Sick and broken, but mending both

Yeah, I caught another stinkin' cold. Pretty sure I should have either put on a hoodie (I had 2 of them with me) or at least stayed out of the shade after the Mudpuppy Chase 10k last Sunday, but hindsight doesn't stop the sniffles. Fortunately, after a stuffed up Monday and absolutely miserable head-throbbing Tuesday and Wednesday, the massive quantities of goo in my cranium thickened up yesterday and I'm actually feeling a bit better today. Between copious amounts of tea with honey and lemon, regular dosings of echinacea and an absolutely staggering consumption of water, I hope to have this thing licked by tomorrow! I figure one really good sleep ought to do it.

It's been a pretty chill week of training, partly due to my gooeyness, and partly due to having flat-out shattered my legs on Sunday. I'd forgotten how sore a short race could make you! It wasn't the same as the pain from any of the 20+km races I've done, but my hamstrings, glutes, quads, calves (and for some reason my left bicep - figure that one out!) were all hurting through Monday and Tuesday. I used The Stick on everything because I couldn't quite muster the courage to hit the foam roller, but the tightness in my calves is being a bit stubborn. It's been all easy running this week, anyway - can't push the intensity when I'm recovering and can hardly breathe!

Dolph on the trainer

I did hit one session that made me really happy, though - because of the stupid running injury I sustained back in January and doing Paris to Ancaster last month, I'd spent most of this year riding my cyclocross bike instead of my tri bike (which has given me some chafing issues in the past, not allowing me to put in the day-in-day-out work on the trainer that sustained me through the injury). I'd put maybe 100km on Dolph (my 2009 Cervelo P1) this year out of 1,600+ kilometers of cycling since January 1st. I'd even rode the CX bike for the indoor tri back in February! While it's all still good training and one bike isn't that much different than another, the Woodstock Triathlon is less than 3 weeks away and I had no idea about my ability to ride in aero!

I hopped on Dolph on the trainer on Wednesday night after a short, easy 5.5km run under sketchy skies while a cold wind blew - I'd been considering going for a 30k hill ride on the 'cross bike, but with being sick and it threatening rain I figured indoor was a safer bet. I clipped in, started to spin, and my Cateye V2c cycle computer showed...nothing. I figured the sensor had just moved a bit, so without leaving the saddle, I tried to push it toward the rear wheel a bit. With the wheel still spinning. I'm smart like that.

Needless to say, the sensor ended up getting clipped by a spoke (it was apparently pretty loose), and the whole speed/cadence unit hit the floor as the mount gave way. I immediately commenced screaming obscenities, jumped off the bike and surveyed the damage: the sensor seemed fine, but a tiny chunk of the circular plastic piece on the right side of the mount had broken off. Would I be able to get just the mount replaced, or would I have to buy the whole (quite expensive) thing again? Could I fix it? Let's try fixing it!

Taking a photo of the actual damage was the furthest thing from my mind

Off to the kitchen with poor Tanker wondering what the hell all the fuss was about, I searched for salvation in a tiny tube. Tank finally managed to locate the Krazy Glue in the bottom of the fridge, and I ran back downstairs to see if I could reverse my own stupidity. With a bit of luck and only minimal glue on one index finger (seriously, the piece that snapped off was only about 3mm x 2mm, and needed glue in 2 places), I managed to bung it all back together. I'll check it again before I venture outside, but it seems to be holding just fine - phew! To my pleasant surprise, it also appears that replacement parts are available, so I'm not totally screwed even if the repair proves non-durable.

Drama now complete, I managed to get the sensor positioned properly to pick up the magnets, then hopped on the bike. Down into aero, I actually felt pretty good - I went through a 15min warmup, spinning different gears at different cadences, and the familiar old chafing was notable for its absence. I'd moved my saddle back just a tad the last time I'd been on the trainer, and it seemed to have done the trick! I moved on to the meat of the workout: 3 x 10min intervals with 5min recoveries, which I know is a bit weeny, but I'm sick damnit! Through the first interval, the back of my shoulders started to get a bit sore from holding the aero tuck, so I sat up through the recovery. I had none of the discomfort I usually get when going back down into the aerobars, and cranked out the second interval quite happily, sitting up for the second recovery just to check a message on my phone. Back down for the third intervals, and still no pain or chafing! I can't remember the last time I felt that comfortable and connected on my tri bike. An added benefit; I'd been feeling a little crampy and nauseous, and the aero tuck was close enough to the fetal position that it actually seemed to feel better than sitting up.

Also helping: the new aerobar pads Tanker got me for Christmas

The best part? Not only was I comfortable, I was putting out excellent power! While not pushing to my maximum due to the gooeyness, I still pulled out the best 3 x 10min average speed for tempo intervals I've managed this year (no records exist prior to January, when I developed my power calculation spreadsheet based on the known resistance curve of my Kurt Kinetic Road Machine)! I felt quite strong down in the aerobars, which I believe I can attribute to my biggest cycling volume spring yet, plus coming up on the third anniversary of owning my tri bike. Years' worth of adaptation is paying off!

