Author: kknnheinze@yahoo.com

Sign of the Times? Chilly Chase 15 K podium. And Brentwood Bay’s Robert Johnson. Fitspeek 60 is Family Friendly!

We here at Fitspeek are always doing our best to notice trends developing in endurance sports and in fitness. And whether this is the start of a trend or just a blip, we couldn’t help notice and let you know about it. The top 5 overall finishers at this year’s Chilly Chase 15 K division were female!

In Fitspeek 60 we give you the race results including the female domination of that distance. Of course there was another big race we’re reporting on. The Pacific First Half was held a little while back in Vancouver and we have your overall winners. It was a fast field!

And speaking of fast, Fitspeek 60 features an in-depth interview with one of BC’s fastest triathletes, Robert Johnson. Originally from Chilliwack, Robert tells us about his journey from being your all-Canadian hockey playing kid in Chilliwack to his hammer fests in Stanley Park with Canada’s elite triathletes. Robert is part of a triathlon racing team sponsored by a US men’s grooming products company called Every Man Jack and is one fast dude! Listen to the interview and the rest of the podcast by pressing play in that little box right here.

Being fast is fun, and to be the fastest version of you, Tri*Joy can help! Based in Mission, we can meet you in-person to discuss your athletic goals. With a low client to coach ratio and regular performance assessments, we optimize your training time and keep you motivated.

Whether you are interested in getting to your first finish line or fastest finish line, Tri*Joy is your local coaching company. E-mail us at kknnheinze@yahoo.com to meet and map out your journey to an amazing season.

We’re trying something new here at Fitspeek, our first feature-length interview, and we dive right in with a piece on one of the most influential people in the sport of triathlon, Dan Empfield.

You’ll hear about Dan’s beginnings as a runner and a junior lifeguard in Huntington Beach, California, and  then his life-changing experience at the 1982 Hawaii Ironman.

Also in the interview is a neat little segment that I call A Day in the Life where you’ll get a chance to find out how Slowman fills his days (spoiler alert: more coffee, product testing, gravel bike). Of course being the visionary that he is, we end off the interview with his thoughts on the future of the sport. Hear all 100 minutes of our time with Dan Empfield by pressing play in that little box below.

And if your future involves swimming, biking, and running, Tri*Joy can help. We offer in-person consultations, relevant training plans, and regular progress assessments to keep you on track. Get going by e-mailing me at kknnheinze@yahoo.com

Fitspeek 58 is all about raising your heart rate.

In his regular feature Between The Ears Zack Neufeld reports on how to use anger as a positive force in your training and racing.

Also on the show, we let you know about a way to raise your heart rate and raise money for local health care at the same time. Fraser Health is holding a “stair-a-thon” formally known as the Step Up for Cardiac Health. We hear from event organizer Liz Harris about the details.

To elevate your heart rate and race day success, Tri*Joy can help. With in-person consultations, effective training programs, and regular progress assessments, we’ll help you achieve your athletic goals in 2019. E-mail kknnheinze@yahoo.com to gets things started.

As athletes, and as people in general, we are always striving for balance. Balance between work and play. Balance between saving and spending. Balance between thinking and talking (well, for me anyway). And even in cycling, we strive for balance between suffering and pleasure, however it is that you choose to define the two. Today my ride had both!

I’m getting a bit softer over the years. Upon first moving to the Lower Mainland from Calgary, my bike rarely saw the trainer, even in winter. The fenders were on, as well as layers of waterproof clothing to shield me from the ever-present monsoons.

This is no longer the case. Partly due to time constraints and partly due to fear of death by F-350 on Dewdney Trunk Road, I’m usually on the CompuTrainer in the dark season. I havn’t been on the real road since late October.

That changed this weekend, with my annual pilgrimage to Mecca. That is of course, Southern California. After the requisite 2200 kilometre drive (flying is cheating) to the promised land, I drank three cups of local coffee, re-assembled my superleggara Scott Foil from Wentings, mixed up my Glycodurance, and hit the road.

Seven days previously, I hosted a presentation for our local cycling club, Phoenix Velo. To get the members warmed up for the guest speaker, I asked them “when I am on my bike, I feel __________.”

Within ten pedal strokes, I had my own answer to that question, “at home!”

Ten more pedal strokes later, I noticed burning in my eyes. This was likely caused by the salty breeze wafting off the Pacific. Like I say, I hadn’t been on the real road in quite a while, so there was a brief period of acclimatization.

The second thing I noticed was how fresh my legs were feeling. The third thing I noticed was how many other cyclists there were.

There’s a simple mathematical formula that most riders have probably heard of. It goes like this. Fresh legs + many riders = RACE.

After passing twenty riders in ten minutes, my ego reigned itself in, well, at least for the moment. And even though I have ridden it a dozen times before, rolling through Leucadia, Encinitas, and Solano Beach, was like being in a movie featuring a cast of half-million dollar cars, quarter-million dollar plastic surgeries, inspiring vistas, and the roar of “Go Rams Go” emanating from scores of cantinas along the route. As it turned out, the Rams DID go, or should I say, ARE going to the Super Bowl.

