Saturday - Spent it whining about my sore knee, hip, finger, elbow and ribs. Also took my bike over to the shop to get the chain fixed and tuned up.
Sunday - 10K run....toughest one in a long time....ribs are very sore.
Monday - 10K run.....it hurt as well.
Tuesday - 1 hour of lane swimming before work. Felt like an anchor. Ribs are getting worse.
Wednesday - Ribs sore....whined and rested.
Thursday - More of the same.
Friday - Going to pick my bike up from the shop. Probably nothing tonight, and then a nice long ride on the weekend. Have a Dr appointment to get the ribs checked.
This is the first real injury that I have had in 18 months, so I guess I can't complain. Wait......sure I can complain...it hurts.
I am determined!!!
BW
Friday, June 26, 2009
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Ironman Muskoka Bike Course Report
Tuesday - 10K run
Wednesday - 1 hour of lane swimming
Thursday - Rest
Friday - The plan was to travel to Huntsville and ride the 94K Muskoka Ironman 70.3 bike course. Then stop at Balsam Lake for an open water swim on the way home.
The Muskoka bike course is supposed to be the toughest on the 70.3 circuit and we both wanted to check it out. So a pre-ride was in order.
Danger and I loaded up the bikes and headed for Deerhurst early Friday morning. Takes about 2.5 hours to get there. Arrived got changed, went to put a little more air in the tires and the pump was not working. Right there we should have known something was up and packed up and headed home. Used some cylinders and headed out. The weather was fantastic. Sunny around 24C. Within the first 5 minutes my chain came off. Now when you are clipped in and your chain comes off the first thing that comes to your mind has to be to get a foot out or you are going over. No problem, snapped out a foot. Put my chain back on and off we go. Every time I was in a low gear...say 1-3 and going up a hill my chain would come off. We were about 10K in and decided to double back to a marina we passed and borrow a screwdriver to make a few adjustments. So we did that. Did not help. So I figured I would stay in the bigger gears and get up the hills somehow. Even then going up the hills my chain would come up....did not matter what gear I was in. On the flats in the big gears...no problem. Going slow up the hills with load on the chain and it would come off. It easily came off over 20 times.
Didn't come that far to not ride the course so just had to make the best of it. The course is fantastic. Nice scenery and though there are lots of hills...there are not any monsters. But from start to finish there are lots of them. Maybe living and training in the Durham region helps where we have hills everywhere. Danger and I both agreed that we don't see what all the fuss is about the bike course. It is more than manageable. It will not be a problem. About half way through the bike course I see this thing in the ditch about 150 meters ahead of us. Oh 5hit.....its a bear cub. It comes up on the road...crosses and disappears in the woods. Danger though this was very cool since he has never seen a bear before. He thought it was cool until I told him that the big Momma bear can't be too far away and she would be very protective of her cub. So we booked it out of there while looking over our shoulders.
At the 70K mark going up a hill...in a big gear.....cranking for all I can...the chain comes off. I was hammering on the down stroke with all my weight to one side. Over I go....Danger heard the chain and looked back just in time to see me bouncing off the road. Road rash on the knee...elbow.....hip....finger and my arm jammed into my ribs. Is this a test???? Luckily did not wreck my new kit. Got up put the chain back on...by now my hands look like I am a full time mechanic. Onward we go....at the 81K mark.....going up another hill...the chain snaps. So now I am not going anywhere. Give Danger the keys to the truck and off he goes. Danger was having gear issues and was stuck in the same gear for the last part of the course. Sounded like his casette or back wheel was going to fall off. We both could not believe it.
So picture this...stranded on a country road in Muskoka...woods everywhere...no houses....just saw a bear about 45 minutes ago.....and I figure I won't see Danger again for at least 45 minutes....Can it get any worse.......AND then the black flies come at me. Man those things are as big as pennies. So I cover up as much as I can....helmet on....grab two sticks and start swinging at them. To my amazement I knock a few out of mid air. Its cause they are so big. Kept the black flies at bay, but there were these other smaller ones that bite like mad. Every time I heard rustling in the woods I was like ok...here comes the bear to finish the day off for me. 50 minutes later I see the truck coming to get me. By then I am covered in bites....and when they bite you bleed. So I have blood marks as well. Got changed and into the truck. Drove the last 14K of the bike course to see what it was like. There are hills all the way to the end.
