights tonite. All's good I think. I still live in constant doubt but I think that's normal. I'll just keep on doing the training as best I can and we'll see what happens. I suppose that to be constantly driven by a state of fear is better than to relax out of a state of over-confidence.
I wish to dedicate day 249 to Pat Beers who taught my kids how to swim and now supports my grandchildern in things like todays triathlon.
“The heart has no wrinkles."---Marie de Sevigne
“Even with all my wrinkles! I am beautiful!"---Edward Everett Hale
“Years wrinkle the skin, but quitting wrinkles the soul."---Douglas MacArthur
love
peter
Saturday, May 23, 2009
"Jet Lag"
While I know that's not any kind of excuse ( I crossed one time zone yesterday) , I'm still gonna credit my travel as the reason why my workout wasn't quite what I had hoped for today. It wasn't "bad" by any stretch of the imagination but just not quite the barn burner I had hoped for. It started out fairly well as the temperature was great and there was very little wind. I decided 150 kms was a good number and as the weather man said the wind was SE I decided to head to Long Point....a place I've never been in my life. Because the weather info I get is from the London airport sometimes the wind direction isn't quite the same and today was one of those days. It was was more due south than SE but it wasn't a problem as it was fairly calm and since I'm going almost due east it was pretty well neutral to my efforts. At about 60 kms however I just about turned around because of the roads. They were the most horrible I have ever rode on for any extended period of time. I kept going on the theory that a little adversity was good for me but it was painful to feel my bike crashing in and out of potholes and cracks. I will not make that trip into Norfolk County again, at least on my bike. Norfolk used to be big tobacco growing country and maybe that's why they no longer have any money to fix the roads. We need more smokers!!
Anyway I got to the end of the road in Long Point at just over 80 kms and headed back home. I could tell that the wind had freshened a bit and I could also tell that it was starting to shift direction a little. It still wasn't that strong but by time I was down to my last 25 K it was almost full in my face and I clearly started to lag a little. Thats the problem I suppose with doing "out and backs" instead of loops closer to home, the risk that the wind could shift after the "out".
But I made it back. Just over 160 kms in 5 hours and 6 minutes for an average pace of 31.3 kms/hr. Not bad really, but I was all done by then. I headed out on my little transition run but was walking after 15 minutes, and finished the 4.5 kms in a walk/jog mode.
The other day my friend Mark asked me what I did for 5 or 6 hours on my bike and I told him that I listened to my music and thought. Well my i-pod is totally screwed now it seems, and I just couldn't imagine 5 hours of Roos heavily skewed country and so I went without today. As to what I thought about? I know that my mind was doing something the whole time, but very little of it remained in my memory banks. Not much oxygen goes to the brain I'm afraid when the body needs it all.
Soooo...These long outings are supposed to be learning sessions so what did I learn today? Well a few things I guess.
1) Never ride your bike in Norfolk County unless it's got shock absorbers.
2) I still didn't drink enough even though I had 5 large bottles of water and nourishment(1900 calories). I never peed once which is an indicator.
3)The day after travel make sure you adjust your expectations accordingly.
4)Don't be too hard on yourself. Not too many people can ride to Long Point and back!
5) Do something different to store my tire levers as I lost another one today! (vibration!!)
6)Take a pen and notepad along to record my thoughts.
I wish to dedicate day 248 to Frank Coffey, a dear old friend who I haven't seen in years. I wonder if he still rides his bike a lot?
....on expectations...
“Don't live down to expectations. Go out there and do something remarkable."---Wendy Wasserstein
“When we create something, we always create it first in a thought form. If we are basically positive in attitude, expecting and envisioning pleasure, satisfaction and happiness, we will attract and create people, situations, and events which conform to our positive expectations."---Shakti Gawain
...and on memory...
“Many complain of their memory, few of their judgment."---Benjamin Franklin
“Happiness? That's nothing more than health and a poor memory."---Albert Schweitzer
...and again, this one just because I like it...
"A Native American elder once described his own inner struggles in this manner: Inside of me there are two dogs. One of the dogs is mean and evil. The other dog is good. The mean dog fights the good dog all the time. When asked which dog wins, he reflected for a moment and replied, The one I feed the most."---George Bernard Shaw
love
peter
Anyway I got to the end of the road in Long Point at just over 80 kms and headed back home. I could tell that the wind had freshened a bit and I could also tell that it was starting to shift direction a little. It still wasn't that strong but by time I was down to my last 25 K it was almost full in my face and I clearly started to lag a little. Thats the problem I suppose with doing "out and backs" instead of loops closer to home, the risk that the wind could shift after the "out".
But I made it back. Just over 160 kms in 5 hours and 6 minutes for an average pace of 31.3 kms/hr. Not bad really, but I was all done by then. I headed out on my little transition run but was walking after 15 minutes, and finished the 4.5 kms in a walk/jog mode.
The other day my friend Mark asked me what I did for 5 or 6 hours on my bike and I told him that I listened to my music and thought. Well my i-pod is totally screwed now it seems, and I just couldn't imagine 5 hours of Roos heavily skewed country and so I went without today. As to what I thought about? I know that my mind was doing something the whole time, but very little of it remained in my memory banks. Not much oxygen goes to the brain I'm afraid when the body needs it all.
Soooo...These long outings are supposed to be learning sessions so what did I learn today? Well a few things I guess.
1) Never ride your bike in Norfolk County unless it's got shock absorbers.
2) I still didn't drink enough even though I had 5 large bottles of water and nourishment(1900 calories). I never peed once which is an indicator.
3)The day after travel make sure you adjust your expectations accordingly.
4)Don't be too hard on yourself. Not too many people can ride to Long Point and back!
5) Do something different to store my tire levers as I lost another one today! (vibration!!)
6)Take a pen and notepad along to record my thoughts.
I wish to dedicate day 248 to Frank Coffey, a dear old friend who I haven't seen in years. I wonder if he still rides his bike a lot?
....on expectations...
“Don't live down to expectations. Go out there and do something remarkable."---Wendy Wasserstein
“When we create something, we always create it first in a thought form. If we are basically positive in attitude, expecting and envisioning pleasure, satisfaction and happiness, we will attract and create people, situations, and events which conform to our positive expectations."---Shakti Gawain
...and on memory...
“Many complain of their memory, few of their judgment."---Benjamin Franklin
“Happiness? That's nothing more than health and a poor memory."---Albert Schweitzer
...and again, this one just because I like it...
"A Native American elder once described his own inner struggles in this manner: Inside of me there are two dogs. One of the dogs is mean and evil. The other dog is good. The mean dog fights the good dog all the time. When asked which dog wins, he reflected for a moment and replied, The one I feed the most."---George Bernard Shaw
love
peter
Friday, May 22, 2009
"On My Way Home"
The travel day taking me home always seems to last forever. From the hotel I drive to the plant. Then from the plant I drive to the airport. There it takes a good 15 minutes to return my rental car. Then to the airline counter where today I had further delays. First off I had to go and see the “Doctor” if I was flying to the US. This meant filling out a medical form and then waiting in line to get it rubber stamped. It’s not really a medical test but rather a stupidity test! If you're too stupid to fill it out right you don't get the rubber stamp! Then back to the airline counter where I knew I was going to have more trouble. Sure enough they couldn’t find my reservation and so that took another half hour of aggravation. Then through security and more waiting at the gate. Then finally boarding the airplane but with the last minute insult of taking my water bottle from me, as I didn’t hide it well enough. And then the plane ride, followed by American immigration, followed by a 30 minute ride to the border and Canadian immigration, and after 2 more hours driving finally back home.
I suppose it feels like forever because of the accumulated aggravation of travelling but I think more so simply because I’m going home. The greatest value I have gained out of my travels is a great appreciation for the place I live and for the people I live with. Something I witnessed today really put some perspective on the difference between where I live and so much of the rest of the world. While driving down the freeway to the airport, a major 4 lane divided highway, I seen a person laying on the grass. Not laying there like they were having a rest, but rather like that’s where they had fallen unconscious….I even though as if dead! The form looked like that of a woman but I passed so quickly that I couldn’t be sure. The point is not so much that someone was lying there but that I didn’t stop, nor did anyone else. By the time my mind processed it I was too far past to do anything, or at least that’s my excuse. I think probably an excuse, because if it was anywhere on the 401 in Ontario, I would still have gone back to check it out, but I was afraid to. Afraid of what I might find, and/or what I might get involved in. I just wanted to go home.
Home…where my lover is, where my children hang out, where my “stuff” is, and the only place I get close to contentment. Home is where the heart is.
I’m grateful for the permanency of my home because to many people in my industry it is not the case right now. Many have had to relocate in the past 6 months just to stay employed and even worse many who have relocated in the last year or 2 to further their careers, now find themselves without a job, and even without a permanent home. They now struggle with the decision whether to go back to their towns/cities/countries of origin and try to start over or to try to make the best of it in their new surroundings. I do not envy them.
I’m sure I’ve bragged enough about the company I work for and we are indeed the best of a bad lot, but things have changed beyond anyone’s imagination. We are at the point where even those who are still employed are being asked to take pay cuts and or take unpaid time off. I’m fond of saying that it’s a correction the auto industry had to go through, and yet I always thought that meant everyone else….not my company!
That’s why I’m glad to be going home. I suppose I shouldn’t take even that for granted but for now I’m going to. It provides a roof over my head, a place to plant potatoes, and someone to share them with. Please be grateful for your home if you have one, and maybe even figure out how to help someone who doesn’t. Don’t keep on driving. Next time I’m gonna stop….no matter what. I promise!
