North Vancouver’s Ashley Wiles is our guest this week on Fitspeek. Ashley is an activist, an advocate, an athlete and an author. Her new book is called A Girl’s Guide to Finding her Happy Pace and is designed to help girls of between 11 to 18 navigate some of the challenges in life. Fitspeek’s Kevin Heinze talks to her about the book and Sole Girls a movement that Ashley created to empower girls through sport. Listen to it now by pressing play right here!
Mike Tyson was a tough fighter back in the day, but maybe not as tough as a ten-year-old boa strap on Specialized S-Works bike shoes.
Apple, Bumble, Humble,
Pie
UBC duathlon Race
Report ~ by Coach Kevin ~ March 9, 2019
Lead In
Injured and fat! Had a
pretty nice race at the Ft. Langley 10 K but a trip to Saskatchewan
in February is never a recipe for success of any kind except gaining
a few pounds, and on that front I totally nailed it. The day I
returned from the frigid plains of Wadena, I ran in Stanley Park and
managed to tweak my back, hips, and knee. The next week and a half
were spent attempting to run for more than 10 minutes while still
eating and drinking as if I were REALLY training for an Ironman. Note
to readers, cycling and swimming do not compensate for running in the
battle of the bulge. Weighed in at 162.
Equipment
Since the duathlon had sold
out for the first time in the race’s history, I was on the outside
looking in, as of the Monday of race week. Fortunately, I was able to
snag a spot from the wait list so my streak of 14 years (-1) at the
UBC duathlon could continue.
My laissez-faire attitude
toward my gear selection was as a result of my injury and sub par
training. I chose the bike that I didn’t not have to fuss too much
over, not optimal for a great performance. I dusted off the Cervelo
P-3SL pumped up the tyres, changed a tube, and that was that. Used my
18 year old Rolf Vector Pro Rims with Continental Sport tyres.
A more considered decision
was saved for my running shoes. Since I was about to run injured, I
did not want to bugger myself up for the rest of the spring. Although
the word Hoka popped into my mind, I looked in my closet and found a
much more motivational pair of shoes – my newly purchased Altra
Escalantes!
And since the forecast was
calling for clear and cool temperatures, the clothing was a
no-brainier ¾ length mid-weight tights, a poly pro under shirt with
another tight short sleeve top and winter weight arm warmers. Oh
yeah, gloves too!
One of the many things that
I really enjoy about doing shorter races is the simplicity. NO need
to pack a took kit. No need for complicated fueling solutions, just a
16 ounce bottle with some fruit juice, 4 tablespoons of fruit sugar,
and teaspoon of F2C Electrodurance. And for the pre-race “shot” a
swig of Hammer gel with a caffeine pill.
Night Before
After 2.5 beer, and 1.5
plates of nachos with some of my wife’s co-workers, it was off to
Burger King to enjoy the 2 Whoppers for $7.00 deal. One bad decision
after another. The only wise thing I did that night was pass on the
second half of that family size Old Dutch Mesquite chips in the
cupboard. Off to sleep at 10.
AM Of
Woke up late at 5:10. Threw
the gear in the car and began to think about breakfast. ½ cup of
coffee, some yogurt, and an antacid pill for dessert. The drive to
UBC was pleasant without the usual weekday traffic, so I arrived in
plenty of time to check the bike, rack it, and find a parking spot.
As I ran to the race start line from the parking lot my legs said
“We’ll get you to the finish line, but don’t try anything stupid.”
After some small talk at the
start line with the usual suspects (sans Winston Guo) and a great
turnout by other ATC clubbers, it was off to the bush to water some
plants. Note to readers, take your “grippy gloves” off for this
task as it can cause some pretty sobering chaffing.
Run 1
With more participants than
I ever remember at the start line of the event and my expectations at
an appropriate level, the horn went off and I began the task at hand
staying with Mikey Ross. It was a bit unusual to be with so many
people and with so many people ahead. After about a k, I think Mikey
& I fell into our groove, dutifully making our way along the
route. Although I was definitely feeling the effects of sub par
training and my sub par body, I managed to maintain an ok pace and
acceptable form.
