Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Saturday, September 22, 2012

Regina, Saskatchewan

Ok, who steamrolled this place?!! I went to Regina for the Urology Nurses of Canada Annual Conference. It was my first time to Saskatchewan and I was excited to check it out. One of the nice things about my job is that I get to go to places I met otherwise not normally go to. Above is a pic as we were landing - flat farmland as far as the eye could see.

A picture from my hotel room of downtown Regina. Regina is a clean city with a beautiful park surrounding a manmade lake. It was easy to get around and the people are nice and laid back.

Upon arrival I unpacked and went for a run. Pictured here is Wascana Lake. It had a nice path around that totalled 5k. The trails continued to follow the river on both sides and also passed the university.


This was the only "hill" I encountered during my 5 mile run. The other interesting thing about Regina and, I'm sure all of Saskatchewan, is their love for their football. The Roughriders rule here and everyone has some sort of Roughrider wear or paraphenalia. Go Green! Anyway, it's quite chilly here as I get ready to leave and I'm looking forward to getting home. Have a good one!

Cheers!

Friday, September 14, 2012

The Fall Fair and Triathlon Training

So Logan, Sara and I recently went to the Paris Fair. I like Fall and the season always brings a multitude of Fair offerings. We usually end up going to a few. Here Logan and I get up close and personal with an alligator. Pictured here is Paul, owner of Little Ray's Reptile Zoo in Ottawa, one of Logan's favourite places. Paul is great with Logan and has inspired Logan to write a couple of children's stories - he did an awesome job (and all on his own). He's raised 70.00 to date from sales which he wants to support Little Ray's which takes in exotic pets people want to get rid of.

Logan took in an obstacle course put up by the Canadian Military - it was cool and he got down n dirty. Analogy to triathlon? Use the offseason to cross train and develop other aspects of fitness (besides swim, bike, run).

Of course, the rollercoaster. This was dragon-themed which Logan loved. He rode it 5 times. Analogy to triathlon? In training there are ebbs and flows, ups and downs but consistency is the key. Enjoy the times when feeling good and manage/maintain focus when struggling.

Bumpers! Analogy to triathlon? Things can take sudden turns. Be prepared by being prepared! A balanced program with sound nutrition and recovery will better prepare you for surprises that may come your way.

Most of all - enjoy! If you're not having fun why the hell are you doing it? If it feels like a job then you're not balanced. Review, reflect, readjust.

And continue to go outside your comfort zone. Here's Logan on his first day of grade 4 at a new school. He's anxious but he'll get through and grow as a person. Each and every time we venture outside the comfort zone we grow. Ironman is not easy - if it was, everyone would be doing it.

I'm currently in Niagara Falls for a conference. Here's my view from my room upon my late afternoon arrival - it truly is a wonder of the world!

Here's the same view at sunrise the next morning - Awesome!


A core bike program for Ironman training that was prescribed by a prominent triathlon coach and one that I plan to build towards and follow this winter:

3 rides per week:

1) 1:30 with warm up followed 16-24 reps of 30 seconds HARD/30 seconds easy

2) 1:30 of steady state riding with 2 reps of 15-20 minutes at race pace

3) 2 hours of "spirited riding" - either on trainer or outside. Go with hard tempo, a pace you can maintain for the duration.

Follow this blueprint this winter and see how it goes!

Cheers!

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

What A Year So Far!

I had a long drive for work today and I started reflecting on 2012 - what a year it's been so far! In March we ventured off to Hawaii where we saw lots of turtles (Honu in Hawaiian), Lance Armstrong, and magnificent scenery. (Picture - turtle at Magic Sands Beach, sunset off Alii Drive)


In June we toured Alberta where the scenery was just as spectacular (and made me feel small!). Pictured here is Athabasca Falls.

This picture doesn't do it justice but Lake Louise was beautiful. We visited Drumheller, Calgary, Jasper and Banff.

In July we went to Lake Placid and Ottawa. This picture was taken at 7 am at sunrise at our campground. I volunteered at Ironman Lake Placid and signed up for 2013.

No trip to Placid would be complete without climbing to the top of Whiteface Mountain - ok we drove most of it then took an eleveator and "climbed" about 10 feet to reach the top (L-R Gramps, Sara, Me, Logan, Gran).

We went camping at Killbear Provincial Park near Parry Sound. Both Logan and I raced there. Here's Logan oozing confidence prior to his 100m swim. The water was crystal clear - not something we're used to at home.

Logan rockin the bike (4.4km). It was quite hilly for the kids and he performed awesome.

In the home stretch and still having a blast - we were proud!

After racing twice in the last few weeks and suffering through (racing oneself into shape is NOT recommended!!) I decided I better get back into some consistent training. Here I am on the road to fitness (my before pic complete with a few chins).

I will build my base and then fine tune with complete focus. (Logan at the Canadian Military Booth at the Paris Fair).

Oh, almost forgot - we also did our annual training weekend in May up in Muskoka where the surroundings were awesome and the weather perfect! Sometimes the best part of training is what we see outdoors. Fall should be just as incredible. Stay healthy!

Cheers!