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While eating breakfast this morning I was re-reading last night's post and realized I should maybe clarify a few things:

1. I did the skate race yesterday, not Madeleine. She was busy winning the Buckwheat Classic, a totally random, totally awesome 50km classic race in Skagway, Alaska. Google it... you'll find some hilarious news stories and pictures about the event.

2. Simple Jack ≠ Jack Cook. If you have seen Tropic Thunder then you understand the reference. If you haven't stop what you're doing and find a copy. It's good stuff.

Now... on to the update. It's funny to be writing an update about myself doing a ski race, but it was an awesome day.

The race was a fund raiser for the Canadian Cancer Society in honour of Roger Tetrault. This is a guy who laid the foundations that make Fast Trax what it is today. He is a cancer survivor and an inspiration!

It was a super flat course that covered a 5km loop at the Strathcona Wilderness Centre. My skis were fast... stupid fast actually, which is a big part of why I managed to finish this thing :) 30km is a long way for a guy who is used to testing skis. That process normally inolves skiing at race pace for a few hundered metres, then stopping to compare sensations and switch skis.

Anyway, the laps were taking about 15 minutes with average heart rates over the first five laps as follows: 175, 178, 176, 172, 170. It was at this point where things got interesting. Lap 6 took about 19 minutes with an average heart rate of 162 (not even zone 2). The interesting part was that despite the fact that I was going a lot slower, and my heart rate was a lot lower, there was no perceived change in exertion. I had bonked... to the max.

Luckily, immediatly following the race I dominated on half a dozen oreos, a smokie, and a coke. And that my friends, is the fundimental difference between a racer and a coach. I've been to a lot of races with Madeline... tons and tons of them... and have never seen her refuel like that.

It was an epic day and a ton of fun. I don't regret that recovery meal at all :)