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!

Buffalo Pound Xterra

First Xterra of 2012 is in the books. Overall i am happy with the result (8th OV in 2:53), for where my fitness is at, training to date and taking all considerations into account - fantastic result. I refuse to diminish the result because of ... insert excuse here! Plain and simple, i can do better and know that in consult with my coach - Luke Way, i will get to where i want to be.

Swim went better than i thought, especially in terms of feeling comfy in the water and not getting tired shoulders like i have in the past. Kept my stroke long and powerful and just need to swim more in my wetsuit to get faster.  Came out in about 17 minutes.

A quick T1 and onto the bike. Started out mid packish and just planned to ride at a good pace and catch whomever i could - i was going on perceived exertion as i forgot my HR strap and watch. No worries, just go to where it feels like i am working a little too hard.  Stayed steady and passed several guys i did not think i would.  However, there were a few guys i hoped i might see but never did - this meant i was not gaining and would need to out run them or hope for some help from the Gods - cramping, poor runs or just off on the run.

Into T2 and another quick transition and out on the run.  Kept my camelback on and thank goodness i did - i enjoyed having water whenever i wanted it.  Long climb to start felt like hell - again thankfully it was not too hot.  Just pushed my paced to where i felt i could hold it for 45 mins or so.  Figured i had 5-6 minutes on a couple of fast runners that i was hoping to hold off.  When one of them passed me on lap one i figured i had little chance of holding the other 2 off.  But, onto lap 2 and the K's passed and nobody was coming, i got hopeful.  In the last 2K, one guy goes by and i tired to hold his pace - he got about 25-40 metres ahead and i held that gap. I kept looking for the next pass, but not yet.  As we got to within 1K, i saw my gap to the next fast runner gaining on me and said, no way, i holding where i am! I actually closed the gap to the guy who just passed me.  I never got closer than 10 seconds, but held off for 8th place overall.

Super stoked i managed to pick up the pace at the end - could i have ran faster in places - likely, but at what cost???  I managed the end well and had a decent result.

I was the likely recipient of awesome support and cheering from many people, but especially my girlfriend - Kathleen, thanks sweetie - you are the best!

Time to recover and get ready for the hard work - getting more run fit, run intervals and just running faster.

Xterra World's Race Recap

As I wait to leave Maui, I have time to put thoughts to paper. I came to Maui with grand expectations – top ten and maybe even podium at Xterra World’s. Not achieving either is no bother as I raced to my ability and there were very marginal opportunities to have gone faster. In reality I am ecstatic about my performance. One of the few times I have been this year. And what a year. From Chile in March to Maui in October – pretty much perfect.

I have crunched the numbers and they tell only one part of the story. Swim (378 out of 599), bike (232 out of 599), run (185 out of 599), 230^th overall and 11^th out 45 in my age group. Finished 22 minutes behind the winner of my AG and 3 minutes out of the top ten. Within my age group, lost about 5 minutes on the swim, 10 on the bike and 7 on the run to the winner in my AG. Numbers, numbers, numbers. I love them, but it is time to leave them behind and talk about how the race felt.

First off, I never once felt like this was a big to do with all the nervousness and jitters that I thought I would have and usually have.

The swim was uncomfortable, bothersome and salty. I just did not feel “on” in the water. Calm seas felt like a rough ocean – hate to have seen and swam in 5-foot swells that were predicted but did not materialize. My stroke felt good, but I rainbowed my way around the buoys and was not efficient. I never felt I was racing in the swim and need to gain some mojo for the swim if I want to improve.

No rush to get to the bike in the run in from the swim. Made sure I had everything I needed and then trucked up the hill to the bike out. Dropped one of my gloves as I headed out – DOH! Stopped and got it. This whole time I was just doing another race and calmly was going about my business. I pushed the early part of the bike harder than I planned. Kept thinking I need to cool it and pace myself, but I never really did. After mile 5 there are 2 long (longest climbs of the day) left before we head mostly down to T2. As much I tried to rein it in, I felt the pace was right. It was the pace I settled into – the right pace for me this day. Only when we hit the highway, where we turned to go back up and sideways for 2 or 3 miles did I feel tuckered. Some of that was due to my rear derailleur cable end twanging thru my spokes and I thought I had a broken spoke. Nope, just annoying. Once I was told it was nothing major I began pushing it again.

