Month: September 2013

Crossfit · family

CrossFit, pregnancy, and working out

Sam B8 Comments

The internet went wild this week over photos of a CrossFitting mother to be lifting weights.

Shock, horror, but what about the babies! That’s a bad thing to do while pregnant.

Yes, but what about the obese pregnant women who sit around all day eating chocolates and doing nothing? Surely that’s worse.

Judgments about other people’s bodies and their lifestyle choices were flying fast and furious from both sides.

If you live under a rock and missed the whole thing either count yourself lucky or have a look here: Pregnant CrossFit Mom Posts Weightlifting Pics to Facebook, Gets Totally Hated On and Pregnant weightlifter training just two weeks before due date provokes controversy.

My reaction to the pics? They made me smile. I thought she looked strong and terrific. In a longer, more thoughtful post, I’d have lots to say but here I just want to share a few thoughts.

I’m working out with a pregnant woman at CrossFit these days. I’m getting to know her better because she’s lifting less weight and so we’re closer to each other at the gym.  Relevant point: You can still be lifting a lot of weight and have that be a lot less than you usually lift. You just don’t know.

It’s also worth noting about media frenzy CrossFit mum that it’s her third child. Probably by now she’s got a pretty good idea how pregnancy feels to her and what she can and can’t do. Probably she’s the best expert on her own body.

I did the most exercise with my third pregnancy too. Yes, by the end of the thing I’d moved to water aerobics for my cardio but for the first six months I kept riding my bike. I asked my doctor about bike riding and she said to stick with it until balance became an issue. As it turned out my belly getting in the way was the bigger issue. But I recall the very judgmental looks I got from people for riding my bike and that hurt.

The judgment should just end. Now.

Oh, and I got none of that from health care professionals. The doctors and nurses all said nice things to me about staying active. After all, I felt good during my pregnancies. I had none of the many complaints that are associated with pregnancy.

But not all pregnancies are fine for physical activity. Sometimes things get in the way of our very best plans.

Alice MacLachlan blogged here about finding herself, a very active, fit person, not able to exercise much in pregnancy. That was incredibly stressful. She wrote, “All the advice I’d found so liberating, in theory (Be active! Keep running!) now felt like just another norm governing women’s bodies, telling me I couldn’t measure up.”

Individual circumstances vary and you don’t know what’s going on with someone else’s body. There’s a fun flow chart circulating about the ethics and etiquette of advice giving that’s relevant. I can’t find it but if you’ve seen it please let me know where to find it. “Should I give someone advice about what they’re about to eat, or what exercise they’re about to do or not do?” “Has that person asked for advice or are you that person’s parent?” “If yes, yes. If no, then no.”

Advice on exercise in pregnancy changes often. Not too many generations ago women were told not to lift anything and to take it easy. My generation got different advice. We were told not to start a new program of exercise but that anything you already did you could keep doing. Now, the Exercise and Pregnancy Lab at my university says you can even start a program of exercise while pregnant. Further they even say that we don’t know how much is too much. At about 3 minutes in the researcher says pregnancy isn’t a time to train for athletic competition and that that’s because they aren’t sure at what point in pregnancy how much exercise is too much.

I think it’s up to you. Find out what facts there are to find out, do your research, do what feels right for you, and everybody else, keep quiet. Please. You’re annoying me.

body image · Guest Post

Wow, You Must Work Out! (Guest Post)

Audrey16 Comments

yap“You look fine, just don’t let your arms get any bigger.”

I’ve spent way too much of my life living with the irrational fear that, left unchecked, my biceps would expand uncontrollably, maybe eventually taking over my entire body. I have lived in fear of sleeveless shirts, favoring loose-armed men’s T-shirts over anything like a girly tee. And don’t even get me started on cap sleeves.

Why the bicep-phobia?

I wish I could point to just one thing. After all, I do have a body type that tends to put on muscle. But I also started gymnastics, and then martial arts at a very young age, and do not come from a particularly athletic family. And let’s face it, being proper just never came naturally to some of us, much to (some of) our family’s consternation. So the fact that I was starting to look athletic growing up was not helping. And so that was the kind of thing that would be said to me. Just don’t let your arms get any bigger. It’s ok to be strong, just don’t get too big and unladylike. Well, I’m sorry. That’s just how I look when I’m strong.

Fast forward to several years of martial arts (wrestling, taekwondo, wushu) competition. And then rock climbing. Guys sometimes look at, or worse, feel, my arms and say, things like, “wow, your arms are bigger than mine!” Or just that they’re huge. I’ve been told I look like someone you wouldn’t want to run into in a dark alley. And I’ve gotten upset. And been told that I should just take it all as a compliment. Because that’s how it was intended. And not to be so sensitive.

So what’s wrong with that?

I think there are two problems. The first is that popular culture (also see: fitspiration) has left people without a realistic idea of what athletic women look like. Worse yet, with the idea that there is just one way we look. But when we’re conditioned to believe that the result of ordinary exercise is always the super-thin model, perhaps with visible abs, we think that any athletic-looking woman deviating from that norm has made a concerted effort to do so. If you work out all the time and don’t look like a fitspo poster, that must be because it’s your choice, after all. Right? Oh, wait.

The second problem is more complicated, at least for me. I want to be in a position where I am happy enough with my appearance to take any relatively accurate well-intentioned comment on it as a compliment. But I’m not. I’m still a product of our ridiculous sexist, sizeist culture, and no matter how much I think other strong-looking women look hot, I can’t quite apply that standard to myself. At least not yet. But really, I don’t think other people should get to dictate what I should want to look like. You’d like bigger arms? Great. Maybe I wouldn’t. You’d like to be thinner? Great. Maybe I’m trying to gain weight.

