2010 The year that racing went WTF?

WOW, did I ever let this blog slide along with a few other things. Typical year end review time and I see that I only wrote about my Annual St Pats Run. Shame on me, Life has a way of getting away from you after you reach a major goal in your life. I had heard about post Ironman Blues but this got way out of hand.

On some personal news, I got Married this year. Now keep your chins off the floor :) Natalie and I got married Nov 5 2010 in a simple ceremony in our place with Dan, Julie, Carey, and Leah in attendance.

But on to the stories of the few races this year.

Jordan told me about the EXTERA Canada Series May 15 at COP a day or two before. I was kinda worried as I had did nothing and was hoping this would be a good kick in my pants to get me out of my funk. so it was a run up the side of the ski hill and around the side get on the bike for 2 laps (counter clockwise) of the usually closed trails across the road in the protected area. That is where I called it quits. I think there was only 20-25 people doing this, me and this lady were spit off the back on the second switch back up the hill. I was going to quit after one lap of the bike but she was just starting her second lap at the same time after a detour. We finished the second lap and crossed the line saying we were done. I ended up winning a Suntour Watch out of the deal.

Looking at my mighty spreed sheet looks like I went hiking a couple times,

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I also did a few Wednesday Night Orienteering adventures. Have a Compass get your map and off you go.

April Fool's Score O - showed up in shorts and the organizer thought I would never come back. I had a blast and was bitten buy the bug. Was only scratched a few times buy the vegetation.

Fish Creek (elbow park)- I picked an easy map and proceeded to miss the first three markers. 9/15 I properly punched. I have ran in this area over the years but it was cool to see different areas I had not been yet.

Nose Hill (64th ave) - I remember scolding myself for missing so many markers and my goal was to find all of them this time. 11/13 I had such a hard time finding the first one I was so angry with myself I spent a good 20min on that one marker that I missed.

Fish Creek (37ave) - (picked a bigger map than I was truly ready for and got utterly lost, I didn't even get my print out I was so disappointed with myself.

River Park (sandy beach) - Ok here's an area I thought I knew well... 15/21 markers found. I took a bigger course map but was not in shape to run the distance so the ones I didn't find were on this loop that I just didn't go on. It was a warm up for the CRR River Park XC I did later on.

Carburn Park - I used to eat my lunch in this park when I worked at Position Inc. so It was a good memory coming back and I got to introduce Natalie to Orienteering. Together we found all 12, but the bugs were eating her alive so I don't know how much she enjoyed it.

Paskapoo Slopes - Nat and I attempted this one but we were very lost and it didn't go so well we pulled the pin pretty early. 4/11

SAIT/Riley Park - FOUND THEM ALL!!! 21/21 They called this one an urban sprint, I called it fun and exciting

Bowmont Park - I think the weather was bad on this day and I was running late so I grabbed a shorter map (lost of kids did this one) and I only missed one.

FWOC Club Champs.

Forest Event - Fish Creek - Back very close to the area that tripped me up earlier and I was determined to do well. I missed one marker that from the direction I came was impossible, apparently if I came from the south it was plain as day.... sigh DNF because of the 3rd marker.

Urban Park - Nose Hill - after yesterdays defeat I was determined to get all the markers so my time would be counted. 14/14 but in my effort to get the markers I went way off course and refused to see a clear sign I was wrong. I learned a valuable lesson about orienteering that day.

Urban Sprint & Banquet - Calgary Zoo - I like that the zoo lets races happen in there park. I was excited about this one as I know the zoo and really hoped it would help me. #18 I went around and around this building convinced I was correct only to watch this kid walk to the building next to mine and find it. They got sneaky as to where the markers were and it created a good laugh or two. The lunch was very good and even if my time from the first event would have been allowed I still would not have been on the podium in my age group.

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I planned on doing as many Calgary Road Runners x-country races this year as I could. I did the first one River Park Oct 2. This one is fun as you get to cross the river... twice. There is a bridge if you want to Wimp out, which I was not afraid to do on the second crossing. I was so behind and tired I didn't want to brave the cold water. It was an interesting low tech race.

I have been out on the x-skis a few time this winter so far and plan on doing more of it. It helps when there is a park in the city limits you can go to.

2006 Plans

I have had a small career detour lately so I don't know how realistic or possible this years plan might be. But Ya gotta have goals!!

Jan - ?

Feb 26 (sun) - Hypothermic 1/2 Marathon Calgary Hoping for 2hr 15min Run time (2:16:24 250 of 356 overall)

March 12 (sun) St Pats 10km (0:34:22 100 of 219 overall)

April - ?

May 28 (sun) Innisfail Sprint Tri (2:04:11 160 of 168 overall)

June - ?

July 16 (sun) - Stanley Park Sprint Tri (Oh looks like a birthday present for me!!!) (2:00:42 174 of 184 overall)

July 23 (sun) - Sylvan Lake 1/2 Iron Man (I haven't decided yet) I think I will just volunteer and do next year

Aug 6 (sun) - Heritage Point Olympic Tri (DNS see story)

Sept 3 (sun) - Dino Dash 10km (working nights so forget it!!!)

