And that? Is a total understatement.
Thanks for the time, Lisa Richardson.
http://choosepemberton.com/2013/06/13/a-local-take-on-iron-man-christine-cogger-digs-deep/
Category: Racing
Defeat the Duffey 2013
Join us… Don’t be scared. We’re friendly, we don’t bite but we do like to smack-talk each other.
https://www.facebook.com/events/180213698806736/180221032139336/?notif_t=like
Ironman Canada from the sidelines
So, you’re doing Ironman Canada. Good for you.
You’ve lovingly convinced/dragged/coerced your loved ones/family/friends/crew to join you for the fun.
As a good, caring and unselfish triathlete, you aren’t going to force these fine folks to sit around in your condo or hotel room and watch you lie about with your legs up the wall while you sip your endurance beverage of choice out of carefully labeled water bottles, are you?
No, you are not.
This is a world-class resort with a lot of things to do and explore. Let’s be good people and send them out the door with a list of things to do while you rest up in those recovery boots, shall we?
The Kids
I’ll be the first to admit that I love spectating at Ironman. Sure, there are some boring bits, but those are squished between frantic moments of running around the course, cheering, admiring, eating, crying, coaxing, taking pictures and plotting an eventual comeback. My favourite thing to see, however, is kids cheering on mom and dad. They make cute posters, wear dorky matching shirts, scream at the top of their little high-pitched lungs. One day, I’ll be that mom with her kids screaming at her to move her ass. But then, they fall asleep. Everywhere. In strollers. On a patch of grass. In a restaurant chair. It’s awesome but also makes me feel bad for them: don’t they want to be doing something else?
It’s going to be August which means it’s going to be hot (probably) which means – LAKES. Hit the lakes! There are at least 3 fun beach parks that will keep those little people in your life occupied for quite some time: Rainbow Park (the start of the swim course, so perhaps not the best choice closer to race day), Lost Lake park (rent a bike and pedal your way out there, it’s the way to go), Alpha Lake Park (again, use the Valley Trail to bike out there).
Speaking of bikes, put those little suckers into bike camp. DFX camps are awesome and they’ve turned my kids into confident little terrors on 2 wheels. Arrange (ahead of time!) a bike rental for getting around town. There are tons of places to rent and most rent Chariot trailers, too: perfect for hauling picnics, gear and tired little people.
The Municipality here offers a lot of day camp options if your offspring aren’t keen on bikes. Smear on the sunscreen and kiss them goodbye. They are in good hands.
If you want a night out (which, yeah. I know. Not before race day! But maybe you’re like me and don’t think that having that 1 beer will ruin your race so you’ll go for it), call the fine folks at Babysitting Whistler. They’re priced like that because they are good.
There are so many activities that you can do with your kids, too. The Adventure Zone, Zip-Trek, Rafting, Bungee Jumping (if you’re that kind of parent), Yoga, Swimming, Bounce (if it’s raining which it won’t be), the PEAK 2 PEAK, and tons of playgrounds.
The bottom line is this: if your kids claim that they are bored while they are here, someone’s doing something wrong.
Your ironmate
(Editor’s note: Worst moniker EVER. If I called my husband my “ironmate”, he’d divorce me on the spot).
Moving on. I could go the usual route and write something like “treat your lady to a day at the spa bla bla bla” but WAIT. Not all who do Ironman are MEN. This is an equal opportunity blog. Ha.
So yeah, there are spas, of course. The Scandinave happens to be spectacular. But adult-folk can do lots of the same things I suggested for the kids. The mountain biking in this place is amazing. If you are keen to learn the bike park, go for it. Listen, I get that it looks insane and totally intimidating and super scary but there really is something for everyone (and if my 4 year old rode it last year, then so can you).
Golf. I hear there’s good golfing around here. I personally run out of steam at 7 holes, but if that’s your thing there are at least 6 courses for you to get frustrated at between Squamish and Pemberton.
If you’re a runner, let me be the first to encourage you to bring your trail gear and explore our valley. The trail running here is second to none and you can thank me later for telling you to go. In fact, why don’t you race, too? The 5 Peaks is the day before Ironman and a perfect excuse to get up the mountain.
