After a great night celebrating my brother-in-laws 50 I was a bit slow to rise this morning but did get to the pool. After the swim I headed off to the GM Headquarters to see my "friends for life" (FFL). This is the bike rally I have participated in the last three years in support of the Toronto People with Aids Foundation. Its a six day, 600K+, ride from Toronto to Montreal. The longest day is 126K and the shortest is 50K. I did not anticipate how much I would miss this event however for many reasons it is good the universe told me it was a no go this year.
This event really spurred me to become more involved in fundraising and making an effort, although small, to help others where I could. I have realized that putting yourself on the spot to raise funds for a personal cause is much tougher than participating in an organized event. In today's world it seems people are more willing to give to organized events than to non-organized events for trust reasons. I'm also not that great at marketing myself as one needs to be to do this type of thing. It has been tough but every cent earned for Gate 3:16 will help someone in Oshawa.
Besides bringing out my "helping" personality trait the FFL has taught me how important sport is to bring the world together. It just seems appropriate the FFL are riding the week of the Olympics. The Olympics, I think, is about bringing together a diverse group of cultures and allowing them to become friends with people who may not traditionally hang out. We learn that all people are the same no matter what their beliefs, gender or orientation is. We have similar goals, feelings and pain and sport seems to bring this out better than anything else that we humans participate in. The greatest gift the FFL has given me is this is the ability to see beyond common prejudices and see all people are the same.
Here's hoping it is a week of no rain, cooler days and cooler nights but most off all the tail winds push you all along in the 14th annual Friends for Life Bike Rally.
God Speed Peter, Rodney, Marc, George, Bill, Victor, Sass, Mag, Barry, Dan, Glen, Bruce and all my other friends. Be safe, have fun and hopefully the universe will allow us all to ride together again in 2013.
A thought for my fellow Durham Regional Triathletes. How much good could we do if we join our efforts and use our love for sport to help others?
Remember your heart will love you even more if you feed it right and give it a bit of exercise each day.
Liz
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Friday, July 27, 2012
We are lucky #2
A very short post. My last post about heart mentioned my recent experience with heart health and the heart of my family and church. I'm happy to say Barry is home and on his way to a healthier heart.
When I was with my chiropractor on Monday he expressed our health system to a tee. Our health care system is fantastic when it comes to emergencies but not so great around prevention. There is talk about funding more programs around heart and diabetes education but its only as good as the patient caring enough to go to their family Dr. to seek the information or get their physical. Barry and I are very lucky to have a family doctor. The province is trying to push more graduates to go into a family practice versus a specialty to help solve this. Nothing is perfect but I'm happy for our health care program no matter its short comings. This experience just made me realize again how lucky we are in Canada.
If I could wave my magic wand the only thing I would have changed is the ability to have the angioplasty procedure happen closer to Oshawa or in Oshawa but Toronto General took very good care of us.
The key to heart health is diet and exercise. Two simple changes like removing a high cholesterol food and walking 30 minutes a day could make all the difference in your heart.
Liz
When I was with my chiropractor on Monday he expressed our health system to a tee. Our health care system is fantastic when it comes to emergencies but not so great around prevention. There is talk about funding more programs around heart and diabetes education but its only as good as the patient caring enough to go to their family Dr. to seek the information or get their physical. Barry and I are very lucky to have a family doctor. The province is trying to push more graduates to go into a family practice versus a specialty to help solve this. Nothing is perfect but I'm happy for our health care program no matter its short comings. This experience just made me realize again how lucky we are in Canada.
If I could wave my magic wand the only thing I would have changed is the ability to have the angioplasty procedure happen closer to Oshawa or in Oshawa but Toronto General took very good care of us.
The key to heart health is diet and exercise. Two simple changes like removing a high cholesterol food and walking 30 minutes a day could make all the difference in your heart.
Liz
Monday, July 23, 2012
Heart
My adventure for this week sure isn't what I thought it would be. Last Wednesday (July 18) I started the day right with the 5:30 swim class and followed it up later in the day with a 2200+ swim at Donevan pool. Work was crazy so I did not make it up to the lake and I'm so happy it happened this way.
The adventure started as I was coming home and turned the street to see an ambulance down at the end of our street. I was hoping it was in front of our neighbours but I knew it was in front of our house. My husband was being rushed off to hospital with a heart attack. It was a big one and they sent him into Toronto for angioplasty and finally made it back to our home hospital today. He'll be in for a little bit but I'm so lucky that he was smart enough to call the ambulance.
