Chicago Marathon Week #2: Nordic, Cross-Country, Skate Ski

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

"Cross country skiing checks all the boxes for triathlon."

Fun fact: Cross-country skiing became an Olympic sport in 1924 in Chamonix, France

THE STORY

It's the dead of winter in the Northern hemisphere. Days are short, weather is cold, and the roads are icy. None of it is ideal for running outdoors. Unless I want to spend the whole winter running on a treadmill indoor, I will need to equip myself with some alternative winter training.

Learning a new sport the second time

CROSS COUNTRY SKIING

In his article "Winter Sports for Triathlon Training," Sutto, the coach of Ryf (current World champion) and Spirig (Olympic gold and silver medalist), argues that cross country skiing "checks all the boxes for triathlon." It works the triceps in the arms, helps the biomechanics of acceleration, builds thigh and glutes strength, and provides a cardiovascular workout without the risk of bone stress injuries allowing longer workouts for 1hr 30min, but be aware that poor skating technique could still cause knee problems.

The "Winter Break" article in the Runners' World magazine also advocates that "a low-impact sport will go a long way toward helping runners maintain fitness in the offseason." For example, the fringe benefits of Nordic skiing include coordination, stamina, and stabilization.
 

Foreshadowing: Snowshoeing in the near future?

If you're not convinced yet, here's an excerpt of the "Cross-Train Your Way Through Winter" article from the Triathlete magazine:  

Have you ever watched the Olympic cross-country skiing races? Those athletes are seriously strong from head to toe, which makes sense considering cross-country skiing uses almost every major muscle in the body from the thighs and glutes to the back and abs. Cross-country skiing is an ideal cross-training activity for both running and biking, and is low-impact, highly aerobic and affordable (the average cost of rented equipment and a trail pass is $35 a day). The learning curve of cross-country skiing is initially steep, so it is recommended that you take a lesson in order to ensure you have the correct form before heading out on the trails.

Week #2

Monday: Rest. Happy Boxing Day! Day of avoiding the crowds, fueling with my favourite Acai Bowl, and hydrating with my favourite coffee.

Tuesday: Skate ski clinic, day 1. The 4-day clinic was a sold-out program. The 30 participants were divided into three groups by the initial ability observed. I got bumped up to the most advanced group, and most of them had already skied at least one season. Boy, I had to work my butt off to keep up. So many new terms: herringbone, double pole, free skate.

Wednesday: Skate ski clinic, day 2. Wet day, heavy snow. More new terms: one skate, two skate.

Thursday: Skate ski clinic, day 3. Powder day. More new terms: offset, plow.

Friday: Skate ski clinic, day 4. I got stuck in traffic and missed the class. It must've been a sign that I needed to take a remedial clinic. Skate skiing on my own without instructional breaks literally takes my breath away!

Saturday: Rest. Leg rest day. I thought of going for a swim, but I must've been fighting off an illness. I struggled so hard to stay awake but kept falling asleep like a log through the afternoon.

Sunday: Rest. Happy New Year!

Weekly Review: Another solid week of skiing, building leg strengths with some cardio thrown in there!

Chicago Marathon Week #1: Utah Ski Week

QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"I got into the Chicago Marathon! Now what?"

THE STORY
In 2014, the Chicago Marathon switched to a lottery system for entries after being overwhelmed with applicants using a first-come, first served process.  The application window for guaranteed or non-guaranteed entry to the 40th annual Chicago Marathon closed on Tuesday, November 29. Runners in the non-guaranteed entry drawing were randomly selected and notified two weeks later on Tuesday, December 13.

THE BEGINNING
Like a New Year's resolution (click here to read my 2016 resolutions), a tradition in which a person makes a promise to do an act of self-improvement beginning from New Year's Day, this is the beginning of many months of blood, toil, tears and sweat. Even though we're couple weeks early of New Year, the start of marathon training signifies goal setting.

It isn't my first marathon or race, so I've had some experience on what works best for me, but let's take a look at a couple expert advice. Doing a search on internet, here are summaries of a few helpful articles:

• "Setting a Marathon Goal Pace: Run your best marathon by pacing and listening to your body" - (1) Nail the basics including pace, max pace, and grade adjusted pace; (2) Track and monitor pace during training; (3) Set a realistic marathon time goal, and establish a focused, pace-based training plan; (4) Listen to your body and live in the moment in order to aim for a negative split in a race; (5) Get to work
• "How to Set Good Running Goals: Meb Keflezighi's five-step plan for making sure you reach any goal" - Meb is an Eritrean-born American long distance runner, decorated with notable achievements and titles including 2004 Olympic silver medalist in the marathon and Marathon personal best time of 2:08:37. While most of us aren't running at the world-class level, he believes these are the elements of good goals: (1) A good goal has personal meaning; (2) A good goal is specific like "I want to run 30 seconds faster for 5K" instead of "I want to run faster," or "I want to run 5 days a week" instead of "I want to run more."; (3) A good goal is challenging but realistic; (4) A good goal has a time element with weekly evaluations; (5) A good goal keeps you motivated.

While these are good advice, when I reflect upon some of my best races, I enjoy the experiences the most when I'm less focused on time or performance goals, but rather I'm focused on the process and the journey.

