Ebbs and Flows - Chapter II??

In my last post I talked about some challenging news that my wife and family received about her health. - a breast cancer diagnosis.  This came just in advance of our 12th wedding anniversary and, of course, in the throes of my latest and continuing Ironman preparations.

So the latest?  After celebrating our anniversary with a stay in an Edmonton hotel - as adventurous as celebrations can get in the middle of a pandemic - we met with her oncoplastic surgeon to get further interpretation of what her diagnosis, treatment plan and prognosis was likely to be.  I have to say that it is sobering to be in a room - staying largely silent - as a physician and your wife discuss surgical options, ranging from lumpectomy to mastectomy, survival and satisfaction rates post-surgical intervention, how radiation and/or chemotherapy come into play and so on.  It's more than surreal.  

However, what we arrived at was that the intervention required was not only not life-threatening it was also (at this point) not life-altering either.  It seems strange to say this given the short but challenging journey we were on to that point but the surgical and medical intervention required is quite limited and contained.  That being said we are still months away from conclusion with surgery taking place in late May, followed by recovery, followed by a course of radiation.  So still much for my wife to endure and still more worry for the family to navigate.  Regardless, far better outcomes than could have occurred.  And certainly far better reality than that facing so many others who have faced - and lost - a battle with cancer.  

So much more different than the reality that faced Ronan Smyth and his family.  

For several weeks I could start to feel the real powerlessness and fear that Ronan's family must have faced when they got his cancer diagnosis.  For them it was clear relatively soon that there was no potential for positive outcome.  Rather, they knew from the outset that time was limited.  I held on to that fear for only a few weeks.  It was enough.  

My wife and I have had some pretty deep discussions in the past several weeks.  All the what-if scenarios.  How long this journey to health might take her.  What that might mean for the whole family during that time.  What we would do to prepare if should it happen that she wouldn't be in our lives sometime in the future.  How would I manage as a single parent - again.  A lot of future surfing and most of it not of the positive kind.

Ronan and his family faced the same situation.  While Ronan got the cancer diagnosis, his family carried the hit, the burden, the worry and the anxiety of losing a son and a brother.  And there was to be no miracle cure.  There was every reason to ponder the future to come after Ronan's passing.  

Ronan didn't give into despair - or at least not entirely.  I am absolutely certain that denial, anger, sadness, anxiety and a host of other emotions turned up for Ronan and his family on a regular basis.  But he also adopted a mantra of Why Not?  After being told of his diagnosis he started - as his parents would call it - a crazy list.  He was intent on living life to the fullest during the time left to him and pursued the completion of his list with vengeance.  In that he was supported not only by his family, but a larger community including people he had never met.  This commitment to living led him to meet his hockey hero Carey Price, flip the coin at the beginning of an Eskimos game, and leap out of plane for not one but two skydiving adventures!  More courage and bravado than I!  

On Ronan's first jump I was told that he feared nothing.  He asked his tandem partner for barrel rolls and anything that could be thrown at him.  On the next jump he wanted to take the leap going backward!  And he was accommodated!  

Ronan's mother tells me he rarely complained about his fate.  Make no mistake there were discussions about why me but this perspective was significantly overshadowed by his determination to see what he could accomplish in the time remaining to him. He decided to challenge his food with all kinds of different foods.  He spent his savings enjoying the life left to him and looking to experience all that he could.  He became a fearless adrenaline junky, riding in fast cars and motorcycles.  And not only did he do this for himself he was able to convince other family and friends to join him in his adventures.  He convinced him to share in his Why Not adventures!  Ronan's journey served as a reminder that life IS precious and needs to be cherished every day.  

Ronan's journey continues to inspire my own Why Not and What If fundraising and Ironman challenge.  As does my wife's more hopeful and optimistic cancer journey.  

Ironman Canada is now 4 months away.  My fundraising goal is $90,000 away from completion.  

F#ck cancer.  

Home - Greg Hadubiak Cops for Cancer Ironteam (akaraisin.com)

Are you with me?

