The Fall Classic 5k/10k

CRYSTAL RHYNO – Running with Rhyno

Two Kateri Mission school kids stole the running spotlight at the second annual Fall Classic Road Race last Sunday.
Schoolmates Courtney Leduc, 11, and JP Puszka, 12, placed in the top three in their respective 5k races.
Courtney’s mom Lori, fought back the tears as she watched her daughter snag second place for her time of 25:16. And the floodgates opened wide for JP’s parents – Carol McKinley and Peter Puszka – as JP took third for his time of 25:27.
“I was really surprised,” said Courtney, a competitive swimmer. “Because I improved a lot of time from the last race I did. I was really, really proud of myself.”
In fact, Courtney did not expect to win anything.
“I was just going in for the fun of it and … I wanted the mitts.”
All race participants received a pair of the limited edition Grande Prairie Run/Walk Club mittens.
Courtney’s older sister, Sydnee, 12, also raced with an impressive 27:52 time.
Lori said she and hubby, Rob, do not know where to begin about how proud they are of both their daughters.
“They both loving running but Courtney actually loves running more than Sydnee,” said Lori. “We had no idea she would be able to run that fast.”
Hmm… Lori? Watch out. Next year, your daughters may beat your 5k time of 22:44 (2008 Brian Harms Memorial Run). Bets anyone?
JP doesn’t have to wait to surpass his dad’s time. Peter finished the 5k in 31:33.
“I feel magnificent,” laughed JP. “I think it was so awesome that I beat my dad.”
The media-savvy youngster says he has a love/hate relationship with running. JP is on the cross-country team at school. Mom Carol said his first race was when he was three or four years old and he ran the Canmore Challenge, an obstacle course for kids at an adult race. Carol and Peter are incredibly proud of their son.
“Usually people older than me usually do better,” said JP. “So I was pretty happy that I did well enough to place.”
Courtney and JP were just two of the whooping 134 participants in the Fall Classic. That’s double the 67 participants from the 2008 inaugural fall race. Race director Lorna McNeil was thrilled with the growth.
“It certainly is an indication running and walking is growing in the community,” she said. “The thing that really impressed us were the number of families that signed up together. I love that.”
Very late on the night before the race, McNeil and her faithful sidekick/co-race director, Robert Carroll, wondered why they organized the race.
“Because it is like work,” said Lorna. “But it’s when you hear all these wonderful stories, it’s so worth it.”
Find the race results and GP Run/Walk membership information at www.gprunwalk.com
Virtual Training
On the day Janet Fisher ran her first 10k, her first grandson was born. That was three and a half years ago.
Now 54, Janet is counting down the days before she runs her first marathon: The San Francisco Nike Womens Marathon. (And she is pretty sure there won’t be any new additions to her family that day.)
Running a marathon has always been on Janet’s bucket list. Sometime last year, Janet came across a story about the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team In Training (www.teamintraining.org).
“I thought if I was going to run one marathon in my life, I might as well run it for a cause,” she said, noting a girlfriend in college had leukemia. “She has recovered and is doing awesome. I thought 20 years ago, she might not have (recovered) if there weren’t people out there raising funds.”
What is really cool and shows fantastic dedication on the part of this feisty grandmother of three and mother of two is how she trained.
Get this. All of her training support was done through the wonderful world of the Internet. Each week she would receive tips and advice from trainers, nutritionists and coaches. Each member raises funds for the society.
“Running the long runs by myself was the hardest,” said Janet. “But my husband ran with me and we would do the last 15 kilometres and put out my Gatorade. I was lucky to have a good support system.”
Janet will meet the other 31 members of Team Purple (named according to colour) – from various parts of Canada – a couple nights before the race in San Francisco.
A seamstress by trade, Janet says, she runs more than she sews.
Pretty in Pink
Yes, you were seeing pink at the Fall Classic. Led by our petite drill sergeant, Amber Hunter, our Women of Strength squad kicked butt. For some of us, we were at the end of week four of our training for the Las Vegas half-marathon. That day, we were scheduled to run 12k.
So we ran the 10k and called it a day. Nope. Not us. We ran past the finish line to clock those extra two clicks. We are just that hardcore. Find out how hardcore in my next, where you get to meet the Grande Prairie women heading to Vegas. Among them, you’ll meet speedster Karen Lauzon, animal lover Loni Boychuk, blonde bombshell Delaine Haugson, and my coworker, Roxy Hebert’s cousin, Jen Boyer. We have an interesting mix. Stay tuned.

Ironman Canada Race Report

OK...I know your all waiting for this but I am still putting together my list of excuses and reasons for my sub par performance ay Ironman Canada this year....in the meantime, addict yourself to this Lipdub music video.....Enjoy!!!!

My Ironman Canada Rocket

If this baby doesn't give me a sub 5:15 bike split....then I have no one to blame but myself! The taper to the big race has begun! Had a nice 4 hour ride this morning in perfect weather with the new SRAM S80 wheels thanks to a joint sponsorship between Lorna and Ernies....I will not let either of you down!!! The bike is beyond words and top shelf and it spends alot of time in the living room because its too nice for the basement!