Here are some blogs on process-oriented goals that I've enjoyed reading:

• "Setting Realistic Running Goals" -  The article provides an anecdote of two runners with the same goals but who take different routes and experience different outcomes. Spoiler: the realistic runner ends up reaching her goal when she focuses more on taking her time and being honest with her fitness rather than trying to run too fast too soon.
• "Forget About Setting Goals. Focus on This Instead." - (1) Commit to a process, not a goal; (2) Release the need for immediate results; (3) Build feedback loops.
• "Process To Outcome, Part 2: Process-Oriented Training" - Rather than strict numbers, process goals for daily training may include: (1) Just show up, i.e. I'm going to get out for five runs this week; (2) Find ease, i.e. I'm going to find ease and feel good on this run, at whatever pace or distance that may be; (3) Know when to hold 'em, and know when to fold 'em, i.e. I want to run four to six half-mile repeats. If I feel good, I will do six, if I don't, only four; (4) Consistency is king, i.e. I'm going to execute the plan for the next three months, preceding my goal race; (4) Focusing on the 'Renewable Resources', i.e. I'm going to adopt a weekly yoga and foam-rolling routine; (5) General strength training, i.e. I will engage in a comprehensive strength routine each week; (6) Stride efficiency, i.e. During today's run, I'm going to focus on tall and forward posture and good arm swing; (7) Cover the non-running bases, i.e. I'm going to limit evening TV and internet time in order to get to sleep earlier, or I'm going to eat whole foods and limit processed and junk snacks.

MY GOALS
My goal in this first week is to build strengths. Ok, it was just an excuse to go skiing for a week. After four consecutive days of skiing, my legs do feel stronger!

Monday: Rest. Crushed it with jet lag!

Tuesday: Rest. Travel day.

Wednesday: Ski Park City. 60 km in 6 hours.

Thursday: Ski from Park City to Canyons. 40 km in 4 hours.

Friday: Ski Canyons. 60 km in 6 hours.

Saturday: Ski Deer Valley. 45 km in 5 hours.

Sunday: Rest. Travel day.

Weekly Review: A solid week of skiing and building leg strengths!

Chicago Marathon: Week #0

"I'd rather race another ironman than run another marathon" - me. #2017chicagomarathonentrant #eatmyownwords

In honour of getting into the 2017 Chicago Marathon, let's kick off with a funny, witty race report (Source: Let's Run). Happy reading!

This is a hilarious, well-written piece from a guy in Iowa. True Story.

Its Time To Run A F#cking Marathon Chicago 2006

I was flying into Chicago at night

Watching the lake turn the sky into blue-green smoke1

3:00:47. Forty seven seconds. Youre probably thinking to yourself: over the course of three hours you couldnt find a place to shave forty seven seconds and go under the magical three hour barrier? Dont you feel like you lost? The answers to those questions, and many more, are no and no. Long suppressed is my burning desire to prove something. Im happy, no ecstatic, that I was able to put together a solid effort to the finish, something that I havent been able to do for a few years. Besides, whats the difference between 3:00:47 and 2:59:59, 200 meters? For that matter whats the difference between say 2:57 and 2:56:03? To be quite honest as Im sure Seth, Tank & TC can attest quite a bit.

The decision to run Chicago meant my eight year Twin Cities Marathon streak would come to an end. There probably wasnt a lot left for me to accomplish on that course. Id run the gamut. Not to mention, Ive been humbled by those hills more than I care to remember. By comparison, Chicagos course is so pancake flat it hardly deserves to be called a marathon. You should have to run a couple of extra miles to make up for the hills it lacks. Regardless, I was willing to accept their charity and set a 2:55 goal for myself which included no miles faster than 6:30, through the half in 1:25 1:27 then roll the dice and see what I had left.

To give some idea about the months leading up to Chicago you have to go back to February of this year. In my mind, in the running scheme of things, February is not the time to be hammering out your hardest miles. An entire year lies ahead to inflict that sort of punishment on yourself. February is a time for maintenance, a time to enjoy the outdoors and sling a few snowballs. This past winter was atypical. Somehow the SCRC2 had increased not only in numbers but also in speed. By February we were absolutely flying while the first races were still months away. All this led me to the bold announcement: If I dont PR3 or injure myself this year I dont know how Im going to explain it. The speed could be attributed to a couple of former collegiate runners whod joined the ranks. One in particular hereafter, to protect his identity, Ill simply refer to him as Death was intending to lose his marathon virginity with me in Chicago. I had no visions of grandeur; Death was the better runner between the two of us. One other important tidbit, through a former CNA4 employee whos now a member of the SCRC, Death and I would be running on a team that has been contending for the year-long Chicago Challenge Cup, a competition for teams who run in the big three Chicagoland races. More important to Death and me was that in exchange for our efforts toward the team we would get access before and after the race to a secured, fully serviced and heated circus tent.

Cindy5 and I again stayed in Oak Park with friends and perhaps thee greatest marathon hosts, Mary, Kader & Franklin. Saturday afternoon Cindy and I rode the El to the expo, picked-up our packets then rode the El back to Oak Park for a relaxing dinner. Rain came Saturday night including a little thunder and lightning. By Sunday morning the rain had stopped but a blustery northwest wind had taken its place. The temperature was around forty. Mary and Kader chauffeured Cindy and me downtown and dropped us off a short walk away from our tent where Id arranged to meet our CNA contact who gave us the wristbands to gain access to the tent. Death hadnt yet arrived and I was a little concerned I wouldnt be seeing him that day. Sure enough though, like clockwork, Death came swooping in in time to use the kybos, check his bag and walk with me to the Competitive start corral.

Based on prior race results, Death and I had earned a place in the top 1,500 runners which may not seem like an advantage until you consider there were 38,000 runners lined up behind. Death and I had twenty five minutes to kill and try to stay warm before the start. There was plenty of room to move around yet the majority of runners felt compelled to push their way to the front like cattle eager for the slaughter. One runner walked past wearing a Luther College singlet and said, I know you. Youre Death. Apparently this unfortunate soul had faced Death in college. Death later said hed beat this poor soul every time. And to Deaths credit, he couldnt even remember the runners name. Victory: Death.

The guy who used to I dont know if he still does sing the National Anthem at the Cubs games sang. This I know from all of the middle schools summers I spent watching Cubs games on WGN and keeping box score at him. His style is unique in that when he gets to the part: And the home - of the - brave, he doesnt go down but goes up an octave which I now always come to expect.

Without much build-up a horn sounded and we were underway. A couple of Spanish runners came up the side of Death and me jumping around and high-fiving like theyd just escaped from prison. What a waste of energy. I thought to myself: If they only knew Death was so close at hand.

