Last Chance Half, and thats a wrap

Sunday November 13 was the Last Chance Half Marathon and my last race for the season.  Starting the season with the Calgary Police Half Marathon, and finishing with the Last Chance Half Marathon was a great way to bookend the season and see how far I've come.

Game Face! No, not really.

Coming into this race I was excited to have fresh legs, probably for the first time since August 28, the day before Ironman.  After Ironman I raced the Subaru Banff Tri as a cyclist for a relay team, and a few weeks later I ran Melissa's Half in Banff with my fiancée, and about two weeks after that I was running again to get ready for LC.  Being fresh I put a little more pressure on myself and decided that this would be a race where I would take some chances and try and hit the elusive 1:30 HM mark.

The race started and right away I was running with a quick start around 4:10/km.  For the first bit this felt fine but after about 2km I figured the pace wasn't sustainable.  Already starting to get some negative feedback from my legs I decided to back off the pace a little and just go by feel.  I backed off to about 4:30/km which was a bit slower than I wanted, but then I came across another runner who I've raced against before and started pacing off him.  That helped to get my mind off the clock, but at the same time helped push me along a bit.  I actually struck up a conversation with him and said (maybe a bit too crypticly), "You raced the Police Half right? We've done this before".  What I was referring to was playing cat and mouse with each other for km after km.  I'm glad I introduced myself and he knew exactly who I was, we struck up some conversation and it turns out Ron is actually a great guy and a very impressive athlete.

I kept pushing but not feeling great until around the half way mark.  Up until I was calculating splits and times and thinking about what my finish time would be if I blew up, not the best frame of mind.  But after the turnaround I started seeing teammates, friends and my dad.  I had about 45 minutes left in my 2011 season, so I  figured "damn the torpedoes and full speed ahead".  I re-passed a lot of the people who got by me after I backed off the pace and I pushed right until the end.

My old man and I post race

My finish time was 1:33:51, beating my previous PR of 1:39:10 (which had snow on course which probably cost about 3-4 minutes to be fair).  I'm super happy with the result and I believe it was a great way to finish the season.  I firmly believe that the goals you set should be a little it out of your reach, if its something easily within your grasp then your goal becomes an expectation, and with expectations we have no incentive to push beyond what we're capable of.

The best part of the day though was my dad running his first Half Marathon on his 59th birthday.  His finish time was a strong 2:05, and his first running race was the Calgary Police 5km back in April.  So to say he has come a long way this season would be an understatement.  He's already becoming a competition minded age group athlete and is pretty excited that next year when he turns 60 he'll be in the young end of his age category.

Holiday Gift Ideas for the Athlete in Your Life

Egg Nogg Lattes are back in Starbucks now, so as far as I'm concerned its now that time of year.  I pretty much buy all the coolest gear I can get my hands on, so I've decided I should impart some of that knowledge with you folks, so here I've put together my first annual Athlete's Holiday Gift Guide!

Stocking Stuffers (Under $25)


Toasterz Reusable Heat Pack ($6.75 available at MEC.ca)- These are very cool... er... warm.  For runners, skiiers, and boarders who spend lots of time outside through the winter this is a reusable chemical (not the dangerous kind) heat pack.  You simply click the disk and it creates some sort of chemical reaction that provides warmth for when the cold starts to get to you. Once its cooled down, just boil it and its ready to go for next time.

The Stick ($20-$40 available at most running shops)- This pretty simple little tool is a must have for anyone who puts serious mileage in but doesn't want to pay for a massage every few weeks.  It works similar to a foam roller but is smaller and harder.  Great on smaller muscles like your calves, but can definitely tackle larger tissue areas like your IT band.

Gifts for someone you like a bit more (Under $100)

Lululemon Vinyasa Scarf- ($48 at Lululemon)- Gentlemen, if you're not sure what size pants or shirt to buy you lady friend, or you don't trust your own judgement in color/design and don't want to ask the friendly staff at Lululemon for help, then a scarf is the perfect gift.  The Vinyasa scarf is a tres versatile gift that can be worn on the way from the gym, on the way to work, or on a cozy drive out to the chalet in Kimberley.

Lululemon Beach Coast Hoodie ($98 at Lululemon)- This is a safe bet for the guy in your life and is a pretty tried and true gift idea .  Its street enough that if he's one of those guys who's still holding out from wearing Lulu based on some misguided principal, he might be willing to convert.  If your guy already wears Lulu stuff, then you can bet he wants one of these.  These always have cool designs and the thick cotton is good to keep you warm on the drive back from the ski slopes, so this one is a staple in my coat closet.

CEP Compression Socks ($60 at most run/tri/ski/snowboard shops)- My mom always used to get me socks for Christmas.  I probably would have appreciated it a bit more if they were CEP Compression socks.  I've always strongly encouraged boarders/skiiers to wear the appropriate socks for their boots when they hit the hills.  As a runner though I wasn't a convert to compression until recently.  I've got a couple pairs of CEP running socks and use them for recovery or travelling and don't go to a race without them.