If your person wants to cheer you on, well that’s just awesome. The swim start is at Rainbow park and, unless your fan club has a bike, I’d advise against going out to the start. Rather, have them stay in the village, enjoy a coffee and watch you and 2,499 or so of your friends fight for open water on the big screen in Whistler Olympic Plaza. That way, they can enjoy some village time while you pedal your heart out up and down our hills for the next 180 km.
(Editor’s note: Oh yes, you know I’ll be writing my own personal review of the bike and run courses. Maybe the swim and the transitions too, if I’m feeling particularly detail-oriented. Wait! Maybe I’ll GoPro the whole thing! Actually, no I won’t.)
The bike will be tough to spectate – but let’s be honest, isn’t it always? Apart from coming into and out of the transitions, your personal cheer squad is going to have to find a way to get themselves out of the village without getting stuck in traffic and/or impeding the race. Unless they can pedal their way out there? I’d stick to cheering the run course. Which is going to be awesome! With shade! Pull up a lawn chair, crack a cold (non-alcoholic, of course) one and yell till midnight, at which point you can come and join me for some teary-eyed cheering at the finish.
Before and After
If you can, come to Whistler a week before to experience my favourite event of the summer: The Slow Food Cycle. It’s a week out from race day – surely the 35-ish kilometers you’ll have to pedal aren’t going to hinder your race prep, are they?
Load up the bikes, the kids, the trailer, bring some water and sunscreen, leave the lycra at home (I beg of you), slow down and enjoy being part of something that will surely be the highlight of your visit. Trust me on this one.
If you’re sticking around after Ironman, or visiting before, get out of Whistler and explore a bit! Pemberton has some great trails, a perfect lake (or 2) to chill at, Mile One, Blackbird Bakery, and so on and so on (I’ve bragged abotu these places before… I’d send you to Squamish but all I really know about Squamish is where to ride and I’m sure you can figure that out on your own.
There’s so much more I could share, but really it’s up to you to make the most of your time here. Get out here and do it!
And for the love of god, start waving to each other on the bike. It’s just rude not to.
Whistler Half Marathon: a comparison report.
Day before:
-Collect my own race package. Keep feet up, hydrate, eat right.
Night before:
-Pack my own bag, lay out clothes, check that the sitter is coming at 6:30am, go to bed.
Morning of:
-Enjoy a hot shower, leisurely coffee, a well-planned breakfast, some stretching. Sneak off before kids wake up.
Race:
-Warm up, run in the sun, enjoy, wave, take pictures, laugh, etc.
-Admire pics taken by Robin of me running with my 2 best friends.
After:
-Eat, sit in the sun, stretch, bask in the glow of our accomplishments.
-Return home to house full of kids being cared for and well fed by Pete and Kev, relax (sort of) for the rest of the day.
Whistler Half-Marathon 2013.
Day before:
-Collect 7 race packages: mine, the husbands, the 3 kids and the neighbours.
Night before:
-Pack kids snacks, pack kids bags, pack rain gear, pack bike gear, stay on my feet for as long as possible. Go for a walk.
Morning of:
-Roust crew at 6. Shove waffles down some throats, coax peanut butter sandwiches into others. Almost forget own breakfast. Load truck with bags, bikes and blankies. Slurp coffee.
-Meet neighbours for caravan to Whistler. There may or may not have been some yelling to “get in the truck already!”
-Meet sitter in parking lot. Kids explode out of the cars in 5 different directions. Have fun, babysitter lady. Realize that rather than teaching her their names, I should have just numbered the kids 1 through 5. Much simpler. Next year.
Race:
-Send of 10K-ers. Bye 10Kers! See you in about 2 hours.
-Almost forget bib. Where are my socks? Oops. No body glide. Oh well (and also – ow.) Don ridiculous but oh-so-comfy sleeves.
-Run with Maja, wave to crowds, take pictures, find self irresistibly amusing (see photo), suffer from 15K onwards. Stupid Nimby legs.
-Finish with a smile and head held high.
After:
-Do not sit. Do not rest. Try to keep track of kids. Shovel grilled cheese into my mouth. Chase kids to start of 1K.
-Sprint across lawn during kids race (note to self: never, ever sprint after a ½ again).
-Squeal like a stuck pig cheering for off-spring.
