A PR before the end of the year!

My 2007 training and racing is now officially over.

This morning I went for a 55 km bike ride and averaged 32 km/ph. It was a real nice ride through Ponte Verda. Nicely paved roads, huge houses and I even passed Sawgrass Golf Course where the PGA Players Championship major is held every year. It was a beautiful area, very little traffic and the cars give cyclists a lot of room when they pass, Vijay Singh and some of the PGA golfers also live there.

As you can see in the picture of me cycling I have my new helmet, jersey and shorts on. What great deals I got on them. The helmet alone was regularly $200 for $80!

This morning I found out about the "Gator Bowl" 5 km run in downtown Jacksonville at the water front. It was at 2 pm, so I rode earlier, got home by 12:30 pm and got to the event by 1:15 pm. Because I was in a rush and the cab showed up right away (my family was at Target and didn't want to leave- I can't say I blame them - It's not that much fun for them), I didn't have time to eat or hydrate properly from my cycle.

Once I got down to the start and registered, I was starting to "bonk". So 10 minutes before the start I bought a sandwich and water and downed it quick. Before the race I was also concerned about my left Achilles as it has been tender lately. I mentally kept telling myself it would be okay.

As always, I didn't know what my race strategy would be before I started. Would I go hard? Easy? or what? So once the gun went off I decided to giver. The first mile I finished in 6:14 (but I think it was measured short because I can't believe it!), by mile two I was at 13:25 and I finished at 21:50.

At no point after the first mile was my heart rate below 165 bpm. For the last mile and a half it was in the mid 170's and maxed out at 177 bpm. In most cases I can sprint the last 100 meters. Not this time. I gave it everything I had from the beginning. My breathing was so hard, others could hear me from 15 yards away. Once I get into this mode I call myself "Bryan the Train Payne"!

My Achilles held out, it seems to be sore on the left side of the Achilles. Afterwards it was tender and a sensitive when I walk, but I'll work through it with ice, stretching, massage and drugs. I'm now hydrated, have eaten, have taken my protein shake, and I'm a shower away from being ready for the rest of the day and night!

Tonight is New Years and I figured I'd right my blog earlier in the day as I'm sure I'll be having to much fun to do it tonight.

Have a Happy New Year!

Day off Training

Today was a scheduled off day.

All the family headed down to Kennedy Space Center and toured the place. It was truly amazing.

My Achilles is still a little tender. I used some Pennsaid on it and did some stretching. It seems to be getting a little better.

I've decided I'm going to be keeping my runs primarily to 50 minutes or less, except for my weekly long run.

I'm not sure going an hour or more is going to give me any additional benefits and may just set me up for injury. I figure I'll just do more back to back runs and gradually increase the pace instead.

Brick'n it...

This morning I went to American Cycle. They had some awesome deals. I bought a new racing helmet, shorts and some shirts. All at 50% off or more.

Afterwards I did a brick workout. I ran 78 minutes then cycled 63 minutes. I felt pretty good all things considered.

The run was a little longer than I wanted to go, I overestimated the distance. The only downside was my left Achilles started to get a little tender near the end of the run.

I had a very good day of eating healthy, other than going to a sports bar and having some beers. Although they were Michelob Ultra, only 90 calories and 2.6 grams of fat per beer and it tasted pretty good!

I just started using www.nutridiary.com. It is a free website that allows you to log your food and it gives you some great reports and analysis of what you are eating.

Starting off on the right foot in Jacksonville...

I ended up having 12 hours of good sleep! I've been using the CPAP and it seems to be working okay. My heart rate was in the high 50's low 60's. It looks like my body recovered from the last few days.

After my 11 am breakfast, I put my bike together and hit the road. I had an AWESOME ride. I felt so strong I couldn't believe it. I ended up doing 44 km and averaged 31.4 km per hour with very little effort and some strong winds. I kept my heart rate under 140 bpm. The roads were a little dicey as some have bike lanes and others don't.

After the ride, I went to a bike shop to get compressed air. I couldn't believe the deals. Most of the shop was 50% off. I didn't buy a lot because I was with my dad and brother in-law, but I'm going back tomorrow. They had beautiful cycling jerseys for $30 and high end helmets for between $40 and $90. Today I did buy the team Discovery yellow hat that was regular $35 for $10. It's an awesome looking hat and the last one!

At the shop they also gave me some tips on where to ride which is along the beach. Tomorrow is supposed to be as high as 80 F. Right now I'm planning to do a run and a bike so long as it doesn't rain.

Partying is always fun...until the next day

Today was a tough day to travel. Alice and I didn't get any sleep and had to pack when we were still, to put it mildly, a little tipsy and not functioning to well.

All things considered I only forgot a couple of items, but unfortunately one was "the stick" for my calf massage. I'm going to look to buy one tomorrow.

We slept on the plane and in Minneapolis for about 4 hours during our lay over. It helped and we got to Jacksonville pretty fresh all things considered.

Today was a planned off day for training. I started eating well today. No sweets. My sister made a very healthy meal with salmon and pork.

Tomorrow I hope to figure out where a safe place would be to ride my bike.

Great day

I had a great day!

Great workout at the Wellness Institute. A 70 minute bike ride, a 20 minute steam bath and a Weider Whey shake on the way home. Alyssa and I worked out together, I love a father daughter moment. It's beautiful.

Then a Christmas dinner at Alice's brothers house, many cocktails later and we are home at 3:47 am. I attached a picture of Darlene and I trying to get away from a nephew in-law that wanted to kiss everyone before he left. When he drinks he gets very kissy.

It's a good thing we are home early because we need to be at the airport by 5:30am and the cab is picking us up at 4:50 am.

Before we got home, we made the cab driver stop at 7 eleven so we could pick up a Hoggie. Boy was it good and unhealthy.

Till tomorrow.....

Merry Christmas...

The kids woke us up at 7 am to open presents. Afterwards I went back to bed for a couple of hours. When I woke up I felt so fat! All we have been doing is eating and drinking. I'm sure I'm up 5 lbs, minimum.

After brunch I went for a 1 hour 46 minute long run. It was nice outside, around -6 C. I was paranoid on the run that my calf's were seizing up due to dehydration from the beer I've been drinking.

On the run I decided I need to start eating right if I'm going to be training so hard. More fruits, vegetables, clean protein, etc and less simple carbohydrates, sugars and beer. I'm thinking that a good diet will probably help my recovery more that I think. That's my New Years resolution - 90% of my diet to be healthy eating.

It was tough to get dressed for the run as my wrist and hand is hard to move without major pain. I'm not sure if it is a real bad sprain or broken. I took an Advil before the run and figured the endorphins would mask the pain. The plan was for me to visit the hospital to get an x-ray after I got back from my run.

