Life Behind the Scenes

PowderFace42 Race Report

2009-07-13T09:14:00.000-07:00

The 2009 edition of PowderFace 42 was one tough cookie...

You know you've been part of something special when:
- Your race (marathon) includes a course change due to a grizzly feeding frenzy on a cougar kill
- Your race start is delayed by another separate bear sighting...(black this time)
- Participants cross the line with scrapes, limps, bruises, dripping blood AND still have a smile!
- Your palm has been punctured by a stick! He was actually smiling too!

When was the last time you had this kind of excitement in a race - What more could you ask for?

OK, I'm painting a pretty grim picture here...but the key is that PF42 rocked it. The flawless organization, amazing views and killer single-track just can't be beat - and everyone was left with a big smile at the end of the race!

Back to the race report...

Course Change: I was secretly smiling at the fact that less than 5min before our start, they announced that the course had been 'shortened' a few kms due to a grizzly bear feeding on a cougar kill...(that's a relaxing thought no?). Either way, organizers figured it was a good thing to bypass the ‘feeding zone’ to avoid any conflicts...I didn’t hear too many runners grumble…

The Race: A mellow start as 3 of us led the way out of Station Flats – The 7:30am start didn’t leave a whole lot of time to warm-up the knee/leg after my long drive to the line so I eased in behind the two, content to follow…

Soon after leaving the ‘Flats’, the first few bumps quickly made my HR jump into threshold zone (170+ bpm)...I was a bit nervous running at this pace so early in the race as I knew it wasn’t sustainable for the duration but I figured that once these first bumps were out of the way that the pace would settle, and it did.

A cool photo sequence as I round one of the many switchback corners on the PF course - Thanks to PF organizer Doug Stephen for the photos!

At the 10k mark (CP2), last year's 2nd place finisher Carl Pryce was setting a good pace, and I was keeping my ticker at 160-165bpm’s, a range I knew I could hold as we made our way up the gruelling 6km climb (500m of elev gain) to PowderFace Pass (alt: 2,000m). Shortly into the run, I noticed that I was pulling away from Carl, and checked my HR to see if I had increased the pace – I was still holding at 160+, so decided to keep on truckin’ along. At 21km CP3, I could see Carl’s fluorescent yellow jersey coming down the road (part of the shortened detour)…about 2-min back. I took a few seconds to stretch out my hammies and scrambled around the bend to get out of sight.

Cruising the meadows after some steep descents. Photo Credit: Jacob Wakefield

The second half of this race is deceivingly hard as up/down steeps start taking their toll on the body – Plus, my lack of descent training wasn’t helping the matter. My knee was holding strong but I was definitely feeling the abuse of the early downhills on my quads. I had chosen to run in my Exo ¾ (compression) tights to provide extra muscle support and delay the damage (to be) done as long as possible – I was starting to push my limits.

I plugged away at the terrain, running scared. I reached CP4 and 10k to go expecting to run into the half marathoners at their turn-around point, but only the encouraging CP vollies were on hand (I later found out that their 9am start had been delayed due to a bear sighting at CP1!). I resisted the urge to put my feet up and stuff myself with Twizzlers and chips, took a few gulps of water, stretched out my legs again and off I went.

I tried my best to enjoy the last 10k of racing as it includes some of the best single-track in the area. The few bumps that litter this last section are just brutal: “Where did these come from?” I reached CP5, chugged 3 gulps of the best tasting Coke on the planet and ran off – 5km to go…(sigh). At the 3.5hr mark, I hit that ‘other level’ of fatigue and my technique started breaking down. The paranoia of Carl running me down in the final kms was creeping in, and I would take a peek at the top of all the endless climbs while taking 10sec breaks to stretch out my quads. No Carl…

The last downhill was painful. The jarring abuse was vibrating up my body. I finally reached the flats and forced myself to straighten up and run. Instead, I shuffled…with a limp. The 1.2km to go sign was a welcome sight – I crossed the line in 3:45:55. Ahhhhh- Carl ended up crossing the line about 5min later…

The rest of the day was spent chilling out with long-time friends listening to everyone’s PF war stories and comparing ‘war’ wounds from the run. One fellow entertained us with a pencil sized branch that had punctured his palm – pushing skin on the other side…Ouch! He seemed abnormally calm to me…

A big thanks to the PF crew for organizing another fantastic event – See you next year!

PowderFace 42: A few days to go...

2009-07-08T16:01:00.000-07:00

It's time to be realistic...

PowderFace42 is on tap this coming Saturday - I'm registered for the 42km event and I'm a little nervous...

If you've been tagging along for the past few weeks, you know that I've been struggling with a hamstring/knee injury. After returning from France, I finally got serious and went to see Hugh at Active Motion Physio who immediately found the issue and teamed up with the in-house massage therapist (Scott) to work on the problematic tendons. So far so good...

In an attempt to fast-track my fitness, I've been tentatively ramping up the training and adjusting to my body's ability to recover on a daily basis. On Sunday, I added a long run to the plan and came out smiling! I was pretty psyched to take this step as it meant I was back in action. Yesterday, another big step with my first running intensity since May 23rd...I wish I could squeeze a few more in before the weekend, but this is as good as it's going to get for now.

Is this enough for PF42? Hardly...With over 2,000m of climbing (and descending!), PF is a brute on the body! So why am I doing it? I've used this event as a prep for TR for 2 years now and despite not finishing last year, it's one of the 'fitness gauges' I use to adjust my training over this final month before the big show.

I know what you're thinking...Why not do the 'Half' instead? Simply, if I'm to get ready for TR, I need to get some distance in my legs as soon as possible as I'm already too far behind. I feel I'm ready to run over 4hrs and this race will serve as a good 'training run'. As such, I'm willing to risk my season to be as fit as possible by Aug 23rd - Might seem like an odd perspective, but that's just me.

In order to keep my ego in check and not let it get the best of me on the start line, I've decided to put everything down on 'paper' so I don't kill myself trying to wing it on race day...Here's the plan:

The Course:

Not the best of maps for clarity, but you get the picture...90% of this is on sweet singletrack! A long 16km grind to the high point (2,000+ metres in altitude) kicks things off. Then, it's a steep technical descent followed by another short brute of a climb to the halfway mark (21k). In total, you climb about 1,000m in the first 21 kilometres! The second half is not 'all downhill' as you would think. It's a painfully long series of short steep rollies that take their toll.

The Competition: No clue! Typically, the event draws some strong runners every year but the 150 runner cap fills up quick and leaves many wishing they had committed earlier. Either way, I'll find out the who's who on the start line...

The Record: I ran PF42 two years ago - it was my first trail marathon race. Not knowing how to prepare or how fast to go out, I simply ran...and set the course record at 4:09:33. Temperature aside (it was 36C), the effort just about killed me - I was wrecked for a solid 2 weeks. Last year, I fully intended to break the 4hr-mark as I stood on the line with Chuck Cosman, a Canuck living in Japan...He took off like a 'bat outta hell' and I followed. At 21k, we were sub 2hrs, and on track to go sub-4hr. But, I was pushing my limits to stay with him on the steep descents and my quads paid the price - I dropped out at the 32k mark. Chuck also paid the price for his fast start and slowed down in the second half - he crossed the line in 4:11:15, posting the second fastest time on record...

I have no illusions of setting a new time this year - it's simply not in the cards. Personally, I think a sub-4hr time is very realistic...and it could very well happen on Saturday, it just won't be me!

