"Big Change of Plans"

I've decided not to do the Ironman!


Got ya!
Actually it's probably the only thing I'm sure I'm doing.

No, the big change in plans came here.


This is what the front of the chicken house will look like. No longer will the rest of it look the same. It's just too much work fitting these boards one at a time. Because they are just rough sawn, the width varies over their length and that is compounded by warping and bad spots that I need to cut out. Aspenite costs about 8 bucks a sheet and so that's what the back and sides will be made of. I will still use the boards for the roof in order to create a wide strong overhang which should look good. And holes and such won't matter because of course I need to shingle it.

Not much time for blogging tonite. It's already almost 11 oclock and I need to get to bed. The big workout is tomorrow. I am going to do as many things as I can that will simulate race day., including my clothing and shoes. Today I swam only, an hour in the lake and it felt great.

I wish to dedicate day 317 to neighbour Nancy, who runs a lot, cuts her grass, and minds her own business but is always kind and pleasant to talk to.

“The great thing is, if one can, to stop regarding all the unpleasant things as interruptions in one's "own" or "real" life. The truth is, of course, that what one regards as interruptions are precisely one's life."---C.S. Lewis

love
peter

"I Was so Much Older Then"

I'm younger than that now.

If younger means a greater distance from death then I'm definitely younger now.

I don't know if it's wise for me to look at pictures like that first one, any yet somehow I am compelled to do so. It still fills me with wonder that I was ever in that place. I see a picture of a time that I have almost no recollection of, and I see a human being who's light has gone out. I have no idea how or why I survived it. It certainly wasn't my will.

I want to remember that time and yet it causes me pain. I actually came across it accidently yesterday when I was saving some other pictures, and last night I had my first ever bad "cancer" dream. It was very unpleasant. I dreamed that I was sick again only this time no one cared including the doctors. I woke up feeling very sad and the mood has been hard to shed all day.

To dream such a dream surprised me since I very rarely have any waking worries about re-occurence. I wonder what it means if anything? I also got very little sleep overall but I couldn't stay in bed this morning, as much as I tried.

Strangely enough I had an excellent workout riding 40kms at 33.1 kms/hr!!... followed by a short 4 km run.

I wasn't so successful with the chicken coop however as I couldn't seem to get Colby to do anything. All we achieved was finding this door....actually a beautiful cedar door that came from the farmhouse. Try buying one of these today. You'll have to order it!

I wish to dedicate day 316 to Steve Jobs who's responsible for the fact that I can listen to Bob Dylan on a ridiculously small device while I ride my bike.....but more so because he's battled a form of pancreatic cancer and it's complications for several years now.

"I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now"---Bob Dylan

“Historically, more people have died of religion than cancer."---Dick Francis

love

peter

"In The Zone"

It didn't feel like it right away but after a half hour or so I settled down and felt quite good. I got that "I could do this for a while yet" kind of feeling. My heart rate was rock solid at or about 130 for more than 2 hours. That's the second long run in a row that I experienced this lovely high. I also had it during my half Ironman run 3 1/2 weeks ago and I hope like hell I have it half way through the Ironman marathon.


I ran the 7.4 km block 4 times with successive times of
41:15
39:58
38:57 and
37:21.
Pretty cool eh? Each lap at least a minute faster than the previous one.


That doesn't mean it was pain free but the pain was manageable and consistent. To try to describe it I would say it's like finding the sweet spot. An emotional place where it seems you can spend an indefinite period of time. The rest is all about the training you've done and of course your nutrition and your hydration. Today I ate more then ever before I left and also ate and drank more during the workout.


Although the training went fine today I'm finding out all kinds of things I don't like about my chicken house. Thank goodness I have Colby to blame it on. He's my right hand man as well as my second story man...well actually looking at the picture I guess he's my "left hand" man.



I think it's a better tool shed than a chicken house but with brother Terrys advice I think it's gonna be ok.


I wish to dedicate day 315 to my friend Mary-Lou Weber who I think of often. I hope she's ok.


"We must embrace pain and burn it as fuel for our journey."---Kenji Miyazawa


“Pain is weakness leaving the body"---Tom Sobal


love
peter

"Tired"

For some reason.
Strange but I'm not worried about it. I hate to sound optimistic but I think I've done the work, and as such the rest should take care of itself. I still have to hang tough for the next couple of weeks but I think I will continue to have good workouts. All I did today was swim in the lake for about 45 minutes. I actually headed out the door at one point for a run but turned around and came home after 5 minutes. Tomorrow is long run day and I actually look forward to them now. I guess because it's only 3 hours and at least the first 2 are generally stress free. Of course the biggest day of my entire training effort takes place on Saturday. It will be close to an 8 hour workout and I want to be well prepared.

I was actually too tired to work on the henhouse today and so Colby completed phase two by himself.




Seeing the walls up I think I could have built it 6 ins shorter since chickens aren't really that tall. Oh well, we can always put up a second floor and have chicken apartments, or we can grow our own dope or something on the second level. Or wait....I got it....we'll raise emus! Whatever, I sure ain't changing it now.

I do now understand what my old man went through all those years re-using old lumber. It seems ever piece is twisted, or has knots in the wrong place or an old nail bent over just where you need to cut. Everything seems to take so much longer just to sort out how you can get away with using the worst ones. Oh well, somehow it's appropriate...gnarled old wood for a gnarled old carpenter.

Speaking of my dad, all this old lumber and this chicken thing brought back a very strange memory for me, which in hindsight I find pretty funny. I didn't at the time. Here's the story. Unusual for us, along with the chickens we had a few ducks for a while. When their time came to join us at the supper table I of course participated in the killing. In case you're not familiar with ducks you need to know that they have very fine. very sharp teeth, and this is how I know. When we were cleaning up, and unbeknown to me, dad had picked up one of the severed ducks heads and found the tendon that opened and closed the ducks bill. Then he snuck up behind me and bit me in the ear!!! I was so mad! It hurt like freakin hell and he couldn't stop laughing.....I wish I could hear that laugh again...

I wish to dedicate day 314 to the founder of Teperman demolition. I have such fond memories of going there with my dad to look through the trash pile for an old door or some such thing.

I didn't get along with my dad for my entire life (years 14 though 19 were tough) but if there was one thing I knew even then it was this....

"I'm convinced there is an incredible advantage for kids who are raised in a home where they can be totally confident that Mom and Dad love each other"---Jay Kesler

love
peter

"Fast Bikes and Hen Houses"

Today I had the fastest ride yet post cancer, at any distance. I went just over 67 kms at an average speed of 32.7 kms/hr. I dont know what that means but it felt good! Granted it was a decent day with not too much humidity and my route didn't take me up or down too many hills. I'm just gonna enjoy it.

Part 2 of the day was even more gratifying as Colby and I set out to build a hen house to provide accommodations for the chickens that brother Terry is donating to the St Thomas Rooyakkers. We are attempting to use only used materials in order to save costs and to create a rustic look. Here's what we have so far. Colby is most excited about the rooster that's coming along as well! His parents maybe not as much so?



