Maui, the aftermath

I heard the wave crashing all night long, I should have known it was a sign......

Woke up today to a nice and bright day, no rain in the forecast, which meant that the bike course would be perfect. Like most I never sleep great the night before, waking up every hour and looking at the clock, making sure I'm not sleeping in.  After a seamless transition set up, including a generous application of sun screen from Planet Sun, I decided to go for a light jog.  I needed to get my legs moving and get rid of the jitter.  I knew Steph and her parents would meet me by the beach.  As transition closed up by 830, it was time for me to head down to DT Fleming Beach for the start of the race.  I'd seen my tribe, Al, Allison , Pat and GL in transition so at least if I didn't see them there,mid had a chance to wish them luck.

Swim report brought to you by KTape and Restore Physio Therapy: Let me preface this, as of two weeks ago it had been 4 months since I had been able to swim free style, without Nadine and Steph from Restore and the K Tape job, in pink I might add, for breast cancer month, it could have been worst.   The shore break weren't the biggest I had seen, but the sequencing seemed hard to judge and the waves didn't go away as you leave the shore break.  This was the roughest swimming conditions I have seen the past four years here.  I would come out in 36 min, and although I haven't been able to swim much, I was disappointed.  I would have my work cut out on the bike.


Bike report brought to you by Gray: as I stated earlier, I knew the course would be perfect today. It had time to dry but would be dusty and loose like previous years.  The problem by exiting the water late is that you have to fight the good swimmers that are not so good riders.  So it was a game of " on your left " and " thank you" trying to pass people.  I have to admit that most people were good about it.   The bike felt good and I was progressing well.  I passed  a lot of rider, I even caught myself smiling in the last couple of miles in the single track.  I'd come in just at the 2 hour mark which was an improvement from last year.  After a quick transition from the bike it was time to start running.

Run report brought to you by SUGOI: After some encouragement from Steph, the grueling run would start.  It was hot, and after riding hard, running up hill is not easy.  I forced myself to run although I pass plenty of people walking.  The saving grace was the aid station, with great volunteer and cold water and Gatorade.  After all the climbing came the down, which is not always so easy on tired legs. It always a delicate balance in order to avoid cramps.  The last part is the beech run, on one side of the coin, it's a welcome site, on the other hand, if you have had experience running on sand, it's not fun.  Steph and my inlaws were there to greet me as I was approaching the finish line.  It was a nice feeling to finish and to have Steph and her parents there.  I finished 34th in my age group which was the biggest one.  As for the rest of the tribe, Al and GL both podium in there respective age group, Pat had a great race missing the podium by one.  Allison had a fantastic race improving substantially from her time last year.  I have many people to thank but I will do this tomorrow, for now it's time for a beer and the post race dinner.  Happy trail!

Carpe Diem

T-1 XTERRA world is about to take off

As I woke to a beautiful morning, today was the day to go cheer Steph on as she'd decided to enter the 5  km run despite having some knee issues of late.  As the gun went off I headed down the beech to wait for her and see how she would fair.  I wasn't suprised when I saw her sprinting to the finish good for a third place. Maher card showed second but computer glitch and all she was still on the podium which was awesome.  As for me, my pre race day workout involved a light run, swim and bike.  As the tribe was in the water for our light swim, we were greeted by Dolphins, a first for me of all my years in Maui.  That kind of experience always reminds me why I do these races.  The course appear to be drying but there is also rain in the forecast so there might be course modification in the works so we shall see.

Now there always a few reasons and dedication for races, this being the world championships, I have a few. First I'd like to dedicate this race to our military and emergency personnel, in the light of what happened in Ottawa this week, that's the least I can do.  Secondly I will be taped in pink, to honor all the cancer survivor and particularly my mother, who ultimately lost her fight.  Lastly, I want to dedicate this race to a good friend of mine, I shall call him RM as I know he'd probably wouldn't want me to do that.  You see RM is awaiting a kidney transplant due to a genetic desease which is causing his kidneys to fail.  RM is an XTERRA racer and if it wasn't for his condition, he would be here in Maui, as he qualified despite his kidney problem.  He's all set for a transplant early January as he got a live donor to donate one of his kidneys.  So buddy this one for you.  So there we are, the dye is cast, the chips will fall where they are supposed to be, after all this is Xterra.  Happy trails!

Carpe Diem

Rain report...I mean mud report ... I mean course update

Well the XTERRA gods sure like to play cruel jokes.  I went overboard with my sacrifices this week. Needing an entire new drive train, rear rotor.  Now one would that that would be sufficient to keep the gods happy but alas to no avail.  We were greated with more rain last night. as I set off to ride some of the course with Pat this morning, we changed our mind very quickly as we saw some of the earlier riders covered in mud.  We opted out for a spin on the road, saving our steed the trauma of the mud and clay.  Still two days for the course to dry off, it should be interesting on race day to say the least.  My opinion is that if the conditions stays the same, it will make it harder on the racers who don't have as much of a mountain biking background.   Now don't get me wrong, this still Maui so the weather is still better than home!  Happy trail!