After the run, the hand did feel better. I've been icing it all day long and have been keeping it wrapped in a tensor bandage all day. I think it is getting better. I figure that if it still feels the same or worse tomorrow I'll go to the hospital to get it checked out. The last thing I want to do is go to Florida with something broken in my hand or wrist, especially with how the medical system charges for a visit down there.

We had a huge turkey for Christmas dinner. It was real good. I over ate a little and enjoyed my mom's trifle for dessert. It's my favorite. I guess in the scheme of things it's all good, after all this is the holiday season and it only comes once a year.

It's all about Christmas Cheer...

We played hockey for over an hour, all our family and extended family at my cousin's house on the pond in their backyard. It was a lot of fun. It was great to all be together.

The only down side was that I hit a crack in the ice and fell on my wrist. Now I can't grasp anything with my left hand.

Man, my life is about injury management!!! It seems I always complain on my blog, but you got to remember the blog is called "trainingpayne".

Beyond that, we went to our friends house on our old street and had some cocktails and great conversation. Boy, to I miss the people, but definitely not the weather.

Oh my God it is cold!!!

Last night Alice and I went to Paul's hockey game and stopped by the Norvilla for a few cocktails, and then on to Rich and Sharon's house for a few more. It was Alice's birthday and a pretty tame evening, we left around 1:30am and had to walk about 1/4 mile in the cold. Man is Winnipeg cold!!!! We ran as fast as we could to get back to my parents home to minimize the pain.

I had a great sleep and woke up at noon and then went to Chief Peguis Gym to ride the bike for 70 minutes. When I got home Aaron and Reid wanted to go to Bronx to play some outdoor shinny, so off we went. We met up with my brother Barret and his son Neil when we got there.

We ended up playing for around 2 hours. It was a great workout and a lot of fun. Even though it is - 16 C you don't even feel it.

I love outdoor shinny. Nobody who plays knows each other, teams are made on the fly, you can have as many people on the ice as show up, and people are constantly coming and going, it is always tough to remember who is on your team, no equipment and no raising the puck. The guys out there are from all skill and age levels, we had a couple of old timers that haven't played for years, some new kids that just started and some AAA Junior players, as well as everything in between. And it all works!

After yesterdays heavy duty leg weight workout and run, today's bike ride, and 2 hours of hockey, my legs feel like I just finished an Ironman. Seriously. I'm glad tomorrow is going to be a light day. My legs need rest. The legs are tired but they feel like what I'm doing is a good thing for my endurance in the long run.

My upper back, around the shoulder blades is sore from all the hockey and the cold weather. I'm always shivering. We went out for dinner tonight and when we left the restaurant it was so cold, it took about 15 minutes for the car to warm up and by then we just pulled into the driveway at my parent home.

I forgot how COLD Winnipeg is in the Winter. It's been a while since I've seen car exhaust. It's definitely something I don't miss.

Home of the Friendly and Considerate....My Roots

We woke at 5:30, got to the Airport, the flight went out on time, we arrived early (West Jet is the best!) and we were sitting in the living room of my parents house by 11:00 am.

I went for an hour run in the -20C cold. The roads were full of snow, it was like running on sand, if sand was on the moon. Even though it was cold and snow falling and blowing, I passed and waved to two other hearty runners along the way. This is Winnipeg, running in this weather is normal.

The things I noticed right away was that there was a lot less traffic, they drive slower and when the cars come near you on the busier two lane streets, they move over to the left to give you as much room as possible to run. Very considerate.

The video above is me on my run. The house you see in the video is our old house, which was a great house. We designed it on our kitchen table with graph paper and had it custom built. We loved that house! Plus being 6 houses away from my parents was great for the grand kids.

After the run I went to the Gym with Rich and had a HEAVY duty leg workout. I was just going to get started on the first leg machine and a really nice guy, working out beside me, came over and gave me some excellent advice on foot positioning and range of motion.

Yes, I can tell I'm back in Friendly Manitoba. I love the people.

After the workout, my legs were exhausted and I was starting to bonk. I got home, ate, now I'm going for a nap.

Tonight Alyssa and my Mom are making a homemade pasta dinner for Alice's birthday and then Alice, Reid and I are going to watch Rich's son Paul play hockey. In all these years, I've never seen him play. I'm told he is pretty good and next week he is playing for Canada in the World Championships under 17 years old in London, Ontario. His first game is against Finland. Too bad we are going to be in Florida.

On second thought...I'm still glad we are going to Florida.

Getting Ready for Departure...

Our taxi is picking us up at 6:15 am to go to the airport and on to Winnipeg. Hopefully we will be able to get there as the weather man is predicting a storm for Winterpeg tomorrow morning.

Packing tonight was REAL interesting. Because we are heading to Winnipeg then to Florida, I needed to pack all my winter and summer training gear, plus my regular clothes and a pair of skates to boot.

I couldn't believe all the stuff I needed to bring and I really couldn't believe I was able to get it all to fit in my travel bag, sans skates.

I'm taking today off from training, letting my right calf heal a little more. I am a little paranoid about it, but I'll know if it is okay tomorrow when I go for a run, Winnipeg weather permitting.

Working out with an Old Friend....

I actually felt surprisingly good today. I thought I'd be more beat up after yesterdays endorphin filled workout. The only remnants of that workout was that my right calf is a little tight.

After dinner and my nap I iced the calf for a while, then decided to loosen it up by riding my bike on the wind trainer. Because my regular bike was shipped to Florida for me to ride next week, I pulled my 22 year old "Dave Scott" Centurion bike from retirement in the garage and set it up on the wind trainer.

(Just for interest, the Centurion was the first American designed bike that won the Tour de France. Since I bought it, other than a tune up, I've done nothing with it. Not even a cable change. Good old "build in Japan")

It was really a cool experience riding it again. Once I got on the bike, it felt like I got reunited with an old friend. It felt so natural. Riding it brought back so many memories. I remember paying $800 for that bike which was a lot back then and even more for a 19 year old making just over minimum wage. As I rode tonight, I reminisced about riding all 3 of my Ironmans on that bike. At one point I even felt like I was back at the Ironman. I also remember riding the bike on my wind trainer in our first house, a 600 square foot one bedroom when Alice and I were 19 years old. Riding it was like time travel. It was really a cool experience and after all these years the bike still rides nice.

This year when my very good friend Rich came to Toronto from Winnipeg and we did the Wasaga beach triathlon together, he rode my old bike, reluctantly. Afterwards he then told me how surprised he was that it was such a nice ride.

I've got to take it out for a few rides this summer, just for old times.

I'm sure the bike will enjoy getting out of the garage!

