Ottawa - Pictorial Tourist

The following collection of photos were taken during my visit to Ottawa, Canada for Du Worlds. Ottawa is perched on the south bank of the Ottawa River on the northern edge of Ontario. Its sister city, Gatineau, lies across the river in the province of Quebec. Together they form a sprawling metropolitan area with a population of just over 1.2 million.

Under the rule of Europeans the area served as a trade center. In 1826 the area picked up the moniker of "Bytown" when Colonel John By orchestrated the military's construction of a secure trade route by carving the Rideau Canal from the Ottawa River to Kingston on Lake Ontario. In 1855 the city of Ottawa was formed. Then, a mere two years later, Queen Victoria chose Ottawa as the capital city of the Province of Canada.

A century and a half later more than one hundred thousand people are employed within the city at its many government facilities. The other major employer in Ottawa is the tech industry. One longtime resident told me that he knew several people who have worked in firms within "Silicon Valley North."

Several locals, including two transplant cab drivers who have garnered Canadian citizenship, told me that they came to Ottawa because it is a great place to raise children. Indeed, Ottawa has long been ranked as the best Canadian city to live in, which stems from it being recognized as the most educated city in Canada, one of the cleanest cities in the world, and as one of the cities having the world's highest quality of living. I sensed that these statistics were spot on as I spoke to residents, despite the fact that a regular topic of discussion was the -20C winter temps.

What follows are some of the photos I took throughout my short stay in Ottawa.

West Block of Parliament Hill built 1856-1865, with
towers added in 1878 and 1906 - currently refurbishing

East Block of Parliament Hill was built 1856-1866.

Peace Tower
Parliament Hill

Sculpture base of Peace Tower

View from beneath Peace Tower to west

Many ornate sculptures of historic
figures adorn Parliament Hill

Looking out from Parliament Hill

A view of Gatineau, Quebec from Parliament Hill
across the Ottawa River

The Library of Parliament is the only section of the
original Center Block not destroyed by fire in 1916

The Victoria Tower Bell was recovered
from the Victoria Tower ruins after
the 1916 Center Block fire

Looking toward Chaudiere Falls on the Ottawa River

Sparks Street Sculpture

Victorian High Gothic gates surround Parliament Hill

Changing of the guard at Parliament Hill is a
major tourist attraction

Rideau Canal at sunset

Parliament Hill is a gated community

La Cathedrale, Ottawa

ITU Duathlon World Championship
Parade of Nations on Sparks Street 

Boats passing through the Rideau Canal

Cannons fired on Parliament Hill!!

Giant spider attacks Peace Tower
after cannons emptied!

Did you know of this guy?

If not, then pick your language and read about
Mr. Terry Fox

Most construction is completed during the short
summer to avoid sub-zero temperatures

Came across this scene while riding along the
30K long Ottawa River Pathway

Greg and I met these kilt clad ladies during our
post-race meal at the famous Mill St. Brewery

The 30-minute sound and light show on the
Center Block is amazing

More of this creative way to tell a history lesson

Loved this scene where books from famous
Canadian authors were stacked

Looking over Parliament toward the ByWard Market
in Lower Town from atop the Marriott

I'm out of here . . . ST

2013 ITU Duathlon World Championships

On August 10th I participated in the ITU Duathlon World Championships in Ottawa, Canada. The six day trip turned out to be more than I had anticipated because I was able to experience the company of many old friends while visiting a national capital city bearing a rich history. I'll dedicate a post to the Ottawa visit soon. For now I will present a short review of the race.

Those of you who follow this blog know that I have been dealing with the effects of a pinched nerve for a several months. The condition worsened until I was unable to run or bike. Because I had qualified (and paid) for the trip to Ottawa, I made a concerted effort throughout June and July to make it to the starting line.

Despite continued work with several medical professionals, my condition only saw minimal improvement as the race approached. I was told that the compression on the nerve had been removed and that I could train because the nerve had sufficiently healed. However, my left gluteus, hamstring, and groin muscles did not seem to know how to work together. I suffered from nearly constant spasms in one or more of those muscles and their lack of cooperation often made my left leg feel as if it were being struck with a blunt instrument.