Ebbs and Flows

I often - or I should say always? - watch videos of past Ironman Kona championships while I do my indoor bike training. This obviously takes place primarily during my winter training schedule.  Aside from being a very fair-weather athlete, it affords me the opportunity to be inspired by the stories that play out on this canvas both for the professionals and age-group athletes, showcasing their talents and determination for all to see.   

One comment or phrase that sticks with me at these times is something along the lines of how much has to go right for an athlete on THE day of any particular event.  You can never guarantee perfect health on race day, or that you won't have some mechanical malfunction to contend with, or that you won't experience adverse weather conditions to cope with.  All of these and more can come at you and test your reserves and mental fortitude.  I can attest to several such circumstances in my time in competition including torrential downpours and hailstorms, slipped bike chain while climbing a hill, and getting kicked in the head during the swim.  

The same reality of ebbs and flows come at you in training and in the life leading up to any given race.  What has been demonstrated to me since I started in this Ironman world in 2008 is that there is no PERFECT path in training, no year in which there has not been bumps along the way.  For age-groupers like myself this means juggling the demands of life outside of Ironman.  Most of us have to work to live into a chance to participate in an Ironman or to afford the cost of equipment and registration fees.  Work and family obligations will come first for us non-professionals.  Regardless of effort or desire, Ironman performance is not our primary or sole commitment.  

2020 and 2021 have tested this balancing act like never before and reminded me of the realities and challenges of keeping focused on a goal.  When I restarted  this journey to Ironman in late 2019 and early 2020 no one would have imagined the impact a global pandemic would have on the plans of mice and men.  In February 2020 I made a commitment to raise funds and awareness in support of the Kids With Cancer Society, DIPG and Ronan Smyth.  And even as COVID continued to take hold of our lives in 2020 I remained focused on my goals and was probably in my best shape since my 20's.  Then, of course, Ironman Canada 2020 was cancelled and my focus shifted to 2021.

These past few weeks have continued to throw curveballs at me, both good and bad as I recommit to my goals.  We've had a reasonable start to spring here in Edmonton that has allowed me to get outside on my bike earlier than I have done in many years prior - up until this weekend when we were hit by a crazy blizzard.  That reality will have me back on the wind trainer again for at least a few more days.  Run training has similarly being going along well and I was pleased with the volume of running that I was getting in - up until I broke one of my toes in a simple household accident!  So moving a bit more gingerly in the short-term.  I was also quite pleased with my progress and stamina in the pool - up until the COVID resurgence in our 3rd wave caused our facility to close yet again.  So back to doing some strength and core training to stimulate those swim muscles.

On the bigger stage of life, I was extraordinarily happy to see my oldest daughter get her first COVID vaccine! (Access given due to underlying chronic health condition)  This follows on my wife's successful vaccination - with full two doses - earlier in March because of her healthcare role.  Others in my extended family also getting or scheduled for doses and I myself scheduled for the end of April.  Relief is starting to cross my furrowed brow.

But life has decided to throw another curveball at me laced with irony.  Being a member of the Cops for Cancer Ironteam since 2008 and now strongly committed to raising $100,000 for the Kids With Cancer Society since last year, my family now finds that cancer has decided to make things even more personal.  Earlier this month, my wife received a diagnosis of breast cancer.  She is in the very early days of this journey and we are both grateful that the cancer was caught early.  We are only now beginning to understand the choices before us and won't have anything close to clarity on treatment plan for several more weeks.  As you can imagine, the emotional and mental stress for her - and for her family - has been very much been about ebbs and flows.  Trying to not future surf, presume the worst, remain optimistic and yet also having those moments of anxiety and fear that test our energy.

In many respects, I believe this reality will also bring me closer to appreciating what Ronan's family had to experience and endure as they navigated through a much harsher reality for their son - having inoperable brain cancer, with no hope of recovery, simply looking for ways to make the most of the time remaining to them.  And they did just that.  They lived life to the fullest possible with the mantra that Ronan came to take on - and which I share - of Why Not!  There is no doubt that Ronan and his family experienced many ebbs and flows with what cancer threw at him and them.  

