AGE GROUP DU GUY of MISSISSAUGA

Age Grouper Spotlight - Sean Delanghe

2012-01-27T08:41:00.000-08:00

The 2011 Milton Duathlon was my first du in a little more than a calendar year. I spent most of 2010 racing triathlon but did not enjoy the swim training very much so I decided to go back to my comfort zone, run/bike/run.

As it turns out, one gentleman in this race would leave a lasting impression on me as he glided past me with about 500 metres left to the finish. I knew he was a strong runner, from the open 2k run, but I hoped I had put enough of a gap between us on the bike to avoid being caught on the final leg of the race. I guessed wrong. He put out an amazing effort, on a tough course, and fought very hard for that win.

Thankfully, I had a chance to chat with the victor after the race where I discovered he wasn't so new to the sport after all. We then connected over the internet through the summer and got out for a great training ride in his old stomping grounds, Collingwood. His cycling skills were impressive in the hills and he went on to a fantastic Centurion Canada race a few weeks after our scouting mission.

Dr. Sean Delanghe recently graduated from the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College in Toronto and has now set up shop in the Waterloo area. Make sure you look him up if you are in need of some attention ( http://drseandelanghe.blogspot.com/p/contact.html ) .

10 Questions with Sean Delanghe

Q1. How long have you been competing in duathlon/triathlon?

- I started with some Kids of Steel events when I was really young, along with some local, smaller scale races. However, I jumped into my first “adult” multisport race in 1999 when I was 13, the Collingwood Duathlon. The course was ridiculous, taking us up Grey Road 19 (7-8 km of climbing, which felt like a lot when I was 13), but I had so much fun.

Q2. Do you train as much as you would like or are there outside factors that limit your training?

- Work (and previously school) definitely limits the amount of time I train. However, I almost think this is a good thing. I get excited about getting out for a run or a ride, and I dream about this stuff throughout the busy day. Sure, I would be able to fit in more if I was less busy but I don’t think I would have nearly as much fun with it. Right now, training and racing is my release and I am more than happy to keep it that way.

Q3. How do you find training now that you are out in the workforce?

- I’m finding it easier than when I was in school, surprisingly. When I was in chiropractic school, my schedule was so inconsistent that I just had to squeeze in workouts whenever I “felt like it”. And then, during exams, it was almost impossible to put in any worthwhile work. While I am probably working more total hours now, the consistency is amazing. For instance, I know for a fact that I can do intervals with a group I lead every Monday night, whereas I did not have that luxury while in school. I just find it much easier to rely on scheduled training rather than will power on any given day.

Q4. If you had a full day to train (with fresh legs), which workout would you pick to make the most of this time?

- If I had a full day, I would without a doubt add more endurance work (especially long rides). Being able to sleep in, have a good breakfast and then get on the bike for 4+ hours without having to worry about other responsibilities would be amazing. Having the time to eat and rest properly after the workout (and potentially throw in another ride) would be a great day.

Q5. Do you see yourself entering triathlon in the future or will you be sticking with duathlon for the next few years?

- I think for now I will be sticking with duathlon. I love training for biking and running, so duathlon was a natural progression of my love of both of these sports. I did pursue swimming for a few months one off season, but realized that I just was not having fun with it. I do have a decent swimming background so never say never (that’s for all the Justin Bieber fans out there hah!), but for now I’ll stick with duathlons and road races.

Q6. What is your most memorable sporting moment?

- I would have to go back to that first duathlon in Collingwood (1999). I was 13 years old and I remember being really intimidated by everybody around me. Even when I signed up, we had to argue with the people doing registration because they said I should be racing the Kids of Steel event, not the adult event. Everybody had their tri suits and easy laces, and seemingly nice bikes with areo bars. I was wearing old mountain bike clothes, had two pairs of running shoes (one for the first run, one for the second), and my dad’s old road bike. At that point my goal was to just finish the race. The distance was 4km-30km-4km and I remember finishing the first 4km in first place. I couldn’t believe what was going on because I was so used to being beat by other runners at my track club. I ended up being passed on the bike, but held on for 2nd place overall. It is a great memory, and one of the major reasons why I still race today!

Q7. How important is technology in your training?

- Up until Christmas this year, I never used any technology beyond a stopwatch. I just went based on effort - make it hurt during intervals, make it kind of hurt on tempo days, and keep it smooth-ish on endurance days. However, this year I received a Garmin 310 as a gift. I am just learning how to use it now, so things may change.

Q8. Which athlete inspires you to be the best you can be?

- The athletes that really inspire me include my parents and a group of my parent’s friends. They are all busy professionals, yet they have still found the time to stay not only fit, but competitive in endurance sports throughout their entire lives. For instance, two of these individuals were 1st and 2nd, respectively, in the 65-69 age group in the Collingwood Centurion last September. These people have shown me (from a young age) that it is possible to have a happy and successful family, social and professional life, while still pursuing sport at a high level.

Q9. What are your main goals for 2012?

- My main goal is to be faster than last year. I wouldn’t mind diving into a 34:something 10km, or breaking the 39km/h barrier during the bike leg of a duathlon.

Q10. Do you have any sponsors that you would like to mention?

- I’d like to thank Compressport Canada for helping me out with some gear. Squire John’s (a ski and bike shop near Collingwood) for helping me out with a bike this year. Maikawa Financial for helping me out with some gear. Also, I have to thank my #1 all time sponsors: Mom and Dad!

Dr. Delange is also blogging and has started a very imforative site for us athletes!

http://drseandelanghe.blogspot.com/

This stuff is crazy...

2012-01-26T07:41:00.000-08:00

So I was shopping at Best Buy over the holidays and as I was waiting for a sales person to help me, I found myself glued to a promo video playing on one of the televisions.

It was a cycling video but it was beyond extreme and I could not stop watching. I could not believe the single track spine riding these guys were pulling off at incredible speeds.

There is no way in hell I could ever muster up the courage to tackle this type of route but man is it ever cool to watch. They did not show any crashes but now that I have watched more of these on youtube I have seen what happens when you go off course. Early retirement...

Also, I am going to be adding a Product Review section to my site in between Age Group Spotlights. I really appreciate the help of @kevinjagger from CEP Canada as I ramp up to start this new blog series. Stay tuned...

Age Grouper Spotlight - Kane Picken

2012-01-17T22:47:00.000-08:00

My first impression of Kane was from an early 2010 FMCT club TT. I was studying the results from one of the races I missed and noticed a new name up near the top. As the name did not ring a bell, I checked a few of the local results sites to learn more about this new Falcon but I could not dig up anything on my computer.

A few weeks later, after another club time trial, we got to chat a little and introduce ourselves. From the accent, I knew he was from another hotbed of triathlon a tiny distance to the south, Australia. Growing up down under, Kano had built quite the resume in the sport but had just taken some time off as he moved to Canada. He and his fiancee (now wife) were just getting settled in the area and he was feeling the itch to compete once again.

After using the 2010 season to get back into form, Kano had planned out an amazing calendar of races for 2011. He had a few of the favourite local races mixed in with some famous selections south of the border. I knew from a few of our training sessions that he was in great shape as he ramped up for Ironman Louisville so I was very surprised to hear about his illness that sidelined him just a few months before the big race. Unfortunately, a string of set backs followed so he had to pass up many of the events he had worked so hard to prepare for, ultimately tossing the 2011 triathlon season away.

Thankfully, this tough Aussie is feeling healthy again and is ready to take aim on a promising 2012!

10 Questions with Kane Picken

Q1. How did you get started in the sport of triathlon?

- In my late twenties, I was at a difficult point in my life. I needed to make some changes. I had always been active but had found myself sliding quickly out of control. So, I decided it was time to get happy and healthy. A short run to the end of our road kicked it off. Originally, it was to get fit for the up coming rugby season but, when I stumbled across an adventure race in Men’s Health, my focus changed direction. My dad bought a mountain bike for me he had seen for sale and away I went. The adventure race was a three-man team so my uncle, dad and I entered and had an absolute blast! A couple of weeks later I raced my first triathlon 300m/10k/2.5k and I’ve been hooked ever since.

Q2. How tough was it to sit out most of 2011 due to health issues?

- Some years are forgettable, 2011 is going to be one of them. It was extremely tough. For all of us time is precious, especially, when you spend all your spare time training for triathlons. I’m sure many can relate to me when I say I had minute-by-minute of everyday planned out. Ironman Louisville was my main target for the year and I was ready to go big. I was the fittest I had ever been and determined to reach my goals. Being hospitalized and diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis certainly brought the wheels to a screeching halt. I think the news that racing Louisville was now out of the question was harder to take than the diagnoses. Being 2 months out from the race, I felt I still had time. Once I had recovered, I began training again in hope there was still a chance. However, after my second hospital visit, and a mere 6 hours from death due to organ failure, I realized it was time to let it go. I still traveled to Louisville to be a part of the action. I was surprised by the visit of my mum and one of my sisters. What I learnt from all this was it's time to listen to my body. Rest when you’re tired; take two days off if that’s what you need, be smart.

Q3. What are your long term goals in the sport?

- My long term goals in the sport of triathlon are to make multiple visits to Hawaii for the World Championships. I want to win my age group at a domestic Ironman event. Also, I would like to take a trip to Las Vegas for the 70.3 World Championships. I would like to continue to love the sport and enjoy doing it for the right reasons. Lastly, I hope to inspire more friends to get involved so they can reap the benefits of leading a healthy lifestyle.

Q4. How do you motivate yourself to push through all the long training hours?

- I’m motivated by the fact that I like to work hard and I like to see results (I’m not happy with my results). I’m motivated by my long-term goals. I’m motivated because I’m not the best so there is always room for improvement. Training for triathlons, and competing in them, is rewarding and a positive way to live life.

Q5. What piece of gear would you love to purchase if you had an unlimited budget?

- Electronic shifters

Q6. What is your favourite training session?

- It’s a toss up between a long ocean swim with mates or a long brick session. I love the ocean swims as there is no black line, the water is clear and beautiful, it’s peaceful and I like nothing more than swimming in salt water. Long brick sessions are tough and rewarding. Spending 6hrs of your Saturday or Sunday out on the road and trails isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but for me, it builds real character and confidence.

Q7. Do you have any sponsors you would like to mention or thank?

- Clif Bar has given me great support and I’m happy to refer anyone to try their products. They have a huge selection for every kind of workout or recovery and the best thing is they taste great. Steve Keating, owner of Du, tri and Run in Streetsville, has given me amazing support. I’m very thankful for his generousity. For any of your triathlon needs in the Mississauga area, be sure to visit Steve. Maverick Hair Studio for men. It’s the place to go for stylish haircuts to keep you looking fast. Lastly, if you’re in the Erin area, “The Shed” has great coffee and super friendly staff to boot.

Q8. What do you find different between Australian and Canadian triathlon at the local level?

- Truthfully, there is not a huge amount of difference. Taking nothing away from the competition here, which has plenty of great athletes, I find the competition goes a lot deeper in each age group back home. Some races cracking the top 20 can be hard. Canada lacks in the number of Pros racing at each event. However, I like what Multisport Canada is doing this year with the Elite Age Group division and some prize money to go with it. Other than that, both countries have great race options, friendly competition and are well organized.

Q9. Who is the one triathlete you would love to spend a training week with?

- I can’t go past Craig Alexander. He is a humble, hardworking champion who always puts his family first.

Q10. What is the best piece of training advice you have received and from whom?

- Something that I live and die by now, especially after last year’s issues, is it's better to do too little rather than too much. Over training will only lead to injury. This was advice given to me by my Uncle, a multiple Hawaiian Ironman finisher.

Make sure you follow Kane on his blog @ http://kanepicken.blogspot.com/ !

Get the Press Rolling...

2012-01-17T11:11:00.000-08:00

I was looking back at some posts from last year and came across a number of the online interviews I conducted. I really enjoyed learning more about the folks that make up tour local triathlon community so I figured I had better pick up where I left off in 2011.

I have one person in mind (a nominee from 2011 just as I was moving into race mode) that I have contacted so hopefully I can start off with this gentleman and get the ball rolling.

If you have an Age Group athlete that you would like to nominate, please send the information my way and I will do my best to find out more about this local talent.

Please re-visit some of the great guest from the past through the link below.

http://larryofteamrunningfree.blogspot.com/search/label/interview

Some of the people you can read about through this link are...
Canadian AG Athletes
-Paul Gonsalves
-Rhys Spencer
-Marco Sadeghi
-David Frake
-Tommy Ferris
-Glenn Camplin
-Luke Ehgoetz
-Carlos Vilchez
-Bruce Bird
-Richard Pady

And Canadian Pros
-Brent Poulsen
-Simon Whitfield
-Tom Evans

Enjoy!

Head Strong...

2012-01-14T11:54:00.000-08:00

In my early career, I was fortunate enough to learn several sides of the pro sports business from many of the top players in the industry. One person, in particular, presented countless opportunities (scouting, practice goaltending, video analysis, etc.) to me during those years that eventually led to my part-time (hobby) role as an Assistant Video Coach in the NHL (and now as Video Coach in the AHL).

On several occasions I would visit his office to discuss how his work with athletes improved the product on the ice or in the dressing room. He obviously could not get into specifics or names (which I was not interested in anyway) but it was always interesting to hear how the mental strength of an athlete adds huge gains to their physical skills. There are so many obstacles a pro athlete needs to tackle during their rise to the top and anyone without mental toughness is sure to struggle and will out on reaching their full potential.

Through this friendship, I soaked in as many examples as I could. When I then took up running, to get back into shape, I thought back to his lessons to help me get through the tough miles on the road. I knew that I had to reinforce my physical effort with a positive mental state to ensure I put the most into my training. If you could hear my thoughts during training and racing you would see how much I took away from his teachings.

So, why am I sharing this? Well Mr. Paul Dennis has recently created a twitter account for all to follow. If you would like to receive thought provoking tweets from Canada's top sports psychologist please follow @dennissportpsy on twitter!

Things are taking shape...

2012-01-05T10:11:00.000-08:00

Wow, what a difference a week makes!

My training has been very solid in the new year but the biggest difference so far is my improved diet. I have cut out the sweets and have been snacking a lot more wisely and it is already showing, big time! I know it is easy to do this for the short term, when I set my mind to it, so it is going to be very important that I keep on track throughout the year. The past few seasons I have been overly relaxed with my eating habits and ended up racing much heavier than I would have liked. I know I will have to enjoy the odd day of bad food choices now and then but must reduce those instances in a big way.

So what else is happening? Actually, not a heck of a lot. Just trying to set up a race calendar for 2012 that includes a little bit of all my passions. A little running, duathlon and triathlon. Makes for a busy year so I hope I can pick some of my favourites and work them into an OCup cycling schedule.

Another thing I have been doing of late is catching up on some reading. A very good posting I just read comes from local triathlete, Rhys Spencer. He lays out a great summary of what it takes to complete a quick Ironman so please check it out http://rhysspencer.blogspot.com/ .

I also enjoyed reading Ricard Westwood's latest analysis of his training program. If you are an Age Group cyclist interested to see how one of the top performers in his AG gets it done, you would be wise to follow his link at http://richard-westwood.blogspot.com/ !

Of course, there are several other worthy reads from the list of blogs I follow so please scan over to the left side of my page and add some to your daily information gathering!

Lastly, I will leave you with a video that I have been studying of late. Coach Tyler continues to emphasize the importance of efficiencies in my running. Forefoot running with higher knee action are some of the mental keys I have been using of late. This YouTube video demonstrates what I have been trying to incorporate into my drills. I hope you enjoy... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaYQwq6TnXY&feature=related

2011 - Year in Rear View

2011-12-28T09:23:00.000-08:00

Sitting here as the final days tick down I have to admit I am not totally satisfied with my athletic achievements during the past 365 days. I set some big, but obtainable, goals for 2011 but only cashed in a few solid performances.

Looking in the mirror, as scary as it may be (HA HA), I can only blame myself for the short comings. I laid out a silly schedule that I hardly stuck to. On workouts, I got lazy on the bricks and it showed big time on the few duathlons I competed in. Lastly, I never really got serious about my eating habits and raced almost every event 5 to 10 pounds over my desired weight. If I really want to take my performances to the next level in 2012, I will have to get serious about cutting calories. This older body just doesn't have the metabolism it once had.

So thinking back on the year, here is a quick month by month account of how 2011 played out.

January - things were going really well to start the new year. Tyler had us geared up on the spinning and strength end of the training with several group sessions per week. I was getting through the routines with more ease than a few months earlier so I was getting pumped about the season. At the end of the month I went on a work trip to the USVI and this set me off track with the food and drink.

February - Back at it with the gang until I made a bad lift with the kettle bells and trapped a nerve in my upper back. This required several weeks of physio and reduced my running and cycling for most of February and March.

March - A lot more rehab on the back continued to slow my desired speed work I had planned. Due to the condition of my back I decided to hold off pre-registering for any races until I knew I would be ready to race up to my potential.

April - My back and neck were feeling much better so I jumped into the Spring into Motion 5k to see how things were lining up. It turned out to be a tough day with wind and snow but I managed to go mid 17 minutes so I felt OK with speed. With Mississauga Half Marathon as a priority race in May, I had to adjust the rest of my duathlon schedule as I would not have recovered enough to race Victoria's Du.

May - As my first major race arrived, I felt ready to run fast but at the Mississauga Half Marathon the wind was not our friend and I missed out on sub 1:20, again. This time by less than 20 seconds so that was disappointing but I took the positives and keep training hard for my first duathlon in June.

June - This month was rather busy with the Milton Duathlon to start things off. I was third on the opening run, first off the bike but suffered on the run to finish second to a new friend. This should have motivated me to pick up my brick training but I brushed it off thinking I will get back in the next race. The second race was a four person, 5k relay. It was after work so I rushed down to Exhibition Place to meet Jo Jo and the crew. I ran a strong 5k but still mid 17 minutes. Lastly, I ran the 10k portion of a triathlon relay team in Guelph Lakes. With Ang and Richard, we pulled off the win but I still wanted to go faster than 37minutes. At the end of the month I changed my Peterborough Half Ironman Du focus to the Tri as Syd and Ryan asked me to guide Brian Cowie.

July - Brian and I completed the Peterborough Half Iron Triathlon on a very hot and humid day. It was quite an experience and I am very happy to have had the privilege to race with Brian. We have stayed in contact since the race so I am very thankful for this opportunity to make a new amazing friend. After Peterborough, I had to travel twice for work (Calgary and California) so my schedule had to be adjusted again. This meant I missed out on the Provincial Duathlon Championships in Cobourg.

August - With my commitment to Centurion Collingwood to my FMCT friends, cycling took a front seat for the next few months. I spent a lot of weekend time riding with the gang so running was not too important. I did not want to go into a 100mile bike race without the proper training. In early August I did wet my duathlon whistle one more time for 2011 and raced the Niagara Duathlon. It was a decent race and I managed the victory to add some confidence to my future training.

September - After joining the Ontario Masters Association (looking to do fall XC races) I decided to take a flyer and race Carrotfast 5k. It was the OMA 5k Championships so I tested my running legs against all my cycling training and was able to match my earlier 5k time of 2011, winning my AG for the 2011 OMA 5k Championships. After that it was all about Centurion. Leading into the race I ended up tearing a muscle in my lower abs that hurt my running but I could continue to ride. When race day finally came, I settled in with a good sized chase group and did well to navigate through the challenging hills of Collingwood. I did end up falling a part in the last 10k but still beat my expectations on time and average pace so that added to the cycling fire.

October - With our cycling legs still in fine working order, the FMCT gang decided to tackle the 100km Tour de Hans in Waterloo. My injury continued to hurt on my runs so I skipped a xc race and jumped on the tour and had an amazing race. I hung with the lead group for 30k and then battled hard to create a new chase group and ended up in 21st overall. My next race was suppose to be a shot at sub 2:50 in the Scotia Toronto Waterfront Marathon. I was not sure if I was up for it but the injury was feeling better. I was then called out to California the week before race and once again had to ditch my plans due to travel. I probably was not ready for the marathon but now wanted to finish the season on a good note so signed up for the Hamilton Half Marathon.

November - In this month I ended up striking one goal off my 2011 list. In the Hamilton Half Marathon, I raced to a 1:17:41 time and finally went sub 1:20 for a half marathon. I was then taking some time off when a friend asked me to run the Mississauga Canoe Club 15k so I decided to just go all out and try to see what I could do. It was not my best effort but I still beat the FMCT club record so I could take some positives out of the race.

December - This has been down time. I was going to race the Boxing Day 10 Miler but I had a conflict with work so I just kept running and added some swims and bike rides in there. I hope this time to recharge the batteries will get my motivation fueled up so I can get off on the right foot in 2012.

Some New Web Reading Material...

2011-12-20T11:30:00.000-08:00

Hey Folks,

I made some changes to the site so I hope you have a chance to check out the new link tabs across the header of the page. I have replaced some of the side material (results, links, etc.) and added pages for a nicer, clean read.

Let me know if you have any more comments of questions!

Thank you,
Larry

Interactive Reflection - Why?

2011-12-08T09:23:00.000-08:00

I am sure most of you are in the same boat as I am and often have friends or family ask you why? Maybe it is even you asking this question when you are looking in the mirror in the morning?

Why do I train as frequently and as hard as I do for a recreational pastime?

When I think of my days in hockey and golf, I do not recall wanting to spend hours a day on training. Even though I wanted to be the best I could be in those sports, the norm (among the people I competed against and with) was not to practice a hour or two or three per day to improve my game day performance.

With hockey it was always just show up at the rink, once or twice a week, and play the game. In golf, we just booked a tee time and whacked the ball around a course (when you could find six hours of spare time). I would maybe go to the driving range a few times a month to try to fix the numerous flaws in my swing, but not five or six time a week.

There is definitely something different about triathlon...

I would love to hear from as many readers as possible. As the comments and email responses come in, I will add them below on this posting to create a motivational piece to spark everyone for the new year.

Please send me a comment or email (larrybradleytoronto@yahoo.ca) so I can post your thoughts!

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Larry,

the short answer is "it's in me".

When I was about 9 or 10, I got my first bike and, though I don't remember much about riding around on it, one memory that does stand out is circuit racing around the mini strip mall not far from my house. The tarmac went completely around the mall and my friends and I used to race around it. It was dangerous, as we'd have to weave in and out of cars that were driving in to buy milk or whatever, but that didn't stop me. The cars were just obstacles to go around. I loved this game; it was the thrill of racing but there was also the high from exerting myself. When I was a bit older, I'd used spend hours hitting a tennis ball against the school wall. This time I was by myself which showed that it wasn't just about competition; the activity itself was enough. Now I'm 55 and I still get the same feeling of elation when I'm out riding my bike or in the middle of a run. It doesn't happen all the time but often enough to keep me coming back. Throw the thrill of competition in there and the elation is magnified tenfold. So I don't know what the scientific or philosophical or medical answers are. All I know for sure is it's in me.

-richard http://richard-westwood.blogspot.com/

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For me, Triathlon (SBR) is my thing and my lifestyle now. My kids have their hockey/soccer, etc. and I have my triathlon. I think what makes it addictive to most is when we see that little bit of improvement year over year. This just makes me want to train more and harder. In our sport, we have world championship events that are out of reach for most, but after doing the 70.3 World Championship in Florida, the Boston marathon and recently "qualifying" for the NYC marathon, the last thing that really motivates me is to earn and take a Kona slot for Ironman. It's that carrot that is out in front me and drives me to keep working harder and harder, even as I approach that magical 40 number in age. A lot of people in triathlon who give it their first go, quickly get addicted, as they, like me, can see those small incremental improvements year over year. In doing triathlon/running/cycling, you surround yourself with like minded individuals and you feed off each other. I'm not going to lie that I watch what you do and think to myself, "man, can I do that?"

In addition to the performance improvements, a lot of people see dramatic physical changes to their body the more training they do, which is also a huge motivating factor. I'm as fit now as I have ever been in my whole life, and that is awesome. I look forward to 2012 and the challenges that lie ahead, as I'm sure you do as well.

-Luke http://mytriathlonandtrainingadventures.blogspot.com/

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The reason why I originally got into it is kind of funny. I started racing and training for mountain biking when I was about 12 because- believe it or not- I was a huge X-Men fan, and I wanted to push myself and my body to be as close to a super hero's as possible!

Obviously not my main goal now, but that's what got the ball rolling way back when! haha

-Sean http://www.drdelanghe.com/

Mississauga Canoe Club 15k - Race Report

2011-12-01T13:35:00.000-08:00

This race was not originally on my calendar so I wasn't totally prepared to go super hard for 15k. A co-worker, who has always been supportive of my racing and my tri club, is a member of the "Missy" Canoe Club and asked a few of us in the office to join in the fun. It didn't take much to convince me to run so I re-arranged my weekly schedule to make it fit into my training so I that I wouldn't miss out on any of my workouts.

Although, the weather was a little cool and wet on the morning of the event, I was curious to see how close I could take this race to my 15k split in the Hamilton Half Marathon. This kept the motivation high while I warmed up in the chilly rain as the rest of the small field assembled near the starting line. As the gun time neared, I decided shorts were still acceptable but went with arm warmers and a tri top to kept a little warmer up top.

With the Canoe Club trying to keep costs down (rightfully so) they designed the course to stick to the walking paths around the Lakefront Promenade Marina. This made for a lot of twists and turns with some blinds spots out on the course so I made sure to listen to the lead bike guide during the pre-race instructions. When it was time to begin the run, I positioned myself behind some of the younger athletes and just came off the line in a relaxed effort. This was probably a good call as many of the teenaged runners went off like canons, getting out well ahead of me to the start of the path.

I was fairly certain a good number of them would burn out after their short sprint so I just set my target on a few of the smoother looking ones and slowly made made way through the crowd. By the time we had covered the first kilometre I had moved up to sixth spot with a couple solid looking runners chasing the bike very quickly. One of them was relatively young but had great form so I was not sure what to expect from him at this distance. The other was a familiar face from a few previous races. I knew he was a gamer so there was no way I was going to stay on his heels for 15k. I just patiently hung back as we circled RK McMilland Park to the west of the starting area.

After making the loop around this tree filled park (could not see the competition during this section), we doubled back past the beach cove and headed to the northeast trails. I was now running in fourth spot, about a hundred metres back of third, feeling confident that I could catch this guy somewhere down the road.

We were just over three km into the race as we zigged and zagged along Waterfront Trail and I was making solid ground on my target. From a previous 10k race on these grounds, I was now comfortable enough with the course to zone out (take my mind off the pain building in my legs) for a little while and focus on my form and pace.

As I reached the 5k mark (water station), I could tell I had fallen too far off the pace of the two leaders so there was little chance of reeling them back in. I now had to settle with the possibility of a third place finish. Not so bad but not exactly they way I imagined the day...

A little further through Marie Curtis Park, as I neared the turnaround at the far east end of the course, I noticed I wasn't too far off that podium position. I hurried over to the volunteer pointing out the turn marker and made a quick pivot to re-trace my steps. Two things hit me at this point. Firstly, my legs died on me right out of the blue. Secondly, I could now see how close two runners were just behind me. Oh Oh!

The twosome on my rear brought a bit of a spark but I felt like I was suddenly struggling with my form over the small rolling mounds of asphalt, fighting despreately to speed up. By the time I weaved through the kilometre in the forest, I had lost contact with the last spot on the podium. I hit the 7km aid station and was afraid that reaching for a drink would stop me in my tracks so I just kept my eyes forward and hoped to hold off the guys on my heels.

Watching my garmin on the way back to the marina, I could tell my pace was suffering compared to my early splits. My goal of fifty-five minutes was in jeopardy now so it was all about getting through the final portion of the race without losing too many spots or dropping out. Thankfully, my mental game was on to make up for the lack of physical game on this day and I talked myself into staying as efficient as possible.

This was not pretty, believe me. I couldn't see the guy running in third at this point so I was starting to doubt some of the upcoming turns on the course as we twisted back to Lakefront Promenade Park for another loop. I got through the loop for the second time in the race and was really not sure where we were heading next for the last four kilometres. I just hoped the volunteers were on top of the situation as they directed both 8k and 15k runners along the pathway.

Lucky for us, they did a great job! I travelled back along the Waterfront Trail, along the back edge of an industrial park, and counted down the distance knowing the final turnaround must be coming soon. Shortly after that thought, I watched the leader zoom past me with second place a litttle back from the young, talented runner. After I saw third place, I knew I was getting close to my final switch back and hit the line and blasted off to get back up to speed. I could once again see 5th and 6th place licking their lips so I just gunned it for the final two km.

My legs were too tired to put any length into my stride so I had to concentrate on just speeding up the cadence of my shuffle. This was enough to increase the gap and provide a respectable final few thousand metres. I was very relieved to make my way back to the marina parking lot and see a low 56 on the clock. I made a final sprint to keep it under 57 minutes and broke the tape in 56:32 (on my garmin).

This was good for 4th place overall and a nice, new standard for 15k (not including splits from longer races)for me to aim for next year. I still have not seen the actual chip time results so I am not sure how that looked for my age but I would assume two of the three runners ahead of me where under thirty years of age.

Hiperformance Online - Come run with us...

2011-11-29T08:57:00.000-08:00

Hey Folks,

My coach, Tyler Lord, is rolling out an exciting new training program for 2012 and he would love to have everyone out for a FREE orientation run.