I mean, this is hard for me, because the standard people are trying to hold me to is one that I would like to have already adopted for myself. But I just haven’t been able to do that yet. So there’s a double judgment tied up in all of this, because not only do I hear an insult, I also hear the fact that I am still sizeist. And both of those things hurt.

So what’s a friend to do? I mean, you’ve got this athletic person in your life, and you want to tell her she looks great, but now I’ve made it all difficult, because you don’t know if you should tell her she’s skinny, or strong, or healthy, or what? How do you know what she wants to hear? Well. Maybe you could just tell her she looks great. Or maybe this time you shouldn’t compliment her on her looks at all.

Some women exercise to look good. Lots of us also exercise because there’s something we love doing that requires us to move our bodies in ways that exert a bunch of energy. So maybe you should compliment her on whatever that thing is. Maybe you could tell her how great it was she did that bike race. Or that she climbed that route really well. Or ask how her soccer team’s been doing. How about that? My body got this way because of the way I live in it. And I think all in all, I’d rather be complimented on what I’ve done with it, than on how those actions have made it look.

 

health

Why hello rest day! I think I love you

Sam B3 Comments

Transitions are hard. Both Tracy and I have blogged about moving from summer mode to the start of a new university year.  (See my Switching gears at the start of the school year and Tracy’s Routines.)

For both of us it’s the end of our research leaves too.

We’re back in the classroom. (Hi, Western students who’ve found our blog!)

I don’t know about Tracy but me, I’m extra tired. My household contains one very serious high school athlete whose alarm goes off during the school year at 5 am for practice of one sort or another. We’re the morning people in our house. Also, we’re the people yelling “Turn down the music it’s  9:30 pm, I’m trying to sleep. But other family members like their late nights and sometimes it seems sleep is lost at both ends of the day.

There is a much earlier start to my days usually during the school term. Partly too it’s saying goodbye to midafternoon naps (perfect when you’re up early running/biking/Crossfitting etc and rowing or doing Aikido in the evening.)

I love this infographic How to Nap and my favourite nap is the caffeine nap. Basically drink coffee, nap before it takes effect, sleep for 20 min and wake up extra bright eyed and busy tailed. The coffee nap is perfect for when lots more work beckons.

I haven’t yet worked out how office napping might go. I’ve got a comfy chair so perhaps I should just bring in a blanket.

More than ever I need my rest day. Saturday I did the Gran Fondo, rowing practice Sunday morning, Crossfit Monday, rowing practice Tuesday, Crossfit and Aikido on Wednesday. Thursday was more rowing practice  and then today NOTHING. Thank God. I do find that recovery time matters more as I get older and that time between efforts matters a lot. I’m going to blog about the science of recovery and my experiences later, I think.

One advantage of my new Friday rest day is that there’s no teaching either! Yes, yes, lots of work to do. Grant application due, chapters to finish, drafts to write, papers to read, letters of recommendation to write. But no exercise until biking with friends (hi Tracy!) and Aikido on Saturday.

Past posts:

In praise of rest days

Hello again rest day. It’s been awhile. I’ve missed you.

Aikido

Channeling my inner warrior

Sam B

Aikido is a beautiful, graceful martial art and it’s all about self defense, harmony, balance and blending. I don’t usually think of it as violent. Even in self-defense Aikido is performed with a concern for the well-being of the attacker. In Aikido, it’s the attacker who is vulnerable person.

“Training focuses on re-directing the force of the attacker rather than using strength to overcome them. A fundamental characteristic of aikido is concern for the well-being of the attacker, so students learn to protect themselves rather than harm another person.” Aikido Training

“What may be totally new to you is that part about the attacker being vulnerable. It usually seems that the person being attacked is the vulnerable one. But the truth of the matter is, when someone attacks you, they commit their body to that attack – at least for an instant. And if, at that instant, you don’t behave as expected – for example, if you move out of the way – that attacker will momentarily lose both physical and mental balance.” What is Aikido?

But I’m less certain about non-violence and weapons training.

Grace with a sword? Nonviolence and weapons? I’m not yet sure how this will go. My friend who gave me the birthday bokken has great hopes. For now I’m having to channel my inner warrior. Here’s my first try at inspirational role models.

We all know who Xena the Warrior Princess is.

But you might be less familiar with this swordswoman, Samantha.

“This stoic, armor-clad modern day knight is Samantha Catto-Mott, AKA Samantha Swords. Earlier this year, she won the long sword competition at the World Jousting Invitational in New Zealand. Swords has been training in medieval combat for years, and even designed the weapon she now uses to terrify and defeat her competitors (long swords are strong but not sharp, and designed to behave like a sharp sword, but preferably without killing anyone). “Kickass” actually seems a bit too tame of a word to describe her; I might need to change the title of this post to “Epic Warrior Of The Day” to do her justice. “

Read more at Fashionably Geek.

Other suggestions?

cycling · Uncategorized

Shopping for a New Set of Wheels

Tracy I11 Comments

IMG_7114When I decided to buy a road bike so I could go faster and ride with Sam and other friends, Sam at first offered to come bike shopping with me.  Yay!  That sounded awesome — bring a knowledgeable, experienced friend whom I trust and let them guide me.

But then she presented a different plan because, she said, it would be more “blog-worthy.”  Anyone who reads the blog regularly knows that Sam has an enviably deep well full of blog-worthy ideas. She even sends some my way sometimes.  And so she did with the bike shopping.

