Sunday was a sunny, beautiful day. It broke a long standing tradition of rain & horrible weather for the UBC Triathlon Duathlon. I participated in the Duathlon which was: 5km run, 20km bike, 5km run.

This was the first race that I’ve done that had a road bike racing component and I found myself absolutely loving it. The speed (often between 45-55km/hr), the course and the competitors made for a fantastic ride.

My race goal was to be in the top 50% of competitors and was overjoyed today to find out that I ranked 6 out of 52!

The finish line of the race was shared among all the competitors for all the races that were held on Sunday. As I approached it I saw another runner about 25m ahead of me. Not knowing if he was in my race or not, I sprinted as hard as I could. I was so close to passing him… Maybe I just can… I was putting so much effort in… My concentration was broken, just for a moment, as I sprinted down the finisher’s chute and heard the race announcer say, “And here comes 238 running as fast as sh*t!” Gotta love that introduction.

As I passed the other runner, just a couple of strides from the finish line, I glanced over at his race bib and darn it, he wasn’t even in my race! All that effort for nothing!

Or so I thought… This picture… With his reaction to me passing him.. Makes it all worthwhile:

Looks may not be able to kill but angry competitors certainly can!

This race was my last one in a tight series of four different races in four months.

Next Race: Olympic Length Triathlon (1.5km swim, 40km bike, 10km run) on Saturday, August 7 in Emmett, Idaho. Come on down & I’ll buy you as many potatoes as you can eat!

-Mike

At an average time of 8 minutes, participating in the BC Lung Association fundraiser  ‘Climb the Wall: The Stairclimb for Clean Air’, takes only 60 seconds longer than the average time couples have sex for.  And, unlike sex, you get hot, sweaty & have a great workout.

“Climb the Wall” refers to running up the fire stairs of the the Sheraton Wall Centre in Downtown Vancouver, BC, Canada.  At 48 stories, the Sheraton Wall Centre is one of the tallest buildings in Western Canada (that’s 739 stairs – not that I was counting between wincing gasps for air).

I participated for the 2^nd time in this fantastic event this past weekend. 

One of the first things that struck me when I approached the Sheraton Wall Centre was all the fire trucks and emergency vehicles there.  That’s because one of the three “classes” of climber (in addition to completive and non-competitive) is the Fire Fighter division – where our brave men & women race up the tower in full gear (including boots, heavy coats & self-contained breathing apparatus).  It’s incredible to watch them gear up and hit the stairs.

The second interesting thing I noticed was sweat.  Or my lack of it.  Sort of.

I hit the top of the tower in just over 6 minutes and thought, “Hey, I’m really not sweating”.  I took a quick elevator ride down to the lobby and then walked back to the banquet room where the event was hosted.  It was only then, and with sudden and dramatic style, did I instantly look like I was caught in my own personal rainstorm of sweat.  It was incredible.

This is a fantastic event, for a great cause and it is not nearly as hard as it sounds.  I’ve found training for the Stair Climb also gave me some motivation for hill training that I normally would have lacked.

Next year, when spring is in the air and you’re looking for something slightly longer than the ‘average 7 minutes of fun’, I’d suggest you check this race out!

Even as little as a decade ago, our choices for fitness events were extremely limited.  You could run a marathon, maybe a triathalon or play on a sports team.  Depending on your city, that was pretty much about it.

Today any larger city is going to have literally something for everyone.  Like to run?  What about a 5km or a 10km or a half marathon or a full marathon or a ultra marathon?  Road running got you down, why not do a trail run or a mud run?

Don’t run at all?  What about stair climbing?  Walking?  Cycling?  Hiking?  Snowshoeing?  Perhaps an outdoor adventure race?

There are truly no limits to what events are out there.  And many events provide you with a lot more than you pay for.  A recent $40 race I participated in gave each of us a $49 pair of sunglasses, fantastic post-race support & food, tones of free samples of drinks & gels and, oh yeah, a heck of a race too!

 Here are my relatively random events that I’ve signed up for in 2010:

The Yeti – World Snowshoe Invitational

• http://www.theyeti.ca/
• Every good Canadian should have a ‘Yeti Snowshoe Race Bib’ on his wall.

  Climb the Wall: The Stairclimb for Clean Air

• http://www.bc.lung.ca/campaigns_and_events/stairclimb_for_cleanair.html
• 48 stories of stair climbing fun.  It’s a great cause and a quick journey – often 10 minutes or less.