One hell of a workout night!!

The evening started with dinner and the doorbell ringing. It was our neighbor. Her husband is the President of Trophy foods and brought us a huge basket of every type of nut you can imagine. (The picture is just a portion of what they gave us).

I ended up eating way more chocolate Almonds than I should have, but they taste so good. Afterwards I told Alice I'm taking most of the stuff to work, having it in the house will be too tempting for Reid and I.

After I ate them I had a brief sugar induced nap. When I woke up I decided to run to the auto body shop to pick up Alice's car. I figured it would be a 5 mile run there and a ride back.

When I got there, the auto body shop forgot to put the car outside. Without a cell phone, I had to run back. Running there and back took me 1 hour 18 minutes. I was pissed for part of the way back and was ruminating on how I was going to tell the guy off. Then I thought about it and said "screw it", I may as well enjoy the run back and forget about it. Why work my self up and let those guys ruin my evening.

When I got home, the endorphins were flowing. I felt like superman. I could feel no pain.

After I stretched, I decided to hit the weights and did Back, Biceps and Legs. I blasted all those muscles with tons of weight. My body was in that place that only comes along once in a while, where I could just giver without feeling pain but feeling strong. Alice said she could hear a lot of grunting from the basement.

I felt great tonight after all that training. Tomorrow my body may feel differently, but for now I'm enjoying tonight.

Finally taking it easy...and still using the Stick

Last night I finally got 8 hours of sleep. It felt good. I am sick of being sick and I'm going to take it easy on my body until I feel 100%. I'm hoping that should happen within a week.

On the training side, with all the working out, muscle being repaired, and body recovering from sickness, my body is retaining water. Today I was up 3 lbs to 177 lbs but my BMI was at an all time low of 18.8%

Today's workout was a light one. I went with Reid to his hockey school where today they allowed the parents to participate with the kids. We played shinny and just fooled around passing the puck and shooting. Even with not much effort, I could still feel the sore muscles from this past Sunday nights hockey game so I took it easy. Reid also gave me tips on how to shoot properly and they worked great!

The picture I've posted today is called "the stick".

I found out about it on the Internet when I was researching ways to eliminate my multi-year recurring calf pain. For me, I would run for 3 - 6 weeks, then my calf would seize up like someone hit it with a baseball bat, then I'd have to stop running for 6 - 8 weeks for it to heal. Then I'd start running again and the same thing would happen. I tried all kinds of therapy's to fix it and nothing worked. For someone like me that loves running, it was beyond depressing. At one point, because it happened so often over the past 8 years I thought I'd never be able to enjoy running again. I used to drive by people running and envy them.

It is simple to use and understand. Essentially it is rollers on a stick that you roll along the muscle and apply pressure when rolling towards the heart. You do about 45 repetitions on the area you are concerned about. I do it when I wake up and go to bed, as well as after most workouts and definitely after every race.

By using it, the theory is that it breaks up the scar tissue and allows blood to heal the muscles.

It is amazing. Since using it, I've had no calf pain. As a matter of fact, my last few visits to a massage therapist have been interesting. In the first case, the therapist did some deep tissue work on my calf's which is usually very painful, but this time I could hardly feel the pressure and even fell asleep until she got to my quads, where my screaming began. On a visit to another massage therapist she said my calf had no kinks at all, they were perfect, she didn't even think I needed to see her.

I'm now starting to use it on my quads and hamstrings. It is amazing how something so simple can have such a positive effect.

I need to take it easy...

I had to get up early this morning to meet my brother in-law at the Waterloo airport. He is a pilot for a wealthy family and captains their private jet.

He flew in from Florida and was dropping off some people. Because we are visiting him and my sister over Christmas and I wanted to do some bike riding, he offered to take my bike back with him. My sweet bike got a sweet ride!

Other than that, I was tired today. Less than 6 hours sleep last night. I had to stay up to come down from my hockey game and to ice my sore butt muscle. This morning it felt much better and is night and day from last night. The power of ice is amazing.

I was coughing and sneezing all day. Plus I now have a cold sore. It is all my fault. I just haven't given myself enough time to recover from my tonsils being removed. I decided that from today on, I'm going to train lightly, just enough to keep my muscle strength up, until I get 100%.

My body keeps telling me I need to rest. After I ate dinner, I fell asleep for 2 hours. My body has been telling me something for the last month and it's time to start listening.

Snow Day...sort of...at least for Toronto

I didn't have a great sleep. I got to bed at 3 am and only got 6 hours sleep. For some reason, I can't seem to get more than 6 hours of sleep, no matter what time I go to bed. My cpap no longer works. With the weight loss and the tonsils out, the pressure is definitely off and I question whether or not I even need it any more.

Today was supposed to be a blizzard, the largest in 60 years and Toronto would be snowed in. There was snow, by Winnipeg standards it was no big thing, by Toronto standards it shuts the City down. I will say it was bad enough that I got stuck in my own driveway, but only because the snowplows put a big ridge of ice at the mouth of the driveway and I didn't take a fast enough running start. I will admit I was a little disappointed. I was really looking forward to a huge snow fall.

After snow blowing the driveway, digging my truck out, then running some shopping errands, I did a 70 minute bike ride. It was a good sweat and was enjoyable.

Tonight is hockey night and I decided to go. It turns out only 6 guys and a goalie for each team showed up. Typical, a little snow and guys stay home.

I was looking forward to tonight's game to implement the tips my 11 year old son has been giving me. He gave me advice on how to stick handle and skate fast, which I took to heart and tried.

The tips worked. I scored 2 goals and had 1 assist. Our goalie commented on how well I played and that I seemed to be one of the fastest guys on the ice. He wanted to know if I was interested in joining a real league with him? He thought I was good enough. It was flattering , but truth be told I was exhausted and could hardly concentrate on what he was saying.

I tried so hard, my left buttocks is so sore from skating all out that I can hardly walk and I could feel the side of my knees getting tired. With only 6 guys, you play 4 on 4 and I was on the ice for almost the entire hour. It was a REAL workout. It was hard to even get undressed and carry my hockey bag to the truck.

Reid, my 11 year old, told me that he gets the same thing after some of his games and practices and to ice the butt. Boy it is interesting, my son teaching me how to play hockey and recover!

The good news is that I will get a break for a couple of weeks to recover as I'll be in Winnipeg and Florida for the holidays.

Truth be told, I love this new soreness, it means I'm working muscles that I haven't worked before. Hopefully it will benefit my overall training, providing I don't get injured.

Enjoying the long run

I was looking forward to today. It is my long run day. Today it got cold for Burlington, - 19 C with wind chill. I was like a kid at Christmas, I was looking forward to my run!