Calgary 70.3 Race Report Final

The swim was quite nice in clear 18C water. No congestion and other than my goggles leaking...time for new ones....it was somewhat slow (+41 mins) but I felt good getting it done and onto my bike!
The bike course was awesome...I passed dozens of other riders and only one passed me...the 30 to 35 age group were behind me so it was one of those speedies blowing by me! The P3C performed great and a time of 2:39 for the 95 K was better than I expected. A very senic route and I saw Lorna a couple of time cheering me on which was great! A quick transition to the run and I began the run feeling strong and wanting to run a fast 1/2 marathon. But my plantar issue was still there and Coach Joe's advise was to take it slooooow. I did have some leg cramping issues mostly due to my usual dehydration and no salt tabs....two issues that I have to get resolved for IMC! This was my "B" race and part of my IMC plan so I ended up finishing with a slow 2:04 half and 5:32 overall....23 out of 102 in my age group so I was happy with that....and a little soreness in my foot but no further damage was done...bring on Ironman Canada in 4 weeks!

Calgary 70.3 Race Report

We arrived in Calgary on Saturday morning and our first stop was to race headquarters at the Westin to visit the Expo and pick up my race kit. Lorna was going to be my cheering section for this year due to her crash a couple weeks earlier...but she is well on the mend and I am sure we will be hitting Richters Pass together at IMC!

After a couple of purchases at the Expo it was time to start getting race ready! A few more logistics for this race because of the 2 different transition locations. We had to transfer the bikes out to the start at Ghost Lake, which is about 60k west of Calgary. So we headed out along the bike route and checked it out. Definately very senic but also very challenging and lots of climbs. Most of the route is quite exposed so wind direction could play a big factor on race day. Fortunately the forcast called for light wind out of the NW which is ideal! Got to Ghost Lake which seems to be a glacial fed man made reservoir and met up with Duncan, Colleen and Candice from GP and heard that Darren and Amber were around also. After a last minute tuning of the ride, Duncan and I headed out for a few k to make sure things were working right....the bike was feeling awesome!

We got the wetsuits on and went for a quick swim...the water was crystal clear and about 18C so perfect conditions.

We drove back to Calgary and splurged for this weekend and checked into the Sheraton Suites in Au Clair which is downtown Calgary...a few steps up from our usual camping routine but Lorna has all the great connections (Denise!) and got a cheap rate so why not eh! Met the over 45 tri gang from GP at the Spagetti Factory for supper and back to the room, some last minute preparation....forgot my race number belt and had to scurry around for some safety pins but got to bed before nine and fell asleep right away!

4 am comes quick....some coffee and breakfast and on the road by 5 am. Shuttle busses were available to bring everybody to the start but since lorna was not running this year, we drove out in our van and her plan was to be the official Grande Prairie cheerleader/photographer. Did the usual getting things organised and air in the tires, layout the stuff, fill up the gatorade bottles and get that "why does everybody look fitter and more relaxed than I do" feeling that I am sure everybody else gets! And the portapotty lines....who could wait that long to have a crap! I scouted out the campsite across the road and had my pick of any one of two! And whats with the covering you seat with a plastic bag the night before! So your wet ass has a nice dry seat to sit on maybe? I guess everybody has their thing!

So this is a wave start depending on male, female, pro and age. I was in wave 7 with a start time of 7:50. Since the pros started at 6:45 and the first age groupers at 7:00, we were able to see the pros and the first wave age groupers finish the swim!

The swim was a 1 loop 1.9 km and started at the boat launch, under the highway bridge, up the channel, turn around and back. I seeded myself midpack at the start and started the swim with not too much congestion...since it was a wave start and only 102 in my age group...this was not an Ironman Canada mass start of 2500 so much more civilized!! To Be Continued

Training Update

So my heart is now good but i still have this nagging foot issue going on....its called Plantar Inflammation and it gets more inflammed after I run....so the past week has been lots of swimming and biking....no running...which may work out to be the best thing for my training since running has always been my strength but has always let me down in Ironman because I would usually be wasted after the bike! 95 Km yesterday and 148Km today and some good quality stuff all week!! Feeling very strong and looking forward to 3 weeks from today for Calgary 70.3!!!

Wrapping up the "Scarry Week"

So I had been scheduled for my Cardio conversion on June 25th which was 1 day before we were planning to leave for 10 days in Nova Scotia.....not the best case but hey...its my heart!! Anyways I was scheduled to have a visit with my own Doc in Beaverlodge....the Great Doctor John Robert Hunter on May 27th. He gave me a good going over and was concerned about the shortness of breath and the general lack of energy. He and Lorna work together and he knows how important training is to me so he told me we can't wait until the end of June to get me 'fixed"! He called the hospital in BL, i got in got an EKG and blood work right away....he arranged for me to take my EKG into the hospital in GP and meet with Dr Tony Best the Internal Medicine Doc and see what can be done about speeding things up!!! So we went back to GP and to meet with Dr Best. While standing to register at the outpatients Dr. Hugo Bertollsi...the Cardiologist that I know from the pool walks by and we have a chat about whats wrong with me....so Hugo says to get me booked in tomorrow morning and we can do the conversion and get me on my way....so to make a loooong story short, I spend an hour with Dr. Best going over the procedure and life on the East Coast because he is from "The Rock" and knows alot of people Lorna knows....and we are booked for first thing in the AM in Intensive Care!