I know it doesn't look like much yet but we'll keep you updated.

I wish to dedicate day 313 to Mr Pete Hepburn, a guy who has more chickens than anybody and is also a good neighbour...at least when the wind blows in the right direction.

“Regard it as just as desirable to build a chicken house as to build a cathedral"---Frank Lloyd Wright

love
peter

"Stormy Weather"

We woke up this morning to thunder and lightning and heavy rain and so of course the only thing I could do is roll over and go back to sleep. You can't beat mother nature. Fortunately things settled down by about 10 am and so I headed down to the lake for my long swim but nothing doing. The lake was still rockin and rollin! So off to the pool where I did the requistie 4000 metres. i was a bit slower than I have been in the past but I expected that, and in fact was quite happy with my effort....mainly because it didn't take that much effort.

The next order of business was to take the princess for a ride.



She weemd to enjoy herself as she was singing and chattering the whole way. There is one little stretch where I was going slightly uphill and against the wind. I was grunting a little bit when this exchange took place.

"Grampa"
"Yes Kylie?"
"Grampa, I love you"

Suddenly there was no hill, no wind, and not a thing wrong with the world! Perhaps you have to be a grampa to understand.


With the work all done, it was time to enjoy my family. It was so good to have them all together for the first time in a long time.




Even if they are just a bunch of idiots!



I wish to dedicate 312 to Alberto Contador. If you don't know who he is, you probably won't care anyway.

"The best thing one can do when it's raining is to let it rain."---Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

"Weather forecast for tonight: dark."---George Carlin

love
peter

"Barely Broke a Sweat"

I actually feel a little guilty. Since this was a recovery week my long ride was only a short ride of 101 kms, followed by a short run of 4.5 kms. I felt pretty good on my bike and in hindsight wonder if I should have rode a little harder. As it was I averaged 31.2 kms/hr which is pretty decent as long as you don't compare it to those guys who ride in the Tour de France. The other day in the 40 km time trial, 2 guys actually rode the 40 kms at an average speed over 50 kms/hr. Even if you insist that they are all drug aided I still find this almost unbelievable. The machine that you can turn the human body into is amazing is it not?....well at least some human bodys!

Anyway, I had better things to do today. Sometimes there are priorities.



We had special company....enough said.

I wish to dedicate day 311 to Neil Robilliard, who's also winning his battle!

“Never let a problem to be solved become more important than the person to be loved.”---Barbara Johnson

love
peter

"Time Flies"

Of all the clichés I’ve ever heard that one has to be the most overused. Claudette reminded me this morning that it’s closing in on a year since I started this thing. Three hundred and ten days of training and 310 days of proselytizing. And still time marches on. Why do we care, and will we ever manage to stop caring and just accept the inevitable? Obviously we care because time is not infinite, or at least for our physical being, and presumably we’re enjoying our selves so much that the fear of an end to it all stresses us. Does what we do with the time allowed us make a difference, or in the end is it just a state of mind we need to discover, regardless of how we pass our days. Actually I think that argument bears some weight. If you accept my earlier contention that we worry about time passing too quickly when we enjoy ourselves, then we are faced with the troubling paradox that the solution to our worries about time flying, is simply to stop enjoying life. Hmmm?

I conclude that the answer lies in discovering the right state of mind, but it also seems to me that how we spent our time will determine whether we ever get there. Further to that however, how we spend our time in a physical sense is only half the battle and perhaps the lesser half. It occurs to me that how we spend our time thinking, or dreaming, or praying, may be even more critical.

You know that after 310 days of putting together some kind of BS every day I start to wonder if I have repeated the same discussion many times over. Or worse than that, I wonder if I have completely contradicted myself at various times. I suggest to you that it is a real possibility and maybe one day I will go back and read it all. When I find all that repetition or contradiction you know what I’m gonna do? I’m gonna laugh at myself, comfortable in the knowledge that after all I’m just another idiot…BUT…. an idiot who will have done an ironman!

I wish to dedicate day 310 to Cameron de Haan who scared his parents and shouldn’t do it again!

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma-which is living with the results of other peoples thinking. Don’t let the noise of other people’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”---Steve Jobs

“Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice, but for those who love, time is eternity”---Henry van Dyke

“We all have our time machines. Some take us back, they’re called memories. Some take us forward, they’re called dreams”---Jeremy irons

love
peter

"I Went to Church Today!"

Or at least I went close to one. This is in a little town called Tepotzotlan just on the outskirts of Mexico City. Apparently it was built in the early 1700's.



Unfortunately I didn't have a chance to go inside it, but from the outside I said a little prayer for my left hamstring. I know that no one on this earth gives 2 shits about my leg muscles so I hope that maybe the man upstairs at least cares.

A good friend told me yesterday that he can tell from my blog that I am obsessed about this Ironman thing and if you knew how little my leg really hurts you would know he's probably right. Nevertheless it is worrying me a great deal. It first started last saturday and has not improved since. I know it's my own fault because I don't stretch enough! Hopefully with today and tomorrow completely off it will get better. My whole program peaks a week from Sunday and any time off right now would totally upset me...obsessed or not!

Today I had the opportunity, and not for the first time, to drive through significant stretches of Mexico City. For some reason however, on this day, the incredible mass of humanity living in this place floored me. From what I can gather on the net there are over 20 million people living in a space smaller than the greater Toronto area. The entire population of Canada is just over 30 million!

When I seen a couple of kids the age of my grandchildern playing in a dirt area about 5 feet wide between 2 decrepit old apartment buildings with not a green spot in sight for kilometres, I realized that this is probably all they know. There is no grass to run on, no trees to climb in, no water to swim in, and they might spend their entire lives like this, breathing the yellow air. In an effort to reduce the air pollution there is now a law in the city that disallows driving your car on certain days, your particular days determined by the digits of your license plate. Apparently the solution most commonly devised by the citizens is to sell your good car and buy 2 older stinky bones instead, and then just alternate driving them! That worked well eh??

It shames me to think how I live, how my childern live, and even more so, how fortunate I am that I can enjoy watching my grandchildern run and play to their hearts content, breathing good air all the while! When I get home I'm gonna lay on the grass for a while and give thanks.

I wish to dedicate day 309 to those 2 kids in the alley.

...think this one out...

“Pollution is nothing but the resources we are not harvesting. We allow them to disperse because we've been ignorant of their value."---Richard Buckminster

....and I think this one justifies my obsession a bit...

“Passion is a positive obsession. Obsession is a negative passion."---Paul Carvel

love
peter

"Los Tres Amigos"

I just got back from dinner and thought I would just lay down for a few minutes but realized that if I did so I may not get up again. So I best get a short post done first. I have a good kind of tired that is calling me to sleep.

Today I had the wonderful opportunity to go running with the two amazing senore's in the picture, on my right Bernardo, and on my left Juan Jose. We did 15 kms at a closed 3 km loop in a park. I am truly grateful to them and to their boss for making this possible late this afternoon. I was reminded all over again of the effect of elevation and as such was also grateful to the guys for not running too fast on my behalf.