Her idea: I should go bike shopping alone, to two different shops in town, and see what they suggest.  In each case, I should tell them that I am an entry level rider. She suggested the two shops.

One was where I was planning to go anyway — To Wheels — because I had a great experience there buying my commuter bike (a Specialized hybrid).  They’re friendly and helpful and even if you don’t know what you’re doing they take their time and make you feel welcome.  It’s owned by a wonderful woman and the rest of the staff are top notch.  It’s self-described as “London’s Oldest and Coolest Bike Shop!”

I won’t name the other store–I’ll call it Store X–because I didn’t end up buying from them and I don’t want to seem negative about my experience there. It wasn’t bad — just not like my exceptional experience at To Wheels.  I chose it on Sam’s advice because it’s a store that caters to very serious riders and racers.  We were both curious how they would deal with a newbie.

I went to Store X first. It’s a tiny shop on a busy street in London, with nowhere to park bikes outside (which I found odd and off-putting). They allowed me to wheel my bike into the store but (a) no one helped me with the door and I was clearly struggling, and (b) once in, there is hardly any space to put the bike anyway.  So my initial impressions weren’t positive.

A pleasant young woman came over and asked me if I needed help. I told her I was looking for an entry level road bike. Her first question was about what I planned to use it for and what kind of mileage I anticipated. I guessed 2-3 rides a week, anywhere in the 40-100K range.  She showed me two different bikes that were both aluminum frames with carbon forks.  She explained the carbon is better because it’s lighter and because it absorbs vibration more effectively. That makes it comfortable for longer rides and explains why even aluminum bikes have carbon forks.

We talked a bit about shoes and pedals. In the end, she put a Garneau Axis SL2 on hold for me to think about until noon the next day. All told, I was in the store for about 30 minutes, part of which time I was waiting because the owner called the woman who was helping me over to ring another customer through the cash. At no point was I offered the possibility of taking the bike out for a spin.

Still, I was kind of excited about the bike and it was reasonably priced.  Sam said that an aluminum frame with carbon front forks would do just fine for me, and I trust her judgment.

Next day, I went to To Wheels right for 10 a.m. when it opened. I chatted with a young guy for a few minutes, giving him the basics of what I was looking for. He walked me over to the road bikes and called over the owner, Sheri, to take care of me. This was smart move number one on their part. She is super knowledgeable and extremely helpful.  Now, I know she is in the business of sales, and I was a customer looking to buy. I had no intention of cheaping out on this purchase, and so she got me into the next bracket of bikes from what I was offered at the other place.

We looked almost immediately at the Specialized Ruby Sport. It’s a very pretty bike designed by women for women (see Sam’s post about why she’s not into that idea). That means a slightly shorter reach, which works for me because I have a short torso. Sheri had all sorts of info and really took her time explaining stuff to me. She also took measurements and explained about seat placement and ideal positioning of the handle bars.

She suggested that they put some flat pedals on the bike so I could take it out for a test ride and get a feel for it even though, ideally, I would ultimately get the most out of the bike with clipless pedals.

The bike rides beautifully. I took it out to the path and blasted up a couple of hills that would have me sweating and panting on my other bike.  Fresh as a daisy at the top of both!  I practiced shifting and determined that I still have some work to do before I’ll have that mastered. My hybrid has a simple system, with just two shifters — one for shifting up, one for shifting down. This bike has a shifter for the front sprocket and another for the back, and of course each of those has an up and a down. I’m still unclear on what combination of front and back is ideal. Sheri cautioned me that some combinations aren’t good for the bike and that there are equivalents that don’t strain things as much. So I’ll want some guidance and practice hitting the right notes in my shifting.

All in all I was in the store for about 90 minutes, leaving without the bike only because I had to go to work. During that 90 minutes I decided to buy the bike, chose shoes and pedals, a water bottle holder, a little repair kit that snaps under the seat, and a standing pump with a pressure gauge. $$$$

I called Store X to ask them to release the bike they had on hold for me.

I went back later that day, excited, for a lesson on the trainer and to be measured up on the bike with the shoes and the pedals. It’s a strange feeling to clip into your pedals. But I practiced clipping in and out, in and out, many times. Sheri coached me a bit about how to do it most efficiently (she recommends clipping in and out at the bottom, which was helpful). We also did some final measurements and ended up shortening the little post that attaches the handlebars to the frame to make for a more comfortable reach for me.

I didn’t take it home because I wanted to spend a week with flat pedals just to get a feel for the bike. Also, I wanted to take it to the Lakeside Triathlon on the Sunday and didn’t think it would be wise to add clipless pedals to the mix (smart decision on my part, I think).

Saturday, I picked the bike up in the morning, and also bought a few more items: a jersey, two pairs of shorts, some knee warmers and arm warmers, and a pair of gloves.  $$$$

I’m like a kid with a new bike!  I love my new wheels and I love the shop I bought it from.  I’m planning to go riding with Sam and another friend on Saturday  morning and hope I can get the pedals put on by then even though I’m terrified. Even with the regular platform pedals I just fly up hills. I’m sure I cut my bike time significantly at the triathlon on  Sunday because of the new bike.

I’ll have to report later on how the transition to clipless pedals goes. I’ve heard it can be rough–if the fearless and formidable Caitlin found it challenging, that makes me nervous!