Having joyfully discovered that Dolph and I get along better than ever, I decided that last night I had better try a brief run last night in my tri loafers (the Zoot Ultra Speeds in which I'll be racing almost exclusively for this tri season) since I hadn't run in them since last summer. The run went great, the shoes felt wonderful, my legs are starting to come back, and I even got in a decent 2,300m swim afterward. Not bad for a sick girl!

Now all I really need to do is change out the rear tire on Dolph so I can ride him outside a few times (his current rear is dangerously worn, but I have a replacement on hand) and get the danged lakes to warm up so I can get in an open water swim! I'm starting to get really stoked for tri season now - bring on Woodstock!

Mudpuppy Chase 10k - May 6th, 2012

After a last, short run on Saturday with a few little pickups and a 30min swim, Sunday morning dawned bright and sunny for the race. I'd been watching the forecast change daily for the prior week, hoping it wouldn't be too warm, but at only 8c it was certainly making a chilly start of things!

Over 1,500 runners taking over Kitchener City Hall

Pre-race prep went pretty much exactly to plan; I'd had my chicken fried rice for dinner and got about 7.5hrs of sleep, chugged my first meal replacement shake about 3 hours before gun time, had a second 2 hours before the start, and got my Tim Hortons cafe mocha for the ride up to Kitchener. We arrived just before 8:30am and the 10k didn't start until 10am - lots of time to hit the washroom, get in a warmup, and be ready to go.

And lots of time for dorkery

I was actually pretty surprised when I went inside to relieve myself - I was able to stroll right in with no lineup! Definitely a pleasant change from the usual race morning experience.

"Dorkamania's running wild"

We watched the 3k run go off at 9am as I sipped on a bottle with a scoop of eLoad, and the first finishers cross the line just over 10mins later. Gawd DAMN there are some fast kids in the area! I did some dynamic stretches to start getting things moving, opening up my hips and trying to ignore the tightness in a psoas muscle on the right side. I'd managed not to damage myself by being an idiot and going to a punk show on Thursday night, but it seems that getting a bit chilly riding my motorcycle on Saturday afternoon (which makes me unconsciously start pulling my legs up, trying to get into the fetal position while in the saddle to conserve warmth) had tweaked my lower back and abs. I hoped it would go away as I warmed up..

Battle ready!

I ran into local speedster Paul, coach for the KW Track & Field Association and stud duathlete, and exchanged some friendly words - he was there running the 5k and pacing in some of his young athletes. At about 9:30, I finally took off for a couple of kilometers through nearby Victoria Park, reveling in the gorgeous sunshine and beauty of the space. I did some accelerations over the bridges, watched Canada geese squabbling in the water, saw 3 male Mallard ducks all sleeping in a row on the rocks at the water's edge, and then headed back toward city hall with one final push up a hill before dropping to an easy jog, then a walk. Had to get the junk miles out of the system before I hit the line!

Meanwhile, Tanker was hanging out with Kitchener Rangers mascot Tex.

One more washroom stop before heading to the start corral, and of course now there was a lineup, when it was just 15mins to gun time. Fortunately, the line moved quite quickly, and I was found by a friendly face - latestarter (Anne) from the BeginnerTriathlete forums! We chatted a bit about the race, Anne telling me she'd switched from the 10k to the 5k as she'd had a hard time recovering from her Around the Bay experience. I made it out of the bathroom with less than 10mins before the start, and wandered out to find Tanker.

Start line dorkery.

I gave my wonderful crew one last kiss, tossed him my near-empty bottle, then did some skips on the way down to the corral to try to keep some bounce in my legs. Standing around, I did a few standing high knees and butt kicks to try to keep muscles loose. The sun had already heated things up quite a bit - it was 16 degrees or so at the start, which was going to be a tad on the warm side for me with virtually no shade on course. There was a bit of a wind blowing from the East, which should provide some cooling on the trip down Weber and (hopefully) a push coming uphill toward the finish on King.

Final 2012 route.

I met Anne's husband Ken in the start corral, and it turns out we'd actually competed together in the Cambridge Criterium last June - small world! I had lost Anne when washroom stalls came open for us, but mentally wished her well as I bade good race to Ken. The national anthem was played, and just seconds later the horn sounded to start the race!

746 runners ready to go - 574 in the 5k, 172 in the 10k

Not having done a 10k for almost 3 years, I was at a bit of a loss for how to pace it. I wanted to run fairly hard as I hoped to come in around 54:00 (predicted by the McMillan Running Calculator based on a 26:00 5k time, which I figured was reasonable based on the hugely hilly 26:18 5k I ran at the indoor tri in February), but didn't want to torch myself too early. I freakin' hate 10k races!

Setting out, tossing the horns to Tanker.

