Pre-race jitters!

Lots done today!

1) Got my bike assembled. Thanks MF!

2) Brought my bike for a tune-up to Bike Barn, official bike people for Ironman Canada. Though I'd just gotten it tuned up before shipping, my gears got out of whack with the transport :-(

3) Registered and picked up my race bags and ID bracelet. I played the good consumer and purchased a few Ironman souvenirs. I especially like IM mugs! It think it's becoming my Ironman tradition, collecting mugs from each race. Hope I can eventually collect 20 of them, heheheh :-)



4) Picked up my bike then did a brick workout! 25km ride followed by a 5km easy run. I don't remember this part of the race course being this hilly, hmmm. I passed two men running while on my way out on the bike and then again on my way in from my run. One gentleman was doing three, yes THREE, back-to-back Ironman triathlons, finishing with Ironman Canada two days later. He was raising money to help fund Haiti's microeconomy ... good for him!

5) After supper, I got my gear and special bags ready for drop-off the next day. It was hard to figure out what to wear since the forecast kept changing ... and it wasn't looking optimistic ... sigh. It would be too cold to wear the sexy new tri singlet that I'd bought. Guess I'll have to race next year!

Though I didn't make it to the Athlete's Welcome Banquet opting instead to train, I was happy to have a well-assembled, well-tuned bike that I was familiar with riding. I was also happy to have gotten in a final bike and run, especially since yesterday's travelling didn't allow time for this.

The race was getting nearer and I my nerves were starting to feel it!

Ready or not, here I come!

Well, I can't believe the time has come ... Ironman Canada is but a few days away and I feel far from ready.

To put it bluntly, training has been difficult. Two and a half months including taper is NOT LONG ENOUGH. Add into this equation super long work days and kids and it becomes impossible to get in enough quality training and rest.
To top it off, even my taper was dismal. All that sticks in my head training-wise is that I only managed to slip in a total of 20k of running during this official two-week taper period, and probably not much more biking or swimming comparatively. Hey, I couldn't even manage to update my training calendar!

And because of my super busy summer, I've unfortunately had to condense all my fundraising for the Canadian Cancer Society through Operation Triumph into the short week before my departure ... the whole reason behind doing this Ironman!

So evening comes and I squeeze in a swim and a last physio appointment before my race to help me deal with my neck injury. Afterwards, I scramble to finish sending out my fundraising emails and then, late at night, I finally start packing. It's now early morning, I'm exhausted but I'm finally ready. Time to catch some short zzz's. I pray that I haven't forgotten anything important. The logistics of Ironman make packing precarious and stressful ... so much GEAR and SUPPLIES ... I've heard horror stories about people forgetting to pack bike shoes, goggles, etc.

Night night, my dear readers ... Later this morning, I'll be leaving on a jet plane!

Ironman countdown!

Alright, I don't know how the others do it ...

How the other triathletes work, have families and train for Ironman all at the same time. Since my last post about training, I have been precariously juggling an intense IM training schedule with 12hr+ shoot days, auditions, kids, and also trying to get enough rest so I don't burn out.

And geez, I've even put my social life completely on the side! Very hard for a social butterfly to do, you know ;-)

I've never been good with schedules or anything that dictates that I have to do a particular something every day. I think the older I get, the more my artist spirit wants to rebel against anything that wants to pin me down or cage me in. It's not like I don't like training intensely, but I prefer to train in whatever way my mood suits me. And for sure, I do miss my other sports and activities, like swing dancing!

I haven't been particulary good about bedtimes or getting enough sleep all the time, though I've tried. Ironman training actually involves a fourth sport ... REST! It's really difficult though finishing a 16hr day at 1:15am, prepping for the next day, sleeping 2.5hrs, then getting to another film set at 7am to start another production. Alright, that was the extreme this summer, nonetheless, it was my reality, and hours like that mess up anyone's schedule!

Week #5

Swim: 2h 50min, 6550m
Bike: 8h 20min, 196k
Run: 2h 15min, 20k

TOTAL TRAINING = 13h 25min

I didn't quite fit in all my training but I did okay.

Week #6

Swim: 2h 30min, 6200m
Bike: 2h 45min, 56k
Run: 3h 57min, 23k + intervals

TOTAL TRAINING = 9h 12min

Three rest days ... I also started a 7-day straight shooting schedule after also having shot earlier in the week.

Week #7

3h 20min, 7450m
5h 34min, 128k
1h 53min, 18.5k

TOTAL TRAINING = 10h 47min

I finished the other four days of my 7-day shoot schedule. Monday, I slipped in a short 3.5k jaunt in the morning before a 13 hour day on set. Tuesday, I managed a half hour swim before a 16hr day. Wednesday was a day off from training thank God, but not shooting, and Thursday was thankfully a shorter day of work, so I got in 1h 45min of training that evening. I let myself sleep in Friday as long as my body wanted.

Whew! And this was a scheduled recuperation week!