Anyway, the upshot is, I really think you can’t underestimate the importance of finding a bike shop that takes you and your newbie concerns seriously, is willing to take the time to help you get comfortable on the bike, and is a place that makes you feel excited about your purchase. Store X may work for those who know exactly what they want, but as a newbie, I felt it was intimidating and I felt kind of rushed. To me, if I’m going to spend a few grand, I’d like to have someone’s undivided attention.

fitness · motivation

Fitness as a Relational Activity (Or, Only When You are Watching) (Guest Post)

Susan Tarshis5 Comments

I have a sedentary job. In that way, I am not unique to the millions of others who spend far too much time sitting still in an improper posture. About 10 years ago, I started a very slow crawl out of my consistently sedentary ways and into something that approaches an active life.

I have never done it to change how I look. My goals are always similar and have to do with developing endurance, power, independence and balance. As a Psychotherapist, I am also acutely aware of the role inactivity plays in stress and all the follow-ons including depression, anxiety and chronic pain.

I’ve had some fantastic success. I can run 5k with little problem and even further with walk breaks. I can lift some heavy things. I can survive a one hour Flow class in Yoga. I can carry a canoe on my shoulders, hike for a whole day, carry the laundry from the basement and ride a 7 jump hunter course without hurting anything. I place a tremendous value on each of these achievements and activities and yet, there is one struggle that I have not yet overcome.
I only do these things enthusiastically when someone else is watching. I know that sounds weird, so let me explain.

My most recent accomplishment, of which I am intensely proud, was a 12 week course of intense one on one weight training. Three days a week for one hour, I’d lift heavy things in ways and repetitions I never thought I could or would. Standing next to me was a person I affectionately named my “Evil Overlord”. He placed these tasks in front of me and expected I would succeed in them. Since the program was carefully tailored to my capacities and well designed, I did succeed and wow, it was a rush and a half.

Previously, I had ascribed my on again off again relationship to physical activity to the deficits in my fitness that left some things profoundly difficult. The Flow class, for instance, was made intolerable by my lack of upper body strength and those wee shoulder muscles we never exercise plaguing me with spasm. My running broke down after muscle imbalances in my knee caused pain that lasted for days. This weight training program zoomed right in on that stuff and fixed it. I mean FIXED. With this new capacity, I felt convinced that I had broken through some magic barrier that would allow me to finally enjoy, not only the benefits of my fitness, but the acquisition of fitness itself.

It didn’t happen. As soon as I didn’t have the thought of the Evil Overlord waiting for me by the barbells, I knew in my gut I would let the whole thing go.
However, I’m a therapist and sometimes, I try and turn that lens on myself. Here I am, ready to spring into further action, and I’m having a heck of a time doing it. As a technique in my office, I often turn a question around. Instead of asking why I don’t do it, I asked myself, when do I do it. By “it” I mean happily lace up and lift/run/flow or otherwise strain myself in ways I deep down dislike.

Then it hit me. I do it when someone is watching. I love to run with my partner. I loved my sessions with the Overlord. I loved the marking of accomplishments, the encouragement and the interaction. I love my riding coach and the way she nitpicks me to death on my position and seat. I am engaged by yoga instructors who take the time to get a little personal with what I am doing.

When I am alone at home with my Pilates mat and a DVD, I am totally unenthused. When I go running alone or even with the dog, I suffer in a very different way than when I run with my partner. It feels like there is sand paper in my joints and I want to go home and nap. There is no joy.

I’ll be truthful. I feel a little ashamed of this phenomenon. I wonder if it means I’m not running for myself, but rather for an admiring gaze. I wonder if I’m just a princess looking for a spotlight. I wonder why my health, independence and personal power aren’t enough. That is one way to tell the story but, it’s a version full of self -judgement. Another thing I’ve learned after years of being other people’s therapist is stories that reek of self-judgement usually reek in general. Perhaps there is something else operating here that is a little gentler than Susan, the raving egomaniac craving the gaze of the Other.

So, here it goes, my alternate story. As human beings, we are wired to relate. It’s a survival skill. We need each other. When we are functioning more or less optimally, we feel better and do better with others around us than if we are alone. I don’t mean we can’t be alone and enjoy it. I mean connectivity is the necessary base from which we roam and return. And if relationship is essential to human success, might relationship be part of what I need to enjoy these intense activities? If I was running to catch my food, I’d have other motivators but I don’t have to chase my next meal in that way. I run for abstract reasons that, in my reality, have absolutely no immediate pleasurable motivator. That is, unless I’m running with another person I care about. Perhaps for me, fitness is a relational activity and when I perceive there is no relational experience or feedback, I am not engaged the same way.

I’m not sure how this will help my fitness future. A recent post on this blog by Tracy addressed the importance of workout buddies and this obviously meshes with that idea. Maybe I’ll just have to remain aware of that quirk of mine and do what I can to satisfy it. Perhaps I can just be mindful that my lonely runs are not as much fun as my together runs and races, but that’s okay.
Alone at the gym with 80lbs to deadlift. . .that is a challenge at which I still squint suspiciously.. .Crossfit? Really? Ugh! I see how it starts Sam. I see how it starts.

audience

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Susan Tarshis, B.A., LL B., M.Ed., is a Psychotherapist in Milton Ontario with a very full practice. That’s good because she loves her job and bad because that means she sits a lot. She is a 45 year old feminist with a passionate interest in the human condition and a propensity to return to school every 5 years or so just because. She is slowly discovering her inner athlete and trying very hard to do things that challenge her without either hurting herself or hating it too much to ever do it again.

blue road bike Why should a fat girl care about riding a light bike?
body image · cycling

Why should a fat girl care about riding a light bike?

