On Thursday night, I went to Kananaskis to camp. Although I planned to wake up early on Saturday, drive to Okotoks, race, then drive back, I wanted to spend some time with my family relaxing in the Rockies. Camping went well, although Laura and I arrived before nearly anyone else, so we didn’t have much water. We opted (foolishly) to drink some campground water from the taps onsite. Although there were no signs suggesting that we shouldn’t drink the water, we knew that the decision was risky. Unfortunately, hydration trumps sense, so drank we did.

I spent Thursday setting up a tent, building a beautiful fire, and walking down animal trails with small children. I managed to point out multiple types of animal poop and also explained how decaying trees become soil to feed new growth. I told the kids that there was a pot of gold hidden in the trees by leprechauns (which the children sometimes called lepers). It was good.

On Friday, I had an amazing run (~9km in 40min) bushwacking down animal trails and along riverbeds. I wanted to run more, but I figured I should save something for the race the next day. I also managed to do a short swim in my new wetsuit, hoping I wouldn’t fall victim to new equipment mishaps at the race. I drove to a different campground for a shower, then I played some bocce ball (super high energy!).

Race report:
This is the second time I participated in the Foothills Charity Triathlon (see last year’s post here). This is a fun race for a good cause, and I approached the triathlon as a training session, especially for transitions. Of course, I also hoped to push myself and place well.

Unfortunately, on Friday night, I got fairly sick. I won’t go too far into details other than to say that my stomach was severely upset and it loosed terrible, terrible things from certain lower and upper orifices. Laura seemed to drink enough alcohol on Thursday night to kill of the bug—I was the only affected person.

Regardless, I got up at 4:50am on Saturday to drive from K-country to Okotoks (with a couple emergency stops along the way) to race. On the drive I not only saw many elk and deer, but also a moose and a massive grizzly!

Anyway, I got to the race later than intended and I was fairly out of in when setting up. I managed to say hello to a few regulars (Bernie and Tony), do a short warm up swim, and then it was go time.

When the horn went off, I went out strong. For the first 150m I was contending for the first place position with the other lead person. I pretty much The pace was really aggressive, so I dropped back abit. That gave me time to concentrate on not filling my wetsuit with sh*te. Success in that endeavour was no small feat. I definitely felt my lack of warm-up during the swim because I felt like I didn’t hit my groove until I got on the bike. I had some trouble swimming off-course in this race too (not spotting enough). I should also note that a few people thought the swim was longer than 750m.

Regardless, T1 was a skit. When I came out of the water, I saw the leaders getting ready to head out; I thought I could catch them with a quick transition. However, I totally failed in my ability to get off the new wetsuit. I didn’t even have it around my waist by the time I was at my bike. I had to sit down to take the suit off. I probably spend an extra 30-40 seconds in T1 due to the new suit. Improvement (aka more body glide) is needed in this area.

I managed to get into the saddle of my bike without issue, although I took awhile slipping into my shoes. During the bike, my bowel issues continued to plague me, although I did manage to make it through the ride without embarrassing myself. I even managed to pass a few folk (including teams) who came out of the water ahead of me. Although my issues with the gearing on my bike weren’t as acute this race as last race, I still noted that I hit my bike’s top speed on a long downhill.

I felt slow on the run, like my legs were lead. Suck back a hammergel helped calm my stomach but I mostly tried to hold on for the race. I hoped to catch the two people who were ahead of me on the run, but I didn’t manage to. As is common, I felt like giving up and walking the last half of the run. I didn’t. In fact, I had the fastest run on course. (perhaps it was because I headed to the washroom immediately after the finish line).

• Total time: 1:01:58 (last year was 1:07:23)

• 750m Swim 9:05 (4th fastest)
• 20km bike 34:13 (4th fastest)
• 5km run 18:42 (1st fastest)

Official results here.

A few things to work on:

• T1: I can improve on getting the wetsuit off more quickly and getting on the bike more smoothly.

• Spotting: I got off-course a few times during the swim. I need to spot the buoys better. Also, I’ve been having goggle problems lately and I don’t know why. New goggles needed?
• Assessing position: I need to better know my standings in the race and how much I have to push to catch the people ahead of me. I don’t take note of how close (or far) I am to the front-runners so it isn’t easy for my to close (or widen) gaps.

