The Riding Season Ain't Over Just Yet

Over the several weeks, the temperature dipped down to the minus 20s with the wind chill or the winds were howling at +20 km\hr but today's temperature warmed up to a balmy - 2 degrees Celsius and the winds died down enough to go riding outside.  I can't remember the last time I rode outside but it was probably in November.  In these parts of the world, we haven't had much snow while the US and Europe have been absolutely pounded.  In fact there is barely enough snow to cover the grass so that means the roads are free of snow so I layered up and headed out.

It felt great to be riding outside and my original plan was to put in a solid 80 minute bike ride but I quickly realized how badly I was out of shape and my "hammer time" turned into poking along.  Although I had ridden the route hundreds of time, I found even the smallest hill forced me to slip into the smaller chain ring.

At one intersection I stopped and waited for the lights but when I started to pedal hard, my rear wheel locked up as I was in the middle of the intersection.  It turns out that I hadn't tightened the fly nut enough and the tire slipped out.  That would have been a serious problem whipping down a hill.

Because of the wet road conditions, I came down Warden Ave which has a less steeper hill than Kennedy Road (which I usually hammer down seeing if I can get above 65 km\hr).  As I returned home, I started to run out of energy but I had a GU package in my bento box and tried to scarf it down.  It wasn't easy as it was half frozen just like my water bottle which I filled with "hot" water before I left.  Next time, I'll have to use boiling hot water

A much more enjoyable 80 minutes on the bike than riding inside.  Perhaps I'll be able to go out a few more times as Saturday is supposed to be eight degrees Celsius!!

My  bike needs cleaning after riding 40 km

Ok Seriously, WTF???

A Cry For Help

U.S. woman goes ‘all out’ with 30,000-calorie Christmas feast

Dec 28, 2010 The Toronto Star

A New Jersey mom who aims to be the world’s heftiest woman enjoyed what was arguably the world’s biggest Christmas dinner over the weekend.

43-year-old Donna Simpson, who currently weighs more than 600 pounds, sat for two straight hours and consumed nearly 30,000 calories worth of food, reports the UK’s Daily Mail.

The massive feast consisted of two 25-pound turkeys, two maple-glazed hams, 15 pounds of potatoes, five loaves of bread, five pounds of herb stuffing, four pints of gravy, four pints of cranberry dressing, and 20 pounds of vegetables.

In total, the huge meal cost about $230 to prepare.

Simpson also had room for dessert as she consumed a sugary “salad” made of marshmallow, cream cheese, whipped cream and cookies.

The mother of two young children said that while she always eats as much as she wants, Christmas gives her cart blanche to “really go all out.”

Simpson, whose stated goal is to reach 1,000 pounds, has drawn intense criticism for her intentional weight gain.

But Simpson insists she is healthy and says “people who feel guilty about eating are hilarious.”

As an Internet personality, Simpson earns an income from her personal website, where people pay to watch her eat. She reportedly consumes nearly 12,000 calories a day, spending more than $600 a week on food.

Wow Am I Ever Fast!!

I went for an one hour run this morning and according to my trusty Polar watch I ran 13.56 km at an average pace of 4.27 min\km!!  Clearly all the cookies and beers I've been chowing down have paid off.  Funny when I went to Google maps, I ran only 10.5 km.  I wonder which one is right?

On another note, my Road ID worked perfectly....

Server is too busy

Arrrrgggghhhh


Have you ever tried online boxing day shopping on Christmas Eve?  All you get is aggravation or "Server is too busy."  (*&^%$$$#^&*())

Best Buy and Futureshop open their Boxing Day Specials online at 8 pm on Christmas Eve and its impossible to buy anything as the server crashes or its sold out

Maybe Cevelo has some boxing day specials.....P2 perhaps?

So what does this post have to do with triathlon?  Nothing other than the fact that I weigh 180 pounds today but at least I swam 2,500 metres this morning.  I was the only one in the pool from 6:05 to 6:25 am.  The lifeguard was dying of boredom watching me flounder around

Hmmmm lots of bored people out there tonight.  Massive amounts of hits on the website eh L?

Winter Solstice

From Wikimedia

The winter solstice occurs exactly when the Earth's axial tilt is farthest away from the sun at its maximum of 23° 26'. Though the winter solstice lasts only a moment in time, the term is also a turning point to midwinter or the first day of winter to refer to the day on which it occurs. More evident to those in high latitudes, this occurs on the shortest day and longest night, when the sun's daily maximum position in the sky is the lowest.^[1]

The seasonal significance of the winter solstice is in the reversal of the gradual lengthening of nights and shortening of days. Depending on the shift of the calendar, the winter solstice occurs on December 21 or 22 each year in the Northern Hemisphere, and June 20 or 21 in theSouthern Hemisphere.^[2] The 2010 winter solstice (summer solstice in the southern hemisphere) will occur on December 21, at 23:38 UTC. This is 11:38 pm Western European Time (WET) or 6:38 pm Eastern Standard Time (EST)^[3]

In the northern hemisphere, today is the shortest day of the year.  Thank God as it probably explains why I've been in such a pissing mood for the last week.  Today a colleague gave me a bottle of Crown Royal for Christmas.  When I got home, I cracked it open and had a drink and then switched to beer....and its only Tuesday.

Any massive successes at work are over shadowed by minor irritants.  Grrrr

.          

Pigging Out

This is the most challenging time of the year as the eating and drinking binging begins.  All the chocolates and cookies begin to add up as the weight inches up to that magically line in the sand (10 pounds over race weight) which is where I'm at now.  Friday was my office's pot luck Xmas party where the branch manager's brother makes a killer turkey with equally killer gravy.  Some one else brought sushi which I could easily have eaten by myself.  I brought a 12 pack of Victoria Bitter (Australian finest beer).  Needless to say, I gained two pounds overnight.

Friday night was a downer as we went to a visitation.  Our former neighbour's younger brother passed away several days ago.  On Monday I ran into Joe who I haven't seen in a couple of years and we started chatting about running.  Joe just got into running and ran the Toronto marathon a couple of months ago.  He asked me about triathlon training and we chatted for about 15 minutes.  He changed the subject and asked if I remembered his wife's younger brother Stephen.  I vaguely recalled meeting him a couple of times and remembered he was a pretty big guy.  Joe explained that he had gotten bigger and had a massive heart attack the previous night and died.  I was shocked as he was only 36 years old.  He had put on quite a bit of weight and was around 270 pounds.  It was a very sad night as Joe's wife was absolutely devastated about her younger brother.  Such a waste.  The next day I called a friend who is about the same size and told him about Stephen.  I told my friend I was very worried about him and he needs to start to thinking about his young kids.  He agreed and said he was trying.

