Month: September 2012

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Shark Boy – Duathlete, Scoundrel of Steel

Warning: This post contains extreme cuteness, and examples of strong paternal pride.  Reader discretion is advised.

We found out about a ‘Kids of Steel’ Duathlon being run in the Beaches, and the allowed ages started at 3 (for a 3-5 age category).  Though Shark Boy is a few weeks short of his third birthday, we knew he was fit enough and generally game for this sort of activity so we signed him up.  Parents were allowed to accompany their kids on the race course (and in transition) so we figured it was safe and that we could make it work.  My biggest worry was making sure he didn’t get overwhelmed by the crowd of other kids and parents, and making sure he followed the course; I knew he was good for the 50-60m run, 600m bike, and final 100m run in terms of distance, but doing it along a prescribed course (as opposed to whatever the heck direction he felt like going) might be another story.

Upon arriving at Ashbridges Bay, we were easily able to follow all the other racers and their families to the starting area.  Transition was closing within 10 minutes, so Shark Boy and I found a spot for his bike; the racks were too big for toddler bikes and were dedicated to kids 8 and up, but there were some nice designated spots for nearby grass.   Race start time was fast approaching, and I realised we had neither a chip nor a race bib – it turns out I had walked right by the race kit pickup in my excitement and had to run back to get it.   We put on the race t-shirt (a little large, but it was a passable substitute for the rain wear we forgot to pack.

I had enough time before the start to show Shark Boy the sailboats he wanted to see (hopefully they’d be less of a distraction mid-race).

They counted down, blew a whistle and we were off!  Shark Boy quickly decided he wanted to hold hands for safety and security – maybe the crowd threw him off, but it turned out to be a sensible way to avoid colliding with other kids or slipping in the grass.

We completed the loop at a good clip, and worked our way into transition.  Shark Boy knew to let me  do up his helmet strap before grabbing the bike, and he’d been practising walking/running with the bike on his own (!) anyway so he did a great job of exiting transition 1.  He tried to mount a little early… did I mention this race was OAT (Ontario Association of Triathletes) sanctioned?  Rules were enforced!  The bike course had some small hills that challenged (i.e. slowed) the kids somewhat, but it was overall enjoyable.  Even though he’s a bigger bike specialist than his old man, Shark Boy clearly subscribes a ‘stop-and-smell-the-roses’ approach to racing.  My explanations as to why we had to go as fast as we could were not satisfactory, apparently.  Still, while he did slow down to look at other kids, the water, a flock of Canada geese, he never stopped, and never complained (unless you count a teenager-worthy “I knooooow” and eye-roll in response to my cheers to go a little faster). We rounded the corner to head back to transition to the sounds of cheering, his mother of course being the loudest of all.

After getting his t-shirt stuck on the bike during a near flawless dismount, we ran the bike back into transition, in the exact same spot we originally had it, then took off on the final slog of the run portion – the fatigue setting in as I know all too well.

The race marshals and volunteers kept up the enthusiasm and cheering to keep us moving, and when the finish line was about 10m ahead I ran ahead to the finish line to get him to run into my arms for a big hug and toss like we did in practice.   Spectators were kept away from the finish line so getting a picture was hard, but I assure you there was a big smile on his face.  We collected granola bars, raisins and of course cookies as post-race snacks, but he was surprisingly uninterested in Gatorade or water.  There was barely enough time to get congratulated by his mother and take another look at the sail boats before the rain really started up, and we hustled out of the park.

GAME FACE! Shark Boy shows his teeth!

But not before a few victory poses.  I’m very proud to have another endurance athlete in the family, and I really think he’s going to show an increasing knack for it the older he gets.  Still, my favourite part of the day was at bedtime, when he asked me when he could do another ‘Traflon’… he asked so sweetly and innocently if there would be another chance tomorrow!

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Our First Terry Fox Run

It’s weird that someone who

  1. has been as affected by cancer all too often.
  2. likes running
has never been part of a Terry Fox Run.  Most years it seemed to creep up on me and be over before I could get my plans together.  That’s what wives are good for – we were signed up a few days before and figured we could incorporate the kids like we did in the Levac Attack.

On Sunday, after taking Shark Boy to his first soccer program (no rest for the wicked!), we quickly stopped in at home to get changed and packed for the race.  Making it to those commitments meant skipping the Mississauga Cycling Tour, but you can’t be everywhere at once.

Ready to Rock!

When we arrived at West Deane Park, to be greeted by all kinds of interesting and family-friendly sites including a Remax hot-air balloon and a fire department bouncy castle.  We weren’t sure what to expect, but once we got sorted out at the registration desk, we headed out to run.  As we found out later, we ended up using the ‘South’ portion of the overall run.  With Shark Boy on his bike (and maybe a little tired) we made slow progress which failed to put the Lightning Kid to sleep – the first little while was a bit of a struggle.  We didn’t see any course markers at first, and the only thing that kept us thinking we might be on the right track is that we kept passing other participants wearing Terry Fox shirts and ribbons.  Shark Boy took a little spill near the 2km point and opted to finish in the Chariot. From that point on our walk evolved into a run. We reached the turn-around point and got some nice cool water to refresh ourselves and have a nice chat with one of the volunteers.  He explained the course a little so that I learned we could have done the ‘North’ part had we wanted to do 10km (after a near sleepless night, we did NOT).