The Strategy: So here it is...I'm going to 'ease' into the first half and try to maintain a 9km/hr pace for the first half (which won't be super easy as it's mostly uphill) - Not sure if my math is good but either way, I'll reach the 21k mark at 2:10 to 2:15. From there, the plan is to increase to 10 - 11km/hr, and aim to run the second half in a negative split, something like 2:05 to 2:10. Total time goal will be anywhere between 4:20 to 4:30, allowing for some pit-stops, stretching and perhaps a 'hippy moment' or two...

The Nutrition: I've topped up on some supplies for the event: HoneyStinger Chews, Sharkies, Ultima, Macro bars and some Gu Roctane will be on the menu. The plan is to eat lots early...

Breakfast will come bright and early on the road...1.5hrs before start at 6am
- Lots of KHC (coffee)
- 2 egg whites (cooked night before)
- Bagel
- Yogurt
- Maybe a banana...

On the course...
- HS Chews/Sharkies: 1 pack/hr for first 2 hrs
- Gu: 1 per/45min for the first 2hrs, then 1 per/hr
- Macro bar: 1/2 bar at CP1 and 3
- Ultima Replenisher (electrolytes): 1.5L to be sipped every 15min

The Body: There's no negotiating here...The knee WILL hold!

That's it - that's the plan. In the end, all I really (really) want, is for the body to hold up - nothing else matters. I've got therapy and massages line up back to back to help the prep and a few easy runs on the menu. It's all I can do...One of my coaches once told me: "There's no point worrying about what you can't control" - I suppose it's as good a time as any to start listening...

Regardless of the outcome, I'm out for a great long run on Saturday and looking forward to catching up with the PF crowd. See you on the line!

Eyeing up some coke and chips after setting my 4:09 PB two years ago - See the clock still counting behind me...

Taking Some Time

2009-07-04T13:14:00.000-07:00

The thunder is grumbling outside...

It's Saturday afternoon and (believe or not) I literally just rolled out of bed about an hour ago (I actually did a double take on my watch when I looked!). Regardless, I shuffled my way to the kitchen, prepared myself a strong americano, turned on some groovy tunes and sat down to catch up on the Tour's first time trial...

The rain just started...and aside from the rhythmic sound of some old school Massive Attack playing in the background, it's quiet all around me. No pressure to do anything...No stress. I love it.

One of the most important things I've learned about myself over the past years is that I need two very important things in order to be fully content -

1. Take some time for yourself - If you know me, you know that I've always got something on the go. Work, play, friends, life...I love my busy lifestyle, but I also love my time alone. If I don't get enough of the latter, I get stressed out and unproductive in life. So don't be afraid to 'pull the plug' on life and get away from society - Lie on your hammock, listen to some music, read a book or just watch the leaves flicker...It's good for you.

2. Take the time - because nobody is going to give it to you! I first used this quote on someone else while in Halifax this year...and realized how true is actually is. I always hear of individuals talking about how little time they have to train, to travel, to do whatever. When's the last time your boss came up to you and said - "Phil, you know what? You've been working way too hard lately...you should take some time for yourself". OK, maybe it's not an impossible scenario, or maybe your employer is one of the select few on this planet that actually care (about your well being) but chances are if you don't take the time, there will always be something else to do.

There will always be somewhere to go, or shit to do - but this weekend - I'm taking some time for me.

I think I'll go for a run now...

On Route To...

2009-06-20T17:13:00.000-07:00

Eh oui...Bonjour la France-

Calgary, Toronto and a short blip in Montreal...a skip across the pond and now Geneva. A quick car ride down to Annecy...et Voila! I'm settled back in the Splendid Hotel with its 'splendid' view of the lake...ha.

Little tid-bit of info in case you were curious...the 'Tour' is coming here next month for a 40.5km individual time trial - It's too bad I'm not able to keep my room for a while as I think I'd be overlooking the finish line (really!). If you're looking at the map (above), my hotel is pretty much right on the red/white checkered flag!

But, as much as I'd love for this trip to be all fun and games - it's not...I've actually been busting up a few brain cells trying to get up to speed with the 'business' side of Salomon's Nordic category (part of my new job description), analysing past sales figures and putting it all together for a Canadian recap/forecast picture for the head office crew here in Annecy...I've still got tons to learn, but then again, I've never been known to back down on a challenge!

As I sat down to tackle some prep work, the World Cup racing serviceman (Bertrand or Bebe as Team Japan calls him), rounded the corner and after a flamboyant discusssion, he more or less 'forced' me to join his team to go test the latest Equipe 10 Classic prototype ski and binding, fresh off the press! Wow - uh....ok- I'm in! And that was that - I crammed in as much work as I could in a couple hours, grabbed my luggage and off we went to the resort of Tignes, a 2hr drive South-East of Annecy, where a giant glacier allows for year-round skiing!

Tignes resort - You can spot the glacier on the right side of photo (white 'mountain') - The resort typically closes a short period in the spring, but reopens in early June offering Alpin/Nordic skiing for 15 Euros/day.

With only a half day planned to get feedback on various test fleets, we got up bright an early and hit the underground tram to get up to the best snow possible...

The 'mole' as the French call it - Not sure how long the tunnel is (~2km), but we were hauled up the mountain underground and popped up topside with a full sun blazing down at us!

An almost perfect view from 3032m...See the tracks below? Can you also spot Mont Blanc? It's just peeking out on left of center, just to the right of the closest peak-

A better look at the fresh tracks - It was actually amazing skiing...but I won't rub it in.

Just a few of the many pairs we tested today...Bertrand (orange shirt) and Anthony discuss test numbers-

Before I knew it, it was 2pm and we were packing up the bags and heading back out of Tignes - A quick lunch and down the hill we went, passing by other famous resorts such as Val d'Isere. I figure the Alps are just one big ski resort...I suppose some would say the same of our mountains, except that we don't have lift that go up them!

So here I am, back 'home' at the Splendid, pooped from a great day on snow...and trying to get my presentation wrapped up in time for the PV-show tomorrow...nothing but fun times on tap for me tonight!

Patience Phil...Patience.

2009-06-14T21:22:00.000-07:00

Patience...

Mistake #1: ..."Yeah, I'm going to run around Rundle...It'll be great!" At the time it seemed like a 'fun' idea...After a week of pounding the pavement in Halifax I arrived back home hungry to tackle the mountains - and I did. With barely 70% recovery on my hamstring, I decided to run around one of the local mountains, Mt Rundle, a circuit that totals close to 50km. The run actually went quite well, and although I started to feel the impact after 3hrs, I still maintained a good pace and made it back home in 4h15min (excluding a short 'soak' in the Bow River to cool off the legs). My body was tired - yes, but all that mattered was that I was back!

Mistake #2: The next day, I went for a shorter run in the afternoon with my Lanny to preview the Canmore Challenge race course - He had planned intervals, and despite my better judgement, I decided to tag along...My body was obviously still tired, but I figured I could keep it under threshold and get a feel for the race course I would be racing on. The first few intervals were rough as I literally felt like I was pulling a piano but then it got better. About 45min into my workout I started to feel a bit of knee pain but pushed on. At the hour mark I stopped and called it a day...

Mistake #3: With a full rest day under my belt, my knee felt better so I decided to do my final prep for the race. I actually felt pretty good and looked forward to pushing the body. I teamed up with the local Ultimate Running Club for company and kept my workout on the flats to focus on speed. After a short warmup it was time to start: 5X 2min w/ 2min rest. No problem, a good set of short intervals to spike up the speed. After 3 intervals my knee flared up...not good. But I pushed on. After the next interval I was in pain...not good. I pushed on again...I never finished the last interval and ended up walking home - barely making it before a torrential downpour - It seemed fitting.