Carpe Diem

A sunny day in paradise

woke up this morning to a beautiful sunrise over the pacific ocean.  I had issues with my bike so I dropped it to the mechanics and headed over to the beach for an open water swim.  Luckily for me I had Steph taping my shoulder with K tape.  I finally been able to swim free style since last week.  We sawm with some of the usual suspects, Al, Allison C2 and a couple other friends.  It was nice to be able to swim, some what normal.  The waves were unusually small for DT Fleming but it was still choppy to swim.  The bike course was closed in the morning, smart move by the race directors to let  it try to dry off.  As for my bike, well it's a new drive train and a rotor, such is life I supposed better be now than during the race.  I plan to head and ride to front 5 and back 8 tomorrow to spin my legs, make sure that the bike is working nicely.  Stay tuned for more, happy trails!

Carpe Diem

P.S feel free to follow me on tweeter @chuck98

When it rain mud? Scouting report

The day started with registrations, yours truly will be sporting #585 for the race.  The full course was opening this morning and I was lucky to head out with good friend and former pro Patrick Brown, who happen to be my good friend GL Brown son, but I digress.  The course started with just enough traction but as we progressed, the rain slowly but surely started looming over us.  It was muddy but still manageable until mile 11, that's where everything fell off the wheels, literally.  The red clay was so sticky that my bike couldn't even go forward on his own. Mat one point I had to remove my rear wheel in order to clear the mud so I could ride for 100 m so I could do it all over again.. This is not supposed to be! Never seen conditions like theses in 4 years being here.  The rain was falling sideways and I was even starting to get cold, in Maui of all places!  Apparently they even closed the course but I must have been far enough not to get the memo as I ended up riding the whole course.  The weather is supposed to straighten itself out over the next few days.  I hope so, is not, it will be a long day on Sunday.  Stay tuned for more updates, happy trail!

Carpe Diem

Back on familiar grounds, Aloha

The week of the XTERRA world Championship at Kapalua is in full swing, Off road triathletes from all corners of the world are slowly making there way.  As for me, it's the last race of a season that was plague with early success and later injuries.  Ultimately though, it's also about spending time with family, friends and the tribe.  After a light run with Al and Steph last night to get the jet lag out of my legs it was time to build the bike for a ride this morning.   The weather was nice this morning and so I went riding the part of the course that's open.  Front 5 km and back 8 .  I did this with by friend Pierre from Hong Kong. You never forget the climbs and this was no different.  The course has also dried up to the point that it's almost perfect for traction.  It's good to be back.  Tomorrow is registration and off to scout the full course so stay tuned for more update.  As a side note Steph is offering taping services brought to you by K Tape for anyone at the world championship so if you know anyone it's all posted on Facebook. Happy trails!

Carpe Diem

Gear 2.0 Garmin Vivo Fit

I bought a Garmin Vivo Fit(Fitness Band) before I left for Europe.  I wanted to share my thought on it.

There are plenty of fitness band on the market and they are not all created equal.  I went with Garmin because I love their products, I race with the 910XT and if I had money I would have their power tap pedals, but I digress.  The ideas of a fitness band is to encourage people to move and at least get some exercise during the day by counting your steps.  In addition, Garmin Vivo monitor your sleep and tells you how often you move.  This is all done via their software Garmin Connect which work on most phone  (except Blackberry) via blue tooth technology.  I like the fact that the Vivo has a small screen and you can scroll through it.  I also has the time so it can double as a watch, which was I intended especially for work.  There is no need to charge the Vivo as the battery will last about a year before needing replacement. I quite like that feature.  Other bands need to be charged  every couple of days.  The Vivo will also display a red line, which will  get longer which mean you haven't moved for  a while.  I also quite enjoyed the sleep functioned and was looking forward to see ho my night went when I downloaded it. The only downfall I saw was that there were no light to make the screen bright when it got dark( or there is a way I didn't figure it out)  The clasp is good but I made the mistake to race with my vivo, and I lost it at ITU world in Germany taking my wetsuit off.  Lesson learn, I wouldn't advise triathlon racing with your Vivo.  I wanted to see how many steps it would record.  I am disappointed as I was curious to see how many steps I do at work.  Although brief I was quite happy with my Vivo and if you are in the market for a Fitness band, I would highly recommend it.  Happy Trails!

Carpe Diem

Czech Mate, Xterra Czech

Better be late than ever, since I finally got back into my blog, let's do a race recap of Xterra Czech.

