I had a nice swim tonight. I had the whole pool to myself. I do like Saturday morning with the Masters, but sometimes it is refreshing to just swim for fun.
500m for time (8:45... Pretty good for me)
100 easy
4 x (25 fly, 25 free, 25 back, 25 free, 25 breast, 25 free) - I like this set, time really flies.
3 x (100 kick, 100 pull) - kick is my Kryptonite. I didn't cheat, and finished each 100 on about 2:55 (!!)
100 easy
5 x 100 IM w/ 30 secs break (IMs are my fave)
100 easy
12 x 25 sprints on :30. I was only going to do 8x but I resisted the urge to wuss.
200 cool down
-------------------
3000 m total in about 75 mins.
Fun.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Monday, December 05, 2011
who'da thunk it
DECEMBER 4th WEATHER!!!
Wow! Nice bike ride yesterday. Didn't even wear gloves. Gorgeous. No wind.
Monday, October 31, 2011
I was told there would be beer!
Several years ago, on my multisport journey, I learned of the 'fringe' cycling sport of Cyclocross. A YouTube video search would be enough to scare off the timid. Joey's starcrossed wipe out would be enough to scare of the fence-sitters. On Sunday, "Cross" racing came to Cornwall.
If I wasn't going to compete, I was dam sure going to watch. And If I was going to watch, I was certain to regret not signing up.... so despite my apparent difficulty in deciphering the sign-up instructions, by midnight on Thursday, Andrew and I were signed up for Cyclocross Cornwall. (Andrew has been dying to do Cyclocross, for a few years now.)
But Phil... you don't have a cyclocross bike. Good point. Well, this is where I draw inspiration from first-time triathletes on mountain bikes... If they can do a triathlon an old 30 lb bike, I can certainly do a cyclocross race on Guylaine's old 30 lb hybrid -- semi-slick tires -- and running shoes.
Thursday night: Couldn't sleep a wink: "What the hell have I signed up for!?!?!"
Friday night: Couldn't sleep a wink: "What the hell have I signed up for!?!? And what have I signed pour Andrew up for??"
Saturday morning: Some of the guys from the Cornwall Cycling Club had organized a mini training session. We met at the race site, and ran through a good portion of the course. This really put my mind at ease: The bike would work and I could actually ride it on grass, and up hills - barriers weren't all that tricky; mount and dismounting was good. They also put Andrew at ease; knowing he didn't have to do all the same hills as the adults, and he could bail out after a few laps or so.
Saturday night: Actually slept a bit.
Sunday morning: Up early and signed in with 40 minutes to go before the start. Andrew and I warmed up on the course; it was a little different than the Saturday, but still manageable. 10 minutes before the start time; I was getting a bit nervous... I couldn't find the start line... so I asked the race organizers where it was. "Oh, we're not sure yet. We'll let you know."
Around 9:10, (10 minutes after the posted start time), we find out where the start is... so we high-tail it over there -- we're the first ones there. Apparently, 9am start time, is "approximate". We actually started at 9:25. The 10:45 race started at 11:20.
Eventually, we're off. My strategy: Start at the back. Take it easy for the first loop. Don't get lost. Don't wipe out. Finish the race... Mission accomplished.
It was pretty hard - you have to continuously stay 100% focused. My heart rate was maxed out immediately. My breathing was out of control most of the first 2 loops. My legs were dead for the last 2 loops. I was a little overdressed - the temperature was about 1 or 2 degrees, but the sun was out - I had a thin base layer, and cycling jacket; running tights with bike shorts over top - I think I could have gotten away with a regular jersey and arm-warmers.
The course was nice - the conditions were great - sort of anti-normal for cyclocross - very little mud; and the grass was pretty firm. The local fans were great - nice and vocal!
My favourite part of the race came at about the 49 minute mark, passing by the timing tent on the top of the hill, "This is your last lap". Maybe that was my second favourite part... the best being 15 minutes later when I actually finished the last lap!
Stats: Early race (9AM); 127 starters. I started about 120th (last adult, with about 7 kids behind me) - and finished 102nd (!!!) I actually passed a few people.
The splits: [How cyclocross works, is that they set up a course, 3 or 4 km in length, and you do continuous loops. After about 30 minutes, they estimate how many total loops the winner will do, and then when he (or her)'s on their last lap - that's called the bell lap, and everyone else finishes their race at the end of the lap they are on. So it could be a 20K race, or a 30K race... depending on how fast the winner is, and how difficult the course is. I have no idea how long the circuit was, and even while racing I had no idea how many loops I had done. I did get caught by the leaders on my 3rd lap. And so for that lap and my last lap, I was being picked up by the faster riders.