The big concern with Arterial Flutter and shocking your heart is that blood may have pooled in your heart, since its not working right, and when it is "rebooted" some of the blood may cause a clot and that's not good. So the next morning prior to the conversion, Hugo was going to to a trans esophageal echo which means they jam a small camera down your throat and check for pooled blood and any damage to the heart....luckily i am in another world for this as they give you some good stuff!!

So the TEE went great I'm told...my heart was strong and healthy....they proceeded with the conversion. SUCCESS!! I woke from the drugs and felt like a new man....instant cure!! Definitely a scare but lots of good people around me and a positive experience with the always criticised health care system!!

OK I have been not posting!!

Trying to get back into the blog groove but lots going on....Training has been so so and planning the "Big Push" for the next couple of months leading to Calgary 70.3 and of course IMC. Had an awesome couple of months with Jonathan and we all did so many things together...he is now off for his big WOOFing adventure and Lorna and I are at the Calgary Airport waiting to take the redeye to Halifax to spend some time with Erin and the rest of the family. Hope I can sleep on the plane!!

Video of the Day!

Ckeck this out and enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GA8z7f7a2Pk

Scary Week Part II

So from the EKG the docs determined that I have an "atrial flutter" and without getting too technical basically means that top and bottom chambers of the heart called the atria and ventrical (remember your Jr High biology!) are not in sync thus causing the heart to not pump properly. Anyways I was booked for an appointment with the Internal Medicine Specialist the next day.
Met with Dr. Westra, who is also a Triathlete, and got the scoop. 2 meds....one to slow down my pulse rate which was resting around 90, and a blood thinner. I have to be on these for about 3 weeks and then the plan is to do a Cardioconversion....which is just like the TV shows and you get the paddles to shock the heart back into regular or sinus rhythm. So 3 weeks of low energy, shortness of breath and just generally feeling like crap....oh yeah Dr. Westra said I could continue to swim/bike/run but wear the HRM and keep out of zone 5. Considering the way I felt and that I could get close to zone 5 going upstairs, my workouts for the next 3 weeks would be sparse!

Scary Couple of Weeks!

It will be 2 weeks ago tomorrow that I was doing a tough 5 hill repeat workout on Grovedale Hill that I noticed I was not feeling the best. Lori, Robert Jr. and Dennis followed me up the hill for the first 3 and I managed 1 more....got 4 of the 5 and had to stop...definately something wrong! Got home and downloaded the Garmin....HR maxed at 218!! So my first assumption was there was something wrong with the HRM for sure! Checked that out and it was A-OK.....so my next guess was that i have a cold or virus and I will be better soon. So the next day was a 2 hr endurance run that felt like 5 hours!....HR hovering around 180....yikes!! Decided then I needed some time off to kick this "bug". After much procrastinaton and "suggestions" from everyone around me, I went to Emergency a week ago last night and before I could say anything else, I was lying on my back with oxygen up my nose and wires attached everywhere on my body!...to be continued

20 Weeks to Ironman Canada!

The countdown is on and now is the time to clamp down and get serious! After a great 2 1/2 hour ride on Saturday and 20k run on Sunday, it gave me a good feel as to what the weekends are going to be like for the next 20 weeks. Thanks to Amber and Darren for hosting the "Last Hurrah" party on Saturday night!

Starting a new online training log that allows me to download all my Garmin data directly into it so its a work in progress...more to come on that. Using a heart rate monitor for the first time last week on my runs and bike rides. It did indicate that my HR creeps up by about 10 BPM over my endurance sets so I got to check that out. Big hill workout coming this week on the bike and it seems that Coach Joe has us ramping up the intensity.

Spring is finally here, the weather is great....well for the most part...the snow yesterday was a slight setback, but were tough here!

40K Time Trial

Getting some baseline info to Coach Joe and I did a 40K time trial tonite out and back on the Bezanson Highway. Temp was about +6C and a bit of a side breeze.

http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/7954324

1:12:33 for the 40K.....don't want to start out the season too fast so I can show lots of improvement!! Lorna clocked a solid 1hr:23, Darren was sporting his new wheels and blew me away and I think Amber took a wrong turn at Alboquerque!

First Outside Ride of the Year!

After an incredibly long winter, we FINALLY got out for our first ride yesterday. Duncan, Bart, Dave and I went for a brisk 55k on a beautiful spring GP Sunday afternoon! This officially starts the countdown to Ironman Canada. This Sunday will mark the 20 weeks from Ironman and Coach Joe has me going through some testing to see where my fitness is at with a 40k time trial on my bike and a 1000m (yikes!) TT in the H2O this week! This is where the rubber meets the road and I do have some big goals for this year so its time to get serious! New bike, new coach, great weather......no excuses!!

