US Paratriathlon National Championships at New York City Triathlon--2nd place!

Chatham-Kent conquered New York state this past weekend, with a couple friends taking on the Ironman in Lake Placid (congrats Jim, and bummer a $5 spring ended your day on the bike Tony); then myself and my guide Syd Trefiak taking on the US National Paratriathlon Champs. in New York city. Yup, i'm talking smack dab in the middle of Manhatten. (in photo, Syd 3rd in, looking focused, my back with blue on it).



I will phrase the weekend like this:

-The race was awesome.
-The course was suprisingly more challenging then one would think it could be in the city.
-The organizers rival any Ironman event i've done, due to logistics.
-I was VERY pleased with my race. (in photo:Syd is 3rd in, I am 4th in with blue on my back)

-I payed Syd back a bit for making me hurt on the run in Peterborough.
-Syd and myself agreed to never do that race again!---

We say this not becasue we didn't have fun, but slugging a tandem around the city, 5 blocks this way, 10 blocks that way, 10 blocks home.....it was tiring before we even raced. The major plus for having the Paratriathlon National Championships in NYC is the visibility...you can't really hide a tandem, if you are missing a leg or are in a wheelchair, you get noticed, which is the point.

I was told that attending a "big" race (in importance) like the US Nationals would help my ranking with Triathlon Canada and further my chances of making the 2012 Paralympic Triathlon team. Triathlon is in the regular Olympic games, but we are pushing hard to get it in the Paralympics, and Sunday was a huge step in that direction.

Now the race:
I will forgo the pre-race commonalities that most races have, i've already discussed the tricky logisitics. Fast forward to 7:15am, myself and Syd sitting alongside appx. 42 other Paratriathletes (6 total visually impaired athletes). Now, we sit here on the pontoon until just prior to the start of our wave, as the Hudson river (yes THE Hudson river) has the craziest current i've ever seen. So we all jumped int when prompted and held on for dear life to the rope attatched to the pontoon. When the horn sounded you let go and were instandly 40 feet away, it was that strong.
Syd and I discussed our start, and we didn't want to get caught up in traffic, as this was a straight shot swim, no turns, just straight downriver to the exit pontoon 1500m away. So on the horn i put my head down and gunned it for about 15 seconds and then settled in. My goggles were fogged so i didn't see a thing, just swam as hard as i could until the exit pontoon. What i did notice is that nobody was around. It turns out were came 7th of the 42 athletes out of the water in a 17;00 swim (9 minutes faster then i'd normally cover that distance, thanks current). After a brief run to transition we were out on the bike course---the closed Westside Highway--pretty cool. After a steep ascent to the highway we floored it. I figured most of the day we'd be racing for second place, as Aaron Scheidies the overall winner of the paratri, first blind guy that day, and world record holder as fast as the pros, was ahead of us from the start. Early on i was not feeling so strong on the bike and Syd was going for it. Around halfway i came around and was really pushing hard too; which is right about the time we hit traffic. Not literal traffic, but the waves that went well before us. Many were beginners and didn't ride as the rules would dictate, hence blocking the roads for our speedy passage; it was like passing a parked car on the 401. You fly by them, but it feels pretty dangerous. I know we lost a couple minutes picking our way through the crowd, Syd was hoarse from yelling "ON YOUR LEFT" every 10 seconds, and even i chimed in to help him out. Our 40km bike split was around 1:06, averaging around 36km/h, although i know without the traffic, we'd have gone faster. Hitting transition, we made quick work of getting our shoes on, the tether on, and we were off. Running down 72nd avenue towards central park, i was feeling great, Syd's legs hadn't come around quite yet. By the time we hit central park for the run, Syd came around and we were cruising past everyone. On the bike nobody passed us, and on the run we had less the 5 people pass us I'd say. Central Park? It is beautiful, but suprisingly hilly. As we chugged along my goal was to break 2:20 for the day, doing the math we were going to be close, so i picked it up, and Syd hammered along right beside me. This was the first time we'd run with the tether, but it actually was pretty helpful, although you get lots of "sweaty man touching" as we joked, as our sweaty arms would brush against each other constantly.....ya ewww i know, but you do what you need to do. Flying into the crowded finsih chute, we managed our 10k run in 47:00 and an overall time of 2:18! (photo: me on the left getting 2nd place)

