Tereza Macel's Blog

Shoes, or actually taking off one’s shoes is a big thing here in Thailand. Before entering the hotel lobby everyone takes off their shoes, leaves them on the steps and then enters. In some of the small convenience stores even when there is no door shoes are left outside. The thresholds of little shacks are littered with flip flops, and the tiles in the shop are shoe free. Even at the pool, before we enter the hall, we all take off our shoes, leave them by the front and then are allowed to enter the stands, or the hall.

So the other day we had a run right after our swim, and instead of our regular flip flops, or bike shoes, we all left our run shoes by the front.
After a nice, toasty warm swim, since the outdoor pool is heating up just like the weather, everyone jumped into their run gear as fast as they could to head out onto the run. I was a bit slow, wrestling into my gear, so when I got to the shoes I realized mine were gone. This is what happens when you have a team, lucky enough to all wear the same Avia run shoe, and somehow all the girls seem to wear size 9 shoes. Not sure how that happened, since we are all not the same height, yet somehow 5 or 6 of us wear size 9. Mine were gone, that much I knew, since I had put them in the corner, and that corner was now empty. A couple of the girls were already off and running so I started to go through the leftover shoes trying to find a substitute. Amy managed to prevent me from stealing her shoes, which looked pretty comfy just then, Baywatch had very frayed laces which made her shoes easy to identify, which meant one more pair was left over. They definitely were not mine, but it was that or run barefoot. I slipped them on, and headed out for our little jog. Poor Amy had to listen to me whine how these shoes were worn in all different spots them mine, and were not quite right.
I figured out part way into my run that Bella had the same shoes, and was a quick change artist after the swim. So when I got back to the hotel and saw Bella I asked her if perhaps she had grabbed my shoes by accident. She laughed, and said no wonder her run felt funny, the shoes were all weird and worn out differently. Besides, she wears one shoe half a size different than the other, so my pair which are both the same size definitely must have felt odd. Mystery solved, and both of us were reunited with our own worn in comfy shoes.

Now of course we all just got outfitted with the same Louis Garneau helmets and cycling shoes, so it is bound to be even more exciting. I was complaining one afternoon about having to put on my sweaty helmet that had not dried out yet from the previous workout. James just laughed at me, and pointed out that if it is someone else’s sweaty helmet it is even more gross to think about. Of course Maki solved that problem with the help of Mickey Mouse- or actually a Mickey Mouse sticker on her helmet. No stealing that one.
I am about to pack up my shoes and helmet in a couple of days as I head to Abu Dhabi for the new long distance triathlon held there. I have had a great stretch of training for the past few weeks, so am keen to see how it comes together in a race. And I have never been to that part of the world, so yet another first coming up.

OK, not exactly AWOL, since we did have official leave. On Friday, Rebekah, Caroline and I biked, swam and then hustled to the airport to catch a short flight to Singapore. There was some new sponsor gear to pick up at the TBB main shop, and also I had to leave Thailand so that I could restart another 30 day visa, upon returning.
The plans were grand- go to the TBB bike shop, get a massage, get a pedicure, manicure, go shopping, rest, sleep, all in less than 48 hours. The time flew by far too quickly. We wandered around looking for a place to eat, while the TBB mechanics worked on their speedy Cervelos. The business district was rather quiet on the weekend, but there was certainly no shortage of Starbucks, which made the coffee addict girls happy.

The cuisine in Singapore is varied, everything you can probably think of. Not sure how but we ended up eating some Indian food Saturday, which was only the second time I have tried it I think. We kept asking if the dishes were spicy, “no spicey, and only little spicey” were what the lady answered. Hmm… guess spicey is all relative, just like fast and slow. I think the only thing that did not burn my lips off was the steamed rice. It did not make for a very good long run the next morning.

We stayed at the TBB apartment while there, which was super. Very comfy, convenient, a nice pool, and running trails just outside the door. The one odd thing was the “fireman lift”, right beside the sign that says no using the elevator during a fire. Of course the building did have 35 stories.

Now I am back in Krabi, ready to settle in for another little stretch of training before heading to Abu Dabi for a new triathlon race there. That should be a very interesting trip I am sure. But first I need to get in a solid week and a half of training. Fast and spicey, all relative, so I need to make my slow quite spicey.