My Thank You Post

Thanks to my fast buddy Paul Oostra for running with me yesterday. Paul had my number and ran the 5k in 19 and change....not too shabby considering he has had the flu all week! I got it done in 20 mins exactly on a very icy course.
Looks like our GP Triathlon for the May long weekend is a definate go...thanks to Matt Bain for moving on this and reviving it!
Local triathlon legend Joe Radench has graciously agreed to coach and guide me through the next 21 weeks of training leading up to Ironman Canada. We are extremely lucky to have someone of Joe's caliber and experience here in GP and he is always willing to pass on his vast knowledge and to others in our tri community! Thanks Joe!!
Also a kudos goes out to Amber and Darren for opening up their doors every Sunday for us to stink and sweat up their home with our Coach Troy Sufferfests! Thanks Guys!!
Thanks to my sweety who has made sure that I can't blame my bike this year at Ironman...P3C!
There has been some crazy growth around here in the Press Run Programs...Thanks Sonya and Lori...and the GP Run Walk Club explosive growth, the solid Tri community, Grande Prairie is becoming a real powerhouse in running and triathlon and it keeps getting larger!!!
Check out this months issue of Canadian Runner Magazine for a profile or our Run/Walk Club!! Way to go everyone!!
And for all you who enjoy Muserau Lake and our Triathlon Training Camps, and anybody who enjoys this beautiful part of the province and all other Provincial Parks, please plan on attending the Open House at the Muskoseepi Park Pavillion on Tuesday April 1st at 7:00pm. We have to voice our opposition to the lobby to allow ATV's and motorized boats in all these areas! These open houses are key to the policy development for the future and we need to be heard so lets all get out and voice our concern that we do not want motorized vehicles in our Provincial Parks!!
See you then!!!

Slowtwitch 100/100 Challenge Complete!!

Well the Challenge has officially ended and I have completed my 100th run tonite! Thanks to Patrick, Sonya, Laverna and Liah for joining me for my 8k this evening! It feels like spring is in the air and the challenge has got me through a long Grande Prairie winter in great running shape for the upcoming year....now to work on my swimming and biking!! April 1st begins my 20 week training program to Ironman Canada......lets get going!!
http://training.slowtwitch.com/viewchallenge?challengeId=2&challengeType=frequency&sort=distance&sortDir=desc

Pictures from Vegas

Check out my facebook

for lots of picxtures from Vegas!! If your not my friend just ask!

AND BREAKING NEWS!!! LANCE CRASHED IN SPAIN TODAY AND BUSTED HIS COLLARBONE.......NO TOUR THIS YEAR!! THAT SUCKS!!http://www.rtve.es/mediateca/videos/20090323/armstrong-cae-abandona-castilla-leon/455839.shtml

Tomorrow is day 100 of the 100/100 Challenge.....Join me for my 100th run from the Leisure Center at 6:00pm!

Six Tunnels Half Marathon

Erin on here way to a 26:56 5k in Las Vegas......2nd in her age group and 55th overall!! Way to go honey!!

The Deal Is Done!!

This is my new ride!! Sealed the deal with Robert Jr. at Ernies today....Cervelo P3 Carbon! It simply does not get any better than this ride! No more excuses....Kona here we come!!

Wrapping up the 100/100

I AM NEVER RUNNING AGAIN AFTER THIS 100/100 IS OVER!!......Just kidding! Its got to a point where running every day is a given and not too big a deal. My body has held up just fine with absolutely no injury or issue. I am now at 97 runs and the challenge ends on Tuesday so I have a run to make up between now and then which will be no problem. Check out the results so far at http://training.slowtwitch.com/viewchallenge?challengeId=2&challengeType=frequency&sort=distance&sortDir=desc

I have managed to average over 10k per day and have 1014 km thus far. I will be running my 100th run on Tueday at 6:00pm from the Leisure Center so if anyone wants to join me.....
To wrap up the challenge....all the participants on Slowtwitch.com are holding a virtual 5k race....see the info at
http://forum.slowtwitch.com/gforum.cgi?post=2237431;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;forum_view=forum_view_collapsed;;page=unread#unread

The thing is to run a 5k....enter your finish time online, and compete against everyone else from around the globe....cool eh? I will be leaving from Muskoseepi Park Pavillion at 8:30 this Saturday and will run 5k of the the Fall Classic route so you all are invited to run with me!
We had a great Sunday Morning Press Run Training Group today with over 100 eager and possessed individuals committing to the 10 week program...way to go everybody!!!...it really was great to see how Lori and Sonya have sparked the running community over the past couple of years....the GP Run Walk Club keeps getting bigger as a result!
www.gprunwalk.com

LOVE - LAS Vegas!

We all saw this show here tonight it was fantastic....so if you got to sell your car, your Quads, or cash in the RRSP, come see this! You will not regret it!

Viva Las Vegas!!

Well we all landed safely here in Vegas. It sure is nice to feel some warmth after the bitter cold in GP...-30 to +20 is good for the soul. Here is a pic of us as we arrived at the airport....a bank of "one are bandits" awaits you! Its all about entertainment here for sure! All your senses are overwelmed with massive big screens everywhere that are trying to get you to their show, casino, or restraunt and it is a bit overwelming. But if you come with a plan of what you want to do then its not so bad. We plan to run the Six Tunnels Half Marathon and 5K at the Hoover Dam, see The Beatles Circ du Soliel "Love", get some sun and some shopping and a fancy meal. Were staying at Mandalay Bay Resort so it does not suck at all!!Erin and Lorna are checking off the "some shopping" now so i have a few moments to post!