Through the first couple of turns and on to the first long straightaway, I aimed to keep my breathing heavy but not laboured and looked for places to pass people. I had seen that there were a couple of mild climbs on Weber, but that it was mostly downhill - coming face-to-face with what looked like a fairly large hill immediately was a bit of a smack in the face. My mouth was already getting dry by the time I passed the first aid station near the 1 mile mark, but I'd told myself that I didn't need any fluids for a 10k - had even left my 10oz hand bottle at home. I did a mental inventory of my stride; it seemed fairly light and sound, so I focused on keeping my upper body relaxed and just flowed with it.

Around the 2k mark I had a silver-haired lady turn up at my elbow and tell me that I was going to be her pacer, since I was running at exactly the right speed. We chatted a bit and I found out her name was Marlene, and she'd originally signed up for the 10k but had switched to the 5k due to a stress fracture in her foot - she didn't want to give up racing entirely since she'd come in from Port Elgin with her daughter, who was also running. She asked me what time I had in mind, and I mentioned that 54 minutes was the goal - she took a look at her Garmin 305 and said that since we were at 11mins right then, I was probably well on pace for that!

And then the 10k runners do it again..

Conversation was getting more difficult as we made the turn onto Onward Ave, but I enjoyed the shade of the trees and the little downhill to the out-and-back section, which turned out to be around a little boulevard in the middle of a tiny street and marked 3km. There was another aid station there, but I bypassed it despite the horrible dryness of my throat - Marlene paused to grab some water, but was right back with me moments later! She said she had hoped to go under 56mins for the 10k, but would be very happy with a 27min 5k. I said I'd do my best to bring her in, and she told me that she'd cheer for me once she finished!

Turning back onto King Street, the wind at our backs meant we lost its cooling effect without any real perceptible push as we started to climb back toward City Hall. I was starting to death whistle as I pounded up the hill, trying to focus on my arm swing and ignore the growing burning sensation in my legs. I finally saw the 4k marker - gawd, this course is worse than Around the Bay for the illusion of being close to the finish - and still had another half of the hill to go! I hadn't heard anything from Marlene for a bit, so I glanced sideways at a windowed storefront as we got into the last few hundred metres and gasped out "come on Marlene, you've got this!", as I didn't see her behind me in the reflection. I hope she heard me!

Hoping my fast shoes would save my butt.

Coming at last to the top of the long climb, I could see that the road dipped a bit, then kicked back up again just before the finish. I had to do another loop of this? Was I stupid, or merely insane? Could I just drop out after 5k? That thought was silenced immediately: not only am I not a quitter, but I'd managed to raise $155 for KidsAbility by promising to run a 10k - anything less was unacceptable.

I came through the end of the first loop seeing 26:13 on the clock - what? I figured it had taken me about 15sec to get across the start line once the horn went off, so that put my 5k split at just under 26 minutes. My 5k PR is 25:41, set on a completely flat course. Oh momma, I was going to blow myself up! Gasping away, I made the turn onto Water and started furiously doing mental math: if I wanted to make 54mins, I could afford to lose 12sec per kilometer off my current pace through the second half. Of course, that was wrong (I could actually lose 24sec/km), but that's probably why I don't do accounting work at 90% of my max heart rate.

Heading out for the second loop, doing my best t-rex impression.

Back up the hill that starts the trip down Weber, I contemplated how nice it would be to drop to a walk, then quashed that with an angry internal yell - "There's no walking in a 10k! You just ran a bloody 30k race without walking! SUCK IT UP!". I tried just shortening my stride a bit to try to catch my breath, but it was oddly difficult to try to slow down, so I just concentrated on trying to stay light on my feet. One of the reasons I really hate 10k races is because it's hard to keep the intensity up for so long; both mind and body fatigue and lose focus. So much for breathing not being laboured!

I was really suffering in the heat and sun, too, and my throat felt so parched I thought it might crack. I couldn't pass up the offer of water just after the 1 mile marker this time; I managed to grab a cup without incident and toss back a couple of small sips, just enough to wet my mouth. Feeling better but still hurting, I tried to let the legs loose as we wound downhill past the cemetery and finally spotted the turn onto Onward.

WRPS mounted officers on the course.

Dry again already and gasping for air, I grabbed another cup of water from the aid station at the 8k turnaround point, having another 2 sips and speeding away to the best of my ability. It was about this time that I finally figured out my error in math, but there was precious little I could do; I was undoubtedly fading, and facing the long climb up King.

Trying to will some lightness into my legs, I noticed a hotspot on the ball of my right foot - great, just one more thing to hurt! All the more reason to get it over with. The 9k mark was forever in appearing, as I wheezed and shuffled my way toward the distant finish line. Like a mirage it seemed to hover before me, ever receding into the distance as I pushed toward it. Where to start a kick? Would I have a kick? How badly had I faded?

Approaching the finish.