Week #8

125 min = 2h 5min, 4150m
780 min = 13h, 319k
185 min = 3h 5min, 26k

TOTAL TRAINING = 18h 10min

It's surprising how I was able to fit in a week of home vacation with the kids, two auditions and a shoot date with my most intense week of training. Determination! Sunday's ride was not fun though ... it was very dark and cloudy outside and not wanting to be rained upon for hours, I opted to ride indoors on my trainer for 5.5 hours and watch The Lord of the Rings Trilogy with the kids.

I don't ever plan to ride that long on my trainer again ... this was a true test of mental fortitude! My butt hurt so much! But at least there were Rice Krispie squares as snacks. And I got to take a lunch break with the kids ... freshly-baked warm country bread with tomato bocconcino salad! Yum!

Week #9

2h 23min, 5450m
5h 50min, 146k
3h 10min, 28.5k

TOTAL TRAINING = 11h 23min

I took an unscheduled rest day on Tuesday to nurse my sore knee, sigh. I also had a pimple in an undesirable spot for cycling. And I felt really TIRED this week ... My body was telling me it was on the verge of overtraining and I should take it easy. I felt demotivated and cut my Wednesday training by more than half. Thursday, I skipped my 1.5hr spin and just did my 2h 40min long run. I managed 23.5k. This will have to be my longest run distance ... I don't think my knee can handle more.

Sunday ended up being a big calamity! I had planned a 6 hour, 150k ride ... 125k on the road, and 25k on the trainer since it would be too dark outside. I got as far as 67k before I got a flat tire. I had no trouble changing the tire, but unfortunately the CO2 cartridge adapter was missing from my bike bag! So I could not pump up my tire and waited patiently for a friend to pick me up 50k from my house. Good thing I had brought my cell phone!

This was scheduled to be another peak training week, but I guess the Universe decided differently and turned it into a first week of tapering, and perhaps justly so due to the risk of overtraining and more injury.

Week #10

Official taper week.

I didn't keep track of what I did, but it wasn't much. I had a sore throat all week and when it finally subsided, I realised it wasn't my allergies but a small throat infection. I was also plagued by G.I. issues and a massive headache this week. Throw in auditions and shoot dates and even with the greatly reduced training, I was STILL very busy. I remember short runs, short swims, and also managing a 2h 10min ride on my trainer Sunday ... though it took all my willpower to do it!

I concentrated on getting rest but honestly, I'm really tired of training and can't wait until I can return to my other activites!

Week #11

More tapering. Trainer for an hour last night. Now I'm going to head for a hill ride. Tonight's a short swim and packing, lots of packing ... and more fundraising ...

I'm racing in memory of my mom and fundraising for the Canadian Cancer Society through Operation Triumph. Please listen to or read my letter here. I would love to have your support with a donation!

Alright, gotta dash now, too much to do in too little time. Good thing I slept 10 hours last night since I don't know if I'll have time to sleep tonight or even if I'll be able to ...

This Ironman training is killing me!

Let's just say ... it's been REAL TOUGH.

It's well-known that training for and finishing an Ironman takes mental fortitude.

That, I got.

I look at my training schedule and don't feel at all intimidated. In fact, my mind is now so warped and "used" to long-distance training that cycling 100k is really not that far and when I see only two hours marked in my schedule, I say, "Pfft, that's nothing."

It's ironic. Somehow in the "doing" part, meaning the actual training, there is a disconnect between my mind and my body ... Somehow my body doesn't react the same way my mind does to this training.

It screams out, "I'm so FRIKKIN' TIRED!!"

Lacking base fitness due to my broken shoulder (which is, by the way, STILL healing), it was probably not the smartest idea to jump right into the midst of the training program I used for Ironman Canada 2006.

First of all, I was sorely lacking any decent training in all three sports and really only started back up slowly, very slowly end of March/beginning of April.

Secondly, my weak attempt at rebuilding base became a truly dismal attempt for three weeks mid-May to early June because of too many 13hr days on a film set. Great for the wallet, it's always nice to know I will have food and rent, but real hard for getting back into shape!

Thirdly, the training program I used in 2006 was pretty intense. I had had a horrible car accident in February and could not train at all for two months. I then restarted training to regain my fitness base and by June, I started my three-month (13-week) program that my trainer, Dirk, had designed for me.

This time round, I've jumped right into Week #3 of that same intense program but with less base than in 2006!

WEEK #1

Swim: 1h 50min
Bike: 10h 30min, Total = 247km
Run: 3h 18min

TOTAL TRAINING = 15h 38 min

I can't believe how exhausted yet exhilarated I feel that I'm doing it, I'm actually OFFICIALLY in Ironman training mode! My legs are heavy and sluggish ... sigh.

WEEK #2

Swim: 1hr 50 min
Bike: 6h 45min, Total = 155km
Run: 1h 24min

TOTAL TRAINING = 9h 59min

A bum knee took me out by Thursday. I had injured myself slightly last week while running when I had stopped suddenly to avoid being run over by an inattentive cyclist on the sidewalk. So my 1h 40min scheduled run unexpectedly became 20 min. I figured it was wiser to play safe rather than sorry since there was a LOT MORE training to go. I also skipped the 45 min. spin planned for that day.

I lay low for the rest of the week, no more running and I decreased my swimming and cycling. I secretly revelled in this extra rest as I enjoyed down-time with my kids.

