EMS Night Run

Wow have I been ignoring this blog for a while, mind you I am starting to wonder if people are actually reading this other than the Spammers that keep leaving comments.

I have been focusing on strength training with Running on a treadmill for the last month. So this race was a bit of a test to see if my hip is getting stronger so that I don't have so much pain in my calves. Oh I have been taking Total Immersion swim classes and I wish I had taken this a few years ago. Prescription goggles, new swim style, stronger hip... I better keep this up for July 8 at Stoney Plain Half Ironman www.gwntriathlon.com so your all invited now that I have announced this.

Ok to race. I tried a few different things so I want to remember the lessons learned because I think they worked. I wore shorts, Long + Short shirt, Run Hat, Sidewinder bottle holder with Noun in it and I drank 3/4 the bottle. The temperature was probably 8C and cooling as the sun went down. I also had a nap in the afternoon.

I went slow for the first km I actually kept behind this large guy that was speed walking. As the mass started to break into the usual groups as all races do, and what luck I was near the front of the slower group and I let a gap build and then I started to run at a comfortable pace and started picking off people for the second km. I did notice that the KM markers were off, the first one arrived way too quickly. I am so glad I don't pace myself using them anymore, Garmin is the King.

Looking back at the numbers I could figure out why K3 had an average of 7:30m/k.... until I looked at the map and realized I walked the bridge. I had been running with a lady and her 6year old daughter. I laughed with a volunteer saying "I will be so upset if that kid beats me"

But now that we have turned back and as you can see on the graph my HR just keeps going up. I ran with this lady I had seen at the start and she was overheating and expending a lot of energy to keep her pace. I was feeling very relaxed and I felt I could have a conversation if I choose too. Ok so it was a bit of an ego boost, I'll take it.

So I got to the last bridge and ran behind this BEAUTIFUL lady, it broke my heart to pass her. So I got myself across the bridge and realized that I pushing a bit harder and so I backed off just a hair so I wouldn't blow up before the final corner like I did for at Hypo Half

So I get to the final corner and increased my pace but then all of a sudden I heard all kinds of foot steps going on behind me. A quick shoulder check and I saw someone trying to pass me. SO KICK IT!!! I felt like the Tornado finishing a sprint stage of the TDF. The part that made me happy is that I was able not not let them pass me.

I felt great, my calves were aching but that I can handle it's when the scream and make me cry that is different. So I think my 5km test of my fitness went well and I am happy.

64

31:07

6:14

929

Randy

MILLER

M

64/161

a WOW kinda night

OK first off check out this her name is Feist and the song is called 1234.... Ok you all know my music taste is on the Harder/Faster/Louder side of the scale. This is so not my usual style it is upbeat with no drum or base and her voice is like WOW!!!!. Well I saw this video a few weeks ago on Much Take Over and it has been in my head ever since... of course I didn't see the band name until today when I saw it in the Ads for the new Nano Ipod. Check her out!!! I just finished downloading all 4 of her albums!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8Z-DIAthbM

Ok the next WOW was I did my first lesson in Total Immersion swimming... I got out of the water after an hour and I felt GOOD. No exhaustion, no Fatigue, no hunger, no pissed off hating life!!! I know it was only drills tonight but something clicked.... I should have gave this a better try 2 years ago when I read the book. I should have researched to find a coach in the area...

DOH!!!

I have just realized that my IMC post was super long... with no pictures :( I will have to fix that.... I only took a few hundred photos of that exciting weekend. My turn in 2009 Look out I got a plan! Ok now I just have to update "the spreadsheet" (quit laughing Ella!!!)

Now that I am on this path, my workouts have been going better. There has been a lot less 'randomness' going on. I have started back at square 1 with running. 20 min on a treadmill at Mount Royal College. Now that class is in MRC provides much motivational views ;)

I have even signed up for a few Running Room Events (EMS night run, Santa shuffle, and Resolution) to provide mini goals to get my ass moving.

But here is the big change for me. I have got myself into a Total Emerson swimming class.