Sept 16 (sat) - Calgary Corporate Challange 10km with SLB (Cancelled due to Cold Weather)

Oct 13 (Fri) - EMS night run

Nov 12 (sun) - Last Chance Half

Dec 31 - Resolution 8km run (0:55:00)

2005 Plans

In 2004 I competed in 2 running "races", 3 non-races and 2 Triathlons. I have been bitten by the bug and I want to continue on this path I have chosen for my life. April this year I have changed my career path a bit. I have taken a job with the Running Room as a Part Time Assistant Events Coordinator, I am still going to work with IKEA but only part time. It's not often a person gets to work at a job doing something they love, and I don't see being a pro Triathlete in my near future

I have made the decision that I am going to spend my 30th birthday riding in France. I will be riding in the south of France in July so it's going to get warm! My goal is to ride up Mt Ventoux and Alpe d'Huez. For non-riders these mountains hold a lot of history in the Tour de France and are very much like a pilgrimage.

Because I have made this decision, my plans to do a 1/2 Iron man need to placed on hold for a year. I found that if I am training for 3 sports to do a Tri I had a very hard time doing 80-100Km a day on a tour. The other lesson is that I am going to do Way Past Fast events rather than Multisport. I didn't enjoy the course being taken cleaned up when I was still on the course running.

As I sit and look at the long term this is the plan, the bold are the ones in cement, going to to it!!

2005

Jan - Taking two 8 week swim courses to improve my Tri

Mar 13 (sun) - 5K or 10K St Pats, my new tradition just to see where I am (0:30:32 - 70 of 449)

May 21-23 - Golden Triangle Ride (may long weekend) (survived)

May 29 (sun) - Sprint at Chinook's Edge (Innisfail) 1:38:04 - 71 of 77 Males

June 12 (sun) - Dualthon at the Cochrane Footstock... just so I don't have to swim :) (2:32:36 - 57 of 81 overall)

June 30 (Thurs) @ 10:17am Fly to France for 29 days of adventures

July 28 (Thurs) @ 10:58pm Arrive back in Calgary

Aug 7 (sun) - Heritage Pointe Sprint (feeling tired I volunteer, if I feel good....) (Did not start)

Aug 28 (sun) - Volunteer at Iron Man Canada and sign up for next year (not ready for an IM yet)

2004 Events

I plan on doing just a few events this year... June/July/Aug I have something each weekend :) Once I have done the event I will write a report that you can read on this website.

St Patrick's Day 5K Run (March 14)

I took a Learn to Run Class from the Running Room and this was the goal to finish the class and run this race.

Finished 42 overall in a time of 27:05 for 5th of 30 in my age group

Tri This Triathlon (May 30)

500M Swim / 15Km Bike / 3Km Run Finished in 1:10:40 for 184/231 people. Broken down it was swim - 18:06 - 229 place /bike - 33:56 - 101 place /run - 18:39 - 175 place

Becel Ride for Heart (June 6) 42Km Bike

I am doing this one because a coworker, she knows who she is ;) gave me grief for not using my love of bike riding to help out a charity. I raised $450 and did the ride plus extra Km's in 1hr 46 min. I think once a year I am going to do one of these events.

Vacation (June 21)

I am riding the Kamloop. Lake Louise - Jasper - Kamloops - Rogers Pass - Banff This didn't go as planned but I did learn a fair bit about myself in the process.

Colliers Calgary 10 Km Run (July 11)

52:53 @ 8:31/mile - 31 of 71 age group - 401 of 1510 overall - 297 male of 658

Stanley Park Sprint Tri (July 18)

Just going to Volunteer Also that weekend is the Canmore 24 hours of Adrenaline that I might go check out.

Sylvan Lake 1/2 Ironman TRI (July 25)

I plan on doing this next year I am going to volunteer to get an idea of what goes on. I also purchased a wetsuit, I want to try it out and get my first taste of a lake swim done.

Lake Chaparral Olympic Dist Triathlon (Aug 15)

1500M Lake Swim / 40Km Bike / 10Km run This is my focus event for the summer I am not trying to win the thing but I don't want to be last. www.multisportscanada.com/chaparral.htm Info on how to get there can be found here. They do a better explanation than I can :)

3:18:13 Total Time (228) 41:25 Swim (233), 1:32 Bike (215) with flat Tire, 1:04 Run (197).

August and September I hope to have a few long weekends to do some rides before the campgrounds close for the fall.

2003 in review

This year I took a crack at the Golden Triangle put on by the Elbow Valley Cycling Club. Basically you ride for 100km per day and have three very fully stocked food stops. I think I gained weight on this weekend. This was the last year they were allowed to run Counter Clockwise, which is a better ride but the powers that be have safety issues with a 1000 riders crossing the highway for snack stops.

I also I put the bike on the greyhound bus and a few days later I flew into Kelowna and rode the bike back to Calgary.... what made me decide this was a good idea I don't know but it was a blast!

The Pro's are in Canada!!! This is the second time the World Cycling Championships have ever been held out side Europe. The first was Montreal many many years ago. I would have lived off rice for a month to pay for this trip. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity and I am glad to this day that I did it. On this trip I also went to Niagara falls and I visited my cousin Leah in Ottawa.