Oh, by the way, my travel day was topped off by a Border Protection guy at the airport who forgot to stamp my form, resulting in my being "escorted" back to the entry point to repeat the process for the second time. And the guy escorting me was the slowest walking son of a bitch I have ever met. I wanted to pick him up and carry him. I almost exploded with the pain of it. Ces't la vie!
I wish to dedicate day 247 to the unconscious, probably "homeless" lady beside the highway.
"The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned."---Maya Angelou
“Almost any man worthy of his salt would fight to defend his home, but no one ever heard of a man going to war for his boarding house"---Mark Twain
….and this one even though it’s not relevant today I loved it too much to keep inside. Thanks to peter who sent it to me today…
“And those who were seen dancing were though to be insane, by those who could not hear the music”---Frederich Nietzche
love
peter
I suppose it feels like forever because of the accumulated aggravation of travelling but I think more so simply because I’m going home. The greatest value I have gained out of my travels is a great appreciation for the place I live and for the people I live with. Something I witnessed today really put some perspective on the difference between where I live and so much of the rest of the world. While driving down the freeway to the airport, a major 4 lane divided highway, I seen a person laying on the grass. Not laying there like they were having a rest, but rather like that’s where they had fallen unconscious….I even though as if dead! The form looked like that of a woman but I passed so quickly that I couldn’t be sure. The point is not so much that someone was lying there but that I didn’t stop, nor did anyone else. By the time my mind processed it I was too far past to do anything, or at least that’s my excuse. I think probably an excuse, because if it was anywhere on the 401 in Ontario, I would still have gone back to check it out, but I was afraid to. Afraid of what I might find, and/or what I might get involved in. I just wanted to go home.
Home…where my lover is, where my children hang out, where my “stuff” is, and the only place I get close to contentment. Home is where the heart is.
I’m grateful for the permanency of my home because to many people in my industry it is not the case right now. Many have had to relocate in the past 6 months just to stay employed and even worse many who have relocated in the last year or 2 to further their careers, now find themselves without a job, and even without a permanent home. They now struggle with the decision whether to go back to their towns/cities/countries of origin and try to start over or to try to make the best of it in their new surroundings. I do not envy them.
I’m sure I’ve bragged enough about the company I work for and we are indeed the best of a bad lot, but things have changed beyond anyone’s imagination. We are at the point where even those who are still employed are being asked to take pay cuts and or take unpaid time off. I’m fond of saying that it’s a correction the auto industry had to go through, and yet I always thought that meant everyone else….not my company!
That’s why I’m glad to be going home. I suppose I shouldn’t take even that for granted but for now I’m going to. It provides a roof over my head, a place to plant potatoes, and someone to share them with. Please be grateful for your home if you have one, and maybe even figure out how to help someone who doesn’t. Don’t keep on driving. Next time I’m gonna stop….no matter what. I promise!
Oh, by the way, my travel day was topped off by a Border Protection guy at the airport who forgot to stamp my form, resulting in my being "escorted" back to the entry point to repeat the process for the second time. And the guy escorting me was the slowest walking son of a bitch I have ever met. I wanted to pick him up and carry him. I almost exploded with the pain of it. Ces't la vie!
I wish to dedicate day 247 to the unconscious, probably "homeless" lady beside the highway.
"The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned."---Maya Angelou
“Almost any man worthy of his salt would fight to defend his home, but no one ever heard of a man going to war for his boarding house"---Mark Twain
….and this one even though it’s not relevant today I loved it too much to keep inside. Thanks to peter who sent it to me today…
“And those who were seen dancing were though to be insane, by those who could not hear the music”---Frederich Nietzche
love
peter
Thursday, May 21, 2009
"Bed Time"
How I could feel tired after the 3rd day in a row without a workout I have no idea, but indeed I am. Maybe it's just a sign that my body craves the rest in order to absorb the training. Maybe it's a good sign. Whatever the case It's telling me just to go to bed and so I will do so.
Have a great rest and a great tomorrow, and be grateful to be alive!
I wish to dedicate day 246 to Alexander Skerrett who is way too young to have lost his mother (Tina Lisa) to pancreatic cancer.
...and it will come to all of us at some point...
“The great Nurse, Death, takes each of us by the hand and says "its time to go home, its your bedtime, child of the earth."---Joshua Loth Liebman
love
peter
Have a great rest and a great tomorrow, and be grateful to be alive!
I wish to dedicate day 246 to Alexander Skerrett who is way too young to have lost his mother (Tina Lisa) to pancreatic cancer.
...and it will come to all of us at some point...
“The great Nurse, Death, takes each of us by the hand and says "its time to go home, its your bedtime, child of the earth."---Joshua Loth Liebman
love
peter
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
"Ground Hog Day"
If you've seen the movie you will remember that with every passing day the main character developes his personality a little bit more positivaly, such that in the end he actually is a likeable person. Maybe that's why I still keep waking up to the same music, because I still have a ways to go...that my personality still needs some positive development. Whether that's the reason or not I don't know but I certainly concede that I still have significant growth opportunities.
First off I need to report that yes, just as with the training/racing, I figured out today why I do this shit! I spent a good portion of the day in discussion with 3 intelligent, astute, and caring businessmen and it felt great. The opportunity to interact with professionals at this level with the intent of arriving at decisions that bring value to our company and our employees is beyond invigorating. It gives me a feling of usefullness, of adding value. I think I'll keep doing it for a while.
So back to growth opportunities. One of the biggest challenges I face every day when I look in the mirror is my lack of open-mindedness. I have always tended to see the world as black and white, right or wrong. Believe me that can be a painful way to go through life especially when you accompany that trait with a tendency to talk first, think later. Often I paint myself into a corner because I am so quick to form an opinion, and so quick to voice it, that I am left trying to defend a position that over time I myself started to question. I'm working on this aspect and I think that today I subdued that tendency fairly well, and as a result feel exhilirated about the discussions. Lets see if I can duplicate my efforts tomorrow in a larger, broader group.
As to training, I have stuck to my commitment not to do anything for 2 days and quite frankly it hasn't been that hard. The simple fact that I can feel tiredness in my legs just from going up a set of steps makes it clear that rest is the most important element at this point.
That's it for the day becasue I am attending a dinner tonite with the team. I may even have a beer!!
I wish to dedicate day 245 to Jose Antonio Martinez, a man of "integrity".
...so on open minds...
“An open mind leaves a chance for someone to drop a worthwhile thought in it"---Anon
...and on open minds and shit...
“Children always understand. They have open minds. They have built-in shit detectors."---Madonna
love
peter
First off I need to report that yes, just as with the training/racing, I figured out today why I do this shit! I spent a good portion of the day in discussion with 3 intelligent, astute, and caring businessmen and it felt great. The opportunity to interact with professionals at this level with the intent of arriving at decisions that bring value to our company and our employees is beyond invigorating. It gives me a feling of usefullness, of adding value. I think I'll keep doing it for a while.
So back to growth opportunities. One of the biggest challenges I face every day when I look in the mirror is my lack of open-mindedness. I have always tended to see the world as black and white, right or wrong. Believe me that can be a painful way to go through life especially when you accompany that trait with a tendency to talk first, think later. Often I paint myself into a corner because I am so quick to form an opinion, and so quick to voice it, that I am left trying to defend a position that over time I myself started to question. I'm working on this aspect and I think that today I subdued that tendency fairly well, and as a result feel exhilirated about the discussions. Lets see if I can duplicate my efforts tomorrow in a larger, broader group.
As to training, I have stuck to my commitment not to do anything for 2 days and quite frankly it hasn't been that hard. The simple fact that I can feel tiredness in my legs just from going up a set of steps makes it clear that rest is the most important element at this point.
That's it for the day becasue I am attending a dinner tonite with the team. I may even have a beer!!
I wish to dedicate day 245 to Jose Antonio Martinez, a man of "integrity".
...so on open minds...
“An open mind leaves a chance for someone to drop a worthwhile thought in it"---Anon
...and on open minds and shit...
“Children always understand. They have open minds. They have built-in shit detectors."---Madonna
love
peter
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
"Deja Vu"
It was like Bill Murrays groundhog day. I woke up to the same music as yesterday blaring from my Blackberry, and that same decidedly frustrating question in my mind, “Why am I doing this shit??”
Except today it was different shit and a whole lot earlier. I needed to be up at 5 am to catch a flight out of Detroit, and as you well know, just getting up in the morning annoys me, let alone at that hour. I hope that at the end of the day I can say the same thing as yesterday, that I will understand why I do this shit. I’ll let you know. Maybe if Colby was with me I could promise it, but right now the jury is still out. At the moment I’m sitting on the plane in Detroit which in itself was an “almost not” kind of thing. Usually I check in on-line from home but even if I do, I still need to swipe my passport at the airport so I just didn’t bother. That’s why I didn’t find out until I got there that I didn’t actually have a ticket. I don’t know what went wrong but apparently I had a reservation but no e-ticket. I will tell you, I came this close to calling the driver to take me back home, but in the end, and after a bit of stress, I paid for the ticket with my credit card and proceeded through security. I do have obligations which are not so easily shrugged off.
I suppose I could change that real quickly if I wanted to, but that would also mean not having an income. And since I may live for a long time yet I have to be smart eh? I guess that’s the problem with taking care of your health. It could be more expensive in the long run. If only my children were independently wealthy I could think about living off of them, but that doesn’t seem like a pending danger! So it’s off to work I go.
This may seem a bit ironic but I believe that once the Ironman is over I will enjoy work more again. It’s so hard to focus on both things at once, let alone all the complications of life’s other challenges(read that as meaning children), and somehow it leaves me in a constant state of anxiety. I don’t like to admit that because I’m gonna get shit from Old John, but it is what it is. Right now I choose not to give up my job or my training, and as such I need to hang in there . Wish me luck!