After the race, I went back to camping. Had a nap. Hung out with quality people. Avoided the bacteria-laden water.

I went into this race fairly tired. I didn’t taper at all. I suspect that my coach is pushing me to see where my limits are. Also, if I tried to taper, I wouldn’t get much training in, since I’ve raced every weekend since May 24th. All that said, I feel that this was my best race yet.

While I am very pleased to share that I managed to get second place overall (and first in my age group), I count this race as a victory because I was mentally present and prepared. I dealt with a variety of problems before and during the race, but I stayed positive and kept moving forward.

If you want race results, you can see them here. I wrote out a number of triathlon goals for the summer when I began receiving coaching; one of the goals was to improve my run time to under 40min (I have a second goal to get it under 36min). I achieved the first goal at this race! My times were:

• Swim: 24:07
• Bike: 1:04:48
• Run: 39:09
• Total: 2:08:02

Here’s some of the minor issues I dealt with before and in the race. The night before the race at 10:00pm, my bike seatpost and seat was destroyed while in my roofrack (due to inconsistent height restrictions at the Co-Op downtown). I had to rush home and find a solution. Thankfully, Laura let me use her seat and seatpost, which worked out, so I was okay for the race. This incident tested my ability to let go of things that I can’t control. I could have worried about the incident all night (and the finances associated with replacement parts), but I fell asleep without much of a problem. This is a big change from previous races, where I’ve not been able to sleep the night beforehand because I’ve been nervous and excited.

I’ve also been experiencing issues with my wetsuit lately. I’m a little leaner than I was last year and now the suit is too big for me (it lets water in, which means that I have additional drag). Until I find more creative ways to replace the suit, I’m stuck with it—hoping that the benefits outweigh the costs. Thankfully, Brian from Tri-It was around race day morning and he spent some time making my wetsuit have the best possible fit. Although some water still came into the suit during the swim (especially the 2nd lap), I didn’t let that worry me and I did my best to focus on my technique and spotting.

An aside: I’ve been shopping at Tri-it since I started racing and I have been consistently impressed by their service, prices, and products. More importantly, everyone at the store has a love for the sport and works to further develop triathlon in Calgary and Alberta. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable (they enjoy geeking out and talking gear, technique, and fit). This year, I purchased a pair of Zoot shoes, but the shoes I got had a manufacturer defect. Tri-It made the exchange process really easy so I didn’t have to race without a pair of race shoes. Checkout Tri-It if you’re in Calgary.

I came out of the water knowing that a good number of people where ahead of me. I exited the lake slightly behind the athlete who eventually secured first place, however a speedy transition (despite some minor difficulties with the wetsuit) gave me at least a 40 second headstart on him out of T1. Earlier in the morning I was getting intimidated by people’s gear, so I knew some of the folk who popped out of the water ahead of me would be flying on the bike. One of my strategies for the bike was to make sure that I worked hard racing through the residential streets. I suspect that a lot of people wouldn’t open things up until they got out on the highway, so I wanted to make up some time in the 3km stretch of residential road that lead to the 22x and then keep pushing the whole way through.

I felt pretty good on the bike and was able to pass a number of people, although the guy who I beat out of transition overtook me somewhere around the 10km mark. I strongly felt the technical limitations of my bike this race, specifically the size of my front chainring. I passed a number of people going into the wind and uphill, however they floated past me on the downhills when the wind was to our backs. My top speed is low because I have a small chainring on the front. Unfortunately, replacing the ring would be costly, as it would also involve a new derailer and shifters. So, I’m looking to get my hands on an affordable tri-bike in my size (wish me luck!).

I enjoyed some back and forth chasing with another athlete towards the end of the bike. He was another person who took full advantage of the gear range of his bike and caught up with me on the home stretch. As he was catching up, I was muching on a Hammer Gel and actually went into the ditch for about 25m before recovering. I must have looked like such a noob. Anyway, I managed to regain my position just as we entered the residential portion of the race. While I can’t be certain, I think people coast through this section—I certainly managed to gain some significant ground in a short period of time.

