Time to head back indoors….

One of the things I like best about living on the West Coast is being able to train outdoors year-round.  It's not always easy when the sun and humidity are out full-on in the summer or when the mercury drops below -10C in the winter, but it does make for a tougher, stronger athlete.  That said, there comes a time every fall that it's time to put the bike on the trainer and be glad that you aren't out fighting the wind and rain (because doing that on the run is enough), and that time is fast approaching.  

Farm road pic from the last road ride of the season

If you don't have a trainer for your bike, I highly recommend getting one!  Athlete, triathlete, or just looking to stave off winter weight gain, trainers let you ride your bike inside, safely, day or night and without the risk of breaking any body parts (unless you go for the roller-style trainer! Be careful!)

Another thing indoor riding is good for is going back to basics and experimenting.  Maybe you want to try clip-less bike shoes (I'll be posting an article next week on Muuve on riding safely when clipped in).  Maybe you want to start going longer distances or riding more efficiently.  Being safely indoors with no worry of traffic, weather, or limited daylight means you can practice any time, no excuses.

My cycling goals for this season are to ride more efficiently and longer.  If I'm going to tackle a half-Ironman, that's going to mean being on my bike for about 3 hours without crashing or dying, yikes.  To learn efficiency, I've started riding at about 90rpm.  This is the cadence that most cycling experts believe allows cyclists to ride longer with less fatigue by recruiting our "slow twitch" muscle fibers and burn fat as fuel.  The best way I have found to keep an eye on your cadence is to have a bike computer that attaches to your rear wheel.  I've tried other ways (cadence sensor that came with my watch, some apps, trying to count in my head), but they just didn't work that well.

Learning to ride longer indoors really isn't that fun unless you can keep yourself entertained.   Some people spin with friends, some use movies, I like to watch the Kings of Leon concert DVD, whatever works.  I've also downloaded a few apps that have been very helpful, namely CoachMyRide and Indoor Interval Cycling.  CoachMyRide has workouts grouped by duration, level of fitness and type (speed, endurance, tempo), while Indoor Interval Cycling is similar but also includes visuals for target cadence and exactly where the chain should be on the rear cog, which is great for newbies.

If you have any apps, tips, tricks for indoor riding, I would love to hear them.  Until next time, stay safe!

It's been a few weeks….

Confession: I thought it had been a few weeks since my last post but turns out it’s been two months! Yikes, time flies when you’re having fun I guess. So what have I been up to? Well I believe last time we talked I was gearing up for my first half-marathon with a view to crushing my first Half Ironman.


Turns out, my legs are nowhere near ready for 21 kilometers of pavement pounding. Once my training hit the 5 mile mark, the legs literally started crying (it may have been sweat) and I try as I might, my pace would not go south of 13:30, no matter the distance or effort. A nice try, better off to go home and drown the sorrows in a nice IPA. But I didn’t, because I suck at giving up and going home.  Instead, Coach T’s mantra of “Relentless Forward Motion” played over and over in my head and since I could never let her down, my 21km goal has become a time-to-smash-the-10k-PR in the making. 

Crushing the Half Ironman will only be possible if I can do the swim, which is 2000 metres. Given my lack of swimming these past months along with, and because of, the always aching elbow, two kilometers in the water seems like a formidable opponent. That is, until my return to Sunday night swimming with the South Delta Tri Club. I managed to finish the entire hour-long workout for the first time in 15 months aaand I remember now just how much I love swimming, yay!


Not much to report, the running and swimming are coming along nicely, and although Half Iron race day is 9 months away, I’m super psyched to tackle the pen-ultimate triathlon challenge (join me!  It will be fun, promise.). The updates will be more frequent in the coming months, hopefully filled with tales of successful training and conquering of the inevitable bumps in the road, along with some app reviews and who knows what else. See you out there!

Disaster, Kindness and an Epiphany

I was ready and psyched for yesterday's triathlon and the day definitely didn't disappoint.  Between a disaster, an amazing act of kindness and an epiphany, the Subaru Vancouver triathlon will go down in my personal history books as a race that exemplified what triathlon is all about.

Imagine training hard for an event, knowing you've done everything you possibly could to have the best race possible.  Between the job, the kids, the aching back and overbooked chiropractor and life in general, it's amazing you're going to be able to do this at all.  All of the sacrifices will be worth it (and believe me, there's many if you're the working, parenting variety of triathlete).  Now imagine getting to your ready-to-go bike in the transition racks with less than two hours until race start, only to see a gaping hole in your tire staring back you.  Sure, one of your competitors will have a spare tube for you, but who carries an entire spare tire?  No one.   This is what my friend Speedy was dealing with at 5am Sunday morning, complete and utter disaster.

Enter our heroes of the day, Jeremy Wilson from Speed Theory and Chris Manore from Leading Edge Triathlon Club.  Faced with a panicking athlete, Chris used his connections and approached Jeremy, who had a spare tire and let Speedy use it.   Chris and Jeremy, you may never read this but if you do, you should know that your act of kindness made the difference between wasted sacrifices and Speedy finishing second in her age category.  So from the bottom of Speedy's heart (and mine), thank you!