I ran Saturday afternoon for only 35 minutes to test the groin injury and it was ok but I only burned 340 calories which I easily consumed Saturday night.  We went to friend's for dinner and I grazed on the appetizers and then attacked a lovely T-bone steak.  It tasted awesome as I have really cut back on eating steak and red meat for that matter.  I think I have steak about three or four times a year when before I used to eat it almost every week.

Unsurprisingly, I gained another 0.2 pounds so rather than take the scheduled rest day, I opted to ride.  I toyed with the idea of riding outside as it was only -6 Celsius but only a slight wind.  The trouble was that while the main roads were dry, my street is constantly ignored by the city plows and sanders and thus there was a nice layer of packed snow.  As much as I hate to ride inside, I decided that was the safer course of action as the last thing I need was to wipe out and damage my bike.

The ride was barely pleasant as I ran thru my prescribed drills but more importantly I burned 643 calories.  Ok so I don't ride as hard as I should.  It must be that lack of mental toughness

Slap Chop

Yeah Man!!

I went and saw Kevin this morning for an analysis on my groin strain (that doesn't sound so good) but earlier I rode for an hour.  I didn't follow the training plan but just rode for an hour to see how my leg/groin would hold up.  It was no problem as I watched episode one of season two of Weeds.  Its getting interesting as Nancy's "boyfriend" who is a DEA agent confronts her about her drug dealing.

Later I went and saw Kevin and his analysis was that it was only a mild strain - grade one.  Not so serious.  I should be able to run on Saturday.....yeahhhhh mannnnnn!

Fuck

I played hockey tonight and pulled my groin.  This could be a problem as my inner thigh is sore.  In all the years of playing hockey, I've never ever had this problem.  Fuck fuck fuck.  Ok, maybe coach was right about not playing hockey.....fuck that shit

I emailed Kevin (chiropractor) for an appointment for tomorrow

On a different front, my weight this morning was 175.6  but will probably going up after a not so good Tuesday.

The Schedule Said Run, So I Did

This morning's temperature was a balmy -14 degree Celsius with winds at 39 km\hr which brought the temperature down to -23 degrees.  For those who don't know metric, I'll translate.....it was fucking cold and windy.  Perfect for a light jog. Yesterday's rain turned to ice and the streets were like a skating rink.  Fortunately Christmas came early and Tammy gave me my presents.  One was Yaktrax which worked perfect.



I pretty much ran a regular speed despite the road conditions.  However I did feel a little sore in my back and knees as the steel coils aren't as cushioning as the shoes itself.

The other item was new wind briefs which is a must in this weather.  It worked like a charm but I think if I was doing a two hour run, I would have to double up.

I headed out at 5:30 am and ran east for one kilometer and then north, straight into the wind.  Many times I wondered why I wasn't inside riding my bike.  I ran into the wind for two straight kilometers and then turned west onto Major Mackenzie where on the south side, there is a subdivision but on the north sides there just farmer fields and the wind just whips along.  I ran just under 10 km in one hour and totally ignored the run workout on the schedule as I was just content to get the damn run in.

PS:  Weight this morning was 177.6.  Down three pounds in one day.  Now if I can only do that for ten days in a row all my problems would be solved.  Well at least race related problems

A New Low Or Rather A New High

I stepped on the scale this morning and I knew it wasn't going to be pretty.



I've seem to gain five pounds in three days.  That's a pretty good trick as five pounds is over 15,000 calories. Yesterday I was tired from Friday night's hockey (went to bed at midnight and woke up at 5 am) and I hemmed and hawed about going out for a run.  Basically throughout the day, I was just grazing.  Too tired to do anything but sit around and eat.  Finally at 4:45 pm I went for an 70 minute run.  According to Polar, I ran 14 km at a 4:54 min\km pace.  Highly unlikely.

Then we went to my friend's birthday party where consumption of lots of food and beers contributed to my current state (mild hangover).  We did play ball hockey in his driveway with some of the kids.  I haven't  played ball hockey in over 20 years.  It was quite fun especially when I scored the game winning goal after which we went back in and had cake and more beers.  Good thing its off season.

Actually the large part of my weight gain has to do with salt.  On Thursday, Tammy bought a pasta dish that was very salty and my weight went from 175.4 to 177.6 and then last night, I was eating peanuts which again were salty and that's how I gained five pounds from Thursday night to Sunday morning.  Well that's my story and I'm sticking to it.  If my theory is correct, I should be back down to 175 around Thursday.

Going Postal Part 3

After joining the Postal Challenge on Slowtwitch in November, the object was to see how far I could swim in 30 minutes (1,700 metres) and then a month later see how much I improved.  On Friday, I did the challenge again and only swam 1,575 meters.  Doh!!  That's not how it supposed to work, unless I miscounted on the first test.

Thursday's 11 km run was a little brisk with the windchill, the temperature was -20 Celsius.  Brrrr winter is here.

Last winter I played hockey on Friday's afternoon at noon.  It was a very fast skate as there were some guys that played Junior A hockey.  I was clearly the worst guy there and this year I tried to get back in but they made in invite only.  In other words, I didn't make the cut.....for pick up hockey (doh) so I started playing with the guys I used to play with a couple of years ago on Friday nights at 9 to 10:30 pm.  I stopped playing last year because it was almost impossible to go to sleep around midnight and then wake up at 5 am to train.  I find that Saturday is pretty much of a write off unless I take a nap.  For instance, I'm supposed to do an hour run today but I might bail as I sure could use a nap.  I'll probably not play anymore once January rolls around and the schedule begins to build up.

Pretty much a boring update

Miami 5i50 - Fail

The Return Of The One Legged Drills

Well its pretty safe to say that outdoor riding is done for the year.  I was hoping to get out for one more ride but winter has arrived (along with the usual layer of salt) plus the temperature is colder than normal so I've returned to riding indoors.  This morning's workout was one hour ride with the beginning of one legged drills and out of the saddle.  I don't mind doing the latter but absolutely hate the former and if I skip the drills, they only get harder and longer so its easier just to start now.  Besides, right now the one legged drills are only three sets of one minute which is manageable.....barely.  At least it helped pass the time quicker.  I watched the rest of the episodes of Weeds Season One.  The last episode had one of the girls kissing her female friend.  Great except they're about 10 years old....epic fail. 