-Feel nauseous. Head to skate park. Negotiations to go home ensue.
-Succumb to my inner tri-nerd, don compression tights, enjoy the best nap with Anja EVER.
What a difference a year makes.
A picture is worth a thousand words.
These 2 pictures could not better illustrate how I feel about mountain biking.
Uphill:
Downhill:
If you can’t make fun of yourself, who can you make fun of?
Nimby Fifty: It was all about the socks.
Not only did I achieve my goals (in particular, #1) but I had a blast doing so. I’m convinced that the Nimby Fifty is one of those events that every mountain biker in the corridor ought to try at least once. And if you aren’t in it to win it, then you can be like me and wear stupid socks.
Rare is the event where I don’t at least once think “Ugh, this sucks. I am so done”. Oddly, I didn’t experience that during this race, even when I was cramping, when I was staring at yet another uphill or I was quaking in my spotty socks at the top of the Red Bull Downhill section. Incidentally, I placed 3rd to last in that race-within-a-race; I was trying to DFL but couldn’t quite make it happen.
The atmosphere at the start was relaxed yet buzzing. The race itself unfurled at a totally manageable pace and for the most part, I was surrounded by really nice riders. The cheering sections were fun (thanks for the sips of beer, Seb) and there were lots of unexpected conversations. Particularly the lovely German gentleman who asked me – at the bottom of Happy Trail (the beginning of a 45-60m climb) – if we were “almost done wiss ze climbing”. Schiesse, no.
Lots of miscellaneous thoughts run through your brain when you are on your bike in the forest for about 4 hours. A mere sampling:
“Wow. That guy is really hammering. Too bad the race started 6 minutes ago.”
“Eeep! Hold on tight! Why am I closing my eyes, DON’T CLOSE YOUR EYES, YOU DUMMY!”
“I’m hungry.”
“Hmm. Some of these boy mountain bikers don’t like getting passed by a girl any more than boy triathletes.”
“How the f#$% do people ride down this?”
“I’m so glad I wore these socks.”
“Why am I all alone? Where is everyone?”
“Oh hey! Hi!”
Those burgers at the finish, the friendly faces everywhere and the family BBQ to top off the day really made it a perfect, Pemberton spring day. Thanks to the organizers, sponsors and the riders for making it so.
I promised some before and after pics. Behold, the spotted socks:
Photo credit: Jon Anthony
Before! The jersey on the left may offend some, but I whole-heartedly agree.
Alex, Baby Finn (not nursing, despite popular belief) and me – all done. 
At the finish with Bren and Rich. Bren broke a derailleur and finished on a borrowed bike; Rich and duked it out for a while out there – oh yeah, he got me at the end. Note my styly hair. 
The only time Brett Tippie, aka The Mouth of the South, will ever interview me. I think he’s grimacing because I told him my favourite part was the uphill.
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Next up, the Whistler Half Marathon, family-style: 21K for me, 10K for Jay and Little Rippers for the kids. Come out and cheer!
QOTD and weekend foreboding
Tomorrow, I’ll be throwing a leg over my mountain bike and doing my first “real” mountain bike race in probably 8 years. The Nimby 50 is tomorrow morning and seeing as it’s about 50ft from the backdoor, I’ll be giving it a go. My goals are simple:
1. Don’t die.
2. Don’t break any bones (except, maybe, for the one that’s still broken. That’ll give me reason to go ahead with the surgery I don’t want).
3. Finish before they start pulling down the Finish Chute and still be capable to eat the burgers/drink the beer!
4. Reinforce my race mantra that there’s no shame and walking and that chatting to volunteers is the best part of the day.
5. Ride faster than the mosquitos on the uphills.
I asked the boys if they’d come and cheer for me. Will replied:
“Yeah, maybe. We’ll have to see what the weather does”.
Touching.
I hope to have a full & fun report up soon, as well as some good before/after pics. The big decision I’m wrestling with right now is whether or not to bring a camera. Sigh, first world problems.
—
On a similar note, the boys are really into their bikes right now and have set a goal for the summer of riding all the “Blue” trails in Pemberton. We’re off to a good start!