It took me a while to get ready as it has been some time since I needed to bundle up and was debating how layered to get. In Winnipeg I had it dialed, one speed...layer to the max. After a little thought, I figured I'm going to go to the max today, comfort first. Vivi la Winnipeg.

I got out the door and noticed right away I needed to run on the roads. The side walks were covered with a light snow that covered the slippery ice underneath. I was debating whether to run City or Country. With the ice on the side walks I decided to go Country, which I always like better for long runs anyway.

I had a nice 2 hour plus run, in the cold and light snow with the iPod going...It was GREAT. I love the long run.

Afterwards, I went to Toronto to get the initial fitting for my new FREE bike. It was an awesome shop, they had all the stuff you see in the magazines. They had me peddle on a simulator, they probably thought I was out of shape because I started sweating after a few minutes, but that happens after you run 2 hours.

I finished off the day going with Alice and Reid to the hockey hall of fame, then home to have a beer out of "das boot" and make an e- Christmas card with Alice for the family to send out. Paste this link into your browser and enjoy our Christmas card to you...
http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1442252647

Getting Ready for Christmas in Florida

Today was a no training day.

I'm still a little under the weather. I can't believe how tired I am when I get home from work. Every night it seems I'm sleeping for 1 - 2 hours. It has been a long time since I've slept like that after work.

Tomorrow I go to get fitted for the new Quintana Roo bike I won. I'm not sure if it will be ready before I go to Florida. If not, I'll take my Trek.

I also bought a Velo Pro bike travel case off eBay. With the out of town racing and training I plan on doing this year I figured I'd need it.

I thanked Alice for the "Christmas present", and asked her when she was going to go out and buy her birthday (Dec 22) and Christmas presents from me?

Hard Ride...ends in a Snap

Finally feeling better. Tonsils a 9 out of 10 and getting rid of the flu a 7 out of 10.

I slept for a while after work, ate, then did a HARD 40 minute ride on the wind trainer. I was sweating like crazy. I didn't have my heart rate monitor on but I knew I was definitely anaerobic.

I tried something new on the bike, I tried intervals with only one leg at a time for about a minute each leg. I read about it as a workout drill in a book. Very interesting feeling. Each leg by itself seems weak and awkward. I can see why they say it is a great thing to do to help build your speed. I'm going to start making it part of my regular routine.

After a good post bike stretch, I decided to go to train with the swim club. Alice had my truck so I took her car. I'm glad I did. As I was driving the alignment on her car was so bad I thought I was going to swerve off the road. It feel like I was driving on pure ice. The steering wheel was at 90 degrees from its normal spot. It was like I was steering a boat. It was scary.

I called Alice to see if she knew about it. She too just noticed it on a short drive she had earlier in the evening, but thought it was icy conditions. It was a good thing I took it. It has a major problem that needs a fixing.

I wasn't looking forward to swimming, as I don't look forward to the swim drills (They are so complex to understand and without my glasses I can't see the chalkboard to remind me of what is next), but I pushed myself and went. When I got there and was just about to put my goggles on I noticed a major tear in the nose piece of the goggles. I couldn't believe it. The goggles are less than 5 months old and they have only been in my bag. I have no idea how they tore, especially when the plastic is so thick. I also noticed they were starting to turn yellowish. I have no ideal what that is all about.

I got in the pool anyway and tried to work with them, as the tear wasn't all the way through. They didn't work. I did 100 meters and water keep getting into my eyes. In disgust I got out of the pool and left. On a positive note, the 100 I did seemed faster than normal.

Tomorrow is an aerobic off day. I may do some weights.

As I sit here, I'm debating if I should go downstairs to shoot some pool and have a beer? or two?

Good enough to workout

I felt much better this morning. I could tell that the flu was starting to go away. To be safe I came home from work a little early and slept for a couple hours. After I got up and ate, I was feeling pretty good so I decided to go for a run.

It was a great run, just over an hour. I love running in the cold, especially if it is -20 C or below. It must be because of my Winnipeg roots. Today's run was interesting, it rained earlier, then froze, so there was a lot of areas where there was ice. A couple of times I almost lost my footing. My left Achilles and knee were feeling much better.

The one thing about running in Winnipeg in -20C or below is that there is no ice, just packed snow and all you hear is the silence of the air and the crunch of snow under your feet. No matter how cold it is, if you dress for it, you stay toasty warm. I typically ran later in the evening on dark country roads, just me and my thoughts. It brings back good memories just thinking about it.

For Christmas, the family is heading back to Winnipeg. I'm looking forward to some long runs in the freezing cold on the country roads. Sick eh!

After the run and a stretch I did some weights, chest and triceps. My lower body is very strong, my upper body is not so strong. My goal over the winter is to really build my upper body strength. Hopefully this will really help my swimming.

Sick as a Dog...

I thought yesterday was the worst of it and that today I'd be better and would start getting back into a routine. Wrong!!!

Today was the worst! I got a full blown flu, left work at 2pm and went home straight to bed. Except for getting up to go to the washroom and getting dinner to eat in bed, all I've been doing is sleeping and dozing in an out as I watch TV. When I cough there is a horsey congested sound coming from my chest. Not good...

I know this is going to sound bad, but I keep looking at the bike beside my bed when I come out of one of my slumbers and feel a little better, and wonder if doing 20 - 30 minutes of riding would be okay?

Then I snap myself back to reality and tell myself that I need to get back to 100% and that this time of year is the perfect time to be in a quasi training / resting mode, or to get sick, and that this is the off season, that not putting in the miles this month is not going to have any bearing on next years performance (at least that's what the latest issue of Triathlete Magazine says). Plus it does give my Achilles and knee some time to heal.

At least that's what the optimist inside of me is saying.

I also then remember what Mark Allen told me...that as long as you do not go more than 3 days in a row without training you will not loose any muscle or performance. So based on that theory, all I have to do is a run or bike tomorrow to maintain.

I'm hoping the worst is behind me. But then again, I thought that yesterday.

For now, all I can do is rest, watch TV and use my computer to update my blog.

Stuffed Up...

Today was a tough day, I didn't think I was going to make it through the work day. I have flu like symptoms. My plan was to get into work, get all my important stuff done and leave early and go home to bed. I didn't get out until 4:45pm.

I was also tired from getting Reid to his 6:40am hockey practice on only 5 hours of sleep (it's so tough to fall asleep after a late night hockey game) and not being able to use my cpap because of my stuffed nose.

Whaaaaa...poor me:-)

When I got home I was exhausted. So I ate and went to bed. I woke up around 8:00pm and was wondering if I should go to swimming or rest. My head told me to rest, but it was all academic. When I checked the web site for swimming, I realized it had already started. So I guess I rest. Which is probably best!