WEEK #3 (Recuperation week)

Swim: 1h 35min
Bike: 4h 15min, Total = 102k
Run: 1h

TOTAL TRAINING = 6h 50min

I am officially on vacation with my kids. Even doing a "light" training week has been difficult and I find I've been missing workouts. Oh well. The kids and I had fun :-)

I can't seem to get enough sleep.

WEEK #4

Swim: 2h 48min
Bike: 8h 55min, Total = 212k
Run: 2h 45min

TOTAL TRAINING = 14h 28min

Alright, this week has gone a lot better, albeit the incredible heat wave. Sleeping was horrible and training felt even harder than the first week but I made it through with only one run of 1h 45min entirely deleted from my program. I'd gone out for supper and was still too full by the time midnight rolled around, when it would be cool enough to run. Yes, I am a night owl. And I don't relish running in the HOT sun when the humidex reads 41C/106F.

I finally started training on Ingrid, my Cervelo P2C tri-bike. She's still quite new and embarrasingly, only has slightly more than 500km on her (including today's ride, and IMKY in 2008). Can you tell I did not ride her much last year?

Today's evening ride, in cooler weather (only 29C/84F !) was incredible. Ingrid and I were on FIRE!

My legs felt tired for the first 30k but then they really warmed up and the rest of the ride was fantastic. Most powerful I've felt all year cycling, and by the time I got back after 100k, my legs didn't feel tired and in fact felt springy. MILESTONE! This means I am starting to adjust to harder training.

I also came back home with at least two dozen dead flies stuck to my bosom. They'd flown down my braless top. I made sure to take off my top in the bathtub to shake it out and a huge dead fly fell out along with remnants from the smaller ones. Ick ... real ICK.

Alright, this night owl has a 7am work day start tomorrow, I should try to get some sleep. But I really wanted to share my first month of IM training with you.

Overall, I'm pretty satisfied :-) Today was the training I needed to feel that I could actually finish this race again. YAY!

Sometimes a shout is ...

... better than a whistle or a bell!

Since my friend, Lyn, passed away, I've been even more careful about cycling for fear of being hit or something else happening to me. I usually try to take the cycling paths or quiet residential neighbourhoods, but even on the paths, there are enough stupidities that occur that make me shake my head in frustration ... like ...

• a man cycling with his dog on a leash on one side of him, his son riding on the other side of him. Of course they're taking up the ENTIRE path.
• couples/friends that insist on rollerblading together side-by-side
• couples/friends that insist on cycling together side-by-side
• adults that let their kids run freely onto or across the bike path
• couples and groups of people that think bike paths are walkways
• young teenagers who "park" (dump) their bikes in the middle of the path to take a look at something on the side
• pedestrians who walk across bike paths and don't even bother looking at oncoming traffic. Would they do this onto a road full of cars?

Alright, enough venting, but I've had enough of sudden stops or slow-downs.

Good thing is ... I'm out there cycling more regularly now, and as of this week ...

I am OFFICIALLY in Ironman training mode!

Even made myself out a schedule, based on what I did for my Ironman Canada 2006 race. Mind you, I'm now jumping weeks ahead into the program and am praying to God that what I lack in aerobic base and strength, I will have in muscle memory and mental fortitude.

Yesterday, I rode 70k and swam 1700m (not as far as my schedule dictated, but it's the farthest I've been able to swim with my injured shoulder, and I'm feeling good!). The day before, I ran my first intervals, didn't push too hard, but nonetheles ...

Already, after just a few days of this more intensive training, I am feeling very tired and my legs are heavy and achy. Ooooh, I think this is going to be a long 11 weeks ...

Go Habs Go!!

So, the NHL playoffs for the Stanley Cup has been occupying a lot of people's thoughts and time for the past month or so. Not mine of course, but tonight the Habs (Montreal Canadians) won Game #7 against the Pittsburgh Penguins! Woohoo!!

I've never been a hockey fan, 'cept when I was a little kid and used to collect hockey cards of Darryl Sittler and Guy Lafleur, but tonight, I was actually excited! I even honked my horn on the way home from the pool after their win, along with the other merry Montreal folk celebrating.

I was so excited for the Habs' 2-0 score after the first period, I almost nixed going to the pool at all to sit down and watch the rest of the game. After the end of the second period though, I MADE myself go ... heck, I have an Ironman to train for!

So on the way to the pool, I noticed there was no traffic. Of course, everyone's watching the game. And close to the pool, there was no parking, since everyone is either at home or in one of the many local bars watching the game.

At the YMCA counter, the radio was playing and the game was playing!

"They're playing it downstairs too in the pool."

BONUS!

Funny, I've lived in Montreal for over half my life and I've never ever had any interest in the Habs ... until tonight. I may even have to watch some of the finals ... (did I just write that?)

Okay, now to catch you up on today's training ...

Swimming:

Just a short 1000m. I've done more distance than this in other training sessions, up to 1300m, but I got to the pool late and it closed before I could do more.

We cheered in the pool when the Habs won!
5-2, advancing them to the Finals of the Eastern Conference!