Just a few specific comments to a few people.

1) Old John...thanks

2)Son Peter....thanks for your support and I'm shocked that I didnt get a comment from you about my vegeterian ambitions!

3)Andrew....thanks so much for your ear. I knew you would put things in perspective for me.

4) Cory...thanks for expressing all the stuff I didn't do a good job of, and I only worry about you when you're silent. When you're bitchin I know you're ok....and your bitching makes others including me take time out to think.

I wish to dedicate day 308 to Juan Jose Garcia, a gentlemen of the purest kind and a fellow runner to boot.

...so say it like it is Cory because...

“It is fact that is golden, not silence."---Peter Rooyakkers

love
peter

"Hit By A Truck!"

That’s how I felt when I got up this morning. When I complained to Claudette about how tired I was she responded, “finally!”, implying that it was overdue based on the intensity of my workouts over the last week or so. I suppose that makes sense and it’s probably best that I’m off to Mexico for a few days. Nevertheless I did manage to run around the block before I left this morning and my intent is also to do a medium long run while in Puebla. That may not be able to happen however, just based on scheduling. And if not I guess I’ll have 3 days off completely.

I gotta tell ya, that I also woke up in quite a funk mentally. I don’t know if it’s still an acceptable excuse or not but the other day I had a conversation with another survivor who complained of an ongoing struggle with life after cancer. Their time frame is similar to mine and he/she is not someone who you would ever think of as emotionally weak, but rather the exact opposite, a driven, successful, ‘A’ type personality. She/he also complained that people around him/her didn’t understand why life didn’t just pick up where it left off before the illness. While I know that there are so many people who have suffered much greater hurt and/or loss than I have, the reality of it for me, and apparently for at least one other person, is that I don’t feel completely recovered from my illness emotionally. Somehow I still need to work on that. Maybe in some ways the intensity of my physical recovery efforts have been counterproductive to an emotional recovery, or at the very least have delayed it. Certainly Claudette will vouch for the added stress that the whole thing has brought to my life….and to hers for that matter!

Don’t get me wrong. I’m only considering possibilities and I have absolutely no regrets about having undertaken this thing. While acknowledging that I still have work to do mentally I am of the strong opinion that physical health can, and usually does, have a powerful influence on emotional/mental health. Actually as I write this post it occurs to me that once I’ve completed Ironman I will be in great shape (figuratively) to spend time and energy on my mental health. After the race I want to learn how to swim better, I want to learn more about resistance training and how it affects endurance sport, and I really want to learn to eat better, maybe even try to give up eating animals! The difference should be that after Ironman all of these physical things can be done at a moderate pace, and as a complimentary aspect of my work on “self”, rather than a conflicting one.

I hope this stuff doesn’t sound like whining to you, if so that’s not my intent. I ask for sympathy from no one and only put my thoughts in writing to help me understand myself better, and of course for your amusement at my thought processes.

I know there are people out there who have a much better grasp on what’s important in life and who manage their lives better, but I also believe that no one has it all figured out. If you think you do, I would suggest you be watchful because any day now a ton of bricks may fall on your head! It did mine!

I don’t know if you’ve figured out by now how much I am learning to hate flying (lol) but clearly that’s one aspect of my situation that simply has to change soon. Claudette and I are going to spend some time talking about options when we are away, and that will be one main focus. Standing in lines, getting talked down to, sleeping in strange beds, and sitting in horribly uncomfortable airplane seats is just not working for me anymore. Even as I type I can say “here we go again” as I listen to the pilot explain why we are going to be a half hour late into Houston. I don’t think I’ll have a problem however as I don’t believe I need to change terminals to make my connection.

Unlike the poor slob that I just seen literally hammering on the door of the jetway, pleading to be allowed to go to Oklahoma City. His airplane sat there for another 10 minutes at least but they would not let him on. Then he started to get pissed, as if that was going to make a difference!

The frustrating thing is that I love what I do and I think it adds value. I just don’t like getting where I have to get, to do what I like to do! I guess you can’t have your cake and eat it too eh? Or I suppose we could move to Mexico? Then I could have my tacos and eat them too! If only I wasn’t so attached to my grandchildren….and just when I’m about ready to let my kids fend for themselves. It’s all Claudette’s fault!

My smile for today was this. Every time I have been on an airplane for the last 5 years I have carried a fanny pack in which I keep my documents, wallet, phone etc. Today for the very first time I needed to remove it from my waist and put it under the seat ahead of me. I just smiled and complied.

And with that I end my bellyaching for today. If I don’t stop I’m gonna get another well deserved lecture from Old John. Besides, I’m safe in my room in Puebla now and look forward to having breakfast with me dear friend Andrew in the morning. He always puts things in perspective for me.

I wish to dedicate day 307 to the poor man trying to go to Oklahoma City. If he was going home I hope he got there today…..not freakin likely!!

And I think this is my problem…too self serving. Also I may have used this one before. If so too bad! It’s a good one I think.

“In order to be the most total human you’re capable of you must serve something other than yourself.”---Leon Uris

love
peter

"A Little Reflection"

Looking back on the past week I would say it was successful from a training perspective. Here's a summary of the past seven days.

Monday...70km bike, weights
Tuesday....50 minute swim and a 1,2,3,2,1 pyramid at the track
Wednesday...35 km run
Thursday...43 km bike, 5km run, weights
Friday...30 min swim
Saturday....180 km bike, 10 km run
Sunday....50 minute swim, 7.5 km run

The long workouts on wednesday and saturday really boosted my confidence. Despite Old Johns belief in me there are still many times when I doubt myself. This week really helped me to put some of that to bed.

Todays workout helped as well. It was an absolutely gorgeous day for a bike ride in Elgin County and I felt surprisingly strong. I managed just over 70 kms at an average speed of 31.7 kms/hr on tired legs, and I'm very satisfied with that. Peter also put me through the regular wieght routine torture, and quite frankly I'll be glad when he stops coming to my house! I don't know why but I just can't get into that shit!

I think from here on in the battle will be won or lost in my head. I have to tough out 3 more weeks of hard work and then be very smart for the last 3 weeks. Smart in that I need to taper very gradually and exactly according to plan. Too little work and I will lose fitness, and too much and I will go into the race tired. For this aspect I will try to listen to the experts. I haven't exactly got the taper planned yet but I will try to do so this week on an airplane or in an airport. I leave tomorrow morning.

The funny thing is that as I gain confidence in my physical ability to do this thing, it seems that at the same time the importance of it diminishes. Part of me just wants to get it over with, as if it's some kind of task I have to complete as opposed to some search for the holy grail. And I suppose in a way that that's ok. I am a task oriented kind of guy and hate to see things left incomplete.

There is still another element to the whole adventure that is more of a "holy grail" kind of thing, and that's the 3 weeks that Claudette and I will spend together without the usual distractions of life. I think both of us need an escape and a chance to reflect on life and what we want to focus on for the next several years. I am really looking forward to our retreat! Since the whole cancer bullshit thing, and then the training, she has not had the attention she deserves from me.