Prior to the start Death and I had made a deal: run our own race, avoid getting sucked in too fast. I was to pace Death through the half. There the proverbial gloves would come off and wed see what each had left. Deaths challenge was to stay with me, to see if he was capable of a foreign concept to him: a slow Death.

Both the crowd of runners and spectators were quite overwhelming those first miles. I found myself getting sucked into tight corners which slowed me down some and made me vigilant about avoiding getting tripped. A couple of lefts followed by a couple of rights, across the Chicago River and we were headed north away from downtown. An occasional gust of wind forced us to tuck in behind other runners or spectators for protection, but I wouldnt say it affected my day. After a couple of miles the excitement of the start wore off and the reality of what lay ahead began to set in. Im guessing those Spaniards from the start werent jumping around anymore.

Past the Lincoln Park Zoo reminded me of visits there in years past. I didnt remember the area being so park-like. The city becomes almost a surreal place when youre running through it. Just past mile five, Death and I took the first of our planned walk breaks to make sure we rehydrated well enough through the early water stops. A little strategery [sic] is to make a mental note of the runners around when I enter the water stop, walk while I drink, then slowly reel them back in. Death and I did this with little effort and continued on our way.

Around six miles Death dropped a bombshell by:
1) announcing he had to stop to use a kybo
2) assuring me, Ill catch you. (In other words, Death will catch you.)

I must say I was a bit surprised. At that point I didnt think it wise to tell Death that before a marathon you make sure your bladders empty6 and during a marathon you only stop to pee if your bladders about to explode and youre incapable of peeing your shorts while you run. All those thoughts translated into a simple, Okay and I continued at my current speed assuming Id seen the last of Death for the day. Shortly thereafter, a spectator yelled, Only twenty more miles to go! I fought the urge to yell back, F#ck you!7

As promised, Death did catch up to me and we turned south again toward the city center aided by a slight tail-to-crosswind. By this point it was pretty clear which runners were going to be around for the long haul. I told Death, This is it for me. Im just hanging on to these people for as long as possible. Death, in his stoic way, acknowledged what I had said but gave no indication of his approval or disapproval.

The course took a quick right then left again and we were on a street lined with gorgeous walk-ups, the corner house blasting some deafening song that brought a smile to my face and memories of a similar house in Brooklyn during the NYC Marathon, practically pulsating with the beat of The Beastie Boys No Sleep Til Brooklyn. A couple of miles later Death and I slowed to eat the first of our PowerGels. A spectator yelled, Welcome to the Windy City! Again I fought the urge to yell back, F#ck you! 7

Youd think among the 40,000 runners and 1.5 million spectators itd be statistically impossible for me to run into someone I knew, yet as we approached the Merchandise Mart there were Ulf and Anthony8 jumping up and down and screaming like it was 1985 and Rob Houghtlin had just kicked the game winning field goal to beat Michigan. Death and I turned south and crossed the Chicago River again passing a corner Starbucks and Indian restaurant Ive visited on more than one occasion. I nudged death and pointed out a couple of runners gates: believe it or not, one like Movics9, the other likes Wells10. Death responded by stopping to use a kybo but assuring me before he did that again, Ill catch you. And again I thought I could shake Death. And again I was wrong. I was beginning to realize that Death possessed within him some undying force.

The course was again packed with spectators as Death and I headed west near the Sears Tower toward the halfway mark. Everything to this point had gone as planned. I still felt like I had plenty left in the tank as we hit the half in 1:27:29. I slapped Death on the back and told him, My job is done. Youre on your own. In return, again, Death gave me that stoic glare.

The thick crowds wed been enjoying quickly vanished past the half and we were left with a stiff headwind. Well, I cant say we because Death had left my side and was about thirty meters ahead looming like a dark cloud over a pack of thirty or so. I had to make a decision. Run solo into a headwind or choose Death. I chose the latter. The surge I made to close the gap wasnt all too taxing, but still I wondered if I was burning some matches Id most certainly need at the end. My decision to join the group was a good one. As I said, there were thirty or more running all about the same speed. We were rolling like a well oiled machine. I was amazed at my luck to hook-up with such a huge group so late in the race and thought to myself, this is my ride to the finish. The group rolled through a couple of miles which wouldve otherwise been pretty desolate. We reached a water stop and I cant ever recall seeing bodies fly all over place like that. From the center of the road each person lunged in a different direction for cups. Then, like an orchestrated dance, everyone returned to swarm in the middle of the road. It was a thing of beauty. And yet, serving as a constant reminder, Death loomed nearby.

Things started to come apart for me in the upper-teen miles. I didnt experience catastrophic failure but it was becoming apparent that I wouldnt be able to maintain my current pace to the finish. Not to worry. That sort of thing happens more times than not. I simply slowed my pace a little and kept things rolling as best I could. That large group of runners Id been lounging in was slowly dissolving. I was one casualty. Death was not. In fact, the last time Id see Death until after the finish he was you guessed it emerging from a kybo, running to catch-up to the group ahead.

Although my legs didnt have the snap they once did, I was still in good shape. More encouraging was the stretch of the course that parallels the Dan Ryan Expressway. Marathons, Im sure, take advertising dollars in about any way they can get them. This means things like PowerBar sponsors the Power Zone (where PowerGels are handed out to runners) or and this one still stumps me New Balance sponsors the Last 5 Miles (probably because they know thats where the majority of runners are going spend the most time). Anyway, the stretch along the Dan Ryan must have been the Midol Cramp Zone because everyone, everyone was standing on the side of the road trying to stretch the cramps out of their legs.

I (because I no longer had Death on my shoulder) crossed the Dan Ryan and went through The University of Chicagos campus. I thought, hey, theres that El tube architecture that was featured in the NY Times a couple of years ago as I ran past. Things were starting to become a little blurry for me and I switched on the reserve tank. I wasnt in panic mode. Ive had worse legs at that point. At mile 20 I did the math for sub three hours and figured Id need roughly a 46 minute 10k. Very realistic. It was at this point too where I stopped trying to keep my heart rate reasonable and threw caution to the wind. Id switched from merely surviving the distance to, strange as this may sound, running.

