Friday, July 20, 2007

Training tid bits

Hey,

Feels like forever since my last post. I guess I'm just chillin training when ever I want. Most of it is just running, I think I've ran the last 3-4 days now. I run easy if I'm tired/sore and run harder if I feel good.

I'm looking forward to going to Penticton with Curtis and Cam. Maybe we can do a long run out there on the weekend. Swimming in the lake would be cool too, it'd give Curtis a chance to do some real swimming(open water). Hopefully Cam's spare wetsuit will fit him.

Last weekend I got a chance to train with two newbs on Sat. and Sun. I love doing this as I feed off the enthusiasim that they have for their new found endurance sports. First off I ran with Bill P. from work. He's kinda new to running and is all pumped up about training and running races. He's currently training for a half marathon in fall. He's the guy from my "Humbled" post. It was super hot and a good day for a run, 30 degrees plus. We went out to do a 10k, but ended up doing 9 miles. I can't believe the guy has just started running and already doing long runs like that in severe heat. I also got to take Curtis out on his first real ride. It went really well and am encouraged to say that Curtis is a natural. At first the ride started really slow, Curtis was really hesitant to go faster. I guess he doesn't really trust the bike and over all felt like he was in unchartered territory. Well, but the end of the ride I was pickin it up a bit and he stuck with me with out a problem. His heart rate stayed low the whole ride except for some hills and some wind, but his fitness is great so his only concern for the bike is his comfort. GOOD JOB Curtis!! I look forward to plenty more long rides and am glad to add a riding partner for Ironman training next summer.

Anyways I've been hangin with my Bro from Manitoba, although I've been still running. He roller blades beside me(and up ahead). I even got Terry(my brother) out to the res. to roller blade and meet Curtis for a loop around. I had some health problems related to food and asthma, but it wasn't too bad and we had fun despite the injesting flies while running. Take care all, have a great weekend,

Darryl

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Humbled

Wow I've just been humbled with a capital H!!!

This guy from work is starting to run and has come to me many times for advice. It's probably only been a month or so that he's been running and he's determined he's doing a half marathon. I may have suggested it to him I don't know, anyways he's doing the Harvest half in Sept. Nothing unusual about that, he's a long time smoker and has quit and is now getting himself into shape. What a inspiration!! That's not the Humbling part yet though. So while asking about running he's been asking a lot about the ironman race that I did, he thinks I"m crazy and doesn't think the marathon would be possible after riding 180k.

Today he comes up to me first of all showing me the link to a triathlon. He has it in his crazy head that he wants to do a "tri-a-try" triathlon. Not a big deal 300m swim, 10k bike, 5k run. He must have done some kind of biking and swimming, after all he has the running down. Oh let me go back a step, I suggested for the half marathon that he should gradually work his way up to about 16k. I told him if he can do 16k then he'll be able to finish it on the day. So he comes up to me Monday telling me he ran 17k sprinting at the end!!! I"m like......(I had nothing to say) I know I had made it clear to him to run that long run like 8 weeks from now or so. LOL He did it already, oh well I totally applauded his effort. Today he wants to do a small triathlon and after talking a bit find out he hasn't swam at all in years and doesn't even own a bike. He figures he'll borrow it for race day!!! I reminded him about a bunch of things he also needs for race day. Sooo today he's off to the pool to try and swim, if he can finish 300m then he may do the race this weekend. Yes that's right it's this weekend.

Wow and he called me crazy!! Anyways I'm not writing this to make fun of him. He may read this and think at first that I'm knocking him. That's not the case at all, I'm totally pumped up by his total lack of disregard for any preparation and his will to accomplish stuff. We triathletes/marathoners (especially myself) put so much thought into preparing for somthing and don't want to risk anything at all to do somthing. I thought I risked a lot by doing an Ironman, but I consider this attempt even bigger a risk. This co-worker fully knows he may finish last, but he's thinking of entering anyways. Why? Because he can!! He doesn't know if he can swim, hasn't swam or biked in a long time just knows he wants to accomplish somthing. I nearly went and entered Sylvan Lake half ironman that's in a week and a half just because of this conversation. The only thing that's stopping me is that it's over 200 dollars to enter now.

