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4 Weeks and Counting

It was exactly 5 weeks ago tomorrow that I was hit by the car and exactly 4 weeks ago today that I strained my calf running with Ben at Elk Lake. This was one of those little strains that I didn't think much of at the time. I honestly thought it would be better by the Oliver Half one week later. Well, that didn't turn out the way I had hoped. I was still pretty confident that it would be better by the Penticton camp 3 weeks later. Wrong again! I took 4 days off completely at the beginning of last week (along with visits to all my support crew)in the hope that we could get to the bottom of the problem and it would have time to heal. So far, it hasn't and I have taken up water running.

I can't say that I am enjoying this particular chapter of my athletic life, but one thing that this injury is doing is giving me some serious perspective as a coach. As coach Mike I sometimes have to tell athletes that taking a bit of time off of running is not the end of the world and will not hurt them as much as they think. They can stay fit and get the running back when they are healthy enough to run pain free. Well, it is much easier advice to give than it is to receive. HOWEVER I know things will be alright in the end, because as someone once told me; if things aren't alright, it isn't the end.

“Believe and act as if it were impossible to fail.”
Charles F. Kettering

Rex And Kona

Playing at the Cottage in Erieau

Looking Back

I tend not to look back at races I have done all that often, but in the past week a few people have asked me how many Ironman races I have done (I must be looking tired) and I kept answering that I honestly didn't know. Well, since I had a few minutes on my hands I sat down and tried to add them up. The answer; quite a few. Here they are;

1999 - Ironman USA - 7th - 9:18
1999 - Ironman Hawaii - 58th - 9:16
2000 - Ironman New Zealand - 10th - 8:59
2000 - Ironman Hawaii - 133rd - 9:54
2001 - Ironman California - 13th - 9:05
2001 - Ironman USA - 7th - 9:10
2001 - Ironman Hawaii - 1122nd - 13:43
2002 - Ironman Japan - 9th - 9:13
2002 - Ironman Canada - 5th - 8:52
2002 - Ironman Hawaii - 24th - 9:01
2003 - Ironman USA - DNF
2003 - Ironman Canada - 8th - 8:58
2003 - Ironman Hawaii - 40th - 9:11
2004 - Ironman USA - 10th - 9:16
2004 - Ironman Hawaii - DNF
2005 - Ironman Canada - 38th - 9:57
2006 - Ironman USA - 5th - 8:57
2006 - Ironman Hawaii - 32nd - 8:52
2007 - Ironman Australia - 6th - 8:55
2007 - Ironman Hawaii - 21st - 8:47
2008 - Ironman Couer D'Alene - 4th - 8:53
2008 - Ironman Hawaii - 26th - 8:57
2009 - Ironman New Zealand - 7th - 8:44

Yep, that is a lot of Ironman races. 23 and counting!
Each one has definitely played a big part in who I have become.

Tony O'Keefe - As Tough As They Come!

In an earlier post I wrote about my friend Tony O'Keefe and included a link to his blog as he tackled The Race Across America. If you have been following or reading the updates in the feed down to the right you will have seen that Tony had to DNF yesterday. Anyone who knows Tony would know that this would have been an incredibly tough decision for him to make. The post that Randy put up about his decision says everything there is that needs to be said about Tony and what it means to be a champion. Here it is;

Randy's RAAM Report #10 - June 23 (Final)

2009/06/23

In my previous report we had just had an incredible day where Tone rode 349 miles and where we took advantage of conditions to move us up in the race standings. After a 2-hour break we started off on the next day. Tone was in great form. Our goal was to get out of Kansas by the end of the day and also reach the halfway marker under the 10-day goal pace. Tone felt great. His legs, body and mental state had peaked. Our routine was in place. Tone would start the day with very easy riding to loosen up.

As Tone rode the first hour, he felt some fatigue and tightness in his neck, something he had never experienced before. He mentioned this to us in the follow-vehicle. Within an hour he was struggling to hold his head up. To provide some temporary relief, we tried to create a device in the van to support his head as he rode.