Somewhere along the way back, I realized why we hadn’t spotted course markers – we were used to looking for temporary signs… this course is in the park permanently!  There were people walking, running and even biking the course; lots of jogging strollers too.

The event ends at 1:00PM, so we just barely managed to finish the run, buy lunch from the BBQ, and give Shark Boy some time in the Bouncy Castle.

The Terry Fox Run is not only a great tribute to a great, heroic man, it is both a good cause and a nice way to be active for the whole family.

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Gear Corner – Review of the Polar H7 Heart Rate Sensor with Bluetooth (a.k.a Bluetooth Blues)

I love using Endomondo to track my workouts; that way I only need to carry my Blackberry along on my run (which is nice because it also plays music, and I can even take pictures and/or tweet if I feel like it).  What’s always been missing is heart rate data.  Endomondo has always been able to integrate heart rate data (even if you import from a Garmin), but now that there are Bluetooth HR sensors, it seemed like that might be the way to go.  Just pair the sensor with the smartphone and run.  No problem.

Running Free, one of my favourite retailers for running and triathlon stuff carried one, so I wouldn’t have to pay duty or international shipping fees.  I’ve worked with enough Bluetooth devices to know how finicky they can be.  The entire process can be infuriating, you don’t know which end should be seeking or listening, and you’re never given much to go on as to why devices won’t detect each other, or if they do, they won’t pair.  This device took the cake though; there is no code to enter, no light to indicate what mode it’s in, or even if it’s on.

The instructions merely tell you to wet the appropriate areas, where to put the strap on (just below the chest muscles) and tell you to turn on Bluetooth on your device.  Any trouble connecting and they simply question whether you wet it appropriately.  I tried it with my BlackBerry (Bold 9900) and my (new) iPad and nothing worked.  I contacted Polar to see if they could offer extra steps to take, and they let me know this sensor is only compatible with the iPhone 4S, nothing else.

I checked Running Free’s website and I have to admit the words ‘Compatible With iPhone 4S’ are there right at the bottom of the description box.  Still, I was irked, because the idea of a standard like Bluetooth is to avoid these little proprietary ‘walled gardens’.  I thought ‘ONLY Compatible with…’ would have been the better description for Running Free to use.  I wrote them and told them so, and asked for my money back.  To their credit (and my instore credit) they offered to add $45 to my account; not the full value of the device, which they couldn’t take back.  Which is fair enough – I got to keep it (in case I find a friend with an iPhone 4S who wants a HR sensor) and while the description was a little vague, I can bear a little responsibility for not paying enough attention.  I’m not sure what I’ll spend the money on, but I started trying to build up a wishlist…

While Bluetooth seems to be widely accepted for hands free stuff in cell phones (and my BT keyboard works well with my iPad), I think there’s still a lot of room for improvement in the world of fitness equipment.     Buyer beware…

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Impromptu Backyard Workout

Normally after Shark Boy and I get home from daycare/work respectively, we have about 20-30 minutes to kill before dinner is ready.  He likes to be outside so we often take walks to the park or he rides his glider bike around the neighbourhood.  It’s an opportunity for me to be slightly active, in that I walk with him (occasionally running to catch up), but it’s not exactly a workout; I’m still in my work clothes.  I dress casually, but I’m not in suitable shoes for running and I get hot wearing jeans in summer (or Indian summer) weather.

Today I tweaked it a little though.  Shark Boy had asked to play in the backyard this morning, and we had to get him to daycare (and me to work), so nothing doing.  Still, he jumped at the chance to get out there this evening.  I promised to join him once I changed to shorts and a t-shirt and grabbed a few extras.

Knowing time was short, and that situations with kids were fluid at best, I didn’t have high expectations for my workout, but the truth was I was still sore from a Gravity Machine workout the day before, so anything that would break a sweat without being too gruelling was welcome.  I’d grabbed a jump-rope and a 6lb medicine ball that we got for my wife a while back.  I hadn’t put on shoes, but hoped I could jump rope in the grass.  That didn’t work so well; the rope slowed down in the grass and threw off my timing.  Next time, I’d wear shoes and do it on the patio.

The medicine ball was more appealing – I haven’t used it since we bought it, but I’d found a good set of exercises here.

 I started with their ‘Log Toss’ and simply threw the ball into the air.  That way, if Shark Boy wanted to get involved I could simply claim that this was *my* ball and he was welcome to do the same with one of his.  Our backyard has plenty…

It was a great move for explosive power through the legs in the squat portion, along with a swing in the shoulders, much like some of those kettlebell moves you see these days. I did about 10.