Yes I know how to swim but this class will teach me to swim more efficient. Those that have watch any of my triathlons know that I am by far the most inefficient swimmer out there, I come out of the water last and out of breath! Mind you know that I have prescription goggles getting lost in the water is now a thing of the past.

IMC Run and Finish

As we parked the car and hiked to the run course I saw the Third Place Lady, Heather Fuhr, go by looking strong. So we waited for Greg to come in on the bike. I saw Sister Madonna come in, Santa Clause, and the Mtn Bike guy. There were so many people, but no Greg. We checked our watches, did the math and figured it was going to be close. Greg did finish the bike but 0:02:30 past the cut off. The three of us looked at each other and collectively said “oh crap”, we watched over the fence as the people took his chip from him. I have never felt so emotionally low for another person. 2.5 mins that was all he need to make up. But there was a head wind for the last while, he said he got into the soft shoulder a few times almost crashing, he also realized he probably didn’t need to change his socks at the Special Needs Station. He was already doing the math as to where he could have made up those precious 150 seconds.

As a group we got his gear and him as far as possible from the finish area. We actually went completely around the block the long way to do so. But every 30seconds we could hear “Joe Blow from hometown Alberta you are an Ironman!” we took him to a nice Italian restaurant and our waitress had large assets. Thank goodness Jen was there to keep us in line. I had forgotten what I wanted a few times before it was my turn to order.

We sent Greg to his hotel to hopefully get a good night sleep. Mike and Jen took off to Kelowna where they were staying and I went back to the finish area. I was sitting in the bleachers wishing I had packed some jeans because that wind was blowing off the lake was Freezing!!! I saw Mark from Speed Theory pass by and chatted with him and his girlfriend (I can’t remember her name right now). It would have been cool to be his co-pilot in a support car, but I had a blast today anyway. The top three guys came out and tossed some Frisbees to the crowd and I drove back to my campsite around 11pm just in time to see probably the last 5 people on the run course. I don’t think they all made it before the midnight cut off because the last lady’s name didn’t appear in the results page the next day. I called it a night and I missed the fireworks but considering I had possibly six hours of sleep the last two nights it was a good day of supporting the sport I love.

IMC Bike

I was planning to just go out to Yellow Lake and watch everyone but now that I had an athlete to follow I joined Mike and Jen chase down Greg in the car to get photos of his day. We first caught him 10km out from Osoyoos and he had a grin from ear to ear when Jen and I leaned out the car window hooting and hollering at him. We got ahead of him and pulled over to wait for him to go by then pile back into the car. We got over the top of Richter Pass and waited on the down side. Just as he came into view a RV pulled over and parked as we watched. Jen flipped out at them hard. So off we go and pass him again I got a very good photo of Greg along side of us in the aero position.

We stopped for lunch near the entrance to the out and back section. Then we made our way to yellow lake where all the rabid fans were. I have been to the World Cycling Championships in Hamilton, On the side of the road at a Class 4 Col in a stage of the Tour de France, And in Paris for the final stage of Lance Armstrong’s 7^th yellow jersey. And by far there was more positive energy and care projected at these athletes climbing this freeking mountain pass. Remember the year they put an ITT on Alpe du Hez?? Ya it was that kind of energy you could feel through the TV, but this was live and I loved it!!!

I was able to see Amber Dawn I saw the bike before I realized it was her. By the time I called her name she was 100 feet up the hill so when she turned back she didn’t see me. I watched one guy hit the ground; he got caught in the loose gravel. We finally were able to move down the back side, they had restricted the car traffic so that they could give two lanes going down to the bikes. They were using it when overtaking a slower person. This one guy bombed down we clocked him doing 75kph. There was a bit of a pile up on the rollers, two guys were in the ditch and 3 more were down on the shoulder of the road. I think one guy messed up his shoulder pretty bad. As we went into town EMS was blasting out towards the scene. And no it was not the guy doing 75.

