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Wednesday 31 December 2014

Festivus pole

I built a Festivus pole out of the traditional material:  beer cans.  I has stood up well, except for the night someone came to look at it and tripped over the cord for the blue lights on the nearby tree.  I found them stretched across the lawn in the morning.  It's almost 7 ft. tall.  Back in November we had a couple days of snow before it got warm again and melted it all away.  

Festivus pole of beer cans

Our two snowy days this winter

Tuesday 30 December 2014

We could go biking

I went to visit my brother in Toronto.  The weather is nice, so we went biking of course!  


It's winter.  Let's go biking!

Here we passed by the local ski hill with the snowmaker desperately trying to get some coverage put down. The next day it snowed a lot, and it took me 2 hours to get the 10 km to Milton.

Must make snow

Sunday 7 December 2014

Santa Shuffle

I had on a numbered race bib, wore my new running shoes, and did 45 minutes of running, but wasn't intending to be in a race.  It surprised me when a race took place around me nevertheless. 
Always ready to go
The Santa Shuffle is a fund raiser for Salvation Army.  He said this is the 24th year that they have done it.  Jen and I signed up only a few days earlier when we found the time slot compatible with our work schedules.  They promote it not so much as a race, but a fun-run/walk.  They provide the horse track at Western Fair raceway for the venue.  So off we went for a fun morning run together.  There's no timing method provided.  The distance is about five kilometers or thereabouts, or as far as you feel like going within the hour that is available. Jen and I did 9 laps, which is a little over 6 km.  

Shuffling




However, Running Room is a principal event partner.  They made it into a race.  Everyone gets a race bib to wear.  There's prizes for the first finishers.  There's medals for everyone upon completion. The race is 7 laps which was considered to be almost 5 km.  Who knows.  There isn't even a finish line.  The race started and ended somewhere over there on the track.  

Shuffling with wings
Before we began, came a trip to Canadian Tire for some rope to secure the angel wings.  The included straps were fastened at the top, making them more of a backpack than wings.  Needing the rope cut to order, Jen fetched a clerk. He was startled to find the giant snowmonster in the aisle.  What to do?  Act natural and treat it like a regular customer.  The girl was talking to the snowmonster, so it must be okay.  After the race, we went to Costco.  There, I did them the courtesy of putting on pants.  It seems so much more civilized to wear pants in their store.

For us, the point of the day was the same as any other race we go into.  Have a good time.  Hang out with your friends and family.  Get some exercise.  Accomplished.  She dressed up in angel wings. I bought a couple Santa caps, then decided to make a snowman.  Most everyone had a red Santa cap.  Dogs and babies were welcome.  The weather was around freezing, with a light breeze, and no sunshine.  The track was dry, thankfully.  Even a bit of overnight snow could have turned the day into a muddy mess.  We ran laps in the gravel until most all of the runners quit.  I was surprised to get a medal.  What's a finsher's medal about when you finish whenever you feel like stopping?   

Santa came to shuffle
Anyone looks friendly when wearing a Santa cap, so the crowd appeared very friendly.  After running for a while we stayed to drink hot chocolate and coffee.  It was a good start to the holidays.  Jen and I are signed up for the Hypothermic Half in February, so we need to keep on running on into the winter.  The cold weather has just begun, and there's so much more running to do.

Saturday 22 November 2014

Yes, I rode today

It's that time of year when people ask me, "Did you ride today?"  


The first snowfall of 2014

Yes, I did.  I have all the right gear, so the snow isn't so bad. The balaclava.  Must have a balaclava. And the ski goggles. Can't leave any skin exposed at all. Snow is much better than the rain.  The rain gets in and I'm wet, and cold and there's nothing that helps.  This storm was easy, because the snow was light and fluffy, so I could cruise right through it.  When it's wet packing snow, the tires have a much harder time to plow through it with these wide tires I have on.  They pack the snow down instead of slicing through like narrow tires would.


There's a train coming

I tried snow tires for my bike, with tungsten studs screwed into the knobs.  It's supposed to help on ice.  It doesn't.  It's ice, and it's slick no matter what.  I've still got the street tires on my Townie, which I use in the winter.  When I take the bike in for the mid-winter tune up, I will have them put on the snow tires.  

Snow on the overpass


Sunday 9 November 2014

Beware!!! Cyclists!


Be wary of cyclists
There's something disconcerting about this caution notice.  Be aware, perhaps, but beware?  Are we known to leap in front of cars? 


Tuesday 28 October 2014

Perhaps the last of the nice rides

The weather is still good, so every weekend I get to have one last ride.  

Roads of tar and chip. Just like Wisconsin.