One good thing this morning is that I got my favorite seat again on this Embraer 175. I’m right behind business class, I have more leg room than them with no one beside me, and I’m eating my delicious (if cold) Sausage McMuffin with egg, while they are eating raisin bran…ha, ha ha! And I have another one for later along with my low fat milk. I’m finally learning to plan my nutrition better while travelling.
I’m a little bit nervous about my arrival in Monterrey because I rented a car this time instead of having a driver pick me up. Monterrey is a huge city and I have to drive to a neighboring community where the plant is located. Being picked up is convenient and stress free but it leaves me always at some one else’s mercy when I get there, and I like to have my independence. Once I’ve done it one time I will be ok for the future.
It’s funny how certain fears I’m always ready to face up to because I know that once challenged they will go away, and other things I keep procrastinating, even though I suspect that I will feel better about those things as well. One example is calling Jon, and trying to maintain some kind of contact. I have not talked to him since he called at Christmas, and despite repeated coaching from Claudette I have continued to put off picking up the phone. I guess it’s like Tony Robbins says…I associate more pain with talking to him than with not talking to him….the exact same problem addicts have for that matter. Maybe I need to do the same thing as I do with this blog as relates to my ironman…make a public commitment so that there’s no backing out?
I know the next 4 days are going to be tough from the training perspective because my mind keeps telling me to do more. I was so tired last night that I turned my weight session into primarily a stretching session and yet I’m afraid to take time off. I will try my damndest to relax today and tomorrow and then perhaps try to spend some time on a treadmill on Thursday. I get back late Friday and will try to get a short run in then as well so overall it may be ok. I know that my endurance continues to improve and yet sometimes when I think of the scope of the undertaking it seems so formidable. Yesterday I raced for 1 ½ hours, and 3 months from now I need to do the same thing for an entire day! I’m still not saying how long it will take me, even though I have my goal time firmly in mind now. Maybe later….I don’t want to disappoint anyone if I don’t do what I say.
I'm now at my hotel after landing safely in Monterrey but getting from there to Salitllo was a bit of an adventure still, again on account of poor planning. First off I somehow lost my map to the plant and so I had to go online before I left the airport. Then when I pulled up to the first tool booth I said oh-oh....something else I knew about but forgot. Thank goodness that they took US dollars which I happened to have a few of...well more than a few actually...closer to twenty!
There are still some people wearing masks both at the airport and here at the hotel. At lot of them were just hanging around their necks however as if it were a company policy, loosely enforced. The funny part was that at the airport they made you fill out a form asking a bunch of medical questions, and if you answered them wrong you got the pleasure of talking to a medic before you entered the country. I can't imagine anyone being silly enought to answer yes to any of the "have you had a cough etc" questions, and as such I don't think the doctor was doing much business
That’s about it for today I suppose. I hope all is well with everyone listening out there, and I hope you don’t get tired of my ramblings. I suppose that’s a needless fear however, because as they say, “those who matter don’t mind, and those who mind don’t matter”
I wish to dedicate day 244 to Patty Fraustro, who always flawlessly arranges my travel and accommodations in Saltillo, and does it with a smile!
“Right now I'm having amnesia and deja vu at the same time."---Stephen Wright
“I went to a fancy french restaurant called "Deja Vu." The headwaiter said, "Don't I know you?"---Rod Schmidt
Love
peter
Except today it was different shit and a whole lot earlier. I needed to be up at 5 am to catch a flight out of Detroit, and as you well know, just getting up in the morning annoys me, let alone at that hour. I hope that at the end of the day I can say the same thing as yesterday, that I will understand why I do this shit. I’ll let you know. Maybe if Colby was with me I could promise it, but right now the jury is still out. At the moment I’m sitting on the plane in Detroit which in itself was an “almost not” kind of thing. Usually I check in on-line from home but even if I do, I still need to swipe my passport at the airport so I just didn’t bother. That’s why I didn’t find out until I got there that I didn’t actually have a ticket. I don’t know what went wrong but apparently I had a reservation but no e-ticket. I will tell you, I came this close to calling the driver to take me back home, but in the end, and after a bit of stress, I paid for the ticket with my credit card and proceeded through security. I do have obligations which are not so easily shrugged off.
I suppose I could change that real quickly if I wanted to, but that would also mean not having an income. And since I may live for a long time yet I have to be smart eh? I guess that’s the problem with taking care of your health. It could be more expensive in the long run. If only my children were independently wealthy I could think about living off of them, but that doesn’t seem like a pending danger! So it’s off to work I go.
This may seem a bit ironic but I believe that once the Ironman is over I will enjoy work more again. It’s so hard to focus on both things at once, let alone all the complications of life’s other challenges(read that as meaning children), and somehow it leaves me in a constant state of anxiety. I don’t like to admit that because I’m gonna get shit from Old John, but it is what it is. Right now I choose not to give up my job or my training, and as such I need to hang in there . Wish me luck!
One good thing this morning is that I got my favorite seat again on this Embraer 175. I’m right behind business class, I have more leg room than them with no one beside me, and I’m eating my delicious (if cold) Sausage McMuffin with egg, while they are eating raisin bran…ha, ha ha! And I have another one for later along with my low fat milk. I’m finally learning to plan my nutrition better while travelling.
I’m a little bit nervous about my arrival in Monterrey because I rented a car this time instead of having a driver pick me up. Monterrey is a huge city and I have to drive to a neighboring community where the plant is located. Being picked up is convenient and stress free but it leaves me always at some one else’s mercy when I get there, and I like to have my independence. Once I’ve done it one time I will be ok for the future.
It’s funny how certain fears I’m always ready to face up to because I know that once challenged they will go away, and other things I keep procrastinating, even though I suspect that I will feel better about those things as well. One example is calling Jon, and trying to maintain some kind of contact. I have not talked to him since he called at Christmas, and despite repeated coaching from Claudette I have continued to put off picking up the phone. I guess it’s like Tony Robbins says…I associate more pain with talking to him than with not talking to him….the exact same problem addicts have for that matter. Maybe I need to do the same thing as I do with this blog as relates to my ironman…make a public commitment so that there’s no backing out?
I know the next 4 days are going to be tough from the training perspective because my mind keeps telling me to do more. I was so tired last night that I turned my weight session into primarily a stretching session and yet I’m afraid to take time off. I will try my damndest to relax today and tomorrow and then perhaps try to spend some time on a treadmill on Thursday. I get back late Friday and will try to get a short run in then as well so overall it may be ok. I know that my endurance continues to improve and yet sometimes when I think of the scope of the undertaking it seems so formidable. Yesterday I raced for 1 ½ hours, and 3 months from now I need to do the same thing for an entire day! I’m still not saying how long it will take me, even though I have my goal time firmly in mind now. Maybe later….I don’t want to disappoint anyone if I don’t do what I say.
I'm now at my hotel after landing safely in Monterrey but getting from there to Salitllo was a bit of an adventure still, again on account of poor planning. First off I somehow lost my map to the plant and so I had to go online before I left the airport. Then when I pulled up to the first tool booth I said oh-oh....something else I knew about but forgot. Thank goodness that they took US dollars which I happened to have a few of...well more than a few actually...closer to twenty!
There are still some people wearing masks both at the airport and here at the hotel. At lot of them were just hanging around their necks however as if it were a company policy, loosely enforced. The funny part was that at the airport they made you fill out a form asking a bunch of medical questions, and if you answered them wrong you got the pleasure of talking to a medic before you entered the country. I can't imagine anyone being silly enought to answer yes to any of the "have you had a cough etc" questions, and as such I don't think the doctor was doing much business
That’s about it for today I suppose. I hope all is well with everyone listening out there, and I hope you don’t get tired of my ramblings. I suppose that’s a needless fear however, because as they say, “those who matter don’t mind, and those who mind don’t matter”
I wish to dedicate day 244 to Patty Fraustro, who always flawlessly arranges my travel and accommodations in Saltillo, and does it with a smile!
“Right now I'm having amnesia and deja vu at the same time."---Stephen Wright
“I went to a fancy french restaurant called "Deja Vu." The headwaiter said, "Don't I know you?"---Rod Schmidt
Love
peter
Monday, May 18, 2009
"Mennonite Country"
That's where my bike ride took me today. Right through the heart of it. I was having such a good time that I actually looked around a bit . Having grown up not too far from the north end of Waterloo none of the scenes were a surprise to me, but all the same they made me think. About horses and bonnets candles and other simple things. Those people have some strange ideas but generally I have always found the mennonites of that area to be gentle, simple people and what else is there really eh?
Anyway, today was race day and I truly had lots of fun despite the fact that I was woefully unprepared. I had a flat even before I got started and that caused a little stress. Then I lost both my tire levers while riding becasue I had not repacked them properly and so if I had another flat on the course I would have been royally screwed. Then I realized that I had no straw for my aero bottle and was fortunate to have another spare bottle. I was smart enough however to bring the most important performance enhancer with me.
Here he is!
It was one of those days in which you wake up in the morning and wonder how stupid you are to be doing this shit, and then come home at the end of the day knowing why you're that stupid. It's because recovering my health is important enought to me because of this kid alone, never mind all the other good reasons. Thanks Colb for coming with me today. And thanks as always to my beautiful wife for her support, and for pumping up my tire!
Next Sunday it will be my turn to support Colby, as he will be doing his first ever triathlon at the local Y. I will of course give you a full race report.
So to my race today. I was quite happy with my effort. I knew going in that I was quite tired and so I tried to stay within myself. My first 4 km run was just under 17 minutes and the final one just under 18, but I was totally delighted with my bike ride....30 kms at 34.1 kms/hr!! To put this in perspective, I did this same race 10 years ago and my bike pace was identical. I finished 89th overall out of 4 hundered and some, and 7th in my age group out of 37. I'm truly satisfied especially because those mennonites really like hills. There was not a flat spot on the course and I loved it. Here's the official stats if you care to have a look. http://www.sportstats.ca/display-results.php?lang=eng&racecode=44350
I wish to dedicate day 243 to Menno Simons who was - - guess what?-- the founder of the mennonite movement some 500 or so years ago.