My race was seemed typical to me.  The swim was the hardest I've ever done, every single meter of the 500 meter course was a battle with the freezing cold ocean.  The bike went well, even the downhill (yes, I white knuckled the brakes) and the run was what I expected, painful but I still managed to hold a slow and steady pace.  I expected to go home with a PB and toast myself with a beer.  Until I saw the posted times.  My time was one of the slowest I have ever had.  Ever.   Normally this would be the part where I questioned ever racing again, saying mean things to myself and wondering what's the point if you're so slow?  But not this time.  This time all I could see were all of the little victories that can't be described by a set of numbers.   Successful swim in breathtakingly cold temps, feeling stronger than ever on the bike and of all things, my fastest run to date.  I had fun, left everything I had on the course and actually felt kind of proud of myself. And it only took five years to realize this! Who doesn't love a good epiphany?  

Triathlon is all about the camaraderie between athletes and regular, every day humans pushing themselves into the "How is that actually possible?" realm.  Ask any triathlete and they've benefited from the kindness of others in unexpected disasters.  Stand on the bike course and you will hear the calls of "Good job" or "You're doing great" between competitors. How many sports can boast that kind of sportsmanship?  Just don't get in the water.  Nobody has any friends on the swim.

Another race done and dusted and more importantly, a big step towards the next goal:  A half-Ironman race in 2015.  Who's with me?

Inspiration by Anticipation

Okay, I'm back.   It's been a long time and this post was supposed to be from the Broken Elbow but life is full of surprises.  Case in point-this morning was going to be all about lounging with coffee and a magazine, but no.  Inspiration started poking at me and couldn't/wouldn't be ignored (thankfully!).

What's got me inspired?  Anticipation.  In roughly 24 hours, I will be crossing the finish line at the Subaru Vancouver Triathlon.  This will be the first race post Elbow Incident and I fully expected this countdown to be like every other race:  anxiety, nerves gnawing at me, telling myself that this is ridiculous, you are not meant to be an athlete, go home.  But this one is different.  This time I'm ready and psyched.

Ready for my first open water swim since Lavaman and my first in Canada.  This week's open water practice (thanks Coach T!) was a great start for someone who had never swam in a wetsuit or open water in the Great White North, at least in the triathlon sense.  I expected cold as hell, seaweed, giant waves and monsters and instead got tolerable temperatures, little seaweed, gentle rollers and the only monster was some threatened motion sickness.  I'm ready to be Germany to the ocean's Brazil.  I'm psyched.

Ready to attack the bike course like never before because I've trained like never before, thanks to Alli and the Nutcracker and all those 6am weekend wake-up calls.  Truthfully, the one hill of the course has me a little bit worried but more for the down than the up.  I love to climb, but am a little worried about the downhill that should have me going 50+ kilometres/hour!  If you're looking for me, I'll be the one white knuckling my brakes.  Still pretty psyched!

Ready to run.  Ready because I've been training hard for the run, mostly thanks to my Nike + app on my phone keeping me inspired.  It's so nice to have crossed the line from complete and utter loathing of running back to loving it, because it's hard to do triathlon without a good, strong run (walking the whole 5km would look silly, wouldn't it?).  Psyched to run across that finish line tomorrow for the first time in over a year!

Tomorrow is going to be great.  Beautiful weather, an awesome course and hopefully a PR are all just a  day away!   Check back Monday for my race report and see you out there!

Remember the last kid picked for teams in school?  That was me.  Far from chubby or unpopular, I lacked completely in athletic abilities and it was obvious, even to seven year olds.  As you can imagine, the idea of growing up to be a triathlete was the furthest thing from my mind.

           

The furthest thing from my mind yes, but that’s exactly what happened.  One day, like a thunderbolt, an idea popped into my head: Must. Do. Triathlon.  Suddenly, everywhere I looked, there were triathlon articles, magazine covers, and people talking about it on the radio and I decided this was something I had to do, even though at the time I could not swim or run.

Shortly after my first child was born, I signed up for a 10k run and fell in love with running.  A few years after that it was time to tackle the pool. I had quit swimming lessons as a child and am generally uncomfortable around water, especially the idea of putting my face in the water.  Eight weeks after baby number two, I had my first lesson and it was love at first stroke!  Now I had all the components but where to take it?

In April of 2009 I signed up for my first triathlon, the Delta Triathlon.  Unprepared for the cold water, I panicked a little until the lifeguards kindly helped me out and the rest of the race went perfectly-I was now totally hooked and looking for more.  A friend and I signed up for the Langley Tri where the swim went well but I tripped over my bike coming out of T2 and bloodied my knees.  Couldn’t get worse right? Wrong.  During the bike, my chain came off multiple times, leaving me reliant on other racers to help.  Embarrassing!

Over the years I contemplated joining up with Team in Training in order to do the Lavaman Triathlon in Kona, an Olympic distance event that has participants swimming in the clear, warm ocean and cycling along the Queen K Highway, the same path ridden by the legends of Ironman.  I chickened out three times before finally registering in 2012.