The reality is we have no say in what life throws at us - broken toe, weather, COVID, cancer diagnosis.  We continue to have a choice as to how we will respond to these ebbs and flows.  We can still live with determination and purpose.  

Ironman Canada is just over 4 months away.  My fundraising goal is $90,000 away from completion.  My life and my commitment will be challenged by my wife's cancer diagnosis but it shall not define us.  

F#ck cancer.  

Home - Greg Hadubiak Cops for Cancer Ironteam (akaraisin.com)

Are you with me?

Are you a Chicken or a Pig?

I hope that title got your attention!  How does THAT title relate to triathlon and in particular to my 2021 Ironman adventure, fundraising/awareness goals, and commitment to honoring the memory and evolving legacy of Ronan Smyth?  Well let me wax poetic below.

I embarked on this journey in February 2020.  By that point I had committed to doing my third Ironman and first real strenuous athletic effort since the Dopey Challenge of 2018 and my first Ironman distance since 2011.  But it was not until I saw a Facebook post on February 12, 2020, from Ronan Smyth's mom that my inspiration and commitment to this event came into focus.  That date would have been Ronan's 14th birthday and those who saw the post were asked to dedicate something of their day to Ronan's memory and to raising awareness around DIPG - an insidious form of cancer that is a harbinger of certain death for children.  I took up this request and moved it from dedicating an Ironman workout for the day to dedicating my whole year and event to Ronan.  

The work progressed.  The training effort proceeded apace.  And within a few weeks COVID showed up.  I remained hopeful and optimistic despite the initial lockdown. I continued the effort but I became cautious about the fundraising campaign I was hoping to start.  I wanted to launch without distraction and with a hope that people could find something to rally behind.  

Throughout the weeks that followed I continued to keep the faith.  My efforts showed up in positive results and changes with my core strength, bike effort and run capacity.  Perhaps even more exciting for me was the weight loss that I experienced.  As of January 1st I started to focus on getting as lean as possible.  In both of my previous Ironman attempts I had competed at 195 pounds - near what is called the Clydesdale Division!  So I was certainly not lithe and when I saw end-of-race video and compared myself to other athletes I really did feel like a linebacker trying to crash a stick-figure party!  I wanted to know what it would feel like to compete with a substantially less bulky physique.  Using a phone-based dietary app and stubbornness I ended up getting down to 170 pounds by Easter.  I had not seen those kind of numbers since my undergraduate years back in the 1980's!!

Unfortunately, as COVID showed no signs of slacking and in fact continued to vex us throughout the year, we got the news that Ironman Canada 2020 was to be cancelled and if there was to be a third Ironman in my future it would have to be deferred to 2021.  That also definitively caused me to postpone the fundraising and awareness campaign for Ronan, DIPG and the Kids With Cancer Society.  Since that time, it also led to a slackening in workouts and a weight gain rebound back to about 190 pounds before motivation and determination returned.

So I'm back at it.  The workouts have resumed, first swim happened today and the fundraising campaign has commenced.  At the time of writing this blog the funds raised stand at just over $5,000.  A long way yet to go to $100,000 but I am determined to see the finish line for both the race and the campaign by the end of summer 2021.  That is despite the fact that COVID is still with us and the status of all of my races planned - including Ironman Canada at the of August - still somewhat up in the air.  I remain optimistic and am working the weight gain off as well.  Back down to 181 as of this morning.

So COVID could still rain on the parade in 2021.  But this is where the story will be different this year.  If there is no formal Ironman Canada 2021 then a Plan B and a Plan C is already in progress.  One alternative sees several of my teammates on the Cops for Cancer Ironteam being in Penticton, BC, come hell or high water (or perhaps a plague of locusts is the more appropriate analogy), regardless of whether the race runs or not.  We are prepared to complete the distance as a team, on our own, with family and friends providing support, to see our commitment pay off.  