The race took place in the town of Prachatice, which about 2 hours south of Prague.  The weather that morning was on the fringe,  promise of thundershower and rain were in the horizon. It was a late start, 1300, as it is with most European Races.  I was nervous and and anxious, I hadn't swam over 5 weeks nursing a shoulder injury and I was wondering what would happen.  It was a wetsuit legal swim but alas my shoulder told me that freestyle  would have to wait.  I began  the task of breast stroking the entire swim course, 1500 meter which also believe to was on the long side.  As exited the water I had to deal with the grim reality, I was one of the last one out of the water.  I got on my bike and proceeded to give it all, slowly picking riders one by one.  Now this course is long (37 km), has a lot of climbing (3500 feet or so) and has some technical sections.  I saw my friends Al, Sean and Morgan cheering at a couple check point as they were in a relay, I waved quickly and forged on. I would ultimately pass 40 + people on the bike.  As I came into transition and got into the run, the rain started.  The run was a two loop course with again a lot of elavation and the first lap wasn't easy.  When you race you have so many matches to burn and I felt that I had burned a lot on the bike.  On one of the descent, my hamstring was debating if  it was to cramp or not so I had to slow down.  On  the second lap by leg had settled  and I was glad to cross the finish line.  I would be lying if I said I was satisfied with my race, I thad hope to be able to swim freestyle and with being at least 8 minutes slower, it doesn't bode well in a very competitive age group.  Another part of my was happy as I had been able to race, felt strong on the bike.  This was a good race to shake the rust off after almost 2 months without a race. I was also grateful for all they people that had taken the time to work on my shoulder and help me getting back on track.  Happy Trails!

Carpe Diem

ITU world championship

Race Report, ITU world cross, Zittau Germany

The day started gloomy, rained part of the night. It was grey, cold and wet. As we roll into transition, the rain stopped, making everyone wish this was it for the race, how wrong were we. My wave was starting at 10 am. After warming up, it was clear that my shoulder was better but not enough to free style, had to accept the fact and try to catch up on the bike. The gun went off and I settled into my stroke, watching yen the main field slowly leaving me behind. As exited the water, I was faster than the week before but still had a long road ahead. By then the sky had opened up again but I decided to stick to my usual race, no socks, no jacket. I figure I had to show that Canadians could race in cold conditions and though it out. As I mentioned , there is always something special about wearing the maple leaf, I wasn't about to disappoint. I started picking riders one by one, not knowing if they were in my age group or not. On the first hike a bike section I saw Allison Moore who had started ahead of us, a quick hello and I forged on, carrying my bike on my shoulder. I was very muddy, muddiest race I have ever done. Halfway through the race, I also started running out of breaks, I suspect air in my brake line. As I came in through transition, I had no clue where I was standing but I would finish the 36km bike in 2:08. By then it had stopped raining but I was covered in mud from head to toe. I made the decision not to out some socks on for the run as my feet were too dirty. The run course suits me, short climbs, flats and down hill. As I suspected I started blistering around km 3, but I was willing to deal with it. I cross the finish line in 3:24 which was good for 15/37 in my age and 106/260 overall in the Men. My good friend Alan Moore finished in 3 in his age and my roommate extraordinaire Gl Brown finished 2. This was a though race with some of the hardest bike conditions I have seen in a while. Thanks to Gray/Synergy for the wicked bike and wetsuit, Sugoi for the great clothes, Vega for my nutrition and Cap's Westwood maple ridge for taking care of my bike. Now there are a few people that deserve a special thanks. First and foremost my Fiancée Stephanie McCann for looking after y shoulder and putting up with me being away and racing, wouldn't be able to do it without her. As well my physio Christina Mattiello and Chiro Kevin Lunnie. In addition, Nadine from restore physiotherapy who also too great care of me and my shoulder. Without these treatments I wouldn't never been able to make it to the start line. Special thank to my work NWPD and my coworker for the support and help.  One more race in this years calendar, Xterra World Maui. I have 8 weeks to get ready and work on my swim. Hope you enjoyed the journey, Happy Trails
Carpe Diem

15 hours to go, Czech Xterra world tour

With 15 hours to go, one can only hope all is good.  Had to get a new rear tire as I had a cut that wouldn't seal.  The usual suspects are all here, my roommate ! XTERRA legend  GL Brown, the Moore's are racing as a mini tribe doing the relay.  The weather is supposed to be nice which will hopefully help to dry off the course.  It's going to be a challenging bike course for sure.  I went for a quick loop on the run course this morning , more climbing but some fast descent and flats as well.  The race finishes in the old town squares of Prachatice which is pretty cool.  I will have #79 for this race.  Stay tuned for the post race report, race starts at 1300 local time.  You can also follow some of my adventures on tweeter @chuck98

 Happy trails!