So it was an interesting day to say the least. BUT I did get to ride the course and do not have to worry about it anymore. It will be ok.
For today I leave you with this.........I am resilient.
BW
Wednesday - 1 hour of lane swimming
Thursday - Rest
Friday - The plan was to travel to Huntsville and ride the 94K Muskoka Ironman 70.3 bike course. Then stop at Balsam Lake for an open water swim on the way home.
The Muskoka bike course is supposed to be the toughest on the 70.3 circuit and we both wanted to check it out. So a pre-ride was in order.
Danger and I loaded up the bikes and headed for Deerhurst early Friday morning. Takes about 2.5 hours to get there. Arrived got changed, went to put a little more air in the tires and the pump was not working. Right there we should have known something was up and packed up and headed home. Used some cylinders and headed out. The weather was fantastic. Sunny around 24C. Within the first 5 minutes my chain came off. Now when you are clipped in and your chain comes off the first thing that comes to your mind has to be to get a foot out or you are going over. No problem, snapped out a foot. Put my chain back on and off we go. Every time I was in a low gear...say 1-3 and going up a hill my chain would come off. We were about 10K in and decided to double back to a marina we passed and borrow a screwdriver to make a few adjustments. So we did that. Did not help. So I figured I would stay in the bigger gears and get up the hills somehow. Even then going up the hills my chain would come up....did not matter what gear I was in. On the flats in the big gears...no problem. Going slow up the hills with load on the chain and it would come off. It easily came off over 20 times.
Didn't come that far to not ride the course so just had to make the best of it. The course is fantastic. Nice scenery and though there are lots of hills...there are not any monsters. But from start to finish there are lots of them. Maybe living and training in the Durham region helps where we have hills everywhere. Danger and I both agreed that we don't see what all the fuss is about the bike course. It is more than manageable. It will not be a problem. About half way through the bike course I see this thing in the ditch about 150 meters ahead of us. Oh 5hit.....its a bear cub. It comes up on the road...crosses and disappears in the woods. Danger though this was very cool since he has never seen a bear before. He thought it was cool until I told him that the big Momma bear can't be too far away and she would be very protective of her cub. So we booked it out of there while looking over our shoulders.
At the 70K mark going up a hill...in a big gear.....cranking for all I can...the chain comes off. I was hammering on the down stroke with all my weight to one side. Over I go....Danger heard the chain and looked back just in time to see me bouncing off the road. Road rash on the knee...elbow.....hip....finger and my arm jammed into my ribs. Is this a test???? Luckily did not wreck my new kit. Got up put the chain back on...by now my hands look like I am a full time mechanic. Onward we go....at the 81K mark.....going up another hill...the chain snaps. So now I am not going anywhere. Give Danger the keys to the truck and off he goes. Danger was having gear issues and was stuck in the same gear for the last part of the course. Sounded like his casette or back wheel was going to fall off. We both could not believe it.
So picture this...stranded on a country road in Muskoka...woods everywhere...no houses....just saw a bear about 45 minutes ago.....and I figure I won't see Danger again for at least 45 minutes....Can it get any worse.......AND then the black flies come at me. Man those things are as big as pennies. So I cover up as much as I can....helmet on....grab two sticks and start swinging at them. To my amazement I knock a few out of mid air. Its cause they are so big. Kept the black flies at bay, but there were these other smaller ones that bite like mad. Every time I heard rustling in the woods I was like ok...here comes the bear to finish the day off for me. 50 minutes later I see the truck coming to get me. By then I am covered in bites....and when they bite you bleed. So I have blood marks as well. Got changed and into the truck. Drove the last 14K of the bike course to see what it was like. There are hills all the way to the end.
So it was an interesting day to say the least. BUT I did get to ride the course and do not have to worry about it anymore. It will be ok.
For today I leave you with this.........I am resilient.
BW
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Busy....Busy....Busy
Oh yea....I have been busy...busy....busy....even have not taken the time to update the blog. Won't happen again. Now have the pool open and just waiting for summer to get here. You would think this time of year makes it easier to train. But I find the opposite. There is so much else to do this time of year.....between yard work......golf.....the garden...paint the garage doors...and it is light until 9 o'clock now. BUT training has been rolling along. Personally I find it way easier to train during the winter when its cold and dark outside.
