Thoughts on the Desert Half etc. July 8, 2008

Posted by bluebirdbiker in : , 1 comment so far

Overall I am happy with the race and thanks for those that have followed. I appreciate all the emails. Thanks Joe and Sarah for a great race and all the effort you guys put into these things.

It was a good day but these races and approaches I am taking seem to make me think about the future and “races” in general for me. Lots of thoughts on “why” I do them. Am I getting faster? Seem to be. Is it worth the effort I am putting in? Dunno. It seems to be getting better. Here is the account of the race for me and some thoughts for the future. The sickness was with me too, still. The day before the race Andy Geoff and I rode up Richter slow. I did throw in some 1.5-2min. z5 runs up the mtn. to test the system. All was ok, but the lungs slightly burned still from the cold.

I was very calm about this race. Not as hyped as in the past. Food prior to the event was a coffee, water bottle, 2 donuts and a bagel for breakie about 1hr before and gel 20min before the swim. Enough? Dunno. I loved the swim, very relaxing as I focused on technique and form the whole way. Figured, “just focus on form and glide. Things will take care of themselves and if I suck, I suck.” The bike was tough. Lot’s of climbing. I forgot how fun this course was….NOT. There IS no downhill! Basically, I had 1 gel every half hour (total 6 gels) with 2 bottles of water. Taped the gels to the crossbar. The final gel was before the run. Then nothing on the run but water, likely bad too. I took on a gator bottle on the bike but did not drink it, I know, my bad again! But I felt real ick for eating etc. Appetite was not there until 3/4 way through the ride. Then after the race I had a fruit cup (mixed mellons). Later, a large burg and fries in Princeton etc. I know, my bad! Not the best recovery food. Mentally for some reason I felt bad. Also, I felt ick and not hungry AT ALL! And that goes for throughout the entire race, maybe it was the heat? After the 6 gels I felt blah on the run.

Yes, the lungs hurt during the bike and the burning sensation went away after the climb up Richter (downslope). I felt real strong into the headwinds throughout the ride for the first half and for halfway back with the wind going back. Managed to cruise with all the strong riders for 3/4 of the bike leg. The 11-32 cassette was a God send for the ride back. But, the last roller and climb up Richter to T2 was a struggle and I noticed that the legs had faded vs HR. I was in the 39-28 cog on most of the way up. Some of the guys I passed a long time ago started to catch up. I remember 2-3 attacks of coughing very hard too as I climed. The fading feeling was coming. Quickly put that out of my head though and focused on positive things. Maybe some solid food would have been good cause I was “feeling” that hunger. Only this time I did not bring solids. Just used gels. Again, my bad.

The swim I was happy with, T1 ok too, bike…I sucked (in retrospect)! I came into T2 and sat down to rest the lungs and body as I put on the socks etc. at the racks. Then started the run feeling…..average. By the first 5k things started to go bad. I remember saying “don’t look at the HR and just frikin’ run”, I did. Walked for a while and then ended up doing (for the remainder of the race) walk-run progression. Sprints to 7min-6:50min/mi spurts and then recover, like a roller coaster doing intervals, hell it was only a half. The quads were shot and I started to feel a core fatigue. I took a real beating in the heat, but it really was not that hot, at least not like last year. I do remember taking in 2 cups of gator and always water and sponges over the head at each aid station, thinking “when is the next aid station so I can walk it”. The second half was a real struggle as I felt the energy draining from the body. The quads and all hurt.

So, this may sound bad, but all in all the event went well and I am happy with the race, 5:14hrs., placed 15/45 in the M40-44 AG. It’s a decent time for a slothlete like me. I am just jealous that I came in 15th and the other guys have amazing bike splits of 15-20min faster than me and run a half Mary after that hell climb of like 1:30hrs. I cannot even do that as an open half! What are these guys on!?!?!? So, all that makes me feel disgusted for being in my age group. Overachiever? Maybe. Sometimes it feels like the results are not coming fast enough for the effort I am putting in and thus, it makes me think ”why push myself? Just sit back and run in comfort. It’s not gonna get me anything.” I should just enjoy the race and environment as opposed to butcher myself for every race. The end of the bike and all through the run was like that. And so it goes each time I do these things lately. The drive like it was 2 years ago is fading. I need a break, I think.

So, mentally I feel like I should just go for IMC and just take the 13hrs or what ever to do it. Maybe it will be easier…..well, I know it will be easier. …..at a stand still right now. Last night I spent like 2hrs setting up a schedule trying to see what would work, but I figure that if I am undertrained, then so be it! We’ll see where it goes from here. Maybe this is “screwed up” tri menatallity too. More is better.

