Island Girl Course Preview

Another video from Ignition Fitness!  This time a course preview for the Island Girl races happening on the Toronto Islands.

Island Girl training plans

Ignition Fitness has come on board as the official training partner of this year's Island Girl races, and head coach Tommy Ferris has put together two FREE training plans for those taking part in the September 23rd events! There is an 8-week 5k plan for runners that are just starting out, as well as a 12-week half marathon plan for those runners that are already able to run an easy 10k on their own.

Click here to be taken to the download page!

MSCtv Cobourg Triathlon

Another episode of MSCtv! This time we're getting ready for the challenging bike course you'll find at the Cobourg Triathlon. Pleas visit Ignition Fitness for more details!

MSCtv Gravenhurst Triathlon

If training for the Gravenhurst triathlon you'll want to watch this!

Please visit us at ignition-fitness.com to learn more!

Woodstock Triathlon Weekend Recap

May 28, 2012

I was in Woodstock all weekend hanging out with the MultiSport Canada Mentor and Development team.  Read all about it here.

Ignition Fitness

April 21, 2012

I've been asked by a lot of people why I haven't added any blog posts in such a long time.  Well, this is why.  I'm very proud to announce the official launch of Ignition Fitness, my new triathlon, duathlon and running coaching company.  Rather than tell you all about it here, you can find all the details at ignition-fitness.com.  I'll hope you stop by, tell your friends and join our team!

Steelhead 70.3

November 26, 2011

My original 70.3 race schedule for 2011 was Florida in May, Welland in June and Syracuse in September. Syracuse was my 'A' race for the year so getting in a couple of performances I felt good about in the lead up to that race was important.  The year started off well with a great race in Florida, but I had some major hiccups in Welland that cost me my race and left me near faint when I crossed the finish line.  Following that disaster my confidence was low and I wanted at least one more solid, successful race before Syracuse, and after giving it some thought and chatting it over with my coach, I decided to join a few friends that were heading to Steelhead.

Out of the weeds.

November 21, 2011

This cold of mine completely floored me.  Training has been nothing but light maintenance work (if anything at all) for the past month but it looks like things are finally clearing up.  Things got so bad that I went see my doctor to get my thyroid and iron levels checked because I was so tired all the time, even with training at a standstill.  All of my energy was consumed with getting better and I was left in a constant state of exhaustion.  Numbers are back up on the bike, recovery from workouts has sped up, and running no longer leaves me feeling hoarse.  I'm still feeling vulnerable to sickness and things are still pretty light until I'm back up to 100%, but it looks like training for next year can finally (FINALLY!!!) begin.

Off to a slow start.

November 05, 2011

The hardest part of being sick is your body telling you to go, go, go, while your head tells you to stay right where you are.  I've had a cold for the past three weeks that doesn't want to go away, and I've had to shut down training because of it.  I'm through the worst of it, but it's lingering and still making things difficult.  A few weeks ago I started training with a power meter and have already been exposed to its value.  Last week I was trying to push myself through a tough workout on the bike.  I'd woken up that morning feeling better than I had in several days so I decided to take a shot at the ride.  It was clear during my first set of intervals I was still weak and sick and nowhere near ready for a workout like that.  It took everything I had to hold numbers that were below the bottom end of what I usually push, so I pulled the plug, hopped off the bike, and haven't done anything since.  Not exactly the start to next season I was hoping for.

The most frustrating part is lying awake in the mornings trying to get myself back to sleep.  I'm so accustomed to waking up early to train that most mornings I don't need an alarm, and by the time I'm falling back asleep, it's time to get up.  However, getting out of bed early when you don't have to train does allow time for other things that have been neglected over the past few weeks.  Such as blog posts.  And laundry.  And flossing.