T1
Why the hell was I wearing
these gloves? Oh yeah, to slow me down in transition! After fumbling
with my helmet strap, I decided to take the gloves off, buckle the
helmet, and then put them back on. Which was already a supreme waste
of time, but I couldn’t get the gloves on. Whatever. I grabbed the
bike, bumbled to the mount line and got things rolling.
Bike
Dammit I hate this bike
seat. Geez these bars are freaking narrow. These were my positive
affirmations as I rode out of transition onto the first turn. Weird
thing is, that as uncomfortable as I was feeling, I was passing a lot
of people – a nice confidence booster. Shifting into the big ring,
I let the bike do the work for the first downhill and into the
turn-around, still passing people but undeservedly so. I overshot the
turn that merged us onto Marine Drive but managed to get into the
correct lane for the race.
With a slight tailwind and a
long downhill it was no time before we arrived at the turn-around,
and I say we, because there was two of us. My Tri*Joy partner Mikey
Ross had caught up to me and on the climb back he showed the results
of a winter locked in a room with Mr Zwift. He put a gap of about 20
metres on me, then 30, then 40, then I stopped counting and just set
out to keep him in sight so I could maybe bridge up to him on the
run. Then he rode out of sight. Open roads ahead with nothing but the
10 o’clock sun in the sky and the wind driving into my eyes, causing
my eyes to water.
At the turn off of Marine
Drive and onto University Boulevard, I saw some sort of sign but it
was pretty hard to read. This must be the turn. I got out of the
saddle and smashed up the hill, with my Cervelo springing to life
like a cobra out of a snake charmers basket.
Then the self-doubt set in.
Who were these people I was passing up the hill? They sure didn’t
like like the faster looking creatures that were ahead of me on the
run. There sure were a lot of them though. Are they just doing one
lap or two? And remember 2014? The year you rode all that extra way
and Premack beat you? Don’t be a bonehead! So at the crest of the
hill, I said screw this crazy pursuit and I descended the hill and
went back onto Marine Drive and toward the “real” turn-around.
But it wasn’t.
Judging from the company I
was now in the midst of, I reckoned I must be in about fifth place
overall. Too good to be true, and at the turn-around, when I didn’t
see Mikey, I knew that I had goofed up. Playing it as safely as I
could and trying to minimize any further time-wasting, I rode on the
wrong side of the road toward the oncoming cyclists who were
descending the hill. Then, when I judged it to be safe, I cut across
the lane and re-joined the correct flow of the race. I ashamedly
climbed the hill again and followed the cyclists who did seem to know
what they were doing, my confidence shattered and hopes of bridging
up to Mikey gone.
As we descended back into
the transition area I saw Mikey coming the other way and realized
that I was indeed back on the race course and doing it properly.
Emboldened by this feedback, I ditched my riding cohort and tore up
the road in search of some dignity that had been lost about 10
minutes ago. Even with my screw up I knew that I wasn’t in last
place. It was time to come up with a new goal. It was a very doable
one. Just finish the race without injuring yourself.
Mission accomplished! After
a non-eventful second lap, I rolled into transition. Rather than risk
a fancy dismount, I just focused on being smooth and slow so I could
get attain my goal of not injuring myself.
T2
But it was not to be. After
unbuckling my helmet, I sat down to put on my running shoes. My left
shoe came off without a problem, but my left shoe was not so
compliant. I guess nine years of abuse was just about the last straw
for the boa strap mechanism, and it was right there, in transition,
that it decided to fight back.
After being unable to
persuade the boa dial to release, I got into a tug-of-war with my
cycling shoe, tugging at it to release from my foot while it clung on
like a vampire on a nubile neck. While this was going on, I could
sense that all those people who I passed on the bike in the duathlon
were rolling into transition and taking off on the run. Finally the
shoe relented and I was able to slide on my other running shoe and
get onto the run course.
Run 2
As I started the incline out
of transition, I paid for the the price of my battle with my cycling
shoe. All of that frantic tugging upset my left calf and I had to
contend with needles of pain running up and down the length of it. I
slowed down, relaxed, and waited for the cramping to really hit hard.
Fortunately it never did. All that happened was that I had to run
more slowly. This of course meant that more people passed me but as
long as I prevented myself from getting injured I would be satisfied.