I also started on some leg strengthening exercises.  I asked the coach for some workouts and he mumbled a couple of exercise I could do.  Several months ago, I asked Rishi twice (a massage therapist who is also a trainer) to build a work out schedule and he never got back to me.  Annoying.  Why won't any get back to me?  I told Risihi I would pay him.

Swimming is going along ok but my shoulders are sore when I use the pull-buoys.  I told Bryan that I'd probably rejoin the Masters in January.  He was pretty happy as he has no one to keep up with him but I didn't tell him I'd probably only go once a week and swim on my own for the other day.  As mentioned earlier, the problem with the Masters is that there isn't enough focus on pounding out the laps and too much focus on other strokes although given my shoulders, maybe that isn't such a bad thing.

STOP ASSHOLE!!!

Ahh the joys of winter running:  wiping out on snow covered ice and almost getting hit by cars that don't stop at four way stop signs.

This morning, I debated whether to run or ride outside for a long time.  The temperature, with the wind chill, was minus nine degrees and a stiff wind of 15 km\hr.  Common sense prevailed and I opted to run as it burns it more calories than riding.  I don't mind running in this type of weather and given what my spring race schedule looks like, I'd better start getting back into running shape.

It was a pretty uneventful 60 minute run until I stepped on some ice that was covered with a fresh layer of snow.  I didn't fall down but as soon as my foot started to slip, its funny how the body reacted.  I tensed up and stayed upright but my triceps tightened up instantly and were actually sore for a couple of minutes.  I continued on until I was literally at the last 200 metres when I came up to an intersection with four way stop.  I ran through the intersection only half paying attention to a car that had sort of stopped and proceeded to roll through the intersection right towards me.  I yelled as loud as I could, "STOP ASSHOLE!!!" as he hit the brakes less than two feet away from me.  I must of have scared the shit out of an old couple walking by on the sidewalk.  As I ran by I gave him a dirty look and the finger.  The thing that annoyed me the most, was his windows were completely fogged up and he couldn't see anything other than what was directly in front of the car.  Moron

According to my Polar watch, in 62 minutes I ran 12.05 km for a pace of 5.12 min\km.....yea right.  I really need to get the foot pod reset.

Coach sent my December workout schedule.  He included a list of potential races for 2011:

                  2011 Race Schedule

Peterboro 1/2 Marathon Feb. 27-2011 - ???
Chilly 1/2 March 6-2011 - ??? 
ATB - 30K March 27-2011 
Sporting Life 10K May 2-2011
Goodlife/Miss Race May 15-2011
Muskoka Long  June 26-2011
Peterboro 1/2 Iron July 11-2011 - ??? 
Calgary 70.3 July 31-2011
Muskoka 70.3 Sept. 11-2011

Yikes!!  That's a lot of races although some races (???) would be either/or.  For instance, obviously I won't be running Peterboro Half and the Chilly Half Marathon the following week but I will be running one of them depending on how I feel and how training is going.  He also has me running the Sporting Life 10 km which I absolutely hate because its so crowded and its impossible to get any space.  Even though Yonge Street is completely shut down, it is a solid mass of runners from start to finish.

 

I'm In!

Around The Bay - Hamilton, Ontario. 

The oldest road race in North American, even older than the Boston Marathon.  I signed up.  This will be the third time I'm attempting this race.  The other two times, I didn't even make it to the start line due to injuries.  Last year would have been perfect as the winter was so mild.  This winter is supposed to be colder than normal.  Wonderful.  There is nothing more than I enjoy than going out for a 2 1/2 hour run in the middle of February.  I wonder what the temperature will be at that time of year?  This February it was zero degrees.  Perfect to run.  With my luck, next February, it probably be -30 with wind gusts of 30 km/hr.  Hello frostbitten toes and other frozen body parts!

This morning's workout was a 45 minute run.  Completely uneventful.  Yesterday's workout was a 61 minute ride on the bike while I watched a couple of more episodes of Weeds.  Totally uneventful. 

If I don't play hockey Friday night, I'll attempt one more outdoor bike ride Saturday morning as long as the roads are dry. 

As we head into December, I noticed with some of my fellow bloggers/triathletes, the level of activities and posting has dropped dramatically.  Tis the season.

Going Mainstream

You know triathlons are going mainstream when they're are featured in a TV show like the "new" Hawaii Five-0.

A cheesy storyline where four triathletes rob a jewelery store during a triathlon.  Apparently they used real athletes and a couple of pros.

http://forum.slowtwitch.com/Slowtwitch_Forums_C1/Triathlon_Forum_F1/Hawaii_5-0_and_triathlons_P3088674/

I tried to post a clip from the website but CBS blocks showing anything in Canada but found another site so if you have 42 minutes to kill or just fast forward to the last five minutes when the "action" takes place.

To get rid of the annoying ad, click on "close to play' button

Crap Swim

John P wrote about a crappy swim he had the other day and today I had one as well.  It was only 2,000 meters but it was a struggle to the end.  I did:

400 swim

9x50 0:10 (1-3 kick, 4-6 pull, 7-9 swim)
300 swim
300 pull (skipped the pull)
9x50 0:20 seconds rest
#1 breathe every 3 strokes
#2 breathe every 5 strokes
#3 breathe every 7 strokes
100 easy
2000 Short Course Meters

The thought of bailing around the 1,700 metre mark as John P's blog came to mind.  I hung in to finish but my form was pretty bad.  I was bagged from the night before.  I had a work function and didn't get home until 10 pm, had a couple of beers and then crashed but I woke up at 4 am and couldn't get back to sleep.
 
Tammy asked how was swimming when I got home.  I mumbled I was a "little" tired.  I can't really tell her how bagged I was if I plan on sneaking out for hockey tonight.  Worse case scenario, if I don't play, I'll ride tomorrow morning outside.  Hopefully the roads will be dry and it won't be as windy. 
 

2011 Races

Coach called today and we chatted a little bit about the goals for 2011. First race of the new year will be the Chilly Half Marathon on March 6, 2011 followed by Around The Bay March 27th and the "new" Toronto Goodlife Marathon on May 15, 2011.  That's a lot of fucking running!!!!!