The training certainly wasn’t easy but standing on the shore waiting to start my 1500m battle with the Pacific was one of the proudest days of my life because I finally felt like an athlete!  The swim went like a dream and so did the bike -probably because I spent most of saying to myself “Wow, this part of the Ironman route!  I’m practically an Ironman! Yay me!”  Then it was run time.  Excited to get to the finish line, I started to run.  Or rather, tried to start running but my very tired legs wouldn’t go no matter how hard I tried.   I decided I had no option but to quit and started looking for a volunteer to help me bow out.

Thankfully, the voice of reason in my head roared to life, yelling “NO! You have come too far and worked too hard to quit now.  5 miles to go is nothing.  Run!”  So I bargained with myself to jog a minute, walk a minute in the 30+ degree heat.  Slowly the miles ticked down until, 51.5 kilometers after I started, I stumbled across the finish line spent and ecstatic, one minute under my goal time.

I used to think the perfect race was the one where everything went smoothly and earned the coveted personal best time.  In truth, the perfect race is the one where everything goes wrong, the personal best passes you by and you cross the line, smiling and saying “That was so awesome, I’m signing up for another as soon as I get home”.

The best races in North America I'm not doing (just a few of them, too many to mention!!)

As promised, this post is about the best races in North America I'm not doing, and some of the ones I am, aka my intended race calendar.  I've been feeling a tad uninspired lately but now that the Olympics have started it's like a fire has been lit, so pumped to get out there!  So here in no particular order are the best races I'm not doing (judged by the sole factor of "OMG that looks amazing!  Must. do.)

Half Corked Marathon: Set in BC's picturesque wine country, the run features an 18km route with wine and food stations along the way and a bus to the finish line should you happen to over-indulge at any of the stations.  Waiting at the finish line is free lunch for participants and more wine-win, win, win!  Registration is limited to 800 people and sells out fast (10 minutes fast) so get while the getting is good.

Wildflower Triathlon Festival: Set to go May 2-4 in Bradley, California this is an Xterra (off road) triathlon featuring sprint, Olympic and 70.3/half-Iron distances, or for the exceptionally brave, The Ultimate Wildflower Challenge.  Anyone game enough to try this will do the 70.3 on the Saturday followed by the Olympic on the Sunday.  Known for it's festival atmosphere, you can listen to the live bands, swim or fish in the lake, rent paddle boards or just chill and enjoy the races-camping is available too.  If you're interested (and who wouldn't be??) sign up soon-sales end March 1st.

Escape from Alcatraz: Every year, 2000 ambitious souls jump into the frigid waters surrounding Alcatraz prison and swim, bike, and run their way to glory in this Olympic distance triathlon.  No easy feat to enter or complete, this year's version is happening June 1.  If you like the idea of strong currents, 55 degree water and a 400 step sand ladder towards the end of an 8 mile run, this one's for you.  Complete this one and you will be one of my sporting heroes for life!

Las Vegas Rock'n'Roll Marathon: Want to run the Las Vegas strip at night with a few thousand of your  friends?  It can be done, just sign up for the Las Vegas Rock'n'Roll Marathon!  There still plenty of time to train as this one isn't until November 17th and features and full, half and the 1/2 of the Half distances and live, local bands along the course. Something for everyone!  Marathon hopefuls should note the 5 hour cut off time.

Those are the top races I'm not doing but sure wish I was-what would you add?  Here are my intended races for 2014:

March-the UBC triathlon (sprint distance)
April-volunteering for my first time at the Delta triathlon
May-Squamish Loop the Lakes Trail Race (8 or 15km, will decide in later March)
June-undecided, any suggestions?
July-Subaru Vancouver Triathlon (Olympic distance
August-Zombie Run (hoping to do twice, once as a Zombie, once as a runner)
September-the Vancouver Triathlon (Olympic distance) and Colour Me Rad

That's all for now.  Thanks for reading!  Next up:  a post from the beast, the burden, the aching nuisance-my broken elbow!  I'm sure she'll have lots to say :)

Not quite what I had envisioned.....

Blah.  So here we are, thirty days later.  I really thought this post was going to be sunshine and rainbows but the truth is, it's not quite what I had envisioned.  The whole patina of the New Year has worn off and old habits, like ditching workouts in favour of couch time, are threatening to make a screaming comeback. 

 The running is not consistent at all, and I've sunk to a low of running once a week.  I don't know what it is about getting off my ass and getting out there, but to me it is ridiculously difficult.  It's all good after that first step and I really do enjoy the meditative aspect but how on Earth to make it happen more often?  Revised goal:  Just run 3x a week.  Revised reward:  Weight of regret on my mind will lessen.  Which counts as losing weight.

Cycling got off to a good start and it's a lot of fun, but so hard to fit in the schedule.  I am writing this now instead of doing my planned bike ride.  Not too worried about this one though, it's just a matter of getting back into it.  Tomorrow, I swear.  Revised goal:  Get back in the saddle, literally.  Revised reward: a) Knowing my triathlon time will be faster and b) see above

The planking challenge started off so promisingly but died at day 8 also known as 60 seconds of planking-my poor little office worker abs just couldn't hack it.  I still want that 5 minute plank and so it all begins again tomorrow.  With a squat challenge thrown in for extra fun times!  Same goal, same reward-just to be able to say I can!