My left shoulder still hurts when I swim even though I am working hard at physio to increase stability and strength. Though the bone is now "healed", the ligaments (rotator cuff) that attach to where the fracture was aren't. Such a long road to full recovery ... sigh. The good news is that I've almost regained full range of motion ... one more month maybe of stretches and I'll be good, I hope.

Running:

I actually ran my first 10k of the year, interrupted by three breaks due to an upset tummy ... Waah! But once I'd finished emptying myself out, I felt better and finished strong, though tired. My legs and hips are definitely not used to the pounding and I'm sure I'm going to feel tight and sore tomorrow.

Cycling:

I'll catch you up with this in the next post but it's going well! I'm still not 100% with my shoulder so I've only been riding my heavy mountain bike since the position is higher than my road and tri bikes. On top of that, I had a recent car accident involving a car driving the wrong way down a one-way street (and into me!) So now my neck and back hurt ... again ... WAAAH!

All in all, training is going as well as expected though with all my injuries and lack of base. It's so hard to rebuild again and feel like an athlete. Oh, the pressure! I'm going to have to start some sort of disciplined training schedule for Ironman real soon ... but let's think about that starting in June ;-)

Baby steps ...

It's been almost 10 weeks since I broke my shoulder and about four weeks since I was allowed to remove my sling. My shoulder STILL hurts! I'm doing heavy duty physio these days, going twice a week and doing 1.5-2 hours/day of exercises at home. I still need to take painkillers from time to time and am anxious to finish healing.

My physiotherapist has purposely given me double the number of exercises as he would the average person because he knows I have an Ironman coming up. He also realizes that I am healing/progressing at double the speed :-) This is probably due to a combination of being in good shape previous to the accident as well as my stubborness/mental resolve. What got me through all my long distance races will also get me through this long and painful healing process!.

I've got another few weeks for the bone to get harder but was sure happy to get rid of that sling! Besides the obvious possibility of regaining mobility, I was THRILLED to say good-bye to the horrible rash caused by wearing the sling. It was constantly itchy and irritated, making it difficult to fall asleep and waking me often during the night, even bleeding and weeping from time to time because of all the scratching. It took a full two weeks to heal even after the sling came off.

Having one arm is no fun.

I couldn't do simple things easily, like preparing food, washing myself, getting dressed and undressed, putting my hair up in a ponytail, tying a garbage bag ... I relied on my friends to help me and even once on a stranger ,"Oh, please, could you put my hair up in a ponytail?" My hair was full of static electricity because of my winter hat, annoying as all heck, and I was waiting to get an x-ray done at the hospital. I knew she'd understand, as she herself had her hair in a ponytail :-)

I learned to do things creatively, like roll my hair up and put it into a clip with the help of the edge of the table and also to hang clothes with one hand. Not the smartest thing to do though, as this required balancing myself precariously on the edge of the bathtub. Try doing that when your centre of gravity is displaced because you've got an arm pinned up against your chest.

I quickly realised the first time I washed my hair after the accident that pouring shampoo directly on my head was not a good idea, as I poured out half the bottle. I learned that I had to put some shampoo on my leg, put down the bottle then scoop the shampoo quickly into my right hand. I also gave up on washing certain parts of my right arm and upper torso but I did learn to apply body lotion on certain parts of my body with my right thigh.

I even learned to wash my right armpit with my right hand. And then I learned to SHAVE my armpit too ... mind you, the first time was a little scary.

Good thing I have helpful friends. Good thing I have friends who cook. Good thing I have a freezer.

So, now that I'm finally doing strength exercises with light weights (2 & 3 lb. weights, and two different resistance bands), I've started training again, but ever so gently.

Running

I started running again about 2 1/2 weeks ago with my arm pinned against the front of my chest as any shoulder movement was painful, and since the jarring motion also hurt the fracture, I had to run very slowly and smoothly. I started out carefully and built up ... 15 min, then 20, then 25, then 30! Then 5k!!

And now, because the physio exercises have increased the range of motion of my shoulder, I am able to run with my arm slightly away from my body. My present goal is to get back to my regular arm swing and increase my weekly mileage slowly. My shoulder's still quite sore so I haven't attempted more than 5k at a time.

Swimming

Yay! I was thrilled when my physiotherapist gave me the go-ahead to swim two weeks ago. So this is what I've done since ... mind you, I have to be very careful since I can't yet extend to the end of my stroke because of the pain. But check out the progression of these workouts ... slow and steady!

1) 200yds = 8 x 25yds breaststroke

2) 400yds = 8 x 50yds breaststroke

3) 400m = 2 x 50m breaststroke + 1 x 100m breaststroke + 8 x 25m front crawl

4) 600m = 2 x 100m breaststroke + 4 x 50m front/back kick + 4 x 50m front crawl

5) 800m = 200m breaststroke + 6 x 100m front crawl

6) 700yds = 200yds breaststroke + 2 x 250yds front crawl

* I swam in two different pools, one measures 25yds, the other 25m.

Cycling

Well, I've been cycling little bits since about two weeks after the accident, but I found it quite difficult at first sitting up completely straight on my racing bike and propping myself up with the aid of a chair beside me. I've been cycling anywhere from 20-40 min. each time, about twice a week, a real pain when I was in the sling 'cause my arm got hot and made me itch worse. And once out of the sling, the first few times were painful since I had nothing supporting my arm and shoulder.