The buildup of scar tissue had tightened up the hamstring muscle which resulted in the development of bursitis at its attachment point on the inside of the knee. Despite non-stop treatment during the next 2 days, it was too little too late - I would have to sit out of my 3rd race this year. The Canmore Challenge came and went...while I stood on the sidelines to watch.

With less than a month to go until PowderFace42, and just under 3 month until TransRockies Run...I can't afford anymore mistakes-

Patience Phil...Patience.

Back on Mountain Time

2009-06-06T22:46:00.000-07:00

There's just something about the mountains that makes me tick...

I'm just back from a quick stint out on the East Coast where Salomon introduced the Spring/Summer 2010 line-up of footwear and apparel. I wish I could spill the beans and show pics of all the cool stuff that's coming out but...you'll just have to wait. Just trust me...(If you want a sneak peek into the new gear, I suggest you join the 'Salomon Running' group on FB - once in a while, some gear news/photos tends to 'leak' out to the public)

Can't go to the East Coast without indulging in a little lobster!

Despite the long days looking at shoes, we still got out to stretch the legs. From left, Eric, JP, MJ and the Scott-ehs get off the road in Point Pleasant Park.

Now that I'm back at the ranch, it's time to get the legs tuned to mountain time again. There's a big race next weekend called the Canmore Challenge - and some of Canada's best mountain runners are headed this way! They'll be duking it out for a few select spots on Canada's World Mountain Running Team. As for this guy...I'm just hoping that my hamstring hangs in there for the duration of the race! Although heading to Worlds wasn't necessarily my goal, raising the level of my fitness for this race was - I wish my objectives were different, but that's life I suppose-

Instead, I'll crank up the volume and switch my focus to the PowderFace42 next month - If all goes well between now and then, I want to try to break my course record and go under 4hrs...I'm optimistic, but that doesn't mean squat when you're running in the mountains.

Kilian's Quest

2009-05-26T13:02:00.000-07:00

Every once in a while, a phenomenal individual crosses your path...

In February 2008, I was invited to Salomon's Advance Week in the South of France for an intense 5-day product testing session that united some of Salomon's top athletes and ambassadors - It was humbling experience...

Amongst the amazing personalities I met throughout the week, there was a quiet Spaniard by the name of Kilian Jornet. I would arguably call this... 'kid', the world's best mountain runner. He bounced up and down mountains like a real life goat. It was incredible to watch him move so easily over any type of technical terrain. Needless to say that I was working hard just to keep up...In broken french, he told me that he did very little running in the winter, and kept fit by racing on the Ski Mountaineering World Cup - After a bit of research on my end, I realized that he was a World Champion...and is a 'superstar' in Spain because of it. Funny how things vary from country to country.

Jonathan Wyatt (center) and Kilian Jornet (in green), laughing at my spanish...

Back to running...So how good is he? For all you runners out there that follow the world ultra racing scene, at 20 years of age he became the youngest winner of the 2008 UTMB (Ultra Tour du Mont Blanc), a 165km race around France's most renowned peak - and did it in a time of just over 20hrs!
Although I missed out on Advance Week this year due to a conflict with the Rock and Ice, I've kept in contact with Kilian, touching base once in a while to pick his brain. He told me he had a few projects on the go but didn't elaborate...I just found out that Salomon has decided to support Kilian in a few of his goals this year..., pretty cool stuff! Check it out:

Kilian's Quest - Teaser

Kilian's Quest - Episode 1

Time to Hammer the Hammy

2009-05-24T08:05:00.000-07:00

Don't worry...it's not me-

I always liked this photo of Martin Gaffuri, lying at the finish line of Stage 4 in Leadville, CO during the 2007 TransRockies Run. He and his teammate Glen Redpath had just pulled off a great run and had snuck ahead of us (Dom Repta/PV) for 3rd...

Yesterday's 5 Peaks was going to be my first 'real' test of my fitness - I felt good, and ready to run hard. I'm not going to yap too much about the experience because it's frustrating...but about 3k into the 9km race, I was flying down the hill behind race leader (and eventual winner) Erik Carleton, and at the base of hill I felt a 'twang!' in my left hamstring- an instant shot of pain ripped through my leg and I knew it was game over...I walk back to the finish.

Coulda - Shoulda - Woulda...I'm pissed.

That's all I'm going to say about that.

On the bright side, it was the first time we actually had a nice day to enjoy - finally!

Early morning setup - Salomon, Suunto, MEC...getting ready to talk shop!

The crowd buzzing with excitement...The last bit of snow on COP looms in the background.

Skiers are Made in May?

2009-05-20T14:30:00.000-07:00

And you thought I was joking when I said I was skiing last week...

Early May usually marks the start of training for most elite skiers - Depending on how good/bad your season has gone, some take the entire month of April off training, while others keep some level of activity in their lifestyle, but to be honest, I think it's hard for most to completely shut off the 'training' switch. But on May 1st, the fun stops and it's time for most full-time athletes to get back at work...

Over the past few years, Sovereign Lakes Ski Club (just down the hill from Silver Star Mountain), has been re-opening for 2 weeks in May, grooming a 10km loop for nordic skiers to enjoy. This year's abundant spring snow falls offered some incredible 'spring' skiing, and treated skiers to some great tracks to kick off the training year.

Can't beat a day like this...perfect tracks and an (almost) bluebird sky!

As for me...I've been so frustrated with the lack of sun in Canmore this spring, that I jumped on the opportunity to get out of town to do some early ski tests on snow with a few of our Team Salomon athletes. The information gathered here will help me later on in the year when it's time to select skis for all of our skiers. A tough job, but someones got to do it! (grin).

The NST boys cruising the trails - A total of 50+cms fell on the mountain over the course of the week!

I usually kicked off the days by setting up the Salomon tent (if the weather allowed it), and put out about 15 pairs of skis for athletes to test. Whether they actually ski on Salomon or not didn't matter as it is just good to get feedback/comments from as many skiers as possible. Amongst the teams on site were the National Ski Team, the Alberta World Cup Academy , the Canmore Nordic Ski Club, the Rocky Mountain Racers, the Sovereign Lakes/Silver Star Ski Team and a handful of keen local master skiers. In total, I'd say close to 100+ skiers hit the trails over the course of the week. Around noon, I'd wrap things up and spend another hour re-waxing all the skis to get them freshened up for the following day, and repeat... Overall, a great camp and opportunity to see the teams get back at work!

Back in Canmore...

I returned in time to catch the best day of spring so far (21C) - Nighbor, Crooks and I pointed our bikes West, battling a crazy headwind all to way to Sunshine to meet the Jeffries bros.

Nighbor and Crooks taking a 'natural' break in Banff

Nighbor: "Whaaat! I told you not to stand downwind from me..." Crooks: "Damn you Nighbor, you got my shoes!"

The ski posse gettin' rowdy on the 1A near Banff

So after a week of taking my work on the road, it's back home to get caught up with office work. TransRockies (Bike) is ramping up and will soon start to monopolize my time; the Salomon gig keeps chipping away while I try to get my laptop in sync with the head office - of course, for every new program I install, some little computer issue arises (damn Vista).