When I first met Barry he was the one always going to the gym and I was the one who did nothing. He introduced me to the gym while in Almonte but when we moved in together I took it up more seriously. Or maybe some would say I have become half crazy for it. Your full crazy when you get the gumption up to sign up for a full Ironman. Although this crazy training schedule of triathlon does get a bit tedious for him he'll be the first to admit its his fault for getting me into fitness. He will also be the first to admit that in recent years he has been lax going to the gym and watching his diet. It was only Monday that his family physician put the fear in him to change and look what happened two days later. If Barry did not call the ambulance I dread to think what I would have come home to. So please take care of your heart health. Do it for yourself and do it for your family. I'll be honest its tough trying to train, work and go to the hospital but I'd much rather that then the alternative. You don't have to go crazy like us triathletes just get out and walk and most of all watch what food you are consuming.
A situation like this brings out the heart in all our friends. I have had countless offers to help from my triathlon friends and thankful for each and everyone of those offers. What I really needed though was a big cry. I'm sure you all know how you want to be strong for others but sometimes its good to let it go. I took time out and went to church on Sunday. I really love my church. Our minister is around my age (so not old) and provides insightful fun sermons every Sunday. .You never know from week to week what cartoon might show up on the screen and occasionally a prop might show up to. It is by no means what you might remember attending as a child. When I walked in my dear friend Diane gave me a hug. Diane so reminds me of my Mom that when I see her its like the Mom blanket is wrapped around me. Then many of the ladies came up to make sure I was fine and again ask what could they do. When I moved here I did not know anyone but Barry's family and friends but now between triathlon and church I know there are people out there to help if help is needed. Being part of this community gives us the compassion and connections that so many of us need. (yep, stole that from Larry, Minister for Faith United).
Thank you for being there this week. And if we need help we might just take you up on your offer.
Liz
The adventure started as I was coming home and turned the street to see an ambulance down at the end of our street. I was hoping it was in front of our neighbours but I knew it was in front of our house. My husband was being rushed off to hospital with a heart attack. It was a big one and they sent him into Toronto for angioplasty and finally made it back to our home hospital today. He'll be in for a little bit but I'm so lucky that he was smart enough to call the ambulance.
When I first met Barry he was the one always going to the gym and I was the one who did nothing. He introduced me to the gym while in Almonte but when we moved in together I took it up more seriously. Or maybe some would say I have become half crazy for it. Your full crazy when you get the gumption up to sign up for a full Ironman. Although this crazy training schedule of triathlon does get a bit tedious for him he'll be the first to admit its his fault for getting me into fitness. He will also be the first to admit that in recent years he has been lax going to the gym and watching his diet. It was only Monday that his family physician put the fear in him to change and look what happened two days later. If Barry did not call the ambulance I dread to think what I would have come home to. So please take care of your heart health. Do it for yourself and do it for your family. I'll be honest its tough trying to train, work and go to the hospital but I'd much rather that then the alternative. You don't have to go crazy like us triathletes just get out and walk and most of all watch what food you are consuming.
A situation like this brings out the heart in all our friends. I have had countless offers to help from my triathlon friends and thankful for each and everyone of those offers. What I really needed though was a big cry. I'm sure you all know how you want to be strong for others but sometimes its good to let it go. I took time out and went to church on Sunday. I really love my church. Our minister is around my age (so not old) and provides insightful fun sermons every Sunday. .You never know from week to week what cartoon might show up on the screen and occasionally a prop might show up to. It is by no means what you might remember attending as a child. When I walked in my dear friend Diane gave me a hug. Diane so reminds me of my Mom that when I see her its like the Mom blanket is wrapped around me. Then many of the ladies came up to make sure I was fine and again ask what could they do. When I moved here I did not know anyone but Barry's family and friends but now between triathlon and church I know there are people out there to help if help is needed. Being part of this community gives us the compassion and connections that so many of us need. (yep, stole that from Larry, Minister for Faith United).
Thank you for being there this week. And if we need help we might just take you up on your offer.
Liz
Monday, July 16, 2012
A bit of everything
Wow hard to believe my last post was Canada Day Weekend. As the main event comes closer the training schedule gets more intense. July schedule has 711K of biking, 22K of swimming, 4 hours of swim class, 119K of running, 4 sessions of weights and 4 sessions of yoga. That teeter totter of balancing everything is weighting a bit more on one side versus the other and the blog writing seems to have suffered. As part of the July training schedule I decided another Ironmotivation training camp was beneficial which took me past my home town and into my ancestors' backyard of Mont Tremblant.