I lost my sense of direction and concentrated on getting to the next mile marker because it was there, I told myself, where I could walk and recover a bit. Times like these a mile can last a lifetime. But to my surprise the miles kept coming. In fact, it was hard to believe I was already so close to finishing a marathon. Ive run faster marathons, but none where the time has passed so quickly. As I reached each of the next miles I avoided walking and readjusted my goal, setting it for the next mile mark. Through Chinatown and past the cheap, sugary bakery Cindy, Sam Lars and I had visited last Christmas. The crowds were strong again. I saw Ulf and Anthony jumping around and yelling like theyd just won the lottery. Ulf screamed, Well see you at twenty five! If I had the energy to burn I wouldve screamed back equally as loud, My hearing is just fine! Its my legs that are having trouble!

Each mile I reached I did the sub three hour math: 32 minutes, 24 minutes, etc. One other trick Ive learned over the years is to make sure your expectations are in line with how long its realistically going to take to reach the finish. Rather than thinking, God when is this going to be over? Please be over soon. I found its better to tell myself, best case Im going to be out here at least thirty more minutes so adjust accordingly. If nothing else, my minds preoccupation with all of those crazy thoughts distracted me and before I was expecting to be I found myself on Michigan Avenue for the final two mile drag race to the finish. Sub three hours was still on my mind and I knew there was no way it was going to happen with my heart rate pegged the way it was and my legs full of lactic acid. I stopped at the next water stop, walked a bit, ate my last PowerGel and made the final push to the finish. It didnt work. My legs felt like I was running through molasses. A week ago a friend had sent news that during a local cyclocross race he stood on the steepest section of the course and yelled at the riders as they passed through a bullhorn: YOURE HAVING A HEART ATTACK!...WHY DONT YOU JUST QUIT? The week before I thought it was funny. Now I was seriously wondering to myself, am I having a heart attack? Quitting though. That was never a consideration. The other thought that crossed my mind came from a friend whod run 2:30 at the Chicago Marathon practically a lifetime ago11. I emailed him a couple of days before my race asking him to share all of his marathoning wisdom. His only advice was, and I quote, Dont be afraid to jack-up the pace at mile 20. Maybe it was a self-fulfilling prophecy, but as I read that email and when I was actually running those last miles I knew it was, for me, not possible.

A couple of small pace groups blew past. I moved to their wake hoping to get sucked along in their draft. Nothing. Another couple passed. One said to the other, We need to do two seven thirties (to go under three hours). Me too. I mustve been the only one not passing someone. The walls were starting to close-in and my eyesight was becoming a bit blotchy.

At the 1 mile to go I needed to run a seven minute mile to stay under three hours. I thought back to the Drake half marathon and needing to run a final six minute mile to hit my goal. I did it at Drake, but not here. As promised, Ulf and Anthony were there waiting and ran alongside me, Ulf screaming again as loud as possible: COME ON RYAN! DEATH IS JUST UP AHEAD. YOU CAN CATCH HIM! COME ON RYAN! In truth, I doubt there was anything anyone could have calmly said or obnoxiously shouted over and over that could have made me run faster. The one bit that startled me was that out the corner of my eye I could see how easily Ulf and Anthony were running alongside me in their street clothes. It felt like a mirror was being held up alongside me as I ran with a sign above it that read: INDEED. YOU DO LOOK THAT BAD. Ulfs screaming lasted an uncomfortably long time. I knew the final seven minute mile wasnt going to happen which, in all honesty, didnt disappoint me in the least. My thoughts shifted to: I cant believe it. Im going to finish a solid three hour marathon! Pure bliss.

800 meters to go, up and over the Metra tracks. Nothing left in my legs to pick up the pace even for a flashy finish. Believe me. Im not embarrassed to sprint the last two tenths of a marathon no matter how slow I ran the previous 26 miles.

400 meters to go. Nothing.

200 meters to go. I dont know if I did have a tiny burst of energy or if it was the thrill of finishing.

For you junkies who can only understand an effort in terms of numbers:

avg avg

split HR split HR

----- --- ----- ---

mile 1 - 7:05 153 mile 14 - 6:36 167

mile 2 - 6:31 160 mile 15 - 6:40 168

mile 3 - 6:36 165 mile 16 - 6:41 166

mile 4 - 6:34 163 mile 17 - 6:44 168

mile 5 - 6:33 164 mile 18 - 6:50 169

mile 6 - 6:51 162 mile 19 - 6:55 168

mile 7 - 6:39 164 mile 20 - 6:57 170

mile 8 - 6:40 165 mile 21 - 7:05 170

mile 9 - 6:43 164 mile 22 - 7:08 171

mile 10 - 6:40 162 mile 23 - 7:22 170

mile 11 - 6:36 163 mile 24 - 7:56 165

mile 12 - 6:36 163 mile 25 - 7:36 171

mile 13 - 6:38 165 mile 26 - 7:45 169

.2 - 1:40 169

------------------------------------------

3:00:47 166

In the finish area I came dangerously close to ending another marathon streak which is to look so malign and unstable that a medical volunteer asks if Im okay. Thankfully someone game through. The sun reflecting off of all those Mylar blankets is always blinding. I moved away as quickly as possible to the side of the finish area that wasnt yet being used. If for no other reason, I highly recommend everyone try to finish a marathon as quickly as possible because theres nobody yet using all of those great finish services. Its like having Disneyland all to yourself.