Lap 1: 25:06 (was actually more like 1.5 laps, we started half a lap from timing tent - also includes 5 minutes for delayed start - we started 5 mins after women)
Lap 2: 14:06
Lap 3: 14:34
Lap 4: 14:26
Total Time: 1:08:12 finished 1 lap behind the leaders.
Andrew did well too, finishing 3 laps for a total time of 47:45. "I am so doing this again next year!" were the exact words out of his mouth. Me.... ah what the heck. why not, It was a total blast.
Some pics (courtesy of Dan Filliol)
If I wasn't going to compete, I was dam sure going to watch. And If I was going to watch, I was certain to regret not signing up.... so despite my apparent difficulty in deciphering the sign-up instructions, by midnight on Thursday, Andrew and I were signed up for Cyclocross Cornwall. (Andrew has been dying to do Cyclocross, for a few years now.)
But Phil... you don't have a cyclocross bike. Good point. Well, this is where I draw inspiration from first-time triathletes on mountain bikes... If they can do a triathlon an old 30 lb bike, I can certainly do a cyclocross race on Guylaine's old 30 lb hybrid -- semi-slick tires -- and running shoes.
Thursday night: Couldn't sleep a wink: "What the hell have I signed up for!?!?!"
Friday night: Couldn't sleep a wink: "What the hell have I signed up for!?!? And what have I signed pour Andrew up for??"
Saturday morning: Some of the guys from the Cornwall Cycling Club had organized a mini training session. We met at the race site, and ran through a good portion of the course. This really put my mind at ease: The bike would work and I could actually ride it on grass, and up hills - barriers weren't all that tricky; mount and dismounting was good. They also put Andrew at ease; knowing he didn't have to do all the same hills as the adults, and he could bail out after a few laps or so.
Saturday night: Actually slept a bit.
Sunday morning: Up early and signed in with 40 minutes to go before the start. Andrew and I warmed up on the course; it was a little different than the Saturday, but still manageable. 10 minutes before the start time; I was getting a bit nervous... I couldn't find the start line... so I asked the race organizers where it was. "Oh, we're not sure yet. We'll let you know."
Around 9:10, (10 minutes after the posted start time), we find out where the start is... so we high-tail it over there -- we're the first ones there. Apparently, 9am start time, is "approximate". We actually started at 9:25. The 10:45 race started at 11:20.
Eventually, we're off. My strategy: Start at the back. Take it easy for the first loop. Don't get lost. Don't wipe out. Finish the race... Mission accomplished.
It was pretty hard - you have to continuously stay 100% focused. My heart rate was maxed out immediately. My breathing was out of control most of the first 2 loops. My legs were dead for the last 2 loops. I was a little overdressed - the temperature was about 1 or 2 degrees, but the sun was out - I had a thin base layer, and cycling jacket; running tights with bike shorts over top - I think I could have gotten away with a regular jersey and arm-warmers.
The course was nice - the conditions were great - sort of anti-normal for cyclocross - very little mud; and the grass was pretty firm. The local fans were great - nice and vocal!
My favourite part of the race came at about the 49 minute mark, passing by the timing tent on the top of the hill, "This is your last lap". Maybe that was my second favourite part... the best being 15 minutes later when I actually finished the last lap!
Stats: Early race (9AM); 127 starters. I started about 120th (last adult, with about 7 kids behind me) - and finished 102nd (!!!) I actually passed a few people.
The splits: [How cyclocross works, is that they set up a course, 3 or 4 km in length, and you do continuous loops. After about 30 minutes, they estimate how many total loops the winner will do, and then when he (or her)'s on their last lap - that's called the bell lap, and everyone else finishes their race at the end of the lap they are on. So it could be a 20K race, or a 30K race... depending on how fast the winner is, and how difficult the course is. I have no idea how long the circuit was, and even while racing I had no idea how many loops I had done. I did get caught by the leaders on my 3rd lap. And so for that lap and my last lap, I was being picked up by the faster riders.
Lap 1: 25:06 (was actually more like 1.5 laps, we started half a lap from timing tent - also includes 5 minutes for delayed start - we started 5 mins after women)
Lap 2: 14:06
Lap 3: 14:34
Lap 4: 14:26
Total Time: 1:08:12 finished 1 lap behind the leaders.