Sam B5 Comments

As a big/fat/whatever person who rides a very light weight bike (made of carbon fibre, it’s a Cannondale – Super Six Hi-Mod, a few years old now and bought used) I get this question a lot. I ride the kind of bike that people are surprised when they lift it at how little it weighs. It makes a big difference to the weight when I take the water bottles off. And given the light frame, I don’t load it down with heavy components. My other bike bits are on the light side too.

Light bikes aren’t cheap and you might wonder if it wouldn’t have just been easier to buy a heavier bike and lose a few kilos? Put the way it’s often asked, isn’t it easier just to lose rider weight? (All the bike forums where this question is posed also add “and sexier” to the question about losing weight. Of course.)

Why buy pedals made of pricey “unobtainium” someone once jested when you could just drop a few pounds?

That question was then repeated by a friend who speculated that it’s easy to buy things. Anybody with money can do that.

Now, he did admit that it’s also hard to lose weight. But the contrast stood, between fat people who take the easy route and just buy things and other people (with discipline!) who work hard and lose weight. At the heart of the question I fear though is the thought that fat people don’t deserve nice things. We ought to save them for rewards, you know for after we get thin.

I’m a frugal person about many things and I’m not that sensitive about my weight. So let me take up the challenge here and try to answer the charge, why should a fat person care about riding a lightweight bike?

First, rider weight isn’t easy to change. I won’t detail my efforts at getting leaner but I work very hard to lose very little weight or stay the same. Of course, I want to be leaner, of course, but my options are limited. If I could buy the weight off, I would. Instead, I’m settling for slow progress with nutrition counseling, mindful eating, and moving lots. You can read about that here.

The reason the fat/big/whatever person wants the light go fast bike is the same reason as the thin/lean whatever person does: It’s lighter, it’s faster. Whee! Zoom!

Second, some bike weight matters more than rider weight and rotating weight matters most of all so my light weight wheels are definitely worth it.

Third, as for the bike itself. I bought a carbon bike for a variety of reasons, weight is just one of them. It’s not the only characteristic of carbon fibre that I care about. It’s a smoother, less jarring ride than my aluminum frame. It accelerates nicely. It’s stiff. It’s a thing of beauty. Yes there are lovely steel frames out there but I crave acceleration, not just steady state speed, and my carbon bike is very frisky in ways I quite like.

In the end the reasons a fat girl rides a lightweight bike are the same reason pretty much anyone who rides a light bike does. Yes, I take note each time I climb a hill how much easier it would be if I weighed less but I’ve done that, had that same thought, no matter what my body weight is. I think if I approached the hill on a heavy bike, I’d wonder about losing bike weight too.

Luckily, I don’t have that excuse. It’s you and me hill, here we go!

Read more:
The Science of Bicycles
The Effect of Weight on Speed
Does wheel weight matter?
One of the oldest cycling dilemmas resolved: Weight vs. Speed
How Much Does Body Weight Affect Your Cycling Speed?

cycling

A challenge: How far can you ride in October?

Sam B9 Comments

Make a pledge and set your distance for October.

We both like challenges here at the blog and this one is easy to adapt to your own level. It’s a “set your own goals” challenge so the idea is just to say what you’ll do and do it. You can set the bar low, if like Tracy you’re a fan of “doing more by doing less” or “aim high and fail but still do lots more than if you hadn’t aimed high” person like me!

Blog reader and cyclist AB has signed up for “700kms in Oct (which is 23 commutes to work, which is every work day + 1 more day..).” I pledged to ride 400 km during October, which works out to be 20 commutes at 12 km a round trip, plus 4 weekend 40 km rides. You can sponsor me here.

It’s the Australian Great Cycle Challenge! Yes, it’s spring there and fall here but I love autumn riding and I figure they’re not a bad match in terms of riding conditions. Also, lots of readers are actually there.  Yes, it’s an Australian charity but since it’s for medical research I don’t actually care where in the world the good work is done, just that it is done.

“Great Cycle Challenge encourages you to get on your bike this October to fight kids’ cancer. You just register yourself, set yourself a ride target and then pedal as much as you can throughout October.

You can ride as an individual or create a team with your friends, cycling club or workplace – it’s up to you!

Your kilometres and progress will be displayed on your personal rider profile page (created when you register) and you can customise your page with photos, videos, a personal message and even nominate a person to ride for.

Thousands of lycra-loving enthusiasts across Australia will be pedalling to raise funds to develop treatments and find a cure for childhood cancer.

Give your car some alone time this October…register for Great Cycle Challenge today!”

Uncategorized

Doing, Not Racing, the “Give-It-a-Tri” Tri

Tracy I8 Comments

IMG_7110Samantha posted yesterday about riding, not racing, Gran Fondo on the weekend. Today I’m going to post about doing, not racing, the Lakeside “Give-It-a-Tri” Triathlon.  It’s the try-a-tri that I did on Sunday. This too will be a ramble, since like Samantha, I don’t have time to write a nice concise post today!

Unlike for the Kincardine Women’s Triathlon in July, this time I was only excited, not nervous, leading up to race day.  I felt pretty good about my swimming–I’ve been a strong swimmer since I was a kid.  I just got a new bike and was eager to try it out. And while running is definitely still my weakest event, I do more than the requisite 2.5K every time I go out. So I went into the day feeling relaxed and eager.

I did it with my niece, Jolene, and had support from my friend, Dawn. So it was a fun Sunday morning outing. Pleasant surprise:  I knew at least four of the volunteers and that helped me settle in and feel at home.

