Training Payne

Training Payne
(aka The Captain)

Joy here...Two years ago, The Man and I met an IronMan competitor through a mutual friend of ours (also an IronMan competitor).  I had just finished my first-ever running race (the 10km running race that Nomi and I did together), and I was high on that experience, and so when I met Training Payne, a triathlete from my hometown who had a very popular blog, I came up with the idea of this little blog as a way to chart the progress that Nomi and I might make on the heels of our first-ever running race.

In October 2011, I gave him a shout out in my race report from my first-ever half marathon, and when he and our friend who introduced him to us in the first place were both coming to compete in last year's Lake Placid IronMan, we had them both over to our house with a bunch of our other friends.

The view up to the Niagara Escarpment.

This year, when we decided to hop in our car to take a one-week road trip vacation, one of the places on our "must visit" list was this guy's house.  Both he and his wife are super fun, generous, and open-hearted people, and their kids--a daughter in university and a son in high school--are really good kids too.  So we showed up on the doorstep of the House of Payne with our bikes and our bags and hoped that they wouldn't turn us away.

And they sure didn't.

Top of the Rattle Snake climb!

Training Payne took us out on an excellent bike ride for just under 70kms through some rolling countryside north of Burlington (averaging 27km/hr).  The sun was high up above us for our late afternoon ride, and there was a strong headwind making us seem a lot slower out of the gate than I would have thought, but as we warmed up our legs, got the conversation going, and got used to the wind, we fell into a good and comfortable pace.

And then we approached Rattle Snake Climb.

It's a zig-zagging climb up to the highest part of Rattlesnake Point, and one Toronto cyclist calls it a "monster," describing it:  "this is as close as it gets to an alpine climb in the GTA. Sure, it's not as long, but with multiple switchbacks and a crazy gradient, this is an absolute leg-breaker!" (click here for the site where I lifted this quotation from).  So as Training Payne, The Man, and I approached this steep hill, I put my bike into its easiest gear and just settled in for a long climb.  Training Payne was by my side, grovelling just as I was.  The Man?  He was nowhere in sight.  He just stood up on his pedals and rode out of our sight.  I just pedalled as much as I could, but about halfway up, I needed to pull over in a driveway to have a drink...I stopped and clipped out of my pedals.  Training Payne stopped with me.  Then when I was done having a drink, I couldn't get clipped back in!  The gradient was so steep that I couldn't get enough speed to clip in and keep on going.  Training Payne waited until I was clipped in, and then on we went again...onwards, upwards...onwards, upwards...onwards, upwards.

Post-ride libation courtesy of the
amazing hospitality of the House of Payne!

And then we saw The Man near the top; "it's only about 60 more meters to go!" he shouted, but then the road turned around once more and headed straight up.  I saw my speed go from 8km/hr to 6km/hr to  4km/hr, and I started to worry that I'd be going to darn slow that I would just fall right over, so I hopped off my bike, swallowed my pride, and humbly walked it up the last few steps to the top of the climb, where I then rested, huffed and puffed, and ate and drank, high-fiving Training Payne and The Man before continuing on with the rest of our ride.

And what a ride it was!  Each time I ride in the countryside around Ottawa, I end up feeling like something is ever-so-slightly lacking, but these roads through lush farmland, beautiful golf courses, large acreages, and over rolling hills were truly beautiful.  No offence to Eastern Ontario around Ottawa, but Southern Ontario sure does have some pretty sights!

The sunrise from Training Payne's backyard after
a night well spent with chit-chat!

On most of the climbs, The Man and Training Payne would drop me, and I would just ride at my own pace until I would catch up to them on the flats or the downhill, so I wasn't feeling too bad about my abilities.  On one of the climbs, I just stayed right behind Training Payne, and try as he might, he just couldn't shake me.  I just kept going with him pedal for pedal, and then as we turned towards the last stretch of straight road on the way back to his house, he and The Man were topping speeds of 57km/hr, and I was just flying at 52km/hr with that tough headwind finally becoming a blessed tailwind!

We turned into his driveway, unloaded our stuff, and then showered and were treated to dinner and all-night socializing with Training Payne and his wife.

There's no better way to close out a post-ride high.

Thanks TP!

Over and out,
Joy