“I am beginning to learn that it is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all."---Laura Ingalls Wilder
love
peter
Anyway, today was race day and I truly had lots of fun despite the fact that I was woefully unprepared. I had a flat even before I got started and that caused a little stress. Then I lost both my tire levers while riding becasue I had not repacked them properly and so if I had another flat on the course I would have been royally screwed. Then I realized that I had no straw for my aero bottle and was fortunate to have another spare bottle. I was smart enough however to bring the most important performance enhancer with me.
Here he is!
It was one of those days in which you wake up in the morning and wonder how stupid you are to be doing this shit, and then come home at the end of the day knowing why you're that stupid. It's because recovering my health is important enought to me because of this kid alone, never mind all the other good reasons. Thanks Colb for coming with me today. And thanks as always to my beautiful wife for her support, and for pumping up my tire!
Next Sunday it will be my turn to support Colby, as he will be doing his first ever triathlon at the local Y. I will of course give you a full race report.
So to my race today. I was quite happy with my effort. I knew going in that I was quite tired and so I tried to stay within myself. My first 4 km run was just under 17 minutes and the final one just under 18, but I was totally delighted with my bike ride....30 kms at 34.1 kms/hr!! To put this in perspective, I did this same race 10 years ago and my bike pace was identical. I finished 89th overall out of 4 hundered and some, and 7th in my age group out of 37. I'm truly satisfied especially because those mennonites really like hills. There was not a flat spot on the course and I loved it. Here's the official stats if you care to have a look. http://www.sportstats.ca/display-results.php?lang=eng&racecode=44350
I wish to dedicate day 243 to Menno Simons who was - - guess what?-- the founder of the mennonite movement some 500 or so years ago.
“I am beginning to learn that it is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all."---Laura Ingalls Wilder
love
peter
Sunday, May 17, 2009
"Anyway"
I ran 22.5 kms today, slow but steady. Then I went for a bike ride with Colby and learned many things. You may recall that we have a trailer bike that hooks on to the back of mine so we can ride safely together. The reason I learned so much today is that I do most of the pedalling and Colby does most of the talking. It's actually very entertaining for me. I told him at one point that we when he gets older we could get a tandem bike and he explained that he knew all about them. Apparently they are "made in China"!
Colby and I also learned something from a fellow cyclist while out on our excursion. We had just crossed over a set of railroad tracks that are at a very severe angle to the road, thereby making them a potential hazard for cyclists(we were careful), when a voice called out from behind us. It was an older lady and she emphatically told us that the sign said for cyclists to dismount before crossing the tracks. I politely explained that the sign was there just to advise caution, not as a rule. She actually caught up to us and apologized for being rude but insisted again that we should have dismounted . I just said "thank you dear" and then she headed off with a final explanation that she had to get to the hospital to visit her brother. She was referring to the psychiatric hospital just up the road and I admit that for a moment I wondered whether she really had a brother there? Sometimes the patients are allowed out for short periods.
I have been having trouble with my i-pod ever since I spent 4 hours in the rain with it and today it simply refused to work at all. As a last resort I took Claudettes on my run and tried my best to keep an open mind about her music...especially the country stuff which I struggle with. Much to my pleasant surprise there were sevral songs I didn't have to skip past and even one that I played several times because I truly appreciated the lyrics. I am a little wound up tonite (race tomorrow) and that's my excuse for presenting this song to you in it's entirety as the bulk of my post. Hopefully you appreciate it as much as I did. The song was co-written and performed by Martina McBride and is called
Anyway
You can spend your whole life buildin'Somethin' from nothin'
One storm can come and blow it all away
Build it anyway
You can chase a dreamThat seems so out of reach
And you know it might not ever come your way
Dream it anyway
God is great, but sometimes life ain't good
When I pray it doesn't always turn out like I think it should
But I do it anyway
I do it anyway
This worlds gone crazy and it's hard to believe
That tomorrow will be better than today
Believe it anyway
You can love someone with all your heart
For all the right reasons
An in a moment they can choose to walk away
love 'em anyway
God is great, but sometimes life ain't good
When I pray it doesn't always turn out like I think it should
But I do it anyway
I do it anyway
You can pour your soul out singing a song u believe in
but tomorrow they will forget you ever sang
Sing it anyway!
Yeah I sing,
I dream,
I love anyway!
I wish to dedicate day 242 to local runner and triathlete Evert Tenbruggencate, who earlier this week was rushed to hospital with a stroke, as a result of a dissected carotid artery.
“Life is full of risks anyway, why not take them?"---Lindsay Lohan
"What is reality, anyway? Just a collective hunch."---Lily Tomlin
“Courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway."---John Wayne
love
peter
Colby and I also learned something from a fellow cyclist while out on our excursion. We had just crossed over a set of railroad tracks that are at a very severe angle to the road, thereby making them a potential hazard for cyclists(we were careful), when a voice called out from behind us. It was an older lady and she emphatically told us that the sign said for cyclists to dismount before crossing the tracks. I politely explained that the sign was there just to advise caution, not as a rule. She actually caught up to us and apologized for being rude but insisted again that we should have dismounted . I just said "thank you dear" and then she headed off with a final explanation that she had to get to the hospital to visit her brother. She was referring to the psychiatric hospital just up the road and I admit that for a moment I wondered whether she really had a brother there? Sometimes the patients are allowed out for short periods.
I have been having trouble with my i-pod ever since I spent 4 hours in the rain with it and today it simply refused to work at all. As a last resort I took Claudettes on my run and tried my best to keep an open mind about her music...especially the country stuff which I struggle with. Much to my pleasant surprise there were sevral songs I didn't have to skip past and even one that I played several times because I truly appreciated the lyrics. I am a little wound up tonite (race tomorrow) and that's my excuse for presenting this song to you in it's entirety as the bulk of my post. Hopefully you appreciate it as much as I did. The song was co-written and performed by Martina McBride and is called
Anyway
You can spend your whole life buildin'Somethin' from nothin'
One storm can come and blow it all away
Build it anyway
You can chase a dreamThat seems so out of reach
And you know it might not ever come your way
Dream it anyway
God is great, but sometimes life ain't good
When I pray it doesn't always turn out like I think it should
But I do it anyway
I do it anyway
This worlds gone crazy and it's hard to believe
That tomorrow will be better than today
Believe it anyway
You can love someone with all your heart
For all the right reasons
An in a moment they can choose to walk away
love 'em anyway
God is great, but sometimes life ain't good
When I pray it doesn't always turn out like I think it should
But I do it anyway
I do it anyway
You can pour your soul out singing a song u believe in
but tomorrow they will forget you ever sang
Sing it anyway!
Yeah I sing,
I dream,
I love anyway!
I wish to dedicate day 242 to local runner and triathlete Evert Tenbruggencate, who earlier this week was rushed to hospital with a stroke, as a result of a dissected carotid artery.
“Life is full of risks anyway, why not take them?"---Lindsay Lohan
"What is reality, anyway? Just a collective hunch."---Lily Tomlin
“Courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway."---John Wayne
love
peter
Saturday, May 16, 2009
"My Back is Killing Me"
I ain't kidding! The only time it doesn't hurt is when I'm working out or sleeping....and of course it keeps me awake so I have to work out all the time! Actually I know I need a rest but I just want to hold on for the next few days until I travel. I will make my long run shorter tomorrow, and then of course there's the race monday. I really want to make that an intense workout since it's short.
Today I did the first of what I hope becomes a regular weekly workout, and that's hill repeats on my bike. A bit of a boring workout but at least it's fairly short since it wipes me out very quickly. I suppose there's a message in there somewhere....probably that I need to do something specific to prepare for the Okanagan hills even if it is just psychological. I also swam 1000 metres just to stay wet.
I wish to dedicate day 241 to Mr Albert King, a man I only just met, but a man who I know fathered a remarkable woman.
“Rest is for the weary, sleep is for the dead."---Doctor Who
love
peter
Today I did the first of what I hope becomes a regular weekly workout, and that's hill repeats on my bike. A bit of a boring workout but at least it's fairly short since it wipes me out very quickly. I suppose there's a message in there somewhere....probably that I need to do something specific to prepare for the Okanagan hills even if it is just psychological. I also swam 1000 metres just to stay wet.
I wish to dedicate day 241 to Mr Albert King, a man I only just met, but a man who I know fathered a remarkable woman.
“Rest is for the weary, sleep is for the dead."---Doctor Who
love
peter
Friday, May 15, 2009
"Long and Hard"
Well actually it never was that long, and if the truth be known in the last while it hasn't always been that hard either!....Hey....get your mind out of the gutter....I'm talking about life! Yes my life really hasn't been that long when you consider that our sun is 4,600,000,000 years old, never mind how old Cory is! And life has been pretty good recently all things considered.
Now as to my workout today it really wasn't that long either, at least if you consider a 100 km ride short. I knew I didn't have a super long one in me today shortly after I started out, and so when much to my surprise the road I was travelling on was closed, I thought it a clear message to turn around. Then at about 95 km's I got a flat which was good because I desperately need tire changing practice. I think it took me almost 10 minutes. Anyway back home finally and then out for a run. This was the pleasant surprise of the day as I ran the blcok in 34:30....a really super time for a "transition" run. So in the end my workout was still fairly long and it was indeed still hard. So there....long and hard!!