Nike+ Sportband ($69 at most running stores)- This is a very sweet piece of equipment.  Using the Nike+ sensor you put in your shoe, which is basically an accelerometer, this device tracks your time, speed, pace, distance.  The cool thing is that its not GPS based, so you can use them indoors or on the treadmill and its a fraction of the price of a more expensive GPS watch.

Louise Card/ Sunshine Card ($85/$99) at respective websites or local ski/snowboard shop)- Free ski days, and discounts the other day? Yes please.  If you ski or snowboard but not enough to warrant a season pass, these are for you.  They pay for themselves basically after about 2 uses so you can't go wrong.  Plus with direct to lift you can skip the ridiculous lines at the ski hills when you get there.

Who Needs a Bonus Anyways? (under $500)


Rudy Project Sun Glasses ($150-$300 at www.e-rudy.com)- There's shades for the sun, and there's shades for the snow.  Heading into winter now a lot of people generally wear the same sunglasses that they use in the summer.  Even if they're sport glasses though its important to realize there are different lenses for different lighting.  There are plenty of times I've been outside where I needed shades to deal with blowing snow, or glare from the ground, but my dark Oakley shades made it difficult to judge contrast.  This impairs depth perception and results in things like skiing off cliffs... okay thats never happened, but who doesn't want a new pair of shades.

Olympus TG-610 ($249 at Bestbuy)- If you've got an athlete in your life, or are one yourself, you know that the need for a camera 15 feet below water is pretty likely, and that when its freezing cold outside is precisely when you'll want that perfect shot, and after you're done all this you'll just drop you camera on the pavement.  Well with this cool little camera has got it all. Another feature I like is its "tap control" which allows you to tap the camera from different sides to control operation, ideal for underwater use or when you're on the hills wearing ski gloves.

Garmin Forerunner 910xt ($390 at outdoor stores and bike shops this December)- Yeah so this is awesome. Bear with me while I have a geek-gasm here. The Garmin 910xt takes your standard GPS watch functionality and adds ANT+ compatibility to read power from devices like a CycleOps Powertap, Quarq, or the upcoming Garmin Vector.  Beyond that, it offers extensive swimming metrics such as distance, stroke count, stroke type, and efficiency. Whats cool about that is that its accelerometer based, not GPS based, so you can actually use it in a pool.  Its a bit expensive, but its the last computer your triathlete friend will ever need.

CycleOps Fluid2 Trainer ($389+ online and at your local bike shop)- Its winter, and if you're SO has a sweet road bike, and no trainer, then the CyclOps Fluid2 trainer is exactly what you should buy him/her.  Secure your bike to the trainer with the straightforward latch system of the Fluid2, get on your bike, put on a movie, and you're ready to go.  I prefer fluid trainers to magnetic and wind trainers since they're comparatively quiet, and you can put down a lot more power and still have realistic road feel.  If you're buying one for a petite lady friend who rarely puts out over 250 watts, the Magneto or Mag+ isn't a bad bet either, and its a bit cheaper at the mid-$200's.

Playstation 3 Uncharter 3 Bundle ($299 at Futureshop)- Yeah thats right. I just added a video game console to the Athlete's Gift Guide.  They're athletes, the goal during the off season should be to get them OFF the trainer and ON the couch.  Hot games this season include; Batman Arkham City, Assassin's Creed   Revelations, Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3, Battlefield 3, and Uncharted 3.  You won't thank me later.

Dream On (You're not going to get this)

Santa would deliver presents far faster with this

Specialized Venge ($8000 for the frame)- What does a bike frame that costs as much as a Kia look like? It looks like this.  The Specialized Venge is the brainchild of bike manufacturer Specialized, and Formula 1 race team Mclaren.  Let me say that again, the Venge literally is the baby of a wicked fast bicycle, the S-Works Venge, and a McLaren Formula 1 car.  Differences in how the carbon is cut, and how the frame is molded mean the bike is lighter, stiffer, and more aerodynamic than every other bike on the road.

Well thats all for now folks.  Maybe if the mood strikes me I'll write up another gift guide before the holiday season really gets into swing.  I'll keep you posted (pun).

Cheers,

Raf

Lululemon Run Club

So as some of you may have heard me talk about, I'll soon be co-leading the Lululemon 17th Ave/4th Street Run Club.  I'm very excited to be a part of the Lululemon team and am super excited to be leading the club with rockstar marathoner and fellow ambassador Andrea Rice! (check out Andrea's blog here, she's running the NY Marathon next week!)

The run club will be for runners of all levels but one of our main goals for the group will be to introduce new participants to running.  So whether this is your first run or 101st run, we'd love to see you out there.  For experienced runners, think of this as your easy recovery run, for new runners, think of this as an opportunity to run outdoors in a safe, welcoming atmosphere.

Each run will meet at 5:15 on Tuesdays at the Lululemon on 17th (by Melrose) and we'll spend 15 minutes talking about things like gear, training, staying motivated, etc.  We'll then head out at 5:30pm and run for 30 minutes from the store.