Plan C?  If all else fails I will complete the distance on my own and with the commitment of my individual support team - my wife and family.  I will complete the distances required.  One way or another I will hold true to my commitment.

Similarly, I am just as determined to cross the fundraising finishing line of $100,000.  Some potential donors have asked me to let them know when the Ironman is confirmed as a go.  The indication is that at that point they will make a commitment to the fundraising cause.  A disappointing response but one I understand.  I hope by my example of commitment that regardless of what may come that I will be able to count on their support.  As for me I am ramping up my efforts not only by asking for funds but also by matching donations as they come in.  

So here is where the segue to the Pig and the Chicken enters.  At the end of the day, both the Pig and the Chicken contribute to a breakfast meal for some of us (have to exclude those of you who are vegan).  If we think about bacon and eggs, the Chicken is willing and giving her eggs to the effort.  The Chicken is involved.  The Pig on the other hand is all in.  There is no half-hearted effort here.  The Pig is committed.

So I'm going full on Pig this year.  The distance will be covered.  The fundraising total will be achieved.  No Chicken-hearted approach for me.  How about you?  How committed are you to this cause.  Are you a Chicken or a Pig?

If you can't donate directly I would ask that you share this blog and this donation challenge with your network.  This is too an important an issue to be standing on the sidelines. The link to my challenge is:

Home - Greg Hadubiak Cops for Cancer Ironteam (akaraisin.com)

Thank you.  Let's compete hard!

Alignment & Balance

It's been just over a month since I announced my commitment to making this year's Ironman adventure a much more personal and meaningful cause. I'm in the early days both in terms of workouts and fundraising.  On the latter - and most important part of this work - I've not been idle.  I've been using my social media platforms as best I can, sending out directed e-mails to my contacts (with more to come, so be afraid, be very afraid) and working with a lot of my other contacts in this cause to see what we can achieve in memory of Ronan Smyth and to support the powerful work of the Kids With Cancer Society.

It's obvious that Ironman is composed of multiple disciplines - swimming, biking and running.  What we might forget is that there is so much more than what you might see as these triathletes run, walk or crawl past you on the course :) There are at least two more disciplines that I would add into this mix - the nutrition plan and the mental discipline required, both in the lead-up to the race and as you take yourself through the day of the event. To be truly successful, all these elements have to be in alignment.  

What's the parallel to the work of the Kids with Cancer Society and honoring the memory of Ronan Smyth?  I'd actually like to think there is a lot of resonance between the two seemingly disparate realities.  Alignment is a word that quickly comes to mind.  As I have started to become more immersed and aware of the challenges that the Smyth family faced and went through - and that far to many other other kids and families have to go through - it's clear that there is so much to manage and so many disciplines to be engaged with.  How to manage and coordinate medical care; how to be attentive to the slightest changes in physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellbeing of your child; how to stay attuned to the needs of other members of your family; how to keep the realities of living going while your life is overtaken by a tragic diagnosis and weeks, months and maybe more of care to your loved one; and, how to keep yourself sane and healthy in this whole process.  

And that's where the other strong parallel between my Ironman adventure and Ronan's journey comes into focus.  While cancer resides in the body of one person and Ironman is a singular athletic pursuit, nothing is achieved - not cure, not comfort, nor finish line - without the commitment and efforts of a team.  As I re-engaged the goal of completing another Ironman, it was reinforced - with 3 kids in the clan when there were only 2 much younger children in our family in 2011 - that I need the tolerance if not support of my family unit.  The time it takes to even now, in the early days of training, to building a base of fitness requires a LOT OF SUPPORT from my family.  Right now this means 1 to 2 hours of workout almost every day which equates to dad being out of the family loop.  That means mom carries more of the burden and/or kids needing to be more self-managed.  By the time summer rolls around we start to talk about 20+ hours of training and weekends largely consumed by long rides and runs. 