Mont Tremblant has wicked hills for the bike but the run was relatively flat and as we joke often so was the water. Lets start with the swim as I wanted to share the success of this swim and July 4th swims. The swim class is Wednesday morning so I was up and out the door before 5am to ensure I was at the Whitby rec in plenty of time for Coach Paul's 5:30am swim class on the 4th. Afterwards Coach Paul and I had a swim lesson. During this lesson it was pointed out that my pull on the left side was only half what it should be. My arm was not taking a full stroke rather I was finishing the pull around my hip instead of extending the arm completely before bringing it out of the water. The key to making yourself faster is technique not more effort. In my case just ensuring my shoulders and hands were relaxed, taking a full pull and having my hands in the right position reduced by 2000M swim down by 5 minutes. A huge improvement with little physical effort but lots of mental effort. Two swims completed and one more to go on the 4th. Wednesday nights the DRTC swims out of either Holmes Point or Jackson Points and this week we were at Holmes Point. The water was very choppy and I don't recall swimming in anything this choppy before. As I swam up a wave it would come down and I would crash against the water. I did my distance Paul asked for this night but more important I did not have that panic attack and did not head to shore. Last year I might not have even ventured out into the lake. This brings me back to yesterday (July 15th). Coach Paul rented a party boat to drive the nine of us out to the middle of the lake and swim a bit of the practice course for the Ironman and Ironman 70.3 swim. I put on the wet suit, climbed down the ladder, calmed myself down and off I went to swim. My focus was to stay calm, fell comfortable, work on my stroke and just enjoy myself. I even floated on my back, to test drive this, and felt very comfortable looking at the sky. I think 2012 will be the year that I remember the most success in swimming not for speed but for overcoming the fear of it.
The swim happened in Tremblant on Sunday which leads nicely into the run which happened before the swim. Due to the heat we started at 6am both days to keep ourselves out of the worst heat. Everyone at the camp was scheduled for a 21K run except me. Last week I completed a 14K and the week after I need to complete a 16K thus my intent was to run around 15K as long as the body held up. I think I have written before about the nagging calf issues. Dr. Jason started Active Release Therapy about three weeks ago and I have had two successful runs with limited pain. Although not pain free it sure is better. Coach Paul and I agreed on the 16K distance and off I went. As always the pain was there when I started but after 10 minutes or so everything loosened up. I don't have a GPS watch thus was going on time and kept running. Before I knew it I was told I was only 400m from the first turn around. OOPS I went to far. I turned around retraced my steps but went up the dog leg (a section to add a Klm onto the run to reach the 21.1K loop distance) and yet again I was told you are almost done so I turned around early and headed back to the parking lot. I estimate the distance was between 18 to 20K. A fellow triathlete told me I would have done the 21K but I still question it as the time just seemed too good but the calves were feeling good and I was running so it is possible. A run with limited pain is success. I dread running due to the pain but thinking 2012 might be the year of less painful running.
Lastly the bike was the Saturday. The route had constant hills but I made it up everyone of them and of course down everyone :-) I'm currently riding a road bike versus a triathlon bike. One of the differences is I have drop bars (the curvy ones like the old 10 speeds) versus triathlon bars (two bars in front and you lean on these in an aero position). Last year I started to use the drop bars and now I use them for most of my rides. This year I am comfortable enough to come out of the saddle and ride up the hills in the drop position. Its like running on the peddles and provides more power. When I hit Coach Paul's spin classes in the winter I know what he means now. The next step is to figure out what the best position to climb the hills in. I'm over the handlebars and sometimes I'm just barely out of the saddle. Most important is to work on keeping that momentum I have created coming up the hill into the next flat section which happens on and off. I was very pleased with my average km/hr at 25, average cadence at 80 and my max speed at 64.5K for the hills of Tremblant.
Overall Mount Tremblant was the best camp yet. I had successes in each discipline which will help mentally when I do have a bad day. I just need to remember these successes. Thanks to Paul, Patty and Christine at Ironmotivan for putting on such a great event. Clint we missed you and hope your ankle is better for Ironman Tremblant.
