Wasaga beach Tri and CPR

The day started good. I woke up at 5am made my coffee and got my gear together. I still hadn't decided to do the tri so I said to myself, if I can fit my bike into my new car I will do the Tri a tri. Well my bike didn't fit! and I didn't want to put the bike rack on my car because I couldn't lock my bike on it while I was away from my car. If I could have fit in in the car? then I could leave my bike locked in the car while I roamed. Anyway, I said the heck with it, I'll just volley.

It takes me about 30min to drive to Wasaga beach. It was a beautiful morning, with a little chill in the morning air and mist/fog in some area's on route to the beach. When I got there there were people already buzzing around. I went to the registration tent and said, HERE I AM! I"M READY TO VOLUNTEER! and the woman there said, GREAT! She gave me a Volley t-shirt and set me up in transition to help people with questions. After things died down and the race was about to start I went down to the water exit for crowd control. I couldn't believe how calm the water was and what great weather we were getting. You know we've had a rotten summer! But this Month of September has been perfect!

After the last swimmer in the sprint race was out of the water I went up to the finish line to help out with handing out water to the racers as they had there timing chips taken off at the finish. All went smooth.

In the mean time the Olympic race was starting. After the last Sprinter finished we had about an hour to set up the finish line with more water and Hammer drinks as they were in cups.

The racers started coming in from the Olympic race and all was fine and going well, until one racer was taking a drink at the end of my table and started to lean forward and knocked the table a bit. I turned to see whats going on as I saw the table move. Then he started to slump forward and I jumped over to catch him as he was falling face first into the table. I then grabbed him as he was convulsing and laid him down while protecting his head, I then turned him on his side in the prone position as he was convulsing. In the mean time a paramedic came and checked for vitals and pulse as I was, and said there is no pulse. We turned him over on to his back where the paramedic started CPR. at the same time another person was trying to resuscitate with a manual resuscitator that covers the mouth and nose and give him air, but it seamed the airway was blocked. Then the paramedic asked me if I know CPR and to take over which I did, doing compression in 30 pump cycles the they would give air in between. Another paramedic arrived and attached the defibrillator patches while I was doing the CPR and then on the 30 cycle they shocked him. It did not start his heart up. I continued CPR and then we put him on a wood back board to get the man ( Matthew Tatham, I can state his name now as it has been published ) away from any water on the ground so they could shock him again. Then they tried again with the defibrillator and still no pulse.

At this time the ambulance arrived within 10 mins and some more paramedics arrived with one of them taking my place as I stepped aside to let the pros do there thing. They continued CPR and Matthew Tatham was lifted onto the stretcher and taking to the ambulance and taking to the local hospital.

As I looked on after Matt was taken to the hospital, I saw John Salt the race director talking with the police and a freind of Matts shedding some tears. It's nice to know how much concern he had for Matt in hopes he will survive. I know how hard John worked to keep things moving along, making sure we had room to work and getting vital information for the medics about Matt, finding out if any family or friends who knew him were around? etc.

I went back to work at the finish line after the police took my report of what happened.

After a while I had enough and the race was winding down as the Tri a Tri race was gearing up, so I went to meet my friends who where racing and having some beers at the pub along the strip. NO I didn't have any beers! I'm still staying sober. :) After a half hour or so we all went home.


As I am writing this I was watching the news to hear some news about the man. I'm sorry to say I just heard the man did not survive and was pronounced dead. :(


Sept 13, 2009...

This from the HSBC Triathlon site today http://www.hsbctriathlon.com/ms/index.cfm
Wasaga Beach September 12, 2009On Saturday September 12, 2009 Matthew Tatham completed the Olympic Distance Triathlon finishing 1st in his age group and 40th overall in a field of 294 athletes. Matt collapsed just past the finish line and while paramedics were with him immediately, he passed away 35 minutes later at Collingwood General and Marine Hospital. We want to pass on our condolences and deepest sympathies to Matt's family and friends.




Here are some pictures of the day..... Sorry again they are in reverse order.


Some boats on Georgian bay ( Wasaga beach )




Looking out from the upstairs patio bar.
Looking out the other side towards the swim in and out and the finish chute.
The line of Tri a tri's walking out of the water because it's to shallow to swim.
My friends who raced, in orange Doug, then Jim and Paul in front.

Paul coming in the finish.

Jim making the corner to the bike dismount.

People streaming out of the water to swim finish.

The first wave start.

People getting ready for the start of the race.

People gathering on the beach at the swim start and exit.

Swim exit up the beach to T1 Up and around the building on the left.

Life guard meeting before the race.

Kayaks and calm water before the race.

Early morning getting the buoy markers out.

Big race weekend all around.

Day 3 09/11/09


My back is still a little sore when I got up. Not as bad as yesterday but just enough pain that I could feel that if I did something sudden it would tweak it again. So I waddled down to the kitchen to take my meds and wait for them to kick in while I drank my coffee.

Around 11am I went out and managed a 20km ride today. My back was OK until I tried to stand up and peddle up the hills. That is when I felt some sharp little pains in the lower left side of my back, but the pain went away as I sat back down to peddle. So when I got home I decided i wouldn't do my brick run and save my back.

Tomorrow morning is the Wasaga beach Tri, I don't know yet if I'll race? I'll see when I get there depending on how my back feels. I was thinking if I do do the race, I'll do the relay instead of the sprint. All I have to do is find someone who can run for me, and I'll do the swim and bike. :)

Sunday is the Muskoka 70.3 race and I plan to go up and watch and cheers some friends doing the race. The weather looks to be good around 26C With cloud and sunny breaks. perfect!! I'll try to get pictures of the event.