Riding has recently gotten much better. My butt has now developed callouses and my left shoulder isn't as sore as it used to be. I've adapted to holding the chair and often ride holding nothing. I'm now slowly progressing to cycling in a bent-over position and holding my handlebars on the tops, but only a minute or two at a time. I can't yet put my full weight on my shoulder and don't want to risk it until the bone is 100% hard. Sure eels good to get stronger on my bike!

Today's weather was absolutely gorgeous with lots of sun and warm Spring-like temperatures ... a perfect time to ride outdoors. I was tempted to give my mountain bike a mini-tuneup to take her for a spin, but what would I do if I got a flat tire? Montreal is just starting to clean its streets and there's lots of glass and mean bits lying around that will slash bike tires. I know this from experience when I got a flat my first outdoor ride in 2008. With the lack of strength in my left arm and shoulder, I wouldn't stand a chance of being able to change a tire!

In fact, when my racing bike was set up on my trainer after my accident, the front tire valve tip snapped off when I removed the pump. I haven't pumped that tire up since because I know it'll go flat once I depress the valve, and I'll be unable to change my tire!

I still have a long road ahead of me to get my full strength and mobility back but it's nice to know I'm on my way.

It's almost ironic that a friend last year told me, "Oh, you should be able to do a really good Ironman next year. You've had enough bad things happen to impede your training, nothing can happen now!"

Yeah right ...

Car accident before Ironman Canada 2006.

Bike accident before Ironman Louisville 2008.

And now, broken shoulder before Ironman Canada 2010. Good thing that at least in my mind, I'll be able to finish it ;-)

It's simple.

I haven't blogged 'cause I'm barely training. Call it Sloth Mode but it happens every year during the holiday season. In general, I'm not one for keeping schedules and routines since I lack dedication and discipline, but recently, I've had some good reasons to be running, cycling and swimming less.

REASON #1

I've never gone far away for Christmas but finally did recently to the French Alps. A little intimidating for this snowboarder who hasn't visited many ski hills but quite the experience ...

REASON #2

Friggin' 2nd degree burn.


My forearm touched the oven door as I was turning roast potatoes. What you see here in the pic is Day Four, and it's looking "good" having just been freshly washed. Damned tape gave me contact dermatitis though!

My burn wept and bled for almost two weeks and hurt like the dickens even when covered. Boo hoo. I couldn't sleep properly at night, not knowing where to put my arm and having to take pain-killers. Needless to say, this burn didn't bolster my training mood. Obviously no swimming as water made it sting horribly but I did manage a few short runs, even though it did hurt to move my arm.

This week, I'm now back to almost daily short runs of 25-35 min. and tomorrow, I'm going to the pool! My skin is much better and I no longer need a gauze covering. Yay!

REASON #3

Do I really want to put my bike on my trainer? I haven't cycled since autumn ... Let's approach this daunting task after I manage to incorporate the swim ...

NEXT ... the P90X!!!

It's my birthday today ...

And I got to go snowboarding in the French Alps (pictures to come soon!) I must say, this was not a bad way to celebrate :-) Not much training during this vacation though ... Too many hills, snow and ice to run safely here on the narrow streets.

The food where I'm staying in Morzine, France, has been utterly delicious (= weight gain) and I will have my work cut out for me come 2010 when full training starts!

Before this vacation started, I unsuccessfully started the intense P90X home training program. It's an intense 90-day training program for fit people who want to get even fitter.


I managed to get through two days before I got sidetracked by work, kids, Christmas shopping, and holiday preparations. It didn't bother me that much actually that my attempt failed ... the P90X Fitness System was painful ... Actually, it was INCREDIBLY PAINFUL!! And I never felt so nul as an athlete. Both days, I cringed and then whimpered inside as I realised I still had more than 40 min. to go during each workout which lasts just under an hour.

I discovered muscles that I never knew I had, muscles that became so sore that I could barely climb out of bed or walk around. The day after finishing Ironman is a piece of cake compared to this!

Alright, back home tomorrow and back to building base ... and prepping myself mentally to restart P90X. DAY ONE, here I come ... um, eventually!

Happy Thanksgiving!

To all my American readers ... Hope you had a fantastic day celebrating with friends and family ...

I *wish* I could have joined some of you for a delicious turkey supper with all the fixings! No training yet today, just a dance class, but I'm hoping to end the evening off with a short run in the rain ...

I'm sick of being sick

Alright, Cold #2 officially still under way, and it's now been a week and a half. One week prior to this cold, I had just gotten over Cold #1. But who knows, this could all be combined with wicked allergies, though it seems that antihistamines aren't really helping. Whatever ... All I know is that I've suffered long enough and am tired of congested sinuses, sneezing, headache, and fatigue. At least the sore throat has finally abaited.

So, not much training going on these days ... a few short easy runs (nothing hard, don't want to induce my asthma), some short bike rides, and finally today, a short swim, more to say I got into the pool than to actually swim.

What I have been doing though is some socializing!