The biggest success came from the grain-free/dairy-free challenge.  I really can't say enough good things about how well this is working for me.  My energy is through the roof (perhaps I could channel some of the new found energy into running?), the stomach issues miraculously cured after 18 years of getting progressively worse and eczema is a thing of the past, yay!  The only thing I miss is beer, although it turns out wine is really not so bad.

Despite the gloom, I am optimistic about February.  No reward in the world is going to motivate me-this is the one thing January has taught me.  Just gotta get out there and do it knowing I will be faster, stronger and not writing any more self-loathing posts.

Next up:  The best races in North America I'm not doing (and some of the ones I am doing)!

Hasta la Vista, 2013 (read in Arnie's voice)

The final hours of 2013 are ticking away and it's my final post of the year.  Most of us, admittedly or not, are reflecting on our strengths and weaknesses of the past 365 days.  And most of us, whether we care to say it or not, are thinking about how to improve in 2014.   Resolutions are made with fervor and optimism but once the Most Miserable Day (reportedly January 23rd, when most resolutions have been dropped) rolls around, they're long gone and elastic waistbands are once again our best friends.

Maybe that's how it goes for you, but here's how it goes for me:  January is attacked with the fury of a woman who ate and drank her way through December (and the latter part of November if I'm being 100% honest).  February goes pretty well, but the training is not nearly as ferocious.  March training is a little on the slack side.  April hits and brings the first triathlon and every year I say "Eff!!  Why did I not keep up those promised changes?  How am I not hitting PR's despite not training all that hard? It all started so nicely.  Oh well, good enough-I'm a triathlete, aren't I?"

But I'm not settling for good enough this year because, like you, I deserve better.  Reflecting on past behaviours, I noticed that there was no real accountability or incentive to sustain my very best, top notch effort.  I enjoy doing it, but just as enjoyable is a night of socializing with friends followed by a long sleep.  So how to improve accountability and motivation?  Challenges and rewards!  Here's what I've signed myself up to do:

30 Days with no grains or dairy:  Sort of Paleo but with wine (Drunken Cavewoman, I guess?), giving this a go to soothe stomach issues and improve energy levels.  I'm on day four and it's been a success, albeit with some pretty intense grain cravings.  These are only supposed to last a week or so.  I hope.  *Disclaimer-I am in no way advocating the Paleo diet or anything like it, or saying you should do it.  I am doing what works for me, and encourage the everyone to do the same*  Reward?  Beer on my bday!

Run 20 miles every week from Jan. 6-March 2nd:  Running is my weakness.  The hardest part for me is getting out there for a run without a friend.  Don't get me wrong, once I'm running it's all good but getting up the motivation is sooooo haaaaard.  The challenge I've joined is through Run With Jess.  You have the choice of either 10, 20, 30 or 40 miles per week and there are prizes!  Woohoo!  20 miles seems pretty daunting right now, not sure how I'm gonna put that one together.  Reward? The possibility of those aforementioned prizes and signing up for the Rock'n'Roll Half's Vancouver debut.

Cycle 20 miles every week from Jan. 1-March 2nd: Made this one up myself in hopes of getting on my bike a little (a lot) more often.  Most of a triathlon is spent on your bike and thus has the greatest potential to lead to a PR.  20 miles a week sounds good now but on top of swimming, running, strength training and life, will I be able to fit it in?  Therein lies the challenge.  Reward?  New tri shorts.

30 Days of Planking-start at 20 seconds and go all the way to 5 minutes:  Does your stomach hurt just thinking of doing this?  Mine does.  You probably think I'm doing this to get a stronger core because the core is so important blah, blah, blah but no.  A stronger core is nice but mostly I've always wanted to be able to plank for more than 30 seconds.  You can find this challenge at Athleta or Tribesports.  Reward? Being able to do a 5 minute plank.

Speaking of Tribesports, I highly recommend checking out their site, they have TONS of challenges for just about anything you can image.  Anyways, these are my challenges, what are yours?  You've probably guesses I'm using the blog as a way to keep myself honest but I'll also try to post updates on Twitter and Instagram.  Best of luck to you in any challenges you take on and Happy New Year!

Soothing the savage beast

Welcome to December!  Crowded malls, black ice, subzero temperatures, myriad social engagements, beer advent calendars, and Christmas baking are sapping our will to swim/bike/run and bringing out the (10 pounds heavier) savage beast within.

 It ain't easy getting out there these days to tame the beast, so what to do?  If you don't already, why not add music?  For the exercise-with-music types, why not revamp your playlist?  Half the fun of running with music (a new and very happy discovery for me) is in creating the perfect playlist.   As some of you know, nothing will push you through a weak spot like your favourite song.  I recently asked some friends to send me  their favourite running songs-some are surprising choices and some will be added to my list in the very near future.  Here they are:

Name: Race Vault
Pace: 10:30/mile
Favourite Distance: Mile repeats/any sort of drill
Playlist: - Born to Run/Bruce Springsteen              -The Dead Heart/Alexisonfire
               -Big Wheel/Down With Webster               - Fire Burning/Shawn Kingston 
               -Sandstorm/Darude                                     - Supersoaker/Kings of Leon
              - Angels of the Silences/Counting Crow   - Run to You/Bryan Adams
               -Break Stuff/Limp Bizkit                              -Rock and Roll/Skrillex