While I'd be the first to admit that I am not built to run, its probably my better discipline of triathlons (which is really not saying a whole lot).  My biggest worry is if my legs can hold out.  If you remember that I had a lot of running injuries in December through to June of this year due to my orthotics being toast and the seat dropping on my bike which screwed everything up.  For 2010, I had minor issues with the hamstring and it flared up every once and a while.  If I'm going to be doing that much running, then its bound to be a problem.  I mentioned this to coach and we agreed to add more strength training as well as sets of specific exercises for me to work on.  Oh yea!

When I got to the pool this morning at 5:45, I noticed the parking lot there were a lot of cars there.  It turns out that the other pool is closed and the Masters swim club that I was swimming with earlier this year had moved over to my pool.  I saw several people there and they kept asking when I was going to rejoin.  I'm still undecided as one complaint that I have about Masters is that there isn't enough mileage and they mix in too many other strokes.  For instance, I swam about 2,500 yards today following one of the workouts posted on Slowtwitch.  I thought it was a good workout and while I'm sure there is lots of things that Masters can help me improve on, its whether or not its worth it.  I'll decide in January.

My Junk Is Frozen!!

I tried getting a couple of guys to go riding this morning but no one wanted to join me.  The weather wasn't that bad it was -1 degrees (Celsius) and with 20 km\hr wind brought the temperature down to -5 degrees.  I've certainly run in a lot colder weather but for riding, this would be the coldest.  I was really interested in how the new riding jacket would hold up.  The last couple of times I wore it, the weather was too warm and I was totally soaked in sweat.  Today was the perfect test so I wore:

1. Long sleeve running turtleneck shirt
2. leg warmers
3. winter running tights
4. riding shorts
5. two pairs of wool socks
6. one set of wool gloves and the lobster claw gloves over it
7. riding jacket
8. thick booties over the riding shoes
9. balaclava
10. sunglasses (not because it was sunny)

I felt like the Michelin man walking to the door but at least I was warm.

It was a struggle riding even though I was riding with the wind when I headed out as it was blowing south west.  I did the usual route straight up Mccowan Road until I hit Aurora road and then west until Kennedy.  Once I started south on Kennedy, riding into the wind, it was pretty strong.  As I headed back home, my toes began to get cold and eventually numb and by the time I turned east on Elgin Mills Road, I was riding straight into the wind where my junk was exposed.  I should have worn my running wind brief but thought the two layers of pants would be good enough.   Not quite, as I was in pain coming down the home stretch and even though the ride was only 1:15, I doubt I could have lasted much longer.

I've certainly run in much colder temperatures but when it comes to protecting the junk, there is no such thing as too much protection.  The new riding jacket was perfect but my water bottle had frozen and I started the ride with warm water.  Next week, I'll put hot water.

Tomorrow I'll try a short run and oddly enough the temperature has been climbing in the last couple of hours.  It will be about 10 degrees with rain by tomorrow morning when I run, which is better than the -20 degrees out in Calgary.  Suckers!

I think I found a new bike that I like.  It might take some time to get used to..........

Let's See Him Do It With A Tri-Bike

Swam today 2,500 metres in 50 minutes.

Maybe ice hockey tonight (if I'm lucky)

Flow

Tonight I did my first Body Flow Class" at Goodlife.  It was bring a "friend" month and so Tammy brought me.  I guess I'm my wife's friend.

Body Flow is
A fusion of yoga, tai chi and pilates. Take an unforgettable journey that leaves you feeling centered and calm. Builds flexibility and strength.


As important as training is for a triathlete, I'm a big believer in using yoga to help strengthen and stretch the body to minimize injuries.  However that said, I haven't been able to make it to any classes.  Tammy and I talked about doing a "couple thing" where we would get a babysitter and do a class once a week.  This was suppose to start back in September once the kids went back to school.  Last night was our first night. 

Overall, it was ok as there were several things I could not do and I think it was helpful but I did do one yoga class with Personal Best last year and it was much harder.  Tammy was killing herself laughing at my wobbling poses in fact the instructor (Tammy's friend) asked her what was so funny in front of everybody.  Kind of like in school.  "Tammy, what's so funny?  Perhaps you would like to share it with the rest of the class or go to the Principal's office."

Would I go again?  Yea sure why not.  It was helpful

This morning I rode on the trainer for one hour and it was painful.  I find it so boooorrriiiinnnngg so I watched a show called Weeds that I borrowed from my manager.  I've heard of it but never seen it before.  I think its a HBO production but needless to say, I won't be watching that show when my kids are around.  Yikes

I can not belive how hungry I've been for the last couple of days.  It seems I'm constantly grazing.  Oink oink

Going Postal Part Duh

Ok so I finally got to see how many laps I could swim in 30 minutes to enter in this Postal contest on Slowtwitch.  Anyways I banged out 1,700 meters in 30 minutes for a 1:45 pace per 100 meters (or that's what they calculated for me).  Hmmm that seems way too fast.

http://forum.slowtwitch.com/gforum.cgi?post=3057354;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;forum_view=forum_view_collapsed;;page=unread#unread

The idea of this challenge is that the triathlon season is over and how to keep motivated in the pool.  I've toyed with the idea of rejoining the Master swim club as lane swimming quickly becomes extremely boring but I'm not sure why (well ok obviously its cheaper to lane swim) I haven't.  Without my swimming buddy, its sure is boring.  However there is a USA swim coach posting workouts on this thread and I've been doing them which makes swimming a little more interesting sooooo do I really need to go back to the Masters?  Time will tell what I end up doing.

Here's the "Part Duh."

I play hockey on Tuesday night right after work and I got to the rink and started getting dressed but when I went to put on my helmet, it was no where to be found.  Now, I maybe a moron but there is no way I'm playing ice hockey without a helmet as the guys I play with can be a little chippy in fact there was a fight last week (no not me).  How often do you see a fight in pick up hockey?  Not very often.  I ended up going to the lost and found and borrowed a kid's lost helmet (yuck) that was a little too small and my head was hurting by the end of the game but it did the job.  I found my helmet downstairs in the basement when I dumped my gear later tonight.  Tammy had hung it up on a pole and I didn't see it when I was packing my gear.