And training...Well, training is going pretty good. I've kept the variety up this spring to avoid injury and so far so good (knock on wood!). I try to get in at least 1 intensity session/week with Lanny Mann, my old mountain running training partner, and although he kicks my ass every single time, I feel like I'm finally getting more efficient. I'll be able to test myself over the next 2 weekends with the 5 Peaks at COP (May 23) and the Nipika Trail Run (May 30) - Regardless of the outcome, I know that I'm in for a world of pain!

Where's The Fire?

2009-05-11T21:59:00.000-07:00

Where's the Fire...? Still not sure...

Team Dalmatians and Donuts rounded out the last corner of an epic (and brutal) paddle on the Red Deer river just as dusk was falling...The lights of Mountain Aire Lodge were a welcome site. We were the first team to finish, and the only one to finish within the 12hr limit (in total 4/20 teams finished both short/long courses). Liza was there to welcome us with open arms and some hot chocolates that hit the perfect spot as we recapped a long (great) day in the mountains! Here's a brief recap...(in case you're interested in reading my ramblings)

Race HQ was set at Mountain Aire Lodge, SW of Sundre in the foothills of the Rockies. The usual last minute pre-race prep got the day rolling as the rain/snow mix fell from the sky - Dennis Colburn (DC), Kurt Mueller(KM) and myself were full-on AR rookies. Our leader, Greg McHale (GMac), an experienced elite racer, would lead us most of the day and set a gruelling pace. Liza's experience as a seasoned Adventure Racer was a key ingredient to our team as lead support - she kept us on track and ensured that we had everything we needed to make it a successful day. Her sharp attention to detail even caught a plotting mistake that could have caused us quite a bit of confusing out on course - Thanks for the great support Liza!

Run/Trek Section
GMac bolted from the start like it was a 5k race...crazy! Aside from the crazy pace, everyone moved well as we ticked off CP1 and move up towards the big climb of Blue Hill and CP2. After a short 'detour' that proved a little too bushy, we got back on track only to find out that another team (#2) had taken the lead...Being strong runners, we quickly caught back up and kept the pushing the pace up to the top of the mountain. The further we climbed, the more snow accumulated and soon we were shin deep in wet corn snow. Everyone seemed good in energy with KM lagging behind a bit...Up and over through CP2 and after breaking trail down to a cliff (!), we spotted CP3 (TA1) down below on an Forest Service Road where Liza met us for the transition onto the mtn bike.

Mountain Bike Section
GMac/Liza were unrelentless and pushed us out of there with a quick transition. With a mouthfuls of food we hopped on our bikes and started down the slope. The rain did wonders for the gravel road and in an instant we were covered in mud. As the bike section progressed we realized that KM was losing steam - not good. With a bit of help pushing him up the hills we kept a decent pace to CP4. From there the quad trail turned to a sticky mud bath and forward progress slowed considerably as we had to hike-a-bike numerous sections for 10k or so...KM's energy was slipping during this time and all 3 of us took turns helping him push his bike through each mud puddle! A few kms from CP5, Team #2 caught back up to us and quickly disappeared ahead...

Trek/Ropes Section
As we arrived on CP5 (TA2) we met a confused Liza wondering what had happened to us...(Why is Team #2 ahead of you?). Her eyes quickly picked out KM's low energy and she went to work stuffing food down his gullet as he switched gear. With the ropes section only 500m up the hill, it was imperative that we get out of CP before Team #2...but despite our best efforts, they sneaked away just ahead and managed to get set up at the tyrolian traverse station before us. So we waited (im)patiently for our turn as their 4-man team were guided through the traverse, the waterfall rappel and back up the roped cliff climb. In/out, we bolted from the ropes and up the hillside chasing...

It didn't take long to spot Team #2 again looming just ahead. Lucky for us, they overshot the unmanned CP7, whilst GMac nailed it right on the button - Back in the lead we headed for CP8...On route we took a wrong turn but GMac caught his mistake quickly and we doubled back only to stumble on Team #2 again! And again we overtook them. As we followed an awesome singletrack climb up the mountain KM's energy was still low, but not getting any worse. By this time, GMac was towing him, and I had taken his pack to help him out. At the next junction we overshot a left turn by 200m or so, and by the time we were back on track guess what? Yep, Team #2 was up ahead again...arggghh!

We merged on Team #2 just as we 'should' have been arriving at CP8...but CP8 was not there?? After searching the area and consulting w/ the other team, we all concluded that we were in the right spot - but still no CP8! (We later found out that the personnel couldn't make it to CP8 b/c of heavy snow amounts on the ground). So feeling a little awkward, we both left CP8...hoping in the backs of our minds that we had made the right decision.

As we bolted out of CP8, I passed on KM's bags to DC and took over the KM towing duties from GMac so he could figure out the next track. We moved fast in this next long section and made an extra effort to get rid of Team #2 once and for all! Although the fatigue/body kinks was settling in, we knew that we were gaining time. Again, GMac nailed CP9 and down the hill we went to CP10 and onto the boat!

Rafting Section
Liza welcomed us with Redbull, cokes, salt/vinegar crispies, jerky and more...The goddess of junk food! We were psyched to finally get off our feet! Once again GMac was on us to move, move, move - there's no time to waste and we didn't want T#2 to catch back up! We all hopped in the raft and pushed off... The river was low and as much as we would have like a fast cruise down the Red River, it was not to be. Every rapid required a dismount in the water to pull the raft over the rocks - it was very frustrating. We repeated this process about 50 times (not kidding!) - Two highlights to point out during the paddle...

1) A bit of a scary moment when we cruised around a left bend into a sweeper. One of the logs was sticking straight out and DC didn't catch it until it was too late and he was knocked out of the boat on the upside of the sweeper - As he started floating back down, he got caught in debris with his PFD straps (not good!). We are reacted quickly...I stopped the boat while GMac and KM untangled and hauled DC back in...With the temp hovering around 2C, it's a good thing we had our wetsuits!

2) I forget the second one...(too tired to think now). Oh, I remember now...On another super rocky section, instead of pulling the boat in the water, I spotted a big 'bench' of hard snow/ice that lined the shore of the river, so we pulled the raft on the ice and pushed it at least 150m beyond the set of rapids- probably saved us a good 5min! The rest of the river run was mostly uneventful - spending our time going in/out of the boat while the sunlight slowly dimmed away...Eventually we rounded the last corner...

So, that's it - A good effort by all. Thanks to DC for the opportunity to make me feel like an old man...I'm a hurtin' unit today. Kudos to GMac for keeping us moving and leading us to victory; Liza for all of her expertise and prepping our gear/food all day long (she even had to reschedule her flight to TO as our race went far over the 'planned' time); and KM for hangin' in there the entire day! But like I told him..."Aren't you glad you paid for this experience?".

Don't Forget Your Passport!

2009-05-03T15:16:00.000-07:00

I hate that sinking feeling you get when you suddenly realize you've forgotten something important...like...let's say...your passport!

Yep - I forgot it.

It's Thursday morning, and I've just boarded a plane bound for Toronto for a day of meetings before continuing my flight Eastward to France - What's the big deal? This is was to be an introduction to the product management component of my job...

Meanwhile, back on the plane...In an instant my brain moved into overdrive and started sorting out my options...which were limited as best since the plane was already moving! I quickly called my roommate to ship the passport to Toronto. A few anxious hours later, I received a text upon arriving in YYZ: Shipped it UPS Express...be there at 10:30am tomorrow morning.

No sweat.

Friday midday came around and still no passport...The tracking search said it was last scanned in Calgary. Not good. Starting to get nervous, I called UPS...Houston, we have a problem...UPS couldn't find it - NOT GOOD!