The past weekend saw a whole bunch of my friends participate in the Montreal Marathon weekend. Most of my runner friends opted to do the Half, but I did have one crazy fellow Ironman, Thor, come in from Boston to run his 50th marathon with a time of 3:07. According to him, he "crashed and burned", compared to his usual marathon experience. I can only dream of crashing and burning the way he did ;-)

Okay, now for some pics ... Here are some of my running friends from Montreal enjoying some brew and grub at an Irish pub Friday night. I made sure to organise this two days pre-race to not interfere with the Saturday "routine" or carb supper for those racing.

And here's a pic of the race ... the time you see is for the Half Marathoners at the 16 km split.

And here I am, meeting up with some virtual friends from my Kickrunners Multi-sport forum, Thor and his lovely wife, H.

I realised one thing about spectating ... I suck at it and seemed to miss all my running friends pass me by as I waited at the finish. Heck, I'm the one usually racing! By chance though, I did run into two friends at the end, and I was lucky to see Thor come through the finish.

How do spectators pick out ONE RUNNER out of a crowd of thousands, especially if they don't know what he/she is wearing? I have a new-found admiration for all my friends who have waited for me and cheered me on during my races.

Go big or go home!

August 22 has come and gone and I am not yet registered. In fact, today is the last day I can register online at the regular fee for the triathlon races in Ottawa Sept. 5.

I'm still sitting on the fence and can't figure out for which race to register ... the Sprint or the Half Iron. Frankly, I'm not ready for either.

Today I ran 15k, hip and bunions hurt, but I pushed through and finished strong. I actually visualised running the entire half marathon distance (even though I ran 6k short) and instead of running it at a regular LSD (long slow distance) pace, I picked up the pace and let it hurt more than I wanted, but not enough to cause injury. I needed to test my physical and mental toughness of what it might feel like after swimming 2k, biking 90k then running 21k.

Let's check out the pros and cons of each distance:

SPRINT TRIATHLON

Pros
- Costs less than the Half Ironman.
- Takes less time than the Half Ironman.
- Found out today that the bike is actually 30k and not 20k, which is more common ... so I'm liking the longer distance :-)
- Though my training has been inconsistent, I've for sure done enough mileage.
- This will make me step out of my comfort zone of endurance racing and maybe I'll discover that I'm not as slow as I think.
- The pressure to be speedy freaks me out!
- The pace required is never described by the word "comfy".

Cons
- I have to push myself at my maximum throughout the entire race.
- I haven't done any speedwork. I suck at transitioning and this part is super important in a short race.
- I have to push so hard that I will actually be on the verge of being out of breath all the time and my muscles will BURN BURN BURN. I will HURT HURT HURT!

HALF IRONMAN

Pros
- I'm very comfortable with endurance races, I know I can finish. A lot of the endurance race is in the head.
- I was just as badly prepared for Ironman Louisville last year and I managed to finish without crawling over the finish line.
- The HIM is a less popular distance than a Sprint, so knowing that, I can feed my Endurance Triathlete Ego ;-) Yes, I like owning a HIM finisher's medal more than a Sprint (but best is the IM medal!)
- I like when I can get into a groove and relax into a consistent pace, which is almost zen-like, 'cept when it hurts ... but then it all becomes surreal when it REALLY HURTS, though still painful.
- There is less pressure to be Speedy-Gonzales during transitions. I'll be racing for seven hours so what difference will a few minutes make? I ain't gonna be winning ...

Cons
- More expensive than the Sprint tri.
- I haven't done enough mileage or consistent training to do this distance!
- I'm sure I am underestimating how much I am going to SUFFER! I might be limp-running-walking during the last half of the run leg.
- I haven't done any open water swimming yet this year ... will I remember how?

Oh, oh, oh! Decisions, decisions, decisions ...

But as my friend TP said, "Go big or go home!" I feel like I've been challenged. It's true, I've never been one to do things in a "small way" ... Hmmm ... I'm gonna sit on the fence just a bit longer ... Maybe I'll just have to see how training goes this week and pay the late online fee.

This is a hard choice, I'm an endurance athlete, but maybe just once, I should play it safe?

I remember when ...

The other day, I ran 7.7 km, the most I've run since resuming my running only a few weeks ago. I'd been off running since late April, almost three months, because of a sore hip. I felt slow and heavy ...

Where did my fitness go?

I've been swimming and cycling and trying to keep some sort of fitness base but I realise that I'm in my best shape, emotionally and physically, when I can RUN! This is likely due to the fact that I don't push myself the same way with swimming or cycling as I do with endurance running, where I don't have a choice. I can't take a little break by gliding or letting the wheels spin ...

I miss my marathoning training days of 5-6 days of running, when I used to be thinner, and when I used to fit all my sexy tailored clothes ... Waah!

Hip was a little sore, more so after the run than during, but what worries me is the *twinge* in my left knee, which hurt during my 30k ride the day afterwards too ... I think I'm compensating for my hip. Sigh.

Half Ironman Triathlon ... we'll see if this race even happens. I'll give myself until August 22 to register ... Otherwise, it'll just be a Sprint.

Wear your bike helmet!