And that needs to continue because the clock is ticking. Check it out. http://ironman.ca/canclock.html
I wish to dedicate day 240 to my old friend Arnold Walker. Another guy I reconnected with as I get back into the local running scene. Arnie is one of the good guys.
...and on marathons and ironman races and such...
"Men will fight 'long and hard' for a bit of colored ribbon"---Napoleon Bonaparte
love
peter
Now as to my workout today it really wasn't that long either, at least if you consider a 100 km ride short. I knew I didn't have a super long one in me today shortly after I started out, and so when much to my surprise the road I was travelling on was closed, I thought it a clear message to turn around. Then at about 95 km's I got a flat which was good because I desperately need tire changing practice. I think it took me almost 10 minutes. Anyway back home finally and then out for a run. This was the pleasant surprise of the day as I ran the blcok in 34:30....a really super time for a "transition" run. So in the end my workout was still fairly long and it was indeed still hard. So there....long and hard!!
And that needs to continue because the clock is ticking. Check it out. http://ironman.ca/canclock.html
I wish to dedicate day 240 to my old friend Arnold Walker. Another guy I reconnected with as I get back into the local running scene. Arnie is one of the good guys.
...and on marathons and ironman races and such...
"Men will fight 'long and hard' for a bit of colored ribbon"---Napoleon Bonaparte
love
peter
Thursday, May 14, 2009
"Short and Sweet"
Just like my wife, my training today, and this post!
I ran about 7 kms including an intense 4 kms in just under 17 minutes, and then did my weights tonite. Long ride tomorrow, weather permitting.
I wish to dedicate day 239 to long time co-worker Art Lee, who today sent me a nice note about my marathon.
“Life is short, and it is up to you to make it sweet."---Sarah Louise Delany
love
peter
I ran about 7 kms including an intense 4 kms in just under 17 minutes, and then did my weights tonite. Long ride tomorrow, weather permitting.
I wish to dedicate day 239 to long time co-worker Art Lee, who today sent me a nice note about my marathon.
“Life is short, and it is up to you to make it sweet."---Sarah Louise Delany
love
peter
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
"Gotta be Careful Now"
In the past, in order to recover both physically and mentally from running a marathon I would take at least 2 or 3 days off. This time around I swam 1000 metres and rode 30 on monday, on tuesday I swam almost 2000 metres and rode 33, and today I swam 4000 metres and ran the block(7.4 kms). The enthusiasm I am feeling is driving me to work harder and harder in an effort to solidify all the previous hard work but I need to be careful not to overdo it. I originally intended to do my long ride today but put it off for this very reason. I have still not decided for sure whether to even do it tomorrow and will probably let the weather decide.
I still want to keep hammering as hard as I dare however, as I leave for mexico next tuesday. I don't know if I mentioned it but my last day before my business trip will be a race. Victorias Duathlon in Waterloo on Monday. I am really, really looking forward to it.
I was very happy with my swim this morning as I did the IM distance in my wetsuit in 1:14:43. A little bit slower than my previous effort but I credit that totally to some residual fatigue from the marathon. In actual fact I picked up the pace a little bit over the last 750 metres. Again the most important thing is the confidence that it gives me that I'm doing the necessary work in the pool. I've come a long way there in the last 6 weeks or so and it no longer causes me much anxiety. Within the next month I will try to get in some non-clorinated swim time just to get used to swimming outside again. Its been a long time.
I wsih to dedicate day 238 to Mike Shaffer who holds the Ironman Canada swim record at 43:54...not too shabby.
"I like running because it's a challenge. If you run hard, there's the pain----and you've got to work your way through the pain. You know, lately it seems all you hear is 'Don't overdo it' and 'Don't push yourself.' Well, I think that's a lot of bull. If you push the human body, it will respond."---Bobby Clarke
"Any idiot can train himself into the ground; the trick is working in training to get gradually stronger."---Keith Brantly
love
peter
I still want to keep hammering as hard as I dare however, as I leave for mexico next tuesday. I don't know if I mentioned it but my last day before my business trip will be a race. Victorias Duathlon in Waterloo on Monday. I am really, really looking forward to it.
I was very happy with my swim this morning as I did the IM distance in my wetsuit in 1:14:43. A little bit slower than my previous effort but I credit that totally to some residual fatigue from the marathon. In actual fact I picked up the pace a little bit over the last 750 metres. Again the most important thing is the confidence that it gives me that I'm doing the necessary work in the pool. I've come a long way there in the last 6 weeks or so and it no longer causes me much anxiety. Within the next month I will try to get in some non-clorinated swim time just to get used to swimming outside again. Its been a long time.
I wsih to dedicate day 238 to Mike Shaffer who holds the Ironman Canada swim record at 43:54...not too shabby.
"I like running because it's a challenge. If you run hard, there's the pain----and you've got to work your way through the pain. You know, lately it seems all you hear is 'Don't overdo it' and 'Don't push yourself.' Well, I think that's a lot of bull. If you push the human body, it will respond."---Bobby Clarke
"Any idiot can train himself into the ground; the trick is working in training to get gradually stronger."---Keith Brantly
love
peter
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
"What Stresses You Out?"
Before I tackle this old issue again I would suggest that if you haven't already done so that you read Old Johns' comment on yesterdays post. While it would certainly be nice to get a little empathy from that dickhead once in a while, for something, I must meanwhile concede that this time he has a point. How could I get so stressed about a bicycle? It's just a piece of machinery which can always be repaired or replaced. Point taken Old John! It makes me just a little reluctant to tell you what else about my bike disturbed my sleep last night.
Here's the story for your amusement. As I mentioned yesterday, as soon as I got home from the bike shop I set to cleaning the machine. I usually do some minor disassembly in order to get to the tricky important parts like the chain, the gears and the derailleurs. The rear derailleur which you can see here....
has two little identical gears which I removed in order to clean them and the bearings inside them. This is an operation I've done many times before on other bikes, so you can imagine my surprise when I suddenly realized that they weren't identical at all. Both the gears and the bearing arrangements were different, and I no longer knew which one went where. Oh Oh! After some deliberation however I decided that the difference was minor enough and in actual fact was probably a result of a minor design change and I happened to get one of each on my particular bike. So I put it back together and finished cleaning and oiling and went to bed determined not to think about it again. Alas It wasn't meant to be. I lay awake questioning the incredible odds that would have resulted in me getting 2 different sprockets if indeed there was no real difference in function. What to do? I considered calling the guy at the bike shop again, but I wasn't ready to suffer more humiliation after yesterday and so "back to the Internet". Much to my delight I found terrific exploded drawings of my derailleur on the Shimano site where they specifically show which one went where. They call the one the tension pulley and the other the guide pulley and lo and behold I had them on right! Another near tradegy averted eh John?
But back to what stresses you, or me, or anyone for that matter. To me it is simply this. Those things that are important to us, or rather that we make important to us are the things that cause us stress. We all tend to make assessments or judgments if you will, as to what things should be important and thereby worth getting stressed over. Of course we can probably all agree that things like family and health fall into that category, but beyond those basics I suggest to you that it is impossible and unfair to determine for someone else what should matter to them. And so while I accept your criticism John I would also say that yes indeed my bike is important to me, but not because the bike itself is important but rather because what it means to me is important . To me it means regular exercise, it means freedom, it means passion, it means exhiliration and maybe above all else it means a way for me to escape for at least a while some of the other stresses in my life.
I wish to dedicate day 237 to our Michaels friend James Owen, who typifies the type of terrific young person this world can produce.
"Stress is not what happens to us. It's our response to what happens. And RESPONSE is something we can choose."---Maureen Killoran
....and one of the reasons I write this blog...
“There are thousands of causes for stress, and one antidote to stress is self-expression. That's what happens to me every day. My thoughts get off my chest, down my sleeves and onto my pad."---Garson Kanin
love
peter
Here's the story for your amusement. As I mentioned yesterday, as soon as I got home from the bike shop I set to cleaning the machine. I usually do some minor disassembly in order to get to the tricky important parts like the chain, the gears and the derailleurs. The rear derailleur which you can see here....
has two little identical gears which I removed in order to clean them and the bearings inside them. This is an operation I've done many times before on other bikes, so you can imagine my surprise when I suddenly realized that they weren't identical at all. Both the gears and the bearing arrangements were different, and I no longer knew which one went where. Oh Oh! After some deliberation however I decided that the difference was minor enough and in actual fact was probably a result of a minor design change and I happened to get one of each on my particular bike. So I put it back together and finished cleaning and oiling and went to bed determined not to think about it again. Alas It wasn't meant to be. I lay awake questioning the incredible odds that would have resulted in me getting 2 different sprockets if indeed there was no real difference in function. What to do? I considered calling the guy at the bike shop again, but I wasn't ready to suffer more humiliation after yesterday and so "back to the Internet". Much to my delight I found terrific exploded drawings of my derailleur on the Shimano site where they specifically show which one went where. They call the one the tension pulley and the other the guide pulley and lo and behold I had them on right! Another near tradegy averted eh John?
But back to what stresses you, or me, or anyone for that matter. To me it is simply this. Those things that are important to us, or rather that we make important to us are the things that cause us stress. We all tend to make assessments or judgments if you will, as to what things should be important and thereby worth getting stressed over. Of course we can probably all agree that things like family and health fall into that category, but beyond those basics I suggest to you that it is impossible and unfair to determine for someone else what should matter to them. And so while I accept your criticism John I would also say that yes indeed my bike is important to me, but not because the bike itself is important but rather because what it means to me is important . To me it means regular exercise, it means freedom, it means passion, it means exhiliration and maybe above all else it means a way for me to escape for at least a while some of the other stresses in my life.
I wish to dedicate day 237 to our Michaels friend James Owen, who typifies the type of terrific young person this world can produce.
