Grouse Grind 12

October 2nd, 2010

Forgot to add this.. after last night's Jack Johnson concert it was good to take our hosts up on a little trail run/hike up the Grind.  It was their first time up there, but being a Saturday it was busy as hell on the trail!

Final time was 46:30, felt decent but for the first time this year I stopped at each 1/4 mark.  It was a bit of a battle for my friends on their first time up there but they did great, and the pizza up top on the deck was perfect.

Victoria 1/2 Marathon - Race Report

Victoria 1/2 Marathon 2010


[/caption]


First chance to run this course finally. It winds through the downtown for about the first 4k before heading out towards Oak Bay on a long out and back. The winds on Dallas Road weren't very pretty on the way back.

Woke up at 430am, race start at 730am. Was jacked, had a coffee, some mini wheats and a piece of toast, maybe a banana too, cant remember. Was fairly nervous as my long training runs were at medium or slower paces and the 20k I ran I melted down and suffered to a 2hour plus finish.

Drive in to downtown Vic, which has free parking on Sundays (refreshing change after Vancouver...).  We parked quite far away so a long warm up walk was in order.  Like a km away. No I did not add this to my total. Walking down suddenly my bladder sends a piercing pain out and I am buckling and searching out any alley I can find. Stumble into a walkway and drain out what seemed like 2 litres of piss, surely I got it all out at least and can line up at the start in peace.

Nope.

Get to the start, 6800 other people all lined up, ugly. Near the back and stuck waiting 8 minutes for the gun. The gun goes, and we wait another 3 minutes of not moving, just waiting for the line to start shuffling forward. Suddenly my stomach knifes me again and Im thinking Im about to instantly piss my shorts (wtf?). I send the wife on her way (on her first ever 1/2 marathon!) as the crowd just starts to crawl forward and I dive into a nearby portapotty. Yet another 2 litre piss, before the mornings food said 'screw this,  we're outta here too' and I expunged all nutrients.

Sprint out of the toilet and Im in a wasteland, LAST RUNNER STANDING. I hear the announcer calling for any more 1/2 marathoners and he see's me trotting up towards the start line making mention that it mustve been the portapotty lineup. Classy.

The problem with lining up behind 6800 people is that I'm reasonably sure that I will finish faster than half of them, just judging from previous times. That's 3400 people to pass.  Easily my most frustrating 12k to start a race, it was an interval, fartlek, sprint, run up, get blocked, nearly stop, find ANY way around the people, sprint, blocked, search for a way around, jump on sidewalk, run, blocked, down to road, more people, up onto grassy boulevard, sprint risking ankle going sideways, block, down.. etc.. Oh well, my own fault for not lining up where I should've.  If I run this again I'll definitely show up way earlier just to line up with my pacing group.  My buddy who ran a 1:29 at this said even though he lined up near-ish to the front, there were a ton of people lined in front of him with zero idea of ethics in a race, walking along, holding hands across the course..


Elevation Chart of the Victoria 1/2 Marathon Course


At about 12k I ate my vanilla bean Gu gel, and at 13 or 14 ate a chocolate powergel, cup of water and cup of gatorade at every station. Coming back onto Dallas Road facing the wind I was hurting and so was the blister I had grown at km 3 (my old shoes suddenly kicked the bucket, so I'm in my new shoes with 20k logged on them so far).  My stride became fairly awkward, the wind breaking peoples spirits.. but I used it to push past their weaknesses and use their pain as my strength (it made sense as a motivational tool at the time).   I always find in a distance event that you see people truly stripped down at this point, emotionally that is, and it's rare to see some competitive a-hole.  I ran by a lady who had an M-dot tattoo on her leg, and I'll be politically incorrect here, she didn't look like an IM.  Thats the beauty of the IM though, not every finisher looks like Macca, but they all had to put in months of work and had the drive and determination to make it there.  She was a very positive person and had just completed IMC 2010 and was going back again in 2012.

The final km's, I ran hard, no heart rate strap (lost it the week of the event) but it was definitely around 190.  Crossed the finish exactly ONE second faster than my Van 1/2 marathon time 2 years ago (didnt know it at the time, didnt care). Stumbled, stopped, dizzy... then a volunteer saw me holding my puffer which I always carry in hand not pocket, and she ushered me into the medical tent, did I look that bad?

Got in and iced up, killed a chocolate milk, tried to stop shaking. It was freezing by the end.

All told, best I couldve done. My avg pace on the garmin said 5:01/k, and the final k or so I pushed it to 4:03.  Brahmas to celebrate later.



Pace chart




Vic 1/2 2010 1:47:08 (Splits approx 53:00/54:08)
**note** Gun time of 1:54+ indicates I took over 7minutes to get to the start line

Bonking out on a 20

Today's workout was not pretty.  By a long shot.

