Aloha Kona!

My journey to Kona started Sunday in Toronto when I took off at 12:40pm. Little did I know that this was the beginning of a VERY LONG travel day. I managed to get 2 movies in over the 5.25 hour flight to Los Angeles. I watched the new Spiderman (liked it) and Rock of Ages (brutal).

Once I started seeing mountains I knew we were close. I landed in LA at 2:55 California time. Now LAX has 8 terminals. I landed and was dropped off at Terminal 2. My next flight was at Terminal 6. I had to catch a shuttle to Terminal 6, no big deal. I then had to go through security again at Terminal 6, no big deal. Our 5:04 departure was about to become a very big deal. Our airplane (United) had a mechanical - it must have been pretty significant as they took it to the "shop". Unfortunately there was no other plane readily available. In fact we had to wait for the plane that took off a couple hours earlier to go to Hawaii, unload, then come back to pick us up. Now from LA to Kona is over 5 hours so do the math. Our 5pm flight did not leave til 11:00pm that night or 5am Ontario time! We did eventually make it to Kona but by that time the car rental agencies were closed so we made the 30 mile cab ride to the hotel and got into the room at 3:15am Hawaii time or 9:15am Ontario time - a whopping 20 hour travel day, Booyah!!

I can't complain, obviously, cause this was my view the next morning from the balcony of the Hilton. Palm trees, fairways and the Pacific. Since my coworker and I did not have our car yet we had to cab back to the Kona airport ($70 each way). We retrieved a car and stopped by Kona to check out the scene. On the way we saw several pros out riding: and some in town.

Hilary Biscay was in town.

Here's Alii drive as it curves to the finish line.

Kailua Bay and Dig Me Beach - the site of the swim start.

Saw 4-time IM Champ Chrissie Wellington - crazy skinny!

Julie Dibens. Not racing this year to surgery on her foot. If she gets it fixed she will probably win next year.

Former 2-time IM Champ Normann Stadler

 Caroline Steffen - a strong possibility of winning this year.

I'm staying about 30 miles down the Queen K highway in Waikoloa. It's like an oasis in the middle of lava fields but right on the Pacific.

The entrance to the Hilton. This was this morning (I am working in case you wonder! I've had dinner and meetings with customers) at 7am when I went for my run.

It is beautiful in Waikoloa with trendy shops and beautiful landscaping and massive shoulders on which to ride and run. The roads are in awesome condition cause they don't have winter weather chewing them. I was here in March and the one thing I've noticed now in October is how windy it is and it is much more humid.

I ran out of Waikoloa and onto the Queen K. Despite being surrounded by lava fields some beautiful vegetation still manages to grow.

Close up of the flowers from that tree.

Around lunch I popped into BikeWorks, the local bike shop in Waikoloa. As luck would have it they had a bike available to rent. For 30/day I got the bike, helmet, spare tubes and stuff. This bike was brand new too. I took it out on the Queen Q over lunch for an hour. By this time it was HOT and WINDY!

The amazing thing about the Hawaii Ironman bike course is how it can be mentally draining. It's hot, windy, with lots of long rolling hills, lava fields on either side, and it pretty much a long straight out and back.

Not to worry about me, though, cause I made it back safely and only a little dehydrated! I had an hour to kill so I retreated to the hotel lagoon for a little dip - does the body good! Anyway, off to dinner with customers. I will try to get to Kona tomorrow at some point - apparently every booth is now up! Free swag - wha, wha!!

Cheers!

Fall Camping and the Big Island Surprise

This past weekend we went camping. Logan had a school PA day and the weather looked decent so we went to Turkey Point Provincial Park. We set up in the dark but otherwise got everything in place. The night was cool but comfortable with lots of blankets.

Picture is sideways - there's nothing wrong with you. I couldn't fix it but the morning sunshine through the trees was beautiful. While Sara and Logan relaxed I got a 5 miler in on the many trails in the park. It was hilly but awesome.

Nature shots.

On Saturday I took my older nephews mountain biking on some of the park trails. Humpback was hilly in the middle as the name suggests while Dizzy Lizzy was the most constantly winding trail I've ever been on. I ran this trail the day before but it was challenging with bike speed.

As always the campfire is a must. There was hardly anyone in the park so it was incredibly peaceful. The trailer had a furnace which was ideal for Friday and Saturday nights low temperatures. The weekend was under a full moon as well which made for incredibly bright nights. Finally, I heard back from my manager and I got the ok to attend the Western American Urology Association Conference which happens to be on the Big Island of Hawaii!!

I got the news late Friday afternoon and booked a flight the next morning. I leave at noon on October 7th and leave Kona at 9pm on October 13th. I mention the dates because the Hawaii Ironman World Championships are on October 13th. I will be able to catch most of the race before leaving. The winners will be done by 4pm and that gives me plenty of time to get to the airport for the journey home.

This is Kailua Bay before Ironman....

and just before the race start.

I'm really interested in seeing how the men's race turns out. Macca is back after trying to make the Australian Olympic team this past year. He sat out last year's race as a result but has developed a lot of speed over the past year. He will be neck and neck with Craig "Crowie" Alexander.

Crowie is back to defend his title and world record time of 8:03 from last year. He performed well at the 70.3 Champs in Vegas with a 2nd place showing. He and Macca have always had a rivalry over the past decade and given they are both pushing 40 it may be a race for the ages.

I will have blog updates on the Big Island and hopefully will be able to capture the energy of this awesome race!

Cheers!

Hump Day Hilarious!

No theme - a chuckle to honour making it to midweek....Cheers!

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!

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!

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!