My T2 was strong. I was able to hit the ground running with the bike, rack it, and then get running in my brand new Zoot Ultra Race shoes. The run was definitely hard, but I simply focused on my technique and cadence to push me through. I did not have to foresight to bike the run course beforehand, so I spend a lot of time wondering how much further I had to go. Nevertheless, I managed to catch a number of people on the run, including an athlete who beat me a few weeks back at Lake Summerside!

The last 2km of the run really hurt and I wanted to walk, but I maintained my pace and pushed through until the end. I even managed to sprint the last few hundred meters, which helped me to achieve an under-40min run.

Overall, this was a great race for me and I feel that I’m seeing improvements because of my training and coaching.

I want to thank Christopher, Tasha, and baby Jayleen (you’re never too young to see sweaty men in spandex) for coming out to cheer me on as I crossed the finish line. I am lucky to have such supportive friends. “Second place is the first loser,” Chris joked after I completed the race. I’m glad to see people are pushing me to improve. I should also note that Laura ran 10km with the dog to see me start the race (I took the car in the morning) and she cheered me through every transition. If that isn’t amazing, top level support from a spouse, I don’t know what is. Thank you Laura.

Lastly, I should not that Co-Op Midtown Market generously agreed to replace my seat and seat-tube. I was really impressed by their customer service and the professional way that they treated me. Truth be told, they did not have any legal obligation to replace my bike parts, however I am glad that they responded to the validity of my case with a fair solution (as we know, what is legal and what is fair can often differ).

The course was hilly with over 100m of elevation gain (see image). Moreover, at least 6km of the run was on a gravel road; it was by no means an easy run. Admittedly, I thought I was going to die/have to walk starting around km #17. Thankfully, I managed to push through, partly because I saw the person ahead of me dropping back (or was I speeding up?) and I thought I could pass him.

Results: I placed second overall and first in my age group with a time of 1:26:14. The first place runner was 2 minutes and 19 seconds ahead of me. I ran a 4:06/km pace. First place was a 3:59 pace. See full results here.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this race. I’ve been able to run 4min/km paces in the past, but I wasn’t sure if my muscles would be able to maintain that sort of pace for a run. I’ve very happy with my result, although it certainly wasn’t an easy race. I repeatedly considered giving up or walking, since I knew the fourth place person was a few minutes behind me. It was only mental stubbornness that kept me moving forward

I chose to run without socks for the race and I got some major blisters—I should have added more corn starch powder to my shoes.

I don’t have a lot to say about this race. I am proud of my achievement and I am keenly aware than I need to keep working and improving my stamina and running technique. I want to keep pushing myself to see what I’m capable of.

See a few photos here. Or, you can read the complete results here.

You’ll notice that my split times don’t show up; my timing chip fell off when I removed my wetsuit. According to my watch, my splits were 28:03 for the swim and T1, 1:10 for the 42.5km bike and T2, and 41.20 for the 10km run for a total time of 2:19:36. Because I lost my chip the race organizers put my time at 2:20:00.

I had the good pleasure of racing with the Mighty Joel H. and Indafatigable Ian E—whose sprint distance results can be found here.

I am proud of meeting one of my goals for the year at my first race, however I felt like I could have pushed myself harder, especially during the run . . . but I’ll get to that. I also feel that I should strive for an overall first place finish at upcoming races.

First place overall went to Kristina Schultz, the 2008 International Triathlon Union world champion for the Olympic distance (women’s age group 35-39). She came in 3 minutes ahead of my time. Second place went to Graham Doody, a Ironman competitor, triathlon coach, and firefighter. Both of these individuals have a great deal of experience and drive to achieve and they definitely earned their places. I am, of course, kicking myself, because although the 2.5 or 3 minute difference in my time and their times is a gap, it isn’t so large that I should lose heart. I think I could have made up a good deal of that time if I had done a few things differently.