I was pretty darned pleased as was Syd I think.
It turns out on that day we were finished 6 of 42 of the best Paratriathletes in the US and 2 of 6 visually impaired athletes. Only myself and Grant Darby from Hamilton (an amputee) were from Canada. This is exactly what I wanted and needed, a top ranking finish at a "big" event, setting my out as an Elite National Paratriathlete in Canada. I asterick that by saying there are not a lot of paratriathletes in Canada--at least not yet--so for the time being I'm safe in calling myself one of the best, but I'm sure that will change soon enough.
All and all I had a blast and it made me hungry to go out and race against the best Paratri's again; that race almost made me feel at home, part of a group that I felt I belonged to, nobody judged, we all were self deprocating in a jovial manner and we all knew the stares that we got were seen as opportunities to inspire and empower.
What's next on the agenda? I'm not sure, as you see Aaron brings in major sponsor dollars to travel and compete at all these top races, so unless I can find my own sponsor willing to invest in a Paratriathlete, I need to pick and choose and count my pennies carefully. So that may be it for the year, but I hope to get out to the Bulldog Triathlon here in Chatham in a few weeks.

All the best, enjoy the summer, safe training, and good luck to Helen Robertson and Pat Bobian (probably spelled that wrong Pat), at the Steelhead 70.3 triathlon this Saturday.

C-K invades New York State!

They're attacking from the north...
They're attacking from the south...

Chatham-Kent will be well represented this Sunday in New York state with three local athletes tackling two big races!!

Myself, we'll i'm off with my wife, her friend and my guide Syd, to the heart of New York City, right down in central park and surrounding roads.

I'll be attempting my first NAUTICA NEW YORK CITY TRIATHLON, which happens to be the USA National Para Triathlon Championships....This is an Olympic distance race (1500m swim in the Hudson river, 40km bike along Manhatten roads, and a 10k run in Central Park) triathlon, which will pit me against 3000 other triathletes but more importantly against a group of other visually impaired triathletes. A great chance to see how much work i need to do in order to make my way on to the potential 2012 Canadian Paralympic Triathlon team...


Attacking from the north?........local athletes and friends, Tony Reed, and Jim Waters. For the duo, they will be tackling FORD IRONMAN USA--LAKE PLACID... a 3.8km swim, 180km bike, 42.2km run...the full shabang!

This will be Tony's 2nd time in Lake Placid and his 6th Ironman overall..
For Jim, this is his first attempt at the Ironman distance, and man he looks strong...he is a natural plodder like me...we both aren't SUPER fast in any discipline but solid throughout. I think he'll do fantastically, and he's picked the hardest Ironman in North America (besides Hawaii) to test himself.

You can follow Tony Reed, Jim Waters, Ironman performance online at www.ironman.com
Their is a link to type their name, and see their times in realtime ...really cool.

For me? i don't think we have live timing, but you can check out www.nyctri.com later in the day sunday or wait for all the gory details for me next week.

In the next month and a half all the hard work and training by local athletes will pay off in some big big time races...stayed tuned; there is so much to be proud of, and so many strong athletes that live right in our backyard.

Enjoy your weekend, and think of Tony, Jim and myself at about 7am on Sunday morning at they dive into prestine Mirror Lake and I into clean (?) Hudson River a few hundred kilometers to the south of the Ironman event.

Have a great weekend!!

Some say disabled, i say GET OUTTA MY WAY!

Well, it has been an interesting couple of weeks for the "life of Ryan (and Mindy)"...
A couple weeks back we sold our house-FINALLY--after a long while on the market, I obtained my tandem, raced my first paratriathlon, am prepping for anothe big race in NYC and am going through some interesting stuff that is work related.
Due to my vision's deteriorating nature, my job may become a bit less secure over the next 6 months to a year or so --unless my employer steps up big time to help me out-- Preparing for this eventuality I have started to ask certain questions regarding job security and the support I hope to recieve, which led to this statement (or variation of) on three seperate occassions this week:

"Why don't you go on disability...?"

NOTE: Before I go any further, and you ask "what's wrong with disability?" PLEASE read the rest of the blog before you decide if you want to yell at me or not.

For those that have read my initial blogs, or any writing of mine describing my upbringing, you will note loud and clear that the support I was given was huge. I was encouraged to aim big, and aim with the same preciseness as any "sighted" or "able bodied" person. I was very much encouraged to not let my vision stand in the way, use it as a crutch, or let people pigeon hole you because of it. This has always been the way I've tried to live life, but inevitably, my sight or lack there of, has caused some issues in my life. I don't want to say I haven't aimed as high as any other person, but sometimes there is a sense of reality, and what is truly possible. However, these limiting situations in my life have been few and far between in the grand scheme of things.