I started stumbling in the direction of an exit. My legs started hurting in a way unlike while I was running, the kind of hurt that makes you want to cry. I wondered how far back Cindy was. I wondered where Death was. I couldnt possibly have beaten Death, could I? I wasnt permitted to slip through a section of fence nearest the circus tent but was made to walk a half mile farther in the secured finish which meant Id have to backtrack another half mile to the circus tent. At the tent I easily retrieved my checked bag, put on my dry clothes and asked volunteers manning and womanning the computers to look-up Cindys splits. Shed been through the 40k and was set to finish very shortly. Good news. Death appeared out of nowhere, we high-fived and traded finish times. As I expected, Death had the upper hand that day. Even so, as happy as I was about my effort, I was very much looking forward to a blow-by-blow account from Death. Theres nothing like that first time. Again, like he did during the race, Death shut me down opting for his quiet stoicism. I thought, another day Death. You and me.

Cindy finished. We shoveled-in cups of probably some of the best chicken noodle soup I can remember, hobbled to the El and rode it back to Mary and Kaders. The end.

I should probably add that Death and I along with the others on the CNA team were the third fastest team in the marathon for the Chicago Challenge Cup series and earned enough points for CNA to take top prize in the yearlong competition.

And the meaning behind the title/subject of this? That was my reply to Cindy marathon morning when she woke-up and asked me what time it was.

Special thanks to anyone whos ever run or ridden a mile with me and, as always, thanks for reading.

~Ryan


1 The opening lyric from Liz Phairs Stratford on Guy which plays in an endless loop in my mind whenever Im in Chicago.

2 An initialism for the Serious Coin Running Club. Trust me. Its a story longer than you care to hear. Suffice it to say, its the group with which I run 99% of my miles.

3 Personal Record or personal best.

4 I still dont know what that initialism translates to.

5 Yes. She too ran the marathon. I wont speak to how her race went.

6 Unfortunately, this sometimes means you have to discretely pee in a water bottle while you wait at the start

7 I dont mean to sound rude or insincere. But if you havent run a marathon, your mind switches into an almost animalistic state. The slightest annoyances can be unmanageable.

8 Two fellow SCRCs from Des Moines.

9 Mark has self described curb feelers whereby with each stride his heals kick outwardly rather than straight behind

10 Don probably doesnt realize he has a distinctive gate so I wont embarrass him by describing it.

11 [smile]

The Best Worst Guide to Speaking Spanish

According to my Spanish teacher, my writing and grammar level is B2, which is really awesome relative to the time I've studied. However, my listening and speaking skill is lacklustre at only a A2 level. I think that makes me a visual or logical learner rather than an experiential or auditory learner.

Anyway, enough about me! Here are a few trials and tribulations from my Spanish class to help you not make the same mistakes that I did!

1) Let's start with an easy one: Changing one vowel from A to O changes the meaning completely.

Depending what you really meant to say, this is a rookie mistake that's easy to make.

2) Along the same line: Changing one vowel from O to E. After a day of surfing, you may want to say that your shoulders are sore / hurt.

3) Now let's move on to a real life example: Imagine you're hiking through a jungle to get to a secret  surf spot with your surf buddy.

You point excitedly at a pair of brilliantly coloured birds, and exclaims, "Pajeros! Pajeros!"

Little did you know that you just screamed out "Masturbators! Masturbators!" Imagine the shocked look on your surf buddy's face quizzedly looking at the trees to see what you're pointing at. Repeat after me:

4) One more vowel play.

One of the first lessons in Spanish is that typically, masculine words end in "o" and feminine words end in "a".  For example, dog is "Perro" for a boy and "Perra" for a girl; cat is "Gato" for a boy and "Gata" for a girl. However, this rule does not apply to chicken you order at a restaurant.

To order chicken, you can say "Quisiera Pollo" but if you try to get fancy and order a hen, you're actually asking for a plate of male sexual organs ("Polla").

 
In some culture, that may be a delicacy. Otherwise, you've been warned!

5) Time to get steamier!

There are many ways to say “Hot” in Spanish! If the food is spicy hot, it is “Picante”.

If the soup is boiling hot, it is “Caliente”.

While in Costa Rica where it is hot everyday, it may be tempting to say “I’m hot”, which literally translate to “Estoy Caliente”, which actually means “I’m horny!”

If the weather is hot, we say “Hace Calor”!

The Sarcastic Guide to Travel: Italy Edition

Having visited Italy more times than I could count (roughly around 180 days in aggregate), it doesn't qualify me to write an expert guide like my travel writer idol Rick Steve or get an advance from a publisher to travel and write about the said travel, but I think IMHO I'm as ready as I'm going to be to present "The Sarcastic Guide to Travel: Italy Edition."

1. Travel is all about meeting the people and getting to know their culture. I'm not here to criticize those who act like everyone should speak English in non-English speaking worlds. Rather, I'm here to teach you how to speak Itaglish or Entalian. First, if you speak English while waving your hands wildly or rubbing your chin with the back of your fingers like in Godfather, you would be amazed how much more Italians understand you. Next, if you know a little bit of high school French (Canadians, eh) or high school Spanish (Americans), use the Latin root of the word and change the vowels at the end to -o and -a, or -i for plural, while still gesturing wildly with your hands, you will have a better chance to be understood. Last, speak passionately! It's all about the "accent-o" (see how the second rule of thumb works really well)!

2. Are you an early bird? Are you an early bird who goes for a run or finishes your workouts before the mass awakes for the day? Worse yet, are you one of the above who posts your workout activity on social media before the mass awakes for the day? If so, you've got a real problem according to this unscientific article that I'm too lazy to find the link at the moment. In Italy, night owls are the winners! Most tourist attractions and shops don't open until mid-morning, and even if the ticket office says it opens at 10:30am, it's just an estimation. Though if you want to beat the crowds, it doesn't hurt to get there a few minutes early and join all the gringos in the queue. 