Things I learned at the Lake Summerside Race:

1. Things go wrong. I raced with focus up until lap #2 of the run, when I realized that my timing chip had fallen off somewhere along the way. I spend the next 7km of the run obsessing about when it fell off, how I would get timed, and whether I could notify race organizers before crossing the finish. This concern took a significant amount of mental energy and stole focus from thoughts about my running technique, pace, and form. My run suffered becuase of this. Psychology and mental attention play a big role in performance, and my choice to dwell on something that I couldn’t control negatively impacted how I did.
2. Push it. I gave myself a steady pace for the run, but I should have definitely pushed the last 5km. I ended up finishing the race with more energy than I should have—energy that should have been expended on course.
3. Pack recovery food. In an ideal world, race organizers will be mind readers who have exactly the food that I want and other competitors will save me some. It is not an ideal world. At this race, there was a little fruit, but nothing I could really eat. They didn’t even have water handy (only sports drink that was too sweet). I need to start packing food and other items for recovery.
4. Practice stripping my wetsuit. (need to get faster at this)
5. Run at my own pace. This item is hard to decipher. During the run, I caught up to a guy named Mark, ran at his pace for awhile, and then picked up the pace again. Later, he caught up to me, drafted me, ran at my pace, then I dropped him again. He had a great race pace, but I think that I ended up settling for a pace set by someone else, rather than focusing on the pace I was capable of running. Hard to say, I guess. Either way, I would like to run a under-4:00 min/km pace sometime this season.
6. I had some nerves. I had trouble getting to sleep the night before the race and I also had weird dream about the race. Clearly, I need to relax, let things go, and trust in my training. Worry solves nothing.

General things I could do better:

• Get more sleep on a more regular basis (I went into this race tired–too many 3:00am nights)
• Taper (?). This item would be ideal, but I have a rather stupid race schedule, so I can’t expect myself to taper before every race. Still, better self-care would aid performance.
• Transitions. I need to become unconsciously competent when it comes to T1 and T2. When I’m tired or cold, things are slower and I lose opportunities to catch people or create distance. I had this on my to-do list last week too.
• Fueling and nutrition. I need to dial in this part of my training, especially since I am going to do Sooke in Sept.
• Sprint at the end of the race (didn’t focus on this)

Things I did well:

• Incorporated recently learned swim techniques into my swim
• Didn’t stress about people passing me in the water
• Beach starts. Racers began lap 2 by going around a buoy on the beach and then diving into the water. I managed to make up nearly 25m on someone because I performed better on this part of the race than they did (thank in part to my long legs)
• Let the swim and bike be at my own pace rather than trying to match my speed to others. During lap 2 of the swim, I ended up passing many of the people who passed me on lap 1.

Incidentally, I did get a roofrack for my bike. Of course, when it pouring rain, I still want to put the bike in the car, which drives Laura bonkers.

I got up a 4:30am to drive up to Sylvan. Just like Try this Tri, the race had a pool swim, so I didn’t start until nearly 11:00am. Laura and Brandi had long finished their duathlon before I even began my race. Thankfully, I was ready to wait, so I didn’t get too antsy.

There were far more experienced athletes at the KGH Sprint compared to last week’s Try this Tri. I’m not just judging by gear, but the look in people’s eyes and body types. Also, I talked to a number of Ironman competitors with multiple races under their belt. I met guys who coach triathletes. The atmosphere was excellent with lots of great people in a good mood (patiently awaiting start times). In fact, a man named Dave and I ended up hearing someone’s bike blow a tube when at rest in transition. I found a pump and Dave found a new tube and we replaced the blown tire without the bike owner (who was swimming!) knowing about it. The bike owner was able to hit the road without the disappointment of a blow tire.

Regardless, I noted that far more people at this race who were stalking around with first place finishes in their mind.

I felt ready to race on my owns terms—ready to push myself. I thought I would be able to finish strong, however I had no clue how I would place. Even during the race, I had no clue how well I was doing, since start times were staggered. I didn’t see or pass anyone who made it into the top ten.

I raced my own race. The outcome? I achieved first place overall.

I was eighth fastest on the swim (750m in 12:12) and third fastest on the bike (43:36 for 26km). I has the fastest run time of 21:11 for 5km (4:14/km pace). Total time: 1:16:57. See the results here.