The sheep are out

Sunday 26 October 2014

Barrelman - Jen's Race

The swim is my only concern.  In my training swims in open water, I would take on a lot of water or air, and stop to burp, or breathe, or rest.  My stroke is fast enough, if I can keep on moving.  The shallows near the shore are rocky with lots of weeds. To get in we all have to bellyflop into the water rather than try to pick our way over the rocks. It’s really cold and there’s a big shock when the cold water spreads into the suit though the zipper on the back.  The tall weeds under that water are as tall as trees and remind me of Harry Potter with zee Grindelows in the deep.  Watch out for zee Grindelows!  I have to stop thinking like that or I’m going to scare myself.  I get going near the front but there’s lots of room for others to pass and I let them, rather than try to keep up and run out of breath. Breathing is everything during the swim. This is when I get a happy surprise! I figured that all the other blue caps would out pace me but there’s a whole bunch of us that are the same speed and I actually manage to finish the swim alongside those same girls I talked with before the race.  I'm swimming steady and strong.  At the bridge I want to wave at everyone above.  Coming out from under the bridge, I flip to my back and come out looking right up at someone.  I give him a smile and a little wave. Following closely to shore works well.  It keeps me in a straight line, and away from the crowd.  There is little jostling in the water.  It’s nothing like the stories of being kicked and punched when there's a mass start.  I’m glad for someone's hand to help me out of the water at shore.  

I see Dayna and Tammy there at the railing and wave to them as I get out of the water. They recognize me even in my wetsuit and swim cap! It's nice that they came to see us off. 

Transition takes me a long time because all my things are in a plastic bag to keep them dry from the morning rain, so I have to pull them out in order to change clothes. The order is important ‘cause have you ever tried putting your shorts on over your shoes? or put your shirt on over your bike helmet? while soaking wet? I know what I'm doing though since I've done IronGirl as a practice race earlier in the summer and learned some tricks like having your shoes already untied. 
 
Me on the my red Bianchi.  Let's not drop the bottle
The wind is ferocious.  My strategy is to hold on at a steady pace, without burning myself out, so I can make up the time in the other direction with the wind at my back. I'm down to the small ring, and barely moving.  I'm timing myself with a wristwatch wrapped onto the handlebars.  At 20 minutes for the last five kilometers pacing, let's see.  Red lights flash in my head, with alarm bells.  I'm not going to make it by 2:00 pm cutoff.

Some people call me "dear".  "On your left, dear".  It's a little weird to hear such an intimate expression.  Besides, in this wind, no one is "dear".  You're tough, or you're done.

A Miele passes me! It's orange. My commuter bike is Miele. Later another Miele passes me! It's white.  Those must really be old.  I wonder if they are older than my Bianchi.  I think they are. I give friendly shout outs to the riders cuz these are the first Mieles I have ever seen other than mine since they are so retro. And unlike mine these guys take care of theirs.

Lake Erie looks really rough.  I'm sure glad we didn't swim in that.  These big lakes are no place for a triathlon. But hey the wild lake is pretty, and I can enjoy the view since the wind is finally at my back.

We turn back from the lake, and the wind is helping instead of hurting.  It's down almost to 8 minutes for 5 km.  That's a lot better.  My accountant's brain adds it up, and I can make it there on time.  The wind took my speed, but not my strength.  I power ahead. Then we turn left.  More wind in my face and I can't see where we turn next so I know I’m gonna be riding into it for a while!  I'm swearing now.  The wind needs to end.

The tunnel is fun. It's cool to be able to bike through something like that.  I zoom down into it, and start screaming and hollering just to hear the echoes, and then fly up the other side. It is the only hill on course and it’s shallow, and now the wind is at my back for good.

I see four guys changing flat tires.  

We get to the river.  Some guy passes and yells, "gear down and save your legs for the run".  I want to yell back, "This is the low gear!"  I know what I'm doing and have it where it's comfortable and won't wear me out.  It’s 20 minutes to bike cut off, you're this far behind and think you can give advice?  

I make it to transition at 1:40 pm.  Plenty of time. The volunteers all yell and point, all the way to the back.  I know.  My number is 22.  I have to go all the way through to where I leave my bike.   I'm not running in my cycling shorts, so I switch to the tights.  I also put on sun screen.  My awesome leg tattoo needs its sunscreen. I pass off the rest of the bottle to another girl in transition who forgot hers.