We arrived to the race start at about 7am on Saturday morning for a 8am start. Lorna and I were running the Half and Erin was running the 5k. The start was about 20 miles east of Vegas close to the famous Hoover Dam. So we picked up our race kits that contained a nice souvenier travel mug and a green T Shirt....after all it is real close to St Paddy's and it was definately a theme for the event. It was a simply stunning venue overlooking Lake Mead and a spectacular morning! So great to have both Erin and Lorna here and were all quite excited to be here!! The Half Marathon course went 3 miles in one direction all uphill to a turnaround, downhill back to the start and a bit over 3 miles in the other direction to the Hoover Dam and back again. The first 6 miles was on new pavement trail but the rest was on loose dry gravel undulating trail wich was very hard to get a good footing in....kinda like good old snow! The race also passed through 6 different tunnels which added to the coolness of the event! Anyways I did not do a heck of alot of research on the route and was not expecting it to be as challenging as it was but I did feel quite strong throughout and was 1 minute and 31 seconds past my goal of 1 hour 30 minutes so i was quite happy with my time. It was 17th overall and second in my age group! Lorna ran a solid 2 hours and 7 minutes on this tough course and was also very happy with her time! Way to go honey! And Erin had an absolutely awesome 5K in 26 minutes and she finished in 55 place overall in a fiels of over 300 and took second in her age group! Way to go honey also! All in all a very special day that none of us will ever forget I sure. Erin and I both got plaques for our age group finishes and the race was well represented by canucks running from the cold and as Eddy the race director was giving out some prizes to us and other Canadians he commented about all us Canadian coming down and taking all the hardware back to a foreign country! Eddy was a great guy and is quite excited about his upcoming bike tour of PEI and Cape Breton the summer so we gave him some tips of some "must sees" on his adventure.
After some touring of the Hoover Dam we headed back into the Big City for an afternoon of relaxation and sun at the Mandalay Bay pools!

Made it to California

Hi all...i feel for all of you suffering through the cold in GP...it is quite nice here but definately not hot! Great for running however I feel a bit like I am at some resort in Mexico because the neighbourhoods outside of the dozen or so hotels around the airport here in Ontario CA are sketchy and a lot or gang painting everywhere. Getting lots of running in but the concrete is unforgiving on the legs...10k feels like 15k! Hoping to get a long trail run in tomorrow on some trails in the State Park....and I will keep a look out for rattlesnakes!
So we are all signed up for Calgary 70.3 www.ironmancalgary.com
The internet connection here is painfully slow but I will post again later today but for now I have to get to my Fleet Management Course...more about that later!

Long Winter.....

Well I don't know about you...but have you had enough of this winter? I know the days are longer and it seems to be getting milder....(well maybe not this upcoming week)http://www.theweathernetwork.com/weather/CAAB0140
But I have had about enough! I am going tp California twice in the next 4 weeks so I guess I shouldn't complain too much.
It was icy on my run today and with the fresh snow on the ground I took a small spill....no worries because I learned how to fall down softly since I moved to the North.
The 100/100 challenge is now at day 70 and still trying to figure out what to do with all this base....still thinking spring marathon. Looking at some online coaching options for IMC...I have a big goal of 10:40 for this race so I need the guidance and motivation and a solid plan to get me there...lots of options out there so any suggestions?
Had a good swim at the pool this morning and thanks for the tips Richard and to Duncan for the workout and to Drake for a little mass start simulation! Pool in the morning again to work on a few things and a busy week at work upcoming also....see ya later!!

So You Think You Can Ride!

Check this out.....These guys are NUTS!!

http://www.dailymotion.com/...descente-de-venosc-c

I'm Baaaack!!

Been a week since my last entry on my blog...a combination of being very busy at work and just that time of the year.

Got just over 70k in last week and planning an 80k week for this week. Day 63 of the Challenge and I have a run in hand at 64....check out my progress at

http://training.slowtwitch.com/viewchallenge?challengeId=2&challengeType=frequency&sort=distance&sortDir=desc

Checking out new bikes this year...Saw this bike (the one at the top of this post because that's the only place i can get it to copy to) at a shop in Kelowna..This Trek TTX is one sweet ride....SRAM Red Group and it does come with the Bontranger Race wheelset....Robert at Ernies want to bring one in and he is looking for someone to buy it!! So what do you think of the colour? It will be easy to spot in transition!

Holiday tomorrow and I was going to meet a group in the morning for a 25k to Weyhauser and back but everyone seems to be dropping off because its suppose to be -25C....I may be going it alone!

Been keeping an eye on the Tour de California that began yesterday....all the big names Leipheimer, Armstrong, Zabriskie...all the big Tde F names and even poor old Floyd Landis! Fabian Cancellera took the Prolouge yesterday and he is not riding Cervelo...new team and he is riding Specialized....so maybe it really is not about the bike.

http://www.amgentourofcalifornia.com/

Trying to get some updates of the Austin Marathon because Steven and Renee ran it today but the website seems to be down. http://www.youraustinmarathon.com/

Some Cool Tri Videos

120.21K Week!!!