This is the first time I have earned first place in any race since starting triathlon in 2008. I feel wonderful about this outcome and will work hard to make sure this is not my last first place race. I race again next week in Edmonton and I intend to race my own race and strive for a top place finish.

Again, I’ve signed up for the Subaru Sooke International Triathlon on Sept. 13th so I’ve recently hired an excellent coach to help improve my performance. I suspect he’ll be able to mold my rather inconsistent and unintelligent training schedule into something far more effective.

Things I learned from KGH:

1. Sprint. I sprinted the last 200m of this race, giving it all that I had, simply because I wanted to pass a couple people before the finish line and one of them tried to outrun me. In every race, but especially in races where your not sure of your standing when crossing the finishing line, I should make it a policy to give my best and last effort before the finish line.
2. Change happens. Keep running. The race organizers changed the run course at the last minute into a winding, back-tracking run through the residential sections of Sylvan Lake. Unfortunately, I wanted to run an out and back, not an out and random. The fact that the race course wasn’t linear threw me off, but that is my problem, not the organizer’s issue. When things change, I need to trust that the course is the proper distance and then make my best effort to run the hell out of that distance. Simply put, I think too much and I want to control too much. Let go of things I can’t control and keep moving.
3. KGH Sprint Triathlon is a great race. I hate racing in pools, but the bike on this course was a complex, slightly hilly, and gorgeous 25km loop. The race had some awesome swag to give away (I got a bike pump!). More than anything, the race had an inviting atmosphere that made it feel like I spent my Saturday in the company of great people, rather than simply racing. PLus, they had bananas and water on the bike and multiple aid stations on the run (with Hammer Gels, Gatoraid, water etc.). You should do this race next year!
4. When it comes to psi, go for optimal, not extreme. I don’t know how much pressure it takes to make a tube pop sound like a gun shot but I’m sure it is a lot. A worthwhile May 2009 article by Mark Deterline in Triathlete discusses optimal tire width and psi. Research indicates that optimal psi ranges from 107-122 on the front and 110-125 on the back (depending on your weight. I weigh around 190, so my optimal psi is about 118/122.
   

   tube pop / sounds like a gun shot / an object at rest / will stay at rest / without me

5. Count properly. Although practising transitions and getting used to a race environment is important, racing in heats in a pool is something I’ll avoid whenever possible. I totally lost count of my laps on the swim and had to rely on the volunteer to count for me. While I trust that the volunteer counted correctly, I wasn’t able to gauge my own progress as well, so I had no clue if I could have pushed a little hard the last 150m.
6. Get your shirt on already.Last week at Try this Tri, I noticed that Scott Curry put his race shirt over his body, unzipped it, and then tucked it down into his swim trunks. At the time, I wasn’t sure why. I thought I could slip my shirt on after the swim while I ran to transition. I was reminded, as I struggled to get my tight shirt onto my wet body, that spandex sticks to wet skin, making it difficult to pull a shirt down. At KGH, I did what Scott did, and It was way easier to pull the arms of the shirt over my shoulders when the shirt was already over my torso.
7. Keep practising jumping on the bike. I totally failed my bike mount. I tried to jump on and missed the seat and managed to bruise myself in a couple different places. Not only did I look like a foolish noob to onlookers, I also lost about 10 seconds from the start line and moved my back brake so it was rubbing against my tire! In the first km of the ride, I was trying to pedal and readjust the brake. I would say that my bike would have been at least 45-60 seconds faster if I had mounted the bike correctly.
8. Close the quick release, you fool! I totally failed to close the quick release on my front brake. On the ride, I tried to close it, but then the brake was rubbing, so I left it open. Thankfully, I didn’t need to stop quickly at any point in time. This is the second time I’ve forgotten to close the quick release on my brake after taking my bike from the car.
9. I want a roofrack for my bike. Well, this isn’t a learning, but a roofrack would certainly save some space in our car, especially since Laura came up with my and we had to stack out bikes on top of one another in the back of the car. Not ideal.

Anyway, I’ve got a long way to improve. First place at KGH is an achievement I’m proud of, but there are bigger races and better contenders that I’ll be facing very soon. Preparation for those events is key.