3. Speaking of queues (okay, I know it's called a line in USA), here is my biggest tip on avoiding the crowds: Don't go where the crowds are at! Go off the beaten paths, I say! I'm always reminded of when I went to Cinque Terre almost a decade and a half ago, it was considered "off the beaten paths" at the time, but nowadays to control the number of visitors, one must pay to hike in "nature." Seek new, undiscovered paths because who knows one day your path would be the most followed (most instagrammed and most tweeted, or whatever else the next app is). "But it's my first time in Italy and I haven't seen all the famous sights," you say. Here's another hint: visit during the shoulder or off season! Understandably, you can't trek across Mont Blanc in the middle of winter, or you can if you're into crazy challenges or extreme sports, but for anything indoor like the Vatican or the painting of Last Supper, the cold and the rain won't dampen your mood worse than fighting through the crowds of tourists. 

4. What I love most about Italy is that good food and wine doesn't have to be expensive. When ordering wine for dinner, simply ask for the "vino di casa" (house wine). It's as local as it gets! When it comes to gelato, don't waste your calories on just any gelato. This is probably one of the biggest mistakes I've made. Ask around. Look around. Follow your nose. It's worth your time and patience for a taste of strawberry with rosemary or mango with mint. 

5. I'm running out of sarcasm for the moment. Here's a new one from cycling in Italy last week. If you see someone wearing the Chianti jersey (logo of Chianti is a rooster), 

it is totally acceptable to say to him: "you've got a nice cock!", but make sure he's not in his cycling shoes with cleats and fall backwards when you say that. 

Ciao! Arrivederci! 

Race Review: Whistler 70.3

Here are all the little details that might be useful to those planning to race Whistler 70.3. If you're interested in my race report, you can find it here.

Event: 2016 Subaru IRONMAN 70.3 Canada (race website)

Cost: Early bird prices starts at $225 and ramps up to $285 for on-site registration. Withdrawal policy must be received about two months prior to race date, and you're only eligible for a partial refund of $75. Plus, you'll lose all the Active dot com registration fee and tax. I waited until the week prior to sign up mainly because I wasn't sure if I'll be race ready, so I opted to pay about $50 more rather than potentially lose $225 in case of injuries or any unexpected events.

Field size: 520 athletes for the 70.3 in 2016 (1407 athletes for the 140.6).

Sell-out factor: The smaller than usual field was because the race wasn't announced until sometime in March 2016. Most athletes would have already planned out their race season many months ago or even a year in advance. In addition, there were several other races around like Victoria 70.3 was just a few weeks earlier and Calgary 70.3 fell on the same day. I expect that the field for 2017 would be much bigger.

Swim Course: 1-lap wetsuit swim in Alta Lake. The counter-clockwise loop should have been easy to navigate, but I found the buoys are quite far apart from each other, so sometimes I couldn't see spot the next buoy immediately.

 

Bike Course: 1 loop of rolling hills south to Callaghan, more rolling hills back towards Whistler, long descent with one significant switchback turn north towards Pemberton, and then a monstrous climb back to Whistler Village.

Note elevation is in metres, not feet

Run Course: 1 loop. While the elevation chart shows a relatively flat course, the first couple miles have some false flats, making it hard to find the bounce in the legs after the bike leg. The run is mostly shaded with some sun spots near the golf course.

I wasn't imagining the false flats in the first few km's

Pre-Race Day Logistics: Check-in is at the Olympic plaza. The nearest parking lot is Marketplace Pavillion. Whistler is super efficient in issuing parking ticket, so overstaying even by a minute is not advisable. The store-front spots have a 30-min limit and the rest of the lot has a 2-hour limit. While you're unlikely to need more than two hours to check in, but if you're planning to do some last-minute shopping and/or get your bike checked, then it is better to park in Lot 4 or 5, just on the other side of the Olympic plaza.

It's a two-transition race where T1 is a couple kilometres from the check-in/T2/finish, so the best advice here is to have your T1 and T2 bags pre-packed and ready to go when you go to check-in. Here's my strategy:

1. Pick up race packet
2. Drop off T2 bag -- Don't forget to put on your race number, and don't leave any food/drinks because the bears will get into them overnight
3. Ride your bike to T1 along with your T1 bag -- This is a nice and easy downhill ride along the valley trail to the lake. All bikes must be checked in the day prior. Put your race numbers on your bike, helmet, and T1 bag. Again, don't leave any food that would attract the bears, and also, don't leave anything expensive (i.e. Garmin bike computer) on your bike. Grapevine has it that someone had his/her Edge 500 stolen out of transition. We had access to our bike and T1 bag on race morning.
4. To get back to the village, you have the choice of taking the shuttle, or walk 2km slightly uphill back. The queue for the bus ride was massively long, so we opted to walk. If you have a taper run in your schedule, then this would be a good time to go for a quick run.

Hotels/Accommodations: The question I get the most from friends is "where's the best place to stay in Whistler?", followed by the second most common question: "can I stay with you?" The good news is that summer is less crowded than winter in Whistler, so there won't be any accommodation shortage in July.

I would recommend staying as close to T2 as possible. T2 is the "Parking Lot 5", which is where you will catch the super early morning shuttle to T1. There are lots of hotels to choose from in Whistler Village or Upper Village in Blackcomb. Given it's a ski resort town, there are plenty of accommodations with a kitchen option, which would allow you to cook your own meals during your stay.

Race day transportation: If you stay near the finish line, then you can jump on the early morning shuttles to the start. The last shuttle ends before the full ironman race starts, so even if you're racing the half that starts two hours later, you will still need to catch the early morning shuttle. The roads in and out of the lake will be closed, so don't count on getting dropped off by your loved ones. You could walk down to the lake if you don't mind a couple extra km's to start the day. It's best to just get on one of the later shuttles. Bring food, COFFEE, warm clothes and anything else you need for the long wait at T1.

Aids station: As with other Ironman branded events, the aids stations were well spaced and well stocked.

Spectators: On the bike course, most spectators are gathered around the Whistler Village and the Upper Village entrances, so you will pass by them twice during the first half of the ride. There aren't too many spectators once you head towards Pemberton because the roads are fully closed for a few hours and then partially closed with minimal local traffic later in the day.

On the run, spectators are spread out throughout the course. There were VIP tables and chairs set up through the golf course. As you watch the spectators fine dining and sipping on their wine, you can ask yourself why you're racing.