Accountability
I consider myself to be a reasonably responsible person. I’ve kept 3 humans alive for 7 years. I manage to get myself to work on time most days. I have yet to drop the dog off at daycare and leave the kids in the backyard. However, when it comes to being responsible for getting myself into “race shape” – I am stellar at talking myself out of pretty much everything difficult and/or challenging. If I’m not accountable to anyone but myself, it ain’t gonna happen. Enter Christine: I’m hoping that by working with her again I’ll re-discover my love of suffering and that she won’t let me off the hook.
Yesterday was day 1 of getting back at it. I’d sort of forgotten about my love/hate relationship with intervals. Here’s a glimpse of what went through my mind during the run.
I totally got this.
This sucks.
I only have to do this 8 times?
I can’t believe I have to do this 8 times.
I’m hot.
My hands are cold.
God, I hate this song.
This song is fun!
Uuuunnnngh
Oh good! A downhill.
Yuck. Downhills.
Having stayed away from speedwork for almost a year, I like to imagine that I look like this:
The reality is that I looked more like this:
Guess I’ll keep at it, now that I’m accountable to all (8) of you readers!
Anyone want to join me?
Introducing the Higgins
David and Brandi Higgins have been fixtures on the Whistler Triathlon scene for as long as I’ve known about the club. Without their help and training, I surely would have drowned in my first Ironman.
Since meeting them on the pool deck in 2003, I’ve come to know them as good friends, racing partners and commiserating parents.
I’ll always remember one of my first “real” conversations with David, a few days before heading to Penticton for my race. I didn’t know him well and was actually quite frightened of him (he had that Russian-style of coaching which I’ve now come to embrace: “you suck but whatever – try this. It might help. But probably not. Just go faster”). We sat down on the edge of the pool and he basically said: “So, you are racing this weekend. Are you scared? Ask me anything”. I thought – and still do think – that was pretty cool and a really nice way to make a newbie feel welcome.
Brandi has become a good friend, fellow shoe lover and fun race-seeker. She’s a wealth of knowledge and has a commanding presence pool-side. Everyone needs a friend like Martini Brandi! She also makes a mean sticky-toffee pudding (which I happen to lurve)… One of Brandi’s pet peeves when racing at the same event as her beloved is that the announcers always tend to point out that they are married and inevitably shift their focus to Dave’s race. So, to that end, let’s lead with her interview, shall we?
1. What was your first tri – and why that one?
a. UBC…because it was there.
2. What was your most embarrassing race moment?
a. Realizing post-race that the suit I had worn was essentially see through when wet…don’t you just love neon!
3. Who is your biggest training/racing foe?
a. Me, myself, and I.
4. Bucket list race?
a. One that I am actually happy with the results.
b. It’ll never happen bucket list – Kona.
5. Best and worst part of training in Whistler/Vancouver?
a. The hills.
i. Best because once you’ve trained here pretty much no hill should bother you.
ii. Worst because it’s always uphill coming home!
6. Fave post-race food
a. PRINGLES! And Coke. Always a coke!
7. Race superstition?
a. Don’t know if I have any. When I played basketball I had to keep my legs shaved, because I was sure on the day that I didn’t I would sprain my ankle. The doctor was cute. Do the math.
8. If you could train with one person for a day, who would it be and why?
a. Paula Newby-Fraser cause she was f…ing fast and ate pizza the night before IM.
i. Caveat…do I have to train with her, or can I just ride in a car and talk to her while she trains? ‘Cause we all know I wouldn’t survive 5 minutes riding with her!
9. What’s your weirdest racing or training habit?
a. Taking my espresso machine everywhere I go.
(Editor’s note: Another reason I like travelling to races with Brandi.)
10. Who’s your athletic hero? If you have one…
a. Unfortunately, my athletic heroes have taken a bit of a beating…Marion, Lance. Of course, I still think Lance should keep his titles…if he was juiced so was everyone else and he still beat them, and Lance and the Livestrong foundation did a whole lot more for the general public than any other racer and their (non-existent) foundation did.
11. What’s your favourite Whistler event/trail/race etc.
Event: KOS and the Lil Rippers run. And comfy numb when we were organizing it.
12. Describe your athletic style/career in one sentence.
Completer not competer. Or. I am a diesel truck: I am big, I am slow and I am in it for the long haul…and don’t you dare get in my way (hahaha).
