Tour de Bow Hill Climb

August long weekend rolls around and it is time for the other big Tour that I pay attention to. This one is a bit more local though :) This year I have to work while the Crit is on, which is disappointing because it is a very spectator friendly event to watch. So I took off a bit early on Sunday and went to COP where they hold the Hill Climb competition. The course is 1.5ish KM long about5 turns and the record is around 3 min a whole lot faster then I can do that's for certain. So walked up about halfway and watched for a bit. I wandered down to the start just as the Cat 1&2 were starting. It was nice to check out the bikes these local racers are on. I happened to bump into two guys that race for Crankmasters group that is putting on the ITT that I thought about doing.

Going to the Sun Road

Oh I have been thinking about this ride for a year now.... I had the bright idea that this would be the "weekend" for it. I finished my shift on Monday and didn't really feel like driving for 4 hours not certain if I had a campsite to crash at or not. So Tuesday I got my but out of bed a bit later than I planned, guess 4 days of alarms going off at unholy hours has it's toll.

I packed up the car and headed south. I stopped in Naton to check out the air museum. I know I have drove past it a few times and the Lancaster wasn't visible like it had before so I was worried. but nope they have made room in the hanger for the old aircraft. I made my $5 donation and spent a few hours checking out displays.

I grabbed a slurpy in the next town and kept on moving. I kept looking out the window and just in awe of the rolling fields trying to take photos as I drove. I finally made it to the border the guys wished me luck when I told him my plan to ride the highway. I kept hoping for a car to be in front of me because I was paranoid that I was speeding. Those Mph numbers are hard to read when your looking at mountains:)

I payed my $25 park fee, which is good for 7 days.... why????? all I wanted was a two day pass!!!!! So I drove right past the campground I wanted to stay at... the lake was nice so I kept on driving. Thought to myself that I should drive this thing and then ride it tomorrow when the sun isn't so hot. So I keep pulling over at the spots and took photos like a crazy tourist. Keeping track of how long I had been climbing till the top.

Ok if I had problems with the last hill on the Sylvan Course.... WHAT MADE ME THINK I COULD DO THIS MOUNTAIN PASS???????????????????

This is an alpine road, no shoulder, WINDY, and it has metal grates across the road to keep the water from going down the road. All I saw was an easy way to DIE trying to go down this road on my bike..... So I drove to the west end and got a campsite. I sat and read some of the magazines I brought along. I just chilled out and relaxed. I realized late in the day that I all I had to eat was a baggett, slurpy, and 3 granola bars. So I went to the camp store got an ice cream and a bag of chips. Then I realized there was a restaurant.... oops I thought I would eat breakfast there.

Slept like crap! couldn't get comfortable sliding down my mattress, I found that what I thought was level when I set up the tent wasn't even close!

Got up and packed up the tent, thought about breakfast... didn't have any. Drove to Whitefish and kept on going. Got to the boarder and waited. I always get nervous trying to get back into my own country.... every time I have crossed in a car it was always a great big pain in my ass compared with entering the states. I guess they have to balance the hatred in the airports the US customs creates.

I got onto highway #3 and recognized places I had camped as I biked it a few years ago.... man I have to do that again! Anyway I got to Kimberly and walked around and again thought to myself" this is it?" hope back in the car and keep going. I was thinking about camping at Wasa Lake but ...... keep on driving. Thought about stopping in Farmount to go to the hot springs but blew past the corner.... thought about the the Radium Hot springs and you guessed it went past that corner too. Guess I was in the mood to just drive and listen to the podcasts I had on my Ipod. Well blow past Banff and finally stop for some food in Canmore.

I got home and went to the gym for a swim and a jog on a treadmill. How stupid am I! I could have swam in a lake and ran in some nature.... oh well it was a good road trip.

Sylvan Lake 1/2 Ironman Race

1:17:24 swim + 4:04:07 Bike + DNS Run = DNF 5:21:31 / 288 of 288 swim + 270 bike + did not start run = 280 overall

I ended up with an average speed of 23.7k/h & Avg Heart Rate of 155 & a max of 240!!!! My computer says I peddled for 3:49:30. So I spent about 14 min stopped at an aid station or in Transition.