Alice picked me up some prescription Pennsaid, a topical anti-inflammatory, to rub on my left Achilles. Also, I woke up this morning with a sore inner knee. I guess it was from falling at hockey or overuse by playing hockey the same day as my long run.

In either event, it wasn't there last night. But from now on, I'm going to do my long runs on Saturday and long bikes on Sunday. This way my legs won't be too tired for Sunday night's hockey.

Legs feel good, slight soreness, which is a good thing. It means muscle is growing and a day of rest is probably a good thing.

My picture of the day is yesterday's lunch. Cornflakes with bananas and raspberries.

A little bit of Everything...

I woke up at 6am and was debating if I should do the 5km race. I could feel a cold coming on and all I could imagine was having to get there 90 minutes before the race to register and then have to wait around, in the -5 C cold, to run a race that would take less than 25 minutes. Then I'd have to come home and run another hour. I decided to go back to bed.

I could tell I'm getting sick, I really haven't given myself any time to recover from the tonsils, eating too much ice cream and junk while the tonsils heal, then getting right back into training before the doctor said I should and having to many beers on Friday night. Getting sick was inevitable.

I slept until 1 pm and when I woke up I wasn't to motivated to do anything, but I knew I had to get out of the house, lying down was going to start to make my back hurt.

We went to Reid's hockey game and I reluctantly had a couple of beers. I started to feel better, kinda like Popeye and spinach.

Today was supposed to be my long run day and after Reid's game my attitude changed and I was pumped to go for one. When I got home, I put on the ipod and with my happy beer buzz I went for a 1.5 hour run. My nose was running the whole time. It felt great. My left Achilles is still a little tender.

When we got back, Reid and I drove an hour to Hockey Life, a huge hockey store. I ended up buying a helmet and stick for me and a practice jersey for Reid. At his point I was slightly starting to bonk, so we went to Boston Pizza to carbo load.

My weekly hockey game is every Sunday night and since I missed the last 3 due to the Marathon and 2 weeks of tonsil recovery, I was looking forward to tonight's game.

This year is the first year I played since I was 15 years old and I sucked when I played then. I joined a league for average and below average men over 30 years old. I have a couple of guys from Australia that are on the team. Like me, the can't stop very well, most games we end up running into each other. So far I have 6 goals and 2 assists in 8 games. I'm number 13 and tuck my jersey in my pants just like Gretzky.

The last game I didn't play well and didn't score, I was mentally sicing myself out. I even wondered if I'd ever score again. I was questioning whether the previous goals were just luck?

So I've had a few weeks to think about my next game, went to a Leafs game, watched Reid's games, found a helmet that fit and got a new stick. I was ready.

The result was that I had the best game of the year. We won 1 - 0 against the best team (Black) in the league and I scored the only goal. But that was not why I thought I played well. I skated hard, back checked, was aware, broke up some plays, dove to break up a scoring chance and made a couple passes. I wasn't stiff, I was relaxed.

Alice and Reid came, but of course they missed my goal because Reid wasn't feeling good and during the game, Alice drove him home. My luck..

I was hoping he would have got the goal on video. My first game I played, they came and watched and left just before the game ended, just when I scored my first goal. My life story...

I'm now home, writing in my blog and enjoying my first Amstel light from my birthday beer boot. It tastes good.

Tough Day...Sore Head

I woke up at 4am and had a massive headache, like someone put a vice on my temples.

I took Tylenol 3's, no help. After getting up, drinking water, moving from the bed to the couch and back, then watching some TV, I feel asleep again and woke up a few hours later without the massive headache but felt only 60%.

I'm not sure what caused it. It could have been the 10 plus beers (I lost count) I had although it didn't feel like a hangover. I did feel lousy today. It never fails...drinking beer is so fun at the time...you don't want to stop...and then you pay the price the next day. Today I'm paying the price, I'm not hungover, but I feel a slight nausea.

I rode the bike 95 minutes today. Had a nap, then did some weights after dinner. I was going to play hockey but I feel a cold coming on. WHY DID I DRINK SO MUCH????

The throat is 8 on 10 and today I started to eat well again. My body is in detox mode and craving sugar. I just need to fight the urge for crap food and the cravings will gone in a couple days.

There is a 5km road race tomorrow and I may do it. It all depends on what time I get up and how I feel.

Friday....Hurray

It is an off day. No training.

Watched Reid's power skating, then the cougar game. Had lots of beer, had a great time.

3rd Day in a row...

Slept 9 hours last night, plus another 90 minutes after work. I can't remember being this tired in a long time. It must be part of the tonsil recovery program. I did use my cpap last night. The only problem is that when I yawn, my throat hurts like hell.

After Reid's game I went for a 5 mile plus run. It was cold out, I had Alice's ipod, it felt good. Left Achilles still feeling a very dull pain. Run was good, my heart rate stayed around 140 or less and I cut 2 minutes of my Tuesday run, same distance.

Since I started running again, legs feel good, no muscle soreness. I'm now wondering if I should enter the 5km race this weekend. Would going all out be a bad thing? would I get injured? or would it further help my recovery?

Getting back in the groove...

Woke up tired. Not sure if it is from being out late at the hockey game last night or not using my cpap for the last two nights.

With the tonsils out it seems the cpap pressure is too high and it is difficult for me to stay asleep. I've got to call to set up a re-evaluation to see if I still have sleep apnea after removing the tonsils and losing 50lbs or if just needs to have a pressure readjustment.

In either event the tonsils still hurt, but I can eat a little more and drink a little more. Although trying to drink a full glass of water at once hurts.

Had my power nap for 2 hours, then rode the wind trainer for 70 minutes. I've got to replace the seat on my bike, it looks good, but is making my foot and groin area numb from the blood flow cut 0ff. I have another seat I'm going to replace it with, it's just not as pretty.

I'm a little concerned about my left Achilles. It has a slight numbness from yesterdays run. It never fails, take some time off and you have to start over gradually to make sure all the body parts are able to handle workouts again.

I can drink BEER!!! Hurray!!!

Today was still a tough day, hard to eat at lunch. But the doctor did say when the throat heals it can happen immediately, not gradually.

Got home, went for a 5 + mile run, then took Reid to the Leaf Game. We got box seats, courtesy of HP and were in the first row behind the bench. Awesome seats. Only problem was the coaches were standing and we couldn't see at times. Poor us....

I tried a beer....and it went down smooth....hurray....throat better....had some more. From lunch to dinner, the throat healed.

We had a great time, Reid got an official NHL practice puck and things finally feel like they are getting back to normal.

Throat still hurts, mentally feeling better

The results of the exercise is starting to kick in. Exercise is such a wonderful drug!