What - Hiperformance Online orientation run
When - Sunday, December 11, 2011

Where - Hiperformance Training Centre - 118 Thomas Street, Oakville

Tyler (Pro triathlete, Head Coach), Glenn Camplin (amazing, local AG triathlete) and myself will be in attendance to lead the group through the quiet streets of Oakville. There will be several distances to pick from so everyone is more than welcome to come out and see what the program has to offer.

Please come out and see what all the buzz is about!

If you have any questions, or would like to RSVP, please send your correspondance to the contact below -

tyler_hiperformance@hotmail.com

(I will post more information about the program specifics as they are posted up on the Hiperformance Online site! Stay tuned...)

Road 2 Hope Half Marathon (2011) Race Report

2011-11-21T14:12:00.000-08:00

Missing the Scotia Toronto Waterfront Marathon a few weeks ago, I thought I would just pack it in for the season and take some time to rest and recuperate. Thankfully, other people had better ideas and I soon found myself gearing up for the Hamilton Road to Hope Half Marathon. I had put in a lot of work for the marathon and my coach did not want to see me waste all the effort so he recommended this date for me to compete.

Having raced this particular event last year, I knew it was a fast course but I still had to be ready and on my game to hit the time he had in mind for me. So I took the three weeks and made a very solid push in training to get myself ready to go sub 1:20 in Hamilton. As luck would have it, Tyler made a last minute change to his schedule to help pace my effort. Heading into the race with this support, I was feeling very good about my chances.

On Sunday morning, I grabbed my gear and headed towards the Hammer. On my way, I picked up Tyler and we drove to Confederation Park (the finish area) to catch the shuttle bus up the hill to the starting line. During the ride we discussed the strategy of the day so I knew what to expect and where I wanted to be in relation to his position on the course.

When we arrived at the high school (our warming centre), we grabbed a spot in one of the halls and I slowly prepared my kit for the race. I was not sure how warm it would feel come gun time so I was taking a long time deciding what to wear. As I weighed my clothing options, I had a chance to chat with Laura G (FMCT) and Luke Ehgoetz. Laura was gearing up for the full so she had a bit of a head start and was just about to make her way over to the line. Luke was running the half with us so I was interested to see what his game plan was for the 21.1k.

After we discussed this, and checked in our bags, it was time for a quick warm up outside. It was incredible running weather so I ended up ditching the short sleeve technical shirt I had under my top and just went with tri top and gloves on this early November morning.

At the start line, I tucked in behind Tyler and let him lead out of the tight chute. Unfortunately, I did not battle very hard once the gun sounded and I found myself falling off the pace, getting stuck behind some folks that were not hitting the pace the lead group was pushing. With a sharp right turn about 100 metres out of the school driveway, I had to wait to get around the corner before I could negotiate the crowd and then bridge up to the group I wanted to be running with. I wasn’t expecting to generate this kind of acceleration in this part of the run so once I caught up to Tyler I just sat on his heels for a few minutes to get the heart rate back down.

Over the next few kilometres we kept things under control, hanging slightly back from the chase group (the solo leader was well ahead of them). A few times I felt the urge to surge up to one of the other small packs in between us and the chase but Coach T wisely held me back keeping me just under our targeted pace across the flats leading up to the Red Hill Valley Parkway.

Just after the 5k marker we arrived at the downhill section as we merged onto the expressway. We had the benefit of a solid tailwind at this point so Tyler pumped up the pace and I just stuck on his tail. Most of the small groups were now strung out down the road so we just ran our own pace and did not worry about working with anyone else, for the time being.

On the decent, I was cruising along quicker than planned but I was doing well staying with my coach for most of this drop towards the lake, usually following him or just behind the twosome or threesome he was pulling along. This held true until the 8k area when I made a mental mistake trying to grab a cup of energy drink from an aid station. I missed the first one when I took my eyes off the cup and had to scramble to reach for another before passing through the zone. This brief lapse in focus seemed to knock me slightly off their pace and a gap opened up between myself and Tyler, Hugo Reyes and Michael Enright.

Tyler had mentioned Hugo’s talent level (as we watched him charge out at the start of the race) so when Tyler started to run beside Mr. Reyes, I figured they were going for a much quicker time than I could manage. My new plan was to just try and keep my gap around a hundred metres back. With the wind helping I knew I would be OK to work alone for the moment but I also knew once we changed direction, in a few thousand metres onto Barton, I would be expending a lot of extra energy going solo.

As I reached the 10k sign, I looked at my watch (35:23) to notice I was around ten seconds ahead of last year’s pace. This had me a little worried as I remember how much time I gave back in the last half of the run in 2010 and I felt like I was struggling a lot earlier this year. Shortly after the sign, I started to climb up the exit ramp from the expressway and decided to skip the aid station that would have added a few extra metres (on the far side of the curve). I saw Tyler, Hugo, Michael and another runner all head towards the volunteers so I hoped that my shorter route to Barton would allow me grab onto the back of their line to find some protection from the wind.

Similar to 2010, the wind was slowing everyone down along this short detour to Woodward Avenue. Tyler was now pushing ahead of the rest of us and looking very strong as I joined in behind Hugo and Michael. Once we turned right onto Woodward, we enjoyed more assistance from the wind and I just let my legs go and led the group for a few minutes with my coach a little ways up the road.

Over the next few kilometres, the three of us kept swapping positions leading the small pack to the lake front portion of the course. The cross wind was pretty tough along Beach Blvd as Hugo and Michael started to fade a little so I decided to just run on my own and try to chase down Tyler who was now about 50 metres up the street. When we finally reached the turnaround at 16k, I was not too far off but realized it would be a mistake to bridge up since the last five kilometres were going to be killer with the winds howling from our right.

On our way along the lake front path to the finish line, Michael ended up catching and pulling past me with about 4k to go. My form was getting very ugly at this point and I could not match his speed to work with him (to be honest, I don’t think there was any place to hide from the wind from the direction it was coming from so I just tried to use a training course landmarks to get me closer to the line as fast as possible). The Brooklin, Ontario native eventually hit a wall with about 2.5k to the line and I slowly got around him. He held on for a few hundred feet until a twosome from the London area smoothly glided past us, knocking both of us out of the top ten.

I had nothing left in the tank but Michael seemed to have a little juice and tried to track them down. He eventually came up six seconds short of their time and I was another eight behind him. I was just happy to reach the tape before having to crawl.

I ended up breaking through in 1:17:40 and finishing 12th overall and 2nd in my Age Group. Tyler also set a PB finishing 45 seconds ahead of me in 8th position. Thanks Coach!

Congrats to everyone on their races in Hamilton! Great work by Luke to easily beat his goal and qualify for New York in 2011!

Trying to bring things back up to speed...

2011-11-16T06:15:00.000-08:00

Well, my plans to have my race report completed have been sidelined. I was too busy enjoying a weekend away with the family and I tried to keep sports and work out of the mix. I will attempt to get this wrapped up this week, but with work being crazy of late, I am not sure exactly when I can fit it in.

I am also getting back up to speed with my program. Since the half marathon, I have been recovering. Most of that has brought back poor eating habits so I am carrying a little extra weight around that I have to shed to make running easier. Last night's run was amazing in the mild, fall weather we are experiencing. I got home after the run feeling motivated so I drove over to the gym to throw in some weight training as well.

As you can see over to the right, we are getting very run specific at this point in the season. This will give me a good indication if I am feeling up to Boxing Day 10 Miler. I better decide very soon as many of these traditional runs are selling out quickly these days. Tyler has told me to focus on the run so I will just fit in some extra rides on the side to keep my cycling legs ready to go once we get geared back up for the hard work to come. I don't want to fall too far behind the machines I have in friends like Richard, Sean and Luke.

Next is the swim. I received all kinds of advice from folks which led me to a Friday morning session in Meadowvale, blocks from my house. JJ is coaching a group through a drill structured class which is exactly what I need to become way more efficient in the water for Muskoka. I know JJ has a huge following, and is an amazing coach, so I am sure I am in great hands for this swim each week. Now I just have to decide when I will swim a few more times during the week. FMCT swims are starting in the new year so I have to get cracking on this to make sure it is OK with family schedule. As the kids are getting older, they are increasing their activity calendars so I have to make sure that I do not book anything that conflicts with Sparks, Swimming or Skating.

Anyway, just another quick update. Would love to hear how everyone else is spending their fall this season?

Talk soon,
Larry

Just chilling...

2011-11-10T06:52:00.000-08:00

Hey Folks,

Just a quick hit this morning before I dive into another full day of webinar action at work.

I am currently working on my race report from the Hamilton Half Marathon. Should be able to post by the end of the weekend. It has been a crazy week at work but the timing is good. I have not completed anything of note, athletically speaking. Coach told me to recover and I am doing just that. I don't think he told me to binge on junk food so I will have some work to do coming off this week.

Not sure what is 100% for my next adventure. I want to run Egg Nog Jog but it may have sold out. I am not organized at this moment, in that aspect of my daily world, to just go and sign up. Between family, work, hockey work, etc... I am not sure how that weekend is shaping up for free time so need to sit down and sort through things before making the committment. That may be too late the way the entries are filling up. Oh well.

After that, Tyler wants me to test out the Boxing Day 10 Miler. Once again, not sure of my schedule so got to take a look at all the factors on that day before jumping in. Hope I can check things out tomorrow night.

Anyway, must be going.

Make sure you read some of the blogs on the left side of my web page. A lot of cool posts from my friends of late.

Talk soon,
Larry

Getting the game face on...

2011-11-03T10:35:00.000-07:00

Since I finally officially registered the other day, I cannot turn back now. I wasn't thinking about it anyway but sometimes you get up on a race day and would rather stay in bed. When you register on race day, such as I do very often (bad habit), there is no financial commitment so being lazy (especially when the weather is crappy) and staying home does not create such a guilty feeling.

So Sunday is my next challenge at the Hamilton Half Marathon. Looks like there is a good field of runners signed up so I hope I have a few people to work with to chase down my goal. I feel like I have put in an excellent fall of training and the weight has come down to a comfortable running level so I am excited to see how things pan out.

I know from the last few half marathons that the legs are going to hurt in the final 5k at the pace I raced during those events but I would really like to hammer a little more out of the gate to see how low I really can go on this downhill course. Tyler believes I have a faster time in my system, based on my training paces and shorter race results, so that may be just the vote of confidence I need to try to push the pace a little more. Hopefully, others will want to go after this time range as well so that I have some company on the road. I am sure we will encounter some wind down along the lake shore area so every extra body counts during this stretch!

Other than getting ready for this race, I have been trying to find a place to swim in preparation for the 2012 Muskoka 70.3. Not an easy task given my demands. I need something very close to home, something that is open early or very late and something that isn't crazy expensive. Not sure I am going to satisfy all these demands but I better pick something soon as I would like to be in the water 5 or 6 times a week before the new year to improve as much as possible before next fall.

Well, that's just a quick update for now. I hope everyone has a great race weekend and make sure you say HI! if you are in Hamilton this Sunday. Good luck!

Larry

Project IronReady Web Site

2011-10-26T07:33:00.000-07:00

Hi folks.

Just wanted to jump on this morning to direct you to a new site out there in cyber space. My duathlon buddy, Mark Keating, has decided it is time to chase his goal of completing an Ironman distance race. He has started a blog to document his journey and has also included a very thoughtful charitable aspect to his adventure.

Please help Mark out by following along and adding some vocal support.

I know all positive messages will help keep him on track during those tough hours of training!

http://www.agegroupdiaries.com/

Thank you,
Larry

Like the flip of a switch....

2011-10-18T08:20:00.000-07:00

I could have easily fallen into the routine of poor eating and lounging around every night like I did this weekend. It is amazing how fast the body can change, forming bad habits in such a short period of time. You get lazy for a few days and the next thing you know it becomes tough to get up for the next workout.

Thankfully, I am surrounded by awesome friends that will not let me fall down that path. Over the past two days, I received inspiring messages from Richard Westwood, Tyler Lord and Glenn Camplin telling me to get back on the horse, so I did.

I made sure the family was down for the night and set out for an easy run on a beautiful, fall night. Since I was running on the trail system in Meadowvale, I had little to worry about so I was able to use the time to think about what I want to do to wrap up 2011. I didn't wear a watch or carry any other distractions and just enjoyed the quiet, evening air while building up my game plan once again.

At first, my direction was a little aggressive but I think the race and distance I settled on will be a fair challenge so I look forward to getting some revenge on a course that I know I can go faster on. As I was already prepared for last weekend's marathon, it shouldn't take much more to hit the line in 3 weeks with a good chance at reaching (and surpassing) one of my major goals this season.

Thanks to Richard, Tyler and Glenn for getting me rolling again!

A bit of this and a bit of that...

2011-10-17T09:53:00.000-07:00

So, I was suppose to run the Toronto Marathon on the weekend and had a goal of 2:50 in mind for this event. When I agreed to be a back up pace bunny my schedule was wide open but boy did things change.

In the weeks leading up to the race, I received word that I needed to fly out to California for a week of business training and would return Saturday morning, only 27 hours before the marathon. I also noticed the hockey schedule posted online that showed games on Saturday and Sunday of the marathon weekend.

I continued to train hoping to find a way to fit everything into the short gaps of time that I now had to work with but, on my flight home from California, I realized that it would be better if I scrapped the marathon plans and help out around the house Sunday morning instead of running 42.2k.

Luckily, I was not called in to replace any of the original pace bunnies so I would have been able to run my own race, therefore, the decision not to run at the last minute did not affect anyone else but certainly gave my wife a little relief as I was able to spend more time at home than expected this weekend.

Now that this event has passed, I am finding it difficult to re-set my short term goals for the rest of 2011. I kind of feel spent from the past 2 years of training and racing. I know the hockey schedule is just getting rolling so I really do not want to book a new race on a weekend that also includes hockey. I also am not feeling motivated to race anything more than 10k so that drops a bunch of the event options off the table.

As you can see, I am currently stuck without a game plan for October, November and December of this year so it will take a huge commitment on my end to stay focused on training during this period of time unless I find a goal to work towards.

Thankfully, I do have someone to kick my arse back into gear but Tyler and I have decided to give this week a "what ever" attitude and I will see how I feel at the end of the week. He will try to his best to get me back into the flow next week. It may be tough but if I can circle something on the calendar about a month down the road, it will be much easier to snap out of this lull.

This morning I still feel tired from the traveling so I have not attempted any workout. I did not lift any athletic type shoes on the weekend either so hopefully, I find some inspiration very soon as sitting around and snacking are not a good combination for my weight maintenance. I am always amazed at how fast the pounds attach to my frame.

As I ponder my future, I will leave you with a pic from yesterday's Toronto Marathon. Maybe they can spark the fire in my competitive spirit soon!

Tour de Hans - Race Report

2011-10-03T14:21:00.000-07:00

There is no mistaking it, fall is in the air. A few months ago, I was anticipating that the October 1st weekend would be a touch cooler so I was planning to race a XC Running event to ring in the season. As the race drew near, I continued to experience issues with my lower abdominal/groin region that has made running a little uncomfortable. A couple days before the weekend, Tyler and I decided to pull the plug on the Ontario Masters’ XC Race and take it easy on the running side.

Cycling, on the other hand, does not seem to bother the injury very much so I have ramped up the bike miles to stay active. I knew a large number of the Falcons were registered for the Tour de Hans 100k ride in the Kitchener/Waterloo area on October 2nd so I figured I would join the group and get in my scheduled long ride.

Coming off a successful Centurion Canada, I could tell I was growing as a cyclist so I wanted to add to my experience base and get aggressive out of the gate in the Tour de Hans to see how things go. If I fell apart because of a serious effort, I could accept it and walk away knowing what has worked and what has failed. My cycling partner in crime, Richard Westwood, and I had worked through this game plan a couple days before the event so we were prepared to push each other to maximize our efforts.

I had also spoken to my triathlon buddy, Luke Ehgoetz, who had mentioned that he was game for the challenge. This was his first cycling event and he was excited to see how his amazing triathlon bike skills translated on the road bike. Although, I am nowhere close to an experienced roadie, I passed along some pointers that I have picked up recently to help him join us to see if we could manage a three person team if we got into the same group.

On the morning of the tour, the air was a chilly four degrees with wind chills reported in the low negatives (CP24). Luckily, the predicted rain held off for the time we were out on the bike so it did not become a factor (unless you packed rain gear for the ride) and the roads were in fine shape for our race.

On to the race…

The opening 5k (out and back) portion of the event was used as a slow, warm up parade that was not timed. Guest rider, Simon Whitfield, led the group through a neutralized loop away from the staging area where I sat back a few rows from the front not wanting to miss out on anything once we returned to the actual start line of the race. When we wrapped up our warm up (although we were moving too slow to actually warm anything up as my hands were still numb), Simon continued to pull for a few hundred metres before the top guns gathered near the front of the peloton.

They were not blasting very hard, yet, so the group remained very large for the first few kilometres of the race as we continued on a straight away of rolling road. I was in close contact with most of the riders (Bruce Bird, Ryan Roth, Ian Scott, etc.) that I knew would be in the eventual lead group so I just stayed in among them as a few people attacked to test the waters.

Riding with experienced racers, you can see that they do not panic about breaks but monitor the rider out in front to see if they are going to stretch or come back to the group. During this stage of the race every minor attack came back quickly and the pack just kept pulling along until the 12k point, when things got interesting.

I saw a route marker on the side of the road that was directing us to turn right so I prepared and signaled that we would be doing so. Richard was right on my wheel so I knew he was committed to my every move. Unfortunately, for a bunch just ahead of us, the police escort did not turn and they kept following along. I was the first to turn right and started to doubt my move as a whole slew of riders continued straight for a few seconds. Luckily, a local rider pulled up with me and confirmed that I was heading in the correct direction.

The chaos to my left was kind of amusing to watch as riders scrambled to get back on route. Some were cutting across the grass in the ditch and on the gravel just to rejoin the front. This right hand turn put us dead into a strong wind so I was not really excited to be leading the charge now so I wisely slowed the pace and waited for the strong folks to jump back into the lead of the peloton.

This short connecting road into Wilmot was slightly up grade so things were finally starting to string out a little. When we entered the small town, we had a left turn that led us to a set of train tracks that looked pretty touch and go. I wanted to protect my rubber crossing these but was certain that the power riders would attempt a separation after the tracks.

As usual, the front runners took off after bumping across the railway and the race was on to stay in contact. I was hoping Richard and Luke would be right behind but I was struggling to hook on so I could not turn to peak back. I was on and off a few times as the lead group formed. Just as I was about to fall off on my last push, I got some help from a rider who managed to bridge across and grabbed his wheel. I thanked him for pulling me up and tried to recover for a few minutes before moving up to a protected position in the middle of the pack.

At this point, it was tough to tell what was happening behind us. I was not sure if the chase group had come up with us or where Richard and Luke had settled? With the strong winds most of us were battling to hold our lines so I didn’t feel confident enough to look back to see what was developing behind me.

During the next ten kilometres, I was fighting the cross wind hitting the right side of our group. I tried to get over to the left side of the train but just couldn’t find the right time to do so. At the 29k area, we finally reached the start of our longest climb on the course. It was not much of a hill, by Collingwood standards, but it was just enough to start shaking folks off the back as the leaders pushed the pace.

At the 32k mark, I started to fade to the back for a little breather. This quick lapse in judgment cost me again as I could not hold the wheel of the last rider in the group and watched as the gap grew inch by inch in front of me. As the peloton continued up the slope I noticed other riders slipping off as well. By the time we leveled off I could see several individuals on the horizon so it was now decision time.

Wait for a group (which I could not see coming up behind me) or just hammer and hope to work with others to create a group out of the shrapnel left from the peloton.

After the Tour de Terra Cotta, I could not waste another opportunity to push the limits in a cycling event so I opted to bury my head and leave it all out on the roads. If I blew up at least I did trying.

As I gained more speed, getting as aero as possible to cut the powerful wind, I passed a total of three riders all going solo. None of them seemed too interested in grabbing my wheel so I just kept pounding away as I could see a group of three making a left turn at the very top of our ascent. This was now close to 5km of time trialing up the slope so I was starting to feel the burn but not about to give up. Thankfully, I caught them a few hundred metres after the turn and pulled in front to show them I was very keen on making more ground.

I stayed out front for a minute and then waved the group through to catch a quick breather. Around the 40k mark we made a right turn and I could now see another bunch of three guys about 700m down the road. I figured this was our best chance to bring on more people so I moved up along the crew and asked if they were ready to follow up to the next few riders. I was happy to receive a positive response from the team and I got into TT mode for another hard effort.

As I pulled, I was encouraged by several of their comments as we made solid work of closing the gap between the two groups. I really started to feel the load of the effort when I got within ten metres of the last wheel ahead of me. I was hoping they would see us coming and let us hook up easier. No dice.

I really had to work hard to claim those final metres of the bridge so by the time we all moved across, to create a seven person pack, I was exhausted and having a hard time hanging on as we climbed a small hill before Linwood.

I watched as they began to increase the space and could not believe my luck as I worked so hard to create the bigger group and now there was a good chance I would be left solo with more than half the race left. To my relief, we crested the hill and started travelling down so I was able to get back on before rolling through Linwood where we turned right to finally catch some nice tailwind action.

Over the next several kilometres we became organized and started to work a pace line. I noticed one of our gang fell off during this quick period of time but we held a strong mix of six guys as we approached an intersection just after the half way spot. Unfortunately, we did not sight the rumble strips in the asphalt and the first set sent our group all over the place. Not exactly sure what happened (flat, loss of momentum, bike damage, etc.) to a couple of the guys but coming away from the intersection we were now down to four and looking unorganized.

(Note: I am throwing in the names of the gentlemen I worked with over the last portion of this race as I think I can tell by the finishing order whom they may be. I would like to point out that I had one of the most positive racing experiences of my short cycling life. These guys were total class and very supportive as we travelled the rest of the course as an efficient unit. Thank you!)

Not very far after the cross in the road, we started to get back into a flow but the Time Trial sign was too much of a carrot for Andy Mill and Phillip Hodgkinson to pass up. They sprinted ahead to test their skills but I told them I needed to recover and just kept my pace. Andy mentioned that they would wait at the top so that we could stay together so I was cool with that. Kent Bauman joined me and we worked our way up the hill not too far off their wheels so by the time we crested we were all ready to roll down the steep backside and round the bend.

Shortly after the sweeping bend, Andy got us organized again and we started a very smooth rotation through our four man collective. The pace was high and the communication was strong as we worked through the different cross and tail winds, changing our line position based on the direction of the wind.

During this stretch, in the 60-65k range, we picked up another rider from Toronto (I assume, based on his kit) and got the benefit of an extra man for several kilometres. I noticed just how much quicker we became with five people as the rotation gave us just enough of a break to recover between the short pulls we were popping off at the front. Unfortunately, this gentleman must have extended himself earlier as he was only on for a short period of time and soon we had to drop back to our four person ways.

Then in the early 70k’s, we picked up another three riders that were waiting around for some help. They got up to speed and joined us but did not offer much in assistance. As we continued along, I could tell some of our core group was starting to tire but Andy was still looking very fresh. Kent and Phillip had certainly done their fair share of the work to get us to this point so I figured if Andy and I could give them a rest we could get them back for the final 5k to 10k.

We continued to rotate along at a solid pace through the rolling hills leading back to the finish line. Kent continued to throw in his local knowledge of the course to give us key warnings of the upcoming turns so we could whiz around the roads without worrying about going off the marked trail. He was spot on with his orientation so I believed him when he mentioned the final 5k would be a battle into the wind.

With six of us left for the home stretch, I was not too concerned with my position. I was already very satisfied about my effort for this 102k ride and knew we were all beat up (except Andy, who seemed to have endless energy and the two guys on for the 30k free ride). Based on duathlon experience, I figured I had just enough in the tank to take it home through the wind so I got down aero again and wanted to see if I could pull the train home. Thankfully, Andy was more than game and we started a two man rotation into the wind. Kent and Phillip threw in some spot relief as well so we made quick work of this section.

On the very last climb about, 2k from the finish, one of the other guys launched an attack. I was not up for that challenge but Andy went across and then Kent pulled up beside me. He pushed me along mentioning I had done too much work to leave behind. It sparked a little extra energy and I jumped on his wheel. In seconds, we had caught the attack to reach the final turn together.

As expected, the final 500m (or so) quickly turned into a sprint for the fresh legs of the guys sitting in our draft. Only Andy (of our original four) was able to react and he made it to the line second in our group. I pulled in as the fourth rider as Kent and Phillip held their spots, even though I am sure they could have sprinted past me. We were racing so I assumed they would move up a few positions for fun but they showed me that there is some mutual respect among cyclists, contrary to many of the forums I have read.

In the end, we covered the 97km of timed course in 2:41, which was well ahead of my expectations in this type of weather. I crossed the line in 21st position of 182 finishers and was 3rd in my Age Group.

Most importantly, I gained more valuable racing experience and enjoyed a very positive cycling experience thanks to the team effort Andy, Kent, Phillip and I shared for 60k. Awesome job fellas!

I also applaud the efforts of all the Falcons and my friends for toughin’ it out on the Tour de Hans course. Bruce (2nd overall), Ian (3rd), Rolie (13th), Luke, Richard, Jon, Ian, Colin, Craig, Shanta, Lori, Ryan, Jim, Peter, Bill, Brent, Stuart and Bernie. Nicely done folks!

Weekly Update

2011-09-28T13:36:00.000-07:00

Things are coming along very well after Centurion. Getting my running legs back and bringing my weight down to a more favourable running weight. I am sitting around 2 1/2 weeks out from Scotia Marathon and it seems like I will be able to run my race as I have not heard from the Pacing Program so everyone must be healthy and able to fulfill their bunny obligations.

I mentioned that I had a slight pull across my lower abdomen/groin area leading into the bike race. Tyler and I decided to rest the running for a little bit and now it is feeling much better. Still not perfect but with a good warm up, I am able to train and keep the marathon on the schedule. I was hoping to run the OMA 5k Cross Country race in Taylor Creek park this weekend but we have decided it best not to risk a full out effort on this type of footing at this point. I am glad I asked Tyler as I was just about to sign up. Always good to get a professional opinion when dealing with aches and pains!

I will now stick to the original plan for this week and save a few bucks by not racing. I hope we have some solid weather as it would be nice to train with some folks this weekend.

Thanks for reading,
Larry

Canadian Results - 2012 World Duathlon Championships (Gijon, Spain)

2011-09-27T07:05:00.000-07:00

Here are the results posted on Triathlon.org for the World Duathlon Championships from Sept 24 and 25 in Gijon, Spain. Congrats to all who participated and represented Canada!

Names in highlight and italics are AG medalists!

International Distance Duathlon

CAT NAME AG Result

Elite Men Lionel Sanders 29th

Elite Men Kevin Smith

M65-69 Ian Ross 13th

W65-69 Lynda Lemon 2nd

M60-64 Allan McCallister 4th

M60-64 Vaughan Bowen 23rd

M60-64 James Ross 27th

M60-64 Richard Kniaziew 34rd

W60-64 Pauline Kniaziew 8th

M55-59 David Field 1st

W55-59 Carolyn Silvey 2nd

W55-59 Meg Thirburn 4th

W55-59 Anita Yates 8th

W55-59 Liz Campbell 16th

W55-59 Jane Armstrong 18th

M50-54 Jean-Francois Fillion 4th

M50-54 Eric Froebel 28th

M50-54 Donald MacDonald 29th

M50-54 David Hazzan 39th

W50-54 Tatiana MacLeod 11th

M45-49 Peter Macleod 32nd

M45-49 Miguel Caron 43rd

M45-49 Jeff Shmoorkoff 46th

M40-44 David Frake 2nd

M40-44 Francois Lefebvre 19th

M40-44 Berthier Tardif 34th

M40-44 Andrew Dacanay 44th

M40-44 Pierre Regis 49th

W40-44 Stacy Juckett-Chesnutt 7th

W40-44 Michelle Ball 13th

W40-44 Lucy Forte-Elcome 26th

M35-39 Christian Milette 44th

M35-39 Adam Burnett 45th

W35-39 Christina Clark 8th

W35-39 Marie-Claude Gregoire 16th

W30-34 Marie-Michele Pare 12th

W30-34 Shannon Arnold 23rd

M25-29 Jonathan Tremblay 10th

M25-29 Jamie Haynes 27th

W25-29 Peggy Labonte 5th

M20-24 Justin Spalvieri 21st

M20-24 Kevin Gallagher 27th

W20-24 Tatjana Zaharova 1st

Sprint Duathlon
CAT NAME AG Result

M65-69 Ron Vankoughnett 2nd

M65-69 David Campbell 10th

M60-64 Ivan Bern 10th

M40-44 Bernie Muise 25th

M35-39 Frederic Chenard 19th

Centurion Canada - 172k Cycling Race

2011-09-21T14:15:00.000-07:00

Not going to lie; rolling into my first Centurion my cycling confidence was not exactly in the right place for the daunting task I had signed up for. After a horrible effort at Tour de Terra Cotta (DNF) and a few back of the pack results in earlier attempts, I was wondering how I was going to pull off my longest ride while keeping pace with some very experienced veterans of the sport…

With early start times in September you are bound to wake up to crisp, cool temperatures, especially north of the city. Centurion Canada race morning definitely held true to trends which meant I was going to have a difficult time deciding what to wear for my 172k ride around the scenic country side of Collingwood. The forecast looked very promising for the rest of the morning so the trick would be to wear enough to stay rolling in the early miles of the race, knowing too much clothing would come back to haunt in the final few hours of the ride. I used my previous fall experiences to apply the race layer and then added some items that I could afford to toss out at the start line.