Andrew did well too, finishing 3 laps for a total time of 47:45. "I am so doing this again next year!" were the exact words out of his mouth. Me.... ah what the heck. why not, It was a total blast.
Some pics (courtesy of Dan Filliol)
 | ||
| Andrew and I at the start. It looks like I'm praying, but I'm actually checking my watch.. it was 15 minutes past the designated start time. Andrew's a little worried... |
 |
| Rob Lebvre and I... Smiling because I am completely unsuspecting of the hurt about to be put on my legs and lungs. |
 |
| 127 Racers, mass-start. I'm at the very back of the pack. |
 |
| Sliding down a hill, on route to the stairs. |
 |
| Somewhere on the course... a brief spot of pavement. |
 |
| Cupajoe looking way more professional than me. |
 |
| Cupajoe and Rob - going toe-to-toe |
 |
| Finished! |
 |
| The finish line. I was told there would be beer!! Andrew smiling in the background - he made it too. |
Monday, October 17, 2011
Hamming it up for the Camera
 | |
| Pass #1 - Too fast for the camera |
 |
| Pass #2 - Dave Zabriskie Style |
 |
| Pass #3 - Mark Cavendish Style (1,345 Watts) |
 |
| Old picture on the camera from the Summer, "Tour de Lac Simon" |
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
2010 Cervélo R3 ... the Eagle has landed!
 |
| 2010 Cervélo R3 with SRAM Rival components and Fulcrum Racing 7 wheels |
Sweet, sweet, sweet!
Tuesday, October 04, 2011
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Army Run 2011 - Race Report
 |
| Personalized Bib and Dog-Tag Medal. |
"It's make it or break it time," I said to Andrew as we crested Pretoria Bridge.
"Well, I'm not taking a break!" grunted my little buddy.
We surged and passed about 30 more people in the blink of an eye. We were starting to see more and more openings in the crowd. We were both in full-out bob-and-weave mode. As we hit the 3K marker, it was clear our mission to go Sub-27 was not going to work out today. Major Dad (me), had made the critical error of starting us way too far back in the crowd.
I honestly didn't think we would get as snarled up as we did. The Army Run, with 8000 5K participants, on a relatively narrow road, is not a race to PB in when you start in the middle! Oh well, we certainly had fun. Most of the time, it seemed we were on our own covert mission to seek an opening and run through it before the crowd collapsed in on it. We were getting progressively faster as we made our way through the crowd: 6:41, 6:00, 5:30, 5:15, 5:00.
 |
| Most of my runs look like the opposite of this - starting fast and ending slow! If this graphs trend continued, we'd have an excellent 10K time! |
After slicing and dicing the stats, it appears we started in 3,945th position and Finished: 1,449th. We passed a total of 1,496 runners; and only got passed ourselves by 87. Our final time was 28:17, which turned out to be a PB after-all for Andrew.
The kids really like this run (I think the medals and T-shirts have a lot to do with that). And it is pretty neat to run with so many other people. We stayed and watched some of the half-marathon runners. The weather conditions seemed ideal, and many PBs were set by club members that day for that event.
 |
| Guylaine and Laura had a great run together too. |
Friday, September 09, 2011
That was weird...
 |
| Better call in Mulder and Scully |
Something weird happened today. I was running my "outer loop". Lost in my thoughts. I glanced at my watch, and noticed the time. I thought, "that's weird, I should have hit the road by now". All of a sudden, the terrain looked different, and "POW!" I popped out where I began.
Somehow I had managed to turn myself 180 degrees without even knowing it. Very weird.
Unless...
Friday, August 26, 2011
Cry Baby
 |
| Photo by Lise Irwin |
Cornwall Sprint Triathlon 2011.
Update:
 |
| at least I was smiling on the run |
Monday, August 08, 2011
The Meltdown in Williamstown
alternate title: The older I get, the faster I was
alternate title: Don't piss off Ed Whitlock
The History
Two years ago, at the Great Raisin River Foot Race, in Williamstown; I was about 100 meters from the finish of the 5K race, on track for a pretty good time. The PA announcer boomed, "Here he comes! Let's hear it for the fastest man in the World", and the crowd went crazy. I then realized that 78-year old Ed Whitlock was RIDING MY COAT TAILS to his own glorious 5K finish, and the silver-locked devil slingshotted off my draft and punked me at the finish line by half a second.