I wish to dedicate day 306 to lance Armstrong who took the high road when he realized he probably can't win...it must be tough to get old!

“A moral being is one who is capable of reflecting on his past actions and their motives - of approving of some and disapproving of others"---Charles Darwin

love
peter

"A Disconcerting Sight"

Returning from an errand today just outside of St Thomas I suddenly came upon a whole bunch of OPP cruisers at a rural intersection. At first I thought they had some kind of Ride program going and that made me a bit nervous because I had forgotten my wallet at home and as such did not have my drivers license. I quickly realized however that they were not paying any attention to the traffic and was still wondering what was going on as I passed the whole scene. There were 4 cruisers and also several other cars but no apparent accident. It was only at the last moment I seen the mangled bicycle leaning against one of the police cars! I hope he's ok but I fear the worst, as no minor accident would draw this kind of attention.

For those who love me please know that I ride very defensively at all times. I joked about riding through red lights and while I certainly admit that I never like to stop or even slow down, I always leave myself an out. I always assume that people in cars do not even know I'm there because I know in many cases it's a fact. Watching the tour on TV makes me wish we had the same kind of respect for the bicycle as they do in Europe. I guess gas is still pretty cheap here eh?

Today was a 50 minute swim in the lake this morning and then a run around the block this evening. I'm a little stiff today especially my left hamstring which started to act up yesterday. I have to pay attention to my stretching the next few days.

I wish to dedicate day 305 to the memory of Henry Allingham....113 years old and apparently the worlds oldest man when he passed away yesterday.

"Life is like riding a bicycle - in order to keep your balance, you must keep moving."---Albert Einstein

love
peter

"That Was Hard"

I better write something quick before I pass out for the night. I never got started until 10:30 as I was trying to wait out the weather again. That didn't work of course as it refused to rain and I had to head out. Of course the rains did come, but not til I was somewhere on the other side of Port Bruce. It was a tough ride mentally today for some reason, as I questioned my sanity for most of the trip. I know getting started so late was part of the problem as these long rides are really an entire day's commitment as it is. But I hung in for the entire 180kms and finished it in 6 hours, and 5 minutes. Not too bad.

The enjoyable part of the day believe it or not, was the run afterwards. I was originally scheduled for 7.5 kms but was determined to do the 1o kms I failed at last week. Right away I knew that it was going to be different today. I can't say that it was effortless but it came close. I did the 10 k in 51 minutes which is just a normal run for me on any given day.

How do I explain the difference from last week? More nutrition, both before and during the workout, (bananas in the mailbox) , much better hydration (I never lost any weight) and cooler temperatures (it never got much over 20 degrees)

All in all a pretty good day and a good boost for my confidence. Six weeks tomorrow!!

Here's your smile of the day....as they say "Only in America" Give it a few seconds to load.
http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2009/07/17/am.muller.truck.ak47.cnn

I wish to dedicate day 304 Serguei Ivanov who also had a good ride today somewhere in France, but never ran a lick afterwards!

"If you hear a voice within you say "you cannot paint," then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced."---Vincent Van Gogh

love
peter

"Bedtime"

I spent the last 3 hours getting ready for tomorrows workout including changing my tires back to the old ones. By the time I was ready it was bedtime and I actually crawled into bed before Claudette reminded me about the blog! Oops

All I did today was a 30 minute swim in a rough Lake Erie. I have a good kind of tired feeling as I hit the hay.

I wish to dedicate day 303 to Walter Cronkite.

“Some people are making such thorough preparation for rainy days that they aren't enjoying today's sunshine."---William Feather

love
peter

"A Good Day"

And a fun one.

It started out at the cancer clinic where Dr Yoo told me I remain in good health. He also confirmed that I would definetely be able to participate in the saliva study after my Ironman. He actually credited our previous discussions as being his motivator to get going with this, and called me his "sentinel" patient, whatever that means?

Roo and I then hung around to participate in a little project that "Ben" the medical student was undertaking to study the effects of radiation in neck cancers. When he couldn't get his machine to work and I asked about getting a technician he said they were all in Germany. I jokingly said, "well there goes your study", and he responded "that would be funny if it wasn't true". Poor guy!

When I got home I headed out for my short bike and run and that's when the fun part of the day began. I was just 5 minutes from home when I heard a siren behind me. I looked around and made sure I was close to the side of the road to let what turned out to be a cop go by. But he didn't go by? He slowed down? What...did he want me? Maybe I dropped something? Sure enough he wanted to talk to me and I don't know why it took me so long to figure out that it was related to the red light I had just fired through!! So of course I stopped completely and as I turned to meet him I said, "I'll bet you want to give me shit for riding through that red light". His response, "I know those are clipless pedals and hard to get out of, but riding through a red light with a cop right behind you is not very smart." He seemed like he may have a sense of humour so I said, "I guess I should either get a rear view mirror, or stop riding through red lights". He smiled and recommended option two. He then asked my name and recognized it immediately...he knew one of my kids he said, and of course you know what I'm thinking...aw shit! But it wasn't that at all. It turns out that he remembered Michael from when Mike and his son Richard were friends all through grade school. We then traded stories about the current life situations of our 2 kids, and after admiring my bike for a minute he sent me on my way. I will never ride through a red light again...unless of course there's no traffic and no policemen.

I ended up doing 43 kms followed by a 5 k run and considering that long run yesterday I felt quite good. To round out the afternoon I did my weight routine, modified now to almost completely eliminate leg work. Only 2 more weeks and I will eliminate weights altogether.

The last bit of fun I had was putting up a clothes line at the neighbours. Colby thought it was built exclusively as an amusement for him, but it turned out to be an amusement for everyone as it fell down before it even dried any clothes....what an idiot!

I also had a nice talk to Penticton Paul tonite to get some more race advice...what a resource he's been.

I wish to dedicate day 302 to Officer Chatfield.... a decent sort of cop.

"If you don't have a policeman to stop traffic and let you walk across the street like you are somebody, how are you going to know you are somebody?'---John C. White

“A man pulls up to the curb and asks the policeman "Can I park here?" "No" says the cop. "What about all these other cars?" "They didn't ask!"---Henny Youngman

love
peter

"Busy Day"

My long run went well. At one point I felt like I could run forever, but eventually it became apparent that such was not the case. Regardless I did go further than I pad planned and felt pretty decent the whole time. I ended up doing 35k in 3 hours, 20 minutes. Not too fast but nice and steady. The books tell you not to bother running for more than 3 hours at this point, because they suggest that that's the point of diminishing returns. They may be right physiologically speaking, but I needed to get a slightly longer one in from a phsychological perspective. Probably from here on in I will limit it at 3 hours.