Fast forward to this week---- When I start to question the future, when my sight may severely inhibit my job performance and/or safety of others; when I'm looking for a solution to move forward with... I'm given: "Why don't you go on disability? ". To me, this is NOT moving forward, this is not a goal to set, this is not a step in the direction that my life has been travelling.

So my thoughts on the subject?
First let me say that this is only my opinion, and you are entitled to debate or disagree.
My issue with going on disability is such:
Individuals who are on these types of payments should be ones that TRULY are in need of them. Individuals who for various reasons have no other solution, are "challenged" so severely that working and supporting themselves is basically impossible.

I don't feel it is, OR SHOULD BE, in my case.

We all know people who "milk" the system, ones that are looking for an easier ride. Call me crazy but I love a challenge. So when random strangers suggest that since my life is now approaching a state where there will be significant issues in current job security, or finding a new, equally well paying job; and my next best situation is to just accept defeat and accept these payments....

Well, refer to my previous statement....these should be reserved for those that TRULY are in need because they have little or no other choice...

I HAVE A CHOICE....

I spent four years in University attaining a degree, in order to work a lifetime and help others. I feel it very strange that the first solution to give a 29 year old is to "go on disability"... To me this is not empowering, this does not set a good example, this does not move society forward. Yes it may be difficult for some employers to find ways to support or accomodate a person with certain "challenges", but hey, I'm the one dealing with the challenges all day, perhaps helping me out for 8 hours a day isn't too tough?

If you haven't noticed I tend to have a fairly strong opinion on this subject, I really am not a fan of the word(s)
DISABLED
or
HANDICAPPED

These words although socially acceptable (?), often times make a person with various challenges feel as though they are somebody to be pittied, babied, or celebrated when they accomplish even the most medocre of tasks in society. People with physical or mental CHALLENGES are quite the opposite, they are often some of the strongest individuals you will ever meet. As stated, we deal with challenges all day, every day, we deal with stereotype, subtle and overt discrimination and looks of pity (don't get me started on that one).
Nobody should be looked down upon by society, nobody should be labeled, but unfortunatley our society is full of labels.
So, when somebody suggests that simply because someone is "challenged" that the best solution is to just shrink away and stop striving to achieve and contribute; to me this is absurd.

I understand that sometimes due to certain circumstances, people need to be classified, or categorized, which is fine for the proper reasons. However, in my opinion the word handicapped should be totally eliminated from societal vocabulary, and the word disabled should be changed to "persons with a physical or mental challenge"...but simply that is what they are..challenges, they are not lack of or absense of abilities. Just becasue you have sight, does not mean vision, touch does not mean feeling, hearing does not mean listening, taste and smell do not mean appreciation for such senses... In a wheelchair? definatley a challenge, but also a chance to inform, inspire and educate.
You ever want to fire me up? You have got your solution...
Some wish to call me disabled, handicapped, a burden, a bother, a chore, a charity case, a special case...to these people I say GET OUT OF MY WAY! .....I'd prefer to keep aiming big, thank you.

Mission Accomplished--"Hey isn't that cheating?"

"Hey, isn't that cheating?"

"No fair..."

"Oh man, 4 legs, you guys look great.."

"Hey, that's drafting..."

All of the above were utterances during my first paratriathlon last Sunday in Peterborough. ALL were said in joking fashion and great supportive manner, by fellow athletes. All were said on the bike as we rolled, seemingly "cheatinginly easy" past them up and down the steep rollers of the Peterborough 1/2 Ironman. A 2 km swim, followed by a 85 km bike ride (which is supposed to be 90), followed by a hilly 21.1km half marathon run. This was my 5th half Ironman of my career, my third time back to Peterborough, but my first paratriathlon--a new beginning.