A mere two weeks before the race I was still unable to run more than 1200 meters (0.75 mile) without lying down to stretch spasming and locked up muscles. Before sunrise that Saturday morning I sat on the USI Greenway stretching in tears due to the frustration of not being able to run or bike - or even walk - normally. I don't take well to being sick or injured. And I certainly don't like being sidelined from running due to something unrelated to exercise and so bizarre and unexplainable.

Almost magically, twelve days before the event, I was able to run three miles non-stop. That gave me hope. In all, I was able to fit in 8 non-stop runs of 3-5 miles in the weeks leading up to the race. That gave me less than 40 miles of running in the ten weeks leading up to the race. The muscles were still misfiring, but I was managing it with consistent therapeutic efforts.

Taking a positive stance, I assured myself that I'd be going into the event with "fresh" legs. Considerable thought went into every step I ran during those twelve days in order to maximize my performance. I cannot recall any other training period when I looked at my Polar RCX5 computer so often during training or when I studied the data files so fervently.

Smiles with friends after the parade of nations

Though I was able to cycle more consistently during this time period, I quickly learned that my untrained running legs reduced my ability to ride well. My hard cycling efforts produced solid results - until I rode them shortly after running.

Fingers crossed, I toed the line in Ottawa with a group of talented super fit "old men" from around the world that included two past champions and two likely title contenders.

Finishing lap one of run one

Race day was sunny and cool with variable menacing winds blowing wildly at 15-20 mph. The two-lap run course was mostly flat, but it included a couple of hills that many competitors took note of. The two-lap bike course consisted of an out/back on a parkway and a side box through an industrial area. The surprisingly bumpy roadway, due to countless cracks and potholes, combined with a relentless wind to make the bike leg considerably tougher than expected. I am still wondering, as was noted post-race by many competitors, how it was possible to have head winds in almost every direction of travel.

Starting lap two - form deteriorating

The first 10K went well enough until the left hamstring knotted as I climbed a hill with a K to go. I had to shorten my stride until it quit bitching. That cost me several places as I approached T1. I covered that 6.35 miles (several had it at 6.4+ miles) in 38:20 (6:02 pace) and trailed friend and AG leader Andy by more than a minute.

Powering back to speed after nearly following
Rg off course at the end of lap one

Four miles into the bike leg I had passed several people and thought that I was in fourth or fifth in our 50+ AG wave. Timing our differences at the turns, I knew that I was closing on Andy, but I soon realized that I would not catch him unless he cracked. Andy was having a fantastic day - he did not crack. Given the conditions and the fact that I held back a bit after the hamstring event ending the 10K, I was happy with my 1:01:39 (24.1 mph) split for the ride (24.8 miles by my Polar RCX5), but I wondered as I started the last 5K (3.25 miles?) whether the left leg would cooperate.

She loves being alone in T2 - Andy's disc is at right . . .

For four kilometers I reeled in a Brit named Rg McClean as we ran amongst a wave of younger runners. I finally came within a stride of him with about a K to go - on that same hill. Wanting to pass him with authority, I accelerated and was immediately hobbled by the hamstring again. I then watched as he slowly pulled away from me. Though I was able to gain on him again in the closing meters, he finished ten seconds ahead of me. My 20:20 split (6:15 pace) was slow compared to what I normally run but, again, I was pleased to reach the finish line after all of my trouble.

I was astonished to hear the announcer call my name and congratulate me on a bronze medal finish. I honestly thought I was racing for fourth place. I knew that the depth of talent was lower than it has been in the past - USAT scheduled Tri Nats on the same day as Du Worlds and the world economy is limiting travel. Still, I was excited and proud to stand on the podium to collect a medal for Team USA.