Name: Alli
Pace: 9:30/mile
Favourite Distance: 10k.  Fair weather runner, will run on the treadmill if it's too wet (unless it's a club run, then I'm happy to then I'm happy to get soaked with my friends as long as it's followed by a cold beer by the fireplace at the Rose!)
Playlist:- Blurred Lines/Robin Thicke                             -Get Lucky/Daft Punk
              - Can't Do Nuttin For Ya Man/Public Enemy   -Hey Ladies/Beastie Boys 
              -Come Dancing/the Kinks                                   -Jam for the Ladies/Moby
              -Devil Went Down to Georgia/Charlie Daniels - Lets Talk about Sex/Salt N Pepa   
             -We no Speak Americano/DJ Americano& Melinda
               Kool                                                                         -Dowutchalike/DigitalUnderground

Name: The Nutcracker
Pace: 9:00/mile
Favourite Distance: 10k-short and sweet.  Rain or shine, preferably shine.
Playlist: - Big Mouth/Santigold                   -Daft Punk Is Playing In My House/LCD Sound           

             -So Whatcha Want/Beastie Boys - Try It Again - The Hives

             -Insane in the Brain/Cypress Hill   -You've Got Another Thing Comin/Judas Priest

             -I Love It - Icona Pop                        -Jerk It - Thunderheist

             -Power - Kanye West                        -Blue Orchid - White Stripes (and Icky Thump!)     

Name: Special K

Pace: 7:00/mile

Favourite distance: 10k (but I'm making that up, I didn't ask)

Playlist: -Go/Pearl Jam                            -Kickstart My Heart/Motley Crue

              -Hollywood Nights/Bob Seger  -Against the Wind/Bob Seger

              -Run LIke Hell/Pink Floyd         -Clash City Rockers/The Clash

              -Why Go/Pearl Jam                    -Neighbourhood #3 (Power Out)/Arcade Fire

              -Harder than you Think/Public Enemy 
              -Galvanize/Chemical Brothers

             

Name: The Rabbit

Pace: 8:00/mile

Favourite distance: 8k.  Ocean front run on a clear, cool day.  Or any run with friends and beer at the end.

Playlist: Sorry I have never tried running to music. I prefer the tap tap (thump) of my feet and my own inner thoughts which may be a bit monotonous like some music perhaps. Also I'm too paranoid to block out the sounds of the world outside and I don't really like to run on the treadmill. 

So there you have it, 40 great songs and 1 good case for running without them at all.  Hope these help you off get off of the couch, away from the fireplace and cookies and out the door.  Any "must have" songs that aren't on here?  See you out there!

    

How do you say gratitude in American?

So the sun is shining, (American) Thanksgiving is nearly upon us and it got me thinking, what am I thankful for?  I've been wanting to write about this for awhile and since most of you readers are from south of the 49th, it seemed a good idea to time a gratitude post with Thanksgiving.  That, and I completely missed the boat on Canadian Thanksgiving.  

Mostly I am grateful for my family, friends and a daily hot shower, but since this blog is dedicated to the active life, I'll stick to that topic, so in no particular order, here goes!

I am thankful that I can participate in the active life.   It's not just the physical side though.  While I am very thankful to have a fully capable body with no impediments, I am even more appreciative of the people who support me in my sometimes crazy endeavours.  So to my incredible husband for letting me chase all these opportunities, my amazing friends for always listening and lining up at the start line with me, and you readers for actually reading  and encouraging me to get out there and find yet more fodder for this blog, thank you!!

I am thankful that I live in a society that allows women an equal opportunity to sports.  This doesn't happen everywhere and it's a shame.  I am forever grateful that any time I decide to step outside for a run, I am free to do so without fear of repercussion and that there are equal recreation opportunities for my son and daughter.

I am thankful for Tuesday Night Run Club.  Every Tuesday night at around 6:30, a group of runners gathers at the Run Inn in Tsawwassen.  Sometimes it's a pace workout (I love you 40/20 workout) and sometimes it's a long, slow 7km but it is always one of the highlights of my week, every week.   To be fair, there is a small group of us who head to the pub as a post-run ritual, which might be why I like Tuesday nights so very much.

I am thankful to live in climate where I can train outdoors year-round.  Last but certainly not least, it makes me crazy happy to be able to go outside and run no matter the season.  No, I don't always want to if it's below zero or above 30, but those extremes are rare, and for that, I say thank you mild West Coast weather.

That's my happy/thankful/grateful list, what's yours?

The perfect run

It's been said that perfection does not exist in nature but Sunday's 4th annual Boundary Bay Marathon/Half Marathon/10k/5k came pretty darn close.  According to sponsor Try Events they care.  They care enough to arrange an extra hour of sleep for everyone via the end of daylight savings time and I for one could feel the love.  The arrangement they made with the weather gods were a nice touch too-freezing, windy rain from hell on Saturday yet miraculously sunny and calm on Sunday morning.  Sweet!