Long story short, despite numerous attempts to track down the missing package, and a UPS search party taking on the job of sifting through the entire UPS warehouse until 11pm on Friday night, my passport never made it and I had to cancel my flight to France...bummer.

I suppose you only do something like this once in your life.

So instead of going to France, I went to Ottawa for a quick 4 day visit with the folks. Besides, a quick check of the weather back home showed nothing but snow for 3 days...I was quickly enticed by the +28C in Ottawa the next day.

Turned out to be a good detour, adding a bit of business to the side trip as well as lots of running and running around.

Although it's always nice to come home, I miss the O-town weather...It's still cool-ish in Canmore and with no signs of a warm sun in the forecast. Ugh...

Common Mother Nature - Give us a break!

Testing out 'Orange-Man' trail at the Canmore Nordic Centre - Lower half is good, upper still has lots of snow. Saw some fresh bear tracks...time to start packin' the bear spray!

Rode the Minnewanka trail out to the ranger cabin - beautiful. Most of the track was dry and in great shape - the only exception was the first few kms which were quite muddy. Took a good biff on the way down to the bridge...It's not a good ride unless you have a bit of blood to show off afterwards!

Grand Opening of The Salomon Store!

2009-04-26T12:16:00.000-07:00

If you happen to be passing through Toronto in the next bit, I'd highly recommend you swing by the New Salomon Store at The Shops at Don Mills, a new 'concept' mall that just opened in the past week. The Salomon Brand Store is the first one of it's kind in North America, owned exclusively by Salomon - Other partner products included in the store are SkullCandy, Suunto, Smith and Red Bull! (note: There are 2 other Salomon Stores, one in Whistler Village, and another in Mont Tremblant, but these are different in that they partly owned/operated by Intrawest)

Since I was in the neighbourhood for a little biz, I was invited to take part in their first promo event where Salomon friends/family stopped by for a fun social night to help promote and celebrate their latest project.

The store is cool and was packed with all the footwear, apparel and gear that Salomon Canada distributes - It was actually pretty neat to see all our gear displayed in one location - a great opportunity for a one-stop shop! Check out some pics of the grand opening!

Where's Waldo? Can you spot the new Salomon Store?
(photo credit: Virginie Tisseau)

Here's a closer look...
(photo credit: Virginie Tisseau)

Somehow I got roped into filling in as a bouncer w/ Mike - Tough crowd these Salomon shoppers - Not sure how our combined weight of 300lbs would fare against a real crowd, but I'm happy to report that no incidents occurred during my shift!
(photo credit: Virginie Tisseau)

Shoes anyone? A glimpse at the Salomon footwear 'wall' - I think there was only one missing shoe from the entire Salomon line-up...

Inside the Salomon Store...
(photo credit: Virginie Tisseau)

Even Red Bull showed up to help kick off the festivities - The crew gets busy setting up the DJ booth

The Red Bull girls showing off their stuff-

The Salomon Store crew, and the key Salomon staff members that helped build the store - Great work team!
(photo credit: Virginie Tisseau)

I just hung out by the cheese/dessert section - a bit of 'fat loading' for the 5 Peaks race the following day... (photo credit: Virginie Tisseau)

The Original Fatboy

2009-04-21T14:00:00.000-07:00

Why bother flying across the continent, when you can get 'The Original Fatboy' instead! It only costs you 39,000 Aeroplan points, and you can even play with the box! So comfy...

Ok - Enough with this white stuff!

The weather has been pissing me off lately. It's like there's this higher force looking down at me with his little annoying smirk: "Lets give him just enough sun to get excited, but we'll make sure the wind is cold so he has to keep something covered up". Here's a great example...Today, is great! It's +19C, sunny, no wind...I had a great short run this morning, wearing shorts/t-shirt...Awesome! On Thursday, the forecast calls for a high of -2C (low of -9C) and snow...lots of it. What the shit!?

Either way, I won't be here to enjoy the spring mayhem (unless so much snow falls that the airport closes - yikes!) I'm off to Toronto and then to France for little biz trip at the Salomon HQ in Annecy...I'm pretty sure it's warmer there!

Pulling the pulk on Great Slave Lake: -28C, skating on classic skis w/ a 30lb sled on my butt. Fun.
Photo Credit: Rob Howard - Sleepmonsters

Training...? Oh yeah...I've been training a bit to get the running and biking legs back in action. I've been doing a few intensities with my old mountain running partner, Lanny Mann - Nothing like getting your ass kicked to know how much more work you need to do - damn! I am quickly realizing that after a full year of NOT doing any anaerobic work, my body is taking its time to adjust...but it's coming along.

Easter Weekend Getaway

2009-04-12T11:36:00.001-07:00

I love running in the rain - or maybe it's just the fact that doing anything else (physical) in the rain kinda sucks!

A (wet) morning mountain run up to a local radio tower...an afternoon (sunny) ride with C-Dog along Okanagan Lake...and a great Mexican feast at Hectors - Can't think of a better way to spend Easter!

Happy Easter everyone!

Top 10 Best/Worst Rock and Ice Moments

2009-04-01T07:31:00.000-07:00

I wonder why I'm having a hard time getting back in work-mode...?

The hype of Rock and Ice is cooling off and aside from all the warm/fuzzy feelings from the event, some great memories and a firm handshake for second place (!), it's time to get back to 'real' work.

As I sit in my office procrastinating, I can't stop thinking of going back next year for more suffering - and of course, another shot at winning the diamond! I'm not sure why these events appeal to me so much but the urge to go back for another beating seems ever present - or maybe it's simply the desire to get fit again...

With that said, I thought I'd share some of my top 10 best/worst moments at this year's Rock and Ice - a bit of a compilation of my 'behind the scenes' experience of the event - Enjoy!

Top 10 Best/Worst Moment of the 2009 Rock and Ice Ultra

10. That feeling of numbness creeping in your big toe that makes you wonder: "...Is that frostbite creeping in...?" Not a good feeling when you realize you still have 2hrs of racing ahead of you!

9. Gagging on a Mars bar(!) on the last day as I was having a hard time taking on any food (I couldn't stand to even look at gels or blocks at this point).

8. Waking up with a swollen left cheek (on my face that is) due to frostbite on Day 6 - I felt like I had been kicked in my sleep (or maybe it was Mike sleep-walking??)

7. Putting my ski boots back on my feet on Day 4 and realizing that my feet have swollen up in size...makes for a very uncomfortably tight feeling, especially in -25C weather!

6. Cruising without effort on bare ice with 5km to go in stage 3 (I think we hit our highest speed of the event at 20+km/h. Not bad when your pulling a 30lb pulk)

5. Eating KFC an hour after finishing the event...After a 9-year break from the dirty bird, it was one of the most satisfying meals of the week!

4. Eating 4 bowls of caribou stew and 2 big plates spaghetti at Trout Rock Lodge on Day 5 - Best $25 I've ever spent!

3. Gaining 20seconds back on Mike with 5km to go on the final day. I gained the gap on the final portage of the event and one of the bumpiest sections of the entire course - Here I come Mr. Diamond, here I come...

2. ...Getting caught by Mike about a kilometre later and realizing that I won't be able to gap him again as the killer tailwind made it impossible break away...

1. Realizing that with 3km to go in a 225km race, I had just lost the diamond for good...

So that's it...Another one of the history books! There's some event chatter about potentially dropping the 6-day ski category next year as registration numbers haven't been very good in this category. Personally, I love the challenge of pulling all of your gear - but I fully agree that it's not for everyone and makes for a hard sell when you're looking at the purely business side of the category.