That instantly became the "running" joke amongst friends and within the Cornwall Multisport Club.
The joke would manifest itself into the Greatest challenge ever laid down at the Williamstown Fair: The Takedown in Williamstown. A rematch to settle the score, once and for all.
I trained long and hard, and developed a sure-fire strategy to cement a victory. And true enough, last year, after many, many, many kilometers of training I was able to pull off a feat which many people thought was unachievable. I smoked 79-year old Ed Whitlock by over 4 seconds.
Surely, the score had been settled. A wrong had been righted. Alas, no... during the awards ceremony, a fury was building inside Ed Whitlock. A rage so unquenchable, he just blurted it out: "Next year we do the 11K". Oh crap, he may just as well have said, "I triple dog-dare you".
2011
August 7th couldn't come quick enough. All year, since the Takedown in Williamstown, I had been receiving regular updates on the "Great" Ed Whitlock. People would send me links to races he'd won, new records he'd set, clips to news articles lauding his achievements. Even non-runner friends were sending me news articles - "Hey.. have you heard about this 80 year old runner, Ed Whitlock? What an inspiration!" Yes, yes, yes, I know about this guy!!!!!
Race Day
The moment had finally arrived. The moment I had been dreading all year. The day I was about to eat humble pie. We found each other about half an hour before the start, and shared a few laughs. I asked how he was feeling, and got the worst possible answer: "Great". I asked him his strategy, he wouldn't tip his cards. A friend had pried it out of him earlier... straight 4:20s
...gulp... this was going to hurt.
The air-horn went off and we were running. My strategy was to stick to him like glue. Maybe I could get him to slow down to my pace, and then on the home stretch, I could turn on the jets. The race route was lined 3 deep for the first 200 meters. Everyone was cheering. "Go Phil!", "Go Ed!"; the crowd was into it. Soon we were on the main road, and I noticed the pace was pretty fast... maybe he's caught up in the excitement, surely he'll slow down...
We hit the first kilometer marker at 4:20 on the nose. I was breathing like a race horse. This guy is going to kill me! Toe-to-toe we continued, the 2 kilometer mark: 4:17. "Sacre-bleu!"
A water station in 50 meters, I pull over and grab a cup on the run... he just keeps going... ...and that would be the last I saw of him. He just kept it going, while I melted like Frosty the Snowman running across the Sahara.
Eventually, I made it to the finish line. Along the way, I hoped he had blown up in the torrid humidity; but it wasn't to be, the old guy had kept it going... consistently splitting 4:20 or less the whole way. I hobbled in 7 minutes after him.
Some other reflections on the race
Preparation...
In preparation for this race, I made all the classic mistakes: first and foremost, I didn't train properly (oops); I also made a critical mistake of not even warming up - Zero to 4:20 - a recipe for disaster. Ultimately, I was kidding myself -- I can pretty much fake my way to a "fast" 5K time.... but 4:20 for 11K would never ever be in the cards for me (my best 10K is 4:30 pace).
Old guys seriously had their way with me on Sunday. It seems that since getting dropped at the 2-and-a-half K point, there was a constant parade of old guys passing me. In total, eleven "geezers" (50+) would better me.
A little retribution...
With about 30 meters to go, a twelfth geezer, John Bakker, slingshotted off my draft on his way to the finish line. He even said, "na-na-na-na-bou-boo" on his way by. Well, that really pissed me off, and I mustered every ounce of self-dignity I had left, and sure enough, I nipped him just at line, I even had enough energy to give him a friendly punch in the shoulder as I passed him. The look on his face made the day!
The Meltdown, kilometer by kilometer...
So that's that! No more duels.... ....although I bet I could take him in a beer mile.
alternate title: Don't piss off Ed Whitlock
The History
Two years ago, at the Great Raisin River Foot Race, in Williamstown; I was about 100 meters from the finish of the 5K race, on track for a pretty good time. The PA announcer boomed, "Here he comes! Let's hear it for the fastest man in the World", and the crowd went crazy. I then realized that 78-year old Ed Whitlock was RIDING MY COAT TAILS to his own glorious 5K finish, and the silver-locked devil slingshotted off my draft and punked me at the finish line by half a second.
 |
| My elbow, followed closely by Silver-Locks, Ed Whitlock |
That instantly became the "running" joke amongst friends and within the Cornwall Multisport Club.
 |
| Foiled! Phil Barnes loses it at the line to Ed Whitlock again! (courtesy my friends in the Cornwall Multisport Club) |
I trained long and hard, and developed a sure-fire strategy to cement a victory. And true enough, last year, after many, many, many kilometers of training I was able to pull off a feat which many people thought was unachievable. I smoked 79-year old Ed Whitlock by over 4 seconds.