Carpe Diem

Xterra Czech and ITU world Germany

Well after traveling for more than 30 hours and having my bike sent to Paris(unsure why as I didn't even fly there!) I'm now in Prachatice 2 hours south of Prague.  I went scouting the bike course this morning and was lucky to go with a bunch of pros, Branden, Joshia Suzie which is always great to learn from them, as well as Chris.  The sun was shinning and I was wearing my swanky new Sugoi Brandchampion kit.  The Czech course is your typical European course, lots of climbing, fire roads but as well some nice technical descent.  The sun was shinning and the course had some mud but the first part was good.  When you arrive in town, you are sent on some good technical ascent but sadly it started raining,  it was getting quite cold and I had issues with my back tire.  The ride was good and it will be a challenging course for Saturday race.  I was quite happy to get a hot shower as I was shivering when I got home.  Race starts at 1300 on Saturday so I will try to go for a light run tomorrow to see the race course.  Hopefully the sacrifices to the Xterra god ( lost luggage, bike issues) will ensure nice weather and a descent swim.  Stay tuned for more news, happy trails!

Carpe Diem

Gear 2.0 Jaybird Bluetooth headphones

I have been using that piece of equipment for a while and I have to admit, I love my Jaybird headphones.  I was tired of having wires everywhere when I trained, getting caught on branches, gear and bike parts.  The Jaybird change that as the are wireless, work on Bluetooth.  The other nice feature is the embedded  microphone so you can also used it for hands free when you are on the phone.    The headphones will sych with any platform that have Bluetooth capabilities. If your device doesn't have it, like my older iPod, I was able to get a Bluetooth adapter.  The headphone can be recharged with a micro adapter that you can plug into your computer or plug adapter.  As for the sound quality, it delivers clear and crisp sounds.  Another nice feature is the fact that it comes with three sizes for your ears, guaranteed to give you the right fit.  It's only draw back is its price ( around  $170) but if you spend a lot of time training, traveling and using your phone, it's well worth the investment.  Happy trails!

Carpe Diem

Grand Rapid Tri, US national long course championship

I woke up this morning to the sound of rain, never a good sign when you know you'll be racing on the road for hours.  Al and I got ready, sharing part of our misery.  Al's house is 10 min from the transition so this was a treat.  As we got in to transition, it was quite busy as you can imagine with 1800 racers and over 800 for the half iron distance.  My rack was very busy but I was able to set it up.  Now using the bathroom was another issue.  It was extremely busy so I decided to grab my Synergy wetsuit and head to the start where they had some.  Long line meant that I didn't have much time, good thing it's easy to get in my wetsuit.  I was in the second swim wave and I was off at 705.  I thought I was swimming ok but my watch was telling me that either I wasn't swimming straight or the course was longer.  I came out of the water at 39 min, disappointed but my watch was telling me I just swam 2.25 km.  After a good transition I was on the bike.  The rain had stop and I was hoping my knee would hold up as it was feeling much better.  I found myself passing and being pass by the same group of guys but was also gaining on better swimmers.  After the turn around, a vicious head wind was part of the ride for a while, which wasn't fun at all.  As I made my way towards the finish, with  about 12 km to go I heard a breaking sound on my handle bars.  One of my screw on my left elbow pad had broken off, half in the frame half in the pad.  This could have been catastrophic but no crashed ensued, I just had to be very careful.  I closed the bike in 2:27 average of 36.7 km/hr.  After a somewhat slowish transition I was out on the run for the half marathon.  By then the sun was out and I was still feeling good.  The run course was 2 laps and I was please with a 1:44 for the half.  All and all 24 in my age group and 150 overall, not a bad day considering the weather and how deep the field was.  As for Al, he rock his age group and finished 2!  My good friend C2 had a solid performance as well.  Thanks to the Moore's hospitality and cheering me on as well as good friend and Xterra tribe GL for giving some encouragement while running ( GL was on his bike savoring coffee and the fact he wasn't racing). Thanks for Synergy for my awesome wetsuit.  Happy trails!

Carpe Diem

Team V and the grand rapid triathlon

I was fortunate to be invited to ride with my friend Al's riding team for what was supposed to be a light ride with a short team time trial. I was using one of Al's road bikes as no TT bike are allowed.  These guys have been riding together forever and it's quite nice to be riding in with a group of people.  As for the short 30 min warm up, it turned into an hour long ride and then split the team in team of 5 riders for a 8 miles time trial.  My short ride ended up being 60 km in total but it was fun and a good way to get some mileage done before the race.  Sadly I did something to my right knee, which is now bugging me.  But after multiple face time consultation with my physios, seems it will be all right.

I drove the bike course yesterday as they changed it a bit from 2 years ago, adding what the call the thre sisters who are supposed to be some gentle rolling hills.  The jury is still out on how gentle they are but we shall see.  As usual a stack field in my age group with 100 racers and over 800 total for the half iron distance.  Today was a short ride run swim and packet pickup.  5876 in the number assigned to me and you can follow me on live tracking tomorrow on the link below.  7 am start (eastern time zone) and I'm in the second  swim wave. Stay tuned for the race report tomorrow.  Happy trails!