It has been a while since I have updated our adventures in Krabi. Blame it on the heat, that saps the energy each day, Doc for the crazy workouts he keeps coming up with, or the 4 flights of stairs lead up to my room. Now that I have finished whining, and kind of had a rest day, I am back on track. This was from a while ago, when we had a group outing to the beach. Kate, aptly nicknamed Baywatch, always seems to have too much energy that she needs to burn off. So at the beach she was testing out her talents at what kind of world records she might be able to set. I think she is missing the mark by not signing up for a banana eating contest. After the ocean adventure she polished off at least 7 of them in about 3 minutes.

Running is running, left foot, right foot, and repeat till you get where-ever you are going. However running in Krabi does pose some new twists.
The things to look out for are
1) Dogs- most are tired, and just laying around, but once in a while there is a spry one that will bark, and even chase.
2) Elephant poop- much, much bigger than dog poop.
3) crazy mopeds- actually, they are a bit nutty, but do an awesome job watching out for us.
4) turn-around marker- The spot Brett managed to mark after I had already passed that spot and gone too far. I should be happy- extra hill means extra training, means extra fitness?
5) The nearest place to get water- I think I sweat out about a liter a minute here, so am constantly looking for places to buy drinks. And watermelons- but those are a bit trickier to consume while running. But I just might try sooner or later.

Heading from Toronto to Krabi is a lengthy trip. I left on a Sunday, and got there on a Tuesday, not sure what happened to Monday. I will probably find it when I go back to Canada. Along the way

1) 13 hours from Toronto to Narita

2) watched 4 full movies, 1/3 of a boring movie and 1/5 of a movie I had seen before

3) started and finished reading my book- 304 pages

4) spent some time in the United lounge in Narita, where only 2% of the people were not on a computer.

5) spent $8 on dental floss- had something very painful stuck in between my teeth, after 3 hours and a headache finally found some dental floss. Mental note- next time have mine in my carry on.

6) was the 2nd athlete to arrive in Krabi- the Wongstar was the 1st.

Pucon is an active, outdoorsy wonderland. There are some many cool things to do- climb the volcano, white water rafting, fly fishing, canopy zip-lining, hot springs and I am sure a ton of other things. I had never climbed the volcano before, so this time I had booked my flight for a day later. I was pretty sore after the race, but a super, although painful massage, a hot bath, and a little walk later on that evening, and I figured I couldn’t pass up on the volcano, I might not get the chance ever again. Besides, the group of triathletes with Ken Glah that invited me along promised it would be nice and slow and easy.

The Sol e Nieve tour group had 5 guides taking 17 of us up the volcano. Each of us was outfitted with a backpack, pair of boots, cramp-ons, helmet, pants, jacket, gators to keep the snow out of the pant legs, and extra layer to wrap around our butts for the way down, a plastic mini toboggan thinggamigaci, and an ice pick.

Yes, an ice pick- that’s when I started to rethink this adventure. We left at 6 am, and an hour later were at the base of the volcano which is about 1400 meters. A short ski lift took us up to 1800 meters where the snow line began.

The top of the volcano is just over 2800 meters, but going straight up is too steep so we would zig zag up, taking a route about 3-4 km long, and were told it would take about 3-4 hours. A short lesson on how to us the ice pick on the high side of the hill as you hike, how to use if if you fall and need to stop your slide down the mountain and off we went. One of the guides led our group, sometimes following preexisting footsteps, but whenever we caught up to a group ahead of us the guide would just veer off, and start a new path to get around them and up faster. It was very sunny, and hotter and hotter as we climbed up, and very slow going. Every 30-40 minutes or so we stopped for a short break, trying to find a way to sit without sliding down. Reapplied sunscreen, had some water, or a bite to eat. This definitely was not as easy as promised, but the steps were nice and small, and the pace was not quick.

We made it to the top a bit faster than expected, which was nice. This volcano is still active and even from far away you can see the smoke at the top, and at night a glow coming from the center. Once we arrived at the top the snow is all melted from the heat, and you can hear a deep rumbling deep down. We couldn’t see far down enough into the volcano to see any lava, but could see the smoke and just the area around the top show the heat coming off the core. It was pretty amazing, as were the views down and all around.

