Put me down in pen for 21 late nights of OLN coverage. Yee Haw.

www.letour.com.

A while ago, I wrote about getting 'chicked'; obviously tongue-in-cheek. Last Saturday, I was proud to attend and watch my wife compete in Emilie's Run - a women's only run. It was actually incredible to watch such a competitive 5K field (winner @ 16:15, and 33 women sub-20). But not only that, it was inspiring to see the groups of women, each participating for their own reasons - but obvious to everyone they all enjoyed a common bond. I'd love to write a race report from the perspective of a spectator - but I'm sure, I wouldn't do it justice. It was a great event for everyone.

After the ladies run, there was a 1K challenge for the kids (open to both boys and girls). Both our kids competed. Laura paced Andrew all the way (without her, he would have blown up after 100meters) - of course he took off on her with 50 meters to go. But Laura can certainly hold her own with big boys. Check her finish sequence here, as she "Chicks" with authority racer #603 - reeling him in and then dropping the hammer. Unfortunately, her chip didn't fire so she doesn't appear in the official results (we're working on that though!)

1 x Louis Garneau Exo-Nerve bike helmet: this helmet makes me look the least dorky of all helmets I have owned; I did try the 'Rocket' but I just couldn't do it - maybe next year when aerolids are the norm.

1 x Brooks Ghost running shoes: $99.99; hopefully they work. Initial observations are - narrow toe box, but very light.

1 x Sierra Designs technical t-shirt: Oddly, I only have about 3 Tech Tees, and they all date back well over 3 years. They stink. The stink is unbearable. Nothing like a nice fresh t-shirt.

1 x Sugoi running short: Again, I only have 3 pairs of shorts that I like to run in. I often find myself re-using a dirty pair - oh, the sweet smell of swass is just lovely the second time around.

1 x Speedo Vanquisher Goggles (blue lenses): Pre-emptive strike. My current pair have been on their last legs for over a year. It's just a matter of time before the strap lets go.

2 x Kenda inner tubes: Guylaine is queen of the flats. "Phil, is it bad that biked home 20K on just my rim?"

2 x Veba running socks: Tired of being made fun of for running in my cotton tube socks.

3 x Dockers 'technical' socks: cheaper than high-tech Veba socks; anti-fungal, yum.

1 x AquaSeal cement: to fix the gaping holes in my wetsuit.

I'm doing my part - what are YOU doing!?!?

Labels: New Shoes

Chocolate, coffee, beer, wine, candy and a technical t-shirt for running. Thank you!!!
Bonne fête des pères

Pricilla Lopes-Schliep is one serious B.A.M.F

I was putting the laundry away last night around 7, and flipped on the tube. It was on TSN and I heard, "Men's Triathlon" - huh?

It was the Toronto Festival of Excellence, but the "Triathlon" they were plugging was 400m dash + Pole Vault + 110m hurdles. Nonetheless, I was still captivated by the athleticism (and frankly the production quality of the show). It took me nearly 90 minutes to finish the laundry, but I got to watch some seriously awesome stuff.

About 10 guys running the mile in sub-4 minutes (won by a Canadian). TV just does not do justice to how fast a 4 minute mile really is -- it looked like they were just jogging. Hussain Bolt was there, and gave a good show, winning the 100m dash, and being very gracious with the crowd and commentator afterwards. And, in what really amazed me, was the women's hurdles: where Pricilla Lopes-Shliep led Purdita Felicien all the way through the course, nearly stumbling at the end, but taking first place.

It was all pretty cool.

There was shrinkage!

"Getting Chicked" is a strange expression, that I had never heard until I started participating in triathlons. As, there's no official dictionary meaning, I infer it to mean when a guy is being passed by a woman, or beaten by a woman. On the surface, it seems sexist, but I can't help but smile when I say it. Maybe it's the way your cheeks are forced upwards on the "chick" part, and then the little, "td" part at the end makes a funny sound. In any event, I mean no disrepect to my fellow female participants.

The photo sequence here, was shot about 100 meters from the finish line at the Riverkeeper Triathlon in Ottawa. This was about a year ago. Here - immortalized in Pixels - is a guy (me), who appears to be getting seriously "chicked".

The truth is, I was completely blown away by this lady. This entire sequence was probably less than half a second long. What this picture does not show, is that not only did the women start 5 minutes after the men; but, this lady was 100 meters from the finish line, and I was 100 meters away from the 5K turn around; I still had 5K left to run.

Final race times. Me: 2:39 (en route to 54th overall); Her: 2:08 (en route to 3rd overall). According to the final results, I was "chicked" eight times in that race.

The "she" in these pictures, is actually Tenille Hoogland, and according to her blog:

Well, fortunately for me, her 10K the day before slowed her down enough, so she could share some pixel space with me.

You have to hand it to her, the look on her face in the last picture appears to be of shear agony. I've only been able to dig deep in the red-zone like that two or three times. And this race appears to have been a fun run for her.