At the final awards party, I suggested that they take the 'pulk' component out of the 6-day skiing category, which would essentially make it into a pure 6-day stage race (organizers would transfer your equipment from stage to stage like the 3-day event currently offers). Most of the skiers on site quickly agreed that this would generate more interest from the nordic community as the R&I would now be the next step for skiers that like the Birkebeiner (w/ pack) race, or even the Arctic Circle Race (3-day stage race in Greenland).

Either way, whether your chasing the diamond or simply along for a true northern experience, I strongly encourage you to consider the Rock and Ice Ultra as a future event destination. You'll get more than just a bang for your buck - trust me!

Mike and I at the finish line (yes, we're still friends) - The cat/mouse game lasted the entire week and came down to the final kms of the event, making for a very interesting event for the media and friends to follow. Thanks to Barb for the photos!

Thanks to everyone who tuned in and cheered me on - I'm looking forward to catching up with everyone over the springtime!

Battered and Bruised

2009-03-27T12:01:00.000-07:00

Wow, what a race!

It's 0C today in Yellowknife - abnormally warm for this time of the year...but a great day to enjoy the Caribou Festival activities taking part in the YK downtown core. Unfortunately, I'm having a hard time getting my butt off the Argue's couch today. Here's my injury/body damage report...

- the balls of my swollen feet are killing me (bruised from trying to get grip on loose snow)
- my rib cage/diaphragm is abnormally tight from the pressure of the pulk harness I think...hurts when I walk
- the right side of my face is all ballooned up from frostbite on Day 5
- left wrist has tendonitis from poling in soft deep snow
- elbow pain from skiing with the added weight of the pulk
- blister on right heel

I'd say that this list is fairly average compared to other finishers...So needless to say that the act of sitting is about the only activity that brings me pleasure at this exact moment!

Some thoughts on the race...

First off - Congrats to Mike for a great race. Without him by my side over the past week, the Rock and Ice wouldn't have been the same experience for me (and for him I'm sure), as it truly made the event one of the hardest challenges I've ever completed in my life. One always hopes to come out on top when faced with a dual of this type. In this case, Mike was the strongest in the latter stages and for that he deserves the diamond - well done!

As for finishing runner-up...well...as Kershaw would say: "I'm not going to lie...it sucks!"

I came to the Rock and Ice to win - and not achieving this goal is disappointing. For the most part, the race actually unfolded as I thought it would, until the end that is...where it was my (and not Mike's) endurance level that failed to keep the pace. Did I underestimated Mike's ability to last...? Perhaps I did, but I think my biggest mistake was in my own training preparation, letting 'life' get in the way of good old fashioned hard training. One of the questions that was fired to me at the end of the race was: "What would you change differently for the next time around?" I quickly answered in joke like fashion: "Ha, I would train more...". But after having thought about it more, I was actually right on the money. Experience and mental strength will only take you part of the way - You have to come to this event fully prepared - it's the only way you will complete the event, let alone winning it!

So, another lesson learned...I'll be back next year ready to chase the diamond once again!

As for the event - again, Wow! Event director Scott Smith did a fantastic job from my perspective. All assets that make a great event were present here: the route, the course marking, water stations, camp locations/accommodations, safety/first aid checks and information updates were all right on the money. Behind the scenes, his team of volunteers and staff were on the ball 24hrs/day and ready to act on a moments notice - often going out of their way to accommodate the participants. Hats off to the Rock and Ice team!

And the weather...it didn't disappoint! It wasn't the coldest year on record, but we were certainly tested by the elements. The first day was probably one of the worst days I've encountered in a while, with a memorable blizzard on the 14km stretch across Prelude Lake (I think that most of the drop-outs occurred on this section!). The rest of the week was cold, but not abnormal from my perspective. Once in camp, the 6 to 8 person dome tents provided amazing cover and were toasty warm. Most of the afternoons were spent lounging around the tents refueling our energy stores and trading war stories with other participants. At night, my -20C sleeping bag was perfect and I never had to crack out the additional liner I brought to meet the mandatory -30C sleeping bag limit. In the morning, Scott would stop by for a morning wake up call and check on all participants to make sure everyone was moving on...and off we went for another stage!

Ok...I think I'll pause here...my brain is still a wee bit foggy - I might even shuffle my way into town to check out some dogsled racing action! Tonight is the big Bacardi Rock and Ice party where all the winners will receive their diamonds...A big congrats to: Mike, Greg, Denise, Liza, Denis, Shawne, Thomsen and Sara! Should be some good times...Either way, I'm sure that all the bumps and bruises will temporarily disappear after a few RBV's!

A few pics of our post race KFC chow fest...

Greg, Mike, Liza and Denise get ready to celebrate their victories with Colonel Sanders KFC! The last time I visited this fine establishment was 9 years ago with my brother in Burns Lake, BC (after a week of tree planting!)

Hmmm...greasy goodness!

Denise McHale shakes her head at Greg's bottomless pit as he chows down on 4-piece meal

Thanks to everyone who posted and cheered me on - A special thanks to Will, EJ, Rob, GMac, Scott and Bill for the gear, prep advice and words of wisdom. I'm looking forward to catching with everyone soon!

Day 5 Report...From Trout Rock Lodge

2009-03-25T19:31:00.000-07:00

A quickie here tonight as 35 or so of the remaining Rock and Ice participants and staff chill out at Trout Rock Lodge - host of our stage 5 camp. Lucky for me they even have internet access!

I'll let you catch up on most of the action via the sleepmonsters.ca site - and make sure to check out all the cool photography as there are some incredible photos (and more to come as they filter through the thousands of shots they've taken).

A few words to recap the stages so far...

Day 1 - A long hard day. A brutal windchill, lots of frostbite victims and a crazy blizzard on Prelude lake which took Mike and I over 2.5hrs to cross (approx 14km). In the end, we figured it was such a hard day that we would cross the line together.

Day 2 - An amazing day on the trail, lots of bush skiing on a snowmobile wide 'single track'. Lots of soupy soft terrain that was kind of like skiing on quicksand - brutal. I ended up breaking away a bit for most of the first half with Mike hovering behind. At the 3/4 mark I ran out of energy and it was Mike's turn to take the lead. I finally caught back up near the end in sight of camp...so we call it even again.

Day 3 - We were flying today, covering the first part of the 40+ kms in 11km/h (fast for pulling a 30lb pulk!). The end came much faster than anticipated and we popped onto the ice road for the remaining 6km to Yellowknife (picture hwy 401 on bare ice!). I gapped Mike on the ice as my pulk was tracking perfectly on the glare ice, but Mike's was fishtailing like crazy. As he fumbled around skating on the side, he clipped his pole and broke the tip off! Unknowingly, I push on, building a 100m lead with 2km to go...Unfortunately (for me) he was holding his own skating and as my luge run ran out, he slowly clawed his way back since I couldn't skate due to a faulty binding. By the time we hit the finish line, we (once again) called it even...