I could see the chute, but I couldn't see the clock. I heard Marlene cheering for me, and it was just the lift I needed - I tried to see if there was anything more in my legs, and lengthened out my stride just a tad. It wasn't much of a kick, but I was giving it all I had!

Almost there..

I saw Tanker off to my right, then suddenly I was upon the finish line, seeing 52:40 on the clock as I crossed. WHAT? By my reckoning, that put my chip time somewhere around 52:25 - over two and a half minutes faster than my PR, set the day before I turned 30!

Chip time: 52:12 @ 5:13/km - a 2'48" PR

I walked back along the route after collecting my finisher's prize (a neato LED flashlight) and a cup of water, found Tanker, and then found Marlene. She was delighted by having finished under 27 minutes, and congratulated me on my new PR - I found out later that she actually came in at 25:58 and took 2nd in her age group, so huge congrats to you Marlene! I met up with Anne again after the race as well, and congratulated her on a new 5k PR - turns out she actually took 3rd in her age group as well, so congrats on your podium! Was nice to finally meet you, too!

67/156 Overall - 28/79 Women - 6/16 in W30-34

The bad: looking at my chip time and the difference between chip and gun time, it appears I did the first 5k in about 25:45 - about a 5:09/km pace. That puts the second half at 26:27, or a 5:17/km pace, meaning I really did go out too fast and fade rather badly (however, the pace to which I faded would still have put me at 52:50 for the 10k). My intensity level varied through the second half; I'd like to see more focus when the going gets tough. I'm a bit disappointed that I needed water as well, though with as warm as it got and not having run much in the heat this year I suppose it's understandable. Hate that my Compressport Pro Racing socks gave me a hotspot/blister, too - they've never done that before!

The good: I always wonder, after racing long distance for a couple of years, if I still have the ability to push myself to redline - I'd say I answered that question pretty well out there, and I'm very happy with the effort I put in overall (even if there were a couple of spots where I slacked a bit from full throttle). I improved from 11th to 6th out of 16 in my age group, 54th to 27th of female competitors and from 142nd to 67th overall when compared to 2009.  The PR is obviously nice, too - 02:48 over my fastest prior 10k (which was flat), and 05:27 over my 2009 Mudpuppy Chase time (the course for which was, however, probably a bit more challenging). I'm also pleased that my running form seems to have improved - my rearward leg extension is much better than it was early last year.

Left: Re-fridgee-eighter 8 mile finish in Feb/11
Right: Mudpuppy Chase 10k finish in May/12
My butt isn't as fat, either.

We hung out for most of the post-race festivities and were delighted to hear that overall more than $51,000 had been raised for KidsAbility through both private and corporate sponsorship - a huge thank you to all of you who sponsored me for helping to make this happen! You've supported a great cause, as the many smiling faces of the special needs kids who ran the 3km mini-Mudpuppy can attest.

Gluten free whoopie pie the size of a dessert plate!

Home we went for a bit of post-race gluttony (including my first ever whoopie pie, made special for me by Jen Gralec of Tiny Cakes), then out to enjoy the beautiful day with a nice, easy bike ride with my sweetheart, winding up on the patio of a local pub.

Tanker enjoying a pint of Argyle Dark.

Three years

It occurred to me the other day that the Mudpuppy Chase on Sunday will be my first 10k in almost three years - the last one was the Eaton Electrical Downtown Dash in July 2009, coincidentally the day before my 30th birthday. Since I'm nearing my 33rd year, it's strange to think that I wasn't even thirty yet when I last ran a 10k!

Prep has gone fairly well: I've consistently hit 5 runs per week since my recovery week after Around the Bay, and have run 6 times per week in the last 3 weeks with mileage peaking in the last two (prior to this week, which is a mild taper) at over 42km. I've done some good hill repeats, some zippy tempo, and a couple of runs over 10km. I'm probably more prepared for this race than any other road race I've ever done!

Until I go and do something dumb like to go a punk rawk show..

Of course, nothing can be perfect - I'm currently operating on about 3.5hrs of sleep as a result of going to see The Real McKenzies and the Reverend Horton Heat at the Starlight Social Club in Waterloo last night. Note to self: if a Thursday night show says "doors: 9pm", Friday is going to suck hard.

Punk rawk compression socks?

Can't feel too sorry for myself, though, since the show bloody well rawked! Openers The Brains from Montreal are a surprisingly talented psychobilly band of which I look forward to hearing more. The McKenzies have yet another new lineup, but the new album Westwinds sounds fantastic and Paul is always an incredibly energetic showman - nice to get together with him and shoot the shit, too, as he's an old friend to Tanker and myself.

Paul doing his Charlie Chaplin impersonation.