My throat still hurts like hell, but mentally I'm now starting to feel better. My anxiety and irritability has almost vanished with only 2 workouts.

I was going to train today but decided not to, as my body has had two good workouts and with the tonsils not yet cured doing a workout today would not have any meaningful health benefit and would just put my recovery in jeopardy.

The tonsil pain was so bad I did call the doctor, but was told that it was normal, hang in there, and that the pain does not gradually get better, it goes from bad to good almost overnight.

Had my 3 ice cream cone dinner and a 2 hour power nap.

It's a new day...

I slept through the night, didn't wake once, slept in and woke a little tired. It felt good, plus I love getting up on a Sunday after the first snowfall of the year. The legs were good although my hamstrings were slightly tight.

Other than snow blowing the driveway, I spent most of the day inside, on the computer downloading songs. Alice and I went out to the store, I needed the break and picked up some steak and cake for dinner. For some reason I was craving cake.

The throat is still very tender, I could eat pancakes this morning, had trouble with beef stew a lunch and could only eat cake and ice cream for dinner, and lots of it! I couldn't eat more than a few bites of the steak.

Today was the first day I didn't take painkillers. That and the yesterdays run is getting my stomach going, I'm having the first signs of hopefully getting regular.

I decided to ride my bike for 40 minutes and went pretty hard. I was sweating a ton. This time I had a towel. I could feel my legs getting a good workout, not sore, but definitely feeling the pump. I decided not to go to hockey tonight, that would be pushing it, especially if I got hit hard. Had a good stretch afterwards.

It's been a tough day...

When I woke up my throat seemed a little worst for wear. I didn't think I'd need more pain killers but I did. I was a little discouraged because I figured it might not be prudent to run if I can't eat. I was a little disappointed.

So I spent most of the day on the computer learning iphoto, imovie, ibooth, idvd, and itunes. I'm amazed how much I'm learning. After 8 hours I was burnt out, so I went to lie down and watch some TV. It turns out the Ironman Hawaii special just started. I didn't even know it was going to be on today..I lucked out!

I love watching the Ironman specials. Not only does it show the race leaders but it shows the human stories, which always bring a tear to my eye. Watching it brought back memories. As I watched the age groupers struggling and walking it started bringing back feelings. The main one is fear of pain, I don't want to have to struggle to finish. I'd rather put in the hours of training than struggle to finish. I've struggled to finish during my last Ironman because I didn't train enough and it was brutal. I kept asking myself "what was I thinking? and telling myself this is the last time I'm doing this, what do I have to prove!". No joy at all.

The only thing I can eat easily is pizza, so that's what I had while watching the Ironman. Afterwards was the moment of truth. Do I run tonight or not?...I decided to run.

I put on the heart rate monitor and it was 75 - 80 bpm resting. Seeing that made me discouraged and depressed. All my previous training was now officially down the drain. All of a sudden I became extremely irritable. I kept thinking, my muscles have atrophied and I 'm getting too thin in a bad way (I'm down 8lbs in 10 days), my heart rate is high, all my past training is now lost, I feel sick from the pizza, I can't find my running tights, I couldn't find my hat, or my gloves, is my throat going to be okay?, I have a head ache, the TV has been on the home decorating channel all day long which I really don't enjoy...arrrgggg...I was just ready to blow!!! I was swearing as I was trying to find everything. Alice heard me and came and tried to give me a hand.

I got out the door, it was cool outside, throat seemed okay, I figured the cold air was probably good for it. I took it easy. I still felt aggravated, but I was now starting to at least run. My heart wanted to go for a long time, but I listened to my head and only did a 40 minute run. The first half was easy no aches or pains, the second half I couldn't keep the heart rate under 140 and started feeling minor aches in the knees, right calf, heel. I figured I'm going to start slow and rebuild over the next month. Got home had a good stretch. Still irritable but not as much. Throat was good and I was able to drink water without to much difficulty. Throat now feels raw, no sharp pains.

Overall, I will say it feel real good to run again. It was the first time running since the marathon 2 weeks ago.

I'm now starting to realize how much I need exercise and the feelings I get to keep me calm, optimistic and care free.

As I finish this, Alice went downstairs to workout and I changed the channel to a movie for better background noise. I'm still irritable, but now that I'm able to train again, I'm sure I'll get back to my old self. I'm curious to see if I feel sore tomorrow?

I'm getting better...I had my first Beer!

My throat is feeling 4 on 10.

Now it only feels like I have some open sores on my back gums, I smoked 10 cigars, and was yelling at rock concert in a drunken state the night before. It's a major improvement!

It took me a while, and I had to cover parts of my right side of my throat with my tongue, it was a little painful, but I was able to slowly drink a beer and watch Reid's power skating lessons. It didn't taste that refreshing, but it's a start.

For dinner, I still had ice cream, but I had a lot more than I usually do and ate it a lot faster. It was symbolic, I finished off the last 1/2 litre. That's it for me and the ice cream...no more.

I don't want to get to cocky, but my logic is that if I can eat, I can train. After all, the doctor just wanted to give the mouth enough time to heal so it wouldn't break open and start bleeding. So I figure, if I can eat, it won't break open. I'm not yet eating a regular meal, although over an hour and a half at my desk, I was able to eat a bowl of rice and chicken.

I'm still tired. While watching ""Kenny vs. Spenny" on TV, I dozed off and had my evening nap ( from the pain and sugar overload). I just woke and I'm looking forward to tomorrow. If I improve to 5 on 10 and I can drink water easily, I'm riding my bike, maybe some light weights.

From now on, no more pain killers. I don't think I'll need them anymore and they cause major constipation.

I'm getting very close to being back BABY!!! My daughter says she lost a lot of her muscle during her recovery period and she was sore after her early workouts. Great....at least I have something to look forward to :)

Things are getting a little better..still can't eat

The left side of my throat is now feeling better than the right. I still can't eat, but swallowing is still a little less painful.

Had my power nap, then went to Reid's hockey game. He's number 25. It's amazing he just learnt how to skate 3 months ago.. Afterwards the throat was a little sorer, I think it was the cold in the arena.

I can tell I'm getting better, but I still need the Tylenol 3's.

Worst Day of Pain, but I exercised anyway

The pain today was the WORST, I didn't even bother to try and eat. Just drinking water was hard enough.

For dinner, Alice made some home made chicken noodle soup and I was able to eat that and then had a nap.

When I woke up I tried some ice cream but it was too hard to eat. I started getting bored, lying in bed I kept looking at my bike...and finally said "screw it", I need to start exercising.