Today i want to give you a brief (hopefully) recap of the days events; last week i gave you a taste of what the mood surrounding the event was like. The fact that i was a beginner, for the second time... As mentioned this was my third time back to this race, but standing race morning on the shore with 500 other athletes, tethered to my guide Syd...this felt much different. All pre-race buildup and preparation was much the same as any other race i've done, but as i said, standing tethered with our 4 foot bungee cord between us--Syd and I were embarking on something very new to both of us. Syd standing 2 inches taller then me, is a imposing figure, and made me feel that he gave the air of "stay out of our way" to the rest of the gang. This was comforting, heading into the water which was the most stressful for me. Swimming is not usually stressful, i love the beat and bang and push and shove of an open water swim; but not this day when i was very worried that i would snag somebody in our line, injure, drown or in a mild case just REALLY tick them off. Therefore the 2km swim i must admit was the most stressful swim i have ever done in my entire life, far trumping any Ironman mass start with 4 times as many people. My stress and fears were unfounded though, as we never snagged a single person, Syd was a perfect body guard as he is an amazing swimmer, and we managed out effort in a slow and uncomfortable 38:45. Uncomfortable because i can swim a good bit faster, and Syd must've been taking a nap, as this was far below his pace...but safety was the key.

Through transition and onto the bike---we had ridden the previous week together, and i trusted Syd had a handle literally and figuratively on the bike situation, so i was relieved and comforted to get out in my element (the bike) even if it was on the back of our Griffen tandem rocket!
Rolling smoothly and to much crowd support, out of T1, dressed in our matching Rudy Project helmets and matching TEAM RUNNING FREE uniforms (an awesome running store in the GTA that become my newest sponsor, and has been sponsoring Syd and his wife for a while).. Syd and i settled into a easy pace. Our goal was to take it slow until halfway then drop the hammer. We kept a methodical pace until the halfway point, passing everyone in sight (see above for comments recieved along the way). To my surprise the support was amazing, and truth be told i did feel guilty passing people with such ease, as this would not happen quite so smoothly if i were riding on my own. However, we rolled past a couple hundred people and made our way to the pointy end of the field. By half way, we were both feeling ok, but our "undersides" and my lower back, were both feeling the harshness that is a tandem bike ride. You feel ever bump, and every vibration--and we are riding probably the nicest tandem bike ever made! On that way back, we found ourselves quite alone...the leaders were ahead, but most others were behind, and we just rolled along, more in silence due to our upped effort. We were both relieved to get off the bike at the end, giving our bodies a break from the slightly uncomfortable ride. 2:29:00 later, with an average of 34 km/h, we arrived to a fairly empty T2.

Not having been totally trained for this event, and suffering a bit of an injury, my goal was to run as much of the half marathon as possible, and just see how it went. I really didn't have any specific time goals for the whole day, so it was just a matter of plugging away. During the first very shady section, Syd ran in front of me (where the pictures were taken), and i followed along like a good little puppy dog:) When out onto the open road, we ran side by side, Syd pointing out any road flaws, pylons, etc. This will take some more practice, but really all went well. I am pleased to say i managed to run the entire 21km (only impressive due to the fact the hills were killing me)...it is so hard running hills when you don't run them around here. We pushed harder the last 4-6 km, i was suffering, and Syd was cruising. He lives and trains on those hills, so this was simple for him. Pushing really hard the last 2km, we turned into the park, Syd and i grabbed hands, turned the final corner to the finish where Syd raised our hands in victory, saw the clock read 5:11:xx (which was my second fastest half Ironman ever), i dropped, rolled for ALS....and that was that.

Even thought the bike course was short, it was still a fast enough race for me..i was very pleased with the effort and very thankful to Syd for his help. This guy lives and breathes triathlon (even more then I), and his presence and help that day really helped me out. Our next adventure is in two weeks in New York City, with an Olympic distance triathlin which happens to be the USA National Paraytriathlon Championships. This will give me a good idea of where i stand in terms of others in my category (as I was the only visually impaired athlete in Peterborough). I am looking forward to the new experience and the new tandem career. It isn't the same as going alone, but it is still suprisingly, familiarly, satisfying.
A huge congratulations to local fellow C-K athletes Jason Ramboer who absolutely hammered his first half Ironman in a 4:41 time, Brennan his brother in the half Duathlon, Helen Robertson of Chatham in a very respectable time, and Helen's daughter Helinka who also had a solid day.

So off to training i go, getting ready for the fast and furious NYC triathlon! Thanks to Running Free for the great gear, Rudy Project, Syd, my wife, Smith's Cycle, and everyone who's help got me to the starting line of my new career. And thanks CKDP for letting me tell my story, my hope for Sunday was to turn some heads, and get some people thinking.....No matter what your abilities, set that goal, and go for it, and NEVER underestimate somebody based on their age, sex, religion, disability or athletic ability; for as soon as you do this, is the time they will leave you in a cloud of dust.

Ah Ha!