It was a learning kind of run in regards to proper hydration. It wasn't really that hot nor humid and so I thought the 2 1/2 litres I drank was sufficient. I lost at least 8 pounds!! By the way the 2 1/2 litres I drank weighs 5 1/2 pounds, so I had to drink more than twice as much as I did. Scary! I suspect that I'm not drinking near enough on my long rides and will try to do better in the future.

I forgot my hat which doesn't help the heat problem, not to mention the sweat running into my eyes all the time. I don't understand why that stings so much...tears are salty aren't they?

Long workouts like this tend to leave me in a funk for the next few hours but once I recovered I still had the energy to take Colby to swimming and to baseball. We drove the car to the pool but the ball diamond is only about 3 kms away and highly tuned athletes like Colby and I don't drive such short distances. By the way...he went 4 for 5, hitting the first pitch every time! That's my boy!....well the neighbbours boy actually but close enough.



We needed a trailer to haul the equipment and the beer (just kidding mom and dad) and so we dragged out this old classic. This is the very same trailer that Claudette used to haul Michael and Adrian all over town way back when we could only afford one vehicle. If the truth be known it may have actually made a few trips to the beer store back then as well....times have changed eh?

If only I could hear a little better these trips with Colby would leave me a much smarter man, since he continuously enlghtens me with his worldy knowledge. It's like a switch turns on and stays on as long as we're moving. That's okay...I like that noise better than anything on my i-pod. The one thing I did hear is his decision to do another triathlon. He had decided not to do any more since it would mean swimming in a lake but somehow that fear has passed. I look forward to cheering him on.

I wish to dedicate day 301 to Colbys baseball coach Krista. A genuine person with a genuine love of kids.

“Doing nothing is better than being busy doing nothing"---Lao Tzu

“He who's not busy being born is busy dying."---Bob Dylan

love
peter

"Finally"

A pair of socks designed just for me.



This is gonna save me about 10 minutes of decision making every time I wear them. If they had this feature on socks since I was a kid I would be a year younger. Of course when you pay $16 for a pair of scoks they better have some special features eh?


Probably the only other thing I need to do in anticipation of my Rooyakkers brain deteriorating to the point that Corys is, is to tattoo the same letters on my respective feet. As of now R still means Right but who knows in a few years??


I swam for about 50 minutes in Lake Erie and went to the track this afternoon. Both workouts went well especially the swimming. In my wetsuit it truly is not much more demanding than walking. It's a nice feeling.


One thing I can't understand is how people keep doing something like this over and over again. It truly is a self centered undertaking and very time demanding. This week for example I will spend over 20 hours training. That makes for a somewhat solitary, and sometimes lonely endeavour. Or maybe it's just me. Certainly lots of people train in groups, but I could never really get into the social aspects of it....maybe because I don't have any social skills?

Long run tomorrow. I hope it goes well. Next weeks long one will be in the elevation of Puebla Mexico which I will challenge one more time . I am determined to conquer it through a sound strategy of pacing, nutrition and hydration. It should also tell me if I've truly gained endurance.


Today I also want to tell you a little more about my dedication of the other day to Jonathan Gibson. He lives in Iowa and is the son of my friends Rick and Amy. He has a viral encephalitis infection and is still on a ventilator and comatose. I really want him to be ok.

I wish to dedicate day 300 to my wife, who knows why.

"Women speak because they wish to speak, whereas a man speaks only when driven to speech by something outside himself-like, for instance, he can't find any clean socks"---Jean Kerr

"True love is like a pair of socks: you gotta have two and they've gotta match."---Anon

love
peter

"A Slow News Day'

I find it kind of funny that I was going to call it an easy day...just 70 kms on my bike! Everything's relative I guess.

I got an e-mail from my friend Janine Grespan of CTV news today. She still wants to do a followup to the piece they did last year and she wants to talk about it. I'll call her tomorrow and let you know.

I have an appointment with Dr Yoo on Thursday. I can't remember if I told you or not that they're probably going to let me participate in the experimental saliva study after the Ironman. I also assume that he will give me a clean bill of health when I see him.

I wish to dedicate day to Dominique Bassani who rides about as fast as I do....with one leg!

“It is easy to get everything you want, provided you first learn to do without the things you cannot get"---Elbert Hubbard

love
peter

"A Day at the Beach

First thing this morning...well about 11:00 actually (it is Sunday) I went for a nice swim in lake Erie. It was good to realize that my long workout yesterday had no apparent effect on my swimming. I put in 4o minutes which should be about 2 kms.

I then went for a quick 5 k run just to see that I still could and that's when the tiredness showed up.

So I went back to the beach with this guy...



And we built this guy...



And then they fought!



I wish to dedicate day 298 to Jonathan Gibson who is today seriously ill and needs your thoughts and prayers.

maggie and millie and molly and may
went down to the beach (to play one day)
and maggie discovered a shell that sang
so sweetly she couldn't remember her troubles,
and millie befriended a stranded star
who's rays five languid fingers were
and molly was chased by a horrible thing
which raced sideways while blowing bubbles
and may came home with a smooth round stone
as small as a world and as large as alone.
For whatever we lose (like a you or a me)
it's always ourselves we find in the sea.”---E. E. Cummings

love
peter

A Thorn in my Tire"

Literally. But I'll tell you all about that in a minute. It's lucky that I made my commitment to a more positive attitude yesterday or I'd be whining right now.

First a quick response to Old John who as usual makes a very good point. You either have a positive attitude or you don't. You can't just turn it on and off in relation to one aspect of your life. Thanks John. Also as usual John is full of shit in other regards. Yes this mans farts were poisonous! I am 100% sure that if concentrated enough you could have died from them! And secondly, if it did not come off as such I apologize but as I "chronicled" the whole day (not cronographed you idiot) it was a very positive experience. I had a lot of fun with it. But your forgiven for misunderstanding that just because you're Old John and your'e the only one I got!

Now back to my thorn.

I headed out at about 9 am under worrisome skies, but determined to get my workout in regardless, since tomorrow I had plans with Colby. I did indeed get quite wet at about 25 kms but it didn't last long. At 49 kms I crossed the railroad tracks kind of clumsily and knew right away that I had a flat. It's not uncommon that a hard impact like that is the moment of failure. But not to worry. I had a spare and within 10 minutes I was on my way again....for about 10 seconds...flat again! Either I had pinched the tube putting it on(but I didn't think so) or more likely there was something in the tire. You're supposed to check for but I never thought to because I blamed it on the tracks. No more spares so I tried calling everyone I know to no avail. Fortunately I was only about 2.5 kms from home so I just walked back. This time I checked inside the tire I found this little 5 mm baby poking staright through. I think it's a thorn of some kind but it is hard to tell.



Anyway, with the 2 flats and the walk combined I lost about an hour, but I headed back out and finished my 180 kms in a total travelling time of 5 hours 54 minutes. Not bad really. A quick change of gear and I headed out for my 10 k run. I started walking at 5 kms and considered cutting it short, but I hung tough and managed to finish the rest in a walk/jog mode. I still did it in less than an hour and as such am pretty happy with my effort, especially considering that by then it was getting very warm and very humid.

