100 Push Ups

On December 1, I started a push up challenge - starting with one day and then two, then three, etc.  On Wednesday i hit 100.  I feel i accomplished something as i never been strong at push-ups.  I missed a couple of days here and there - and boy the next day was tough.  Especially true when i missed 96 last week and had 193 the following day.

I must admit never doing more than twenty at a time.  But i got them done and soon i will start a crunch challenge and will boast the number of push-ups in a row to 25, then 30 and so on.

Give it a go, it may sound easy, but it gets tough pretty fast.

Good luck and have fun with this shenanigan.

Rick

Transportation

Well, this move has been contemplated for 18 months or so and finally it has happened.  A new Man of Leisure mobile has been acquired.  First new vehicle in 35 years - about time.  Always wanted a Subaru and figured the Outback would be the vehicle of choice, but decided on the Crosstrek as the $10-$15K lower price tag was more to my liking.

So far (one day of testing) so good!  Getting a hitch installed as part of the deal and will get a Yakima Skybox for gear.

I also have been hiding out in the basement since Xmas, employing a different mode of transportation.  Definitely more economical, but don't seem to get anywhere too quick.  The gains in fitness from following "Fast After Fifty" book by Joe Friel, are noticeable.  But need to do another FTP test, likely in the next few days, to actually measure the fitness gains.  I have to put in the hard efforts now, so i can stay in touch with the crew from Saskatoon, when we head to Penticton in late April.

Well, that's all folks.  Enjoy whatever shenanigans you are up to!

PS - I can finally say that my car is worth more than my bikes!  Been a while!

February Update

Yo all!

Life is pretty good.  Other than Kathleen healing from a knee scope - two weeks in and Kathleen's knee is slowly coming around.

Work wise, as busy as i expected.  The changes in the sales structure are good, if not great.  For me specifically, the switch to Inside Sales and handling web and employee leads is a super nice change.  No more advisor appointments and no more driving to see clients - work life is dam good.

Been training consistently.  On the trainer/bike 3 times a week.  Need to boost that to 4 times now.  Hitting the gym 2 and sometimes 3 times week.  Strength is improving by leaps and bounds.  Will do another threshold test at the end of the month and hope to see another increase in my FTP watts.  First test after the baseline test in November was in early January and i saw a small 10 watt (5%) increase in my 20 minute average wattage.

Booked a weekend trip to Penticton in late April to ride with some friends from Saskatoon.  Should be a ton of fun.

Kathleen and i have a weekend trip to Saskatoon at Easter to do some shopping.

Life is good and managing to keep the shenanigans to a minimum.

Ciao and enjoy the moment!

2016 - Off to a Good Start

Last post i was supposed to learn more about blogging and post more.  But that never happened.  But i did take all the chemo and radiation treatments/shit and punted cancer to the curb.  Completed treatments one year ago and so far so good.  Hip Hip Horray!

Now it is 2016 and taking a FB holiday and again hope to blog more.

Training consistently now as training in the spring of 2015 was none existent, summer was okay - got better and better. Cross season was blast, had tons of fun and raced well.  The fall was off and on, but started back doing weights and training with power on the bike.

The plan is to ride 2 or 3 times a week focusing on high intensity and gaining power.  Hit the gym at least 2 per week.  Maybe run or snowshoe once a week and swim once a week.

Work is supposed to be busier as i have switched roles within Manulife Bank and am looking forward to the change.

Well hope to post again real soon.  Until then, plan your work and work your plan.

Cheers all.

Time to Update This Blog

Working on updating my blog, but will need some time to learn how to make all the changes i want to make.

Meanwhile, i am learning to deal with the news that i will need to undergo chemo and radiation treatments for cancer of the tonsils.  Hopefully, the treatments go well and i can say i am a cancer survivor.  Which should be the case as 60 to 80% of people with cancer of the tonsils recovery completely.  So here is hoping for being average at the worst.  Of course i believe that a full recovery will result.

I hope to be back racing next summer, but training over the winter is questionable as i am uncertain as to how i will react to the treatments.  Most common side affects include nausea, reduced immune system and fatigue.  Here is hoping the side affects are minimal and life can continue as normally as possible.

Oh well, i have the time to learn how to blog again, improve my French and read for the next few months.

Until later, stay thirsty my friends!

Xterra Canada Recap

A little race recap of Xterra Canada Nationals, held in beautiful Canmore and the Nordic Centre – what a venue.  Especially with fresh snow glistening off the mountain peaks on race morning.

But lets start with the trip out with Shane MacNaughton and Ryan Leibel – it was so nice to have company in the car – most times I have made this trip solo.  The banter and chit chat about boys stuff was super enjoyable.  Got in Friday around 8, went for a short run and headed out for Mexican food.  Can’t recall the name of the resto, but the food was dam good.  Oh ya, it was Aroma.  So good!

Saturday was a short pre-ride on sleek trails, but was fun and just as I remembered it from August.  Picked up race packages and just hung out until supper.  Another great meal at Rocky Mountain Flatbread.  Oh boy the Ravioli stuffed with carrot was so good – so so good!  Picked up a 6 pack of brew and headed back to the room to pack for the race of the year (okay – not really – I wanted to go to Maui for Worlds with my good friends Jeff and Sarah and finally have some fellow SK Xterra Athletes in Maui).

Did not sleep great but it was enough.  Up at 6 and out the door for coffee by 6:45.  Set up T1 at Quarry Lake and off to the Nordic Centre to set up T2.  It was cool and overcast and as I mentioned there was snow on the higher peaks.  All morning I was trying to determine what to wear off the bike.  Hampering me was recollections of 2 years ago when I had to DNF in Whistler due to extreme cold and shivering on the bike – I DID not want to repeat this.  At a minimum arm warmers were in order and I seriously was considering my TriWay winter cycling jacket.  

Man that water was pretty cold getting in, but the gun went and I swam sans incident, but not real quick like.  It was more molasses like.  Off to the bike and I decided on jacket – may have been too much but I wanted to be sure and not have to DNF. 

Bike went well, super well.  No crashes or major time losses on course.  Just was a blast and I LOVE that course.  So fun and fast – finally it is fast.  I can remember riding it 5 years ago and be scared shitless! Off my bike more than on it.  My oh my how things have progressed.

On the run I started strong and ran a good first 5K, but after that it was focus focus focus or else.  Early in the second lap, I spotted someone in my AG and just steadily went by him and never saw him again.  By the middle of the second lap I knew I was going to have to crisis manage a cramping issue.  Luckily there was no one breathing down my neck nor could I see anyone in my AG.  I actually thought I must be on my way to winning the day, but alas, my AG winner was 15 minutes on up ahead.  Yup, 15 minutes ahead of me.  He was in another postal code.  Unbelievable, but true.

Finished up and was pretty much spent.  Glad there was no finish line sprint.

Finished up 44^th overall and second in my AG. Enough to get my Maui spot.  And as the results were posted, determined my good friends Jeff and Sarah also got spots to Maui.  Overall AG women’s winner Nadine Mueller also took a Maui spot – she is a former Saskatoon triathlete.  Also Cam McCarthy earned a spot and I maybe heading to Maui too.  Shane MacNaughton and Ryan Leibel also finished on the podium – all in all SK athletes represented supper well and had great races.  Fellow BPR athlete Ian Crosthwaite was 5^th overall and decided Maui was in his future as Ian and his wife Emma are headed to NZ for the ITU World Short Course Championship after Maui. 

Quite the day.  Finished it off with dinner with Saskatoon friends – most enjoyable.

Kudos to Luke Way for his coaching and to Kathleen for being an amazing GF and a huge supporter of me!