The Rev tore the roof off the place, setting right to work with Psychobilly Freakout off the hop and progressing with one track per album going in chronological order from albums one through nine. Having already played huge favourites, he even took some audience requests and let a little loose toward the end. Of course, the usual showmanship that we've come to expect - hopping up on Jimbo's bass, throwing down some insane improvisation on that gorgeous Grestch under the pretense of having forgotten how the song goes (as he says, he's written and performed over 120 different original tracks in the band's 25 year history), grinning all the while. Their encore - mixing up Folsom Prison Blues and Big Red Rocket of Love while including an absolutely bloody insane drum solo by on-again-off-again member Scott "Chernobyl" Churilla - was something I don't think I'll ever forget! Mikkey Dee, you officially have competition.

Show swag, including the McKenzies set list - thanks Pauli!

I was actually happy that the concert was starting later as it gave me a chance to get a short, easy run in before we had dinner and left, but I underestimated just how much energy I'd be using at the show itself. I danced and bounced and generally moved my butt in the pit area through the entire McKenzies set and about an hour and a quarter of the Reverend's incredible performance. Things got a bit ugly in there at some points when some exception was taken, and while everything came out friendly in the end, I did manage to get a bit tenderized in the process. A bit stiff getting out of bed this morning and I'm sore and weary, but I'm hoping that's nothing a good couple of nights' sleep, taking tonight off completely, and doing some easy movement tomorrow won't fix. Regardless, it was an amazing night with good friends!

All that's left now is for me to get fully rested up and back to 100% before Sunday. I've managed to drop another 2lbs, putting me about a pound and a half below the lowest weight I achieved last year, so that ought to help. I've also finally examined the website a bit closer and discovered that the route for the race has changed completely since 2009! It still uses mostly the same roads, but goes in the opposite direction and now includes a short out-and-back at the 3k mark of the five kilometer loop. In plotting it out, it doesn't actually appear to be quite as hilly as I'd been expecting, so there's another bit of assistance!

I'd like to make one last plea for donations for KidsAbility - special needs kids really do benefit from their programs, and you can help bring skills and confidence to the life of someone who needs a little extra hand in life. Please click here and pledge whatever you are able - both credit cards and PayPal are accepted, and you'll instantly receive a tax receipt. It only takes a minute, but it will mean so much to a child!

On Sunday morning we shall see what three additional years of running experience can do for my 10k time. I've done the work, so now all that remains is to make it hurt out on the course. The 2009 Mudpuppy Chase was only my second race ever, so I'm hoping that age and cunning can triumph over youth and enthusiasm! 

Growth and shrinking

One final note on Paris to Ancaster - I'd like to thank all of the volunteers and police officers who are such an essential part of the race. It goes without saying that these fine people give up their day to stand out in the wet while keeping us safe on the roads and providing valuable direction to addle-brained cyclists, not to mention much-appreciated cheers. I try to thank everyone along the course as I pass, but for any I forgot, I am truly grateful!

Towing someone up a hill, while another cyclists walks it.

The day is also made possible by the many land owners who generously allow two thousand people and bikes to run roughshod over their property. Many parts of the route are on private land, and it's only through the enthusiasm of the owners and the hard work of the organizers to maintain good relationships through the years that we're able to continue to enjoy the challenges that the terrain presents. It's wonderful to see some of these kind people out on their driveways and porches, clapping and smiling as wave after wave of mud-covered hooligans roll through their little slice of the landscape! I try to do my part by thanking them on my way by, and by refusing to litter - all gel packet pieces go back into a jersey pocket rather than being dropped on the ground.

Covered in mud.

Thus, I was very happy to hear that the organizers were able to donate $550 to the Langford Conservancy Co-operative; one of the private landowners who so graciously allow the Paris to Ancaster route to run through their property and advocates for the preservation of Brant county.

With P2A out of the way, my focus turns now to the Mudpuppy Chase 10k just over two weeks from now. My legs have been feeling pretty good on the run, and I've managed to put in a few pretty zippy kilometers lately. I've also continued my efforts to eat a little less, and been rewarded by my clothing fitting a bit looser. Here's the same shirt, pose and lighting as 6 weeks ago:

Think I've got a little more room in that top.

I'm also down about 3lbs from the last update, and very close to the lowest weight I hit in 2011 (which was toward the end of June, just before the Welland Half Iron). I would still like to drop a few more pounds, but I'm heading in the right direction without compromising my training or recovery.

There's one thing I'd greatly like to grow, though - my donation pot for KidsAbility! I implore you all to click the link and make a donation of whatever you can - even if it's just a dollar. You can use PayPal or any major credit card, and you'll receive a tax-deductible receipt. The best part of all is that you'll be funding programs for developmentally challenged children who need a little extra hand to reach their full potential. Please, show your generosity to KidsAbility - they do amazing work, and they need your help!

Watch the video above to see Graydon's journey with KidsAbility - thanks to donations from people like you, Graydon will be racing the 3k mini-Mudpuppy Chase on May 6th!

P2A - it's on!

Just two days out now from the Paris to Ancaster 60k off-road cycling race, and I'm getting stoked!