That is the sound of me and Andrew, my 2 ride pilot this past week, figuring out some tricks and ideas for tandem riding. My wife and i had an initial shaky ride, as the bike is too big for her. However, Andrew came home for a bit from Vancouver and volunteered to get out for a couple rides with me. Nothing major but we did two rides of 55 and 56km...avg bout 32kph, not land speed, but gave us time to figure some stuff out. The videos are from last night after our second ride, Mindy took the camera as i wanted to show the start, and how "smooth" we've gotten it to. Starting is definatley the hardest part of the tandem game i've found so far, but Andrew and i after a shaky first 1k of the first ride, got some ideas worked out.
What i am saying in the first video, is that we both clip our left foot in, and on the 1-2-3-Go, we both give a good solid push with that left leg, while giving a general body lean forward (it is all about gaining as much forward momentum to start the lumbering beast up)....
Once you are on your seat, you one legged pedal for a few strokes, then coast and clip in. The KEY to success, we found was making sure you gear down low enough at stops...this allows you to get a few good and quick one legged pedal strokes in, to gain that intial momentum. We learned that hard way with some big wobbles, if Andrew didn't gear down far enough; and my left leg did not like trying to overcome that much initial torque.
The second video is just when we turned around, i wanted to us it to gauge my positioning....which i found isn't bad for the seat, but the handlebar reach is an issue(as it is on all non-custom tandems)...so that is a work in progress, in order to keep my hands from falling asleep and back from hurting...would be open to suggestions.

Anyhow, am off to Niagara on the Lake on friday to meet up with Syd, my new buddy and pilot for Peterborough 1/2 Ironman in 1.5 weeks (yup jumping right in), and for the New York City triathlon at the end of July. Syd has been following me story, and stepped right up and volunteered to help; this dude is seriously fast--9:49 at IM FLA last year... He and his wife came to visit us a few weeks back, and they are both very very nice people who i hope Mindy and i can forge a long lasting friendship with.










A couple short notes:

1) Syd is the founder of www.canadiantriathletes.com and a member of Team Running Free, he has gotten me a sponsorship with them today... So i get some sweet discounts on running/tri gear, and get to promote a Running/Tri store that "gets" us hacker-athletes out there...well ok, i'm just a hacker i guess..far from a speeddemon

2) We SOLD our house, after 7 months of trying (just making sure thier home inspection goes well, but if that is the case, the house is sold)..and we are moving to some new digs within the city, something brighter, w/ a garage, and bit more BLIND friendly perhaps..

My new ride...a bit sad...but very thankful

So most of you have been reading the saga of my new "career", having to race tandem in triathlon from now on, due to the fact....well.....i just can't see well anymore..and it's not going to get any better.
So, after about 7 weeks of waiting and being as patient as i could (sometimes not that patient)....last night we brought my baby home:) hehe... pics to follow..

The BIKE:
Frame: Griffen Vulcan --Metal Matrix (4 types of metal)
Fork: Carbon
Wheels: Velocity Deep V rims w/ shimano hubs and 40 spoke front/rear
Cranks: FSA tandem cransket (triple) 172.5 front, 175 rear
Drivetrain: SRAM Force 10 speed front and reaer derailleur
SRAM bar end shifters
Brakes: Shimano
Base Bars: Easton aluminum
Aero bars: Easton Aluminum
Seats: 2 Selle Itailia
Seatposts: 2 Easton Aluminum
Tires: Michelin Lithion 700x25c
Brake levers: Tektro
Stoker stem: Co-Motion max-adjust chromoly
Front stem: 90mm Cane creek (i think)
Heat set: Cane creek (i think)....didn't double check these two..

Haven't weighed it yet, but am guessing aroudn 30lbs..which for a tandem is LIGHT


Why sad you may ask? Well, seeing my old ride and my new ride together, it makes me sad to know what i used to be able to do, and won't get to do ever again..so i'm left with the memories of my awesome Cervelo and i....flying across the roads:)

Thankful? for sure...agian, i always try to keep a positive attitude...i must admit recently it's been a bit tough...but i always realized that even though my world is changing..i'm still able to do what i love to do. Yes with a bit more difficulty and planning and expense and inconvience and frustration...but still am able to do it.
I jsut read an article about a professional triathlete (Xterra--which is off road triathlon)...who was hit with a cancer that required the removal of her glute... Hence she can no longer compete AT ALL. Very sad.. So i try very very hard not to have those days when i feel sad bout my new situation...becasuse in all actuality i am still VERY lucky and blessed. We all are in our own way..