I was also honored to be able to spend time with the many friends I have made over the years through duathlon. Boulder's Andy Ames "came out of retirement" to kick some arse in my AG. Marty, Kevin, Derek, Bruce, David, Warren, Chris, Glen, and several other friends represented Team USA well. I was especially happy to see Greg Fraze, another southern Indiana boy, have an all-around solid race and collect the silver medal in his AG.

A review of the data from my Polar RCX5/G5 gave me a lot of feedback on my performance. I rarely look at my watch during races these days. Instead, I go by feel. For this race I pushed hard until the hamstring knotted up. After that I was hesitant to push it to that thin line marking my aerobic limit until I threw caution aside and surged on the Brit, Rg. My legs were understandably shot during run two, but I did not allow any excuses or negative thoughts to creep through my mind as I closed out. Given my fitness level, I see from the data that I had a solid physical (and mental) performance.

This picture speaks volumes

Course map created by my Polar RCX5/G5

A peek at my polarpersonaltrainer.com log

I would like to thank those who have supported me throughout this frustrating year. You know who you are. Your messages, calls, and visits have been duly noted and deeply appreciated. I would also like to thank all of the duathlon friends who spent time with me during the last week and who sent photos they took during the race. Finally, I send thanks to Polar for the products that allow me to dial in my minimalist training and VFuel for the great tasting gel that keeps my energy levels high during these long events.

This race trip included a thorough tourist experience in Ottawa as I logged many miles walking, running, and riding amongst the many attractions. A pictorial blog of these activities will soon follow.  ST

He first inspired me during my high school years.

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

My personal discovery of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park came in 2000 when I received the brown sign along CO-50 as a personal invitation. I had no idea what lay before me as I steered my Nissan XTerra up CO-347, but my sense of adventure was registering something special.

And special it was! This deep and narrow gash through some of the oldest rock on Earth's surface has long been encountered by man. Native Americans, explorers, trappers, and wanderers all most certainly stood on its rim frozen in the same dumbstruck awe that overtook me that day. Four visits later I still get goosebumps peering down from the rim.

Click the pics to expand them :)

As I often do, I tried to imagine what those people from earlier times thought when they came upon the canyon without the aid of roads, or signs, or maps, or GPS devices. Surely it must have taken them by complete surprise. Given that no traces of early human activities have been found in the canyon, it most certainly changed the direction of their travel.

Until, that is, it was decided that fifty-three miles of narrow gauge Denver and Rio Grande Railroad would be routed through the canyon. The colossal labor was completed in 1882 and trains ran along the line with earthly riches, cattle, and astonished travelers until 1949. The entire railroad and almost everything associated with it, including the original town of Cimarron, were later removed and replaced with National Park roads and structures. National Park history and railroad enthusiasts can click on these links to ingest more information or to plan a trip.

The film showing at the visitors center this summer focuses on two adventurers named Torrence and Fellows who explored the canyon in 1901. It was their expedition that first navigated, or conquered, the precipitous Gunnison River through the 40-ft wide, 2700-ft deep section of the canyon known as The Narrows.  They were searching for a place to start a tunnel that would allow some of the river's water to be drained into the Uncompahgre Valley for farming. Without knowing what waited for him, Torrence jumped into the fifth steepest stream in North America and floated through what has become known as Whirlpool Rapid. Fellows followed. Their brave gamble paid off as they survived and located the best site for the Gunnison Tunnel.

So unique and sovereign is this canyon that it gained the attention of President Hoover to become a National Monument in 1933 before being upgraded by Congress in 1999 to National Park status.

Description of this impressive canyon elicits a variety of superlatives. I'll leave that to your own senses as you look through the photos that follow.  If the skies seem different it is because the photos were taken during multiple visits at different times of the day and through air that ranged from crystal clear to markedly hazy to wildfire smoky. Enjoy the photos, but make sure you put a trip to the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park on your bucket list! BTW - I'm posting this after embarking upon my next adventure.  ST

Halfway up, but still a lot of climbing to do.

Oops! Saw that on my way back up from the river.