The FMCT squad had planned to gather in our resort parking lot at 6:30am so I made sure to be ready to go before the group assembled. Once we had much of the team together, we made the short ride over to the start line at the main staging area in the Village of The Blue Mountains. The riders for the C50 Mile race were just getting into position for their send off so we milled about for a few minutes, took some group photos and then grabbed a spot in the line slowly forming for the C100 Miler.

Due to the incredible turn out for both races, they announced a delay in our start by 8 minutes so I got in some final prep work before joining Richard Westwood and Sean Delanghe in the start corral. Even though we were in the first corral of 1,000 riders, we still had quite a few people in front of us. It would have been nice to edge our way to the very front but I reminded myself that this was my first Centurion and I have never raced over 100k before so there was a world of unknown ahead of me on this day. My motto for today was “Be Patient!”

As the lead vehicles rolled the huge group out, it took us just over 30 seconds to reach the timing mats and then it was game on. The neutral start from the escort of police and officials allowed us to bunch up pretty close to front which led to a few close calls in the group as turns and round-a-bouts forced everyone to throw on the binders. I picked a safe spot on the right edge of the road and stayed alert to avoid rear ending the mass of riders ahead. With my attention focused on the sudden stops, I lost sight of Sean as he weaved his way closer to the front. I knew it was not a great place to take any risks with my bike handling skills so I stuck to my plan and held my line on the shoulder of the road.

We stayed neutral much longer than expected as the peloton stayed tight up most of the first climb on the east side of the mountain. I was afraid this climb was going to be a free for all, forcing me to expend too much energy trying to stay near the front. Thankfully, it was much easier than anticipated and Richard and I stayed in touch right up until the neutral roll out was lifted. My Falcon teammate then picked up the gap really well when it formed and I followed in behind as we pushed harder over the final few hundred metres of the climb.

At this point, we were right on the back end of a pace line that was stringing out over the rolling hills that followed the major climb. It was tough for me to see what was happening up ahead and, by the time we had a better visual, the massive peloton had gapped our group. This was not a big deal to me as I was just happy to be in a larger group with Richard and some strong riders.

As we made a left turn to head south on Grey Rd 2, I started to feel the powerful breeze we were going to be battling for much of our journey. I made sure to stay mid pack, sheltered but also in position if a smaller group decided to break off the front.

Our chase group continued along the open roads at a very respectable clip during the next several kilometres on top of the mountain and I remained comfortable, slightly back from the stronger riders pulling us along. I did not want to make any crazy mistakes, especially, this early in the event and just tried to enjoy the amazing sights the region has to offer.

Getting closer to one of the trickier descents on the tour, I started to get a little nervous not knowing how the rest of the group would tackle this twisting, quick drop out of the hills. I was feeling good in this group and knew if I got too conservative there would be a chance they could create a gap which would be tough to close as an individual.

Thankfully, nobody went too wild in this drop zone and I actually descended very well. My bike was rolling as smoothly as many of the faster guys so I was able to move up near the front runners and was hoping Richard was able to stay close. After a few minutes of downhill action, we finally flattened out at the base and I could see that he was right behind my wheel and we were in a great spot to start our eastward push across to the Creemore area of the route.

Over these flatter roads, we were riding two by two but the wind was hammering on an angle and bashing the riders at the front and on right side of the line. Unfortunately, I was caught over on this side for much of this stretch of road and had to work a little more than those on the left but was still feeling good and held my spot trying not to disrupt the flow.

Coming across County Road 33, we picked up a few more riders that had been spit out by the peloton and they put in some nice work up front on this windy crossing. We then approached our right hand turn that would take us through the farm lands leading into the town of Creemore; I saw the signs up ahead and scanned down the road we would soon be traveling along.

I was a little disappointed at this time not too see any groups within reach on the road. I knew the peloton was huge and it would be tough to crack the top 100 (a secondary goal I had in mind) if we kept tight in our current spot but I remained patient knowing it was still early in the ride.

Once we made the turn onto Fairgrounds Road, most of the south bound asphalt was flat and some of the top riders were starting to get anxious to pick up the pace. I made my way up the pack to see what was happening and noticed a group of 10 or so started to rotate through a few strong pulls. I looked back and saw a tiny gap starting to form and didn’t want to lose contact with these guys so I jumped in for some time at the front.

As the rotation continued, a few guys dropped off and the numbers were getting down to just a few of us. I could tell this was starting to work the legs a little more than I was wanting at this stage so I decided to back out. Thankfully, the bulk of our pack had stayed close and were drafting off the tornado leading the charge so I dropped back to catch a breath and spotted Richard being smart, staying out of the trouble ahead.

As luck would have it, I had pulled off at a good time as I could now see the Creemore climb in the horizon. I regrouped and settled into a better spot for the uphill spin. It ended up being an easier hill than expected and also had a rewarding backside that took us into town so I was able to fully recover before doing a little zig-zag on some of the small town streets.

After passing through another feed zone in Creemore, we were directed west where we finally received some tailwind help and had a beautiful riverside ride along the Mad River. I assume most of the other riders knew what was coming up as everyone was strung out along the road with very few willing to jump on the front. I now know this was for a good reason as the climb was much tougher than it looked from the bottom.

At the beginning of the climb I was making good progress up the hill. As I focused on my breathing and cadence I must have missed Richard, and a few others, passing on my left side. Nearing the ¾ point, the climb was tearing up our group and I was in the middle of the two pods wondering where Richard had gone as I could not see him in the line of guys falling off the back.

Finally, on a steeper pitch, I spotted him leading the charge of the group in front of me. Damn, I now had some damage control to catch a wheel before being dropped off the collection of the climbers forming ahead. I dug deep and jumped out of the saddle to make sure I did not miss that train. Just as I was clipping back on to the end of this new, smaller chase pack, I saw Richard pull off the front and move to the middle of the lane to see if I was still on. I gave him a quick wave so he could easily spot me and we kept on rolling, a few people lighter than minutes earlier.

Moving on, the pace seemed to get more spirited heading towards Badjeros. I had not fully recovered from the hill effort yet and was working much harder to stay on the wheel ahead of me. To my relief, we crossed this section in fast order and had to gear down for the turn before shooting north on Country Road 63. This tiny break in pedaling was enough for me to catch a drink and find some energy for the next challenge.

As we continued, a few riders (including Merrill Collins - the overall female race winner!) attempted several breaks. I was feeling in control of my heart rate again and, as I had seen so many little breaks quickly reeled back by the momentum of the group, I decided to just monitor their progress. I was pretty confident we would stay in contact so I held my position and conserved as much energy as possible.

One triathlete, riding with aero bars, must have thought they were going to get away for the long haul and decided to time trial across the two hundred metres, which seemed to spark Richard’s interest. He started to gear up and I had to make a quick decision. I held tight knowing my split second hesitation would have missed the boat, which seems to have entered Richard’s thoughts as well as he instantly pulled back, giving up his chase before exiting our group. It was a good call on our behalf as it didn’t take long before the entire crowd had caught the four escapees.

All together again, we then turned left onto Concession 10 where we had encountered a 500 metre gravel section during our scouting ride two weeks earlier. The Centurion organizers had warned us that we would have to negotiate this during the race so we were all prepared for a gravel encounter. Being a very cautious rider, I knew I needed to be up near the front of the group so that I would not be spit out the back. As I saw the construction sign, I readied myself for the bumpy ride and got up to lead the group. To my surprise, the horizon was dark black and looking much more inviting.

Somehow, work crews had delivered a patch of fresh, smooth asphalt in the place of the dreaded gravel. This made my day and I settled down, pumping myself up for the next big task 20 miles up the course. I knew it would be very important to conserve as much as possible before the KOM climb in Kimberly so I just stayed tucked in the group as we passed through Feversham and Eugenia.

During this stretch, we actually picked up more stragglers who seemed very willing to stay out front for our group. This helped our pace a great deal as we reached the big descent out of Eugenia. It is a fairly straight road down into the Talisman Resort region so we safely stayed two by two with most of us just holding our positions.

For some reason, I thought I had several people behind me coming down this hill so by the time we got through the valley and reached the start of the KOM climb; I was shocked that Richard and one other gentleman were the only people to start the timed ascent behind me.

In my practice ride, I took this climb far too easy. I knew I would be left in the dust on this day if I assumed that pace again so I pushed a little harder on the pedals and got into a good rhythm. Before I knew it, I was making very good time up the hill and past most of our group. I actually settled into the three hole before Richard decided to pull around me and attack the front two riders in a powerful acceleration. He looked super fresh so I was not about to match his effort but tried to stay close without over cooking the system.

This turned out to be a wise move as I had a very respectable KOM split and held onto the group which was now even further reduced as some failed to catch back on at the top through the feed zone.

We now had about 40k to go. Richard warned me this would be the real racing section and he was bang on. The group covered the next downhill mileage in very quick time and before I knew it we were staring at the infamous Ravenna climbs where I had a bunch of trouble during our pre-ride.

In the first portion of the climb I was actually feeling confident and ready to roll. The momentum of one of the early slopes had me out leading the charge before Richard wisely caught my attention, reeling me back in due to the head wind and tougher hills to come. We kept pace with the rest of the crew for a few more kilometres before Richard looked over to me and stated he was going for it. I quickly evaluated my situation and decided I would be best to hang on with the group until we crested the steeped portion as I didn’t think I had break away legs for toughest section still to come.

Showing perfect timing and amazing conditioning, Richard darted out on the hardest section of the race and nobody could match his move. I hung on to the back of the group around the corner in Ravenna where we were presented with a crazy, steep test that knocked my legs off. I looked down at my watch and noted 160k and 4:28 as the exact place and time that I lost touch with the group.

I then struggled up the rest of the hill and tried to time trial my way back to the splintered line of a few riders that remained from our group. Just as I was about to reach that last wheel we hit another 15% grade and once again I lost all forward progress. I was now in survival mode.

I knew I had to get to the next corner where the downhill speed of Scenic Caves Road would allow me to reach the finish. Unfortunately, some of the guys I had left behind (before the turn at Ravenna) had pulled together, recovered and were now easily passing me. I tried to grab their wheels but just could not latch on. I put my head down and burnt every last calorie in my body to make it to the corner to accept my free ride down the mountain.

After making another solid drop down to the base, I now had a little finishing kick to hammer it back to the Village. I got on the end of a small pace line and entered with a huge smile, very happy to reach the end of a successful and incredible rookie century ride.

As I saw Richard waiting at the finish, I could tell just how excited he was about our ride. He had a similar experience at Tour de Terra Cotta so it was great to see him pull off such an impressive ride.

Congrats to each and every Falcon that participated in this amazing event. Every one of you worked so hard to prepare for this challenging ride and you should be very proud of your achievements!

Bravo to all the family and friends of the Falcons that helped us through this incredible weekend!

Lastly, I have to give kudos to my duathlon buddy, Bruce Bird, for pulling off an impressive victory. Tough to match that performance!

Weekly Update

2011-09-14T08:32:00.000-07:00

This weekend should be a blast as a large group of the FMCT Falcons are heading up to Collingwood to ride in the Centurion Canada event. We are jetting up Saturday to enjoy the atmosphere and then hitting the bikes Sunday morning. We have several folks in both the 50 miler and 100 miler distances so you should see a lot of our jerseys along the routes.

A few of us, plus some of the guys I know from duathlon and triathlon, hope to hang on with some of the quicker cyclists through this hilly adventure. This is going to make it tough but we have put in a bunch of solid training so we should do pretty good for hacks (as a number of the elite cyclists tend to think of us).

Another great Mid-Night Ride on a Fall Like Night

As we have built up for this event, and others like Tour de Terra Cotta, etc., a number of us have found a love for cycling and bike racing. This has us looking around for a local bike club that has a racing section attached to the membership. We have looked at several web sites and have a few groups in mind but would love to hear any suggestions. Some early possibilities are Mississauga Bike Racing Club and Kurzawinski Coach - Racing Team.

Chasing down my shadow on the Night Ride

On the running side of things, I have Scotia Bank Toronto Marathon coming up in mid October. I had been doing really well getting prepared for this but a slight groin pull/tear has made running difficult in the last week. It is fine during cycling efforts so I have reduced the running volume for a few days to let it get back to normal. It really is not a bad thing as I was going to give myself a little break to make sure my legs are ready for the 172k ride this weekend.

Hopefully, next week I can get back to a run focus and also hit some of the XC running races I have been looking at. Here are some of the races I had in mind and hope to be able to toe the starting line for...

Oct 2 – Taylor Creek 5K Cross Country - OMA Cross Country Series Race#1

Oct 16 – Ontario Masters Marathon Championships - Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon

Oct 30 - Sunnybrook 8K Cross Country - OMA Cross Country Series Race #3

Nov 6 - Hamilton Marathon????

Nov 13 – Ontario Masters Cross Country Championships – OMA Cross Country Series Race #4

Nov 20 - Winter Running Fest XC - Guelph

Those are my options right now. I will not be able to do all of them, even if I am healthy after the Centurion, so I highlighted the ones that seem to be more realistic but nothing is in stone at this point.

Thanks for reading!
Larry

CarrotFast 5k - OMA Championships

2011-09-07T13:22:00.000-07:00

Recently, I was checking out the race calendars looking for some filler races due to the scheduling conflicts I have experienced of late. I missed a few important events because of work travel and other weekend events that have popped up.

As I read through all the upcoming attractions in the area, I noticed that one of them was going to serve as the Ontario Masters 5k Championships. I have looked into joining the OMA for a few years now as they hold a number of great Cross Country races in the fall. Usually, I wait too long and end up missing a few of them so the membership fee becomes a little steep for a single race or two.

This year I got organized and placed my membership with the OMA and therefore decided to test out my first official event with their 5k Championship. The association selected the community 5k in Bradford to hold their provincial finals so I added this to my wish list, on account that I could get down to race weight in less a week.

Well, I managed to cut out a bunch of junk from my horrible diet and kept up my training volumes so I was able to get down to a weight that I was comfortable running at. With this being a "B"ish race, I did not taper heading into the weekend so just made sure not to hammer too hard in the two days leading up to the Saturday event.

One race day, I showed up nice and early and put in one of my best warm up of all time. Lots of stretching, strides and a medium effort around some of the course. The air was humid and I was sweating up a storm before the start but kept well hydrated.

As we eventually lined up on the road, I could tell there were quite a few good athletes out for this one. Many of them looked very young and associated with the Newmarket Huskies Club which meant it was going to be a solid test. Once the gun went off, we had a quick downhill to the first street. I kept thing under control and settled into a comfortable pace about fifteen people back in the pack.

In the first kilometre, we rounded through an industrial area so the roads were very quiet with lots of room to pick a solid running line. I looked down at this point and noticed we hit the first marker in 3:15 but I knew the next 1000 metres would slow as we headed back up the minor slope up to 8th Line where we would complete the out and back portion of the run. In the last piece of the industrial park, I was now running in 12th place keeping one of my targets close.

I had seen a few familiar names in past results and figured I should be able to run close to those times on a good day so I did not want to fall off their pace. As we turned right onto 8th Line we started to get the benefit of a strong tail wind as well as another slight downhill speed zone. We all picked up the effort to take advantage of this and I was actually able to pass one of my targets and start to move up on the next group of three runners before the turn around.

I knew the last part of the race was going to be a little more challenging as we headed into the wind and had to gradually make our way back up to the hill. I also have a lot of confidence in my uphill running and hoped this would work to my advantage against the group a few seconds ahead of me.

Not too long after the turn I noticed one of the competition had lost a bunch of his speed so I jumped past him a hundreds metres past the pylon and set my sights one the remaining two from that group. As we pushed through the wind I could tell I was slowly making ground on them but it was taking a good effort so I was not sure how much I would have left for the final sprint to the line. Just after the midway point of the hill I finally caught those two and was up to 8th place with mostly younger runners up ahead.

I was now approaching the final left turn with only a few hundred metres to go. Seventh place looked too strong to catch and I was trying desperately to hold of a surge from behind from Kevin Farr, one of the athletes I had just past. On this day, he saved much more than I had and he easily beat me down to the finish line, leaving me with a 9th place finish on the day.

All in all, I was quite happy with my 17:25 race result on this day. I ended up 3rd in the 30-39 AG and 1st in the M35 AG for the Ontario Masters Championships.

Pic - OMA 5k Medalists (courtesy OMA - D Smith)

Next up is the Centurion Road Cycling event followed by some XC running races and a marathon or two. Time to make up for a slow start to the 2011 season!

Thanks for reading!
Larry

New Info Box on my Site >>>

2011-08-18T08:23:00.000-07:00

I received a few emails lately regarding my weekly training schedule. I am more than happy to give you the basics of my day-to-day workouts so I am adding a text box to the right side of my blog to show how my week should break down.

I am given a program once a week from Tyler and try to stick to it as much as possible. As I have other responsibilities, I sometimes have to switch things around but usually find the time to get each element included during the corresponding seven day period.

click here for Tyler's web site to check out his programs

Ideally, I would like to stick to the original layout as it is created with speed days, rest days, easy days, long days, etc. in a particular order to get the most out of my body. If I am forced to switch things around, I must get creative with the schedule but, with experience, I am usually able to re-arrange the week to make it flow smoothly so I do not place conflicting workouts close together. This can kill the performance of future workouts so I have to be careful not to tax my body too many workouts in consecutive order.

I also train with friends on occasion so I have to flex the schedule here and there to allow for some of these training opportunities. I will usually go with the flow with friends and then check out my schedule to see what workout the run or ride resembled the most and then cross it off the "To Do" list for the week.

If you have any further questions about my training, please send me an email at larrybradleytoronto(at)yahoo.ca

Niagara Duathlon - Race Report

2011-08-11T11:20:00.000-07:00

Having registered for the Niagara Duathlon some time ago, I had to work some magic and get a whole bunch of things accomplished at home/work in order not to waste an entry. The timing of the race was brutal for me with travel the week leading up and the need to fly out right after the race but I knew I could regain a lot of confidence if I could get to that starting line.

Thankfully, I had a ton of support and by mid-week I had my pass punched to make the short trip to Grimsby for the event. I knew this was not going to be a blazing fast race for me so I treated it as more of a great training opportunity and stuck to my regular program leading into the weekend. This included a killer treadmill session on Thursday night. Tyler had posted a 3x2mile workout and I upped the ante by increasing my previous efforts by a large margin in an attempt to strengthen my mental game.

That part of my race was lacking in a big way last Monday, in le Tour de Terra Cotta, so I needed to push the limits and pull through the dark spots of doubt that a “track” workout presents. I admit it was a very tough night at the gym but I passed the test and used the positive vibes to flow into the weekend. Unfortunately, the sore muscles from this treadmill run also followed me into the weekend...

On the drive to the race site, I plotted a simple plan as this was my first duathlon in quite a while (since Milton). I knew I was not going to be on top of my game so the game plan was to hold off on the opening run, control the heart rate on the bike and battle through the negative thoughts running those final 7k. I was not racing for a PB or a win. I told myself to go out and have fun and let the chips land where they may.

After setting up transition, stretching and going through the many other pre-race routines, I got over to the duathlon starting area for some final instructions from Mitch. He confirmed the course would be exactly the same as 2009 (the last time I competed in this race) which meant a 2.3k run, 25 bike ride and 7k run.

As usual, I got out into the clear and started to work on the pace. The air was very heavy with crazy humidity so breathing was not easy and the sweat was pouring out of my system. No worries, we are getting used to it these days, just relax and avoid pushing too hard.

With the opening kilometre rolling downhill most of the crowd stayed tight. One younger gentleman decided to pick it up a touch so I filed in behind and let him lead down into the wooded trail that made up a 300m loop into the bush. This year, the trail was marked out amazingly with lots of highlighted paint on the roots and obstacles. This made it very easy to concentrate on the task at hand so I just kept on his heels and forgot all about the Garmin.

Without looking back, I could tell we had a just a few others on our tails now so things were shaping up the way I had hoped. As we trudged up the wood chipped path out of the forest, I could tell the leader starting to slow a touch so I pulled through and took over as we ran up the sidewalk back to transition. He must have dropped off a little more in the final 750m as I only had one other athlete join me into the park entrance to wrap up the first run of the day. I stayed up in front through the run course sign and quickly clicked on my helmet and grabbed my bike off the rack.

Although, I have not practiced my bike mount in a long time, I executed a great start to the cycling leg of the race and was strapped into my shoes with one of my best transitions ever. Right away, I started to move through the triathletes already on course and worked the average up to prepare for the tough climb to present itself around three kilometres into this portion of the duathlon.

As I reached the bottom, I could see several people struggling and walking their machines up the hill. The thick air was causing some issues here so I knew I had to spin up or risk burning out. Luckily, I have been working on this a lot of late and I made smooth work of the hill and got back to speed before starting my zig zag around the Niagara countryside.

On the flats, I was comfortably reaching a solid pace for me and was happy with my progress through the field of triathletes. I was clipping along untouched until close to the half way mark of the ride when a speedy cyclist whizzed past. I did not know this person but his number seemed to be in the range of those assigned to the duathlon so I wondered who this could be?

“Oh well, no worries, don’t panic.” I told myself as I knew the run would be the place to see him again. I hoped!

Keeping this person in sight (albeit, in the distance), I picked up the intensity a little just in case he created a huge gap but held the effort within my limits. At this point, I had another duathlete catch and pass me. Wow, these guys were riding hard today!

Just after he passed, I backed off wisely and held a legal gap coming into a twisting section of the course. In my slowing, I had a female triathlete pass me and get in between us. I backed off again but she was almost on his wheel as we went through a corner where a motorcycle official was sitting. He pulled out and followed for a very short period of time but did not say a word. Wow, if that was me on that wheel I would have been hammered with a penalty for sure.

Oh well, I just kept my distance and then moved past her when she fell of his pace nearing the tricky and speedy downhill section leading to the lake. I entered the decent a few seconds behind the second place duathlete and made up my mind to get aggressive down the curving drop off. I was moving slightly quicker than he was and ended up having to brake just as I was about to pass as he moved to the centre of the lane to avoid a man hole in the road. My speed dropped so I backed in behind him and was now content to follow him into transition. The next few kilometres back offered several short burst between turns which should have been very routine but I put a scare into myself on the second last corner.

Leaning into the turn, my hand slipped of the handle bar due to the sweat pouring out of my body. Luckily, I kept the bike up right and was able to continue on for the last few minutes to the bike dismount sitting in third overall.

As we hit the line, I saw the athlete ahead of me still had his cycling cleats on so I knew I would have an advantage and leave the zone up one position. This held true and I executed another smooth change over into my runners and was out through the gate to finish off the race.

Having not run very hard off the bike for a long time, it took awhile to get comfortable. Within the first 500m, I was dropped back into third place as Tim Little easily made his way up the road. Trying to think up a new strategy on the fly, I was surprised to notice Erik Box (the super cyclist who easily had the quickest bike split) mixed in the middle of several triathletes. I figured he would be way out on the course by now so I was amazed to see him so soon. Making my way past him, I could now focus on the new leader just ten yards up ahead.

At the 1km point, I was starting to feel much better in the legs. We rounded a few corners heading into the quiet, lake front community and I was closing the gap nicely. By the time we reached the 2km marker, I had pulled even and just kept my eyes looking forward not worrying about his position behind me.

During most of this stretch, I had a female triathlete (she posted the top ladies run split of the day) either right beside me or just in behind. I could tell we were doing a fine job feeding off each other. Anytime I started to slow, she would start to move up which motivated me to pick things up.

When we hit the turnaround near, the midway point of the run, I finally looked back through the field to see my competition. I was now around 400m clear of second so the gap was growing, although, another fellow (the person who ran the second fastest opening leg) was looking strong now positioned in third. There was no room to cruise for the time being.

After running another kilometre or so together, my female pacer started to drop off so I had to use the other targets up the road to stay on track. I felt really confident heading into the final two thousand metres as I entered the wooded trails again. I looked back to see if anyone was in striking distance and I was clear so I pulled back the reigns a touch to avoid any stupid slips in the mud and loose wood chips.

I navigated through the lengthy forest path and finally hooked back up with the sidewalk, having a kilometre left and still holding a comfortable lead. I was starting to get excited to wrap up the multisport season with a victory and coasted into the park under control. I could have posted a slightly faster overall time but there was no need to hammer in this heat as I was already a soaking mess after racing through that thick, moist air.

In the end, I had a little over a minute up on the second place duathlete (the gentleman in third at the turn around) which was marginally slower than my 2009 result. With all the things going on of late, I was very happy with my race and stoked to rebuild my confidence to help get through the off season training.

With work asking me to head out to Modesto for some training, I could not stick around after the race. I’m sorry if I did not have a chance to catch up with some of you. Enjoy the rest of your race season!

Thanks for reading!

Larry

Quick Update

2011-07-25T10:01:00.000-07:00

Hey Folks!

Sorry for being horrible at updating lately. Work, family and training are keeping me very busy these days so I have been a little distracted. Not to mention the tdf coverage I have been glued to...

I plan to write a report on my amazing experience at the Peterborough Half Ironman a few weekends ago with the Won with One program. So happy I accepted the challenge and had an opportunity to spend time with many awesome athletes.

Other aspects of training keeping me on the go are the miles required on the bike to get ready for a few longer cycling events (Tour de Terra Cotta and Centurion Canada) plus the usual running to stay ready for one or two more duathlons.

This season has not really lined up the way I expected and many of the races I thought I would be taking part in have changed or been dropped to allow for other weekend adventures. This being said, work has now asked me to travel to California the week of the Duathlon Provincial Championships.

I have been gearing up for this all summer thinking it would be my big "A" race of 2011. As I am also traveling the week before (Calgary) and racing a few weekends leading up to that date, I just cannot see how I am going to manage to enter that race without adding a lot of extra stress to several aspects of life. Also, coming back on the Red Eye from the West Coast always kills my body so I don't think I will be in great form for a Saturday race. I hate to walk away from this race but it may be the best for many reasons. Stay tuned...

Talk soon,
Larry

Peterborough Race Weekend - Preview

2011-07-08T12:58:00.000-07:00

Well, it is here and I am really excited about the race this weekend with Brian Cowie. I have had the amazing opportunity to hang out with Brian for the past few weeks as his hotel is very close to my house and work area in Mississauga.

Brian was in town early for the Canadian Cycling Championships where he and his pilot, Ed Veal, captured 3rd in the ITT (even after mechanical problems) and 2nd in the Road Race.

This week, we were able to take out the tandem bike for a tour so I could get used to the unique characteristics of the ride. It wasn't quite as bad as I feared and we had a fun morning booting around the outskirts of Mississauga. We also got out for lunch and some other bonding time so I think we will have a solid race now that we have been able to meet in advance of the event. Brian is very easy going and is not putting any pressure on the race so this will help keep the atmosphere calm come Sunday morning.

As the Peterborough race weekend (Sprint and Half) will be a large gathering for the Won with One program, we are heading up Saturday afternoon to meet the rest of the group and pick up our race kits as a team. This should be a fantastic chance to get to know a bunch of the athletes and guides in the program so I am looking forward to the weekend.

Coming out of this opportunity, I have stepped back and reconsidered my stance on swimming. Sure, I may not love crowded swims at restricted times but I did not mind the open water aspect of the sport. I put way too much pressure on my training in year one and set myself up for failure. 100% my fault.

I am now going back to the drawing board and going to give triathlon another go and ease my way into the competition. I might not be ready this season but in 2012 I will probably enjoy a mix of my favourite duathlons and triathlons.

For triathlons, I will get away from unrealistic expectations and will not walk away from a race disappointed in my results. It has to be a learning experience and I now know it is going to take some time. There are too many neat races out there for the triathletes and I would love to get involved. This may eventually lead up to the iron distance in a few years which I still have on my "To Do" list.

Other than this, not too much is new. I have been training very diligently of late and I think things are coming along very nicely. Indications from my cycling rides are that I am getting stronger and my running is slowly improving as we jack up the track work now that the outside sessions are bearable. Although, my treadmill training was really solid this winter, I finally realized that you cannot totally replace the track with a machine so I had to toughen up again in the elements!

To learn more about these great athletes and the program...

http://wonwithone.com/one/index.php

http://briancowieparalympian.blogspot.com/

http://swimbikerunryan.blogspot.com/

Big Sale at Wheels of Oakville

2011-06-30T13:13:00.000-07:00

Just heard that Wheels of Oakville has a huge deal on Zipps with built in power metres for crazy low prices.

If you are in the market for one of these amazing products make sure you call down to the store to see if they have your needs covered. Don't wait long as they are flying through these wheels!

Wheels of Oakville
2371 Lakeshore Rd W, Oakville, ON

Contact: info@wheelsofoakville.com

905-825-0055

New Direction for Peterborough Half Iron - July 10th

2011-06-24T10:07:00.000-07:00

It is now official so I will post on my blog the recent adjustment in my race prep for Subaru's Peterborough Half Iron Distance race.