Something went poorly with my swim and I need to investigate that further (review training, technique, approach to race environment). However, I managed to have the second fastest run and third fastest bike. My run pace was an impressive 3:15/km. If you had asked me two weeks ago whether I was capable of that speed, I would have told you that I couldn’t imagine myself being that fast. Last week, I learned that my body is capable of more than my mind imagines. This realization suggests that my psychology and expectations play more a significant role in my training than I originally anticipated. The pace also helps me reposition what I think is possible for me in a race environment; I have potential for speed.

I am indebted to Canadian Pro Triathlete Scott Curry for his presence at this race (that is him in the photo). He helped me achieve this speed and pointed me to a new horizon of achievement, simply because he was fast and I decided that I would try to keep him in my sights. As you’ll see from the results, he secured first place with almost three minutes difference between us. Thankfully, he started his pool swim later than I did, so he didn’t pass me until the third lap of the four-lap bike course. This allowed me to push for the final lap and keep him in view.

I had a very fast transition and left on the run only a few metres behind Scott. He took off at a very fast pace, but I remained committed to keeping him in my sights so I matched his pace as best I could. Although he finished his run 45 seconds head of me (he ran 3:01/km), the pace he set tricked me into a new normal and gave me the fastest run I’ve had in recent years. Thank you Scott!

I tried a few new things in this race, including running without socks, as well as clipping my shoes into the bike and then jumping on the bike at the mount line. I’m pleased to say this technique aided my quick transitions.

Things I learned from this race:

1. Get my feet in the bike shoes ASAP. When I jumped on the bike with the shoes clipped into the pedals, the elastic bands broke right away, but I didn’t have my feet in the shoes yet! Trying to fiddle with them while riding wasn’t ideal (they were spinning abit, hitting the ground), so I lost a little time and focus having to fit me feet into moving targets.
2. Don’t tell myself that I’m in a lower league than other athletes. As son as I saw Scott Curry, I told myself he was beyond my league and chasing him was the best I could hope for. This attitude embraces compromise before the race even begins! How terrible. I need to have my mind lead the way into success at my races. I got lucky and my body ended up showing my mind what it could do, however it is my mind that will direct my body to achieve more consistent results. I need to approach races as a contender, not as someone making excuses for himself before the race has even begun.
3. Read the maps/Drink water on straightaways. I know this one, but I want sucking back some H2O right before a sharp turn. I was going fast and tried to hit the brakes one-handed while putting the water bottle in the holder. I dropped the bottle between the crank and frames and then couldn’t pedal (lucky, it didn’t hit the ground!). Slowed me down for about 30 seconds and interrupted my focus in a big way.
4. Patience. Tri this Tri took place in a small pool, so they stuck 4 people per lane (slowest swimmers first) and then rotated people in when someone finished their swim. Because I anticipated having a faster swim time, I began my race at 10:45am—nearly four hours after arriving at the race site! This waiting contributed to an overly exuberant (read inefficient) initial 100m of swim, awkward fuelling, and a general sense of mental discordance. Rather than saying I wanted every part of the race to be on my terms, I started the race simply wanting to get going. Haste is no virtue and I think my poor swim time was due in part to rushing things.

I learned a few things, but I also think I succeeded on improving my transistion, bike efficiency, and running speed. This was a great way to kickoff the year.

Up next: Review and results from the KGH Sprint Triathlon at Sylvan Lake.

First, let me update you about my goals so far. I am crafting a few other blog posts to give more details about my life and future, but I thought I should start with a catch-all post.

1. Publish poems in two different magazines or journals
I’ve made nearly no movement with most of my poetry goals in the last 3 months. I’ve had the chance to read some great poetry in the last while, however I’ve not been committed to writing or submitting my work anywhere. This is disappointing, especially since I continue to have a genuine passion and love for writing.

2. Pay off all debt (other than student loans)
Things were looking good on the debt front until recently. Laura and I thought we had a buyer for a condo we own, however the individual fell through and now we aren’t sure if we’ll be able to sell this summer or fall. If so, then the debt will be taken care of. If not, we’ll wait to sell next spring, carry debt for another few months and go from there.