 Sunshine Coast April Fools Run Half Marathon

• http://www.foolsrun.com/
• Okay, I admit it:  I just want the “April Fools Run” finisher’s medal & t-shirt.

University of British Columbia Duathlon

• http://www.rec.ubc.ca/events/triathlon/
• Because I’m not quite ready to swim yet.

 Pushor Mitchell Apple Triathlon

• http://www.appletriathlon.com/
• Because I hope I’m going to be ready to swim by August.

 Whistler GranFondo

• http://www.whistlergranfondo.com/
• Driving 120km from Vancouver to Whistler isn’t nearly as fun as cycling it…  I hope!

 Royal Victoria Marathon

• http://www.royalvictoriamarathon.com/
• Ending the year with a classic marathon.

So look around your city.  Let Google guide your search.  There are literally events for everyone.

PS – Many organizers have also learnt a bit about what’s truly important in any good event and have focused on improving it:  The After Party!

Any good event after party will help you pack in more calories than you burnt off during the event itself.  And the best part?  It’s completely guilt-free!

First, I’d like to apologize to my neighbors in my building.  I’m sure my screams of agony at 6am this morning were both disturbing and shocking.

Secondly, I’d like to apologize to the people in other buildings within a 2 block radius of where I live – apparently I screamed quite loudly.

Finally, I’d like to thank the emergency responders who showed up to help.  I was impressed with your extremely fast response time and I appreciate that you only snickered at me when you thought I couldn’t hear you.

* * *

It seemed like such a good idea at the time.

Last night I came home from a long day of work and felt like going for a run.  It was dark and raining so hard that Environment Canada had issued a “rainfall warning” due to “heavy and damaging” rains.  But I had energy and desire.  I needed a ‘character building’ run.

“I’ll just go for 4km or 5km.  Just a quick jog to get my heart rate up and work off some of the stress of my day.  I’ll dress lightly and won’t even worry about bringing water.  What could go wrong?”

And 12km later, after an outstanding evening run, I returned home happy.  I felt great and life was good.

Life was good, that is….until the hot water of my shower hit me the next morning.

* * *

Do you know that typing in ‘bloody runner nipples’ leads to 2,810,000 results on Google?

This has to be one of the most painful sports related injuries I’ve ever had.

I’m crippled.

A gentle wind against them makes me cry.

The brush of my cotton work shirt causes me to black out.

All the time I think, “If there was ever a reason to doubt Darwin’s Theory of Evolution the male nipple would be it.  What the heck is it good for!?  Why have something that’s useless that can cause so much pain!?”

But I have to say:  It was still a darned good jog and I regret nothing.

As I type this final email, I’m sitting on a couch in the Ottawa Airport…  Waiting for my Air Canada flight home.   Over the last 36 hours I’ve relaxed & toured around town.  I am surprised how our nation’s capital still has a ‘small town’ feel!

Unfortunately, the Rideau Canal Skateway wasn’t open for skating yet – so I wasn’t able to completely my 4^th fitness “bucket” item.  However, I’ve enjoyed Ottawa and this has been a fantastic trip.  3 out of 4 on such an ambitious trip isn’t bad!

I decided to sit on a bench next to the canal so I could enjoy the lovely Ottawa weather and imagine the skaters passing me by as I reflect on my trip…

Over the last few days, I’ve jogged the Las Vegas strip, hiked in Death Valley and jogged around Central Park in New York.

My final destination in Ottawa to skate down the Rideau Canal Skateway was foiled by mother nature (darn her!).

As of today, my last day in Ottawa, the temperature is -8 degrees but the skateway hasn’t opened yet – though it looks like it could open any day now.  (Oddly, there are numerous tire tracks down the canal – so apparently it can hold cars but not skaters?!)

So, I’m sorry to report to you all that my last fitness bucket list item will remain on the list for another day.

Given how ambitious this trip was, the quick visits I did to each destination and the time of year – I’ve been really lucky to complete 3 out of 4!

This is the first time that I’ve ever planned a trip around fitness and fitness activities.  I have to say, I feel much more fulfilled than on a “normal” trip.  Experiencing the places I did, the way I did, will not only  leave me with memories that will last a lifetime – but a sense of accomplishment as well!

(not to mention great party lines like… “That reminds me of hiking in Death Valley…” and “When I did my Winter jog in Central Park…”)

If you haven’t been a ‘fitness tourist’ before, I’d like to suggest that 2010 be the year you try.  Get out there, have fun and stay fit!

Happy New Year!

(Read Mike’s other escapades here.)