Earlier today I went to Semi Sports for some physio treatment on my hamstring.  On Sunday, Tammy had this great idea of cleaning the basement and throwing out the carpet we had saved from upstairs when we got hardwood.  I must have tweaked my hamstring going up and down the stairs so many goddamm times and I  ran Monday morning followed by a leg workout.  By Monday afternoon, my hamstring was aching so I made an appointment.  As you may recall, I've had on and off hamstring issues this year so I better take care of this sooner rather than later.  The therapist told me I have weak glutes and hamstring and gave me some exercises to do.  Stop me if you've heard this before........

I also wanted to get my hand checked out as six weeks ago I got hit with the puck in the palm of my hand and it still aches whenever I put pressure on it like if I do push ups or riding.  It turns out its a deep bruise that hasn't healed properly.  Good thing its the off season

Oh yea I need to get around about updating thoughts on the 2010 race season

IMFL - No Shit? That Ain't Chocolate Gu

Good To Ride

Today was a great day to be outside as over the last three weeks, I think I've done only two indoor rides and one ride outside and with a rainy Sunday, I had to get out.  Initially I wanted to ride in the afternoon but Tammy said she need a break as the kids had yesterday off and it was chaos in the house, so I opt to ride in the morning instead.  Its a really good thing I didn't play hockey on Friday night as it probably wouldn't have gone down to well with Tammy putting the kids to bed Friday night and then me taking off for 90 minutes Saturday morning.  The sacrifices I make......yea whatever.

It was a good to get out but the new riding jacket I bought was way too hot to wear and within a couple of minutes I was beginning to work up a good sweat.  The ride was the usual out and back only 40 km and I opt to take the easier route (ie flat as a pancake) but I quickly found how much endurance I've lost and by the end of the ride I was beginning to run out of gas.  How pathetic.

I hate this time of the year because: a) the race season is over and nothing to look forward to b) the days are shorter c) the weather is usually miserable but at least today was nice and sunny

Only six weeks until Chistmas

Going Postal

On Slowtwitch (online triathlon form) there is a swim contest going on amongst some users.  The idea is that as we are now in the "slow season,"  training becomes harder as there are no goals to focus on so someone came up with the idea of measuring your improved performance starting from now to the spring.  One way is your best time to swim 500 metres or the amount of laps you can swim in 30 minutes.  I've sat on the sidelines (figuratively) but followed the workouts a US swim coach post every week.  By following the workouts, its helped alleviate the boredom of swimming lap after lap which is the reason I haven't rejoined the Masters....yet.

So today, I decided to take the plunge (literally) and see how many laps I can swim in 30 minutes.  I calculated I should be around 60 laps (1.5 km).   Also I was interested in how many calories I burned swimming so I brought my heart rate monitor and wore the strap in the pool.  First problem that the belt kept slipping off so I had to keep tightening it and then for some reason it wasn't picking up my heart rate.  I ended up chucking the HR but kept the watch on to time my 30 minutes.  I also had my second running watch on the same arm (yes I looked like a geek wearing two watches) to count laps as I couldn't count laps if my life depended on it.  I lose count after three laps so I use the counter on my watch. 

So off I go and start out at a pretty good clip however the one problem with the pool in Stoufville is that its always so warm so I really began to die after 20 minutes.  I took a quick peak at my counter watch to see how many laps I had swam and it was........zero.  WTF!!  Even though I was pressing the button after each lap, it wasn't counting.  I was so annoyed that I didn't feel like doing anymore swimming, that and the bath like temperature did me in.  I'll try again on Tuesday where I swim in Markham and the temperature isn't as warm.

This sounds like a pretty whinny blog but its pretty much all that's going on right now.  I hate the off-season.

I need to get out and play more hockey

Hamilton Half Marathon Race Report

This was only the second race I've ever run with Tammy as this was all about her race after coming out to watch me frolicking around with triathlons for the last two years.  It was also the first half marathon she's ever done.  The babysitter arrived at our house at 6 am sharp and we left to meet Don (my bro) at our parent's house for 6:30 am.  One good thing was that Daylight Savings ended the night before so actually it was like meeting at 7:30 am instead.  The drive to Hamilton was pretty uneventful and we got to Confederation Park in good time.  We ran into Lisa in the parking lot with a guy from her office.  I guess he was going to pace her for this race.  The race ended at Confederation Park and we were bussed to the start line where we waited inside a school until the race started.  It was a cool and brisk morning but there were several people wearing shorts.  I'm not sure it was that warm.  The weather was pretty good but cool.  Thankfully it wasn't rainy or windy.  I wore my vest as I figured it might be a little cooler than if I ran at a normal pace and I was pretty much bang on.

Once the race started, we were running at a good clip.  Don took off almost immediately as he was looking to run at a much faster time (two hours) than what I was planning.  I figured we'd be aiming for around 2:15 which would have been pretty good.  The first 10 km was at a pretty good clip and in hind sight, a little too fast as Tammy began to flag around the half way point but hung in until the the last four kilometers.  We were ahead of the 2:15 pace bunny until around the 17 km mark and I thought we could keep pace until the end but Tammy really ran out of gas.  The last 3.5 km were a real struggle but she finished at a good clip for the last 500 meters.

I was very worried about being able to keep pace as we'd be running at a pace of over one minute per km slower.  In all, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be as I would amuse my self by running ahead and taking a couple of pictures and emailing it to Paul and Tammy's parents.  Its really hard to type and run at the same time.  Almost as hard as texting and driving at the same time. Ha Ha not that I would know about that!! Another time, I stopped to take a very long leak in the industrial section of the town and had to sprint hard to catch up.  That felt good (the sprinting).

All in all, it was a pretty good course as I liked running down Red Hill Valley Parkway which was shut down. Even towards the finish line the course went through a park along Lake Ontario which had a nice wide path unlike the finish to the Ajax and Mississauga Half Marathon which is quite narrow.  I really hate running in races where its a narrow path or very crowded like the Sporting Life 10 km down Yonge street which is so packed, its solid all the way.  I'm scheduled to run the full marathon next year as I think it would be a good race except for the finish as it loops around a water park the path turns to gravel for a couple of hundred meters which really sucks.  Also the water stations were a little disorganized as high school kids were in charge of handing out the drinks.  Some of the cups only had a mouthful of water so I grabbed three or four cups.