IMC Swim

I lay awake from 3am to 5:30 when I got myself out of bed and headed off to the swim start. Man that is one sight to behold. 2600 of your closest friends forming the largest mass swim start in Ironman history. It was a party on the shore for the spectators. They opened up the beach and the spectators all moved onto it. Many waded out in the water to form the lines guiding the swimmers to shore. They stayed there for over 2 hours! It was great to see the fast guys come in. But because of my summer I was cheering for the last few. I should mention I bumped into Mike and Jennifer from my Running Room days and they were here to cheer on Greg. Now Mike, Greg, Geo and I all started Tri at the same year. Greg is the first of us to put his toes in the sand at an Ironman. Greg is quite the character once you get to know him, which is difficult for some people. So he did not have a support crew like some of the people at IMC, one person had 3 vans following her. We cheered like crazy when we saw him out of the water and he was smiling! Jen said the swim is not Greg’s strongest event so for him to be smiling he did alright!!

So we are getting close to the swim course closing and there are three people getting close. The announcer says if they stand up and they are in waist deep water they get to keep going. The crowd went ape shit!!! I have never seen so many people giving out so much positive energy. The closest two made it, the third of that group did not. There was also 2 other people out in the water. So for 3 people plus the 3 that called it quits in the water and came back by boat, their day was done. There was no Chris King asking for the family of the people still in the water what there times were like, how good of biker are they. It broke my heart. If I had not been with a few friends I would have openly cried for the people that didn’t make the cut off.

IRON MAN CANADA!!!! Pre race

Last shift was Thursday and the fireworks were cancelled, plus TR was busy so I just went home and packed. Friday I woke up and started driving. I had a few plans change; I did not meet with Lori. I drove straight to Kamloops instead of meeting half way and then I would hike and camp. So I blast my way to Leah’s house. All I knew is that she lived on the North Shore. So I kept following the signs, when I got close I called her up and we had some confusion as to where I was in relation to where she was. So I remembered she said 12ave and I found a Casino parking lot and pulled over while waiting for her to find her map and call me back. She found her map and I said where I was. I was just across the street, what are the odds? So she has just moved in and not everything was in its new place, so I was entertained by watching her relax and chat with me but Kyle was itching to have all the big stuff in place.

So we go out for supper after looking at photos of Leah and Betty’s trip to China and a scrap book Leah made when she was very young and there were some cool photos of me as a lad. We drove around looking for a pub to eat at and found this Irish place. They offered a 3 POUND burger!!!! I hadn’t eaten much that day so game on!! Well I did about ¾ of it and began to feel rather disgusted with myself and I could not finish it. I tried eating a few pieces of lettuce from my salad but that did not feel right either.

In the morning we took off together. Leah and Kyle were going back to Calgary to pick up Andrea to take her to Edmonton and then they were to drive back to Kamloops. The things you do for the people that are taking care of your cat J I drove to Pentiction. I had planed on dropping in on my coworker Friday night while she was on vacation but because I drove straight to Kamloops it would be backtracking and I really wanted to get to IMC.

It was nice to drive on the highways that a few years ago I was riding on. I saw the Pentiction sign on the side of the mountain and became very happy. I stopped at the visitor info booth and got a Program and a spectator map for the race. The people there were very informed of the race and were happy it was here. So I got to lakeshore drive. The grandstands are all ready set up and every where you look there are fellow triathletes hanging around checking out one another and their bikes. I checked out the athlete’s village and bought some IM gear. A shirt that I will never wear but it will provide inspiration, a shirt I will wear because it does not say IMC on it, a car flag, and a Head Sweat running cap celebrating the 25 anniversary. I listened to an interview of the Head of the WTC and he has some interesting stories of past Ironman events he has put on.

I realized I better get a camp spot so I drove off, I realized that one of the campsites was right on the course… so guess which one I camped at J yah baby!!! Half the campground was athletes the other 40% was supporters and maby 10% had nothing to do with it and were getting nervous. There was one kid with a voice like a fog horn and around 9:30 you could tell the 90% were sending vibes saying shut up were going to bed. Of course at 4am we woke them all up. I wish the guy with the Harley had started it up at 4am it would have had the right start to the day. LOL!!!