Swag: Gender-specific tech t-shirt, logo-ed mesh bag with draw string, and medal.

Post-race food/drink: In the finisher’s chute, water and banana. There were burgers, salad and fruits in the post-race food tent.

Pros: A big plus for me is that the bike course is mostly closed to through traffic at least during the peak race hours. Normally the sea-to-sky highway is busy with constant traffic, which makes it unpleasant to do training rides or course preview. The course is challenging just enough that awards patient and good pacing. The run as I mentioned is mostly shaded through the valley trails with good aids station support.

Cons: The super early morning start to catch the shuttles to the lake at least two hours before the half distance race start. The two-transition race adds additional set up time and logistical planning. Weather could be unpredictable in the mountains - freezing rain in 2014. The other risk is bear encounter, disrupting your run until the bears move away from the race path.

Take-home message: Whistler is a beautiful playground for a triathlon event. I love racing the 70.3 while semi-spectating the full ironman. I think I would be back some day (if the race doesn't get cancelled).

Race Report: Whistler 70.3

If you're looking for race details that might be useful in race planning for the Whistler 70.3, you can find it here. Otherwise, this is just a rambling of my race day.  

Signing Up A Week Before The Race

 

I started this year in Whistler with a bang - literally - in a car accident on the Sea to Sky highway. Then my neck seized up so much so that I couldn't even turn my head to the right, yet I was in denial for a long time that the car accident had anything to do with it. A week after the car accident, I sprained my 2nd ankle, so now both my ankles have a sprain. The eternal hopeful in me still had hope that everything will heal in time for me to race Coeur d'Alene 70.3 with JP, KF and DG. Except June rolled around and I had just got back on my feet not long ago, so I showed up in Idaho as their cheerleader!

I got in a good training weekend at Coeur d'Alene: checked out part of the bike course on Saturday, rode up and down the race area trying to catch the racers multiple times on race day Sunday, and got in a good run around the gorgeous waterfront trail followed by some exploration of the Centennial Bike Trail on Monday. After spectating and being inspired, I started to pencil in Whistler 70.3 on my race calendar. The motivation to race was there, but the training hasn't come together yet. Finally, a week before Whistler 70.3, I decided to take a crack at it!

Swim (0:43:47)
The 140.6 racers started two hours ahead of the 70.3 racers, but because of road closure, all racers had to be there early. Our bus took a major detour, and we also slowed down to watch a bear on the side of the road. By the time the bus dropped us off, the pros were already swimming their second lap. I got to see Andy Potts came out of the swim in the lead (spoiler alert: he led the race from start to finish and won the race), and then I was really confused as to where were the female pros. Eventually I found out that IM Whistler was hosting the male pro race, meanwhile IM Lake Placid on the same day was hosting the female pro race.

After sending off the 140.6 age groupers, we still had loads of time to spare. I chatted with my new friend from the shuttle ride, ran into a few friends, and generally tried to stay off my feet.

I was calm, cool, and collected, as noted by my shuttle buddy (it was her first 70.3). We got in the water for a warm up swim.

Her: "The water is warm!"
Me: "Probably because all the 140.6 racers peed in it for us!"

Oops, I said that a bit too loud causing a few chuckles among the other racers.

I have been swimming consistently and was expecting another sub-40 minute performance, so I was a little disappointed with my swim time of almost 44 minutes. I think because I wasn't familiar with the swim course, I didn't pick the best line from the start to the first buoy. I started on the right side, and felt like I was fighting current on the way out. I also couldn't spot the buoys for most of the swim, so had to rely on other swimmers around me for direction and just hoped that they had picked a straight line. On the second half of the swim, I found some feet to hang on to. Although I wanted to pass the swimmer a few times, but every time I would try to go ahead, I would get dropped. I was better off staying on his feet and conserve some energy. Isn't it interesting that we can tell the gender of the swimmer by his or her feet?

T1 (0:04:03)
I made sure to avoid running into the wrong change tent this time like I did at the other Ironman Canada in Penticton.


Bike (3:27:52)
I had based my estimate for the bike time off Lake Tahoe 70.3 because I think the bike courses were similar in difficulties. Pacing well in this race was even more important because the monstrous Brockway climb at Lake Tahoe 70.3 was near the middle of the ride, whereas the monstrous climb out of Pemberton back to Whistler was at the very end of Whistler 70.3.


With the mix of 140.6 and 70.3 racers on the road, I had no idea where I was relative to the front or back of the race. Some racers were lightning fast and some racers appeared exhausted (likely from the Conzelman climb for the full course racers). The rolling hills would become congested on an uphill and thinned out on a downhill over and over again. Once back in the village, we started descending down to Pemberton. There were still some obstacles from the incomplete road construction making for one sketchy descent. I probably took it too conservative as many people passed me on this stretch, but better safe than sorry when it comes to cycling.

Once we reached the turnaround, it was the highly anticipated monstrous climb back to Whistler. During the climb, the lead racers from the full course were also finishing their ride. They raced past so fast that it made me look like I was moving backwards. As a mental strategy, I imagined I was riding the Seven Sisters at Mount Tam in California, except I think there were only five hills here and even the climb seemed easier than my previous practice ride here. Maybe someone moved one of the hills?

Nonetheless, I was happy to be back in the village. After a few fast twist and turn and a hop off a curb (crazy course design!?!), I pedaled into T2.

T2 (0:01:05)
T2, my favourite discipline of triathlon! Here, I nailed it with a 1 minute 5 seconds performance. I even had a brief pit stop waiting for the volunteers to find more sunscreen.


Run (2:19:26)

One lap for 70.3. Two laps for 140.6.

Last year, a momma bear and her cubs got too close to the run course and momentarily suspended the race. I would not want to be the slowest runner during a bear encounter!