It looked a bit bleak for a day if I would make thw 120k this week. I had to go to Edmonton for a work event and left yesterday (Friday) at noon....the travelling was not the best with quite a bit of snow on the roads and the going was slow. Lots of vehicles going too fast and lots off the road also. We stopped to help one guy who had blew by us about 30 minutes earlier, and the excess speed put him off the road....helped push him out and get him back on the road....hopefully a lesson learned for him....but probably not! Anyway back to my 120 week.....I planned to get to Edmonton and run before the dinner last evening but by the time we got to the city, we had to go right to the event....no run yesterday and I still had over 30k to get it done....I didn't have my fuelbelt with me and there was fresh snow and ice here so I opted for the Treadmill at the Hotel....2 hours was enough of that and I got 24k done....It was my longest TM run ever! But I still had almost 7k to get to the 120k....Anyways....I just got back from my 7k outside run here in downtown Edmonton capping off my first 120k week!! Hmmm...my longest Treadmill run and capping off my longest week of running....all on the same day!!

74.66K So Far This Week

Here is a picture of my honey! Were planning a trip for March Break to somewhere warmer that GP! She is an awesome BBall player, very smart and beautiful and is our Ironman Canada cheering section...Go Go Go Go You Can Do It You Can Do It !!!

Got a 15.2k run today and am running with Ross at 5:45am tomorrow for a 12k....and Lorna is back from California tomorrow!! 45K to go for my 120k week...check out my progress in the 100/100 Challenge at
http://training.slowtwitch.com/viewchallenge?challengeId=2&challengeType=frequency&sort=distance&sortDir=desc

Thank the Running Gods!!

Our Run Club President

Their President

The White Obama!!

The Running Gods are making this 120k week a piece of cake so far. 59.44km and we are enjoying just beautiful weather! Today was actually warm for my 15k with Duncan!! I think it was about +10C.

We had our regular monthly meeting of the GP Run/Walk tonite at the new "unofficial" club house at BeanCounters. Check out our website at http://www.gprunwalk.com/

And our AGM is scheduled for 7:00 pm March 3rd at the Muskoseepi Pavillion....come one come all and get involved!!

Day 50!!

Officially half way through the 100/100 Run Challenge as of today!! Had a great 14.2k run today in springlike conditions here in Grande Prairie....just 75.8k left for this weeks 120k!
Lorna and the girls seem to be getting along alright in California....a little Stargazing at some movie premier in LA and lunch on the Sunset Strip...but I get to watch Survivorman so it's a win-win...and their off to Disney World tomorrow because IT'S LORNA'S BIRTHDAY.....HAPPY BIRTHDAY HONEY!!! Lori was suppose to come back today but she came to her senses and is staying a few more day's....Have a ball girls and see you Thursday!!

Girls Gone Wild Grande Prairie Redux!

Well it looks like another Girls Gone Wild Grande Prairie is taking shape!! Lorna and Lori are enjoying some celebratory beers after they both had great runs! Lorna almost cracked the 2 hour treashold at 2:01. Lori had a PB at 1:32 and our good friend Belinda from Hay River ran the FULL marathon in 4:17...way to go girls and Canada is proud of you all!!

Got my 30k in this morning. Mother nature was on my side with -3C and no wind for my loop that worked out to be EXACTLY 30k from the house....I love your GPS Lorna!! You can check out my run at this website http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/7554256

Just 90k to go for this week!! Watching the Super Bowl and I gotta say after watching Springsteen....."Old Guys Rock!!!"

End of an Easy Week

Let the party begin!! No....its not a Super Bowl Party (although I will definately watch at halftime to see Bruce Springsteen!)....its the start of my 120k week.

Day 48 of the 100/100 Challenge Almost at the halfway point and everything is holding up great...http://training.slowtwitch.com/viewchallenge?challengeId=2&challengeType=frequency

Ran with Bart, Duncan, Darren and the twins from Beancounters today....lots of wind and ice but a pleasant +3C

This weeks run total was 71.8k and I an kicking off my 120k week with a 30k run tomorrow. The rest of the week will be like this:
Monday 12k
Tuesday 15k
Wednesday 2ok
Thursday 13k
Friday 10k
Saturday 20k

Lorna and Lori arrived in Huntington Beach and are running the half marathon in the morning starting at 8:45 our time here in GP...Check out the website at http://www.runsurfcity.com/ and you will be able to follow their progress online......GO GIRLS!!!

Watched a great movie tonite on youtube. Its the story of Steve Prefontaine who was a great middle distance runner from US...The movie Without Limits is in 12 parts on youtube....highly recommended!!!

Day 46

466.84km so far in this 100/100 Challenge! Doing a relatively easy 70k run week this week in prep for my big 120k week starting on Sunday.....A beautiful +7 today in GP but I wimped out and ran at the office on the treadmill.....tight for time as a bunch from work went to the Crown and Anchor after work to celebrate the beginning of the big reno at the Service Center......any excuse for a celebration eh?
I have a 30k run planned for Sunday to kick off the 120k week so if any of my blog fans out there are interested in coming along let me know! Lorna is off to California in the morning with Lori LeDuc for the half marathon so it will be a good week for lots of running.
So I missed my swim with Duncan this morning and bought him lunch today....was lazy at 5:00am and just drank coffee instead!