Understanding and watching the experience that Ronan and his family went through takes that level of support and commitment to a whole new level.  While the challenge of living through the diagnosis with Ronan fell most strongly on his family, the level of support and commitment that came to the fore - and I hope continues to be there - from extended family, friends, community and even complete strangers was amazing.  Even with that support there can be no doubt that the challenges were, at times, overwhelming.  The reality is that other families continue to go through this every day in Alberta and beyond.  

So in memory of Ronan and to help other kids and their families dealing with a cancer diagnosis, I'm asking you to become part of their extended team.  Let's get aligned and let's help them find some balance in this challenging time.

If you can't donate directly I would ask that you share this blog and this donation challenge with your network.  This is too an important an issue to be standing on the sidelines. The link to my challenge is:

Home - Greg Hadubiak Cops for Cancer Ironteam (akaraisin.com)

Thank you.  Let's compete hard!

Turbulent Times!

Well when I started this little Ironman adventure, targeted fundraising for Kids with Cancer Society, and to raise awareness around DIPG (diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma) I anticipated a lot of potential obstacles and challenges.  COVID-19 and closure of gyms and pools was not on the radar at all!

That being said I come back to the challenging reality that Ronan Smyth and his family grappled with from the day of his diagnosis with DIPG due to his far too early passing.  I know from the brief conversations I have had with his mother and from seeing some of the posts on Facebook, that Ronan faced no shortage of challenges and bad days.  So I persevere.  

At this point there is already a lot of talk about Ironman Canada at the end of August being in potential jeopardy of cancellation.  I suspect that some of my larger lead up events in July are even more at risk.  Nothing I can do about that and I continue to prepare as if the races will happen.  I continue to work with the Kids for Cancer Society to get a fundraising page up and running with specific reference to what I'm doing and noting my commitment to the legacy of Ronan.

So at this point - from a health and athletic standpoint - things are going well.  Aside from the lack of a swimming opportunity right now (and contrary to popular belief about Canadians, snowbanks don't make for much of a substitute for open water) I'm keeping a pretty consistent effort on both my bike and run components.  This sometimes is including brick efforts as well - get off the bike and go straight to run.  I've also continued to work on core strength with those workouts happening about three times a week.  At this point the minimum hours committed to physically getting ready is no less than 7 hours per week and has sometimes peaked up at 11 hours or even more on occasion.

On top of that I have continued to get to Ironman at a weight that is far less than I have ever competed at before.  Post-Christmas turkey I weighed in at 204 pounds.  This was "only" 10 pounds over my usual race weight of 195 pounds.  For those of you who don't know, a guy weighing 200 pounds or more is lovingly classed/called "Clydesdale".  For women I believe the similar term becomes "Amazon".  I didn't want to be in that neighborhood again so committed to a significant weight loss plan since Christmas.  What has that meant?  Well starting back in the first week of January it meant a calorie intake of 1,755 per day.  Over time that has been reduced to where I now sit at a targeted calorie intake of 1,319.  So pretty sparse and routine meals for a long time now.  One of the recent unintended consequences of that has been a flare up of gout in my right foot!  A consequence, apparently, of too much salmon and not enough water.

The results, though, speak for themselves.  As of this morning I now weight in at 173.6 pounds - over 30 pounds down since Christmas and over 20 pounds down from best/worst race weight for an Ironman!  My goal of at least 170 pounds is easily in sight now with the potential of even getting to 165 pounds around Easter.  I feel like Dwayne Johnson in The Game Plan - light on my toes!  It is around Easter that I will cease the weight loss and commit even more fully to more intensive training.  And hopefully swimming will become an option again!

That's the status report during this time of lockdown and social isolation.  In an ironic way, this reality has helped keep me focused on training and personal health as a lot of other distractions have gone away.  

Keep well.  Stay safe.  Let's keep doing this.

__________________________________________________

Greg Hadubiak, MHSA, FACHE, CEC, PCC

President & Founder - BreakPoint Solutions

gregh@breakpoint.solutions 

www.breakpoint.solutions 

780-250-2543

Helping leaders realize their strengths and enabling organizations to achieve their potential through the application of my leadership experience and coaching skills. I act as a point of leverage for my clients. I AM their Force Multiplier.