SO, enjoy the pics...these will be more...but this gives you a good look.

Kindness of strangers!

Well, it has been a little while since my last post and i thought i'd just give you a few updates on how things are going. I guess the first update is the good and bad situations i'm having with support from others. As you will see, i am getting lots of support, but from unlikely places, and the support i thought i would be getting from familiar faces is not happening.
In my saga to try and get this bike together, i've been having many conversations with people (strangers and not) about my transition into paratriathlon, learning to race tandem, learning to ride the tandem bike (whenever it finally gets built) etc. What i am finding is, for the most part, the individuals who are complete strangers to me, either by facebook, my association with Team Blazeman, CDF (see below) or even a great guy out in Vancouver and fellow paratriathlete; these people are providing me with as much if not more support emotionally then my local circle of friends. DO NOT get me wrong, i have a handful of very understanding people around me who "get it", but many who do not, and are almost saying (without saying it) that i'm somehow faking or milking the system or whining and asking for things i don't need. What i've come to realize is that people will be people and that unfortunatley have a hard time putting themselves in the shoes of others. My wife's theory is that since they can't SEE my vision deteriorating, they just assume i've woke up one morning and said "you know what, racing by myself isn't fun, or i don't get enough special treatment, so i think i'm gonna quit that and go race as a para-athlete"... It sorta makes sense, i guess. What they DON"T see is the amount of stress i am under simply to go outside for a run and not step in a hole, or how i'm still dealing with a damaged back after a bike crash at 20mph last August, when i hit a monster crack in the road that anybody else would have saw a mile away--a crash that was my lucky escape from severe injury, and my realization that my days of independant riding was over. However i choose not to bore them with these stories, as they have busy lives....so onward we go.
Back to the original message in this post--support from strangers who have agreed to help me find sponsors, guide me through a race, give me information that is desperatly needed.

SO, i would like to use the rest of this article to thank the sponsors that i do have and hope that i can get many more like them.
The first is the C Different Foundation, which i am a member of. This is a group of blind and visually impaired triathletes who are close-knit and all strive to show the world that blind/visually impaired athletes aren't blind to what is around them, they just SEE the world a little DIFFERENT then everyone else; which isn't necessarily a bad thing, in fact it can lead to a more enhanced life. CDF has thus far provided me with much moral support, and information on what i need to obtain and do in order to race tandem. This info is very hard to get, and can only come from people with first hand experience. CDF are those people, that are fantastic support, and are also the ones who hooked me up with Griffen (bike compnay) to get a great deal on my new frame. Thanks CDF!

The second sponsor i would like to thank is a bit more of an "arm's length" group...they reside way out in California and have been so generious to provide me with $1000 in grant money to help with the large costs incurred this year. The Challenged Athletes Foundation is a foundation that provides financial support to athletes with all types of "challenges" in all types of sports. Some of the best para-athletes have been supported by the CAF in their racing, training, travelling, etc. Without CAF, many athletes would have NO chance to get out and compete, so support them, as they do great work! Thanks CAF!

This past week i received a third sponsorship from Rudy Project--these great folks gave me a 3 year sponsorship which entitles me to STEEP discounts on their sunglasses and helmets. Rudy makes some of the most technologically advanced eyewear for athletes out there, and at a fraction of the price of their competitors. As we speak i have a new helmet and kick butt pair of sunglasses on the way--i will share pics later. THANKS RUDY PROJECT!

A huge thanks to these three sponsors who have helped in this transition period and i look forward to representing them well.
Quick update on me---TROT TO THE BEACH 1/2 Marathon is this weekend, a beautiful and fun point to point 21.1km from Blenheim via backroads, trails, paths, to Erieau (for the folks reading in the C-K area). I've not been able to do this race in it's 6 year history i think...but i am pumped to give it a shot this year. Will keep you posted on that adventure! Anyone in the C-K area wanting to do it, come out this sunday to the Blenhiem arena and sign up.
AND-last but not least, you must keep saying "tandem bike, tandem bike...we keep hearing about this bike but have yet to see it ready to go or in action..." Well it is VERY close to being done, and by next weekend i hope to have the big green monster rolling through C-K.. I can't wait for the reactions!

Keep safe everyone, train hard and say a little prayer of thanks every time you step out the door for a workout, we are lucky folks who are fortune to get to do what we love.

Trot