We arrived during the final stages of the Olympic distance that had started earlier that morning.  We were a bit behind schedule so the first mistake was starting the day with a sense of rush.  By the time we got there, it was already 11. Race time was noon.  Pre-race meeting on the beach at 11:30. And we still had to get our bearings.

In Ottawa earlier this summer at least one bike went missing, so at this event they had new security measures for the transition area and racking the bikes. You had to get a wristband and a bike band before you could enter the area to rack your bike.  Post-race, you couldn’t leave until they checked to make sure your wristband number and bike band number matched.

Racking the bike and setting up for the transition are events in themselves.  I had a good spot near the fence, so I could easily grab something out of my bag if I forgot to lay it out. But I wanted to make my transitions as smooth as possible.  We racked our bikes and went on to pick up our bibs and race kits, bathing caps, get the body marking, and use the loo one last time before donning the wetsuit.

There’s definitely a buzz in the air as you prep for a triathlon.  Lakeside is a pretty small little resort, kind of like a conservation area, with a tiny lake, soft sandy beach, and grassy shore beyond the beach.

The event was sold out so there were 155 people at the pre-race meeting on the beach where they explained the entire course and outlined some basic rules about drafting and blocking on the bike (neither allowed).  I put on my wetsuit during the meeting (using the tip I’d learned from the race website earlier that day: put plastic grocery bags on your feet to make it easier to pull on.  Excellent advice. Worked well).

Most people wore wetsuits, but truth to be told the water was actually warm enough to swim without. We only had 400 metres to do.  Most would be out of the water within 15 minutes.

After the meeting we picked up our timing chips. I missed the part about not entering the transition after that (because crossing the mat would start the chip). So did Jolene and a few other unfortunate folks. Because I did do that (for no good reason really), I missed my warm-up swim as I had to wait around for the chip issue to get solved.  That was mistake number two. I will definitely in the future take time to do a few practice strokes before the race.

The race started in three waves. Men under forty. Women under forty.  And men and women over forty.  Jolene was in the second and I in the third wave, so, standing in the water together before the swim, we hugged and wished each other luck. She was freaking out over the swim (but ended up with a respectable time).

I’m really glad that the swim is first because it’s the thing I’m least nervous about and in a triathlon you really can’t spend a lot of time thinking about anything other than the event you’re on at the time.

The Swim:  Next thing I know, they’re counting down from ten to the start of my swim.  At GO! everyone started running through the very shallow water at the beginning towards the first big green buoy that marked our first turn.  The water was warm, but it was really murky. You could hardly see anything, which made it challenging to see the people in front or whether you were about to get kicked.

I struggled more than I anticipated with the swim. I couldn’t find my rhythm or catch my breath even though I am normally very rhythmic in the water and have no difficulty breathing. I even had to do breast stroke for a bit and a couple of times flipped over onto my back.  This unexpected struggle started a negative tape in my mind — “this is your strongest event and you’re tanking!” — and for a couple of minutes I felt like “what the hell am I doing?”

But I eventually talked myself down from that ledge and hit my stride. It wasn’t nearly as hectic swimming around other people as I thought it would be from all the video I’d seen.  Though the water was murky, I could see and touch a few weeds (ew!). That bolstered me on to get out of there as quickly as possible.  The turn points were large green floating cones, and there were enormous orange markers along the way. So the one thing I was uncertain about — keeping track of where I was going — wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. Mind you, I did end up zig zagging a bit more than I do when I’m following that nice straight line on the bottom of the swimming pool at the Y.

IMG_7100[though this pic makes it look like I’m the last one out, it’s the camera angle. There were people behind me — lots!]

Transition One (Swim to Bike): I ran up onto the beach and across the grass, thankful that it was easy on the bare feet.  I had the wetsuit off to the waist before I got to the transition area, and then peeled the rest off as quickly as possible. I threw my bike shorts over my wet clothes and put on my helmet, socks and shoes. I now know why some do not wear socks: It’s hard to get them on when your feet are a bit damp and you’re in a hurry. Quick tie laces (elastic laces) are a must).  I grabbed my bike and ran out to the mount line.

The Ride: The 10K ride took a hilly route over country roads, out and back.  I’d just picked up my new bike the day before and was still playing with gears.  I didn’t get it quite right every time but I passed a few people, a few people passed me, I hit over 30K an hour at one point on a downhill, and in general felt like a little kid with a new bike.  It was during the bike part that I had the explicit realization that I was doing not racing the triathlon.  I was all happy and smiling. The occasional person who passed me apologized. That confused me. Then it hit me: they’re racing and assume that I must be too!

Transition Two (Bike to Run):  I met Jolene in the transition area and she was ready to run together. But running is her strong suit so I begged off and let her go. I almost left without taking off my bike shorts. Doubling back to do that took up extra time. I kind of took an easy jog out of the transition area.

The Run:  I was not in the mood to run. Even though it was only 2.5K, my legs didn’t want to work and my mind kept telling me to walk.  So I did a walk-run for 2.5K.  Mistake number three was eating nothing after breakfast. It was now nearly 1 p.m., I’d swum and biked and still had a bit of running to do and I felt hungry and light-headed.  I am very grateful for (a) the people along the side of the road cheering us on to the bitter end (I placed 133/155, so, you know, there weren’t that many people left behind me!) and (b) that our race bibs had our names on them. There is something lovely about having people encourage you by name. That energized me over the final K.

