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