I find a guy that is running steady and join him. We chat about tattoos and getting kids active. The distraction carries me through most of the first lap with lots of time to spare.  Cut off is 3:30. There's Dad!  He's just finishing the race and tells me to get going.  I haven't stopped and he didn’t lap me on the run even.  
7:45 on the dot.  
My 2nd lap is about the same pace as my first, with run-walks mixed however I feel like doing them.  I've got plenty of energy left to get running after each walk break.  I pass a few people, so I'm not dead last on course. I talk for a while with a lady about Wisconsin, and running, and her hip.  Her hip is sore.  I've had that, in marathons.  This race is easier than a marathon.  I have no blisters, no painful legs, no stiff legs the next day. Not having the marathon pains makes me realize how massively in shape I am. I notice that we have been walking a lot.  That's fine 'cause we are both on second lap. She will make it, but I have to go.  I say bye and get on with running.

I finish in 7:45 on the dot.  Where's the bananas?  There's supposed to be bananas. It is the best banana you will ever eat.

Triathlon is a different breed of pain than the marathon. Marathon pain is intense and concentrated in my legs and feet and joints. Triathlon pain is an afterburn in my muscles, all my muscles, even that spot between the shoulder blades that I didn’t realize could hurt.

Me and Dad meander off to the car and recount the day all the way home. We lounge in the hot tub and I decide to wear my hat for the next week straight. It says FINISHER on it.


Wednesday 15 October 2014

When The Dogs Came Home

My long run is along gravel side roads.  Many of the farmers have dogs, and generally let them run free.  Sometimes they will come into the road to bark, or just greet. They are territorial and will stay by their farm. On this particular day, this particular german shepherd didn't do that.  Bounding into the road with me, it wanted to play.  No barking, but plenty of jumping and scampering alongside the road.  No amount of shooing would dissuade him.  

I carried on running with my companion.  The solution was at the corner.  They have a labrador, and it's a barker.  It totally flips out with massive barking whenever I go past.  My companion will surely keep distance from that.  No, they are friends.  Instead of the usual barking festival, they sniffed noses, and the labrador joined the party.  Sill a couple km out of town, the three of us carried on.  They had a great time, running ahead, searching through the corn fields, but always coming back to stay with me.  How nice.

When we made it to the outskirts of town, I called to them to stay close as we continued the few blocks to my house.  I let them into the backyard, and fetched a giant bowl of water for them.  They slurped that in seconds, and I refilled.  

I got out my bike, and walked them back to the edge of town, then slowly rode along the dirt road with them following.  At any time I could take off and leave them.  Before we made it back to their respective farms, however, they found another friend.  A family was in the yard, and recognized the dogs.  I explained the situation, and they took over, to get them both home safe.

Our poodle says hi to the farm dog



Why are they in my backyard?

Sunday 12 October 2014

Lurkers

In The Walking Dead they have several names for the zombies, and none of them is "zombie".  For typical shambling zombies, they are called "walkers". Idle ones inside a building are "lurkers".  

Farm dogs come in two main types.  Casual dogs will just sit and look at you.  They don't bark, or run, or anything.  What good dogs those are.  More common are the freak-outs. They bark like mad.  They come dashing across the lawn when I go by.  Sometimes, they run right out into the road.  A couple times I've been on the far side, and the dog has blindly risked being run over, and stopped traffic when it came into the road.

This dog is different.  It's a lurker.  Here he is hiding behind a tree waiting to pounce.  
I will hide here

The one in the pictures here is the same one that bit me once.  Yes, I keep moving.  A couple weeks ago, a big farm dog came up from behind as I was running past his place, and quietly trotted along with me a few paces.  Shoo dog.  You're worrying me. 


I will creep up slowly on the unsuspecting human





Saturday 27 September 2014

Weather Porn

Any day is a great day for a ride.  It might be raining over there, but maybe it won't rain over here.


Sunburst
Contrariwise, I might be bathed in sunshine, while getting rained on.  I have had both this year.  Any day this summer could suddenly produce a rainstorm. 

My racing bike has no lights, so I have to be careful on evening rides after work so that I make it back by nightfall.

Monday 22 September 2014

Barrelman - Race Report

Tyr declared that there shall be wind and storm.  Bravely we strove forward into the tumult and conquered the distance.


No race pictures.  I was busy.

"We won't have to worry about sunscreen." I said, as I laid out four piles of items in the motel room.  Swim gear. Bike gear. Run gear. Street clothes.  The street clothes included my tri shorts and top.  It's what I was putting on when I got up in the morning.  I will lay out the bike gear in T1 when we get to Welland.  The run gear goes into the bag that the volunteers will place by my spot on the bike rack in T2. Swim gear plus the wetsuit is how I start the race. The forecast was for full overcast, rain, thundershowers, and wind. All they got right was the wind.  The race would be sunny with barely a passing cloud.  My neck and shoulders are all burned.  