Starting at Centennial Beach after a warm up with Ronald McDonald, the route went along the Boundary Bay dike in the sun with perfect views of the ocean, farmer's fields and the always beautiful Coast mountain range.  There were even bald eagles out to cheer everyone on.  Run races aren't even this nice in the movies!

Pretty sure a lot of PR's were earned thanks to the very flat and fast out-and-back gravel course.  I know my pal Alli scored her best time ever and Tenacious D (not her real name) was pretty happy with her run too.  This was my first race with music and what a difference!  Between the tunes and the great course, I was within a minute of my personal best (thanks Bruce Springsteen for getting me through kilometer 8!).

Hard to find any fault with this event at all-the ladies bathroom had it's ubiquitous crazy long line up but there were extra mobile washrooms available (I snuck into the line-up free Family washroom, shhhh.)  Well organized, very nice long-sleeved tech shirt in the race package, free coffee, decent post-race fuel, good entertainment (not just Ronald McDonald), sunshine, just one of those perfect runs.

So yeah, if you like amazing scenery, a well organized race that just so happens to sponsor a great cause like helping sick kids stay with their families, along with a flat, fast course and enough categories for all of your friends to find something they like, this is your run.  

What's your perfect run? Fave running tunes? I would love to add to my playlist!  See you out there!  Pics will be on Instagram :)

P.S.  If you are looking for a fun run you can do with the whole family, please be sure to check out the VanMarrewyk Christmas Fundraiser happening November 16th!

The running partners everyone should have....

It's a beautiful, sunny, fall day out there, or at least at it is in the neck of the woods, and the perfect day for a run.   While getting out there on these kinds of days is a day-maker for any runner, it's always better when you share it with someone else, right?   Here are some of the run partners that everyone should try at least once:

1)The too-fast-for-you friend: It probably won't be a conversation to remember as you'll be too busy gasping for air but running with this guy/gal will improve your cardio conditioning and show you what you're made out of (tough stuff, of course).  

2)Self-centered Johnny/Jane:  A boring run for sure, Johnny Self-Centered only talks about his past exploits and future plans and never asks about how you're doing these days.  The benefit?  Learning to tune out distractions and focus on getting through the tough part of a run.  Also useful for learning all kinds of info about Johnny you can use for blackmail in the future if need be.

3)A small child:  This group makes the too-fast-for-you friends look like a bunch of wussies.  I recently took my 7-year-old out for a run with me and got schooled, big time.  She was running circles around me, showing me how she could speed-walk as fast as I could run and doing cartwheels, all while keeping pace with me.  The upside?  Remembering that running is a joyful activity and actually seeing that joy on someone's face.  Just make sure you have the parent's permission before you take off running with the kid.

4)The dedicated power walker:  A walker you say? Yes.  Sure it sounds like the world's most boring activity but if you have ever tried to keep up  with a dedicated, hard-charging walker, you know how difficult it is.  Not only will you gain some serious respect for this group, you'll work some muscles you didn't know you had (and you'll reallllly feel it in the morning).

5)The Newbie:  Three words-pay it forward. Getting out there with someone just starting out can show just how far you've come as a runner and also shows the newbies the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel, i.e, it won't always be gasping for air and doubling over in exhaustion, sometimes it's fun!  Confidence building and good-karma catching all on one run-a win/win for sure!

So there you have it-did I leave anyone out that should have been included?  Hope you get the chance to get outside and enjoy the fall weather before Old Man Winter is upon us!

See you out there!

Who knew cornstarch could be so rad?

This past Saturday marked the 2nd running of Colour Me Rad in Vancouver but probably (hopefully!) not the last.  Here are the top 5 reasons you should be either sad and full of regret for missing it or counting your lucky stars for being able to take part in this sold out event:

5) The organizers have very good karma and don't mind sharing with you:  How else can you explain the weather on Saturday?  The weather this past week has been very typical of October in Vancouver-rainy, cold and blah.  But somehow, when that coloured cornstarch started flying, the sun came out!  No rain and warm temperatures, love it.

4) Great swag:  The typical race has that typical t-shirt that you will never wear and/or you will send directly to the thrift shop.  Not so with Colour Me Rad.   Not only did I score a sweet, soft cotton tshirt that I plan to wear over and over again but I came home with a pretty sweet pair of shades!  The merch tent had many options including but limited to shirts, knee socks, stickers for reasonable prices too.

3) Fun for everyone: There were runners, walkers, kids, people with canes, people in costumes you name it, they were there.  Every participant seemed to have a perm-grin too!   Three generations of my family (ages 5-50 something) and everyone, even my non-athlete husband said it was a lot of fun and are already looking forward to next year.  Can't say I've seen that at most events!

2) Behaviour that is generally frowned upon is encouraged:  Ever wanted to throw cornstarch at a fellow runner?  Or lay down in the street and make powder angels?  Break into a random dance?   I saw all of this and more on Saturday and it only fed the atmosphere of joy.  Definitely a nice break from the every-race!

1) Good bye PR anxiety:  A lot of runners (myself included) worry about not hitting that personal record and it's ruined many a run.  Contributing to the fun atmosphere is the fact that Colour Me Rad is not a timed event.  That's right: no timing chip.  No clocks.  Awesome.  And according to the guy with the mic, if you ask about your time, expect a punch in the esophagus.  How's that for incentive?