This 20k being my last long workout before the Victoria 1/2 Marathon in a couple weeks, I was looking forward to finishing it strong.  The first 10k I carried my hand-bottle with a gel that I downed at 8k (Gu choc mint=very high level of awesomeness).  My right achilles tendon is flaring up and so I focused on a slower pace but aimed at keeping my heart rate averaging out just under 150 bpm.

At 10k things started to go very wrong, soon after I made one of those decisions that only a person not thinking straight makes.  I stopped at my vehicle and tossed my waterbottle in there since it was empty.  I had ate the Gu at 8k, and drank a bottle of gatorade that Id carried, and sipped a bit of water quick at the car.  I rationalized with myself that I don't need to carry another bottle the next 10k loop of Burnaby Lake then.  I rationalized wrong.

The k's slowly ticked by as the rain pounded harder and harder.  Drenched through and through I used it as a motivation, to push through the hard workouts always makes a person stronger and allows you to enjoy the easier workouts (from Wood years back).   At 15k I had crossed the dam and was on the home stretch, but my mind was already there.  A couple of dogs were held in by their owner to which I gladly thanked her and gave her a wave.  2 turns later and another dog came absolutely tearing at me and went right at me sniffing away.  I stopped in my tracks and waited.  The skid loser owner didnt even call his dog, just sauntered up fixing his ipod.  I tore into him about leashes and controlling his dog to which he didn't even give a nod, a sorry, nothing.  On a rant here but I think that Vancouver folk are easily the least responsible dog owners (and most pretentious and defensive of the dog owners rights).  I remember being up at Lynn Valley for a hike, finished up and was back at the car, doors open just putting muddy boots in the trunk...when a dog comes streaking out of the trees and freaks out, jumped into the passenger seat, across to the drivers seat, then in to the back seat!  The owners come up and justify their dogs actions (weakly).  Put a f**king leash on!

So where was I?  15k point, thinking just 5k to finish up when things started to go downhill.  I regretted not having a sip of water available or a honey drop to suck on.  At 17k my legs cramped and I shuffled.  At 18k I was forced to an old-man-on-his-way-to-the-Dennys-special speed walk.  But I never stopped, always keep moving.

The final K was around 6 minutes or so and I clicked the watch at 20k.  Soaking wet from the rains and depleted of energy, but a great workout.

2010 Terry Fox Run

The Terry Fox Run has always been a big part of my yearly calendar, dating back to when I helped to put the run on while at the Columbia Icefield almost 10 years ago.  While living in Sapporo we got the run off the ground and held the first ever Sapporo Terry Fox Run n 2004, and another in 2005.  Unfortunately insurance issues handcuffed us after that and the run had to be postponed, hopefully to be resurrected next year.



My legs felt like death after Friday's 18k, and yesterdays hockey game.  Woke up to rain pouring down and aches and pains.  Remembering that Terry had to wake up and run each and every day for 143 days, rain, snow, or shine, stopped my internal complaining right there.  The run had a decent turn out, and I pushed a hard 10k out even though I really *really* wanted to run an easy one.  I ended up with one of the years best times, 46:18.  Gonna be hurting tomorrow!

18k Long Run

Throwback pick to the Terry Fox Run 2008 - Here at Central Park


September 17th, 2010

Out for my long run on a day off, perfect temperature out for it and felt fairly well rested even though my achilles' weren't happy after yesterday's Grouse Grind push.

Kept a reasonable pace running home to Central Park (5k), then looped the Terry Fox trail around the park before a smaller loop, and finally back onto the BC Parkway for a run home.  Around km 12 & 13 I started to fade and ran some 6min+ km's and saw my goal of a negative split die.

The final 4k I got a second wind and those 4km were my fastest of all 18 (526, 513, 510, 515).  Final split:

1/2 (9k) 51:25
1/2 (9k) 50:21

Heart rate avg'd out at 147, a good long slow distance #.

Terry Fox Run this Sunday!

Grouse Grind #11 - 45:27

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Out for my 11th Grind of the year.  I pushed this one out pretty well to my max capacity, with my heart routinely ripping at 181bpm.  My average heart ended up being 174, which is super high.  I'm not sure I have it in me to break this seasons PB of 44:21 in me, today felt like a max effort.

A great burn then picked up my duffel at the top from Guest Services for a quick fake shower in the sink before taking the Gondola down and stopping by my old office for a catch up with some old friends.
A great burn then picked up my duffel at the top from Guest Services for a quick fake shower in the sink before taking the Gondola down and stopping by my old office for a catch up with some old friends.



steady climb, steady rabbit like heart rate




Hokkaido Ramen for dinner is made my achilles pain feel so much better!