First a quick shout-out to my friend Chris: not only was he kind enough to hook me up with some free nutrition to try out, he went out of his way to get the free product to me before Sunday's race. This year's Paris Ancaster adventure is brought to you by Endless Endurance, Cambridge's only dedicated triathlon store, in conjunction with eLoad gels!

Go check out his stock!

Chris is a triathlete himself (as well as co-founder of the Fletcher's Meadow Cross Trainers and Cambridge Multisport Club), so he knows the value of quality products on which you can rely. He's constantly expanding the lines he carries, brings in hard-to-find items (currently the only retailer of First Endurance nutrition in the tri-cities), always provides free shipping with no minimum order, and has amazing sales from time to time. Follow the shop on Twitter to be kept up to date!

With two days left before the big day, I've actually started to taper just a bit. I'm not really going to be racing, but since this will only be my 8th or 9th outdoor ride of the year and definitely the longest time in the saddle since last summer, I figure I can use all the help I can get!

Being pressed for time last night meant a shorter run anyway, but my legs were feeling pretty peppy so I let them loose to see what would happen. It would appear they've made a full recovery from Around the Bay, as I ran just under 4.5km at a 5:19/km pace - far from true speed, but only 10sec/km off of my all-time 5k PR pace. I wasn't going full-out, either, so it would appear that I might just have some snap left to work up for the Mudpuppy Chase 10k that's now just three-and-a-bit weeks away. Good deal!

I did a shorter swim (1,600m) last night as well, in the interest of getting home a little earlier to get some extra sleep. Of course I got talking with one of the lifeguards after I finished, and ended up being on deck until 10pm anyway! Noone ever said I was terribly bright.

Still, tonight is my regularly-scheduled night off (date night!), and I'm actually starting to feel pretty energized for P2A. I'm sure the copious amounts of carbohydrates I've been ingesting are assisting with that - again, I need all the help I can get, since me entering a cycling race is akin to bringing a rubber chicken to a swordfight! Apart from my usual carbo-loading favourites of Bulk Barn pie filling and basmati rice (not together, you weirdo!), I've just found what may be a new staple.

Don't let the cute koala fool you - this box is full of crack.

I'm a big fan of Nature's Path - they make quality products from simple, organic ingredients and provide delicious foods for people (like myself) who are gluten intolerant. I've been a fan of their Crispy Rice, Mesa Sunrise and Peanut Butter Panda Puffs cereals (the latter being all Dave Roche's fault), their waffles and their  crispy rice bars, but until last night I hadn't tried Koala Crisp. It's GNAWESOME! Amazing cocoa-chocolate flavoured brown rice crisps; like a gluten free love-child of Rice Krispies and Count Chocula. I could see myself eating a truly disturbing amount of this stuff.

The forecast is predicting rain starting Saturday afternoon and running right through to Sunday arvo - I don't know how race director Tim Farrar manages to arrange lousy weather for the race every year.  At least it looks like it will be in the 10-20c range, rather than the near-freezing temperatures with bouts of snow we had last year. All the better to take on the new section that's been added; only P2A would replace a stretch of paved road with 1.2km of double-track farm lane for 2012. See you on "the Prenderlaan"!

2011: I'm not as cold and muddy as I look - it's actually much worse.

Armed with a bit of rest, a lot of CHO, and my 12-27 cassette installed on Snorky (my Norco CCX-SL cyclocross bike), I'm ready to take on the mud again!

Going back and giving back

My racing career, so far, has been rather short. I started in the spring of 2009, so I've only been at this for three seasons - March 14th, 2012 (just a couple of weeks ago) was actually 3 years to the day after my very first 5k. I've been fortunate enough try experience a wild variety of events during that short span, but this has meant that there have been very few races I've done more than once.

With my wonderful husband's blessing (or at least lack of objection - love you sweetheart!), I've now registered for the Mudpuppy Chase 10k in downtown Kitchener on Sunday, May the 6th. This was actually my second race ever - and my first 10k - back in 2009. There's a full race report (the first one I wrote) here.

Almost to the 5k mark in 2009.

I'll level with you: I hate 10k races. They hurt almost as much as a 5k, but they go on twice as long. I had kind of vowed not to do one again, but the Mudpuppy Chase is a local classic race that's both well-organized and lots of fun. It's amazing to see the downtown core of a city as large as Kitchener taken over by a celebration of running! I also figure that the 10k distance will be a good one to race early season as the prep work will serve the 7.5k runs at the end of the two sprint triathlons I have on my schedule for this coming spring (Woodstock later in May and Welland in June) and even the two Olympic distance races later on (Gravenhurst in July and Lakeside in September). After spending 2011 devoting myself to distance, it's time to try to bring some speed back!

Passing a 5k runner in 2009.