So yes, I finished 133/155 overall, 8/10 in my age category.  Even though I wasn’t trying to win or even beat out any particular competition, I felt a little bit disappointed in my result. It took me 1 hour and 4 minutes, and I KNOW I could have broken an hour if I’d had a practice swim, managed my transitions better, refueled either before or during the race, and pushed harder on the run.

If I’m going to do an Olympic or even sprint distance triathlon I have a TON of work to do, especially in the running department but actually in all three events and in practicing good transitions.

It was loads of fun. Dawn got some great pictures. And Jolene survived the swim and ended up with a better overall time than I did. She says she won’t do another one, preferring instead to focus on her running.

Me? I’m sticking with it. I’m determined to do at least three next summer–one more beginner triathlon where I push a little harder, one sprint distance, and either second sprint distance or (and this is my real “fittest by fifty” goal), the Olympic distance triathlon at Lakeside next summer.  And I want to get more into the race mindset.

We’ll see what happens!

cycling

Riding, not racing, the Niagara Falls Gran Fondo

Sam B16 Comments
granfondo

This Saturday I rode the inaugural Niagara Falls Gran Fondo with almost a thousand other cyclists. (They expected between two and three thousand but didn’t quite get that many. I’ve got some ideas why in my comments about the event.)

What is a Gran Fondo?

“Gran fondos are mass participation cycling events that have enjoyed incredible popularity in Europe for decades and are gaining momentum in North America.

Loosely translated from Italian, gran fondo means “big ride”. These rides are often a hundred kilometres or more and designed for a large number of cyclists at a variety of skill levels – everyone from the competitive cyclist to the amateur enjoy these events. The rides are judged by the challenges they offer: steep climbs, long distances and a combination of the two. While these are not races, top finishers are often recognized.

Imagine for one day, the best possible cycling roads  are yours to enjoy. Before you is an epic route with challenging climbs and thrilling descents. All you have to do is concentrate on the beauty around you. You’re feeling fit and you’re lined up for a huge ride with thousands of your fellow cyclists. It’s not a race, so there’s no pressure. You can ride whatever pace you want. You can even stop for a sandwich along the way – they’re provided. And no matter what pace you choose, you’re not likely going to be riding alone. There will be a fast bunch at the front if you want to keep up with them and you can count on local spectators cheering along the way. The scenery is better than you would see in a magazine. The ride ends with a massage and a party, and everyone’s invited.”

First things first. It’s Gran Fondo, not the Grand Fondo but my auto correct has been having fun calling it the Grand Fungi. I like that and often have let it slide. My friend David has been calling it the “Big Hobbit” from you know the “Grand Frodo.”

This is going to be a long rambling post about the things I liked, things I didn’t like, and things I am still thinking about. Let me quote Pascal: “I have only made this letter longer because I have not had the time to make it shorter.” It’s busy, start of term and all that.

I’ve been curious about these big rides for awhile. Locally there’s the Gran Fondo but also the Centurion series. The Centurion series says, “We’re combining the mass-participation buzz of a big-city marathon with the epic feel of riding in a stage of the Tour de France. If you want to race, you can race. If want to ride, you can ride.” And in theory I like the “let the racers race and let the riders ride” idea.

Cycling doesn’t have many mass participation events. What’s a “mass participation” event anyway? You know, where some people are racing for time and other people are racing to complete the distance. You don’t need to qualify to enter and people do it for a range of different reasons.  Tracy asked Why participate if I’m not going to win? and came up with lots of good reasons. Marathons have that and triathlons have that but cycling hasn’t. Some say for good reasons, and I’ll get to that.

I’ve ridden in the Tour de Femme in Canberra, Australia twice.  About 500 women and a fast 20 km course through neighbourhoods and roads around the lake. Again, about half the group was in it to race and for the others, it was a sociable ride on roads not usually closed to traffic. But I did that as a licensed rider and got into one of the early starting groups. As a result my experience was pretty different.

This time I started out with no racing license and no grand time ambitions. I was in for a ride and not a race. I did it with a couple of friends and we all had our own challenges. One of us battles nutrition issues and eating enough while riding, another of us was a novice rider new to cycling this season. and me, I’ve not been on my bike much. I’ve been rowing more than riding this summer. We pledged to stop at all the rest stops and to stick together, regrouping at the tops of hills. For the most part we managed that. We did skip the last rest stop and each went our own way for the last 10 km or so.

At the back of the pack, I’d say the riding skills of the people near me weren’t great. Many seemed not to have ridden in groups before and the etiquette and the “how to” of drafting, taking turns, and switching lead riders was new to them.  Rules and common sense say to pass on the left but the slower riders seemed not to have inclination at all to ride on the right. You were also told not to cross the yellow line but few people followed that rule. Within the first 20 km there was  a crash. Nothing serious but still. I gave most of the riders a wide berth and stuck close to the people I came with whose road skills I could trust. That’s the way in which a road race isn’t at all like a marathon or a triathlon. You’re riding close to other people and there are skills that matter that affect how everyone’s day goes. That’s why some experienced roadies hate mass participation cycling events.

Not me. I love the idea of mass participation but I confess I disliked the experience of riding with so many people whose riding skills weren’t up to snuff. I’d be happier being faster and riding with the racers. It might be faster but it’s also safer. One thing racing does is hone your group riding skills.