3. Get accepted to graduate schools with scholarships
This goal is completed! I was accepted at a number of different institutions, however the choice for best school for Laura and I came down to two main contenders: University of Victoria and Dalhousie (located in Halifax). I look forward to outlining why I chose UVic in a later post.

4. Write ten new poems and one new long poem
See comment on goal #1.

5. Finish “High Margins” (download here (without music) or here (with music) and submit the poem to a publication
See comment on goal #1.

6. Get physiotherapy and complete healing in my right arm
My arm feels largely healed, however my swim times are not nearly as good as last year, so I’m wondering if I’ve lost some power in my right arm. More investigation is needed.

7. Run +25km (see how I’m doing by checking out my running sidebar plugin)
The furthest I’ve run so far is 14km… A distance I certainly have to increase in preparation for the Subaru Sooke International Triathlon that I’ve signed up for. This race takes place on Sept. 13th and will work well with the move to our basement suite apartment, which is located 2 blocks from the University of Victoria.

8. Read five new book before August
This goal is complete! I have read Herman Hesse’s Journey to the East, Kurt Vonnegut’s Cat’s Cradle, Robert Priest’s Reading the Bible Backwards, Philip K. Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, and The Watchmen by Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons, and John Higgins. By next week I’ll have completed Coming Through Slaughter by Michael Ondaatje. So, I’ve got 3 goals completed so far.

9. Complete a manuscript of poetry
See comment on goal #1. Achieving this goal is rather ambitious..

10. Blog twice a month
This goal cannot be achieved now. Boo.

11. New theme for my blog
Complete.

12. Achieve a first place finish for my age group in an Olympic distance (or longer) triathlon
I’m making some positive progress on this front, so stay tuned for details.

13. Compete in 5 triathlons
I’ve registered for 8 triathlons now, so even if something terrible happens and I miss one or two, I’m still fine. I’ll speak to my results of the 2 races I’ve completed so far in another post. For now, here’s the races I’ve left to do:

• KGH Sprint Triathlon at Sylvan Lake on May 30
• Lake Summerside Triathlon (Olympic distance) in Edmonton on June 7
• Chinook Olympic Distance Tri in Calgary on June 20
• Foothills Charity Triathlon (sprint distance) in Okotoks on July 4
• Canmore Triathlon (Olympic distance) on July 18 (Alberta Provincial Championships)
• Subaru Sooke International Triathlon in Sooke, BC on Sept 13

So, my progress isn’t stellar, but I’ve got a few important goals out of the way (namely, grad school!). I have 3/13 goals completed and 1 goal blown.

photo courtesy of judyofthewoods on flickr

1. Publish poems in two different magazines or journals
I’ve got some time off work until March 9 and I intend to spend it doing some creative writing, which should help me progress towards this goal.

2. Pay off all debt (other than student loans)
No comment.

3. Get accepted to graduate schools with scholarships
I am starting to hear back from graduate schools, which is pretty exciting! Achieving goal #3 seems only a matter of time. I’ll do a full post on which school I choose to go to once I’ve made that decision.

4. Write ten new poems and one new long poem
See comment on goal #1.

5. Finish “High Margins” (download here (without music) or here (with music) and submit the poem to a publication
See comment on goal #1.

6. Get physiotherapy and complete healing in my right arm
My arm is healing slowly and the professional who was working on it believes that it should just be a matter of time.

7. Run +25km (see how I’m doing by checking out my running sidebar plugin)
I think I haven’t even cracked 10km yet on treadmill, but who wants to run for any real distance on a track or treadmill?

8. Read five new book before August
The book club I’m in is taking care of this. So far I’ve read Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep and The Watchmen. I’m in the process of reading Journey to the East by Herman Hesse.

9. Complete a manuscript of poetry
See comment on goal #1. Achieving this goal will be a challenge.

10. Blog twice a month
As long as I post tomorrow, I’m in good shape so far!

11. New theme for my blog
Done!

12. Achieve a first place finish for my age group in an Olympic distance (or longer) triathlon
This will be a challenge for me, but my training is coming along. I’m planning a spin on my bike after this.

