Mike Roth Keeps His Word (a before and after)

You can still donate to his MS swim.
Maybe another $200 will get the logo in the front.

https://msofs.mssociety.ca/2009MISC/Sponsor.aspx?PID=1138165&L=2&GC=ORS

A Swim Around Thetis with Kelly, Karen and Kevin!

Lucky

Thank you to all of you who sent well wishes after my post about the bike accident. I didn't realize that so many people were daydreaming at work and checking this blog out.
I thought I should do a quick follow up on the aftermath of the accident. The good news is that I am OK. My wrist is a bit sore from landing on it, but there was no major damage to my body. My bike on the other hand is now ready for the scrap heap. Apparently carbon is not that sturdy a material when it is smoked from the side by a car. Perhaps we can save it and use it for the Trek/Pro City bike frame toss at next years Christmas party. My only concern now is getting another bike in time for next Sunday's race in Oliver. I will keep my fingers crossed.

Today is another beauty day here in Victoria. I am looking forward to jumping on the road bike and heading out with the team in a couple of hours.

I also want to wish the best of luck to Krista and Monique who are in Kona racing the Honu 70.3 this weekend and Sara Gross who is taking on IM Brazil. GO FAST!

Let's see if the Pens can pull this off!

T-Bone

No, not steak, that was what happened to me on my ride this morning.
Jazz and I were starting out and only 2 blocks from home when we waited our turn to go through a 4 way stop and then WHOA, I hear Jazz yell and I look to my right to see a car coming right at me. Everything was in slow motion as the car hit me and the bike. I ended up in the air and then on the ground. Luckily the bike took most of the impact from the car and I am OK, but man, it was a very good reminder of just how exposed we are on bikes.

Please be careful out there everybody!

Great MS Fundraiser (courtesy of Mr. Mike Roth)

We will need at least a couple hundred bucks worth of wax so lets see how much we can raise here.

Posted by Mike Roth.

As some of you may know, I am blessed with a wonderful thermal layer. Some might say that it slows me down on the bike and in the pool. So, if Team HPR can raise $200 (minimum of $5 per person) for MS by June 4, I will let some lucky person shave/Nair “HPR” across my back in time for the Oliver Half Iron on June 7.

You can access my personal pledge page by pasting this link to your browser.

https://msofs.mssociety.ca/2009MISC/Sponsor.aspx?PID=1138165&L=2&GC=ORS

Springtime!

Not a lot to report these days. When I arrived back from Florida I had a very relaxed week of training, which is not to be confused with a relaxed week. Rach and I spent the week living in the spare room as Sean Cunningham helped us renovate our bedroom. This ended up taking a full week and kept me from getting at my road bike which was buried in the office. Now that it is done (well, almost done) it looks great and I am happy Rach took the initiative to get it started (closet wall taken down, new wall put up, carpet ripped out, painted, new flooring, new lighting).

My folks are out this week for a visit so it has been great to catch up with them. They had been here a couple of times before, but it was always in the fall when the rain had started. They are getting to see what Victoria is really like now when the sun is out.

2 weeks from Sunday is the next race (The Oliver Half) over in the Okanagan. I am looking forward to this one because a number of the team are heading over as well. Should be a fun weekend.

IMNZ

http://www.universalsports.com/mediaPlayer/media.dbml?db_oem_id=23000&sid=-1&catid=-1&id=405822

Racing in the Street

Gulf Coast 2009 - The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

This year marked the 5th time in a row I have traveled with Human Powered Racing athletes down to Panama City Beach, Florida for the Gulf Coast Half Ironman (a.k.a Gulf Roast). Over the years I have finished 3rd/1st/1st/1st/1st so it definitely is a course that suits me. Instead of the usual race report I thought I would give the good, bad and ugly of this years trip.

The Good

- The drive down with the team. 5 vehicles in all. I was in an extremely fun van with Brewer, Katie and Rika.
- The cottages on the beach. You literally walk out your door onto one of the nicest beaches I have seen anywhere in the world. Unfortunately the beach cottages that we have stayed in every year are scheduled to be torn down in the coming months.
- Waking up race morning feeling fine. I was definitely fighting a cold in the couple of days leading up to the race.
- Leading out of the swim. The conditions this year were extremely rough and although the time was SLOW it was good to be at the front of the race from the get go. The past couple of years I haven't taken the lead until close to mile 10 of the bike.
- Being in the lead after the turnaround. The energy you get from team mates coming the other way on the course is hard to describe, but it is definitely one of the reasons I always bike well here
- Seeing Ben Cotter, my team mate/training partner coming at me in second place on the bike. Nice knowing he was right there in the mix.
- Getting out of transition and not hearing the next athlete being announced coming in. The past couple of years I heard the announcer calling the second place athlete in as I was heading out of transition.
- Wearing socks on the run. Because I have been in such a rush in years past to get out of sight I have not taken the time to put socks on and my feet have paid the price. This year I ended the race with blister and blood free feet.
- Winning. One of my favourite quotes from the movie Bull Durham sums it up best; "Man I love winning, it is like, better than losing".
- Standing at the finish line and seeing the rest of the team finish. For a lot of the team this was their first Half Ironman and it was a fantastic achievement. To do it in such tough conditions made it even more special.
- Seeing Rika Viragh finish her first race. She did this as part of a class project and she did it for a cause (see earlier post). The girl is a real role model.
- Not getting charged $125 for bike on the way home.
- Spinnakers. The best awards venue ever.
- Free Beer

The Bad

- Feeling sick the couple of days before the race.
- Not being able to find any type of rhythm on the swim. I have been swimming extremely well in the pool the past month, but unfortunately ocean swims are seldom as calm as a 50m pool. Must hit the open water soon.
- Having zipper of speed suit get stuck on the way out of the water. I even slowed down and asked Zach Ruble to try and undo it as we ran to our bikes, but it was STUCK. Eventually had to pull a Houdini and just rip the suit off.
- Not pushing all the way to the finish. One of my goals coming into this race was to run fast, but unfortunately, when the heat started to get to me I was content to back off. I wish I hadn't done that, although I think my legs appreciated it.
- Coming across aid stations that are still setting up. This seems to happen every year, but when it is 85 degrees and humid you really need everything that is out there.

The Ugly

- Coyote Ugly
- Jagermeister
- 14 hour drive after a night of free beer and Jagermeister.

#4

Another great day of racing and cheering with the team here in Panama City Beach.
I had the good fortune of winning again, but this time it was fellow HPR athlete and training partner Ben Cotter pushing me. Very Cool! More details and pictures to follow.

http://www.newsherald.com/sports/won-74081-smith-race.html

!

"When I let go of what I am,
I become what I might be."
--- Lao Tzu

Life is a Jouney (sometimes a long one)!

We have (17 of us) just arrived in Panama City Beach, Florida. 6 more are flying in today.
This is another one of those crazy trips.
Leave house Tuesday at 4:30pm (Thanks Luke)
Victoria - Seattle (4 hours layover)
Seattle - Atlanta (overnight/ 1 hour layover)
Atlanta - Columbus
Arrive in Columbus Wednesday at 9am (8 hour in Columbus)
Load into Mini - Van (5 vehicles in all)
Leave Columbus at 6pm (drive overnight)
Drive from Columbus (past Atlanta) - Panama City Beach, Florida
Arrive 7:30am Thursday local PCB time
They say life is about the journey, not the destination. Whenever I do this trip I am pretty sure it is about the destination. Time to finally sleep on a bed.

Race day is Saturday. I will try and post some pictures of pre-race with the team.

No Pig is Safe!

Way To Go Rika!

Check it out!

http://www.racetoafrica.squarespace.com/