Carpe Diem

http://www.racetecresults.com/MyResults.aspx?CId=16371&RId=42&EId=3&AId=18114

Gear 2.0 Fitbit

Special guest this week on gear 2.0 former Olympian Stephanie Mccann impression on her Fitbit

Well it's been just over a month since I received my Fitbit as a birthday present from my fiancé Chuck and I have definitely become addicted to this new little fashion gadget!

I learned about the Fitbit in school because it's currently being used with various populations such as arthritis and cardio respiratory patients in the medical research field. I discovered, very quickly, how helpful it is to see your activity/ sedentary level considering I'm a full time student right now and tend to sit for half of my day. It allows you to set reminders to get up and move/ walk, an alarm to wake you up in the morning and sends you badges or reward messages that encourage you along the way. I was amuses on my first day when I completed my 10,000 steps and received a message telling me "I nailed it!". It proceeded to let me know I was "an overachiever" when I reached 20,000 steps for the day.

For those trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle and also monitor their dietary intake the online/iPhone app allows you to enter you food intake and see calories in vs. calories out. The app provides a good selection of food products in their database to choose from.

Another added bonus is the ability to track your sleep patterns and see how restless you are during the night. Sleep is essential when it comes to our health and with a busy lifestyle it tends to be the first thing we neglect.

Finally I have enjoyed the option of wearing the device in the water now that summer has arrived and I swim a few days a week. There is no fear if you accidentally leave it on in the shower either!

Considering I commute on my bike daily I have found the one disadvantage is the inability to accurately enter this activity. The only option is riding a stationary bike which is a bit different then road riding.

The device is charged through a USB plug into your computer and lasts roughly a week. This may be considered another hassle when compared to other devices on the market.

Overall I have to say its a fantastic device that can be accessories with various coloured straps and will help get you on track or keep you on track with respect to your health and wellness!! For those needing something to help spark a change this device might be it.

Cheers
Steph

As for me I am in Grand Rapidsnthis week for a 70.3 so stay tuned for the scouting report and a Gear 2.0 on a pretty cool bike bag.  Happy trails! 

Carpe Diem

Gear 2.0: Cloudsurfer by on_ running

Enter a new weapon in the running arsenal,  Cloudsurfer by on_running. XTERRA   Power couple and friends Jacqui Slack and Ben Allen have been running on these shoes for a while.  I was always curious So I finally got a pair of Swiss runners.  When I think Swiss I immediately think German precision, Italian passion and the French love, which is pretty much what I got in the shoe.  The Cloudsurfer by on_running is all that and more.  Sizing was bang on for me but that said I wear the box, size 12 which it seems that when you get there, all shoe compagny merge into singularity.  The Cloudsurfer is one of five shoes that on_running sells.  The Cloudsurfer is aimed at increasing your performance and can be used both for training and racing.  The shoe itself was very comfie as I put it on and the cushioning was great.  I have been on some short and long run and found that there were no "breaking period" required and that my stride felt a bit bouncier that usual.  There is a cool " I unleash your speed" motto written inside the shoe so bonus for giving me encouragement.  The toe box is generous and did not have any issues.   I don't have a large foot but I found that the top of the laces could feel a bit tight even thought I hadn't thight it too much but it has not affected my running.  On_ running will ship free which is nice as there are not many retailers in Canada.  I haven't had the chance to try any off thre other shoes ( I'd be happy too if they send me a freebe?) but I would say that if your I the market for runners to increase your training and racing performance, give it a shot.  I also have found that my running split have increase in training, although I have no scientific proof that it's based on the shoe alone. I have been very happy with mine I plan to race with them next week. In Grand Rapids for the US 70.3 qualifier to see how they perform in race condition.  Like the name say, it feels like I have been running on cloud.   Happy trails!