So the story:

I woke up and felt well hydrated and rested and quite a bit calmer from the Drama that I created for myself yesterday. Breakfast was a package of Oatmeal and a water. I arrived at Transition and there were a lot of bikes already racked up. I walked around sucking on a gatoraid looking at the bikes. I walked down the beach to get away from the energy and find a shorter line up for a bathroom. I got complements on my jersey which will always be my race jersey from now on I think.

THE SWIM

So I got the wetsuit half on at 7:30 and made my way to the race meeting. boy that thing is tight this year :) I found the family just before it was time to get in. At the appointed time I climbed down the ladder and got in the COLD water. I splashed my face to get used to the water. I had to keep myself calm due to my heart rate was pounding in my chest. I realized they were singing O' Canada and as soon as that was done We were off!!

I was able to kinda keep up for the first leg of 700meters I could see other Green caps so I felt good. I was last so I had a Kayak crew with me, they let me hang on to rest once when they weren't moving. I was glad I had the earplugs working but they did hinder me hearing their helpful directions. I remember looking at my watch and it said 25 min just before I made the turn.

The second leg sucked absolute bollicks!!! I couldn't see the next marker, I was looking into the sun, blind, tired. I finaly hit the lap on the watch after the 2nd corner at 0:44:08. I did the math in my head to get out of the water by 1:10:00 and I knew it would be close.

So I kept sighting on the white tents at the transition area but that caused me to go off course because there was a yellow triangle at the end of the peir that they wanted people to go around. So I added a good 100 meters to my swim for this error. But I got an escort from all the volunteers that were in the Kayaks, I found out it was a tradition to form an arch with their paddles for the last swimmer to go under but it didn't quite work out.

** side note= I have to thank my mom. I found out after the race that they had been paged over to the announcers area. I had read on the website that if you were past the deadlines they would have a conversation with the athlete and the Race Doctor to see if you could continue. Well the announcer (who is the famous Ironman announcer) asked my mom for my previous race results kinda grilled her for a few moments to find out if I had entered this on a whim and if I could continue. She told him I climbed Ventoux a few times (the only mtn in France she could remember I did) That was good enough for him.

SO I get out of the water and Here him say. "Ladies and gentalmen our last swimmer is out of the water, he is Randy Miller who has climbed Ventoux a couple times so we know he has the power on the bike but we shall see after a hard swim like that"

I could not get my arms out of the wetsuit as the blood rushed out of my head. the wetsuit strippers got it off me and helped me up and off I went. I got my bike shorts on over the swimsuit couldn't balance enough to put my socks on. Sucked back some juice and off I went.

THE BIKE

I took off and my heart rate was 180 for the first km, it took about 7km for it to level off and I felt alright.... but it took going up the first rise to help me get my pace comfortable.

I saw another bike up a hill ahead of me on Highway 11 just before the Ecvill corner. I passed him just as we entered the town. He was having a rough go and I passed him like he was standing still. I felt really good and spent time in the aero bars. I got to the start of the out and back in 1:10hr / 28km and there was a constant stream of bikers heading out and many shouted words of encouragement.

I passed a lady that had two flats and had called her husband to pick her up. I got to the turnaround at km #37 / 1:30hr and Wanda, Rob and my Mom were there to cheer me on. I felt so happy to be feeling so well when I saw them. I had a volunteer pull over and remind me to turn right at the stop sign. When I got to the corner the volunteers had taken off. Which I understand because it was getting hot and the course was well signed.

So I climbed the first hill feeling alright looking at the Garmin it was the tallest of the hills. As I climbed this a convertable with the ATA refs pulled up to check on me. I swear I was talking to Lisa Bently, I know now that it was not Lisa but for that moment I was talking to the Queen of Ironman Canada. I pulled into the aid station and realized that I had not drank much for the last 20km because my front bottle was almost full. When the ladies asked how I felt they offered me and Advil for my back pain (damned Aero position) One of the ladies was a Body Marker volunteer and she was concerned that I didn't get marked but they had all worn off. So they only told me there was one hill left. I knew they were lying to me but it was a good effort.

So off I go on to the next hill and halfway up it I got rather depressed and realized that I was bonking... not drinking for the previous 20km would be the cause. so I just started looking at the birds flying around and slowed down a bit. Well I here this Engine retard brake flip on for a few burps. I always like it when the big Rigs do this, just lets you know they are comming behind you. Well I had a fleet of Schlumberger Fracking trucks pass me. Each and every one of them gave me a lane of room and had slowed down so the wind coming off them wasn't too bad. It somehow lifted my spirits, I do not know why seeing your company logo go by would do that but it did. It made me forget about the Punks that dropped a water balloon in front of me, I was scared it was a glass bottle.