We are now 13 weeks away from the smashfest.
Each week from here in I am going to leave you with a phrase and it will lead up to the thing I have been seeking for over a year. But you have to wait until Sept 13, 2009 to find out what the last one will be. So here is the first one.
I am dedicated!!!!
BW
We are now 13 weeks away from the smashfest.
Each week from here in I am going to leave you with a phrase and it will lead up to the thing I have been seeking for over a year. But you have to wait until Sept 13, 2009 to find out what the last one will be. So here is the first one.
I am dedicated!!!!
BW
Monday, June 8, 2009
Rest & Recovery Week
A busy social calendar fit in to my schedule nicely on a recovery week.
Monday - Rest
Tuesday - Rest
Wednesday - Lane Swimming at Courtice pool. Felt like a torpedo in the pool. Very fast. Did not count lenghts. I am sure it was over 100 in 60 minutes. So somewhere around a 2.5K swim.
Thursday - Rest
Friday - Rest
Saturday - Back to business. Got in a 75K ride.
Sunday - A 10K run.
Once you get in a groove its hard to take it easy. But it is an important part of the overall training plan. Resting like last week is hard. It feels like you should be doing something. I think the body has come to expect its daily beat down. But its part of the plan.
So back to it this week. We are now 14 weeks away from Muskoka. Tick tock.
BW
Monday - Rest
Tuesday - Rest
Wednesday - Lane Swimming at Courtice pool. Felt like a torpedo in the pool. Very fast. Did not count lenghts. I am sure it was over 100 in 60 minutes. So somewhere around a 2.5K swim.
Thursday - Rest
Friday - Rest
Saturday - Back to business. Got in a 75K ride.
Sunday - A 10K run.
Once you get in a groove its hard to take it easy. But it is an important part of the overall training plan. Resting like last week is hard. It feels like you should be doing something. I think the body has come to expect its daily beat down. But its part of the plan.
So back to it this week. We are now 14 weeks away from Muskoka. Tick tock.
BW
Monday, June 1, 2009
Epic Training Day
Saturday - Got in a 10K run.
Sunday - We travelled to beautiful Sandy Lake just near Buckhorn for the Zoot 2K Open Water swim put on by Runners Life Peterborough. The event had a 9:30 am start. The air temperature was about 8C. Was quite concerned about how the water was going to feel.
Sunday - We travelled to beautiful Sandy Lake just near Buckhorn for the Zoot 2K Open Water swim put on by Runners Life Peterborough. The event had a 9:30 am start. The air temperature was about 8C. Was quite concerned about how the water was going to feel.
Danger and I wading into the water. You can see part of the swim course marked by the orange Buoys. It was a 1K course, so we swim 2 laps. A wicked wind started up and was messing with the buoys. Some of them got moved so we did not have an official time. While the event did not turn out that well due to the buoys moving, we still got in a good swim. Wetsuit was great. Was nice and warm in the water. Water temp was probably around 14C. I was not cold until I got out of the water and then my hands and feet were very cold since the air temp was only 8C. Call the swim a big success.
Back to the truck to warm up and change into our cycling gear. Oh yes, the plan then is to bike back to Courtice.
Trying to figure out our route back. Put on everything you got....its cold!!
The ride home was very tough. The wind was blowing at 55 kph and gusting from there. Went over a causeway near Bridgenorth and thought the wind was going to blow me into the water. But we made it home in just over 4 hours. The distance was 108.3 km.
Back to the truck to warm up and change into our cycling gear. Oh yes, the plan then is to bike back to Courtice.
Trying to figure out our route back. Put on everything you got....its cold!!
The ride home was very tough. The wind was blowing at 55 kph and gusting from there. Went over a causeway near Bridgenorth and thought the wind was going to blow me into the water. But we made it home in just over 4 hours. The distance was 108.3 km.A good ride(108k) on top of a good swim(2K). So we basically did the first two parts of the Muskoka Ironman today. When we got home we were thinking of going for a 10K run. But our hands and feet were too cold. So we called it a day.
Special thanks to "the girls" for driving us up. You know who you are ;)
BW
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