70.3 race checklist

this SUN, i’m racing the chisago lakes half iron triathlon in chisago city, mn, which consists of a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, and 13.3 mile run. i figured since i’ve put my traveling on hold while i’ve been training for this race and ironman wisconsin in madison this SEP, i’d put up a few posts to let you know how things are going. and because my ‘packing list’ posts are always of fav for some of the readers of this blog, i thought i’d write one with my race gear.

swim: (i’m pretty sure this is a wave start, so you run from the shore with about 30 other athletes)

-tyr hurricane 5 wetsuit
-pearl izumi select one piece tri suit (i’ll wear this under my wetsuit during the swim, and it’ll stay on the rest of the race for the bike and run. no wardrobe changes = faster overall time.)
-tyr goggles (2 pr)
-sigma pc-9 heart rate monitor. i’ll wear this the entire race and base my efforts on the bike and run primarily off my heart rate.
-tyr swim cap. they’ll issue a cap i’ll have to wear, but i’ll wear mine under it with my goggle straps between the two as extra protection against kicking feet / swinging arms during the swim start.

bike: (the transition from the swim to the bike (called T1) should take about 3 minutes tops)

-felt b16 with boyd 58 carbon clincher wheels. i’ve spent countless hours on this baby over the past three months, and finally feel like it’s dialed in. oh, and did i mention this bike is fast?
-CO2 cartridge, extra tube, and tire levers (all stuffed under my saddle) in case i get a flat.
-pearl izumi shoes. i’ve had these for four years, and wouldn’t dream of getting a new pair. they fit like a glove, are super stiff, and breath really well.
-lazer tardis / genesis helmet. i’m bringing both and will decide which one to wear on race day. the tardis is very aero, but is hotter than the traditional helmet pictured on the right. if it’s african hot, the cooling vents of the genesis helmet will win over the aero benefits of the tardis.
-smith pivlock v90 shades. super light, super comfy glasses. i have three different lenses to pick from depending on the light conditions, and i’ll wear these through the run as well. swarms of black flies / sensitive eyes make these a must. (and i’m bringing a second, older pair just in case)
-pearl izumi socks
(i’ll still be wearing my one piece race suit and HRM mentioned in the swim section)

run: (this transition (T2) should take less than a minute, meaning i hope to be running less than 60 seconds after jumping off the bike)

-nike vomero 6 shoes with YANKZ! laces. the laces are elastic and don’t need to be tied, can’t loosen or untie during the run, and are way more comfortable than regular laces. plus, you can literally put your shoes on in about 4 seconds and be off running in no time.
-buff headband (cut in half)
(i’ll still be wearing the one piece, HRM, socks, and shades)

transition stuff:

-the most obnoxiously loud towel i could find to put on the ground in my transition area. this does two things:
1. it keeps your feet relatively clean so you don’t have sand and grit on your feet during the ride.
2. it makes it easier to find your spot coming out of the water. the bike racks at this race are really tight, making it really hard to find your bike.
-nature’s gate sport spf 50 sunblock. this stuff clings like superglue and lasts for hours despite sweat, water, and friction caused by my race suit.
-body glide. i really don’t use this stuff a lot, but it’s nice to have if something starts rubbing or chaffing which can make for a miserable day.

extras:

-tools (allen wrenches, black tape, zip ties, tire pump, extra tube, extra CO2)
-tshirt, shorts, undies, sox, comfy shoes, and my gray beanie to wear after the race.

nutrition:

i’ll likely eat two pieces of whole wheat toast with natural peanut butter, two ensure, and half a banana two hours before the race. i’ll then sip water until the swim start at 7am. on the bike, i’ve found fig newtons are really the only food i tolerate well enough to be able to run off the bike, so i’ll eat 3 of those per hour which is 165 calories. add that to the GU Brew electrolyte mix i’ll sip on throughout the ride, and i should be getting around 230 calories per hour. i’ll also be drinking 20oz of plain water per hour on the bike. the last 20 minutes of the bike, i’ll only drink a small amount of water, and will only sip water throughout the run. my stomach can’t handle food or sport drinks during the run, but the calories i take in during the bike will be enough to get me through. at least it has in my training to this point. post race i’ll drink two ensures, and i’ll try to get down some small snacks like pretzels, etc.

i think that’s it. i’ll let you know how things go with a race report next week sometime.

the last few days

the last few days have proven to be the busiest of the trip by far – not a bad thing, but it just seemed like i had way too much to do yesterday and today.