Last Friday, I received an email from Syd asking me to help out a visually impaired triathlete that was coming in from BC to race the Half Iron Triathlon. Syd is the guide for Ryan Van Praet and they are both very involved in the program and were looking for a guide for the day to help out a fellow athlete, Brian Cowie. (I believe Ryan and Brian went 2nd and 3rd, respectively, in Ironman 70.3 Worlds last fall so these guys are super talented!)

Thankfully, I was training for the event (as a duathlon) so my training hours were in line with the amount of time needed to race this event. The only worry I had was the lack of swimming in my training this year but, after speaking to Syd, he was very confident that I could guide Brian through the swim at a comfortable level and then Brian would display his cycling skills to move his way up through the field.

So after a day of thought, I knew I could not let this opportunity pass and confirmed my availability to help Brian around the course in Peterborough. Now that we have connected, I have found out that Brian is also going to be in the area for the Canadian Cycling Championships (TT and RR) so we will have some time to work out some of the rookie jitters I have before my guiding debut.

With a lot of his focus on the Cycling Championships next week, he is just aiming to have a fun and relaxed day on the triathlon course on July 10th so he has reduced the amount of pressure I was feeling when I first accepted the position. I was very honoured to be thought of by Syd and Ryan so I did not want to fail in my assignment.

The "Won with One" program is bringing in a large group of talented athletes for the Peterborough Race (Sprint and Half Iron) so please show your support for these amazing traithletes.

To find out more about Brian Cowie please visit his blog -
http://briancowieparalympian.blogspot.com/

Guelph Lakes I - Triathlon Relay Race Report

2011-06-22T12:49:00.000-07:00

For the full race report including Ang's swim and Richard's bike portions, click the link below...

http://fmct.ca/events/article_2011_06_20_1126.php

My 10k Run of the Relay

We spoke about entering the Guelph Lakes Olympic race as a relay quite some time ago and made it official a few weeks ago as Ang, Richard and I got organized and completed the paperwork. Just like my FMCT teammates, I was coming into this event a little tired due to the large hours of training I was able to accomplish in the past seven days so I was a curious to see how the legs would perform over 10k. Thankfully, with the run being at the end of the triathlon, I had plenty of time to warm up and enjoy the amazing atmosphere around the event.

For the first leg of our race, Richard and I were able to watch Ang work her magic in the water. We stayed down on the beach for the first loop and cheered her on as she ran across the sand for her re-entry into the lake. We then headed back up to transition so Richard could suit up for his bike ride and I could start my nutritional intake and stretching. I wasn’t long into this routine before our super swimmer entered the bike zone and passed the chip band over to Richard to send him off on his ride through the Wellington County side roads.

I figured I would now have just a little over an hour before my part so I started to prepare as I chatted to Ang about her adventures in the water. Time passed so quickly and before I knew it the leaders started to make their way back into the park. Following the elites into transition was a cyclist who surprisingly placed his bike on the other relay rack across from our spot. You could tell he put in a monster effort by the way his team was reacting so I was curious as to where they were out of the water. As I started to ask them about their positioning, I noticed Richard’s yellow Cervelo coming into the dismount area on the far side of transition. The countdown was on.

Mr. Westwood had thrown down a mighty performance of his own and we were now just a little more than a minute back in second. After a slight hesitation, watching Richard rack his bike, I finally swapped the timing chip over to my ankle and sprinted out of transition. Usually, I don’t get to leave T2 feeling this fresh during a regular duathlon so I got a little excited and hammered across the first rolling portion of the run.

In the first kilometre, I passed a few of the top age group triathletes but could not find my relay target in the winding park roads. I had set my watch the night before to capture the splits every km so when I got my first reading (3:27) I knew I better settle down. We were running into the wind at this point and still had a grassy section to negotiate in the middle of the run so I didn’t want to blow up before reaching this point.

Shortly after passing this first marker on the road, I came to a straightaway on the course where I could finally see the lead runner in our race. He was a few hundred metres up the service road running with a couple of individual triathletes. I started thinking over a few strategies on my approach and figured it was best to continue the attack with limited knowledge of the talent of the runners behind me. If one of them posted a sub 35 minute 10k, it would probably be enough to catch me so I could not let up. As I inched closer, I was confident that the lead change would happen soon so I could then work at picking off some more of the overall leaders as they could keep me inspired to go fast. Although, they would blow the doors off me if they had not already swam and cycled!

As we hit the 3k sign, I made my way past the “Speedplay A” Runner and complimented his effort before carrying on towards the first turn around. During this tiny uphill piece, I caught a number of other triathletes but was not really motoring as quickly as I imagined. The passes were becoming tougher and tougher as I moved closer to the top ten of the overall race.

Just after 5k, the course sent us down a loose gravel trail that lead into a rough section of farm land. We were running on a soft path that was cut down about the width of a tractor. When I ran the route in 2009 (in a duathlon) we did this portion but I was expecting a right turn in the first field down to the forest. I guess they decided to change this and we were now sent out even further into a second field. I was working to stay on the tractor tire marks and keeping an eye out for other racers coming down the trail as it was a free for all for positioning.

Finally, I got to the back of the second field and saw that we were heading towards a clear cut in the forest. It seemed like this new section was running longer than the older course and I was starting to wonder how deep we would be sent into the bush. Thankfully, the turnaround popped up just a few feet into the trees and I could now visualize the finish of my run.

With my splits getting slower during this cross country adventure, and the gravely uphill just a few hundred metres ahead, I pushed as hard as possible to keep my tempo up. I eventually made my way back onto the tar and chip park roads and tried to force my form to resemble the track efforts I held earlier in the week.

This seemed to get me closer to my desired pace and I kept the pedal down all the way back home. After spotting Richard out on the course cheering me along, I got another boost for the final 1000 metres and arrived at the hilly section knowing the finish was very near. I used my climbing abilities to hammer up the slopes and tried to feed off some recent descending tips I have been eating up from the guys I have been running with of late. It all worked really well and I had a strong finish to hit 37:32 for my 10k.

In the end, Team Chocolate Pie Buttertart put in a very solid team effort with everyone making huge contributions to our Olympic Relay victory. Thanks to Ang and Richard for making the day so fun! I can’t wait to team up for our next race, hopefully, with some more FMCT teams in the mix showing off the Falcon colours!

Notes:

Also participating in the same relay race was a very good friend of mine, Paul Galbraith, with his dad and sister. I grew up with Paul and his family so it was awesome to see them in their triathlon debut. Paul’s dad, who turned to swimming for exercise last year, has lost some serious weight and it was the Highlight of the Day to see him come into transition way before his expected time! Great work Team Galbraith!

Congrats to all the blog readers who competed on Sunday! Patryk B., Darcy B., Glenn C., Sean D., Stuart S., John E., John S., Paul G., Vittorio S., Duncan M. (hope I didn't miss anyone!)

Age Grouper Spotlight - Paul "Speedy" Gonsalves

2011-06-16T13:43:00.000-07:00

Race mornings are nervous times, no matter how competitive or experienced you may be. Some athletes are weighed down by expectations. Some people are brand new to the sport and not sure what to expect. Others (including me during my first few duathlons) collect a stomach full of butterflies knowing there will be a point of exhaustion that will test you mentally and physically right up to the finish line.

When I first started this journey about five years ago, I built up a lot of pre-race stress. Often, I would be sitting in the registration line questioning my motives for driving to the event in the first place. As soon as I racked my bike, I could not wait for the darn thing to be over with so I could get to the food tent and just relax. Thankfully, I bumped into our featured Age Grouper early in my duathlon life and was able to pick up a few tricks to help smooth over many of the jitters I used to feel before stepping up to the start line.

It was my first time on the Grimsby course and many had extended a warning about the descent coming down the Park Road hill so I was getting a little worried as I set up my transition zone.

In a chance meeting, Paul “Speedy” Gonsalves, calmed these fears and helped me stay loose. He was in need of a tire pump and I happened to be nearby and able to assist in his search. During our conversation, as he inflated his race wheels, I was pleasantly surprised that someone very competitive in the sport could display a sense of humour and be so friendly in the moments before an event. Those usually tense moments were eased in a big way as we spoke and I had all but forgotten about the nerves I was battling minutes before.

From this encounter, I learned not to take things too seriously when approaching this hobby. I now make the time to mingle with those around me in transition which keeps my mind free of a lot of negative energy and gives me the opportunity to meet so many amazing people with the same passion for multisport.

Thanks to “Speedy”, I realized that you can have a bunch of fun at these events and still satisfy that tiny, competitive fire that burns inside us all.

10 Questions with "Speedy"

Q1. What brought you into the sport of tri/du?

- I started as a marathon runner back in the early 80’s (Yes, I’m that old). I lived in Rexdale but worked in downtown Toronto. I decided to ride to work 2 or 3 times per week for injury prevention and discovered I loved going fast. In 1986, I heard about a “Biathlon” in Mt. Tremblant that was an 80k bike and a 21k run. I did the event and recall having a blast and did very well at it. Soon after, I started racing Du’s with Trisport Canada. I wish to be still racing well into my 70’s and 80’s.

Q2. Have you always been strictly a duathlete? If no, why did you leave the swimming behind?

- I started off as a runner and started cycling as a means of injury prevention. I was also inspired as a kid by my Uncle Hilary, a world class rider who rode for the West Indies.

I don’t see myself as leaving swimming behind. I’m a decent swimmer and the reasons for doing Du’s has nothing to do my ability to swim.

Q3. You race a lot during a season, is there ever a point when you wake up the morning of a race and wish you had taken the day off running or duathlon?

- No, I rest like a “Rock Star”! lol
I also have enough experience to know (i.e. Old) when I’m pushing too hard and when to ease off the training.

Q4. Are you more proud of what you currently achieve or what you accomplished in the past?

- I haven’t thought of what I do in terms of pride. Regardless of race results, I have a sense of accomplishment that on that day I raced as smart and as hard as possible without leaving anything in the tank.

Q5. What moment in your multisport life do you look back on with fondest memories?

- When I first heard my eldest son, Christopher, yell “Go, Daddy, Go!”

Q6. You told me you used to take the sport too seriously for a recreational outlet. Are there any examples of things you did back then that you shake your head at these days?

- Nothing specifically comes to mind, but definitely no joy. Intense focus and little or no social interaction with fellow racers, spectators and race volunteers/officials.

I’m surprised when people make the assumption that my nick name is a function of my performance. “Speedy Gonsalves” is just my way of keeping the racing real and fun. I must admit, I do get a kick out of hearing people cheer "Ándale! Ándale! Arriba! Arriba! Hepa¡ Hepa! Hepa! Yeehaw!" ("Go on! Go on! Up! Up!).

Q7. At what moment did you change the focus from purely results driven to a fun, social event that should not be taken too seriously?

- The turning point for me was 2001 at my 1st World Championships in Italy. I was in Italy on 9-11 and the race was a few days later. I was getting more and more anxious about world events and the upcoming event. I remember cheering on the Canadian ladies race the day before my event and I couldn’t help but notice that the women were embracing the moment, flying through the course and appeared to be having so much fun. It was at that moment I remembered why I raced and that was to do my best and have fun. Immediately, I felt my shoulders relax as my anxiety faded away. The next day, I set a personal bests on the 10k run and 40k bike as part of the overall event. The more relaxed I am, the better I seem to do for the same fitness level.

Q8. Can you describe your bike mascot and the origins of this aerobar ornament?

- You must be referring to “Rocky the Rooster” who is my 3rd rubber chicken/mascot. I can’t remember when the 1st mascot came to be but it was following the 2001 World Championships and my renewed “Sense of Fun”. The 1st time I used it, a fellow competitor complained to an OAT official that it “Gave me an unfair aerodynamic advantage”. I remember the OAT official having a good laugh. Now it’s true that it does represent an unfair aerodynamic advantage, but whoever said life was fair was selling something.

Q9. What keeps you motivated to stay in great racing shape with so many other responsibilities?

- My love of dark beer (Waterloo Dark, Smithwicks, Newcastle Brown, etc.), chocolate and cheesecake.

Q10. What is the greatest piece of advice you have heard during your tri/du career?

- "Keep the rubber side down"

YMCA 5k Relay - Race Report

2011-06-10T08:02:00.000-07:00

I will keep this one short. Promise!

On May 31st, I traveled to downtown Toronto on a warm, humid evening. I had accepted a spot on the "30 Somethings'" relay squad that my buddy Jowene had put together for a YMCA charity event. The race consisted of 4 people per team and each of us were to complete 2 laps of the CNE grounds in order to run 5k per person.

With over 500 teams of runners and walkers, there were sure to be a lot of quick folks out there so we just threw together a group of guys that were all about the same speed to see what we could do.

Before the 7:00pm race start, we were a little late getting organized so Jimmy (our lead runner) did not have a lot of time to prepare but did an amazing job getting warm before being sent along for his opening laps. He got out to a quick start before some of the speedsters caught him during his 5k. He came into the relay exchange area just a little over 18 minutes and sent me off for my run.

I pushed things right away and was able to pass a number of teams during my first loop. I tried not to get caught up in my time as it was a hot night and I had been training pretty hard right into this race so I was just hoping to hit the 17:20 mark to give our team a chance.

On my second loop, the heat slowed me down a touch and I should have grabbed some water at an aid station but the slower racers on the course had grouped up in this area so I continued onto my exchange and handed off to Jo Jo (Jowene) posting a 17:30 split.

Jo Jo then put in another solid effort to move up a few more spots in the team classifications and completed his 5k in 17:59 (i believe that was what his watch split said) before handing off to our anchor, Andrew. Mr Cooke than hammered through the last two laps to maintain our position and came within 10 seconds of hitting the Overall Podium.

In the end, we came in 4th Overall and 1st in the Team Age Group rankings. This was a very fun event made even more enjoyable as we were handed some great weather for the first time this spring. I look forward to hooking up with the team again next year as we try to jump onto the overall podium in 2012.

Milton Duathlon 2011 - Race Report

2011-06-06T10:46:00.000-07:00

The violent thunderstorms of Saturday were well past us when I woke early Sunday morning for my first duathlon of 2011. It wasn’t that the race time was particularly early but park entrance was mandatory before 8:30 due to the Try-A-Tri race. The race was held at Kelso Conservation Area just to the west of Milton so a very short 20 minute drive from home so I had no problem getting to the site by 8:00 and having lots of time to enjoy the incredible weather leading up to my 10:00 race.

Not having to rush, I had everything set up in plenty of time and was able to get in a quality warm up near the starting area. I used the time to look over most of the first run (which was pretty muddy from the rain the day before) and talk to a few folks hanging around, waiting for the games to begin (Thanks for the cheering Terry!).

Having so many new faces in the du field, I was not sure what to expect from the others. There sure looked like a number of them could take out the pace, but as Mitch sent us out for our race, I found myself up front without much of a sprint needed to get clear of the group. It seemed as though we were all going to ease into this one so I just made sure to run down the trail in a good line to avoid some of the puddles that had accumulated.

I was running together with a young, 23 year old for much of the first kilometre. He had a nice, long stride and appeared to be holding back compared to my effort so I was starting to wonder what he was going to bring on the bike. As we pushed closer to the turn around, Sean Delanghe (a name I did not know at the time but certainly do now!), put in a surge from the three hole and started to push the pace. I didn’t want to hammer the first run too much so I let him, and the other younger athlete, spread out in front as I comfortably held on to third around the sandwich board marker, just past 1km.

As we made our way back through the mass of runners, we settled into a solid mid three minute pace. The gap remained constant through much of the second/last kilometre so I was happy to hit transition in good shape with lots of leg left for the bike. I entered the zone fifteen seconds back of the lead covering the 2.21k opening leg in 7:55 (3:35 pace).

For T1, I had decided to put my cycling shoes on before mounting the bike as I have not practiced the transition much this season. I figured that I would save time by getting the shoes on nice and tight on my mat instead of slowing down on the bike trying to fumble around with straps. I believe this was the correct choice on the day as I got out to a serious pace on the Argon E114 with my best start on this course in four attempts.

With my course knowledge, I attacked the turns and caught the second place duathlete (Jerret Kennedy, coming off a strong 2010 season) right around the second km. As we climbed a minor grade on Campbelleville Road, a number of triathletes we sitting behind a slow moving mobile home. They had bunched up on the back end of the vehicle and were not sure what to do as crossing the yellow line would have risked DQ. Not wanting to give up more time to the leader (Sean), I told the crowd I was passing the RV on the right side so make some room. Not sure why they were not doing this themselves but I managed to get by without dropping too many seconds and was able to keep my cool. I then proceeded to pass the group of riders the vehicle was stuck behind before making a right turn onto Sixth Line.

Reaching Sixth Line hill, I was averaging a little over 40km/h even with the small traffic issue. My legs were feeling really strong so I decided it was time to push up this sucker with authority. I was making some good time moving past the triathletes on the course and finally spotted our duathlon leader a few hundred metres up the hill. He was moving well up this section so the gap remained the same during the climb as we hit the 5k marker at the top. Thankfully, I was able to recover from the ascent in good time and got on my horse to begin the battle for first place. Within a few minutes of hitting the top, I reeled in top spot and worked as hard as possible to make some space assuming he would be tough on the last run.

For the rest of the ride north, I tried to make up for the lost average (dropped more than 10km/h from going up the hill). This seven or eight kilometre section is rolling with a slight up slope and tiny headwind to hold the speed back. By the time I had crossed the top portion of the bike route, and hit the 15k marker, I was only averaging 32.5km/h so I had a lot of work to do on the way home to best my three previous efforts in Milton.

The next stretch, heading south (with tailwind), became a speed fest so I threw it down to my low gear and grinded away to pick up the pace. I was now finding some open space on the roads and could bury my head and hammer away. This continued until our last significant climb, just before re-joining Sixth Line, where I grabbed a small breather as I spun up the hill before turning right.

After the re-group, it was time to fly again and I managed to push the average to 35.5km/h before dropping down the escarpment where I picked up another kilometre per hour giving me some confidence to better my old times on this track. For the last four kilometres, I just kept the pedal down, using the wind and down slope to finally hit 37.5km/h just before the parking area in Kelso. At this point, there were some cars in line at the gate house and a few other athletes being cautious so I had to drop the speed more than I was planning for the dismount.

I reached T2 in first place but was not sure how far back my chasers were. I had a quicker transition but, as I started to run, I could feel I was not my old self. Our first challenge out of the bike zone was a dirt/gravel hill that I just could not attack. I tried to ease into the run hoping to find my legs up the trail but as I reached the next section nothing was turning on. I made my way through the park and turned north onto Appleby Line to face the tough climb towards Hilton Falls. Even though I was passing a lot of triathletes, I knew I was falling behind my goal of sub thirty minutes for this hard 7.5k run.

Trying to just get through the uphill portion (basically the entire first half), I looked for positives to motivate my legs but they did not respond. Finally, I made my way around the forest loop in Hilton Falls happy to know the way home would be downhill. I took a quick peak coming out of that park with just about three k to race and did not spot anyone from the duathlon.

After a long downhill run on Appleby, I finally made it to the back end of Kelso attempting to feed off the speed of one of the triathletes. It helped for a bit but I was still running a lot slower than usual and was not aware of the danger sneaking up behind.

With just under a kilometre to go in the race, a familiar runner pulled up beside me and started to pass. It was Sean and he was looking very strong. I tried to stay on his hip but a tiny cramp in my stomach was holding me back. I thought if I could keep the gap small enough for a final sprint I may be able to pull it off but the new race leader kicked it up a notch with around five hundred metres that I just could not close. I gave it one last effort but had nothing in the tank. I took a glance back to make sure nobody else was charging and set into a slow jog to the finish line way off the run split I had visualized for the past few weeks.

So overall, I ended up in 2nd place and 1st in my age group. I was happy with most of my race including the controlled first run and a PB on the bike course. I admit I am concerned with my final run off the bike as my run conditioning and speed is so much better in 2011 than the past but it did not translate into the duathlon on this day. I am sure Tyler and I will work this out and hammer some solid bricks in training before my next set of races.

Post race I got to thank my Aunt Cathy and Beth for coming out to cheer me along the course. It is always fun to race in front of family and friends so to have a decent result made it more rewarding.

I also had a chance to meet the winner, Sean Delanghe, and chat about his racing. It is always great to meet people that are excited about the sport so I Congratulate Sean on his impressive performance!

And…Congrats to all the others who raced in Milton!

Paul “Speedy”, Kevin, Darcy, Mat, Cameron, Jennifer, Carlos, Duncan (ageless wonder!), Shane. I hope I did not forget anyone!

Thanks to all my Sponsors and Supporters! HiPerformance Training, Mark Keating, FMCT Falcons, Endless Endurance, Feet in Motion, Zym

Lastly – a quick analysis of the top triathletes that competed in 2010 and 2011. Their 2011 bike splits were marginally quicker in most cases but their 2011 runs were close to a minute slower than 2010. Last year, the weather was cold, windy and rainy before the race (so I bailed) but this year the conditions seemed ideal. I guess we have not had time to adjust to running in the heat so it took a lot more out of us than expected. Interesting!

Age Grouper Spotlight - Rhys Spencer

2011-06-02T08:17:00.000-07:00

The power of networking over the internet has allowed me to learn much more about our sport and the people who make it so great. Thankfully, many of them are incredibly friendly and more than happy to pass along advice and comments based on their wealth of experiences.

I first came across the name, Rhys Spencer, after the 2010 Victoria’s Duathlon. This race usually contains a solid mix of the region’s top triathletes and duathletes so you know the competition will be tough. The field is much larger than our typical duathlons with many athletes taking advantage of this first event of the season to assess their fitness levels. This is what makes it such a great, early season test.

When I was looking over last year’s results, hoping to see a respectable bike split after a lot of off-season training, I noticed several of the people finishing around me had hammered their two wheelers over the 30k course. From that comparison, Rhys’ name popped out in a big way as he was right beside me in the finishing column but his bike split was much faster. In fact, it was the 4th fastest of the day. Because I could not recall his name from a past race, I ended up digging through some of his other results on the web where I could see he definitely knew what he was doing out there on a bike.

Coincidentally, it was around this time I also noticed his name in a Twitter reply on my coach’s site. If he knew Tyler, I figured he must have some intriguing triathlon opinions so I decided to follow his tweets. Quickly, I could see that he had a vast background in triathlon and cycling so I sent a few cycling questions in his direction which he swiftly answered with amazing responses.

As I thought about future guests for this Local Age Grouper series, I figured I could use the forum to ask this interesting, Toronto based Ironman a little more about his racing history and the use of philanthropy in many of his events. Of course, he generously accepted and provided some fantastic insight on what makes him so much more than your usual weekend warrior.

10 Questions for Rhys Spencer

Q1. In early blog entries ( http://www.rhysspencer.blogspot.com/ ), you mentioned that you had been through a significant lifestyle change. How did you get away from your bad habits to find the world of triathlon (and cycling)?

- Well, quitting smoking after 7 years was hard but I remember thinking, if I can do that cold turkey, I can do anything. So I started to mountain bike with some friends in Dundas who were very influential in my decision to me lead a cleaner life. We all enjoy our beer (then) and our wine (now!) but we hung out a lot back then and hit the local trail scene in Waterdown and Dundas. I was hooked and quitting smoking was actually quite easy because I had this outlet that made me feel really good and healthy which kept me away from the behaviors that I associated with smoking. You want to quit smoking? Three rules:

• you have to WANT to
• realize you are quitting a behavior as much as an addiction
• find an outlet and set yourself up for success

Mountain biking was that outlet. Soon, I was reflecting on my teen years, watching The Badger Hinault and Greg LeMond in the tour with my Italian neighbours, and the famous 1989 Iron War in Hawaii between Dave Scott and Mark Allen. I said, "well, you just quit smoking, picked up mountain biking & didn't finish last...you can do anything...". From there, it was an 18 month progression from duathlon, to sprint tri, to the Peterborough half Iron Distance to Ironman Florida in 2000.

Lastly, at the time I was getting into all this, I met my wife to be whose dad, when alive, was a HUGE ROADIE! Luck would have it, I found the love of my life who also "got it" when it came to 6 hour rides followed by 2 hour naps and plates of pasta. I am truly blessed in that regard!

Q2. You have used your athletic abilities to accomplish much more than personal glory. Through fundraising efforts, you have given a large portion of funds back to the community. What initially gave you the idea to use your racing as a charitable outlet?

- Truthfully, it started on a whim and then quickly grew into something that "felt right". My first Ironman I did it initially via my employer where they matched what I raised and we donated to the Food Bank of Toronto. It was as fulfilling as the accomplishment of finishing an Ironman and that nugget of memory I placed very near to me and promised never to forget.

Q3. How do you decide which charities to support when you are drawing up a fundraising plan?

- One commitment I made to myself was to change it up. Sometimes volunteering turns to work because you are repeating year over year over year and the reward I have witnessed with others, begins to fade and it turns to work. So I said to myself, "what do you feel passionate about that needs help TODAY...?" So charities I have supported include the aforementioned Toronto Food Bank, Breast Cancer Society, Lymphoma and Leukemia Foundation, Sick Kids Hospital, United Way Peel Chapter, to name a few. It keeps it fresh and I get to learn about their causes and why they are important, under-funded and need awareness.

My mother passed of AML Leukemia and my wife's father, a brain tumor, so clearly those two charities are a constant thread for our charitable donations budget.

Q4. You changed your 2011 schedule due to a recent invitation to compete in the Ironman Championships, via the lottery. What will be the goal for this year’s Kona race?

- I struggle with this every swim session!!!!!!!! I want to compete, I would love to leave the Ironman sport on Alii Drive with a PB but I am realistic. I haven't raced Ironman in 3 years, I just started swimming, after a year off and I took 8 weeks off running this spring. So, I have a lot of catch up to do. Other side of brain is saying, the sport has become very fast in 40-44 age group so treat this race like a celebration of turning 40, a celebration of "what's possible", a celebration of where I came from, and a celebration into Ironman RETIREMENT!

I think that was therapy typing that, the goal is: HAVE FUN!

Q5. Will you still be able to ride in the Tour for Kids, as per your earlier plans? Or, will training for Kona be too much of a distraction at that point?

- My #1 commitment in 2011 is to do the Tour for Kids charity ride. 3 great cancer camps are supported by amazing fundraisers, athletes and volunteers. What a celebration! And, if we map out where it lands, in relation to Kona, I actually think the Tour for Kids is a perfect block of training. It is 7 weeks before the race, gives me a huge bike test (doing 800K over 4 days) and I can then recover for a week and hit out some hard epic runs and swims while maintaining bike fitness with some threshold work in the odd local road race/time trail. The whole package is just one big celebration of giving back and athletics, a perfect marriage!!

Q6. A few years ago, your major focus was the Ironman distance triathlon but in recent seasons you have concentrated more on your cycling. Why did you decide to switch the direction in your recreational pursuits?

- I hate swimming. I really do. That bloody black line is like a horrible relationship but you keep going back for more brutal suffering. And trust me, my wife Meredith will tell you, letting go of Ironman was like a break up for me because I couldn't figure it out. It had been 10 years of my identity and gave me a real belief in myself. I owe the sport that much. It has helped my career, my relationships, and my beliefs. Sounds corny but it is true. Then last year I crashed bike racing, got really battered and bruised and couldn't swim or run. That was the plug, I was done because I was forced away and I realized how free I felt. Kind of like finally walking away from a bad relationship!! So I focused 100% on the Green Mountain Stage Race in Vermont and had a superb time.

Kona is too sweet to pass, so 1 more year, and I will say knowing that I feel liberated and free to train and enjoy all of it. It is a great feeling!

Q7. To date, what is your most memorable sporting moment?

- As a competitor I have one very poignant, special moment. I finished IMUK in 2006, eight months after my mom passed. I crossed that line and had my dad, sister, bro-in-law, wife, niece and nephew there. I was a euphoric 30 seconds off a PB but a hard course. But that wasn't why it was euphoric. I ran the last 5K in 22:30 and it felt like a sprint, thinking only of my mom. I was running on air and when I finished and hugged my dad, it was that 10 seconds that told me so much about life, about my family. I will never forget that and it can't be repeated.

As a fan, being at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff with my dad and my mom in 2003 watching Wales beat Ireland for their first Grand Slam in 25 years. That means going unbeaten in the Six Nations beating Ireland, England, Scotland, France, and Italy. Think Canada - Salt Lake City Olympic gold medal game, on steroids.

Q8. Who is the one athlete from the sport of triathlon, or cycling, that you love to watch compete?

Simon Whitfield. He's such a warrior racing, and a down to earth great guy to ride a bike with and chat. What he did in Beijing, with that much pressure, was poetry in sport.

Q9. What is the one thing you would do (if you were running the show - OCA) to make the sport of cycling more popular in Ontario?

- Too many to list. I can't even start. I will say, culturally, cycling is a mess both from the athlete and the UCI, the CCA, and OCA. Wait, the answer really? Outsource race organization to 1 organizer to consolidate and create a consistent, safe race experience. That one person is Graham Fraser.

PS: PLEASE GRAHAM!!!! -:)

Q10. From your years of experience, what advice would you give to someone about to attempt their first Ironman?

- The same thing someone told me on the balcony of the Florida hotel the night before mine. A total stranger said this and it really resonated.

"You're prepped, fit and ready to go. Two things: you only do your first one ONCE so enjoy it, and something WILL go wrong. What separates a good from bad race is problem solving."