Rant over, carry on

Friday, July 6, 2007

Another race report with pics






















1: First lap, the first two may be swapped, they can't be too far apart as the same dude is behind me. I hope he wasn't drafting me the whole way. :P
2. First lap, along the lake so it'll be early in the bike. Lookin smooth. :)
3. Climbing on the second lap, and in the back part of the course (very hilly section)
4. Closer to the start of the run, I had my starting bottle of infinit, and my number hadn't ripped off yet.
5. Along the lake on the first lap, possibly aprox. 4-5 miles into the run? Felt really good here and my stride looks pretty good out of the run pics
6. Second lap, my number had ripped. Stride a little slower, was walking through aid stations at this point, hurting but still running steady.
7. The finish line, big BIG sigh of relief although I don't show much emotion I was choked up. Nice to hear those big words, "Darryl YOU ARE AN IRONMAN" I've been waiting for it my whole life, especially the last 12 months!!
8. Zombie podium picture, was feeling the effects, sick, in pain, but sooooo happy to be done.
Before the race I heard a few comments from people saying, "Hope you have fun". I really tryed to have fun during the race. Before the race I decided to try to enjoy most of the bike, as well as at least half the run. I didn't know if it was possible, but I would try. I even wanted to find somthing about the swim to enjoy.
Well I mostly accomoplished that. The swim was soo rough it was really tough to enjoy, but there were a few small moments where I got into a ryhthym and enjoyed bashing through the waves. I was sooo happy to be on the bike after and I watched the heart rate like a hawk to avoid going too hard(it's easy to do this as you get excited coming out of transition plus your body is fresh and the first bunch of miles are deceptively easy) It was also fun to ride by all the people cheering, and to be part of the massive pelaton like grp, it felt like I was in the tour de france. The last part(maybe 20-30km) of the bike was hard, my legs were feeling fine, but my neck hurt soooo bad, I could hardly move it, I was actually happy to climb hills as I could get out of the saddle and stretch my neck. My feet were hurting as well, they swell after long periods of pushing down on the pedals, it's extremely painful, but goes away the moment I run. I was also getting really tired and sore from being in the position for soo long. I held the aero position 99.999% of the time not including the climbs.
The run started off hard, but I seemed to get into my zone too I didn't watch the heart rate, but the run has always been my element I really seem to know what I can handle and what I cannot. The last half of the run was hard, I remember thinking "there's no way I can finish this!!" I kinda had to regroup at 11 miles, come up with a new strategy. So at that point(11 mile point) I broke the race up into miles. I let myself walk while drinking at aid stations, then I'd say to myself "Just run to the next aid station and you can walk again" So I took it one mile at a time. This always works as you trick your mind into making it just a little further, when you reach that aid station you focus on the next, etc. I also let myself walk most of the large hill on lap two. I may have walked more had I not worked that into the negotiations.
Cheers

Wednesday, July 4, 2007

Pictures to come

Hey,

It's been awhile since I posted anything. I do have a link to the race pictures. They are quite pricey but since it's my first ironman I'll be shelling out the cash to get them. It's been just over a week since I crossed the finish line and I'm feeling the crash. The training and eventually the race builds up to a huge climax so there's no where to go but down. I'm in good spirits, just have no real goal anymore and I'm kind of winding down.

I've thought about doing other races, possible a triathlon or a running race, but I don't really have the desire. I just want to take a long break and start training again for the fun of it. You loose a lot of the enjoyment(or at least I do) when you train in huge volumn. I am already looking forward to signing up for my next big event. It'll probably be Ironman Canada 2008 which means I'd have to go there the weekend of the race in 2007 and sign up for 2008 the day after. It sounds like we'll make a road trip out of it(Cam, Curtis, and I) Cam is for sure in for the race and Curtis is mulling it over in his head. He wants to do one badly but doesn't know for sure yet if he can commit himself to the training time. He'll do it for sure some day, it's just a question of when. Either way it'll be a blast to go there and watch, experience it from a spectator vantage point. All the excitement of the race, minus the nerves. Here is the link to the race pics.

http://www.asiorders.com/view_user_event.asp?EVENTID=15308&BIB=555