I put on the cycling shorts, jumped on the bike and rode. I told myself I'd stop at 30 minutes, then it turned into 35, 40, 45, 50 and I finally stopped at 55 minutes. I had a nice sweat going. It felt good. The rug below was getting wet.

On the bike when I looked down at my legs I didn't recognize them, they were much thinner. It was a great ride, watched a little News, UFC and Napoleon Dynamite. Although it is amazing, if you don't exercise you loose it. Just from the time off of riding because of the weather and then the operation, my butt is sore. It may also be because I lost some weight which caused me to loose "padding". In any event, the only way to fix that it to...ride more.

Afterwards I weighed myself and from the sweating dropped 1.8 lbs. Then I spent a good 15 minutes doing my regular stretches. It is amazing how much more flexible I am and how easy the stretches now are after resting. I also felt my bones "cracking" in a good way.

The tough part is trying to hydrate the lost water as drinking water hurts. In addition to drinking water I also had a protein shake after the workout.

Also, my birthday Presents keep coming. Yesterday a package Alice ordered from Ebay finally arrived. It was an Amstel Light glass (my favorite beer) and Das Boot a German beer drinking boot. The same style as the one in the movie "Beer Fest". I know getting that was Reids idea. Since we got it, all I see is this boot filled with his pop.

It seems the left side of my throat is better than the right. Alyssa told me that happened to her, but it would switch sides each day.

Wishful Thinking...

I thought I'd walk or bike slowly today. Not a chance. Instead of getting better, I feel like I am getting worse. I was able to hydrate well today, but by the end of the day I felt like I was going to pass out.

When I got home I tried eating some bread, no go. I was able to eat pancakes with lots of syrup. It actually coated my throat and it felt better so I ate as much as I could. I then lied down on the couch and the next thing I know was I woke up 3 hours later (combo of pain and sugar overload), with a screamingly sore throat. But...I did catch the winner announcement of dancing with the stars without having to watch the 2 hour special. Bonus!

Now I'm starting to think I should just rest, not pushing myself in any way. Let alone exercise. I don't want this to last any longer than it has to.

I'm also now getting paranoid, the back of my teeth and gums hurt, like they were cut open. I hope I'm not getting an infection. I have been taking the antibiotics the doctor prescribed so it's probably in my head.

My Daughter said she didn't start feeling better for a full 2 weeks. Tomorrow is the end of my 1st recovery week.

Sluggish

I'm still not feeling well. It kills when I swallow (like I got razor blades in my throat). I'm very tired throughout the day and still can't eat regular food.

Power napped for a while, then started playing on the computer and learning about more things I can do with my blog. I can hardly wait until I can start training again....I miss the feelings I get from training.

I was going to go for a walk but it was raining and sleeting outside and I was too tired. Tomorrow I'm either going to walk or do a very very light ride on the wind trainer, just for my sanity.

Man my tonsils HURT!!!!

Every time I try to swallow it feels like I have razor blades in my throat. It is difficult to eat or drink. This morning I weighted myself and I'm down 4 lbs to 175 lbs.

I'm also going stir crazy. I've displaced my exercise energy by playing on the web obsessively and learning all kinds of new tools (It's amazing all the stuff I'm learning about). But after a while my head hurts. My body feels like it is starting to atrophy and I'm worried about having to start over with my training.

This afternoon I couldn't stand it any more, I needed to clear my head, and I needed to get some exercise, so I went for an hour walk. It was good, I could feel the muscles in my back and legs starting to work again. Afterwards, I felt like I had a slight bonk because I haven't been able to eat much, so I forced some vege pizza down while watching the Grey Cup.

It tasted good, but now I'm paying the price. It feels like I made my throat tender and now when I swallow I'm in real pain.

Time for the Tylenol 3's.

I Just WON a $2500 Quintana Roo Tri Bike!!!

I can't believe it! Earlier this week Multi-Sport, who puts on the HSBC Triathlon series, emailed me asking me to show up to the year end Long Draw, so I knew I was going to win something and it turned out to be the top prize. A Quintana Roo Tri Bike.

I almost didn't even go. My tonsils were so sore from Wednesdays surgery, I was semi-drugged up, but I figured I needed to get out of the house. The drive there should have taken me an hour, it ended up taking two hours due to bad traffic and me getting major league lost. I almost couldn't even find the place.

I spent a couple of hours before the draw announcements listening to the seminars in pain. So I really hoped it was all going to be worth the wait. Obviously it was.

I had a good vibe right after they emailed me this week (on my birthday) to tell me I won something. I figured what ever it was, it was a birthday present.

I'll tell you the HSBC triathlon series has been GREAT to me.

At Binbrook, I came in 3rd in the Clydesdale division (even if it was out of 3 - photo above). Then at Cobourg (as a non Clydesdale) my goal was to break 3 hours and I did it in 2:44:51 and finished in 105th place out of 201 (with the 55th fasted bike time). Then in the Wasaga Sprint Triathlon that I raced with my best friend from Winnipeg (after more than a few beers the night before) I finished in 47th place out of 380 with the 16th fasted bike time (36.1 average). Not a bad considering in my first sprint triathlon of the year and my comeback race in Milton, I finished in 549th place out of 613. Then to top it off I win the grand prize for the year end draw. The HSBC Series has been berry, berry, good to me....What a way to top off a great year!

I'm excited to get my new bike and try it out. I'm going to visit my sister in Florida right after Christmas and I'm taking it with me. I've always been curious about the differences between a Tri bike and a road bike. I guess I'll be finding out soon enough.

Hawaii 1989, Dave Scott vs Mark Allen

Tonsils Out - Birthday in Bed

It's done!!!

Tonsils out and Doctor says I can't train for two weeks. He was firm on that. I checked the web and it said the same thing. No vigorous exercise!

I can't believe how bad I felt afterwards. They gave me morphine and I got nauseous. I threw up 12 times during the ride home and lying in bed. However, from bed bed I got sung happy birthday and got some ice cream cake.

Up every hour last night to drink water. I want to do everything right so that I heal fast. If I do start to heal fast, I won't wait two weeks to train. I don't want to loose all the gains I made in the last 6 months.

Today I feel better and am working from home. Thank god for email. Although I'm starting to fade. My Daughter had her tonsils out last month and she felt good for the first two days then felt worse for the next week, so I'm a little nervous.

The amazing thing is my legs feel back to normal as if I didn't even run a marathon. Maybe it's the Tylenol 3's I take every 4 hours? If not for the tonsils I would have went for a run today and started back into training.

Although the doctor did say I can walk. Maybe long walks will preserve some of my leg strength.

On the upside, many of the experts say you should take a little time off at the end of the season. So maybe this is a good thing.