I moved into Medicine Ball Slams.  These always scared me because I worry about what happens to the floor or walls that they’re used on.  Most demonstrations seem to occur in industrial spaces with cement walls.   That’s not like my house or my gym, but I figured our lawn was up for the abuse! 12 to 15 reps of this (I wish I’d kept better count, but the kids distracted me!)

I paused to grab a picnic blanked and bring the Lightning Kid out to watch us play.  Then I lay down beside him and did some crunches while holding the medicine ball above me.

Papa, that’s not how you play ball.

Before Shark Boy finally demanded my attention, I fit in about 14 pushups while alternating the ball from hand to hand.

We’re signing Shark Boy up for a Kids-of-Steel Duathlon, so I thought I’d try getting him in mental shape for the idea of racing; I know he’s got the fitness, endurance and iron will, I just hope he doesn’t get confused or overwhelmed.  Anyway, I challenged him to race across the yard.  With my longer legs it wasn’t that challenging or that much fun for either of us.  Then I gave him a head start halfway across the yard, and did a sprinting charge complete with “I’M GONNA GET YOU!” and monster sounds.  That ramped up the fun and sweat!

To round it out a little before dinner, I managed to get the Lightning Kid involved too.  I ran a little (fairly slowly) while carrying him, and also some lunges with him on my shoulders.

Shark Boy gets in on the lunging action

While I couldn’t tell you how many calories I burned, I broke a definite sweat and had great fun with my boys.  I’m motivated to try this kind of thing again, in fact I’m motivated to get back into training for the off-season.  Thanks boys!

Posted on

Impromptu Backyard Workout

Normally after Shark Boy and I get home from daycare/work respectively, we have about 20-30 minutes to kill before dinner is ready.  He likes to be outside so we often take walks to the park or he rides his glider bike around the neighbourhood.  It’s an opportunity for me to be slightly active, in that I walk with him (occasionally running to catch up), but it’s not exactly a workout; I’m still in my work clothes.  I dress casually, but I’m not in suitable shoes for running and I get hot wearing jeans in summer (or Indian summer) weather.

Today I tweaked it a little though.  Shark Boy had asked to play in the backyard this morning, and we had to get him to daycare (and me to work), so nothing doing.  Still, he jumped at the chance to get out there this evening.  I promised to join him once I changed to shorts and a t-shirt and grabbed a few extras.

Knowing time was short, and that situations with kids were fluid at best, I didn’t have high expectations for my workout, but the truth was I was still sore from a Gravity Machine workout the day before, so anything that would break a sweat without being too gruelling was welcome.  I’d grabbed a jump-rope and a 6lb medicine ball that we got for my wife a while back.  I hadn’t put on shoes, but hoped I could jump rope in the grass.  That didn’t work so well; the rope slowed down in the grass and threw off my timing.  Next time, I’d wear shoes and do it on the patio.

The medicine ball was more appealing – I haven’t used it since we bought it, but I’d found a good set of exercises here.

 I started with their ‘Log Toss’ and simply threw the ball into the air.  That way, if Shark Boy wanted to get involved I could simply claim that this was *my* ball and he was welcome to do the same with one of his.  Our backyard has plenty…

It was a great move for explosive power through the legs in the squat portion, along with a swing in the shoulders, much like some of those kettlebell moves you see these days. I did about 10.

I moved into Medicine Ball Slams.  These always scared me because I worry about what happens to the floor or walls that they’re used on.  Most demonstrations seem to occur in industrial spaces with cement walls.   That’s not like my house or my gym, but I figured our lawn was up for the abuse! 12 to 15 reps of this (I wish I’d kept better count, but the kids distracted me!)

I paused to grab a picnic blanked and bring the Lightning Kid out to watch us play.  Then I lay down beside him and did some crunches while holding the medicine ball above me.

Papa, that’s not how you play ball.

Before Shark Boy finally demanded my attention, I fit in about 14 pushups while alternating the ball from hand to hand.

We’re signing Shark Boy up for a Kids-of-Steel Duathlon, so I thought I’d try getting him in mental shape for the idea of racing; I know he’s got the fitness, endurance and iron will, I just hope he doesn’t get confused or overwhelmed.  Anyway, I challenged him to race across the yard.  With my longer legs it wasn’t that challenging or that much fun for either of us.  Then I gave him a head start halfway across the yard, and did a sprinting charge complete with “I’M GONNA GET YOU!” and monster sounds.  That ramped up the fun and sweat!

To round it out a little before dinner, I managed to get the Lightning Kid involved too.  I ran a little (fairly slowly) while carrying him, and also some lunges with him on my shoulders.

Shark Boy gets in on the lunging action

While I couldn’t tell you how many calories I burned, I broke a definite sweat and had great fun with my boys.  I’m motivated to try this kind of thing again, in fact I’m motivated to get back into training for the off-season.  Thanks boys!