Saturday morning I was so on edge that after the stop at the bank and variety store, I went back to the house for more items. Jen reminded me that I've planned it out.  i have everything.  I let Jen drive so I could worry without watching for traffic.  The undertaking of triathlon requires all these little things be put together, everything in its place.  I reviewed my lists, and knew I had all of the essentials, but there were some variables unaccounted for, mostly due to the weather. I wanted to have all of the "just in case" items on hand.  Being so well prepared made me worried.  We had everything, so we must be forgetting something. 

I forgot the tire pump.  I will add that to the list. 

The drive was about an hour and a half. First stop was registration in Welland.  Leave the bikes there.  Then to Tim Hortons for lunch.  Over to Niagara Falls and T2 for the athlete briefing.  Lastly, the motel. I cheaped out and got the $60 motel on Lundy's Lane instead of the $90 motel across the street from T2. Dinner was next door at Magnolia for Chinese food with lots of rice.  I always have rice the day before.

The athlete meeting dragged on and on.  Dude, you don't have to give us a turn-by-turn account of the bike course.  We all saw the map.  Just make sure there's signage on course.  You just need to tell us of any unusual turns or obstacles.  He said that the chance of a train using the crossing was minuscule.  Then he conceded that a couple years ago they had a train.  They get trains, and planned for it, and would record and clear the pause time from our stats.  Oh, and surprise! due to construction, they added 2.5 km to the bike course for a detour. T2 isn't staged yet, so we can't go find our spots in the bike racks. It's good to know where to go. 

We were up at 5.  No alarm clocks required.  This was the day.  To gauge the weather, we went out into the early morning gloaming and looked for stars.  Was it overcast or not?  It certainly was warm.  That was fine then. Rain isn't a problem if it's warm enough. We included long sleeves in the kit prep, if needed.  The rain started just as we left the motel. It was a light rain with full overcast.  It looked like it could go on all day. We put on the tattoos with our race number and age.  Jen read the directions, and it emphasized applying them dry.  She held it to her arm for a minute, and nothing happened.  It was still on the paper.  Lets read the directions farther. Do not soak. Apply dry, then wet it.  we got water, and okay, that's better.  Her age and number, 22 are the same.  She told me that my age, 49, was on the wrong leg. I put it on the left instead of the right.

We drove past the buses to the far end of the parking lot so it would be shorter to walk when bringing our bikes back at the end of the day.  It was a long walk up the parkway from T2 to the parking lot, and it's a big lot. Carrying the heavy bags across the parking lot to the bus, we almost forgot the wetsuits. Maybe we should have put them in the bags too.  The bus ride was through rain to Welland, where it was raining. We staged our bike gear in T1.  An hour and a half to go.  

I was wearing my new Ironman Wisconsin tri top.  I did a test bike and run, and it feels great.  It's my big upcoming race, which is going to consume the bulk of my free time over the next year, so I want it right there in front of me, as a statement of what I'm about.  The rain threat was going to mean wearing a long shirt for warmth.  I settled on my Welland 2010 shirt.  It fits snug, and looks good in bright red to match my shoes.  It was in my run bag in case I needed it.  

We went down and checked out the water, used the washrooms in the arena, and sat in there waiting.  Some kids were on the ice in the arena for hockey practice.  That would be funny with 700 triathletes in the stands getting out of the rain.  It didn't happen though.  Everyone has their stuff to do, and we put on the wetsuits.  I lost Jen in the crowd on the way to the water.  Her wave was first, right at 9, so she was straight away into the water, in her light blue cap. The rain let up and the sky brightened to the south. They're off!  I was next at 9:05.  My cap was white. 

By second turn I caught a couple blue caps, and had the later wave, in gray caps going by me.  The water was clean, with perhaps 6 - 10 ft of visibility.  It was completely black below in the dim morning light.  We went north under the bridge, made a rectangle across the canal, then back under the bridge. I could hear people cheering from the bridge, but I didn't slow to look at them. I need to concentrate on my breathing, rhythm, and sighting. I wondered how Jen was doing, and ended up near shore in the rocks.  Have to keep mind on task.  Just do the swim, and see her after the race.  

At the southern turn, I headed across the canal again, sighted, and not only couldn't see the buoy, but there were no people, just a couple guys following me.  This was the wrong way. They didn't set up a rectangle at this end, just a V and back to the start. He might have mentioned that at the athlete briefing.  He went on about how pleased he was with the swim-in, and how the counterclockwise course allowed us to avoid the rocks near shore.  He could have told us they changed the shape. Maybe it's a mistake, and the buoy was out of position.  The map clearly shows a rectangle at this end.

Swim exit is always a chaotic time. There's my wife at the railing. She said hi, and told me that Jen was long gone. I peeled the wetsuit off, trying not to lose my nose clamp this time.  Then I needed to pee, and found a porta potty conveniently located on the run up.  Ah! That's better.  My Speedplay pedal clips make running in the shoes even worse than the Look pedal clips were.  The pavement was wet, so I wasn't going to run to the mount line in my socks.  I awkwardly skipped along out to the road.