Recently, a friend's daughter had a bad spill on her bike. She wasn't wearing a helmet. She suffered facial and cranial fractures as well as bleeding in her brain and was placed in ICU. She is now awake and recovering and will be released in a few days.

All I can say is:

1) Wearing a bike helmet can save your life or from severe injury!

2) Thank God she is alright!

Too often, when I am out cycling on Montreal's glorious bike path network, I remark on all the cyclists either wearing their helmet incorrectly or not at all.

Too many loose straps or helmets not covering the forehead. I especially HATE seeing children with incorrectly worn or loose-fitting helmets or missing them altogether. And how many parents do NOT lead by example ... I see their children wearing helmets, but not themselves!

Pray tell me, dear parents who refuse to wear bike helmets, who will take care of your precious children as you lie with brain damage in the hospital emergency room or ICU?

Yes, this is my major pet peeve about cycling ... incorrect or lack of bike helmet usage. Wearing a bike helmet properly can save your life ... and remember you only have ONE life.

Here's a helpful video on how to fit your helmet ...



On a more personal note, my leg is healing, and after a day off training, my short 36 km bike ride (with helmet!) yesterday helped to loosen my tight calf muscle. It's still sore to the touch but I managed a short 25 min. jog around my neighbourhood today and my leg was alright. Woohoo!

OUCH !!!

I got kicked in the pool today ... UBER-HARD!

You'd think that if you're doing a furious breast-stroke, you'd be careful about your wide kick. Nope. Some man sharing my lane swimming in the opposite direction to me was totally oblivious to my passing him. I am sure he could see me as I approached and it would have been considerate to take care not to kick me. I, on the other hand, was watching the bottom of the pool when suddenly ...

OOF! P-A-I-N!!!

Geez, even getting hoofed in the face during Ironman was less painful. His kick had me stopped in the middle of the lane, standing in the pool, clutching my calf. I swam precariously to the lane end and waited for a reaction from the guilty party while I massaged my leg and grimaced in pain. The oblivious breast-stroker swam back to the end of the lane where I was standing, touched the wall, turned around and continued on.

You'd think I'd get at least a "Sorry, are you alright?" Nope. What ever happened to good old courtesy? If I had been in less pain, I could have put some effort into chasing him down to tell him to be more careful about other swimmers in the pool ...

Now I've got a huge muscle cramp in my calf that won't go away, making it difficult to walk ... boo hoo hoo!

On a more positive note ... though my hip's not yet healed, I've managed three short 4.5-5k runs in the past 10 days. A wee bit sore afterwards but manageable and no longer the lingering sometimes sharp pain I used to get after a run. I think I'm finally on the mend ...

This actually makes me think I might still be able to get in a race or two this season. Ideally, I'd do a Half Ironman come early September (idea of an IM is completely out) and a marathon in October but I might be getting ahead of myself. It's hard to think that the only race I might end up doing is a Sprint Triathlon ... not that I have anything against that distance, but with my bum hip, I'm sure I won't be able to do any effective speed training without reinjuring myself. Besides, I totally suck at transitions ... Sigh.

Let's see how training goes in the next little while ... cross your fingers for me!

Beseiged by injury!

Alright, this past week has been a little trying in terms of training.

A week ago, I went on a 50k ride with a triathlete friend who hadn't been out this season yet on his bike and boy, was he enthusiastic! So enthusiastic that for one 20 min. period, we pushed the pace at 33-34k/hr and kept it there, without my drafting him (since he's not used to it). So happy when we could drop down in speed a tad to 28-32k/h when I took the lead and my friend started hurting. Whew!

Knee was a bit sore afterwards, and I didn't help matters much when I went swing dancing on it for a couple of hours later on that day. And then the blues dancing at night locked in the injury ... and I could barely walk, never mind make it down the stairs from my friend's apartment when it was time to go.

So, after a two days' rest, I went out for another ride. 10k, good, 15k, good, no pain ... let's turn back now ... 20k, pain starts, 25k, ugh, I am still injured :-( Whew, 30k and I finally made it back home. Dreaded knee! Even hurt when I went for a short swim afterwards ... sigh.

So basically no riding for many days and just some short swims after another day's rest.

But I did get brave one day and ran 4.07k! And then paid with it with a sore hip. Good news though is that I have an MRI booked finally for September. I have a friend still waiting for one since last year, so this is a Godsend, and maybe I can find out what's happening with my hip and why I can't run (and why I may not be able to race this year!)

Sunday came and I decided to go for it ... I'm gonna ride! I adjusted my seat position as I'm still looking for the right fit and went off. Wanted to turn back after 15k as the headwind was incredible and then contemplated whether or not I could get back in time before the pool closed. But no, dammit, I was gonna RIDE!!

I did my regular route that I take when I ride 50k and just kept on going, and very happily so as I discovered a new bike path that took me to Charlemagne, a suburb north-east of Montreal and off the island. Headwind on the bridge over was wicked but the view was awesome.

80k today with no knee pain ... VICTORY!

Mind you, I discovered butt muscles I didn't know I had ... ;-)

Celebrating little victories!

So, the other day, I went to the pool and it was closed. I had already cycled that day and really wanted to do a second workout, even it was going to be short. In fact, it had to be short as I had bread baking and had to be back in time to take it out of the bread machine.