This Time It's Personal

This particular blog has been dormant for quite some time now.  In fact as I look back it's been almost 7 years since I last talked about Ironman, training, trials, tribulations and victories.

Well I'm back and getting ready for Ironman Canada #3 slated for August 30, 2020.  I made that commitment last year upon hearing that Ironman was returning to Penticton.  That reality gave me a chance to go back and race against my former self with the last, best effort coming in 2011.  When I race this time I'll be 55.  I was age 46 last time around.  Should be an interesting challenge!

This year is different in another way as well.  I'm racing for a cause.  I'm trying to bring hope to those impacted or suffering from a malicious and (currently) incurable childhood cancer - DIPG - Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma.  I'm trying to raise awareness about this disease and it's impact.  I'm trying to raise funds through my efforts for much needed support for children and families impacted by this disease.  As a member of the Cops for Cancer Ironteam (http://www.ironteam.ca/) since 2008, I've helped fundraise for cancer research before and support the amazing legacy that this group of dedicated athletes has already established.

We've all been impacted by cancer in one way or another.  A friend of mine lost his wife to lung cancer.  She left behind a devoted husband and two young children just over a year ago.  Another family member passed away from brain cancer late last year.  Others I know have been impacted by colon cancer, skin cancer and the list goes on.  But in the past year, I watched a family struggle with the diagnosis and the inevitable passing of their son due to DIPG.  While I worked with both parents in my past career I have to admit that I likely never met their son Ronan.  But I feel I got to know him through the efforts of his mother in particular as she documented all that they went through - and continue to go through - to make the most of his last months with them.

While I have experienced substantial personal loss myself - loss of grandparents, parent, and wife - I still can't imagine the impact of losing one of my children.  What I saw with Ronan's journey through living with DIPG was strength and a level of maturity he brought to his life in those last months.  I can only hope to emulate the kind of dignity and strength he showed at age 12 and 13 as the cancer slowly took him from this world.

There is so much to say about Ronan that can't be said in on blog post - so there will be more in the future.  However, you can start to glean a lot about him and his experience by simply searching his name as a starting point on the internet.

On February 12, 2020, on what would have been Ronan's 14th birthday, his mother asked that people remember him and perhaps dedicate some aspect of their day to his memory.  In the throes of getting ready for my Ironman experience I responded that I would dedicate my day's workout in respect of the request.  But the ask got me thinking about what else might be possible.  I started thinking and digging and arrived at a concept of not just dedicating one day or a few hours of effort to this cause but instead considering what it might look like to dedicate my Ironman training and competition to Ronan's memory and to making a more sizeable impact for DIPG awareness and support.

So here goes!  For those who know me well you already have a sense that in the past few years I have been driven by the philosophy of "What if?" and "Why not?"  So let's dream big.  I want to commit this next 6 to 7 months to moving the needle forward on DIPG awareness and support.  I'm dedicating this year's Ironman effort to that end.  And this commitment is not just one of blood, sweat and tears.  I want to raise substantial funds for the cause.  I have reached out and teamed up with the Kids with Cancer Society.  In short order they will be helping me with promotion, fundraising web-page, donation forms, and a lot of advice!  They will be the charity of choice for this effort.

Coincidentally, my 9-year old daughter - who seems to have a decidedly charitable element to her personality - had recently said that she wanted to do some fundraising for cancer research.  She had already formulated her own plan.  I talked to her about Ronan and what I was trying to pursue and why.  She's on board!  From her viewpoint - and prior to knowing about Ronan and DIPG - she had envisioned a fundraising goal of $10,000.

I said "What if?" and "Why not?"... go bigger!

So I'm actually hoping through my efforts, the efforts of family and friends, colleagues, contacts, those who have been impacted by DIPG, and the efforts and commitment of complete strangers that we can in fact target and reach $100,000 as a fundraising goal.