I made the last turn on to Highway 20 and it was buisy!!! Then another Convoy of SLB truck go by in the other direction... so I waved at them all!!! The final aid station I got a cookie and a mini donut and poured a bottle of water over my head to cool off. but as I drank the second one the top popped off and sprayed the lady that gave it too me.... apparently they had placed bets if that would happen and it had not happened till I came along.

So last hill I am off and I was in full bonk recovery mode. I made up my mind that I would do more harm than good to start the run. I pulled my ass up that hill and as I came down the other side I cheered the runners on. The last few Km's I had not figured out earlier so when I was told to go down this side street I found I had to share the road with /inbound runners/ outbound runners/ people parking their cars/ people driving down the road/ and four volunteers yelling instructions to me. I got a bit of information overload trying to safely navigate this stretch and kinda snapped at a volunteer and quickly appologised he was just trying to get me into the right path. So I am biking down Lake Shore Drive and had to dodge a few people trying to get to the beach. at one point there is a guy with a cooler standing in the middle of the path. so I yell out "you better pick a direction soon bud" and he had the most shocked look as I bore down on him at 20km/hr.

All of a sudden I hear my name and a bunch of cheering from a pub.... I thought some of my old TeamX members recognized me and that they had been done for a while. But it was my Coworkers that came to cheer me on. Amanda, Jed and Dom. They told me later that the whole pub was shocked because they cheered and then the girls bolted out and across the street so they could take pictures. The waitress had her eye on Jed hoping they didn't skip out on the bill. I see Rob standing on the side of the path and cheering me.... "NO RUN" I tell him as I pass. So my family meet me in transition taking photos, I was happy that I was done.

THE LAST FEW STEPS

I took off my helmet and the volunteer starts to yell to clear the path and I tell her no worries I just want to walk over the timing mat and get my time. So I had the Race Nurse escort me to the mat motioning to the announcer that I was done so he did not call my name, and I take off my chip. She says you shouldn't have to do that, but I already had it off and handed it to her. So we walk back away from the line and the volunteer that places the FINISHERS medal puts one over my head. Dom told me I had a very angry look on my face, which explains why this poor lady had this look of what do I do when I tried to stop her from putting one on me. I took it off and said "I haven't finished, I just did the swim and bike, I do not deserve this, hopefully next year" a few spectators saw this and I heard a few gasp when I gave it back... One guy patted me on the back and said "next year will be your year"

So I get back to where Amanda and Dom were having their smoke out of the way and they jokingly say give us your most exausted look.. So playfully layed on the grass like I had passed out... Well at this moment I realized that my nurse friend is the nurse that would not leave me alone after Innisfail until my cousin Andy grabbed my arm and basicly told her to take off. SO I shot up and sit nicely and take the water from her and show that I am not dead yet. She chatted with me for a bit and shared some shiftwork stories of how hard it is to make training work.

I jumped into the lake after introducing the family and coworker cheer squads. I love cooling off by sitting in the lake after a race. I had given my sister a recovery drink flask the night before with instructions to mix it and give it to me as soon as I was done. She offered it to me 3 times and I realized that she was going to keep pushing it until I took it... She has seen in the past how out of it I could be and saying I didn't need it was not an option.

I felt good even though I was worried I would be upset that I didn't start the run. But it was nice to sit and have a conversation with my family after the race.

When plans go bad

Well, my plans or my comunication of my plans did not go so well today....

My shift is over at 6:45 and of course I was on the Desk checking the flow of data. My teammate asked yesterday to take off at 3:30 due to a wedding out of town. so I missed the boat and lost that race :) It was rather slow and my mind wandered a lot. You know pre race day thoughts... did I pack/train/eat/etc... enough.

So I chat with Amanda about the camping on Saturday night, I make a few calls and man a lot of people want to camp this rather warm weekend.... She finaly found a place for the 5 of us. Yay Amanda. So I agree to pick up some of her stuff so Jed's car isn't packed full with people and gear.