Day 4 - Another zippy day, but this time out on Great Slave Lake. With our game faces on, there would be no mister nice guy from either party today! With 500m to go - and not really knowing where the finish line was, Mike attacked and pulled hard - I hung on...The pace slowed a bit until we rounded the corner with the tents in sight. Again he surged hard with me in tow. I sucked in behind as long as I could and actually managed to gain on him just enough to....tie once again! (not intentional this time)

Day 5 - Woke up to -26C with a relatively strong windchill. Despite it being the shortest stage, the extremely slow snow made it very difficult. Mike's Camelbak froze up before his first drink and when he lunged for the waterboy thermos(!), I made a break and held a 10 to 15second lead for 20min or so, but the early move was sapping my energy as it was hard to break trail on the sandpaper snow...so I pulled off and let Mike catch up. We exchanged the lead for the remaining kms until the final cat-track to Trout Rock Lodge. Again, since we didn't know where the finish line was, it was hard to figure out when to take the lead. The closer we got, the harder packed the trail became and we were able to skate to the finish. I tried to hold off Mike as long as I could (in the one lane track) but I could sense that he was chompin' at the bit. I pulled over hoping to get paced to a wide finish track, but he put on a final sustained burst that gapped me a few hundred metres out - he finished 32 seconds ahead.

Tomorrow is the final day, and it's another long one...39km on mostly bush trails. I'm down on Mike but 30sec is nothing in this race. Anything can happen...

Rock and Ice Time!

2009-03-20T18:18:00.000-07:00

Hopefully this the closest I'll ever get to a mug shot!

This is it... Today was the first day I truly felt that the 2009 Rock and Ice is just around the corner...oh wait a second...

The preparation kicked off first thing this morning with the gear check at 8.30am - where everyone got signed off on their equipment for the week. Since I consider Mike to be my main competition, I wasn't too concerned about how light/heavy the others (runners) were, just as long as I was in the same ball game as he was. The lightest sled on the table today was by the Salomon Flight Crew's Jason Loutitt who weighed in at just over 20lbs! Then again, I'm not sure if his crazy carpet contraption will survive the rugged terrain - or his oil/Vega supplements (instead of real food) for that matter - should be interesting! Mike and I are about the same - right around the 30lb mark.

Matrix Camp - The organization's hub for most of the week and our Day 3 Camp.

Gear check - I played translator for a half dozen athletes from France

Team Salomon: Andrew Cameron, Greg and Denise McHale and Liza Pye (missing in action: Jen Segger and Jason Loutitt)

I had an interesting trip on my way back from the morning briefing as one of my skis blew off the rear bolt...not good- but at least it happened today! So I spent the afternoon operating on the sled and filling the area with epoxy - Not too sure how it's going to hold up but I guess I don't really have a choice!

Either way, Helmut is as good as he is going to get for now - falling apart is no longer an option!

I've still got a lot of last minute organizing to do so that's it for me...Since I'll be out of contact most (all) of the week - you can follow my progress on www.sleepmonsters.ca (photos of today are already up!)

...Looking forward to tomorrow as I head straight into the -38C windchill!

BTW - Here are a few more blogs for you to check out: Liza Pye, Barb Campbell, Jen Segger, Jason Loutitt, Derrick Spafford...but I guess all of them will be stuck without internet for the next few days...

Waking up in YK - 2 Days to Go!

2009-03-19T11:49:00.000-07:00

For some reason I always sleep better in the cold...

I'm glad that we ended up changing our flights to YK a day early - Gives us a bit more time to chill-ax in town and finalize the gear list. With just over a day and half to go - I'm getting a wee bit nervous...

Travelling from Canmore, Mike (Argue), Liza (Pye) and myself drove up to Edmonton to catch our flight up North. The 3+ hr drive went by relatively quickly as the anticipation of the event loomed in our minds...Within minutes we were spilling the beans on our gear strategies, talking shop and trying to instill a bit of doubt in the others' mind...Either way, I figure it's good to keep my main competition close by, if only to keep tabs on him.

Sorry for the extra fuzz in the photo - taken on the fly in 'no photo' zone...

It's a good thing we arrived early because Mike busted the oversize x-ray machine in Edmonton and had to take EVERYTHING OUT to get checked! The security dude was just about to start fingering through his protein powder when the machine started working again! Good thing too because I was not looking forward to emptying my gear bag...

Today has been quite relaxed so far...a bit of work, a bit of socializing and a bit of shopping. A quick trip to the Overlander (ski shop) for Mike to finish working on his shopping list (as I write this he's still out there!). Above, he's sporting Camelbak's latest 'integrated' bladder shirt...slick.

A cold (-20C) windy (15k/hr) and grey day in YK today...

Thanks to the Argue's for putting us up in YK - There's nothing like some good YK hospitality and homecookin' to get you prepped for Rock and Ice!

Now it's time to go check out the course!

Tale of the Tape - 2009 Rock and Ice Ultra

2009-03-15T15:02:00.000-07:00

(Click on the image to view)

Ding, ding, ding...

In the blue corner...weighing 150 pounds...

Ok, maybe not exactly your run of the mill boxing match-up but the 2009 Rock and Ice Ultra should prove to be a good battle between Mike (Argue) and myself. I've made up a little Tale of the Tape doc to enlighten you on our strengths and weaknesses...

I spoke to Mike a couple of days ago at the National Championships where he was racing (I was working). I tagged alongside him on one of the days off and did a loop of the trails with him, catching up and talking shit. The obvious focus of the conversation was on the Rock and Ice...

PV - "How's the sled coming along?"

MA - "...Uh...haven't built it yet...!"

PV - "Well, as much as I want to beat you Mike, you need to spend some time skiing with your sled - trust me!"

MA - "Yeah...I know!"

But as much as I may (think to) have the preparation advantage now, I have no doubt that Mike will be ready to go on the start line, and from there, the fun will start!

I keep thinking of different strategies for the event...but really, there's no way to know what will be the best plan to follow until we're both on the start line and ready to rock'n roll! (And besides...I don't want to give away too much info away before the event!)

Bottom line - I have no clue what to expect. I just got my -30C sleeping bag(s), liners, stove, etc...most of it I bought, the other stuff I borrowed from Will Gadd - aka Captain Adventure as I like to call him. Will's great, between him, Scott Semple, Rob Owens and EJ Plimley, all superstar mountaineers/climbers, I've been advised and setup with the lightest winter camping gear available to man. Everyone has put in their 2-cents and I've been all ears...But in the end, it's my call. I'm pretty confident on Helmut's setup - not the lightest but it's simple and solid. As far as my gear list...I'm heavy. I just weighed in at 30+lbs...everything minus breakfast/dinners. Way too heavy.

4 days to go...

R&I Countdown...1 Week to Go!

2009-03-14T17:33:00.000-07:00

Sitting at the airport waiting to board on my 9pm flight back home...

Although I was secretly hoping to skip the Canadian Nationals (xc skiing) this year, it actually turned out to be a great few days of networking. The booth (see below) wasn't exceptionally busy but the point of the trip was to track down athletes, coaches, club officials, etc...in order to let them try out the new gear. For that reason alone, it was worth going!

Training wise, the past few days weren't great - at least it gave me a chance to get rid of the remaining coughing fits I was having...With one week to go until the first stage, there's not much I can do at this point (for training) that will make me perform better - it's all in the preparation and planning now!

It was -51C with windchill in Yellowknife yesterday...wicked.

My home for the past 3 days - Showing off the new nordic product line - dig it.

The Interview

2009-03-08T11:28:00.000-07:00

I need a good cup of coffee for this one-

"Sure, interview me" I said. What's the worst thing she could possibly ask...

If you're new to the game, here's how it works. I tagged myself in Holly's blog, and she fired back 5 questions of her choice. If you're game and want to be subjected to 5 (potentially embarrassing) questions of MY choosing, then simply ask me! Directions on how to play are at the bottom.