"Stress is not what happens to us. It's our response to what happens. And RESPONSE is something we can choose."---Maureen Killoran
....and one of the reasons I write this blog...
“There are thousands of causes for stress, and one antidote to stress is self-expression. That's what happens to me every day. My thoughts get off my chest, down my sleeves and onto my pad."---Garson Kanin
love
peter
Monday, May 11, 2009
"Stop Everything"
There's something wrong with my bike!!
Today was of course a recovery day, but active recovery and so I swam about 1000 metres, and then went out for an hour bike ride this afternoon. About halfway out I starting hearing an unpleasant clicking noise. I had heard it once before last week some time but only briefly and not again. At first I thought maybe it was my speedometer magnet making contact with the sensor but I quickly realized that the frequency was in time with my pedalling, not with the front wheel where the sensor is mounted. Then I thought maybe it was one of my cleats coming loose again, but that quickly proved not to be the case. That's when I started worrying about the bottom bracket. I actually stopped a couple of times and eventually managed to confirm that that was clearly where the problem was. I nursed it gently back home and had a quick look at what could be done. It was quickly clear that I did not have the tools necessary to even inspect the problem. So to the phone. I tried several of the well known shops who either made no commitment or something to the tune of 3 to 4 days before they could even look at it. I was starting to panic and was at the point of calling the place in Toronto where I bought it, when I remembered a very small place that I had stumbled across a few weeks ago. Once I told the guy my sob story he said "bring it in now and I'll have a quick look". It was almost 5 pm by then and they were due to close at 6. I was almost embarrassed to take it in because it was so filthy dirty, but I had no time to clean it so off I went. Sure enough as soon as I got there, I got shit from the guy, but also as promised he put it on the stand and in 15 minutes he had the problem diagnosed and resolved. Twenty bucks and another lecture later I was out of there. I still need to confirm everything with a ride but I'm pretty sure its good now. Pheww!
Of course as soon as I got home and had some supper I set to cleaning the Q-ROO. Claudette was out for the evening so I did it in the living room....don't tell her...
I wish to dedicate day 236 to Paul Dean, proprietor and head mechanic of Cycle London. Thanks Paul
....and I think she must have better tools than me...
"I relax by taking my bicycle apart and putting it back together again."---Michelle Pfeiffer
love
peter
Today was of course a recovery day, but active recovery and so I swam about 1000 metres, and then went out for an hour bike ride this afternoon. About halfway out I starting hearing an unpleasant clicking noise. I had heard it once before last week some time but only briefly and not again. At first I thought maybe it was my speedometer magnet making contact with the sensor but I quickly realized that the frequency was in time with my pedalling, not with the front wheel where the sensor is mounted. Then I thought maybe it was one of my cleats coming loose again, but that quickly proved not to be the case. That's when I started worrying about the bottom bracket. I actually stopped a couple of times and eventually managed to confirm that that was clearly where the problem was. I nursed it gently back home and had a quick look at what could be done. It was quickly clear that I did not have the tools necessary to even inspect the problem. So to the phone. I tried several of the well known shops who either made no commitment or something to the tune of 3 to 4 days before they could even look at it. I was starting to panic and was at the point of calling the place in Toronto where I bought it, when I remembered a very small place that I had stumbled across a few weeks ago. Once I told the guy my sob story he said "bring it in now and I'll have a quick look". It was almost 5 pm by then and they were due to close at 6. I was almost embarrassed to take it in because it was so filthy dirty, but I had no time to clean it so off I went. Sure enough as soon as I got there, I got shit from the guy, but also as promised he put it on the stand and in 15 minutes he had the problem diagnosed and resolved. Twenty bucks and another lecture later I was out of there. I still need to confirm everything with a ride but I'm pretty sure its good now. Pheww!
Of course as soon as I got home and had some supper I set to cleaning the Q-ROO. Claudette was out for the evening so I did it in the living room....don't tell her...
I wish to dedicate day 236 to Paul Dean, proprietor and head mechanic of Cycle London. Thanks Paul
....and I think she must have better tools than me...
"I relax by taking my bicycle apart and putting it back together again."---Michelle Pfeiffer
love
peter
Sunday, May 10, 2009
"Marathon"
First off, Happy Mothers day all you mothers!
I didn't think I would ever get to the point that running a marathon became a routine event. While it was still hard work I was totally in control the entire race. I can honestly say that it was the most enjoyable marathon I have ever run. You've heard of hitting the wall? No such thing today. Right up to race time I was undecided as to how to approach the day. Brett and I tossed it around and in the end agreed that we would stick with the idea of running 5 minute kms for the first 10 and then see how it felt. Well I felt fine at that point, and still felt fine at the halfway point(1:44:06) while picking up the pace just a wee bit. Still felt good at 30 kms(2:28). Compare that to the 30 k we ran in Hamilton 6 weeks ago in a time of 2:38:05! Then I nicely maintained that pace to the finish line in a time of 3:26:40. What was again so engouraging was that I ran the second half a minute and a half faster than the first half. In the end my pace for the entire race was 4:54/km and I finished second in my age group(out of 22) and 27th overall out of 200. Brett also had a great day finishing just over 3:30 which may be a personal best for him. Thanks again Brett for helping me out both today and 6 weeks ago in Hamilton. Heres the official results if you care to check it out.
http://www.sportstats.ca/display-results.php?lang=eng&racecode=44744&lboard=Overall&page=0&sizeofpage=200&sortby=place&limit=2000
What's most important out of all this enthusiasm is not so much the time or even the ease of the day, but rather the fact that I barely rested in preperation. Just 4 days prior to the race I did a workout lasting more than 5 hours. My endurance is clearly moving forward in leaps and bounds now. I'm feeling gratified and gaining confidence...or should I say losing fear?
Oh by the way, no emotional breakdowns today. Finishing a marathon is just something I can do with relative ease now, rather than some kind of super-duper achievement.
It's getting from here to the start line that was the achievement.
I wish to dedicate day 235 to my Mom who I'm glad didn't see that tough part of my life, but who I desperately wish were here to share today with me. Happy Mothers day Mom!
"The phrase "working mother" is redundant."---Jane Sellman
"Mothers are fonder than fathers of their children because they are more certain they are their own."---Aristotle
...especially for my mom...
"I miss thee, my Mother! Thy image is still the deepest impressed on my heart.~Eliza Cook
...and for my wife as mother...
"Biology is the least of what makes someone a mother."---Oprah Winfrey
love
peter
I didn't think I would ever get to the point that running a marathon became a routine event. While it was still hard work I was totally in control the entire race. I can honestly say that it was the most enjoyable marathon I have ever run. You've heard of hitting the wall? No such thing today. Right up to race time I was undecided as to how to approach the day. Brett and I tossed it around and in the end agreed that we would stick with the idea of running 5 minute kms for the first 10 and then see how it felt. Well I felt fine at that point, and still felt fine at the halfway point(1:44:06) while picking up the pace just a wee bit. Still felt good at 30 kms(2:28). Compare that to the 30 k we ran in Hamilton 6 weeks ago in a time of 2:38:05! Then I nicely maintained that pace to the finish line in a time of 3:26:40. What was again so engouraging was that I ran the second half a minute and a half faster than the first half. In the end my pace for the entire race was 4:54/km and I finished second in my age group(out of 22) and 27th overall out of 200. Brett also had a great day finishing just over 3:30 which may be a personal best for him. Thanks again Brett for helping me out both today and 6 weeks ago in Hamilton. Heres the official results if you care to check it out.
http://www.sportstats.ca/display-results.php?lang=eng&racecode=44744&lboard=Overall&page=0&sizeofpage=200&sortby=place&limit=2000
What's most important out of all this enthusiasm is not so much the time or even the ease of the day, but rather the fact that I barely rested in preperation. Just 4 days prior to the race I did a workout lasting more than 5 hours. My endurance is clearly moving forward in leaps and bounds now. I'm feeling gratified and gaining confidence...or should I say losing fear?
Oh by the way, no emotional breakdowns today. Finishing a marathon is just something I can do with relative ease now, rather than some kind of super-duper achievement.
It's getting from here to the start line that was the achievement.
I wish to dedicate day 235 to my Mom who I'm glad didn't see that tough part of my life, but who I desperately wish were here to share today with me. Happy Mothers day Mom!
"The phrase "working mother" is redundant."---Jane Sellman
"Mothers are fonder than fathers of their children because they are more certain they are their own."---Aristotle
...especially for my mom...
"I miss thee, my Mother! Thy image is still the deepest impressed on my heart.~Eliza Cook
...and for my wife as mother...
"Biology is the least of what makes someone a mother."---Oprah Winfrey
love
peter
Saturday, May 9, 2009
"A Little Dyslexic Maybe"
Yesterday when I hooked up the taps for the bathtub I realized that I had mixed up the hot and cold lines. It didn't really matter becasue it has one of those one handle faucets which you never know which way to turn anyway. When I was putting in the lines for the sink today I was very careful to get them right, as in this case there were seperate handles for cold and hot. It was while I was in the process of soldering the very last joint that I siad to myself....oh oh...Yes, I did it again. Thank goodnes in this case I could resolve it by purchasing longer flex lines and crossing them over behind the sink. What an idiot!
It occurred to me that perhaps I had a small problem with dyslexia, but when I looked it up I realized that that illness applies only to reading. So there you have it. I'm just an idiot!
Anyway. Just a short swim today, 1500 metres but it felt good. Marathon in the morning...42.2 kms. Wish me luck...and Brett too. Dyslexic or not I'm glad he's gonna be there to keep me from running the race backwards. As of now we are unceratin of our race strategy except that we have decided to go out fairly fast. (fast for us at least) The intent is to run the first 10k in 50 minutes and see how it feels. It may be a big mistake but what the hell...life is short, play hard!