Into T2 and down the hill I pushed my bike up about 2 hours earlier. As I casually got organized (2 Clif Bloks, CrampStop spray, a bottle of water, hat and race number, anything more?), I noticed Michi Weiss (men’s pro winner) coming down the finish alley that ran the length of T2 and where I had front row seats to see him and Dan Hugo head to the finish line. Just an hour behind the top pros – not bad I thought! Okay lets get going.

Out on the run I just ran comfortable, as I did not know what the first 3 miles offered. I only pre ran backwards from the beach to the highest point on the run. As I got into the first single track I was feeling good. No hints of cramping, pace was comfy but yet I was passing people. I kept thinking fast feet; fast feet as I went up. In between mile 2 and 3 there were 2 super steep hills that I decided to walk. No worries and did not feel I was copping out or taking it easy, just as quick to walk as it was to shuffle up the hills. I was feeling good and anytime it went flat or down I picked it up a bit. I kind of knew where the last hill topped out, so when I finally began that last climb I was thinking okay soon I will be able to let it fly on the twisty turny downhill to the finish. I topped out at around 30 minutes and knew from the pre-run that there were 25 minutes or so to go. I got maybe a mile into the down section when I began to feel some cramping coming on. I used the CrampStop product (provides immediate cramping relief, but does not last) liberally and whenever I felt the slightest twang. At this point I decided to manage the run and finish without a major seize up rather than go hell bent for leather to the finish. This meant I had to ease up and run controlled. Once again, this decision just felt right and I was very okay with my choice. This is the only place in the race I really felt I could have shaved a few minutes. At about mile 5 there are a few trees to hop over, rocks to watch for and has the most technical aspects of the run. Followed by a very steep boulder/loose dirt hill and then right into a paved uphill that is windless, hot and the part I feared the most on the run. Luckily there was an aid station here and I took ice, 4 waters and got enough of a respite to actually run up this hellish section. I was feeling pretty good at this point and the rest is downhill, a short beach run and up to the finish. The cramping kept rearing itself and I kept using CrampStop. In fact I used it less than 100M from the finish, as I just could not shake the cramping. When I saw 3:23 as I came down the finish chute, I knew I had given my best on the day.

While I wasn’t spent like Melanie McQuaid (see video for her Sian Welch impression) at the finish, I managed my race to finish without major incident. To this end, I raced to my limit. I was happy beyond belief.

Much will said about the new course, my two cents is that it rocks. As in there are no rocks, roots or Whistler, Canmore or otherwise technical sections. The two long climbs on the bike are completely doable, with room to pass. In terms of comparable SK climbs it is like riding the Quarter mile at Buffalo Pound 4 or 5 times, with the steepest part being equal to the steepest part of the Maui course. Or like climbing Blackstrap from the road to the top 3 or 4 times. Early on in the bike, the first couple of single-track sections are congested and the odd steep spot may require running as the people ahead of you are off the bike.

One notable from this race was peeing on/off the mountain bike for the first time, unique experience.

I was so blessed to have the following amazing professional support thru 2011:

Luke Way - Coach

Brie Jedlic - Sport Psychologist

Lyle Little - Massage Therapist/Miracle Worker

Gord Chadwick - Chiropracter

Xterra World Championship highlight video (the guy in green near the end is your truly). Just scroll down a bit to see the link to the video.

3 Weeks To Go

Technically, 3 weeks from yesterday is the Xterra World Championship race and i am putting the finishing touches on a terrific year.  No matter what transpires in Maui, this year has been nothing short of FANTASTIC!

This past week started with a good ol' kick in the keester!  Coach Luke was short and to the point - don't miss any runs this week. I listened up real good (did not miss a single run) and there were 5 days in a row of running.  I did do 2 of those runs on the elliptical machine, but those were coach approved.  This past week was also a huge volume week, 17 hours in total - only 14 about were coach sanctioned. I kinda went over a bit on the swim and bike.  None the less, i feel great for the volume involved and there was some intensity.  All of the 2.75 of running was hard.  The bike involved 2 cyclo-cross races.  So, it was more than a leisurely stroll for most of the week.