Lastly, don't be intimidated by the weather, we'll tell you all about proper running gear into the cool winter months, but part of this is showing people how refreshing it can be to run in the cooler months.  Also, you can check out my Cool Running post (below) for some extra tips on... cool running.

See you Tuesday at 5:15pm!

Cool Running

The past few weeks we've once again been blessed with a comfortable, seasonal, autumn, but with Halloween just a few days away we're all reminded that the days are getting much shorter, and long winter nights are just around the corner.

That certainly doesn't mean that its time to head indoors however, it just means its time to make a few changes to the routine.  You'll find that with some pretty easy changes to your schedule and gear, you can train outside year-round, and even have a good time while you're at it.

Here are a few tips and considerations for training as the temperatures drop and the days get shorter.

• How much to wear-  Summer is easy, shorts and a tee shirt.  But fall/winter is a bit trickier.  Overdress and you'll find yourself overheating after 5 minutes, underdress and you'll freeze your tail off.  A good rule of thumb when you head out for a run is to dress as though its 10 degrees warmer than it is if you were idle.  So if its -5C out and you're going for a run, wear what you would were if it were +5C and you were walking to work.
• What to wear- Layers, layers, layers.  Forget about your old college hoodie and sweat pants.  You typically want to wear 2-3 layers of technical and insulating fabrics depending on the conditions.   Ideally with the exception of your base layer, the more zippers the better since this allows you a lot of flexibility in adapting to temperature changes on your run.  More layers will also keep you warmer than just a since thick ugly sweater since the air between each layer will act as its own insulation the same way a double paned window insulates better than single (house windows vs car windows).  Go to a running store or click on either of these links for a good explanation of how a good layering system works; GO Outdoors or MEC. 
• Run the good routes you know-   If you run in your neighbourhood or on the same pathways fairly frequently you probably know which ones are the best lit, have the most other runners, flood the least frequently (rain/melting), and cross the fewest roads.  Stick to these routes, there's the many obvious safety considerations involved here but I also say this because these are the routes you'll have the best workouts on.  These are the routes you'll feel most comfortable pushing yourself on since you'll see other runners braving the elements, and you won't have to worry about as many safety concerns (ice, poor lighting, drivers seeing you).
• Run shorter loops, closer to your base- Rather than running one big 10km loop, do things like try two 5km loops, once one way, once the other. At the end of the day running in cold weather presents a slightly higher risk should something go wrong.  If you're having an off day, cramp up, have IT band issues, or worse yet GI issues, you'll want to be close to home so you can cut through the park and get back in just a few minutes, or call your roommate to come to your rescue so you can go to Starbucks instead.  
• Know the conditions- Know what time the sun sets and rises, what the short term forecast is for the next few hours, how far your route takes you, etc.  The big thing here is that you don't want to be caught offguard by something you could have figured out by going to theweatherchannel.ca.  Like a freak snowstorm, or you know, the sun setting and it dropping 10 degrees.
• A couple things to bring- A phone is a must have, so is a toque, gloves, $10, and a pair of sunglasses for reflecting snow or those stinging little snow flakes that fall when its really cold.  Another piece of tech that I like to have are those little thermal boot/hand warmers you can get at any ski shop.  If you get colder than you'd thought, you can crack a couple of those and you'll be good to get home.  

The last thing to have that'll do you good for cooler/cold running is a buddy or group to run with.  Its funner, safer, and it will give a little extra motivation to HTFU and get out there.

You'll find running as the temperature starts to drop really isn't so bad once you get out there and do it once.  A little smile will come across your face when you run by the gym windows where people running on their treadmills watch you go by, the runner with the grit to brave the elements.  And you'll discovery there is a knowing, unspoken camaraderie between you and the other runners out there when its -15C, dark, and you're running like the Energizer Bunny. So give your running brothers/sisters a wave or a nod when you're out there, we'll be sure to give one back!  :-)

Raf

Quick Update

Just a quick update on things today.  A couple weeks ago I ran the Melissa's Half Marathon in Banff, it was a beautiful day in one of the most incredible places to race in the world.  This one was a pretty relaxed run for me and I just ran with my fiancee Shirley and helped her to set a PB.  A few other friends raced this one and it was great to be out there with everyone on such a great morning.  Also a pleasant surprise was some of my awesome friends from the Lululemon on 4th Street manning one of the aid stations!

I also started structured training again this week after a month off following Ironman where I just did some fun rides, and relaxed runs.  Now I'm back at it, swimming with the Talisman Centre Masters Swim Club, doing runs and track work, and getting whatever rides I can in before the snow falls.  For the next month or so I'll be focusing on the run, as I'm going to be racing the Last Chance Half Marathon November 13th and shooting for a personal best, somewhere in the 1:35 range.

I'll be off to Mexico next week for a nice relaxing vacation as well, hence more running rather than riding, and hopefully more surfing rather than swimming.

Lastly, I'm meeting with a couple of the awesome gals from Lululemon in the next couple days to talk about putting together an intro to triathlon workshop/event sometime in November.  If anyone is interested in attending, shoot me a note and let me know what you'd like to know more about.  More details on that to come.

Cheers!

Raf