My next worry is about how accessible the ride was, despite the billing. They say “It’s not a race, so there’s no pressure. You can ride whatever pace you want.” But that’s not quite right. We started at 6:30 am and some of the roads opened to traffic again at 12:30. The Gran Fondo emails in advance of the ride said you need to maintain an average pace of 20 km.hr to stay in the event. Averaging 20 km/hr isn’t fast for a cycling club member but lots of the  people there, I think, were not club members. There were people with mountain bikes, recumbants, and even some folding bikes.The average speed you needed to maintain included stops and some pretty serious hills. There were more than 30 people, judging by the results, who finished the course but not the event.

Indeed, there was a car, the Fine Gara, that followed the ride at the 20 km/hr avg pace and it had a sign on the back that said, “If you are reading this sign, you are no longer in the event. Please obey the rules of the road.” Legally required? Sure. But ouch.

As you might expect, finishing times ran the gamut. The fastest man was Toronto’s Kevin Black. He finished in 3:15:58, with a KOM time of 4:47. The top woman was also from Toronto, Catherine Frieson, 3:37:51, with a QOM of 5:51. (What’s KOM? King of the Mountain. Ditto QOM, “King of the Mountain: During a stage race, points are awarded to the first few riders to cross the summit of categorized climbs. Difficult climbs are worth more points and the rider who has accumulated the most points over the course of a race is crowned at the King of the Mountain.” Here the KOM time was his time up a certain hills designated as the KOM/QOM hill.) You can see photos of the winners here.

My time was more than two hours longer than theirs, though I did stop at all the rest stops! It put me in at 165/225 women in the event. (Right, but it’s not a race.) My friend David was asking if a woman ever came first in cycling events and the answer is no. Twenty nine men finished before the first woman. Cycling, like running and swimming, favours men over women. I’ll blog about the differences and why that’s so another time. This course was also made for climbers. Often in road event the person who wins the KOM/QOM doesn’t win the race. There’s a polka dot jersey for the hill climber and a yellow jersey for the overall winner. This was a course for climbers. Both Kevin and Catherine, the overall winners, won both jerseys.

Niagara Fall is a beautiful region. Just gorgeous. Stunning scenery. But when you think about the area’s features–vineyards, waterfalls, the escarpment–you realize that means hills. The KOM/QOM was on Effingham, or Effing Hill, as it’s aptly called. I knew I was in trouble when I saw a radio tower on top of it. Right. Highest point in the region and we’re getting up there. Also, the street that runs off Effingham is called “Lookout Street.” Another hint.

I’ve ridden lots of the roads before as I’ve take quite a few holidays in this region for its amazing cycling. And theatre. And back when I drank alcohol, the wine. It’s a wonderful region for cycling holidays with great roads and great bike paths. But this was spectacular doing it without cars. What a rush speeding along the Niagara Parkway and through the Thorold Tunnel without cars. There were lots and lots of friendly police officers out on the route along with eager locals cheering on the riders.  (Read more about the route here.)

You can read more about the ride in the local paper, Gran Fondo Cyclists Take Over Niagara.

What else stood out?

  • A pretty heavy presence from the event’s corporate sponsors Cervelo and Lululemon. There was a Lulu stretch area after the event and special parking for Cervelo riders.
  • A reasonable number of women. About 1/4 of the riders were women which is good for a cycling event. I thought there were more at opening night but it turned out there were a lot of wives and girlfriends along for the holiday. I mean, why not, it’s a beautiful location but I wish they’d brought bikes.
  • The early morning start, while definitely too early, was also beautiful. We lined up in self seeded corrals according to our estimated finishing time and that seemed to work pretty well. With the falls roaring off to our right it was kind of spectacular.
  • There seemed to be a lot of American riders as it was close to the US border. I heard quite a few conversion conversations about  the 125 km distance. “What is that, like 80 miles?”
  • Vegetarian food at the after party. Wow.  Vegan jumbalaya.  But sadly my post ride drink ticket was only good for wine or beer. Another corporate sponsorship issue, I’m guessing.
  • I loved that the first band playing at the after party also did the ride and performed in their cycling garb!
  • I loved that the Denny’s allowed us to bring our bikes in for breakfast before the event. It was a 630 am start which meant a 5 am trip for breakfast. We sang O’Canada badly, in the dark.
  • It was expensive and it wasn’t primarily a charity ride but I think well worth it to ride on those roads closed to cars. There was a lot of emphasis on the inaugural part and on the founding rider bit so clearly the organizers have their sites set on years to come.
  • Oh, and I’ve never had that many photos taken of me on a bike! Every hill climb, every descent, the start, the finish, near especially scenic bits of countryside..I think they took about a dozen photos and I expect an email soon offering to sell me the package. I’m hoping there are no Effing Hill shots.

Will I do it again? Maybe. I’d like to go with a larger group and all ride together. This would give you the advantage of drafting and group riding without having to mix it up with the other riders too much. I’d also make a plan for managing the rest stops. I’m still not completely comfortable with the ride/race thing. If it’s a race, let’s race. If it’s not, let’s ride and look at the scenery. But maybe that’s just me. (No, actually it’s also Kim Solga who blogged here about her feelings regarding the “not a race” line about the L2P24.) I don’t like people passing me, thinking I’m racing, when I’m just out for a ride. (Read my bike path post on that same topic.)  It also made me want to vacation in the region again with my bike. Certainly, I’ll do that. If you’re considering coming from away for next year’s Gran Fondo Niagara Falls it really is a beautiful part of the world. Stay for a few days and have a look around. Noodle on the canal side bike path and try the country roads around Niagara on the Lake. Head over to Fort Erie (about 100 km return). Read more about cycling in the Niagara region here. Get a map here. Read more about routes here.

Here’s some of my photos taken (of course) before, after, and the rest stops.

image

image

image