To learn more about Rhys and his Charitable Causes, please visit his blog.

http://www.rhysspencer.blogspot.com/

SOLD (Thank you!)

2011-05-26T13:16:00.000-07:00

This is a Red alum framed 58cm road bike

Shimano 105 - 9speed components

Front forks are Bontrager Carbon

Seat post is carbon.

Brakes are Crane Creek

Wheel set is stock Bontrager and very durable.

Comes with Look pedals

$800 obo

Great starter or intermediate bike. I used it mainly to train with so I could save my tri bike for the races and important sessions. Components have some wear but lots of life and the frame is in excellent condtion.

larrybradleytoronto@yahoo.ca

Product Review – An AG Athlete’s (Not Scientist's) Perspective

2011-05-20T13:19:00.000-07:00

Honey Stinger Organic Energy Chews

I must admit I was curious to see if Honey Stinger could change my mind about the chew format of nutritional racing/training aids. I had a poor experience a few years back in the Muskoka Chase Duathlon when I tried another brand’s chew style product. As I reached into my jersey pocket, to start my run, the once jube jube like texture had melted away and I was left with a sticky mess of slim on my hand. It was a frustrating experience that killed my focus until I was able to reach the next water station to clean off the liquefied, jelly substance.

This memory was still very lasting in my mind when I was asked to try a few Honey Stinger versions recently. I was heading out for a training ride with the Falcons and decided to pack one of the flavours (Cherry Blossom) for an extra little kick around the hour marker. Reading the package, they suggested 5 to 10 of these Chews per hour. With 10 per pack, I thought I would test a few before the ride and still have more than enough energy left in the package for later.

They were very delicious and the product was very easy to consumer, similar to a cherry gummy candy. Satisfied with the taste and chewability test, I was now wondering how they would hold up under a bit of heat stored away in my pocket. As we pushed close to an hour into the ride, we came to a stop to regroup where I took the opportunity to pop back the rest of the Honey Stinger Chews. I was pleasantly surprised to find that they had held their form and consistency so there was no mess in my hand or my clothing.

As we continued on our way, for another 30 to 40 minutes, I remained solid in the saddle and felt strong along the entire ride. For me, I look for a product that keeps me feeling powerful for the duration of the effort. If I bonk out on one of these rides, I know my training product has failed. Wishing to add some variety to my workouts (I have been in a gel only rut for a while), I was more than happy to see these pass with flying colours.

During the same week, I tested out the Pomegranate Passion Fruit (a nice dark fruit flavour with a hint of citrus/pineapple on my palette), Orange (a traditional orange taste) and Fruit Smoothie (I experienced a red grape/cherry taste from this flavour) on a mix of rides and runs and had great results with each sample.

My most solid workouts came when I consumed 4 or 5 chews pre-ride/run and left 5 or 6 chews to eat just before the hour mark of the training session. This gave me a little pep to start and kept me energized through cool down.

With a limited number of products trusted enough to carry along for the longer rides and runs, I am pleased to say Honey Stinger Organic Energy Chews will always be welcome to tag along!

To try some of these yourself please see http://www.endlessendurace.com/ . They offer free shipping on any order within Canada so you cannot go wrong!

For more detailed information about the product visit http://www.honeystinger.com/ .

Product Details from the Endless Endurance Site-
Honey Stinger Organic Energy Chews are formulated specifically for health-conscious individuals and athletes seeking a great tasting energy snack. Honey Stinger Organic Energy Chews are unique as they are the first to include naturally occurring fiber and protein derived from 100% organic tapioca syrup and honey. Smaller and softer than other chews.

Made with USDA certified Organic ingredients. 160 calories per package Gluten-free, dairy-free, non-GMO ingredients. 0g Trans Fats and no partially hydrogenated oils. 100% RDA Vitamin C along with 1g protein and 1g fibre per package. Adults and kids love them!

Flavors: Cherry Blossom (CHERRY) Fruit Smoothie Mix (FRUIT) Orange (ORANGE) Pomegranate (POMEGRANATE)

Mississauga Half Marathon - Race Report

2011-05-16T12:52:00.000-07:00

I had the Mississauga Half Marathon marked on my calendar as soon as I experienced the disappointment of last fall’s Hamilton Half. I think most readers of the blog know how frustrated runners were by the bad course measurement at Road2Hope so I needed to test out another course and Mississauga seemed like a good fit for my schedule.

With race morning finally here, I was very excited to make my way over to the Square One Shopping Centre to hit the starting line. I live pretty close, and the early start (7:30am) meant very little traffic on the roads, so it was a quick commute which brought me into the parking area about an hour and a half before the official start time. This gave me plenty of time to slowly prepare my gear and get some more nutrition in before dropping off my bag for the beginning of the point to point run.

As forecasted, the weather was not very nice on this rainy, windy spring morning so I kept dry and warm inside the car for a number of minutes. I was actually not too worried about the drizzle and cool temperatures but was not too pleased with the direction and speed of the wind we would have to battle for a majority of the race.

With just under an hour to go, I decided to walk over to the main gathering area for my final preparations and to see if I could find any friends in the crowd. With about five thousand people starting at this position, it can be tough to spot folks (especially when most are wearing extra gear so picking jerseys is not an option) but I did manage to get in a few pre-race good lucks with some fellow Falcons and online buddies.

Finally, the wait was over and it was go time. I grabbed a spot in the first corral and noticed some of the faces and names (on their bib) around me so I did not want to be right on the line as this would only force me to start out far too quick off the gun. Settling in the second row, behind local elite Predrag Mladenovic, I cautiously started my 21.1k journey down to the lake. Judging from past results, I assumed I should be around top 20 so I just wanted to stay back from the leaders and ease into a smooth rhythm.

For the first five km we had the wind to our backs. This was a section I should have padded the pace stats a little more for later in the race but I started chatting with one of the marathon runners and fell off my target a notch. He was doing his first full and was interested in my experiences. Never one to turn down a chance to talk racing, I continued gabbing until I finally noticed my slow start around the 3.5k area. When I realized this slip in speed, it was time for a downhill portion to the Credit River bridge so I used the down slope to help pick up the pace.

Just after the five kilometre marker, I turned south on Mississauga Road for an eleven km section through the beautiful estate area of the city. To my surprise, the wind was slowing us much more through this stretch than I imagined. At this point I was running solo and could not protect myself from the elements so I had to focus and tried to keep as close to the game plan as possible.

A little further down the road the course turned left into the University of Toronto, Mississauga where we all did a loop around the campus. I could now hear some footsteps so I hoped that this person would gradually work past me so I could rest in their draft for a while. This did not happen as soon as I thought and I was getting tired pushing through the breeze. Thankfully, once we got to the University Recreation Centre, he finally made his move. I got on right away and we reached the 8k timing mat together (he started a little farther back so it looks like he was quicker to this point) before cresting the large hill on Mississauga Road dropping us into the valley.

He descended faster than I and I could tell he was trying to pick up some lost time as well. At the intersection of Dundas and Mississauga Rd, he started to add more time between the two of us but I ran a very tight line through the curves of the next section to get back on his heels before the climb at 10k. We reached that marker in 37:30 (3:45 pace, which would have been the plan given more favourable wind conditions) so I was now worried that I had fallen well behind where I need to be to battle a head wind during the final 4.5k along the lake shore.

By the time we had climbed to the top, I had taken the front position of our twosome and was trying to get back up to speed as quickly as possible. I did a shoulder check to make sure he was locked on and was happy to see him following closely. I led for a few hundred more metres before he picked up his pace and started to swing through. With only one runner in striking distance (about 300m ahead of me), and nobody directly behind, I figured this may be the only guy that could team up to help cut through the gusty air.

As he pulled up beside me, I asked what his goal was and he mentioned he was trying to hit 3:45 splits but had zoned out for a bit. He was now struggling through the breeze to make up ground so was onboard to work together and try to get back on track.

For the next five kilometres we took turns pulling off the front and saving energy on the back. We were making strides on the gentleman ahead and I was starting to plan the next bridge hoping we could create a threesome. Passing by Lakeshore Blvd, we made it down to the 16k marker slightly slower than 3:45 pace so I knew it was going to be a huge task to pick up time once we reached the bottom of Mississauga Road where we had to turn left to begin our tour along the coast of Lake Ontario.

When we finally funneled onto the asphalt trail, the force of the wind hammered us dead on. This brought out a few select curse words from my mouth and I knew it was now time to dig very deep into reserves. Unfortunately, only seconds into the turn I could tell I was starting to lose my team mate.

Just a few metres ahead, though, was the gentleman we gradually brought back to us so I hoped he had some horses left for the home stretch. I finally pulled up beside him on the walkway over the river and told him he could jump on because we would be wounded ducks trying it solo. He hooked on and we started our push through the mix of side streets and paths along the south end of Port Credit.

I was exerting every last bit of energy counting down the final steps of the race. With one kilometre to go, I picked up the pace again but my fellow racer was not able to respond and fell off a few seconds behind. We had actually worked our way closer to another fading runner but it would take a massive effort this late to grab another position. I used the slight glimmer of hope to produce a final sprint around the bay and up to the finish line. This brought me within seven seconds of a top ten and eighteen seconds away from the elusive sub 1:20:00.

After getting through the timing mats, I waited to thank the two racers I had worked with and was happy to hear that they were appreciated of the team work. I may have missed my goal but was proud of my effort under less than ideal weather conditions. There will be other attempts and new goals down the road!

I then gulped down some fuel and recovery drinks and made a smart decision to visit the massage tent. This is the first time I have taken advantage of this resource at a race and must say it was the best idea of the day! Next, it was time to warm up in some dry clothes and hang out friends as we checked out the results and waited for some others to wrap up their journeys.

On a parting note, I must give a big round of applause for all the great volunteers and spectators (especially the fellow Falcons!) for braving the crappy conditions. It is very much appreciated!

Please Support a Friend - Follow his Blog...

2011-05-03T07:47:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the internet, I have been able to create a respectable following of online friends and readers. I have been able to connect with and learn from so many people through this blog so I hope you find the material interesting as I pass it along.

As I have mentioned in the past, I may not have the technical advice for our sport but I try to use my voice to promote the sport and the people in the sport that have caught my attention. As I was reading my Facebook news feed this morning, I came across a posting from a friend that offered up a link to his blog and I decided to follow through to see what he was up to. I knew he was working on a project (through a few conversations we had regarding his upcoming cycling events) but his blog provided much more insight so I thought I would send along the link so others could follow along.

Below is the link for you to connect with Adam Fitzsimmons, who is promoting a wellness program within his industry to help support the CanHEAR Uganda mission.

http://fitwithphonak.blogspot.com/

I will admit I am now just reading more to learn about his cause but, from what I have seen so far, Adam is doing a great job using his passion in sport to promote a very worthwhile charity initiative.

Please check out his site and support him in any way possible. I am sure he will appreciate comments, donations or moral support to help him achieve his goals.

Thank you!
Larry

PS - if you have something you would like me to post, drop me a line at larrybradleytoronto (at) yahoo.ca .

Very Sad News for the Running Community

2011-05-02T09:06:00.000-07:00

Danny Kassap, a popular and resilient Toronto runner, died suddenly early Monday morning.

Kassap passed away at Toronto’s Sunnybrook Hospital, but the exact cause hasn’t been reported. Funeral arrangements are underway. Kassap was 29.

For the full article, please click below to visit the Canadian Running Magazine link.

http://runningmagazine.ca/2011/05/sections/news/running-community-mourns-passing-of-danny-kassap/

Blog Update

2011-04-28T10:00:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

I have a few items to update between Spotlight Postings on my blog so I thought I would get some fresh material up on the site.

I am currently doing a little research on my next guest so hopefully I can get my questions out to the next Local Age Grouper soon so that there is not a large gap between interviews. I would still love to have athletes nominated to put up some new faces so don’t be shy and volunteer a deserving friend today! I would also like to post some local, female triathletes as all the articles to date have been on the male side of the fence.

My next update concerns my injury rehab. It seemed to take most of the winter to clear up but I am running and riding pain free these days so it looks like I will not miss any races due to the nerve issue. It is not 100% but very close and the only symptoms I feel are very mild tightness, usually after driving for long periods of time. I would like to thank everyone for their advice on treatments and home remedies. I will say my Physiotherapist did a very good job at addressing several issues in my back and we will continue to work together to keep things in better working order for the future. Also, the Turmeric that Khizer recommended seems to be helping nicely, once you get past the taste. A spoonful in some green tea does the trick for me!

In other news, I excitedly took on the task of helping out the 30 Somethings relay squad for the YMCA 5k run on May 31st. A speedy friend asked me to join his team and I could not pass up the chance to go after a faster 5k than a few weeks ago. It helps that I like the team concept and the funds go to a great cause. Not sure which split I will run but I think going first would be good so you can see where the competition sits. Later in the race, you will start lapping other teams and get confused in the mix.

With this race, and the Mississauga Half Marathon (May 15) on the schedule for sure, Tyler and I have decided to sit out Victoria’s Duathlon as things are pretty busy for races to start the season. I hate to miss this season opener (I have raced it every year that I have been involved in the sport) but my legs will be mush after the Half Marathon the week before. Milton will now be my first Duathlon of the season which works out well on many levels. This event is a lot closer to home and I always have a bunch of family drop by to watch so I don’t want to miss a chance to race in front of them. I sent my Options to Tyler to see what he thought and this is what we have put together...

*Mississauga Half – May 15

*YMCA 5k – May 31
*Milton Du – June 5
*Guelph Lakes Oly Du – June 19
*Peterborough Half Iron Du – July 10
*Cobourg Oly Du – Aug 13
*Ottawa Half Iron Du – Sept 3
*Lakeside Du – Sept 17

Lastly, I have been working on some product reviews with the help of http://www.endlessendurance.com/ so I should have some neat postings up soon. I have been testing some of their new products during recent training sessions and would like to share my opinion on these supplements/nutritional aids. I hope you find them helpful when you look to introduce some new items to your training routine!

Age Grouper Spotlight - Marco Sadeghi

2011-04-19T09:19:00.000-07:00

I am happy to share the first nominated entry in the Age Grouper Spotlight series on my blog. A fellow FMCT Falcon, Kane Picken, mentioned this three time Ironman to me a few weeks ago so I followed up and was thrilled this amazing, local athlete was willing to donate some of his time to participate.

Marco Sadeghi is a very dedicated athlete who drives a lot of motivation through the challenges of everyday life. He has battled through adversity and now uses his training and profession as a positive outlet in his new lifestyle. This Toronto based Personal Trainer is currently gearing up for another run at Ironman Lake Placid and is working hard to add another finisher medal to his collection!

10 Questions with Marco Sadeghi

Q1. What made you enter the world of triathlon?

- I was always an active kid growing up. Even when I look back on my early childhood years, I was always passionate about swimming, my bike and running. I always wanted to be the fastest kid on the block and I always admired the guys that were faster than me.

Although, I enjoyed being competitive growing up, I never considered myself an athlete or took part in any sports teams. I did my first 10km running race in 2005 and I loved everything about it. I appreciated the spectators, the inspiration, and the friendly, encouraging atmosphere of the race – that got me hooked! That same summer, I did my first try-a-tri in Grimbsy and it all began there. Even though it was only about a 45min race, I was very proud of myself for taking part in it. I saw a lot of opportunity for improvement and I wanted to train and learn to go longer!

Q2. What aspect of triathlon takes the most of your energy to improve?

- Swimming! Swimming is one of those sports in which the bio mechanics of it doesn’t come naturally to us. I always find that my form and endurance will suffer the most in swimming, if I haven't practiced it for a short period of time, as compared to cycling or running.

Q3. What would be the first triathlon item you would rush out to buy if you won the lottery?

- Specialized Shiv TT bike! Although, I’m still working on building the engine. It would be embarrassing to get dropped on such a bike. Therefore, riding my 2007 Specialized Transition with carbon forks, seat post and aero bars doesn’t make me feel so bad when I get dropped.

Q4. Which race, anywhere in the world, would you love to compete in?

- Kona, Hawaii – Ironman World Championships. I hear their finisher t-shirt is the best one out there! I love the Ironman distance and I’ve had the opportunity to compete in three of them. Kona is known to be the Mecca of Ironman races. It offers the most challenging racing conditions and the most scenic course for 140.6 miles. I’ve heard great stories about the race from my training mentors over the years. To qualify alone would be such a great accomplishment. Also, it would be a great opportunity to race with the best in the sport.

Q5. When thinking about your triathlon training/racing, to date, what are you most proud of?

- I’m most proud of the lifestyle change training brought into my life. I’ve seen my character develop over the years as training became a habit. I learned the meaning of dedication, perseverance and passion through another channel of energy that was greater than myself and that kept me in the game.

Q6. What is your favourite workout?

- My favourite workout has to be the bike, long run combo! I love brick workouts and running is my strength. When I’m building mileage up for an Ironman, I would do my long ride on the Saturday and go out on the Sunday with an easy ride followed by a long run. The real treat is to finish the weekend with a big run off the bike. This type of training has helped my Ironman marathon greatly over the years.

Q7. Who is your biggest influence in triathlon?

- My biggest influences in triathlon comes from all the coaches and Ironman finishers that I admired since day one of training with the Mississauga Triathlon Club. But to choose one person specifically, it would have to be John Boffin. John is a 6x IM finisher and had competed in Kona twice. I admired him greatly for his accomplishments in the sport and in life. He was a positive influence in my life and always encouraged me. I remember getting killed at my first 2hr spin class with him and I asked him how I did – ‘You are a natural, and I hope to see you next week’ he said. He was a great training partner, coach and friend. He taught me everything I needed to know about racing an Ironman and he always made the time to be there for me.

Q8. How do you set up your training schedule?

- I gather information from all different types of sources. From coaches, articles, studies, and other athletes. Of course, we are all unique and we have to find a training program that works best for us. I always make changes to my training and nutrition to be a better athlete, to train smarter and to continue to incorporate the sport in a balanced way into my life.

Q9. Do you listen to music during training? If yes, what are the top three songs that pump you up for a workout?

- I only listen to music when I’m training in my basement on the trainer. Other than that, I never listen to music when I train outdoors. I enjoy being focused and in the zone either listening to the voice in my head, my bike, nature, or just being alert of the dangers of the riding on the road. However, my top three pump up songs would have to be...

1. Rage Against the Machine – Bulls on Parade
2. Rage Against the Machine – People of the Sun
3. Rage Against the Machine – Revolver

Q10. What would you like to share about yourself to help the readers learn a little more about you?

- I have seen my character develop over the years as I have grown with the sport of triathlon. My values, priorities and outlook on life have changed considerably. Life, much like training is an endless journey. As I push my limits and seek the person I want to become, I continue to discover more about the person that I am.

I have made my share of mistakes with respect to training that caused a negative impact on my life. These mistakes were all in attempt to becoming a better athlete, but unfortunately put my health at risk. I had to learn fast and adjust to get back on the right path to success. One of my Ironman mentors, that I still look up to, once told me ‘sometimes we have to crawl in the valley before we climb the peak’.

We have to take time to learn while we are in the valley. It can be a dark, lonely place at times and the hardest part, much like an Ironman marathon, is to keep taking that step forward. Through perseverance and faith – Anything is Possible!

Thank you Marco! It has been a pleasure getting to know you. Best of luck in 2011!

Please visit http://www.alohafit.wordpress.com/ to support this local Triathlete.

Spring into Motion 5k - Race Report

2011-04-17T11:50:00.000-07:00

I had this date marked on my calendar a long time ago to get my season started. The Spring into Motion 5k was a perfect race to get my 2011 events rolling as it was super close (to home) and held on a quick, relatively flat course. I wanted to check my speed and overall run progress before hitting the Mississauga Half Marathon in May and thought this would be a perfect chance to do so.

Listening to the weather reports leading up to race day, I could tell we may be in for some trouble and they were not lying! I woke up early and looked out the window to see snow and hail flying across my window. I took a step outside the door and the cold and gusting wind did not impress me at all. At this point, I actually talked myself out of racing and went back to bed.

Thirty minutes later, my daughter came into the room and woke us up. Now it was sunny out so I went back downstairs to check the temperature and the air was much warmer. With a hour to spare until race time, I quickly got geared up and jumped into the car to make my way up to the event site.

Unfortunately, the nice weather was short lived. When I hopped out of the car it was snowing and windy once again but it was too late to turn back now.

After trying to warm up in the elements, I hit the start line and got ready to give it my best. As they sent us off, I settled in behind Tim Shannon (a local speedster who has won this race the past few years) and hoped to escape some of the wind. Being a little larger than Tim, this did not protect me as much as I planned. After a little more than a kilometre we were running slightly uphill and getting hammered by the wind. We hit the first km marker in 3:23 and I was praying that this early effort into the wind would not hurt too much further down the road.

During the next kilometre, there was a tailwind, going downhill so I was sticking very close to the pace I needed for my goal but Tim was starting to pull away from me. I was running alone by the time we started to hit the twisting stretch in the South Georgetown subdivisions.

As my watched beeped to warn me about pace, I could not find the 3km marker (it had been downed by the wind) so I was running a little blind but was pretty sure I was starting to feel the effects of too much effort at the start of the race.

Coming out of a crescent street, my watch alerted me about the 4th goal split. I looked up ahead and found the 4k sign so, at this point, I knew I was not hitting my targets. With a good gap ahead and behind me I could have just eased in to the finish but I knew I needed a solid, full race effort out of this race to judge my current fitness so I kept the pedal down.

The final portion of the course took me across an icy wooden bridge back to the community centre park. In the park there was an asphalt path for the final 500m or so but most of the last sprint would be into the wind.

Just as I was ready to make my final turn, I could hear the cheers for Mr. Shannon as he wrapped up his race in 16:35. I knew I could not get there in less than 25 seconds (to hit my goal), especially, into this silly wind but I gave it every last drop of energy to finish strong.

Final time ended up being 17:24 for 2nd overall. This is 6 seconds slower than my PB from last year but I know the weather added many seconds to this result and really messed with the game plan Tyler and I discussed.

I have to thank Brad and his Feet in Motion crew for putting on another great event in trying conditions. Brad knows how to keep the athletes happy and his prizes are second to nobody!

Check out the video below to see how windy the start was!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_AMMBMP1LU

OAT Bike Insurance Programme - New for 2011

2011-04-14T06:52:00.000-07:00

Copied from the OAT Website

The Ontario Association of Triathletes is pleased to introduce OAT's Bike Insurance Programme, the newest benefit for OAT members.

The cost of the equipment necessary to compete in triathlon is high. This is particularly true for bicycles. Unfortunately not all of OAT's members have taken steps to insure their bikes for loss or theft. In OAT's continued effort to provide value, this special programme has been developed for OAT members.

Not only will your bike be covered for loss or theft but OAT has gone one step further and provided the opportunity to insure your bike for damage arising from accidents at OAT sanctioned races. Coverage will be extended to National Junior Series and Championship races held in Canada and sanctioned by Triathlon Canada.

Cost for this coverage is determined by the value of the bicycle - $61.50 for up to $5,000 of coverage and $93.90 for up to $10,000 of coverage.

The period of coverage is tied to the membership year - from April 1, 2011 to March31, 2012.

This low cost OAT Bike Insurance programme was specially designed for OAT members and will be available to full members only. You must be a member BEFORE you apply. The programme will be administered through the OAT office.

Please visit their site for more info and the Application Forms...
http://www.triathlonontario.com/hm/inside.php?id=942

For Sale - Easton Aero Bars

2011-04-07T08:29:00.000-07:00

Posting for a Friend.

Easton Aero Bars for Sale $300. Like New

Please contact johnthebikenut at hotmail.com if you have any questions!

Thank you,
Larry

Age Grouper Spotlight - David Frake

2011-03-29T10:10:00.000-07:00

This season will mark my sixth year of racing duathlon. During those years, there have been many new faces in the fields I have competed against but this spotlight athlete is someone I have been chasing down since those early races.

Toronto's, David Frake, is an incredibly talented duathlete who has been ranked among Canada's best for several years. Even after suffering a serious, early season set back in 2010 (after a crash in the Good Friday cycling race), he worked his way back to form before the end of the summer. His amazing come back was capped off with an impressive Age Group victory at the World Duathlon Championships in Scotland last fall.

Knowing the dedication and attention to detail this duathlete places in his training, I am sure he will be on top of the sport for many years to come. He continues to push the limits each year and is a huge motivating factor in my training as I strive to reach the splits he is able to post on both the run and the bike.

10 Questions with David Frake

Q1. What was the first tri or du that you attempted?

- First Tri - I was 14 yrs old. One of the original President's Choice Triathlon Series races in Waterloo at the Laurel Creek Conservation Area. I raced in the under 18 category and won. Back then the awards were awesome, I won a bike and still have it.

Q2. Do you teach yourself or do you train under the guidance of a coach?

- To date, I have never had a coach. I have a strong running background as well as science degrees in kinesiology and physiotherapy. Not to say that makes me an instant expert on self-training but I have a pretty good sense of what I need to do. Having said that, I will likely take on a consultant running coach this year just to make sure I'm sure I'm on the right track.

Q3. You had a nasty cycling crash in early 2010 and came back to win Gold in your Age Group at the World Duathlon Championships in Scotland. What kept you motivated during the rehab and the training to get back to such amazing race speed?

- The crash in early April really threw a curve-ball into my season. I thought I was finished for the year with a torn acl, mcl, meniscus and completely separated shoulder. Thankfully, I had tons of support from my family, friends, fellow cyclists and my surgeon, Paul Marks. I owe my Team Manager at Triathlon Canada, Joyce Chiang, hugely as she convinced me to return to Duathlon Worlds this past year, not just as the team physiotherapist, which was initially my plan, but as a competitor as well.

As a physiotherapist, I had a pretty good idea of what needed to be done so went to work at it pretty hard. My motivation came when I realized (by August) that things were feeling reasonably healed and strong again that I might just have a shot at a bit of a season. That's when I decided to go for it.

Q4. Being involved in such a crash, and keeping in mind that we all have to work and help provide for our families, does it affect the way you look at bike racing?

- Cycling, especially road racing, is a sport that takes years of experience and learning. Even with that experience, it can be dangerous. If you road race and think you'll never crash you should get out of the sport altogether. I have had numerous crashes, none as bad as last year, and have learned from every one of them. I have no intention of leaving the sport but have definitely become more selective in what races I enter and who I race with. Doing this minimizes the chances of serious injury and keeps everyone around me happier.

Q5. What is the biggest honour you have received in the sport?

- Canadian Duathlete of the Year (Triathlon Magazine) this year was a huge honour. OAT Duathlete of the Year a couple of times was nice as well but I have to say that winning a World Championship was the ultimate achievement in my tri/du career.

Q6. You have seen a lot of people come and go in the sport of duathlon, what kept you interested in Run/Bike/Run for so long, compared to your competitors?

- I've always considered myself a triathlete but haven't raced in one in a few years so I guess that pretty much makes me a duathlete, for now. I suppose I've just gotten in the groove of running and cycling and haven't managed to break the habit. Running and cycling are my favourite disciplines. I also love swimming but just haven't managed to incorporate it back into my training. What's kept me in it is the constant lure of going back to a World Championship with an eye on the podium.

Q7. What is the training session you love to see on your calendar? What makes it worth looking forward to?

- I love group bike rides. I ride with an amazing group of guys who call themselves the Morning Glory. They ride every Tues and Thurs morning at 5:30am in midtown Toronto. The group has grown to nearly 50 riders. The lead group are quite competitive so we all go head to head. It's like a training ride that becomes a race. I love and thrive on any kind of competition, anywhere, anytime so I love this ride! The other one I look forward to all week is the La Bicicletta/Midweek Thursday Night Time Trial series in Markham. Some of the Province and Country's best TT racers show up every week. It's uber relaxed yet uber competitive...my favourite combination.

Q8. Do you think there is a chance of you returning to triathlon now that you have achieved such success in the duathlon?

- I'm always thinking about Tri. I've been back in the pool a few times this winter so who knows...??!

Q9. Is there a long term goal that you have set in triathlon, duathlon, running or cycling that you would like to accomplish?

- Long term, I'd definitely like to race a triathlon at a world championships. I'd love to defend my World Duathlon Championship. Racing a season as an elite on the international scene would be great. I'd like to place top 5 Nationally in road and or road TT one of these years and would like to run a 32:00 min 10k so I guess I have my work cut out for me.

Q10. Is there something about Dave Frake that many of your co-racers would be surprised to learn about?

- I'm a physiotherapist and practice owner of Balance Physiotherapy. My physiotherapy practice donates a minimum of 15% of it's services to those without adequate financial resources as well as a portion to elite athletes as a part of a sponsorship program. I'm French-English bilingual and can read basic Chinese. I love traveling and have lived and worked in Hong Kong and sub-Saharan Africa. I'm also passionate about great food and wine, it's something I'll never give up, not even during the race season!

My sponsors are Neal Brother's Foods, Clif Bar and Octto Cyclo components. I'd love to thank Triathlon Canada for all their great work and support over the years and would love to mention my practice-

http://www.balancephysiotherapy.com./

Age Grouper Spotlight - Tommy Ferris

2011-03-18T08:06:00.000-07:00

Overcoming obstacles is nothing new to my next spotlight guest. Tommy Ferris has battled back from a string of injuries over the past few years to prepare for another season of high level competition against the best age group athletes in Ontario.