This race also supports a wonderful local organization called KidsAbility. They provide rehabilitation services for children from Waterloo Region with a wide range of special needs, including children with developmental disabilities and delays related to premature birth, medical syndromes such as Down syndrome, coordination disorders, and autism; physical disabilities such as muscular dystrophy, spina bifida and cerebral palsy; and communication difficulties in language, articulation, fluency and voice. From birth to 18 years of age, the children receive assistance with speech, social interaction and a wide variety of other skills that most kids take for granted, all in a fun and caring environment. 

As a racer, I have the opportunity to raise funds for KidsAbility through my personal page - I ask all of my fabulous readers to please click here and donate whatever you can, even if it's only a dollar! These children deserve to receive the extra helping hand they need to realize their potential, and you can help make that happen. I'd love to meet my fundraising goal of $500, but I can't do it alone! 

2009 results. 

Apart from supporting KidsAbility, I have a couple of personal goals I'll be pushing for when the gun goes off. My previous time on this course - again, my first 10k race - was 57:39. My overall 10k PR, set on a completely flat course at the Eaton Electrical Downtown Dash in July 2009, is 55:00. With another two years of running under my belt since then, I'd like to see if I can best both of those times. The course has a bit of elevation change to it, but with Around the Bay under my belt I hope to make a decent showing of it. I've also continued my "put less in your mouth" theme, and lost another pound and a half, which means there should be a little less of me to haul around.

Two loops of this 5km course.

Really, though, I'm just in it for the fun...and for KidsAbility! Once again, I beseech you - please visit my sponsorship page and pledge what you can! You can donate by credit card or PayPal, and receipts will be provided for your income tax files. Every dollar helps!

From zero to a full season

On March 28th, I looked at my schedule for the 2012 season and panicked. With Around the Bay done, I looked at my calendar to see how I would be proceeding with training for the rest of the spring, and only saw two races booked!

Just about to make the turn into Copps Coliseum. Hurting a lot.

Finish lines rawk!

The next one is Paris to Ancaster, our spring classic race. It's sixty kilometers of rail trail, mud, fire roads, mud, mudslides and mud. Did I mention mud?

Second aid station, 2011 P2A.

It being just 3 weeks after Around the Bay, I know I won't really be racing it. Tanker and I both rode it last year, just for a lark - I took a bunch of photos along the way and finished in something over 4hrs. He snapped his rear derailleur hanger 10km from the end, and had to get a ride to Ancaster from a friendly police officer. I caved to peer pressure to do the race again this year - he decided he didn't want to break his bike again, and has sweetly offered to pick me up in Ancaster so I don't have to rely on the (entirely too infrequent) shuttle buses.

I just managed to get the last of that mud off my bike on Wednesday.

So, that left one race on the schedule for 2012 - the Mine Over Matter off-road tri that isn't until August 26th! I was still hemming and hawing about what I wanted to do: Welland half iron? K-Town tri? Bluewater Olympic? We are already registered for the 160km Cambridge Tour de Grand, but that's a touring event Tanker and I will be riding together, not a race.

One thing stood out to me - the Gravenhurst Olympic Tri was the weekend before my birthday. I'd been wanting to do this race since I heard, a couple of years ago, that the swim starts by jumping off a steamboat! I like point-to-point swims, and this just seemed really neat. The past two years, I'd been unable to do Gravenhurst as it fell on the same weekend as the Belwood Lake tri from that other series, which Tanker and I did as a relay in both 2010 and 2011. I swim, he cycles, and I run. We did the try-a-tri distance in 2010 since the bike course is on rail trail and Tanker could ride his cyclocross bike, but moved up to the sprint in 2011 since he had so much fun!

One of my fav photos of him of all time, from  the 2011 Belwood Sprint Tri.

That other series has decided, in their infinite wisdom, to cancel Belwood for 2012. I'm as pissed about that as I am about them changing the Muskoka Long Course (also known as the Muskoka Chase) into an Olympic distance, making my original goal for 2012 impossible. You see, I did Muskoka LC as my "A" race in 2010, and had a really lousy day due to GI issues caused by food allergies/interactions of which I wasn't yet aware. I missed my goal time by 8 minutes, but knew I had a much better race in me. I wanted to go back and kick that course's butt (now that I know my nutritional needs better), and they go and take that chance away from me!

My smile totally belies my disappointment. Just be glad you can't smell me.

So, it was time for a new plan, and Gravenhurst was calling. I decided to leave it up to the fates - if I could find a reasonably priced hotel room (and if Tanker agreed), I'd race the Gravenhurst Olympic. If not, I'd find something else. A few minutes later, I had us a room reserved at the Oakwood Motel and had registered - Tanker was as excited as I was about a weekend away for my birthday, which is 3 days after the race! I booked us in for Friday and Saturday night so we could drive up after work on Friday, race Saturday morning, go for a nice dinner Saturday night (without having to worry about checking out prior to the race), then most likely volunteer or at least spectate for the Sprint and GT12.9 races on Sunday before making our leisurely way home. I'm stoked already, despite the painful-looking elevation profiles!