Carpe Diem

Stottlemeyer 30

This weekend I went with Roy to race the Stottlemeyer 30 miles Mountain Bike race in Pouslbo, WA.  It's been a while since I have done a mountain bike race and I was sold with the lure of single tracks and a short drive from home.  The drive was not too bad but we had to take a ferry which added some times.  We decided to stay in a hotel the night before, that was the best decision we ever made!  It had been raining all night so you can imagine the kind of riding conditions that would be awaiting us.  Mud and more mud.  This race had a big field, around 270 for the 30 miler and another 100 or so for the 60 miler.  The 60 miler were sent off 30 minutes prior to our start.  I decided to seed myself upfront, knowing that if there were faster riders they would pass me before the single track begins but it would save me to have to fight slower riders.  The gun went off and for first little while, I was hanging on to a pace line of about eight guys making our way you the single track.  They slowly made their way and I stayed with about three guys, trying to navigate the muddy course, blind as I had never ridden this course.  I can tell you this, on a drys day, this would be a fast course.  In the mud it's a bit of a different story.  It was so muddy that during some section I would have to slow down my cadence dramatically or my wheel would just keep turning without being able to move forward.  The dry section were fast.  The race course was two loops so you can imagine by the second loop how much more churned up the course was.  I was quite happy to cross the finish line in 16th overall, good for 6 in my age group.  The times were 20 minutes slower than last year which is considerable in mountain bike racing.  This was a fun race and very well put together.  Plenty of stuff at the aid station to choose from and great spread at the end of the race.  I really recommend to add this race on you calendar next year, Roy and I sure will.  Now it's time to focus on the Grand Rapid 70.3, US national qualifier on June 6.  Than I hope to make my way to Victoria for Xterra Victoria.  I was also lucky to be selected to race for Canada for the ITU world championship in Zittau Germany and I am hoping toy link that with Xterra Czech the week before.  Stay tuned for Gear 2.0 with Steph feedback on her fitbit flex.  Happy Trail!

Carpe Diem

SUN RUN

I apologize for the late blog, just been busy.  The Vancouver Sun Run was two weeks ago.  This  Vancouver staple is a 10 km starting downtown Vancouver.  It has been running for 35 years and my work was putting a team in so I told myself, why not.  Now you have to understand it's a big race, 45000 plus runner from all walks of life come to do the run, some fast, some slow and of course some pros.  Steph and I were able to make our way close to the front of the start.  Not that I'm the fastest but it makes it easier not to have to dodge people while running.  It's been a while since I ran strictly 10 km on its own and I was hoping for a good tome, despite the cold morning with some rain.  As the gun went off I was able to position myself on the side and not having to fight with anyone to get to my pace.  The first km is down hill which can be a bit deceitful when you start looking at your running pace.  As I settle I am always amaze at home many people were present to cheer runners on.  As I weave my way to the finish line, I was quite please with my result.  Steph wasn't too far from me and it was nice to have been out together.  Happy trails!

Carpe Diem

Saipan where it all started 4 years ago.

My first Xterra was on this very island 4 years ago amidst a Tsunami, this is where it all began, met some life long friends in the Moore's and the Browns and Xterra racing took off from there.  Fast forward to this morning, where 60 brave souls lined up on the beach where the American invasion forces landed some 70 years ago.  The swim was interesting, a strong current combined with a low tide  made for dolphin swimming where you push off the bottom and stay under to avoid the current.  Too bad I couldn't practice that in the pool with Rich.  I came out of the water  middle of the pack and  hit the pedal to the metal on the the first climb in order to catch up on age groupers.  The bike course is challenging with a lot of climbing.  I passed some peoples but for the most part I was alone on the ride.  A cloud cover was welcome during the assault on Mt. Tapochau  but some strong winds almost threw me off my bike!  The coral section was rideable today which  made it better but those last climbs were taking a toll.  After a quick transition it was time for the run, which is also grueling.  It's a jungle trek!  By that point I have no clue where I stand in the race. As I exit Death Valley I can see a runner ahead of me.  As I catch up I see that he's an age grouper, I passed him, look at my pace on my watch and hope he wouldn't be able to keep up.  All I could hear was the sound of his runners hitting the pavement.  I just hope I had more in the tank than him as I made the right turn heading along the beach with about a mile to go.  Luckily for me I would cross the finish line ahead, claiming my age group and a first overall amateur for the second week in a row and again I have punched my ticket for Worlds in Maui.  Congrats to pro Ben Allen and Carina Wasle for their win.  A big shoutout to Roy who cross the finish line healthy and happy.  Jay for a hard day of racing.  The commander winning his age group, GL for being such an inspiration and to Allison for breaking the Saipan curse.  I also need to thank a few people, first and foremost my fiancée Stephanie who, although stuck in school, was cheering from afar and always support my racing endeavors.  To my sponsors, Caps Westwood Cycle, Synergy/Gray, Sugoi and Vega nutrition, for the products I get to use, I'm grateful.   It's been two weeks of great training and racing, the next couple of days will be for some R and R before heading back to reality.  It wouldn't be Saipan if I don't get to eat some BBQ spam!  Happy trails!

Carpe Diem

Battle ground Saipan

Saipan has seen its fair share of battles, major launching point for the US during WWII.  I suspect it might see its share of mountain assaults tomorrow morning when the gun goes off at Xterra Saipan.  Pro field is stack and it should be a battle both on the men and women, this shall be interesting at the finish line.  The race consists of two 750 m swim laps with a beach run in betweent.  Next is a 30 km mountain bike and finishes with a gruel 12 km trail run.

After a very light workout this morning, we just came back from packet pickup.  Funny enough I have number 120, I had 20 in Guam. Not too sure what the weather has in store so will find out soon enough in the morning.  This is a smaller field than Guam but will be non the less competitive.  We shall see where the chips may fall when the dust settle from amphibious and  land attacks.  Stay tuned for the post race report.  Happy trails!

