Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Good to go!

So I saw the surgeon yesterday and he said that I can resume riding again! He said that I can expect some pulling on the scar but if it doesn't cause pain then I'm good to go. I went out last night for 16 miles and it felt great. Not riding for a month during the nice summer weather was not fun. I lack cardio but hope that muscle memory will kick in.

I plan on getting back some endurance in the meantime and will gradually build so that my cruising speed is fast. This will take time and a belief that every workout will lead to the goal.

Belief that if the work is put in with proper attention to detail then one can create their destiny. Simple concept - consistent hard work over time equals success.

It's not always smooth sailing so perseverance is vital.....

along with the occasional bottle of HTFU!!

Cheers!

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

The Plan

So I now have a plan! Actually Sara came up with the plan (which I'm shocked about!) and it will be epic or as Barney says on How I Met Your Mother - "Legendary!"

The plan involves doing 2 Ironmans per year for the next few years. By doing so I will make the 12 Ironman minimum to qualify for Hawaii through the Legacy Program which they created last year. This may be the only way I make it to the Big Dance. I'm heading to Lake Placid this weekend where I will volunteer as a Race Marshall for the race and sign up for IM Lake Placid 2013 the next day. I've done this course 4 times so I'm very familiar with it and I really love the Lake Placid area.

The bike profile - EPIC!

This will be the line I'll be in on the Monday after the race.

In the fall I will then sign up for Ironman Florida. I have never done a flat IM before and given the logistics Florida is a nice fit. Since it is in Florida's offseason you can also get great deals on condos and flights which comes in handy.

Nice wide swim course - love it. Less contact than Placid.

Hopefully I'll add this to the collection. All in all it's an ambitious plan, one that will hopefully see me in Kona when I'm 50 and Sara is 40 - our 50-40 trip extravaganza! Since I've been recuperating from the minor surgery I had (stitches are almost healed) I've had time to map this out and I'm looking forward to the challenge. I've never done 2 IMs in a year let alone an IM in back to back years so it should be interesting. Thankfully I have Sara's support and if I can prevent myself from becoming an obsessive jackass then all will be right. I am targeting the first week of August to get back training with an eye on a couple of late season races. Hope you're keeping cool and we'll see ya out on the road.

Cheers!

Friday, July 13, 2012

Friday the 13th Funfest: Beach Edition

For the great summer weather we've been having.............


I knew I wouldn't get away with wearing this!








Have a great one!

Cheers!

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Surgery and Recovery Plan

So last Wednesday I had a lipoma (benign tumour) removed from high up in my right groin - not high enough to be a third testicle but high enough to feel on a bike seat. I've had it for 5 years but it got bigger in the last year - maybe training for IM Lake Placid and all that riding contributed. Here's a picture of me waiting outside the OR to have it removed. The surgeon gave me a local, sliced it open and removed it. I only had 6 stitches so not too bad.

Here's the result! I gave birth to a new alien species! Actually it looks a lot like chicken fat - pretty gross. The doctor and nurse were surprised how big it was (that's what she said). It's been a week and I'm already going crazy from not being able to exercise like I did prior to the surgery.

So, for now, it's the BBQ and Beer Recovery Protocol! I'm currently on a work trip to Ottawa and Sault Ste Marie. I walked on the treadmill for 45 minutes yesterday with no issues with the incision and stitches so I'll continue walking for another few days before attempting a run. Biking is out of the question for a least another week and I'll probably start swimming in a couple of days. I also have some grand plans for next year so stay tuned!!

Cheers!

Monday, July 2, 2012

Alberta Tour Part 3

Following Drumheller and the Royal Tyrell Museum we spent a day and a half in Calgary where we did the zoo and saw Madagascar 3. Then we headed towards heaven! We made our way past Banff and headed north at Lake Louise up the Icefields Parkway to our next destination of Jasper. The Parkway is absolutely stunning! It takes about 3 hours from Banff and even longer for us as we stopped (it seemed) every few kilometres to take another picture.

We saw tons of cyclists - this would be an epic ride and is definitely now on the bucket list.

Here we are at Bow Lake - the glacier lake was a gorgeous blue and definitely cold.

This is Maligne Lake and it's about 45 minutes outside Jasper and incredibly beautiful.

In Jasper I decided to go for a run - I followed a trail behind our cabin, despite the post warning of wolves in the area, and climbed above the town where I took this shot looking down on Jasper.

From the trail looking in the other direction.

Because it was summer solstice there was a ton of daylight hours available. The sun rose at 4:45am and got dark at 11:15pm. It's amazing because with the extended daylight my energy levels were totally different. I went for a ride at 10 pm one night and it was completely light out. The next day Sara, Logan and I went for a bike ride.

We followed some river trails that were awesome.

And more mountains.

We ended up riding for 2 hours - Logan held up well. Here's Sara and Logan heading back towards town.

I like to try local coffee places when I travel and Jasper did not disappoint. I opted for the "red eye" - double espresso plus dark coffee (it was like jet fuel!).

We left Jasper (but will definitely be back) and headed back towards Banff where I would be working an Urology Conference. On the way we hit up a couple of stops we missed on the Parkway. First up - Athabasca Falls. WOW!

Second stop - the Icefields. The picture doesn't do it justice. These things are huge! Surrounded by mountains and the icefield made us feel small.

In Banff we got settled and I had a free morning before the conference got going so we decided to head to Lake Louise and take a canoe out - something I've wanted to do for years.

Although it wasn't the greatest of weather it was still amazing.

The water was the most unique colour of blue, like a milky blue.

The historic Chateau Lake Louise.

With my work duties now on, Sara and Logan got their hike on by climbing up Tunnel Mountain. For Logan to make the summit was impressive. In the background is the town of Banff.

One of the locals.

Here's Logan hiking up Summit mountain on our last day. We really pushed the envelope on activity while traveling with an eight year old but Logan toughed it out. Notice the hiking stick complete with bear bell to ward off, well, you know, bears!

At the base of Summit Mountain and across the street from the Rimrock hotel where we were staying was the Banff Hot Springs.

Here we are at 10:30pm relaxing in the hot springs - a nice end to our wonderful trip. We got a few hours sleep and woke up at 2:30am to head back to Calgary for our 6:00am flight back to Toronto. We had a great time overall and will come back in the future.

Everyone should make the trip out west at some point - trust me you will not regret it!

Cheers!