I wish to dedicate day 297 to my friend Rick Gibson who somehow maintains a positve spirit and a sense of humour in uncertain times.

"There is little difference in people, but that little difference makes a big difference. The little difference is attitude. The big difference is whether it is positive or negative"---W. Clement Stone

love
peter

"I Did an OJ Simpson"

No, I didn’t kill anyone but I sure wanted to! My OJ imitation came in the form of running at break neck speed through an airport.(remember the commercial) Here’s a chronology of my day.

5:30…alarms goes off

5:45…packed up and check out of hotel

6:00…arrive at airport for my 7:10 flight to find a vacant Budget car rental booth. I would just lock the keys in the car and leave it but I know that they have 2 blank swipes of my credit card in their possession

6:20…someone finally arrives from Budget

6:35….after 15 mins of pecking at the keyboard and filling out forms manually my car return is complete

6:45…pass through security where the lady discovers and trys to steal my little water bottle. I drink all the water rather than give it to her.

6:50…just before boarding I spot a water cooler in the corner and fill my bottle. This carries some risk but I do it anyway.

7:00…board airplane

7:15…still sitting at gate

7:30…still sitting at gate. Apparently the tower guys were late getting to work.

7:35…sitting on tarmac while an air ambulance was given takeoff priority

7:40…plane leaves for Houston, a half hour late

9:00… arrive in Houston, just a little nervous about my 10:05 connection to Toronto which leaves from another terminal

9:10…after a long walk arrive at immigration hall to an ugly scene….4 officers and at least 150 people!

9:15…beg/con my way to front of the line….just 2 people ahead of me

9:25…2 people took 10 minutes and now I stand patiently while officer Ortiz stares into his screen and occasionally hits a few keys

9:30…still pecking, and in response to my question about the delay….”the systems not working right”

9:31….Ortiz says ”wait here, I’ll be right back”

9:32…he returns, makes a note on a slip of paper which he puts with my passport and says “stand over there and wait for the escort”. “What is the issue?” I say. “ Just stand over there and wait sir, you’re going to the office” Asshole!

9:33…escort arrives and in response to my queries about the issue I get nothing! He just pretended I never spoke. Or maybe the fuckers deaf!?

9:34…arrive at ‘the office’ where he gives my documents to another officer who proceeds to tell me nothing other than to take a seat with the rest of the ‘detainees’

9:35…hear announcements on the PA about the CBP (customs and border patrol) system being down and thank you for your patience.

9:36….hear further announcements from airlines with instructions to go to the Continental counter to get rebooked should you miss your connection…thanks a lot!

9:38…a yelling match breaks out in the ‘detainee’ area between the officers and 2 of their charges

9:40…nerves are getting frayed as I begin to accept the real possibility that I may not get home today.

9:42….the thought suddenly hits me that I cannot leave this room! I am literally in jail. If I try to leave they will physically restrain me! Unsettling to say the least.

9:45….still waiting…I finally approach the counter and beg for some help….”as soon as we can sir, everyone’s in the same boat.”

9:46…finally officer Howell takes pity on me , and after another bunch of key punching and moaning about the whole US system being down, declares me innocent of any wrongdoing that he can find, photocopies my passport, and sends me on my way. Absolutely no explanation of any kind, and I didn’t stick around to inquire further.

9:51….after my first OJ imitation , inhaling the rest of my water on the way, I arrive at security to check my bags again, only to have an arrogant flight attendant tell me that she was cutting into line ahead of me. Up til this point I had been the model of polite behaviour but I started to crack a little then. I’m not ready to kill anyone yet, but I do come close to punching the woman in the face. I want to say "piss off bitch" but I settled for a sarcastic comment without the obsceneties which was enough to chase her off to cut in front of someone else.

9:56….after another mad dash I arrive at the first of my shuttle trains

9:58…on train number 2 considering the thought that I shouldn’t expect too much from people who have to go to work every day at an airport named “George Bush Intercontinental” It must seep into their pores like a slow poison…never mind the swine flu… As much as it pisses me off, people who work at airports have the worst job in the world.

10:00….arrive at Terminal B

10:02…running as fast as I can now and towing my bag I drop my passport, and almost go down trying to recover it. Nice….but finally arrive at my gate to find the door…..open!!! Unbelievable!

10:02:01…gate agent closes the door behind me.

10:30….still sitting at the gate as we apparently wait for some special machine to came and start our airplane, which sets me to wondering what they do if the engine stalls in mid air? But now I don’t care anymore because it looks like I’m gonna get home today, and I’ve already got my workout in, OJ Simpson style. Of course I have no water and I have had nothing to eat. Normally I would have had time for both in Houston.

10:45…some asshole farts and stinks up the whole plane

11:00…the attendant brings me a turkey sandwich and some carrots. I am pleasantly surprised to find that I can actually eat the carrots without water.

11:00…finally the water arrives which allows me to eat my sandwich

11:15… some ass hole farts again

11:30….I change my watch and suddenly it’s 12:30

12:35…yah you guessed it! The same asshole farts again but this time in the Eastern time zone! If it happens one more time I’m gonna stand up and ask who it was!

1:31….I didn’t have the courage, but maybe he’ll read my blog and realize how bad he smelled!

1:39…listening to Ozzie Osborne singing, “Momma I’m comin home” How could such a genius end up as such an idiot? Maybe there’s a Rooyakkers somewhere in his family tree?

1:56….just finished re-reading a chapter in one of my training books, called Training the Mind. The author says this….”The greatest obstacle we face is ourselves, and more specifically our doubting selves. The doubting self is the little voice inside all our heads that says, “You can’t”, “You better not”, and “You’ll never make it.” When you say “I’m so out of shape”, “I haven’t done enough training”, There’s no way I’m gonna finish”, you are actually pre-programming yourself for failure. Mentally strong athletes understand that the body will go where the mind leads it, and they are careful where they lead their minds. By controlling your words and actions you eventually become your goals. Your words and deeds become such a habit that your mind has no choice but to follow.” All of this is stuff that I know, and that I myself have preached in different contexts, but reading it today was a powerful reminder. I realize that in an effort to be totally open about my fears and doubts I have sometimes spiraled downward into negativity about my chances of success. I have just over 7 weeks left til D-day and I vow to maintain a positive outlook for the remainder of the schedule. I can do it! Well positive about my ironman at least. I still reserve the right to whine about everything else under the sun. The authors also recommend a book called “The Artists’ Way: A spiritual path to higher creativity” by Julie Cameron. It sounds familiar to me for some reason?

2:30….touched down in Toronto

2:45…arrived at Canadian immigration

2:46…cleared Canadian immigration!!!

3:00…in the car and on the way home

4:00…MmmM’cDonalds for 2 crispy chickens and lots of Canadian milk. The book has a great chapter on nutrition as well but I don’t ever look at that!

5:15….home sweet home

5:30...out running

6:30...haul my bike out of the Rv and re-assemble

7:30...eat

8:30...prepare everything for tomorrows long workout...180kms and 10 kms!