As the miles progressed it quickly became worse. With his inability to hold his head upright, Tone eventually crashed. He only suffered some road rash. It could have been far worse. We were lucky. Being an athlete, Tone and the team continued in the hope that this would pass and things would improve. Unfortunately they did not.

We did reach half-way under the 10-day goal pace, but we did not leave Kansas.

Tone pedaled to TS 26. We met and after a very emotional conversation, he decided to pull out of the race. Shortly after this he spoke to the team and told them he had to withdraw. I have never been more proud of an athlete than during his talk to the team. I am unbelievably thankful that he is a friend!

In my last post I finished off by saying that Tone was racing. Racing is defined as giving all of yourself to the event, pushing yourself to the highest level of performance possible, taking risks to test your resolve. When you do this, you define who you are and what you are. Only on occasion will this lead to victory on the podium that we use as a measurement of success. My great friend Tony went beyond the top podium yesterday. The greatest victories in life never have a medal attached to them.

All the best my friends.
Zab

Penticton Camp Pics!

The Crew

Another Great Camp!
(More Pictures tomorrow)

Next; Penticton Camp

Not a lot to report. Still working on the calf and getting ready to head over to Penticton this weekend for the annual HPR Ironman camp. This camp is always a great chance for people to get out there and once again get a feel for the course.
This year we have 17 people racing so it is going to be one serious day of spectating on August 30th.
The weekend schedule looks like this;

Friday - travel/ 90 minute bike to loosen out the legs
Saturday - 30 minute swim/ 180km bike/ 30 minute run
Sunday - 21km run/ 30 minute swim/ travel

Rach is going to be running support (with three dogs in tow) so hopefully we can get some pictures.

Oliver Half

The calf is coming around. I have not run in 10 days, but I can now walk without feeling any tightness and pain. It is hard to say how this injury happened, but those in the know seem to think that it might have had something to do with the blow I took on the bike a couple of weeks ago. Apparently my entire right side was out of allignment.
It was really disappointing to head over to Oliver and not be able to compete on the run (especially with so many team mates and athletes racing), but stopping after the bike was the logical choice. Had I run I probably would have been out for months, not days.
As far as the race went, I had a pretty decent swim and was able to bridge a gap to some feet that dragged me around the course and had me on shore in 7th or 8th. With Tom Evans and Mark Van Akkeren there it was a forgone conclusion that there would be a deficit after the swim, but it was about what I expected. After the painful run on pavement to the transition area I jumped on the bike and headed out hoping to reduce the deficit a bit. I had a tough time getting going and finding any rhythm. It might have been because this was the first ride on the TT bike in 2 weeks (the guys at Pro City managed to get me a replacement frame just in time), but I think I may have just been flat and a bit tired from worrying about the calf injury. On the bike I was passed by Kyle Marcotte and despite my best efforts was unable to match his pace on the bike. This was the first time I have been passed on the bike this year and I must admit I didn't like it all that much. After riding in no man's land for 70km I was finally caught by a train of 3 athletes (quick disclaimer, they are all great athletes and were following the rules) in the last 10km of the ride. Unfortunately they reduced the draft zone at this race to 1.5 bike lengths so while riding legally by this rule it was still a drafting ride. I know because I sat on the back for a bit and recovered with the official riding beside us. Knowing that I wouldn't be running I went back to the front for the last few km's to keep the pace up and get my day over.
Not the way I wanted my day to end, but the one thing I can say about this trip is that it lit a fire. Randy had me taking it very easy since Florida as part of the plan for this season. Starting tomorrow things start ramping up again. 1 month to the Desert Half!

Funniest Craigslist Ad EVER!

Weight bench with 125lbs of metal and vinyl weights - $50 (Central Saanich)

This is a small (apartment sized) press bench with a shortened straight bar and about 125lbs in weights. there are two 25lb metal plates, all the rest are concrete filled vinyl. One of the 10lb vinyl weights has a cracked casing but still holds all its weight. This set is ideal for a small space.