above is a photo of mount everest i took during the mountain flight i went on SUN morning. it wasn’t greatest thing i’ve ever done (the plane was super small, old with crappy windows, and i didn’t have the best seat), but it was neat to see the mountains. plus, even though the viewing conditions weren’t the best, they were still pretty spectacular.

i was home by about noon, and spent the rest of the day hanging out with the boys and Dora, a new volunteer from China. we tried to fold origami, but failed miserably, so i ended up teaching all the boys how to make paper throwing stars instead. they turned out to be a huge hit as they love all things fighting, karate, or martial arts. later that evening, Bikash, Shiva, Nabin, and i went to collect stones down by a small creek that runs in front of the house. we were later joined by a few more boys, Boxer, and Seti, the neighbor dog, where we had a rock throwing contest.

that night, i was able to shoot photos of all the boys, Goma, and Rabindra for about an hour, and should have enough to finish the project i am working on. i’ll share two fun ones – these aren’t going in the project, and everyone wanted to try to make a few photos with the light set up, so like the canyoning pictures, you’ll have to look a few with me.

MON was the first day of the new school term, and in true fashion for any morning before the first day of school in any country i’m sure, everyone was frantically running around the house trying to find backpacks, shoes, and uniforms (the new ones weren’t ready until MON afternoon) last minute. i found myself on the front step at about 8:00 sewing buttons on about 6 of the 10 boys shirts and Rabindra was on the sewing machine fixing backpacks and ripped pant seams. finally finding everything they needed, the kids were off to school at about 9:00.

at about 10:00, Rabindra, Dora, and i went to the school where i met the principal who i swear was Jesus’ twin nepali brother, toured the school and got to watch a few classes for a bit, and purchased the texts. i love how Manoj, who has the worst ADHD, spotted me and smiled big when he saw me taking a picture.

at noon, the boys were let out of school, and brought home the nice surprise of Manoj limping and in tears with an injured ankle. he was in real pain, and Rabindra said we could get an X-ray in Budhanilkantha. great, except the power was off and the clinic wouldn’t be open for a few days. he was in real pain and we had no idea if it was broken. plus, it was fairly swollen at this point, and he couldn’t wiggle any of his toes nor move his foot without crying out. so i told Rabindra to call a cab so we could take him into the children’s hospital in Kathmandu and not to worry about the cost as i’d cover it. although he was hesitant, he finally made the call and we were at the hospital about 45 minutes later.

luckily, it wasn’t broken, but they still put him in a cast for the next week to give it a chance to heal. i was amazed at the efficiency of the hospital. Manoj was into the exam room within three or so minutes of our arrival getting an exam by the doctor, and the X-ray was done about three minutes after that. maybe 20 minutes after we got there, he was in his cast, and we were waiting in the cab for Rabindra who was filling two prescriptions. all said and done, the whole process took about 30 minutes and cost a whopping $27.00 – for everything. the X-ray was about $4.00, the quality of care seemed excellent, and the doctor took the time to repeat everything in English for Dora and me as well. so yeah, no comment about that in comparison to “the best healthcare in the world.”

last night i had hoped to get a group photo before the sun went down, but like all things here, it just didn’t happen. so i had to resort to using a light i brought with which was just about the biggest undertaking one could take to get a group photo. Dora held the light when i wasn’t in the photo, but we were short one person when it came time to get me in the photo. by chance, some teenagers were playing futbol down the hill, so i ran down and asked one to help. so, with Dora shooting, and some random kid as her assistant, i was able to get a group photo. it’s not the best, but it’ll do.


(oh, and the white and black uniforms and white shoes are the new ones – spiffy, right?)

today, after helping get the boys ready for school, i was picked up by one of the volunteer placement staff members and went into Kathmandu to make a few photos for their organization. they are redoing their webpage, and asked if i could help them with a group photo / individual portraits for their “staff” page. before i left, they wanted a group photo with me:

once back at the house, i had enough time to chat with Goma about her shopping trip to town with Dora to buy supplies with 5,000 rupee i had given her from the donation money to pick up soaps, toothpaste, etc. she was excited to show me the loot.