Lastly a little update on the fundraising. I'm a long way off from my goal of $5000 with $1435 raised between the web site, personal cheques and cash. If you can help my campaign to help others in Oshawa or may know someone who might be able to the link to Canada helps donation page is on the right hand side. No matter how small the contribution everything will help the low income families and the homeless Gate 3:16 Outreach helps.
Hopefully I'll be back this weekend with another adventures (maybe the ride to Pontypool with Jeff on the 7th). Until then get out and enjoy the summer with a walk, a bike, a swim or even a skate on your skateboard or inline skates. Yes its hot but in a couple of short months we will be complaining about the cold. Just remember to stay hydrated that is the key.
-Liz
Mont Tremblant has wicked hills for the bike but the run was relatively flat and as we joke often so was the water. Lets start with the swim as I wanted to share the success of this swim and July 4th swims. The swim class is Wednesday morning so I was up and out the door before 5am to ensure I was at the Whitby rec in plenty of time for Coach Paul's 5:30am swim class on the 4th. Afterwards Coach Paul and I had a swim lesson. During this lesson it was pointed out that my pull on the left side was only half what it should be. My arm was not taking a full stroke rather I was finishing the pull around my hip instead of extending the arm completely before bringing it out of the water. The key to making yourself faster is technique not more effort. In my case just ensuring my shoulders and hands were relaxed, taking a full pull and having my hands in the right position reduced by 2000M swim down by 5 minutes. A huge improvement with little physical effort but lots of mental effort. Two swims completed and one more to go on the 4th. Wednesday nights the DRTC swims out of either Holmes Point or Jackson Points and this week we were at Holmes Point. The water was very choppy and I don't recall swimming in anything this choppy before. As I swam up a wave it would come down and I would crash against the water. I did my distance Paul asked for this night but more important I did not have that panic attack and did not head to shore. Last year I might not have even ventured out into the lake. This brings me back to yesterday (July 15th). Coach Paul rented a party boat to drive the nine of us out to the middle of the lake and swim a bit of the practice course for the Ironman and Ironman 70.3 swim. I put on the wet suit, climbed down the ladder, calmed myself down and off I went to swim. My focus was to stay calm, fell comfortable, work on my stroke and just enjoy myself. I even floated on my back, to test drive this, and felt very comfortable looking at the sky. I think 2012 will be the year that I remember the most success in swimming not for speed but for overcoming the fear of it.
The swim happened in Tremblant on Sunday which leads nicely into the run which happened before the swim. Due to the heat we started at 6am both days to keep ourselves out of the worst heat. Everyone at the camp was scheduled for a 21K run except me. Last week I completed a 14K and the week after I need to complete a 16K thus my intent was to run around 15K as long as the body held up. I think I have written before about the nagging calf issues. Dr. Jason started Active Release Therapy about three weeks ago and I have had two successful runs with limited pain. Although not pain free it sure is better. Coach Paul and I agreed on the 16K distance and off I went. As always the pain was there when I started but after 10 minutes or so everything loosened up. I don't have a GPS watch thus was going on time and kept running. Before I knew it I was told I was only 400m from the first turn around. OOPS I went to far. I turned around retraced my steps but went up the dog leg (a section to add a Klm onto the run to reach the 21.1K loop distance) and yet again I was told you are almost done so I turned around early and headed back to the parking lot. I estimate the distance was between 18 to 20K. A fellow triathlete told me I would have done the 21K but I still question it as the time just seemed too good but the calves were feeling good and I was running so it is possible. A run with limited pain is success. I dread running due to the pain but thinking 2012 might be the year of less painful running.
Lastly the bike was the Saturday. The route had constant hills but I made it up everyone of them and of course down everyone :-) I'm currently riding a road bike versus a triathlon bike. One of the differences is I have drop bars (the curvy ones like the old 10 speeds) versus triathlon bars (two bars in front and you lean on these in an aero position). Last year I started to use the drop bars and now I use them for most of my rides. This year I am comfortable enough to come out of the saddle and ride up the hills in the drop position. Its like running on the peddles and provides more power. When I hit Coach Paul's spin classes in the winter I know what he means now. The next step is to figure out what the best position to climb the hills in. I'm over the handlebars and sometimes I'm just barely out of the saddle. Most important is to work on keeping that momentum I have created coming up the hill into the next flat section which happens on and off. I was very pleased with my average km/hr at 25, average cadence at 80 and my max speed at 64.5K for the hills of Tremblant.