Race Report: Victoria Day 5K Chase

It was a gorgeous Victoria Day morning; a little cool, yet bright and sunny. A perfect morning for a chase. An impromptu race, put on by the CMC. In a chase format: staggered age-group start times, derived (probably) by some high-tech scientific formula. First person to cross the line wins. Only one problem, my wave starts next-to-last. I'm going to need a little extra encouragement for the race so I channel, Phil "The Thrill".

At the start line, Phil "The Thrill" whips off his sweats at the last minute, pulls on his Afro-wig, and dons the silk cape of champions. And we're off! It didn't give me any rocket-booster energy, but it garnered a few laughs and if nothing else, some sympathy for Guylaine.

Final Chase Time: 28:50, for 25th/57. "Chip Time": 22:38, for 19th/57. Category position: 1/1 "Crazy dudes with afros wearing silk shorts and a robe".

Labels: Race Report

I had that little pre-ride euphoria going on last night. I was watching the clock. 4:56, 4:57, 4:58, 4:59, 5:00 -- SEE YA! A day at the Ottawa office means an evening in Gatineau Park. 60K of awesome cycling.

Things were going better than expected. The park is now open to motorists, and all the hype on the local boards has been about a major shakedown on cyclists. Pfft. Nothing going on. I was only passed by a total of 15 vehicles en route to the Fortune Climb. No Park-Nazis or Taser-friendly gendarmerie anywhere to be seen.

After a successful assault on Fortune, I let myself coast down the 10% gradient. Sitting straight up like a sail, trying to stay below 60km/hr. I made the turn up the backside to Champlain, a beautifully forested area - approximately 3 kilometers of constant climbing. The world was mine. Everything was great. About two thirds of the way up, I let myself use final gear. What I didn't realise, was I was already tapped out.

Cue the horror music

My chain got jammed between my cassette and wheel. My entire bike locks up as I force down on the pedals with all my might. Boom! Man down. Of course this happens right in front of the guy, I'd just been working my ass of to pass. "Do you need help?" :: "No, I'm good thanks - chain just got jammed" :: "Bummer".

It should just be a 5 second job to fix right? Nope, that bastard was jammed in there real good. Geez, these flies are kind of annoying. Riding, even climbing at a modest 14km/hr I hadn't noticed them. But all of a sudden, they're really swarming me. Not helping the repair any. Another group of riders "You Okay? Need a tube?" :: "No, I'm good thanks".

Looks like I'm going to have to pop the back wheel off to get this thing unjammed. "Damn". These buggers are biting. In no time. I am covered head to toe with black flies. They've flocked to me and stuck to me like, well, flies to "excrement". I pick up my bike, and cross the road. I must be standing on their nest or something. They don't let up. Another couple of riders "T'es correct?" :: "Oui, ca va"

I'm starting to get really pissed. My chain is really jammed in there. I'm bleeding from the knee from the crash. I'm covered head to toe still with biting flies. My hands are black with oil. I'm starting to ooze blood from all my pores as the flies take off with chunks of my flesh. All I can think is to walk down hill and find a clearing.

The Walk of Shame

Down the hill I go. Bike on shoulder, back wheel hanging by the chain. Still covered in bugs. Swatting wildly at them. WTF am I going to do? I think about dumping the bike, and thumbing a ride :: figures, no cars anywhere. And of course, I'm exactly at the half-way point of the ride. "You need help?" over-and-over again, with each passing cyclist. Every 100 feet or so, I put the bike down and say to myself, "Ok - let's get it over with. Just put up with the flies and git'er'done." But 10 seconds at a time, is literally all I can bear. I continue my walk of shame down the hill, and then finally. The wheel drops off the chain!

Can I get a Hallelujiah

In 4 seconds, I clamp the back wheel back on, chain bypassing the derailleur. Phew. Relief, as I roll down the hill. Flies unable to keep up to me.

I make it to the overflow parking lot at the base of Fortune, and head right to the sunny middle. No flies to be found there! I'm able to get my chain back on. Get me the hell back home is all I can think about. So I take a short cut... And of course, the one and only day I go without my Garmin, I end up taking a wrong turn, and add an extra 10K to my trip.

The ride back was still hellacious as now, my chain has a wicked hop in it. Every 2 or 3 revolutions, and it skips a beat. Which is really fun when there are about 2 or 3 semi-monster climbs on the way home. Finally, I get back to the office. Looking in the mirror, I am greated by one ugly-looking dude. Oil smeared all over his face and in his ears, from swiping at bugs; blood dripping everywhere. All I can do is laugh.

Dad, do you have the chicken pox?

Andrew's first question to me this morning sums up the state of my arms.

Gatineau Park: See you next week for a rematch.

Labels: crash

Just so I don't lose it, last night's du
R1, R2, T1, B15, T2, R1, R2, R3, R4
3:57 4:10, 0:48, 29:27, 0:27, 4:28, 5:09, 5:29, 5:03; 59:02 Total.
Too fast on first run. Bad T1. Lost chain on bike. Stopped to help Guylaine on bike. Died 2nd run.

Weekly Progress

Labels: Du