- If I was thinking I would have picked up her stuff on my lunch
- If I was thinking I would have asked to bail from work early a few days ago or take the day off. - If I was thinking I would have not tried to get to Amanda's durring rush hour traffic
- If I was thinking I would have NOT LEFT ALL MY Pre-mixed Drinks for the event in the staff fridge!!!!
- If I was thinking I would have eaten something around 3 pm so I wasn't so brain dead right now
- And last but not least If I was not thinking I would have not checked some message boards and got myself freaked out I was wearing the wrong item under the wetsuit.... I still am on the fence swim suit or bike shorts

I got to sylvan about 1.5 hours past the Athlete meeting I was attempting to leave early to get too. So I bought some supper from good old Subway and walked around. It is funny to see all the people in the race tommorow pointing and trying to figure out where things are.

Well I hope this is the end of my bad run. Next post is Post race

Camping

Well I went camping with my coworkers instead of doing the Calgary 10k race... Didn't even pick up my package. So in the last 2 years I think this makes race #5 that I payed an entry fee to and did not go to. Race directors must just love me, giving them this money and not using the services that they provide. Somewhere a Scottish ancestor is rolling in their grave.

Anyhoo. I woke up at a decent hour and picked up Amanda. I realized I camp with very little when she made 5(?) trips up the stairs to get all her stuff. I took #22 highway to see some scenery, I am going to have to drive this in the fall when the colors are changing.

Got to Twin lakes and set up camp then rushed over to Crimson Lake to suntan while the sun was still out. I even brought out the wetsuit and got into the water to try it out. I have gained some weight since I last put the rubber suit on. Matt had to help zip it up. It felt good to be in the lake with the suit on, I only did 15 min of swimming, but hey a swim is a swim.

Thank goodness I bought an ax otherwise people would not have been able to cook their supper. Mental note when people say can I tri chopping it is a wise idea to stand back a bit. It was alot of fun going back to Rocky with people that hadn't been there before, as I drove I kept point out stuff. Ela was driving behind me in her car and was laughing because all she saw was me pointing.

The drive back to Calgary was quiet, Amanda read her book and I tried not to dooze off. I dropped Amanda off in time for her to turn around and go into work. and I went and slept for 5 hours. I guess the body was used to the nightshift and was fighting to sleep in the day like it knew how.

Random thoughts

So I bought this Neoprene Swim Cap thinking it would keep my head warm while I swim in the Lakes.... hopefully in turn keeping the rest of me from turning blue. I have tried it out in the pool twice and both times someone has asked me about it. The weird thing is that it keeps my head a bit higher in the water as I swim which helps when I breath to my left. WHO knew!!

Now that Glenmore Pool is on the summer hours it is so much easier to go swim laps just before my night shift. I discovered last week that if I went for a swim on my lunch I was more alert at the unholy hour of 4am which has caused me trouble in the past. So this week I am going to swim before shift, and then run on my lunch. Hopefully a few days of that doesn't drain my energy too bad. If it does I will alternate each work day with a swim and run.

Ela from work has organized a camp trip and we are going to Twin Lakes outside of Rocky Mtn House.... so I am skipping another race I signed up for sigh, and am going to train on some of my old routes. there is a bunch of trails to run on so maby I can get my shit together for Sylvan. I can only hope :)

My Vacation of Training

Well I finished the annual unplugging from society for an another year. My time to be the Hobo I truly want to be. This year I had hoped to do the heavy training weeks for my first half Ironman.

So I have completed: 4800m of swimming, 140km of biking, and 22km of running. I planned on 25 hours between the 3 sports but only did 12.

Swimming - has greatly improved distance wise but am still gonna be one of the last people done.

Biking - I rode 70 of the 90 km of the Sylvan Course and when I first drove it and looked at the hills I got kinda worried but after riding them they aren't that bad. The ride that Bruce rescued me on had much more climbing in a shorter distance. I mean I have rode up Ventoux twice and Alpe duHez once so what the heck am I worried about right?

Run - I am getting upset with my calves, it seems like it is a gamble if they are going to be alright. Who knows it could be mental issue that I can't seem to get past the 5km marker on my runs lately. But it could be I just need to eat more bananas.

Overall - I am so glad I found a nutrition plan that will work for the bike, I am upset at the rain in the start of my time off but it was my choice not to go ride or run in the monsoon :) I haven't lost as much weight as I had thought I would, but 2000 calories burned on a bike ride is still good.

With less than 4 weeks left, I am panicking less because I know that this will not be my last attempt at the Half Ironman and this was a learning experience that I am going to build on.