she also got a bag full of bars of soap (there must have been about 50 in there), and had the biggest smile on her face for the rest of the day. shortly after, Rabindra and i ran Manoj back to the hospital for a follow-up (included in the $27 paid yesterday), and we were back to the house by about 5:00. having to catch my plane by 9:00, and needing to set aside about one hour for the taxi ride and two hours to check-in, i only had an hour to pack and say goodbye. i was given a traditional Nepali send off which a family does every time someone leaves for a big journey, and was given a traditional Nepali hat by Rabindra.

i said my goodbyes, which was made all the harder when Bikash whispered in my ear “no smile, sad you leaving” when Dora said “say cheese” taking the group photo above. not wanting to get into it now, i’ll just say my feelings were mixed – it’ll be good to get home, but there are things i’m going to miss like crazy.

i’m currently sitting at the airport in Abu Dhabi waiting for my flight to Chicago, it’s 3:14 am, and i’m wide awake – nothing new. after getting settled back home, i’ll be posting up some more thoughts, so check back shortly for that.

the last resort

beautiful, right? did you happen to notice the guy up in the top left corner? that’s me – 196 feet up. more on that in a minute. like i mentioned in the last post, i booked a few days away at a resort called The Last Resort. it specializes in adventure activities like bungee jumping, canyoning, rope courses, rafting, etc, and when i booked it, i had no idea what to expect. the bus ride out took about three hours, and today i found out we were about 15km from the tibet and china borders to give you an idea of where it is located. the two pictures below show how you get to the resort, and the view from the halfway point of the bridge.

i had booked one day canyoning (which is repelling, jumping, zip lining, and sliding down waterfalls), and thought i’d get to the resort yesterday, hang out, and go canyoning today. turned out i went about one hour after i got there yesterday. it was cool – after a 40 foot decent with the guides doing all the work and about 15 minutes of instruction, we were left to finish out the day repelling solo, doing all the work ourselves. the guides were there if we had any questions or needed help, but it was pretty nuts hanging out over a 80 foot waterfall all by myself after only about one hour (plus, i have never repelled on dry rocks before, let alone down a waterfall).

afterwards, i went to check in (my tent wasn’t ready when i got there), and made my way through the resort to find my lodging for the night.

i had no idea i would be sleeping in a tent, or that this place was so outdoorsy, but it was pretty rad. there was a super comfortable bed, lights, and a nightstand in each tent, the showers were hot and had mad pressure, and the food was actually really good (all meals were provided in the cost).

just outside the resort was a small village. what i didn’t mention earlier is that the three hour ride out to the resort only got better and better the entire way. the air cleared, the trash along the roads declined the whole way, and the scenery just kept getting better. the village reminded me a lot of the sapa region in vietnam, and the people were actually friendly – something i really haven’t experienced since i got here.

last night, i was asked by one of the canyoning guides what my plan was for today. he said the bus didn’t leave until about 3:00pm back to kathmandu, and with no plans, he said i could go out with him and another guide for the advanced canyoning trip. he said it was way better then day one, and involved more jumps, zip lines, and way higher repels. solo trip with two awesome guides? sure.

we left this morning at about 7:30 am this morning, and hiked up about 12,000 feet to start the day. amazing.

the view along the way:

we then met up with the porter to get our gear, and after suiting up, we started our decent. if i remember correctly, we did six repels (ranging from 50 feet to 196 feet – that’s the one shown in the opening picture), two jumps (where you simply jump down a waterfall – one was about 10 feet, the other was about 18 feet down), three zip lines, and a headfirst slide down a small rapids into a freezing cold pool of water. again, amazing. (the only pictures i have to show are ones taken by the guide on the way down, so you have to look at me in all of them.)

i’d like to say the pictures speak for themselves, but they just don’t do justice – i never wanted to stop looking at the views, and sometimes i stopped during a repel to just take it all in. the gorge we made our way down in was by far the most beautiful place i’ve ever been to in my whole life, and the guide was totally right – day two was loads better than the first day.

and what better way to end the canyoning by riding on top of a bus back to the resort.

i’m back in kathmandu tonight, have an airplane tour of the mountains tomorrow morning, and will be back to the house by about noon tomorrow. the boys start school MON, and thanks to even more generous donations, i’m hoping to not only buy the text books they need, but put a good amount towards their tuition as well! i can’t say thank you enough.

i may be able to post once more before i leave, but if not, i’ll be posting a recap and my final thoughts when i get back home. i leave TUE night, and quite frankly, i’m not looking forward the 16 hours plane ride from abu dhabi to chicago. but it’s been a good holiday, and if that’s the price i have to pay, so be it.

chat to you all in a few days.