I met this highly motivated athlete a few years ago as we jockeyed for position during a few early season duathlons. After he caught my attention, with a very strong effort in the Milton Sprint Du (the first time we were in the same field), we spoke a few times online to discuss training, future races and lots of other duathlon stuff.

We then met up again that summer for the Ontario Duathlon Championships in Gravenhurst. In this race, he showed off his efficient running form to pull off a gutsy pass, finishing one spot ahead of me in 5th Overall. I knew from this late race surge that he had the heart of a winner.

Even though we have only raced head to head in one race since Gravenhurst (due to injuries, my attempt at triathlon, different race schedules, etc.), we have kept in touch and offered up support for one another.

As this Toronto based Graphic Artist prepares for a return to triathlon in 2011, I will be cheering him along, hoping he reaches all his multisport goals!

10 Questions with Tommy Ferris

Q1. What made multisport an attractive recreational outlet for your post graduate years?

- I actually competed in triathlon before starting post secondary ed, so I was hooked on multisport long before I'd finished school. After graduating, I moved to Toronto to start my career. I was broke (my first apartment was a closet. I'm not kidding!) and couldn't afford a gym membership so the only training I did was some running with a few running groups here and there and riding my bike throughout the city. I always wanted to return to multisport and, after a couple of years as a competitive rower, I began competing in duathlons at the end of rowing season. I started with duathlon because it had been years since I'd done any swimming other than jumping in the lake at the cottage. What made multisport so attractive for me, at that point especially, was it was something I could do on my own. Rowing is a team sport and if your crew is one rower short, the entire team is affected. Another attraction with multisport was it's a sport I could take with me anywhere; all I needed was a pair of running shoes or my bike. I had to give up rowing in early 2008 so it was at that point I started training full-time for the duathlon.

Q2. You have had a number of tough injuries over the past few seasons. What motivates you to continue training as hard as you do?

- Yes, injuries have been a huge struggle for me. My 2009 ended early with a stress fracture, 2010 ended early with a torn AC joint as a result of a bike crash, and 2011 started with some fairly debilitating tendinitis in my knee as a result of running too hard in slippery conditions. I feel like I'm constantly walking a fine line... if i push myself too hard and go too far over that line (in an attempt to get faster) I'll hurt myself, and if i stay on this side of the line my run speed won't improve but I'll remain injury-free. In the past, I was a strong runner that struggled on the bike, but because of my injuries things have now done a complete 180. My riding is my strongest discipline and running is my weakest. In fact, I feel it's awful and it's nowhere near where I'd like it to be. What motivates me to keep going is the belief that there's a strong runner inside me trying to come out but keeps getting set back.

Q3. Which race do you believe is your best overall performance? Why do you pick that particular race?

- In terms of athletic performance I'd have to say my race in Welland (2010) was my best so far. My goal heading into that race was to let someone else set the pace on the first run, average more than 40km/h on the bike, and then run a faster time on the second run. All three of those things happened and it felt like the perfect race. However, the performance I'm most proud of would be my race at the Duathlon World Championships in September 2010. I had a good first run (almost setting a 10k PB), made up 12 spots on the first lap of the bike, and was on my way to a top-10 finish... I was having the exact race I'd wanted. On the second lap of the bike I went down hard in a nasty crash. I was traveling more than 60km/h when I wiped out and I thought I was finished. Spectators ran over to help and gathered up all of my things (including the lens that had popped out of my sunglasses!) and called the paramedics. While I was lying on the ground letting my spinning head and nerves settle, I closed my eyes and the letters "DNF" flashed before me in black and white next to my name. I'd worked so hard and traveled so far to be there that I had to try getting up. I ended up finishing the race covered in dirt and blood on my mangled bike, and the fact that I was able to fight through that and cross the line on my own two feet is something I'm quite proud of.

Q4. Who (if you could pick anyone in the world) would you love to have as a coach or mentor for this sport?

- It seems too obvious an answer, but I think Simon Whitfield would make a great mentor. He's an incredible athlete and having him guide me through the ins and outs and ups and downs of the sport would be amazing. There isn't anyone out there I can think of off the top of my head, so if I had the opportunity to pick any coach in the world I'd have to do some research. What I do know is that when I first took an interest in triathlon in the late 1990s, Peter Reid was the first athlete that sparked a flame inside me. I didn't know anything about the sport, and little information was available back then, but I somehow knew he was sponsored by Reebok. I remember going to the Reebok outlet in Cookstown and asking if they had Peter Reid posters for sale, and they were like, "Who's Peter Reid?". I wouldn't turn down an opportunity to be coached by him for sure!

Q5. After a number of successful years as a duathlete, you want to focus on Half Ironman Triathlons this season. What made you want to get back into the water?

- A few reasons. The first was I was feeling ready. It's been more than 10 years. I didn't want to start my swim training from scratch and get back into triathlons until I felt like a strong enough athlete on the bike. Swimming will likely be my weakest event for a long time, but as long as I can come out of the water in a position that isn't dead last, I'm confident enough with my riding that I'll be able to make up some ground and have a solid finish. I race better when I'm chasing people down from behind, and since the ride is the largest portion of any triathlon, I'll have plenty of time to do just that. The second is I've always wanted to race the 70.3 distance. The third is there's nothing like Kona for duathlon. I want to go to Kona someday to race in the Ironman World Championships, and I can't do that as a duathlete.

Q6. What is the one piece of equipment you wish you had in your arsenal?

- Power meter. As I'm transitioning into longer distances, race management will play a huge roll in my success on race day. A power meter is an excellent way to track and manage your power output when riding such long distances.

Q7. It appears the duathlon is losing many of it's competitors to the triathlon. Do you have any ideas that would help improve the duathlon?

- First and foremost, people need to start taking duathlon more seriously. I can't count the number of times people have said to me, "Oh, you only do duathlons." Well, I can tell you that as a duathlete I train just as hard or, in many cases, much harder than most triathletes. Duathlon is very tough. In triathlon your running legs are fresh and ready to go once you're off the bike, but by the time the second run rolls around in a duathlon, your legs are dead. Some series in Ontario are much better than others, but on a grassroots event level, race organizers need to stop treating duathlons like nothing more than a formality. From a big picture perspective, I think duathlon needs an annual event or series of events in North America with a large prize purse and lots of promotion that appeals to the world's top multisport athletes. Such an event would generate a lot of buzz and really get people excited about duathlon at every level.

Q8. Are you able to stick to a healthy diet or do other factors in life make it difficult to eat the way you would like to?

- I have a raw food-focused diet and do my best to always eat as healthy as possible, but just like everyone else I cave into those cravings for fast food every now and then. Life's circumstances make it difficult to always eat the way I'd like to, but I don't stress out about it too much. On the whole my diet is very good, so eating food that isn't so great every now and then won't have much of on impact on things overall.

Q9. You traveled to Scotland last season for the World Duathlon Championships. What was your overall impression of racing at this level?

- My overall impression of racing at that level was that there are truly some incredible athletes out there! I doubt I'll ever race a course as tough as that one in Edinburgh, and the fact that people were able to pull off the times they did still amazes me.

Q10. What is the one thing you hope to accomplish in the next 3 years of triathlon/duathlon?

- Over the next three years I'd like to climb my way up the rankings in my age group and qualify for the 70.3 world championships. In order to do that I'll have to get my injuries under control and really get a handle on my running. That's what I'm focusing on right now.

Please show your support of our local Age Groupers! You can follow Tommy Ferris on http://tommyferrisduathlon.blogspot.com/ as he tackles the Half Ironman world this season.

Injury Update

2011-03-17T13:44:00.000-07:00

It has been a month and a half since I started to feel a pinching pain in my neck and upper back area. I got on with treatment right away due to a past experience with that region. It was definitely something I did not want to go through again.

Thankfully, things have not been as bad as three years ago, although, I still went through weeks of discomfort. The past 8 to 10 days have been much more manageable with Physio and Chiro helping a lot to keep the region loose and mobile but the iinflammation around the joint/nerve has to settle down on it's own terms. The end seems closer but there is still mild pain to deal with so I am trying to keep any unneeded pressure away from the area.

With the mild temperatures now hitting the GTA, this is going to be very tough to continue as the outdoor cycling season should begin soon. Slumping over the roadie bars is not the best position to be stuck in for an extended period of time with this injury and aero is strictly out of the question. I really hope major progress is made ASAP as I need to get used to that position in a hurry or I will be entering the season at a huge disadvantage.

Other than that, training has been decent but obviously I have not been able to keep up the pace that I was hitting before the start of February. My upper body strength is fading after a lot of work Tyler and I put in during the winter. That is disappointing as I had enjoyed the circuit training sessions he had us moving through. Hopefully, everything will settle down and I will get my core and upper body ready for the big races in the middle of the summer. It sure helps to have those muscles on your side when you are pushing the limits in the triathlon or duathlon.

As it stands, I have been reluctant to sign up for any duathlon races. The sites have now opened their Online Registration (Subaru and MSC) but I don't want to pay out the fee for races, just in case. I would really hate to miss Victoria's this season so I am crossing my fingers for full relief before mid-April so that I can confidently prepare for the season opener. If not, I guess I will have to take it day to day and hope I can get enough races in before the Ontario Du's to be up to speed with the rest of the field.

Talk soon,
Larry

GARAGE SALE - Hockey Collectibles and Cycling/Running Items

2011-03-15T06:14:00.000-07:00

Folks, I have a few people interested in my hockey stuff that I am trying to clean from storage so thought I would post here first to give followers first dibs. If items don't sell, after a few weeks, I will post on KIjiji.ca. Let me know if you have any questions! Thanks - Larry

Hockey Card - Collection

No pics, yet. Mostly early 90's Upper Deck cards with a few full sets, many Autographed Cards and over $1000.00 in Rookie Cards (Full Beckett value) included in the lot.

Lots of copies of Sakic, Forsberg, Selanne, Koivu, Kariya, etc. included in those rookie cards. My other sports cards are thrown in as well.

$500 (OBO)

Ron Francis - Easton Gloves

$120 (OBO) - these gloves were made for Ron Francis while he played in Toronto. He never used them so you could use for hockey or as collectible for this HOF member.

Mats Sundin - Framed Picture

$100 (FIRM) - This picture celebrates Mats' point to take over the All Time Leafs Scoring title. It has an actual piece of the net he scored into for that point included in the matting. Very nice limited edition piece.

AKI BERG - Hockey Pants

$50 (OBO) - These are actual pants worn by former Leaf player Aki Berg. They are in very good condition and could be used to play or collect. I got them to play in but never ended up player forward after purchasing (I'm a goalie usually).

DENIS POTVIN - Auto'd 8x10 Pircture

$30.00 (OBO) - This is an 8x10 autographed by Denis Potvin from a session at Cloverdale Mall.

MIKE BOSSY - Auto'd 8x10 Picture

$40.00 (OBO) - This is an 8x10 autographed by Mike Bossy from a session at Cloverdale Mall.

DON CHERRY - Auto'd Hockey News

$20.00 (OBO) - This is a Hockey News with the Top 50 Players of all time. Don Cherry was on the voting panel and signed this magazine for me in person.

WENDEL CLARK - Auto'd Beckett

$20.00 (OBO) - This is a Beckett magazine that Wendel signed in person for me.

MIKE WEIR - Auto'd Score Magazine

$20.00 (OBO) - Mike Weir signed this for me in person at a Canadian Open tournament.

OHL Player taking to triathlon to promote Brain Injury Awareness

2011-03-11T08:11:00.000-08:00

KITCHENER — Hockey may be on trial over serious head injuries.

But Ben Fanelli, whose hockey career has been stalled by a hit that resulted in severe head trauma, declines to sit on the jury.

“It’s not my duty to change the game,” the Kitchener Rangers defenceman said Thursday as he discussed his plans to run, swim and cycle in a triathlon this June to raise funds for brain injury awareness.

The game may be beyond changing.

In Tuesday night’s NHL game between Boston and Montreal, the Bruins towering defenceman Zdeno Chara drove Max Pacioretty’s head into the turnbuckle stanchion at the Canadiens bench.

Pacioretty suffered a severe concussion and fractured neck, the same injuries Colorado’s Steve Moore sustained seven years earlier – to the night – after Todd Bertuzzi drove Moore’s head into the ice in Vancouver.

On Wednesday, as the NHL refused to suspend Chara for putting Pacioretty in hospital, Fanelli prepared to take media questions for the first time in nearly a year.

It’s been 16 months since Fanelli, seven games into his now-dormant Ontario Hockey League career, almost died on the ice at the Aud.

Strafed and sideswiped by Mike Liambas of the Erie Otters, Fanelli’s head slammed into a stanchion supporting the glass at the Zamboni entrance behind one net. His helmet flew off on impact. Fanelli spent a week in hospital with skull fractures and severe head trauma. Liambas was banned from the OHL.

Fanelli, who turned 18 on Wednesday, skates weekly with the Rangers as part of his remarkable recovery. But he is no longer on the active roster for this season. The reality is his hockey career may be over.

As Montreal police promised a probe into the Chara hit on Pacioretty, Fanelli spoke of his progress and the need to transform himself from “bulky” hockey player into a “slimmer” triathlete. He is taking business courses now in preparation for university.

The likelihood he must embrace a career outside hockey, is something he is prepared for. Initially, after his injuries, he was determined to return to hockey.

But if the game will not change, the victims of its devastating legacy will have to.

Fanelli has re-assessed his life. Pacioretty may be next to.

“I’m not his doctor,” Fanelli said of Pacioretty. “I don’t really have a comment on everything he’s going through.

Flanked by teammates Gabriel Landeskog and Ryan Murphy, Fanelli also spoke of the inevitability of hockey’s grimmest moments involving bruised brain matter.

Recent head traumas threaten the careers of Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby and Boston’s Marc Savard. Both top centres have serious concussions. If and when they do return to the NHL, they may never be what they once were on the ice. Or off the ice.

Even Murphy said he was uncertain of playing Friday’s game against Owen Sound after taking a head shot in Kingston a week earlier.

"Concussions or, which they say now, head injuries, that’s part of the game and it happens,” said Fanelli, an Oakville kid who is taking business courses this year in preparation for university in the fall.

“On purpose or not, it’s going to happen. Not only in hockey, other sports and daily life. You can hit your head.”

So Fanelli will run, cycle and swim to help those who face the same daunting recovery he has endured. The program he created, Head Strong: Fanelli 4 Brain Injury Awareness, is to be a permanent part of his future.

“This is more to treat those concussions, as opposed to prevent them,” Fanelli said.

“I can’t do that. I’m only one person. But I can raise the money to help those people that have those concussions.”

Physically, Fanelli says he is just as he was before.

Emotionally, he has difficult days. That’s where friends like Landeskog and Murphy help out. They were on the ice with him when his helmet flew off and the Aud fell silent on Oct. 30, 2009.

They sat beside him on Thursday, wearing Head Strong T-shirts and taking questions.

“Me and Ryan, we just want to be there for him,” said Landeskog, the Rangers captain.

Dan Lebold, the Rangers trainer who helped save his life, was there too.

So were most of his coaches and teammates like Cody Sol and Mike Morrison. His agent, Waterloo’s Rob Hooper, also watched Fanelli’s winning performance in front of the media. Things are about to change for Ben Fanelli again.

He used to be the kid who missed the party to go to hockey.

“Now, I’ll miss the party because I have to train for the triathlon,” he said.

He will do a 750-metre swim, 30-kilometre bike ride and 7.5-kilometre run. That’s his agenda in Milton on June 5. There will be no skates involved.

“After three or four concussions, parents think their kid’s sporting career is finished,” said Harry Zarins, executive director of the Brain Injury Association of Canada. “This is a prime example that you can switch into another sport. You don’t just stop being active.”

If hockey won’t change, the Ben Fanellis of the world have to.

Just don’t ask him to testify in the case against hockey. It’s not his duty. He’s been through enough. And don’t ask the hard-hitting Landeskog, sure to be a top NHL pick in June, to make a ruling in the Pacioretty-Chara incident either.

“It’s not up to me to judge that,” Landeskog said.

No, it isn’t. The game goes on. You take your chances.

One shift, your whole career is ahead of you.

The next shift, you’re a triathlete in training. If you’re lucky.

jhicks@therecord.com

Spring into Motion 5km Road Race and 1km Kids Fun Run

2011-03-08T12:08:00.000-08:00

Here is a great local event brought to you by Brad and his Crew at Feet in Motion.

Spring into Motion 5k Road Race and 1k Kids Fun Run (Sunday April 17, 2011)

Gellert Community Centre - 8th Line, Georgetown.

**Pre- registered racers can pick up race kit the morning of, beginning at 7:30am
**Race day registration begins at 7:30am.
**Race day entree fees are $30 for the 5km Road Race and $15 for the 1km Kids fun Run. Remember all proceeds go to Canadian Tire Jumpstart.
**Kids 1km Fun Run begins at 8:45am and the route stays on the Gellert paved paths. Kids get a bib number, finishing medal and……….ice cream compliments of Get the Scoop!
**The adult 5K road run begins at 9:00am sharp.

Race will go on rain or shine…..(wish for shine!)

The 8th Annual Spring Into Motion 5Km Race will take place on Sunday April 17, 2011 at the Gellert Community Centre.

Contact Feet In Motion for further details.
Georgetown’s Running Store

Contact #: (905) 877-3201
Address : 72 Main St S, Georgetown, ON , L7G 3G3

http://feetinmotion.ca/blog.html/

Email: fim @ spectranet. ca

Toronto Bike Show

2011-02-28T07:29:00.000-08:00

Don't forget to get all your great Cycling deals for 2011 this weekend at the Annual Spring Show!

25th Annual
Toronto International Bicycle Show

New Building
Better Living Centre
Exhibition Place, Toronto, Ontario,

Friday, March 4, 2011 - Noon to 9: P.M.
Saturday, March 5, 2011 - 10 A.M. to 7 P.M.
Sunday, March 6, 2011 - 10 A.M. to 6 P.M.

http://www.bicycleshowtoronto.com/

Frustrating Injury

2011-02-24T08:40:00.000-08:00

It is coming up on 2 1/2 weeks now since I inured my upper back/neck area while training. What started out as a pinch like feeling in the shoulder blade has developed into much more and several physio sessions, some meds and lots of stretching have yet to cure the problem.

The burning pain in the nerve is very uncomfortable and makes it tough to sleep at night so that does not help the situation. I am trying to keep up with some of my cycling on the recumbent style stationary bike at the gym but it is just not the same. Running these days, is pretty painful so I have cut that out for now which really hurts as I experienced so much progress in the past few months. My upper body and core strength is also starting to fade as I have not been able to work on these exercises since the workout in which I first felt the pain.

Having gone through a very similar injury in 2007, I know just how long this can take to improve. Last time, I spent 3 months in physio before I was able to train again. The pain is a little less this time around but it still seems far from leaving my body. Hopefully, some miracle happens over night very soon and I wake up feeling 100% and ready to train as hard as I was just a few weeks ago.

As everyone knows, injuries are such a demoralizing part of the game as you feel that all your previous training efforts are drifting away. It is tough to stay positive during these stretches so I really appreciate all the support I have received.

Talk soon,
Larry

Ontario Olympic Distance Championships Announced

2011-02-23T06:36:00.000-08:00

OAT has announced that Cobourg will hold the 2011 Ontario Olympic Distance Duathlon Championships and Bracebridge will host the 2011 Ontario Olympic Distance Triathlon Championships. Both races are part of the Multisport Canada Triathlon Series.

2011 Schedule

*Woodstock - June 11 - June 12
*Binbrook (Hamilton) - June 18 - June 19
*Welland - June 25 - June 26
*Gravenhurst - July 16 - July 17
*Bala Falls - July 24
*Bracebridge - August 6 - August 7
*Cobourg - August 13 - August 14
*Toronto Island - August 27 - August 28
*Wasaga Beach - September 10
*Lakeside - September 17 - September 18

Age Grouper Spotlight - Glenn Camplin

2011-02-15T23:19:00.000-08:00

Team HiPerformance athlete, Glenn Camplin, is my next subject in the Age Grouper Series on my blog. I have been lucky enough to train with Glenn for the past few years (with our coach Tyler Lord) and have seen just how hard this driven triathlete works to stay at the top of his AG.

He has a well rounded mix of swimming, cycling and running which makes it very tough to catch him out on the course. This season, this Hamilton native will look to improve on an incredibly successful 2010 as he attempts to push the bar even higher.

10 Questions with Glenn Camplin

Q1. What got you started in triathlon?

- After way too many years of inactivity, I decided I should do something to get back into shape. Around that time one of my friends was competing in the Niagara Duathlon and another in the triathlon. My wife and I went to watch them to yell some encouragement. After the race, my friend told me given my swimming background, I should give triathlon a try and that was the start of it.

Q2. Is there a workout you dread to see on your schedule? How do you overcome this initial lack of enthusiasm to get through it?

- That's easy, track workouts. They hurt way too much! I much prefer long steady/tempo runs. The only thing that gets me through it is the results they produce. No doubt about it, the track makes you fast.

Q3. You have been training with Tyler Lord for a few years now. How does a coach help you most (motivation, form, periodization, etc.)?

- Tyler helps immeasurably. The biggest benefits from working with a coach are that it keeps you accountable, and the knowledge he provides. Before, I would just go out and swim, bike and run kind of aimlessly, thinking more means better. Now my training is much more focused.

Q4. What do you hope to accomplish in the 2011 season?

- I haven't really decided on a race schedule for this year, however, Tyler has suggested my "A" race could be going sub 4:20 at the Esprit 70.3 in Montreal this September.

Q5. Is there a professional athlete that inspires you to reach your goals?

- Chrissie Wellington. It is unbelievable how dominant she is. I was fortunate enough to see her racing Ironman Arizona...how she can go that fast and smile through the pain is inspirational. Also, the elite ITU athletes in general are inspiring. The speed they possess and the pain barriers they can push themselves through is crazy.

Q6. You have traveled to several races outside of Ontario, which destination race have you enjoyed most?

- The ITU Grand Finale in Surfer's Paradise, Australia has to be my favourite race. The race organization was great, the weather was great and Australia is such an awesome place to relax for a holiday at the end of the season.

Q7. What is your greatest source of information for triathlon, magazines, online sites, blogs, coach, etc.?

- All of the above. I check out athlete's blogs and web sites fairly consistently. Tyler always keeps me up to date with everything in the triathlon world. Also, training partners and I need something to talk about during our long runs and rides.

Q8. Is there any training aid that you cannot live without, I.E. HR monitor, GPS, power metre, gels, Gatorade, etc.?

-Two things. Firstly, my wattage metre. Two years ago, I just rode the trainer and had no real idea how to train properly on it. With the power metre, I can accurately do intervals and gauge my progress. The second thing would be Eload Fly. Not many people seem to know about it but, for longer races when nutrition is very important, it is a great product. I like to add it to my water bottles to make a super concentrated drink to make sure I get enough carbs and calories.

Q9. Do you try to stick to a strict nutritional plan or do you eat whatever is convenient at the time?

- I have to stick to a nutritional plan as much as possible. I seem to gain weight very easily and very quickly due to my sweet tooth. If I don't stick to my plan, I feel very blotted and slow.

Q10. Do you listen to music during training? If yes, what song really gets you rolling?

- I don't listen to music as much as I used to. We can't race with music so I try not to become reliant on it while training, however, a little Rage Against the Machine has gotten me through a few tough track workouts.

Thanks for your time Glenn!

Age Grouper Spotlight - Luke Ehgoetz

2011-02-07T12:48:00.000-08:00

The next subject in my Age Group Triathlete spotlight is a New Hamburg resident who continues to climb the AG rankings year after year. Luke Ehgoetz had a solid 2010 season and is currently working hard to improve on his past triathlon times with a big focus on becoming an Ironman in 2011.

To help him on his journey, Luke has joined Team Running Free – Milton and will be sporting the very familiar Red and Black of this well represented local squad. His outgoing personality and dedication to the sport make him a perfect match for a team that continues to attract many of the top endurance sport athletes of the area.

When I sat down to create my list of potential candidates for this series, I had a good feeling Luke would be open to share his story. As usual, he did not disappoint so I hope you enjoy learning about another amazing Age Group Triathlete from our region.

10 Questions with Luke Ehgoetz

Q1. How did your triathlon journey begin? Was there an individual sport that led you into this lifestyle?

- I started running back when I was in University, simply for exercise and to try and lose some weight. I moved to Bermuda in 1997 and did my first running race in 1998, I think. My first official road race was the Bermuda Day half marathon. Wow, did I learn a lot that day. It was also the last day I wore a cotton tank top to run in.

I struggled plenty in that first race, finishing in about 2 hours and 5 minutes. After that, I was hooked on running and decided to take it more serious. I did many more races while living in Bermuda, and actually got my Bermuda Day half marathon time down to about 1:40.

I moved back to Canada in 2002 and did some more running races, but nothing too competitive. It wasn't until I started biking to work (New Hamburg to Kitchener and back) in 2005 that I really start to step it up.

In the summer of 2006, I decided to sign up for my first triathlon. It was the Subaru Sherkston Shores sprint triathlon in September 2006. I was pretty nervous at the start and asked to get moved to the last swim wave.

As expected, the swim was a real challenge, but once I got out, I flew through the bike and run and finished with a decent time. After that, I was totally hooked, and for 2007 I got the express pass and did all of the Subaru races except the Peterborough Half.

Q2. Where do you draw your inspiration from for those long, tough training hours?

- I think my inspiration comes from wanting to do better than I have in the past. For the past few years, I've had a spring marathon on the schedule (Mississauga in 2009 and Ottawa in 2010). I have a running friend here in New Hamburg that I run with (Darryl Huras) who is also a very good runner. It is great that we can go out and be equally challenged while training, and since we have had similar race schedules the past few years, it is motivating to get out there and run when you know you don't have to do it alone.

I did my first long distance triathlon in 2008 (Muskoka 70.3). It was a real struggle and I knew when I was done that I could do a lot better. Therefore, I was motivated in 2009 to train hard over the summer in order to improve upon my time. In 2009, I did the Muskoka 70.3 again and placed 5th in my AG and actually earned a spot for Clearwater. Unfortunately, I could not go, so once again, I trained hard in 2010 to qualify one more time so that I could go.

In 2010, I ended up getting 4th place in my AG and qualified for Clearwater. In November 2010, I did the 70.3 World Championship race down in Clearwater, Florida. It was an incredible experience overall.

Q3. Which of the three sports do you believe you need to work on the most to improve your overall performance?

- Well, if you look at my results over the past few years, swimming has always been my weakest discipline. In the winter of 2009/2010, and again this winter, I have spent a lot more time swimming and in the 2010 season, had much better results in the water. Still, swimming is my weakest event of the three. There comes a point where the additional swim time is only going to get me a few minutes faster perhaps.

The additional time spent swimming could be better spent either improving bike or run training that could improve overall performance by a significantly greater time. This is amplified the longer the race is. With July 2011 being my first Ironman attempt, I believe spending more time on the bike and run in the early spring will give me the best overall performance come race day. It is going to be very difficult to improve my swim time between now and July by a significant amount.

Q4. Who is responsible for setting up your training program? If you are, how do you develop the plan (magazine articles, on-line programs, etc.)?

- Up to this point, I have completely come up with my own training plans. They have not been overly complicated and I, more or less, train as much as I can in the available time that I have. Rather than elaborate here on what makes up a regular training week for me, readers can check out one of my January 2011 blog posts where I outline my plan through until the spring of this year. I didn't really base that on anything I found in a magazine or any on-line program. I simply knew how many swim, bike and run workouts I wanted to do in a week, and then I simply put that plan into action. Like many other age group athletes, I have had to work my schedule around other "life" commitments like work and family. It's tough, but if you are disciplined enough, and have the motivation to succeed, it can be done.

In addition, I have a few very experienced resources that I can check in with to get training ideas and feedback. Patti Warr (multiple Ironman AG winner), from Baden, Ontario, is a good friend and I share training ideas with her. I am also a friend of, and swim with Brian Keast (2x Ironman AG World Championship winner), and he has given me some valuable training advice in advance of my first Ironman attempt this summer in Austria.

Q5. You have tried many of the distances triathlon has to offer, do you have a favourite race length? What excites you about that distance compared to the others?

- I don't really have a favourite race distance. Each is exciting in its own way. A sprint is so exciting because it's just so fast. Every second counts here, so things like quick transitions can mean the difference between a podium spot or not. I think the Olympic distance is a very popular distance for me, because it is short enough that you have to go pretty darn hard, but long enough that you have to pace yourself so you don't blow up.

I've done four half Ironman events now, and the key element in this event is pacing and nutrition. If you don't get these right, the run can be a very dark place. As I said above, my first Ironman attempt is going to be this year, and like the Half, you must pace yourself and ensure your nutrition plan is dialed in. I think that the concern for the Ironman is that there is little room for error in both pacing and nutrition, so it makes it that much harder and for a longer period of time.

Q6. To date, which race has been your favourite?

- I'd say that from an overall race perspective, the Clearwater 70.3 World Championship that I did last fall was my favourite. The hype and excitement of race day was nothing I have ever experienced before. The bike ride was crazy fast, and despite the drafting issues, it was still very cool to be biking with so many other guys that are at the same level. It was just 2 hours and 13 minutes that absolutely flew by (at almost 41 kph!!)