Carpe Diem

Tale from the trails...Death Valley

Very warm conditions in Saipan we try to have our workout down early in the morning.  Went rode the back side of the course yesterday with the tribe and Alex from Russia.  He's a very strong age grouper and one to watch for sure on race day.  Thx to a person that shall remain nameless ( that's you commander) the climb to Tapochau to hook back to the course was not easy. Mean while GL and Allison found a much better mode of transportation.  With the back side completed and the coral no less slick, we headed to the Tank to Tank swim, a beautiful 1200 m open water swim to WWI tanks with full of  sea life.  This morning, Roy, Jay and myself headed out to ride the first half of the course where Jay would continue on to do the whole thing.  Conditions were dryer than 2 days ago which should be good if it stays that way for race day.  Roy and I than got a ride to Death Valley on the run course to take a look at it.  Imagine a dried river bed with lava and Coral rocks, drops and cave to navigate.  It's another run course where gloves are mandatory.  So that's it until race day.  Very light workout tomorrow.  Just changed my derailleur hanger as I bent my other one on day one.  Two days to go until Xterra Saipan!  Happy trails!

Carpe Diem

Saipan, back to where it all begun

Four years ago I did my first official Xterra, it was a Tsunami year, I met the Moore's and Brown's and it took off from there.  Forward 4 years later we are back at it, adding army to the mix.  We went pre riding the course this morning and were fortunate to ride with a couple pros from Austria and one from South Africa.  This course is in my view more challenging than Guam with more single tracks and trickier section covered on coral stones.  Theses stones are so slippery when wet that it makes it impossible to ride.  Today was no exception and that section was wet.  All the other section were the same and it was nice to be riding and get used to the course again.  We took off early as the heat can be punishing but even at 830 in the morning, it was quite warm.  The temperature was showing 34 degrees at the end.  Luckily there is a nice little store where you can buy cold drinks half way through the ride.  The ride up mount Tapochou is still brutal and I'm certainly not looking forward to it on race day.  There will be time for more riding but later il go for a light run and tomorrow will be doing the famous tank to tank swim where we get to swim to some old WWII tank that got stuck during the invasion.  Stay tuned for more updates, until then, happy trails!

Carpe Diem

Guam, when all the planets align

I woke this morning nice and early, breakfast consisting of two packets of apple cinnamon oatmeal.  We arrived in transition with 45 minutes to spare, having racked our bikes the previous day, all we had to do was to setup and put air in the tires.  Speaking of which, my front tire was low and I hope this was not the result of a slow leek.  The gun went off on time at 7 am, in order to beat some of the heat of the day and the 120 racers or so were off. The water was tranquil but the sun was at the right angle making it hard to sight on the way back.  Swimming felt good, I was trying to remember what my friend Rich had instilled in me from our weekly meeting in the pool.  It felt good but I couldn't find any feet to latch on.  I came out of the water fairly fresh but was hoping for a better  split, no time to dwell on it, had to catch up on the better swimmer, not knowing where I was.  I would be ultimately be 30th.  Smooth transition on to the bike. The first part is a long stretch of paved road, perfect to put the gloves on, grab some calories and start the long climb to the trails.  I got into a rhythm  and started passing people.  I was caught by a kiwi pro but I latched on his rear wheel and pushed a bit more to get some momentum. He would quickly dismiss me on another climb but I was glad for the effort.  Once in the trails I was alone for a little while but could also hear the distinctive sound of a biker trying to catch up.  After riding by a couple of war world II tanks my pursuer caught me and I let him lead, hoping to capitalize on his trail knowledge to pick the best lines (he was a local).  I was also worried about my tires but they seemed to be holding.  After exiting to another paved section with a steep down hill, I decided to pass the same guy that had passed me earlier and get some distance, he looked like he could be in my age group.  Back in the trails for the last off road section I would catch Pro Renata Bucher just before the green monster and was taken aback as she is usually not seen by me until the finish line. The last section of the bike course is a steep road descent to the finish.  I told Renata she could draft me and Switzerland got on the Canadian express to T2 grabbing some 60 km/hr speed on the descent.  I was really pleased with my bike time, gaining 12 min from last year on a longer course.  Another quick transition and I could see Renata in the distance as she was now playing catch up with the 2 pro females ahead of her.  Now the run course is by far one of the coolest on the circuit, one out of the heat you head down water falls and run in the river!  I could still see Renata in the distance.  Than the TSN ( that's ESPN for my American friend) point happpened.  A left arrow to take you out of the river had been missed by the two leading female pro and Renata missed it as well till I yelled at her "Arrow left". Just like that Renata had taken the lead.  After going under the highway and nearly giving myself a concussion for standing too quickly and hitting my head on a metal beam,   We both made our way to the finish and in true class that she is, Renata let me cross the finish line ahead of hers.  I finished the race in 3:03, which is a PR for me.  Good enough for overall on the amateur field and 8th overall.  This was one of those races where all the planet aligned just right.  Now let's not forget about the rest of the tribe! As I was running out I saw Roy coming in on the bike, which was awesome knowing that he's battling health issues that most people would stay put.  By the time I finished Al was already on the run.  Alison and GL came in with plenty of time to spare before cut off so everyone would make  finish the race.  So what's next? Heading out to Saipan for the week for a second race.  I also need to thank a few people, first and foremost Steph for looking after me, Cap's Westwood for all my bike needs and the awesome bike tuning.  Synergy/Gray, Vega and Sugoi.  Stay tuned for more post from Saipan, as for me, it's banquet and award night.  Happy trails!