The price is $50 OBO. For the love of God, people, that's a good deal. I hardly want your first born and your collection of Fabergé eggs. I swear if one more person offers me $7 I will c*ckpunch him.

I listed this set about a month ago, and was deluged with idiotic questions from every "West Shore" imbecile who is capable of mashing a Cheetoh-stained keyboard. Want to hear from every tweaked, mouth-breathing simpleton in the CRD? List a cheap weight bench on-line. It's that easy.

To answer the inevitable stupid questions in advance, I am adding the following information. READ IT:

1) No, I will not separate this set. If you just want the metal plates, the price is $50 and I will throw in the bench and other weights for free. If you just want the bench, see the previous statement, but switch "metal plates" with "bench". And so-on. You MUST take it all. I don't give a flying f*ck if you simply drive around the corner and throw whatever you don't want over my neighbour's fence into his pool. Actually, I would enjoy seeing that. But you must take everything. I don't want it, nor do I want to spend the next five years fielding questions like "do u still have that wate set? I only want wun ten pound wate" and "how much for just the clamps?"

2) I will not deliver this set. The whole reason I'm selling it is because I don't want to lift weights anymore. If I consent to deliver this stuff, I'll have to lift it, and that ain't gonna happen. So save your hard luck story about how your "dancer" girlfriend totaled your IROC on the way back from the tattoo parlour because her kids were fighting with your pitbulls who got into your meth, because I don't care. If you can't handle the simple task of actually getting to the point of sale, perhaps you haven't earned the right to participate in the free market economy. No, wait... I changed my mind. I will deliver this anywhere south of Nanaimo, for a $200 fee.

3) OBO doesn't mean offering some idiotic amount like $10 and then having the gall to ask if I'll deliver it (see #2). In fact, don't low-ball me before even coming to see the weights. Come here assuming they will cost you $50, or don't come. I won't consent to anything less than $50 for anyone who can't even get off his butt to get here. We can haggle once you arrive. And don't hold your breath. Actually, I will take less, but you have to come here to ask me.

4) I live in Brentwood Bay. It's in Central Saanich. If you can't find it on a map, I don't think you should be allowed to lift weights. No, it's not on a bus route. And at any rate, if you are able to carry this much stuff on the bus, you probably don't need to lift any more weights.

5) I swear to all that's holy that if I get even half the moronic, jugheaded inquiries I got last time I'm just going to take the whole lot to the dump, just to spite y'all.

Thanks!

* Location: Central Saanich
* it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

New Rules May 29th

Perseverance!

This is why I love our sport and what I do!

DNF

Just a quick update for now. It is very tough to post a DNF result, but I knew starting this race that it was a possibility. I suffered a calf strain in the week leading up to the race and I had hoped that the week off of running would have it healed up and ready to go by race day. Unfortunately, I knew running the 500m stretch from the swim to the bike transition that there would be no running for me on this day (I put in an effort on the bike to salvage a work out from the day). I simply couldn't risk doing serious damage to the calf in the early stages of the season.

On a positive note, the team was awesome!

D'Oh!

What is that noise?

Car + Roof Rack + Bike + Overhang = STUCK!

I didn't get a picture of Greg's bike actually stuck, we kind of wanted to get it unstuck rather quickly. Thank goodness his legs aren't any longer (and my bike was in the back of the car).
If you look closely at the last picture you can see where the seat was sliding along the top of the overhang.

Colonel Crazy - Tony O'Keefe

Had the chance to listen to Tony on the Inside Track Podcast during the trip to the Okanagan today. Fact; Tony is crazy (refers to Ironman as a sprint). Proof; he is tackling the Race Across America for a second time. You can follow his progress and get the Inside Track podcast here (well worth a listen);

http://ironstride.com/RAAM/

Road Trip

Heading to Okanagan with Greg today.
Luckily, the radio works.

Oliver Half on the Horizon

T minus 4 days
Still waiting on ICBC.
Still waiting on new Trek TTX to come in.
Still waiting for calf to feel better.
Not waiting for hot weather anymore. It is here!
Looking forward to heading to the mainland Friday.