Overall Mount Tremblant was the best camp yet. I had successes in each discipline which will help mentally when I do have a bad day. I just need to remember these successes. Thanks to Paul, Patty and Christine at Ironmotivan for putting on such a great event. Clint we missed you and hope your ankle is better for Ironman Tremblant.
Lastly a little update on the fundraising. I'm a long way off from my goal of $5000 with $1435 raised between the web site, personal cheques and cash. If you can help my campaign to help others in Oshawa or may know someone who might be able to the link to Canada helps donation page is on the right hand side. No matter how small the contribution everything will help the low income families and the homeless Gate 3:16 Outreach helps.
Hopefully I'll be back this weekend with another adventures (maybe the ride to Pontypool with Jeff on the 7th). Until then get out and enjoy the summer with a walk, a bike, a swim or even a skate on your skateboard or inline skates. Yes its hot but in a couple of short months we will be complaining about the cold. Just remember to stay hydrated that is the key.
-Liz
Friday, June 29, 2012
We are lucky living in Canada but...
Hi Everyone,
Happy Canada Day weekend. We are lucky to live in this great big land. We have unparalleled freedom to choose what we want to do with our lives, how we live, who we associate with and a tax system that gives us a safety net of health care and social assistance when and if required. Yes, we all gripe about taxes and that the system is not perfect but I know how lucky we are to have what we have as many other countries do not. I can't comprehend going to a hospital and being turned away as we can not afford it or do not have a coverage plan. So yeah to Canada. But some of us are not as lucky and that is one of the reasons I'm swimming, biking and running for Gate 3:16.
My goal was to have 3000.00 for my first three races but I'm stuck at $1,310.00. Although we do live in a land that will help the less fortunate these people can not always access it. In order to access funding a person must have a home address and in many cases the client's at Gate 3:16 are "renting" space somewhere or hopping from one place to the next to sleep under a roof. When we think of homelessness we have a misconception that homelessness are those people on the street but we have people who are below the poverty line, who are working and just don't have the financial ability to rent accommodations. Gate 3:16 helps these people by providing them two meals per day, literacy skills, haircuts, access to computers, phones, faxes and help navigating social assistance. Basic things the average Canadian takes for granted. I appreciate you reading my blog and would ask you to consider a donation to my fundraising goal. The link to the Canada Helps donation page is on the right.
Last weekend many of my Ironmotivation team-mates and I were in the Muskokas for a training camp. I shared a room with two of my fellow athletes who will be racing in the 70.3 in September. It was a blast. Saturday we headed out for 90K bike ride and for days after we were talking about the quantity and steepness of the hills. As for Sunday it started with 2.1K swim which was followed by a 8K run. I'm happy to report I did not freak in the water and was very comfortable. The swim time does make me nervous as we only have 8 hours and 44 minutes to complete the race and I'm not the fastest when it comes to the swim and the run. I did look at posted times for last years finishers and it does seem doable even with the length of time the swim will take. The run is always tough as I fear the pain that accompanies it. Although its less then during the race in Guelph its still there being a pest. Dr. Jason's treatments are starting to work and I'm confident I'll be in top shape for the race.
After tomorrow I'll be relaxing for three days and appreciating how lucky we are to live in Canada.
Happy 145th Birthday Canada.
Liz
Happy Canada Day weekend. We are lucky to live in this great big land. We have unparalleled freedom to choose what we want to do with our lives, how we live, who we associate with and a tax system that gives us a safety net of health care and social assistance when and if required. Yes, we all gripe about taxes and that the system is not perfect but I know how lucky we are to have what we have as many other countries do not. I can't comprehend going to a hospital and being turned away as we can not afford it or do not have a coverage plan. So yeah to Canada. But some of us are not as lucky and that is one of the reasons I'm swimming, biking and running for Gate 3:16.
My goal was to have 3000.00 for my first three races but I'm stuck at $1,310.00. Although we do live in a land that will help the less fortunate these people can not always access it. In order to access funding a person must have a home address and in many cases the client's at Gate 3:16 are "renting" space somewhere or hopping from one place to the next to sleep under a roof. When we think of homelessness we have a misconception that homelessness are those people on the street but we have people who are below the poverty line, who are working and just don't have the financial ability to rent accommodations. Gate 3:16 helps these people by providing them two meals per day, literacy skills, haircuts, access to computers, phones, faxes and help navigating social assistance. Basic things the average Canadian takes for granted. I appreciate you reading my blog and would ask you to consider a donation to my fundraising goal. The link to the Canada Helps donation page is on the right.