Locally, in Ontario, I have always loved going up to Muskoka and doing either the long course triathlon or the 70.3 race in September. I've done every one so far, if that is any indication of how much I like it.

The Lakeside triathlon and Victoria's duathlon are also a favourite of mine because they are the close to my home, and I consider them my "home" races.

From a pure running perspective, I have always really liked the Around the Bay 30K road race in Hamilton. I've done it 3 times now and really enjoy it.

Q7. What accomplishment(s) would make 2011 a successful year for you in the sport?

- Easy. A sub 10 hour finish at Ironman Austria on July 3, 2011. Realistically, I'm aiming for a low 10 hour finish, but one can always shoot high, right? I am also doing the Boston Marathon (qualified at the Ottawa marathon in May 2010 - 3:00:49 qualifying time). My goal there is to simply enjoy the race and try to take it all in, not set a new marathon PB in the process!

Q8. If you were to walk into a bike shop with unlimited funds for one day, what would you buy?

- Another easy question. This would be a Trek Speed Concept 9.9 (picture below). Mine would be totally tricked out with Shimano Di2, Zipp Sub 9 rear disc and Zipp 1080 front. Of course, everything would have to match from a colour perspective too. Throw on an SRM or Quarq power meter and a Garmin 800 to track it all!! I still likely wouldn't have the fastest bike split, but there is a good chance I'd have the best looking and most expensive bike in transition. Now, who has $20,000 you can give me to make this dream a reality?

Q9. Do you have any other hobbies outside triathlon?

- I consider myself very handy around the home (from a building perspective). I have done many things from finishing our basement to building the two decks that we have in our backyard. Below is a picture of the deck and fencing I did around the swimspa that we put in back in 2009.

I also play recreational hockey Sunday mornings here in town during the winter. I used to play softball in the summers, but given my increased training commitments over the last few years, I decided to stop playing and devote more time to the family.

Q10. If you had the chance to sit down with any three people in the world, who would you chose?

- Tough question. After thinking about it for a bit, here is my list of three people in the world I'd like to talk to:

1 -Craig Alexander. Craig is one of the top triathlon professionals in the world, and is definitely my favourite. He's done a number of the local races (including Muskoka 70.3 all three years in a row). I'd love to pick his brain on all things triathlon. Training, life as a pro, traveling the world, etc. etc.

2 - Warren Buffet. Who wouldn't want to talk with Warren Buffet, one of the richest guys on the entire planet? I'm sure his insight into finances and investing would be incredible to listen to, especially since I work in the hedge fund industry.

3 - Oprah Winfrey. I'm not one to be big on celebrities, but Oprah is one classy lady that has everything figured out, I think. She has met so many amazing people over the years herself that I'm sure she could talk to you all day about it, and just barely scratch the surface.

Thanks Luke!

Make sure you visit Luke's blog and add him to your Blog Roll!

http://mytriathlonandtrainingadventures.blogspot.com/

Product Review - Clif Shot Energy Gel

2011-02-05T10:20:00.000-08:00

I have not posted too many product reviews of late as I seem to purchase the same items over and over again. The items I have found to work for me a few years ago seem to do the trick for me several years later.

After doing some reading, and shopping around, I noticed the Clif Shot Energy Gels were close to 25% cheaper than my usual Power Gel products. If you add up the number of gels I consume over the course of a season, this could make a small, but favourable, difference in my multisport budget so I was curious to test them out. If they work for Macca, they must be good, right?

Well, after going through half a box of two of my usual flavours (Strawberry and Vanilla), I must say I am left disappointed.

I have found the flavours to be rather weak and not as enjoyable as the same Power Gel options. I see that Clif tries to sell itself on Organic ingredients (90% Organic) but to be honest, that is not a selling feature for me. If I do not dedicate myself to an organic lifestyle on an everyday basis, than I am not going to worry too much about the organic nature of my tiny intake of gels.

I also found the consistency of the gel to be much thicker and tougher to get out of the packet than Power Gel. When you are fighting to get the product out of the package, it takes focus away from the task at hand. Once again, Power Gel comes out on top in the head to head battle for gel preference when it comes to this important quality.

As for performance, I did not recognize an extra boost in effort from the Clif Shot over my experiences with Power Gel. It seemed to keep me just as energized as Power Gel but nothing more that would make me want to change brands.

Overall, the lack of taste and the extra effort required to get all the product from the package cannot make up for the cost savings. When you are in need of a quick fix during a race, or in training, you need something to look forward to from your nutritional choices. For me, I like the taste of Power Gel and look forward to that little, sugary reward during a longer effort.

Remember, this is just my opinion and my taste buds could be much different than yours. I would love to hear what you have to say regarding this topic.

Note - I have also compared Gu Gel to Power Gel and they were relatively similar. I found the Gu a touch thicker but was able to get the gel out in respectable time. The Gu flavours I tested tasted well so that was not an issue. Where Gu (especially the Roctane) lost me as a consumer is in their pricing.

Bike and Tri gear Online Garage Sale

2011-02-04T05:28:00.000-08:00

Hey All,

Check out the amazing deals on "Speedy's" facebook page. He is trying to clear a bunch of product out of his basement and is offering some sweet prices.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=283946&id=650815108&l=07e1c0b8f4

FOR EXAMPLE...

Age Grouper Spotlight - Carlos Vilchez

2011-01-31T08:36:00.000-08:00

I was sitting back the other day, trying to think of ways to be more active on my blog. Since, I do not feel that I have the knowledge to teach folks about the sport, gear or nutrition, I will leave that in the hands of the professionals (see my blog roll for many of these people!). The one thing that I can offer is a passion to learn more about the sport and the people involved in this great lifestyle.

I have conducted interviews in the past with some of our country’s top Triathletes, receiving positive feedback from the athletes and readers when they view the finished product. With triathlon being relatively small, these athletes are featured many times a year in magazines, online and through other media so we tend to know quite a bit about our Canadian Pros.

This being the case, my thought was to promote the amazing Age Grouper Athletes from Ontario with hopes that others at their level may relate to their answers and feel more in touch with the triathlon community around them. The first subject of my new series is a Barrie, Ontario resident who picked up the sport after his college days and has juggled family, work and training in his quest to reach his full potential in all three disciplines.

I had the opportunity to meet Carlos Vilchez through my blog after he left a comment on one of my race report posts. Coincidentally, his name came up on a tweet I was reading not too long after our original contact and we started chatting regularly through Twitter.

When I came up with the plan to follow the athletes on the local scene, I was confident he would be game for a quick Q&A session. It didn’t hurt that I had some contact info handy, which took care of the initial set up for the interview.

10 Questions with Carlos Vilchez

Q1. How long have you been involved in triathlon and which event was your first?

- My first triathlon was actually a duathlon in September of 2005 when I did the Niagara on the lake Duathlon, hosted by the Subaru Series. I did it with my Brodie Bandit, 32 pounds mountain bike, as I wasn't sure about the sport just yet. Being my first multisport event, it went well but was extremely hard. I went a bit too hard on the first 4k run and really started to feel it halfway through the 23k bike ride (or maybe it was lugging my mountain bike around!). The last 4k run was sheer pain but being 27 at the time, I still felt invincible.

Q2. How much of your training is solo and how much is done with others, i.e.
Barrie TC?

- I would say 99% of my training is solo. Every once in a while I'm fortunate enough to team up with some fast guys but, based on my job and family commitments, my training times seem to be sporadic and I can never commit to someone's set schedule. I have some lofty goals for 2011 so I'm hoping I can jump in with some faster guys in all 3 disciplines to help kick it up a notch.

Q3. It is tough as an AG triathlete to obtain sponsorship; do you have any you would like to mention?

- I've never really considered sponsorships. Yes, the sport is extremely expensive and when your goals include reaching a podium, you're competing against guys who've got all the equipment (powertaps, race wheels, time trial bikes, etc..) but being an amateur and doing this "competitively for fun" I still have to treat this as a hobby and set a budget for it. But yes, I'm in the market for some race wheels... Specifically some a Zipp 808's or Easton EC90's... So if there are any sponsors out there, I won't turn these down!!

Q4. How do you measure your performance - your perceived fitness level, AG ranking in a race or overall position in a race?

- Up until this season, I've always measured my performance based on my own goals and objectives. I've always been looking to better my performance from previous years and improve the numbers across all disciplines. Being new to the sport, this was fairly easy to do since every year of somewhat consistent training means automatic gains. This season however, I'm paying more attention to the field and my age group and trying to measure myself against them. I'm a pretty analytical guy so I really take time to study past results for races I plan on doing and establishing a goal along those times.

Q5. Do you have a coach or are you self-taught?

- I do have a coach. I use the services of Sara Gross from Mercury Rising Triathlon based out of Victoria, BC. I used to be self-taught until I started taking the sport more seriously and decided to take on the Ironman distance. I'm now entering my 3rd year with Sara and it's been the greatest investment I've made in the sport. Generally speaking, having a coach is great to keep you honest and to help you structure your season. Specifically speaking about Sara, she has a great skill to really get to know you as an athlete (in fact, better than I know myself) and push through any plateaus or performance issues I may have. I also like the fact that she's willing to take risks and not follow the typical training plans available out there.

Q6. What are your triathlon strengths? Is this from past involvement in that/those individual sports?

- Ironically, swimming is my strength (based on percentile finish times in all disciplines), however, it's the discipline I've been doing the least! I'm not sure why it turned out this way, and as my coach likes to put it, what I've accomplished in swimming in 5 years is short of a miracle!! In high school, I ran track, with average finish times (nothing impressive) and running was the sport I kept on doing after high school (10k, half-marathon, etc...).

Q7. What is your most memorable moment in triathlon?

- My most memorable moment in triathlon was crossing the finish line at Ironman Canada in 2010. It was a big year leading up to that race and, aside from all the training and the hard work I personally did, there were a lot of sacrifices made by my friends and family. On top of the usual pressures of finishing a race, I had some added pressure that I owed everyone else around me the "finisher's medal", as well. So when I was about 800m meters from the finish line (and knew I would finish), the race really ended for me right then and there... It was a huge relief and I felt a big sense of accomplishment as well as being thankful to everyone around me who made it happen.

Q8. What are your 2011 goals? Any long term goals in the sport?

- My 2011 goal is to get a 2012 Vegas spot at the Muskoka 70.3 race in September. I wanted 2011 to be somewhat of a down year as we're expecting our third child and moving to a new house so there will be a lot of unknowns for the 2011 schedule. In terms of long term goals, getting to Kona to race the Ironman would be the crowning moment of my amateur career and, quite honestly, I'm just trying to set a really high benchmark for my kids in the event they wanted to compete in the sport or in any other sport.

Q9. What keeps you interested in the sport of triathlon - people, fitness, cool gear, etc?

- Knowing that I haven't reach the plateau, and that I can still squeeze minutes off my finish times, is what keeps me going in the sport. I really want to see how fast I can get before I can't do the sport anymore. In my family, it's become a lifestyle so, whether competitively or not, I can see myself doing this for a very long time. I've never been much into weight-lifting and I always got injured when just running so doing all three disciplines is a great way to stay physically and mentally fit.

Q10. Who is your favourite triathlete? What is it that interests you in that athlete?

- I'm a big fan of the ITU guys. The fact that they can race at their maximum ability the entire race really intrigues me, especially since it's mostly a mental game near the end of the race. It's probably been my biggest challenge (to mentally overcome what I can and can't do) so seeing those guys in a hurt locker for that long, helps me push myself when the going gets tough. I'm a big fan of Simon Whitfield and Javier Gomez. Simon, because he's really representing Canada in the sport and Javier because I was born in Spain. I'm hoping those 2 are shoulder to shoulder in London in 2012 and may the best man win!!

Thanks Carlos! Best of luck in 2011 and beyond!

Please help support our local Age Groupers as they drive towards their goals in Triathlon! You can follow Carlos through his blog or twitter board at the links below.

Blog Link = http://carlostriathlon.blogspot.com/

Twitter Handle = @carlos_el_toro

Thanks for reading!

IF YOU OR YOUR CLUB WOULD LIKE TO BE FEATURED ON MY BLOG PLEASE CONTACT ME AT larrybradleytoronto@yahoo.ca !

Let's Open up this Blog!

2011-01-28T18:01:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

I am looking for material to use on my blog. I would love to write more often but I am not the most interesting of subjects so I want to open my blog up to you.

If you are an athlete, coach or business in the multisport community, let me know via email (larrybradleytoronto@yahoo.ca) and I will grab some info from you so that I can post a nice article about you or your business.

I have done many interviews in the past so don't forget to check out some of the triathlon spotlights from this blog.

http://larryofteamrunningfree.blogspot.com/search/label/interview

I hope to hear from you all out there...AG'ers, Pro's, Coaches and anyone that is involved in our great sport!

Talk soon!
Larry

Congrats Tyler on your Studio Opening!

2011-01-27T08:15:00.000-08:00

This morning, I had the excellent opportunity to join my HiPerformance Spin Group at Coach Tyler's brand new studio in Oakville. It was very cool to see the fruits of all his hard work in his new home away from home.

He has just opened the HiPerformance Personal Training and Coaching Studio on Thomas Street (Thomas and Lakeshore) in the heart of the downtown and has done a fantastic job laying the machines out and making lounge room for pre and post workout rest. I am sure Tyler would be more than happy to have you drop in for a visit and to inquire about his services.

Here is the Conceptual Design of the Studio.

If you would like to learn some more check out the links below...

http://tylerlord.blogspot.com/

http://tylerlord.blogspot.com/2010/11/hipeformance-personal-training-and.html

Please join me in congratulating Tyler on his new business venture!

Write Off Week

2011-01-24T14:04:00.000-08:00

Last week I was fortunate enough to travel to St John, USVI with work for our annual Americas Meeting. I cannot complain that I had this opportunity so I will not. I must say though, because of the food and activities to keep us busy, I did not get in my full training week so I was a little lazy to start today.

During the stay on the island I put in a very hot, tough run that basically scared me from future runs. Not only was the road (the only road around that part of the island) very twisty and hilly, it was also very narrow with no sidewalks or shoulders. The locals and taxis were motoring along this asphalt at crazy speeds and not willing to share with some silly tourist out for a run. When I reached the beach, to meet up with co-workers, it was like hitting the tape at the end of an ironman. I was thrilled to finish the 10k without stopping and headed straight to the beach to jump into the refreshing water.

Not wanting to push my luck with traffic, I stuck to swimming for the rest of my stay. I took on my fair share of salt water but actually enjoyed my time spent in the ocean, even with my slight phobia of sharks. The snorkeling was impressive with countless colourful reef fish. Our day spent sailing at sea was very fun with a few stops along the way for lunch and beach hopping.

Back at home on the weekend, I just felt so flat and tired so I really could not get into the spirit. I was more focused on spending time with family (as well as putting in my hockey duties) so I got caught up and set my sights on this week to get back into the mood.

At work today, I was still struggling to get up for a run but finally pulled myself out to the gym around 2pm. Thankfully, I ran into a fellow runner I have had the pleasure of chatting with a few time now and we hit the mill together so the run I feared getting back to was much more enjoyable. I got through my 10k much easier than expected and hope this leads to a solid week to burn off the several pounds I found on the beach.

Bummer is that I had been so close to my target weight just before the trip, dropping a bunch of lbs from the holidays. Hopefully, they come of a little quicker this time and my speeds do not suffer too much.

As I was running, I could not carry my camera so here is a stock photo from one of the look outs along the road. Of course, they had to place the road up and down these huge hills and not just flat along the beaches. HAHA

Bike For Sale - 2008 Argon 18 Mercury TT

2011-01-17T22:51:00.000-08:00

2008 Argon 18 Mercury TT bike, med. Full Dura Ace (7800), Pro missile bars.

Excellent condition, only been ridden a handful of times.

Raced once, IMLP 09. $2,300, obo.

Contact Jon at jpadams007@hotmail.com or (905)401-1635

Mention you saw it on Larry's blog. Wink, Wink!

Getting it Done!

2011-01-11T14:02:00.000-08:00

As with most multisport athletes, my January is busy getting back to hard work after a few months of lighter base building. Sure, we are still building on that base but, when you have spring goals in mind, coach makes sure the speed is coming back as well.

I love these speed sessions as they scare the pants off you before the workout but you feel such an amazing rush when you get through that last rep. I may not get as animated as Tiger (with the fist pump) but you will often see a mini-pump when I count down those final 5 seconds.

Today, I had the old 6 x 1k treat...and I made sure to make it count. With the cold, windy conditions, and frozen Garmin (yes, again!), I opted for the comforts of the gym and my friend Mr. Tready. I laid down 6 solid efforts at 3:29/km pace (3 x 1 degree and 3 x 0 degree slope), probably looking like a dofus running that speed but I was so focused it didn't matter one bit.

This workout came after two solid weeks of run build up where Ty has me hitting some great splits and I can tell this is going to be a great season if I can stay with the plan. Right now, I look forward to the pay off and the training is something I really enjoy so I hope I can keep positive and pull down my PB's as a result.

With the training hours getting longer, I have to resort back to night workouts to get everything in. Because, I need to stay alert for these sessions, I cannot drift off when the kids are winding down any longer so I have been doing even more Twitter and Facebook reading. My BB is hooked up to these and are quick hits while I watch to make sure the little ones settle down during their last cartoons. A few weeks ago, Steve Fleck put out the call for some questions and I threw one his way for his blog. He grabbed my question and has posted his answers at the link below.

http://stevefleck.blogspot.com/

Another call for questions I answered of late was from Canadian Cyclist, Christian Meier. I didn't expect to get a Twitter mention, especially, in VeloNation so that was pretty neat.

http://www.velonation.com/Blogs/Christian-Meier/ID/120/Fielding-questions-from-the-Twitterati.aspx

Have a great week!
larry

2011 Goals - Larry Bradley

2011-01-04T13:58:00.000-08:00

I think everyone who knows me, knows that I am a huge dreamer when it comes to running, duathlon and cycling. I am very passionate about my hobbies and truly believe that I have a lot more room to improve, even at my advancing age.

I have only been running since mid-2005 and cycling since late-2006, therefore, I really haven't been at it for very long but I think my results show that I have come a long way from the overweight, inactive person I was before I got into this lifestyle.

All this being said, I aim big every year when I set up my goals. In 2010, I hit some targets but also missed many results I was hoping to achieve. Much of this can be linked back to the high swim standards I expected to reach. I did not get to that point and realized the lack of excitement and training opportunities for that sport were holding me back from doing what I really love - running and cycling.

I came up with the following 5 goals that I want to work with Coach Tyler to achieve this season. Some are running specific and others are duathlon in nature.

1. Sub 1:20:00 Mississauga Half Marathon

2. Top 10 at Victoria's Duathlon

3. Sub 17:00 5k or sub 35:00 10k (depends on which distance fits into my schedule this year)

4. Sub 2:00:00 Olympic Duathlon

5. Top 3 Overall at Ontario Duathlon Championships / 1st AG

It would also be nice to match the number of wins I had in Duathlon in 2009 (before I entered the world of triathlon last season).

Some people do not like to share their goals, and I totally get where they are coming from, but I like to put it all out there. If I don't hit some of these in 2011, hopefully, somebody will point it out and I will work even harder to make it happen in the future.

Best wishes!
Larry

2010 Highlights

2010-12-30T13:18:00.000-08:00

It is very close to the final day of 2010 so finding a topic for this week is easy, although, not very creative. I went through my entire year of postings and pulled out some pieces I am proud of. Of course, I did have some personal/family highlights along the way but I will keep it sports related for this blog.

2010 Highlights

1 - Timberman 70.3
I entered 2010 having completed two sprint triathlons in my multisport career. Both of them were done with the help of a very slow breast stroke so when I signed up for the Timberman 70.3, with a group of my FMCT Falcons, I was very worried about finishing 1.9k in the water. Also, with giving up so many duathlon opportunities for this race, I did not want to go to just finish but I really wanted to race this distance. Things did not look very good leading up to the event due to back issues and bike fit problems. It was to the point that I was very close to walking away from triathlon before that race. Thankfully, many friends helped me through the pre-race training and I joined my teammates on the starting line. My 4:36 finishing time was icing on the cake, especially, with a slow swim time. It was also great to have the opportunity to meet and share accomodations with Canadian Pro, Brent Poulsen.

2 - Run4Hope 5K
This is a great event that my tri club puts on in Brampton. It was my first race of the year so I was just hoping to gauge my training at the time, a little over a month out from Victoria's Duathlon. In the past, I had battled to break the 18 minute barrier for this distance, coming up seconds short on several attempts. Thankfully, I had everything line up properly on this day and I ran a great effort for a 17:18 clocking, good enough for second place overall. This was exactly the confidence booster I needed to start out the year.

3 - Tyler Lord
I was at a low spot after an early attempt at longer distance triathlon (Welland Half Iron) and ready to pack in the towel on Timberman. Following the race, I started talking to Tyler and he really changed my whole mind set. He worked with me to set up a plan of attack for my 70.3 race and restored my sagging confidence. He did such a great job that we will continue to work together in 2011 towards my many athletic goals.

4 - Road2Hope Half Marathon
It had been several years since my last Half Marathon (outside a tri or du) so I was curious to see how fast I could go in 2010. My previous best was 1:30 from Angus Glen back in 2006 so I knew I had improved but I really wanted to tackle a sub 1:20 result at this distance. Tyler and I got to work on this after the tri season wrapped up and set our sights on the Hamilton race in early November. I stuck to the game plan throughout the entire race and hit my marks all the way until the final part where race organizers added 400 to 500 metres to the distance (somehow). I ended up hitting the line in 1:21:10 but my 3:46 pace/km would have put me under my goal if the distance was correct. Overall, I finished in 12th spot and 1st in my Age Group. I had my Mom and Aunt watching so it was neat to do so well in front of them in a rather large event. Deep down, I know my pace was exactly where it should have been but I will hit the Mississauga Half to attempt to make sub 1:20:00 official on paper.

5 - Binbrook Sprint Triathlon
Due to weather, that I did not find enjoyable for racing, I ended up skipping the Milton Sprint Tri so Binbrook was my first official triathlon of 2010. I had raced two previous triathlons in my life but did not have the swim training to make it through the water without resorting to long breaks of breast stroke. Even though I was five and a half minutes (49th place) behind the leaders coming into T1, I was thrilled to actually swim the full 750m course and used that motivation to hammer the bike (top bike split) and put down a solid run (5th fastest). In the end, I finished 3rd overall and started to really get excited about the upcoming season.

Testing the waters in triathlon created a challenging season for me. As you can see above, not all was too bad so I can take several positives into 2011 as I work back into the Duathlon side of the sport. Tyler and I have already started to prepare for the upcoming year. It is not going to be easy to reach some of my goals but I think I will enjoy a lot more success during the next 12 months if I continue to train hard.

In my next posting, I will review my 2011 Goals.

Happy New Year!
Larry

Egg Nog Jog - The Analysis

2010-12-21T06:56:00.000-08:00

As my Garmin decided to freeze before the race, I did not have the splits for this year on my watch but Robbie T displayed his on his race report ( http://runningmania.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=40696 ). He was right behind me just before the hill and then I was able to add a few seconds to the gap up the hill and towards the end.

I took his splits and figured where I was running at the time and then compared to my splits from 2009. It is very evident that I blew up (in my quest for sub 40 min) on the hills and could never recover on the slushy, icy roads.

I was hoping to go out at a similar pace to last year and then conquer the hilly portion in better form this year due to my increased speed. I guess the 5 extra pounds I carried this year did not help, especially, on this course! I have been racing with this extra load ever since Lakeside in September and cannot seem to shake it.

Next year, I am going to beat the battle with the calorie monster and race at a lighter weight. I am leaving too many seconds out there when I carry extra pounds compared to my competitors.

Below is the breakdown of my two years at the Egg Nog Jog to highlight the poor performance over the hills (km 3 on the rollers and km's 6&7 on the big climb). Sure, the weather was not ideal but I still put in solid enough run training to get me where I wanted to be.

Egg Nog Jog 2010 - Race Report

2010-12-12T12:38:00.000-08:00

Once again I walk away from a recent race not knowing exactly how to feel. I thought the effort was there but the result did not translate. It seemed that way for many, due to weather conditions, but a few made large moves forward over last year's time including second place finisher, Kyle Ferguson, who made a huge jump in position and time over his 2009 posting.

The cold, rainy weather was not what I hoped to see coming off such a beautiful, December Saturday. The wet morning had made for a sloppier course than last year as it was not as cold enough to keep the roads hard. In 2009, we had enough snow before this race to have a packed surface, which was ideal for my spikes. Today was one of those border line days as the asphalt areas were exposed and would have made a mess of my feet if I used a full shoes of spikes.

I ended up settling with three front spikes to save the balls of my feet and my baby toe from rubbing on the spikes when running on the harder areas. This made for decent traction on most of the course but I could have used a little more grip on the icy patches on the top end of the course. I don't think I gave up too much time due to shoe selection.

Onto the race, I had a good jump out of the gate to find lots of space around the first turn, just outside of the Terra Cotta Consevation Area drive way. Last year's winner, Darryl Bank, was also flying off the line and started to set a blistering pace heading down the 1500 metre drop zone. I knew that was beyond my talents so I just tried to hover around my previous year pace. I was hoping to have my Garmin to be able to measure this but for some reason it froze and was stuck on the time I pulled it off the charger. Damn technology!

A little further down the hill, a group of three more runners made their way passed me. In that group was Tim Shannon (a solid 32 minute 10k runner from Georgetown) so I figured they would burn me out so I settled in behind them. I tried to get my stride together by the time we made the bottom of the hill but felt that I was being short and choppy. When we reached the rollers I was not feeling to confident about my speed and knew there were a number of others right on my tail. I could hear their footsteps and hear their breathing.

Coming off the 1.5k of rolling, slushy road, I somehow managed to hold mt spot in the race as my uphill surges were just enough to offset their downhill gains. Our next road was the gravel side road that led to the lung busting hill just after the half way marker. This section was very slow due to the loose footing of mush we had to deal with. I was trying to extend my stride and push my pace higher leading up to the hill and felt things were starting to pay off but once again, I had a strong runner (Kyle Aiken) pass me at the very bottom of the hill and slowly edge away as we trudged up the steep and twisting slope.

I now felt like I was falling back pretty bad, almost going too slow up the hill in an effort to save energy for the home stretch. Shockingly, nobody else pulled past me by the time I reached the summit so I used the short downhill that followed to get back up to speed, hoping to chase down Kyle and maybe one or two others that apeared to be coming back to me. I started to close the gap during the next few kilometres on top of the hill and thought I could kick it down a notch and make even more gains. This was looking good until we got back to the ashpalt roads where the group got moving quickly. I am not sure what my pace was along the final few kilometres but I know I was pushing hard so they must have been busting along at incredible speeds.

My final two km's were very strong and I assumed I was pretty close to my time from last year and moving faster through this section. As I hit the 10k marker, I got a great cheer from the Falcons watching from the side of the road and fed off their energy to plunge down the last winding decline a few hundred metres from the finish line. When I reached the driveway in pretty close to sprint speed I hoped to see a 3X:XX number on the time clock but instead found a 41:XX to my disappointment. I kept the hammer down and finished in 6th spot overall and 41:35 (58 seconds slower than 2009). I missed my goal time by over a minute and a half but don't think I could have run to that time under these conditions.

As I congratulated other runners in the finish area, I tried to figure out where I had given up the most time compared to last year but just cannot come up with an answer.

The great thing about this "home" race is all the familiar faces I bumped into during the course of the event. There were so many FMCT Falcons and Running Maniacs out for the Egg Nog Jog and it was great to hear their stories over some post race snacks. Great Work Folks!

Lastly, the Georgetown Runners put on a great show under tough conditions. The work of their members and volunteers made the day much more enjoyable. Also, I would like to remind everyone to thank Brad Mailloux and his staff at Feet in Motion for their very generous prizes. Please support Georgetown's local running shop and visit http://www.feetinmotion.ca/ for more info!

Brad (Feet in Motion) presenting my AG Award in 2009

Happy 100th Birthday Grandma!

2010-12-10T06:29:00.000-08:00

This event is bigger than any of my races or training sessions so I had to share. I am very proud of my Grandma as she has lived an honest, hard working life. She has always believed in me no matter who I was at the time as she knew things would turn out for the best.

On Sunday, December 12th, 2010 she will turn 100 years old and still remembers much more about her youth than I am able to recall about mine. Sharp as a knife that lady!

Happy Birthday Grandma!

Egg Nog Jog 2010 - Preview

2010-12-09T13:32:00.000-08:00

So we are expecting a huge dump of snow this Sunday, just in time for the Egg Nog Jog 10.8k race in Terra Cotta. This race is tough enough as it is without Mother Nature hitting us hard. I know it will be cold and I am ready for that but if it is taking place during a blizzard, there is no hope to break the 40 minute barrier on this course. Check out the approximate elevation (in Metres) for this run. It is not a mountain run by any means but the lack of flats has your legs screaming for mercy. If you don't believe me, sign up for 2011 and I will see you there! 2010 has already sold all 600 spots so there will not be any race day registrations.

Might be another day to put on the spikes!