We biked over the bridge which we had just swum under, and headed south towards Lake Erie.  The wind was a strong 30 - 40 km/h which back in Wisconsin I said would be murder to bike through.  I hunkered down low, and chugged slowly through it. It was murder.  About 20 minutes out, there was Jen!  We said hi, and I carried on ahead fighting the wind.

There's a short stretch where the route returns along itself, and the race leaders were just coming by on their way east to Niagara Falls.  I'm almost an hour behind them.

I came upon a great big painted turtle, right in the middle of my lane.  He was the length of a football, tucked in hiding from all of us going past.  I went past a guy changing a flat.  
Lake Erie was all choppy whitecaps glistening in the sunlight.  Triathlon needs to be done inland like where we swam. The sun was out now. I realized that skipping the sunscreen was a mistake.  It needed to be in the run kit along with the long sleeves.

Heading north away from the lake, the wind was at my back.  Yay! The next turn was a shock.  Left, into the wind. At the turn, a woman had gone off the road and tumbled into the ditch.  The volunteers stationed there were helping her up. It was open fields, and the wind was strong and gusty.  I was reduced to 17 km/h, my slowest yet.  There were plenty of trees earlier, keeping the wind off us, but this spot was awful.  I stayed as low as I could, my face a few inches above the handlebars.  My neck was aching already, and we still had hours to go.  

Soon we were heading north and east.  With the wind helping, I was doing 35 - 40 km/h.  Whee! that's fast riding.  This was the fun part.  My regular steady pace was low enough that when passing I could get up on the pedals to pump my speed up and pass with some authority.  "On your left".  What's a good thing to say going by? Some people thanked me when I said "on your left".  I didn't get why.  In the wind, some people passed me and yelled things, but the wind was loud and I couldn't hear them.  I mostly went with "good luck", or even, "go get em" when they passed me.

There was a patch where they had cut up the pavement, leaving gravel for all of 1 ft.  No problem. Yet they stationed a volunteer with a sign to caution us. Much worse were the deep potholes just down the road from there, or the train tracks.  

I spent very little time on the areobars.  Into the wind it was too gusty, and I worried of being sent into the ditch.  The roads were in okay condition. There's a few sections of tar and chip, and some with nice new pavement.  It's mostly older back roads, with occasional cracks and potholes. Traffic is random and light. The tunnel under the canal is lots of fun.  I was ringing my bell all the way through there.  It's not too steep coming out.  The only hills to speak of on the course are the ramp up from the tunnel, and the overpass over the QEW expressway.  Otherwise it's a very flat area. 

I came to the Niagara River, and the 90 km marker, and more wind, from the north this time.  There's 2 extra km and you finish into the wind.  The river was beautiful blue and all sparkly in the sunshine. 

Pavement was dry, so I took off my shoes heading into T2.  I couldn't figure out the rack numbering. A volunteer asked my number.  Isn't it still there on my head?  The sticker is on the front of my helmet.  My bag was there at my spot.  I dumped it out and sorted into what I needed and didn't.  Gu - in my pockets.  Shirt - back in the bag. Shoes - swap these. The old ones into the bag to make sure they stay safe. Socks - What I'm wearing is still good.  Hat - it says Ironman.  


The weather was warm and sunny.  The run course has two steep hills; going up through the Dufferin Islands park, going down Murray St near the Casino. Coming down Murray street showcases the American Falls directly in front of you.  I barely noticed.  It's lovely, but I'm busy doing my thing.  I'm not nearly fast enough to be bothered by downhills the way some people are.  For me the big downhill was a good time. The faster runners would have a problem because it is very steep, and it's long. The sidewalks by the road were full of tourists, all very supportive.  Drivers not so much.  

A few people asked when I did Ironman Wisconsin.  Next year! Can't wait.  I volunteered there last week, so I could be there on site to get my ticket. One guy said he is doing Ironman Chattanooga next year.  Good for you!  It's a great sport.

I came to a guy with age 49 (like me), and he's got it on the wrong (left) leg like me.  I teased him about that.  


After coming down the hill, the path back to T2 is along the parkway road.  Pedestrians are warned not to cross in front of the runners.  "Excuse me," I called to them.  

I was really worried about Jen.  I got to T2 at 1:15 pm.  I estimated her at 30 seconds a kilometer slower than me, which put her really close to cut off at 2 pm.  That wind was a tough struggle. It was going to be close. If she was taken off the course, she would be there to wave when I went by.  Along I came to T2, and there was nobody I knew.  She'd made it. Hurray!  I powered on through my second lap, maintaining about the same run speed as my first.  Could I catch her perhaps?  No.  She's way ahead.  