10:00...walk Colby home

10:15...night, night

I wish to dedicate day 296 to officer Howell of US Customs who single handedly got me home today. To him it’s just a job.

“All paid jobs absorb and degrade the mind”---Aristotle

“The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled”---Plutarch

love
peter

"I Must Live in a Bubble"

Am I the only person in the world who did not hear about the incredible tragedy that took place last month in my adopted city of Hermosillo. Certainly I'm the only person in Mexico who hasn't. In case you are one of the few others that keeps thier head in the sand, the issue I refer to is the fire in a day care that killed 48 childern aged 6 months to 5 years.

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/americas/07/09/mexico.daycare/index.html

There are rumours that the owners of the facility are hiding somewhere in Canada.

I think it's a more significant story than just about any other mass deaths you hear about resulting from things like terrorist acts or war deaths because of the indisputable innocence of the victims. What incredible, indescribable pain it must be for the families. I want to go home!

I'm just sitting in my hotel room watching the sunset and trying to put it all in perspective. Although the blame game goes on it will probably never catch up to those who were really negligent, and for that matter who is really responsible anyway? One courageous parent apparently stated publicly that he had no one to blame but himself as he regularly brought his child there and never once considered the safety of the place. I suggest to you that there was no one who knowingly considered the possibility of the event as it happened and didn't do anything about it.

Could this happen in Canada? Not likely, just because of the legislation governing the physical considerations of such facilities but also because of rules regarding things like the ratio of caregivers to children. From what I read there were 6 adults responsible for almost 150 kids. It seems insufficient during the best of times let alone in a crisis. But I know these things are a factor of our respective societies and I make no judgement. The average Mexican parent could not afford the cost of child care in Canada.

And so I am once again reminded of my blessings and will try to go to sleep tonite counting them. All of my childern and my grandchildern are safe and warm this night and what more can a person ask for. I guarantee you that any one of those grieving parents would give up all of their worldly possessions, and the job that necessitated their children going to day care in the first place, to be able to have them back....as would I in their situation.

When I get home I'm gonna ask permission to have some Grampa/Colby time just to invest into what he wants to do. Maybe build a serious sand castle or something. This stupid Ironman thing can wait another day!

So tonite I ask you out there, get up now and find a child, yours or anyone else's and just give them a hug. Don't let the sun go down without doing so.




I wish to dedicate day 295 to the memory of Bryan Alejandro Mendez a victim of the fire and the child of one of our employees.

"To love one child and to love all children, whether living or dead /somewhere these two loves come together."---Marguerite Duras

love
peter

"Fell Asleep"

Right after supper and woke up just in time to make my deadline. I hope eveyone had a nice day.

I wish to dedicate day 294 to Cristina Ponce who showed me so much hospitality today.

.....and I've found this to be much truer ...

"The repose of sleep refreshes only the body. It rarely sets the soul at rest. The repose of the night does not belong to us. It is not the possession of our being. Sleep opens within us an inn for phantoms. In the morning we must sweep out the shadows."---Gaston Bachelard

...than this....

"The best bridge between despair and hope is a good night's sleep."---E. Joseph Cossman

...and this seems like a reasonable way to live...

"Sleep 'til you're hungry, eat 'til you're sleepy."---Anon

love
peter

"Not Hurtin"

From the race. Quite amazing and yet I realize I have done longer workouts in training, so perhaps there's not really a reason to hurt. I did a modified weight workout last night and then a brisk run around the block this mornong before I left for the airport. Both felt good. I'm gonna be down for the next couple of days while here in Mexico and right now I'm wishing I wasn't. Strange, but I don't feel fatigued like I did last week.

My body that is. I think my mind is in trouble though. Looking at yesterdays post I couldn't believe the number of typos. It was embarrassing. I will go back and fix them even though I can't believe that I had to discover them for myself??

Todays mental lapse really took the cake however. Let me give you some advice. Never, ever put a container of yogurt in your computer bag when travelling. What a disaster! Fortunately I think my computer is ok. I can't say the same for my paperwork and my book. What an idiot.

Thats all I got for today except I can't help but comment on the incredible spectacle this whole Michael Jackson thing is. Is it a funeral that you pay money to attend? I wonder how many people are making how much money on the death of one person? Does anyone actually grieve the mans death? Like him or hate him the whole thing is embarrassing for everyone involved as far as I'm concerned. I actually heard Magic Johnson say that eating Kentucky Fried Chicken with Jackson was, and I quote, "the greatest moment of his life". All I can say is that Magic must have a pretty fucked up life! What a circus! Don't you also wonder where all these friends were when he was being accused of all that shitty stuff?

I wish to dedicate day 293 to all the children of Michael Jackson...you couldn't pay me enough money to be one of them.

"There is no calamity greater than lavish desires. There is no greater guilt than discontentment. And there is no greater disaster than greed."---Lao tzu

"The graveyards are full of indispensable men."---Charles de Gaulle

love
peter

More Race Report"

It was a perfect day for racing. Relatively cool in the morning with clear skies all day. I was as nervous as a cat on a hot tin roof but managed to settle dowm by race start. Of course the mass start in the water is crazy but it was a little easier than last time. I did however get clubbed right in the head on 2 seperate occassions. The other challenge was the seaweed believe it or not. This small lake is just a widened section of the Trent river and as such is not very deep. For most of the swim you are literally battling the disgusting vegetation that grows almost to the surface. The second loop was even worse, as by then there was stuff floating on top and it would actually get hooked on your body. At one point I had a long chunk of grass hanging off my right ear. Despite all that I came out of the water unscathed and quite relaxed.

The bike course was where I struggled a bit. It was windy and very hilly and the roads left something to be desired. By the half way point I was somewhat discouraged and my mind was starting to scare me. Had I rested enough? If I was tired by then what was gonna happen on the run? I desperately did not want to bonk and end up walking. The second half of the bike course however I started to get my legs. The first half took me 1:32 and the second half was1:19.

Still, when I headed out on the run I didn't know what to expect. All I could do was try to relax and stay within myself and hope for the best. After about 3 kms I had established a consistent 5 min/km pace and didn't have that frightening feeling. By 7 kms I was still mainaining the same pace exactly and feeling quite normal. To make a long story short I easily maintained that all the way to the finish line. It was quite gratifying. My run segment was 106th fastest of the day.

So while I'm overall quite happy with my day and I know that my finishing time equates quite nicely to my goal time in Penticton, still I am reminded that D-day is only 8 weeks away, and on that day I have to go twice as far. Still very intimidating.

It was a day of many firsts.

It was the first time I ever seen 2 people in a race on the same bike. Apparently the one guy was blind...I assume the guy on the back.

It was the first time I ever ate chocolate energy gels....disgusting!!

It was the first time a lady said to me on the run course "I hear that running hills gives you a killer ass!" I don't know if she was talking about me or her?

It was the first time I got someone else's saliva right in the face while riding...it was an accident and she apologized.

It was the first time I ever got kissed out on the race course...by Colby!