So ...

I decided to go for it.

Yes, after seven weeks off running due to a hip injury, I decided to go for the GOLD. I slipped on my running shorts and a sassy singlet, then put my socks and shoes on.

I ran and ran and ran ... and I was so happy to have been able to run ...

One and a half kilometres!!!

Alright, it wasn't very far, and in fact it was only 1.42 km (I rounded up, I can do what I want), but I wasn't in agony ... I wasn't IN PAIN!! Mind you, my hip was a little sore afterwards, like it is these days even when I get up from a sitting position or after a long cycle ...

But you know, I'm happy just to have been able to run that little bit ... gives me hope that my hip injury will go away/heal itself. Heck, it's got lots of time to do that before my MRI gives me any conclusive results ... I've got a 9-10 month wait for the appointment alone. Yup, medical care in Canada. Sigh.

I'm gonna go for a two kilometre run next time!!

Bag Balm, I love you!!

I've been off running since mid-April due to a hip injury, I think caused when I had my last bike accident. Probably something to do with not being able to unclip manually before being thrown off my bike. I'm thinking that the same force that threw me into the back of the mini-van might have also torn a tendon slightly as my leg extended backwards before my pedals unclipped ... thus the hip injury. Sigh ... stupid mini-van driver. I've had pain every time I've ran since then, and it would be gone in a day, but only when I upped my mileage recently in anticipation for the Ottawa Marathon did the pain not go away.

So ...

That leaves me with cycling and swimming.

Meet my "new" pal, Kate. She's gonna allow me to train in the city ... Tri-bikes are way too dangerous to ride in Montreal traffic ... I'd hate to injure my neck a third time!


And since I've put new pedals on her and also a new seat that doesn't shred my private soft bits, we've been able to start a beautiful love affair.


Admittedly, we had a few squabbles at first, even with the change of seat, but with the introduction of the new mediator, things have since been hunky dory.

Hello BAG BALM! Good-bye BodyGlide!



For bunches, caked bags, cuts, sore teats, chapping and inflammation.
Active ingredients: 8-hydroxyquinoline sulfate 0.3% in a petrolatum, lanolin base.

BAG BALM stikes into the milk glands allaying irritation, relieving congestion and softening the tissues. It heals the skin troubles and makes the teats soft and pliable.

A few applications relieve the worst cases. BAG BALM is soothing, healing and penetrating. Veterinary use only.

Wow, I never thought cycling could be so "pain-free" :-D

Three years, it's really been three years ...

I accidentally left my silicone bathing cap and swim goggles in the shower at the public pool the other day. Good thing or bad thing?

Bad thing when I wanted to swim and had to resort to using my "emergency" crappy goggles and latex pull-my-hair-out bathing cap.

Good thing when I went to my local sports store and purchased new swim goggles (my all-time fave is Speedo Hydrospex, clear), a new silicone bathing cap and ...

A new bathing suit!

I figured it was about time. I've had the bathing cap and suit for three years now. The bathing suit lining was torn in many areas and shredding in others. She's been through countless swim trainings and several triathlons ... she's had a good life! Goggles were only a year old but they were starting to leak and we all hate that, don't we?

Now on the running front ... I'm injured! My right hip has hurt every time I've run since my last accident (I've been totally ignoring the pain) but what with the recent increase in mileage and running four times a week, even walking has become painful! Argh! Week One completely off running and it's driving me nuts.

But at least I can still ride ... but of course, the city has not yet cleaned the streets properly and there is broken glass and crap everywhere waiting to puncture a tire or two or more (but not mine, I hope) so I've been riding my hefty mountain bike. Been okay so far on it ... sit bones are still getting used to riding (ouch!), legs feel a little sluggish and weak sometimes, but all in all, it's been nice getting out in the fresh air.

Just one word of advice though ... don't ride while wearing a thong.

Training to be a glutton

So, I've *tried* to be a good girl with regards to my training ...

1) I made up a rough training schedule recently (good) and printed it out so that I could revise it with more realistic goals. Unfortunately, it's still sitting on my dresser table waiting to be adjusted and I think I'm already past the dates that I already edited (not good).

2) I have though managed to increase my training (good) though haven't done nearly as much mileage and time as I've hoped (not good). I'm proud though that I did get in a 15k run last week as well as a 38k cycle (good). Today, what with these intense April showers finally letting up, I'm due to run an 18k. (good)

3) I'm still not getting enough sleep (not good). The combination of being a night owl, flaky artist and avid swing dancer who's recently had a lot of dancing opportunities doesn't help to contribute to consistent rest.

4) Though I've been eating healthily, it doesn't help that I like to bake and that I've been invited out to dinners like this (not good, but oh so good!):


Photo would have been taken earlier on in the meal but we got distracted by the Peking Duck appetizer then continued right on eating until I remembered. Note to self: Do not go to dinners like this with stretchy draw-string pants ... Ugh, I'm never gonna lose these extra pounds that have been slowing me down.

Alright, 4 x *good*, and 4 x *not good*. Am I just training to be a glutton? Mind you, I did dream of doing Ironman twice in the last week, if that counts for anything ...