The race was well organized.  Even towards the end, all of the aid stations had what I asked for.  I would ask for coke, and they had coke. I kept to my regular Gu schedule of one every half hour.  A minute later, a burst of energy comes, as if I've changed the batteries.  There were lots of people walking.  I know what that's like.  That's going to be me the second lap of IM Wisconsin, as it was in Mont Tremblant.  ...but not today.  

I carried on strong and hard as I could.  A kilometer out from the finish, there's Jen! coming out for lap two.  We high fived.  She made all her cut offs.  It was a tough course today.  I am spectacularly proud of her.

I finished at 6:28:42.  I couldn't find a food table. I got a chocolate milk, and did some stretching.  The sunburn didn't look too bad.  I opted to walk back along the course to wait for Jen.  I ended up at the first aid station chatting with the volunteers, as the last runners struggled by.  That's how I got my post-race banana.  From there I ran Jen in.  She still had power to do her run intervals. She finished at 7:45:01. 

Jen located the food.  It was in the pavilion. I didn't look there.  We weren't hungry, and yes, they had no bananas. We got the bikes and bags and walked them the kilometer to the car.

Thursday 18 September 2014

Ironman Wisconsin - Race Day

We were up at 6:30 am, just as the race was getting started.  After the Friday bike ride, my chest was burning. It was still growing the hair back after A Midsummer Night's Run.  The stubble was just a quarter inch, and hurt with the shirt rubbing on it.  I bought a razor Saturday and shaved it clear again.  It felt so much better now!

Bike Special Needs
We were away by 7:30, arriving in Verona at 8.  We were working the 9 am shift at Special Needs area for bike.  The first pros were expected around 10:30, so I thought we would begin by arranging the bags in order.  That was already finished when we got there.  The 7 am crew had done that, and were leaving for the day.  

Hand me my stuff while I coast a bit
The captain gave us our assignment.  It was a volunteer duty like no other!  Hold peoples' bikes while they use the porta potty.  It would be poop jokes all day.  and piss.  Lots of piss.  Piss in the potty, piss on the grass behind the potty, piss in the cornfield.  
Porta potty is at the end of the station.  
We were forbidden from giving out the water.  There was enough for our personal use only.  Riders began passing by on towards 9, beginning loop 1 of 2.  The bike holding began straight away.  Plenty of nice new carbon bikes.  One had the new hollow frame into which you pour drinking water.  As the day morning went on, came road bikes, many without aerobars.  

There was one crash.   I don't know if the guy was coming or going to our station, but someone behind ran into him and went down.  On towards 12 o'clock, there were six of us, holding two bikes apiece.  That thinned to a trickle of riders.  We had a couple abandonments.  The day was sunny and nice, with little wind.  A perfect day for riding.

After seeing the last of the riders off, was clean-up.  Lots of Gu packets.  Plenty of Chamois Butt'r.  The porta potty was a preferred stop to apply more of that. I washed my hands well after the cleanup chore.  

I don't intend to use special needs, but I feel I must stop here next year for old times sake.
Out of the water, then up the ramp to your bike

Jen and I drove into town and parked near transition.  We were just in time to see the men's winner come in.  

They have just conquered Observatory Hill
We strolled around the capital square and decided to head over to the University area at turn around.  Jen went into the University bookstore and bought us poster board and markers.  My sign was, "Enjoy the downhill".  Hers was "Kick the hill's asphalt".  
The last of the downhill.  Observatory is the only notable hill on the run course.

We stayed through arrived for many runners' first loop, and most everyone's second loop.  Waving, ringing cow bell, talking them up, cracking jokes; "Bye bye.  See you again in two hours".  "Aid station at the corner, with food! chicken broth! non-alcoholic beverages!"  

The full moon rose behind us.  Not a cloud.  It was a great day. About 9 they got a lot slower.  Most everyone walking, some poorly.  I respect that. This will be me, struggling just to get there.

Monday.  We packed up the tent and cleared out early.  We mad the line-up by 8 am, with a couple hundred there already.  This is what I came for.  In 2010, I sat at my computer to sign up for 2011, and was froze out, with the race selling out in minutes.  Finally I bought my entry for 2015. 363 days until my race here.  It's going to be awesome.