And again I emphasize and repeat this is not just going to be me shedding blood, sweat and tears in service of this cause.  I will put my money where my mouth is.  My wife and I - founders and principals of our own coaching/leadership development company - BreakPoint Solutions (www.breakpoint.solutions) commit to contributing 5% of our monthly billings from March through to the end of August to this cause.  By our own commitment and efforts that should mean attainment of my daughter's fundraising target of $10,000.

But I want more and I hope WE can get there together!

Over the next 6 to 7 months you can expect to get updates through about both my physical and mental readiness for Ironman, lead up races and - most importantly - the fundraising efforts.

I thank you in advance for helping to raise awareness about the insidious disease of DIPG, to providing hope to those children and families who are currently challenged by this cancer, and raising funds to support those challenged by other childhood cancers in partnership with Kids With Cancer Society.

It's About Leadership!  And this time it's personal.  F**K Cancer.

_________________________________________________________

Greg Hadubiak, MHSA, FACHE, CEC, PCC

President & Founder - BreakPoint Solutions

gregh@breakpoint.solutions 

www.breakpoint.solutions 

780-250-2543

Helping leaders realize their strengths and enabling organizations to achieve their potential through the application of my leadership experience and coaching skills. I act as a point of leverage for my clients. I AM their Force Multiplier.

Success?

An apology to start this brief entry - I should have done an update on the April 28th half-marathon well before now!  Hopefully better late than never!

As I noted in the last post, weather was expected to be a factor and it was to some extent.  Temperature at the start of the race was basically at zero degrees Celsius.  For my American counterparts that's 32 degrees Fahrenheit.  And just in case you haven't picked up on it before, I'm a wuss when it comes to cold weather running.  I don't run outside in the winter or in any conditions that approach the freezing mark.  Some of that is a matter of personal choice.  However, I also do appear to have a legitimate physical condition that limits my enjoyment of these colder temperatures - my circulatory system seems to rapidly sacrifice my extremities, particularly my hands, when I run in these types of conditions.  I have tried various gloves in combination with hand warmers largely without success.  I often suffer to the point of having to slowing remove my gloves and get to a sink to slowly warm my hands back up, all with a great deal of pain involved.  Not fun.

So I was less than excited about a run in cold weather as one of my early tests and hopes for a personal best.  I came outfitted with my winter run pants and long-sleeve shirt/jacket.  Had a few hand warmers in my pockets to go into my gloves as circumstances dictated.  So there I was at the starting gate alongside fellow competitors - some in shorts, some in t-shirts, and some even wearing sandals (which I assume were designed specifically for running but I didn't ask).  Again, I felt a bit conspicuous by my garb, but...

Unfortunately, to add to the start of the day, we got off at least 20 minutes later than the planned start time.  Traffic/parking snarls delayed a number of participants getting to the venue and organizers decided to put a hold on the start. 

Bit of a different route this year than what I had experienced in previous events.  Mercifully so for me in any event.  In previous races we had done a fairly steep climb through a series of switchbacks within the first 5 kilometers of the start.  So I was quite happy for the change even if it meant a bit of unfamiliarity with the course at the beginning. 

When I scheduled this race and trained for it through the winter, I had hoped that this could be the year that I broke the 2-hour barrier for the half-marathon length.  I kept check on my progress throughout and (unfortunately) was pretty consistent in hitting 30 minutes per every 5 km.  Pretty much what I had been doing during training.  I guess what this tells me is that I can't trust to any adrenalin boost on race day to improve my performance!  Needless to say that pace doesn't work out to a sub 2-hour result.  However, I was able to beat my personal best and finished in 2:07:52.  Maybe there is hope as I age?  If I keep up this improvement I can beat 2 hours by the time I'm 60?

Next up for me?  More training - on the run, on the bike, and hopefully come June back into the pool before I forget what swimming is!  Next race is a 15 km run on July 1st, followed by a 100 km bike in mid-July. 

Time for more goals!