I would say the hardest part of the run course is the first couple miles. Although the elevation chart showed a flat run, I overheard somewhere that the first couple miles have a few surprising hills. With all the hills, it took longer to get my running legs on. When I saw the first photographer, I decided to do a jump into the air against the beautiful backdrop of crystal blue lake and quaint wooden bridge. The photographer loved it. The runner I almost crashed into laughed. "Anything to get on the Ironman cam," he said.

We ended up running together for a couple miles. Step for step. Side by side. After awhile, I thought his breathing was too laboured so early in the run that I figured it might be better for him to run his own pace, but I held my tongue.

At mile 5, I turned my effort up a notch, and at mile 10, it was time for "whatever pace I've got left." I found another runner ahead going at a good pace, so I was determined to keep up with her. By mile 11, I was hurting a bit but was still mentally strong. By mile 12, I was hurting. I did everything I could to stay with my rabbit. At the last aids station, I was getting my hands on ALL. THE. COKE. My mental strength sank a bit when I saw my rabbit pulling away, but soon regained another level of strength after hearing Kendall's cheer. Half more mile to go. Quarter mile to go. I was elated to cross the finish line in 9th AG!

The Costa Rica Chapter

I've been meaning to write another blog post about the rest of my stay in Costa Rica, but for the past month since I've left Nosara, I couldn't put words to paper because

1. I'm typing and not writing, and

2. There is just no way to describe my experience fully without missing something.

So, I've procrastinated! 

Without further ado, or more excuses, let me dispel three myths that people have been asking me recently about my Yoga Teacher Training in Costa Rica.

Myth #1: You must be super flexible and do crazy balancing poses!

Honestly, sometimes I can barely touch my toes. Usually early in the mornings, I'm less flexible, and by evenings, my flexibility improves as the body warms up. Has my flexibility improved? Probably a little, but one thing I've learned is that when it comes to yoga, it doesn't matter if you're "flexible". What matters is that you show up, breathe, and do your best with a clear intention. And this doesn't just apply on the mat. Just imagine how your everyday would be different if all you gotta do is show up, breathe, and do your best with a clear intention.

Myth #2:  You must be all spiritual and sh*t!

I'm no guru. In fact, I'm still the same person as before. I still the same person who can't write the "i" in the word "sh*t". I've always been curious about the spiritual side of yoga. I figure If I can't be all flexible and sh*t, then I might as well get really good at meditation and mindfulness. Joking aside, I have discovered a whole new level of consciousness.

A few years ago, I randomly picked up the book in a hurry at an airport right before boarding a long flight. The book was "The Untethered Soul, The Journey Beyond Yourself" by Michael A. Singer. I expected the book to tell me who I am or change my life. It didn't. I just didn't get it. Then I saw the book on the shelf at the Nosara Yoga Institute and I decided to read it again as we were on a "Inner Quest" training. This time around, I get it. In fact, I already know who I am all along because the answer is within ourselves. All we need is the ability to consciously observe ourselves and the world around us. 

Myth #3: You must be all relaxed living on the beach!

This myth is probably the farthest from the truth. Not only our bodies are challenged by the 50-hour per week training in the heat, but also our minds and souls are tested to the limit. Making it to the beach everyday was near impossible! This Costa Rica chapter was never meant for me to be a break from the busy-ness (or business) of life. I intended it to be a significant and valuable step that connects my past, my present, and my future in this life's journey. Along the way, there were days that I was completely exhausted, but everything seems easier when I remind myself that all I gotta do is show up, breathe, and do my best with a clear intention!

A Lesson in Wasted Energy

In my January blog, here's what I shared about teaching my first yoga class:

I taught my first yoga class at the Treetop Studio which was where I took my first yoga class when I visited Nosara. It felt like a full circle, a home coming! Instead of relaxing on the weekend, I "spotified" for the perfect yoga playlist, practiced the flow sequence over and over again until I got the timing down, and spent way more time and energy stressing over it than I needed to.

As soon as I stepped onto the mat at the front of the studio, everything just happens as it happens. Not perfect as I have practiced it in my mind, but rather it was better than I imagined it. Based on the class feedback, I think I found my yoga voice!

Last week, I taught my second yoga class. We couldn't just re-use the material as this class was a different type of yoga. For preparation this time, I decided to relax and trust that I embody the materials we learned. I simply closed my eyes and pictured the sequence, wrote down a few trigger words on a notepad, and then I tried to relax for the rest of the weekend by binge watching the newly released "Fuller House" on Netflix.

In the end, similar to my first experience, as soon as I stepped onto the mat at the front of the studio, everything just happens as it happens. Again, it went better than I imagined it!

My observations:

1. It is easier the second time around. I can't wait to see how much easier the third time would be!

2. Progress, Not Perfection! As Don says, "Planning is everything, but plans are useless!"

3. Expect Nothing. One evening when we were closing our session, a skunk ran past the studio. Startled, I let out a cry and then my next immediate reflex is to scream "Let's get the h*ll out of here!" right when the faculty was saying "Namaste." So I figure that as long as I don't use the H word in the middle of Namaste, I will consider my class a success. Without realizing it, your expectations may be undermining your happiness.

4. Being authentic is the best gift that we can share. Amazingly, the second class gave me the same feedback about my yoga voice as the first class, even though no one from my first class was in my second class. I'm learning that the best way to inspire others is to share who we are and what we know. So Ham = I am that I am.

5. A Lesson in Wasted Energy. The most interesting lesson to me when comparing the two teaching experiences is that as a planner, I use a lot of energy focusing on the future and worrying about every what-if's scenarios. Sometimes the energy is useful and positive, while other times, the energy is wasted given the end results are the same. By being mindful about where we direct our energy, we can have more space for other things to come into our lives.

Interestingly, when I was sharing this spiel on wasted energy (including over-sharing about my guilty pleasure of Fuller House) during a sharing session, I noticed that everyone who has already spoken is sitting in a relaxed and comfortable position, and meanwhile the rest of us who has yet to speak is sitting upright energetically and waiting for our turn. Isn't that interesting?