Mentally, i have started preparing for the race with some course recon, putting thoughts to race strategy and visualizing a strong swim, a hard steady bike and the run of the year.  I like to put down on paper some self talk words to remind me of what to do in the swim, bike and run.  So far, i have:

Swim - strong, stick (to stay close to fast feet), reach, catch.
Bike - push it, clean is fast (to avoid mistakes and lose time).
Run - fast feet, turnover, looking strong, push thru it (pain).

I have also been planning my on-course recon by borrowing a GoPro camera to film the bike course when i pre-ride on the Thursday before the race.  This way i can sit back and review the video, plan my attack and not have to be out on the course to do so.  Since the race has changed venues for 2011, there are 2 guided pre-rides of the entire course (or at least i hope/believe it is the whole course).  This is new as previously there was no opportunity to ride even a kilometre of the bike course.  I plan to take advantage of the pre-ride.

Had some fun at the Wed nite cross race this week ...

Xterra Canada Recap

THE second most important race of the year for me. I came into Whistler well prepared, fit and raring to do well in this race.  Ten days or so in Kelowna and area did my spirit and fitness well.

Pre-riding the course was so important, as the bike portion was the most technical bike course i have ever ridden.  Not technical in the steep difficult descent sort, but technical from a rooty, twisty, rocky undulating sense.  The course being only two laps of 9K is deceiving - it was tough and hard.  After two days of pre-riding i finally felt so-so about it.  I was in fact disappointed that all the effort put into being fit and having a huge aerobic engine was the not focus i needed for this course.  Oh well, i am sure being fit helped me in places and made my race easier?

The swim was the usual - it sucked.  Enough said.  At least i came out of the water feeling good and ready to attack the bike.  The only good thing was my new Frequency wetsuit from Nineteen was amazing and felt great.

The bike was tough and i struggled in so many places, but i never crashed - that is a small victory i suppose.  I was on my bike, off my bike, dabbing here, there and everywhere.  It felt long and was long - 2 hours plus.  Even though i was mid pack overall, i was only passed by 3 or 4 riders at most.  Looking back on the bike it was fun and i would love to ride in Whistler for a week or so just for shits and giggles.

Onto the billy goat section or more commonly known as the run.  It was a test of your ability to stay upright and not roll an ankle.  It was more twisty, turny, rocky and rooty than the bike course.  There was more elevation change than the bike and it was technically more difficult than the bike.  In 10K, i swear there was no more than 500 Metres on flat running, excluding the pavement to the finish.  The first 3 or 4 K was an undulating uphill grind.  I felt a twinge of a cramp, used my cramp stop and never felt a cramp after that.  Started out the run with a woman on a relay team and said to myself "stay close".  It was not long before i lost sight of her and just tried to stay focused on the footing and kept plugging one foot in front of the other.  At this point i had no illusion of finishing high in my AG, just finishing would be a victory.  After getting to the start of the loop in the middle of the run i was moving good, but could not see someone until i was right on top of them.  I'd look up and see someone i could not see just seconds before.  On the second half of the loop i came up to someone in my AG and was catching the woman relay runner, so i was in good spirits.  Passed both of them and kept pushing my pace which seemed to be a good one.  In the end, i did all the passing and was never passed on the run.  Ended up being a good run given the course.

When i crossed the line and saw 3:42 i was deflated.  I thought i was closer to 3 but nope.  I also thought i likely finished lower than top 3 in my AG.  Turns out i was second and that was enough to get my spot for World's.  I was so stoked to have finished this year (given my DNF from last year), i would have been happy even if i did not qualify for Maui.  It was a tougher course in my opinion this year and to finish was a victory.

The race was the toughest race i have ever done, okay top 3 for sure.  The only way to prepare for this course is to go to Whistler and ride.  If you plan to race Xterra Canada - get out to Whistler and ride.  Even riding in Canmore is not enough.  Not sure about Fernie or other places, but the terrain in Whistler requires some skill to master.

I feel like Wiarton Willie, who just saw his shadow and another six weeks of training.  I'll gladly take it!