NRG Performance Training

October 23, 2011

First up on the long list of overdue blog posts is the announcement that I'm now working with Nigel Gray from NRG Performance Training.  The decision to switch coaches was a difficult one, but the amount of detail and attention he's poured into every minute of every workout assures me I'm in good hands.  This guy is a pro; he's been coaching and racing as one of Canada's top triathletes for years and it shows in his program.  I get pretty psyched thinking about what next year may bring for me and I've already shifted all of my focus on making it a big year, and with Nigel directing me I'm confident it will be just that.

One blog post down, several to go.

Has it really been two months since my last post?

October 14, 2011

Yikes... It's been a long time since my last update.  It's been so long and there have been so many new developments that I don't even know where I'd begin.  I have three race reports to blog about, two disqualifications, a new coach, a new job, new gear and lots more.  I'm finding it harder and harder to find the time to sit down to complete my blog entries.  Perhaps a commitment to shorter entries will encourage me to do more.

Podium Finish

August 18, 2011

was in benton harbor, michigan this past weekend for the steelhead 70.3.  the swim was cancelled because of some crazy weather, but i crossed the finish line 3rd in my age group.  my first podium finish in a triathlon.  psyched.  full race report to follow.

One of those days...

June 30, 2011

i'm trying to forget about all the things that went wrong in welland.  i'm trying to learn from the mishaps and mistakes and become a better athlete for it.  but it's hard.  it's hard to let go of the fact that things were going so well then fell apart.  it's hard to think about things other than the fact that i was on my way to a top finish.  but this day in welland was not the day for me.  this day would test me, push me towards my mental and physical limits and knock me down.

florida 70.3 - what worked and what didn't

June 22, 2011

with welland only days away and a couple of weeks to reflect on my experience in florida, here are a few things that worked and will stay the same, and a few things that didn't work and need improvement.

happy father's day

June 19, 2011


I know what you're going through and I'm here to tell you you're not alone.  We tri-dads never compromise our time with our children and adjust our schedules to train at hours of the day when the rest of the world is either fast asleep or crawling into bed. Our infant sons and daughters wake us up several times each night and these sleepless nights add up. We train when dizzy with fatigue and it's a struggle to get our training hours in. Long gone are the days when making up missed workouts was possible. Also long gone is the ability to recover quickly. "Try to get a minimum of 8 hours sleep for optimal recovery". 8? How about 3. And that's a good night. Many say we're obsessed, we say we're determined. Our performance on race day may be jeopardized but you'll never hear us complain. We'll only talk about how wonderful fatherhood is. The only thing that trumps our passion for the sport is our passion for our kids.


When we've pushed ourselves beyond exhaustion and are fighting to keep ourselves awake as we're putting our young ones to bed, we have something more rewarding than a podium finish could ever be: We have our daughters and we have our sons and we love them more than anything. Our training is just one small part of us being the best dads we can be.

Happy father's day.

Ride For Heart

May 29, 2011

i couldn't resist the temptation to ride the gardiner/DVP so i've signed up for next weekend's Ride For Heart.  it's gonna be fun.  and it will also be for a good cause.  i keep forgetting that detail.

if you'd like to throw some money at me in support of the Heart & Stroke foundation, please follow this link to donate.

florida 70.3

May 19, 2011

this day started early.  i met my coach and a couple of other absolute endurance athletes in the hotel lobby at 4am.  it was pitch black but it was dry.  severe thunderstorms were in the forecast and by the time we'd made it over to the disney world parking lots, the rain was coming down heavy.  forks of lightning lit the sky, and just as we were boarding the shuttle bus to the start/finish area, a lightning strike and a massive crack of thunder directly overhead took out half the lights in the parking lot.  the lightning must have hit a transformer close by and everyone was wondering whether or not the race was going to be called off.  remaining optimistic, we boarded the shuttle buses and made our way to race site.

Studio Maya

May 18, 2011

i'm happy to announce that i've reached a sponsorship agreement with Studio Maya, a yoga studio that has just recently opened close to wear i work.  maya, the studio director, is definitely the most unique yogi i've practiced with.  a huge thank you to her for partnering with me and supporting me.  if ever in the york mills area and looking for some yoga, check them out.  much fun.