2 Weeks Today

KONA!
Could not ask for a better day to ride a bike.
Jazz and I hit up the roads north of the Malahat for our last long ride pre Kona.
Rach was out in the car for support. Perfect!

Rest Day

A couple pictures from the HPR/Cops for Cancer Spinathon last Friday.
The team managed to raise $1200 for the Tour de Rock in just over 4 hours.


Since returning from Kona things have gone well.
Our return journey was a bit of a gong show. I kind of forgot that we lived on an Island and booked our return flight into Seattle at 9:40pm. Unfortunately, this meant there was no way we were going to get back up to Vancouver for the last ferry. When Kev and I finally rolled up to the ferry terminal at 2am it didn't really make sense to get a hotel room so we did the old sleep in the vehicle until the first ferry at 7am.

Since being back, Jasper and I have been able to get in the bulk of our training together and that has been great. Having your friend and training partner living 2 blocks away is very convenient. There are still a couple of tough days to get through, but knowing that I will be back on the plane heading to Kona again next Wednesday makes these big days a bit easier to complete. The weather here has been amazing as well. Training this time of year in Victoria is incredible. There is definitely that feeling of fall in the air, but there hasn't been a cloud in the sky the past couple of days. Perfect!!

Time to rest.

Suffering

"Not to get too deep here, but the most valuable thing I can think of is to be grateful for suffering. That is a sublime feeling, and completely inexplicable and illogical, but no one doesn't suffer. So the degree to which you can be aware of your own humanity is the degree to which you can accept, with open eyes, your suffering. To be grateful for your suffering is to be grateful for your humanity, because what else are you going to do - say, "No Thanks"? It's there. "Smile and accept", said Mother Teresa. And she was talking to people who had it rough."

Believe it or not this quote is from a Rolling Stone interview with T.V. personality Stephen Colbert. I was reading the magazine on the way back from Hawaii and when I came across this answer I thought to myself there it is. I am often asked how I manage to push through pain in races and I think the way he describes suffering is the best way to answer it; acceptance! I spend the last few days before a race preparing myself for the fact that I know it is going to hurt and I am going to suffer. Once you have come to terms with it in your mind you can accept it and there is something quite magical about that.

Day 8

Off to the pool for one last swim and then it is time to head to the airport and start journey back to Victoria. Kind of messed up the travel for this one. We arrive in Seattle at 9:40 tonight and then have to wait for the first ferry tomorrow morning. Whoops! I forgot we weren't flying all the way through when I booked the flights. Oh well. Back in the morning.

Looking forward to two good weeks of training back in Victoria. Hoping to get in a couple of good workouts with Jazz.

20 Years Ago!

It is now a 4 lane highway along this stretch. I don't think it has EVER been run harder than this.

Day 7

Run Day! Today was one of those workouts that stays with you (both physically and mentally) on race day. The run from town into and out of the Energy Lab and then back to the Ironman Finish on the Pier. A couple days ago Ben emailed me to remind me that during our training camp last year he ran it in 1:55 (a couple minutes faster than I did I might add). Today my schedule called for a couple of tempo sections during the run so I thought it would be interesting to see if I could get close to that 1:55. Turns out it was extremely close but I got there with 17 seconds to spare. OK, I had to book it a little along Alii Drive, but the gauntlet had been thrown down. Hopefully I have that little bit extra on race day as well.

Once again Kev was integral to this run being successful. Having ice cold water and Gatorade every mile makes a world of difference. His words of wisdom at the end were great too: "The next time you get here on the run you can have a beer!" AMEN!

Day 6

K.C. is excited to come back to Kona for number 31. Very excited!

Short post today. Swam the entire course this morning. Did it solo, but Kev was my shark protection in a kayak. Don't know what would have happened had we actually seen a shark. I think I may have witnessed how fast Kevin can paddle a canoe in the opposite direction.
Appetite has been off the charts today. Spent the afternoon watching the US Open final. What a tennis match! Delayed my recovery ride, but it allowed for more time to eat so no complaints. Only a couple of episodes of Friday Night Lights left to watch. Looks like this camp will be wrapping up just in time.

Day 5

A tough one. On the bike at 7am. Used the Kuakini climb as warm up and then rode a good solid effort for 180km. Kev was great driving support. Didn't have to stop at all (although stopping would have felt alright). The time was good for the end of a big week of training. The 30 minute run off the bike was icing on the cake (or the nail in the coffin depending on how you look at it). Now time to put the legs up before a good long recovery swim.

Mana Road Run

A bit Shaky to start. Kev is still figuring out the video setting on the camera!! Time for a tripod maybe!

Day 4

Probably one of my favourite runs of all time. Requires a bit of a drive up to Waimea, but once you are on this red dirt road up at 2500ft you are happy you made the trip. Did this run back in February with Adrian Walton and it started to bring life back to my running before IM New Zealand.

Day 3 (updated)

Early coffee at Lava Java and then a good hard swim from the pier. Swells were up today. Could hear the dolphins, but didn't see them. Now it is time to head out to Waikoloa and start the tempo ride along the far end of the course.

Here are some pics from a hot and windy one out at the far end of the course. Kev loves the PT Cruiser. I know you are jealous Ben.

Finished off the day with a recovery Long Board Burrito from Killer Tacos. Yumm!

Day 2

Where the day has begun. 5k in the Kona Pool just after sunrise. If you are gonna smash yourself, you might as well do it in paradise. Next up; run at noon, bike later in the afternoon.

Day 1

A good introduction to Kona heat and wind again today. Set out at noon with Kev for my ride. Once again, misjudged hydration on this one and was dying for fluids about 30 minutes from the nearest gas station. My fault for telling Kevin I would be fine today.
Managed to do the serious ice cold headache when I started chugging freezing Gatorade at the store. Now we have just finished dinner prepared by chef Kevin. A few shots of Kevin and his fine work in the kitchen. See Karen, Kevin can cook.

Back on the Big Island

Kevin and I are here in Kona and have settled in to our condo for the week. The place is nice, but a bit small. The good thing is that it is less than a 5 minute walk to the pier.

I did a hard swim in the ocean this morning and once again had the luck of being escorted by a pod of dolphins for part of it. Nothing like being welcomed back by the locals. Now just chillin and watching some tennis before heading out for a 3:30 ride on the Queen K with some solid intervals in the second half.

Vancouver Triathlon (pictures for now)

Human Powered Racing Water Polo

Rules, we don't need to stinkin rules.
Yes, off season has begun for the team!

IMC PICS 2009

http://annmcdow.shawwebspace.ca/photos/

A Big Thanks to Ann for taking such amazing pictures race day.

IMC 2009

Finally back in Victoria!

Human Powered Racing was a force out there on race day. I can't even begin to describe how proud I was to see the team out there being just that; a team. Way to go everyone. A number of P.B.'s were achieved on a tough day. Congrats to Allan and Tammy for booking their tickets to Kona! It was great to see your hard work and dedication rewarded.

And a huge High Five to Marsha Petty Johnson for getting to the line and beating that course. It may have been 6 minutes after midnight, but you showed us all what it means to be an Ironman. There is having success and then there is having significance, very few people have both. What you did Marsha showed us all that it is possible.

I will try and post some pictures soon.

Time for a little off season. Let the beer mile training begin.