Oh yeah, I just found out I won a price from the HSBC triathlon series year end draw. They asked me if I can show up on Saturday to pick it up at their training workshop. Nice birthday news!

I'm not sure what it is but I checked the website and some of the prizes are great, there is a Quintana Roo Bike, zipp wheels, bike travel boxes, wetsuits, etc. They say all the prizes total $15,000. Although I don't want to get to excited because some of the prizes are triathlon bags.

It may be a while until my next blog entry.

My Birthday Party

Yesterday we watched Reid's hockey practice had some beers and pizza, then went home and had some more beers. I also curved Reids hockey stick old school.

My heads a little sore this morning.

I'm off to the hospital to get my tonsils out today. Should be fun. I've heard that I'm not supposed to be training for at least two weeks.

I hope that is not true.

We made it home

Other than the snow and almost sliding into a parked tow truck on the highway last night, the ride back was good. Thank god for anti-lock brakes, my driving ability....and pure LUCK.

My legs were okay today. A healthy type soreness. The only time I really notice them is when I go down stairs.

I felt so good, I figured the best thing I could do is help get the lactic acid out as soon as possible. So I took my bike out of the garage and set it up on the windtrainer. When I started to inflate the tires, the valve broke, so I had to change the tube which is always fun.

I then rode an easy 30 minutes, broke a nice sweat. Afterwards, I had a great 15 minute stretching session. My legs are actually more flexible than before I ran the marathon. Strange.

I'm glad I'm back, I felt like all I've been doing is eating. It will be nice to get back on a regular diet.

3:58:44 Philadelphia Marathon Time

It was a great race for me. It was the first time I finished a marathon without being in a great deal of pain.

I finished in 3:58:44.

My previous four Manitoba marathons were in1986 (20 yrs old) in 3:07:57, in 1987 (21 yrs old) in 3:51:51, in 1999 (33 yrs old) in 4:48:08, in 2000 (34 yrs old) in 3:45: 51.

Normally I can't bend my knees and I'm spent. Not today. When I woke up and put on my heart rate monitor I knew it was going to be a good day because my resting heart rate was in the mid 50's.

The day started well, I woke at 5:30 am without the alarm clock. I got ready with no rush. I took my naproxin for inflammation, and went downstairs to get to the race start line.

Then I realized I forgot my number, then I forgot to put on my timing chip, then I bent the timing chip that they say not to bend, then I tied it to the instep of my shoe, instead of the out side. I was at the start line and not sure if my timing chip would work. So much for a smooth start...

Although, I knew I was hydrated, 3 times before the start, I was going to the washroom.

Standing at the start line was interesting, it was around 5 C, wind, and a slight rain. It was very cool outside. Especially in just shorts and a shirt.

When the race started, my objective was to keep my heart rate aerobic for the first 13 miles or for as long as I could. I figured that the race really begins at mile 13. Plus, I was treating this run as a training run for the ironman and I definitely didn't want to race it and potentially injure myself or burn myself out for the next few weeks and hurt my training.

I finished the first 13.1 in 1:59:52. Running the second half of the marathon faster and giving me negative splits. One thing to note, for a course that was described as flat, it sure was hilly.

My heart rate was great. For the first 15 miles it stayed in the 130's (a few times it went up to low 140's on the hills). After the first 15 miles I decided just to focus on stride and let the heart rate go where it wanted to. I was prepared to run at 155 bpm for the last 10k if I needed to.

Funny thing, I focused on the run and the heart rate did not go over 145bpm. Many times, it keep going below 140. Not until the last 1/2 mile did I go over 150 bpm. I was watching the time, and could see that it was possible to break the 4 hour mark, so I turned it on. It was no trouble, legs were great. It was effortless. (My 19 mile training run a few weeks ago was much harder).

At no time, did I hit the wall or feel exhausted. I keep relaxed the entire race. I walked through every water and Gatorade station. I had 3 gel stops. I ate oranges. I even had a couple of 2 oz beers they were handing out at mile 19 and 21. I felt great. I was so hydrated, that I ended up going to the washroom at least 5 times (I lost count). I even stopped to re-tie my timing chip to be on the outside of the shoe (why do it when I had 50 minutes of wait time at the start line).

I figured I probably used up 5 minutes, drinking, eating, re-tying my timing chip and peeing.

The finish was smooth, legs felt great. I stretched, met up with Alice and Reid and walked back the mile to the hotel.

At the hotel, I stretched some more and Alice and Reid got me two big bags of ice from the machine. I filled the bath with cold water and added the ice, then sat in the bath to reduce any inflammation. It was cold and painful (major shrinkage).

After the 10 minute ice bath, we packed up, I put on my long underwear, and we rushed to the Eagles (vs. Miami) game.

Had fun, Eagles won, and I had a few recovery beers. Then we headed to the world famous Genos for the "authentic" Philly Cheese steak before we left Philly for the drive home.

Day Before Big Race...Flyer Game

Terrible sleep last night. I drank 2 large bottles of water and got up 6 times to go to the bathroom. After breakfast, we went to the expo to get my bib for the race. The line up was huge, around the concourse of the arena, my legs were getting sore just standing and waiting. After getting the bib we visited the exhibits. There was some incredible deals. I got my regular Asics ($154 in Canada) for $65. We then drove around Philly and did some sightseeing. I didn't want to do much walking. We then went to a Flyers game, I had some nice salty popcorn (good for preventing cramps and retaining water), and now I'm back at the hotel with 2 large bottles of water (to drink in the am) and a 5:30 am wake up call. I can tell the race is close, as I'm starting to get irritable. Pre-race anxiety. I'm going to have a little bit of pasta and then off to bed. I hope things go well tomorrow. I'll know by mile 13.

Got to Philly

Had a great sleep, almost 10 hours.

It's great sleeping in a hotel, the blinds are so thick, no sun enters the room. It always seems like night, it makes it easy to keep sleeping.

It was an easy drive, listening to Howard Stern and the sounds of the 70's.

We got to Philly around 3:30. I did some work and we went to sight see. We walked around downtown. Very nice. I didn't expect it to be so nice. It reminds me of a mix between New York and Chicago. I felt safe.

Lots of running stores, I picked up a new pair of running shorts to use on Sunday. It's been a long time since I've had real runners shorts.

I did notice as we were walking that my legs were getting tired. Not a good thing when you plan on running a marathon. So we headed back to the hotel and stopped along the way to get something to eat.

I had three pints of beer, light of course. Last time I did this was two nights before my half ironman in Ottawa, and I had a great race, averaging 33.1km on the bike. If it works again this time, I will officially make it a ritual.

Got back to the hotel, rented a movie and relaxed. Tomorrow needs to be an easy day. It's too bad because Philly looks like a great city to spend some time exploring.