Egg Nog Jog 10.8k - Elevation Chart

2009 Egg Nog Jog - on the Icy Roads (needed spikes)

2009 Egg Nog Jog - Chasing Greg up the big hill (good luck catching that power house!)

Here comes one of those busy weeks!

2010-11-29T12:26:00.000-08:00

It's not so bad but lots of regular and hockey work this week so I have to manage time wisely to get in all my workouts. Being back to a run/bike focus has really cleared up a lot of things and I am making the most of my training these days. I am really trying my hardest to push down run times and, from the results in training, I believe the progress is coming along very well.

On the bike, the Thursday morning spin classes are kicking my butt and that is they way I like it. Coach is going to make us all tough as nails with the routines we hammer through at the gym so I am not complaining one bit. The good thing about hitting the sheets early these days (thanks to zero diet cola in the system) is that this very early class is not as tough to make as I thought it may be. It actually works out very well as I have time to throw down 1:30 on the bike, clean up, drive home and still be back before the rest of the house is up. I get my workout in and still help get the kids ready for their day. It's win, win!

As the training has ramped up I do have one area that I have fallen way behind, updating my training log. I get an email out to Tyler but get too lazy to jump online to fill out my daily report on http://www.itsmyrun.com/ . This organizational tool would save me so much time if I kept it as current as I used to, especially, when I look for previous bests.

This came to light last week when I did some quick (for me) 800s and was wondering what I had put down the last few times at this distance. I am pretty sure I bested my old training splits but without the online report to fall back on, it will take me some researching to know for sure. Thankfully, all my emails sent to Tyler have been saved so I should make a point of transferring the data into my training log soon.

This past weekend I followed the XC Nationals from my phone and computer. I had planned to run in the 5k race but had to work and it would have been tough to get downtown without rushing things so I decided to save my energy for the Egg Nog Jog.

I noticed a lot of great performances in some tough racing conditions. Check out the photo below from the event.

Fellow Duathlete, Kevin Smith, battled hard in the Senior Men's category against some very impressive 10k runners. Even in these wintery conditions, Cameron Levins was able to go under 30 minutes for the National Title. Amazing!

In the Master's 8k, Rob Tolman, went out and had a great race against a lot of the top 30 year old + racers from across Canada. We get to run together and test ourselves on the roads of Terra Cotta in a few weekends and he looks to be in solid form!

I noticed some other names in the 8k and the 5k that I have raced against of late so it makes me feel good to think I am coming along in the running game. That being said, I know that I still have lots of room to improve if I can work on my form, hammer the training and drop a few pounds.

Time to run!

Du the Du

2010-11-23T10:28:00.000-08:00

I gave it a whirl but it just wasn't what I was hoping for. I knew the swim portion of the triathlon was going to be very tough for me for a number of reasons but I battled through it for one full year to see if I could learn to love it and join the great athletes in the next step of the multisport world.

When this journey started back in 2006, I was just getting into the running game. I was looking for a fall challenge to keep me motivated so that I would not stray back to my chicken wings and beer lifestyle. I had completed a marathon the previous year so I really did not want to run another one so quickly and these were the majority of the running races I noticed in the autumn months. As I flipped through the websites, I came across a Triathlon Series page and started to read the options for the races remaining on their schedule.

As I became more interested, I selected the duathlon. This was not because I was certain I could learn to cycle but because I was sure I did not enjoy the water enough to learn to swim for a triathlon. I had not even been on a road bike in my life but could imagine myself enjoying that freedom and speed out on the bike. The funny thing is that I decided to race my first multisport event two months before the actual date and I did not even have a bike of any kind. I had better access to a pool during the lead up to Guelph Lakes 2 so you would think the triathlon option would have been easier. Something deep inside just would not budge on my swimming stance and duathlon won over the triathlon.

On the other side, I was so certain that I would enjoy the cycling that I shopped around for almost the full two months to make sure I had the fastest option for the money I had available at the time. I finally bought my first road bike on the Wednesday of the week of GL2. I rode it twice before the race and was only disappointed in one thing. Why had I not tried this sport earlier in my life!

Come race day, I had such an eye opening experience seeing all the fancy bikes and great athletes. I had a solid first run and then hopped on my entry level road bike with the strap style shoe holders on the pedals. I gave it my all on that 20k bike course (doubling any of the two training rides I had attempted). By the second run I was wiped but the other athletes were amazing, offering me encouragement along the route when I was forced to walk due to cramps. That picked up my spirits and I fought to finish that last 5k run.

If I remember correctly, I had only a few running races under my belt at this point (2 x 5k races and 1 x marathon) but still thought I could run a 20:00 5k coming off the bike for some reason. Man was I surprised how hard it was to run after putting so much effort in biking. It ended up being one of those, "I am going to teach you legs to run fast of the bike!" lessons that I have never perfected but has kept me coming back for more and more.

Two races (Niagara on the Lake Du as well) in 2006 led to three full seasons of duathlon. I was very passionate about the sport and just could not believe how few people were competing compared to the triathlon. It seemed like all the people I was meeting in the early years would move along to the tri or cycling so during the 2009 season, I decided that it may be best if I moved along as well.

I started to slowly introduce the swim into the routine but those days never seemed to be as enjoyable as my running or cycling days. Even during the first bunch of classes in my instructed lessons, I got nauseous and dizzy, having to leave a few of them mid-class to avoid being sick in the pool. Eventually, things started to improve to a certain point but to get to the level I wanted to be at, I just could not fit the local pool schedules into my work and family plans.

If I really wanted to get better I would have needed to join a masters class or have some one-on-one instruction a few times a week. Unfortunately, many of these in the Meadowvale area could not fit into my training hours and would have cost me additional money that is most likely better used for other aspects of my life.

The usual struggle to get my proper swim workout created several issues but I tried to keep a positive spin on things as the 2010 season approached. After a few real triathlons, I started to question my choice to jump into this side of the sport and was pretty frustrated due to the swim. I had one big event in August that I was already registered for so I tried to plug away. Thankfully, after the Welland Half Iron race, I got talking with Tyler Lord and he got my pumped up about the Timberman 70.3 race with a focus on the bike and the run. I ended up having the race of my life (to date!) but the reality of the day also set in seeing how amazing the talent is out there in triathlon. Without enjoying the water and being driven to swim as much as they do, I stand little chance to get to their level (70.3 Worlds or Kona). It would also require me to pass along some family duties to be in the pool during open hours and that would not be fair just for a hobby or recreational sport.

So in 2011, I will return to the duathlon world and really try to hammer down some of my past times. I didn't want to post this without running it past Tyler first so I am happy that he is staying on to help me get faster in the Run/Bike/Run. Hopefully, some of the strong duathletes of the past few years stick around so we can battle it out and have the same fun we used.

So now that I have had time to revamp my schedule, here are a few races I will be aiming for in 2011.

-Run 4 Hope 10k (FMCT organized event)

-Mississauga Half Marathon (go after sub 1:20 again!)

-Victoria's Du (a big race for du'ers as we get to race some great triathlete for the only time of the season)

-Ontario Du Championships (not sure of the location, yet)

I have picked a lot of other races but I should wait to see if I will be back with a particular sponsor next year before posting.

I am once again super excited about 2011 and just happy to be able to focus on my two favourite sports.

Quick Update

2010-11-19T12:55:00.000-08:00

Let's see... Legs are starting to feel a lot better after the downhill beating they took in Hamilton on the 7th of November. I had an easy day on Monday before hitting the track on Tuesday for a barn burner. The workout was hard but I was able to pull off a good effort even in the cool, windy conditions on a gravel track. It is the closest one to work so I did not have too many options for a lunch time workout.

On Wednesday, I just stuck to the easy run that was prescribed and had to miss the swim due to a meeting during that swim opening. At this point of the season, I just don't have the motivation to seek alternative places to get that swim in so I have just done what I can during the time available. Thankfully, my faithful running and cycling can be done when ever I am ready to roll.

Thursday brought a very early call to get down to the gym for a spin class with a group of the Hi-Performance athletes lead by Coach Tyler. Coach put us through a very solid routine that had me sucking for air and sweating up a storm. Without the pop in my life, I am sleeping a lot more these days (huge caffeine reduction) so the early class did not go as bad as I expected. I have not been a morning person for several years (since my road construction days) so I am just getting back to the habit of early to bed, early to rise.

Today, I have off so I am taking advantage of the rest and letting things heal up. I will have a brick tomorrow and long run on Sunday to round out a recovery week. I am sure the big running weeks are coming again as I gear up for the Egg Nog Jog on December 12th in Terra Cotta.

Hope all the folks in Arizona have a great race (Glenn, Brian, Jennifer) this weekend. I will be rooting for ya from the computer!

Have a great weekend folks!
Larry

Road 2 Hope Half Marathon Race Report

2010-11-10T07:57:00.000-08:00

,I knew it was going to be a chilly start to the day so I had a bunch of clothing options packed for the 2010 Road 2 Hope Half Marathon in Hamilton. With the extra hour of sleep it was easy to get out of bed in time to make the early drive to Confederation Park to grab my race kit and jump on the shuttle bus that would drive us to the start line up the "mountain" in Steel Town.

Since I arrived at the park over two hours before race time, I had very few people to worry about in the pick-up lines and breezed through this task and was back to the car debating as to what I would wear. I finally decided to go with long sleeves and my Falcons tri top as it seemed a touch too cold to go with only a tri top with arm warmers. With that job checked off, it was time for a bus ride to the start line.

Once at the school (where we could stay warm in the gym) I ran into a bunch of familiar faces so I spent most of my pre-race staying relaxed chatting with many of the folks I have met over the last few years through running or triathlon. Some of them (Stuart, John, Shanta, Rick and Hans, etc.) were tackling the full marathon while others (Ang, Dan, Jo-Jo, Brent, Gavin, Richard, Dave, Kevin, etc. and I) elected to test ourselves against the shorter half marathon.

As the time ran down I made sure to talk a little strategy with Jo-Jo as he was chasing the same sub 1:20 goal that I was. He has a lot more experience at this distance than I do and I knew he would be right there in the end so I made sure that our plans were set before hitting the roads. Once we got things organized, I headed out for a warm up and ran into Glenn (fellow Hi-Performance athlete getting ready for IMAZ) who was acting as support for his wife on this day.

Next it was go time so I made my way up to the front of the starting line and waited for the final few minutes. I looked around but could not find Jo-Jo so I wondered where he had settled in among the crowd. The clock was ticking down and I had to focus and pick my line out of the gate to make sure I got clear of the rest of the field. As they sent us off, I darted ahead with two other athletes to reach the first corner out of the school parking lot clear of the masses. We quickly hit the first road and started to settle in a line on the yellow road divider.

For the first five kilometres I sat in a small group of runners, including elite triathlete Sean Bechtel, trying to hide from the slight wind behind a Longboat member. We were clipping along pretty well as we made our way towards the expressway. My plan (set up by Coach Tyler) was to get to the 10k marker in 36 minutes so I knew I was on track when I hit 5k in 8:15 with a major downhill portion for the next 6 or 7 kilometres.

When we reached the on ramp for the Red Hill Valley Parkway a few runners started their accelerations so I knew it was time to go or be left behind. I stayed with the main group as we let Sean and another younger fellow travel ahead. It was at this point that Jo-Jo moved up with the group in a solid show of form. We were running around 5 or 6 strong and quietly working together as we snaked down the highway trying to pick the best line.

The splits were very quick during the decent and I ended up hitting the 10k marker in 35:35 (my fastest 10k ever) and in very good shape with only 11k to go. Making a slight climb off the parkway, I found myself leading the pack down Barton Street where we hit a stronger head wind than expected. The others were suddenly several metres back so I didn't know if I should wait or if they were fading? I decided to hold my pace and I hit the next stretch (Woodward Ave.) still feeling strong.

A few hundred metres down Woodward, the group had worked together to pull up and two runners jumped in front of me. I looked at our pace on my Garmin and we were still below race pace so I tucked in behind them knowing the QEW overpass was just a few km up the road and I wanted to save some energy for that. The three of us continued along and held a solid effort over the bridge just seconds ahead of the others chasing us down. We had hit the 15k marking in 54 minutes so I was really happy with the race plan and was sure that I would reach my goal if I could get to the 16k marker and throw down an average 5k.

Our next stretch of road was along Beach Blvd and we were again heading into the wind. It was not super strong but the pace was slower, up in the 3:55 range. One of the volunteers announced us as positions 7, 8 (me), 9 so I was also getting thoughts of top ten in my head at this point. This was short lived as the top lady, Nicole Stevenson, soon sailed past us followed by another two athletes with amazing form.

I stayed put as we rounded the top end of the loop and then started our home journey on the lake front running path. We only had 4 km to go so I just wanted to keep the pace below 4:00/km. The gentleman that was running behind me finally made his move and the two I was working with started to add a little distance between me. I had no answer but was just happy to be running sub 4 splits.

I was now just counting down the final markers and trying to visualize the finish as my legs were mush. Thankfully, my Mom and Aunt were on the course to cheer me on so I got a good little boost from them and knew I would make it to the finish.

At the 20k marker (which was right on the button with my Garmin), I was in good shape to break 1:20 and could not wait to celebrate at the finish line. Only one problem, the final 1.1km was taking much longer than usual to reach? What was going on? I soon watched as 1:20 passed and I was still not at the line. I was destroyed and had another athlete pass me so I was now unlucky 13.

I commented to the guy as he passed, "this is running long?". He agreed and was upset as well.

We finally hit the last hundred metres so I turned on as much gas a possible but could only manage to grab one spot back and ended my day at 1:21:10 in 12th spot.

After the race Jo-Jo, myself and several others commented on how the final 1.1km of the course was easily 1.5km or more. All our Garmins were bang on with all the signs heading up to the 20k marker and we were all on pace for our goal.

It was a little disappointing that it will not get recorded properly but I have a bunch of positives out of the race. 1st in my Age Group, 3:46 Race Pace of 21.5k, 35:35 at the 10k, 54 at the 15k, etc.

I also got to see a bunch of BQ's (Stuart, John, etc.) and PB's!

The Disappointment is Obvious

Road 2 Hope - Hamilton Half Marathon (photos)

2010-11-10T05:44:00.000-08:00

Here are a few from my Mom's camera near the finish of the race.

Road2Hope (Hamilton) Half Marathon Week

2010-11-01T12:11:00.000-07:00

I made it through the Halloween holiday without incident and stuck to my plan of zero treat intake for the past few weeks. It feels very good to watch the pounds fall off as I get closer to my usual race weight.

I am now only a few pounds away and know I will get to my happy spot before Sunday. Anything above that weight and I start to let it play on my confidence during the drive to the race. Bad habit but I know I don't need to be carrying any extra poundage down the 21.1k course.

With my registration officially submitted, I am now very excited to make the trip over to Hamilton this weekend and hope to reach my lofty goal of a sub 1:20 half marathon. I will easily break my PB in this race as I have not competed at this distance outside a tri or duathlon in several years.

At last year's marathon (my header photo comes from the 2009 Road2Hope), on the same course, my 21.1k split for the 42.2 distance was well below my last official half mary time so I cannot see how I can mess up the PB effort. The goal time is another question but I trust that my training and experience will get me in good position to take a run at it. I also found out that a good friend, Jo-Jo, will be chasing a similar goal so we should be able to work together to keep a consistent pace and for moral support. There are also a bunch of Falcons (Ang and Richard for sure!!) heading down the QEW so that makes it even more fun to race with some of the FMCT crew.

This is my first running race since the 5k in the spring (I think...wow, it's been a while) so I look forward to getting out on the open road and not worrying if I will make it through a swim or running into mechanicals on the bike. It is always nice to pack light for a race! HAHA

The marathon I ran here last year was a very good race and was a solidly organized event. I was debating as to which Half Marathon I wanted to run a month ago so I am glad my coach talked me into this race. It is close to home, well run, good roads, fun atmosphere and competitive at my level (so I have others to push me). Now if the weather works in our favour, the day should be very enjoyable once I get a few kilometres under my belt to burn off the pre-race nerves.

Before I hit the post button, I want to send my best wishes out to a bunch of friends hitting the Ironman Course in Florida this weekend. Coach Tyler, Bill V, Terri R and Nathalie B are all prepared and going to have a great race this weekend. Go Falcons and Coach!

Coming Soon - 2010 Egg Nog Jog!

Triathlon America - for some reason this has hit a cord!

2010-10-20T07:32:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Triathlon America

"Our mission is to leverage the knowledge, talent, and resources of industry leaders in triathlon to the benefit of the sport. The mission will be achieved by increasing and retaining advocates of triathlon and by fostering a positive image of the sport.

Triathlon America has been founded by a coalition of industry leaders who saw the need for the triathlon business community to come together in an organization dedicated to promoting the sport and the business of triathlon."

(the above is the Mission Statement taken from the Triathlon America website)

So I read the self promoting article by Dan Empfield on Slowtwitch yesterday and I am left with a very bitter taste in my mouth. I have nothing against a group of industry leaders trying to work off each other to improve their businesses. That happens all the time.

My issue steams from the fact that their Mission Statement claims they will improve the sport and create a better image for triathlon. The problem with this statement is that you cannot improve the sport or grow the sport or improve the image of the sport without including the thousands and thousands of age group athletes.

We are the wheels that carry this sport. We buy most the products associated with triathlon and pay for most of race fees and membership dues (to governing bodies). To improve the the pockets of a few players in the industry does not improve the sport or excite more people to get invlolved in triathlon.

If you want to improve and grow the sport you will need to take a look at what keeps many people away from the sport, cost. To train and race effectively and safely you need to pay out a lot of money for equipment, race fees, nutritional supplies, etc. Even for someone that elects to race close to home (to avoid travel costs), and races only a couple times a year, the price tag will be above the amount most lower and middle income earners are willing to part with for recreation.

Unfortunately, this is where the majority of the population finds themselves in today's economy. Disposable income for recreation is tough to come by for a vast number of the world so triathlon is usually off the option list when they decide they want to try a new pastime.

In my opinion, this new organization is nothing more than a few big names in the sport trying to make an even bigger name for themselves with a hidden agenda to increase their bottom lines. If this is the true goal than they need to update the Mission Statement and ditch the "Super Hero" mentality that better business will improve our sport.

I hope that I am wrong and somehow they can improve the sport and draw more people into triathlon by cutting costs and fees. I cannot see this happening anytime soon so I will not hold my breath.

Your thoughts?
Larry

Focus, focus, focus!!!!

2010-10-19T12:45:00.000-07:00

With so many things going on these days, I totally had a brain lapse and forgot to track my next race. What I mean is that I had not looked at the exact date of the race for a little while and was surprised to see Nov 7th as the race date. For some reason, I thought it was scheduled closer to the middle of the month.

To be honest, it should not make much of a difference as my coach has kept my workouts in line for the correct date (Thanks Tyler!) so it is more of a mental prep and diet note that I should have paid more attention to a week or so ago. I know I will be ready to attempt my first sub 1:20 Half Marathon in a few weeks but I just have to get in gear now.

On a more positive side, I have had been visiting the pool a lot more frequently in the past two weeks and things are starting to feel back to my form after a few months of relaxed swimming. I know my form is still much slower than everyone else but at least I can start working on it again from where I was around the time of Timberman 70.3 instead of where I was last spring. I was starting to worry that my laziness was going to put me miles behind in this element but my results from Friday and Monday have removed those fears and now I can look forward to improving, hopefully, catching up to the fish in my age group!

Another good note to pass along is that I have been able to knock a nasty diet cola habit for the past two weeks. I will not even mention the amount of cola I was putting back during a day but I have thankfully kicked it for now and have replaced it mainly with water (plus some juice and milk). I was hardly drinking any of these during the cola days so I hope the new addition to my diet helps out.

Although, they say diet cola contains additives that makes you crave carbs, and keeps you feeling hungry all the time, I have not had the benefit of a reduced appetite yet. I actually have craved a lot of sugar and carbs since I stopped drinking the stuff. This has added a few pounds during this period so I hope things straighten out shortly. Right now the cons (less energy due to lack of caffeine, less flavour in my drinks, more calories in my drinks (juice), bigger appetite, etc.) have out weighed the pros (less chemicals in system) of the drink change so I will need to see some more benefits soon to keep me from switching back to the diet cola. Common water, do your magic!

Well, time to hit the track for some 1k intervals. This could be tough!

The good 'ole days of Duathlon!

Just wanted to pretty up the blog with a picture. I don't have anything recent so a classic will have to do.

Getting Back up from the Fall Blues

2010-10-15T09:14:00.000-07:00

Here's a weekly update of what I have been doing to stay busy of late. Lots of family, work and hockey events these days so training has required some energy to get out and stay up with the program.

This week I finally peeled my butt out of my office chair to get back to the pool for the first good swim since Lakeside. After a few respectable lengths in my session, reality hit and the lap times got longer and longer. Time to focus again and try to make more gains in this area during this off season.

On the bike, I had a very solid weekend of riding which carried into this week for a few training rides and bricks. I feel like this part is still improving and I have a lot of confidence out on the road these days. Some great rides with the Falcons after the tri season wrapped really helped keep the form I had gained with Tyler's assistance this summer.

Running, although I feel a bit heavy these days, has been very good recently. We have been working on a few high mileage weeks to get the legs up and ready for the Half Marathon I plan to tackle next month. Also, the speed has been back close to where I would like it for 10k and longer races. For the shorter stuff, I will have to give up some treats that have been a very weak component of my training these days to drop a few extra pounds.

That being said, I decided that I was not really up for a 10k race tonight in Oakville. I think if it was on the road I would be more excited but on the trails in the dark is a recipte for disaster this close to a more important event. I can just see myself crashing hard on the trail and messing up my knees or feet so I will leave this one off the list for this year and just keep to my training routine for the weekend. To be honest, the weather these days has been so nice, it is almost more fun to just get the long stuff in to enjoy the great fall conditions we are having.

On a parting note, I would like to wish everyone doing the Good Life Marathon Races this weekend all the best!

Recovery Week

2010-10-05T09:28:00.000-07:00

Since my last race (Lakeside Tri), I have had a couple of weeks of training with last week being a big mileage week building towards a fall half marathon. I think it may have been my biggest week ever for running so I was certainly feeling my legs suffering towards the weekend. Didn't help that I was also on a business trip in California. Long social events and traveling around the bay area didn't allow for as much sleep as usual but we had a good time, and the meals were very tasty and not on my dollar!

This week is much easier so I have a chance to catch up on some other aspects of life, such as sleep. I have been extra tired coming back from this trip and it has been very tough to get moving after we put the kids down for the night. I am starting to feel more energized today so I hope the weather improves so I can head outside and enjoy the nice, fall air.

As most of us tri/du athletes are aware, this weekend is KONA! It may not be the biggest event for all of us, depending on your race length preference, but it is one that I think we all enjoy checking out. In similar fashion to many other blogs, I will lay down my bet for the fun of it. You may laugh or comment on any of my picks!

Women -

1. Chrissie Wellington - easy choice for a 3 time defending Champ. Racing in Timberman with Chrissie in the field gave me a deeper appreciation for how great she is.

2. Mirinda Carfrae - second last year, may be closer to Chrissie this year but will start the run too far back coming off the bike to actually win the big one.

3. Rebekah Keat - She has been very solid this season and has raced well in Kona in the past. Has the 3rd fastest Ironman time in history among women.

4. Samantha McGlone - got to cheer for the Canadian and hope she has everything ready to show off similar form to 2007, before her injury woes.

5. Julie Dibens - has the swim and bike but needs to improve the run before being a podium threat. She would really have to push the pace early in the race and force the others to blow up to have any chance against Chrissie and Mirinda.

Men -

1. Craig Alexander - I cannot bet against my favourite Ironman athlete. He is too talented and determined to not keep his streak alive. Go Crowie!

2. Rasmus Henning - He will be very tough out there with his overall speed. If he puts together his best race he may upset the defending Champ and be the one to enjoy the Big Island glory.

3. Andy Potts - with another year under his belt at this distance, it is tough to ignore this proven triathlete. Super strong in the water and no slouch on the bike. If he puts in a solid time on the run, he may move up from 9th last year into a podium spot.

4. Chris Lieto - I am a big fan of Chris and hope he pulls of the win but I am not sure he is going to be able to be fast enough on foot to keep the others from taking away his lead coming off the bike. If anyone does dethrone Crowie, this is the man I would like to see on top of the results page.

5. Terenzo Bozzone - I would have Terenzo up higher if he did not race so much this year. I think it may catch up with him in Kona.

Let me know what you think!
So many others that could be on this list, especially in the stacked men's field, but I stopped with the top 5.

*Andreas Raelert
*Chris McCormack
*Marino Vanhoenacker
*Faris Al - Sultan
*Luke McKenzie
*Dirk Bockel
*Pete Jacobs
*Maik Twelseik
*Timo Bracht
*Mathias Hecht
*Eneko Llanos
*Luke Bell
*Cam Brown
*Raynard Tissink
*Normann Stadler
*etc, etc., etc....

Have a great week!

Lakeside Olympic Tri - Race Report

2010-09-23T14:22:00.000-07:00

My final triathlon experience of the season has now passed and the result was a mix of emotions for me. I had a goal time in mind of 2:10 for the Olympic distance event but I was almost ten minutes off that target. Certain portions of the race went well, and I am proud of the effort I placed out on the Lakeside Course, but a few other aspects left me a touch dissatisfied.

The 1.5k swim was a two loop journey in the cool Lakeside Resort waters. My plan was to turn things up a notch and see what I could manage for a time. I had big expectations and would have been happy with anything less than 28 minutes.

Out of the gate, I got my effort up substantially higher than usual for a water start. The water was not very clear so I could not tell how the others were doing around me but I seemed to be moving well and my sighting was bang on so I was not wasting time trying to stay on track. For much of the first lap I was feeling strong and was getting excited about my progress. I was even tempted to stop for a second before starting the second loop to check my split but decided to carry forward.

My second lap seemed even better and I was breaking each side of the rectangular final loop down into small bits to help make it feel like they were shorter little wins. Even on the last stretch to the beach I found more motivation to press harder for the last few hundred metres.

That’s why, when I was able to touch the bottom of the sandy beach, I was instantly dejected when I looked down to see just over 30 minutes had passed during my swim. I could not believe it! For the effort I placed out there, I was sure I was going to see a good time. To make matters worse, I was getting dizzy and could not get my shoulders out of the wetsuit on the slow walk to my bike.

The zipper in the suit had snagged on the flap inside and was only down halfway so the opening was very tiny. The rental was also new and the cuffs at the bottom of the sleeve seemed glued on to my wrist. I was starting to get flustered and even more light headed. I finally wiggled free and took a seat on the grass to catch my balance and throw on some socks for the bike ride.

Getting out to the road, I had a good mount and was off along my way. I was tired at this point and moving up a slight slope was not helping me. I knew this section was not going to be fast but I was hoping to be moving better than I was. It wasn’t until we made the turn around at two kilometres (extra little piece to the east first to make sure we hit 40k) out from transition that I started to find my cycling legs.

This next section was down wind and downhill so I started to fly past many of the other riders. I was making very good time on the field now so I started to feel good about the race again. At the 10k mark, I turned north for 2k which was now uphill with the wind angling into my front, right side. I did not want to give back all the speed I had just built up so I pushed hard on this road knowing the next right hand turn was going to be the toughest stretch of asphalt.

Sure enough, this is where everyone started to give back time as the mighty headwind and uphill battle really hammered the legs. This 16k slugfest was quickly dropping my average speed but I just stuck to the heart rate plan and figured I would eventually enjoy some wind benefit for the last 12k of the race.

After getting through this tough section, I turned south (around 28k area of the bike leg) and started to pick up some high speed but it was short lived as the final 9k heading west were much tougher than expected, even with the assistance of the wind. There were several rolling hills that were not close enough to use the benefit of momentum to keep the speed consistent.

With one final turn south back to the park, I knew I was minutes off my goal for the ride and was sure I was not going to be reaching any pb’s on the day. For the last several kilometres on the bike I was all by myself so I had lots of room to safely dismount and run into transition where I could tell I had still made some movement on the rest of the field. This gave me a little spark to finish the race in style.

The run part of the course I was more familiar with as I raced the Sprint in 2009. The bike course is very different from the Sprint but the running roads are pretty much the same.

The 10k run was two loops on mostly gravel sideroads with some hills thrown in for good measure. One being right at the turn around that was steep and on a loose, rocky running surface. I had moved through the first 2k in pretty solid fashion and was knocking off some more positions. By the time I hit the midway point of this hill, though, my legs were ready to fall off. The last push up was almost a walk to get around the turn indicator before free falling back to the bottom.

While out on the run course, I could see that I was not going to be top five as many of those spots were being filled by familiar faces well ahead of me. I made sure to encourage them as I continued and only hoped that I was hitting a respectable time so that the other Age Groupers (in later waves) were not closing in on my time.

On the second loop, I really dug deep and gave it everything I had. Even the gravel hill near the turn around seemed to flatten out as I cranked things up. Finally, I had made it back to the park and was directed into the finishing chute in 2:19, well off my hopeful race time.

So, although, most of the race did not go as planned, I was still happy to finish 11th overall with the 6th fastest bike time and the 2nd quickest run time on a challenging course. Many said the run course was actually a bit long so this made me feel even better as my run effort was deserving of a quicker pace on paper.

MORE TO COME (DRAFT)