I wish to dedicate day 234 to Jerome Drayton, who has held the Canadian marathon record for 34 years!
“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards."--- Soren Kierkegaard
“I think we can rule out 'mixed brain dominance' as a cause of your poor performance at school, Charlie Brown" "Have you ruled out stupidity?"---Charles M. Schulz
"To describe the agony of a marathon to someone who's never run it is like trying to explain color to someone who was born blind."---Jerome Drayton
love
peter
It occurred to me that perhaps I had a small problem with dyslexia, but when I looked it up I realized that that illness applies only to reading. So there you have it. I'm just an idiot!
Anyway. Just a short swim today, 1500 metres but it felt good. Marathon in the morning...42.2 kms. Wish me luck...and Brett too. Dyslexic or not I'm glad he's gonna be there to keep me from running the race backwards. As of now we are unceratin of our race strategy except that we have decided to go out fairly fast. (fast for us at least) The intent is to run the first 10k in 50 minutes and see how it feels. It may be a big mistake but what the hell...life is short, play hard!
I wish to dedicate day 234 to Jerome Drayton, who has held the Canadian marathon record for 34 years!
“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards."--- Soren Kierkegaard
“I think we can rule out 'mixed brain dominance' as a cause of your poor performance at school, Charlie Brown" "Have you ruled out stupidity?"---Charles M. Schulz
"To describe the agony of a marathon to someone who's never run it is like trying to explain color to someone who was born blind."---Jerome Drayton
love
peter
Friday, May 8, 2009
"Bread and Water"
I used a little plumbing trick today that I learned from a college teacher more than 30 years ago. I think I mentioned that I am putting in a bathroom at the neighbours house so that Colby and Kylie can have a bathtub. While the plumbing for the toilet went flawlessly I ended up with a few leaks with the bathtub. Some of the soldering was way up in the celing where it was extremely hard to get at...at least that's my excuse. Of course I found the leaks by turning on the water and then the lines were all full of water and it is extremely hard to get it all out, and impossibe to solder if there is any moisture left. So here's the trick. You take a wad of bread and stuff it up the pipe just before you begin to solder the joint. The bread gives you a few minutes of dryness and afterwards the bread simply disolves in the line. Pretty cool eh?
And speaking of bread and water, you can tell that that's what I've been living on. The inner circle is the belt I wear now. The slightly larger one is from my former life.
And if you think that's funny, how about the fact that I eat twice as much now as I did then, and while I drink a lot of water I admit that I eat very little bread
Just another ordinary workout day. I rode 33 kms and followed it up with a 4.5 km run. It is getting more and more natural to run after I ride.
I got out of my weight workout by working late on the bathtub. Tomorrow I will only swim as Sunday is marathon day!!
I wish to dedicate day 233 to Mr Ken Snyder, the aforementioned college teacher. He's the guy who got me interested in all things technical.
...on teachers and plumbers..
“Modern cynics and skeptics... see no harm in paying those to whom they entrust the minds of their children a smaller wage than is paid to those to whom they entrust the care of their plumbing."---John Fitzgerald Kennedy
love
peter
And speaking of bread and water, you can tell that that's what I've been living on. The inner circle is the belt I wear now. The slightly larger one is from my former life.
And if you think that's funny, how about the fact that I eat twice as much now as I did then, and while I drink a lot of water I admit that I eat very little bread
Just another ordinary workout day. I rode 33 kms and followed it up with a 4.5 km run. It is getting more and more natural to run after I ride.
I got out of my weight workout by working late on the bathtub. Tomorrow I will only swim as Sunday is marathon day!!
I wish to dedicate day 233 to Mr Ken Snyder, the aforementioned college teacher. He's the guy who got me interested in all things technical.
...on teachers and plumbers..
“Modern cynics and skeptics... see no harm in paying those to whom they entrust the minds of their children a smaller wage than is paid to those to whom they entrust the care of their plumbing."---John Fitzgerald Kennedy
love
peter
Thursday, May 7, 2009
"Dad Was Right"
I am lazy after all. My workout today consisted of getting a massage.
The only other activity I have planned for today is to read my book.
I wish to dedicate day 232 to Wally Lamb, the author of the afore mentioned book
“Any man who reads too much and uses his own brain too little falls into lazy habits of thinking."---Albert Einstein
“Progress is made by lazy men looking for easier ways to do things."---Robert A. Heinlein
love
peter
The only other activity I have planned for today is to read my book.
I wish to dedicate day 232 to Wally Lamb, the author of the afore mentioned book
“Any man who reads too much and uses his own brain too little falls into lazy habits of thinking."---Albert Einstein
“Progress is made by lazy men looking for easier ways to do things."---Robert A. Heinlein
love
peter
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Bits and Pieces"
If you have satellite TV you will have had the experience of the picture breaking up during bad weather. Sometimes it gets all fragmented whereby the entire picture is there but all scattered around the screen in bits and pieces. I think sometimes life can be like that. Everything is there, your loved ones, your job, your finances, perhaps your faith, but it's all jumbled and unclear. The good thing/bad thing is that you can still see the possibilities and still have hope that it will all become clear any minute/day/year...
So I admit that my picture is a little fragmented right now with perhaps the exception of my physical self. I was just telling Claudette last night that never in my life have I felt so "all together" in that regard as I do now. The combination of training for the 3 triathlon disciplines along with the rresistacne training I do now has left me feeling strong and tight in almost all regards, and it's starting to show up in my workouts more and more.
Today I rode 150 kms in 4 hours 50 minutes and then ran 5 kms in 25 minutes. I admit I was tired when I finished but I suppose that's pretty normal. Last October I did the same bike distance in 5 1/2 hours. Today was a very good day for riding mind you, but I'm still very happy with it. Plus I can tell you that last October I could not have run a single step after a ride of that distance. So yes physically my picture is generally fairly clear. I still have to work on my flexibility but I am committed to improving on that element of fitness as well.
I wish to dedicate day 231 to my wife for her indefatigable efforts to help our collective children become happy people. She is the first to admit that she makes mistakes like everyone, but she never, ever stops trying.
“There are very few human beings who receive the truth, complete and staggering, by instant illumination. Most of them acquire it fragment by fragment, on a small scale, by successive developments, cellularly, like a laborious mosaic."---Anais Nin
“There is no wisdom save in truth. Truth is everlasting, but our ideas about truth are changeable. Only a little of the first fruits of wisdom, only a few fragments of the boundless heights, breadths and depths of truth, have I been able to gather."---Martin Luther
love
peter
So I admit that my picture is a little fragmented right now with perhaps the exception of my physical self. I was just telling Claudette last night that never in my life have I felt so "all together" in that regard as I do now. The combination of training for the 3 triathlon disciplines along with the rresistacne training I do now has left me feeling strong and tight in almost all regards, and it's starting to show up in my workouts more and more.
Today I rode 150 kms in 4 hours 50 minutes and then ran 5 kms in 25 minutes. I admit I was tired when I finished but I suppose that's pretty normal. Last October I did the same bike distance in 5 1/2 hours. Today was a very good day for riding mind you, but I'm still very happy with it. Plus I can tell you that last October I could not have run a single step after a ride of that distance. So yes physically my picture is generally fairly clear. I still have to work on my flexibility but I am committed to improving on that element of fitness as well.
I wish to dedicate day 231 to my wife for her indefatigable efforts to help our collective children become happy people. She is the first to admit that she makes mistakes like everyone, but she never, ever stops trying.
“There are very few human beings who receive the truth, complete and staggering, by instant illumination. Most of them acquire it fragment by fragment, on a small scale, by successive developments, cellularly, like a laborious mosaic."---Anais Nin
“There is no wisdom save in truth. Truth is everlasting, but our ideas about truth are changeable. Only a little of the first fruits of wisdom, only a few fragments of the boundless heights, breadths and depths of truth, have I been able to gather."---Martin Luther
love
peter
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
"The Forest"
Back in 2005 we paid the local conservation authority to plant approximately 700 trees(seedlings) on our property. The planting was very poorly done and for the following 2 months it did not rain! Twenty(20) of them survived!
Today they finally honored a commitment to replant them. I think they planted close to 1000 this time around and I hope they do better. They are of course not very big yet but Kylie already calls it the forest. We planted some poplars(fast growing) a lot of spruce and pine and some hardwoods as well We need rain now, but not until thursday as I have to ride tomorrow!
As I told you, today was a day of work only and that's important to me too. The state of the industry I work in is almost beyond belief. The local plant where I started at more than 24 years ago had in that entire time one small layoff for a period of about 6 weeks total....before this situation that is. Right now they are probably down to about 25% of their staff! Just think, for all intents and purpose Chrysler is going to stop making cars for 2 months....I would not have believed that possible a year ago.
Today I am very proud of my son Peter and I want him to know it!
Tomorrow I will make up for the day off by riding long and following it up with a run. From here on in that will become the weekly staple of my program.
I wish to dedicate day 230 to Dave Pullen, the tree guy, for planting straight rows.
"The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The next best time is today"---Anon
“Except during the nine months before he draws his first breath no man manages his affairs as well as a tree does."---George Bernard
Today they finally honored a commitment to replant them. I think they planted close to 1000 this time around and I hope they do better. They are of course not very big yet but Kylie already calls it the forest. We planted some poplars(fast growing) a lot of spruce and pine and some hardwoods as well We need rain now, but not until thursday as I have to ride tomorrow!
As I told you, today was a day of work only and that's important to me too. The state of the industry I work in is almost beyond belief. The local plant where I started at more than 24 years ago had in that entire time one small layoff for a period of about 6 weeks total....before this situation that is. Right now they are probably down to about 25% of their staff! Just think, for all intents and purpose Chrysler is going to stop making cars for 2 months....I would not have believed that possible a year ago.