Carpe Diem

8 hours to go to Xterra Guam

Quick post before the race, bikes are racked, bags are packed and bottles are done.  Expecting a warm one out there tomorrow.  it's almost bed time although always hard to get a good night do sleep the night before a race. Race starts at 7 am sharp with 2 x750 m loop swim followed by 35 km of mountain biking and a stunning 8 km run down water falls. Very competitive field in my age group at least 15 to 20 guys, this won't be easy.  I'll be number 20 in your program.  Stay tune for the post race report.  Happy trails!

Carpe Diem

Scouting report from Guam

After waking up to rain and wondering if the course would bev dry, the tribe went for an open water where I proceeded to sun burn.  Nothing like water and sun while your swim to burn your bike.  That said I saw some great marine life and a few school of fish.  We had a quick lunch and Al, Roy and myself met Rick who was our guide while GL and Allison would go run.  I always feel we are on Mars once we enter the trails in Guam, red dirt and rock make for quite the site.  We were also joined by SA pro Nico.  Poor Roy bailed on one of the technical descent but that would be the only casualty for the ride.  Al was riding well despite coming from a harsh winter on the east coast.  The course winds it's way through some old WWII tanks which is pretty cool. I forgot my camera today but we will ride tomorrow again so I will take some photos. Still jet lagged so it will be an early night for me.  Happy trails!

Carpe Diem

On the road again, Guam and Saipan here I come, or sonI hope

I'm writing this blog in the early hours of the morning, as the trek has started for Guam and Saipan Xterra 2014, I'm now in Japan waiting for a bus to switch airport to catch our last leg to Guam with travel companions Allison and Roy, I must ponder...was the sacrifice of a carbon frame two weeks ago to the Xterra gods was not sufficient to grant me smooth sailing? ( I wrecked a carbon frame due to my rear tire out of true which shaved almost all the carbon layers) One of my bags is MIA at this time, between aiport, continents who knows where.  I'm looking foreward to sun, heat and racing.  I feel like my training has been going well.  I have focused on swimming and with the help of my buddy Rich and his swimming tips, hope it will pay dividend in the water.  Speaking of bikes I'd be lying if I didn't thank my bike mechanic Jason and the awesome crew at Caps Westwood Maple Ridge store who flipped my bike in record time as well as Gray and Shaun the Canadian rep for getting a frame in about 36 hours!  I'm also looking forward to see the usual suspects and the tribe at each races, always nice to see everyone.  So stay tuned for tails from the trails, scouting reports and race report as it is after all the March of Xterra!  Happy trails

Carpe Diem

Olympic edition

As I am watching the Olympics and getting ready to go for a run, I remember how great it was four years ago in Vancouver.  It's been a while since I have posted a blog but now is the time to start as I am 5 weeks away from my first race.  I will be heading to Guam and Saipan, to take part in two Xterra races.  Saipan was my first three Xterra race and hold a special place for me.  After shattering my handle bar last year on my bike at the very beginning of the race, I have some unfinished business.  Before Saipan will be the Guam race.  Guam's running course, through waterfalls and rivers, is on of the coolest have I have done on the circuit.  In addition, I am looking forward to travel with the usual suspects, race and enjoy some warm weather.   I also look forward to see all the local friends living in Guam and Saipan I have get to know these past few years, always happy to see us and feel us welcome in their slice of paradise.  So remember, get out there and do something.  Wether you are training for  a race or just want to get into shape, the first step is to get out there.  Happy Trails!

Carpe Diem

Welcome to 2014

Happy New year all, I have been on a bit of hiatus but will starting blogging soon about the new season.  Hope your holidays were great and that you have set some goals for the new year.  Remember its always easier to train or motivate yourself if you are setting some goals.  From your first 5 km race to and full fledge Ironman, all you need is to register and start training.  As for me, I can tell you that I will be heading to one of my favourite part of the world in March for some Xterra races in the sun in Guam and Saipan.  So stay tuned for workout updates, gear 2.0 and much more.  With that in mind, happy trails!

Carpe Diem