Finally, I lost my wetsuit. I dunno where it is, cause as I came out of the water Geoff called my name and said “Hi”, I quickly, in my daze, threw the wetsuit and goggles etc. at him and ran to T1. Later he said he put the stuff on the rack, but I could not find it. So far the wetsuit is MIA. Will see if Joe and Sarah can find it for me. If not I gotta spend a pretty penny. Training for IMC starts.

Good luck Don in the IM Switzerland. Knock’em dead! Toni, shit happens and we all have bad days. At least now you know what needs to be done. You gave it your best. DO NOT be discouraged. Just push forth. Thanks for all the support from everyone!

Off to the Races July 4, 2008

Posted by bluebirdbiker in : , 1 comment so far

I just hope that things do not end up as above this weekend. I feel LOTS better and the chest is clearing. Not tight anymore and I feel really strong. Maybe the TriGods were making me try a taper like this, never done before. Last day I did anything was Monday and it was pretty hard too. We’ll see what the day has in store on Sunday.

Not Feelin’ Good. July 3, 2008

Posted by bluebirdbiker in : , 2 comments

….and that is NOT a good thing when you have a race coming up in 3 days! Since Canada Day I have been feeling icky with a chest cold sneezing and sneezing. Tight chest and the head feels kinda woozy. It has progressed to feeling really bad today. Been eating really well with lots and lots of fruit and veggies, drinking taking supplements…….. It’s not allergies cause the body feels lethargic too.

Please, please, please TriGods let me feel good by Saturday so that I can do the Desert Half. I likely will not PR but I wanna feel good for the day! It’s a fun race and I wanna try my new wheel covers on the zipps up and down Richter.

That’s why it’s great to be a guy….. June 26, 2008

Posted by bluebirdbiker in : , 2 comments

Ooooh, It’s great to be a guy

A guy it’s great to be

We burp and fart and swear

We standup when we pee

We always flip the channel

Unless there’s nudity

That’s why it’s great to be a guy.

We never get too moody

We don’t get PMS

We don’t have complex feelings

That we need to express

And we don’t give a crap

If we’re not feeling fresh

That’s why it’s great to be a guy.

There ain’t no light on

When we go take a leak

A two pack of underwear

Can last us for a week

Beer and burgers are a gorme meal

And all our orgasms are real!

If sports are on TV

You know we’ll always watch

We don’t retain water

Unless it’s in our scotch

Hot wax never gets close to our crotch

That’s why it’s great to be a guy.

Ooooh, It’s great to be a guy

A guy it’s great to be

We burp and fart and swear

We standup when we pee

We wear our beer guts proudlyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

That’s why it’s great to be a guy!

$200K+ Raised June 23, 2008

Posted by bluebirdbiker in : , 4 comments

Thank you everyone that contributed to the Ride2Survive! It was an amazing event and we surpassed all past years fund raising efforts. The ride was amazing and the friendship great. It was a fantastic event. Here are some pics of our day journey of 15hrs. riding 240 miles and 12,000ft. climbing.

4:00 a.m. start

The grind for the first 10miles into the breakie stop as the sun rises

Breakie stop. Time to eat up! Thank GOD for coffee

“Yes, this is fun!”

“I’ll get your pic if you take mine.”

..climbing, climbing, climbing….Oh what fun! (30miles of it, arrrrg!)

Everyone struggling

Mountain passes are SO cool!

Ain’t the scenery grand!

Finally we made it! But now the mosquitos took a stab at us (litterally!)

Some needed the help.

The Reason.

The road goes on….and on and on….

….and on, and on……

Here we come.

Yes. They fed us VERY well.

A VERY common occurrence.

First real descent. We hit 84km/hr.!! (50mph)

The reward for the 3hr climb.

We did it for the cancer victims….

A very bumpy road.

Hey man, what’s goin’ on?

Lots and lots of climbing. Seems like it would NEVER end.

Ain’t BC beautiful?

9hrs. of riding needs some cool water!

Some problems DID occur. Poor Don got badly cut.

Half way the cops came and escorted us DOWN the Mountain. This is where the speed REALLY increased. We hit 98.3km/hr. (58.9mph) What a RUSH!

….and on we went.

Our personal escorts for the remaining 200km (120miles)

The speed, oh the speed. They closed of the down portion of the mountain for about 10miles so we could descend as fast as we wanted! See, no cars around us. This was sweeeeeeeeet!