1.) What injury do you fear most? Explain.

I suppose that any serious injury causing long-term disabilities and preventing me from an active lifestyle would be devastating - But like most, I'm sure I would adapt and find some other outlet to satisfy my adventurous tendencies...
Otherwise, I'm always a bit paranoid in the spring time when I start running again as I tend to get a plagued by tons of little nagging leg/knee injuries - Do I fear them? Not really I guess...They're just a pain!

2.) What annoys you most about competing in any event (regardless of the sport)? Why?

Bad course marking: This is my all-time most annoying point in sport - I've gone off route a few times due to bad course marking and was not a happy camper as I crossed the finish line. It's not that hard people. Put yourself in the participants' position and ask yourself: "Is this junction crystal clear?" If the answer is"no", fix it - If the answer is "yes", move on to the next intersection...

Stupid questions: People have this tendency to geek out on certain/most technical aspects of sport and end up asking too many damn questions the days leading up to (or morning of) the event. Now let's be clear - It's important to ask questions as some events require you to do so - especially an event you haven't competed in before. All I'm saying is 'think before you ask' - and asking the RIGHT questions is what matters. It's taking that question to the extreme that annoys me. Things like what type of underwear to wear - when it's 0C outside...Things like what to eat - when it's a 10km race...Things like where should you pin your bib - when you've really only got 2 options (shorts/shirt). I think you get the idea...

Competition Awards/cotton t-shirts: Some people like medals - I don't - a waste of money in my mind...I think that some categories (kid's and masters) should continue to offer some type of trinket that rewards your participation in the event - If this turns out to be a medal or a plaque then so be it. But why not something more practical...I went to a race in Scandinavia when I was 17 - first place was a Reindeer, like the Santa Claus kind... (really). I think they also gave a ice fishing auger, a lawnmower, a clock (my prize), a drill...etc. No medals - just practical household items. Why not go to Ikea and pick up 300 spoons for your next event? How much can a spoon cost? Probably cheaper than a medal and definitely less than a t-shirt. Everybody uses spoons...Personally, I would love to get a spoon in my participant package - I'd use it for sure!

3.) What is the most trashy TV show that you indulge in? Why?

I don't actually watch TV (no cable or reception)...but I do tend to watch what others describe as 'bad' movies on a regular basis. On the road I tend to get sucked in to late night cheesy action/thriller movies (like Road House, The Fly, Rambo, etc...) - you get the picture. Despite the fact that I've potentially seen this movie about half a dozen times already, I continue to watch them well through the night...only to shut off the TV at 2:29am and wonder: "Why the s*** did I just watch this stupid movie again?"

4.) If you could have dinner with one person that you have never met, who would it be? Explain.

I really enjoy conversations with individuals that have 'experienced' a level of adventure in their life that surpasses the norms of the common adventurer. It's these fantastical tales that surround an epic adventure that truly intrigue me and motivate me to keep pushing my own limits. That said, I'd love to share a few pints with world class nordic skier/adventurer Vegard Ulvang, not only because of his legendary status in the sport of xc skiing, but along the way he as also added numerous polar expeditions to his resume while competing at the elite level. I actually exchanged a few words with him in Finland years ago, but I wouldn't say that this would be considered 'meeting' him since the extend of my conversation was "Hi"...

5.) Given the choice, would you rather start Tae-Bo or exercising to Richard Simmons exercise videos? Explain.

Tae-Bo I guess, although I would have to find someone to join me on the daily (?) workouts simply because I have a super hard time motivating myself to these types of workouts. Even as I was chasing the elite circuit, I craved for the military style of training in the weight room where a bunch of guys would be lined up all pushing each other - and my coach's vigilant eye watching over us. Knowing myself, I think I would have a really hard time hearing Richard Simmons' high pitch voice telling me how good I should feel about myself while doing jumping jacks to some bad 80's tune. Not gonna happen-

Thanks Holly - a good way to spend a lazy Sunday morning...

To play along:

1. Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me."
2. I will respond by giving you five questions. (I get to pick the questions!)
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview others in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

Testing Grounds

2009-03-05T17:03:00.001-08:00

Helmut V did not disappoint - but there's still a few tweeks to make it perfect...

The light finally clicked today when my roommate (GMac) told me he was going Kite-Skiing up on Spray Lake. "Why didn't I think of that?" High winds, barren landscape, frozen lake, cold...It's perfect testing grounds for Rock and Ice!

Helmut V on his maiden voyage

With the outside temperature hovering around -16C, and a strong windchill of -30C, this proved to be a VERY useful testing day.

Only ice fishing huts up here...

Doing 'laps' on Spray Lake - Once I skied in a track, I was laughing!

For this first excursion I didn't want to venture too far so I stuck to the 'playground' as kite-skiers were zooming back and forth. The breaking trail part wasn't super quick but once I broke in a good track, I was zooming back and forth on my 1km lap - Next time I'll go for a little adventure and maybe do a bit of bushwackin'...should be fun.

Bring on the diamond...

Hack-Fest

2009-03-03T21:20:00.000-08:00

Ugh...I suppose things could be worse...

I hate feeling like shit - this week has been one of 'those' weeks where the body said: "screw you and your - I never get sick - attitude...". Well, I got sick.

I can deny all I want but what sucks the most is that I feel fine physically, except for this rasping cough that has irritated the hell out of my throat. In my attempt to prevent it from going down into my lungs I decided to take a few days off, and then a few more...which has now turned into a week-long break...sucks.

Although it's putting a dent in my R&I training, I got the most out of the week by doing a lot of work on the Salomon front (wheeling and dealing the club scene) and finally wrapping up my reno work in Calgary. But the biggest highlight of the week...my new Totos got installed...Check it out - sea shells and all!

Laugh all you want - these puppies are styling and already saving me some bucks!

In other news...After a week of staring at my laptop, I finally decided to get outside and used my latest sled prototype as my excuse to escape to the Nordic Centre. Verdict: Helmut IV sucked.

I was psyched on this version's potential. It was light, slick and efficient - so it seemed in my basement. As soon as I got out on snow it started fishtailing like crazy...argh!

So back to the drawing board...Helmut V better not disappoint.

Busted!

2009-02-25T16:24:00.000-08:00

Just another random day in the 'Life of PV'...

At 15h38 I get a call from EJ..."Do you own anything red?"

PV: "Clothes you mean? Nothing casual...just sport stuff...What's with the cryptic questions...get to the point?"

EJ: "...Going to a Flames game with Brother Ed - you in?"

PV: "Sure, you know how much I love hockey..."

Regardless of my 'love' of hockey, anytime you get a chance to hang out with EJ and Brother Ed, good times are almost guaranteed - And in this case, they didn't disappoint!

Upon arriving at Brother Ed's, we noticed a couple of shady characters roaming around in his neighbour's yard. Brother Ed was suspicious right away and called the cops. Within ten minutes the place was crawling with uniforms - 4 cops stormed out of a paddy wagon and cop car arresting 2 suspects right away. Since the other 2 had run away, the helicopter search team and K-9 unit was called in - A bit of an overkill me thinks! Either way, it was good entertainment value...

PV on the mic - EJ and Alec play along...as the police helicopter circles Brother Ed's house!

Brother Ed with Mr Blue - Do you mind moving your van so we can go to the game?

If it's good enough for Lanny Mac...It'll do for me. Great seats - thanks Brother Ed!

Oh yeah, the hockey game was fun too...I think the Flames won.