Surely, the score had been settled. A wrong had been righted. Alas, no... during the awards ceremony, a fury was building inside Ed Whitlock. A rage so unquenchable, he just blurted it out: "Next year we do the 11K". Oh crap, he may just as well have said, "I triple dog-dare you".
 |
| Whitlock: "Next year we make it a man's race!" |
2011
August 7th couldn't come quick enough. All year, since the Takedown in Williamstown, I had been receiving regular updates on the "Great" Ed Whitlock. People would send me links to races he'd won, new records he'd set, clips to news articles lauding his achievements. Even non-runner friends were sending me news articles - "Hey.. have you heard about this 80 year old runner, Ed Whitlock? What an inspiration!" Yes, yes, yes, I know about this guy!!!!!
Race Day
The moment had finally arrived. The moment I had been dreading all year. The day I was about to eat humble pie. We found each other about half an hour before the start, and shared a few laughs. I asked how he was feeling, and got the worst possible answer: "Great". I asked him his strategy, he wouldn't tip his cards. A friend had pried it out of him earlier... straight 4:20s
...gulp... this was going to hurt.
The air-horn went off and we were running. My strategy was to stick to him like glue. Maybe I could get him to slow down to my pace, and then on the home stretch, I could turn on the jets. The race route was lined 3 deep for the first 200 meters. Everyone was cheering. "Go Phil!", "Go Ed!"; the crowd was into it. Soon we were on the main road, and I noticed the pace was pretty fast... maybe he's caught up in the excitement, surely he'll slow down...
We hit the first kilometer marker at 4:20 on the nose. I was breathing like a race horse. This guy is going to kill me! Toe-to-toe we continued, the 2 kilometer mark: 4:17. "Sacre-bleu!"
A water station in 50 meters, I pull over and grab a cup on the run... he just keeps going... ...and that would be the last I saw of him. He just kept it going, while I melted like Frosty the Snowman running across the Sahara.
Eventually, I made it to the finish line. Along the way, I hoped he had blown up in the torrid humidity; but it wasn't to be, the old guy had kept it going... consistently splitting 4:20 or less the whole way. I hobbled in 7 minutes after him.
 |
| Here we are at the finish, my Mom took the picture, I can't honestly remember why we're laughing. |
* * *
Some other reflections on the race
The day was a real douzy. The temp was at least 30, and with the humidex, it was probably approaching 40. It seemed to take it's toll on most runners. I have never sweated so much in my life. A nice part about the day, was that my Mom and Dad had come up to run with us too.
 |
| My dad had a great 11K run, and my Mom ran with Laura. Andrew bested his time from last year, and Guylaine "PR'd" her 5K by over a minute. |
Preparation...
In preparation for this race, I made all the classic mistakes: first and foremost, I didn't train properly (oops); I also made a critical mistake of not even warming up - Zero to 4:20 - a recipe for disaster. Ultimately, I was kidding myself -- I can pretty much fake my way to a "fast" 5K time.... but 4:20 for 11K would never ever be in the cards for me (my best 10K is 4:30 pace).
Old guys seriously had their way with me on Sunday. It seems that since getting dropped at the 2-and-a-half K point, there was a constant parade of old guys passing me. In total, eleven "geezers" (50+) would better me.
A little retribution...
With about 30 meters to go, a twelfth geezer, John Bakker, slingshotted off my draft on his way to the finish line. He even said, "na-na-na-na-bou-boo" on his way by. Well, that really pissed me off, and I mustered every ounce of self-dignity I had left, and sure enough, I nipped him just at line, I even had enough energy to give him a friendly punch in the shoulder as I passed him. The look on his face made the day!
The Meltdown, kilometer by kilometer...
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4:20 | 4:17 | 4:27 | 4:49 | 4:54 | 5:04 | 5:26 | 5:19 | 5:13 | 5:28 | 5:13 | 54:36 |
 |
| How to blow up - or - how *not* to pace the Williamstown 11K |
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