And it was the first time that I completed a half IM 'post illness'

And this morning before we left Peterborough Colby and I went on a short bike ride where he experienced a first. They still have some manually powered lift locks there and when we stumbled upon them they were just in the process of operating them. Colby was given the rare chance to help out, by turning the crank that actully moves the gates. It was a wonderful moment. But that wasn't the end of the excitement. It turns out that 4 of the boats entering the lock were part of some club called "Pirates of the Trent". They were all geared up as pirates with the clothes, the music and the chants. Much to my surprise I thought I recognized the voice of one of them. You'll never guess who the 'Head Pirate' was....yes indeed the one and only, my dear old friend Mr Bill Jones!!! All I can say is "shiver me timbers!!!" It's a small, small world!

I wish to dedicate day 292 to Peter Kornelsen who won my age group and finished 6th overall. He was an hour ahead of me!!

“It is when pirates count their booty that they become mere thieves.”---Anon

"The average man will bristle if you say his father was dishonest, but he will brag a little if he discovers that his great-grandfather was a pirate."---Anon

love
peter

"Half Way There"

Well almost....the bike ride was 85k instead of 90. I'm pretty content though. Satisfied with my swim, ok with my bike and quite happy with my run. I finished 178th overall out of approx. 500, and 13th in my age group out of 32. My final time was 5:17:40 which was slightly better than the goal time which I wasn't supposed to think about.

I did have some ups and downs which I'll tell you about tomorrow. Right now I'm just a little tired.

I wish to dedicate day 290 to Bruno Lafontaine who won the race in a time of 4:11 and change.

"Never put off til tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow"---Mark Twain

"Although an ass is tired he continues to carry his burden. He is unmindful of heat and cold and he is always contented. These 3 things should be learned from the ass"---Chanyaka

Love
peter

"Intimidated"

When you get involved in races of this length you find a whole new level of athlete. There will probably be some world class triathletes doing this race tomorrow. It's a bit intimidating seeing all these very fit people with thir high tech gear.

I'm gonna try my damndest to have fun. I need to put any completion times out of my head.

We are now safely ensconced in the RV within a 2 minute walk of the transition area. That part is really cool and will help alleviate some stress in the morning.

Wish me luck! I hope this posts ok with my blackberry and I'll talk to you tomorrow.
I wish to dedicate day 290 to Piet Rooijakkers who is currently competing in the Tour de France.

....On having fun...

"If you can't laugh at yourself make fun of other people"---Anon

"If you obey all the rules you miss all the fun".

love
peter

The 2 Things I Hate the Worst"

Computers and motor vehicles. Just about anything else that breaks I have a shot at making repairs on but electronics and the modern automobile are out of my league. It wasn't so bad until our computer guy quietly left town and our mechanic had a heart attack and sold his business.

While we still don't have a solution to any computer woes that come our way, I am very happy to report that the mechanic is healthy and back working again. Very happy because my truck is starting to age and the other day it started making very bad noises. I was very worried about the transmission because it has been replaced once already, but it turns out to be a combination of other stuff...leaky transfer case seal, bad u-joint and deteriorated emergency brake parts.

I dropped it off to Dave last night and was very anxious all day waiting for the verdict...or at least at first I thought that's what was stressing me. Then I realized that it was probably just some nerves about the race, and the automatic withdrawal symptoms that occur as soon as you stop working out. I'm an addict!

But nerves or not, Im really looking forward to sunday. I'm going to try to mimic all of my intended ironman strategy including nutrition and hydration the day before, the morning of, and during the race, as well as what I wear, how I tackle the transitions and my pacing strategy. There's only one thing that Im gonna try that I have never even done during my workouts and that's wear ear plugs for the swim. I have noticed that when I come out of the lake I am very unbalanced and I think it has something to do with the water in my ears. You're never supposed to ty anything new on race day, but I figure the risk here is pretty small. After all, I don't need to hear the starting horn.....I'll just leave when everyone else does!

One thing I'm not sure of yet is my blog for the next couple of days. I think I've figured out how to post from my Blackberry but it doesn't have full functionality and so I hope it works. If not I guess I'll be out on my bike looking for a "wi-fi" Starbucks or something....do they have the internet in Peterborough?

I wish to dedicate day 289 to Dave McGregor because a good mechanic's not cheap and a cheap mechanics not good!

“Past tense means you used to be nervous."---Anon

"A native Canadian goes to to see his medicine man and says "Doc ya gotta help me, I'm having these crazy dreams. One night I dreamt I was a teepee and the next night I dreamt I was a wigwam...what's wrong with me?
"That's easy" said the medicine man. "You're two tents"---Anon

love
peter

"Confidence"

For most of my adult life I've been blessed (or burdened maybe) with a certain level of confidence. That confidence, or some may even say cockiness, has allowed me to bullshit my way through many of lifes challenges and opportunities. There's definitely something to be said for believing in yourself, the power of positive thinking and all that. In hindsight, even when I didn't know what the hell I was doing, I frequently got some kind of positive results just because I charged ahead in the belief that I did know.

Unfortunately bullshit will only take you so far. When faced with an undertaking that is so far beyond your previous experience you better have done a little preperation. An anology that occurs to me is that of spelling skills. In grade school I always won the spelling bees and can still spell a lot of words, but I can't possibly imagine taking on those kids you see on TV without a couple of years of intensive learning.

The same goes for Ironman. I am at times scared shitless and I know that I better keep on working hard, but to let you in on a little secret....a little voice keeps insisting that I can do this. "Try Not!"

Almost total rest today, a very quick bike ride just to check out my new tires, and then a modified weight workout. Tomorrow will be packing day, and maybe a short swim.

Did I tell you that we're taking the RV to Peterborough? We have a campground right at the race site. And of course an excursion like this wouldn't be complete without at least one grandchild, and so Colby has agreed to go with us.

I wish to dedicate day 288 to Doug Geldart who finished last in the mens 50-54 age category in the 2008 Peterborough Half Ironman. Close to 7 billion other human beings never even tried it!

"I quit being afraid when my first venture failed and the sky didn't fall down."---Allen H. Neuharth

"You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.
You're on your own.
And you know what you know.
You are the guy who'll decide where to go."---Dr. Seuss

love
peter

"Slow as Molasses in January"

But at least I made it. I was determined to stay within myself no matter how slow I went because I just couldn't afford another debacle like last week. Certainly the outcome was never in doubt today. I went 31.2 kms in exactly 3 hours. It's hard not to let the slow pace bother me, but I know it's just general fatigue. It will be good to have a couple of days off, both this week to rest for the race, and next week when I'm in Mexico.

Oh and Happy Birthday Canada!

I wish to dedicate day 287 to Mike Golding, who is 15 years older than me and still runs faster.

“Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice, but for those who love, time is eternity."---Henry Van Dyke

“Those who are slow to know suppose that slowness is the essence of knowledge."---Friedrich Nietzsche

“I am a slow walker, but I never walk backwards."---Abraham Lincoln

love
peter