Last weekend many of my Ironmotivation team-mates and I were in the Muskokas for a training camp. I shared a room with two of my fellow athletes who will be racing in the 70.3 in September. It was a blast. Saturday we headed out for 90K bike ride and for days after we were talking about the quantity and steepness of the hills. As for Sunday it started with 2.1K swim which was followed by a 8K run. I'm happy to report I did not freak in the water and was very comfortable. The swim time does make me nervous as we only have 8 hours and 44 minutes to complete the race and I'm not the fastest when it comes to the swim and the run. I did look at posted times for last years finishers and it does seem doable even with the length of time the swim will take. The run is always tough as I fear the pain that accompanies it. Although its less then during the race in Guelph its still there being a pest. Dr. Jason's treatments are starting to work and I'm confident I'll be in top shape for the race.
After tomorrow I'll be relaxing for three days and appreciating how lucky we are to live in Canada.
Happy 145th Birthday Canada.
Liz
Friday, June 22, 2012
Post Guelph and Pre Muskoka
I have been a bit remiss for not posting how the race in Guelph went last weekend. I have had almost a week now to ponder this event and its results. Yes, I finished but it just did not have the same feel as Texas. The swim was good, long, but good. I did not panic I just swam and completed the 1.5K distance. I was not last but close to it. When I came out I knew I would be able to swim .5K more to complete the 2K distance in the Kingston long and for the Muskoka half-iron. I must say running up the hill to transition this year was much better than last I was not as woozy coming out of the water and knowing what was coming helped. The bike is usually my fastest event but for some reason I did not have the same feel for this 40K ride. I'm pleased with my time of 1 hour 28 minutes and 50 seconds which nets out to be an average of 27K per hour. It was not my best ride but it was an okay ride. The run is where I went off the rails. I woke up with pain in the calves and hoped lots of hydration would help but lets just say that 1 hour and 15 minute 10K was brutal. Looking back it was the run that spoiled the day. On the plus I feel my nutrition and hydration was better and I was very comfortable in the water. The other factor maybe sleep. I choose to drive in the day of the event and was up at 4:30am and did not get the usual amount of sleep which is so important. I have come to terms with this race and its time to put it the past and concentrate on the next one and the big one.
This weekend some of the Ironmotivation team will be heading to Muskoka for a training camp. Tomorrow will bring either a 90K or 180K bike depending on your race and then Sunday brings a 2K swim and a 12K run for me. I am looking forward to the run to see how the calves hold up. This past Wednesday saw me with Dr. J for Active Recovery Treatment - its a technique to lengthen the muscles. Oh boy it was painful but later in the afternoon it was better. We are giving some heel lifts a try too to see if it helps and then there are shoes. Did I mention I got a great deal on runners in the States? Well, they might not have been such a deal as they don't seem to feel the same as the current ones. Coach Paul told me a story where one of our DRTC coaches Robbie purchased an exact pair of shoes in the States and she did here and found out that depending on the store the shoe may actually be made a little bit different. So I returned to the Running Room and purchased another pair and will test drive them, I think, on Sunday.
Sunday sees many of my fellow Ironmotivation team members and DRTC members at the half ironman in Mt Tremblant and Syracuse and other distances in Wellend. Good Luck !!
Next week I'll provide an update on the funding raising. One of the reasons I'm on this journey to the Muskoka 70.3 half ironman.
Have a great weekend,
Liz
This weekend some of the Ironmotivation team will be heading to Muskoka for a training camp. Tomorrow will bring either a 90K or 180K bike depending on your race and then Sunday brings a 2K swim and a 12K run for me. I am looking forward to the run to see how the calves hold up. This past Wednesday saw me with Dr. J for Active Recovery Treatment - its a technique to lengthen the muscles. Oh boy it was painful but later in the afternoon it was better. We are giving some heel lifts a try too to see if it helps and then there are shoes. Did I mention I got a great deal on runners in the States? Well, they might not have been such a deal as they don't seem to feel the same as the current ones. Coach Paul told me a story where one of our DRTC coaches Robbie purchased an exact pair of shoes in the States and she did here and found out that depending on the store the shoe may actually be made a little bit different. So I returned to the Running Room and purchased another pair and will test drive them, I think, on Sunday.
Sunday sees many of my fellow Ironmotivation team members and DRTC members at the half ironman in Mt Tremblant and Syracuse and other distances in Wellend. Good Luck !!