13. Describe that nightmare you have before racing (i.e. I show up without pants)
The course runs through an amusement park on a cruise ship and I keep getting lost and realizing that everyone else is finished.
14. 3 words that describe you as a person
Loud. Caffeinated. Opinionated (aka know-it-all).
15. Dream sponsor?
Manolo Blahnik, Christian Louboutin, Jimmy Choo.
(Editor’s note: SEE??! Fellow shoe-lover).
David’s Turn:
1. What was your first tri – and why that one?
UBC, 1991. I was going to school there and the swim was going to be easy. Got a little more difficult after that.
2. What was your most embarrassing race moment?
Any time Nicholas finished in front of me. Fortunately it didn’t happen often. Other than that nothing. I seem to manage to keep my pants on in transition, haven’t fallen off my bike (yet) and not really hurt myself running (in the race).
(Editor’s note: That would be Paul Nicholas. You’ll be meeting him soon, if he ever finds 3 minutes to fill out my questionnaire!)
3. Who is your biggest training/racing foe?
Kevin, Scott and Paul, pushed me real hard and getting me faster. Went running with them when I started and the three of them killed me. Oh look there’s a hill let’s go up it. I needed to keep up with these bozos. Still can’t keep up to Kevin, but I am working on it. I don’t have a race foe I can think of – maybe Dave Kirk.
(Editor’s note: Kevin Titus, Scott Pass, Paul Nicholas. Whistler local’s one and all.)
4. Bucket list race?
Wildflower would be fun. Waimea 10km just cause it’s in Hawaii.
5. Best and worst part of training in Whistler/Vancouver?
Best part is the quality of people, you get some fast yahoos here who really just want to have fun. Worst part is the snow, lasts far too long.
6. Fave post-race food.
Burger, big greasy Burger.
7. Race superstition?
Need to eat a lot before a race. Pasta for the morning.
8. If you could train with one person for a day, who would it be and why?
You know I found all the people I want to train with. Though if I could make Brandi train with me all day, and she had to like it and not complain (that would be harder than getting anyone famous) – that would be fun too.
(Editor’s note: Awwww.)
9. What’s your weirdest racing or training habit?
I get a training routine and then I have to stick to it. Tues/Thurs/Sat Swim, Wed/Fri/Sun Bike, Mon/Wed/Sun Run. A little OCD.
10. Who’s your athletic hero? If you have one…
Changes depending on the day, time and year. For example in 1991 it was Alex Popov.
11. What’s your favourite Whistler event/trail/race etc.
I used to really like the Whistler 10k.
12. Describe your athletic style/career in one sentence.
Gun goes off, I am in the race, no race I am all fun and games.
13. Describe that nightmare you have before racing (i.e. I show up without pants).
I got nothing here.
14. 3 words that describe you as a person.
Talkative, competitive, know-it-all.
15. Dream sponsor?
Hershey’s Chipits, I like making chocolate chip cookies!
(Editor’s note: my children and I are thankful).
Thanks Higgi! Stay tuned for more…
Let’s run.
Spring has truly sprung here… 32C last weekend?! A little early for scorchers, but I’ll take it. June-uary will be here soon enough to remind me not to put away the puffy coats so soon.
With everything greening up around here, it means I’ve been able to explore the trails more than the roads… which also means Season 2 of CITS has kicked off. Well, sort of. There’s been an early season modification. Since the usual “C” in the ITS refer to my running girls who both happen to be avec bébé right now, I needed new partners to kick off the season.
Insert Children here.
Will and I had planned to run the Mosquito Lake trail run for a while (we’d even been “training”) but when Rory heard that he wasn’t included, plans had to change – pronto. It wouldn’t do to be left out. When you run with a 4 and 7 year old, you re-evaluate your race goals: from trying to run yourself into the ground to win to making sure no one goes head-first into a tree. It’s the little things…
So despite pouring rain, cold temps and having never run before, he powered through (most) of the 6K route, with a little help from Dad, some encouragement from Will and incessant annoying photography from me. Will ran the 10K route in a little over 1:20! Proud moment. He’s been asking when our next one will be.
Is it too soon to ask him to pace me at the Squamish 50?
The SMO's stories 