Oh, one lousy thing.  It took 45 minutes to exit the park as there was only one exit for all the cars to leave. Good thing the kids we're not with us or they would have flipped out

Race Results:

Don:   2:07:11 - he was on pace to break two hours but cramped up bad near the end
Lisa:  2:13:59 - end of the year race
Tammy:  2:19:09 - great race
Peter:  2:19:11 -  at least I wasn't sore after the race

Next Up:  Around The Bay (Hamilton) March 27, 2011 but maybe the Ajax 10 km Snowflake Run Dec 19th, 2010

Later this week I'll update thoughts of the 2010 race season

Next Up...Hamilton Half Marathon

Hopefully Sunday's race won't be like today...blah rainy, cold and miserable.  My calf seems to be ok and skipping a couple of runs seemed to do the trick.  I ran yesterday morning for about 11 km and it seemed ok as I ran at a slower pace.  My older brother Don is battling an achilles injury but should be ok to run and Tammy all of a sudden has pain in her right knee.  One trip to Kevin confirms that she has bursitis of the knee (yes I had to look up how to spell bursitis).  What is bursitis?

The knee joint is surrounded by three major bursae. At the tip of the knee, over the kneecap bone, is the prepatellar bursa. This bursa can become inflamed (prepatellar bursitis) from direct trauma to the front of the knee. This commonly occurs when maintaining a prolonged kneeling position. It has been referred to as "housemaid's knee," "roofer's knee," and "carpet layer's knee," based on the patient's associated occupational histories. It can lead to varying degrees of swelling, warmth, tenderness, and redness in the overlying area of the knee. As compared with knee joint inflammation (arthritis), it is usually only mildly painful. It is usually associated with significant pain when kneeling and can cause stiffness and pain with walking. Also, in contrast to problems within the knee joint, the range of motion of the knee is frequently preserved

Both Kevin and coach said stay off her feet but should be ok to run.  It might be painful but the run shouldn't cause any damage. 

Earlier this week I discovered a swim workout schedule that a swim coach had posted on Slowtwitch.  I've only been going to lane swimming and haven't decided to rejoin the Masters Swim Club.  There are several things I liked about the swim club.  One was that there were other people to talk to also a coach to provide some drills and guidance.  I've found with lane swimming, like running for two hours, it gets very boring when you're just pounding out the laps with no variance or structure.  So I decided to try the drills that this swim coach posted on Slowtwitch.  Tuesday's swim went like this:

WARM UP

2x450 10 sec rest
#1 swim, #2 (25kick/25swim)

MAIN
6x100 pull on 1:40
4x150 (100 strong/50 smooth) on 2:30
4x100 (25 back/25 swim) on 1:45

COOL DOWN
100 choice

(2,600SCM)

I got most of it complete but ran out of time as I need to be back home by 7:15 am to so Tammy can walk Rebecca to the bus stop.
 
Today's workout was like this:
 
WARM-UP

400 choice
4x50 (25 kick/25drill) 10" rest
6x50 swim (descend 1-3 & 4-6) on 50/55

MAIN
2x200 (150free/50 not free) on 3:25
2x200 pull (strong) on 3:20
200 negative split

COOL DOWN
100 choice

Again, I got most of it completed although not at the splits recommended.  Today's workout was a little bit shorter which is ok as I swim up in Stouffivlle which is a 15 minute drive back home.
 
Overall, I like having some structure rather than just swim blindly.  I'll continue for a couple of weeks and see how it goes.  Hopefully the coach will post some more drills just to mix it up.
 
Oh yea, that new bike I've been talking about...all of a sudden, it may not happen.  We just got a nasty letter from CRA.......doh!!  This could be a problem.

Nuthing Going On

Not much is going on.  My calf issue is still nagging despite seeing Kevin (chiropractor) last Tuesday where he absolutely tortured my legs.  I thought I'd be ok so like a moron on Thursday I ran 15 km.  I'm not sure why I did that but within 5 km my calf begin to tighten up and was pretty much sore for the rest of the run.  Kevin said running faster would effect my calf and I sort of forgot that as it was super windy that day with wind gusts up to 40 km\hr and when I was running with the wind I was running around a 4:30 km\min pace.  Oddly enough, my calf began to ache after that pace....duh.  At least it was warm enough to wear shorts but the temperature dropped by the time I finished.

Friday's swim was pretty much uneventful as I just did some laps and then 10 x 50 @ 50 seconds with 10 seconds rest.  Swimming is definitely boring.  The pool in Stouffville is really nice but just too warm.  I'm always sweating by the time I get dressed which I always find odd.....sweating after swimming.

I decided to skip Saturday's two hour run as my calf was still sore and I'm not sure why I have a two hour run one week before the race.  So much for tapering.  Instead I decided to do strength training on both upper and lower body but concentrating on my legs.  Needless to say, both my legs are sore.  I wanted to ride outside on Sunday morning but headed up bailing as I was a little hung over from Saturday night Halloween party.  Well it wasn't so much as being hung over but rather very sleep deprived as we got home at 12:30 am and Vanessa was sick and crying for most of the night.  I wonder how long I'll be able to ride outside as it is way colder than last year at this time.  Last year I rode until the last week in November but even with my new riding jacket I might not be able to last that long this year.  Today's high was four degrees.

For this week's workout, I'll ride tomorrow morning inside, swim Tuesday, run for about 45 minutes on Wednesday to test the calf.  I think I should be ok as I will be running at a slower pace.  Which leads to the next problem of what to do with the kids for the race.  I was hoping Paul would be able to watch them but he might be tied up so its either dropping them off at my parents on the way to the race at 6:30 am and pick them up around noon, or I don't run and watch them for two and a half hours.

No word on the bike as coach is in Florida racing IMFL and will be back in two weeks and Scobie is jetting off to Vegas for some 10 hours of pain at Silverman.

Ironman Access Program

WOW!!

Today World Triathlon Corporation (WTC) launches an exclusive athlete membership program called Ironman Access. In addition to other member benefits, the program will offer advance registration for Ironman events worldwide before entries open to the general public. Membership into Ironman Access is on a first-come, first-served basis and will close once it reaches capacity.

To register for Ironman Access, click here.

Advance race registration for Ironman Access members will open one week prior to the event’s general entry registration date.  Athletes are required to pay the general entry fee to the selected event.  Early registration for Ironman Access members for the 2011 Ironman Florida will open on Monday, Nov. 1; athletes interested in registering for this event as an Ironman Access member must join the program by 11:59 p.m. PDT on Sunday, Oct. 31, to be eligible.