Next week I'll provide an update on the funding raising. One of the reasons I'm on this journey to the Muskoka 70.3 half ironman.
Have a great weekend,
Liz
Friday, June 8, 2012
You know the Ontario tri season has hit when we go outside to swim
In Ontario we have two triathlon series Recharge with Milk and the Subaru Series each offering a race late in May. The earliest being Victoria Day long weekend in Waterloo. We had a wonderful warm long weekend but the lake would still be oh so very cold. I don't know anyone in the Durham Triathlon Club who participated in either of these races rather most of us start with the Guelph Race on Father's Day weekend. This race offers the Try-A-Tri, Sprint and Olympic distances. The club will be represented well with Cam and Frances in the Try-A-Tri, Jeff, Tara, Deanna, Peter in the Sprint and Liza, Alison and myself in the Olympic. There are probably others but our roving reporter's ask on our facebook page resulted with these names. Like Cam and Frances for many of us this was our first race and holds a special place in our memories. Wishing Cam and Frances the same awesome experience I had in this first race.
Unlike the 81 degree lake in Texas the water in Guelph will be a bit chillier. Probably not wet suit mandatory but cold enough to take the option to wear it. Swimming in a wet suit has some advantages including buoyancy, slickness and protection. Two disadvantages are a sense of constriction as the suit is like a second layer and very tight and depending on the model the pull (arm movement) is constricted. A new triathlete may have these concerns on top of concerns about swimming in open water. Open water presents many new challenges such as the vastness of the lake (no edges to grab on to), none stop swimming (no ends), waves, the depth (sounds strange but this is one of my fears), cold, close proximity to others thus a kick or hit does happen, fish, algae to name a few. There are many things to like including seeing birds, the shoreline, houses, city scape rather than watching brick walls or the pool deck go by. Seeing the sky, the sun, the sand dunes at the bottom (Holmes Point & Wasaga Beach) and when the zone hits you don't have to stop at 25 meters. The swim in Texas changed my outlook on this discipline. I'm not sure I can describe it but it gave me a confidence and a calmness I have not had in the past. This feeling was there in our last two swim classes and in our first club swim. Texas will hold a very special place in my heart as the place I actually felt comfortable swimming in a lake. I don't know if this feeling will continue but I have a place I can go to in my mind's eye when I'm swimming that may calm me down. I guess I should take it as a sign its time to move from the "D" lane in swim class. I asked Coach Christine which lane was the development lane and her response " do you really need it? " I guess its time to face the next fear swimming with the "big" kids.
Here we are, all 25 of us, swimming at Jackson's Point in our first club swim of 2012.
Even if its cloudy and raining this weekend there is sun above those clouds.
- Liz
Unlike the 81 degree lake in Texas the water in Guelph will be a bit chillier. Probably not wet suit mandatory but cold enough to take the option to wear it. Swimming in a wet suit has some advantages including buoyancy, slickness and protection. Two disadvantages are a sense of constriction as the suit is like a second layer and very tight and depending on the model the pull (arm movement) is constricted. A new triathlete may have these concerns on top of concerns about swimming in open water. Open water presents many new challenges such as the vastness of the lake (no edges to grab on to), none stop swimming (no ends), waves, the depth (sounds strange but this is one of my fears), cold, close proximity to others thus a kick or hit does happen, fish, algae to name a few. There are many things to like including seeing birds, the shoreline, houses, city scape rather than watching brick walls or the pool deck go by. Seeing the sky, the sun, the sand dunes at the bottom (Holmes Point & Wasaga Beach) and when the zone hits you don't have to stop at 25 meters. The swim in Texas changed my outlook on this discipline. I'm not sure I can describe it but it gave me a confidence and a calmness I have not had in the past. This feeling was there in our last two swim classes and in our first club swim. Texas will hold a very special place in my heart as the place I actually felt comfortable swimming in a lake. I don't know if this feeling will continue but I have a place I can go to in my mind's eye when I'm swimming that may calm me down. I guess I should take it as a sign its time to move from the "D" lane in swim class. I asked Coach Christine which lane was the development lane and her response " do you really need it? " I guess its time to face the next fear swimming with the "big" kids.
Here we are, all 25 of us, swimming at Jackson's Point in our first club swim of 2012.
Even if its cloudy and raining this weekend there is sun above those clouds.
- Liz
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