The volunteers in line Monday

Monday 15 September 2014

Ironman Wisconsin 2014 -- The course




The curves of Garfoot Road
Jen and I ran the entire run course Thursday afternoon. After lunch of plain white rice from the nearby sushi restaurant, we started with the loop around the capital. Straight away came a brisk rain shower during which we paused under the nearest awning, but it turned into sunshine an hour later.  There was no wind to be felt in the streets of town.  The run starts by circling the imposing capital building, and proceeds west through the University of Wisconsin campus.  It was just letting out for the day when we passed through, and the sidewalks were full of students.  The marching band was holding practice.  
We parked at the not parking sign
After a brutal climb up Observatory hill, the road is pointed towards the capital.  You can see it tantalizingly close, just a couple blocks away when you arrive at turn-around.  It's an out-and-back. It's 10 km to get here, then 10 km back. It took us 3 hours altogether, with variety stores for fluid refills, and lots of heated discussion over what the map meant.  We made more than a couple of wrong turns, getting completely off course near the stadium, and taking the lakeside leg early. For dinner we went back to Red Sushi, the one fancy restaurant which we went to the entire trip.

I hope they sweep up the storm debris
Friday we went biking.  We drove to the town of Verona where our volunteer station was located and parked.  We did one lap of the bike loop.  It's a very tough course, not just from the incessant up and down of the hills, but the poor condition of the roads.  Most of it was tar and chip surfacing.  That means they spread tar over the asphalt, then pack it down with fine stone chips.  Where we come from that's done to extend the life of the road for a couple years before proper resurfacing.  Here it seemed to be a standard practice in lieu of proper pavement. It was years old, with plenty of cracks.  

Lots of tar and chip
The storms had blown some debris on the roads from the tree canopy.  They better send a sweeper around or there's going to be some flat tires. 

Let's throw some dirt out there
The surrounding countryside of corn fields made us feel right at home, except that the hills are really long and steep. At times the road would seem to just disappear into the woods in front of us.  The worst was shortly after the aptly named Windy Lane, where a steep downhill was interrupted by a right turn halfway down the hill.  That was followed by a winding passage downhill with a hairpin right turn immediately at the bottom.  There goes all your speed. This must be the one I've heard of with the hay bales at the curve. The next downhill section was really a lot of fun (Garfoot Road).  Fast, with plenty of turns, but not too steep and dangerous. 

The road just drops away to nowhere
Along came a horrible railway crossing with huge gaps.  Then, stagecoach road where the cracks had left the side of the road split like cobblestones.
 
When you let the lawyer write the road signs
Now comes the dreaded climb up Old Sauk Pass.  Just steep enough that if you stop, it will be tough to get moving again, and it goes on for ages.   Once again, the road just seems to drop off into nowhere. It's one of the steepest hills I can remember and it's downhill and super fast.  

It's a great course that I'm really looking forward to racing. 

The railway crossing
Friday afternoon, Lake Monona had calmed considerably from the whitecaps the day before, and they had placed the markers, so we put on the wetsuits and went swimming.  I had a moment of panic seeing how far away the furthest buoys were.  I can't swim two laps of this in 2 hours!  It's one lap, they changed it, someone told me.  Oh good.  Whew.  Jen was tired from the long bike, so we sent to the first turn marker and came back.  It was her longest swim ever.  

Ooh! pine cones! The road needs pine cones!

Sunday 14 September 2014

Ironman Wisconsin 2014 -- The trip

Border crossing to Port Huron. I wonder where he's going
Jen and I headed out at 5 pm Wednesday towards the sunset.  The CD player is busted, so we had to listen to the radio.  Through Michigan it was the metal station.  Not something we would play much, but really different from the middle-of-the-road generic pop that all the Canadian stations gravitate to.  Through Grand Rapids we found the alternative station amusing.  They played weird bongos, techno, jazz... an odd mix, and a long way from the ordinary.  Our choice in Indiana was one of the Christian stations.  They had upbeat spirited rock songs that we had never heard before.  
We got there on Thursday

It seemed like all of the freeways through Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin were under construction. Lane closures, construction, crappy roads, and more construction.  Fortunately we passed through Chicago at 2 am, so traffic was light.  During the day it would be a mess.


The badger within the capital

The weather forecast was frightful.  Rain, thundershowers, high winds and hail overnight, turning into thundershowers in the morning.  By afternoon on Thursday , partly cloudy with more rain and some thundershowers. Plus a chance of thundershowers. We napped in the Walmart parking lot Northeast of Chicago for a few hours overnight before heading on to Madison. Thursday morning is no parking day in downtown Madison.  It's trash pickup day, si it's to ensure room for the trucks.


Casting the "locate" spell

The website for the Dade County campground wouldn't let me make a reservation within 5 days ahead.  When we got there it finally made sense.  Drive-up campers could take charge of a spot for 4 days simply by plopping a tent on it.  We did that and paid through Monday. The website doesn't know that's happened, so it simply locks you out for days that close.  Lake Park was already full, so we went to the second choice, Babcock Park.  It had a convenience store in the gas station across the road.  The evening attendant became our concierge, giving directions, restaurant information, and tips on their selection of liquor. 