Members may choose to register early for one or more of the following 2011 and 2012 Ironman races

The annual membership fee is $1,000 USD.

Access Membership Program Benefits:
• Exclusive advance registration to Ironman events
• Two VIP passes per registered event
• One-year subscription to LAVA Magazine
• 2011 Ironman Lottery entry plus second chance in the Ironman Lottery program
• 2010 Ford Ironman World Championship NBC broadcast DVD
• 20 percent discounts on Ironman partner products at shopironman.com and on-site event retail stores
• Official membership ID card
The above benefits are valid for one year starting from activation date

So for only $1,000 US I have the privilege of being first in line to fork out $565 for an Ironman race AND I get two VIP passes!!!!  Sweet.  Capitalism doesn't get much better than this......

I'm not quite sure I'd agree with everything in this article (ie spending $22,000 per year) but triathlon is the new golf.

---

October 22, 2010

Triathletes, 40-Somethings, Going for Youth

By ANN MARIE GARDNER

HE was 39 and thought he was in decent shape. But when Eric Goodman, an information technologist from Stamford, Conn., tried to run a mile on a treadmill, he could barely make it without feeling as if he were coughing up a lung.

If Mr. Goodman were younger, he might have joined a gym or played soccer, as he did in college. Instead he started doing triathlons. In a year, he lost 17 pounds and added 6 pounds of muscle, and is now able to run one mile in 6 minutes 30 seconds. He says he feels like a 20-year-old again.

“I’m not looking for my fountain of youth, but I am trying to stay as young as I can for as long I can,” said Mr. Goodman, now 40. “I didn’t realize how bad of shape I was in.”

Mr. Goodman is part of a generation of athletic, type-A men who are entering middle age and trying to hold on to their youth through triathlons — a race that combines swimming, biking and running. The sport has exploded by 51 percent since 2007, according to the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association, and men in their 40s are one of the fastest growing segments in the sport, accounting for one-third of the 1.2 million triathletes.

The phenomenon is not restricted to Americans. In London, there’s even a term for triathletes pushing middle age: Mamils, which stands for middle-aged men in Lycra.

Skip Gilbert, former executive director of USA Triathlon, the sport’s governing body, said he believes the craze started when the triathlon became part of the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney. Before then, "the perception was that triathlon was only for Ironmen,” he said, referring to the longest and toughest category of triathlons, which involves swimming 2.4 miles, biking 112 miles and running a 26.2-mile marathon.

“But shorter Olympic distance races at the Games gave more athletes a way to embrace the sport,” Mr. Gilbert said. What used to take 15 hours with Ironman competitions can now be done in as few as 3 hours in an Olympic distance race. A sprint triathlon, the shortest type, typically involves a half-mile swim, a 13-mile bike ride and a 3-mile run. “The sport gained momentum almost instantly,” he said.

In 2000, there were 50 USA Triathlon clubs. Now there are 831 throughout the country. In 2000, there were 229 USA Triathlon-certified coaches; now there are 1,800, according to USA Triathlon.

Some of the growth in the sport comes from aging long-distance runners, who switched over because of injuries, according to Dr. Michael J. Neely, the medical director at NY Sports Medicine and Physical Therapy, based in Manhattan. The shock on joints associated with running gets worse with age.

“Triathlons are much better for the body than long-distance running,” Dr. Neely said. “With triathlons, when you are injured running, you can still swim and bike.”

Ken Katz, 40, a doctor in Pittsburgh, had been running since high school and participated in one marathon and several half-marathons. But he stopped 10 years ago when he developed what he called “knee woes.”

“I got banged up and decided to diversify into triathlons, where you have the combination of the other sports to take a little of that pressure off specific injuries,” he said.

Soon, Dr. Katz was investing in bikes, traveling to races and hiring a coach.

That’s not to mention all the accessories and lifestyle brands that now cater to him and other triathletes. They can now buy TriSwim’s shampoo to remove chlorine, and sports drinks like Hammer Nutrition Heed, which is sold on Web sites like One Tri. There are aerodynamic helmets and sunglasses made for triathlons, as well as wet suits and tri-specific running sneakers made by K-Swiss, Asics, Zoots and Newton.

At Placid Planet, a bicycle and triathlon shop in Lake Placid, N.Y., the new must-have accessories are Zipp wheels and compression tights. “Zipp wheels are an aerodynamic carbon wheel that increase speed by reducing drag on the wheel,” said Kenny Boettger, the owner. Compression tights and socks, he said, help athletes recirculate oxygen and blood. “This is the big thing right now and it works,” he said.

There are also magazines like Lava, which began publishing in August and offers testosterone-fueled articles and profiles that appeal to men who dream about being Ironmen. With page after page of Lycra, equipment reviews and training tips, the magazine is geared for “hardcore triathletes who want to get right inside the fiery molten center of triathlon,” according to its mission statement.

Lava’s macho-man mantra is simple. “Forty is the new 20,” said John Duke, who publishes the monthly magazine in San Diego. “And in triathletes, 40 isn’t old. The median age of the sport is 41.”

Good thing, too, since triathlons don’t come cheap. “Forty-somethings are also the ones who can afford the sport,” said Scott Berlinger, the head coach of Full Throttle, a 120-man triathlon team that is based out of the Chelsea Piers in Manhattan. “I tell my athletes everything costs $100 — shoes, helmets, glasses — and the big purchase is your bike.”

A bicycle — the tri-world equivalent of the red sports car — can cost anywhere from several hundred dollars to more than $10,000. After the bike and the chiropractor bills, the biggest item is individual coaching, which can easily run $100 an hour.

“Triathletes are a discerning group of alpha consumers, with $175,000 average salaries,” said Erik Vervloet, vice president for sports marketing at K-Swiss, which jumped into the tri-market three years ago. “The average Ironman spends $22,000 a year on the sport.”

The high price is an issue, particularly for spouses. “I still argue with the wife about the costs,” said Mr. Goodman, the triathlete from Stamford. His gear includes a $5,000 Cervelo bicycle, a $3,000 Pinarello bicycle, Xterra Vector Pro2 wet suits, Izumi Tri Fly 111 bike shoes and a Lazer Tardiz helmet.

But his wife, Amy, eventually came around. “At first it was a bit hard for me to swallow,” said Ms. Goodman, 32, who is attending graduate school in the field of public health, “but when I saw that the bike wasn’t going to hang on the wall, I thought, in terms of self-indulgences, this is one of the best things he could be doing.”