Run course. Around the Bay was probably good training.

This shifted my focus for the season a bit - I had originally (after finding out about the change to Muskoka LC) planned to do the K-Town Triathlon, which is the same distance as Muskoka LC was, out in Kingston. That would also require a hotel room, though, and I'd already looked into accommodations; there wasn't going to be anything cheap. Racing Gravenhurst on July 14th also precluded doing the Bluewater Olympic on July 22nd, which I hadn't been too keen on anyway, since the 2-hour drive would mean getting on the road by 04:30. Looks like Gravenhurst just became the "A" race for the year! 

Now it was time to fill in the blanks. I had races booked for July and August, but I like to do an end-of-season Olympic race as well just to round off the year. I'd done Wasaga in 2010 and loved it (the run course is amazing; trotting along Wasaga beach on the boardwalk), but that would take another hotel room - my Dad had provided accommodations at a resort in Collingwood in 2010, but that wouldn't happen again this year.

Wasaga Olympic 2010 - probably my fav finish photo so far.

I'd done the Lakeside Olympic in 2011, and while it was chilly (they even delayed the swim start due to cold temperatures - only 9c on race morning!), it was a fantastic race. It's also the last one of the Ontario season, so you don't feel like you're missing out on anything if you can race it.

Coming in to the finish at Lakeside with an 11 minute Olympic distance PR in 2011.

So, Lakeside it was. Now to figure out the beginning of the season!

I'd raced Victoria's Duathlon in 2010, and it's a challenging race. It's nothing but hills, hills and more hills, and then they add a few hills. I did ok on the first run and the bike in 2010, but I died in the heat on the second run - it had suddenly shot up to 30c for race day, when the prior days had hovered around 16-17c. You can read my race report here.

At least I managed to run through the arch.

There were two problems with doing Victoria's Du this year, though: #1 being that it's on the May 24 weekend, when Tanker and I like to go camping. #2 was that it's put on by that other series, and I'm pissed at them for killing the two races that really interested me. So, screw them. I'm keeping my money in Canada! The following weekend is Woodstock, at which I'd raced the GT12.9 in 2010...and won my age group, with the fastest female <40 bike split! 

My one and only AG win (so far)!

It's a great venue with a point-to-point swim and a neat run course (2010 race report here), and the only reason I hadn't gone back in 2011 was to avoid interfering with my training for the Welland half iron. There's a modified sprint distance (750m swim, 30km bike and 7.5km run - the same as the Welland triathlon) on the Sunday which looked like a hoot, since it's a distance I've raced a couple of times before (Guelph Lake in 2009 and Welland in 2010), so I was in!

That just left me with one more decision: to race the modified sprint or the half iron at Welland. I've raced there both in 2010 (modified sprint) and 2011 (half iron) because it's a fantastic race venue with an easy-to-navigate swim (in the recreational canal), a flat bike course and a spectator-friendly, flat run course. We also have friends nearby who let us camp on their lawn so we don't have to get up at 3am! 

Half iron 2011, with a sacroiliac joint injury.

As much as I'd enjoyed the half iron in 2011, I decided that this year I was just going to keep it short. While I'm pretty sure I could throw down a half tomorrow and be able to finish, my conscience wouldn't let me skimp on training, and I know it wears on Tanker when he barely sees me for half the summer. The modified sprint would be an opportunity to improve on my 2010 time, let me spend a bit more time with my sweetheart this summer, and leave me in decent shape to volunteer at the half iron on Sunday. Sprint it was!

We'll see if I can break an hour on the bike this year!

So I'd gone from one tri on the season to five. The only thing left was to pick the trail race that I'd use to close out the season completely - I'd done the 25k at Run for the Toad last year and had a great time, but 2012 is the 10th anniversary of the Vulture Bait Trail Race in London, at which I'd raced the 25k in 2010.

Post-Toad, with a 10min PR at the 25k distance.

Having improved my time quite a bit from 2010 to 2011 at the 25k distance, I was interested to see if it was just the difference in the course (as the Toad isn't as technical), or if I'd really got much faster. Vulture Bait is also amazingly beautiful, as you run around the reservoir at Fanshawe Conservation Area through the stunning fall colours.

2010 Vulture Bait. So pretty.

Knowing the race is capped and tends to sell out quickly, I decided to register right away. Got my confirmation, then discovered I was one of the first 6 to sign up! Well, I certainly won't have to worry about missing out.

So that's how, in the space of 6 hours, I went from almost no races on my 2012 calendar to a season that looks like this:

Things suddenly got busy.

I'm excited about the races that I've chosen and a year of racing shorter, quicker-paced triathlons - distance is fun, but so is going (comparatively) fast! I look forward to a season of making amazing memories and seeing friendly, smiling faces on the course. 

Now I just wonder if Tanker will kill me if I sign up for the Mudpuppy Chase 10k as well..