Now the fun part, going down the volcano. I was told we would slide down on our butts, and that it was a slow day, since the snow as very wet, and it was warm. Had it been colder and icier the slide would be much faster. I figured since we zigzagged on the way up it would be the same on the way down- but no- it is just a straight line down. We had another lesson on how to slide down- how to sit with your feet together, and arms close to your body, hold the ice pick properly so you don’s stab yourself or someone else and how to use it to control your speed or stop. I was pretty nervous on the first slide- it looked so steep! But the first one was easy, then we stopped, walked a little farther across, and picked up another slide down. We did that about 4 or 5 times. A few times someone would go too quick and fly out of the track, and then have to stop themselves with the pick, and get back onto the slide route. It was like a childhood dream come true, and the guys were trying to outdo themselves seeing who could get the most speed. It was so much fun. The way down is much, much quicker and more fun than the way up.

It is not very often that I do any touristy stuff when I go to races, but Pucon is a kind of race you have to plan to stay a few days after, and take advantage of the amazing things you can do there. As I was leaving the next day people were heading out white water rafting, and then later on to the hotsprings. So yes, it is a great race, super organization, great challenging course, and definitely not to be missed.

Mid January and I was back to packing up Scarto, on a plane and relearning to sleep while sitting up. It is a long trip from Toronto to Pucon, Chile, but there is a 70.3 race in Pucon, that is very well organized, beautiful and a good way to remind myself that race season has begun..
The first thing I noticed after I arrived and caught up on my sleep with a 12 hour snooze, was how clear everything looks. It is incredible, so sunny and sharp it almost hurts the eyes. Kind of reminded me of after I had my laser eye surgery, and did not need to look through my old, dried out contacts anymore.

I was lucky enough to be staying at the race hotel, Gran Hotel Pucon, directly on the course. I have never stayed this close to the transition and swim start- less than 200 meters to either, incredible. Lake on one side of the hotel, and a volcano on the other side. During my little swim I took a few photos of the beach, and the volcano behind the hotel. If the beach were not so packed you would see that it is actually black sand- or lava rock I think. Awesome.

Race day came quickly enough, and I was a bit afraid of sleeping in. No need to fear that, since transition was directly below my window, and I could hear set up beginning at 3 am. It was pretty fun to have the race start directly outside the hotel, no need to worry if I forgot anything, since it would be just a few steps away.
I was not sure how I would feel during the race, I am just starting up to build my training up, and very slowly regaining a bit of fitness, so the main goal was to get in a good, honest effort. The swim was a wave start, with pro men and women starting 5 minutes ahead of the next wave. It was pretty uneventful, my first wetsuit swim since last August, in perfect water temperatures. I got on my bike in second place, but quickly caught the swim leader and settled into a nice rhythm. The bike course is rolling, with lots of very gradual ups and downs, and quite fun. It was going pretty well, except for my lower back tightening up a bit as the ride progressed. Getting off the bike I knew I was in a bit of trouble, I felt less limber than even after the toughest ironman bike ride. The run course at this race is what makes it really stand out. Within 200 meters of running out of transition the hills begin, and then keep going as you run up a peninsula for about 2 km, then back down, and onto a flat 3 km before running a second and third lap of the same loop. I am not sure what was tougher, running up the steep climbs with my hamstring feeling like it was about to snap, or running downhill and pounding the quads. I didn’t stay tough on the run like I needed to and was passed by a flying Amanda Lovato, and Heather Gollnick who was trying to win this race for the 3rd time in a row. But it was 2/3 or a pretty solid race, and a good refresher on racing.
The day after the race was the big adventure of climbing the volcano in the hotel photo- Villarica. Stay tuned for that one.