Day 42 and 425.3km

I actually am a run ahead with 43 official runs in 42 days thanks to a double yesterday. The 6k outsde in -37C just didn't seem to be enough so i ran for 8k on the treadmill at the Leisure Center yesterday also. Did my first serious swim workout with Duncan this morning and ran home from there. Much milder temperatures today at -20C. I relatively easy week run wise with a 70k week planned which will lead into my planned 120k week starting Feb 1st.
If you had not heard yet...Clifbar has a recall on some it their bars so check the site at http://www.clifbar.com/voluntary-recall/ So check what in your stash!
Want to watch an awesome movie? Go to youtube and search "touching the void movie". It is in 12 parts but well worth the effort to see it!

-37C Today!

Its hard to believe that last Saturday Morning Run from Beancounters we had 16 runners and a couple of us were running in shorts....fast forward ahead to this morning. Just Leonard and I got a little over 6km in -37C. It actually was not too bad and the sun coming up was quite a nice site! Me thinks the cold weather kept some people inside to run! The run was shorter than I wanted to go and was a bit pressed for time because I had to go to a meeting about the Olympic Torch Relay that is coming throught GP in November...my part will be approving the route on behalf of the City and some other organizational functions as we get closer....exciting for sure!
Good Luck to Ross and Sonya who are in Hawaii this weekend and both are running the Maui Marathon on Sunday....we will be watching for results on that one.
I am over 400km and on day 40 of the 100/100 Challenge. Almost half way through!

370.85km in 37 Days

Well I finally passed the 10km a day average....at the end of the 100 day challenge I will have at least 1000km under me. Feeling great with no ill effects or weird pain. Had a bit of time at lunch so I did 12.6k on the treadmill at the office. I am on the negotiating team for our union contract so I am very busy with that so I will be running at weird times for the next couple of weeks. Yesterday was 16.2k run home from work in beautiful +4C and sunny....we are having a beautiful streak of weather here but it is coming to an end this week....back to normal temps of -15C! Brick night tomorrow night and the pool at lunch....I am trying to avoid the "all you can eat" part that seems to come along with contract negotiations!! See you later...

Always Phone Ahead!

The only pool we currently have in GP is at the Leisure Center. http://www.cityofgp.com/citygov/dept/leisure/Default.htm

Our plan for today was to get to the pool for the 8am lane swim and run after that. Got to the pool but it was not going to open untill later in the morning due to an "incident"....whatever that is!! Anyway this is not the first time this has happened and the new Aquatic Center can't come soon enough! So always phone ahead!

So I ran home from the Leisure Center (11k) and Lorna and I did a 70 min Aerobic Basebuilder Spinerval. 342.05km in 35 days of the 100/100 Run Challenge...I want to average 10k per day so I am very close.

The weather continues to be spectacular...we were actually sitting out on the deck today and the thermometer read +16 in the sun....and it is mid January!

101.34km!!

Its Mid January in Northern Alberta and I ran 18.62km with shorts on!! I got my 100km week in also...We had the biggest group ever turn out for our Saturday morning Beancounters Run. 16 runners and I think the unseasonally warm weather got everybody out. It got up to +7 today and i feel sorry for friends and family in NS that seem to be getting GP weather. Next week will be an 80km week and build up to a big 120km week after that. Big swim and a 10k run for tomorrow....and the nice weather is sticking around for a few more days! Check out the route we ran as recorded on Lorna's Garmin 305!

http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/7466541

A Beautiful +5 in GP Today!!

OK...the temperature here in Grande Prairie went from -17C this morning at 5:00am to +5C during my run after work! It was actually warm running through Muskoseepi Trails...and the crews are doing an EXCELLENT job of keeping the trails and sidewalks in top notch condition for us runners this year! I got to thank that guy who takes care of that stuff for the City!
Today was an early swim of 1600m with Duncan...he has been great to put together our workouts and we made the deal before Xmas that whoever misses the Tuesday or Thursday early morning workout (6:00am) buys lunch that day....and it motivates both of us to get there cause were both friggen cheap!
16.2km run from work today in springlike conditions while the rest of Canada is suffering through a deep freeze...gotta love that jetstream! Used Lorna's Garmin 305....the more I use this the more I want one....Costco and MEC sell them for $235....which is by far the best price in Canada....costco USA is $159!! So Lorna your going to California in a couple of weeks eh? Anyways there is no cheatin with the Garmin....16.2km in 1hr20mins....so my total for this week is 76.2 km.....23.8 more for 100k week in the next 2 days.....gotta say I am feeling a bit sluggish but tomorrow will be a relatively easy 8k and finish it up with the Beancounter Gang on Saturday morning....calling for + temps for thw next few days so lots of vitimin D runs coming!

First Brick of the Year!

Wednesday night is Brick Night....that means you hammer hard on the bike and run immediately after. As you can see in the photo, the bike part is on the trainer in our basement. Just Lorna and I tonite but this catches on as people get back into the groove. Got a 45 min Spinerval The Uphill Grind and a 10k outside run....Nice evening around -15C and no wind!
This is day 31 of the 100/100 Challenge....60k this week and heading for 100k week!

100K Week

Ran 15K on the Treadmill.....Day 30 of the 100/100 challenge. I am at 279K for the 30 days....aiming for 100K this week. Obvisously a run focused 100 Days but I am increasing my core with the 100 Pushup and 100 Situp Challenges. We will be spinning tomorrow night amd on the weekend. I may have a "slight" problem the first week of March with my Challenge because I have to go for some work related training to Ontario......not that Ontario.......Ontario California that is....swimmin pools and movie stars!