Cultus Lake Triathlon - First (ever, not place)

Sunday, September 12th, 2010

First every triathlon, so really no idea what to expect.  The rain started at 6pm Saturday night and pounded the rainfly of the tent all night.  Everything soaked, everything gross.  Even my one set of dry clothes, the beloved sweatpants, were wet.

Pocari Sweat

SWIM


Swim Start


Sprint group started at 8:50am, very rocky and painful lake floor to walk in and stand for 30 minutes before that.  At the pre race meeting they announced a change of course, 16 hours before the race actually starts?  As it turned out in the end, it was reduced to 650m (thats only gathered from raceheadquarters site, no one ever announced it) rather than 750m.  The gun went and off I ... walked.  Just a few metres til the drop off then swam.  First bit of swimming was head right out of the water, then settled into a bit of a rhythm.  The silicone ear plugs I am trying are pieces of dogshit, and now floating next to some bass pumping punk in his boat on the lake while he tosses out tins of lucky lager.  Went off course a few times and thrashed a few peoples arms (and was thrashed myself).  Everyone was very Canadian about it when they'd hit each other, plenty of sorry's.  I doubt its that way at the front of the pack..

Finished the Swim in 24:13, good for 86th out of 120 athletes.  F**me Im a turtle.

-------------------------------------

T1



Ran a long couple hundred metres in bare feet up to transition area, to strip my wetsuit off.  Being a downpour, a person couldnt just lay out the bike gear and running gear or it'd be soaked, took a minute or so to dig it all out of the bag.  Threw my shirt on, no socks, cycling shoes, helmet, gloves, HR monitor, and ran my bike out to the mounting line.

T1 time 4m9seconds, 63rd/120.

Rank coming OUT of T1 now in 81st place.  Gained 5 spots.

-----------------------------------------

Bike:



Bike Course for the 20k - Sprint Tri

20km out n back.  The roads were streaming with water, add to that the BC lung association bike trek is on and hundreds if not 1000's of people on Nishiki's and Dunlop bikes wobbling around the course.  I *love* the charity and the fact that people are out doing it, it's just too bad either Cultus Lake Tri or BC Trek for Breath couldn't have chosen a different day or even had a quick coffee together to go over the route.  One bad intersection where they had to go right, we had to go left, and 3 lanes of traffic trying to get through. 

Sketchy, had to stop fully. 
Pushed the bike as hard as I ever have, 2 good climbs on the course (see elev map), managed to pass 40 other Sprint Distance Competitors over the 20k, 1/3 of the field, made them my BITCH (actually, its more reflective on my poor swimming finish...).  Rode in the drops as much as I could, and kept my cadence higher than ever, avg 83, max 115.  Also noticed my heart avg 165 on the bike portion, you have to drop it like its hot to make that shit go 165 on a bike.  No EPO either.

Bike time 40:10, Avg 30km/hr, Max 59.5

Bike Overall Rank 23rd(!)

Cultus Lake Sprint - 20k Bike Elevation & HR

Coming off the bike sitting in 41st place now.  Gained 40 spots.

-----------------------------------

T2 - sprint my bike from the mount dismount line, rack it.  Struggle to get socks on, shoes on, tie, forgot to double knot right one (see later), grab garmin off bike, grab puffer off bento box, and GIVE'r out of the transition area.

T2 time 2m12seconds, 89th/120.  WTF?  Thought I was speedy but apparently most people can rip t2 in about a minute and a half.

Rank coming OUT of T2, now in 44th place (obviously 3 of the folks I passed on the bike took it back while I blow dried my hair in T2).

------------------------------------

RUN:



The Run Course - 4k



4k.  Was a scheduled 5k.  Until the winner ran by transition telling everyone for some reason its only 4k, how the hell do organizers not know how far their run is?  For real. how?  We were told at the meeting that 'all gates would be open', since they had an issue with the course being shortened before too (I think).

My feet were numb from the bike, and cold.  The first k along the lake side trail even in the sand on the beach, dodging huge ass puddles.  Passed a guy running with a lower right leg prosthetic, there's power for you.  He must rip the swim and bike.  Slight climb up the road on the way back, then pushed out a final k of 4:20 with my right shoe lace undone the last 500m.

4k, 19:23, 4:52pace.  Heart rate 163.  Shouldve pushed it higher but cramps won.

Run Overall Rank 29th/120

------------------------------

OVERALL RESULTS

Final 1:30:07, 38th overall / 120.  Off to the school hall for free pizza, nailed 4 slices in PB time.

Swim 650m - 24m15s - 86th

T1 4m09s - 63rd

Bike 20km - 40m10s - 23rd

T2 2m12s - 89th

Run 4k - 19:23 - 29th