“Hopefully that will pay off in terms of medical bills we are not paying for down the road,” she added.

Triathlons have other benefits, too. Triathletes often get a confidence boost. “He definitely appreciates the changes in his body,” Ms. Goodman said. “He looks different and he has transformed his profile, his posture.”

Mr. Goodman agreed, though his main concern now isn’t how he looks in the mirror, but making sure that he isn’t “chick-ed” at the next race — slang for being beaten by a woman.

“I’m not going to sit around and say I’m getting old,” he said. “I’m going to find a way to beat this.”

This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:

Correction: October 23, 2010

An earlier version of this article referred incorrectly to the location of the 2000 Olympic Games, where the triathlon made its debut. They occured in Sydney, not Atlanta.

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That's Mister Pace Bunny

Today's run was 1:45 minutes but instead of running at my normal pace, I tried to run at Tammy's perceived pace of 6:00 min\km.  It was harder than I thought it would be as I would be running in zone 2 as opposed to zone 3 which meant going slower.  Also I was fairly sore from Thursday's leg workout and the first couple of steps were painful but once I got moving it wasn't so bad.  All in all, according to my Polar I ran 17.12 at a pace of 6:09 min/km but according to google maps, I ran 16.3 km at a pace of 6:27 min/km.  A big difference!  I really need to reset my pedometer.

However, just as I was finishing the run, I started to feel my right calf seize up in the exact same spot as last week.  I'm not sure how much further I've could have continued, but this could be a problem.  Its not a sore as last week but I think I need to contact Kevin this week otherwise, I could end up walking or worse......DNFing.

Owww You're Hurting Me

My calf was still a little sore so I thought a massage was in order even though I've blasted through my insurance coverage many months ago. I highly recommend Rishi at http://www.therapysource.ca/ .   He absolutely kills me every single time but its well worth it.  I've found that the "usual" massage just doesn't cut it anymore.  The difference is that Rishi offers Osteopathy which goes beyond the usual massage.  He tends  to be a little "rough" but I think its worth it even if I usually beg for mercy at some point.

What is Osteopathy?

Osteopathy is a patient-centred treatment that focuses on the body's innate ability to heal itself. It is an approach to the human body based on the interrelated anatomy and physiology of the body's systems.
Osteopathy uses a manual therapy that is based on a highly developed sense of touch to stimulate the body's natural self-regulating and self-healing capabilities, by locating and correcting the root cause of the disorder.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes Osteopathy as a distinct manual therapy that differs from other health care professions.
Manual Osteopathy is based on 4 basic principles:

Each structure in the body supports the body's functions. If a structure is damaged, out of place or otherwise not working properly, the body will not function at its best.
The natural flow of the body's fluids - lymphatic, vascular, and neurological - must be preserved and maintained.
The human body is the sum of its parts. Its physical, emotional, social, spiritual, and cognitive systems don't work independently, they work in harmony.
When the body has no restrictions, it has the inherent ability to heal itself.

Osteopathy recognizes that a person is an integrated whole. When all the body's components are in balance, a person is complete and can achieve optimal health.

One thing I've noticed is that physiotherapy, massage therapy and chiropractic are all merging together where each "specialist" now offer similar treatment.

Rishi did point out how weak my glutes were and I've been noticing on my longer runs (ie past 1.5 hours) my right butt seems dead and unresponsive.  This has been a chronic problem ever since I've been running over the last ten years as many different therapists have pointed out and I've constantly ignored but since I started racing triathlons I've actually been doing something about it....sort of.  This is where the strength training is suppose to help (when I ever do it) because what happens is that my glutes get overworked and eventually shut down.  The other muscles, like my hamstring, IT band all begin to work harder to try and compensate and that's where things get out of whack.  That's how I know when my knee starts to hurt, I need to work on my butt exercise and so on Thursday morning I decided to start back up with the strength training.  I got back to the basics and did lunges, wall squats, calf raises, abs etc and right now (Friday night), its pretty safe to say I had a good work out because my ass is killing me every time I get up and sit down!


Tomorrow's run of 1:45 should be interesting if not painful however instead of running at my prescribed zone 3 which would be about 5:15 min\km pace, I'll try to run at 6:00 min\km which would be more at Tammy's pace, I hope.
  

Happy Birthday Rebecca

Today is my daughter's seventh birthday.  Its hard to believe she seven already.  It just seems like yesterday that she was born. 

In fact, I was supposed to run the Toronto Half Marathon on Sunday October 19th and while I knew Rebecca was supposed to be born on the 20th, I thought what are the chances of her coming due the day of the race?  First born kids are always late right?  So I trained for three months and was supposed to run with Tammy's manager.  Well wouldn't you know it, Sunday morning at 4 am, Tammy's water broke.  We went over to North York General where we found the placed packed with expected mothers.  I think I counted over 20 women waiting to have their babies.  After hanging out there for a couple of hours, the hospital sent us home so we went to the corner of Yonge and Sheppard at 7:30 am and parked our car.  The race started at 8 am so "technically" I could have made the start but that probably wouldn't have gone down too well.  We watched the people race by and even saw Tammy's manager running.  He put two and two together and figured out why I didn't show up. 

We stayed at home until noon and then headed back to the hospital where we waited and waited and waited.  In fact by Monday the next morning, Tammy still hadn't wasn't ready and when were doctor saw her, he asked "what are you still doing pregnant?"  And so after 31 hours of labour and one missed race, Rebecca was born .

Today was my first run since Saturday's painful and sudden ending.  I had skipped Monday's run and so today I took it easy but still ran 1:15.  I felt a slight twinge in my calf and some general aches and pains in my right knee but otherwise it was ok. 

The coach called last night and we talked a bit about my new bike.  Originally he told me that I should move to a tri-bike to increase my speed and run as they are much more aerodynamic.  Last week he offered to sell (unload?) his road bike to me.  He sort of flipped flopped and now I'm not sure what to buy.  He mentioned he has purchased 15 bikes and I should come up and take a look at some of them.  Next week he's getting another 30 bikes and we can go over what the best suited for me.  He will have both road and tri bikes.  With that many bikes, his garage will be full, although he does have a four car garage with only one very dusty and unused Porsche 911.

It seems he's moving into more retail side of this sport.

Oh yea, Tammy wants a bike too...............