But back to the ride. After stopping for fun beach pictures at Swami’s Beach, I soft pedaled for a few k, saving my legs for the piccolo provo of the day, hill repeats at Torrey Pines, a long but civilized grade of about 2 kilometres. The first repeat was a lesson in self-discipline. Yes, there were other riders. Yes, they were on “slower” bikes. Yes, they looked slower/older than me. Yes, I watched them ride all ride away, as I steadfastly held to my target heart rate (130). My glory would come on the next two repeats.

Hill repeat number two had nothing to do with effective training but everything to do with ego. Yet, every year I come back here I do it. To see if I still, “got it.” The protocol is as simple as it is self-destructive, ride the hill in the biggest gear. NOT “the biggest gear possible,” THE biggest gear. Failure IS an option. In fact it is honourable!

Off I went. There were no surprises. I resolved to sit, grind the 50/11 as long as possible, and stand only when my knees complained or when things were going sideways due to lack of forward momentum. In the first few minutes, things were going well. Despite my tortoise-like cadence (40-ish) I was getting up the climb. Equally important, nobody was passing me, likely because there was nobody else on the climb at that time.

Then it happened. Gently at first. But then increasing more and more. No, my knees were fine. It was my left shoe. Apparently, the massive watts (130, yes that’s a 1) that my 55-year-old legs generated, were loosening my cleat. With steely resolved I continued the grind, each pedal stroke sloppier than the previous. I promised myself I could tighten the cleat, but only after the crest of the climb.

I made it to the top. Then I dutifully unclipped. Then began looking for a place to balance the bike so I could re-tighten what was now remnants of a ten dollar bargain store Look compatible red plastic piece of plastic. Since I just completed the Torrey Pine Climb, how about a Torrey Pine tree to go with it? There were plenty. I chose one that was not too big or not too small. It was just right.

With my bike safe and my bladder full, I was also looking for relief of another sort. And after answering nature’s call, I sadly began smelling nature’s smell. And it wasn’t lavender.

Apparently, someone else thought this Torrey Pine was just right as well. But not for a pee. It was the unmistakable stench of having stepped in poo, and it was mine to deal with. Sure enough, the loose clear was smothered in it, like a piece of toast covered with Kraft extra chunky.

I assessed the grim task at hand, how to dislodge a few ounces of poo from the underside of my left shoe. To make my unsavoury task more dignified, I looked for something to take off the offending substance. No dice. Torrey Pines are conifers. How I longed for a Canadian Maple or Douglas Fir.

With no other option, I dug in with my now VERY multi-purpose tool and commenced liberating my cleat from the greasy mix of pine needles, shards of red plastic, and feces. Minutes later the dirty deed was done and I was set for the rest of the ride. And although it was beautiful, it was much less memorable for all the right reasons.

And so the season begins!

In Fitspeek 57 you’ll hear about Day Five of Chad Bentley’s experience at the Epic Five Triathlon in Hawaii. Chad will also speak about what he learned from completing such an epic event. He also has some training tips and motivation for you, if you’ve ever considered going long. Also on the program we finish up our look at the top fitness trends of 2018 (hint: it’s over 1000 years old). We also have our upcoming events schedule. Kick off your work week with a shot of endorphins through osmosis by pressing play below.

Tri*Joy The Spirit of Multisport is your Fraser-Valley based coaching company. We’re only a short drive away to meet in person to discuss your fitness goals and to set up a plan to keep you motivated. Our low client to coach ratio ensures you get the support you need to achieve your potential. E-mail kknnheinze@yahoo.com to set up a in person consultation.

Happy New Year from Zack, Kevin W, and myself at Fitspeek.

We kick off the year with a field goal from the 50 yard line, as we snagged the ever popular and ever motivating Chad Bentley for an in-depth interview.

Chad is originally from Abbotsford, and now from North Vancouver. His story is one we covered back in August, as he transformed himself from a burger-eating, beer swilling, “party-guy” to a lean, mean triathlon machine completing multiple Ironman distance races, representing Canada at the Ultraman World Championships, and more recently completing the EPIC FIVE triathlon in Hawaii. If you think an Ironman is tough, how would you describe doing five of them on consecutive days on 5 Hawaiian islands?

Hear how Chad would describe the experience, by pressing play right here.

Also in Fitspeek 56, we take a look at another one of the top fitness trends of 2018, virtual reality training.

Tri*Joy is more than virtual reality coaching, it’s real coaching from real people, who have toed the line at more than 500 races of all sorts, from fondos to five k’s to ultras. We have the experience, expertise, and the passion to help you succeed in your athletic pursuits. Contact us for a free in-personal consultation and goal-setting session. E-mail kknnheinze@yahoo.com

Fitspeek 56 features a follow up interview with Vancouver’s Chad Bentley. He’s the guy who did 5 Ironman distance events over 5 consecutive days on 5 Hawaiian Islands back in the fall. The name of the event was the EPIC 5. The interview is epic as well, so much in fact we split it up into 2 segments. Tune into Fitspeek in a few days when we will have part one for you. Chad speaks about his motivation to do the event, his training for it, as well as all the other preparation needed to take on such a radical challenge.