It makes you want to stand on one foot

Thursday was mostly sunny.  Lake Monona, where the swim is held, had whitecaps from the 40 km/hr wind.  The bike would be a nightmare on a day like this.  We didn't see anyone brave the water.  We toured the capital building.  The main hall is dominated by the badger figures at opposite ends.  They love their badgers.  We came across a couple badger statues in the streets.  We both bought official IM Wisconsin biking apparel at the expo.  I also picked up a bottle of their recommended wetsuit lube.  


It's like the bridge of the Enterprise
 Saturday we held rest day.  We drove to Milwaukee and toured the art gallery and the sculpture garden.  Jen took the full set of high-school art classes, so she can provide good commentary.


Lynden Sculpture Garden

We were to bed at dusk Saturday for our 7 am wake-up on race day.







Wednesday 20 August 2014

A Midsummer Night's Run - Race Report

It was nine in the morning, and Noah asked, "Don't you guys have a race today?"  Jen bounced up and down, "Yes!  and I didn't have to get up at 4 am."
Profigliano !!!

That's the magic of A Midsummer Night's Run.  Instead of driving through the dark, we glued on the pointed ears, and applied the makeup.  I did a last quick shave of my legs and chest.  The shaving cut on my left leg was still red and looking infected.  On Tuesday previous, I did a test run with the wings.  The wooden rack I built to hold them at an attractive angle worked great.  It was obvious that having the straps over my shoulders was going to cut through to the bone in 20 minutes. I managed to reduce the tension by harnessing them above my biceps, using socks to reduce the friction.  They sat lower on my back, but weren't going to chafe.  I ran an hour on the treadmill, covering 10 km, without trouble.  Ready to go.
Nothing happened.  I think it's broken

Thank you to Tara and her friend for doing the henna patterns on Jen's arms and my legs.
The 3:15 pace fairy. I hear he has a new dress every year

Off to Toronto.  We picked up our race packets, then dined at Casa Sushi on the Danforth, looking out at the rain.  We killed some time at Book City, where I picked up a copy of Dawkin's The God Delusion which I had always wanted.  The girl at Tim Hortons wanted to talk about our outfits, but we just wanted the coffee.  For the second time that day, I was turned down my request for Tim's new Dark Roast.  It's advertised all over the cups, but there's none in the pot.  
Let the rain come

We parked at the post office, and bused to the race site.  The coffee kept us warm in the light drizzle coming down.  Several people got pics with us.  The wands were a nice touch.  A woman with small child asked for a group shot.  I knelt and waved at the little girl.  She huddled behind Mom, clinging to her legs.  It's scary like meeting Barney in that huge purple suit.  Fairies are supposed to be these tiny things that sit on your hand so you can crush them to they if it upsets you.  
The forehead made me look like a Klingon

One last downpour dumped on us as the race got started, then the sun came out. Ah, the memories of the Leslie Street Spit.  I raced this for during my first marathon, before the Scotiabank Waterfront Marathon became big and they abandoned it for more-popular city streets. Crossing the bridge to the spit, Jen's wings came apart and fell off.  She whipped out her emergency rainbow rope, which I used to fasten them. Surely the rope burn would ruin her before we were done. A cop shooed us off the bridge to let traffic through.  
The rubble at the end of the spit. Lake Ontario to the South

My wings were doing fine.  I couldn't even feel them behind me, but they stayed secure for the whole race.  After stopping to take pictures, I sprinted to catch up to Jen, and my necklace blew apart with a broken string.  I scooped it up, but it won't be salvaged.  Trailing way behind the pack, our run was quiet with few others around.  It was more of a loop than an out-and-back, so there weren't returning runners to see.
Skyline to the North

The run was 30 km including out to the end of the Leslie Street spit and back, then over to The Beaches and through the woods, with almost 700 of us entered.  The woods weren't lighted, so there was a cutoff near 8 o'clock, that we hurried to meet.  They had a timing mat for a split at the half-marathon mark.  We did it in about 2:30, which is good for Jen.  She will need such strength to do the Barrelman.  That ended the delirious happy part of racing, and brought us to the tired part where it's no fun anymore.  The sun set, and we did the last 5 km in the dark.  Jen's wings held out, with no rope burn.  It was warm, not hot, and after the opening shower, only a like sprinkle of rain for a couple minutes towards the end.

Finish -- 3:41 covering 30 km.

It was a good long run, without the pain of finishing a marathon.  The medals are beautiful.  They spin!  Dressing up made it a fun, family event.

The wings can run