Yup, Colour Me Rad is rad.  The merch tent is rad.  The course is rad.  So is the after party.  Do yourself a favour and make sure you add this one to your list of "must do" races.  For those of you who were there, would you do it again?

Good bye summer, Hello Fall

Only 48 hours left until it's October, and with it colder temps, rainy days, early-onset darkness and depleted motivation.  A lot of training plans are underway but clinging to their summertime ways, which mostly means outside in t-shirts. But soon, most of us will head indoors and start to bundle up until Mother Nature plays nice again (say, late March.....we can dream, right?)  While we wait, here's some suggestions for acclimatizing:

Swimming:  Not much choice here, you've pretty much got to hit the pool.  Finding a pool you like is vital (the quality of the hot tub is how I determine pool worthiness), as is a training plan that is both challenging and fun.  Check out Swimplan for some good plans, it's easy to set up and free.  I print the workouts on an index card and put it in a Ziploc bag for waterproofing on the swim deck.  Throwing in a game or two with your swim buddies keeps it fun too-my favourites are SwimGolf and the 3-5-7-3 challenge.  For SwimGolf, swim 50m and add together your time and number of strokes.  Great for optimizing efficiency and bonus points if you get under 60 which is the lowest score I've ever heard of.  For 3-5-7-3, you breathe every 3rd, then 5th, 7th and 3rd stroke on each 25m over a 100m swim and it's reaaaallly hard!  And fun.  

Cycling:  I'm not sure how many people continue to cycle outside after October, but to those who do: Good on you and please stay safe!  For those of us heading indoors, there is a couple of different ways to keep the legs in shape-the indoor trainer and Spin class.  If you don't have an indoor trainer, get one, they're awesome. Craigslist is a good start for finding one.  If you already have one, I would recommend setting up a TV near by for entertainment.  Depending on goals and time available, some people like movies, some people like Spinervals and some people (me) play a game where my kids get to be the boss-they yell out commands (Sprint! Stand! Slow!) and you follow along.  Just remember, kids are mean.  Alternately, there is Spin class-most local municipalities and gyms offer them in some capacity but another source is local bike stores which usually have good rates and discounts if you bring your own bike trainer (another incentive to get one!)

Running:  Best thing to do here is embrace the cold, wet and dark.  Besides not over-heating, you'll be building endurance on one of your most important running components: Your mental muscle! And we'll all be thankful to have it come race day.  Having the right gear makes a huge difference too including a hat, jacket, reflective vest, and gloves.  Just make sure one of them has a pocket for id and money for that post-run beverage (several of my runs have been completed only because of the beer waiting at the end).  If you really have to run inside, there's always the treadmill.  My friend Allison has hers set up in the garage and runs with the door open so it's kind of like running outside, a great idea except when the raccoons come in to check out what's going on (which really happened!)

That's all for now, good luck staying warm, dry and visible out there!

Back to the grind.....

When I started this post, I expected to be writing about all the great races coming this fall-the Vancouver Eastside 10k?  Yes, sounds great!  The Electrodash?  Never met a 5k fun run I didn't like (but it's on the Friday of a long weekend :( )!  The Seawall Race?  New Balance Fall Classic?  A friend's recent email looking for company in the races she wanted to do had me excited about all of them.  

Then the return of Serious Training happened this week.  So I thought well, there is a lot of training to be done between now and race time-writing about that seems more appropriate.   I expected to be writing about how the return of swim club with Coach T was murder on the shoulders and how much I regretted my lack of swim training this summer.  

But a funny thing happened-swimming didn't kill my shoulders and although I swam for all of about 30 minutes this summer, the return to the pool felt great, maybe even one of my favourite swims yet!  And all of this got me thinking about expectations, particularly the ones we have of ourselves.

We've all got 'em-they keep us coming back for more, season in, season out.  Whether it's hitting that goal you never expected to reach and having your confidence majorly boosted or having that day where you expect first place and land a DNF followed by weeks of rumination, expectations bring something special to sports: the battle between us and our greatest competition, the most private fight of all-the one with ourselves.

I know I've been on the winning, losing, and warring side of expectations (I can do this.  No, I can't.  I've totally got this.  I should go home.  Oh God, was that the start gun?)  How about you?  What have you learned/won/lost from your goals?

Til next time!

Tips for enjoying the Zombie Apocalypse

This past weekend I had a chance to participate in the Zombie Apocalypse, as imagined by the lovely folks at Run For Your Lives.  I definitely feel more prepared for the impending doom-here's some tips for rookies who haven't had a chance to run scared from the undead:

1) Figure out where the annihilation is happening before the big day: Fellow zombie hunter Alli and I assumed the race would be in Seattle because all events in Washington happen in Seattle.  Wrong.  After we hit Seattle, we drove for two more hours and hooked a left for another 40km to McCleary, and assumed we had missed the race.  We made it but with a lot of unnecessary grief.  Bad idea because we all know zombies can smell fear.