And that’s just how the rest
of the run went. A brisk but cautious 23 minutes of running trying to
find some joy in being a participant in a race. It was quite a
different experience, being so clear headed and relaxed on the same
course that previously only offered pain and discomfort from being
locked in a death match with some other competitor. After a few
faint-hearted attempts at either passing someone or staying with
someone who was passing me, I got into a happy place of contentment,
and even allowed myself to stop and congratulate Mikey as he was
nearing the finish line. Three minutes later, I was at the finish
line, with my slowest ever UBC duathlon now in the record books.
Stats
1:28, 18/71 overall, splits
were run 1: 22 min, T1: 2 min, bike: 40 min, T2: 2 minutes (felt
like 30!), run 2: 23 min.
Lessons Learned
Even though I was racing
injured and unable to compete at my usual level, I enjoyed being out
there and taking on the challenges of the day.
Yes, if you go to
Saskatchewan for a week and you injure yourself and not run for two
weeks you are going to get fat and slower, I accept that!
Usually by UBC, I have one
of my bikes totally dialed in for this race. I blame the weather!
Did ok on the nutrition,
stomach was good, although it was never really tested as my heart
rate never got about 162 all day. Energy levels were stable.
Don’t be a cheap bastard.
Get some new bike shoes, or be prepared to waste more time in
transition and maybe really do a number on your calf on a race that
you paid 800 dollars to enter.
All that being said, not a
lot of REAL learning in this race, as far as getting faster, as this
was an abnormal year.
What does it mean when they say “lifetime guarantee?”
The often heard but seldom seen KW is pictured standing.
Fitspeek 62 is a reunion of sorts. Back from the trails of Mission we have Kevin Watt, back from Rotary Stadium is Mikey Ross, back from Hawaii is Zack Neufeld and live from Alberta is Jen Burns.
Your chorus of fit voices begins with our first round table of the year. We also have the usual segments including at the races, with results from the Historic Half. Hear it all right now by pressing play below.
Bending carbon is a tough job, but someone has to do it.
Fitspeek is brought to you by Tri*Joy} The Spirit of Multisport. We’re ready to take you to the finish line! With regular progress assessments we can help you achieve your training and racing goals. E-mail kknnheinze@yahoo.com to book your in-person consultation.
As I’ve said before in the podcast, we in the Lower Mainland are truly fortunate. Not only do we get to be part of this amazing country called Canada, we get to live in an area where the climate is (usually) un-Canadian. We know that white stuff that has been falling will be gone in a matter of days, not months. And even if there is a bit of snow around, it really doesn’t seem to fave local crazies like Brandon Jones.
Look mom, no frostbite!
In addition to our wet but wonderful climate, we have some of the most beautiful scenery & riding terrain in the world. While you are working your butt off grinding up a grade like Majuba or Frog, you also can’t help but be inspired by the environment around you. Something that still can’t be replicated on Zwift!
In our podcast we find out why being in a UCI race matters to the racers.
Thirdly, in our area we have incredible people who contribute to our athletic community, inspiring others through coaching or by creating events to participate in. This week we have a person who has organized amazing things for cycling in BC, Mark Ernsting.
Mark with the president of the UCI
Mark, who is an accomplished cyclist with an impressive pedigree has been at the helm of BC Cycling’s Superweek for almost a decade. In our podcast this week we speak with Mark about the history of the event, his role in bringing cycling to the youth of Vancouver, and his vision for the future of his newest venture the Valley Granfondo. 36 minutes with Mark Ernsting all begins with the press of a button below.
Sign of the Times? Chilly Chase 15 K podium. And Brentwood Bay’s Robert Johnson. Fitspeek 60 is Family Friendly!
The Chilly Chase is a popular choice for many runners.
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!
Robert sez, “just say no to Zwift.”
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.
I finally remembered to take a picture of my guest. That’s Slowman in grey next to Tabasco Man at his home.
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.
The view from Dan’s ranch has probably not changed a lot in over 100 years.
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.
Few great things in life today have started without coffee. The Empfield household is no exception, Slowman makes a mean cup o mountain joe!
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.
Yes, it’s all here for you. Does anybody actually read these captions? Comment on ST if you do!
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
In his regular feature Between The Ears Zack Neufeld reports on how to use anger as a positive force in your training and racing.
Use your inner rage for good watts not bad watts!
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.
The second annual event is set to go on Saturday February 9th. You can sign up at https://www.fvhcf.ca/stepup/
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.