Sunday is also Ironman Wisconsin So after the Muskoka race I'll rush back home to catch the action on line, as I have friends racing there to!

Wishing all racers good luck all weekend long!!

:)

Sore but climbing back

Day 2 09/10/09

I woke up today with my back still hurting, I walked across the floor and my feet hurt as usual. I went and pop some of my painkillers. after they kicked in I went for a hot tub to loosen my back up. I soaked and stretched for about a half hour. .....No I did not train today. I'll give my back another day. I think i just pinched a nerve, it doesn't hurt while I sit or stand, only when I move or walk.

So at work tonight I had an extra job. I had to do the stair master? No not really, but I had to climb up and down an extension ladder 22 times pulling down old posters from the gym walls which were hung up top about 20 feet up. They were posters of dream coats from the play Joseph and the amazing technicolor dream coat the school did last year, and each class made a poster of the dream coat that were hung at the top of the walls around the gym.

Well the worst part of pulling the posters off was the fact that they were glued in place with caulking??? So I had to scrape them off the walls 20 feet up the ladder!! What made matters worse was the gym lights are on censers, and while I was up on top of the ladder 20 feet up, the stupid lights turned off!! so I standing 20 feet up in the dark! and they wouldn't turn on until i came back down so the censers detected me to turn the light back on. By the time I finished taking all the posters down I was soaking with sweat climbing up and down, up and down, up and down, and up and down. it made for a good work out I must say!

I think that makes up for me not working out this morning and made for a good workout that I will put in my training log, when I eventually create it some time this weekend? Btw, my back wasn't to bad after all the climbing. We will see how I feel in the morning.

:)

The start of a new beginning

Day 1 ...09/09/09

Today is the start of my new beginning. As of today I am quitting booze. Over this summer my weight has started to creep up again as per usual over the summer months, as I drink more beer in the summer and haven't been able to train as much because of my work schedule and the stupid camp.

So now that I've had my fill, and the summer is coming to a close, and my cloths aren't fitting me anymore, and I'm back to my regular routine at work, it's time to stop drinking and get back to my training for the up coming springboard diving season as well as continue my base training for next years Triathlons season.

I'm back up to 240lbs and feeling sluggish. So until I get my weight back under control..... NO MORE BOOZE!

I also have to try to keep up a log. I haven't kept a log in a long while since I had my heel troubles, but now that's over with and I'm able to train daily I need to dust off the old Excel data base and start making entrees.

And today I'm off to a good start. I ran 5km this morning. I had to stop a few times but made it in 30:08min not bad for a start. After my run my back started to seize up a little, probably because of the extra weight I'm carrying. Hopefully after a good night rest It will be better tomorrow.

Two and a half weeks until the Scotia Toronto water front marathon! I still haven't registered? I've got until the 22 to do so. Maybe I should focus on this weekend instead? This weekend is the Wasaga beach tri. I'll be going down for sure, I just don't know if I'll race yet? ...



:)

Busy Hiway

It figures! the first day of school and everyone drives like idiots!

I leave for work my usual time just after 2pm. A drive that is usually light and free flowing of traffic. Well not today, every one and there mother seems to be on the 400hwy going southbound. I guess a lot of people took and extra day for the long weekend so as to not get caught up in all the Sunday traffic? I think a lot of people thought the same thing, so instead of all the heavy traffic on Sunday night, Sunday's traffic is now Monday's traffic.

Anyway I see up ahead all the cars are coming to a stop and is backing up. Probably an accident? I was lucky and was right by the ramp to get off the hwy and took an alternate route to work. As I'm driving along my alternate route which is a 2 lane hwy I see a slowdown, Oh know, what now?

Well it turns out a car ran off the road and ended up in the ditch on it side. I don't think anyone was seriously hurt by the looks of some people helping out the person. It must have just happened a min in from of me coming by, because I got though the mess quickly and made it into work on time. I hope tomorrows drive into work is a little smoother.

No Training today.


:)

Sunday's training

Sunday was another beautiful day with temps around 25C Sunny and low humidity. Perfect for riding, and riding I did!

I left my place with some friends and rode out to Wasaga beach. When we got there the water was so calm and hundreds of people were there already sunning and playing in the water and on the beach. I checked our time and it took 1:28 to ride the first leg. After a short rest and re-hydration we started back home.

In total it took us 3:00hrs to ride a total of 88km just shy of 90km because we took a different route then I normally take because of heavy traffic along the hwy. It was a good ride. Later in the day I met up with friends at the lake and for my last lake swim with this group as I'm back to my afternoon shift and they swim in the evening. The water temp is warmer now then it has ever been all summer because of the great weather we have been getting the last 2 weeks. I hope it keeps up and maybe I'll try to go for a few swims in the morning before the water gets cold again.

This weekends training...

Swim... 1000m Bike 163.... Run 0

Now I'm back to my normal shift and have time to train, I will be concentrating on more running. I have 18 days to get ready for the Scotia bank Toronto Waterfront Marathon which I will be entering the half marathon. I know I won't be fast running it, but I know I will finish it. :)


:)

BBQ's, Wasaga Beach Ride and Bikini's

I was another perfect day out today. We spent most of the day at my mothers and had a BBQ. I cooked of course and BBQ'd steaks, sausages and hamburgers, while the women prepared the side dishes of potato salad, green salad and tomato's and veggies. Mmmmmm yum! Needless to say no training was done. I'll have to work off the meal tomorrow.

My plan for tomorrow is a ride with some friends out to Wasaga beach for a quick 90km bike. We will be leaving from my house at around 9:30am. The weather is suppose to be great! So when we get to the beach, we might have to take an extra long break and be on a look out for bikini clad women, maybe even a few topless!!! yuk yuk yuk! ;)


:)