Thursday, December 30, 2010

There's a Theme Here....Can You Guess What It Is?

Oops!

Guilty!

Always make sure to keep the "meat and two veg or twig and berries" warm this winter! Fits like a glove!!

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Things I Just Don't Get.....

Justin and Miley - is it just me or are we truly nearing the end of human existence......

One last holiday note - Sara said the exact same thing to me this year - what does she mean?!!

Friday, December 24, 2010

Words to Live By #2

Words to Live By & Top 50 You Know You're a Triathlete When....

Have the happiest of holidays and may 2011 be a phenomenal year for y'all!!
Does the Beast celebrate Christmas? Answer - Yes, right from the get-go
With Sheila Ceko!
Who doesn't get excited about reindeer games
Hey Sara, isn't that Peter Ames?!
It's a fun time of year when everyone makes a wish
For dinner I would like Susan's yummy sweet potato dish!
So here's hoping your Christmas is full of good times and glee
Hey Evan, enjoy your naughty "present" from Dee
If I haven't stirred things up enough, here's another primer
How about some new race wheels for Reimer?!!


YOU KNOW YOU’RE A TRIATHLETE WHEN...




1. When asked, how old you are you answer 20-24.



2. When asked how long your training was today you answer: three to four hours.



3. Your training is more limited by available time then how far you can run.



4. Your first thought when you wake up is how high your rest HR is.



5. You go for a run even though there's a thunderstorm and you enjoy being wet and dirty.



6. You think it's natural to do your 'business' behind a tree in the woods.



7. You go for a 5 km cool-down run after a 5 km race just so that you can call it a training session.



8. You consider work “regeneration time” between training sessions.



9. That “something hard” between your legs is usually a pull buoy.



10. You have a water bottle when you drive your car.



11. You've forgotten how to drink out of cups.



12. You spend your 2 weeks annual vacation at a training camp.



13. You know inside out how much Protein each energy bar has.



14. You seriously consider applying for citizenship in Tonga, Jemen or Tschad so that you can participate in the Olympic games.



15. People praise you for being able to run 15 miles, but you feel insulted.



16. In the summer your legs are smoother than your girlfriend's.



17. In the winter your legs are still smoother than your girlfriend’s.



18. You need a picture for a job application and you only have race pictures.



19. You use running T-shirts to clean your bike.



20. That charming "cologne" you wear to work is chlorine.



21. You take more showers in a locker room than at home.



22. 6:30 am is “sleeping in.”



23. The dog runs and hides when you get the leash.



24. You think there are only two seasons during the year: racing and off.



25. You shave way too many body parts for a guy.



26. You can't change the oil in your car but you can completely rebuild your bike in 45 minutes.



27. You spend more $ on training and racing clothes then work clothes.



28. You spend 7 days going to 8 stores in 4 towns before buying a pair of running shoes but you take 1 afternoon to go to 1 car dealership and walk out with a new car 4 hours later.



29. When you see some lady watering her flowers and ask her if you can borrow the hose for a minute so you can fill up your water bottles.



30. You clean your bike more often than your car.



31. You've been stung be a wasp or bee in your mouth but carried on running or cycling because "your split times won’t go down by themselves."



32. Your car smells like a locker room.



33. You have everything needed in your car to be swimming, biking or running with 5 minutes notice.



34. When asked to mow the lawn in 90 degree heat, you say that it’s too hot to do that (and you mean it) and then an hour later you go on a century ride because it’s so nice out.



35. You tell your co-workers that you are going to "do a long brick" on Saturday and just expect that they know what you are talking about.



36. When a co-worker asks if you are racing this weekend, you say "yeah, but I'm just running a 10k, so that is not REALLY a race".



37. You consider you bike saddle your "couch."



38. You consider Clif Bars as one of the four food groups.



39. You are sick to your stomach at 2:00 in the morning and check the back of the Pepto Bismol bottle for caloric content and grams of carbohydrates, fat and protein.



40. You have plenty of water bottles, safety pins, and t-shirts.



41. You have trouble keeping lunch under 2000 calories.



42. You usually wake up at 4:00 in the morning but do not get to work until way after 9:00.



43. You like going swimming the day after a race with the permanent penned number still visible on your legs and arms because the feel like a medal.



44. Your car has at least one Power Bar wrapper and two sets of work out clothes!



45. You have a $3000 bike strapped on top of your $1500 car.



46. Your laundry continually smells like someone locked the cat in overnight.



47. Instead of Marie Clare, People, and Cosmo, you have piles of Runner's World in your bathroom.



48. You leave your apartment or house in the morning with your swim bag on one arm, bike on one shoulder, a change of clothes in another bag, and your running stuff in another bag in case you can get away at lunch for a workout.



49. You wave at other cyclists, because all triathletes are friendly and if they are not, they are probably purist cyclists trying to get into triathlons and they do not know that triathletes are friendly.