13. Compete in 5 triathlons
I’m looking good on this front, as I’ve already registered for the following five events this season!

• KGH Sprint Triathlon at Sylvan Lake on May 30
• Lake Summerside Triathlon (Olympic distance) in Edmonton on June 7
• Chinook Olympic Distance Tri in Calgary on June 20
• Foothills Charity Triathlon (sprint distance) in Okotoks on July 4
• Canmore Triathlon (Olympic distance) on July 18 (Alberta Provincial Championships)

Overall, I’m slowly working towards my goals. My creative writing needs more attention, so I should prioritize that over the next week.

Not only can I check off Goal #11 (new theme for my blog), but I’ve also added a few widgets that will help you keep track of my physical training commitment, as well as race (see the rainbow section of the sidebar). You can bug me about my lack of intensity and then send me encouragement at dailymile.com (a new training site with some useful features)! Pretty cool.

Also, I am on the radio again! Not Your Mother’s Poetry of CKXU is doing their second show on me (download the podcast of Part 1 here). I am extremely grateful to Blaine Greenwood for his encouragement of my creative work. The upcoming hour-long show will include some of my poems, interview clips, and selected music. The show airs on Saturday, February 21, 2009 at 9:00am MST. Listen to the show live here.

Random: Rhett noted that his work place firewall blocks my site and flags it as pornographic . . . I have no insight as to why. I blame his work . . . place.

I had the good pleasure of spending New Years Eve with some excellent people, including Ian (who posted his goals here) and Rhett; during the festivities, I took the time to write down some of my 2009 goals.

There is no time like the present, and I’m tired of wasting all that I have (aka the now). So without further adieu I take this opportunity to state some of my goals for 2009 (feel free to ask me about them):

• 1. Publish poems in two different magazines or journals
• 2. Pay off all debt (other than student loans)
• 3. Get accepted to graduate schools with scholarships
• 4. Write ten new poems and one new long poem
• 5. Finish “High Margins” (download here (without music) or here (with music) and submit the poem to a publication
• 6. Get physiotherapy and complete healing in my right arm
• 7. Run +25km (see how I’m doing by checking out my running sidebar plugin)
• 8. Read five new book before August
• 9. Complete a manuscript of poetry
• 10. Blog twice a month
• 11. New theme for my blog
• 12. Achieve a first place finish for my age group in an Olympic distance (or longer) triathlon
• 13. Compete in 5 triathlons

I believe that I will attainable these goals with hard work and focus. Goal #2 will be the most difficult to achieve, followed by my goal for publication.

So, how did I do on my 2008 goals? Not too well. Many of them were unrealistic and weren’t made a priority over triathlon and work. Here’s my review of my 2008 goals:
Travel off the continent: Went to New York, which was pretty close to getting to another culture. Still, I can’t check this one off the list.
Write a suite of poems: Did not complete this.
Play a show with guitar and poems: Barely even picked up my guitar in 2008, which is a crime.
Pay off all debts (excluding student loans): Although I made some headway on this front, this goal was not possible for 2008. It would have required me to change jobs or win the lottery.
Reread: The Iliad, The Odyssey, The Aeneid, Lord of the Rings, Wasteland, Four Quartets: I reread T.S. Eliot’s work, but not the other texts. 33% on this goal.
Poem published in magazine or journal: I was published in a small US zine called the pulchritudinous review. I was also featured on two different radio programs (more details here and here–both include audio) . . . That should count for something!
Remain aware and thankful of all my changes and growth. Maintain health: This goal was rather nebulous, but I would say that I accomplished it.
Attend 4 concerts, 4 plays, and 10 literary events: I attended more than 4 concerts, 1 play, and 8 literary events.
Perform at poetry event: Completed multiple times over.
Attend a Buddhist religious event and Hindu religious event: I attended a Ukrainian Orthodox baby baptism and an evangelical wedding, but I did not attend any other religious events in 2008.
Read five new, good books: Yes. I surpassed this number. My highlight was One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez, Blindness and Death With Interruptions by José Saramago, and Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer.
Walk on water (admit failures and inabilities—stay humble: Again, another nebulous and soft goal. I’d say I accomplished it.