Today I am very proud of my son Peter and I want him to know it!
Tomorrow I will make up for the day off by riding long and following it up with a run. From here on in that will become the weekly staple of my program.
I wish to dedicate day 230 to Dave Pullen, the tree guy, for planting straight rows.
"The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The next best time is today"---Anon
“Except during the nine months before he draws his first breath no man manages his affairs as well as a tree does."---George Bernard
Monday, May 4, 2009
"Swim, Bike, Run"
I started out with 1500 metres in the pool and that felt ok. Then after a light lunch I rode 33 kms and followed it up immediately with a 4.5 km run. A routine day in the life of an aspiring Ironman. Tomorrow will be a day off. Or rather a day of work I suppose. I have to go to Brampton for a meeting in the morning.
I wish to dedicate day 229 to Jons old friend Jeff Hay who never takes a day off.
“The best cure for an off day is a day off"---Frank Tyger
love
peter
I wish to dedicate day 229 to Jons old friend Jeff Hay who never takes a day off.
“The best cure for an off day is a day off"---Frank Tyger
love
peter
Sunday, May 3, 2009
"Beach Day"
I remember way back in 1993 when I decided to do something about my fitness, one of my first successes was riding my bike all the way to the Port Stanley beach and back. I was so proud of my self. For some reason I was reminded of that today while "running" to the beach and back. What made that recollection and the rememberance of the pride I felt seem strange, was that today was an easy run day...just to the beach and back! I've been getting tired of running blocks which I do to avoid having to carry water, and so I went out and got one of these.
It's actually fairly comfortable and I can carry 40 ounces of liquid as well as some gels if I like. It has a pocket both front and back.
The total distance was about 22.5 kms and I felt very good the whole trip. I was 56:30 on the way down and 53:46 on the way back which is really cool because the return trip is uphill, to the tune of about 63 metres. Days like today make me think I'm getting somewhere. It was also the absolutely most perfect day for running. Mostly sunny, 15 degrees and just enough wind to keep you comfortable.
Tomorrow morning and for the rest of the week I have to focus on the pool again. I've been letting it slip a little again, even though I am not as nervous about the swim as I was.
Next sunday is the marathon, and after today I'm no longer sure what my strategy will be. Based on todays run I should be a able to run a 3:30 marathon but I'm very uncertion as to the wisdom of that. It may take me too long to recover from a hard effort and thereby be counterproductive. I'm gonna see how the week goes and also see what Brett thinks.
And I'm just back from taking a timeout to register for Victorias duathlon on May 18th in Waterloo. It is a short four, thirty, and four (run, bike, run) which may barely be worth the trip and the entry fee, but I'm just itching to do something for the fun of it.
I wish to dedicate day 228 to Frank Oz of The Muppets fame, who I was amazed to learn was also the voice and puppeteer of Yoda. Too Cool!
"Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering."---Yoda
"Train yourself to let go of everything you fear to lose."---Yoda
love
peter
It's actually fairly comfortable and I can carry 40 ounces of liquid as well as some gels if I like. It has a pocket both front and back.
The total distance was about 22.5 kms and I felt very good the whole trip. I was 56:30 on the way down and 53:46 on the way back which is really cool because the return trip is uphill, to the tune of about 63 metres. Days like today make me think I'm getting somewhere. It was also the absolutely most perfect day for running. Mostly sunny, 15 degrees and just enough wind to keep you comfortable.
Tomorrow morning and for the rest of the week I have to focus on the pool again. I've been letting it slip a little again, even though I am not as nervous about the swim as I was.
Next sunday is the marathon, and after today I'm no longer sure what my strategy will be. Based on todays run I should be a able to run a 3:30 marathon but I'm very uncertion as to the wisdom of that. It may take me too long to recover from a hard effort and thereby be counterproductive. I'm gonna see how the week goes and also see what Brett thinks.
And I'm just back from taking a timeout to register for Victorias duathlon on May 18th in Waterloo. It is a short four, thirty, and four (run, bike, run) which may barely be worth the trip and the entry fee, but I'm just itching to do something for the fun of it.
I wish to dedicate day 228 to Frank Oz of The Muppets fame, who I was amazed to learn was also the voice and puppeteer of Yoda. Too Cool!
"Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering."---Yoda
"Train yourself to let go of everything you fear to lose."---Yoda
love
peter
Saturday, May 2, 2009
"Strictly Amateur"
Amateur: a person inexperienced or unskilled in a particular activity'
That defenition would make me an amateur triathlete, parent, and spouse, amongst many other things including as I realized again this morning, an amateur plumber. I woke up with a start this morning to this burning question..."Why was the glue not yellow?" Immediatley behind it came the answer. "Because it was not ABS(Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene) glue but rather PVC(polyvinyl chloride) glue". I have no idea why I bought the wrong glue or why I never figured this out the entire day. I have glued ABS many times in the past, the glue was always yellow, and to top it off it always said ABS glue on the container. I knew when I bought this glue that it was for PVC pipe and yet my brain remained off. So quickly I go to to the Internet to see what the consensus was about my screwup, only to find that opinions are like assholes, everybody has one. After much research however I think it's gonns be ok, but even if it all falls apart the pipes are at least accessible. What an idiot!
Anyway, just a bike ride today and then framing in the new bathroom. I really enjoy doing that kind of thing even if I'm a pathetic amateur. And my grandchildern are at least impressed. Maybe that's just because that's one area I'm not an incompetent amateur. I think I am actually a fairly skilled grampa!
I wish to dedicate day 227 Dan Empfield, founder of Quintana Roo bicycles and participant in the very first Ironman.
"If you think it's expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur."---Red Adair
love
peter
That defenition would make me an amateur triathlete, parent, and spouse, amongst many other things including as I realized again this morning, an amateur plumber. I woke up with a start this morning to this burning question..."Why was the glue not yellow?" Immediatley behind it came the answer. "Because it was not ABS(Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene) glue but rather PVC(polyvinyl chloride) glue". I have no idea why I bought the wrong glue or why I never figured this out the entire day. I have glued ABS many times in the past, the glue was always yellow, and to top it off it always said ABS glue on the container. I knew when I bought this glue that it was for PVC pipe and yet my brain remained off. So quickly I go to to the Internet to see what the consensus was about my screwup, only to find that opinions are like assholes, everybody has one. After much research however I think it's gonns be ok, but even if it all falls apart the pipes are at least accessible. What an idiot!
Anyway, just a bike ride today and then framing in the new bathroom. I really enjoy doing that kind of thing even if I'm a pathetic amateur. And my grandchildern are at least impressed. Maybe that's just because that's one area I'm not an incompetent amateur. I think I am actually a fairly skilled grampa!
I wish to dedicate day 227 Dan Empfield, founder of Quintana Roo bicycles and participant in the very first Ironman.
"If you think it's expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur."---Red Adair
love
peter
Friday, May 1, 2009
"I Am So Tired"
Quite a good tired though.
It was a slow workout day as I recover from yesterdays long one but generally I am feeling good and was ready for my weights at 7 pm. Peter actually stepped up my pogram a little more again and he says I'm doing great. The only thing I'm still struggling with is my lower back and my hips. I got a perscription from the doctor for massage therapy yesterday and so I will try to get in next week. I'm starting to take too many pain killers to keep the discomfort down.
It was actually a "raw sewage" kind of day today. Such a nasty sounding word but I had a great time today messing around with equipment to deal with it. Peter and I Installed a sewage pump at their house as the first step to putting a bathroom in the basement. It was a success. We were pumping by 6 pm. One of the reasons for the extra bathroom is to put a tub in because the house currently has only 2 shower stalls. Not a good thing when you have little kids eh. Oh they like to take showers all right, but for a half hour at a time!
And on a totally different topic, I just got an e-mail from Micheal with his fourth year marks....81% average!! Damn that's a nice thought to go to bed with. My good tired just got even better.
I wish to dedicate day 226 to Professor Anton Allahar...who gave Michael his lowest marks and yet gained his highest respect.
"God help me. I'm so tired. I need my sleep. I make no bones about it. I need eight hours a day, and at least ten at night"---Bill Hicks
“Although an ass is tired, he continues to carry his burden; he is unmindful of cold and heat; and he is always contented; these three things should be learned from the ass."---Chanakya
It was a slow workout day as I recover from yesterdays long one but generally I am feeling good and was ready for my weights at 7 pm. Peter actually stepped up my pogram a little more again and he says I'm doing great. The only thing I'm still struggling with is my lower back and my hips. I got a perscription from the doctor for massage therapy yesterday and so I will try to get in next week. I'm starting to take too many pain killers to keep the discomfort down.
It was actually a "raw sewage" kind of day today. Such a nasty sounding word but I had a great time today messing around with equipment to deal with it. Peter and I Installed a sewage pump at their house as the first step to putting a bathroom in the basement. It was a success. We were pumping by 6 pm. One of the reasons for the extra bathroom is to put a tub in because the house currently has only 2 shower stalls. Not a good thing when you have little kids eh. Oh they like to take showers all right, but for a half hour at a time!
And on a totally different topic, I just got an e-mail from Micheal with his fourth year marks....81% average!! Damn that's a nice thought to go to bed with. My good tired just got even better.
I wish to dedicate day 226 to Professor Anton Allahar...who gave Michael his lowest marks and yet gained his highest respect.
"God help me. I'm so tired. I need my sleep. I make no bones about it. I need eight hours a day, and at least ten at night"---Bill Hicks
“Although an ass is tired, he continues to carry his burden; he is unmindful of cold and heat; and he is always contented; these three things should be learned from the ass."---Chanakya
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