50. You have not one, not two, but three permanent chain ring scars on your right calf.

Monday, December 13, 2010

It's F#%^ing Cold!!

I love summer - this cold snap is way too early. Technically winter doesn't start until December 21st!!
Now that it's bitterly cold I may be concentrate a little on beer drinking - got to love Cliff!

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

How High Can You Go?!

Been thinking about IM Lake Placid lately. The race is over 8 months away and I've slowly been getting into the routine of activity. Nothing major - just trying to be active. At this point it's nothing consistent - a few days in a row followed by a couple of days off (usually family and work priorities). I've been good at not gaining weight this fall which should help in the new year when a more consistent routine is adopted.

I've also been thinking about potential. My 2011 Ironman will be my sixth but it will be five years since I did one (IM Wisconsin 2006 - time flies). I've never really "raced" an Ironman, especially the bike. I have wondered what I could do if I committed to some quality training, have purpose in my workouts, build from week to week and yet be balanced with my personal life. It can be done with good time management and communication. My goal is quite simple - put in the time and work on a consistent basis over the coming months. Use patience and try to achieve my goal not through leaps and bounds but instead take it one step at a time, like climbing the CN Tower!

I plan to get in great shape and use Lake Placid as a celebration of the completed work. My level of fitness needs to be at a level where my aerobic pace for the race will be fast. I look forward to the challenge! I hope you have started to set goals - looking forward to sharing the journey....

Cheers!

Friday, November 19, 2010

Muskoka 70.3 2010 RR

This is called "plodding"

Still having fun at 16km into the run

Celebratory shot with my little "dinosaur"

Deanne and Evan's Wedding Day!

A wonderful time was had by all at Deanne and Evan's wedding! With great people like Dan and Clarissa (left) and Sammy and Simon (right) at our table (thanks Mr. & Mrs. Dietz!) - it was a night to remember. At least most of it with all the drinks flowing.


Above is the new couples first dance. It took me 5 pictures to get this shot as the bride and groom were showing some fancy footwork on the floor. Check out the bubbles too!

Of course there is the traditional cutting of the wedding cake. Although this was no ordinary wedding cake - it was decked out with triathlon props including Deanne and Evan crossing the "finish line" on the top hand-in-hand. This cake - as I was told (if remembered correctly) - traveled across 4 provinces, 3 states, on 3 ferries, 5 hills and dales, 2 continents, 1 desert, a couple of streets, several meadows, 5 bus stops, 2 flights of stairs and a hop-skip and a jump to arrive in Burlington!!

Ever the committed athlete, Deanne is always looking for an opportunity to sneak in a workout - her wedding day was no exception. A smart idea - earned high marks for keeping your eye on the prize OR perhaps she might try to make Evan chase her around. Tease!

I really didn't realize how poorly Evan's eyesight was until he lost his glasses - he went to great lengths to find them. Fortunately he felt his way around til he found them - much to the delight of Deanne!

Shortly after finding his glasses Dee and Evan stopped by our table. Evan was animated by what he encountered under Dee's dress and was pleasantly shocked to learn that he would see her naked later on! (fortunately I was able to capture that moment on film)

Here's the happy couple still full of energy by the evening's end.


Dee thought it would be best to sneak in a ride as tomorrow would likely be a rest day. I believe Evan was to run to the hotel as Dee had scheduled a tempo run for him.
Finally here's a pic from where it began for Dee and Evan - walking down the aisle after the ceremony as husband and wife. It's obvious they look happy. The day proved to be awesome on all accounts - from the cermony, the sunshine and the fog, the tri-themed seating arrangements, the tri wedding cake, the efficient speeches, Evan's folks getting screeched, the candy bar, the BAR, to kicking it east coast style on the dance floor! 
From Sara and I: thanks for including us on your special day - we had a blast. Enjoy the journey!

Friday, September 24, 2010

Lazy!

WOW! It's been a month since my last post - I plan on a Muskoka 70.3 race report...coming soon.

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Funny Stuff!

Too funnyThe car one I encountered just yesterday!I'm just saying....love this guy's version of Cosmo.

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Magog Quebec HIM and Lake Placid Vacation

Sara before the "non-wetsuit" swim - she was not thrilled (either was I)Deane and Evan signing in.The 2011 IM Lake Placid sign up line, complete with those who camped out!Top of Whiteface MountainView from the top - I rode that road up - EPIC!View from our chalet - very cool!