No, this is not a horror story blog. Although does remind me that there is a new vampire movie out that I would like to see.
I have been having some lower back achiness off and on for the past few weeks. So, the first solution whenever something does not feel quite right is a trip to the organgrinder.
Way back when I was just starting out with this crazy swim/bike/run idea I pretty much spent most of the year injured. It was the years of swimming, and no impact sports that made my body rebel anytime I made it work too hard on land. I did a 10 km in Waterloo, my university town, and a couple of km from the finish felt something go very wrong in my hip. Well 10 minutes after the race I could barely walk, and when I woke up in the middle of the night to go pee I realized that not only could I not walk, I couldn’t even lift my leg. So, I sat on the floor and started to pull myself along the floor with my arms, dragging my leg behind me. This woke Chris up and he looked at me, shook his head and asked what I was doing. Going to the washroom I said, but I didn’t factor in the travel time, so was getting a bit anxious. Well, by the next day I knew I was seriously injured. And after 3 months of physio, chiropractor, massage and doctors I was still walking with a limp and not running. Well, this is where the organ grinder comes in. Someone recommended that I go see Doug, and although I had never heard on an osteopath I was willing to try anything. As the dictionary tells me an osteopath is “a branch of medical practice that emphasizes the treatment of medical disorders through the manipulation and massage of the bones, joints, and muscles. ” I must say, very gentle, passive adjustments, no pain, no cracking or creaking noises. But somehow after 3 weeks of these adjustments I was running again.
So over the years any injury, or almost injury I have had were treated by Doug. During one treatment he was explaining how my liver, or spleen, or something was adhering to faschia connected to something, connected to something else which was giving my hip issues. When I later tried to remember the explanation or tell Chris what he did it basically sounded like Doug moved my internal organs around all over the place, and that fixed me up. So that’s how the organgrinder name came up. Of course the funniest part is that Doug is soft spoken, slight built, kind, most easy going guy you will ever meet. Not the massive giant, with meat cleavers you imagine when I say organgrinder, eh?

So, my first blog of 2010. I don’t usually make New Year’s Resolutions. I think the last one I made a few years ago was to read the paper everyday, since I felt I was seriously unaware of what was happening in the world. That one lasted about two days. Was I supposed to just read the front page while at the store, like I do with tabloid magazines while I wait in line? Or buy a paper each day and read the entertainment section and that would be good enough, or read it from first to last page like a book, in which case that is a pretty big time commitment. So now I know why that resolution didn’t last long enough. I obviously wasn’t very good at the first rule of goal setting- make it specific. So since then I haven’t really done the New Year’s Resolution thing, and this year was no exception. Perhaps I will come up with a good idea later this year, and make it my February or July resolution.

I usually have a few books floating around the house in various states of being read. I often start a book, and if it does not capture me I set it aside, and figure it is just is not the right time. This means that I am sometimes reading, or more like not reading, 2 or 3 books at once. Now the one book I just started that I will probably finish within a day or two is the Andre Agassi book “Open”. Definitely interesting right off the bat, I could barely put it down last night. I must admit I was not always an Agassi fan, but as his career progressed it was hard to not cheer for him. And now I makes me want to rewatch some of his matches. He talks about how tennis is one of the loneliest sports. A tennis player is behind a net, distant from his competitor, distant from the fans, and that might be why often the tennis players talk to themselves. It made me think about triathlons, where one minute you are swimming on top of someone, or inches away from cheering spectators, and the next you are in the middle of nowhere, without another person in sight, wondering if anyone would notice if you just curled up in a ditch and went to sleep. And I am sure most triathletes talk to themselves, or sing to themselves like I do while on the bike sometimes. And the magic race song that I sing in tough moments is….. top secret. But it does include jazz hands.

The other night Chris and I were watching the movie a Christmas Story, my favourite Christmas movie. It is the story of a young boy, and how all he wants for Christmas is a bebe gun. Part way through the movie Chris asked me if I remember when I stopped believing in Santa Claus. Well, first of all in Czech there is no Santa. Our gifts were brought by “jezisek” which means little Jesus, but is pretty close to the Czech word “jezek” which means hedgehog. So when I was little I always pictured a little hedgehog bringing our presents. And no, he did not come through the chimney. We lived in an apartment building, as did everyone else I knew, and for some reason I always believed he came through the window, and he got there on a magic carpet. I don’t remember ever seeing pictures of the “Czech Santa” it was all part of the experience, having to imagine it on your own. There were no billboards, or posters or adds showing you who is bringing presents, or what you should ask for, or what everyone else is getting. Imagination.