2)Make friends with your fellow racers, you will need them:  As you attempt to make your way to the Safe Zone with all 3 flags (making it in with one flag means you survived, no flags means infected), you are going to encounter a lot of zombies, sometimes just one, sometimes an entire horde.  Your best chance at making it past unscathed/with all of your flags lies in running past them in a large pack.  Some zombies will make half-hearted attempts for your flags, some will actually chase you and make that horrible zombie noise in your ear.

3)The path to freedom is rife with hills, mud, and obstacles:  Yes, the Zombie Apocalypse has a lot of hills-work on those leg muscles, you're gonna need them.  And every other muscle-the obstacles you will encounter along the way are tough!   You will need your fellow racers to get through/over some of them because the mud makes them so slippery-my clothes and shoes picked up about 10lbs worth of mud over the 5km.  You will crawl through more mud than you've ever seen in your life, swim through a blood pit, under live wires and an electric fence or two. 

4)Bring a waterproof, disposable camera:  The photo ops of the End of Days are pretty spectacular but would destroy event the toughest iPhone/electronic device.  I have barely any pics and am pretty bummed about it.  The link above has some good ones.

Feel more prepared now?  Good.   Sadly, Alli and I were infected (the current tally stands at 44,344 survivors and 97,525 infected). The Run For Your Lives crew put on a very good, well organized event/apocalypse practice however it was tough to find food afterwards (running scared works up quite the appetite!).  For anyone looking to give this a try next year, I wholeheartedly recommend doing the race twice-once as a runner AND once as a zombie (professional zombie make up included), not sure which one looked like more fun!  Fingers crossed it comes to Vancouver next year too.   

Would you rather chase or be chased?

It's that time of year......

So it's the middle of August and September is racing towards us way too quickly.  A certain commercial says "It's the most wonderful time of the year" with the kiddos going back to kid-jail/school but it's also that bittersweet point in the summer: Bitter because I think "Damn!  I did not get in the amount of open water swimming I wanted to" and Sweet because it's nearing that time where we sit down and think about goals for the coming season.  For the record, the amount of actual open water swimming I managed to do was half an hour in Nicola Lake (There was a leech.  It attacked a friend which lead to a hilarious but traumatic scene-who would want to go in after that?)

Since there is still some time left for open water swim and the lovely views that go along with it, check out these highly recommended spots (please follow the usual safety rules if you're going to a lake or the ocean):

White Pine Beach at Sasamat Lake:  Pro-it's warm  Con-it's very, extremely popular

Centennial Beach in Delta: Pro-it's warm salt water Con-seaweed and having to time for the tides

Various Outdoor pools around town: there's the Ladner Outdoor Pool, the Al Anderson pool in Langley for 25m pools, the UBC outdoor pool for a 50m pool and of course the Kits Beach pool if you're in need of a 137m pool and one of the best views around.

For anyone thinking of learning how to swim this year, I cannot recommend it enough!!!  When I started five years ago my only aquatic skill was a doggy paddle. I was also terrified of putting my face in the water.  Now it's my favourite activity and there's been no looking back.   Check out Red Cross lessons for adults-if they can make a swimmer out of me, they can make a swimmer out of anyone.  I would also recommend checking the internet for local swim/triathlon clubs.

Experienced swimmers-time to start training for new challenges!  The Vancouver Open Water Swim Association (www.vowsa.com) is wrapping up it's 2013 season but for anyone who is comfortable swimming 1000m in a pool, they are a great option for next year and they also put on a few races throughout the year-you'll see me there in 2014!

That's it for now-did I miss any swimming hotspots?  Favourite pools?  Talk to you next week if I survive the Zombie run!

First things first....

             Welcome to the Race Vault!   I'm starting this blog as a way to share my adventures and misadventures from my quest to try everything once.  Well, everything from the world of races and active living, that is.   If there is a run/swim/cycle/triathlon/chance to get chased by zombies (Zombie Run, August 24th, Olympia WA, www.runforyourlives.com )-I'm there!   So far I have 10 triathlons, 1 mud race and countless runs notched in my race belt.  The big goals are the BMO Half Marathon (1st Half Marathon), the Tough Mudder, hiking the Chief in Squamish and the Vancouver Triathlon.  I have been talking myself out of doing the Vancouver Tri for various reasons for the past 4 years so 2014 is going to be the year it happens.  Here's hoping that a regiment of solid training and making all of this public keeps me honest :)  There are also a couple of new races in Vancouver-the Vancouver Eastside 10k on September 14th and an 8k cross country race happening this November in Stanley Park-worth checking out!

                   On top of racing, I'm always on the lookout for newer and funner (it's a word) places to get active-my current faves are the Fred Gingell stairs, the  Run Clinics at the Run Inn in Tsawwassen (6:30 every Tuesday night, come join us!) and the Lochside/Galloping Goose bike trail in Victoria, which was the source of my greatest misadventure yet-a fractured elbow 30km from home.  Let's just say it's a good idea to become proficient with clip-in bike shoes before you head out on a big ride with some tricky terrain or you too may end up staring longingly at your unused bike for the summer.

                    It's not just all about me though-I want to hear from you!  Favourite races?  Places to get your active on?  All of your adventures and misadventures, I wanna hear 'em!   My heart is racing at the thought of finally getting my first post out there, but here we go, in with both feet!   Thanks for reading and see you out there.