I am doing what seems like all of my weekday runs on the Treadmill....It seems to work best for me from a time perspective because we have a fitness center at my office that make it easier to get the run in....and its been cold and snowy recently and super busy at work also....whimpy eh !

My office complex has just started a $13M extreme makeover and we had to temporarily relocate our fitness center...how is this for tight!! (see above because that is the only place i could manage to post the pics!) We do have the best equipment and a LCD Flat Screen with built in DVD so were doing alright....I have a new spot picked out on the top floor of our new 3 story office "tower" that will be more on the roomy side with a view of our Cover All Salt Storage Structure! Enough I'm off to bed....Good Night Erin!

HTFU Day!

My Buddy Ross is running a marathon in Hawaii in a couple of weeks and needed someone to run one of his last long runs before the race and of course I was game to go!! Also with us were his GF Sonya who is running the same marathon and Lori who is running the half with Lorna in California....I started out with my first swim of the NY and a 10k run before I met up with them and ended up with a 2hr 28min run for 28k. The weather was cold at -20 or so and a bitter headwind accompanied us back from Weyerhauser Hill. We all met back at Loris for coffee and brunch.
Day 28 of the 100/100 Challenge and I logged over 80k last week and with a 28k start for this week my goal is 100K for this week. My body is holding up just fine and I know this running base will payback this season.....Its amazing how much your body can endure when you push it. The weather is supposed to be above zero so I am aiming for some good outdoor runs!

The Best Song Ever!!

By Jonathan Carroll

Lance Armstrong Returns

Lance is on the Big Island this weekend cycling the Ironman course

Cold and Snow

Well what do you expect living in Northern Alberta! Its Thursday already and getting some good runs in this week so far and 61.7 km...I should get an 80km week with a longer run this Saturday with the Bean Counters Gang. The weather is warming and will be on the + side of zero for the weekend. Next week I start a block of swim training so I am looking forward to that...yep for sure! Swimming is what I really want to improve on this year...well its one of the 3 sports I want to get better at and this is the time of year to work on it so 4 times a week for the next 4 weeks is my program and we will see if I improve.....I am thinking of a few swim coaching sessions this month because i need it!
Work is very busy and we are just beginning a 15 million dollar renovation....great news but it will disrupt our fitness center for a period of time....which is not so good news and my office is also being relocated....but I will find somwhere to keep our fitness center usable during the project....because that's damn important!

Here is a pic from last summer at IMC of Lorna and Garrett MacFadyen of Halifax....2002 Ironman Canada Champion....he still looks like he could hammer!

100 Runs in 100 Days Challenge

I am right on track for completing this challenge.....check out my progress at this site http://training.slowtwitch.com/viewchallenge?challengeId=2&challengeType=frequency&sort=frequency&sortDir=desc
My username is robcar

2008 Summary and My Goals for 2009

2008 was a somewhat frustrating year racewise. An early season half Ironman in California after a winter of training in GP is not a formula for a fast race.....but it was part the road trip epic adventure with Lorna and Jonathan and Erin from GP to the Grande Canyon, Arizona, California etc! Had a couple of decent half marathons, a crappy and crampy Half Ironman at Chinook where I realized I need to take salt tabs, and my worst Ironman at Penticton that includes a bike crash at kilometer 18.

2008 Results
5:30:50 at Ironman 70.3 California
1:32:50 at Woody's Half Marathon
1:31:22 at the Press Run Half Marathon
5:58:31 at Chinook Half Ironman
12:29:59 at Ironman Canada

2009 will of course be a more successful year! My "A" race will be IMC in August.

2009 Goals
1:25:00 at Woody's Half Marathon
5:00:00 at Calgary 70.3, Chinook Half or Sylvan Lake Half
10:40:00 at Ironman Canada and
Qualify for Ironman Hawaii

Lofty goals but achiveable with proper training, nutrition and experience and getting to my 160 lb race weight!

Back Home in Grande Prairie

After a great holiday season in Nova Scotia, it is good to be back home. Had a great visit with everyone and spent lots of time with J and E. My trip back yesterday was not without some Christmas Travelling Drama as my plane could not land in Winnipeg due to a plane that was broken down on the runway. We circled Winnipeg Airport for a half and hour and then the flight was diverted to Dryden to fuel and we were heading back to TO! So we landed in Dryden (I can now scratch that off my life list!) to fuel up....4 hours we were still sitting there due to fueling problems....but when they finally got gassed up, Winnipeg was open again! So back to Winnipeg we go! I finally got back to GP at 11:30 pm after travelling for 23 1/2 hours! Lorna picked me up and when we got home, needless to say I plopped into bed and slept great.
My training during the holidays was so so. I kept up with the 100 run in 100 day Challenge but had to double up a few days to make up missed workouts but it was a very busy couple of weeks!
Ran twice today with a 19km this morning in a beautiful and calm -20 and again the afternoon on the dreadmill for 6.5km.....21 for 21 on the 100 Day Challenge! Tomorrow I will list my tri and run related goals for this year so stay tuned!