Friday, July 30, 2010

Whiteface Mountain Climb

Still in Wilmington this week with the fam enjoying hiking, cliff jumping, swimming in the great Adirondacks. My legs felt good so I attempted to do the Whiteface Mountain Climb - something I've always wanted to do but had an Ironman in the way. I started at the Route 86 stop sign (the official start) and made my way up. This climb is 8 miles long at a average gradient of 7.9% to an altitude over 4600 feet. The first 3 miles were tough as my body got used to turning over the pedals for an extended period and I settled in. The grades hover around 8 percent all the way to the toll gate at mile 3. By the time I got to the toll gate I was in climbing mode. From there the scenery was spectacular! The peaks and lakes in the distance made this all worthwhile. Mile 5 got a little tougher as the grade kicked up a bit but I had a couple of cyclists in the distance to use as carrots so I got through with no issues. At about mile 7 the first of 2 switchbacks appeared yet I could not see the top as it was shrouded in cloud and mist. After the first switchback the grade kicks up a bit to the final switchback. From here I was about 300-400 feet from the summit with about 200 of it at 10%. I made the top - and the cold (approx. 5 C) really chilled me - in about 1 hour, 6 minutes. If I do this again I think I can shorten this as I rode conservatively. The ride down was exciting except for dodging the rough sections where winter has done damage over the years and also controlling my speed with tri bars! I thought my hands were going to slip off the bar ends on a few occasions and road bars would definitely be an advantage. I made it back down in 17 minutes and what a difference in temperature at the bottom - 21 C never felt so good. I have read that this climb is on par statisitically with Alpe d'Huez in France (with less switchbacks). I probably won't be in Europe anytime soon so this was pretty cool. The other thing that occurred to me having done this climb is that Tour de France riders are hardcore. I did this one climb and definitely felt the effort and these guys race up several of these over the course of 3 weeks - unreal!
I definitely want to do this again and look forward to doing it in a group.

Have a good one!

Monday, July 12, 2010

Tour de Youngstown

Well that was one EPIC ride. Susan, Peter, John, Sara and I left Youngstown, New York at 10:00 a.m. with all of our gear in the 'team car' or 'sag wagon' driven by our directeur sportif Sheila "I'm the only sane one" Ceko (who, incidentally is gearing up for a 10k). The ride along the Niagara River sent us through Fort Niagara State Park, Youngstown, and the quaint village of Lewiston. On the other side of Lewiston we encountered our first 'mountain ascent', the Alpe de Lewiston - all riders stayed within themselves and crested the summit unscathed. From here we cruised along the river dodging potholes and a few drunks who were getting a hammered start to their day. The border crossing was special - we had a phenomenal view of the falls and managed to avoid the car line by playing ignorant at the pedestrian crossing. Once on the Canadian side we followed the Niagara Parkway along the other side of the river to Niagara-on-the-Lake. It was during this time that various teams moved to the front to keep the tempo high and control the 'peloton'. A quick descent found the Beast and Stinger enjoying the adrenaline surge. Once past NOTL we followed Lakeshore Rd to our lunch destination in Port Dalhousie. We managed to secure a front row patio spot and the cold Coke tasted euphoric (ok, I'm embelishing a little). After a quick bite it was time to push the heavy gears home. We followed along the service road to Beamsville with a threatening storm just up ahead - fortunately for the peloton it avoided us as we turned south towards the second ascent of the day, the dreaded Col de Mountainview. Once onto the Col things really heated up as the peloton was blown apart. Honu popped first and struggled to maintain contact, Sara and Susan (still working on nicknames) maintained tempo and rode strong while Beast and Stinger were vying for the summit in a good old-fashioned peepee contest. Once over the summit we put the hammer as all the teams wanted good postioning for the final short climb of the day in Grimsby, Mont Mountain Road. Here Stinger got a quick jump while Beast was having difficulty changing gears (Beast was going to try riding in the big chainring - something he's never done. Sarcasm in italics). Stinger buried himself to crest the summit first. From here the road to the finish was predominantly flat but had a few sprint primes to keep the pace high. As the peloton neared the finish there were some close calls when teams were trying to position themselves for the sprint finish and almost crashed. Once in the final straightaway it was Stinger who made the surprise first jump and caught the peloton off guard. Beast gamely took off in pursuit but just came up short by a bike length. The rest of the peloton came in a few seconds later in the same time. All in all it was an exciting stage. For the win, Stinger got a cooler, a caesar and several glasses of white wine (because it's the afternoon after all). Most aggressive rider award was given by the tour organizers to Beast. The polka dot jersey for queen of the mountains went to Susan - neither alpha male Stinger and Beast would be caught dead in polka dots while the white jersey for best young rider went to Sara because she's a 76er. Honu claimed the green jersey because he had to turn himself inside out to stay away from Sara after riding by and slapping her on the butt!


This was a stage to remember - all the heads of state road without "a spot of bother" (have to throw in a couple of Phil Liggett quotes) and completely "on the rivet". Cooldown was properly looked after with booze and pizza and tons of laughs. Thanks again Sheila for looking after the group - it was greatly appreciated! Huge thanks to Susan for setting up our accomodations - the view, the sunsets and the stars were amazing!!


That's all for now - stay the course

Rob